An old favorite worth revisiting

When I get frustrated scanning through my Google results for what should be a simple question - like finding a reverse phone directory -  I got to  refdesk.com .  Just be careful - you can spend a lot of time there.   I just spent the last hour looking at my favorite comics, finding how to clean things, finding calculators, medical information and good online games.  Their Just for Fun heading is sure to keep you occupied, or distracted for quite some time.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Just the Facts

With just over a week to go in what can safely be described as a contentious election, this is a good time to think about facts. Exactly how accurate are the claims of politicians and political advertising?

There are a number of good web sites to help answer this question. PolitiFact.com , sponsored by the St. Petersburg Times, provides a "Truth-o-meter" judging the degree to which a claim or ad is accurate. For another site, try FactCheck.org, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center .

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Just the Facts

In this presidential election season, knowing the facts and knowing whether the candidates get them right matter. For help in making those judgments and keeping those politicians accountable, go to FactCheck.org . This site monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases.


Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Fact about Place

As attorneys, you must apply the law to the facts. At times, you first must uncover those facts. Legal issues frequently arise in a particular place and you frequently need facts about those places. One good resource for facts about places is Dataplace.org .

Dataplace.org provides access to data at geographic scales ranging from the neighborhood to the nation. The site currently contains data from the 1990 and 2000 Censuses (demographic, economic, housing, and social characteristics), Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (home mortgage applications and loans), Section 8 Expiring Use database (neighborhood- and property-level data on federally assisted housing at risk of loss), and Consolidated Plan special tabulations (data on housing needs by household income level).

Dataplace.org also provides mapping tools and area profiles .



Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat