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=======
The Scout Report
March 24, 2006
Volume 12, Number 12
-----
A publication of the Internet Scout Project.
Sponsored by University of Wisconsin - Madison Libraries.
=======


==   I N   T H E   S C O U T   R E P O R T   T H I S   W E E K  ========



====== Research and Education ====
1.  The Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy
2.  Early U.S.-Korea Diplomatic Relations
3.  Status of Technology and Digitization in the Nation?s Museums and
Libraries
4.  AmphibiaWeb
5.  The Deadly Virus: The Influenza Epidemic of 1918
6.  Teachers Network

====== General Interest ====
7.  Goya?s Last Works
8.  The Gnosis Archive
9.  Institute for Global Ethics
10. This American Life
11. Canada & The South African War, 1899-1902
12. Bellini: Creating & Re-creating

====== Network Tools ====
13. Many Books.net
14. Download Accelerator Plus 8

====== In The News ====
15. Forum draws attention to water supply in the developing world



====== Research and Education ====

1.  The Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy [pdf]
http://brie.berkeley.edu/~briewww/index.html

Created in 1982, The Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy (BRIE)
is an interdisciplinary research project that focuses on ??international
economic competition and the development and application of advanced
technologies?. Moving between the worlds of the private sector to
interactions with fellow scholars and policymakers, BRIE has created a
number of thought-provoking documents for the web-browsing public and placed
them on this site. Visitors who require a bit more background material may
want to first visit the ?About BRIE? area which includes information on
their objectives and research mission. After taking a look at the materials
there, interested parties should proceed to the ?Publications? area, which
contains a very nice working papers area. Here visitors can download such
intriguing titles as ?Transforming Politics in a Digital Era? and ?Boom
Boxes: Shipping Containers and Terrorists?. [KMG]


2.  Early U.S.-Korea Diplomatic Relations [pdf, Macromedia Flash Player]
http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/Straight/

Many aspects of history can be examined through the use of visual materials,
and certainly the emerging relationship between the United States and Korea
is no exception. Drawing on a collection of photographs and sketches
executed by Willard Dickerman Straight in 1904 and 1905, this comprehensive
exhibit from Cornell University uses these materials to create ?a visual and
contextual narrative of Korea at a most critical juncture in its more
recent, modern history?. First-time visitors will want to peruse the Flash-
enabled timeline offered here to get a sense of the emerging relationship
between these two nations during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Interestingly enough, Straight himself was a graduate of Cornell, and he
also helped found The New Republic magazine. Additional information about
Straight can be found in the biographical essay offered here, and offers a
bit of helpful background before delving into the photographic database.
[KMG]


3.  Status of Technology and Digitization in the Nation?s Museums and
Libraries [pdf]
http://www.imls.gov/publications/TechDig05/index.htm

Professionals working in the fields of information and library science,
along with museology, might frequently find themselves asking: ?What are
other institutions doing in terms of technology and digitization projects??
They need wonder no longer, as the Institute of Museum and Library Services
(IMLS) has completed an update to their 2001 survey on the subject. The
survey was conducted among five primary groups which included public
libraries, academic libraries, archives, and museums. They followed up their
data collection phase with telephone discussions with key participants
within the primary groups in order to craft this report. As presented here,
the report is broken down into a number of sections, including a very
helpful area of key findings as well as a methodology section. Some of these
findings include the observation that digitization activities have increased
for all groups, though many of these groups do not solicit user feedback to
determine what their specific digitization needs might be. Overall, this is
a tremendously useful document, and one that will be of particular interest
to those who set or study policies at these types of organizations. [KMG]


4.  AmphibiaWeb [Real Player, Quick Time]
http://amphibiaweb.org/

In a previous time, it was a bit more tedious and difficult to keep track of
the world?s species, and international collaboration was less than
instantaneous. This recent endeavor, presented by the Digital Library
Project at Berkeley and a host of supporting organizations, aims to provide
the general public and scientists with a place to retrieve information
related to amphibian biology and conservation. Currently, AmphibiaWeb
contains material on 1265 species, along with 1173 distribution maps, 3449
literature references, 140 sound files, and 7188 photographs. With all this
information, it helps to have a well thought out search engine, and a
finding aid is available here as well. The database can be searched by
genus, species, vernacular name, family, order, country, reason for
population decline, and so on. The more casual visitor will also want to
visit the more general ?About Amphibians? section, then glide on over to the
?Calls and Video? area. Here, one can look and listen to a number of
creatures, including the call of the Aplastodiscus leucopygius, a type of
Brazilian tree frog which sounds a bit like the warning signal emitted by a
service vehicle backing into a dock. [KMG]


