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Welcome to the Free Online Scholarship (FOS) NewsletterFebruary 25, 2002
More on the Budapest Open Access Initiative
Since its launch on February 14, the BOAI has attracted participants and press attention. Over 1,000 individuals and several dozen organizations have signed on during the last week. It's especially gratifying to see among the institutional signatories a growing number of journals, library consortia, and universities. Some of the new names are the Library of Congress, the Association of Research Libraries, the Canadian Association of Research Libraries, the University of Pittsburgh, and the Australian Vice Chancellors Committee.
Remember that you can help the cause by signing the online document, persuading your institution to sign it, and spreading the word. We've also written a good-sized list of specific actions that people can take depending on their position --researchers, librarians, editors, publishers, or representatives of universities, foundations, professional societies, or governments.
This week we've also added French and German translations of the BOAI documents.
BOAI Home page
What you can do to help
BOAI FAQ(The FAQ and the list of ways you can help, above, will remain open to revision.)
See who has signed
Sign it yourself
* Here are some news stories about BOAI that have appeared since the last issue of FOSN
ALPSP response to the BOAI(The only criticism I've seen to date.)
Anon., Budapest Open Access Archive Announced (for _LTWorld_)
Anon., Moves Made to Give Greater Free Access to Research Results (for _Cordis News_)
Declan Butler, Soros Offers Access to Science Papers (for _Nature_)(I listed this piece last week, but at that time I linked to my own copy of the article. Now _Nature_ has put it where it is accessible to non-subscribers.)
Denis Delbecq, L'abordage des revues scientifiques (for _Liberation_)
Peter Evans, Budapest Open Access Initiatives [sic] Launched (For the UK _Serials eNews_)
Stéphane Foucart, Guerre ouverte contre le monopole des revues scientifiques (for _Le Monde_)
Alexander Grimwade, Open Societies Need Open Access (for _The Scientist_)
Jon Gordon, Scholarly Journals on the Net (for _Minnesota Public Radio_) [Requires RealPlayer](This is a radio interview of me. I'm happy with all of it except the way it ends. Gordon closes with the remark that priced journals justify themselves by their role in providing peer review. Period. I didn't get to reply. So he leaves the false impression that BOAI doesn't endorse peer review, doesn't know it costs money, or doesn't have a way to cover the costs. To see how I would have replied, see the BOAI FAQ on these points, above.)
Tamsin McMahon, Billionaire Wants Free Web-Based Academic Journals (for _EuropeMedia.net_)
Richard Poynder, George Soros Gives $3 Million to New Open Access Initiative (for _Information Today_)
Sam Vaknin, Copyright and Scholarship (for _UPI_)(This is a wide-ranging interview of me on FOS issues in which Vaknin let me give long answers and his editor didn't cut anything. I thank them both. BOAI comes up in Part II.)
Introduction to HINARI
HINARI is a major FOS initiative launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Open Society Institute (OSI) and now administered by WHO with support from the BMJ and Yale University Library. The name stands for Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative. Under the program, the world's six largest publishers of biomedical journals have agreed to three-tiered pricing. For countries in the lowest tier (GNP per capita below $1k), online subscriptions are free of charge. For countries in the middle tier (GNP per capita between $1k and $3k), online subscriptions will be discounted by an amount to be decided this June. Countries in the top tier pay full price. While HINARI has been on the drawing boards since last spring, it just started delivering free online content to bottom tier countries on January 31.
The six participating publishers are Blackwell Synergy, Elsevier Science Direct, Harcourt IDEAL, Springer Link, Wiley Interscience, and Wolters Kluwer.
The subscriptions are given to universities and research institutions, not to individuals. But they are identical in scope to the subscriptions received by institutions paying the full price.
WHO estimates that there are 500 eligible institutions worldwide in the bottom tier, of which 400 have so far been invited to participate and 100 have already signed up. WHO expects that 200-250 will be signed up by the end of the year. Progress is slowed chiefly by the lack of connectivity, or its high cost, in the areas of greatest need. WHO also estimates that there are 500 eligible institutions in the middle tier, though concentrated in only half as many countries.
The publishers have signed on for 3-5 years under the current terms. The program might be affected by changes in technology, publishing, development, or world events. However, now that a policy framework has been erected, it seems likely that the publishers will continue the program as long as it is needed.
In March, more publishers will join the original six. In June, the participating publishers will announce the discount offered to the middle tier. By the end of this year, WHO hopes to include all the world's biomedical journals in the program. Delivery to middle tier countries should start in January 2003. After that, HINARI might generalize beyond the biomedical fields.
The origin of HINARI can be traced to many sources. One is Kofi Annan's Millennium Report and its accompanying UN initiatives to provide connectivity, content, and training to bridge the digital divide in developing countries. Another is an April 2000 meeting on FOS policy sponsored by WHO at which there were speakers from BMJ and OSI. Another is the editorial for September 30, 2000, by the editors of BioMed Central, BMJ, and the Lancet (and published simultaneously in all three journals) recommending free subscriptions to biomedical journals for developing countries. Another might have been Elsevier CEO Derk Haank's speech at UNESCO's Paris Headquarters on February 2, 2001, urging fellow journal publishers to consider tiered pricing with the bottom tier free of charge.
[I thank Barbara Aronson at WHO for sharing information with me by telephone and email.]
HINARI home page
HIN in HINARI is the Health InterNetwork (from WHO)
World Health Organization
Open Society Institute
BMJ (formerly, British Medical Journal)
WHO Press Release on HINARI, January 31, 2002
WHO Press Release on key HINARI breakthrough (publishers' statement of intent), July 9, 2001
Publishers' Statement of Intent, July 9, 2001
Current list of eligible countries
Kofi Annan's Millennium Report, April 3, 2000
Fiona Godlee, Richard Horton, Richard Smith, "Global Information Flow: Publishers Should Provide Information Free to Resource Poor Countries" (BMJ, 30 (Sept. 30, 2000) pp. 776-77) (Published simultaneously in BMJ, Lancet, and BioMed Central.)
To contact HINARI (e.g. to volunteer to help), send email to <hinari [at] who.int>.
Ripeness is all
In the last month, three major FOS initiatives were launched at one week intervals. On January 31, HINARI began delivering free content to research institutions in the developing world (story above). On February 6, eight major research library organizations representing 600 research libraries worldwide announced the creation of the pro-FOS International Scholarly Communications Alliance (FOSN for 2/14/02). On February 14, the Budapest Open Access Initiative began its project to expand self-archiving, create open-access journals, and recruit foundations beyond the founding Open Society Institute to help to pay the costs of the transition to open-access science and scholarship (FOSN for 2/14/02).
During the same period a couple of other large initiatives were announced for future launch. The Alliance for Cellular Signaling is the largest FOS experiment yet from _Nature_ (FOSN for 2/14/02). Lawrence Lessig announced the Creative Commons, an organization that will offer free, flexible intellectual property licenses that will simultaneously protect authors and promote open online sharing (FOSN for 2/14/02).
In the previous month, SciDev was launched (FOSN for 1/23/02), BioMed Central implemented its funding model to cover the costs of free online access (FOSN for 1/1/02), and the French Académie des Sciences issued a public statement calling on the European Commission not to apply ordinary copyright rules to scientific publications whose authors do not demand payment (FOSN for 2/14/02).
We could consider the recent convergence of FOS initiatives a statistical fluke. If you wait long enough a coin will come up heads 100 times in a row. But this view of it ignores recent history, which shows a steadily growing number of initiatives, experiments, articles, and endorsements of FOS. This is not so much a fluke as a trajectory that suggests growing recognition of the desirability and feasibility of FOS.
International Scholarly Communications Alliance(No home page yet, just the press release of its launch.)
Budapest Open Access Initiative
Alliance for Cellular Signaling
The Creative Commons, beta site
BioMed Central
French Académie des Sciences public statement
* Postscript. This week I wrote the first draft of Timeline of the FOS Movement. I wanted to embed this convergence of FOS initiatives in some recent history, see the local trajectory and test for randomness. Have a look. Let me know what you think belongs on such a list.
Timeline of the FOS Movement (first draft)
Supreme Court to rule on threat to public domain
The Supreme Court announced last week that it will hear the Eric Eldred case during its coming term. Eldred is challenging the constitutionality of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998, which retroactively added 20 years to the life of existing copyrights. (The rule is now that works created by individuals are protected for the individual's lifetime plus 70 years, and works created by corporations are protected for 95 years.) Extending the life of copyright delays the transition of copyrighted works into the public domain. Eldred's interest is that he maintains a web site of free full-text books in the public domain.
You may not feel a threat to FOS in copyright extension. But think of it this way. Mark Lemley, a lawyer for the Internet Archive, estimates that without the Bono copyright extension, 9,853 out-of-print books published in 1930 could be put online with no permissions or royalties in 2005. If the Bono Act is upheld, free online access to them will be blocked for another 20 years, perhaps longer if Congress extends copyright again in the future. Further extensions are likely: Congress has extended the term of copyrights 11 times in the last four decades.
Shrinking the public domain through retroactive copyright extension not only harms the interests of readers, and the authors of derivative works, but may violate the constitution's copyright clause, which allows Congress to create copyrights that protect authors' rights "for limited times". Eldred will also argue that retroactive copyright extension violates the First Amendment.
Eldred lost in the lower courts. (See FOSN for 4/24/01, 7/31/01, 1/16/02.) Lawrence Lessig has been his lawyer, and will argue the case before the Supreme Court. The Bush administration opposes Eldred and will argue that the public's right to use content is satisfied by fair-use rights under copyright law and is not harmed by a delayed transition into the public domain.
The content industry, led by Disney, wants to keep its intellectual property from entering the public domain for as long as possible, and will not stop lobbying for further copyright extensions. The copyright on Mickey Mouse would have expired in 2003, a calamity that many believe the Bono Act was designed to avert. If true (as I said in a recent interview), this is a "grotesque inversion of values".
News coverage of the Supreme Court's decision to take the Eldred case
Eldred's web collection of full-text books, Eldritch Press
Eldred's "Support Online Books" page (includes links to other relevant pages)
OpenLaw page on the Eldred case(OpenLaw is to litigation what open source is to software. If you are qualified, register yourself and join the strategy discussion.)
Zimram Ahmed explains why copyright extension costs everyone(Thanks to Politech.)
Jacob Sullum explains why it is unconstitutional and bad policy to boot(Thanks to Freedom News Daily.)
Dennis Karjala's page of news and links opposing copyright extension
My discussion of copyright extension (in Part II of Sam Vaknin's interview with me for UPI)
* Postscript. Courts rarely face FOS issues directly. The reason is simply that FOS isn't illegal and no bill or legislation I've ever seen would outlaw it. But many acts of legislation have the potential to slow it down, narrow its scope, or close off one of the many avenues it could pursue. From this point of view, the Eldred case is among the most important FOS cases yet brought to the Supreme Court, on a par with Tasini last June.
FOS is entirely compatible with copyright as it is, and does not depend on the public domain. Therefore, Eldred could go either way and many forms of FOS would be completely unaffected. But this case matters for FOS because the public domain is one very important avenue of FOS, even if not the only one.
Why FOS is compatible with copyright
Why FOS doesn't need the public domain
* A recent survey of chemists by DK Associates reveals that their most-used online source of chemical information is ChemWeb, followed closely by Google --two free sources. (PS: ChemWeb is owned by Elsevier but developed by Current Science, the same people who developed BioMed Central. I'm not surprised that Google is on the short list. I'd bet that similar surveys in any other discipline would put Google in the top two or three. This is remarkable since it is not optimized for scholarship and includes peer-reviewed, unreviewed, and crank writings without discrimination. However, its sort algorithm doesn't rank them equally. It uses the network of links as a kind of communal peer review. Even though the peers in this network are academics and non-academics, the algorithm still tends to make worthy work rise higher in its sort list than unworthy work.)
* When the free online journals published by SciELO were included in ISI, their visibility grew quickly. Researchers from Oxford University report in the January 21 _Nature_, that the average impact factor of the SciELO journals covered by ISI grew 133.7% since their inclusion. SciELO produces scientific journals for Brazil, Latin America, and the Caribbean. (PS: This shows that while open access increases visibility and impact, recognition by channels already used and respected by scholars can boost visibility and impact even further. Not a surprise but a reminder that accessibility is necessary but not sufficient for impact.)(Thanks to Serials eNews.)
* Search Engine Watch has announced its award-winners for 2001. Highlights: Google won for Outstanding Search Service (and four other awards). Scirus won for Best Specialty Search Engine.
* The Krazsna-Krausz Moving Image Book Awards were awarded in London on February 5. The two top prize-winners took home Ł5,000 each. They were _Writing Himself into History: Oscar Micheaux, His Silent Films and His Audiences_ by Perl Bowser and Louise Spece (Rutgers University Press) and _Special Effects: The History and Technique_ by Richard Rickitt (Virgin Books and Billboard Books).
* The University of British Columbia is developing an "Education Commons" to integrate all the free online teaching and learning resources used by its faculty.
* A journal that often carried FOS-related articles, _The Future of Print Media_, has died.(Thanks to Walt Crawford.)
* CrossRef and SFX are now fully integrated. This means that at sites using both technologies, the reference links provided by CrossRef will take the user's licenses into account as determined by SFX.
* Douglas Rushkoff has found a print publisher for _Exit Strategy_, his "open source" novel. The book was published online last July so that readers could enlarge it with their own footnotes (FOSN for 11/26/01). Soft Skull Press will soon publish the novel in print; the footnotes will stay on the web, where they will continue to grow.
* The license agreement for Network Associates (NA) software prohibits the publication of reviews of the software without the company's approval. New York State is suing the company to remove the restrictive covenant from the license. NA says it only wants to make sure that reviewers are evaluating the newest versions of its products. (PS: This case raises some deep questions. Clearly users have a right to review NA software without approval, at least until they consent to waive this right. Is it about time to say that tearing open shrink-wrap is not a valid manifestation of consent? If consent to licensing terms can waive rights created by copyright law, such as fair use, does it follow that it can waive fundamental free speech rights as well? If so, should NY stay out of the picture and let users decide when to waive their rights? Could a journal publisher add a similar covenant to the license it offers to libraries? Could institutional consent to such a license bind all the employees of the institution?)
* SightSound Technologies has won a court decision that it owns the patent on downloading music and video. (PS: What is disturbing about this judgment is not that it thwarts the Napster movement, which is not relevant to FOS, but that a company could patent the downloading of music and video. If this can be patented, why not the downloading of text? The wires don't know and don't care how humans interpret the bits. The decision is also disturbing because it will hinder FOS as scholars learn to take better advantage of the internet as a medium of scholarship and, at least in some fields, increasingly rely on multi-media to report their research results.)
New on the net
* The Resource Libraries Group (RLG) has created a discussion list for those implementing the Open Archival Information Systems (OAIS) reference model. Subscription is free.
* Bentham Science Publishers is offering free online access to all of its 2000 and 2001 journals during 2002, but only during 2002. Access is through ingenta. (PS: What's going on here? A year from now, will Bentham really see enough revenue in these back issues to reinstate price limitations on access?)(Thanks to the Manchester Metropolitan University Library.)
* Oregon State University is scanning Linus Pauling's notebooks and putting the images online free of charge. The collection will include notebooks from 1922 to 1994, and should be complete on February 28. Since the OSU story says nothing about payment, I assume Pauling's estate donated these papers, unlike Francis Crick, who got $2.5 million for his (see FOSN for 12/26/01, 1/1/02). Linus Pauling was the only man to win two unshared Nobel prizes (Chemistry in 1954, Peace in 1962). He died in 1994.
* Version 41 of Charles W. Bailey, Jr.'s Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography is now online. The new edition cites more than 1,550 articles, books, and other printed and electronic sources on the publication of online scholarship.
* The text-e online seminar has moved on to a new text, "The New Architecture of Information" by Stephana Broadbent and Francesco Cara. This paper will be the subject of the online discussion until February 28.
* The Public Knowledge Project at the University of British Columbia has released a Research Support Tool (RST) to accompany content posted to its online publishing system. When users pull up an article, the RST will automatically create a sidebar of links to useful auxiliary information. There is a working demo at the site. The RST has been implemented so far only for the field of education, but it will soon extend to other disciplines.
* The UBC's Public Knowledge Project has also released Open Conference Systems, free software for organizing scholarly conferences and publishing their proceedings to the internet.
* There's an interesting discussion now taking place on ERIL-L (Electronic Resources in Libraries) on the question whether library bibliographic records should contain links to Amazon and other commercial bookstores so that researchers can take advantage of their online reviews, tables of contents, and other services, including of course the possibility of purchase.(Free registration required.)
* Peek-a-booty has finally launched. Peek-a-booty is a P2P program for bypassing censorship imposed by governments, ISP's, employers, schools, or libraries (see FOSN for 5/25/01, 7/10/01). It was supposed to launch in July 2001, but was delayed to plug some security holes. Although it has now launched, its developers say it won't be secure enough to use for another six months. Peek-a-booty is especially promising because the previous leader in this niche, SafeWeb, recently removed its free service from the web, at least temporarily (FOSN for 9/21/01, 11/26/01).
Peek-a-booty home page
News stories on the launch
In other publications
* In the March issue of the _MIT Technology Review_, Wade Rousch asks whether we are witnessing the death of digital rights management. The question doesn't arise because content companies are abandoning DRM in favor of free online access, but because the DRM providers are slashing their workforces and going out of business. Rousch's diagnosis: partly the dot-com recession, partly "technological shortcomings" of DRM (some which hurt the provider, some which hurt the reader or consumer), partly a shortage of paying customers for DRM-protected online content, partly a shake-out and consolidation of the DRM manufacturers. I sense another factor implicit in Rousch's discussion: corporate indecision about what the software should do, that is, how much it should alienate users in order to protect providers.
* Also in the March _MIT Technology Review_, Seth Shulman reports on the November 9-11 conference on the public domain at Duke University (FOSN for 11/26/01). What makes the conference notable for Shulman is the way it brought different kinds of intellectual property (IP) activists together the way the environmental movement brought different kinds of environmental activists together. Once we realized that environmental issues were interwoven, groups that differed in focus or emphasis had good reasons to work together. IP activists are now coming to the same realization. "These issues are interwoven because they all involve balancing similar kinds of private and public needs in a knowledge-based economy. And yet, the various parties -—from the League for Programming Freedom to the American Library Association-— have tended to work in isolation on their own narrow sets of issues. But the parochialism is fading as parties learn they're arguing about the same issues. Which is why the Duke meeting could go down as a watershed: it marked the start of an organized movement to protect the conceptual commons."(Thanks to Red Rock Eater.)
* In the March issue of _Cites & Insights_, Walt Crawford responds to the Theodore Zeldin and Jason Epstein symposium papers at Text-e. (He responded to four other Text-e symposium papers in the February issue.) He also evaluates the last 2001 issue of _Library Hi Tech_, which is devoted to ebooks, and has kind words for FOSN, saying it "provides a fine mix of personal commentary and annotated links." Thanks, Walt.
* In a guest editorial in the March issue of _New Architect_, John Perry Barlow interprets the current state of copyright law. "[J]ust as sharing makes us civilized, it's sharing that makes civilization....I know that this is a fairly obvious observation. That's why I'm stunned that so many kinds of sharing have suddenly, without public debate, become criminal acts. For instance, lending a book to a friend is still all right, but letting him read the same book electronically is now a theft." In discussing the DeCSS and Felten cases: "Suddenly, it's as though there is no difference between discussing murder and committing it."
* In a February 21 posting to _WoPEc_ (of a July 2001 paper), Robert Parks argues that not even free online journals will solve the serials crisis because free online journals will not give authors an incentive to submit their works to them rather than to the priced journals. He doesn't predict that FOS will fail to materialize, only that at best it will co-exist with priced journals. Some of his arguments are very weak: authors don't really want more readers, because this costs them additional time in responding to their queries. When editorial boards resign to create FOS journals, they are replaced. Readers don't care whether journals cost a lot of money provided their institutions pay the costs. (PS: Parks gives many reasons to think that incentives to use priced journals might persist. But he does very little to show that these incentives are strong, durable, or weightier than contrary incentives. Author incentives are an important problem for FOS. But all the indicia of significance and prestige can belong to FOS journals, even if cultivating them takes time. And already FOS journals give authors a larger audience, superior visibility, and greater impact, which are overriding incentives for a growing number of authors.)
* In a February 18 article in the _New York Times_, Sarah Milstein describes the rise of a defensive intellectual property tactic: instead of obtaining patents or copyrights, putting the ideas into the public domain so that competitors cannot patent or copyright them. (PS: When self-interest joins good policy, good policy is sure to prevail.)
* The February issue of _D-Lib_ Magazine contains several FOS-related articles.
Stewart Granger, "Digital Preservation and Deep Infrastructure"
Makx Dekkers and Stuart L. Weibel, "Dublin Core Metadata Initiative Progress Report and Workplan for 2002"
John Kirriemuir, "Video Gaming, Education and Digital Learning Technologies: Relevance and Opportunities" (see FOSN for 10/5/01)
Eric F. Van de Velde, "OpenURL Standardization Moving Forward"
Peter J. Quinn, "The Astrophysical Virtual Observatory"
Susanne Dobratz, Birgit Matthaei, and Dr. Peter Schirmbacher, "Open Archives Forum"
* In the February 17 _New York Times_, William Broad reports on steps taken by the Bush administration to block public access to ever larger bodies of scientific knowledge in order to keep it out of the hands of terrorists.
In the February 20 _Chronicle of Higher Education_ Kate Galbraith tells the comparable story in Britain.(Accessible only to CHE subscribers.)
Another story on the British development, this one accessible without subscription.
* In a February 18 _CNN_ story, Scarlet Pruitt reviews recent DMCA litigation for the general public, including the Sklyarov and Felten cases. This is a good introduction to the many problems identifiefd in the DMCA.
* In a February 15 article for _LLRX.com_, Mary Minow summarizes the implications of the USA PATRIOT Act for the privacy of library patrons using library internet terminals.
* In a February 13 story for _Salon_, Christopher Dreher reports on the rise of government demands that bookstores reveal who is buying what.(Thanks to LIS News.)
* The February issue of _RLG DigiNews_ contains several FOS-related articles.
Trevor Jones and Beth Sandore, "We don't know the first thing about digitization"
Kizer Walker, "Integrating a Free Digital Resource: The Status of 'Making of America' in Academic Library Collections"
Feature on METS: Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard
* The February issue of _Cultivate Interactive_ has a large number of FOS-related articles.
David Fuegi, "Russia Joins the Cultivate Family"
Silke Grossman et al., "Regnet: Cultural Heritage in Regional Networks"
Gordon Clapworthy, "BioNet"
Adelheit Stein et al., "The COLLATE Collaboratory"
