Eight years have passed since those four planes changed the lives of so many Americans on September 11, 2001. Survivors continue to cope, their children grow, rescuers struggle with the physical aftereffects of so many hours spent combing through the wreckage, and the new WTC is finally under construction. But for those not immediately effected by the attacks, enough time has passed that they becoming historical events, albeit mile markers in our lifetimes. So it is perhaps especially fitting that this year legislation has been enacted declaring September 11 A National Day of Service and Remembrance.
Service
The home page for 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance provides information about the purpose of the day, ways individuals can become involved, ways organizations or individuals can get service projects going or seek out additional volunteers, and links to other informational sites. Visitors are encouraged to post their own activities as a way to inspire others and stimulate others' thinking. If you are interested in volunteering, however, don't feel limited to the options offered by the 9/11 web site. VolunteerMatch offers additional opportunities to bring together volunteers and organizations online. Currently Danville's volunteer organizations are not well represented on the site, so if you are active in one you might want to suggest the site to the volunteer coordinator. Government volunteering opportunities have their own online site, Volunteer.gov, where users can identify possibilities by state. To locate opportunities locally, the United Way has assembled this list of Danville organizations and contact information, while Champaign-Urbana has cuvolunteer.org.
Want some ideas for simple acts of kindness and service? Check out HelpOthers.org, which offers lots of suggestions. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation also offers ideas to promote kindness and service to others and even provides tools for teachers and individuals to use to get started in their own communities.
Remembrance
While the new designation for September 11 is intended to draw good from bad, it is also designed as an opportunity to remember and learn. To that end, the National September 11 Museum and Memorial at the World Trade Center is being planned. With the WTC complex still tangled in ongoing construction and funding issues, it remains in a virtual stage, but that leaves a lot available for exploration, including an extensive registry of artists and their works, oral histories recorded through the Library of Congress' StoryCorps project, and pictures and stories of the some of the artifacts that have been donated to the Museum. September 11 Bearing Witness to History, the Smithsonian's collection of artifacts related to the attacks, is an especially moving site, with an extensive set of artifacts and stories, while the September 11 Digital Archive offers one of the most comprehensive collections of information. And finally, the National Park Service is creating a memorial in Shanksville, PA where Flight 93 was brought down through the brave efforts of its passengers to defeat the hijackers. See the plans for the memorial here.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Health Care Reform?
Everyone is talking about health care reform, but a lot of people have several misconceptions about various aspects of the conversation. How well do you understand this very complicated issue? You can test your knowledge with either CNN's quick quiz or that compiled by the Friends Committee on National Legislation, or both. (They touch on different points.)
Finding Good Facts
If your email has been brimming with scary emails about what the Congressional health plan might mean for you, you should check out FactCheck.org's evaluation of the most notorious of these fearmongering missives in which they found 26 outright lies and only 4 genuine truths among 48 claims. Another excellent source of information on the issue is CQ Researcher, a weekly publication that examines current issues in depth. (You'll need your DACC user ID and password for off-campus access.) They covered health care reform in last week's issue (8-28-09), which offers extensive reporting, background, pros and cons of particular aspects and references to find further information. Somewhat similar to CQ Researcher is Issues and Controversies, a Facts on File database that provides detailed, balanced coverage of current topics. (You'll also need your DACC user ID and password for off-campus access for this.) It too includes recent material covering the health care debate, especially issues related to the proposed public option.
Been watching coverage of all of those raucous town hall meetings? You might be surprised to find that they aren't quite what they appear on news programs on FOX or MSNBC or other media outlets. You can see the entire meetings, not just edited clips, on C-Span, the Congressional news channel. In fact, if you are interested in unbiased coverage of the entire issue, you can't do better than C-Span, which provides full coverage of meetings, hearings, and public statements, and also has an area for viewers to submit material. Feeling brave? Here's the actual text of the legislation H.R. 3200 , which is available through Thomas, the Library of Congress legislation search engine. Actually, it's not too bad. The bill has an index of terms you can use to search through it and a summary of contents.
Two excellent sources of online information on the state of the U.S. health care system are The Commonwealth Fund, which includes on its web site a report that compares the United States health care system to those in other countries. (The conclusion: ours comes off very poorly on several crucial counts.) The other is The Alliance for Health Reform's Covering Health Issues, 5th ed.
And finally, a moment of health care debate humor from The Onion.
H1N1 Flu Update
And little bit of additional information on the flu formerly known as swine. Here is a very useful flyer from the Illinois Department of Public Health that itemizes the symptoms and emergency warning signs to determine if you or a family member needs to go and see a doctor. They also provide a preparedness checklist to help you get ready for the flu hitting home. Here is the IDPH's general web page about the pandemic and seasonal flu, which has links to lots of good information. And on a final note, a new concern about this flu involves whether or not to vaccinate pigs to prevent them catching the flu from people and mutating it into yet another and potentially more dangerous variant. Yes, the swine are now at risk from the people flu...
