General Interest
Billed as "The world's leading resource for European research", AlphaGalileo is a tremendous resource for those with a penchant for keeping tabs on Continental scholarship that deals with science, art, technology, health, society, and the humanities. The team at AlphaGalileo includes a multilingual group of specialists and their coverage is very broad, a fact that will be welcomed in many quarters. Visitors need to complete a brief registration before using the site, and after that they can browse and search through the materials offered here. The site also allows users to perform thematic searches and the opportunity to look over press releases. It's also worth noting that after logging in, visitors can also post their own items. [KMG]
With offices in New York and Los Angeles, Poets & Writers, Inc. covers the world of creative writers across the United States. Created in 1970, it remains the largest nonprofit literary organization serving poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers. Visitors to the site can read selected pieces from their magazine, and they can also learn about various funding opportunities for readings and workshops. Writers will also want to sign up for the Speakeasy Message Forum. Here users can discuss such timely topics as David Sedaris, the publishing world, and the state of modern poetry. One of the most useful areas of the site is the "Top Ten Questions Writers Ask". This area provides answers to queries such as "Do I Need An Agent?" and "Should I pursue an MFA?" [KMG]
Based in Paris, Reporters Without Borders was started in 1985 and it continues to fight "for press freedom on a daily basis." Their work has found them defending journalists who have been imprisoned and also working to improve the safety of journalists in war zones. From their homepage, visitors can explore sections that include "Regular Reports", "Our Campaigns", and "Investigation Reports". Within the "Regular Reports" area, visitors can avail themselves of their annual Press Freedom Index rankings and related documents. Moving back to the homepage, visitors will find a host of news reports from countries around the world, along with a listing of upcoming events. Finally, visitors can also sign up to receive updates via a RSS feed and they can also even peek in on the Reporters Without Borders office on Second Life. [KMG]
http://www.atomicplatters.com/
Along with ushering in a new age of global unrest and high anxiety, the emergence of the atomic bomb had a curious and not totally unpredictable effect on the world of popular (and not-so-popular) music. This site brings together these various subgenres of "atomic" music in a way that's rather fun, intriguing, and at times, a bit scary. Visitors can look through such subgenres as "Atomic", "Cold War", "Flying Saucer", and so on. While most of the songs are not available in their full form, visitors can read all of the lyrics and interpretive essays. Of course, visitors can find plenty of audio joy at the "CONELRAD Audio Archives" area. Herein are contained such gems as the positively odd "The Complacent Americans" and the equally lovable novelty album "The Goldwaters Sing Folk Songs to Bug the Liberals". [KMG]
http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0709/vesuvius/volcano-map.html
In the 1990s, the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior started the Decade Volcano Project. As part of their work, they designated sixteen volcanoes particularly worthy of study "because of their explosive histories and close proximity to human populations." The group recently teamed up with National Geographic to create a guide to these volcanoes via this interactive map. Navigating through the map, visitors can learn about Mount Rainier, Colima, Galeras, Santorini, and other prominent volcanoes. For each volcano, there's a brief sketch that gives the date of its last eruption, its elevation, nearby population centers, and a photograph. Additionally, visitors can learn more by clicking on the sections titled "Did You Know?" and "Eruption Interactive". [KMG]
http://www.indexonline.org/index.shtml
The basic human right of human expression is tremendously important, and this is not lost on the good and dedicated people at the magazine "Index on Censorship". Founded in 1972, the magazine has published opinion pieces, analysis, and reporting by Vaclav Havel, Nadine Gordimer, Noam Chomsky, and Umberto Eco. Along with their actual magazine, they also keep many of their feature pieces online here. Visitors are encouraged to read pieces on censorship in Britain, the rights of journalists, and the suppression of certain political-minded weblogs. Given the breadth of material offered here, it's easy to see how this site could also be used in a journalism classroom. [KMG]
http://www.census.gov/2010census/
Short forms, long forms, Alaska Native, and so on. Anyway you look at it, the United States Census is a complicated and fascinating event. It happens ever yen years (as dictated by the U.S. Constitution), and it is a process that is evaluated almost constantly. Recently, the U.S. Census Bureau created the 2010 Census site in order to inform the general public about the next census. Visitors to the page will be delighted to learn that they can read about census updates and statistical modifications on the homepage. The site also contains links to previous data from previous censuses, and a fun "Did You Know?" section. Interested parties can also look at the current U.S. population, learn about part-time job opportunities with the Census Bureau, and look over a FAQ area. [KMG]
