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- Mostly Medieval - Exploring the Middle Ages
Mostly Medieval: Exploring the Middle Ages http://skell.org/SKELL/index2.htm
After researching and writing a novel set in 13th century
Scotland, Susan Wallace decided to develop a Web site that would
contain information about heraldry, myths, religion, and medicine
during the Middle Ages. The site is divided into seven thematic areas,
including "Ballads," "Beasties,"
"Heraldry," and "Medicine." In the
"Ballads" section, visitors can read a complete text version
(or synopsis) of numerous ballads from the Middle Ages, such as the
ballad of Gude Wallace, Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne, and The
Unquiet Grave, where a dead woman expresses her distaste for mourning.
The "Heraldry" section is one of the most engaging, as it
includes a brief introduction to this time-honored practice, and
features a wonderful dictionary of fabulous beasts used as part of the
coat-of-arms. These fascinating creatures include the calopus (a
wolf-like animal with spiked horns), and the lindorm (a huge
snake-like creature). Intended for those with a casual interest in the
Middle Ages, this site will be a nice diversion, and perhaps spark a
trip to the library for more works dealing with the era. [KMG]
- Greek Medicine
Greek Gods: Medicine from the Gods to Galen http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/greek/index.html
Along with their monumental achievements in the fields of
architecture and philosophy, the Greeks bequeathed to subsequent
generations many insights into the practice of medicine -- along with
observations about anatomy and physiology. This online exhibit,
sponsored by the National Library of Medicine's History of Medicine
Division, offers a brief overview of these discoveries. Before reading
the detailed individual profiles, users will want to read the
introduction provided here, along with glancing through a timeline
that outlines the historical development of medical practices and
innovations in ancient Greece. Users can then proceed to read about
the various figures in Greek medicine, including Hippocrates and
Galen, who was a strong advocate of observation and experimentation.
For those looking for additional resources, the site also provides a
section offering some recommended works. [KMG]
- University of Toronto. G8 Information
Centre.
G8 Information Centre at the University of Toronto [pdf] http://www.g7.utoronto.ca/
Since 1975, the heads of state of the major industrial democracies
have met annually to discuss the major economic and political issues
facing their respective political entities, and more broadly, the
entire international community. This past weekend, these seven main
countries (with Russia joining the organization in 2006) met in Evian,
France. Provided and developed by the University of Toronto, this Web
site is an exhaustive guide to the most recent proceedings at this
year's G8 Conference, along with substantial documents from last
year's G7 gathering. Just about any type of policy brief or document
from these very important international gatherings is available on
this site, along with frequent updates and responses from the
different representatives. Not surprisingly, much of the material is
available in different languages, including French, Italian, Spanish,
and Russian. For policy makers and those with a concern for
international affairs, this Web site will be one of great importance.
[KMG]
- African-American Poetry, 1760-1900
African-American Poetry, 1760-1900 http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/efts/AAP/
Utilizing software developed at the University of Chicago, this
online database of African-American poetry is a fine resource for
people looking for a compendium of poems by numerous notable 18th and
19th century African- American poets. First-time users will want to
read the users manual, which explains the software used to design the
database, and how to best utilize the available search engine, which
allows for a number of detailed searching methods. The database itself
contains 12 million words from a total of 86 works. Visitors looking
to browse the online works should consult the bibliography section, as
it contains a detailed description of the authors and works covered
within the database. Visitors familiar with this genre will note the
inclusion of many notable poets, including Paul Dunbar, James
Corrothers, and Albery Allson Whitman. [KMG]
- Genome News Network - Home
Genome News Network http://gnn.tigr.org/main.shtml --While
there is a great deal of information about genes and genomes available
in the mainstream media, it may be difficult for many to obtain more
objective and scientifically-informed material about these complex
subjects. To that end, the Genome News Network provides this bi-weekly
publication that features stories about human medicine, microbes,
biotechnology, and agriculture. Visitors who may be less familiar about
genes and genomes will want to start with the "Quick Guide to
Sequenced Genomes," or the basic overview provided in the
"What's a Genome" area. The site also features news updates on
topics ranging from the African-American Biobank, the first cloned mule,
and how geneticists recognize cancer cells. Additionally, visitors can
browse through the archives of the News Network (back to the year 2000),
and elect to receive the bi-weekly report via email. [KMG]
TIME.com Celebrates 100 Years of Flight--
100 Years of Flight http://www.time.com/time/2003/flight/
This overview of the past one-hundred years of flight was
developed by the Time.com organization, and pays tribute to the men,
women, and planes that have contributed to the technological
innovation that has transformed transportation -- and, to a larger
extent, how humans experience the world. Visitors will want to start
by browsing the section devoted to telling the stories of the
influential individuals involved in the enterprise of flight, such as
Amelia Earhart, Neil Armstrong, and William Boeing. Another section
highlights twenty memorable moments in aviation, such as the first
crossing of the English Channel and the arrival of Charles Lindbergh
in Paris after making his way across the Atlantic. Interspersed amidst
these sections are the many distinctive Time magazine covers that have
served as tributes to the accomplishments of those flying pioneers,
including the 1949 cover with Chuck Yeager. [KMG]
nationmaster.com - Everything About Everywhere--
Nation Master http://www.nationmaster.com/
If you have ever wanted to look up any number of national
statistics, the Nation Master Web site is an excellent resource for
finding out any number of current details about just about any country
in the world. Currently, Nation Master has 335 statistical data sets,
ranging from library books, forested land, Internet users, and
airports. For easy reference, the main Web page features the most
frequently requested stats, such as televisions and military
expenditures per capita. Nation Master also allows visitors the option
of creating their own graphs in order to effectively compare different
nations. The site also has links to national profiles, which include
the available statistics for each country, and images of the country's
flag and a political map. Additionally, the site has a search engine,
and a place where visitors can read short facts on the different
countries. Apart from being interesting to browse through, the site
will be helpful for students looking for basic statistics on the
world's different countries. [KMG]
Face to Face: Stories from the Aftermath of Infamy
"Face to Face explores what it means to be an
American with the face of the enemy. These are real stories of fear,
anger, hatred, loyalty and trust."
[Macromedia
Flash Reader]
http://www.itvs.org/facetoface/intro.html
In the wake of 9/11, many Muslims around the United States faced a
backlash of resentment and anger. This groundswell of emotion was not
without parallel, as Japanese and Japanese-Americans faced a similar
reaction after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. The Independent
Television Service has developed this Web site to bring a human face
to the experiences of Muslims and Japanese people in the United States
by collecting these powerful interviews from members of both groups.
On the site, visitors can listen to stories from older
Japanese-Americans talk about their experiences on the West Coast
after Pearl Harbor, and the experiences of Muslims, both young and
old. The interviews are divided into thematic sections, such as
"Fear," "Internment," "Identity," and
"Being American." At another section of the site, visitors
can respond to the stories, and a glossary of terms is also provided
as background material. Overall, this site serves as a fine
educational tool, and for those looking for a number of perspectives
on the experience of living in America. [KMG]
Uncle Tom's Cabin &
American Culture--This site from the Institute for
Advanced Technologies in the Humanities at the University of Virginia contains a plethora
of materials concerning Harriet Beecher Stowe's _Uncle Tom's Cabin_ and the nation's
response to it. The site features a complete electronic edition of the first published
version of the novel along with the various prefaces Stowe wrote for different editions as
well as audio versions of most of the Christian hymns presented in the text. Users can
also examine and compare different published editions of the text using 3-D applications
as well as view selected manuscript pages and sheets from the novel's original newspaper
serialization side-by-side. The site's unique value, though, lies in the documents it
presents that elucidate the novel's historical and cultural context. Included here are
anti-slavery and Christian abolitionist texts, materials on Sentimental Culture in the
nineteenth century, newspaper reviews of the text, articles and notices, and both
African-American and Pro-Slavery responses to it. The subsequent media history of the
novel's adaptations in songs, children's books, plays, and films is also represented here.
As if that isn't enough, the site offers "an interactive timeline, virtual exhibits
to accompany the primary material, and lesson plans for teachers and student
projects." The entire site -- including the individual text of _Uncle Tom's Cabin_ --
can be easily searched or browsed. [DC]
Marxists Internet Archive--Touted as the "most complete database of Marxism hitherto
made," The Marxists Internet Archive is an extensive collection of Marxist material,
compiled and distributed completely by volunteers. The materials are organized into
focused collections which are found in the site's four main sections: Writers Archive,
Non-English Archive, History Archive, and Reference Archive, an ever-expanding collection
of secondary material. The most developed compilation is the Writers' Archive, which
contains large collections of writing and information about Marxists including Trotski,
Lenin, Draper, DeLeon, and of course, Marx, as well as smaller collections on Cannon,
Guevara, and Morris, among others. This site is an invaluable resource for both novices
and experts interested in Marxism. [EM]
NIAID Releases The
Jordan Report 2000 Accelerated Development of Vaccines, National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (NIAID) News Release, July 8, 1999
Adolf
Eichmann | The
Holocaust on Trial - 00.02 | David Irving Britain's Holocaust
revisionist | Shofar FTP Archive
Directory people-e-eichmann.adolf-memoire Released
by the Israeli State Archives, the memoirs of Adolf Eichmann offer a
chilling, though self-serving, account of the workings of the Nazi's "Final
Solution." Although most scholars dismiss the diary as an attempt by Eichmann to
defend or exonerate himself while on trial for his central role in the Holocaust, the
manuscript was still sealed in the Israeli archives for 39 years. It was made public at
the request of Deborah Lipstadt, a professor at Emory University, who, along with her
publisher, Penguin Books, is being sued for libel by David Irving, a British historian
whom Lipstadt characterized as a "dangerous spokesman" for Holocaust denial.
