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The Scout Report
November 24, 2006
Volume 12, Number 47
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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.  Water on the Web: Curricula
2.  Chance
3.  Capital Eye
4.  Voices on Genocide Prevention
5.  CareerJournal.com
6.  Can I Have A Word?
7.  CBC Archives
8.  Learning Center: Tutorials

====== General Interest ====
9.  Video Nation
10. Advancing Women in Leadership Journal
11. Celebrating Wildflowers
12. One Laptop Per Child
13. Holy Image, Hallowed Ground (Getty Center Exhibitions)
14. Off The Map
15. Listen to Your Buds!
16. CDL Online Practice Questions

====== Network Tools ====
17. eNewsletter Manager Free Edition 2.3.17
18. FastStone Capture 4.8

====== In The News ====
19. List of fictional billionaires reveals the fortunes of popular
characters from the worlds of film, cartoons, and board games


Copyright and subscription information appear at the end of the Scout
Report. For more information on all services of the Internet Scout
Project, please visit our Website: http://scout.wisc.edu/

If you'd like to know how the Internet Scout team selects resources for
inclusion in the Scout Report, visit our Selection Criteria page at:
http://scout.wisc.edu/About/criteria.php

The Scout Report on the Web:
  Current issue: http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/Current/
  This issue: http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2006/scout-
061124.php


Visit the Internet Scout Weblog at:
http://scout.wisc.edu/Weblog/


Feedback is always welcome: scout@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx



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

1.  Water on the Web: Curricula [pdf]
http://waterontheweb.org/curricula/index.html

Water is the essential element of life, and efforts to understand it and its
use (and abuse) can form part of an essential learning experience in the
natural sciences classroom.  Created by the University of Minnesota (in
tandem with a wide range of other organizations), the Water on the Web
curricula website offers instructional materials in two areas: basic science
and water science.  In the basic science area, visitors will learn through
study lessons that detail such important topics as solubility, conductivity,
and the basic properties of water. The water science section of the site
contains materials that could be used by instructors who are teaching
students about data collection and management in a water resource management
course.  [KMG]


2.  Chance
http://chance.dartmouth.edu/chancewiki/index.php/Main_Page

Wikis are increasing in popularity, and recently the well-established Chance
mathematical site went just plain "wiki". The original Chance newsletter was
started in 1992, and was intended to "review current issues in the news that
use probability or statistical concepts." As one might surmise, the
newsletter was geared primarily towards educators, but since then it has
gained a broad following. Visitors to the site will enjoy reading the
newsletter, as it contains articles that take a critical look at statistics
in the popular media, and also provides a number of helpful learning
exercises and graphics to utilize with students in the classroom. Since the
site is set up as a wiki, visitors can also register to modify various pages
and add to the discussion as they see fit.  [KMG]


3.  Capital Eye
http://www.capitaleye.org/

Some cynics (and those who are not so cynical) might say that money is the
sine qua non which politics in the United States cannot do without.  It is
certainly important to know where funds are coming from in political
campaigns and other such activities in and around the Beltway, so it is
quite nice to have the Capital Eye newsletter available on this website.
Published by the Center for Responsive Politics, the electronic publication
details the "money-in-politics" situation in a detailed fashion, and much
like the oft-repeated catchphrase from a popular movie of the 1990s, it will
"show users the money."  Visitors can browse the online archive which dates
back to May 2002 if they so desire, or they can just read more recent
features on the campaign finances during the 2006 election cycle or learn
about the role of lobbyists in the Capitol.  [KMG]


4.  Voices on Genocide Prevention [iTunes]
http://www.ushmm.org/conscience/podcasts/

Genocide is a difficult topic, and one that is most deserving of attention
and time from both the media and the general public. Presented by the United
States Holocaust Memorial Museum, this series of podcasts is offered under
the able direction of Jerry Fowler, who is the staff director of the
Committee on Conscience at the Museum.  The program was started in 2006, and
since then Fowler has interviewed researchers from the Human Rights Watch
program about violence in Darfur, scholars investigating the elections in
the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other such individuals. Visitors to
the site will enjoy listening to these shows as well as taking a look at the
site's blog entries.  Finally, visitors also have the option of subscribing
to the podcast and contacting the staff members at the Committee on
Conscience. [KMG]


