http://www.qaronline.org/

Back in 1996, Phil Masters and some of his archaeologically minded colleagues were conducting surveys for the remains of the pirate Blackbeard's famed ships, the Queen Anne's Revenge and Adventure. As it turns out, they found these ships, and after a period of intense secrecy, they announced their find to the world. Since that time, a team of researchers has been working to understand and interpret this underwater site, with the assistance of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Information on their work can be found on the site in sections that include "Archaeology", "Artifacts", "Conservation", and "Education". Visitors should start off in the "Archaeology" section, and here they can read through field investigation reports dating back to the fall of 1997 and also view a map of the archaeological site. The "Artifacts" section is a real pip, as visitors can click on sections like "sustenance", "medicinal", and "personal possessions" to view recovered artifacts. Moving on, the "Conservation" area contains reports dating back to 2002 which chronicle their work in the conservation laboratory from each year. Finally, visitors shouldn't miss clicking on the "Friends of Queen Anne's Revenge" to learn about becoming a member of their "crew". [KMG]

http://www.newssift.com/

Sifting and winnowing through the web for high quality news sources, particularly those in business matters, can be an exhausting endeavor. Fortunately, the Financial Times has come up with Newssift, which can help persons who are looking for such information. First-time visitors may wish to start by clicking on the "Watch how Newssift works!" tab to get an interactive preview of how the site can best be used. A good way to describe the site is as a "business knowledge navigator" that may be utilized to answer questions such as "Is a company likely to fail relative to its main competitors?" or "Is a particular product pulling a company down?" Also, Newssift provides access to thousands of global business news sources, including news wires, television and radio, and expert commentary. The site also allows users to save their specialized searches and click on an interactive list of "Topics in the news", organized thematically into subsections that cover organizations, persons, and business topics. [KMG]

http://www.ifai.com/Awning/FabricArchitecturemagazine.cfm

Published by the Industrial Fabrics Association International, Fabric Architecture magazine is published bimonthly and is distributed to over 13000 architects working in the field. For those who've never thought about the possibilities and opportunities afforded by this area that straddles the lines between fabrics, design, and architecture, it's quite a find. On this page, users can look through materials that address topics like tents, lightweight structures, graphics, awnings, and truck covers. After perusing these areas, visitors should delve into the current issue. The archives here date back to 2006, and the topics covered within these pages include fabrics in the workplace, flexible design materials, and creating a "green" car park with various fabrics. For those who are interested, there's also information about how to subscribe to the print edition of the magazine. [KMG]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/oppenheimer/

J. Robert Oppenheimer was a brilliant scientist, and while the United States was quick to acknowledge his work in creating the atomic bomb, it was also quick to cast him aside as the Cold War escalated in the 1950s. The American Experience series has done a great service by crafting this nuanced and thoughtful documentary on Oppenheimer, and visitors can use this site to watch the program in its entirety and also take a look at some resources for teachers and learn about the current proliferation of nuclear weapons. Noted Academy Award-nominated actor David Strathairn portrays Oppenheimer in the film, and his performance is complemented by interviews with Oppenheimer's former colleagues and scholars. [KMG]

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/index.cfm/category/vandeveldedrawings

The National Maritime Museum of London has the largest collection of 17th and 18th century drawings (over 1500 in total) by Willem van de Veldes, father and son artists. They worked for King Charles II, as marine painters, and the online collection of their works is a real treat. While very detailed, the drawings are not cold; rather they are very lovely and appear very delicately drawn. The maritime subjects they drew ranged from "Dutch and English ships and yachts, ship decoration, views of fleets, battles, landscapes, royal events and figure studies." For visitors interested in browsing the collection, click on "Browse the Entire Collection" in the Search This Collection section. Enlarge the drawings by clicking on the thumbnail, then clicking on the magnifying glass. The thumbnails don't do the drawings justice, as they appear very light because of the pencil and wash used. [KMG]

http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/vets/

The American RadioWorks website offers the opportunity to "Listen" online, "Download", or "Read" the transcript of a puzzling and heartrending story about a young American soldier, Sergeant Gray, who served in the Iraq war for a year, but died a strange death once he got back from Iraq. The story details his mother's search for the cause of death of her son, and learns that Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which he developed from abusing Iraqi prisoners, was the likely culprit that caused his death. On the right side of the homepage are photos and stories of other U.S. soldiers who were involved in the treatment of Iraqi detainees, and their stories can be read by clicking on their highlighted and underlined name. A five minute video shot by a U.S. soldier while in Iraq can be accessed by clicking on the arrow button on the thumbnail. For visitors interested in learning the reporter's process of telling the story of Sergeant Gray, click on "Reporter's Notebook", on the lower right side of the homepage. To learn more about how Post-traumatic Stress Disorder has affected soldiers, visitors should click on the link "Post-traumatic Stress Disorder", also on the lower right side of the homepage. [KMG]

http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/halifax/index-eng.php
This Natural Resources Canada website which focuses on Halifax Harbour, is a wonderfully extensive website that answers any inquiry someone could possibly have about this most unique area. Several of the queries the website tackles are "The Origin of the Halifax Harbour", "Shaping the Harbour through Modern Geological Processes", "Human Effects on the Harbour", and "Busting Harbour Myths". Simply click on "More" below each brief summary to learn more about the topic, or click on one of the above topic titles, located on the menu on the left side of the page. Visitors interested in shipwrecks will want to click on "Description of Shipwrecks", on the left menu, to read about and see pictures of the ten larger of the 45 total shipwrecks that have occurred in Halifax Harbour. The "Pictures and Maps" link has 94 images, including many photos, diagrams, multi-beam bathymetric images, and sidescan-sonar images. Finally, for those who can't get to Halifax Harbour, but really want to see what it's like, day and night, the link to the "Halifax Webcams" can provide visitors with some beautiful views, especially after the sun has gone down. [KMG]

http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2009/paper/

Visitors can view 31 works created by about two dozen artists, both on or built from paper and paper pulp, at this exhibition website from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). The art in the show dates from the 1960s to the early 2000s, with many of the artists featured coming to prominence in the '60s. Much of the work challenges strict definitions of art, such as the selection from Ed Ruscha's portfolio of stains. These are sheets of paper stained with everyday substances, including nail polish, wine, and castor oil. Ruscha says he did not want the work to look like art, so he hired assistants to apply the substances to the paper with eyedroppers. Also employing unusual materials are Dieter Roth's pieces; sausage and cheese pressed into paper with a printing press. A piece by John Cage, titled "Wild edible Drawing #8" includes milkweed, cattail, saffron, and hijiki seaweed. [DS]