The Scout Report -- Volume 16, Number 19

May 14, 2010

A Publication of Internet Scout
Computer Sciences Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Sponsored by University of Wisconsin - Madison Libraries.




Research and Education

General Interest

Network Tools

In The News




Research and Education

Sexual Assault on Campus: A Frustrating Search for Justice

http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/campus_assault/

Sexual assaults on campus have been a subject of great concern for decades, and this thoughtful website from the Center for Public Integrity provides insight into this troubling phenomenon. The investigative work for this project was done by Kristen Lombardi and Kristin Jones who began their work by surveying crisis service programs and clinics on or near college campuses across the country. They followed up on this work by interviewing nearly 50 current and former college students who say they were raped or sexually assaulted by other students and other members of their respective academic communities. After all of this work, the reporters and the Center teamed up with a number of partners to create the series featured on this website. Here visitors can make their way through sections that include "Articles", "Resources", and "Related Stories". Many of the articles are accompanied by radio features from their partners at National Public Radio and the "Resources" area contains a reporter's toolkit for journalists. Additionally, there is the helpful resource "Understanding the Law", which talks about the three key laws which effect how sexual assault claims are handled on campuses across the country. [KMG]



Knowledge Weavers Project

http://library.med.utah.edu/km/digitalcollectkw.php

The Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences library at the University of Utah is responsible for the Knowledge Weavers project, which aimed to "produce innovative multimedia resources which included tutorials, interactive cases, animations and other multimedia methods of delivery to support health sciences education." There are more than two dozen resources in subjects that include neurology, nurse midwifery, cardiology, and environmental medicine. Visitors can use the Image Banks/Collections to look at "The ECG Learning Center", which includes an interactive ECG tutorial, ECG terminology, and diagnostic criteria. The "Voluntary Control of the Facial Muscles" animation under the "Animations" heading, allows visitors to see how the movement of the voluntary facial muscles are impeded by such things as infections and tumors. "EnviroDx" is under the heading "Interactive Cases" and operates as a virtual clinic for a doctor trying to diagnose a patient whose illness is likely caused by exposure to environmental factors. [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.



National Geographic: Environment

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/?source=NavEnvHome

The Environment section of the National Geographic website has so many photos, quizzes, blogs, games and news to learn from and enjoy, that visitors will probably have to make a number of return visits. For those with only a little time, visitors absolutely must check out the link "News Blog: Greatest Nature Photos" under the "Environment News" heading near the top of the page. There visitors will see several of the 40 greatest nature photos that were chosen by a conservation photography organization in celebration of Earth Day 2010. "Test your Earth IQ" quizzes on backyard birds, Yosemite, pollution, natural disasters, and going green will keep visitors plenty busy, and the quizzes are also a great way to learn something new. The "NG in the Field" section reports on the grantees of National Geographic grants. Some of the projects include, "Big Cats Initiatives", "Blue Holes Project", and "Quintana Roo Underwater Cave Project". [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.



Let's Move [pdf]

http://www.letsmove.gov/

Let's Move! is the U.S government website that supports First Lady Michelle Obama's goal to "solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation." The Department of Education, the USDA, and the Department of Health and Human Services have teamed up to tackle the problem, and they have all made significant contributions to the website. Visitors will find that the website is organized into the following sections: "Healthy Choices", "Healthier Schools", "Physical Activity", and "Access to Affordable Healthy Food". Clicking on any section will let visitor learn more about the programs and initiatives of each section, and involve several other government departments and non-profit organizations such as the FDA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Institute of Medicine. On the right hand menu of most sections, visitors can learn about the research and information known about the problem, as well as how people can help in the communities in which they live. The section on "Access to Affordable Healthy Food" is particularly important for the meals served at home, as it addresses a most basic problem of getting kids and parents to eat healthy items throughout the day. [KMG]



