Library Pulse

February 12, Darwin's birthday!

2007-01-17T09:23:00.000-05:00

Defending the Teaching of Evolution in the Public Schools

What do you think? Evolution versus intelligent design.

January 15th, 2007

2007-01-02T10:44:00.000-05:00

Celebrate MLK

Who was Albert Gallatin?

2006-12-19T09:56:00.000-05:00

"Albert Gallatin is best remembered for his thirteen year tenure as Secretary of the Treasury during the Jefferson and Madison administrations. In that time he reduced the national debt, purchased the Louisiana Territory and funded the Lewis & Clark exploration. Gallatin's accomplishments and contributions are highlighted in his restored country estate, Friendship Hill. " - http://www.nps.gov/frhi/

Over the weekend I went to Friendship Hill, which is just across the state line in Point Marion, Pennsylvania. I'm convinced that Albert Gallatin was not only a brilliant man but also an inventor, entrepreneur, and a great lover. The marriage of his first wife ended tragically and ultimately was the turning point in his life. With her death, he abandoned personal desires and devoted himself to public service.

The story of Albert Gallatin is engaging and the grounds (almost nine miles of hiking trails) of Friendship Hill are breathtaking.

Native American Portraits

2006-12-15T09:13:00.000-05:00

Provided by the Wisconsin Historical Society, "this is an impressive collection of 101 photographic portraits of individual Native Americans, dating from about 1898 and identified with their Indian names and tribal affiliations." You can see the character and maturity in their faces deeply etched by the sad events of their era. Enlarge the photos to study expressions, facial features, and the clothing worn by these men as part of their dying culture. They led unique lives that we should value as highly as any from our own American/European culture. Don't you agree?

Iraq Study Group Report

2006-12-14T10:54:00.000-05:00

Here is the full text of the Iraq Study Group Report, published in December 2006, from the United States Institute of Peace. They say..."the report may be downloaded, reproduced, and translated free of charge." Take a look and see what a mess we have on our hands.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse

2006-12-12T21:00:00.000-05:00

The libraries of the University of Washington (Seattle) have put together this wonderful online collection of pictures of the Tacoma Narrows bridge before, during, and after its collapse in 1940. Any engineer can tell you how gusting winds brought down the bridge due to poor design which, in turn, led to modern engineering techniques that ensure the safety of bridges today.

See how the bridge waved like a ribbon in the hand of a child, throwing people and cars around before finally falling into the water. The collection is divided into sections and the pictures can be enlarged for full effect. This may be a "guy thing", but it's cool.

Bird-Friendly Coffee? What's That?

2006-12-11T14:39:00.000-05:00

According to the Smithsonian's Migratory Bird Center..."Simply put, "Bird Friendly®" coffee is coffee that comes from farms in Latin America that provide good, forest-like habitat for birds. Rather than being grown on land that has been cleared of all other vegetation, "Bird Friendly®" coffees are planted under a canopy of trees. Because of the shaded, forest-like setting created by these canopy trees, coffee produced this way is called shade-grown. Not only are "Bird Friendly®" coffees shade-grown, they are also organic, meaning they're grown without the use of chemical pesticides which poison the environment."

Sounds good to me. This is a neat site with a slide show, FAQs, and tons of other resources concerning shade grown coffee. Be an informed shopper who is sensitive to the environment and our bird population. Juan Valdez would be proud.

Chickens in the City...and other vital topics...

2006-12-08T09:47:00.000-05:00

The Emmy Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens presents the first annual Online Shorts Festival with 8 online documentaries you can watch. Chickens in the City is one of several unique topics that should pique your interest and expand your mind.

PBS seems to routinely do an outstanding job and this is no exception. See what you think and ... let us know.

Generation Next: The Young & Their Impact on Our World

2006-12-07T11:50:00.000-05:00

Generation Next is a report from the BBC, including hard facts, graphs, maps, etc. that examines the cultural changes brought about by a generation. You'll notice the young dominate the population of Africa....since AIDS, starvation, and warfare are killing off parents. Our society is responding to the younger makeup of its population in other ways. Explore.

