Revolutionary New York

In honor of July 4th, go online with Fraunces Tavern Museum to enjoy a quick and lively overview of New York City’s role in the birth of a new nation. Fraunces Tavern Museum of Colonial and Revolutionary New York, and the famous Fraunces Tavern Restaurant, where George Washington gave his farewell address to Continental Army officers in 1783, are also perfect landmarks to visit during this Independence Day weekend or later this summer. The Museum’s Web site also includes graphics, special events, links to other colonial-era landmarks and information about the New York Freedom Trail, and of course the story of the Tavern and Museum, which occupy the “oldest surviving structure in Manhattan,” built in 1719.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

The Fallacy Files

Logic is one of the attorney's stocks in trade. It follows, then, that an awareness of logical fallacies, fallacious arguments, and other logical lapses would be of value to those who are studying the law. The Fallacy Files collects common logical fallacies and lists them alphabetically, with links to definitions and discussions of the fallacy in question. If you never understood the difference between an argumentum ad hominem and an argumentum ad populum, then this is the site to visit.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Stupid Crimes & Misdemeanors

Stupid Crimes & Misdemeanors is a feature on the Court TV website with a weekly highlight. Most are somewhat funny and others are just sad. Several are naked (literally) although, in only one case was that the reason for the arrest. Maybe because it is Summer? In any event, if you do any criminal law work you will have your own stupid crime & misdemeanor stories to tell.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Top 10 Things New Associates Should Know

Bobbi Cross, the director of research and information resources with Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis has written a wonderful article titled "Top 10 Things Law Librarians Want New Associates To Know". It is published on Law.com. This is highly recommended reading for anybody planning on working in a law firm after law school.

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Alternative Keyboard Gallery

Those who have been following my meanderings on the web are aware that I am fascinated by alternative keyboard design. Must be from my many hours spent observing the humans in the library. To my simple feline mind, there must be a more ergonomic way to facilitate the long hours spent typing notes, papers and searches. Take a look at this collection of Alternative Keyboards. It contains some of the most interesting ideas that I have seen to date. Let me know what you think!

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Watching the Polls

As Americans move into another election cycle, public opinion polls will become hot topics for the media, the candidates and the voters. Opinion polls also provide excellent background and statistical information for law-related research papers and articles. LexisNexis Polls & Surveys (part of LexisNexis Academic Universe--Reference) is a subscription database provided to all Hofstra students through the Axinn Library. It offers searchable full-text access to the comprehensive collection of United States public opinion sources maintained by the nonprofit Roper Center for Public Opinion Research. LexisNexis Polls & Surveys is the place to find polls conducted by sources such as Harris, Roper, network television and cable news organizations, and major American newspapers such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. Topics range from politics and government to business, international relations, social affairs, and consumer behavior and preferences. Search criteria include keyword, survey sponsor, U.S. adults or registered voters, and survey date. A direct link to LexisNexis Polls & Surveys is provided on the Hofstra “Libraries” page, under “Research Databases.” For off-campus access, a network user name and password are required.
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Money in Politics

Want to know who contributes to your favorite (or least favorite) politician? Wondering how much was spent to influence Congress either pro or con on Net Neutrality, Social Security or other issue? The place to go is the Center for Responsive Politics' Opensecrets.org - "Your Guide to Money in the U.S. Elections." Look at "who gives", "who gets" and the corporate connections of the White House officials. Just be ready for lots of $$$ .

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

User Manuals and Guides

It can be very frustrating when you can't find the user manual that came with a product when you finally need to consult it. UsersManualGuide.com is here to help. This web site provides user manuals, operating instructions and user guides for most products available from Panasonic, Sharp, Casio, Yamaha Audio, Funai, ICOM, Phillips, Motorola and Samsung. Manuals are even available in many different languages.

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European Legislative resource

Trying to track down foreign legal documents in English from a reliable source is tricky. So finding a site like Legislationline is always welcome. It calls itself a free online legislation database, and so it is for its designated purpose.

Legislationline is hosted and maintained by the ODIHR (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights) a specialized institution of the OSCE (Organization for Security in Co-operation in Europe). Coverage is limited to Europe for the subjects of elections, human rights and democratization. Actually alot is covered by these subjects: immigration, death penalty, citizenship, etc. In addition to Germany, France, the Russian Federation; nations such as Turkey, Croatia, Armenia, Finland are represented. When they say "Europe" they mean all of Europe.

The translations are not official, but considering the source are more trustworthy than might be found - if found - on other sites. They also engage in analysis of legislative activities and these are available. Depth and breadth of coverage varies from country to country and by subject.

The site has been redesigned, so at this time content is being checked and the navigation system tested, but it is still worth checking out. Look forward to visiting there again when the redesign is final

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

FactCheck.org - Annenberg Political Fact Check

This wonderful resource is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. As a nonpartisan, nonprofit, "consumer advocate" for voters its mission is to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. It does so in a most unique way, by monitoring the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Take a look.

The analysis of the above materials is meticulous, citing to sources used to confirm or question accuracy of information. This is a wonderful tool for your arsenal when trying to determine accuracy or bias of information you may be relying on in both your personal and professional lives.

The subtitle on their homepage is a quote from former Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan:

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, not their own facts".


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat