Breaking seal constitutes acceptance of agreement. America Online assumes no responsibilty for the contents of my pages. Please keep all appendages inside the tram while it is in motion. Wear your seatbelt at all times. Please make sure your seat backs and tray-tables are in the upright and locked position. The captain asks that you refrain from using any electronic devices until we reach our cruising altitude, as they can interfere with radar. Use only with proper ventilation. Keep away from open flame. Do not use if safety seal is broken. Do not inhale fumes. Apply only to affected area. If a rash, irritation, redness, or swelling develops, discontinue use. If ingested, do not induce vomiting. If symptoms persist, consult a physician. No salt added. No MSG. No other warranty expressed or implied. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. The Link IEC-740 audio distribution amplifier reflects the latest in the state of the art in engineering techniques. 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A fuse accessible from the front panel provides easy replacement. Up to three units can be mounted in a 1 RU mounting frame. If you're read this far, you need a life. Warranty Direct offers comprehensive plans designed to protect you from the unexpected costs of mechanical breakdowns. Should you have a mechanical breakdown, simply call our toll free hotline to obtain authorization for any of the hundreds of items covered by the plan: New Water craft Coverage Protection is available for up to a full six years (72 months) depending on manufacturer's warranty term. Used Water craft Coverage Protection is available for up to three years (36 months). Increased Resale Value Who ever buys your craft can benefit from any balance left on your coverage. A modest transfer fee is all that is involved. Inflation Protection No matter how high the cost of repairs may go, all you pay is the applicable deductible, if any. Warranty Direct pays 100% parts and labor on all covered components. Lifetime Renewal Coverage may be renewed for continuous one year terms for as long as you own your craft. Hoist/Haul-Out Allowance We will pay up to $60 of Hoist/Haul-Out coverage or up to $60 of the excess of any existing out coverage if required due to a mechanical breakdown of a covered component. Towing Allowance The Service Plan will pay up to $120 for towing anytime a covered component fails causing the craft to be towed either in the water or on land. Zero Deductible All Warranty Direct Service Plans come standard with zero deductible. Options In addition to Warranty Direct standard comprehensive coverage choose from our Optional Packs: Cruiser Pack - New Craft Only Sport Fishing Pack - New Craft Only Cruiser Fishing Pack - New Craft Only Trailer Pack - New and Used Craft. My looking at this page I hereby hand over my soul to the good Dr. Alex Sharp. During the 13th century, an abbot speaking to a congregation of monks found that many of his listeners had fallen asleep. In desperation, the abbot raised his voice and declared: 'I will tell you something new and great. There was once a mighty king, whose name was Arthur' The words had an electrifying effect. Though the monks couldn't stay awake to hear the abbot's thoughts on holy matters, they perked up at the mention of the magical name Arthur. There's now general acceptance that behind the legendary figure of Arthur stands a real historic personage--a great leader named Arturus, who championed the Celtic Britons' cause against the Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century. However, his name doesn't appear in any reliable history of the period, probably because Arturus was not his proper name, but a title meaning 'Bear.' Although the Saxons finally conquered Britain, the Celts remained strong in Cornwall, Cumberland, and Wales. There, the Celtic people retained a degree of independence and kept alive the memory of old champions like Arturus. Celtic bards travelled from court to court recounting folk tales of the past. Over time, Arturus, the military leader, became, in the legends, King Arthur of England. Some historians believe Arthur was Dux (Duke) of Britain, a Roman title. However, by AD 500, such titles had become vague and 'King' was the customary designation of Celtic leaders. When Roman rule faded on the island, the old kingly families of the tribes and regions re-emerged. From hints found in ancient records, we can glean a picture of Arthur as a warrior who was successful for a time, only to die tragically in a civil war after a mysterious Battle of Camlann in AD 537 or thereabouts. Arthur's father may have been Ambrosius Aurelianus, himself a Duke of Britain. The decades between Ambrosius' death, sometime after 495, and Arthur's own demise some 40 years later were a time of shifting fortune and wide-ranging struggles. This may explain the myriad of places in Britain that claim a connection to the legendary king. In the centuries that followed Arthur's death, fanciful histories fleshed out the few reliable facts about the 'King' with a whole body of literature that created an enduring legend. Foremost among these was the Historia Regum Britanniae (History of the Kings of Britain), written in 1135 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. Also in the 12th century, the monk Nennius, in his Historia Brittonum (The History of the Britons) listed Arthur's battles against Germanic invaders--the Saxons and the Angles--during the late 5th and early 6th centuries. Later, in 1160, the French writer Chretien de Troyes established King Arthur as a fashionable subject of romantic literature by introducing medieval chivalry and courtly romance into the tales. Not only did de Troyes create many of the knights, including Sir Lancelot, he also used the more lyrical sounding Guinevere as the name for Arthur's queen and chose Camelot for the name of his court. But the story of King Arthur as we know it today is mostly the work of Sir Thomas Malory. In his Le Morte d'Arthur (The Death of Arthur), printed in 1485, he retold many of the tales that had first been circulated by word of mouth and were then written down. He dressed Arthur in the fashions of his own times, transforming him into a 15th-century hero. As Homer was to Odysseus, so was Sir Thomas Malory to Arthur. Malory's text transports the reader to a dreamland of castles and kingdoms in which the love of adventure was reason enough to wage battles. Though these adventures are as real as a boy's dream, they're as difficult to place in the latitude and longitude of today's world. Le Morte d'Arthur opens with Arthur conceived as the illegitimate son of Uther Pendragon (literally 'the Head Dragon' or King of Britain). After being raised in secret, Arthur proves himself king by drawing a sword from a stone. He marries Guinevere, founds the Knights of the Round Table at Camelot and begets a son, Mordred, in unknowing incest. Following 12 years of prosperity, Arthur's knights commence a quest to discover the Holy Grail, during which time Lancelot, his chief knight, consummates an adulterous affair with Queen Guinevere. Ultimately, the couple is discovered and Arthur pursues Lancelot into France, leaving Mordred behind as regent. At the end of the story, Arthur discovers an attempt by Mordred to seize the throne and returns to quash the rebellion. In a final battle, Mordred dies and Arthur receives a mortal wound, after which he is transported by barge to the Vale of Avalon. Following the battle, Sir Bedivere reluctantly returns Arthur's sword Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake, while both Lancelot and Guinevere enter holy orders and live out their lives in peace. The British Isles abound with landmarks linked to the Arthurian legend. To try to unravel the mystery surrounding him, I visited some of these places. I started with Winchester, the old Roman city of Venta Belgarum, site of the Great Hall and depository of the most famous of all Arthurian relics, the Round Table. The solid oak tabletop measures 18 feet in diameter and weighs approximately one and a quarter tons. It hangs on the wall, looking like an enormous dart board with green and white segments painted onto it to indicate the places where the king and his knights once sat. In Malory's day, many considered it to be the genuine article, and historians believed Winchester Castle to be the site of Arthur's fortress, Camelot. Unfortunately, the existing castle isn't nearly old enough to have been Arthur's. Tests prove Edward III constructed the table, probably in 1344, when he conceived the notion of an order of chivalry based on the knights of the Round Table, as depicted in the popular romances. It was possibly used for celebrating the popular Arthurian festivals in which noblemen indulged. King Henry VIII ordered the table painted in 1522 to honour a visit by the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V. The image of Arthur is actually modelled on a very youthful Henry VIII seated in full royal regalia. A Tudor rose marks its centre. Legend says that Merlin, the magician, conjured the table for Uther Pendragon, Arthur's father. On Uther's death, Merlin gave the table to Arthur. The idea of a table where all were equal, where no man sat in state above his peers appealed to the romantic idealism which, especially in Victorian times, surrounded the knightly legend. In reality, any leader of Arthur's time would have had to impose a fierce discipline or risk being deposed. In Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, Camelot was Winchester. Local folklore says it was Colchester. The Romans, after all, called the town Camulodunum. In both cases, there's little to support the claim. The most likely site of Camelot, backed by some archaeological evidence gathered in the 1960s, is Cadbury Castle, an Iron Age hillfort near Yeovil, high above the plains of Somerset, near the village of Queen Camel. John Leland, an antiquarian during Henry VIII's reign, wrote that local people often referred to the remains of this fortified hill as 'Camalat--King Arthur's Palace'. Excavations conducted by archaeologist Leslie Alcock revealed wattle and daub huts within an 18-acre enclosure on top of the hill. Two shrines, a metalworkers' area, furnaces, smiths' tools and finished weapons were also unearthed. Evidence shows that the entrance to Camelot was by way of a cobbled roadway, ten feet across, which passed through a timber-lined passage beneath a gate tower raised on posts and tied in with the rampart and sentry walkway on either side. Massive pairs of doors closed off either end of this passage. Large quantities of dressed masonry from derelict Roman buildings formed the rampart itself. From findings near the site of Arthur's Palace, it became clear that Cadbury had been at one time a stronghold of great importance, revamped from its original pre-Roman state and turned into a Dark-Age fortress. The lane leading up to the hilltop winds gently upwards through an avenue of majestic trees. At the summit, a grassy plateau affords a view to rival any in England. There have been many ghostly sightings around Cadbury, and indeed, I felt the coldness of spirits as I climbed around on the hill. Below me, I saw the remains of an ancient track that leads towards Glastonbury may have been used by Arthur and his knights travelling to and from Camelot. Locals say that on winter evenings the knights still ride along this causeway, bridles and harness jangling, to go hunting. Those who claim to have witnessed this fearsome sight talk of seeing lances that glow in the dark and hearing the spine-tingling baying of hounds. Not far from Cadbury Castle, locals says, along the banks of the River Cam on Salisbury Plain, both Arthur and Mordred fell in the Battle of Camlann. Farm workers once unearthed a large number of skeletons in a mass grave west of the castle, suggesting a mighty battle took place. Standing on the spot, I could only dream of knights in armour, the clash of their swords sounding the spirit of defiance and justice. Afterwards, I headed to Bodmin Moor, two miles south of Bolventor in Cornwall, to visit Dozmary Pool. A mile in circumference, Dozmary Pool is a place of changing mood and beauty, a place of mystery and magic. Standing on its rim as the early morning mist began to rise, I could imagine Sir Bedivere throwing Excalibur into the lake, from which a hand rose and caught the magical sword, as King Arthur lay dying. The story