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=======
The Scout Report
December 8, 2006
Volume 12, Number 49


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

====== A Note to our Readers ====
1.  An Announcement from The Scout Report

====== Research and Education ====
2.  U.S. Census Bureau: Facts for Features & Special Editions
3.  Poverty & Race Research Action Council
4.  World Meteorological Organization
5.  Germans from Russia
6.  The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania
7.  The Center for Cultural Understanding and Change
8.  Latino Voices in American Art
9.  Human Development Report 2006

====== General Interest ====
10. Cartoon America: A Library of Congress Exhibition
11. The Flex Your Power Challenge
12. Surface Transportation Policy Partnership
13. Air Quality Movies
14. Alvin Lustig, Modern American Design Pioneer
15. The Oxford Book of American Essays
16. A Journey Through Time
17. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

====== Network Tools ====
18. Geotagger 1.1
19. Active Web Reader 2.46

====== In The News ====
20. The smell of freshly baked cookies arrives in a most unlikely location



====== A Note to our Readers ====

1.  An Announcement from The Scout Report
Internet Scout is proud to unveil its new project AMSER at http://amser.org.
AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Education Repository, is funded by the
National Science Foundation and serves up information about applied math and
science resources in an easy-to-use format.  Though specifically created for
teachers and students at community and technical colleges, AMSER is free for
anyone to use and is part of NSF's larger National Science Digital Library
initiative. Users can find a wide assortment of materials at AMSER, from
large web sites focusing on an individual applied science or math topic to
Flash animations that demonstrate specific science or math principles in
action.  AMSER also offers users a variety of features including rating and
commenting on resources and having new resources recommended to them.  We
hope that you, our Scout Report readers, will stop by AMSER, take a look
around, and provide us with any feedback you may have on its features and
resources.




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

2.  U.S. Census Bureau: Facts for Features & Special Editions [pdf]
http://www.census.gov/Press-
Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/index.html

The U.S. Census Bureau is known for its diverse set of publications that
speak to the demographic conditions that exist throughout different regions
of the country. Many of these publications are used by policy specialists,
planners, and other such types. The Bureau also does a rather fine job
providing press releases for news organizations, independent journalists,
and the general public. One set of these press releases can be found on this
special section of their main website. These "Facts for Features" provide
interesting statistics directly related to such holidays as Grandparents
Day, Veterans Day and certain themes, such as Hispanic heritage, African-
American history, and baby boomers. Visitors to the site can browse through
archives of the press releases all the way back to the year 2000. [KMG]


3.  Poverty & Race Research Action Council [pdf]
http://www.prrac.org/

Created in 1990, the Poverty & Race Research Action Council (PRRAC) was
designed "to generate, gather and disseminate research on the relationship
between race and poverty." They have done so with great determination and
vigor with significant financial support from a wide range of donors,
including the Rockefeller Foundation and Fannie Mae. First-time visitors
will get a good sense of their activities by looking over the homepage,
which includes links to sections that deal with economic and community
development, homelessness, and immigration. The homepage also contains links
to recent research briefs and reports from the PRRAC, including the titles
"Housing Rights in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina" and "Improving
Education for Mobile Students". One section that is a real treat is a
special 40-year retrospective on the Chicago Freedom Movement, which was
designed to offer a chronology of the events of that year, and also to
discuss some of the social problems that were targeted by civil rights
groups in the city at that time. [KMG]


4.  World Meteorological Organization [pdf]
http://www.wmo.int/

Founded in 1950, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is one of the
oldest specialized agencies of the United Nations. With information
available in Arabic, English, Spanish, French, and Russian, their website
brings together information on weather, climate and water that will assist
researchers and members of the pubic interested in meteorology and related
fields. From their homepage, visitors can look over drop-down menus titled
"Programmes" and "Topics". While the "Programmes" area contains more
specialized information, the "Topics" section contains links to thematic
pages on over four dozen areas of interest from aerosols to women in
meteorology. Of course, there's plenty of information on weather conditions
themselves, and visitors should move to the "Official Weather Forecasts and
Warnings" area to be redirected to the WMO's Severe Weather Information
Centre which contains a real-time interactive map of the world. As an
additional suggestion, visitors should take a look at their online art
gallery, which contains an exhibit that features artistic impressions of
different weather conditions from around the world. [KMG]


