-------- MANTEX NEWSLETTER --------
Number 108 - September 2005 - ISSN 1470-1863
Back to school - Research - F.r.e.e Stuff
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0--- 'Doing your Research Project' - new edition
This is a best-seller (200,000+ copies) which
has now reached its fourth edition.
Judith Bell spells out each stage of doing a
project in a way which explains exactly what
is required.
Topics covered include the selection of a
research subject, collecting data and
keeping records, reviewing the literature,
designing questionnaires, interpreting
evidence, and presenting the findings.
It's written in a humane and friendly manner.
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/bell.htm
0--- Pub quiz - Question #1
What sort of creature is a Natterjack?
0--- Google Earth - and Beyond!
Google is getting bigger and bigger. Their
latest gizmo is a f.r.e.e piece of software that
shows satellite photos from around the world
and allows you to zoom in to see details.
http://earth.google.com/
They also have a zoomable map of the US where
with a little bit of mouse dexterity I just
managed to zoom from satellite level down to
locate my favourite bits of New York City
around Washington Square.
http://maps.google.com
And if that's not enough, you can do the same
thing on the moon, via NASA images from the
Apollo landings. It's not really cheese.
http://moon.google.com
0--- Weird facts - #1
There are more nutrients in the cornflake box
itself than there are in the actual cornflakes.
[Enjoy your breakfast!]
0--- 'How to get a PhD' - new edition
If you're thinking of putting yourself through
three years of research pain, you need all the
help you can get. This is the latest edition
of a successful guide to the process.
It also has advice to supervisors, and deals
with all parts of the process - from getting
into the system to handing in your finished work.
New for this fourth edition is a diagnostic
questionnaire for students to monitor their
own progress, plus a new section on the
increasingly popular professional doctorates
such as EdD, DBA, and DEng.
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/phillips.htm
0--- Pub quiz - Question #2
What is the capital of Paraguay?
0--- 'How to be a Student' - new book
Most new students have lots of worries. What if
I run out of money? What happens in lectures exactly?
Does plagiarism really matter?
This is a set of guidance notes for beginners
which will set most of those worries at rest.
It covers all the basic skills of studying,
writing essays, and taking exams - but it also
covers personal issues such as keeping in touch
with home and dealing with boredom and your s.e.x
life if you're lucky enough to have one.
By the way - yes, plagiarism *does* matter.
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/moore-2.htm
0--- Weird fact #2
Tarzan doesn't have a beard - odd?
0--- 'Excellent Dissertations' - new book
If you've only been used to writing essays
of 1,500-2,000 words, the sudden prospect of
having to produce 10,000-40,000 words can be
a little daunting. Do you know the feeling?
This short guide tells you how to approach
it and all the skills you will need. It also
breaks down the process into stages which
are easy to understand.
Although it is dealing with higher education
skills, it is written in a very simple manner.
Reassuring for the uncertain.
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/levin.htm
0--- Pub quiz - Question #3
Who created the detective priest Father Brown?
0--- 'Writing for Academic Journals' - new book
Everybody knows that these days, to gain promotion
in the academic world (and even some businesses)
you need to publish.
This might be reports, reviews, position papers,
the results of research - or even your own book.
The problem is that nobody prepares you for
what's required. There are no apprenticeships
or courses you can take. And it's a tough world.
Rowena Murray's latest book explains everything
you need to do - from testing out your first ideas,
checking and analysing the journals, producing
your rough drafts, to contacting editors.
Her advice could save you a lot of time and
heartache. If you want to publish academically,
this book will repay its cover cost several
times over.
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/murray-3.htm
0--- Weird fact #3
Superman can stop bullets with his chest, but
he ducks when somebody throws a gun at him.
0--- World's Most Annoying Game
This is a bit of Japanese fun which
will drive you completely up the wall.
All you need to do is stop a little
Kenji devil from eating your mouse cursor.
Watch out! Even if you manage to evade
him for a while, he will try something new.
http://www.onemorelevel.com/games/avoider.html
0--- Pub quiz - Question #4
Which country has Europe's only active volcanoes?
0--- Sell Your Photos to the Press
During the terrorist attacks on the London
underground system, some of the first pictures
to emerge came from people using the cameras
in their mobile phones.
Enterprising folk at Scoopt have now set up
a scheme for marketing your snaps with
newspapers and picture agencies.
So if you have the good luck to be in the
next big rail crash or you catch Madonna
picking her nose, send them the pictures,
and they will split the proceeds with you.
http://www.scoopt.com
0--- Weird fact #4
A chef's hat is shaped the way it is to allow air
to circulate around the scalp, keeping the head
cool in a hot kitchen.