of Excalibur being thrown to the Lady of the Lake probably originated in Celtic practises. Archaeologists have found many swords that have long ago been thrown into sacred lakes as votive offerings to the water goddess, the goddess of healing. Like these sites traditionally linked to Arthur's death, his reputed birthplace at Tintagel Castle also lies in Cornwall, along its northern coast. The ruins of the castle stand just outside the village, on what's virtually an island surrounded by foaming seas, once linked to the mainland by a narrow ridge of rock. Visitors to the ruins must cross a footbridge and ascend a long flight of steps. The sound of waves crashing against the rocky shore 250 feet below, combined with the wind, full of the scent of salt air, make for an exhilerating crossing. The ruins only hint at the castle's former grandeur. All that remains is a dramatic archway and several sections of walls pocked with holes that once support building timbers. Merlin's cave supposedly lies directly below the ruins, piercing the great cliff, cutting through to a rocky beach on the other side of the headland. Here, under grey skies, the roar of the Atlantic can be as loud as the wind on a stormy day. At Tintagel the line dividing fact and legend is often thin and blurred. The earliest mention of Tintagel in association with King Arthur appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia, in which Uther Pendragon falls in love with Ygerna, wife of Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall. To keep her away from Uther's grasp, her husband sends her to Tintagel. Infuriated, Uther goes to Cornwall, persuading Merlin to prescribe a magic brew enabling him to look like Gorlois. Thus disguised, he has no difficulty in entering the castle to sleep with Ygerna, whereby Arthur is conceived. The thousands of Arthurian pilgrims who come to Tintagel seem unaffected by the fact that the present castle dates only from the early 12th century, and thus couldn't possibly have been Arthur's birthplace. Archaeologists have also found the remains of a 6th century Celtic monastery founded by St. Juliot on the site, but there's no evidence to associate it with the legendary king. Not far from Tintagel stands Slaughter Bridge, near Camelford. This, too has been cited as the true battlefield of Camlann, Arthur's last battle, in which he kills Mordred with a spear, but recieves a mortal wound in return. Upstream in a nook lies a stone covered with moss and strange lettering, which the Cornish call Arthur's grave. More likely, it's that of a Celtic chieftain. Local lore says that Arthur didn't die at Slaughter Bridge, but was instead incarnated into the soul of a chough, so that he may someday return. The legends say Arthur's half-sister, Morgan Le Fay, carried the wounded Arthur off on a barge to the Isle of Avalon, a Celtic word meaning 'the island of apples.' Many believe his final resting place to be in the West Country market town of Glastonbury. Nestled amidst a small cluster of hills, Glastonbury was almost an island in early Christian times when much of the surrounding countryside was a swamp. The town's highest hill, Glastonbury Tor (an old West Country word meaning hill) with a solitary tower at its summit, can be seen for miles around. Tradition has it that the Tor, often surrounded by mist, was the Isle of Avalon. It's difficult to imagine Glastonbury Tor without its distinctive tower, but until Norman times, when the monks built a chapel to St. Michael, the hill remained bare. An earthquake destroyed the chapel in 1275, and it lay in ruins for 50 years until the Abbot of Glastonbury, Adam Sodbury, rebuilt it. The monks added a tower, now all that remains, in the 15th century. Though the search for Arthur's grave brought me to Glastonbury, once there, the majesty of the ruins made me want to linger. The Abbey ruins, set among manicured lawns and imposing trees, are all that remain of one of medieval England's greatest monasteries. None of the walls left standing is older than 1184. On 24th May of that year a great fire destroyed the monastery. Many believe the Abbey was the home of the first Christian community in England. Evidence shows that monks and hermits may have lived there as early as the 5th and 6th centuries. Glastonbury's link with King Arthur arose as a result of a discovery said to have been made in the late 1100s within the grounds of the abbey. In 1190, during reconstruction after the fire, the monks claimed to have discovered a grave. They dug down seven feet before reaching a stone slab, below which lay a lead cross, bearing the Latin words: Hic iacet sepultus inclytus Rex Arthurius in Insula Avallonia cum uxore sua secunda Wenneveria. (Here lies the renowned King Arthur in the isle of Avalon with his second wife Guinevere.) The monks dug nine feet further and found a hollow tree trunk containing the bones of what appeared to be an immensely tall man, plus some smaller bones and a scrap of yellow hair. He appeared to have 10 wounds, all healed except one. The discovery of the grave was, to say the least, timely, for the monks were in desperate need of funds for rebuilding. And the only sure way to raise money was to attract large numbers of pilgrims. Today, a simple sign on the neatly trimmed lawn of the abbey marks the grave from which the royal remains disappeared after King Henry VIII ordered the abbey's dissolution in 1539. Was King Arthur real? Did he exist as a true king? Was he a Celtic hero, ruler and conqueror or the romantic medieval knight in shining armour? So many theories have been suggested, so much written about him over the centuries that even though the truth may have become somewhat distorted, it's hard to imagine such a person couldn't have existed to spawn all those tales. The tales of King Arthur and his court continue to fascinate countless readers, perhaps because we know so much of the legend and so little of the truth. The most famous sites traditionally associated with Arthur cannot withstand historical scrutiny. While there's no document to prove Arthur's existence, and archaeologists have found no objects bearing his name, there's nothing to say that he didn't exist. This is a site designed and intended SOLELY for ADULTS, people who are at least 18 years old, who are interested in and wish to have access to visual images, verbal description and audio sounds of a sexually oriented, frankly erotic nature. The materials which are available within this site may include graphic visual depictions and descriptions of nudity and sexual activity and should NOT be accessed by anyone who is younger than 18 years old or who does not wish to be exposed to such materials. By entering this website you are making the following statements: 1. Under penalty of perjury, I swear/affirm that as of this moment, I am an adult, at least 18 years of age. 2. I promise that I will not permit any person(s) under 18 years of age to have access to any of the materials contained within this site. 3. I understand that when I gain access to this site, I will be exposed to visual images, verbal descriptions and audio sounds of a sexually oriented, frankly erotic nature, which may include graphic visual depictions and descriptions of nudity and sexual activity. 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The purpose is to explore nuclear matter under extreme conditions and thereby gain new insight into the fundamental laws of nature. The research within our division can be divided into three different areas, according to the incident energy of the heavy-ion projectile. One group is thus working in the low-energy regime (a few MeV/nucleon, The High Spin Group), one at medium energies (a few tens of MeV/nucleon - a few GeV/nucleon, The Intermediate Energy Group) and one at the highest available accelerator energies (presently a few hundred GeV/nucleon, The High Energy Group). The High Spin Group studies the structure of rapidly rotating heavy nuclei produced by heavy-ion collisions slightly above the Coloumb barrier. The rotation affects the individual nucleonic orbitals and the interaction between the nucleons. The ground state of the nucleus appears in a phase similar to that of a superconductor, i.e. a superfluid phase. The gradual change of this phase to a "normal" phase can be studied by observing the change in rotational frequency. The Intermediate Energy Group studies the production of hadrons and nuclear fragments in nuclear collisions around and above the Fermi energy (about 40 MeV). The experiments are performed at several accelerators - at present at GSI (Germany), GANIL (France), RIKEN (Japan) and at the storage rings in Sweden (CELSIUS) and in Germany (ESR). In this energy regime where the incident energy in the nucleus-nucleus system can be higher than the binding energy for individual nucleons the nuclei may break up into a multitude of low-mass fragments. This phenomenon was predicted by Niels Bohr in 1936, but was observed for the first time at the end of the 1970's here in Lund. The medium energy region covers important thresholds such as the sound barrier in nuclear matter, and the production of pi- and K-mesons. The High Energy Group aims at experimentally detecting a new state of matter, where quarks and gluons are partially deconfined over regions in space larger than the size of a nucleon. This state of matter is called a quark-gluon plasma and such a state is believed to have existed when our universe was very young, i.e. a few microseconds after the Big Bang. In central collisions between atomic nuclei at high energies, nuclear matter is subjected to such high pressure and temperature that a phase transition from hadronic matter (the normal nuclear matter state) to a quark-gluon plasma may occur. The different types of heavy-ion interactions for the previously discussed energy regions are sketched in figure 1. Front-line research in experimental nuclear physics at international accelerator laboratories utilizes high-tech equipment in detectors, pulse-shaping electronics and computer data acquisition systems. Suitable equipment is only rarely commercially available. Our research groups are therefore involved in extensive fundamental technical development in detector technology, micro electronics and computer technology (microprocessors) as well as adapting existing techniques to the specific application. The groups collaborate closely with theoretical physicists in Lund working in the fields of elementary particle physics and nuclear physics. The NORDBALL project Two post-accelerators have been constructed at the Tandem Accelerator Laboratory at the Niels Bohr Institute at Risø. It is now possible to reach hitherto unexplored mass regions for studies of rapidly rotating atomic nuclei. The study of nuclear structure by means of gamma-ray spectroscopy of rapidly rotating nuclei is very fruitful. The development of multi-detector arrays has revealed new information about the nuclear quantum system. For example, the strong centrifugal force acting on the average potential at high rotational frequencies can lead to very stable configurations with large deformations (superdeformed nuclei). One of the projects, in which the nuclear structure group is involved, is that of "complete spectroscopy". The aim is to find all the discrete rotational bands in one nucleus in order to study the transition from the "cold" ordered phase, characterized by conserved quantum numbers, to the "hot" chaotic phase where the quantum states are completely mixed. The group has been very active in the development of the detector system, NORDBALL, which at the moment is one of the best in the world. In particular, the Lund group has been involved in the construction of an inner ball between the target and the 20 Ge detectors of the NORDBALL. The inner ball consists of 60 BaFA scintillators and has a coverage of 96% of 4pi. The inner ball is very useful as a time reference, a calorimeter and a multiplicity filter. Thus, the inner ball is a valuable device for selecting reaction channels by measuring the multiplicity and summed energy of the gamma rays. The NORDBALL system (cf. figure 2) is developed by a collaboration between 15 groups in 8 different countries. The Lund group has also been very active in the development of a new, fast and flexible data acquisition system and is now following the development of the new EUROBALL system for considerably increased detection efficiency. Energies and intensities of