5.  Germans from Russia [pdf, Windows Media Player, QuickTime]
http://lib.colostate.edu/gfr/

A number of online digital projects have taken on the challenge of
documenting the experiences of immigrants and this particular website deals
with this very subject quite nicely. Through the use of primary documents
and detailed oral histories, this website illustrates the experiences of
Germans from Russia who immigrated to Colorado in the 19th and 20th
centuries. Drawing on work done by Professor Heitman at Colorado State
University in the 1970s, visitors to the site can examine transcripts and
listen to audio excerpts of interviews of these immigrants (and their
descendants). They may also wish to view the online photo gallery which
contains images of agriculture work, German-inspired architecture, and home
life. Finally, visitors can use a search engine offered here to look for
specific materials, if they wish to do so. [KMG]


6.  The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania
[pdf]
http://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/

Established in 1994, the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of
Pennsylvania conducts research on a variety of topics, including political
communication, journalism, and the role of the media in the lives of
developing children. With offices in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., the
Center is well poised to also disseminate its research findings to various
governmental organizations and other policy groups. The site's homepage
provides direct link to some of their more recent work, which includes
excerpts from a talk by National Intelligence Director John D. Negroponte
and Geneva Overholser's compelling report, "On Behalf of Journalism: A
Manifesto for Change". While visitors can just scroll down through the
homepage to review these documents, they may also wish to click on the tabs
near the top of the page to move directly to a thematic area of interest.
The site is rounded out by a number of links to other Annenberg-sponsored
sites, such as "Justice Learning", which is a joint project sponsored by
National Public Radio and the New York Times Learning Network. [KMG]


7.  The Center for Cultural Understanding and Change [pdf]
http://www.fieldmuseum.org/research_collections/ccuc/default.htm

For some, the field of anthropology may seem to be most closely associated
with the study of rituals and practices in social and cultural worlds that
are far removed from our own. The field has always been interested in
casting a critical eye upon local worlds as well, and the Center for
Cultural Understanding and Change (CCUC) at the Field Museum is very
interested in such work. For those who might be curious, their site contains
information about their work within Chicago's local Mexican community and
another section intended to provide answers to the question, "What is
diversity?"  This particular section is titled "Cultural Connections", and
contains tips for educators on how to explain diversity and explore culture.
Additionally, interested visitors can also download a number of working
papers from a series titled "Perspectives on Civic Activism and City Life".
[KMG]


8.  Latino Voices in American Art [Quick Time, pdf]
http://delcorazon.si.edu/

Some artists, cultural theorists, and others who are equally curious have
asked: "How does culture change as it moves from place to place?" While
there is some disagreement on the subject, some say that cultures continue
to express universal experiences, regardless of where they may end up. The
Smithsonian American Art Museum has taken on this subject with this online
exhibit, which uses photographs, videos, and other resources to examine how
various Latino artists speak through their different artworks. In the site's
four primary sections, visitors can listen to artists such as Maria Brito
and Pepon Osorio talk about their work, and then move on to examine their
artwork in detail in the online gallery. The site is also designed with
educators in mind, as there is also a section that provides detailed lesson
plans on such topics as using art to express the process of assimilation.
While these materials are not available in Spanish, much of the site's
materials are available in both English and Spanish. [KMG]


9.  Human Development Report 2006 [pdf]
http://hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/

Every year, many policy specialists and government officials eagerly await
the annual Human Development Report issued by the United Nations Development
Programme. Released in early November 2006, this year's report was primarily
focused on the issue of water, and they remarked that, "unclean water is an
immeasurably greater threat to human security that violent conflict." Within
its 440 page, the report investigates the underlying causes and consequences
of this crisis, along with arguing for "a concerted drive to achieve water
and sanitation for all through national strategies and a global plan of
action." Along with significant appendices, the report also contains special
contributions from President Jimmy Carter, Gordon Brown, and UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan. [KMG]



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

10. Cartoon America: A Library of Congress Exhibition
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cartoonamerica/

For decades, James Arthur Wood Jr. collected original cartoon art, and he
also was an editorial cartoonist as well during his long career. After
amassing a large collection of original drawings by various cartoon artists,
he kindly donated his collection to the Library of Congress. Recently, staff
members at the Library created this very nice online collection that
contains a selection of these materials. The exhibition is divided into six
sections, including "Imaginary Worlds: Illustration" and "Punch Lines: Gag &
Single Panel Cartoons". Each one of these sections contains a dozen or so
illustrations, complete with an explanatory paragraph and bibliographic
information. Some of the many gems include a very humorous illustration by
Peter Arno depicting a group of middle-aged socialites and a very fine gem
by Bill Maudlin depicting Nikita Kruschhev berating a group of artists.
[KMG]


