gov.clusty.com

Vivisimo's clustered search tool "clusty" has added a tab for searching government and related sources. (excerpt:) " Clusty's Gov tab brings together a number of special collections using Vivísimo Velocity. The Gov+ search is a powerful metasearch analogous to the Web+ tab, but focused on U.S. government and politics. It combines a metasearch of FirstGov, MSN limited to the ".gov" domain, DefenseLink, political news from Reuters, the Associated Press, and CNN, and a number of prominent American think tanks, including RAND, The Brookings Institution, The Cato Institute, The Heritage Foundation, and Milken Institute. "

Watching America

www.watchingamerica.com
the following is excerpted from the "about" information on the site.
"WatchingAmerica reflects global opinion about the United States, helping Americans and non-Americans alike understand what the world thinks of current issues that involve the U.S. This is done by providing news and views about the United States published in other countries.
It is not our purpose to find favorable or unfavorable news and commentary, but to reflect as accurately as possible how others perceive the richest and most powerful country in the world. We have absolutely no political agenda.
WatchingAmerica makes available in English articles written about the U.S. by foreigners, often for foreign audiences, and often in other languages. Since WatchingAmerica offers its own translations, regular users of our site will be able to enjoy articles that are not available in English anywhere else. We are a unique window into world opinion.
In addition, by integrating the latest translation technology into the site, visitors are able to surf all of the content of foreign-language news outlets at the push of a button - in English.
The site is updated frequently.
We hope that the insights gained through reading various perspectives on American issues will help to raise levels of debate, open minds, and promote understanding among all the peoples of the world.
If coverage of an issue, on a particular day, surprises or irritates you, please remember that we are simply reporting what is out there, and trying to show the fullest range of views from around the world. We do not endorse any of the content presented, or imply anything about the motivation behind, or accuracy of, the original sources. Sometimes, the content we present on a particular issue may appear one-sided . In such cases, rest assured that Watching America does not seek to influence opinion by selective presentation but that sometimes global copy is dominated by a particular perspective that may fall outside the spectrum of debate in the United States.
Watching America has no affiliation with, nor funding from, any organization or corporation. We intend to cover costs by running ads and receiving donations."

Gulf2000 Project

http://gulf2000.columbia.edu
This appears to be an authoritative source for information on the Persian Gulf region. (excerpt:)
"This site was developed by the Gulf/2000 Project at the School of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University in New York City. It is designed to make available in a single location a wealth of information on the eight countries of the Persian Gulf region--Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. "

State of the News Media 2005 report

(source: http://www.bespacific.com, March 15, 2005)

Report on the State of the American News Media

The Project for Excellence in Journalism has published the State of the News Media 2005 report (navigate the contents of the 500 plus pages via this link) which reviews two distinct categories of media: the first is identified as text-based media, and includes newspapers and Internet news sites; the second is electronic media, inclusive of broadcast network and cable network news.

From the project overview: "For each of the media sectors, we examine six different areas - content, audience trends, economics, ownership, newsroom investment and public attitudes."

From the conclusion: "Today, a host of new forms of communication offer a way for newsmakers to reach the public. There are talk-show hosts, cable interview shows, corporate Web sites, government Web sites, Web sites that purport to be citizen blogs but are really something else, and more. Journalism is a shrinking part of a growing world of media. And since
journalists are trained to be skeptics and aspire at least, in the famous phrase, to speak truth to power, journalism is the one source those who want to manipulate the public are most prone to denounce."

American Historical Assocation

American Historical Association [pdf]

http://www.historians.org/

(excerpted from Scout Report, March 11, 2005)

Incorporated by Congress in 1889, the American Historical Association (AHA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to "the promotion of historical studies, the collection and preservation of historical documents and artifacts, and the dissemination of historical research." Currently, the AHA has more than 14,000 history professionals at every type of educational institution, museum, historical organization, library, and archive. On the site, visitors can learn about various prizes and fellowships available from the AHA and also learn about its various publications. Those individuals interested in enrolling in a doctoral program in history will want to look at their profiles of various programs around the United States. Visitors will also want to look at the current and archived issues of the AHA's well-known monthly publication, Perspectives. The publication contains helpful articles that range from commentary on teaching to those on museum exhibitions. [KMG]

