Research and Education
http://www.pewtrusts.com/pdf/PHC_migrant_survey_030205.pdf
The Pew Hispanic Center has been generating some interesting work lately, and this latest survey administered to nearly 5,000 Mexican migrants is worth a closer look. The 35-page report authored by Roberto Suro shows that almost half of the respondents would like to stay in the United States for the rest of their lives, or at least for as long as they are able. Interestingly enough, the survey also found that by a four-to-one margin, respondents would like to sign up for a temporary worker program similar to the one proposed by President George W. Bush. The demographics of the sample size are somewhat noteworthy as well, as nearly half of the sample was of people between 18 and 29 years old, and almost half had been in the country for five years or less. [KMG]
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/CCS/
Located at the London School of Economics and Political Science, the Centre for Civil Society (CCS) is a "leading international organization for research, analysis, debate and learning about civil society". Under the direction of Professor Jude Howell, the group performs a broad range of research on the general topic of civil society across the globe, and its Working Papers series is definitely worth a look. Some of the papers here include "Civil society as a metaphor for western liberalism" and "Public-private partnership in the United States: Historical patterns and current trends". Guests arriving on the site may also want to look at the section on current and recently completed projects, which include work on European social policy, social capital, and local civil society. [KMG]
http://www.nsf.gov/news/overviews/earth-environ/interactive.jsp
The National Science Foundation sponsors thousands of substantial research projects every year across a very broad range of scholarly fields, and this recent provocative addition to the NSF's Earth & Environmental Science site will be of real interest to many. This particular feature allows visitors to explore the area of the ocean floor in and around a sea vent, complete with various interactive features. For those who are not already aware of sea vents, they support a rich ecosystem that includes fish, shrimp, tubeworms, mussels, crabs, and clams. The water from these sea vents comes out at close to 756 degrees Fahrenheit and appears to gush out in the same manner as smoke. Browsing through this underwater world, visitors can learn about the vents and the diverse life forms that exist 1.5 miles beneath the surface of the ocean. [KMG]
http://www.unfpa.org/swp/swpmain.htm
Sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund, the State of World Population 2004 site contains a number of important resources for persons interested in long-range and current trends regarding the world's population. The report itself is 124 pages, and is divided into chapters that include "Population and the Environment" and "Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment". The report also contains a number of rather helpful graphs and tables, such as one that tracks world population growth from 1950 to 2050 and the proportion of population over age 65 by region in 2000 and 2050. For those who may not have time to read the entire report, the site also contains an executive summary and a frequently updated news area with relevant coverage. It is worth noting that the report is also available in Russian, French, Spanish, and Arabic. [KMG]
http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/index.cfm
Lovers of historical and cultural ephemera should prepare themselves for this website, which has been years in the making and is an absolute gem for anyone interested in the potential of large-scale digital galleries. The NYPL Digital Gallery is The New York Public Library's new image database, which currently contains over 275,000 items for online viewing. Just to give users a sense of what they might find on the site, some of the items include Goya's Disasters of War, George Caitlin's North American Indian Portfolio, and of course, some lovely cityscapes of New York City's Fifth Avenue. Given the staggering number of images here, it is not surprising that there are a broad range of thematic collections that will help users navigate the database's holdings. The site also contains a "Curator's Choice" section, which features hundreds of American posters printed from 1893 through the early years of the 20th century. Overall, this site will warrant many return visits and is both elegant and easy to use. [KMG]
The Modeling and Simulation Information Analysis Center (MSIAC) assists the Department of Defense (DoD) in meeting its M&S needs "by providing scientific, technical, and operational support information and services." Through the Help Desk, MSIAC also answers technical inquiries from non-DoD customers, who agree to pay for their service beyond the first two hours. The group has experience in weapons technology including WMD, information management, modeling and simulation, operations analysis, chemical and explosive sciences, material sciences, spectrum engineering, wireless communication, life sciences, medical informatics and telemedicine, transportation systems, and reliability, availability, and maintainability. A wealth of resources are available from this website, including the Modeling & Simulation Resource Repository (MSRR), which is described as "the first place to go for answers to M&S" and Glossary of Modeling and Simulation (M&S) Terms, information on special topics of interest within M&S, and links to related websites. The MSIAC's M&S Journal Online offers quarterly articles of interest to the M&S community free of charge. This site is also reviewed in the March 25, 2005_NSDL MET Report_. [VF]
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/
With over 100 staff members on five continents, the International Crisis Group is an independent non-profit organization that is dedicated to utilizing field-based analysis and advocacy "to prevent and resolve deadly conflict". The Group is well-known for its various efforts, and visitors can learn about the current organization and its latest annual report in the "About Crisis Group" section of the site. The homepage of the site is organized in an efficient manner, and also provides direct access to the Group's latest reports and briefings, such as "Coca, Drugs and Social Protest in Bolivia and Peru" and "Macedonia: Not out of the Woods Yet". Visitors may also want to browse the Group's current outreach efforts by looking through the "Programs" area, which lists activities and publications from different parts of the world. Visitors may also elect to sign up to receive email updates about the Group's work as well. [KMG]
http://www.brookings.edu/metro/pubs/20050307_12steps.pdf
Ever since the rise in importance of the automobile, many public intellectuals, academics, urban planners, and sociologists have lamented the decline of traditional downtowns across America. In this report from The Brookings Institution, Christopher B. Leinberger explores the key facets that are necessary to effectively revitalize downtown areas. In the report, Leinberger comments on the importance of "fostering walkable urbanity", but is also mindful to also note that creating such types of places is at times vastly complex. Some of the twelve steps offered here may sound familiar to many, including the oft-suggested remedy "Create an Urban Entertainment District" and "Re-create a Strong Office Market". Without a doubt, persons interested in such places will find much to agree and disagree with in this paper, and thus it's definitely worth a close look. [KMG]
