text:
Carburetor Secrets Exposed!
When it comes to any hot rod or custom car, the engine is the lynchpin. Not only does it provide propulsion, it also defines the vehicle's character. Whether a big cube V-8 or nimble in-line four, it will affect how the car accelerates and behaves. But crucial to making any kind of throttle response possible is the fuel system and how the juice is delivered into the engine's combustion chambers. That's where the carburetor or injectors come in. The merits of fuel injection are well known, but for the purpose of this article, we're going to take a more traditional approach, focusing on carburetors for your hot rod – what's available and how the right carb can make your car run at its very best.
A Simple Principle
Carburetors are very basic instruments, little more than a tube or pipe. At the bottom of the tube is a moveable flap (the throttle plate), while the pipe itself narrows below the throttle plate. At the narrowest point (the venturi), a jet is fixed at an opposed angle to the wall of the tube. Via a mechanical pump and reservoir (tank), fuel is fed by gravity into a chamber, which contains a float that controls the flow. Once in the chamber, the fuel is drawn into the tube through the jet. As it meets with the air, it is forced down the venturi and into the engine's manifold and combustion chamber. The throttle plate controls the flow of air – the more open it is, the greater flow and the more combustible the air/fuel mixture is. This increases power, since the higher the volume of air, the more quickly it's heated as it enters the chamber.
As automobile engines have to deal with different loads and throttle inputs to cover a wide variety of driving and temperature situations, carburetors generally have three cycles for delivering air and fuel to the combustion chamber, where it can be ignited. These are idle, part throttle and full throttle.
In an ideal world, the perfect air/fuel ratio for complete combustion, also known as the Stoichiometric ratio, is 14:1 (14 parts air to 1 of fuel), which maximizes combustion and minimizes exhaust emissions from the engine. However, in order to achieve anywhere near this 14:1 ideal, the carburetor and engine need to have reached optimum temperature.
At idle, the throttle plate is almost fully closed. That means there's very little air pressure on the top, but a great deal of vacuum on the bottom since, velocity is sucking what air there is into the manifold. As a result, a secondary jet is located below the main jet, close to the bottom side of the throttle plate (the idle jet). This uses greater vacuum to draw more fuel into the intake manifold when the plate is closed.
When the engine is cold, it needs more fuel to reach the combustion chamber, since the air isn't hot enough to achieve ignition from the sparkplug anywhere near the Stoichiometric ideal. The fuel needs to be forced down the tube faster to ignite the mixture. In order to make this possible, a secondary flap or valve, called a choke plate, is fitted under the main throttle plate. When the engine is cold, this choke completely shuts off airflow from the top of the carburetor, further increasing the vacuum in the bottom of the venturi and allowing a greater volume of fuel to flow into the manifold. As the engine warms up, the choke plate gradually opens, and by doing so reduces the flow of fuel from the idle jet as the air pressure decreases. Chokes can be manual, usually operated by a hand-pulled lever, or automatic, whereby they use an idle electrical circuit via a heat sensitive wire and element that's linked to the vehicle's ignition system and fuel cut-off valve. With an automatic choke, as the engine gets hotter, the wire element heats up and the choke plate opens, slowing the rate of fuel through the idle jet.
Once the choke plate is fully open at part throttle, the automatic choke is shut off, as fuel delivery is taken over by the main jet. The main jet or jets are usually specifically calibrated to deliver the required rate of fuel in relation to throttle plate position, using needle valves operated by screws on the side of the carburetor housing, which allow the fuel flow to be adjusted.
Nearly all carburetors use a mechanically-operated throttle linkage, either via rods and levers or cables to control the position of the plate, which controls the velocity of air and fuel, hence acceleration and power delivery of the engine. At full throttle, another jet, known as the air-bleeder, mounted above the main one, pre mixes the air and fuel via an emulsion tube and forces it down where it meets with the main jet and pushes the mixture into the venturi. This is designed to provide sufficient fuel flow that cools the air at higher temperatures. As the air heats up, it's more at risk of igniting on its own under compression without a spark, which can cause flame outs in the combustion chamber, resulting in considerable engine damage.