Langson Hughes

2006-12-05T21:11:00.000-05:00

Yale University has created this enjoyable online exhibit entitled My Soul Has Grown Deep like the Rivers: Langston Hughes at 100. It has a visually fascinating introduction that leads you to a page with Links. Those links include A Langston Hughes Timeline (PBS), his collected works, reviews, a biography, and other nice resources. Hughes was multi-talented and you might find this fun and informative.

I Like a Good Historical Puzzle. Try This One...

2006-12-04T13:14:00.000-05:00

If the 1704 indian raid on the Deerfield, Massachusetts settlement was so bad then why did one-third of the 112 men, women, and children taken captive choose to stay with their captors? Raid on Deerfield: The Many Stories of 1702 lets you investigate this historical puzzle online by looking at all sides of the argument. It's designed in a very user-friendly way that I think you'll find interesting and fun....especially the video introduction and Enter The Conflict. Try it out. Oh, and take the survey at the end.

Take a Deep Breath of That Clean WV Air....COUGH! GAG!!

2006-12-01T10:39:00.000-05:00

Despite what you probably think, West Virginia has just about the worst air quality in the country in terms of power plant pollutants. Check it out! Do you see West Virginia in the PURPLE? Look up West Virgina on this web site and read the report. It aint purty.

That means you and your family have a much higher risk of suffering and/or dying from heart and lung disease thanks to the lead, mercury and other nasties belched out in Shinnston, Grantown, and other coal-fired power plants. Thanks, King Coal, supposed lord and savior of our economy. A lot of it comes to us from other states, too... the ones we sell coal too so they can stay cool in the summer ... and leave the empty bathroom light on ... and pollute the air some more...our air. Global warming is the long-term result, of course. Everybody pays.

What are you going to do about it?

Seeing (RED), World Aids Day and Bono's Efforts

2006-12-01T09:27:00.000-05:00

The AIDS Crisis, as reported In Depth here by the BBC has spurred Bonno to designate Dec. 1 as (RED) day. JoinRed by participating in events and by giving your time and money to help fight this killer. AIDS can infect anyone, as it has millions in Africa, Asia, and every nation on earth. Unprotected sex can kill. Be careful. Support the fight.

Who Was St. Nicholas?

2006-11-30T08:37:00.000-05:00

St. Nicholas: Discovering the Truth About Santa Claus. No, he wasn't a jolly old elf. He was a bishop, not especially plump, and his life was less than jolly in many ways. Good legends abound along with images, a timeline, and other interesting features on this site from the St. Nicholas Center.

Nevermore!

2006-11-29T13:49:00.000-05:00

Edgar Allen Poe left us a legacy of mostly creepy writings that continue to interest and inspire new writers. Nevermore:The Edgar Allan Poe Collection of Susan Jaffe Tane is an online exhibit from Cornell University that chronicles Poe's life and provides some photographs and facts that you might not have come in contact with before.

VROOOOM!

2006-11-28T12:21:00.000-05:00

Drawing Power: Motor City Ad Art in the Age of Muscle and Chrome is a great online exhibit of advertising art used to sell cars in days past. The Detroit Public Library's National Automotive History Collection serves as the pool of information from which this was formed. Those were good days to be a commerial artist. I like the "mid-50's Pontiac."

You see, libraries are not always boring places, but can serve as repositories for interesting and useful materials. See what you think and...let us know by posting your comment.

The Choo-Choo and the Mail

2006-11-27T10:21:00.000-05:00

We all know that historically trains played a big part in the delivery of the U.S. mail. In fact, "the Railway Mail Service revolutionized the way mail was processed by sorting mail aboard moving trains." I didn't know that, but it makes sense.

Now you can experience this online exhibit from the National Postal Museum...part of the Smithsonian Institution. All aboard!

What's a wattle?

2006-11-22T09:28:00.000-05:00

Did you know that a wild turkey can fly but a commercially raised turkey cannot? Hmm...

Check on these turkey facts available online from University of Illinois Extension at http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/turkey/facts.html. Just in time for the holiday!

