Last modified: Sun Aug 3 01:04:33 EDT 2003

Resources

• News sources, both mainstream and alternative

• Facts - no interpretation, just data

• Politics. Everyone has an opinion. You can rent one here. See also my own politics page.

• Lost/Missing children

News Sources

I get the bulk of my everyday news from radio: National Public Radio and the BBC, as carried by WBUR in Boston. I also try to read (or at least skim) the New York Times on a daily basis.

Here are links to news web sites I use regularly:

	The New York Times. This is an outstanding web site, with essentially the full contents of the print edition and more. Registration is required, but it's free, and they won't send you spam unless you ask for it.
	Google News. This is Google's index of many Internet news sites. Unlike the standard Google search engine, the results aren't cached (presumably to avoid copyright issues and because of the huge volume), so you may be taken to a site that requires registration. Still, this is a terrific service.
.	AlterNet. I've only recently found this site; it's generally got a Left/Liberal slant on things.

Facts

These are resources that don't give (intentionally) you spin.

	If you want to find out what's been going on in Congress, check out Thomas, the incredibly cool and useful Library of Congress web site that provides near-real-time access to the Congressional Record. If you've hear about some bill you want to oppose or support, you can use Thomas to get the critical information you need when contacting your reps, such as the bill number, sponsers, etc. Presidential nominations (such as judicial nominees) are there, too.
Look up a word at
	Telephone directory and reverse lookup

Politics

The Alliance for Justice provides all sorts of information on the federal judiciary: current composition of the courts, nominees, etc. I nearly included this under "Facts", since they provide so much information, but there is a Liberal slant.

Emily's List is a model for political action that I think makes a lot of sense. Here's what they have to say about themselves: EMILY's List identifies and recommends viable pro-choice Democratic women candidates running for the Senate, the House, and for governor. Members join EMILY's List by contributing $100 or more to EMILY's List and pledging to contribute $100 to at least two recommended candidates over the course of a two-year election cycle.

See what The Right has to say. Curiously, I can't quite figure out who runs this web site,

Lost/Missing children

• The AMBER alert system.
  AMBER stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. The goal of the AMBER system is to mobilize the general population in a particular area quickly when a child is reported as missing or abducted. Its use is reserved for cases in which it is likely that a swift and broadly-publicized alert will be beneficial.

  Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a specific web site with detailed, up-to-date information on the system. Here's what I have. The focus is Massachusetts information.

  • Information, including an activation form, from the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. A copy of the PDF plan overview and form, as of May 2003, are available here.

  • Overview of the system

• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

  This web site has a huge amount of useful information; it's a great place to start.

• What to do if your child is missing:
  • Call people that can help you locate or search for your child. Call the POLICE, your neighbors, and your child.s friends.

  • Retrace your child.s steps. Ask yourself- Where was your child when you last saw him/her? Who were they with?

  • Check for Personal Items that are missing such as clothing, toiletries, money, or other personal items.