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| New This Week for March 20, 2008 |
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This Week Heavy on financial matters this week: money laundering, foreign exchange currency fraud, free and "free" Internet services, global credit crunch and food price spiral, how the Fed works and what it's doing these days, and other matters. Plus 5 years of the Iraq war. To lift your spirits, visit our beautiful wildflower sites and glory in the springtime colors. Bon appetit from librarians Jennifer, Charlotte, Maria, and Wendy. Tip of the Week We want the links as well as the content from our entries to live up to our standards, so do take the time to branch out from these sites. Just this evening, the links from our newest websites on the life and economics of salmon led me to this inspired new remedy for overfishing: killing sea lions that can't be otherwise dissuaded from eating their natural diet; follow the trail to announcements on the current fishing season to learn how several states are implementing this program. |
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Arts and Humanities
10 Days to War
This 10-part BBC drama series beginning on March 10, 2008, "marks the fifth anniversary of the invasion [of Iraq]. ... Part thriller, part political drama, each film will take the viewer to worlds the news cameras couldn't reach -- the UN, the Military, the Foreign Office and, of course, Iraq." View these short episodes online and find an episode guide, list of key events, and related news coverage. From the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/10_days_to_war/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25680
Imagining Ourselves: A Global Generation of Women
This online exhibition, based on a project begun in 2001, features "film, photography, music, poetry, and personal essays -- all responding to the question 'What Defines Your Generation of Women?'" Explore the exhibit by selecting a theme such as love, money, war and dialog, motherhood, and image and identity. Also includes material about activism opportunities. Available in several languages. From the International Museum of Women.
URL: http://imaginingourselves.imow.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25620
The Women's Museum: An Institute for the Future
Website for this Smithsonian affiliate in Dallas that "makes visible the unique, textured, and diverse stories of American women." Features a description of permanent exhibits, and virtual exhibits such a "Finance Lessons," that "chronicles women and their relationship with money throughout American history," and "Wall of Words," that presents the twelve inspirational quotes by American women that are on a wall in the museum.
URL: http://www.thewomensmuseum.org/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25624
Business
Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Source Tool
"This research guide, or 'source tool,' is a compilation of key [anti-money laundering] AML laws, rules, and guidance applicable to broker-dealers." Topics addressed include the Bank Secrecy Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, compliance and customer identification programs, suspicious activity monitoring and reporting, due diligence programs for foreign correspondent accounts, and other areas of concern for securities firms and financial institutions. From the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
URL: http://www.sec.gov/about/offices/ocie/amlsourcetool.htm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25697
Beware of Foreign Currency Trading Frauds
"Have you been solicited to trade foreign currency contracts (also known as 'forex')? If so, you need to know how to spot foreign currency trading frauds." Includes a list of warning signs of such frauds, such as "get-rich-quick schemes," avoiding companies that guarantee large profits or no financial risk, and sending cash on the Internet or by mail. Includes links to related sites. From the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
URL: http://www.cftc.gov/opa/enf98/opaforexa15.htm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25666
CNNMoney.com: Fed Focus
News and analysis about the Federal Reserve. Topics include the credit crunch, interest rate adjustments, the Bear Stearns bailout in March 2008, recession fears, inflation, and the housing crisis. Includes a graph of Federal Reserve interest rates back to 2004, links to material about economic indicators, and related material. From Cable News Network (CNN).
URL: http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/fed/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25707
CNNMoney.com: Morning Buzz
Online "daily column ... that focuses on the big market and macroeconomic news of the day." Includes breaking news items for the past week on topics such as recession fears, mergers, interest rates, and more. From Cable News Network (CNN).
URL: http://money.cnn.com/markets/morningbuzz/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25398
The Federal Reserve Board: Frequently Asked Questions: Monetary Policy
Brief questions and answers about "monetary policy [which] refers to the actions undertaken by a central bank, such as the Federal Reserve, to influence the availability and cost of money and credit as a means of helping to promote national economic goals." Includes answers to question about the federal funds rate, the discount rate, and how the Federal Reserve maintains the stability of the U.S. financial system. From the Federal Reserve Board (FRB).
URL: http://www.federalreserve.gov/generalinfo/faq/faqmpo.htm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25708
Global Credit Crunch
Collection of news and analysis concerning problems associated with the U.S. and global financial systems. Topics include the sub-prime mortgage crisis, the purchase of Wall Street bank Bear Stearns in March 2008, rising gold prices, and stock market turmoil. From the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/business/2007/creditcrunch/default...
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25706
Computers
Free Internet Access Providers
Annotated listing of free Internet service providers (ISPs) and websites that rate and review free and low-cost ISPs. The site notes that they "don't recommend any of these services for use as your primary Web connection, if you need solid, reliable service. Still, the free services ... are handy for use as a backup service, if your primary provider experiences downtime." From TheFreeSite.com, a directory of free website services and offers.
URL: http://www.thefreesite.com/Free_Internet_Access/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25661
Government
About the New $5 Bill
Details about the new U.S. $5 bills, "which entered circulation on March 13, 2008." Discusses security features of the bills (watermark and embedded security thread), design features (color, symbols of freedom, and changes to President Abraham Lincoln's portrait on the bill), and other features such as easy-to-read numbers for low vision and microprinted words. Includes printable images of the bill. From the U.S. Department of Treasury, Bureau of Printing and Engraving.
URL: http://www.moneyfactory.gov/newmoney/main.cfm/currency/new5
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25694
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
Website for this government agency whose mission is "to safeguard the financial system from the abuses of financial crime, including terrorist financing, money laundering, and other illicit activity." Provides program background, information about the Bank Secrecy Act (administered by the agency), regulatory notices, a FAQ about money laundering and related topics, and speeches, testimony, correspondence, and other documents from the program. From the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
URL: http://www.fincen.gov/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25695
U.S. Census Bureau: Redistricting Data
Website for this program that "will provide states the opportunity to delineate voting and state legislative districts and to suggest census block boundaries for use in the 2010 Census redistricting data tabulations." Provides background about the program and the law (enacted in 1975) behind the program, redistricting data, and program announcements. From the U.S. Census Bureau.
URL: http://www.census.gov/rdo/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25705
Recreation
Women's Sports Foundation: The Billies
Background about the Billie Awards (named in honor of tennis legend Billie Jean King), which "honor media excellence in the portrayal of girls and women in sports and physical activity." Features details about award categories (such as industry leader and outstanding journalist), announcement of the current year's finalists, photos and videos from previous events, and other background and updates. From the Women's Sports Foundation.
URL: http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/News-And-Events/Events/The-Billi...
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25590
Regional: California
All the Saints of the City of the Angels: Paintings and Stories by J. Michael Walker
Website for this exhibit that "uses the saints and the streets bearing their names to uncover the soul of Los Angeles, the City of the Angels." Features selected artwork depicting some of the 103 streets in Los Angeles named for saints, an interactive map highlighting some of the streets, and details about the physical exhibit (February-September 2008). In English and Spanish. From the Autry National Center, Los Angeles.
URL: http://www.autrynationalcenter.org/allthesaints/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25676
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum: Desert Wildflower Blooms
Background and seasonal updates about wildflowers in the Sonoran Desert region encompassing parts of Arizona, California, and Sonora and Baja California, Mexico. Features wildflower reports, an article about predicting wildflower blooms, general information about spring and summer flowering seasons in the desert, and the photo presentation "Wildflower Flourishes and Flops -- a 50-year History." From the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
URL: http://www.desertmuseum.org/programs/flw_blooming.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25673
Background: Salmon
Information about salmon and salmon fishing from the organization that is responsible for fisheries off the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington. "Chinook and coho salmon are the main salmon species managed." Topics include the fish, fishery and gear, and the current salmon season. From the Pacific Fishery Management Council.