5.  CareerJournal.com [Last reviewed in the Scout Report on August 8, 1997]
http://www.careerjournal.com/

As might be expected, the Wall Street Journal is fairly well-versed in
helping upwardly mobile individuals learn about new jobs and how to obtain
such positions. Over the past few years, their CareerJournal website has
expanded significantly, and they are dispensing some of their sage advice
right here. Starting with the "What's New" section on the top of their
homepage, visitors can learn about job-counseling resources, the challenges
of dealing with disabilities in the workplace, and how new employees can
learn the unwritten rules that dominate many a workplace. In the "How Can We
Help You?" area, visitors can maneuver through a number of drop-down menus
to get hints on preparing for an interview, writing a resume, and even
learning how to prepare for business school. One of the finishing touches on
the site is a section dedicated to podcasts which deal with topics such as
dealing with a recruiter and the importance of self-confidence. [KMG]


6.  Can I Have A Word? [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.barbican.org.uk/canihaveaword/

Just a single word can make all the difference in a poem, an essay, or an
entire novel. Educating students of all ages about the importance of words,
particularly in creative writing, can be a difficult task. Fortunately, this
visually refreshing and well-laid out site created by the Barbican Education
group is quite inspiring. The site is divided into four projects including
the elements, the human body, the Odyssey, and changing voices. In the
elements area, visitors will learn how to create descriptive writing through
watching visual presentations and listening to new poems by a variety of
authors, including Margot Henderson, Jackie Kay, and Michael Rosen. Also,
this section (as with all the other sections) includes classroom activities
for teachers. Overall, the site is easy to use and will hopefully serve to
inspire a new generation of creative writers. [KMG]


7.  CBC Archives [Real Player]
http://archives.cbc.ca/index.asp?IDLan=1

Throughout its long history, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has
documented, through both radio and television, the many facets of life in
the country of Canada and around the world. Recently, they created the CBC
Archives website which brings together hundreds of clips that deal with
everything from the fabled Grey Cup to Brian Mulroney. Given the vast amount
of material here, visitors would do well to start by exploring the Archives
Timeline, where they can browse through such thematic areas as "Politics &
Economy", "Disasters & Tragedies", and "Conflict & War". Visitors can also
browse through the materials by topic, or just by an alphabetical listing of
all the available clips. The staff members have also created an index of
"Great Interviews", which range from short talks with Errol Flynn about his
time in Cuba during the 1959 revolution to an intriguing interview with
Malcolm X from February 1965. [KMG]


8.  Learning Center: Tutorials
http://www.pt.com/learning.html

One hundred years ago, telephony was a bit simpler. A variety of short
courses, and one could be connecting Doctor Brown to a specialist in a far
away city, such as New York, Boston, or even Green Bay, if the situation
demanded it. In contemporary society, those interested in a viable and
productive career in telephony must stay on top of the emerging technologies
on a regular basis. This website from the Performance Technologies
corporation can help them do just that. The site offers a number of
tutorials on a number of networking and related telecommunications
technologies and programs, including the global system for mobile
communication (GSM), the common channel signaling system (or "SS7"), and the
voice traffic over Internet Protocol (VOIP).  [KMG]



====== General Interest ====

9.  Video Nation [Real Player]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/videonation/

The British have long been interested in studying and documenting various
forms of social organization and human interaction, and their much-revered
BBC has also been involved in letting residents have their say on a number
of programs, including the notable "Video Nation". The program started in
the early 1990s, and with the rise of the Internet many of these short
vignettes have been folded into this very informative and engaging website.
With eighteen regional centers, visitors can view videos from such locations
as Kent, Birmingham, and Manchester. Visitors looking for videos on certain
topics can delve into the Archive section and look through headings such as
Africa, football, lomography, and summer. Other sections of the site allow
users to learn more about making a short film and the history of the Video
Nation program. [KMG]


10. Advancing Women in Leadership Journal
http://www.advancingwomen.com/awl/index.html

More and more women are now located amongst the upper echelons of leadership
in a number of professions, including higher education, business, and the
entertainment business.  As a result, there has been an increased interest
in scholarly publications and journals on the subject of women in
leadership. In 1997, a group of scholars convened to electronically publish
the first issue of the Advancing Women in Leadership Journal, and since then
they have worked diligently to maintain the high standards of this online
journal. Published several times a year, the journal has featured articles
on Hispanic female school superintendents, the experiences of black women in
historically black institutions, and gender politics.  Visitors should feel
most welcome to peruse the back issues of the journal offered here, or they
may also consult the most recent issue at their leisure.  [KMG]


11. Celebrating Wildflowers
http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/

While it may be a bit obvious to some, this website offered by the USDA's
Forest Service starts off with a list of seven reasons why visitors should
be intrigued by the world of wildflowers. They include aesthetic,
biological, and economic reasons, and after taking a look at the list,
members of the general webbrowsing public will most likely find themselves
considering the entire site for their own purposes.  First-time visitors
should start by consulting the regional map of the United States that will
let them move around through the different wildflower recreation areas that
are under the stewardship of the Forest Service.  After learning about the
different areas, visitors may want to return to the site's homepage and look
over the wildflower news updates and learn about the various creatures that
help in the pollinating process. Additionally, the "Special Features"
section includes information on the "Plant of the Week" and it also contains
a number of images that visitors can download to use on their computer as
backgrounds. [KMG]


12. One Laptop Per Child
http://laptop.org/

Several years ago, noted researcher and computer-aided design pioneer
Nicholas Negroponte embarked on a program to develop a laptop computer that
would be sold for use in the developing world.  The catch was that the
computer needed to be very affordable, and in fact it needed to cost around
$100.  Now it looks as is if that project has come to fruition, as the
laptop will be shipped shortly to a number of countries in the coming
months. Visitors who are interested in this type of development strategy
will appreciate learning about this site, which contains information on the
actual laptop, along with some material about the overall goals of this
project.  The FAQ section is quite a pip in itself, and visitors will also
not want to miss their in-house wiki, which contains a good deal of
additional material about the project, complete with frequent updates.  The
site is rounded out by a "Downloads" section, which contains some nice
renderings of this very compact and sturdy $100 laptop. [KMG]


13. Holy Image, Hallowed Ground (Getty Center Exhibitions)
http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/icons_sinai/index.html

This Web exhibition created by the Getty allows visitors to view Byzantine
icons from the remote Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine in Sinai, the
world's oldest continuously operating Christian monastery, and also the
largest repository of Byzantine icons. Tools provided on the Web site allow
you to zoom in on the icons, and see their details from a much closer
vantage point than viewing in the museum would allow. The section entitled
"Holy Space" provides a virtual tour of the church, going both forward and
backward in time - showing how the Monastery of Saint Catherine looks today,
as well as where the icons were probably placed in the 11th and 12th
centuries. Many audio clips are provided, including curators' commentary, a
pilgrim's account of seeing Saint Catherine's relics, and Father Justin of
the Monastery telling the story of John Climacus, an abbot at Sinai in the
early 7th century, illustrated by a 12th century icon, <i>The Heavenly
Ladder of Saint John Climacus</i>. There is also a video tour that runs a
little over 9 minutes, that begins with chanting monks celebrating Christ's
resurrection. [DS]


14. Off The Map [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/offthemap/

Defining what constitutes "outsider" art has been the subject of significant
debate for years. What if the artist in question took a two-week painting
class are they still an "outsider"? The debate will no doubt continue into
the future, but this lovely and thoughtful website from PBS's own
Independent Lens series offers some insights into the world of ten artists
who might well be considered outsider artists. These individuals were asked
to create a vision of their own paradise of earth, and they proved to be up
to the challenge. Using an interactive map of the United States, India,
South Africa, and France, visitors can make their way to Nek Chand's rock
garden in Chandigarh or Dr. Evermor's Forevertron outside of Baraboo,
Wisconsin. Within each of these ten visions, visitors can learn more about
their respective creators and take an in-depth look at different elements of
each creation. Finally, those who are so moved can also elect to create
their own backyard paradise on the site. [KMG]


15. Listen to Your Buds! [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.listentoyourbuds.org/

Hearing loss is possible at any time, and prolonged exposure to certain loud
activities (such as a functional jackhammer or the roar of lions) can create
serious hearing problems. Of course, there is the more common danger of
creating a hearing loss problem through the unsafe usage of personal audio
devices. The site was created by the American Speech-Language-Hearing
Association, and is directed both towards educators and young people. The
site's visual and audio features are quite catchy, and the various
interactive activities offered here include a game that informs listeners
about the various decibel levels that they may encounter during the average
day. The site is rounded out by a short section of videos that demonstrate
both how the ear works and how loud noises can cause hearing loss. [KMG]


16. CDL Online Practice Questions
http://www.testprepreview.com/cdl_practice.htm

Aspiring truck drivers and those who seek a commercial driving license will
appreciate this website a great deal, as it features a number of practice
questions that may be found on the test that is required for such
certifications. The site features over a dozen self-assessment modules that
cover such topics as air brakes, hazardous materials, and of course,
transporting passengers. Within each section, visitors will find both "true-
false"-style questions and their equally well-known counterpart, the
multiple choice query. Also, for those getting acquainted with teaching
others how to prepare for this exam, this site may be most handy. Whether
one is on their way to Bangor, Maine, or just in need of this certification
to meet up with a midnight train, this site will get them on their way.
[KMG]



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

17. eNewsletter Manager Free Edition 2.3.17
http://www.e-undertown.com/en/software_download.asp

Electronic newsletters have been a regular feature of the Internet for over
a decade, and perhaps some of our users have their own newsletters they
would like to distribute to a ready and willing audience. With this
application, that process is made quite easy. The features of this program
include the ability to send personalized HTML messages and send welcome and
goodbye confirmation emails to subscribers. This edition is available in a
number of languages, including Spanish, Italian, and French. This edition is
compatible with computers running Windows 98, Me, 2000, and XP. [KMG]


18. FastStone Capture 4.8
http://www.faststone.org/FSCaptureDetail.htm

Faster than a moving pop-up advertisement, FastStone Capture 4.8 is able to
capture just about anything that appears on the monitors of those who decide
to try out this program. Visitors who utilize the program can capture such
features as scrolling windows and other objects. The other features of the
program include the ability to resize and crop these captured features. This
version is compatible with all computers running any version of Windows.
[KMG]



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

19. List of fictional billionaires reveals the fortunes of popular
characters from the worlds of film, cartoons, and board games
The Forbes Fictional 15
http://www.forbes.com/digitalentertainment/2006/11/16/forbes-fictional-rich-
tech-media-cx_mn_de_06fict15_land.html

How to Make Faux Billions
http://www.forbes.com/video/?video=fvn/business/mn_06_fict15_ms

Billionaires Lock Out Millionaires from 'Forbes' List [Real Player]
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6123046

Rich Uncle Pennybags
http://www.toonopedia.com/pennybag.htm

Comics Page: Annie
http://www.comicspage.com/annie/annie.html

The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Suit [Real Player]
http://thislife.org/pages/descriptions/99/148.html

Lists of wealthy persons around the world seem to fascinate some, and
repulse others. While the Gates and Buffetts of our day seem much more
benevolent than their 19th century predecessors, some remain skeptical about
the accumulation of wealth, property, and other possessions.  But what about
the supposed wealth of, say, fictional tycoons and others of their ilk? In
this week of plenty, the "Forbes Fictional 15" made its annual appearance,
documenting the wealth of such notables as Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks, Jed
Clampett, and of course, one of the most famous alumni of Yale's storied
class of 1914, one C. Montgomery Burns.  There were some dramatic changes on
the list this year, as noted bringer of holiday cheer Santa Claus dropped
off the list entirely as well as that all-too fashionable Cruella da Vil.
So far, none of the 15 members of the list have commented publicly on this
latest turn of events. [KMG]

The first link leads to the article on the list, offered by Forbes's own
Michael Noer and David M. Ewalt. The article contains profiles of those
billionaires who made the list this year, and those who disappeared as well.
The second link will take users to a video feature from Forbes that provides
additional commentary on the list and those who climbed the ranks this year.
Moving along, the third link leads to a piece from NPR's Morning Edition on
the changes within Forbes's list of 400 real-life wealthiest Americans. The
forth link leads to a detailed profile of the 6th individual on Forbes's
list of fictional billionaires, one Rich Uncle Pennybags, who is known to
most persons as "Mr. Monopoly".  The fifth link leads to the Comics Page
feature on Annie, which serves as the home of Annie and her "Daddy"
Warbucks. Finally, the last link leads to a fine episode of This American
Life in which various commentators offer their versions of encounters with
Santa Claus. [KMG]


From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2006.
http://scout.wisc.edu/

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