The White House promotes open access to research results

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I received an e-mail from the White House yesterday. No, it wasn't Michelle Obama chatting about Pac-12 Men's Basketball (her brother coaches the Oregon State team). It was from John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. I had signed a "We the People" petition advocating: "Require free access over the Internet to scientific journal articles arising from taxpayer-funded research." The petition and Holdren's reply are posted here.

Holdren has posted a memorandum requiring federal agencies that fund research (e.g., NSF, NEH, NIH) to come up with policies and procedures to make the results of that research publicly available without charge. The memorandum deals with access to journal articles as well as data archiving and the availability of basic data from federally-funded research.

This is a big step forward for open access, and I am encouraged at the twin foci of journal articles and data archiving. The Society for American Archaeology is doing various things to work toward open access for publications and data, including the upcoming launch of a new open access journal, Advances in Archaeological Practice, edited by Chris Dore.

Where are your data stored? If you died tomorrow, would your data be available to others? Are they in an online repository such as tDAR? If not, you should be working toward this goal; I am.

All's Fair at the Fair

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Hopefully this video will allow for a visual connection to the topics we discussed in class.

 Today in class we talked about the world's fairs and what they showed and how people perceived them. This cartoon made in 1938, a year before the 1939 world's fair in New york, which was one of the first world's fair that looked to the future instead of the past.

The poster advertising the 1939 world fair was looking towards the future and the possibilities rather than past inventions.

It starts out showing how fast the buildings to house the fairs were made since they were only supposed to be temporary. The building is very futuristic, containing both the sphere and the "wu-wu" shown in the poster above. All of the machines and mechanisms are futuristic and things that haven't yet been invented. The cartoon shows just how many people people would attend these events (although they probably didn't show up in trains that are like sardine cans). The people are all average looking, including the couple that we see arrive on horse and carriage. The image of the horse and carriage is meant to juxtapose all of the futuristic inventions, making people leave behind the past and go towards the future.
The 1939 fair was meant to celebrate the end of The Great Depression, so the cartoon shows all of these wondering thins being made with no regard to expense. For example, the furniture literally being push punched from the wood log and another wood log being made into a single clothes pin. But at the end of the cartoon, the old couple we first saw turn become a young and modern couple, abandoning their old ways, which was exactly what the 1939 world'd fair was meant to do.

'Celebrate My Drive' With Free Teen Driving Event Saturday

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On Saturday, September 15, 2012, State Farm is hostingCelebrate My Drive events across the U.S. and Canada, creating one special dayfor communities to rally around new drivers as they explore the roadahead.  One such local community eventwill be from 10am-3pm at the National Corvette Museum.
“The regional State Farm office approached us early thisspring wanting to see how they could partner with us on our teen drivingprograms,” said Katie Frassinelli, Marketing and Communications Manager at theNational Corvette Museum.  “Like us,State Farm has an interest in keeping our teens safe on the roads, and theprograms we offer both through the driving simulators and our car care andmaintenance seminars were a great fit for their Teen Driving efforts.  State Farm is supporting the Museum withgrant funding for this event, the texting while driving virtual realitysimulator, and additional resources for our ongoing teen driver classes.”
Activities at Saturday’s event include a golf cart courseusing Fatal Vision goggles, basic vehicle maintenance seminars, door prizedrawings, driving simulator demos every 30 minutes, vendor booths and a mockcrash by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. The Museum and State Farm have also rented the P.E.E.R.S. FoundationVirtual Reality Simulator – Aware TXT. The simulator is designed to teachstudents the dangers of texting and driving, the consequences of their actions,how to make the right choice and to provide them with a hands-on demonstration onthe simulator.
Families are welcome to drop in for a few activities, orstay for the entire event.  All CelebrateMy
Drive activities are free, and reduced rate Museum admission is available forthose participating who would also like to tour the exhibit areas.  A complete schedule with more details isavailable online at: http://www.corvettemuseum.org/registration/drive/index.shtml.
State Farm’s website also has many resources for teendrivers and their families. Log on to http://teendriving.statefarm.com/celebrate-my-driveto learn more.

Free Admission to Area Museum on Smithsonian Magazine's 8th Annual Museum Day

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On Saturday, September 29, 2012, the Historic Railpark and Train Museum, and the National Corvette Museum will participate in the eighth annual Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day. The Museums will join other participating museums and cultural institutions nationwide to open their doors free of charge to all visitors who download the Museum Day Ticket from Smithsonian.com. A journey to celebrate our world’s dynamic heritage and cultural life, participating Museum Day venues emulate the free admission policy of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, D.C.-based facilities.

The Historic RailPark & Train Museum takes a step back in time to the golden era of passenger service. A guided tour of vintage railcars showcases the workings of a Post Office Car, Dining Car and Sleeper Car. The self-guided tour of the two story museum immerses visitors into the cultural story of the railroad including two new exhibits. "Hobo Times explores the life of the Hobo with the secret language interpreted into quilts by Creative Quilters Guild," said Sharon Tabor, Executive Director of the Railpark. "The Civil War and the Railroad includes personal stories, models and antique photography," she added.

Visitors to the National Corvette Museum will enjoy the special "September 11, 2001: A Global Moment" exhibit on loan from the New York State Museum, plus a new 1,000 square foot KidZone. "We are an ever-changing Museum and no two visits with us are the same," said Katie Frassinelli, Corvette Museum Marketing Manager. "We are more than just Corvette, offering a little something for everyone."

The Museum Day Ticket is available to download at www.smithsonian.com/museumday. Visitors who present the official pass will gain free admission for two people to one participating museum or cultural venue of their choice. One ticket is permitted per household, per email address. Listings and links to participating museums’ and sponsors’ sites can be found at www.smithsonian.com/museumday.

Plans Cruising Forward for NCM Motorsports Park

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National Corvette Museum making exciting progress with Motorsports Park Project
Driven by the success of its various expansions and upgrades over the years, the National Corvette Museum is now hard at work on a project that will complete the Museum experience: a Motorsports Park. Exciting progress has been made recently including the approval of the final track design as well as the beginning of the geotechnical engineering on the site.
The Park’s official groundbreaking event is scheduled for Friday, June 28, 2013, during the Museum’s Corvette 60th Anniversary Celebration.  The Grand Opening of the Motorsports Park is planned for Labor Day weekend 2014, in conjunction with the Museum’s 20th Anniversary and the 5th National Corvette Caravan.

Plans for the Park are moving forward successfully. The track designer, Steve Crawford and civil engineering firm, DDS Engineering, are currently preparing construction bid documents, with a goal of completing that process by May of 2013.

“Good things are happening with more exciting developments on the way, but as always, we can’t do it without the help of our supporters,” said Wendell Strode, NCM Executive Director.  “We are especially thankful for those who have joined the One Acre Club and want to encourage others who are capable of helping us to do so.” The One Acre Club is a program for individuals or groups to assist the NCM in funding the Motorsports Park.
The Museum is currently working toward a goal of raising $1 million by June 1.  While construction on the autocross/skid pad area will begin this summer, construction of the west track as part of the initial development will require additional funding.  “We are ready to move forward with the project, but at what level will be determined by support received from enthusiasts and sponsorships,” said Strode.  “The support thus far is great, but we still need help to make it happen.”

The Museum survives on the generosity of its supporters, and the Motorsports Park is no different.  Each acre purchased sends a powerful message to potential sponsors of how committed Corvette enthusiasts are to making this project happen.  The National Corvette Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational foundation and is the largest car museum in the world dedicated to a single model.  The planned Motorsports Park will have over one mile of frontage on Interstate 65, the third most traveled north-south Interstate in the eastern United States.  For more information visit www.motorsportspark.org, 'Like' the Motorsports Park page on Facebook, or call 800-53-VETTE (83883).

Jammin' in the Hammock Annual Bluegrass Festival

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 February 9 - 10, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,Collier-Seminole State Park will host its annual Jammin' in the Hammock Bluegrass Festival. Scheduledevents will take place on each day, including a 9:30 am Sunday morning SouthernGospel jam. Featured bands are: ·        Gary Mackey & Friends·        Bugtussle Ramblers·        The Laws·        Danny Stanley & The Bluegrass Gentlemen·        Ernie Evans & Florida State Bluegrass Band Free parking with shuttle to event area. Covered concertarea, the festival will be held rain or shine. Bring your chairs. No pets,alcohol, smoking or coolers permitted in festival area. A variety of food andcraft vendors will be on site. Cost of festival does not cover camping rates inthe campground. The event is sponsored by the Friends of Collier- SeminoleState Park, a Citizens Support Organization(CSO), all proceeds from thefestival will benefit the park. Admission to the event is $15 per day or $25for both days. Admittance is free to children 13 and under as long as they areaccompanied by a paying adult. For more information, contact Collier-SeminoleState Park at (239) 394-3397.  

Third on Canvas Live Painting to benefit the Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida

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Each February, artists paint the wonderful buildings, fountains, plazas, and courtyards of the Third Street South historic district. The Birthplace of Naples with its original cottages, The Pier, Crayton Cove, The City Docks, and at its center, Third Street South with its shops and restaurants, is a perfect model. Watch the artists create, look for the paintings on display in the shop windows, and if you love one, bid on it as they are all for sale. Third Street South will host 40 professional artists who will be painting the streets, avenues, parks and hidden treasures of beautiful  Naples, Florida. The public is invited to come watch these internationally and locally renowned artists as they work from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on February 4-5, 2013. After you have seen our artists painting live on the streets of Old Naples, come to the auction and bid on your favorite paintings to benefit the Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida. For more information, including a list of artists, contact Third Street South at (239) 434-6533.