Finding Good Facts
If your email has been brimming with scary emails about what the Congressional health plan might mean for you, you should check out FactCheck.org's evaluation of the most notorious of these fearmongering missives in which they found 26 outright lies and only 4 genuine truths among 48 claims. Another excellent source of information on the issue is CQ Researcher, a weekly publication that examines current issues in depth. (You'll need your DACC user ID and password for off-campus access.) They covered health care reform in last week's issue (8-28-09), which offers extensive reporting, background, pros and cons of particular aspects and references to find further information. Somewhat similar to CQ Researcher is Issues and Controversies, a Facts on File database that provides detailed, balanced coverage of current topics. (You'll also need your DACC user ID and password for off-campus access for this.) It too includes recent material covering the health care debate, especially issues related to the proposed public option.
Been watching coverage of all of those raucous town hall meetings? You might be surprised to find that they aren't quite what they appear on news programs on FOX or MSNBC or other media outlets. You can see the entire meetings, not just edited clips, on C-Span, the Congressional news channel. In fact, if you are interested in unbiased coverage of the entire issue, you can't do better than C-Span, which provides full coverage of meetings, hearings, and public statements, and also has an area for viewers to submit material. Feeling brave? Here's the actual text of the legislation H.R. 3200 , which is available through Thomas, the Library of Congress legislation search engine. Actually, it's not too bad. The bill has an index of terms you can use to search through it and a summary of contents.
Two excellent sources of online information on the state of the U.S. health care system are The Commonwealth Fund, which includes on its web site a report that compares the United States health care system to those in other countries. (The conclusion: ours comes off very poorly on several crucial counts.) The other is The Alliance for Health Reform's Covering Health Issues, 5th ed.
And finally, a moment of health care debate humor from The Onion.
H1N1 Flu Update
And little bit of additional information on the flu formerly known as swine. Here is a very useful flyer from the Illinois Department of Public Health that itemizes the symptoms and emergency warning signs to determine if you or a family member needs to go and see a doctor. They also provide a preparedness checklist to help you get ready for the flu hitting home. Here is the IDPH's general web page about the pandemic and seasonal flu, which has links to lots of good information. And on a final note, a new concern about this flu involves whether or not to vaccinate pigs to prevent them catching the flu from people and mutating it into yet another and potentially more dangerous variant. Yes, the swine are now at risk from the people flu...
Friday, August 28, 2009
Royal Generation
They were America's version of a royal family; equal parts spectacle and service, scandal and sorrow. And always, always glamor. Love them or hate them, the Kennedys captured the national imagination and held it in a way no other family has. The Bush family may have put comparable numbers of family members in public office, but they will never similar assume place in American culture. And now with passing of Ted Kennedy, and prior to that his sister Eunice, the hold the Kennedys had on the American collective imagination is loosened, irrevocably converted to nostalgia.
Weekend Events
If you missed any of the memorial events this weekend and would like to catch up on them, you can see them in C-Span's video library. If you'd like to get a sense of the continuing power the Kennedy family has on historical imagination, check out the web site for American Experience's The Kennedys, which offers details about the different family members as well as assessments of their cultural significance.
The Power of Camelot
The spell of the Kennedy Camelot can be seen through the continuing fascination with JFK's assassination. The industry of documentaries, web sites, books and tourism surrounding the event, not to mention the 70% of Americans (according to a 2003 ABC news poll) who believe there to be a conspiracy surrounding the event, demonstrates our national pre-occupation. Just a few of the more comprehensive web sites include The Assassination of John F. Kennedy by John Simkin, the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records at the National Archives, and the John F. Kennedy Assassination Homepage by Ralph Schuster (caution: gruesome photographs).
But there was more to the Camelot myth. An introduction to it can be garnered from the virtual tour of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library's web site, especially the virtual tour, which includes extensive recordings of JFK speaking. You can also check the president's biography, or those of anyone else mentioned in this entry in the library's comprehensive, full-text Biography Reference Bank Select database. (Campus user ID and password required for off-campus use.) Part of the mystique certainly came from Jacqueline Kennedy, a first lady who personified glamor and who, with her husband brought youth and sparkle to the White House, even as she set fashion trends for the nation.