Russia Profile

(excerpted from the Scout Report, March 11, 2005)

Russia Profile

http://www.russiaprofile.org/index.wbp

The availability of high-quality news reporting on the Internet continues to improve, though at times finding reputable sources can still be difficult for certain parts of the world. Russia Profile is one such source, as it is produced by the Independent Media group, which is responsible for publishing The Moscow Times along with a number of other magazines across Russia. The goal of this website is to both broaden the scope of news coming out of Russia and "to provide a platform for an informed discussion of issues related to or concerning Russia". From the site's homepage, visitors can read about the latest from Russia Profile, view a calendar of events, and subscribe for free to the print edition of Russia Profile. Visitors can also participate in a number of online forum discussions. [KMG]

Not for conspiracy buffs!

The head of the U.S. Department of State's countermisinformation team has put together a webpage that addresses some of the misinformation about the U.S. that is circulated on the internet and elsewhere. The page also includes an email address to which questions or information regarding disinformation, misinformation, urban legends, conspiracy theories, or false rumors can be directed.

(excerpt from Washington File:) "Rumors, gossip, and conspiracy theories undermine trust and the advantages of the "Information Revolution." In an effort to correct malicious or simply misguided "information," the U.S. Department of State has created a new web collection, "Identifying Misinformation," http://usinfo.state.gov/media/media_resources/misinformation.html

"Identifying Misinformation" was developed over a number of years. It corrects false claims that the United States:

• had advance warning of the South Asian tsunami
• invented AIDS as a biological weapon
• is using chemical weapons in Iraq
• "created" Osama bin Laden.

The page is written by the State Department's countermisinformation expert. He has authored reports on this subject to the U.S. Congress and the United Nations, and has 12 years of experience debunking false stories. "

Amazing! Charming! Ingenious!

Perhaps I'm getting old and sentimental, but I found Jon Udell's Walking Tour of Keene, New Hampshire to be a bit of Americana of the most endearing kind. Quite apart from being an example of technology so impressive as to make you grin, it presents - and quite unintentionally, I think - those soft and soft- spoken values of American community that are not always effectively conveyed through our public diplomacy efforts! This would make a great "show-off" item at a librarian's conference or at any gathering of technologically interested contacts - a 5 minute international visitor program!

NYPL Digital Gallery

The New York Public Library unveiled on Wednesday a free, searchable database of 275,000 photographs and manuscripts from its collection.

"NYPL Digital Gallery provides access to over 275,000 images digitized from primary sources and printed rarities in the collections of The New York Public Library, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints and photographs, illustrated books, printed ephemera, and more."

Think Tanks

Here are some think-tank directories, courtesy of Resource Shelf
Hillwatch.com: Think Tanks ("A directory of Canadian and International Think Tanks")
KSG Directory of Think Tanks (Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University)
NIRA's World Directory of Think Tanks (National Institute for Research Advancement in Japan. Hard copies of the directory are issued every three years. The 2002 edition is online here.) Political Resources: Think Tanks (Project VoteSmart)
Political Resources: Think Tanks (University of Michigan Documents Center)
Worldpress.org: Think Tanks and N.G.O.s

Women's History Month

Some quick facts from the Census Bureau for Women's History Month

The Idealist

www.idealist.org
This could be useful for people asking about volunteer & idealist work, projects, and activities in the U.S. and elsewhere. (abstract is excerpted from the Scout Report, vol.11, nr.8, 02/25/05)

"Administered by the nonprofit organization Action Without Borders, this site serves as a portal for anyone interested in a career with a nonprofit organization, volunteering, or internships in a related setting. The homepage is a good place to start, as it contains updates about upcoming nonprofit career fairs, news pieces related to social service and nonprofit groups, and some themed resources for volunteers, nonprofit managers, job seekers, and teachers. The site's homepage also contains a comprehensive search engine that is linked up to each and every database provided here. The Career Center section is a real find, as visitors may peruse sections dedicated to writing effective resumes, working abroad, and also look through a nonprofit job forum as well. Finally, visitors can also sign up for personal email updates and look at the site's contents in Spanish and French."

Project Syndicate

This appears to be an interesting site, with translations of seminal articles into Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Czech, French and Spanish!
http://www.project-syndicate.org/home/home.php4

(following info is excerpted from website)
"Project Syndicate is an international association of 229 newspapers in 107 countries, devoted to the following objectives:

• bringing distinguished voices from around the world to informed national audiences so as to create a global forum for broadening debate and exchanging ideas;
• strengthening the independence of newspapers in postcommunist and developing countries through a variety of training programs;
• fostering professional links among member papers.

the online books for American Corners resources

Dear IRC colleagues,

Please find the online books below, good for American Corners resources:
1. Encyclopedia of North American Indians
2. Reader's Companion to U.S. Women's History
3. The Great American History Fact-Finder
4. The Reader's Companion to American History

IRC Jakarta, Indonesia

Tracing Former Military Personnel in the U.S.

(from Resource Shelf)
U.S. Military Personnel--Locator Services
Source: Embassy of the United States, London UK
Tracing Former Military Personnel In The U.S."It is difficult to trace someone in the United States when their whereabouts are completely unknown, as there are no central records of names and addresses available to the public. For those trying to locate former colleagues, friends or relations the following information may be of assistance. When writing to an agency or organization listed below, you should provide as much information as possible about the person you seek. At least the full name, date and place of birth should be given. For military personnel, the rank, serial number and branch of service should also be specified."

After The U.S. Election: A Survey Of Public Opinion In France, Germany and the United States

In the immediate aftermath of President Bush's re-election, the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) conducted a survey of American, German, and French public opinion.The survey looks at how the presidential election impacted American and European attitudes toward each other and their leaders, perceptions of international organizations such as the UN and NATO, and possible areas of U.S.--European collaboration on issues like Israel--Palestine, Iran, and Iraq. Finally, it asks what leaders on both sides of the Atlantic should do to improve the transatlantic relationship.

Education Department's database of accredited educational institutions

The Education Department's Office of Postsecondary education has created an online database at http://www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation that will ease the identification of diploma mills and provide information about the accreditation of legitimate educational institutions.



"The database lists approximately 6,900 postsecondary educational institutions and programs, each of which is accredited by an accrediting agency or state approval agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a “reliable authority as to the quality of postsecondary education” within the meaning of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA).The database does not include a number of postsecondary educational institutions and programs that elect not to seek accreditation but nevertheless may provide a quality postsecondary education"

Another rss to java service...

As a follow up to my posting December 7, 2004 about converting to RSS to javascript and the virtues of streaming feeds directly to a webpage, here's yet another service that does this: http://www.feedforall.com/free-php-script.htm

(aha - per 02/09/2005 - here's yet another: http://www.rss2html.com/)

Also, here's an example of how you can stream the ircworld rssfeed (ircworld.blogspot.com/ircworld.xml)directly to your website.

New Public Diplomacy Report

The Public Diplomacy Council, a non-profit organization committed to the study, practice and advocacy of public diplomacy, released a report today entitled "A Call for Action on Public Diplomacy"



Following is the media alert released by the Council in connection with this report.



PROFESSIONALS CALL FOR TRANSFORMATION OF U. S. PUBLIC DIPLOMACY





Members of the non-partisan Public Diplomacy Council, in a White Paper

released today, call on the administration and the Congress to undertake a

transformation of American public diplomacy to bring it into the 21st

century. The "Call for Action on Public Diplomacy" notes that U.S. public

diplomacy is in crisis. Reorganized and adequately funded public diplomacy

is vital to a successful foreign policy and the war on terrorism. The

report posits the need for a more robust global communication strategy and

puts forward five action recommendations.



The recommendations include: creation of a new agency within the State

Department to manage civilian international information and exchanges

functions; a 300 percent increase in overseas staffing for public diplomacy;

increases in funding and closer integration of international broadcasting;

the establishment of a cabinet level interagency committee to coordinate and

direct a national public diplomacy strategy; and a public-private sector

partnership to provide permanent funding for international exchanges.



The entire text of the "Call for Action on Public Diplomacy", with

commentaries on the paper, is available on the Council website at

www.pdi.gwu.edu <http://www.pdi.gwu.edu>.