5.  The Deadly Virus: The Influenza Epidemic of 1918 [pdf]
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/influenza-epidemic/

The history of human civilizations is rife with disastrous epidemics and
plagues, a fact that is sometimes lost on modern-day pundits and
commentators. Fortunately, the National Archives hasn?t forgotten about one
of history?s more recent tragedies, namely the influenza epidemic of 1918.
They recently created this engaging and fascinating collection of documents
and photographs that offer a first-hand perspective on this epidemic. All
told, the collection offered here contains several dozen primary source
materials, including a directive from the Navy in order to educate sailors
about the health risks of the disease and a photograph of Seattle police
officers clad in protective face masks. One special feature of the site is
that visitors can also order copies of the documents, if they are so
inclined. Overall, this is a well-designed site that offers a glimpse of the
American perspective on this rampant epidemic which eventually killed 20
million people across the world. [KMG]


6.  Teachers Network [pdf]
http://www.teachnet.org/

Based in New York, the Teachers Network is an alliance of education
professionals dedicated to disseminating best-practices throughout the world
of public school education. On the homepage, visitors can click through a
selection of lesson plans, essays by current teachers on their own
experiences, and also read a list of grants available to those working in a
number of disciplines, including social studies, language arts, and the
sciences. The ?How To? area is one that will be most helpful to new
teachers, as it provides resources on managing a classroom, working with
students? families, and teaching literacy. The lesson plans area includes a
nice search feature which allows users to search by subject and grade level,
along with offering them the option to view the most popular teacher-created
lesson plans. Some of these favorites include ?What Makes a Good Friend??
and ?Breads Around the World?. For educators and those with an interest in
researching the realm of curriculum and instruction, this website is a real
find. [KMG]



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The main purpose of the Educational CyberPlayGround is to help all teachers,
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little or no on-line experience, to use the Internet effectively and aid
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Interent, Security, Technology, Linguistics, National Children's Folksong
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====== General Interest ====

7.  Goya?s Last Works
http://www.frick.org/exhibitions/goya/index.htm

Considered to be the last of the Old Masters, Francisco de Goya y Lucientes
has been the subject of a number of insightful retrospectives and special
exhibitions over the past decade. Designed to complement a current
exhibition at the Frick Museum in New York, this online collection offers
images taken from the last years of his distinguished career. Perhaps the
most intriguing drawings offered here are his rather impressive miniature
paintings, which he created during the winter of 1824-1825. Some of the
subjects in these tiny renderings include a monk and an old woman and two
children looking at a book, all completed on ivory. Each section of the
collection includes a rather lengthy essay on the origin and creation of
each work.  For those persons who might be interested in visiting the
exhibit in person, there are complete details available here as well. [KMG]
[KMG]


8.  The Gnosis Archive [Real Player]
http://www.gnosis.org/welcome.html

For those who might be unfamiliar with the religious tradition of
Gnosticism, it is generally a historical term used to refer to a number of
mystical sects or groups that were primarily active around the Mediterranean
in the first few centuries of the Common Era. This site serves as one of the
better online repositories of information related to this religious
tradition, both in terms of its historical coverage, and in its exploration
of the faith as it is currently practiced. First time visitors may want to
move down the homepage to the ?What is Gnosticism?? area to read a few
introductory essays. Their ?Library? section is quite diverse as well, and
offers everything from the complete writings of G.R.S. Mead, a noted scholar
of the tradition, to transcriptions of Gnostic scriptures and fragments.
[KMG]