coincident gamma-rays are analysed, resulting in level schemes up to very high spin for the nuclei. In order to determine the multipolarity of the gamma transitions a method has been developed for analysing angular correlations. The Intermediate Energy Group In experiments at accelerators in France, Germany, Japan, Italy and Sweden (CELSIUS) this group studies the production of pi and K mesons in heavy ion collisions at velocities both below and above the threshold in individual nucleon-nucleon collisions. Since the K mesons carry "strangeness" they hardly react during their passage through nuclear matter. They are therefore ideal messengers carrying information about the hot, dense zones where the particle production is believed to have taken place. Within an international collaboration a detector system called CHICKEN has been built to identify K+ mesons from their (67%) K+ --> mu+ + nu decay. This detector can be seen in figure 3. In other experiments the group studies pp, nn and np interferometry, i.e. small-angle correlations between the momentum vectors of the particles are measured. The method, which is used to study the dimensions of emission sources, originates from early astrophysical measurements of star diameters from photon correlations (the Hanbury-Brown-Twiss effect). The particular difficulties associated with neutron detectors have been accepted since it is very valuable to avoid Coulomb effects when interpreting the correlation data. The research at storage rings aims to explore the multi-fragmentation phenomenon which was discovered in earlier emulsion experiments. The phenomenon is not yet well understood but it seems to originate in the sudden liberation of a large number of rather heavy fragments rather than a boiling process. By utilizing continuously variable beam energy and ultra-thin targets at storage rings we hope to reveal whether or not this phenomenon is related to a liquid-gas phase-transition in nuclear matter. A charge coupled device (CCD) based measuring system for emulsion detectors has also been designed which greatly facilitates the complex measurements performed on pictures from emulsion plates exposured to heavy-ion beams. The High Energy Group Head: Professor Ingvar Otterlund The ultimate goal of research is to catch a glimpse of the Universe at the moment of its creation. In interactions between nuclei at high energies, extremely hot and dense nuclear matter can be produced and probably be melted into its constituents of quarks and gluons. A phase transition from ordinary nuclear matter to a new type of matter, the quark-gluon plasma, is searched for. The Universe is believed to have existed in such a phase a few microseconds after its creation in the Big Bang. The experiments are performed in large international collaborations at CERN in Switzerland and at Brookhaven National Laboratory in the USA. These collaborations involve several hundred physicists from 10-15 different countries. The group has focused the experimental activity on development of advanced read-out systems for tracking chambers. This development is carried out in close cooperation with Swedish industries. WA98 The WA98 experiment (an extension of the previous WA93 and WA80 experiments) utilized the newly developed Pb-beams at CERN SPS in November and December of 1994. The main goal of the experiment is to study the emission of thermal photons with high precision. These are supposed to be one of the best probes of a transition from the hadronic state of matter to a phase of "quasi"-free quarks and gluons (QGP) because of their weak interaction with the surrounding hot and dense hadronic matter. The Lund group in the WA98 collaboration has been responsible for the development and construction of the electronic readout system of the MSAC chambers. A slightly modified version of this readout concept will be used for the readout of the veto-detector in front of the Pb-glass spectrometer. Part of the responsibility for this project will be on us while the main part of the responsibility is on the Munster group of the collaboration. The Lund group also had the main responsibility for the production and mounting of the readout electronics of the Pb-glass spectrometer. EMU01 The EMU01 project is a world wide collaboration between groups having a common interest in using nuclear emulsions to study high-energy heavy-ion interactions. The collaboration was established in 1985, and the 13th collaboration meeting was held in September last year in Kosice, Slovakia. The data collected by the collaboration so far as well as the different experiments within the project are summarized in the table below. Collected data: 200 A GeV/c: O+Em (S+C), S+Em (S+C), S+Au (C), S+Ag (C) at CERN SPS EMU01 158 A GeV/c: Pb+Em (S+C), Pb+Pb (C), Pb+Ag (C) at CERN SPS EMU12 60 A GeV/c: O+Em (S+C) at CERN SPS EMU01 14.6 A GeV/c: O+Em (S+C), Si+Em (S+C), Si+Au (C) at BNL AGS E815 11.6 A GeV/c: Au+Em (S+C), Au+Au (C), Au+Ag (C) at BNL AGS E863 4.5 A GeV/c: O+Em (S), Si+Em (S) at Dubna S=stack C=chamber Two different experimental methods are used by the collaboration. The conventional technique with emulsion stacks are used for studies of target break-up and other specific topics. A new technique with emulsion chambers, equipped with thin target foils, exposed perpendicular to the emulsion surface, is developed by the collaboration, a technique which has been shown to work well for semi-automatic measurements. Several measuring systems for these chambers are in use by the collaboration. A new automatized CCD-system is under development and will soon be tested here in Lund. Our most recent experiments are the BNL experiment E863 with a gold beam at 11.6 A GeV/c and the CERN experiment EMU12 with a lead beam at 158 A GeV/c. The material for the EMU12 experiment was irradiated in December 1994 and the processing of the emulsion is finished. A few central events have been measured and reported at the Quark Matter '95 conference in Monterey. The figure shows a view, projected onto a plane parallel to the beam, of the first fully reconstructed EMU12 lead-on-lead interaction at 158 AGeV/c. As can be seen the projectile, coming in from the left, collides with a lead nucleus and essentially all produced particles continue in a narrow forward cone seen in the right part of the figure. The 1510 observed charged particles cannot be resolved in this view but in reality they are all resolved in the emulsion plates downstream in the detector. PHENIX The Lund group participates in the PHENIX collaboration, one of two large experiments at RHIC, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA. The collaboration is in the stage of entering the construction phase. The experiment will be ready to take data when RHIC is delivering colliding gold beams at 100 A GeV per beam in the beginning of 1999. The PHENIX experiment focuses on the electromagnetic and leptonic probes of a Quark Gluon Plasma by mesurements of direct thermal photons and lepton pairs (virtual photons). These probe particles are of particular interest as messengers from the plasma state due to their rare interaction with the hadronic final state. Continuum spectra of photons and lepton pairs are accesible as well as the vector mesons via their dileptonic decay channels. A set of hadronic probes allow studies of the properties of very dense and hot hadronic matter on the hadronic side of the phase transition.The experiment is built around an axial field dipole magnet which allows electron measurements in two 90 degree arms with coverage 0.35. Muons are detected at larger rapidities in one arm at forward rapidities. Efforts are in progress to increase the coverage for dimuon pairs by a second identical muon arm placed in the opposite direction. Total multiplicity and rapidity densities are measured over almost six units of rapidity with Si-pad and Si-strip detectors placed close to the beams. Electron pairs are measured in the two tracking arms at mid rapidity. Electrons are identified by measurements of Cerenkov radiation (RICH), dE/dx and Transition radiation , Time of Flight and response in the electromagnetic calorimeter combined with the momentum determined in the tracking system. An overall hadron rejection factor better than 1/10000 is achieved. About 30% of the electron arms are equipped with leadglass (12000 in total) detectors for high resolution photon detection specially designed for detection of the direct thermal photon component. The detector development efforts by the Lund group for PHENIX have concentrated on the problem of pattern recognition in tracking at high multiplicities by three planes of space point measuring PAD-chambers. We discuss the project of equipping these wire chambers with a pixel readout system separately under the description of the detector development program. A three-dimensional cutaway of the PHENIX detector, showing the location of the various detector subsystems. ALICE ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) is a dedicated heavy ion experiment at the LHC. The goal of the experiment is to study strongly interacting matter at extreme energy densities (QCD thermodynamics). Statistical QCD predicts that, at sufficiently high densities, there will be a transition from hadronic matter to a plasma of deconfined quarks and gluons - a transition which in the early universe took place about 100 micro-seconds after the Big Bang. The study of nuclear collisions at high energies utilizes methods and concepts from both nuclear and high energy physics constituting a new and interdisciplinary approach in investigating matter and its interactions. The ALICE collaboration proposes to build a dedicated, general-purpose detector which will operate at the start-up of LHC. Its design is based on the experiencies gained with the existing programs at CERN and BNL and it will address a majority of known sensitive observables like hadrons, di-leptons and photons. Since the ALICE detector will be the only heavy ion experiment at LHC it has to be built on known and safe technologies to fulfill the criteria of versatility, acceptance, robustness and flexibility. The figure above shows the ALICE experiment. The detector is contained in a big magnet of about 6 meters radius. The detector must have the capability of detecting the produced particles with very high precision. This requires different systems of specially designed detectors based on very advanced technologies. Firefighters respond to a variety of emergency situations in which life, property, or the environment are at risk. They are frequently the first emergency response team at the scene of an accident, fire, flood, earthquake, or act of terrorism. Every year, fires and other emergency conditions take thousands of lives and destroy property worth billions of dollars. Firefighters help protect the public against these dangers. This statement only provides information about career firefighters; it does not cover volunteer firefighters, who perform the same duties, and who may comprise the majority of firefighters in a residential area. Most calls to which firefighters respond involve medical emergencies, and many fire departments provide ambulance service for victims. Firefighters receive training in emergency medical procedures, and many fire departments require them to be certified as emergency medical technicians. During duty hours, firefighters must be prepared to respond immediately to a fire or any other emergency situation that arises. Each situation a firefighter encounters is unique. Because firefighting is dangerous and complex, it requires organization and teamwork. At every emergency scene, firefighters perform specific duties assigned by a superior officer. They may connect hose lines to hydrants, operate a pump or other equipment, or position ladders. They may rescue victims and administer emergency medical aid, ventilate smoke-filled areas, and salvage the contents of buildings. Their duties may change several times while the company is in action. Sometimes they remain at the site of a disaster for several days or more, rescuing survivors and assisting with medical emergencies. The job of firefighter has become more complicated in recent years due to the use of increasingly sophisticated equipment and the need to assume a wider range of responsibilities. These responsibilities include emergency medical treatment, assisting in the recovery from natural disasters such as earthquakes and tornadoes, and