Carburetor Design
The very first known carburetor, called the "Rotary-Brush Atomizer," was created by Siegfried Marcus in 1875 for use on an internal combustion engine. It comprised of a reservoir or bowl that contained fuel and a rotary brush feeder, driven by a pulley. As the brush turned, it scooped fuel out of the reservoir and flung it into the air, where vacuum created by the engine's pistons drew the mixture down into the engine. It was crude and not entirely effective. However, British engineer Fredrick Lanchester took the Marcus concept and refined it, adding wicks that ran into the reservoir from a compartment above. Fumes given off from both the wicks and fuel ignited once they entered the engine, promoting better combustion. However, like Marcus' design, the Lanchester wick carburetor was plagued with the problem of regulated fuel delivery, meaning engine flooding was commonplace.
Enter Wilhelm Maybach. The famed German engineer developed an adaptation of the atomizer, which used a needle valve operated by a gravity-controlled float to regulate the flow of fuel. As gasoline entered the carburetor's bowl, a float mounted in it would rise. When the float reached a certain level, it would activate the needle, which shut off the fuel flow. As a result, Maybach could fully control the amount of gasoline entering the engine, reducing the problem of flooding. His design was the grandfather of what we've come to know as the automobile carburetor.
Maybach's design was an updraft carburetor, i.e. the air and fuel were drawn up into the intake manifold. His added advantage was an oil bath air cleaner, in which a reservoir of oil droplets was drawn upward in a vacuum to coat a mesh plate, which helped prevent foreign objects from entering the air stream before the days of paper element air filters.
Since the early 1930s, when many cars coveted by hot rodders were first built, most US manufacturers have employed downdraft carburetors, where air is drawn in from the top and down into the intake manifold using a mechanical, camshaft-driven pump and gravity feed for the fuel delivery. Ford used single-barrel downdraft carburetors on its four-cylinder and early V-8 engines, but in 1934, they introduced a carburetor that has since become a legend in hot rod circles: the Stromberg 97. The 97 used twin barrels, which permitted a greater flow rate at both part- and wide-opened throttle. Strombergs eventually became so plentiful that they were the primary choice for a young group of speed merchants called hot rodders, who had a serious jones for going faster but not much money. Hot rodders discovered that one surefire way to making more power was utilizing multiple carburetors – the more tubes, the more flow and the more power available.
By the 1950s, they had made their own intake manifolds designed to accept multiple carbs. Three two-barrels were the most common, though some could install four or as many as six. However, advances in engine technology, especially higher compression ratios and better quality fuel, required fuel delivery methods that went beyond small diameter two-barrel carburetors. Furthermore, multiple carburetor setups could prove very difficult to tune, resulting in rough running issues that simply weren't acceptable to the postwar motorist.
As a result, four-barrel carburetors, which used two primary barrels or tubes and two secondaries, became progressively more common during the 1950s for performance applications in passenger cars. These carburetors used two barrels and venturis during idle and part-throttle operation, using either a mechanical linkage or vacuum to open up the secondary barrels at wider-throttle openings.
Mechanical linkages use a rod to open the second set of throttle plates, and carbs equipped with them are often referred to as double pumpers, since they've got two accelerators. They were primarily conceived for use in high performance and highly modified engines, running lots of valve lift for high horsepower, requiring maximum air/fuel and very little vacuum. On street engines, geared primarily for low and mid-range power and torque, using engine speed to increase vacuum at higher rpms allows for the secondaries to open in a progressive fashion, lending less snappy, more temperate throttle response.
With four-barrel carburetors, you essentially got the best of both worlds – good idling, drivability and reasonable fuel economy (since all four barrels weren't in operation all the time), plus progressive or all-out performance when you needed it, simply by punching the throttle. Examples of popular OE four-barrel carburetors included those offered by Holley, Carter and Rochester. Going a step further, some cars received dual four-barrel carburetors for maximum power, sometimes mounted diagonally on cross-ram manifolds to promote a greater spread of power and torque across a wider rpm range. Popular examples of dual quad setups include the Chrysler 413/426 Wedge engines, the 426 Hemi and Chevy's Trans Am 302 V-8. Today four-barrels are widely available as used originals, or new from Holley, Carter and other aftermarket companies like Barry Grant and Edelbrock. No matter what engine you're using in your hot rod and no matter what kind of intake manifold or air volumes required, there's a carburetor to suit your needs and budget.