The New Hope
Another critical aspect of the Kennedy story is the romantic rise and tragic fall of Robert Kennedy's presidential campaign 1968 following his roles as attorney general, first for his brother and then for Lyndon Johnson, and then as Senator for New York. Robert's presidential bid drew its support from those he identified as "the disaffected", minorities, the young, the powerless. His star was rising in those turbulent times following Martin Luther King's assassination when, on the night of his success in the California primary, he was shot by Sirhan Sirhan in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel. All of the official documents regarding his assassination can be viewed online courtesy of the Mary Ferrell Foundation. The Foundation also has online archives of the JFK assassination as well as assassination attempts on Castro, Martin Luther King and others and covert government and military activities that have been declassified. A fascinating online resource.
Less well known is Robert Kennedy's early participation with Joseph McCarthy in that Senator's notorious communist hunting efforts within the federal government and his part in the sending the CIA to assassinate Fidel Castro in Cuba, or even his initial efforts as Attorney General to restrict the actions of Freedom Riders in Alabama. American Experience captures the essence of Robert Kennedy's complexity in their web site for the documentary RFK, of which the library owns a copy.
Championing the Disabled
Eunice Kennedy Shriver passed away a little over two weeks ago, and although she did not share the spotlight in the same way her brothers did, her impact was equally profound for millions of people. For Eunice took up the cause of those with mental disabilities, something close to her heart because of her sister Rosemary. Eunice publicly revealed the story of her sister's lobotomy, one of Dr. Walter Freeman's earliest, and most notorious procedures. The procedure, done to "calm" Rosemary, who was regarded by the family as mentally retarded but whose actual mental condition is unclear left infantilized. (For information on Freeman's lobotomy process, see The Lobotomist web site on American Experience.) The most obvious result of Eunice's efforts was the creation of the Special Olympics, which work to change public perceptions of people with intellectual disabilities. Today more than 3 million people benefit from an organization which began as in Shriver's backyard.
Master of the Senate
More visible than his sister and more controversial than his brothers, in part because of his long and successful career despite personal tragedy and scandal, Edward Kennedy may ultimately be judged the most significant of the three brothers. His detractors will always believe he got off too easily in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, a young campaign worker who drowned when Ted Kennedy's car went off an unlit, unrailed bridge at Chappaquiddick Island, MA. The history of incident can be found here, along with pictures of the locations and individuals involved. Similarly, his entanglement in the rape trial of William Kennedy Smith in 1991 fueled criticism of his behavior and undermined his ability participate actively as Clarence Thomas' supreme court nomination became a national debate on sexual harassment.
But despite his at times dubious personal behavior, Ted Kennedy became over the years one of the most successful leaders the Senate has ever seen. As recent tributes from political allies and foes, who were nevertheless personal friends, demonstrate, he learned how to get things done in Congress, and is personally associated with more than 100 pieces of major legislation. No mean feat, of which those who refer to a do-Nothing Congress should take note. That he did so was a testament to his political skill and his personal charisma, as numerous commentators have noted.
Will Camelot release its hold on the American imagination? The Washington Post offers some speculations.
Weekend Events
If you missed any of the memorial events this weekend and would like to catch up on them, you can see them in C-Span's video library. If you'd like to get a sense of the continuing power the Kennedy family has on historical imagination, check out the web site for American Experience's The Kennedys, which offers details about the different family members as well as assessments of their cultural significance.
The Power of Camelot
The spell of the Kennedy Camelot can be seen through the continuing fascination with JFK's assassination. The industry of documentaries, web sites, books and tourism surrounding the event, not to mention the 70% of Americans (according to a 2003 ABC news poll) who believe there to be a conspiracy surrounding the event, demonstrates our national pre-occupation. Just a few of the more comprehensive web sites include The Assassination of John F. Kennedy by John Simkin, the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records at the National Archives, and the John F. Kennedy Assassination Homepage by Ralph Schuster (caution: gruesome photographs).
But there was more to the Camelot myth. An introduction to it can be garnered from the virtual tour of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library's web site, especially the virtual tour, which includes extensive recordings of JFK speaking. You can also check the president's biography, or those of anyone else mentioned in this entry in the library's comprehensive, full-text Biography Reference Bank Select database. (Campus user ID and password required for off-campus use.) Part of the mystique certainly came from Jacqueline Kennedy, a first lady who personified glamor and who, with her husband brought youth and sparkle to the White House, even as she set fashion trends for the nation.
The New Hope
Another critical aspect of the Kennedy story is the romantic rise and tragic fall of Robert Kennedy's presidential campaign 1968 following his roles as attorney general, first for his brother and then for Lyndon Johnson, and then as Senator for New York. Robert's presidential bid drew its support from those he identified as "the disaffected", minorities, the young, the powerless. His star was rising in those turbulent times following Martin Luther King's assassination when, on the night of his success in the California primary, he was shot by Sirhan Sirhan in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel. All of the official documents regarding his assassination can be viewed online courtesy of the Mary Ferrell Foundation. The Foundation also has online archives of the JFK assassination as well as assassination attempts on Castro, Martin Luther King and others and covert government and military activities that have been declassified. A fascinating online resource.