the control, prevention and cleanup of oil spills and other hazardous materials incidents. Firefighters are primarily involved with protecting business and residential structures, but they also work at airports on crash and rescue crews, at chemical plants, by waterfronts, and in forests and wilderness areas. In forests, air patrols locate fires and report their findings to headquarters by telephone or radio. Fire rangers patrol areas of the forest to locate and report fires and hazardous conditions and to ensure travelers and campers comply with fire regulations. When fires break out, firefighters use hand tools and water hoses to battle the blaze. Some specialized firefighters parachute from airplanes when necessary to reach inaccessible areas. Most fire departments have a fire prevention division, usually headed by a fire marshal. Fire inspectors conduct inspections of structures to prevent fires and ensure fire code compliance. These firefighters may also work with developers and planners to check and approve plans for new buildings. Fire prevention personnel often speak on these subjects before public assemblies and civic organizations. Some firefighters become fire investigators, who determine the origin and causes of fires. They collect evidence, interview witnesses, and prepare reports on fires in cases where the cause may be arson or criminal negligence. Some investigators have police powers and may arrest suspects. They may also be called upon to testify in court. Between alarms, firefighters participate in educational activities. In addition to taking classes themselves, they sometimes give lectures or demonstrations on safety issues to the local community. They may also clean and maintain equipment, conduct practice drills and fire inspections, and participate in physical fitness activities. They prepare written reports on fire incidents and review fire science literature to keep abreast of technological developments and changing administrative practices and policies. Working Conditions Firefighters spend much of their time at fire stations, which usually have features common to a residential facility. When an alarm comes in, firefighters must respond rapidly, regardless of the weather or hour. They may spend long periods on their feet, sometimes in adverse weather, tending to fires, medical emergencies, hazardous materials incidents, and other emergencies. Firefighting is a very hazardous occupation. It involves risk of death or injury from sudden cave-ins of floors or toppling walls, and from exposure to flames and smoke. Strong winds and falling trees and branches can make fighting forest fires particularly dangerous. Firefighters may also come in contact with poisonous, flammable, or explosive gases and chemicals, or radioactive or other hazardous materials that may have immediate or long-term effects on their health. For these reasons, they must wear appropriate protective gear, which can be very heavy. Work hours of firefighters are longer and vary more widely than hours of most other workers. Many work more than 50 hours a week. During some weeks, they may work significantly longer hours. In some cities, they are on duty for 24 hours, then off for 48 hours, and receive an extra day off at intervals. In other cities, they work a day shift of 10 hours for 3 or 4 days, a night shift of 14 hours for 3 or 4 nights, have 3 or 4 days off, and then repeat the cycle. In addition, firefighters often work extra hours at fires and other emergencies and are regularly assigned to work on holidays. Fire lieutenants and fire captains often work the same hours as the firefighters they supervise. Duty hours include time when firefighters study, train, and perform fire prevention duties. Employment Firefighters held about 293,000 jobs in 1996. More than nine of every 10 worked in municipal or county fire departments. Some very large cities have several thousand firefighters, while many small towns have only a few. Most of the remainder worked in fire departments on Federal and State installations, including airports. Private firefighting companies employ a small number of firefighters. Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement Applicants for municipal firefighting jobs may have to pass a written test; tests of strength, physical stamina, coordination, and agility; and a medical examination, including a drug screening. Workers also may be monitored on a random basis for drug use after accepting employment. Examinations are generally open to persons who are at least 18 years of age and have a high school education or the equivalent. Those who receive the highest scores in all phases of testing have the best chances for appointment. The completion of community college courses in fire science may improve an applicant's chances for appointment. In recent years, an increasing proportion of entrants to this occupation have some postsecondary education. As a rule, beginners in large fire departments are trained for several weeks at the department's training center. Through classroom instruction and practical training, the recruits study firefighting techniques, fire prevention, hazardous materials, local building codes, and emergency medical procedures, including first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. They also learn how to use axes, saws, fire extinguishers, ladders, and other firefighting and rescue equipment. After successfully completing this training, they are assigned to a fire company, where they undergo a period of probation. A number of fire departments have accredited apprenticeship programs lasting up to 5 years. These programs combine formal, technical instruction with on-the-job training under the supervision of experienced firefighters. Technical instruction covers subjects such as firefighting techniques and equipment, chemical hazards associated with various combustible building materials, emergency medical procedures, and fire prevention and safety. Most experienced firefighters continue studying to improve their job performance and prepare for promotion examinations. Today, firefighters need more training to operate increasingly sophisticated equipment, and to deal safely with the greater hazards associated with fighting fires in larger, more complex structures. To progress to higher-level positions, they must acquire expertise in the most advanced firefighting equipment and techniques and in building construction, emergency medical technology, writing, public speaking, management and budgeting procedures, and labor relations. Fire departments frequently conduct training programs, and some firefighters attend training sessions sponsored by the National Fire Academy. These training sessions cover various topics, including executive development, anti-arson techniques, disaster preparedness, hazardous materials control, and public fire safety and education. Some States also have extensive firefighter training and certification programs. Many colleges and universities offer courses leading to 2- or 4-year degrees in fire engineering or fire science. Many fire departments offer firefighters incentives such as tuition reimbursement or higher pay for completing advanced training. Among the personal qualities firefighters need are mental alertness, self-discipline, courage, mechanical aptitude, endurance, strength, and a sense of public service. Initiative and good judgment are extremely important because firefighters independently make quick decisions in emergencies. Because members of a crew live and work closely together under conditions of stress and danger for extended periods, they should be dependable and able to get along well with others in a group. Leadership qualities are necessary for officers, who must establish and maintain discipline and efficiency, as well as direct the activities of firefighters in their companies. Opportunities for promotion are good in most fire departments. As firefighters gain expertise, they may advance to a higher rank. The line of promotion is usually to engineer, lieutenant, captain, battalion chief, assistant chief, deputy chief, and finally to chief. Advancement generally depends upon scores on a written examination, job performance, interviews, and seniority. Increasingly, fire departments are using assessment centers—which simulate a variety of actual job performance tasks—to screen for the best candidates for promotion. Many fire departments now require a bachelor's degree, preferably in fire science, public administration, or a related field, for promotion to positions higher than battalion chief. Some departments also require a master's degree for the chief, as well as for executive fire officer certification from the National Fire Academy, and for State chief officer certification. Job Outlook Firefighters are expected to face keen competition for available job openings. Firefighting attracts many people because a high school education is usually sufficient, earnings are relatively high, and a pension is guaranteed upon retirement. In addition, the work is frequently exciting and challenging and affords an opportunity to perform a valuable public service. Consequently, the number of qualified applicants in most areas generally exceeds the number of job openings, even though the written examination and physical requirements eliminate many applicants. This situation is expected to persist through the year 2006. Employment of firefighters is expected to increase more slowly than the average for all occupations through the year 2006, as fire departments continue to compete with other public service providers for funding. Most growth in employment will be due to an expected increase in number of paid firefighter positions versus volunteer firefighters, because the increased level of specialized training required in this occupation makes it more difficult for volunteer firefighters to remain qualified. Little employment growth is expected in large, urban fire departments. A small number of local governments are expected to contract with private companies for firefighting services. In response to the expanding role of firefighters, some municipalities have combined fire prevention, public fire education, safety, and emergency medical services into a single organization commonly referred to as a public safety organization. Some local and regional fire departments are being consolidated into county-wide establishments in order to cut overhead, take advantage of economies of scale, reduce administrative staffs, and establish consistent training standards and work procedures. Turnover of firefighter jobs is unusually low, particularly for a hazardous occupation that requires a relatively limited investment in formal education. Nevertheless, most job openings are expected to result from the need to replace those who retire, stop working for other reasons, or transfer to other occupations. Layoffs of firefighters are not common. Fire protection is an essential service, and citizens are likely to exert considerable pressure on city officials to expand or at least preserve the level of fire-protection coverage. Even when budget cuts do occur, local fire departments usually cut expenses by postponing equipment purchases or not hiring new firefighters, rather than by laying off staff. Earnings Median weekly earnings for firefighting occupations were around $658 in 1996. The middle 50 percent earned between $513 and $832 weekly. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $387, while the highest 10 percent earned more than $979. The average annual salary for all firefighters in the Federal Government in nonsupervisory, supervisory, and managerial positions was about $28,800 in 1996. Fire lieutenants and fire captains may earn considerably more. Firefighters who average 53 or more hours a week during their work period, which ranges from 7 to 28 days, are required to be paid overtime. Firefighters often earn overtime for working extra shifts to maintain minimum staffing levels, or for special emergencies. Firefighters receive benefits usually including medical and liability insurance, vacation and sick leave, and some paid holidays. Almost all fire departments provide protective clothing (helmets, boots, and coats) and breathing apparatus, and many also provide dress uniforms. Firefighters are generally covered by pension plans often providing retirement at half pay after 25 years of service or if disabled in the line of duty. Many career firefighters and company officers are unionized, and belong to the International Association of Firefighters. Many chief officers belong to the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Related Occupations An occupation closely related to fire protection is fire-protection engineer, in which the engineer identifies fire hazards in homes and workplaces, and designs prevention programs and automatic fire detection and extinguishing systems. Other occupations in which workers respond to emergencies include police officers and emergency medical technicians. Sources of Additional Information Information about a career as a firefighter may be obtained from local fire departments and: International Association of Firefighters, 1750 New York Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20006. U.S. Fire Administration, 16825 South Seton Ave., Emmitsburg, MD 21727. Information about firefighter professional qualifications and a list of colleges and universities offering 2- or 4-year degree programs in fire science or fire prevention may be obtained from: National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02269. National Fire Academy, Degrees at a Distance Program, 16825 South Seton Ave., Emmitsburg, MD 21727. Body movin, body movin, A1 sound, sound so soothing Body movin, body movin, We be getting down and you know we're crush groovin Let me get some action from the back section We need body rocking not perfection Let your back bone flip but don't slip a disc Let your spine unwind just take a risk I wanna do the freak until the break of dawn Tell me party people is that so wrong The ship is docking, inter-lockin And up-rockin electro-shocking We're getting down computer action Do the robotic satisfaction All of y'all get off the wall Have a ball and get involved with Body movin, body movin with the A-1 sound sound so soothing Flame on, I'm gone I'm so sweet like a nice bon bon Came out rapping when I was born Mom said rock it 'til the break of dawn Puttin bodies in motion cause I got the notion Like Roy Cormier with the coconut lotion The sound of the music drivin you insane You can't explain to people this type of mind frame Like a bottle of Chateau Neuf Du Pap I'm fine like wine when I start to rap We need body rockin not perfection Let me get some action from the back section Body movin, body movin, A1 sound, sound so soothing Body movin, body movin, We be getting down and you know we're crush groovin Mike D with the master plan Ooh my my and thank you ma'am And when I grab the mic you scream Ooh god damn The creme de la creme is who I am MCA where have you been Packed like sardines in the tin So kick off your shoes and put on your swim fins Cause when it comes to quarries I'm known to swim Adrock light up the place And if you pull my card you pull the ace And if you ask me turn up the bass And if you play defender I could be your hyper space Body movin' Savvy high school literature students will recognize those words as a not-so-savvy take off of the John Donne's "Meditation 17" which prefaces "For Whom the Bell Tolls," the great Ernest Hemingway novel. With a little help from a computer mouse, those savvy literature students might also gain richer understanding of "Papa's" works. An online Hemingway lesson might begin with the Hemingway Home Page (http://www.atlantic.net/~gagne/hem/hem.html), produced by David V. Gagne, a great fan of Papa Hemingway. For starters, students will learn a lot from the Hemingway timeline (http://www.atlantic.net/~gagne/hem/time.html). Consider it an online Cliff's Notes of his life. For example, did your students know that in 1922 Hemingway served as a correspondent for Toronto Star covering Greco-Turkish War? Or that in 1931 he bought a home in Key West, FL and lived there for 10 years? Gagne's site offers help for your students Hemingway term papers, too. A style section (http://www.atlantic.net/~gagne/hem/reference.html) explains how to footnote an online Hemingway source and another area offers enlightening quotes (http://www.atlantic.net/~gagne/hem/quotes.html) like this one: "My attitude toward punctuation is that it ought to be as conventional as possible. The game of golf would lose a good deal if croquet mallets and billiard cues were allowed on the putting green. You ought to be able to show that you can do it a good deal better than anyone else with the regular tools before you have a license to bring in your own improvements. -- Ernest Hemingway, 15 May 1925" By studying some of Hemingway's earliest writing, literature students can see his simplistic style in practice. With Hemigway's punctuation quote in mind, send students to the Kansas City Star's Hemingway section (http://kcsg3.kcstar.com/aboutstar/hemingway/hem1.htm) where they can actually read his early work as a "cub" reporter. Here's a sample from a story called "End of the Ambulance Run," written in 1918: "The night ambulance attendants shuffled down the long, dark corridors at the General Hospital with an inert burden on the stretcher. They turned in at the receiving ward and lifted the unconscious man to the operating table. His hands were calloused and he was unkempt and ragged, a victim of a street brawl near the city market. No one knew who he was, but a receipt, bearing the name of George Anderson, for $10 paid on a home out in a little Nebraska town served to identify him. "The surgeon opened the swollen eyelids. The eyes were turned to the left. ``A fracture on the left side of the skull,'' he said to the attendants who stood about the table. "Well, George, you're not going to finish paying for that home of yours." "George" merely lifted a hand as though groping for something. Attendants hurriedly caught hold of him to keep him from rolling from the table. But he scratched his face in a tired, resigned way that seemed almost ridiculous, and placed his hand again at his side. Four hours later he died." Ask your students to study the crispness of the sentences. Why are they relatively short? What effect do the short, simple sentences bring to the story? Do they make it boring or more powerful? What other famous writers started as newspaper reporters? Another place to study Hemingway's early works is the Michigan Hemingway Society (http://www.freeway.net/community/civic/hemingway/). Here students can learn about "The Nick Adams Stories" based in northern Michigan. Scholarly papers discuss such early Hemingway work as "Big Two-Hearted River" and conference agendas detail many of the Michigan places which served as stage for young Hemingway's outdoors adventures. Teachers looking for a quick way to test student's Hemingway knowledge and retention might use the Ernest Hemingway Workbook (http://www.ee.mcgill.ca/~nverever/hem/workbook/index.html). The workbook includes nearly 200 biographical questions and answers covering every aspect of Hemingway's life. Here's a sample: "The title of the novel was A FAREWELL TO ARMS, derived from a poem of George Peele's Ernest found in THE OXFORD BOOK OF ENGLISH VERSE. Scribner's published the book on September 27, 1929 with a first run of 31,500 copies. Roughly four months after publication sales stood at 79,251 copies." Those studying Hemingway will also find the Papa Page (http://www.ee.mcgill.ca/~nverever/hem/pindex.html) Here they'll find a poignant Hemingway photo gallery (accessible in three separate links on the Papa Page home page) and a bibliography (http://www.ee.mcgill.ca/~nverever/hem/bibli.html) of both Hemingway's work and the "essential" works of those who studied him. This bibliography allows teachers to prevent aimless library research and instead points students in the right direction. Term paper help is also available at the Ernest Hemingway Resource Center (http://members.aol.com/MWilson311/Hemingway/papa.htm). Students will enjoy the audio clip (http://members.aol.com/mwilson311/Hemingway/hemtalk.htm) from Hemingway's Nobel Prize acceptance speech. They'll also find another helpful bibliography covering all of Hemingway's works, biographies of him, and critical analyses. Once your students are fully acquainted with Papa, a final online lesson plan takes them to Campfire Chat (http://killdevilhill.com/hemingwaychat/wwwboard.html), a message board where they can discuss all aspects of Hemingway's life. A number of students ask for help with term papers here. Here's a sample: "Posted by Suaad Younis on December 04, 1997 at 02:00:39: "In Reply to: I need help with the book "For Whom The Bell Tolls" posted by A girl in need of help on December 02, 1997 at 17:24:56: "Hi there, "I just watched the movie and at the end of it there is Bell that tolls three times.... could anyone please help to figure out why it tolled -- Maybe I am missing the whole point of the movie, but if any body could help me with this, I would greatly appreciate it... "Thanks" "Girl, Look up, John Donne's Meditation 17!!!! It will really Help!!!!!!" Using Multiple Media in the Classroom -- A Newspaper in Education Lesson Plan: Tomorrow's Hemingways Many fiction writers got their start writing for newspapers. Many hard-boiled newspaper reporters fantasize about writing best-selling novels while they are soaking up life on their beats. Chances are, many reporters working for your hometown paper harbor ambitions to write books, screenplays and novels some day. Getting your students to view newspapers as literature is a creative way to open them up to more reading pleasure. Try these exercises with your class: ** Distribute copies of the paper to each student. Have them each go through the entire paper and select the three best "stories" they've found. Ask them to share their stories with the rest of the class and challenge them to explain why they liked the stories they chose. ** Divide your studenets into pairs and give each team a section of the newspaper. Using words from the paper's headlines, create examples of "Headline Haikus." Is there any pattern to the way headlines are written? Do headline writers favor certain words? Why do you think that is? What makes a good headline? Why? ** Have each student in the class choose a favorite newspaper writer. Have the student track that writer's work over a period of a month or six weeks. After studying that writer's work for that length of time, what can you say about his/her style? Do you feel like you know this person? Why/ why not? Do you like this reporter's writing? What don't you like about it? What would you change if you could? What do you like about the reporter's writing? What writing lessons did you learn from this reporter? ** When he started writing, Hemingway imitated other writers of his time, including Sherwood Anderson. Assign a news story to each of your students. Tell them they have to write about something happening at school. Have them write their article the way they think "Papa" Hemingway would've written it. Then ask them to write another one on another topic using their own "voice." Was it easy to imitate Hemingway? What value do you think there is in imitating another writer's style? A "WILD" SCIENCE/GRAPHIC ARTS LESSON PLAN: As a natural science teacher, imagine taking your students into a thriving woods with an expert guide. There your class would see nature in the raw -- bear cubs climbing trees, wolves actually placidly laying on the ground, deer stopping to smell the flowers in the clearings... As an environmental science teacher, imagine escaping the often negative images of pollution and environmental decay to give students a close-up view of places where natural ecosystems still thrive. As a graphic arts teacher, imagine a master photographer explaining his craft in detail to your students as he takes the pictures. A brand-new web site called Images of the Wild (http://www.mlive.com/wild/index.html) can do all do all those things. This site is the online version of a new book by veteran wildlife photographer Carl Sams II, whose images have been published in National Geographic, National Wildlife, Audubon, Birder's World, Terre sauvage, and Airone (considered Italy's National Geographic). The book is a compilation of some of Sams' best work. The web site samples some of the best work in the book. Viewers to the Images of the Wild web site will see a gallery of striking natural photos, ranging from wolves in Michigan's Upper Peninsula to apparition-like deer roaming across frozen ponds in the mists of winter. RealAudio captions accompany each photo and provide wonderful insights into the workings of both