11. The Flex Your Power Challenge [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.fypower.org/res/challenge/index.html

With the guidance of animated host Les Power, visitors to this site are
greeted by his voice intoning "Hello Cali-forn-i-a!"  It's an energetic
beginning to this website that is primarily designed to help visitors learn
about how they can work to better manage their energy consumption their
homes and at work. Mr. Power takes visitors on a rather fun and interactive
quiz, and visitors who find themselves seeking more information can click on
titled tabs near the top of the screen. While the site is focused on how
energy consumption affects the state of California, much of the information
can be applied to a myriad of places around the country. It is also worth
noting that the site is made available in Spanish and Chinese. [KMG]


12. Surface Transportation Policy Partnership [pdf]
http://www.transact.org/

In the past few years, there has been a renewed interest in looking at any
number of viable transportation options ranging from enhanced carpooling
systems to building pedestrian-friendly communities. One coalition that has
spent a considerable time examining these matters is the Surface
Transportation Policy Partnership (STPP). The homepage provides quick access
to a number of helpful publications, including "A Guide to Transportation
Opportunities in Your Community", which reviews "how federal surface
transportation law can be used to support local and statewide efforts to
build more livable communities and expand travel options." Visitors may also
enjoy the "Key Reports" area, which includes such titles as "Aging
Americans: Stranded Without Options". The site is rounded out by the "Stats
for Your State" section, which includes an interactive map of the 50 states.
Here, visitors can click on each state to view statistics that indicate the
level of federal funding for transportation there and regional congestion
data. [KMG]


13. Air Quality Movies [Macromedia Flash Player, Windows Media Player]
http://www.airnow.gov

The Scout Report has reported on several aspects of the AIRNow website
before, but this is the first time that we've noticed that they have a very
fine selection of short movies on their website. These short films are
designed for the general public, and they deal with such topics as air
quality control, how ozone is formed, and a special presentation for
children on ozone. The films range in length from 13 to 21 minutes, and one
can imagine that these multimedia presentations could be used in a variety
of classroom settings as they are quite accessible and jargon-free.
Additionally, the air quality presentation is available in Spanish, and the
rest of their website is definitely worth looking over. [KMG]


14. Alvin Lustig, Modern American Design Pioneer [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.alvinlustig.org/

Alvin Lustig's designs for office and domestic interiors, furniture, books,
magazines, and textiles have a look - George Jetson's living room - that
anyone who grew up in the US in the 1950s and 60s will instantly recognize
as modern. The Kind Company created this site, a Brooklyn based graphic
design firm, out of their sheer admiration for Lustig's designs. The web
site currently features more than 425 examples of Lustig's work, which are
simply a lot of fun to look at. For example, browse Lustig's book jacket
designs for modern literary works, from his first, the 1941 edition of Henry
Miller's "Wisdom of the Heart", to his 1944 edition of Gertrude Stein's
"Three Lives", up to his 1953 "Selected Poems" by Garcia Lorca. Be sure to
stop by the "Architecture and Interiors", to see the low coffee tables,
skinny-legged chairs, and pendant and pole lamps. [DS]


15. The Oxford Book of American Essays
http://www.bartleby.com/109/

Many a literary theorist and critic have wondered: "What is American
literature?" Others have gone so far as to wonder whether such a thing can
be defined and this area of academic inquiry has delighted many for several
centuries. Late in the 19th century, one Brander Matthews was called upon to
do just that-create an edited volume for the Oxford Press that would
represent a variety of essays from different Americans of the time. All
told, this volume published in 1914 contained 32 essays, including "John
Bull" by Washington Irving, "Buds and Bird-Voices" by Nathaniel Hawthorne,
and "Dante by the Bowery" by Theodore Roosevelt. Other selections include
inquisitive essays by Edgar Allen Poe, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Walt
Whitman. Thanks to the folks at bartleby.com, users can read each of these
essays and decide for themselves if American literature can be defined.
[KMG]


16. A Journey Through Time [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.lifethroughtime.com/
Noted photographer Frans Lanting opens the website dedicated to his most
recent ambitious project with these words: "Seven years ago I stood at the
tide line of an estuary and began a personal journey through time."
Auspicious words indeed, and this lovely exploration of what he found on
this journey takes visitors on a "lyrical interpretation of life on Earth
from its earliest beginnings to its present diversity."  As visitors click
on the words "Start Journey" they will be taken through eighty six
photographs which document the various physical landforms and processes from
the Hawaiian Islands to the heights of the Himalayas.  After clicking on
each photo, visitors will be presented with an interactive timeline that
locates the photo within a timeline of geologic history. Interested parties
can also peruse the "More about LIFE" section to learn more about the
equipment Lanting uses in his work, and how the project came to life. [KMG]




17. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System [pdf]
http://www.federalreserve.gov/

Those users who are looking for all things related to the Federal Reserve
System will need to look no further than this well-designed and thorough
website. Visitors will find a number of links on the left-hand side of the
homepage that will take them directly to information about monetary policy,
payment systems, economic research and data, and basic consumer information.
One rather fine feature is the Beige Book, which is a report published eight
times per year. In the Beige Book, users will find a collection of anecdotal
reports on current economic conditions culled from interviews with key
business contacts, economists, and market experts. A great deal of
additional information can be obtained on the homepage, including a complete
listing of recent statistical releases and information about job
opportunities at the Fed. [KMG]



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

18. Geotagger 1.1
http://craig.stanton.net.nz/software/Geotagger.html

The holiday season usually brings a flurry of new photographs, and some
users with a keen interest in spatial analysis (and a few of these
photographs) will find this application most efficacious. With Geotagger
1.1and Google Earth, users can take these digital photographs and insert GPS
coordinates into these various images, and then of course, go ahead and
place them online. This version is compatible with computers running Mac OS
X. [KMG]


19. Active Web Reader 2.46
http://www.deskshare.com/awr.aspx

RSS feeds are a common feature of more and more websites, and it can be a
chore at times to keep up to date with all of them. With Active Web Reader
2.46, users can download the application and use their auto discovery
feature to find new RSS feeds while browsing new websites. Additionally,
users can use an instant email feature to send articles of note to friends
and others. This version is compatible with all computers running Windows 98
and newer. [KMG]



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

20. The smell of freshly baked cookies arrives in a most unlikely location
Bus riders sniff out shelters
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-
bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/05/BAGAAMPI3D1.DTL&hw=cookies&sn=001&sc=1000

Milk board debuts cookie-scented ads in bus shelters
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/16163858.htm

Get a whiff of the latest trend in advertising
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=537438

Hot Stuff: Smells Like Faux Cookies
http://www.sfist.com/archives/2006/11/30/hot_stuff_smells_like_faux_cookies.php

Hot on The Cookie Trail
http://www.sfist.com/archives/2006/06/26/hot_on_the_cookie_trail.php

Smell-O-Vision
http://www.retrofuture.com/smell-o-vision.html

Watson and Crick. Laurel and Hardy. Sam and Dave. These are the type of duos
that are seemingly inseparable, and a number of such pairings exist within
the world of foodstuffs as well. When most people think about cookies, they
probably think about reaching for a glass of milk. This popular pairing has
been turned on its head most recently in the fair city of San Francisco,
where an advertising company has recently paired cookies with an object that
probably doesn't come to mind: bus shelters. Though some would associate bus
shelters with entirely different (and rather pungent) smells, the
individuals behind this marketing campaign installed devices to emit the
scent of freshly baked cookies in five bus shelters. Given the strong
opinions that residents in that fair city tend to have about most
everything, the reaction has been mixed thus far. A number of critical
comments have come from animal-rights advocates who oppose the dairy
industry, and even more from activists in the scent-sensitive community who
are more than a bit annoyed by this most unwelcome intrusion. In the classic
"man on the street" interview, a journalist from the San Francisco Chronicle
asked local night watchman Joe Broulliette what he thought of this smell-
enhanced bus shelters. His reply? A simple "I'd rather eat chocolate chip
cookies than smell them." [KMG]

This first link will lead to Rachel Gordon's news article from this
Tuesday's San Francisco Chronicle, where she investigates this most unusual
trend in smell-based product promotion and placement. Moving along, the
second link will take users to another news article on this subject from
Monday's San Jose Mercury News. The third link will take users to a piece
from Jim Stingl of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel who explores the topic of
whether or not the city of Milwaukee should venture into such territory and
other such marketing schemes. The fourth link leads to a nice bit of
commentary on the whole cookie-scent infused bus shelters debate from Mary
Ladd, who writes for SFist, a weblog dedicated to all things by the Bay.
Visitors who find themselves in San Francisco and craving actual cookies
will appreciate the fifth link, as it contains some expert testimony on
where to find the best cookies in the city. Finally, the last link provides
a bit of historical information on that ever-so brief marriage of film and
piped-in smells from the 1950s that was known quite appropriately as "Smell-
O-Vision". [KMG]


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

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