Masterpieces of European Painting from Dulwich Picture Gallery

http://www.frick.org/exhibitions/dulwich/index.htm

The Frick Collection in New York City recently mounted an exhibition of painted European masterpieces on loan from the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London. Many of the paintings available to view here on their website haven't been in the United States recently, and some of them have never been shown in New York City. Visitors might want to listen to a podcast of the curators of the Frick interviewing the curators of the Dulwich. They discuss the history of the Dulwich Gallery, along with the basis for the exhibition at the Frick. Also, visitors can view the signature masterpieces by clicking on the highlighted titles of the paintings within the main text under the "Special Exhibition" title or in the menu on the right side of the page. The "Featured Works and Podcasts" link offers MP3s with a brief interpretation of six of the paintings in the exhibit, including a piece by Watteau that is also in video form. [KMG]



Cyber Cemetery

http://digital.library.unt.edu/explore/collections/GDCC/

Where do old government websites go when they aren't updated or used anymore? Well, for some of these websites their final resting place is within The University of North Texas (UNT) Digital Library. UNT Library has been involved with creating an archive of government websites that have ceased operation through the CyberCemetery website. Currently, there are around 45 separate collections included in this archive, and some of the featured entities include the United States Commission on Ocean Policy which ceased operation in 2004 and the Presidential Commission on Holocaust Assets in the US, which finished its work in 2001. For each collection, visitors can look over a brief record, full record, and metadata. Visitors can perform advanced searches across the entire collection, and they can also look at the "Recent Additions" area. [KMG]



US Credit Conditions: Federal Reserve Bank of New York

http://data.newyorkfed.org/creditconditions/

Whether economic conditions are good or bad, inquiring minds want to know about mortgage delinquencies, foreclosures, and their impacts on communities across the United States. Drawing on data provided by one of the nation's dominant credit agencies, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has created this dynamic map that tracks credit conditions related to auto loans, bank cards, mortgages, and student loans. On the website's homepage, visitors can zoom in on different counties across the country, and also toggle different data sets on and off on the display map. The site also includes a set of technical notes, a glossary, and a link to subscribe to email alerts. Also, visitors can display information from the current fiscal quarter, or look at year-by-year change. [KMG]



Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society [pdf]

http://dig.lib.niu.edu/ISHS/index.html

The Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society has been around since the early twentieth century, and it has chronicled many aspects of the state's cultural and social development. Recently, the Illinois State Library was able to utilize funds provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to create this digital archive of select Journal volumes. Currently, the digital archive includes all of the volumes from 1950 to 2006, and more will be added in the future. Visitors might want to get their feet wet by looking over the Autumn 1955 issue, which features articles such as "The Haymarket Riot and the Trail of the Anarchists" and "Charles G. Dawes and the McKinley Campaign". Also, visitors can use the search feature here to look for particular words and phrases of interest. [KMG]



General Interest

Chicago Amplified

http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Program_AMP.aspx

From the Chicago Public Library to the Lyric Opera, the Chicago Amplified program based at Chicago Public Radio brings the best and the brightest from the Chicago region to anyone with an Internet connection. The program was started in 2006, and visitors can browse past programs all the way back to that year. On the program's homepage, visitors can check out the "Featured Events", which in the past have included talks by author Jonathan Safran Foer and a discussion with Donald Hallmark on Frank Lloyd Wright's Dana-Thomas House in Springfield, Illinois. Visitor can use the "Archives" section to learn about past programs sponsored by over 35 different groups, including the Chicago History Museum and The University of Chicago. Finally, the "Upcoming Events" lists talks that will take place over the coming months. Also, visitors shouldn't miss out on signing up for the podcast updates here. [KMG]



The Stuart McDonald Cartoon Collection

http://www.library.und.edu/digital/McDonald.htm

Editorial cartoonist Stuart McDonald brought his worldview to the Sunday edition of the Grand Forms Herald from 1961 to 1967. The original cartoons measured 11x14 inches, and they are kept as part of the Stuart McDonald Papers at the Chester Fritz Library at the University of North Dakota Library. In an introduction to a compilation of McDonald's cartoons published in 1963, Scott Long (an old friend of McDonald's) noted, "The hundred men in this country like Stu McDonald come and go as our Nation's history moves on. They are necessary to democracy and they are even more necessary if we should lose our freedoms, but there will always be some of them around." Visitors to the site can browse through the collection of 346 cartoons, and they will note that many of them deal with topics such as Christmas, foreign policy, civil rights legislation, and communism. [KMG]