Women DID work before WWII

2006-11-17T09:08:00.000-05:00

Contrary to popular opinion, women did hold regular jobs before WWII and before the women's liberation movement. No, not a lot of women worked, but some did and there are lots of prominent examples. Harvard University has developed this collection of online photos documenting Working Women, 1800 - 1930, which might be just the ticket for an A+ on your next assignment. Have a look.

West Virginia History On View

2006-11-16T11:17:00.000-05:00

Historic photographs of West Virginia (including Fairmont/Marion County) can be browsed here @ West Virginia History On View: photographs from the West Virginia and regional history collection. This seems hidden from most of the world, but it's a very nice resource for researchers and for locals just wanting to find good pictures of their area history. I have bookmarked this for myself. I like it. What do you think?

Celebrate American Indian Heritage Month

2006-11-15T10:09:00.000-05:00

Yes, November is American Indian Heritage Month and The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian provides online exhibits and all kinds of excellent resources for the researcher and for those who are just interested in learning more about indian history and culture. Have you seen their new building in D.C.? It's really cool. You can see it here along with lots more. Take a look...and learn something.

Oh, and have a look at our display near the Circulation Desk. You can check out many of the books and videos. There are some good ones.

$30 Billion of Your Money Down the Drain in Iraq

2006-11-14T21:30:00.000-05:00

Here is a 22 minute podcast by the BBC about the billions of dollars poured down a rat hole by the U.S. in Iraq. It tells a tale of "fraud, mismanagement and corruption on such a gigantic scale that much of the money is now untraceable." It talks about how "many Iraqis say their lives are getting worse despite the vast sums allocated for rebuilding. " It doesn't sound like we're making any friends over there, does it?

If you want to listen then check out some headphones at the Circulation Desk and click on the yellow Listen Now on the Bagdad for Billions report.

Oh, and I haven't listened to the whole thing yet, so let us know how many times Dick Cheney's company, Halliburton, is mentioned.

Kristallnacht. What's That?

2006-11-14T17:21:00.000-05:00

"On November 9, 1938, the Nazis unleashed a wave of attacks against Germany's Jews. In the space of a few hours, thousands of synagogues and Jewish businesses and homes were damaged or destroyed. This event came to be called Kristallnacht ('Night of Broken Glass') for the shattered store windowpanes." This site features an exhibition with a historical overview and details about what was destroyed. From the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

I recently met a former Hitler Youth member who described it as being like Scouts. It was absolutely innocent and they had no idea it was a tool of Hitler's to indoctrinate kids into the mindset of the Nazi party. Hatred of Jews was portrayed as patriotic.

Be careful what kind of behavior and political thought you call patriotic.

Is reading necessary?

2006-11-13T08:17:00.000-05:00

What is the worth of words? Will it matter if people can't read in the future? Columnist Michael Rogers, of The Practical Futurist, seems to think that reading is a luxury. He argues that, "For the majority of students, reading and writing are difficult enterprises with limited payoffs in the modern world." What do you think?

Are You One of Those People Who Didn't Vote? I Hope Not!

2006-11-07T20:48:00.000-05:00

Who Votes, Who Doesn't, and Why. This research by The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press helps to identify and explain the behavior of people who often fail to vote. It's beyond me why anyone would ever not vote....and don't give me that "my vote doesn't matter" line. Every vote counts, as the 2000 presidential election shows. If you don't vote you don't get to complain. That's my opinion. What's yours?

What Was The Gunpowder Plot of 1605?

2006-11-07T20:44:00.000-05:00

So, you've never even heard of The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 in Britain? Well, neither had I until now. Cool site here and interesting story of "assassination, intrigue, persecution, spying, mass murder and finally a plot to blow up Parliament. " Check it out!

It's All About Spin

2006-11-06T09:28:00.000-05:00

You make make people believe a dog is a cat if you spin it right and the media (TV, radio, newspapers) are good at it. Since the FCC, headed by Colin Powell's boy, Michael, has approved massive consolidation of media outlets most of the news we hear comes from a few rich media tycoons, who are very conservative.Media Matters is a progressive information center designed to "systematically monitor a cross section of print, broadcast, cable, radio, and Internet media outlets for conservative misinformation — news or commentary that is not accurate, reliable, or credible and that forwards the conservative agenda..." Watch or listen to some of the "barks" being called "meows" these days. Search by topic.