0--- 'Making Knowledge Visible' - new book
This is the latest from Elizabeth Orna, one of
the UK's home-grown gurus on information design.
It's a study of several practical projects -
with universities, local government, art galleries,
and corporations - showing how information
can make or break the business.
She demonstrates good principles, but isn't
afraid to show up examples from what she calls
her 'black museum' of disasters.
This includes a case study of the Department of
Trade and Industry which made me very glad I didn't
work there. But she also points to the tragic
consequences of mishandled data in Cambridge
which resulted in the Soham murders.
This is one for serious data managers, systems
analysts, web designers, and communications
specialists.
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/orna-4.htm
0--- Pub quiz - Question #5
What is a theramin?
0--- "Writers' & Artists' Yearbook" - new edition
The latest and much-expanded edition of this
best-selling reference book has just appeared.
It's an encyclopedia of everything that writers,
journalists, and media workers need for contacts
with publishers, agents, and anyone else in the
communication industries.
If you want to publish your writing, locate outlets,
mug up on copyright, or see the best-seller lists for
last year - it's all here. And Amazon are currently
offering at 30% off - a bargain.
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/black.htm
There's a rival publication called "The Writer's
Handbook" which appears at the same time. The main
difference is that the Handbook puts more emphasis
on journalism and the broadcast media. See the
differences at -
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/turner.htm
And such is the popularity of writing for youngsters
and teenagers these days, that there's now a new
'Children's Writers' & Artists' Yearbook'
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/black-2.htm
0--- Weird fact #5
Kamikaze pilots wore helmets - I wonder why?
0--- Overheard in New York -
It's a blog of daily sound bites, plucked
from the streets of the Big Apple. It's great
fun - but not for your Auntie or Grandma.
Here's a tame-ish samplette:
Man #1: So, s.h.i.t, man, what was it like in prison?
Man #2: I learned how to make a girl out of
three baloney sandwiches.
Guy on cell: I told you I have a girlfriend.
That's why my face is all scratched up.
Chick on cell: How do mermaids get pregnant?
They don't have any legs.
Hipster guy: Everyone keeps asking me why I'm sad,
and I'm like, "I'm not sad. I'm from New York."
http://www.overheardinnewyork.com
0--- Pub quiz - Question #6
How many of Henry VIII's wives lost their heads?
0--- F.r.e.e Graphics Software
Desktop publishing, photo and image editing,
web site design and publishing, graphic design
and vector drawing, 3D animation and modelling.
Brochures, business cards, invitations, posters,
menus, and greetings cards - all in exchange
for f.r.e.e registration at -
http://www.freeserifsoftware.com
0--- Weird fact #6
Dogs have two sets of teeth, just like humans.
They first have 30 puppy teeth, then 42 adult teeth.
0--- 'Oxford Dictionary of English' - new edition
There's a new revised edition of the one-volume
blockbuster from OUP. This is their dictionary
based on English as it is actually spoken today.
The upgrade includes terms as recent as ASBO,
and runs through Europop, offshoring, phishing,
and step change, to Wiki. Full review at -
http://www.mantex.co.uk/reviews/oxf-new.htm
0--- Pub quiz - Question #7
Who invented the motor car?
0--- Protect your Mail against S.p.a.m
You go to an interesting site, but it asks you
to register by giving your name and email address.
You're not QUITE sure if you trust it or not.
It might increase the amount of s.p.a.m you
receive. What to do?
Open a new free email address at Hotmail or Yahoo,
and use that for registration - or even create a
disposable mailbox at
http://www.pookmail.com/?lan=en_us
After 24 hours, any messages it contains will
be wiped out of the system. You're safe.
0--- Weird fact #7
In comic strips, the person on the left
always speaks first.
0--- Internet Annoyances - Help at hand
Have you ever browsed through to a web site,
then wanted to re-visit a few days later,
only to find that you can't remember its
name, or where it was? Of course you have.
Well help is at hand. There's a little-used
'History' button [on Internet Explorer] just
to the right of Favourites. It's supposed to
be a clock with a green arrow going counter-
clockwise, but you can be forgiven for
thinking it was a muddy blob.
It gives you a list of all the sites you have
visited in the last three weeks. And if you
click the little 'View' option at the top of
the column, you can view by date, name, most
visited, or the order you have viewed today.
0--- Pub quiz - Question #8
Who said "One can never be too rich or too thin"?