Digital Animators

http://animators.digitalmedianet.com/

Getting started in the world of digital animation isn't easy, and it can be useful to have a helpful resource to find out about the current trends in this dynamic field. Fortunately, there is the Digital Animators website which features career-development blogs, tutorials, new software releases, and opinion pieces. First-time visitors can get the flavor of the site by reading a few of the "Top Stories" on the homepage, and then move on to the "Tech News" or the "Company News" areas. Here they will find more detailed information on important developments that affect the business side of this type of animation. Most visitors will want to make a beeline for the "Tutorials" area. Here they will find video clips that talk about how to colorize black and white objects and how to manipulate animation layers with the Autodesk application. [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.



American Experience: Earth Days

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/earthdays/

In late 1969, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson hired Denis Hayes to organize a national teach-in day about the importance of protecting the environment for future generations. On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was held and over 20 million Americans participated via a variety of celebrations and demonstrations. This website is designed to be a companion to the American Experience documentary on the history of Earth Day, and it includes a teacher's guide, several special interviews, and the documentary in its entirety. The film was directed by Robert Stone, and it serves as "a poetic meditation on man's complex relationship with nature and an engaging historyof groundbreaking eco-activism." On the homepage, visitors should also take note of the photo gallery, the interactive timeline of the modern environmental movement, and a telling interview with the father of the "Green Revolution", Norman Borlaug. Visitors are also encouraged to share their own Earth Day memories on the site. [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.



The William Penn Foundation [pdf]

http://www.williampennfoundation.org/

In 1945, Otto and Phoebe Haas created the Phoebe Waterman Foundation in order to respond to a variety of social problems. Some of their first work included funds given for European relief and scholarships for fatherless children. In 1974, the Foundation changed its name to the William Penn Foundation to honor its association with the city of Philadelphia. Today, the Foundation's mission is "to advance a vital, just, and caring community." Their website provides great details on their work, and by extension, it also provides helpful material on the state of the Philadelphia region. Visitors can start their journey through the materials via the three primary sections of the site, which include "Arts & Culture" and "Environment & Communities". Along with the information about the grants available in each category, users will find reports and news updates regarding each thematic area. Moving on, the "Newsroom" contains briefs on the Foundation's activities and initiatives with other organizations and government agencies. [KMG]



National Museums of Kenya [Flash Player]

http://www.museums.or.ke/

The National Museums of Kenya (NMK) celebrated their 100th anniversary in 2010. The museum was originally started by colonial settlers and naturalists who were looking for a space to store their many natural specimens. A core function of the museums, according to the "About Us" section of their website, is to "to identify, protect, conserve and transmit the cultural and the natural heritage of Kenya." Visitors should check out the "Interactivity" link on the left hand menu. There is a "blog", "map", "virtual tours", "children's section", and an "online gallery". The "map" section shows the sites of the regional museums and historic sites under the umbrella of the NMK, and visitors can learn the details of the museum or site by scrolling over the yellow or red markers and clicking on them. The Kapenguria site, for example, is where the "six most influential leaders in the struggle for independence were detained." Included as part of the museum are the renovated prison cells, the Pokot homestead, and galleries that explain the political development of Kenya from "pre-colonial Kenya, slavery, the arrival of Europeans, African resistance to colonial rule, and activities of pioneer nationalists." [KMG]



Wild and Scenic Rivers [pdf]

http://www.rivers.gov/

The U.S. government website that outlines the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act offers a good explanation of the Act, including details on how far the Act can go in protecting designated scenic, wild, and recreational rivers. Definitions of those terms are provided in the middle of the homepage. One of the unique features of the Act is that it relies on voluntary stewardship by landowners and communities to assist in maintaining the Act's goals where the federal government has no jurisdiction. The "Rivers and Trails" link leads to the arm of the National Parks Service called the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) that "provides technical assistance to communities so they can conserve rivers, preserve open space, and develop trails and greenways." The "Publications" section of the website offers a multitude of writings for government river managers, lawmakers, attorneys and real estate professionals. The "Compendium of Questions and Answers Relating to Wild and Scenic Rivers" not only gives an overview of the Act that is more technical than the introduction on the homepage, but also provides valuable answers for the aforementioned professionals. [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.