Full-Text Papers of the Anti-Slavery Movement

2006-11-02T08:19:00.000-05:00

The Division of Rare Manuscript Collections at Cornell University provides the Samuel J. May Anti-Slavery Collection for all to search and read. Go to Search the Collection and Browse to find the text of manuscripts. The Cornell description says...

"Numbering over 10,000 titles, May's pamphlets and leaflets document the anti-slavery struggle at the local, regional, and national levels. Much of the May Anti-Slavery Collection was considered ephemeral or fugitive, and today many of these pamphlets are scarce. Sermons, position papers, offprints, local Anti-Slavery Society newsletters, poetry anthologies, freedmen's testimonies, broadsides, and Anti-Slavery Fair keepsakes all document the social and political implications of the abolitionist movement."

This is a great resource and could serve as the basis for a nice paper. Is anyone listening?

"Who's That in the Mirror? Oh, It's Me", said the Elephant

2006-11-01T12:10:00.000-05:00

When animals look in the mirror they think it's another animal, but not elephants. Click by the elephant and watch!

IS A PALM TREE A TREE? IF YOU'RE NOT SURE TAKE THE TEST

2006-10-31T20:54:00.000-05:00

Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum provides this simple, quick and interactive question and answer session about Tree Basics. I found out a thing or two. Take the test!

Wow! Great Old Travel Posters

2006-10-31T16:24:00.000-05:00

Take this tour of travel posters from days gone by. It's provided by the Los Angeles Public Library and these would be great to use in a PowerPoint or some other presentation on a related period topic. They don't make such beautiful graphics anymore. Check out the exhibit entitled, Far & Wide: The Golden Age of Travel Posters. Click on the ship in the lower right to "take the tour" and click on each image to enlarge.

You Missed the 2006 National Book Festival? No Matter....

2006-10-30T12:08:00.000-05:00

Here are podcasts of 70 famous authors speaking about their works or related topics. I especially like Doris Kearns Goodwin's talk about Abraham Lincoln. She apparently got to know Abe very well as she researched and wrote about him. Listen and comment!

What Is The World Doing About Poverty?

2006-10-26T13:53:00.000-04:00

As the Arab government of Sudan continues to systematically kill its poor, non-Arab, ethnically-black population the world stands by and watches. As the poor in countries all around the world barely survive from day to day one has to wonder what is being done. The BBC explores the issue of African poverty in this in-depth report, Africa: After the Promises.

Micro-Loans: a Way Out of Poverty

2006-10-24T16:52:00.000-04:00

Check out the Grameen Bank web site. These micro-loans are a great idea that is spreading around the world, mostly through the use of tiny loans to poor women. That's not popular in many male-dominated countries, but it works! It was effective enough to merit the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for its founder, Muhammad Yunus.

The web site says...."Lasting peace can not be achieved unless large population groups find ways in which to break out of poverty. Micro-credit is one such means."

What a great topic for a class assignment or paper in Business & Economics!

The Attack of the Vampire Mites!!!! Ahhhhh!!

2006-10-19T09:33:00.000-04:00

Read or listen to this National Public Radio report about how the attack of the "Vampire Mites" is causing our bee population to dwindle and endangering the fruit farming industry ... and the price you pay for that apple you're eating. It's bad news not just for bees, but for the environment, farmers, and consumers.

Oh, you're wondering about the mites?

Well, you see these little blood-suckers feast on bees, not people, and slowly drain all the bodily bee-fluids from their victims. Baby bees must have a hard time getting to sleep at night. You can imaging the stories bee parents have to tell. "I went in to wake up Fritz and just found his dried up exoskeleton lying there!" Of course, the mites get adult bees, too. Oh yea, and they flew in from China, not Transylvania.

I think this would be a good topic for a research paper. We can help you find lots more information at the library reference desk.

