Thomas the search engine (2002-06-27)
The Library of Congress' Thomas offers the full text of pending and passed federal bills, bill summaries and status, and legislative committee reports. And you don't have to climb any stairs to get your hands on them.

Writers beware (2002-06-27)
I've never been stiffed on a story, but I do check WritersWeekly Warning Reports and National Writers Union Writer Alerts occasionally to see which markets to avoid.

Blog On (2002-06-27)
CyberJournalist offers the latest in self-referential meta-discourse, the 'Weblog Blog' -- a blog about bloggers and journalists and the ongoing debate on who's who. It also has links to journalists' blogs. If you're confused by all that, sort it out by perusing their journalism news and Web journalism tips. Or go to The Scoop, where you'll get another dose of news on blogs in the news.
Got that? phew.

Media and human rights report released (2002-06-27)
The International Council on Human Rights released a report last month, 'Journalism, Media and the Challenge of Human Rights Reporting', which claims media professionals don't give their audiences enough background and continuity of coverage to make sense of human rights stories. The full text of the report is available online.

Tools of the trade (2002-06-27)
The Journalist's Toolbox has a reporting techniques page with links to tip sheets on analysis, interviewing and beat reporting.

Do it by the book (2002-06-26)
The Florida Bar's Reporter's Handbook answers your questions on open meetings, civil proceedings, defamation and qualified privilege among other sundry and exciting topics.

Crossing the digital divide in Africa (2002-06-14)
I'm developing a story on women and the digital divide in Africa and ran across these links:

• Women of Uganda Network, an NGO formed in 2000 to support use of ICTs among Ugandan women. Site includes extensive resource links, event calendar and subscription to monthly e-newsletter.
  
  
• Gender and ICTS, site by Canada's International Development Research Centre. Includes an annotated bibliography and summaries of main concepts with links to full text of research.
  
  
• The African Internet - A Status Report. Includes figures on Internet penetration in Africa, infrastructure development, consumer costs for ISPs, and other stats. Includes contact information for the author. Does not include gender-specific information.
  
  
• Africa Tech Forum, a U.S. nonprofit working to nurture the technology industry in Africa. Site includes technology news in Africa.
  
  
• Gender, Information Technology and Developing Countries(pdf format), June 2001 research paper prepared by the Academy for Educational Development for USAID.
  
  
• Human Development Report 2001: Making new technologies work for human development, report prepared by the United Nations Development Programme.
  
  
• United Nations General Assembly meeting on ICTs for development, summary of a panel discussion: “The UN’s role in supporting efforts to promote digital opportunity, in particular in Africa and the LDCs: Challenge of inclusion in the world economy through ICT”
  

Research on women's issues (2002-06-10)
I go to these sites to find the first spark of story ideas to pitch to Women's Enews:

• WomenWatch -- Portal site to the United Nations entities that address women's issues. Includes calendar of events, news, UN publications, and various stats on the status of women around the world.
  
  
• United Nations Population Fund -- Index of latest news on the work of the Fund.
  
  
• Institute for Women's Policy Research -- Includes press releases and links to research on health, employment, Welfare, work and family. Offers email updates.
  
  
• Isis International -- Includes calendar of events and links to research and advocacy on human rights, women and media, women and ICT.
  
  
• Women's Learning Partnership -- Includes statistics, bibliographies, articles, a calendar of events and links to local women's organizations.
  
  
• Moving Ideas -- Collects and posts research and policy reports from left-leaning think tanks.
  

Mandela borrowed these lines -- and they're good (2002-06-02)
"Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our Light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be."

- Marianne Williamson in her book "A Return to Love", famously quoted by Nelson Mandella in his 1994 Inaugural Speech