nature and photography. For example, here's what Sams has to say about a photo featuring the incredible detail of both a deer and a spider's web in a meadow: "This is a picture of a white-tailed doe in a field of bergamot, Queen Ann's lace, and there is a spider web in the picture. This actually became our first national magazine cover. We had a 30-page spread on white tailed deer in Audubon Magazine. They ended up using this as a wrap-around cover. "To get this picture, I was really holding my breath because I saw this spider web, and it was all dew covered in these beautiful bergamot flowers. I knew this doe moved through this area every day. I sort of hung out there to see if she would be would happen close to the web. When she came in there, I had to wait to get was lined up perfectly with the web so that my depth of field and the range of sharpness of my camera so she would be sharp and the web would be sharp. Well, if she would hit one flower coming into there she would have broke the web off so I was really fortunate she didn't hit any of the flowers the web was hooked onto. I ended up getting the shot." After a few minutes online with Carl Sams, your students will likely want more. While the Online Educator often explores online science lesson plans (just last month we offered ideas for winter-themed lessons) we rarely touch on the graphic arts. With that in mind, here are a few additional photographic web sites available to students: BLACK AND WHITE WORLD (http://www.photogs.com/bwworld/index.html): Surfing students will like the monthly list of Top Ten black and white web sites. Teachers will appreciate the interactive clearinghouse of information for photographers who want to improve their craft, especially the "Basic Darkroom FAQ. Teachers might also encourage students to participate in the online forum discussion. Here's a sample: "Having just re-watched Ken Burns Baseball videos I am again impressed by the still B&W images from the past. Truly impressive work. And NO color to detract from the image & subject matter. To see the changes in technique and vision as years passed & new photo gear came out is instructive & interesting. Anyone else out there look at this stuff & see the talent of the photogs in getting action stopping & eye catching images?" LENS WORK (http://www.teleport.com/~lenswork/lw.htm): The site offers several online galleries, most notably photos and RealAudio clips from Morrie Camhi and his book "Faces and Facets: The Jews of Greece." PHOTO.NET (http://swissnet.ai.mit.edu/photo/index.html): This commercial-free sight includes exhibits ranging from the wilds of New Mexico to New York street life. There are many equipment reviews here, along with how-to guides on everything from lighting and other picture-taking particulars to using Photoshop. JOURNAL E (http://www.journale.com/): Get those student minds turning and those shutters clicking with this ongoing web project of photo essays. Check out everything from people in the Czech Republic to Hollywood Boulevard to trailer parks to cigar bars. Have students critique the essays then hold a class-wide photo essay contest. THE NATIONAL PRESS PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSOCIATION (http://sunsite.unc.edu/nppa/): See what it takes to be a photojournalist. The site spotlights some of the most recent images from America's media battlefronts. Students will also finds detailed links to other photojournalism resources and lists of events, workshops and conferences. TIME LIFE PHOTO SIGHT (http://www.pathfinder.com/pathfinder/photo/sighthome.html) This site serves as an indispensable library for any graphic arts/photography/yearbook/journalism classroom. It includes galleries of some of the world's greatest photojournalists, including John Bryson, Jock Carroll, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Lee Lockwood and 23 others., and libraries of photos on topics ranging from sports to war to popular culture. Using Multiple Media in the Classroom -- A Newspaper in Education Lesson Plan: Graphic stories Pictures, drawings and graphics play a large and important role in mass media, particularly newspapers. It's always been that way. Long before mass printing was made possible with the invention of the moveable-type printing press, manuscripts were hand painted and decorated with ornate gilding, pictures and patterns. Good journalists know that "one picture is worth a thousand words," and graphic artists use the tools of their trade to tell stories with their art. A visual tour of your local newspaper will raise your students's awareness of the importance illustrations, pictures and graphics play in the presentation of the news. Ask your kids to clip all the graphics they see in the paper. (Remember, the term "graphic" can refer to a picture, a drawing a chart or any other non-word method of conveying information in print.) In a newspaper, a "good" graphic is one that not only looks good, but conveys information as well. How many examples of "good graphics" did you find in your edition of the paper? What do you think makes a graphic "good?" Can you find examples of bad graphics? Why do you consider them "bad?" What kinds of story-telling lends itself to visual representation? Are there stories that are better told with words? Compare and contrast those two types of stories. LITTLE KIDS' WEB: HAPPY WIRED BIRTHDAY! Nothing gets little kids more excited than birthdays, so why not entice them to the Internet with birthday-related goodies? Afterall, teaching young ones how to use the web is a gift to last a lifetime -- or at least until the next information technology revolution! No matter what time of year it is, you can start your wired birthday celebration with Countdown (http://www.spiders.com/cgi-bin/countdown). Here your kids can enter in their birthday and the web will tell them exactly how long they have to wait to blow out the candles on this year's cake. Or, they can determine exactly how long they've been alive. Countdown can serve as an excellent way to help teach the concepts of calendars and time to young children. To help kids understand that birthdays aren't just for people, take them to the Happy Birthday America site (http://www.usacitylink.com/usa/) for a dose of patriotism. Here they'll see historic quotes from Thomas Jefferson and other Founding Fathers along with audio from a recent 4th of July speech from President Clinton, history of the national flag, and flag etiquette lessons. Now, for the good stuff. Teach the concept of online communication to young kids through electronic postcards. Specifically, head to the Create Your Own Birthday Web Card site (http://www.wbwebcards.com/cmp/crd-bday.htm). Kids are drawn to the site by the Warner Brothers characters -- like Bugs Bunny and Batman and Robin -- appearing on the e-cards. Helping kids craft messages or read their ones they receive also builds language skills. For a sense of community, take kids to the World Birthday site (http://www.boutell.com/birthday.cgi/) to see, and send birthday greetings to, many other people born on the same day as your kids. Another site, Sports Birthdays (http://www.sportsline.com/u/birthdays/index.html), is sure to attract the interest of young athletes. It's complete with biographies for a wide range of sports stars. For parents, the Birthday Bag (http://www.geocities.com/~geiman/) supplies many ideas for birthday parties and gifts. The site includes cake recipes, songs, greetings and many other ideas to enliven birthday celebrations. Here are some sample birthday party decorating ideas: "Giant props are always fun. For some reason, when things are ten times bigger than they should be, people laugh. "For summer fun, fasten beach balls together in groups of three or more (use wire or tape or whatever), and hang wherever. "Want to know how to embarrass someone? No, we don't mean like that. How about a 'This Is Your Life' party? Aside from all the obvious stuff you can do for this, blow up lots of their baby pictures to hang all over. "Try a one-color theme. Have the guests show up in the birthday recipient's favorite (or least favorite) color. Decorate with balloons, streamers and paper in that color. Serve food and drinks that match the color scheme." Finally, an online birthday celebration would be incomplete without toys. Some parents entice kids to read with toy catalogs. The same theory works with toy web sites. Try, for example, the Disney Store (http://store.disney.com/), where kids will encourage you to order -- online, no less -- Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse products as well as the latest trinkets from new Disney movies. At the online version of Toys R Us (http://www.tru.com/), includes cyber-displays on toys ranging from Barbie to Anastasia movie trinkets. For parents, there are consumer tips on how to buy child-safe items. For kids, there's the Geoffrey the Giraffe game where they must go on a treasure hunt to bring him back from cyberspace. _ Using Multiple Media in the Classroom -- A Newspaper in Education Lesson Plan: Birthday Math Birthdays are a great time to introduce simple math concepts to early elementary school students. Addition might be the most intuitive concept to reinforce on a student's birthday, since he or she will be adding a year to their age. For a lightning-fast fun time, go around the room asking every child to state his or her age. Then have the other children yell out -- as quickly as possible -- how old that child will be on their next birthday. You'll be amazed how much fun your class will have with this game. (Variations of the game: Ask how old students were last year and how old they will be in five, ten and twenty years.) GETTING A JUMP ON BLACK HISTORY MONTH It's become tradition in school's around the country to wait until February -- Black History Month -- to talk about issues like segregation, discrimination, and the historical plight of African-Americans. We suggest breaking with that tradition this year to celebrate the most recognizable African-American, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in January, the month of his birth. Much of King's legacy can be studied online. Here are some suggested sites: THE DR. KING TIMELINE (http://buckman.pps.k12.or.us/room100/timeline/kingframe.html) This is a wonderful example of how to incorporate King's teachings into elementary school classrooms. Students in an Oregon school read about King's life and then created an illustrated timeline. Each major event in his life, from childhood to his death, is illustrated in a young person's drawing and words. For May of 1963 for example, a cop with a billy club and two dogs are attacking a black man in Birmingham. The caption reads, simply, "Dogs and fire hoses are used by police in Birmingham to stop protests." It's a lesson plan easily replicated in many first, second, or third grade classrooms. THE WEBCORP HISTORIC ARCHIVES (http://www.webcorp.com/civilrights/mlk.htm) Teachers can also captivate younger students by making MLK come alive through classroom computers. Several portions of the "I Have a Dream" speech, and other speeches, are available here. THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DIRECTORY (http://www-leland.stanford.edu/group/King/) Produced by the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Atlanta, this is an excellent resource for older students studying, or writing term papers about, MLK. There's a short biography here, along with a life chronology peppered with additional links, a bibliography from Stanford University with 2,700 searchable resources, and a collection of ongoing scholarly research. THE SEATTLE TIMES (http://www.seattletimes.com/mlk/) This newspaper has designed a special tribute to Dr. King with students in mind. The Classes in Conversation section (http://www.seattletimes.com/mlk/classroom/schools.html) provides an especially stimulating idea: working with another school's classroom to study King together. Here you can see how separate schools in Washington state and Alabama learned from each other last year. The Seattle Times site also has a links list devoted to King and the Civil Rights Movement, an interactive quiz of King's life, and a suggested lesson plan for teachers. Here's a sample of the lesson plan: "Suggestion: As a special exercise, consider doing some of the research using the Internet and some using traditional off-line sources. Then compare the results, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches. "1.Why was King attracted to the philosophy of Mohandas Gandhi? Research Gandhi's life and philosophy and discuss how the two men's approaches and beliefs were similar, and how they might have disagreed. "2.Julian Bond writes: "The civil rights movement, enjoying its widest national support at the Edmunds Pettis Bridge in Selma, Ala., in 1965, was actually preparing to self-destruct, its demands increasing and its public support diminishing." In what way was it preparing to self-destruct? What happened with the civil rights movement in the next ten years after 1965, and why did its course change so dramatically? "3.What examples of a movement similar to the civil rights movement exist today, either in America or elsewhere in the world? What are some of the strategies people are using to win those rights?" Finally, the Seattle Times site offers a forum for students to share their ideas on King. Joining the discussion serves as a perfect short lesson plan for your students. Here's a sample of the discussion from a student in Richmond, Virginia: "Hello, I would like to share my story. I was born in 1970 to a white mother and a black father. This was very difficult for me while I was growing up, but if it had not been for Dr.King and the Civil Rights movement I am afraid I would not exist. Dr. King has a very special place in my heart. I feel that he had a hand in my creation as a human being." LIFE MAGAZINE TRIBUTE TO DR. KING (http://pathfinder.com/Life/mlk/mlk.html) Poignant pictures from King's career help illustrate, as only Life Magazine can, the lessons and thoughtful discussions students can find at other web sites. ASSASINATION THEORIES: STUDYING KING'S DEATH Theories about King's death abound. While most student research should focus on King's legacy, those looking for theories about the assasination might try several different sites. Conspiracy.com (http://www.conspire.com/curren28.html) offers theories on why James Earl Ray might not have been the killer. He may have died in Memphis, but one site (http://home.stlnet.com/~cdstelzer/mlk3.html) claims the assasination plot originated in St. Louis. For a six-part assasination theory, try this site (http://www.parascope.com/mx/luther1.htm) Online Education, Inc. http://ole.net/ole/ E-mail:netsmart@dallas.net 3131 Turtle Creek Blvd., Suite 1250 Dallas, Texas 75219 (214)526-3700 VOICE (800)672-6988 VOICE (214)521-1021 FAX The Online Educator............January 1998............(V4.N12)Part II You are reading the e-mail version of The Online Educator, a journal dedicated to making the Internet an accessible, useful classroom tool. The entire contents of this electronic magazine are copyrighted, 1997, by Online Publications, Inc. Send your comments, questions, news submissions and requests to reproduce any articles to: roadside@cris.com. Subscription information is at the end of this file. NEWSPAPERS IN EDUCATION (Using multiple information sources in your classroom) WIRED OLYMPICS A WIRED OLYMPICS: How students can learn while enjoying the Winter Games at Nagano No other sporting event unites so many disparate people as the Olympics. And no other sporting event provides so many ways to bring real-life examples into the classroom. The Olympics can teach geography, mathematics, language skills, history, multiculturalism, even theater. The Official Site of the 1998 Winter Olympic Games at Nagano (http://wwwus.nagano.olympic.org/home_e.html) is a terrific way to bring the Olympics into the classroom. Naturally, the site has plenty of information on athletics, but it's the mix of sports and cultural resources that can truly entice students to learn and have fun at the same time. For example, the site's "Countries and Regions" section (http://wwwus.nagano.olympic.org/country/country_e.html) can serve as a dynamic geography lesson as students watch the Olympics at home. Assign your students the task of writing a short report on an Olympic event they see on television. The Countries and Regions section allows students to better understand, and write about, the home countries of the athletes. Say, for example, the skiers from Norway are dominating the downhill events. The clickable map which takes curious students to Norway reveals why: "Most of the Norwegian people live near or along the sea. Winds warmed by the sea give the coast much warmer winters than other regions so far north, and snow melts quickly there. Even north of the Arctic Circle, nearly all of Norway's harbors are free of ice the year around. Inland areas are colder, and snow covers the ground much of the year. For thousands of years, the people have used skis for travel over the snow. Today, skiing is Norway's national sport. Most Norwegians learn to ski before they even start school." Building on this geography lesson, students can use electronic postcards available on the official Nagano site to exchange thoughts on the Olympics with other students around the world. Available in the "Fun section" (http://wwwus.nagano.olympic.org/fun/fun_e.html) of the Nagano site, the postcards offer exciting views of both the Olympics and the Nagano region of Japan. First, your class should pick an exciting, foreign athlete seen in the Olympics. Then learn about athlete's culture in the official Olympic site's "Countries and Regions" section. Then, students can actually exchange ideas with others around the globe with the help of another site unrelated to the Olympics. The International School Registry (http://web66.coled.umn.edu/schools.html) where your students can browse hundreds of online schools -- on nearly every continent. Pick a school in the home country of your class' favorite athlete and send an Olympic postcard. Be sure the class shares what it already knows about the athlete's home country and be sure to ask additional questions. Another cultural exercise involves getting to know the citizens of Nagano. Once again, the official Nagano Olympics site is very helpful. The "Nagano" section of the site (http://wwwus.nagano.olympic.org/nagano/nagano_e.html) includes "Stories From the Street" -- real-life experiences from Olympic Committee workers currently living in Nagano. Here's a sample: "...Well today, 18th November - a brilliant sunny day, at approximately 2:50 PM IT SNOWED!! This is the first snow of the year for Nagano City; what in Japanese you would call 'Hatsuyuki' - literally 'first snow'. This is certainly a turning point towards the winter season; only yesterday walking home from work I passed two twinkling Christmas trees, and a couple of shop fronts that were being decorated busily by staff. The snow today didn't settle, it was only a light shower, but surely the season of good will is upon us. Fairly soon the hundreds of foreigners currently residing in the City are going to start pondering how to spend Christmas in Nagano..." Form your own Olympics Committee Divide the classroom into small groups for 15 minutes a day over two weeks. Each group studies a section of the newspaper daily. Instruct the student groups to act like a local organizing committee hoping to draw a future Olympics to your community. Each day, the student groups must study the newspaper for both positive and negative images and stories. The students must use the positive images in a marketing scrapbook they would show to the Olympic Committee. The students must seek solutions to the negative stories and images so the Olympic Committee won't be discouraged by the troubling reports. Choose your own Olympics team Assign students to study the small-print high school sports statistics in the back of your newspaper's sports section. As a mathematics lesson, assign the students the task of naming a local Olympics team based on cumulative statistics your class compiles from the newspaper. What's the weather like in Nagano? Study your local newspaper's weather page for temperature and precipitation readings in the Nagano region of Japan. Convert temperature readings from fahrenheit to celsius and vice-versa. Compile an Olympics Scrapbook Assign each student the task of covering a United States Olympic athlete or team. Have students write reports based on what they see of there athletes on television. Encourage the students to cite for their reports photos and stories found in the local newspaper. EDNETNEWS (Internet news and newly discovered educational resources) The following posting was taken from the Net-Happenings Mailing List: From: ccisky@pen.k12.va.us http://www.illuminet.net/pattie/projects/cisky/cisky.html We are 5th grade kids who go to Pattie Elementary School in Dumfries Virginia, USA. We are in Mrs. Cisky's class and put out weekly challenges made up by us for you to solve. They are not all one subject, but from all the subjects we are learning about. We have learned how to put it all on the Internet and are now trying to put it world wide. In order to receive our email, we need you to go to our web page and fill out our form. Tell us a little bit about yourself, including where you are from. We are recording where our subscribers live on a large world map. Hope you can meet our challenge! We've just returned from the successful 11th Annual Technology + Learning Conference in Denver, and it's time to begin planning for the 1998 Technology + Learning Conference. We hope you and your staff will want to be part of the 12th Annual Conference by participating as workshop presenters. The Conference provides an excellent opportunity for you to showcase especially effective or innovative programs your district has developed. To learn more about the Technology + Learning Conference, and to access a submission form, visit the NSBA website at http://www.nsba.org/T+L Or, you may request the submission form from the Technology + Learning Conference fax-on-demand system by calling (888)267-5394 and requesting document #501. We look forward to your district's participation in the 1998 Technology + Learning Conference at the Nashville Convention Center, October 29-31. Sincerely, Cheryl S. Williams Director, Technology Programs Rachel Kliewer Special Projects Manager National School Boards Association 1680 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314-3493 (703) 838-6770 FAX 683-7590 Check out our Web site http://www.nsba.org/itte From: ewellbur@cln.etc.bc.ca (Network Nuggets) To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: What's in a Name?: Network Nuggets Most of us are interested in information related to our name. Is it a popular name? Does it have a literal meaning? Where does it come from? There are sites on the web that could be the inspiration for a brief, engaging, and perhaps somewhat whimsical activity for students: researching their own name. Or these sites might lead to a deeper, statistically-oriented, graph-building, cross-cultural study of names. Students might want to consider the reasons why baby-naming trends change over the decades, as part of a comparison of the "most popular names" over time and across locations. Here are a few sources of information, from various parts of the world and in a variety of formats (but mainly text- based) that will provide name-related statistics and more. Note that the source isn't always clearly identified at these sites. "How was this information gathered?" is an important question that should always be considered when evaluating information, *especially* web resources, and should be part of the activity any time students get involved in Internet- based research. British Columbia Vital Statistics (most popular baby names, 1996): http://www.hlth.gov.bc.ca/vs/births/babyname.html Top Names for Baby, Alberta, Canada, 1996: http://www.crowfoot.com/plates/babies.htm Baby Names in Michigan, 1995: http://www.mdmh.state.mi.us/PHA/OSR/NAMES95.HTM BabyCenter (popular baby names, past and present): http://www.babycenter.com/babyname/popnames.html 1990 U.S. Census (has section on frequency of male and female first names): http://www.census.gov/ftp/pub/genealogy/www/freqnames.html First Names and What They Mean: http://www.zelo.com/firstnames The Etymology of First Names: http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~mcampbel/etym/top.html http://www.engr.uvic.ca/~mcampbel/etym/sources.html This section offers a sampling of some Internet sites waiting for you & your children. (Addresses are current as of November 1997 but may change at any time. If an address does not work, use the search feature on your Web browser to enter the site name & get