Churchill Online

2006-10-17T18:19:00.000-04:00

Bombs fell on London night after night and Nazi invasion loomed as a bitter promise if British forces failed. City blocks fell and burned while Winston Churchill rallied the people to fight on. Our present day world could be much different had it not been for this man.

Check out his life in sound and picture in...Churchill and the Great Republic.

World Food Day - Millions are Starving While You Eat Your Double Cheeseburger & Fries

2006-10-16T10:06:00.000-04:00

See how well informed you are about world hunger by taking this BBC World Food Day Quiz. The question about available food in Africa surprised me.

Also, check out the UN World Food Programme and Doctors Without Borders. Hunger, disease, war...all come about largely as a result of those with money and power doing all they can to keep their money and power, it seems to me.

What do you think?

Malcolm Who? Malcolm X

2006-10-13T09:56:00.000-04:00

What? You don't know who Malcolm X was? Shame on you! He was one of the most articulate and outspoken (some said radical) voices in the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

My conservative parents thought he was a troublemaker, but I can now see how true much of what he said was ... and is today. It's still relevant. Check out The Malcolm X Project at Columbia University and these webcasts (audio/visual) of his speeches.

Let us know what you think.

A New Take on Slavery and Its Result

2006-10-12T12:56:00.000-04:00

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture presents...
"In Motion: The African-American Migration Experience ... a new interpretation of African-American history, one that focuses on the self-motivated activities of peoples of African descent to remake themselves and their worlds. "

Yes, they had a lot to remake! What a horrible legacy our forefathers left us by somehow justifying the enslavement, gross abuse, and murder of their fellow man.

Take a look at the images, texts, and other material. This might serve as a good starting point for a research paper.

665,000 Iraqi Deaths Blamed on War

2006-10-11T14:11:00.000-04:00

The highly respected British medical journal, The Lancet, reports 665,000 Iraqi deaths since 2003 have been directly caused by the war. That 's in addition to the 1,751 Americans killed and 20,468 wounded. Check out the report.

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/images/10/11/human.cost.of.war.pdf

CNN reports:

President Bush says he does not consider report credible (of course)

Gunfire found to be most common killer of Iraqis; car bombings on the rise

Study says 2.5 percent of population killed since war; death toll rising each year

Coalition forces blamed for 31 percent of deaths since 2003 invasion

Please, click on Comment and tell us what you think!

Happy Coming Out Day! (Oct. 11)

2006-10-10T21:10:00.000-04:00

Come to the Kiss-In at noon today in front of the Falcon Center. If you are struggling with your sexual identify, or with the whole issue of people being gay, the Human Rights Campaign has this page called Myths & Facts About GLBT People that you should look at.

You're born that way. Who would choose to be hated?

And you might want to check out this Talking About It Podcast, too. Yea, there was queer on Star Trek....and probably someone you know is gay.

Virtual Instrument Museum...View & Listen

2006-10-09T13:51:00.000-04:00

View and listen to all kinds of musical instruments from around the world. To play audio click to "run an Activex control" then "Play clip in preferred MP3 player." http://learningobjects.wesleyan.edu/vim/

Write Your Own News Story

2006-10-09T13:03:00.000-04:00

Hosted in South Korea, Ohmynews International, is an online newspaper that invites "citizen reporters" to contribute their own own news stories, opinion pieces, and photo essays. http://english.ohmynews.com/

Quirky Science Reporting...It's Great!

2006-10-03T15:22:00.000-04:00

National Public Radio now has the funny-yet-fascinating reports of Robert Krulwich available here for your easy listening. "Charles Darwin and the Racing Asparagus", for instance, is as informative as it is humorous and interesting. Take your pick of reports right here. Just open a report then click on LISTEN. Let us know if you like them.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5500502

DESTROYING THE COLOR LINE: John Hope Franklin and President Bill Clinton

2006-10-02T19:45:00.000-04:00

Explore race relations in American with John Hope Franklin (historian) and Bill Clinton.
Watch the Clinton and Franklin webcast

Yes, global warming is real!

2006-10-02T19:05:00.000-04:00

Virtually no scientists believe that global warming is unproven, no matter what President Bush says. You can see from this nice BBC site how it will increase as you get older. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/2004/climate_change/default.stm

99.99% of scientists say that we will soon reach the point of no return, when the earth will just continue to heat up no matter what we do. What are you going to do about it?

Here's a NY Public Library webcast on Banned Books...almost 2 hours long

2006-09-26T17:43:00.000-04:00

Free Speech Zone: Authors Read From Banned Books
Watch authors Judy Blume, Deborah Hautzig, Robert Lipsyte, Walter Dean Myers, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Peter Sís, and Rita Williams-Garcia read from their challenged books.

In conjunction with Free Speech Zone, a multi-media art installation by Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese being exhibited throughout the month of September in the display windows of Donnell Library Center, Donnell Media Center is presenting an evening of selections from challenged books written for children and teens, read by their authors.
Watch the Free Speech Zone webcast

Banned Books Week...yep, people still ban books!

2006-09-23T12:29:00.000-04:00

You didn’t know that books are banned all the time? Well, they are and legal battles sometimes follow. There seems to always be someone out there who wants to regular what you can say or read. Usually it’s because parents don’t want their precious son or daughter being exposed to sex, violence, or “unchristian” ideas….as if they didn’t see it on TV or listen to it on their Ipod. Oddly enough, some of our most respected authors wrote many of those books. Hemingway, Salinger, Faulkner, Steinbeck, Twain…all authored controversial books.

Here’s what the American Library Association has to say about it….
Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.

Well, I agree. Do you? Check out the Google site below…with links to great resources…and post a comment here. We want to hear from you.
http://books.google.com/googlebooks/banned/?utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-google&utm_medium=ha&utm_term=banned%20book%20week

Sept. 17th, Constitution Day: Is the President Accountable?

2006-09-08T14:48:00.000-04:00

Having been taxed to death, thrown in jail or even hanged for speaking against King George, and for wanting the king to be held accountable to the people, they...the people... created our constitution to prevent a repeat of those and other crimes in the new United States of America.

Do we have a new King George? Does the constitution apply to him as well or is he free to wiretap and monitor our financial records as he pleases without oversight?

Check out these sites, especially the “Domestic Spying” … and “Digital Debates” (Podcasts). Headphones are available for checkout downstairs at the Circulation Desk. Check out our display on the ground floor and stairway landing between 2nd and 3rd.

Join the discussion by giving us your anonymous Comments here on the blog.

Constitution Day http://constitutioncenter.org/constitutionday/display/MainS/Home

Domestic Spying: What are the Checks on Presidential Power? http://www.justicetalking.org/viewprogram.asp?progID=549

Audio Visual Resources
http://www.justicelearning.org/constitutionday/TuneIn.asp

Digital Debates
http://feeds.feedburner.com/NCCPrograms

National Constitution Center
http://constitutioncenter.org/

Censorship & Freedom of Information Post-Sept. 11 (Librarian's Index to the Internet)
http://www.lii.org/pub/subtopic/866

Evolution: are ye fur it or again it?

2006-09-05T18:41:00.000-04:00

People really get worked up about this one. I'm sure some of you think Charles Darwin was evil, but if you think his work was fascinating and you want to know more then check out this site.

According to Library Journal, "Christ's College, University of Cambridge, is working to digitize the complete published works of Darwin in every edition and variation, as well as his manuscripts, journal articles, and canonical secondary sources. This substantial pilot for that project includes almost the complete works of Darwin already and many related texts on evolution..."
http://pages.britishlibrary.net/charles.darwin/

Faces of the Fallen

2006-09-05T18:29:00.000-04:00

The Washington Post has a site up with pictures and a basic bio of each American soldier killed so far in Iraq and Afghanistan. Very sobering. The total is nearing 3,000. Have a look.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/?nav=nsc

2006-09-01T15:48:00.000-04:00

According to NOW, on PBS, [http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/235/voting-rules.html] the "elections are shaped by a dizzying mélange of inconsistently enforced laws, conflicting court rulings, local traditions, various technology choices, and partisan trickery." No, we're not talking about Nigeria. We're talking about good 'ole U.S.A. See some examples from the respected magazine, Mother Jones. It's bad, people. http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2006/09/just_try_voting_here.html

Write and store your documents ON the Web?