9.  Institute for Global Ethics [pdf]
http://www.globalethics.org/index.htm

A number of organizations and think-tanks have taken on the most pressing
questions of our day, but relatively few have addressed such quandaries as
basic as ?Are there a core of shared, moral values?? In 1990, the Institute
for Global Ethics started with this crucial inquiry and expanded their scope
to work towards understanding these values. From the homepage, visitors can
read through their online resources, which include the Ethics Newsline (a
weekly electronic newsletter), letters from their president, and a number of
topical white papers. Some of these papers have rather compelling titles,
such as ?Ethics and the Learned Professions? and ?Corporate Social
Responsibility and Peacebuilding: A Case for Action in Israel and the
Palestinian Territories?. Finally, users of the site may also wish to take a
look at their calendar of upcoming seminars and lectures. [KMG]


10. This American Life [Real Player]
http://www.thislife.org/

While most subscribers to the Scout Report may have heard of Chicago Public
Radio?s own ?This American Life? radio program, those who have not may truly
appreciate an introduction to their delightful website. Since the show
debuted in 1995, it has garnered a great deal of critical acclaim, both for
its straight-ahead approach to crafting a narrative and for its diverse set
of guest commentators, which include Sarah Vowell and David Sedaris, among
others. Visitors to the site can learn about the show?s host, Ira Glass on
the ?Staff? section, then proceed to the ?Our Favorites? area to get a sense
of what the show is all about. Some of the episodes featured here include
the story of the people who come in and out of Chicago diner in a 24-hour
period and the rather complex story that surrounded a yacht that supposedly
belonged to Adolf Hitler. Of course, visitors can listen to all of these
programs here in their archive, along with many others. [KMG]


11. Canada & The South African War, 1899-1902
http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/boer/boerwarhistory_e.html

As a former colony of Britain, Canada contributed a significant number of
troops to Britain?s ongoing three year conflict within South Africa, often
referred to as the Boer War. At the time, a number of persons within Canada
expressed doubt about why they were supporting such a distant military
venture, and even Prime Minister Sir Wilfried Laurier was skeptical. This
online exhibit from the Canadian War Museum explores Canadian involvement in
this military action, and includes sections that provide information about
the units and personalities involved throughout the conflict. Visitors can
also view images of some of the awards that were associated with this
conflict, such as the Queen?s South African Medal and the Queen?s Scarf of
Honour, which were crocheted by Queen Victoria herself. The site is rounded
out by a lengthy and well-composed essay by Dr. Cameron Pulsifer that
provides a nice historical sketch of Canada?s commitment to the South
African War. [KMG]


12. Bellini: Creating & Re-creating [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.ima-art.org/bellini/index.html

Dedicated to creating devotional images and painting altarpieces, Giovanni
Bellini?s work is a primary example of the early Renaissance artistic
tradition that came of age in Venice. The Indianapolis Museum of Art has a
number of works by this master, and they have drawn on these works to create
this insightful exhibit that explores the paintings and the creative process
by which they were created. Through the four marvelous sections of this
site, visitors can learn about the process involved in his studio by which
copies were made of his works, and also how some of his creations (such as
his famed ?Madonna?) have been preserved for future generations to enjoy.
One section that should not be missed is the ?Invisible Bellini? section,
where visitors can learn about what lies beneath the visible surface of his
masterworks. [KMG]



====== Network Tools ====

13. Many Books.net
http://www.manybooks.net/

If you have grown weary of newsprint coming off on your hands or just
carting around a number of books, Manybooks.net may prove to be quite a
handy application. From their homepage, visitors can download literally
thousands of works for their PDA?s. The titles range from the colonialist
adventures of the ?King of the Khyber Rifles? to ?Julius Caesar?. The site
also allows visitors to browse by title, author, or category. These
downloads are compatible with all platforms, but of course, one must also
have some type of PDA device or iPod. [KMG]


14. Download Accelerator Plus 8
http://www.speedbit.com/

When it comes to downloading much of anything off the Internet, it?s fair to
say that ?the quicker, the better? is an acceptable mantra. This latest
version of Download Accelerator Plus is one such application that will help
with most downloads, and it also features multi-connections for optimal
downloads. Of course, users can also resume broken downloads and preview
files as they download. For those individuals concerned with their privacy,
the application also contains a trace cleaner for discreet operations and a
file-shredder. This version is compatible with all computers running Windows
98 and newer. [KMG]



====== In The News ====

15. Forum draws attention to water supply in the developing world
World?s poor rely on bottled water
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/14157936.htm?source=rss&channel=mercurynews_world