The Q-Jet
Among four-barrel carburetors, the Rochester Quadrajet deserves special mention. Unlike many other four-barrel units, which utilize venturis similar in size and configuration, the Q-Jet features fairly small primary barrels and much larger secondaries. This setup is designed to aid low speed drivability and fuel economy, while offering a major amount of additional wallop at wider throttle. The Q-Jet utilizes dual upper throttle plates for the secondary barrels, controlled by a secondary linkage from the primary throttle. Along with vacuum and metering rods that lift up as more throttle is applied, the flow of fuel from the jets in the secondaries is controlled in relation to the position of the valves. So when you punch the throttle, the plates open progressively, allowing power to build exponentially up until the engine's maximum rpm, creating a serious amount of torque. Some of the quickest muscle cars and street machines of all time used big cube engines fed by Rochester Quadrajet carburetors.
An interesting development in the world of carburetors was the concept of a variable venturi, in which the diameter of the main jet is controlled by a tapered needle mounted inside via a vacuum-operated piston. Among the most common types of variable venturi carburetors are SU and Hitachi side draft carburetors found on many European and Japanese cars of the 1960s and 1970s. Ford Motor Company also utilized a variable venturi, but it was a downdraft design with a fixed venturi barrel, which incorporated a moveable flap that provided a narrow venturi diameter at low rpm and a wider span at higher revs in an effort to maximize air/fuel at all engine speeds and reduce exhaust emissions. It was primarily used on 255, 302 and 351ci V-8s in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but proved problematic. V-V carburetors like this are seldom used today.
Tuning Tips
Given that carburetors are essentially low-tech devices, it might appear that tuning them for optimal performance and drivability is fairly straightforward. As with many things, what appears simple in theory isn't always so in practice. Getting your hot rod or street machine to run at its best depends on many different variables, from the condition of the carburetor to the state of the car's ignition system, ignition timing, frequency of use, quality of fuel, fuel filter, fuel pump condition – you name it. One of the most common problems for rough running vehicles concerns ignition timing. Advancing it can be a good way of increasing power, since you're advancing the point at which the spark ignites the air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber, before the piston reaches top dead center. However, to prevent detonation, the more you advance timing and raise compression in the cylinders, the greater the need for a slower- burning higher-octane fuel. Too much timing and too little octane can cause detonation. On many carbureter-equipped engines, ignition timing is controlled by mechanical spark and vacuum advance that can alter the timing depending on engine speed and load. If the engine has trouble breathing, especially at low rpm, advancing the timing is often considered one of the first remedies, but remember, a good running engine is only as strong as its weakest link.
Major running issues on older engines and older carburetors can often be attributed to stale fuel. On carburetor float bowls, fuel (which can break down in just 60 days), can leave behind a varnish, not only on the bowl, but also in the jets and bleeders, which can restrict fuel flow and make the engine hard to start or rough running, no matter how much air you're forcing down to the intake. So when you're at the stage of getting your hot rod running, make sure you thoroughly inspect and clean the main jets, idle jets and bleeders with carb cleaner, as they're often overlooked – even by some professional carb rebuilders. This especially applies if you've bought used carburetors or engines via other enthusiasts or swap meets.
Emulsion tubes can also be a problem. If they're too small, they aren't able to properly mix the air/fuel before it enters the venturi. In many cases, utilizing slightly larger tubes with fewer holes for the air to escape can be an effective way of improving combustion and promoting smoother running.
Another tip is making sure the float level on the carburetor is set correctly. If it isn't, your engine will be starving of fuel or flooding. Either way, this will cause rough running and potential damage, including cylinder wash and detonation. Many enthusiasts overlook the float as a potential fuel delivery issue. On some four-barrel carburetors, notably Carters and Rochester Quadrajets, people place too much emphasis on the secondary barrels, trying to get them to open faster. It's fine if you're building a race engine, but if you're leaning toward street performance it will actually cause the engine to stumble, since there's too much air flowing through the carb for the intake and cylinder heads to handle. Using the correct size primary metering rods goes a long way to making the carburetor run at its best, since it also helps regulate fuel delivery in relation to airflow.
