Archive for May, 2010
New Government Report: U.S. Offshore Oil and Gas Resources: Prospects and Processes (ISBN: 9781437934106)
U.S. Offshore Oil and Gas Resources: Prospects and Processes (ISBN: 9781437934106)
By Marc Humphries, Robert Pirog, Gene Whitney
(Paperback, 29 pages, 2010, $20)
This past week has seen the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico worsen, despite attempts to plug the gushing oil well. Carol M. Browner, President Obama’s climate change and energy policy adviser, told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that she was concerned about the impact that the hurricane season could have on the continuing environmental crisis.
This report’s contents: (1) Introduction and Background; (2) Legislative Issues; (3) U.S. Oil and Gas Supply and Demand: U.S. Oil, and Natural Gas Markets; Econ. Effects; Greater OCS Access and Supply; (4) Oil and Gas Reserves and Resources in the OCS; Resource Estimates and Technological Change; OCS Resource Estimates; Resource Estimates by Planning Area, and by Water Depth; (5) OCS Leasing Process and Program; (6) OCS Revenues: Revenue Sharing or Not?; Royalty Revenue Estimates; Environmental Concerns Associated with Offshore Exploration and Development; Offshore Areas Currently Protected; General Environmental Regulations and Requirements for Offshore Exploration and Production; (7) Environmental Impact Statements: Oil Spills and Leaks; Seismic Surveys and Industrial Noise. Illustrations.
New Government Report: U.S. Motor Vehicle Industry: Confronting a New Dynamic in the Global Economy (ISBN: 9781437931960)
U.S. Motor Vehicle Industry: Confronting a New Dynamic in the Global Economy (ISBN: 9781437931960)
By Bill Canis and Brent D. Yacobucci (Paperback, 68 pages, 2010, $30)
An in-depth analysis of the 2009 crisis in the U.S. auto industry. and its prospects for regaining domestic and global competitiveness. Analyzes business and policy issues arising from the restructurings within the industry.
The year 2009 was marked by recession and a crisis in global credit markets; the bankruptcy of GM and Chrysler; the incorporation of successor companies; hundreds of parts supplier bankruptcies; plant closings and worker buyouts; the cash-for-clunkers program; and increasing production and sales at year’s end.
Also examines the successes of Ford and the increasing presence of foreign-owned OEM (original equipment manufacturers), foreign-owned parts manufacturers, competition from imported vehicles, and a buildup of global over-capacity that threatens the recovery of U.S. domestic producers.
New Government Report: U.S. Initiatives to Promote Global Internet Freedom: Issues, Policy, and Technology (ISBN: 9780788131979)
U.S. Initiatives to Promote Global Internet Freedom: Issues, Policy, and Technology (ISBN: 9780788131979)
By Patricia Moloney Figliola (Paperback, 23 pages, 2010, $20)
U.S. Internet firms have fared poorly in China, which censors content and blocks many foreign websites, including popular social media such as Twitter and Facebook, and YouTube, Reuters reports. In March, Google Inc shut its mainland Chinese-language portal and began rerouting searches to its Hong Kong site, after suffering a sophisticated cyber-attack that it said came from within China.
Hardware and Internet services, in and of themselves, are neutral elements of the Internet; it is how they are implemented by various countries that is repressive. Internet services are often tailored for deployment to specific countries; however, such tailoring is done to bring the company in line with the laws of that country, not with the intention of allowing the country to repress and censor its citizenry.
This report provides information regarding the role of U.S. and other foreign companies in facilitating Internet censorship by repressive regimes overseas. Sections: Examination of repressive policies in China and Iran; U.S. laws; U.S. policies to promote Internet freedom; and Private sector initiatives. Describes technology for censorship, and circumvention of government restrictions.
New Government Report: War Powers Resolution: After 36 Years (ISBN: 9781437932932)
War Powers Resolution: After 36 Years (ISBN: 9781437932932)
By Richard F. Grimmett (Paperback, 77 pages, 2010, $25)
On April 30, 2010, Vietnam and the United States held different ceremonies marking the same milestone – the end of the Vietnam War, according to Suite101:
American foreign policy drastically changed because of the Vietnam War. Democrats and Republicans were no longer unified in supporting American foreign policy. In 1973 the Democratic majority in Congress passed the 1973 War Powers Resolution that prohibited the president from sending United States troops into combat for over 90 days before congressional consent.