Textiles and Costumes: Henry Art Gallery [Flash Player]

http://dig.henryart.org/textiles/

Costumes and Textiles is the first in a series of Digital Interactive Galleries (DIG) presented by the Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington. These galleries are "experimental, web-based introductions to specific mediums, subjects, and issues in art and design, all illustrated with images of objects in the Henry's collection." The Costumes and Textiles series provides several ways to explore this area of museum collecting. For example, view images of garments worn for specific occasions, such as a strapless evening gown with a full skirt, designed by Norman Norell, seen in the pages of the February 1950 issue of Vogue magazine and once worn by Lauren Bacall. In the textile section, view examples by structure or by type of embellishment. Finally, explore the global connections of Henry Art Gallery objects using Google Earth. [DS]



Network Tools

Shutterfly

http://www.shutterfly.com/

It's quite easy to create photo books and cards with the Shutterfly program, and interested parties may also be glad to learn that they do not have to download any cumbersome software. Visitors just need to complete a short online membership form, and they can create their own personalized photo websites. Visitors can customize their photos and albums to their heart's content, and they also have the option of sharing these albums with anyone else. This version of Shutterfly is compatible with all operating systems. [KMG]



Avast Free Antivirus 5.0.545

http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download

Avast Free Antivirus has been around for sometime, and this latest edition has some notable new features. Perhaps the most significant change here is the very helpful user interface, which includes a new tabbed section and a context sensitive help menu. Visitors can also use the real-time shields to protect against spyware and viruses originating from hundreds of sources. This version is compatible with computers running Windows 2000 and newer. [KMG]



In The News

Lena Horne, Chanteuse and Entertainer, Passes Away

Lena Horne, Sultry Singer and Actress, Dies at 92 [Free registration may be required]
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/arts/music/10horne.html?scp=2&sq=lena%20horne&st=cse

Remembering Lena Horne: 1917-2010
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2010/05/10/GA2010051001867.html?hpid=moreheadlines

With Clipped Wings, Lena Horne Still Soared
http://www.npr.org/blogs/tellmemore/2010/05/10/126676224/with-clipped-wings-lena-horne-still-soared

Lena Horne: About the Performer
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/lena-horne/about-the-performer/487/

IBDB: Lena Horne
http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=6344

Till The Clouds Roll By
http://www.archive.org/details/till_the_clouds_roll_by

Lena Horne
http://www.lena-horne.com/

As a sophisticated performer, Lena Horne danced, acted, and sang her way around the world for seven decades. This past Sunday, Horne passed away in New York at the age of 92. She was born in 1917 in Brooklyn, and her family was part of that borough's growing black middle class. At the age of 16, Horne auditioned for a part in the dance chorus at Harlem's Cotton Club. In 1938, she appeared in a short black musical film titled "The Duke is Tops", and she would go on to appear in a number of different films over the next five decades, including "The Wiz" and "Cabin in the Sky". By 1945, Horne was the highest paid black entertainer, and she made $1500 for every radio appearance. She also had a long-standing record contract with RCA, and her nightclub recording "Lena Horne at the Waldorf-Astoria" was the best-selling album by a female singer in the company's history. When asked about her legacy at age 80, Horne commented, "I'm me, and I'm like nobody else." [KMG]

The first link will take visitors to a detailed obituary from the New York Times, which appeared on May 9, 2010. The second link leads to a slideshow from the Washington Post showcasing Lena Horne's many talents. The third link leads to a thoughtful piece on Horne's legacy by Jimi Izrael, written for NPR's "Tell Me More". Moving on, the fourth link whisks users away to a narrative profile of Horne from the American Masters website. The fifth link leads to Lena Horne's page on the Internet Broadway Database website, which features information about her different appearances on the Broadway stage. The sixth link leads to the film "Till The Clouds Roll By", which features musical performances by Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and Lena Horne. Finally, the last link leads to a well-executed Lena Horne tribute site, complete with TV appearances, a discography, and other material.






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