Other issues can be a carburetor that's too small or too large for the size of the engine, or a camshaft profile which is too mild or too aggressive and which can't provide the required air volumes via valve operation needed for the carburetor. Other common problems can be the result of incorrectly set idle mixture screws (too rich or too lean) or even a faulty automatic choke that either shuts off too soon or stays on too long, which is often the result of engine cooling issues and a sticking thermostat.
Fluid and Flow
The Bernoulli Principle
How carburetors principally work is based on an equation devised by Swiss-Dutch Mathematician Daniel Bernoulli. Using the concept of conserving energy, it essentially states that the flow of mechanical energy in a fluid is constant at all points along the path of which it flows (streamline). If the fluid is flowing along a path from a source, the rate at which it flows is the same along the length of that path, because at that source, the sum of gravitational pressure is equal in all parts.
In its most basic form, Bernoulli's equation can be depicted like this:
P + q = Po
Where P equals static pressure, q equals dynamic pressure and Po equals total pressure.
However, while the flow of fluid is constant, at each point along the path it has its own unique static pressure and dynamic pressure, allowing it to flow. So, when it comes to a carburetor venturi, this means that no matter what the flow rate of air may be, the rate of fuel in relation to it from the jets remains constant, creating a natural balance. This balance of air to fuel helps explain why seemingly random carburetors bolted on a random engine will still allow that engine to run, although not always that well. Think of street engines with oversized carburetors or vice versa as good examples which can often be found on any number of unfinished or discarded hot rod projects you come across in the classifieds.
When it comes to airflow, it pays to figure out the correct volume of air required for your particular engine application. Airflow in carburetors is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). Figuring out exactly what size of carb you need for your engine can be done by using this formula:
D x M / 3456 = CFM
D = displacement (cubic inches)
M = Maximum rpm
For example, if we had a 392 Hemi V-8 and wanted to calculate the required air volumes for our engine we would do:
392 x 5800 /3456 = 657.8 CFM
Bear in mind that this equation refers to an engine operating at 100 percent airflow or volumetric efficiency, which in practice is simply impossible. A more accurate assumption would be around 85 percent, since most engines operate at a volumetric efficiency level of between 80 and 88 percent. So, if we were to assume 85 percent of 657.8 CFM we get 559.13, or rounded up, 560 CFM for our carburetor.
Useful Sources:
Barry Grant
Mr. Gasket
Stromberg Carburetors
Downdraft carburetors were standard fitment on most Detroit-built cars from the early 1930s onwards. Among the most popular were Stromberg two barrels, first seen on Ford passenger car V-8s in 1934. Many early aftermarket carburetors were based on this design, including those offered by Holley.
Side draft carburetors, where the carbs are positioned horizontally to the engine, were primarily used on European cars, where engine bay space was at a premium. SU (for Skinners Union) two barrels were very popular on MGB Sports Cars. These incorporate a variable venturi that regulates the flow of fuel into the air stream to help deliver sufficient power across a wider rev range. Versions of these carburetors are still manufactured today.
Multi-carburetor setups started gaining in popularity in the 1950s. Most of the early ones were found on home-built hot rods, but automobile manufacturers were joining in by the end of the decade, as seen on this 348ci V-8 installed in a 1959 Chevy Impala.
Three two barrel carbs operated on the principle that during normal driving, the center carb mainly supplied the air and fuel mixture to the engine. Punching the throttle opened up the two outer carburetors – primarily by vacuum from the manifold – delivering a satisfying wallop of torque.
In this picture you can see the primary throttle linkage from the center two-barrel carb on this factory tri-power setup.
Holley four barrels are among the most popular carburetors with enthusiasts today. Cheap to buy and relatively simple to tune, they can be adapted for a wide variety of applications. This massive 780 cfm Holley is bolted on top of a Mazda rotary engine, whose high revving ability needs it to maximize flow from the large diameter barrels for peak horsepower.
Here you can see the primary carburetor barrels and the edge of the float bowl, which draws fuel into the carb venturi via jets built into the barrel.
A close-up of the throttle linkage reveals cable actuation, though mechanical rods are also often used.
Most four-barrel carburetors incorporate a primary and secondary linkage that can be entirely mechanically controlled (as on many high performance and race carbs), or via vacuum (as on many street applications).
Here you can see both the primary and secondary barrels on this Holley. Note that they're equal in size.
Carburetors are very affordable, making them a good choice for a hot rod project. Sometimes you can even score a complete engine on the cheap, like this 1960s vintage Ford "Challenger" V-8.
