General Interest
Since 1954, the American Nuclear Society (ANS) has served as an organization that brings together a broad range of persons and institutions together in the interest of nuclear science and technology. Its members include 11,000 engineers, scientists, administrators, and educators representing over 1600 different institutions and government agencies. Persons in this field will want to look at sections on this site which cover membership information, honors and awards programs, and a very nice “Career Center” section where users can browse through employment opportunities. While these sections are geared for persons in these fields, the “Public Information” area is quite a find for the general visitor to the site. Here, visitors can take a look at valuable pieces of information, such as a radiation dose chart and a very timely “Ask an Expert” section. Visitors will also want to look at “Reactions”, which is the ANS’s newsletter. Finally, the site is rounded out by the “Nuclear Links” area which features press releases from the International Atomic Energy Agency and links to news updates from the Uranium Information Centre in Australia. [KMG]
If you are looking for a wealth of recipes that include everything from spinach to figs, you’ve come to the right place when you browse on over to the VegCooking site. Developed as a service by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), this very comprehensive site offers up a wide range of vegetarian recipes, products, and even information about worthy vegetarian restaurants around the country. Visitors can start by looking at the VegCooking Blog area, which includes such fun sounding titles as “Isn’t That Just Pumpkin” and “Peace, Love, and Cosmic Oatmeal”. For those seeking a bit of visual stimulation, there is also a link to “VegCooking TV” on the homepage. Here, visitors can learn first-hand about how to make items like spinach-asparagus wraps and kale with portobellos and almonds. Additionally, visitors can look over some vegan recipes and read a piece titled “Intro to Veganism”. [KMG]
http://www.poetrymagazine.org/
Founded by Harriet Monroe in 1912, Poetry magazine continues to flourish in the 21st century. When the magazine was first published, Monroe remarked “The Open Door will be the policy of this magazine-may the great poet we are looking for never find it shut, or half-shut, against his ample genius!” Strong and meaningful words indeed, and the magazine and its accompanying website live up to them today. On the site, visitors can look through the contents of the current issue, and they can also read selected works as well. On the homepage, visitors can learn about each month’s “Featured Poets”, and also take a look at the “Featured Prose” piece. Clicking on the “Featured Stories” link will take users to articles about poetry slams, the work of the Persian poet Rumi, and “The Poem as Comic Strip”. The site is quite a delight, and it is worth returning to multiple times. [KMG]
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/pb54_keidel_china_looming_crisis_final.pdf
Inflation is serious business for any nation’s economy, and in the case of China, it is a growing area of concern for policymakers, economists, and other such types. This very topic is the subject of a recent policy brief written by Albert Keidel on behalf of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Published in September 2007, this eight-page policy brief takes a critical look at the potential for an inflation crisis in China. After a brief narrative introduction, Keidel proceeds to offer a number of thoughtful recommendations. These recommendations include suggestions that the Chinese government should raise key deposit rates and enable farm diversification by increasing wheat and rice imports. The paper also notes, “The next fifteen months will be especially crucial for China. Foreign criticism has already been severe, thanks to imbroglios over food and toy safety, dollar-holding scares, and Olympics-related activism.” [KMG]
Founded in 1978, the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) is an education consortium that is primarily concerned with “issues related to food, nutrition, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, lifestyle, the environment and health.” Along with this broad thematic focus, the ACSH is also interested in providing a “sound scientific basis” for various public policies through their research programs. First-time visitors will want to start by looking through some of their recent reports, which include “Irradiated Foods” and “A Primer on Dental Care”. After considering some of these works, visitors can click on through sections such as “Health Issues”, “Publications”, and “Events”. One rather intriguing area of the site is titled “Facts and Fears”. Edited by the ACSH’s Director of Publications, Todd Seavey, this publication reports on a wide range of public health topics, including tobaccos use by high-profile media celebrities and vaccine litigation. [KMG]
http://iarchives.library.cornell.edu/collect/PRN/index.html
The history of historic preservation in the United States is a fascinating one, even if it contains a few moments of devastating tragedy, such as when the historic Pennsylvania Station was demolished in 1964. Scholars and preservation activists will appreciate learning that Cornell University has digitized the archives of “Preservation News”. Published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, this archive contains every issue from 1960 to 1995 (minus two issues), and is replete with interesting editorials, photographs, and news about significant restoration projects during this period. Visitors to the archive can browse through the issues chronologically, or they can also perform a full-text search. Overall, it’s a great resource, and one that is worth telling friends with an interest in such matters. [KMG]
http://www.tate.org.uk/tateetc/
Tate Etc. is the online and off-line magazine of the Tate Collection, Britain's national collection of British art from 1500, and international modern art. The Tate Collection is housed in four museums in England: the historical collection is at the Tate Britain, on the banks of the Thames in London; modern art at Tate Modern, in a former power plant; Tate Liverpool, and Tate St. Ives, on the beach in Cornwall. Tate Etc., published since 2004, is the follow-on publication to Tate Magazine, which published 8 issues between October 2002 and December 2003. Every article from Tate Etc. will eventually available online. Although the Tate Collection spans a huge period in the history of art, the focus of these magazines is primarily modern. The current issue features articles on a variety of artists and their work, including Piero Manzoni's Merda d'artista, an edition of 90 signed and numbered works that Manzoni said he made from his own excrement; Salvador Dali's films; and a look at how Andy Warhol was inspired by his mother, Julia Warhola, with links to what the author calls the "Julia Warhola sub-industry" - such as podcasts from the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh of Julia singing the Carpatho-Rusyn folksongs of her childhood. [DS]