John Perkins, "Disclosing Digital Cultural Wealth: Museums and the Open Archives Initiative"("Sustained testing of the OAI protocol seems a logical and sensible research initiative that will bring us closer to making the rich information resources museums hold more widely available to researchers and other users.")
Monica Segbert, "[Digital Library] News from the Russian State Library"
Edwin Klijn, "SEPIA: Safeguarding European Photographic Images for Access"
Esther Gregory and Michael Ryan, "CHILDE: Children's Historical Literature Disseminated Throughout Europe"
Carol Peters, "Cross-Language Evaluation Forum (CLEF)"
Annette Kelly and Caroline Clery, "Activate: New Access And Services For Cultural Content"
Miloš Drdácký and Jan Válek, "ARCCHIP: Advanced Research Centre for Cultural Heritage Interdisciplinary Projects"
Monika Segbert, Anna Maria Balogh and Rima Kupryte and Darius Cuplinskas, "eIFL: Electronic Information for Libraries"(A good introduction to this important program and some related programs with which it achieves synergy. "There are many projects supported by the European Union that can and could use the network created through the eIFL network to transfer knowledge and research results, enable closer networking with institutions in the EU, and aid capacity building pioneered in the 10 years of OSI operations in the region.")
* In a position paper presented at the NSF Workshop on Open Source Software (last revised 2/4/02), Walt Scacchi explores the "processes, practices, and communities that give rise to open source software". Scacchi makes cultural observations about open source developers that transfer well to the scholars in the FOS movement. For example: "[O]pen source developers appear to have a unique work culture including priorities such as seeking the truth, developing a professional reputation through software development, believing in the value of free software, and pursuing their own preferences in work." Scacchi points out that physicists are more likely to believe that open source software advances research than scientists in genomics and other fields closely tied to potential patents.(Thanks to Red Rock Eater.)
* _NewScientist_ has published a series of letters to the editor about its experiment with copyleft (see FOSN for 2/6/02).
* In a recent but undated story for _KnoxNews_, Larisa Brass describes how the digital revolution has changed the job description of librarians.(Thanks to LIS News.)
* In a recent working paper posted to Indiana University's Center for Social Informatics, Rob Kling and two co-authors describe what they call "Guild Publishing" as a fifth model of free online scholarly publishing, after ejournals, hybrid paper-electronic journals, authors posting to their own web sites, and self-archiving to institutional or disciplinary archives. Guild Publishing is the free online dissemination of working papers or technical reports sponsored by academic departments or research institutes. For example, all major U.S. computer science departments, and 250 others around the world, sponsor research manuscript series, as do all major research institutes of high energy physics. Kling and his co-authors enumerate six advantages of Guild Publishing: local control, ease of innovation, quality control through "career review" (based on the reputation of the department or institute), accessibility, economy, and compatibility with other publishing models. They also list three disadvantages.
* In another recent working paper posted to IU's CSI, Rob Kling traces the evolution of E-Biomed into PubMed Central. He studies postings to discussion lists and concludes that Harold Varmus' original idea for E-Biomed responded to criticism and objections raised by publishers and scientific societies. An incidental conclusion of some weight is that "scientific societies and individual scientists they represent do not always have identical interests, especially in regards to scientific e-publishing".
* In a January 15 story in _UPI_, Sam Vaknin explores the future of electronic publishing, commercial publishers' clumsy embrace of the internet, and the prospect that priced online content can attract a paying audience. He predicts that online commercial publishing will start to flourish "as hardware improves and becomes ubiquitous, as content becomes more attractive, as more versatile information taxonomies are introduced, as the Internet becomes more gender-neutral, polyglot, and cosmopolitan....This renaissance will probably be aided by the gradual decline of print magazines and by a strengthening movement for free open source scholarly publishing."
* The January issue of _Information Research_ is devoted to Cross-Lingual Information Retrieval Research.
* In the January issue of the _Journal of the Medical Library Association_, Rollo Turner explains why electronic journals have not reduced journal prices or simplified licensing contracts. (PS: The good news is that most of the costs Turner identifies for ejournals exist only for priced journals that want to restrict access to paying customers.)(Thanks to Shelflife.)
* In a December 10 article in _The Scientist_, Isaac Ginsburg argues that the tendency to disregard older research literature is a threat to honest science. He enumerates several causes for this "Disregard Syndrome". Not on his list, but implicit in his discussion of the "pre-Medline era", is the tendency of researchers to prefer the convenience of free online searches to the inconvenience of paper searches, even if free online searches are limited in scope to recent literature. (PS: True. We just have to be careful not to confuse the solution with the problem. The solution is to extend the convenience of FOS to more of scientific literature, not to retreat from this convenience. For more, see my comments on the death of Ellen Roche in FOSN for 8/23/01.)
The January 21 issue contains several letters to the editor on the Disreegard Syndrome.
Eugene Garfield's commentary on the Disregard Syndrome.(Thanks to LIS News.)
Following up
* Noam Chomsky's Turkish publisher has been acquitted of violating Turkey's anti-terrorist laws by publishing Chomsky's latest book of essays. (For the background, see FOSN for 1/30/02.)(Accessible only to CHE subscribers.)
* California Supreme Court will hear the Bunner appeal, the state-court version of the DeCSS case (see FOSN for 12/5/01). Bunner won a lower-court decision that the First Amendment gave him the right to publish the DeCSS source code for bypassing copy-protection on DVD's.
If you plan to attend one of the following conferences, please share your observations with us through our discussion forum.
* Integrating @ Internet Speed: Strategies for the Content Community [conference on reference linking]Philadelphia, February 24-27
* Getting your message across: How learned societies and other organizations can influence public and government opinionLondon, February 25
* Electronic Journals --Solutions in Sight?London, February 25-26
* [Public lecture], Will Thomas and Ed Ayers, "The Next Generation of Digital Scholarship: An Experiment in FormWashington, D.C., February 27
* Meeting of the Digital Preservation CoalitionLondon, February 27
* A Symposium on the Research Value of Printed Materials in the Digital AgeCollege Park, Maryland, March 1
* International Spring School on the Digital Library and E-publishing for Science and TechnologyGeneva, March 3-8
* CURL ePrints WorkshopGlasgow, March 4
* Search Engine StrategiesBoston, March 4-5
* Redefining [Digital] Preservation (ARL and the University of Michigan)Ann Arbor, Michigan, March 7-8
* Towards an Information Society for AllBerlin, March 8-9
* Knowledge Technologies Conference 2002Seattle, March 10-13
* 17th ACM Symposium on Applied Computing. Special tracks on Database and Digital Library Technologies; Electronic Books for Teaching and Learning; and Information Access and RetrievalMadrid, March 10-14
* Digitization for Cultural Heritage Professionals: An Intensive ProgramChapel Hill, North Carolina, March 10-15
* EUSDIC Spring Meeting. E-Content: Divide or RuleParis, March 11-12
* Open Publish 2001Seattle, March 11-14
* ARL Workshop on Interactive Publishing of Data on the WebCharlottesville, Virginia, March 11-15
* Computers in Libraries 2002Washington D.C., March 13-15
* International Conference on the Statistical Analysis of Textual DataSt. Malo, March 13-15
* The Electronic Publishers Coalition (EPC) conference on ebooks and epublishing (obscurely titled, Electronically Published Internet Connection, or EPIC)Seattle, March 14-16
* Digital Resources and International Information Exchange: East-WestMarch 15 (Washington DC), 18 (Flushing NY), 20 (Stamford CT)
* Internet Librarian International 2002London, March 18-20
* The New Information Order and the Future of the ArchiveEdinburgh, March 20-23
* Institute of Mueum and Library Services. Building Digital CommunitiesBaltimore, March 20-22
* Advanced Licensing WorkshopDallas, March 20-22
* Electronic Publishing StrategyLondon, March 22
* OCLC Institute. Steering by Standards. (A series of satellite videoconferences.)Cyberspace. OAI, March 26. OAIS, April 19. Metadata standards in the future, May 29.
* WebSearch UniversitySan Francisco, March 25-26; Stamford CT, April 30 - May 1; Washington DC, September 23-24; Chicago, Octeober 22-23; Dallas, November 19-20.
* European Colloquium on Information Retrieval ResearchGlasgow, March 25-27
* e-Content: Discovering and Delivering ValueToronto, March 25-27
* New Developments in Digital LibrariesCiudad Real, Spain, April 2-3
* The New Information Order and the Future of the ArchiveEdinburgh, March 20-23
* Copyright Management in Higher Education: Ownership, Access and ControlAdelphi, Maryland, April 4-5
* Global Knowledge Partnership Annual MeetingAddis Ababa, April 4-5
* International Conference on Information Technology: Coding and ComputingLas Vegas, April 8-10
* NetLab and Friends: 10 Years of Digital Library DevelopmentLund, April 10-12
* E-Content 2002 (on ebooks)London, April 11
* Censorship and Free Access to Information in Libraries and on the InternetCopenhagen, April 11
* International Learned Journals Seminar: We Can't Go On Like This: The Future of JournalsLondon, April 12
* SIAM International Conference on Data MiningArlington, Virginia, April 11-13
* Creating access to information: EBLIDA workshop on getting a better deal from your information licencesThe Hague, April 12
* Licensing Electronic Resources to LibrariesPhiladelphia, April 15
* United Kingdom Serials Group Annual Conference and ExhibitionUniversity of Warwick, April 15- 17
* Conference on Computers, Freedom, and PrivacySan Francisco, April 16-19
* EDUCAUSE Networking 2002Washington, D.C., April 17-18
* Museums and the Web 2002Boston, April 17-20
* Legal Guidelines for Use of Intellectual Property in Higher EducationOneonta, NY, April 19
* Information, Knowledges and Society: Challenges of A New EraHavana, April 22-26
* DAI Institute on The State of Digital Preservation: An International PerspectiveWashington, D.C., April 24-25
* The European Library: The Gate to Europe's Knowledge: Milestone ConferenceFrankfurt am Main, April 29-30
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View ACF COVID-19 Responses and Resources
I would like to share with you the story of my family's experience with the Southeastern North Dakota Community Action Agency Head Start. My journey with this program starts in the fall of 1999, 10 months after being resettled to Fargo as a refugee. Being the first family from Burundi to be resettled in the community, I did not have any friends or relatives to walk with me through the challenges of starting over in a new world. Head Start played a crucial role in my adjustment and if, today, we are doing very well as a family, I credit that to the tremendous support and education we received during the times my children were respectively in the program.
Coming from a country where school and home have a clear separation, I did not expect Head Start Family Advocate and Health Coordinators to help me with anything other than information pertaining to school. They helped me navigate the different systems like health, education, and employment. For example, when my son Yann needed a dental appointment, they asked me if I needed help scheduling or if I had transportation to take him to the doctor's office. After my daughter Nicole had a vision screening at Head Start, they advised me to take her to the eye doctor, and sure enough, she needed glasses. They made me feel very comfortable and knowing that I could call "anytime about anything" gave me peace of mind. I found in them the friend, the relative I left behind.
I also attended as many parenting classes as I could, because they were very helpful and free. The environment was always welcoming. Being a single parent is not an easy responsibility, and raising children in a country with a different culture, different expectations, and different rules made it even more challenging. Head Start was a great resource for me. I hope the level of services remains the same for many more families in similar situations as mine throughout the years.
My two children were not only ready for kindergarten when they completed Head Start, but they also had developed a level of self-confidence that will help them their entire life. Being in multicultural classrooms at that young age helped them integrate faster and learn better. I loved the fact that my children were not the only students of African descent. In North Dakota, not all the parents can brag about the fact their child attended a diverse preschool. Our community is so lucky to have a program like this.
Today, Yann is 15 and Nicole is 9. They are both very well adjusted socially and emotionally. Academically, they excel! They both are or have been in gifted students programs at their schools whenever those programs were available. They are involved in youth groups at church and active in the community as volunteers, even at a young age. They have big dreams and I have no doubts that they will achieve them!
As a family of New Americas, SENDCAA Head Start gave us the head start we needed to have a successful life in our new community. We are very grateful!

subset: commoncrawl


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摘要: July 23, 2010 -- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be in the brain, not in the mind。 IBS patients tend to suffer anxiety and depression, but they tire of being told their symptoms of diarrhea, constipation, and/or pain are all in their minds。 Now there's evidence that their underlying p......
July 23, 2010 -- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may be in the brain, not in the mind.
IBS patients tend to suffer anxiety and depression, but they tire of being told their symptoms of diarrhea, constipation, and/or pain are all in their minds.
Now there's evidence that their underlying problem may be due to the structure of their brains, says Emeran Mayer, MD, professor of medicine, physiology, and psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles.
"Discovering structural changes in the brain ... demonstrates an 'organic' component to IBS and supports the concept of a brain-gut disorder," Mayer says in a news release. "The finding removes the idea once and for all that IBS symptoms are not real and are 'only psychological.' The findings will give us more insight into better understanding IBS."
Mayer, David A. Seminowicz, PhD, and colleagues at UCLA and Canada's McGill University used sophisticated scans to compare the brain anatomy of 55 women with moderate IBS to 48 age-matched healthy women.
The finding: Thinning grey matter -- the part of the brain rich in neurons -- in specific areas of the brain. The affected areas involve:
Importantly, brain areas linked to anxiety and depression were no different in IBS patients than in anxious or depressed people without IBS.
The findings, Seminowicz and colleagues suggest, point to a difference between IBS and chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia.
In chronic pain syndromes, nerves constantly send increased pain signals to the brain. But in IBS, the brain itself seems to be amplifying pain signals it receives from the bowel.
The researchers say future studies should look at family members of IBS patients, to see if they inherited the same brain anatomy that may increase a person's risk of IBS. If so, the studies may reveal genetic components of IBS and point the way to new treatments.
The study appears in the July issue of the journal Gastroenterology.
IBS effects up to 50 million Americans, mostly women. Sign-up for the GI Disorders newsletter and start getting the latest news on treatments & management of IBS from WebMD - the health information provider you trust.


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Standard Template Construct (STC) systems were advanced, artificially intelligent computers created during the Dark Age of Technology which are said to have contained the sum total of human scientific and technological knowledge. The STC was invented when human interstellar civilisation was at its technological peak. Introduced during the Dark Age of Technology before the Age of Strife, an STC allowed workers to build anything from a Lasgun to a fortified bunker or the fearsome interstellar warships now used by the Imperial Navy. STC systems possessed the ability to not just store information but also to produce new designs to meet changing circumstances. Examples of STC technology still in use are the Rhino Armoured Personnel Carrier, the Land Raider and the Baneblade. Imperial forces (especially those of the Adeptus Mechanicus) will go to any length to recover a lost or stolen STC, even if it means the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Imperial citizens. It is said that even the flimsiest rumors of an STC system will spark cross-galaxy journeys, titanic fleet search operations, and the spending of untold lives and treasure. A STC system was possessed by every group of human colonists before the Age of Strife, allowing them to build all of the equipment necessary for survival on an untamed colony planet. During the Age of Strife the systems fell into disuse, were damaged or destroyed, and so became increasingly rare, until they were lost entirely. In the Age of the Imperium, after so many thousands of years, it is unlikely that any have survived. What technological knowledge remains from the Dark Age of Technology survives only in the form of STC hard-copies that have been preserved and copied over thousands of years by the Tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus, who believe that STCs are the most holy of artefacts.
The Age of the Imperium is not a technically-inclined era in human history. It is an age where problems are solved by brute force and ignorance, where dangers are either too gross or too unthinkable to elicit any other response. Technological innovation and invention does not exist, and those that come into contact with technology use it with reservations and a reverence that is almost religious. The Space Marines, for example, treat their equipment and armour as if it were imbued with a will of its own - a fine chest-plate, well looked after and constantly maintained may reward its wearer by saving his life; whereas a Space Marine who neglects his equipment may be struck down by a leaking suit or malfunctioning weapon. Such is the will of the Emperor.
Much of the technology used by the Imperium is recovered from Standard Template Constructs, or STCs. These databases were designed during the Dark Age of Technology for use by human settlers establishing colonies on newly discovered planets. Their prime function was to enable the colonists to construct shelters, power generators and transports without prior knowledge. The designs contained within an STC were intended to be able to cope with anything - by the standards of their day they were rough and ready, big and brutish, hard to damage and easy to repair. During the Age of Strife human civilisation reverted to barbarism, and almost all of the technological innovations of the previous millennia were lost or destroyed. All that survived from before that terrible time were debased and corrupted versions of the old STC designs, scattered and lost on thousands of back-water planets across the galaxy. These databases contain lost knowledge from the Dark Age of Technology, and the Adeptus Mechanicus make it their business to find them -- the STCs are their equivalent to the holiest of holy texts, a font of all knowledge, a quest for the holy grail.
The STC was an advanced, artificially intelligent computer data system designed to provide construction details for human colonists during Mankind's early interstellar expansion across the Milky Way Galaxy before the massive Warp Storms of the Age of Strife brought an end to all interstellar travel and communications for several millennia. Each group of colonists carried such a system when they embarked for their new homes. It enabled the colonists to build efficient shelters, generators and transports without any technical knowledge and using almost any locally available materials. The user simply asked how to build a house or a tractor and the computer supplied all the necessary plans. The rare STC Library is said to contain the total sum of all human knowledge of the great human interstellar civilisation that existed before the onset of the Age of Strife, but as the technological level needed by the majority of the human population at that time was simple, most STC systems were for producing relatively unsophisticated technology like threshing machines and aircraft, not Warp energy taps or holographic field emitters. Very few examples of STC schematics for the more advanced devices have been found. The STC systems themselves worked by providing in a hololithic format the full schematics for a machine, device or vehicle according to the given needs of the user. This resulted in the production of some extremely sturdy, functional designs still found throughout the Imperium. Since no confirmed reports of a fully functional STC Library have been made since the Dark Age of Technology, the full nature and contents of the STC--and what technological secrets and wonders it may contain--remains unknown.
Age of the Imperium
Although the most advanced technological information eludes the Adeptus Mechanicus, through their efforts, much has been either recovered or reconstructed through comparison of copies. Recovered STC data eventually lead to the ability to construct such mighty vehicles as the Land Raiders, and rediscovered STC designs serve as the basis for all other Imperial technological advancement.
While the STC would prove to be the crown jewel of human technological achievement, they would also lead to the loss of that same knowledge. Men of Iron, artificially intelligent (AI) constructs created by humans to fight their wars and carry out jobs that might otherwise risk a human life, eventually turned on their masters, sparking a major war with humanity that would see much of the advanced interstellar human civilisation that flourished during the Dark Age of Technology destroyed and lost. This war occurred early in what was later named the Age of Strife, though it is unclear whether it came before or after the cataclysmic Warp Storms that destroyed the earliest interstellar human empires.
After Mankind's downfall and the following years of deep technological neglect and regression, it became very rare for an intact STC to be found. Only through the recovery of the ancient print outs from the STC systems has mankind scraped together much of its knowledge and its current understanding of Dark Age technology.
Known STC data in use by the Imperium at the present has created the ubiquitous Land Speeder, the Thunderhawk gunship and the Land Raider of the Adeptus Astartes, along with lasguns, starship parts and most of the other advanced technologies of the 41st Millennium. Perhaps the most important fragments of any STC led to the creation of the Land Crawler, a farming and utility vehicle that has kept the Imperium fed since its earliest days.
The Dark Angels recently rediscovered an STC in the later years of the 40th Millennium, using its information to create advanced engines. These engines allowed the Dark Angels to design their Nephilim Jetfighter, which to this day have only been used by them and their successor chapters. In addition the Dark Angels have another STC, containing the information on how to create Rift Bombs, that can cause fluctuations in space and time, which they have hoarded to themselves. In addition the Dark Angels may be in possession of an STC for Imperial Jetbikes, as Corvex, the last jetbike in the Imperium, has been thought to have been lost or destroyed multiple times, but has always somehow returned. Whether they have an STC or a cache of Imperial Jetbikes is unknown. When faced with inquiry and allegations of hoarding lost technology, the Dark Angels have adamantly denied possessing any STCs.
An STC for the Castigator-class Titan was once discovered; however, it proved to be corrupted by Chaos and was destroyed by Justicar Alaric of the Grey Knights. Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt also once found an intact STC (for Men of Iron, no less), but this was also corrupted by Chaos and had to be destroyed as well.
STC Discovery Incidents
- A Standard Template Constructor was found by Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt on the world of Menazoid Epsilon during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade. The full abilities of the device were never made clear, but it is known that the device could make the actual objects (constructs) corresponding to a standard template, rather than producing designs. In this case, it made the legendary "Men of Iron"; robotic soldiery that were considered heretical in the Imperium because they possessed true artificial intelligence, but it is possible that the Constructor also held and/or could create other STCs. However, the device had been tainted by Chaos and the robots it produced were misshapen monstrosities that attacked humans on sight. To prevent the use of these robots, Gaunt destroyed the device. In this novel several statements are made regarding the importance of a STC found earlier: "Sixty years ago [...] a team of Imperial scouts found an intact STC [...] It was the Standard Template Constructor for a type of steel blade, an alloy of folded steel composite that was sharper and lighter and tougher than anything we've had before. Thirty whole Chapters of the great Astartes are now using blades of the new pattern. The scouts became heroes. [...] each was given a world of his own. It was regarded as the greatest technological advance of the century..."
- A STC Library was located on the planet Hito. This planet had escaped from the Warp and was reclaimed by the Imperium. The library was hidden by the local clerical Order of Heavenly Virtues who managed to deceive Imperial agents as to the library's existence to keep its secrets out of the Imperium's hands.
- An original STC Titan, a "Castigor-class autonomous bipedal weapons platform, created for fire support and siege operations", was discovered on the planet Chaeroneia by a team of Grey Knights investigating that long-overrun Imperial Forge World . It was quite larger than an Imperator-class Emperor Titan and made use of superior technology.
- Just before the outbreak of the Horus Heresy the Warmaster Horus encountered a technologically advanced human faction known as the Auretian Technocracy who still possessed some amount of Standard Template Construct-derived technologies. Having been corrupted by Chaos by this time, Horus declares war on them. After a brutal and grueling conflict, Horus gifted the recovered STC technology to the Fabricator General of Mars in return for the assistance of what became the Dark Mechanicum in his war against the Emperor of Mankind, but no more has been heard of it since then. It is possible they are still on Mars, hidden away and hoarded by the Adeptus Mechanicus.
- Codex Imperialis by Rick Priestley
- Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (1987) by Rick Priestley
- First and Only (Novel) by Dan Abnett
- Dark Adeptus (Novel) by Ben Counter


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Congratulations, Dennis Schröder! you're only four games into your career, and you've already joined the illustrious fraternity of NBA players who have hit other NBA players in the dick.
Schröder unleashed his nut-shot on DeMarcus Cousins during Tuesday's Hawks-Kings game. This particular groinal assault doesn't seem to have been as deliberate as others we've seen in the past, but it was enough to make DeMarcus Cousins very mad and to earn Schröder a one-game suspension from the league.
Schröder should serve his suspension during the Hawks' game against the Nuggets tonight. Rest easy, Nuggets players. Your dicks and balls are safe for now.


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This is going to be what I like to call a "political" prediction.
That is to say, I'll post my genuine, honest to God feelings as to what's going to happen in the fight; but I'll do so while mentioning some of the other potential outcomes.
In other words:
I'm hoping to make my prediction while covering my ass.
Anyway, here's what I think:
Manny Pacquiao has demonstrated in his previous fights in the 140 lbs+ weight range, that his speed, tenacity, and chin have survived the climb in weight.
In Antonio Margarito, Pacquiao will be facing a naturally larger opponent, creating perhaps the largest size disparity he'll have faced up to this point.
Despite the size issue, here are some of my thoughts Pacquiao as a fighter in general:
Manny's greatest assets in my book, are his impeccable footwork; wherein he keeps his feet set and primed for leverage and power regardless of his positioning, his calculated exploitation of the obscure punching angles granted to him by his Southpaw stance, and his tendency to breach his opponent's comfort zone for slightly longer stretches than most fighters are capable.
What I mean by that last statement, is that Pacquiao uses in-and-out tactics with his power punching; but with greater emphasis on the "in" than the "out."
Most fighters dart in for a few shots, reset; and start from scratch.
Manny darts in for A SHIT TON of shots, changes angles, and comes in for some more; all while generally remaining (or at least feigning that he is) within his opponent's perceivable punching range.
This results in many opponents chasing Manny in instances when he's really not far enough away for such actions to be a viable option I.E. Ricky Hatton.
Lunging/charging fighter + Filipino with superior handspeed = Filipino with another KO notch on his belt.
In terms of punching angles, to my knowledge Manny's best shots come straight down the pipe ala a Southpaw Kostya Tszyu, or swatting down from above with a right hook to the point of the chin.
In general, like any good middle range fighter, he aims to connect at the height of extension, though in his case he tends to aim for the chin with his hooks instead a broader target like the the temple or sinus.
And you wonder why he's been knockin' fools out all these years?
Enough about Pacman, it's time to show Antonio Margarito some respect:
Antonio Margarito's best assests are his granite chin, the tremendous volume of his punch output, and his capacity to continually build momentum throughout the fight.
The Tijuana Tornado has a chin, I don't think anyone would argue that.
To date, Shane Mosley is the first and only fighter to knockout Antonio Margarito, in what was an incredibly one-sided affair.
Despite this, one has to take into consideration the fact that 'ole Sugar Shane had to club the mighty Mexican across the jaw with overhand rights for nearly 8 rounds straight before his legs began to wobble.
Make no mistake, water droplets can crack any rock given enough time, and in the case of Antonio Margarito, it took around 24 minutes of torrential downpour for it to finally happen.
The man was knocked out, yes; but in no way should that make anyone discount his ability to take punishment.
Moving on, Margarito is a very large Welterweight with average handspeed, but with a round-to-round punch output and well-varied repertoire of punches to make up for it.
He's a classic example of the "Bionic Mexican (TM)":
A momentum and pressure based fighter with an incredible chin that loves to go to the body, but will gladly throw at whatever you show him in the meantime.
That being said, Margarito is an especially large example of the Bionic Mexican, particularly at his weight.
No doubt aware of this, Margarito stalks his opponents and keeps his gloves in their face all night until they mentally break down.
While said strategy often results in him eating a lot more shots than most trainers would like to see their fighters deal with, it also has the added benefit of causing fighters to fight on the move, forcing opponents with foowork issues to throw the majority of their punches from weak stances, thusly diminishing the power of their shots I.E. Miguel Cotto.
In terms of best punches, I have to say that I've always felt Antonio Margarito had a particularly nasty uppercut with both hands.
Given the length of his arms, I'd imagine it comes from below many fighters periphery, as well as reaches farther than most would expect; thusly resulting in a elusive and powerful punch that is hard to see coming.
Not only that, it should also be mentioned that said punch is usually backed up by about 20 other punches from several different angles.
Add it all up, and you have a whirlwind of solid shots from all angles, with one particularly nasty one hiding out somewhere just below.
Now then, let's get to the prediction, shall we?:
Manny Pacquiao, UD or TKO round 6-8.
As with all of Manny Pacquiao's fights since he started his journey North of 135 lbs, the only way I see him losing if the other guy gets to do "his thing."
In the case of Ricky Hatton, I felt that if Ricky could only win if he could get his annoying ass "clinch and hit" game going.
He didn't, and the result was one of the grandest blow-outs I can recall seeing on live TV.
In the case of Miguel Cotto, I felt that if the stout Puerto Rican could stymie Pacman with his jab, and then play him into his left hook to the body, he might have a chance at taking the fight.
While Cotto managed to do both of these things, for about 10 seconds; he was ultimately unable to cope with the footwork and angles of Pacquiao, and was thusly hurt too early in the fight to build any sort of momentum.
As I mentioned earlier, it's all about the comfort zone with Pacquiao.
In short, he denies his opponents of ever acquiring one for themselves over the course of the fight.
Fighters like Juan Manuel Marquez, that have the benefit of a sturdy chin and the capacity and to adjust mid-fight, as well as the willingness to stand and trade in order to weather the storm, are exactly the types of fighters that have what it takes to handle Pacquiao.
Bear in mind I said "handle," not "beat."
In Margarito I see a fighter that has all of the traits I just mentioned, except for the ability to adjust.
While I would never go so far as to say that Antonio Margarito is a one-dimensional fighter, (he's not) I don't see him as having the sufficient level of science in his fighting to take a step back and say:
"This isn't working. Let's start over next round."
As such, I have a feeling that this fight could end up being another case of Pacquiao doing his thing, while the other never gets a chance to show what he's got… While eating an ungodly amount of punches.
While that is my gut feeling and my official prediction for the Pacquiao\Margarito fight, there are a few alternate scenarios I feel are worth mentioning:
First off, Margarito's chin, coupled with his punch output; could in fact put Pacquiao in his place.
Unlike Ricky Hatton, whose rigid head and neck posture caused his damage to pile up prematurely, Margarito, much like his fellow contemporary Bionic Mexican brother Librado Andrade, is amazingly skilled at rolling with the punches.
While Pacquiao's hardest shots come straight down the middle, thusly negating this maneuver; said technique could allow the Tijuana Tornado to power through some of Pacman's more superficial punches, thereby allowing Margarito to land some shots of his own, thusly turning quick potshots into full-blown exchanges.
Make no mistake, if Margarito can exchange with Pacquiao as he's attempting to step in or out of range, the momentum factor could make for some interesting later rounds.
Another aspect of the fight to take into consideration, is the fact that neither fighter is known to clinch very often, if at all; and yet both display a vulnerability to the technique.
In the case of Margarito, the clinch was instrumental in Shane Mosley's victory over him, as it allowed him to smother his punches, as well as land heavy shots on the way in without the danger of follow-up shots to contend with.
While I have yet to witness anyone able to successfully clinch with Pacquiao with any sort of regularity, my gut tells me he too would have issues contending with it.
He's a middle-range fighter with impeccable and commanding footwork, meaning if you take those factors away from him, he's left with a crippled offense and the fatigue brought on by the constant grappling.
While I honestly don't see it happening, if Margarito really wants to win, (and lose the respect of his fans in the process) it would be interesting seeing him stoop to the level of using the methods of his previous conqueror to take on Pacman.
Truth be told, while clinching is supposedly a form of cheating according to the official rules of the sport, for this fight it would make a lot of sense for Margarito to try.
He's got the height and wingspan to take full advantage of it, and the disparity in size would most certainly wear on Pacquiao, regardless of how deep his stamina reserves may be.
Anyway, after a long day of work this is just about everything I can think of to say on the subject of Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito.
I probably won't be seeing this one live, so make sure to check it out for me!
Filed under: Boxing, Movies, Uncategorized, 2, analysis, Antonio Margarito, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Azn Badger, blog, Bob Arum, boxing, fighters, Fighting, Filipino, Golden Johnson, HBO, in and out, in-depth, Juan Manuel Marquez, Judgement Day, Kostya Tszyu, Librado Andrade, light, main event, Manny Pacquiao, Mexican, Middleweight, Miguel Cotto, Mikkel Kessler, pay per view, Philipines, ppv, prediction, pressure, Puerto Rican, Puerto Rico, punching, review, Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley, Six, size, Southpaw, Super, Terminator, Tijuana, Top Rank, volume, weight, welterweight


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Ae you laid back or scheduled with homeschooling?
Discuss unschooling, eclectic, the unit study approach, or any other "unusual" homeschooling method.
Moderators: Theodore, elliemaejune
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Ae you laid back or scheduled with homeschooling?
I feel that I am right in between. My children may have a certain time that we start school at, but if they need a break for an hour, then we can take a break! How about you guys? Are you laidback or scheduled?
I would guess that depends on how autonomously your children can study. If all of them are under grades 3-4 or so, and they're fairly self-motivated, then you don't need to oversee much and they can go off and study whenever it's convenient for them. If they need a bit of a push, or if you need to be there to answer questions or oversee experiments or whatever, then scheduling a study time is obviously going to be helpful. But either way, short breaks between subjects won't hurt - concentration starts to drop after 30 minutes to an hour depending on age and attention span, unless the subject/activity is one that your children really enjoy. Even if you have a rigid schedule, it should have breaks built into it.
Most of my friends think we're so structured it's scary, whereas my husband has been known to say I'm so relaxed my brains are falling out. I wanted to unschool, but my kids wanted structure, so structure it is. We have an order we start to follow each day, but there are few days we don't get away from it to some degree. I like to finish everything I plan each day for the first week or two of each term, and after that things kind of blow in the breeze.
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- Location: Gloucester VA
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I used a very organic approach to teaching using every day things to explain lessons instead of doing a structured lesson.
For example when I was teaching my daughter about photosynthesis I shined a bright light on the leaves of a plant under water and we watched bubbles of pure oxygen form and drift to the surface.
Physical science we learned primarily in the dojang doing martial arts.
For example when I was teaching my daughter about photosynthesis I shined a bright light on the leaves of a plant under water and we watched bubbles of pure oxygen form and drift to the surface.
Physical science we learned primarily in the dojang doing martial arts.
www.dunamistao.com Fun family friendly martial arts you can do at home.
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- Location: United States
I am extremely structured and feel I have to be. My kids are only 4 and 5 and we have already started a full time year-round school schedule. They have lots of breaks throughout the day to play, but we start mostly on time, take our breaks on time, and switch from one "class" to the next on time. When the weekends come, they enjoy the break from school, but by the end of Sunday they are excited to start another week of school again the next morning. Don't know how long this approach will work for, but for now, it's clicking.
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First came flooding that washed out roads, then the government shutdown, which closed all 401 national parks, including Rocky Mountain National Park, and further devastated Estes Park's economy.
"Someone just said to me, 'We were just getting up and running, then we got a sucker punch,' " Estes Park Mayor William Pinkham said. "People just felt incredibly empty."
In the first 10 days of the government shutdown, Rocky Mountain National Park lost more than $4.8 million in tourist dollars, according to estimates from the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees.
On Thursday, Gov. John Hickenlooper announced that the state was working with the Department of Interior to reopen Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park until the road closes for the winter, typically around Oct. 24.
Both the budget for opening and maintaining the high-altitude road — and a funding source — are still being hammered out by state officials.
Reopening Trail Ridge Road would restore a second access point for Estes Park and boost tourism in the last weeks of the high fall season, when people typically head to the mountain town for leaf peeping and to hear the elk bugle.
"With Trail Ridge Road open, the possibilities are fabulous," Pinkham said. "There are spectacular views of snow-covered mountain peaks and aspens from the road. A lot of people don't necessarily get out of their cars. They just go for the views."
But many in Estes Park are hoping that more than Trail Ridge Road will be opened, especially after the Interior Department, which manages national parks, said Thursday morning it will begin conversations with state governors, including Hickenlooper, who want to use state funds to reopen national parks to keep their tourism industries afloat.
"We need it all to open," said town of Estes Park spokeswoman Kate Rusch. "Not only do we have about 200 National Park Services employees (in the area) who are not able to go to work now, but this is also the gateway to the park. There's been a real decline in visitors to a community struggling to recover from the flood — and that's a huge blow."
Some visitors, disappointed that they can't hike the park trails during the season of perfect weather and fall colors, are trading ideas over beers at the Estes Park Brewery.
"The feedback I've gotten from customers is that they want to hike the trails, maybe sign a waiver they'll do it at their own risk," said owner Tyler Lemirande. "They're disappointed they couldn't go on the hikes they'd planned."
Opening Trail Ridge Road will allow people to reach Estes Park from Summit County and Grand Lake.
"Any way to get more people to Estes and the hotel would be beneficial, not only to us, but to the community as a whole," said Stanley Hotel guest services manager Jesse Freitas.
"The floods had enough of an economic impact," Freitas said, "and the shutdown of the national parks is a bit more of a setback."
Colleen O'Connor: 303-954-1083, email@example.com or twitter.com/coconnordp


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Artist Visa Act Passes in the House; (04/01/08)
House Approves Artist Visa Act!
Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to improve the artist visa process! The "Arts Require Timely Service (ARTS) Act", H.R. 1312, is sponsored by Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA) and 12 other bipartisan leaders, and would improve the reliability, efficiency, and affordability of the artist visa process.
Since 2001, orchestras, the League, and our arts colleagues have urged Congress and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to remove barriers to international cultural events by improving the burdensome and unpredictable artist visa process.
Congratulations! Your advocacy has advanced this issue through the House!
ARTS Act to Speed Visa Process
The Arts Require Timely Service (ARTS) Act has strong bipartisan support in Congress and would improve the reliability of the visa process by reducing total processing times for O and P nonprofit arts-related visa petitions to a maximum of 45 days.
How would it work? Currently, USCIS provides Premium Processing within 15 calendar days for petitioners able to pay an extra $1,000 fee - which is unaffordable to most arts organizations. Under the ARTS Act, USCIS would be required to treat as a Premium Processing case, free of additional charge, any arts-related O and P visa petition that it fails to process within 30 days.
During today's debate on the House floor, Reps. John Conyers (D-MI), Lamar Smith (R-TX), and Dan Lungren (R-CA) spoke in support of the ARTS Act. Only one member of Congress, Rep. Steve King (R-IA), spoke in opposition to the bill. The vote was taken under a process called "suspension of the rules," which resulted in a successful voice vote, so no recorded vote was taken.
Find Complete ARTS ACT Background
Next Step: Senate Action
Before the ARTS Act can be signed into law, it must next be approved in the Senate. The House bill will soon move to the Senate for consideration, where the groundwork for support has already been set by Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) who introduced a similar provision, S. 2178. The League will continue working closely with the Senate to advance this measure and bolster support as the bill heads toward a vote.
While we await final approval of the ARTS Act, please contact the League for assistance with the artist visa process. The League can provide technical assistance to help in the preparation of visa applications, and information about your experiences with the visa process helps to inform our advocacy work in Washington.
Tips for Navigating the Current Visa Process
Coalition Efforts Continue
Coordinated advocacy efforts have been essential to advancing the ARTS Act, which is supported by the broad arts community and was one of 11 policy issues addressed during today's national Arts Advocacy Day events.
Efforts are led by the Performing Arts Visa Task Force, which includes the American Arts Alliance, American Federation of Musicians, Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Dance/USA, League of American Orchestras, North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents, OPERA America, and Theatre Communications Group.
The League will keep you posted as the ARTS Act moves ahead.
The League is a member of the American Arts Alliance, a coalition of national performing arts service organizations dedicated to advocating for national policies that recognize, enhance, and foster the contributions the performing arts make to America.


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From Our Editors
Personal Trainer Academy is one of the UK forerunner fitness and personal trainer course providers. All courses are taught by industry experts who are active in the industry, teaching up-to-date theory and content. Upon completion of courses, clients can be put in touch with top UK recruiters in the fitness industry, to kick-start their fitness and personal trainer careers.


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Father, We Worship Thee
1. Wilt thou now our Heav'nly Father
Hear us from thy blest abode.
We thy Saints have met together,
Here to worship thee, our God.
Health and ev'ry needful blessing
Wilt thou send us from above.
Still in works and faith progressing
May we share thy boundless love.
2. We thy name with praise extolling
Thank thee for thy mercies past.
Help us magnify our calling
In thy kingdom to the last.
Then to thee, our Heav'nly Father,
We'll come home to worlds above,
With thy children, all together,
Where we once enjoyed thy love.
Text: Joel Johnson
Music: Margo Faraoni
Artist: Johnson/Faraoni
Album: Music Published in the Church Magazines: New Era
Composition Date: 1995-02-01
More Info: New Era


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Grooves and fills inspired by the icons of rock.
Ear-deafening guitars, screeching vocals and thunderous bass in all their glory, but at the end of the day, a rock song is only as good as its heartbeat the groove. With the Arena Rock MIDI pack, we reclaim center stage and let the floodlights shine on the drummer. This is the ultimate collection for fans of every stripe of big, earth-shattering rock where the beat is not only important, but pivotal.
Imagine the menacing force of the Foo Fighters, the sturdy groove of a Bruce Springsteen tune or the headstrong rhythm of a Bon Jovi track and your first song idea is already on the drawing board. Add to that the wide array of tempos, variations and fills included and youll be all set for your next batch of hard-hitting rock songs.


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Wisconsin Safety Assistant Gains National Recognition by Putting Children First
Laura Vernon wins education award for excellence
BALTIMORE - March 07, 2008 -Laura Vernon rarely shies away from helping children. She solicited donations so high school students from low-income families could attend the prom. She also volunteered to tutor students during the summer months to help them stay focused. These examples help explain why Vernon is the 2008 NEA Education Support Professional of the Year.
"In my professional practice, as I perform my job every day, I am there for the children," said Vernon. "I regularly extend myself beyond the workday if it will help a child. I know that I cannot have others join me if I am not actively involved in working to better our community."
Education support professionals account for about 40 percent of educators working in public schools and 483,000 of NEA's 3.2 million members. They include school bus drivers, cafeteria workers, school nurses and safety assistants—like Vernon—who help keep public schools in Milwaukee safe.
"The teaching staff she works with knows that she is dedicated, wise and fair," said Mary Bell, president of the Wisconsin Education Association Council. "They rely on her work and guidance daily."
Vernon received NEA's highest honor for education support professionals during the annual ESP Conference in Baltimore, Md. This year's theme is "NEA ESP: Vital Partners in Public Education." The two-day event provides training sessions and workshops for professional growth and development.
NEA President Reg Weaver presented the award to Vernon this evening. It includes a $10,000 check. Vernon will give half of the money to a charity of her choice.
"When you understand Laura's accomplishments, you get a better sense of how integral ESPs are to children receiving a quality education," said Weaver. "Her contributions to the children of Milwaukee Public Schools have benefits that extend beyond the classroom."
Vernon, who has been a Milwaukee Public Schools employee for 33 years, is currently a member of NEA's Board of Directors and credits the Association with grooming her into the leader she is today.
"It is my responsibility to continue to run the race until I can pass the baton to the next person," said Vernon. "I want to touch everyone I can and hopefully motivate them to believe in the work that we do for the children."
Gardner Rich and Co., Inc., a Chicago brokerage firm, annually contributes the funds for the ESP award. The firm was founded by Chris Gardner, who is the author of "The Pursuit of Happyness." Gardner's life was depicted in the 2006 film of the same title. He serves on the board of The NEA Foundation.
The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.
Contact: Brian Washington (202) 822-7823


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Dayton: Bernese Mountain Dog Breeders
Below is a sample search of our Bernese Mountain Dog breeders with puppies for sale. The search tool above returns a list of breeders located nearest to the zip or postal code you enter. From there you can see photos of their pups, find detailed information on their web page and contact them by e-mail, phone and even get driving directions.
(Detailed contact information has been omitted. Enter your zip or postal code above to access our up-to-date directory).
This is a FREE search tool! Use the form at the top to get complete listings for breeders in your area!
Important: Breeders.net has not screened the listed breeders and accepts no responsibility for their reputation or quality. It is your responsibility to investigate. See How to Find a Dog.
Red Barn Bernese
Services: Puppies
AKC registered Bernese puppies, 1shots and microchip ready fo new homes Labor Day weekend. 3 Available males, nice big bone structure, champion bloodlines! Red Barn Bernese on Facebook!
Bear Acres
Services: Puppies,Adult Dogs,Stud Service
Bernese Mountain dog puppies available May 2013 ! All breeding dogs have completed health screenings. We guarantee all our puppie for 5 YEARS! Call for more details
Picket Fence Pups
Services: Puppies,Stud Service
We have 3 dogs who are a big part of our family. They love running, playing, riding on our 4-wheeler & swimming in our creek. Our 2 female BMD, Maggie and Kali, and their young friend Sadie.
Rocky Top Acres
Services: Puppies,Stud Service
We are a small farm that raises a few litters of Bernese puppies. All puppies will be well socialized and family raised, will have first shots, dew claws removed, wormed and vet checked.
Services: Puppies,Adult Dogs
Will be breeding Molly to Howie first part of April. If all goes well should have puppies in June. Call,text or email me to be put on my list 269 792-9586.
Bultsma Berners
Services: Puppies,Stud Service
Willow Wood Bernese
Services: Puppies
Next litter is planned for Fall 2020
Services: Puppies
Bernese Mountain Dog puppies for sale. First litter is all sold. Bernese are great family dogs and very gentle. Deposit of $500 to reserve. We are planning to breed again at the end of October 2020.
Meyer Farms
Services: Puppies
Our next litter is expected the middle of November 2020. Puppies will be ready to go home at 8 weeks and will be dewormed, have their first shots and dewclaws removed.
Bernese of Zurich
Services: Puppies
2019 PUPPIES have all found furever homes. We are happy for the families that will love these puppies!We are a small Bernese Mtn dog breeder focusing on breeding great companions & family members
Honeybear Berners (tm)
Services: Puppies,Rescue
Please call 815 941 2492 for information on gorgeous champion sired puppy availableFor 30 years we have been committed to breeding healthy, long-living, beautiful Berners with excellent temperament
Bull Valley Bernese
Services: Puppies,Stud Service
Cameo Bernese Mountain Dogs
Services: Puppies
I've been showing and occasionally breeding since 96. I do my best to try to produce a happy healthy dog. My dogs are my family and I expect the same for any puppies I place.
Ulrich Kennels
Services: Puppies
Beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog puppies available! Well marked, AKC, dew claws removed, current on vaccinations and vet checked. Parents are wonderful dogs with great dispositions. Males only, $1200.
Memories Bernese Mtn Dogs - est 1988
Services: Puppies,Adult Dogs,Stud Service,Rescue
PUPPIES planned! Young adult(s) available now. You are invited to contact us about anything "Berner!" Our Bernese are health screened & raised lovingly in our home
Driftless Bernese
Services: Puppies,Adult Dogs,Stud Service
Puppies born August 9th 2018. Call 224-381-6474 or visit our website for more information. Stud service is available to approved females.Member BMDCSEW & BMDCAwww.Driftlessbernese.com
Winterfell Bernese Mountain Dogs
Services: Puppies,Adult Dogs
Small hobby breeder and competitive show dogs.Visit our website for info/photos.World Class European and American Champion Bloodlines/health clearances listed on Bernergarde
Beth's Bernies
Services: Puppies
We provide high quality puppies. They are big healthy puppies that are well socialized and possess the Berner temperament that's so sought after. Health guarantee provided as well as microchipping.
Recherche Bernes
Services: Puppies
Recherche Bernes sell only fully trained pups. All adults are imported from Europe with all health clearances. Pups are AKC registered and come with 4 year health warranty. Visit website for more
Bellevue Acres
Services: Puppies,Stud Service,Rescue
We do not have puppies at this time. The next litter is planned for early August and will be available to go to their new homes in early October.
Denise with the Bernese
Services: Puppies
To be edited later
Mel's Berners
Services: Puppies
no puppies available
Eversleigh Bernese Mtn Dogs
Services: Puppies,Adult Dogs,Stud Service
Excellent Pedigrees. All Health Clearances.Our Berners are health screened and members of our family. Home of BIS winner. Champion Berners. Many of our Berners also have Working Titles.
Hilltop Heritage
Services: Puppies
NEW LITTERS OF BERNESE AND TRI-COLOR MINI BERNEDOODLE PUPPIES AVAILABLE FOR RESERVE NOW. CHECK WEBSITE FOR DETAILSwww.hilltopheritagemtndogs.com
Services: Puppies
Services: Puppies
I am a license business , I accept cash and paypal my day is spent getting my puppies social.
Beiler's Berners
Services: Puppies
Contact us to get on our waiting list for the next litter (484)919-4593Visit our website for picturesBeilersberners.weebly.com
Services: Puppies,Stud Service,Rescue
Farm raised and family dogs that get alot of individual love and attention. Bred to standard with European and American backgrounds. OFA cert. hips. Show & pet . Puppies available Now..
Scroggy Road Kennel
Services: Puppies
Health Certification by vet, shots, worming. AKC registered.
Shindy Ridge
Services: Puppies
Serious inquires.We are conveniently located within driving distance from most north-eastern areas. (NYC+Philly+Boston)


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Merrillville Real Estate
Merrillville is located in Indiana. Merrillville, Indiana has a population of 35,224. Merrillville is more family-centric than the surrounding county with 28.79% of the households containing married families with children. The county average for households married with children is 28.33%.
The median household income in Merrillville, Indiana is $49,711. The median household income for the surrounding county is $49,617 compared to the national median of $53,482. The median age of people living in Merrillville is 36.4 years.
Merrillville Map
View Homes for Sale in Merrillville
Merrillville Weather
The average high temperature in July is 83.2 degrees, with an average low temperature in January of 16.7 degrees. The average rainfall is approximately 39.3 inches per year, with 32.7 inches of snow per year.
Real estate near Merrillville
Nearby Cities
Nearby Cities Homes for Sale
Merrillville Zip Codes


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About Zacks
In 1978, our Founder and CEO was the first to discover that earnings estimate revisions are the most powerful force impacting stock prices. Today, our strong commitment to independent research and sharing its profitable discoveries with investors is at the center of everything we do. That includes providing both individual investors and institutional investors the data and tools they need to make informed investment decisions. Learn More
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Learn More with Zacks.com Stock Help
Contact Our Zacks Media Room
Many of Zacks Senior Analysts make themselves available to the news media. To see which analyst covers the industry you report on, please visit our electronic media room. Learn more.


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Global Strategy
"BAILIXIN"company`s home textiles products go across the European Union,Southeast Asia,who exports to Japan,SouthKorea,England,France,America,Canada South America and the other 34 countries and regions.
All above all, "BAILIXIN" export volume ranks first of Hebei province all the year round.
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Amazing People Facts
Following are some amazing people facts:
- A Greek monk Mihallo Toltos never saw a women in his life. When he was born, his mother died and the baby was taken the following day to a monastry atop the Mount Athos. He spent his life among the monks-isolated from women. Even female animals were not allowed to enter the monastry.
- Mrs. Laurel Nisbel of USA survived for 37 years and 58 days on lungs made of metal.
- Richard the Lion-Hearted King of England spent more than 95% of his reign away from his kingdom and visited England only twice.
- Italian flag was designed by Napoleon Bonaparte.
- In India, the Chenchu tribe believe that sex at night produces blind children.
- 20,000 men laboured for nearly 20 years to bring the Taj Mahal at Agra, to its final shining glory of perfection beside the Yamuna river. The building, a mausoleum of pure white marble, was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the body of his beloved second wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
- The oldest man-made structures built in 3250 BC still standing are stone henge-like temples. The megalithic buildings are at Magarr and Skorba on Motta and a Ggantija on the nearby island of Gozo.
- Two irrigation dams built by Roman Engineers in the 2nd century AD in Merida, Spain, are still in use. The only major maintenance work they have needed in the past 1800 years has been the renewal of their stone facings, carried out in the 1930's.
- The American Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, made his first car in the garden shed at his home in Michigan in 1896
- The longest lived man was Shirali Nislimov who died on sept. 8, 1978 at the age of 168 years.
- More than half of the world's people are rice eaters.
- Rafael Molina known as Lagartijo, the famous 19th century bullfighter, killed some 4867 bulls.
- Leonardo da Vinci was a painter, inventor, lute player, sculptor, military engineer, scientific observer, anatomist, architect, town planner as well as a committed designer.


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Pirates hope Alvarez continues strides from October
All-Star, Silver Slugger third baseman eyes improvement from breakout 2013
BRADENTON, Fla. -- The first two full years that Pedro Alvarez spent in the big leagues established that the Pirates' third baseman is a power hitter to be reckoned with. Thirty homers in 2012. Tied for the National League lead with 36 last season, made his first All-Star Game, reached triple digits in RBIs, won the Silver Slugger Award.
Then came the playoffs and maybe, just maybe, the curtain parted and the world got a glimpse of the upside the 27-year-old still possesses. In six games in October, when it matters most, he set a record by driving in at least one run in each of his first six career postseason games. He batted .300. He hit three homers. His OPS was 1.148.
Which begs the question: Is Alvarez, the second player taken overall in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, on the verge of taking yet another giant step forward in 2014?
Clint Hurdle would like to think so. The Pirates' manager has said that his team's optimal lineup has Alvarez batting cleanup, a spot in the order that Alvarez hasn't been able to consistently hold down to this point.
"As impactful as anything for me was the postseason, what he was able to throw out there," he said. "It was good at-bat after good at-bat.
"We'll see how that plays. I do have to believe that he's been able to empower himself. His teammates were empowered by it, the quality of his at-bats. And he went to the post for us. If you look it up, I put it on Pedro last year. I challenged him in a very strong fashion, and he responded very, very well."
Maybe it's not fair to keep expecting more from a player who is fifth in the Major Leagues in home runs the last two seasons. Whose average of one homer for every 15.5 at bats was the best in the NL. Who became the first Pirate to lead the league in homers since Willie Stargell in 1973 and set a franchise record for homers by a third baseman. Those who know Alvarez best, though, suggest he expects more from himself than anybody.
"What it is, Pedro is a perfectionist. He wants to be the perfect hitter. He wants to be the perfect fielder," said Pirates third base coach Nick Leyva, who works with the infielders. "He's a good thinker. He's always thinking. And sometimes you've just got to play this game instinctively. Just leave it alone and go out and play with your physical ability. He analyzes a lot. We've gotten him to step back a little bit and just relax.
"The three years I've had him here are basically the three years he's been in the big leagues. We've been together. Great improvement. His work habits are second to none. We set up a routine for him in Spring Training that we want him to do on a daily basis and he sticks to it."
His defense is getting better. While he made 27 errors each of the past two seasons, he also accepted nearly 100 more chances in the field in 2013 than he did in '12.
Inside the clubhouse, he's known as a great teammate. To outsiders, he's a bit of an enigma; he chose not to be interviewed for this story. But even those who see him up close, every day, believe he will continue to improve.
"I think the sky's the limit for Pedro. He's extremely talented. He works so hard," said second baseman Neil Walker. "Everybody knows his abilities on the offensive side of things. I've always considered him a very special player. He's had a couple solid seasons and he's only going to get better. He's a solid contributor to this team. He knows his abilities and he's going to get the most out of them."
And while there's no guarantee that having success under the bright lights of the playoffs will be a launching pad to even bigger and better things, it can't hurt, either.
"This game is so much about confidence and when you have that kind of confidence, especially in the postseason and especially in big situations, it can certainly take you to that next level. From a mental standpoint, it can put you in a really good place going into the next season," Walker said.
Any hitter is better when he can work the count in his favor, but some of the numbers are striking. Alvarez went to an 0-2 count in 118 plate appearances last season, which helps explain why he batted .233 with a .296 on-base percentage. When behind in the count, he hit just .142. When he got ahead, though, he batted .326.
"The [goal is] get him to being more focused on what pitchers want to do to him," said hitting coach Jeff Branson. "Understand how pitchers attack him. 'What are they doing to me in certain situations?' [Late in the season and in the postseason], he started to understand, but he still has ways to go. At bat, he has to find the freedom not to have to think about mechanics."
Even though his production didn't reflect it, Alvarez struck out just 22 times in September, by far his lowest total of any month. That may have foreshadowed the numbers he put up in October, the eye-popping performance that has the Pirates thinking the best may still be yet to come.
"We [want him to] continue to maximize what he showed in September and October," said general manager Neal Huntington. "And that was the ability to close down, and the ability to close some of those holes and to become a better hitter with power [rather] than a power hitter that occasionally gets hits. He's making great strides there."
And, if October is any indication, he may be primed to continue making great strides in 2014.