Swap meet stuff like this can be good, because sometimes, along with the carb and engine, you can get your hands on vintage speed equipment, like this Offenhauser intake. Today, this equipment is often highly prized among rodders.
Mixture screws are used to set the air/fuel on carburetors and control the idle speed. They're an integral part of tuning.
Sealing is an aspect of carburetor operation that's often overlooked. A leaking manifold allows air to escape, reducing power and causing rough running. Choosing the right intake to carb gasket is crucial to give the air an unobstructed path into the combustion chamber.
Although smaller capacity barrels mean this carburetor flows less air volume than some high-cfm carbs, from a design aspect it's almost identical.
Here's a close up of the throttle linkage. Note that this is operated by a mechanical rod system.
As four-barrel carburetors go, one of the most interesting (and often misunderstood designs) is the Rochester Quadrajet, primarily offered on GM cars from 1965 through 1990.
Quadrajets feature a single upper throttle plate for the primary barrels and separate plates for the secondaries.
From underneath, you can see that the secondary venturis are much larger than the primaries. This is because the primaries were used mostly for normal driving and saving fuel, while the secondaries are designed to progressively open at higher rpm, delivering a real wallop of torque.
Original Quadrajets are stamped with this logo on the side of the carb housing. As emissions requirements became more important during the 1970s, the design of the carb, especially the shape of the metering rods, was altered to deal with lower compression ratios and retarded ignition.
Here you can see a close-up of the wire element and piston that provides automatic choke operation on the Q-Jet. As engine temperature increases, the choke plate is pulled back, reducing fuel flow from the idle jet located below the main one.
This image illustrates the float bowl and the fuel feed that leads to the carburetor jets. Fuel is fed into here from a cam-driven mechanical pump mounted on the engine block.
Compare the difference in venturi size between the Q-Jet, right, and an Edelbrock/Weber aftermarket four-barrel carburetor, left.
Weber carburetors are named after Italian engineer Edoardo Weber, who original offered them as part of a tuning kit on Fiats. Although primarily used on racecars from the 1950s to the 1970s, today's Weber carbs can be tailored to all kinds of different applications, including street performance.
With both primary and secondary barrels open, you can see the shape of the venturis. The location of the throttle plates allows pressure to build up on one side, creating vacuum to draw fuel down into the engine.
Strombergs, particularly 97s which are being manufactured again, are becoming popular among those building traditional style hot rods. This one sports four of them in a row.
Getting your engine running right requires selecting the right combination. When this 1923 Model T hot rod was brought into a local performance shop, it was running rough, due to a large volume intake and carburetors that were too small.
Dual four barrels are a popular choice for many modern hot rod engines. Note the tunnel ram intake, designed to make maximum power at higher rpm.
Ensuring adequate fuel supply is crucial to ensure proper carb tuning and engine running. This setup sports braided lines for extra durability.
Using a fuel pressure regulator helps when tuning your carburetors, as it indicates the rate of fuel from the pump to the carb. Too little or too much fuel is a primary reason for rough running engines.
Carburetors use a mechanical pump to drag fuel into the float bowl and through the jets. Most mechanical setups operate at fairly low pressure – around 7-8 psi.
Many high performance Chrysler cars from the 1960s and early 1970s used mutiple carburetors, particular dual four-barrels. On modified street machines like this 1968 Dodge Charger that uses an aftermarket crate engine, it's still a popular choice.
Edelbrock is among the most prolific of modern aftermarket carburetor vendors. Its line of Performer carbs feature aluminum construction to reduce cooling temperatures and reduce the risk of warping.
Because the Performers don't use any gaskets below the float bowl, they're also less prone to fuel leaks, which was often a problem on many vintage 1950s and 1960s carburetors.
Depending on the type of hot rod or street machine project you're building, the right carb setup is crucial to helping deliver the required level of performance. This 1967 Plymouth GTX features an aftermarket Hemi V-8…
… with a high riser single plane intake for dual four barrel carburetors. The design and configuration of the intake are crucial to air flow, so you need to choose a carb that's designed for high flow operation and top end power.