Less well known is Robert Kennedy's early participation with Joseph McCarthy in that Senator's notorious communist hunting efforts within the federal government and his part in the sending the CIA to assassinate Fidel Castro in Cuba, or even his initial efforts as Attorney General to restrict the actions of Freedom Riders in Alabama. American Experience captures the essence of Robert Kennedy's complexity in their web site for the documentary RFK, of which the library owns a copy.
Championing the Disabled
Eunice Kennedy Shriver passed away a little over two weeks ago, and although she did not share the spotlight in the same way her brothers did, her impact was equally profound for millions of people. For Eunice took up the cause of those with mental disabilities, something close to her heart because of her sister Rosemary. Eunice publicly revealed the story of her sister's lobotomy, one of Dr. Walter Freeman's earliest, and most notorious procedures. The procedure, done to "calm" Rosemary, who was regarded by the family as mentally retarded but whose actual mental condition is unclear left infantilized. (For information on Freeman's lobotomy process, see The Lobotomist web site on American Experience.) The most obvious result of Eunice's efforts was the creation of the Special Olympics, which work to change public perceptions of people with intellectual disabilities. Today more than 3 million people benefit from an organization which began as in Shriver's backyard.
Master of the Senate
More visible than his sister and more controversial than his brothers, in part because of his long and successful career despite personal tragedy and scandal, Edward Kennedy may ultimately be judged the most significant of the three brothers. His detractors will always believe he got off too easily in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, a young campaign worker who drowned when Ted Kennedy's car went off an unlit, unrailed bridge at Chappaquiddick Island, MA. The history of incident can be found here, along with pictures of the locations and individuals involved. Similarly, his entanglement in the rape trial of William Kennedy Smith in 1991 fueled criticism of his behavior and undermined his ability participate actively as Clarence Thomas' supreme court nomination became a national debate on sexual harassment.
But despite his at times dubious personal behavior, Ted Kennedy became over the years one of the most successful leaders the Senate has ever seen. As recent tributes from political allies and foes, who were nevertheless personal friends, demonstrate, he learned how to get things done in Congress, and is personally associated with more than 100 pieces of major legislation. No mean feat, of which those who refer to a do-Nothing Congress should take note. That he did so was a testament to his political skill and his personal charisma, as numerous commentators have noted.
Will Camelot release its hold on the American imagination? The Washington Post offers some speculations.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
To Infinity and Beyond!
Buzz Lightyear, whose motto heads this blog entry, is the direct descendant of the Apollo astronauts who 40 years ago made history by truly going where no one had gone before. Apollo 11 launched July 16, 1969 and touched down on the moon on July 20th. If you were alive at that time, chances are you were watching the event on television. Now you can see the event even better than you could then. NASA has restored the original video using HD technology. While not all of the filmed footage has been revitalized yet, the space agency has several clips on its site of key moments from the event. But that's not all. NASA has also prepared an interactive experience (requiring Flash) that lets users trace the astronauts steps on the moon, allowing them to see where iconic images were taken and hear about events, and enabling them to see inside the lunar lander. The site also includes video, photos, and an animated comic telling the story of the mission. NASA is also doing a real-time digital re-creation of events that you can follow online, called We Chose the Moon. If you want real detail, check out the actual journal transcript of the lunar landing, recording the astronauts' transmissions and conversations. This web page also provides links to photos of the Neil Armstrong's and Buzz Aldrin's gear, debriefings, flight plans, press kits and just about anything else a true space nerd might get a kick out of.
Take Me to the Moon
Most of you are probably familiar with Google Maps, the digital mapping site created by the folks at Google that lets you see the surface of the Earth from above. But in honor of the moonwalk, these same folks have put together Google Moon, a lunar surface view that lets you explore the moon's surface and trace the route of any of the six manned lunar missions. Popular Mechanics provides a detailed selection of stories discussing the moonshot, breaking it down into a series of steps that focus on how precisely each had to be performed to prevent disaster.
The Controversies: Cost
Even after 40 years, certain issues related to the Apollo missions remain controversial. From the very beginning, questions of cost versus value have plagued the space program. Despite its technical successes, some still regard the moon missions and other NASA projects as financially irresponsible. In fact this topic is the subject of a featured entry in Issues and Controversies in American History, a new database available through the library's web site. (Off-campus users will need to provide campus user i.d. and password.)