This report discusses and assesses the War Powers Resolution (WPR) and its application. Contents: (1) Intro.; (2) Provisions of the WPR; (3) Constitutional Questions Raised: War Powers of Pres. and Congress; Legislative Veto; Auto. Withdrawal Provision; (4) Major Cases and Issues Prior to the Persian Gulf War: Vietnam and Mayaguez: Iran Hostage Rescue Attempt; El Salvador; Hondura; Lebanon; Grenada; Libya; Persian Gulf, 1987; Invasion of Panama; (5) Major Cases and Issues in the Post-Cold War World: U.N. Actions: Persian Gulf War, 1991; Iraq-Post Gulf War; Somalia; Former Yugoslavia, Bosnia, Kosovo; Haiti; Terrorist Attacks against the U.S., 2001: How Does the WPR Apply?; Use of Force Against Iraq Resolution 2002; (6) Proposed Amend.
New Government Report: Medical Marijuana: Review and Analysis of Federal and State Policies (ISBN: 9781437932177)
Medical Marijuana: Review and Analysis of Federal and State Policies
(ISBN: 9781437932177)
By Mark Eddy (Paperback, 47 pages, 2010, $25)
U.S. Representative Barney Frank is among 15 members of Congress pushing the Treasury Department to set rules that would help banks provide financial services to medical marijuana dispensaries, according to Bloomberg News’ Businessweek.
Contents: (1) Intro.; (2) Medical Marijuana (MM) Prior to 1937; (3) Federal MM Policy: Congress. Actions: Marijhuana Tax Act of 1937; Controlled Substances Act; Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amend.; Exec. Branch Actions and Policies: Approval of Marinol; Admin. Law Judge (ALJ) Ruling to Reschedule MM; NIH Workshop; Inst. of Med. Report; Denial of Petition to Reschedule Marijuana; FDA Statement That Smoked Marijuana is Not Med.; ALJ Ruling to Grow Research Marijuana; DEA Enforce. Actions Against MM Providers; Obama Admin. and MM; MM in the Courts: U.S. v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers’ Coop.; Conant v. Walters; Gonzales v. Raich; Amer. for Safe Access Lawsuit; (4) State and Local MM Laws; (5) Public Opinion; (6) Arguments For and Against MM.
New Government Report: State Efforts to Deter Unauthorized Aliens: Legal Analysis of Arizona’s S.B. 1070 (ISBN: 9781437933203)
State Efforts to Deter Unauthorized Aliens: Legal Analysis of Arizona’s S.B. 1070 (ISBN: 9781437933203)
By Michael John Garcia, Larry M. Eig and Yule Kim
(Paperback, 24 pages, 2009, $20)
On April 23, 2010, Arizona enacted S.B. 1070, which is designed to discourage and deter the entry or presence of aliens who lack lawful status under federal immigration law. It requires state and local law enforcement officials to facilitate the detection of unauthorized aliens in their daily activities. The enactment of S.B. 1070 has sparked significant legal and policy debate.
Contents: (1) Background; (2) Major Provisions of S.B. 1070; (3) Overview of Preemption: State Enforce. of Immigration Law; Criminalization of Immigration-Related Conduct; Criminalizing Hiring of Persons Picked on Roadways; Criminalizing Alien Smuggling; Criminalizing Violations of Federal Alien Registration. Require.; Criminalizing the Solicitation or Performance of Work by Unauthorized Aliens; (4) Racial Profiling Issues.
A/P/A Month Special: Acclaimed Japanese Cookbook “At the Japanese Table” by Lesley Downer (ISBN:0811832805)
Weekly Book Special: May 24th-May 31st
May is Asian-Pacific-American (A/P/A) Heritage Month, a celebration of Asian and Pacific Islanders in the United States. In commemoration, this week’s special is:
At the Japanese Table:
New and Traditional Recipes
By Lesley Downer (Paperback, 223 pages, 2001, $17.00, ISBN:0811832805)
This cookbook, updated from the original 1993 version, demystifies the visual artistry, simplicity of preparation and healthfulness of Japanese cuisine for the home cook. There are nearly 100 easy-to-follow recipes, 16 pages of stunning full-color photos, and more than 30 illustrations of techniques ranging from carving carrot “flowers” to slicing sashimi.
More than just a cookbook, author Lesley Downer, who based this book on a six-part BBC2 series she presented, takes you on a culinary tour of Japan — to the feasts and festivals, into the homes, restaurants, sushi bars, street stalls and even the temples for a taste of this popular cuisine. Explains the history, legend and lore of the foods.
Our favorite spread is of the complete Japanese meal (click to enlarge):
“This is an inviting and easy-to-use introduction to Japanese cooking,” writes the Vancouver Sun. Adds Eating Well: “Illustrations of traditional techniques combine with stunning photos of exquisite food in a cool little beauty of a book.”