The Public Diplomacy Council, founded in 1988, is a non-profit organization

committed to the academic study, professional practice and responsible

advocacy of public diplomacy. Its fifty members represent practitioners and

observers of public diplomacy past and present. The Council joined with

George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs and Elliot

School of International Affairs to establish the Public Diplomacy Institute

in 2001.

A Lawyer in Baghdad

IRCs with international law contacts may be interested in an article recently published in the Green Bag online law journal. Entitled 'A Lawyer in Baghdad,' it is an account of the work of a Washington lawyer who worked for the General Counsel to the Coalition Provisional Authority.

His conclusion? "In sum, to those who say international law does not exist, or who say the occupation of Iraq was somehow extra-legal, I invite them to scrutinize the legal work of my former office, where international law was lived, breathed, and debated, with realworld consequences, twenty-four hours a day."

The eight-page article, originally discovered at the Instapundit web site, can be accessed at:

http://www.greenbag.org/McGurk.pdf



# Posted by Tel Aviv IRC http://194.90.114.5/publish/resource.htm

Best Free Reference Web Sites 2004

This is an annual series initiated under the auspices of the Machine-Assisted Reference Section (MARS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) of ALA to recognize outstanding reference sites on the World Wide Web - see 2004 list at http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaourassoc/rusasections/mars/marspubs/MARSBestRef2004.htm

What is RSS?

Zeki Celikbas of Istanbul Technical University provides a clear and concise introduction to RSS in "What is RSS and how can it serve libraries?"

USC Center for Public Diplomacy

The University of Southern California's Center on Public Diplomacy is a useful site for information about public diplomacy, including (in the "library" section) links to government hearings, reports, public opinion surveys, and think tanks and organizations that deal with public diplomacy.

Converting RSS to Javascript

RSS Digest (see September 25 posting) is one of several tools that will create javascript out of an rss feed so that you can direct the feed to any html page. Two similar tools that deserve mention are rss-to-javascript and Feed2JS. Directing an RSS feed to a webpage - as has been done with the feeds on the left side of this page - makes good sense when you'd like users to be able to read newsfeeds without downloading/installing/using an rss aggregator/reader like Amphetadesk orFeedReader. In our environment, where many users are neither inclined nor permitted to download/try out new software, this is particularly useful. Using an RSS to Javascript converter, you can easily direct any RSS feed to your website, intranet, or even to an html page on the shared section of your LAN.

Center for Immigration Studies

(from Scout Report Volume 10, Number 48)

December 3, 2004Center for Immigration Studies [pdf]

http://www.cis.org/

Founded in 1985, the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization which happens to be the United States' only think tank devoted "exclusively to research and policy analysis of the economic, social, demographic, fiscal, and other impacts of immigration on the United States." From the homepage, visitors can peruse a number of common topics in immigration, such as immigration history, statistics on immigrants, and citizenship. The site's homepage also contains links to current news articles addressing various aspects of immigration, and also contains a feature titled "This Day in Immigration", which highlights various important dates in immigration history and policy. Perhaps the most helpful section of the site is the "What's New" area of the site, which highlights various new policy briefs and papers released by the CIS.

Report of the Defense Science Board Task Force on Strategic Communication

An interesting report with links to a number of Public Diplomacy studies:





This report is a product of the Defense Science Board (DSB). The DSB is a Federal Advisory Committee established to provide independent advice to the Secretary of Defense. Statements, opinions, conclusions, and recommendations in this report do not necessarily represent the official position of the Department of Defense.





The current Strategic Communication Task Force re-examined the purposes of strategic communication and the salience of recommendations in the earlier study. It then considered the following questions:



(1) What are the consequences of changes in the strategic communication environment?

(2) What Presidential direction and strategic communication means are required?

(3) What should be done about public diplomacy and open military information operations?