0--- Musical Discovery!!
Have I been in a musical time warp?
How come I haven't heard about Jimmy Scott
until now? And I bet you haven't either.
I came across him by accident the other day,
rushed to Amazon and bought a couple of CDs,
and he blew my mind away.
What a voice! What a style! His voice is high
falsetto, with a big vibrato - and his delivery
is laid back to a point where you think he might
fall over. But he never does.
You'll be forgiven for thinking that it's a
woman's voice when you first hear it. This is top
quality jazz vocalisation of a kind that sends
ripples down your spine. As soon as I'd heard
the CDs, I went back and ordered all the rest.
Get a taste at -
http://digbig.com/4ekcg
0--- Weird fact #8
If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?
[It's not a quiz question.]
0--- Mantex Gold - What is Plagiarism?
If you copy somebody else's work
and try pass it off as your own -
that's plagiarism.
But what if you're just quoting?
How much is allowed? How are you
supposed to combine it with your
own work? And what's the relationship
between plagiarism and copyright?
These questions and others are
answered in our new guidance note
on plagiarism. It's available for
F.R.E.E download at -
http://www.mantex.co.uk/samples/plgrsm.htm
0--- Pub quiz - Question #9
Whose partner was Jacob Marley?
0--- Funny Place Names - UK
Type in your postcode and this nifty
little site will list all the place
names near you in the UK that sound
a bit, you know, rude.
I typed in my own, and it came up with
Nob End, Ramsbottom, Upperthong, Bottom
Flash, and Penistone - all true!
In fact it could have added Lower Peover.
http://places.jump-around.com/closest/
0--- Weird fact #9
The chameleon has a tongue that is one and
a half times the length of its body.
0--- Knoppix 4.0 - F.r.e.e Software
It's what's called a "live DVD" which
contains 5,300 programs which you can run
without installing them on your hard disk.
They are all f.r.e.e programs created by
the Open Source Software movement - and
include browsers, games, databases, and
of course OpenOffice.
Good chance for people to try Firefox and
Thunderbird without installing.
http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html
If you prefer to avoid a 800 MB download,
most suppliers make no more than a small
charge for supplying the disk - UKP 7.50 in
the UK, and USD 9.95 in the US.
0--- Pub quiz - Question #10
What first ever state-funded institution was founded in 330 BC?
0--- Keyboard Games - more f.r.e.e fun
For those who enjoy mind-bending puzzles,
Nick Kouvaris in Athens has made some very
cool Flash games on his stylish minimalist
site he shares with his fellow coders.
Try this one for size. The aim of the game is
to remove all pieces by jumping on them. Use
keyboard arrows to jump up, down, left and right.
http://lightforce.freestuff.gr/tilox.php
0--- Weird fact #10
In her later years, Florence Nightingale
kept a pet owl in her pocket.
0--- Readers' Letters + Corrections
Rob Walton writes from Scotland a propos of
last month's weird fact #7 -
There are only four words in the English language
which end in "-dous": tremendous, horrendous,
stupendous, and hazardous.
The WriteItnow thesaurus (available in the
free demo version) just found these:
[1] podous
[2] arthropodous
[3] brachiopodous
[4] branchiopodous
[5] hazardous
[6] horrendous
[7] nonhazardous
[8] pelecypodous
[9] stupendous
[10] tremendous
[11] unhazardous
Well - what better recommendation do you want
than that! Rob's novel-writing software is at -
http://www.ravensheadservices.com
0--- PUB QUIZ - ANSWERS
#1 What sort of creature is a Natterjack?
Answer: A toad
#2 What is the capital of Paraguay?
Answer: Asuncion
#3 Who created the detective priest Father Brown?
Answer: G.K.Chesterton
#4 Which country has Europe's only active volcanoes?
Answer: Italy
#5 What is a theramin?
Answer: An electronic musical instrument
#6 How many of Henry VIII's wives lost their heads?
Answer: Two
#7 Who invented the motor car?
Answer: Karl Benz
#8 Who said "One can never be too rich or too thin"?
Answer: Wallis Simpson
#9 Whose partner was Jacob Marley?
Answer: Ebenezer Scrooge
#10 What first ever state-funded institution was founded in 330 BC?
Answer: The Library of Alexander
0--- COMING SOON
'The Real McCoy'
'The Art of Project Management'
'The History and Power of Writing'
'Web Services Essentials'
'Oxford Spellchecker and Dictionary'
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News-108-September-2005
ISSN 1470-1863
The British Library