the updated link). Family-Friendly Places * The Franklin Institute Science Museum http://sln.fi.edu/ offers online exhibits on an array of science & technology topics. * Find good books to read, including Newbery & Caldecott Award Winners, at the American Library Association site http://www.ala.org/parents/index.html. This site includes information about authors, KidsConnect (for help locating all the information online), & educational games. * Watch "Live from Mars," audio & video transmissions of the Pathfinder's explorations, at NASA's Quest Project site http://quest.arc.nasa.gov. Find more adventures in space, including views from the Hubble Space Telescope, at a different NASA site http://spacelink.nasa.gov. * Climb Mt. Everest, explore inside the Pyramids, & go on other electronic field trips with the Public Broadcasting System at http://www.pbs.org/. Preschool children can enjoy children's programming here, elementary school children can practice story telling, & teenagers & adults can take telecourses. * Join an interactive exploration of the oceans, on earth & beyond, with the Jason Project http://www.jasonproject.org. * Puzzle over optical illusions, take memory tests, & conduct experiments, online & off, at the Exploratorium http://www.exploratorium.edu. * Enjoy materials from the Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov, including exhibits on topics ranging from ballet to Jelly Roll Morton, Native American flutes to Thomas Jefferson's pasta machine. * Read stories with your children, let them add to the stories told around the Global Campfire, & find links to other good family sites at Parents & Children Together Online http://www.indiana.edu/~eric_rec/fl/pcto/menu.html. * Get educational resources through distance learning from Healthlinks http://www.mcet.edu/healthlinks/index.html. * Find information on blocking software from Netparents at http://www.netparents.org. * Try the Air Force's new family-friendly site for kids at http://www.af.mil/aflinkjr. Megasites (extensive links) * "50+ Great Sites for Kids & Parents," from the American Library Association (ALA) enables preschool through elementary school children to explore rainbows, black history, castles for kids, award-winning news reported by children for children, the Kids Web Page Hall of Fame, to say nothing of watching dolphins, learning lullabies, & much more http://www.ssdesign.com/parentspage/greatsites/50.html. * Jean Armour Polly's "Fifty Extraordinary Experiences for Internet Kids" invites viewers to make their own home page, visit the Kremlin, look inside the human heart, take Socks' special VIP tour of the White House, & make a boat trip around the world http://www.well.com/user/polly/ikyp.exp.html. * Berit's "Best Sites for Children" helps you learn about earthquakes, visit the imagination factory & make junk mail jewelry, descend into a volcano, tour a human cell, go on a world "surfari," solve a crime, & fly a kite http://db.cochran.com/db_HTML:theopage.db. * Steve Savitzky's "Interesting Places for Kids" is an award-winning site in its own right with many unusual links http://www.crc.ricoh.com/people/steve/kids.html. Online Reference Material * The American Academy of Pediatrics' http://www.aap.org has a wide variety of information for parents concerning their children's health & well-being; covering topics such as immunizations, sleep problems, newborn care, & television. * The National Urban League http://www.nul.org is a useful resource for tracking programs & events related to African-American issues. It is a rich reference area for students, parents, teachers & history buffs. * AskERIC, a free question-answering service provided by the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), invites people to submit their questions about education, parenting, & child development to askeric@askeric.org for an e-mail response within 2 working days. * B.J. Pinchbeck's "Homework Helper" is a wonderful guide to encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference works, & other resources on a great variety of subjects http://tristate.pgh.net/~pinch13/. The enthusiasm of its 10-year-old creator adds appeal to everything from the Ultimate White Pages to Bugs in the News. * "My Virtual Reference Desk" http://www.refdesk.com offers dozens of links -- to dictionaries, encyclopedias, reference/research materials, thesauruses, atlases, sports, entertainment, & much more -- as well as a search engine for locating more information. * The "Internet Public Library: Reference Center" http://www.ipl.org/ref provides an "ask a question" feature & a teen collection, as well as sections on reference, arts & humanities, science & technology, & education. Sites for Parents & Parent Groups * The Children's Partnership http://www.childrenspartnership.org offers, for free, the full text of its useful guide, "The Parents' Guide to the Information Superhighway: Rules & Tools for Families Online," prepared with the National PTA & the National Urban League. A printed version of the guide, which provides common-sense guidance & encouragement for parents & tips & computer activities for children, is available for $8 from The Children's Partnership, 1351 Third Street Promenade, Suite 206, Santa Monica, CA 90401-1321; 310-260-1220. * The National Parent Information Network http://npin.org cosponsored by the ERIC Clearinghouses on Elementary & Early Childhood Education & Urban Education, includes extensive articles on parenting, listservs, & links to more than 100 sites on education, health & safety, family issues & interests, & parenting & development of children from infancy to adolescence. * At the National PTA site http://www.pta.org/ learn about PTA education programs & participate in a discussion group, chat room, or bulletin board. The site also includes links to sites of many organizations concerned with children. * The Family Education Network http://www.familyeducation.com offers hundreds of brief articles on parenting, links to local sites, & discussion boards that connect parents with online experts. * The Partnership for Family Involvement in Education http://www.ed.gov/PFIE sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, highlights school-community-business partnerships & includes a calendar of events. At the home page for the Department of Education http://www.ed.gov, parents will find information about the President's education initiatives, college financial aid, & parenting publications, along with links to other useful education sites. * The National Coalition for Parental Involvement in Education http://www.ncpie.org/ provides a catalog of resources available from all its member organizations. * The National Coalition of Title I/Chapter 1 Parents 202-547-9286 helps economically disadvantaged parents develop skills to enhance the quality of their children's education. * Parent Soup http://www.parentsoup.com includes an archive of answers to questions asked of pediatricians & child development experts & advice about helping your children succeed in school. * The Parents at Home site http://advicom.net/~jsm/moms, especially for at-home parents, offers e-mail pen pals, a booklist, & links to children's sites. * Magellan http://www.mckinley.com/magellan uses a rating scale to evaluate parenting sites. To look at the ratings or follow the links, select Reviews, Life & Style, Family, & Parenting. * The ASPIRA Association, Inc. http://www.incacorp.com/aspira highlights its two national parent involvement programs -- ASPIRA Parents for Educational Excellence Program (APEX) & Teachers, Organizations, & Parents for Students Program (TOPS). Each program provides a Spanish/English curriculum that strives to empower Latino parents & families. * The White House web site http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/New/Ratings describes a strategy to involve government, industry, parent, & teachers in putting together a rating system so parents can define material they consider offensive & protect their children effectively. Web pages are like hot rod engines. No matter how well they're built, they can always use a tune-up. Is your classroom Web site operating at peak efficiency? It better be. Dead links or slow load times can take the fun out of learning for your students. Even tiny errors in your html coding can frustrate kids and turn them off to the wonderful learning potential online. You may have major problems with your site that are totally invisible to you. Your Web site may appear normal to you, but it could be crashing browsers right and left on the other side of the Internet. How can this be? Hypertext markup language (the formatting language for Web pages) is interpreted by different browsers in different ways. That means that your school's Web site might look terrific in your Netscape Navigator browser, but horrible in another teacher's Microsoft Internet Explorer. Considering all that can go wrong with Web pages, wouldn't it be nice if someone developed some quick diagnostic tests that would evaluate your site and suggest ways to make it better? Someone has. It's called Website Garage and it's located at: http://www.websitegarage.com/. Website Garage operates much like those quick in-and-out auto centers where you pull your car in and receive an on-the-spot diagnostic test. Instead of checking points and plugs and tire wear, Website Garage measures load time, checks for broken links and determines how popular your site is by counting how many other pages link to it. It also checks spelling and evaluates your html coding. The site was built by Silicon Valley techies with a lot of online and computer experience. They have certainly made the "garage" easy to use. You simply type in the URL of the page you want evaluated and click on the "go" button. A few moments later, a cyber mechanic holds up a clipboard with your test results on it. Each category is rated from "excellent" to "poor," and you can click through for more detailed information about each of those individual tests. Your site is given an average score based on those individual ratings. Does it work? We typed in a couple of well-known sites to test it. The New York Times web site (http://www.nyt.com) got an overall rating of "fair." It's biggest problem was load time, where it scored "poor." The reason must be the large picture of the paper's front page that anchors the online edition's home page. On the other end of the spectrum was Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com), which was rated "excellent." It loads fast, is linked to a lot of other sites and has excellent html design. Your site is probably somewhere in between, which means there probably are things you can do to improve your site's performance. One thing you might want to consider is tweaking the graphics on your site to load faster. You can do that with a handy little utility offered by the garage. It's called "gif lube," and it will tweak any gif or jpg picture file you give it. The end result: pictures that load faster. And faster is always better on the Web. We ran a few test gifs through this free program and we were impressed. It was able to reduce our test picture files just about in half without much loss of quality. We plan on running all our graphics through this process now before we post them on the Web. We recommend you check it out. Website Garage offers some fee-based services, too. The "mechanics" there will register your Web site with search engines and even write press releases touting your online business. While their prices seem reasonable, we think the vast majority of people visiting their site will be satisfied with the freebies offered there. Overall, we give Website Garage a solid B-plus. It's certainly worth a visit, particularly when your Web site is due for it's 50,000-click tune-up. All models over 18 years of age. Contains a substantial amount of non-tobacco ingredients. Not responsible for direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages resulting from any defect, error or failure to perform. Terms and specifications may change without notice. No shoes, no shirt, no service. Price does not include taxes. Do not remove this tag under penalty of law. Sorry, we cannot be responsible for errors in typing. First pull up, then pull down. Trademarks mentioned appear for identification purposes only. Any resemblance to actual persons, living, dead, or undead, is unintentional and purely coincidental. Fish are good, and good for you.