Big water companies quit poor countries
http://society.guardian.co.uk/aid/story/0,,1736649,00.html?gusrc=rss

10,000 protest at water summit
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/16D30D0D-916D-4484-9C3B-
EA56CE20A7C0.htm

Water with strings attached
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1736247,00.html

4th World Water Forum [Real Player, pdf]
http://www.worldwaterforum4.org.mx/home/home.asp

World Water Day [pdf]
http://www.worldwaterday.org/

It goes without saying that water is an essential aspect of everyday life,
but for literally billions of people in the world, securing even small
amounts of water is tremendously difficult, if not impossible. As the 4th
World Water Forum concluded this week in Mexico City, there were a number of
questions that remained on the minds of a number of organizations, policy
groups, protestors, and other concerned parties. One question that was
particularly vexing was the fact that in recent years, a number of large
private multinational companies had been purchasing municipal water systems,
particularly in the developing world, and then making significant rate
increases. This development was not one lost on concerned citizens and
activists either, as close to 10,000 demonstrated in Mexico City, chanting,
?Water is not for sale!? While well intended, the chant might have been a
bit inaccurate, as bottled water is frequently for sale in the developing
world, and often it is the only kind that is drinkable. Of course, as one
official pointed out at the Forum, bottled water is exponentially more
expensive than providing tap water through a municipally held water
facility. [KMG]

The first site will take visitors to a good article on the provisioning of
water by multinational companies to the world?s poor from this Wednesday?s
San Jose Mercury-News. The second link leads visitors to a piece from The
Guardian, which reviews a recent report from the UN that discusses how a
number of companies have withdrawn from the business of supplying water in
the developing world. The third link leads to a piece from Al-Jazeera on the
recent protest at the World Water Forum in Mexico City. The fourth link
whisks visitors away to a trenchant opinion piece about the lack of safe
water supplies in the developing world authored by Joanne Green, a public
policy adviser at the Tearfund organization. The fifth link leads to the
homepage of the 4th World Water Forum. Here, visitors can learn about the
different sessions offered at the Forum, and also review a number of working
papers and archived webcasts. The final link leads to the homepage of World
Water Day, where visitors can learn about the event, and examine a number of
fact sheets on the state of the world?s water. [KMG]




======                        ======
==   Index for March 24, 2006     ==
======                        ======

1.  The Berkeley Roundtable on the International Economy [pdf]
http://brie.berkeley.edu/~briewww/index.html

2.  Early U.S.-Korea Diplomatic Relations [pdf, Macromedia Flash Player]
http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/Straight/

3.  Status of Technology and Digitization in the Nation?s Museums and
Libraries [pdf]
http://www.imls.gov/publications/TechDig05/index.htm

4.  AmphibiaWeb [Real Player, Quick Time]
http://amphibiaweb.org/

5.  The Deadly Virus: The Influenza Epidemic of 1918 [pdf]
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/influenza-epidemic/

6.  Teachers Network [pdf]
http://www.teachnet.org/

7.  Goya?s Last Works
http://www.frick.org/exhibitions/goya/index.htm

8.  The Gnosis Archive [Real Player]
http://www.gnosis.org/welcome.html

9.  Institute for Global Ethics [pdf]
http://www.globalethics.org/index.htm

10. This American Life [Real Player]
http://www.thislife.org/

11. Canada & The South African War, 1899-1902
http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/boer/boerwarhistory_e.html

12. Bellini: Creating & Re-creating [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.ima-art.org/bellini/index.html

13. Many Books.net
http://www.manybooks.net/

14. Download Accelerator Plus 8
http://www.speedbit.com/

15. Forum draws attention to water supply in the developing world
World?s poor rely on bottled water
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/14157936.htm?source=rss&channel=mercurynews_world



Copyright Internet Scout Project, 1994-2006. The Internet Scout Project
(http://scout.wisc.edu/),
located in the Computer Sciences Department of the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, provides information about the Internet to the U.S.
research and education community under a grant from the National Science
Foundation, number NCR-9712163. The Government has certain rights in
this material. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim
copies of the entire Scout Report provided this paragraph, including the
copyright notice, are preserved on all copies.










Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this
publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the
views of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, or the National Science
Foundation.
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