2006-09-01T15:27:00.000-04:00

Yea, that’s right…I mean Writely. A new beta product from Google, called Writely, may be what you’re been waiting for. It lets you create documents online, from any location, or upload them from most file formats, like Word. Want to know more? http://www.writely.com

Is Iran the bad guy?

2006-08-28T15:47:00.000-04:00

Should the U.S. be hard-nosed and refuse to talk to Iran without conditions or should we drop all the conditions and just talk anyway? How can you reach an informed opinion without looking at all the facts from both sides? Maybe the BBC can help you become informed and decide for yourself if Iran is really part of the "evil empire."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/middle_east/2006/inside_iran/default.stm

Medieval English Towns...Kinda Cool

2006-08-22T20:43:00.000-04:00

Was it OK to carry your sword into the local pub in 1326? Find out what the urban scene was like in medieval England @ www.trytel.com/~tristan/towns/towns.html

And....as long as we're in England....Celtic Art is cool, too. www.unc.edu/courses/pre2000fall/art111/celtic/

First YouTube, now Google Video

2006-08-21T08:32:00.000-04:00

You already know about www.youtube.com, but have you seen http://video.google.com?

School lunch? Blah! Let's Rethink This Whole Thing

2006-08-18T16:41:00.000-04:00

Here is a collection of resources for developing school lunch programs "to address the crisis in childhood obesity, provide nutrition education, and teach ecological knowledge." Sounds like a good topic for a paper to me. It addresses food policy, curriculum integration, finances, facility design, waste management, and other school lunch topics. Check it out. http://www.ecoliteracy.org/programs/rsl.html

Man/Woman/Gay/Straight. What's the diff?

2006-08-18T16:32:00.000-04:00

Are men and women's brains wired differently? It sure seems like it sometimes, doesn't it? This web site features the "Sex ID test, a series of visual challenges and questions used by psychologists" in a recent television series, and articles on topics such as empathizing, handedness, and facial attractiveness. From the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/sexsecrets/

A Convenient Profit Meets An Inconvenient Truth

2006-08-04T09:34:00.000-04:00

I just paid $3.02 per gallon to fill up my car (Aug. 4) and the oil companies are recording record profits. Scientists uniformly agree that fossil fuels are killing the planet, but .... hey, if you can make a buck go for it, right? You should see Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth. If you already have, here is a follow up site of interest and some related sites, too.
http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/
http://www.canary-project.org/
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/WATER/U/

Cool historic pics

2006-07-26T13:36:00.000-04:00

Looking for some cool, color pictures from American history?

Try Bound for Glory: America in Color by the Library of Congress. LOC says....It's the first major exhibition of the little known color images taken by photographers of the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information. These vivid scenes and portraits capture the effects of the Depression on America's rural and small town populations, the nation's subsequent economic recovery and industrial growth, and the country's great mobilization for World War II. http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/boundforglory/

Ben "The Stud" Franklin

2006-07-26T13:30:00.000-04:00

Ben Franklin. Pretty cool, sexy guy...right? What? You don't think so? Well, that's how he was viewed by most in his time...especially the women. They fell all over him. He came up with some great quotes and saved the colonies from defeat by the #1 superpower of the day by negotiating a deal with France at the last minute, too.

Have I got you interested now? Explore @
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/franklin-home.html

Ever hear of BioOne?

2006-07-26T13:03:00.000-04:00

Hey! You need articles for a biology class? Forget Google. It'll take you an hour just to weed out the few things you could really call an article and then you won't know if they're "scholarly" ....which is the type of article your instructor told you to use...right?

Try our new database called BioOne! It's an Internet-based collection of electronic journals in the biological, ecological and environmental sciences. Articles in BioOne are fulltext, and include all illustrations and links from the original printed articles. BioOne journals are published by scholarly societies, museums and other organizations, many of which are members of the American Institute for Biological Sciences.

You're going to like this one. http://www.bioone.org/perlserv/?request=index-html. Off-campus users, enter with your UCA.