The Controversies: Conspiracies
Some people will tell you that no one has ever been to the moon at all, that the entire "mission" is an elaborate hoax perpetrated upon gullible public for any possible number of reasons. To test these assertions, the Discovery Channel's Mythbusters put Lunar Conspiracy Theories to test. Based on their conclusions, going to the moon would be a lot simpler than faking going to the moon. Phil Plait offers a very detailed analysis of the Bad Astronomy behind Fake Moon Landing Conspiracy Theories on his web site (scroll down past the ads). If you find in looking it over you discover you like his writing, we have his Bad Astronomy book in the collection. If you'd like to find out more about the moon landing conspiracy or role of conspiracy theories in American history, check out the Credo Reference database. You can either search by subject or select find a book and choose Conspiracy Theories in American History from the title list to browse the entire subject contents.
Moon Food
As a child I remember eating space food sticks (check out the vintage commercials, especially the lunar lander with realistic smoke effect and the children being launched directly into the air after eating SFS...) and Tang, just like the astronauts did... But as a grown-up now I get to eat things that astronauts wish they could have, so I'm including a link to a different kind of moon food -- moon pies, a Southern over-the-top cookie guaranteed to send you right into the stratosphere.
Take Me to the Moon
Most of you are probably familiar with Google Maps, the digital mapping site created by the folks at Google that lets you see the surface of the Earth from above. But in honor of the moonwalk, these same folks have put together Google Moon, a lunar surface view that lets you explore the moon's surface and trace the route of any of the six manned lunar missions. Popular Mechanics provides a detailed selection of stories discussing the moonshot, breaking it down into a series of steps that focus on how precisely each had to be performed to prevent disaster.
The Controversies: Cost
Even after 40 years, certain issues related to the Apollo missions remain controversial. From the very beginning, questions of cost versus value have plagued the space program. Despite its technical successes, some still regard the moon missions and other NASA projects as financially irresponsible. In fact this topic is the subject of a featured entry in Issues and Controversies in American History, a new database available through the library's web site. (Off-campus users will need to provide campus user i.d. and password.)
The Controversies: Conspiracies
Some people will tell you that no one has ever been to the moon at all, that the entire "mission" is an elaborate hoax perpetrated upon gullible public for any possible number of reasons. To test these assertions, the Discovery Channel's Mythbusters put Lunar Conspiracy Theories to test. Based on their conclusions, going to the moon would be a lot simpler than faking going to the moon. Phil Plait offers a very detailed analysis of the Bad Astronomy behind Fake Moon Landing Conspiracy Theories on his web site (scroll down past the ads). If you find in looking it over you discover you like his writing, we have his Bad Astronomy book in the collection. If you'd like to find out more about the moon landing conspiracy or role of conspiracy theories in American history, check out the Credo Reference database. You can either search by subject or select find a book and choose Conspiracy Theories in American History from the title list to browse the entire subject contents.
Moon Food
As a child I remember eating space food sticks (check out the vintage commercials, especially the lunar lander with realistic smoke effect and the children being launched directly into the air after eating SFS...) and Tang, just like the astronauts did... But as a grown-up now I get to eat things that astronauts wish they could have, so I'm including a link to a different kind of moon food -- moon pies, a Southern over-the-top cookie guaranteed to send you right into the stratosphere.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Fourth of July Features
In an ironic riff to royalty, Lady Liberty's crown is open to visitors again this July 4 following several modifications made for safety reasons following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This National Geographic site details the several of the alterations, as well as others that are upcoming, only the most recent in the statue's long history. Want to see what you're missing? This New York Times site offers a panoramic view inside the crown or see a video tour here by Representative Anthony Weiner. Oh Ranger provides the even more colorful story of the statue's original history, which includes how the arm arrived first, and then the head put in an appearance at the International Centennial Exhibition to raise money for the rest of the project, a perennial problem. But it was Joseph Pulitizer who ultimately figured out a strategy that funded the project by making it truly an all-American work of art while raising his newspaper's circulation at the same time.
In other Fourth of July related matters, check out this site for some information on how to take successful photos of fireworks using digital cameras. Ever wonder how fireworks ... well, work? Check out Kaboom!, a PBS web site, or if you'd like a few more details, look at Chemical of the Week's Firework's entry, which explains very specifically how different colors are created. And it's worth taking a look at this page from the National Council on Fireworks Safety if you are planning on shooting off any fireworks of your own. And finally, for a little long lost holiday fun, you might check out this video of Jean Shepherd on You Tube, it's just "The Great American Fourth of July."
In other Fourth of July related matters, check out this site for some information on how to take successful photos of fireworks using digital cameras. Ever wonder how fireworks ... well, work? Check out Kaboom!, a PBS web site, or if you'd like a few more details, look at Chemical of the Week's Firework's entry, which explains very specifically how different colors are created. And it's worth taking a look at this page from the National Council on Fireworks Safety if you are planning on shooting off any fireworks of your own. And finally, for a little long lost holiday fun, you might check out this video of Jean Shepherd on You Tube, it's just "The Great American Fourth of July."
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Iran's New Revolution?
Iran is much in the news the past few days as the nation struggles to sort out the results of its recent presidential election, as chronicled in this excellent BBC overview. Many Americans may not have any clear conception of a country that for so many years has been associated in their minds with extreme political rhetoric, nuclear energy and hostage taking.
Library Resources
The library has a new online resource that can help you get a handle on Iran, as well as any other country in which you may have an interest. ABC-CLIO's World Geography is a database that provides detailed information about different countries, from standard geographical features to contemporary issues as well as etiquette and customs. (You'll have to use your DACC user i.d. and password to log in from off campus.) In the same suite of resources, the ABC-CLIO World History resources, both Ancient and Medieval and Modern offer lots of interesting entries related to the region.
Political Liberalization
For an interesting analysis of the revolutionary potential for political liberalization in Iran, check out the article in Al-Jezeera English. Two of the driving forces in the move to liberalization are Iran's young people, as profiled in this CBS piece, and technology, which resists the Iranian government's attempts at control, especially the rapid spread of the twitterverse. (Speaking of which, did you know that the library is now on Twitter? Follow dacclibrary here. The library twitters more than just "library stuff", but interesting facts, news, and relevant info.)
Women in Iran
The crucial role women play in the current election is epitomized by Zhara Rahnavard, the wife of candidate Hossein Mousavi, who is the nation's first top-ranking female university professor and also an artist and has been actively campaigning by her husband's side. Women's role in this election marks a sharp contrast from their expressed dissatisfaction in 2004 with the direction in which the country was headed. The situation of women in Iran and other mideastern countries is frequently referenced in conversations about the mideast, but all too often it is done without the voices of those women themselves, or in oddly skewed representations. This is the argument presented by Fatemeh Keshavarz in an interview about her book Jasmine and Stars. Keshavarz contends that the similarities between Iranian (and mideastern culture in general) and the West are much greater than most people think, and that women in Iranian society are more powerful agents than they are credited with being.
Iranian History
To put current events in Iran in context, it's useful to be reminded about some significant events in the country's past. Americans probably first think about the 1979 revolution when 52 Americans were taken hostage at the U.S. embassy in Tehran, a situation that effectively ended Jimmy Carter's presidency. The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library contains a diary by one of the hostages, part of which can be read online. Here is a BBC piece that provides interviews with one of the hostage takers and one of the hostages. Probably another moment in post-revolutionary history that sticks with Westerners was the declaration of a fatwa against Salman Rusdie for his book, The Satanic Verses. Far fewer people think of the devastating earthquake in Bam, Iran in 2003 that killed more than 26,000 people, much less its rich past. But Iran is one of the oldest nations in the world, and this timeline does a good job of demonstrating its ancient cultural history. For more in depth history and some really interesting information on mythology and access to great images, check out ParsTimes History page. The ParsTimes site offers a collection of some of the best links to information about Iran available on the web. If you are looking for a quick definition of any term related to the country or its culture, check out Encyclopaedia Iranica, a multidisciplinary project.
Persian Food
And because I know that many of you like to experiment with different kinds of foods, it would be remiss not to include some references to some of the excellent foods that originate in Iran. Here is a selection of delicious dishes from Chowhound and here is another larger selection from Astray Recipes. And last, but hardly least, a recipe for a dessert popular throughout the mideast, halvah.
Library Resources
The library has a new online resource that can help you get a handle on Iran, as well as any other country in which you may have an interest. ABC-CLIO's World Geography is a database that provides detailed information about different countries, from standard geographical features to contemporary issues as well as etiquette and customs. (You'll have to use your DACC user i.d. and password to log in from off campus.) In the same suite of resources, the ABC-CLIO World History resources, both Ancient and Medieval and Modern offer lots of interesting entries related to the region.
Political Liberalization
For an interesting analysis of the revolutionary potential for political liberalization in Iran, check out the article in Al-Jezeera English. Two of the driving forces in the move to liberalization are Iran's young people, as profiled in this CBS piece, and technology, which resists the Iranian government's attempts at control, especially the rapid spread of the twitterverse. (Speaking of which, did you know that the library is now on Twitter? Follow dacclibrary here. The library twitters more than just "library stuff", but interesting facts, news, and relevant info.)