URL: http://www.pcouncil.org/salmon/salback.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25685
Bureau of Land Management: California Wildflowers
Background about the wildflower season in California, which "generally starts with an early spring in the desert regions of southern California, and works its way northward. When the wildflower seasons occur, and how lush they are, depends on the weather and can vary widely from year to year." Includes details about wildflower viewing regions such as the Mojave Desert, eastern Sierra, and San Joaquin Valley. From the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
URL: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/recreation/wildflowers.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25674
Center for the Continuing Study of the California Economy (CCSCE)
Website for the CCSCE, (a "private economic research organization") and the Institute of Regional and Urban Studies (IRUS, a nonprofit "whose primary mission is to help incorporate information about the California economy into the development of public policy"). Includes "easy-to-read summaries of key economic data and issues" on topics such as home prices, job growth, and population estimates. Also includes material supporting presentations, and selected reports. Some material only available for a fee.
URL: http://www.ccsce.com/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25579
Science
Powering the Electrical Revolution: Women and Technology
"Meet the exceptional women who overcame social barriers to make achievements in the fields of math and science and the ordinary women who made contributions to the telegraph, telephone, industrial manufacturing, and computing industries." Features essays on topics such as women and the communications industry, electricity and the housewife, women and computers, and women as engineers. Includes images and video clips. From the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Virtual Museum.
URL: http://www.ieee-virtual-museum.org/exhibit/exhibit.php?id=159251&lid=1
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25571
Three Mile Island: The Inside Story
Presentation about "America's worst accident at a civilian nuclear power plant [which] occurred on March 28, 1979" on Three Mile Island, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Diagrams, photos, and essays recount the details of the incident and its aftermath. Companion to a physical exhibit created for the 25th anniversary (in 2004) of the accident, from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
URL: http://americanhistory.si.edu/tmi/index.htm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25669
Why Has the Date Changed for Start of Spring?
This article describes that while the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere traditionally has been celebrated as March 21, the vernal equinox has "landed on March 21, only 36 out of 100 years [during the 20th century]. And from 1981 to 2102, Americans will celebrate the first day of spring no later than March 20." Explains reasons why seasonal dates can vary from year to year. From Space.com.
URL: http://www.space.com/spacewatch/050318_equinox.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25683
Society & Social Science
How Iraq's War Shaped Our World
Two March 2008 radio programs that consider the impact of the war in Iraq on the occasion of its five-year anniversary. The series is based on the premise that "[i]t's been said that, if 11th September 2001 was the day the world changed for America, then 20th March 2003 was the day America changed for the world." From the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Radio World Service.
URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/documentaries/2008/02/080225_iraq_wa...
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25677
Iraq War: The Five-Year Anniversary
March 2008 articles and audio slide show in which "five Minnesotans talk about how the war has changed their lives." People interviewed include the mother of the first Minnesotan killed in Iraq, an officer in Iraq, a peace activist, and a former Iraqi citizen. Also includes links to related content. Site requires free registration for multiple viewings. From the Star Tribune, Minneapolis-St. Paul.
URL: http://www.startribune.com/projects/16446946.html
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25675
Special Reports: World Warned on Food Price Spiral
Series of news stories from 2008 on the rise in world food prices. "Prices are increasing sharply for some of the most basic foodstuffs traded on international commodity markets," such as wheat, corn, and soy. Provides news stories, a FAQ, charts showing food prices increases, shopping lists from six families around the world (to be revisited in the future), and related links. From BBC News.
URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/world/2008/costoffood/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25682
World Food Situation
"This portal offers latest information on food commodity prices, supply and demand and factors that affect world food markets." Covers damaged crops, food emergencies, specific countries in crisis, food prices and volatility in agricultural commodities, climate change, and more. Provides a FAQ on rising food prices, and links to related data and reports. From the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN).
URL: http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/en/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25681
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Thanks for reading LII New This Week!
Jennifer English, Liaison to Califa Library Group
Wendy Hyman, Senior Editor
Maria Brandt, Associate Editor
Charlotte Bagby, Senior Weeder
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