Under Britain's libel laws, the burden of proof is on the defendant, which means that
Lipstadt must discredit Irving's position by demonstrating that he has willfully ignored
or distorted the facts. Due to the complicated nature of the trial, it has been heard
without a jury, and closing arguments are scheduled for March 13. The Nizkor Project, one
of the largest online repositories of primary documents related to the Holocaust, is
dedicated to combatting Holocaust denial and has made available the full text of the
diary, _False Gods_, (in German only) in .txt, .rtf, and MS Word formats. Users can also
learn more about Eichmann and David Irving at Nizkor's special sections on each. The
latter includes numerous related documents and links to press updates from the libel
trial. Finally, users are strongly encouraged to read D.D. Guttenplan's outstanding
article on the trial, which appeared in the February 2000 issue of _Atlantic Monthly_. The
full text is available online in four parts. [MD]
- U.S.
Department of State, Human Rights Reports for 1999--The
US State Department released its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices to the
US Congress on February 25. Composed from evidence and data gathered by embassy staff,
government officials, military sources, human-rights monitors, journalists, and others,
the reports are designed to serve as a tool for shaping policy, conducting diplomacy, and
determining international resource allocations. Reports are offered for nearly every
country, grouped by region. Each report contains a brief overview of the country's
political and economic systems and a detailed review of its record on respecting
"internationally recognized individual, civil, political, and worker rights, as set
forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights." Appendixes include a list of
International Human Rights Conventions, the 54th UNHRC (UN Commission on Human Rights)
Voting Record, and the text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. [MD]
- Harcourt AP Dictionary of
Science and Technology--Academic Press along with
Harcourt Inc. has made available the _Academic Press Dictionary of Science and
Technology_. The site is designed as a free scientific resource for educators, librarians,
students, business professionals, scientists, and researchers. Users can perform a keyword
search or browse scientific topics such as Engineering Sciences, Life Sciences, Medicine,
Physical Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science, and Social Sciences. From these broad
topics, users can select from over 130 specific fields, bringing up lists of terms for
that specialization. Entries include a short description of terms, and some illustrations
and .wav recordings of pronunciation. [JEB]
- History
Channel Exhibits Womens History 2000--In honor of
Women's History Month, the History Channel offers this concise but interesting site,
featuring brief biographies of 31 notable women, one each day. In addition to the essays,
which trace each woman's early life and accomplishments, a suggested reading list is
provided in many cases. While any such list is arbitrary, interested but busy users will
enjoy these quick daily doses of women's history. Those who don't want to wait can also
view the entire collection of profiles at once. In addition, the site contains a feature
on Women's Suffrage, a list of related programming on the History Channel, and a link to
the Biography.com search engine. [MD]
- Discovery
Online, Buildings, Bridges and Tunnels--his recently
completed feature from Discovery Online explores three different types of 20th-century
engineering marvels: skyscrapers, bridges, and tunnels. The first section includes an
interactive skyscraper timeline; some facts about the world's tallest buildings,
Malaysia's Petronas Towers; a look into the future of tall buildings; and a link to
Discovery's earthquake simulator, which allows users to try to build an earthquake-proof
skyscraper. The second section offers a detailed look at Japan's Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the
world's longest and tallest; tours and photos of some of the grandest bridges (IPIX
plug-in required); and an article on bridges of the future. The last section of the site
focuses on tunnels with a look at Japan's Seikan Tunnel, the largest in the world; a
discussion of some future tunnel technologies; a photo gallery of some of the world's
subways; and an online quiz. Accessible without being simplistic, this site is a nice
diversion for engineering-minded users of all ages. [MD]
- BookmarksPlus - The Ultimate FREE
Web-based Bookmark Solution--Yet another in a fairly
recent wave of free online bookmark managers, BookMarksPlus offers complete portability,
allowing registered users to access their bookmarks from anywhere in the world. Unlike
some of its peers, BookMarksPlus permits users to create and store an unlimited number of
folders and bookmarks. Another value-added service is an optional weekly status check
which informs readers if any of their links have died. Users can also choose to make some
or all of their bookmarks publicly accessible, creating an open directory of sorts.
Bookmarks are added by manually typing them in, setting up a single click option in the
user's personal toolbar, or importing the existing bookmarks from their Netscape or
Internet Explorer browsers. While moving and arranging bookmarks within the folders is a
bit cumbersome with BookMarksPlus compared to browsers, this is still a very useful free
service for users who travel or switch machines often. Users should also note that, while
optional, the site does ask for personal interest information which it uses to display
targeted advertisements. [MD]
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