Purchase this book for $17.00:
New Government Report: Electronic Crime Scene Investigation: An On-the-Scene Reference for First Responders (ISBN: 9781437933406)
Electronic Crime Scene Investigation: An On-the-Scene Reference for First Responders (ISBN: 9781437933406)
By Kristina Rose (Paperback, 40 pages, 2009, $25)
This publication is a quick reference for first responders who may be responsible for identifying, preserving, collecting, and securing evidence at an electronic crime scene.
It describes different types of electronic devices and the potential evidence they may hold and provides an overview of how to secure, evaluate, and document the scene. It includes an overview of how to collect, package, and transport digital evidence and lists potential sources of digital evidence for 14 crime categories.
New Government Report: Maritime Security: Varied Actions Taken to Enhance Cruise Ship Security, but Some Concerns Remain (ISBN: 9781437933260)
Maritime Security: Varied Actions Taken to Enhance Cruise Ship Security, but Some Concerns Remain (ISBN: 9781437933260)
By Stephen L. Caldwell (Paperback, 52 pages, 2010, $20)
The Canada Free Press reported earlier in the week that cruise ships could become greater targets for terrorists, especially Somali pirates:
Agency officials reported in January 2010 that there had been no credible threats against cruise ships in the prior 12 months, but also noted the presence of terrorist groups that have the capability to attack a cruise ship. Agency officials and terrorism researchers also identified terrorists boarding a cruise ship as a concern.
Over 9 million passengers departed from U.S. ports on cruise ships in 2008, and according to agency officials, cruise ships are attractive terrorist targets.
This report addresses the extent to which: (1) the Coast Guard, the lead federal agency on maritime security, assessed risk in accordance with the Deptartment of Homeland Security’s guidance and identified risks; and (2) federal agencies, cruise ship and facility operators, and law enforcement entities have taken actions to protect cruise ships and their facilities.
The report reviewed relevant requirements and agency documents on maritime security, analyzed 2006 through 2008 security operations data, and made observations at seven ports. Includes recommendations. Charts and tables.
My Years in Nanking — Gripping Memoir of Republic of China’s Last Days by Nanking’s First Lady (ISBN: 978-1440122569)
Gripping Memoir of Republic of China’s Last Days
by Nanking’s First Lady
“My Years in Nanking: Reminiscences of Inyeening Shen”
Edited by Jane Shen Schopf
(iUniverse, 2009, 192 pages, $19.95 paperback, ISBN: 978-1-4401-2256-9)
Sixty years after the fall of the Republic of China, join the former First Lady of Nanking, Inyeening Shen, as she tells her remarkable personal journey in “My Years in Nanking: Reminiscenes of Inyeening Shen.” She helped her husband Dr. Shen Yi, the Mayor of Nanking, lead the national capital through the turmoil of the country’s final days.
In the late 1940s, after the Sino-Japanese War and the Nanking Massacre, Mao Zedong’s Communist People’s Liberation Army surged toward Nanking. Amid a country plagued by corruption, inflation and backroom dealing, Shen overthrew gender roles as she struggled to maintain the mayoral household.
For more than 50 years, Shen (who died in 1999) safeguarded her handwritten memoirs from being published, fearful of criticizing her husband’s colleagues in Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist government. Now the world is ready to learn how Shen navigated the country’s inner politics during its pivotal time.
“Mom had published books, essays and poems in Chinese, but this memoir was her only work in English,” says Shen’s daughter and editor Dr. Jane Shen Schopf.
Eleven gripping chapters chronicle how she forged friendships with diplomats, collaborated with Chiang Kai-shek’s wife Soong Mayling and organized relief for Nanking’s refugees.
This book includes a prologue, a foreword placing the work in context of China’s 20th century military and social history, and more than 150 transliterations of Chinese terms and phrases. More than 70 never-before-published historical photographs and an historical map complement the book.
“This moving, personal journey, set within a concrete historical framework,” writes Beverly Friend, the Executive Director of China Judaic Studies Association, “provides fascinating reading for students, scholars, history buffs, and anyone who wants to delve beneath factual details to experience the human struggles that lie within.
About Inyeening Shen and Dr. Jane Shen Schopf
Prof. Inyeening Shen (1907-1999) was the First Lady of Nanking, and authored books, essays and poetry. She was a university professor, and was awarded an honorary Doctorate degree. She was also a student of China’s grandmaster painter Chang Ta-Ch’ien.
Dr. Jane Shen Schopf, her daughter and editor, is an internationally-known plant biologist at UCLA.
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