Women in Iran
The crucial role women play in the current election is epitomized by Zhara Rahnavard, the wife of candidate Hossein Mousavi, who is the nation's first top-ranking female university professor and also an artist and has been actively campaigning by her husband's side. Women's role in this election marks a sharp contrast from their expressed dissatisfaction in 2004 with the direction in which the country was headed. The situation of women in Iran and other mideastern countries is frequently referenced in conversations about the mideast, but all too often it is done without the voices of those women themselves, or in oddly skewed representations. This is the argument presented by Fatemeh Keshavarz in an interview about her book Jasmine and Stars. Keshavarz contends that the similarities between Iranian (and mideastern culture in general) and the West are much greater than most people think, and that women in Iranian society are more powerful agents than they are credited with being.
Iranian History
To put current events in Iran in context, it's useful to be reminded about some significant events in the country's past. Americans probably first think about the 1979 revolution when 52 Americans were taken hostage at the U.S. embassy in Tehran, a situation that effectively ended Jimmy Carter's presidency. The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library contains a diary by one of the hostages, part of which can be read online. Here is a BBC piece that provides interviews with one of the hostage takers and one of the hostages. Probably another moment in post-revolutionary history that sticks with Westerners was the declaration of a fatwa against Salman Rusdie for his book, The Satanic Verses. Far fewer people think of the devastating earthquake in Bam, Iran in 2003 that killed more than 26,000 people, much less its rich past. But Iran is one of the oldest nations in the world, and this timeline does a good job of demonstrating its ancient cultural history. For more in depth history and some really interesting information on mythology and access to great images, check out ParsTimes History page. The ParsTimes site offers a collection of some of the best links to information about Iran available on the web. If you are looking for a quick definition of any term related to the country or its culture, check out Encyclopaedia Iranica, a multidisciplinary project.
Persian Food
And because I know that many of you like to experiment with different kinds of foods, it would be remiss not to include some references to some of the excellent foods that originate in Iran. Here is a selection of delicious dishes from Chowhound and here is another larger selection from Astray Recipes. And last, but hardly least, a recipe for a dessert popular throughout the mideast, halvah.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Car Talk!
With the recent federal bailout of GM and Chrysler, it seems like a good time to take a look at America's love affair with the automobile. One thing about this subject, it offers a good way to introduce one of the library's newest, coolest resources Pop Culture Universe. This new database lets users explore all the fascinating facets of popular culture--past and present. (You can use the database off campus by logging in using your DACC user i.d. and password.) PCU lets you explore such varied aspects of car culture as travel and recreation, how it affected personal relationships, how it changed the way towns developed and what car design and customization revealed about our dreams and fears.
U.S. Automakers Today
BusinessWeek offers a number of stories and analyses that do an excellent job of putting the crises at Chrysler and GM in perspective. Written over time, these stories follow the road to GM's bankruptcy as well as looking closely at causes and impacts of these corporate failings, putting them in the context of other large-scale business failings. One thing that you hear less of on the news are the stories about areas where the U.S. auto industry is not suffering. Reuters examines the case of the southern foreign auto plants, which have handled the economic downturn with much less stress on their workforce.
Automotive History
Who invented the automobile? That question is actually more complicated than it sounds because in the beginning there were so many different types of automobiles. Arguably, a case can even be made for Leonardo Da Vinci, who was drawing independent transport vehicles in his sketchbooks in the fifteenth century. (Here is a second design, this one for an armored car.) The Library of Congress offers this page of answers to this problem, noting that Karl Benz comes closest to earning single credit for the automobile as we think of it today. The Museum of Automobile History offers online visitors the opportunity to look at billboards, plaques and pictures of of its exhibits, hundreds of images covering the range of automotive history. You can also view online videos, send e-cards, or take an automobile history quiz. To look at a range of automobiles owned by an enthusiast who can truly afford to indulge in maintaining a living history of vehicles, check out Jay Leno's Garage. As the site makes explicit, Jay's collection isn't a museum. All of his vehicles are intended to be driven. The site includes a wealth of other car-related material, from video and articles on related topics to a featured visitor's vehicles section.