The Task Force met with representatives from the National Security Council (NSC), White House Office of Global Communications, Department of State (DOS), Department of Defense (DOD), Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), and the private sector.



http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports/2004-09-Strategic_Communication.pdf

ADSURLS 17, FY 2005

Afghanistan: From Presidential to Parliamentary Elections. [Asia Report No. 88] November 23, 2004. Executive Summary:http://www.icg.org/home/index.cfm?id=3127&l=1 [Dari version, html format, 5 printed pages]Item# 05AD156 MPP Theme: 12EL

Geo: Asia



Afghanistan Opium Survey 2004. November 2004.http://www.unodc.org/pdf/afg/afghanistan_opium_survey_2004.pdf [pdf format, 125 pages]Item# 05AD163 MPP Theme: 09 Geo: Asia



Braille Literacy: Resources for Instruction, Writing Equipment, and Supplies. Web-posted November 23, 2004.http://www.loc.gov/nls/reference/circulars/brailleliteracy.html [html format, 42 printed pages]Item# 05AD157 MPP Theme: 12ED Geo: Global



A Description of the Immigrant Population. November 23, 2004.http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/60xx/doc6019/11-23-Immigrant.pdf [pdf format, 37 pages]Item# 05AD158 MPP Theme: 8A Geo: USA



Disability and Retirement: The Early Exit of Baby Boomers from the Labor Force. November 22, 2004.http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/60xx/doc6018/11-22-LaborForce.pdf [pdf format, 28 pages]Item# 05AD159 MPP Theme: 5I Geo: USA



European Competitiveness Report 2004. Web-posted November 25, 2004.http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/enterprise_policy/competitiveness/doc/comprep_2004_en.pdf [pdf format, 359 pages]Item# 05AD155 MPP Theme: 4B Geo: Europe



How the Drug War in Afghanistan Undermines America's War on Terror. November 10, 2004.http://www.cato.org/pubs/fpbriefs/fpb84.pdf [pdf format, 8 pages]Item# 05AD161 MPP Theme: 9C; 11 Geo: Asia



International Trade in GMOs [Genetically Modified Organisms]: Legal Frameworks and Developing Country Concerns. November 8, 2004.http://www.unctad.org/en/docs//ditctncd20041_en.pdf [pdf format, 19 pages]Item# 05AD162 MPP Theme: 5O Geo: LDCs



Resuscitating the Bioweapons Ban: U.S. Industry Experts' Plans for Treaty Monitoring. November 2004.http://www.csis.org/isp/041117_Bioweapons.pdf [pdf format, 114 pages]Item# 05AD164 MPP Theme: 2A; 1I Geo: Global



Trends in Educational Equity of Girls & Women: 2004. Web-posted November 19, 2004.http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2005/2005016.pdf [pdf format, 116 pages]Item# 05AD160 MPP Theme: 12ED; 12DIG Geo: USA

Thomas gets a facelift

Thomas will have a new and improved look before the 109th Congress convenes on Jan.5 - for a preview see http://thomas.loc.gov/home/redesign/

NeighborSearch

Here's a useful tool, and and example of the generous spirit of the internet! For a while I'd been looking - unsuccessfully - for a tool that would limit Google searches to the sites that a given page (e.g. a subject portal) links to. I mentioned this to Philipp Lenssen, who is the creator of findforward.com, feeeds.com and the Google Blogoscoped blog. Within 24 hours he came up with the desired tool, and it's called NeighborSearch! Many thanks,Philipp!!

Century Foundation Report: "Defeating the Jihadists"

(excerpted from Century Foundation website:



Defeating the Jihadists: A Blueprint for Action



Various Authors

Century Foundation Press, 11/16/04



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



The international jihadist network of radical Islamic terrorist groups is far more extensive than just al Qaeda, and it has conducted twice as many attacks in the three years since September 11, 2001 as it did in the three years prior to that date. Defeating the Jihadists: A Blueprint for Action (Century Foundation Press, 2004), assesses the nation's successes and failures on homeland security and calls for a stronger, more effective strategy for dealing with jihadists, including al Qaeda. The report offers a detailed action plan for neutralizing the international movement at the core of worldwide terrorism. The report also describes the nature of the jihadist threat; provides comprehensive profiles of the various jihadist groups; and offers a rationale for the effort and money that would be needed to make the plan a success. The plan presented in the report builds on the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission and serves as a road map for winning the war against the jihadists.