Vanished Brands
Should either GM or Chrysler disappear entirely, they would enter a special area of automotive culture. Automotive history is littered with famous and infamous vanished vehicle brands. For example, the Tucker, featured in a film starring Jeff Bridges, was a much-anticipated vehicle of which only 51 models were ever ever actually produced. The extent to which Tucker's car was a victim of bureaucratic wrangling as opposed to a deliberate effort on the part of the big three automakers to eliminate a possible competitor remains a point of contention. Another automobile with a storied past is the Edsel. Named for a son of Henry Ford's who had passed away, the Edsel was actually a line of automobiles Ford intended to be premiere vehicles. But as the article from the Washington Post makes clear, nothing about the production of the car, from the selection of its name to its design to the pony promotion used to seduce test drives (yes, they were real ponies), was well thought out. And the Edsel would go on to become a synonym for commercial failure. It also became a pop culture icon. Finally, given the success of the recent film Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, it seems only appropriate to give a nod to the film's iconic automobile, the Yugo. More properly, the Zastava Koral but sold in the U.S. as the Yugo, this automobile entered the U.S. market as an incredibly inexpensive alternative to all other vehicles on the market (only $4500 in 1985), got excellent gas mileage and came with an extended warranty. The car soon got a reputation for being of poor quality however, although some contest this saying that the type of engine requires regular maintenance to perform and cannot withstand owner negligence in the way other types of vehicles can.
On the Track
If you are a motorsports fan, then you'll want to hit Motorsport.com for information on all the different varieties. F1 fans will find statistics of all kinds at ChicaneF1, which lets you delve in Formula1 in all different arcane ways, while F1.com provides all the latest news, video and information about the sport. For NASCAR fans, besides NASCAR's home page, there's Catchfence.com, which includes news, interviews, race information and fan commentary. Want to check out what's going on locally? Check out Vermilion County Speedway's web site.
U.S. Automakers Today
BusinessWeek offers a number of stories and analyses that do an excellent job of putting the crises at Chrysler and GM in perspective. Written over time, these stories follow the road to GM's bankruptcy as well as looking closely at causes and impacts of these corporate failings, putting them in the context of other large-scale business failings. One thing that you hear less of on the news are the stories about areas where the U.S. auto industry is not suffering. Reuters examines the case of the southern foreign auto plants, which have handled the economic downturn with much less stress on their workforce.
Automotive History
Who invented the automobile? That question is actually more complicated than it sounds because in the beginning there were so many different types of automobiles. Arguably, a case can even be made for Leonardo Da Vinci, who was drawing independent transport vehicles in his sketchbooks in the fifteenth century. (Here is a second design, this one for an armored car.) The Library of Congress offers this page of answers to this problem, noting that Karl Benz comes closest to earning single credit for the automobile as we think of it today. The Museum of Automobile History offers online visitors the opportunity to look at billboards, plaques and pictures of of its exhibits, hundreds of images covering the range of automotive history. You can also view online videos, send e-cards, or take an automobile history quiz. To look at a range of automobiles owned by an enthusiast who can truly afford to indulge in maintaining a living history of vehicles, check out Jay Leno's Garage. As the site makes explicit, Jay's collection isn't a museum. All of his vehicles are intended to be driven. The site includes a wealth of other car-related material, from video and articles on related topics to a featured visitor's vehicles section.
Vanished Brands
Should either GM or Chrysler disappear entirely, they would enter a special area of automotive culture. Automotive history is littered with famous and infamous vanished vehicle brands. For example, the Tucker, featured in a film starring Jeff Bridges, was a much-anticipated vehicle of which only 51 models were ever ever actually produced. The extent to which Tucker's car was a victim of bureaucratic wrangling as opposed to a deliberate effort on the part of the big three automakers to eliminate a possible competitor remains a point of contention. Another automobile with a storied past is the Edsel. Named for a son of Henry Ford's who had passed away, the Edsel was actually a line of automobiles Ford intended to be premiere vehicles. But as the article from the Washington Post makes clear, nothing about the production of the car, from the selection of its name to its design to the pony promotion used to seduce test drives (yes, they were real ponies), was well thought out. And the Edsel would go on to become a synonym for commercial failure. It also became a pop culture icon. Finally, given the success of the recent film Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, it seems only appropriate to give a nod to the film's iconic automobile, the Yugo. More properly, the Zastava Koral but sold in the U.S. as the Yugo, this automobile entered the U.S. market as an incredibly inexpensive alternative to all other vehicles on the market (only $4500 in 1985), got excellent gas mileage and came with an extended warranty. The car soon got a reputation for being of poor quality however, although some contest this saying that the type of engine requires regular maintenance to perform and cannot withstand owner negligence in the way other types of vehicles can.
On the Track
If you are a motorsports fan, then you'll want to hit Motorsport.com for information on all the different varieties. F1 fans will find statistics of all kinds at ChicaneF1, which lets you delve in Formula1 in all different arcane ways, while F1.com provides all the latest news, video and information about the sport. For NASCAR fans, besides NASCAR's home page, there's Catchfence.com, which includes news, interviews, race information and fan commentary. Want to check out what's going on locally? Check out Vermilion County Speedway's web site.
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