Intakes come in all shapes and sizes. Like carburetors themselves, used ones are often very affordable, and if you search hard enough you can be rewarded with some cool finds. Check out the vintage Edelbrock six pack intake on the left. Versions of this were used on the legendary Dodge Superbee 440 Six Pack and are known to help generate a serious amount of torque on a big cube street engine.
When it comes to carb tuning, patience and a set of quality tools go a long way to ensuring successful results.
Learning how to tune your carburetor well takes practice, and there are many variables, such as the condition of the fuel and ignition system, the quality of the gas, the condition of the carb and even the type of camshaft used.
Multiple carb setups are often more difficult to tune, but get it right and the results are well worth it.
Adjusting the valves is a crucial part in tuning a carbureted engine, since valve lift affects timing and combustion. This is especially true on cars equipped with solid lifters that need periodic adjustment to ensure proper running.
Advancing the ignition spark curve is an old hot rod trick used to coax more power by igniting the mixture before the piston reaches top dead center on the compression stroke. Modern timing lights have made the job much easier on older engines.
This 1967 Plymouth GTX utilizes dual four-barrels for maximum performance, in this case Edelbrock AFBs, which are the modern equivalent of the original Carters and manufactured by Weber USA.
Besides their performance value, multiple carburetor setups can also be thing of beauty, as seen on this custom, early 1950s Mercury.
In the 1960s and 1970s, it was popular to use massive double pumper four-barrel carburetors and a Roots style supercharger. These carbs were capable of supplying the required amount of fuel in forced induction applications to generate serious amounts of power in drag racing. This style is coming back into vogue, as witnessed on this tubbed and pro-streeted 1969 Mustang Mach 1, which sports a highly modified 351 Cleveland V-8.
Published Dec 7th, 2015


text: Thank you for participating in our survey. If you would like to ask a question or send us feedback, use the form below. Your privacy is protected. We will never sell your information to any third party. We greatly appreciate any encouraging words you would like to share with us.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This service uses a Free microblogging tool called GNU social. GNU social is available under the GNU Affero General Public License Version 3.0, a Free Software license for network services.
You can get a copy of the software by following links from the GNU social main site¹. The version of the software that runs on this site is unmodified from that version. The site also depends on certain libraries and other software; these are all bundled in the GNU social repository² and release archive files.
- GNU social main site, https://gnu.io
- GNU social repository, https://git.gnu.io/gnu/gnu-social


text:
Random notes on a Saturday morning while killing hours between now and tomorrow's NFL games...
Meanwhile, USC assistant Steve Sarkisian pulled out of the Raiders' search, where he was apparently the front-runner. Why? Well, maybe it had to do with the Raiders sucking...
...But maybe he had his eye on another job, related to his current boss: If Carroll leaves USC for an NFL job (say, the Chargers next season), Sarkisian would be a front-runner to replace him at USC.
Jeff Samardzija spurns NFL for Cubs: Perhaps he read all the coverage about Ricky (oops: my bad) Andre Waters' concussion-driven suicide and decided that perhaps baseball is the safer career (and life) move.
NBA: (1) Suns win 12th straight (yawn)... (2) Sixers beat defending champ Heat in OT (doesn't Philly understand about tanking?) (3) NBA first-half MVP Gilbert Arenas leads Wiz past Magic.
(But also Arenas said on his NBA.com blog that he'll score 50 again this season AND PREDICTS IT WILL HAPPEN AGAINST THE BLAZERS, then instructs TNT or ESPN to put the game on TV or risk missing it. Let's not underappreciate how insanely -- and awesomely -- unique that kind of statement is. How would you feel if you were a Blazers player?)
College Hoops Today: Brand-wise, it doesn't sound particularly glamorous, but Oklahoma State at Texas A&M is the biggest game of the weekend and not a bad proxy to assess both team's chances in March.
You Might Have Missed: NHL's All-Star Folly. Don't forget to check out the Slate piece about how the NHL manipulated the All-Star fan-voting to exclude Rory Fitzpatrick. This was brutal on two key levels.
First, they messed with the integrity of "letting the fans vote," which – for better or worse – is one of the greatest innovations in sports in the last century.
Second, they missed out on the p.r. bonanza of actually having Fitzpatrick play in the game. Not even Ovechkin or Crosby could have gotten casual fans to tune in to the game like the Rory story.
Today's Comments debate: Let's pick up a meme from other blogs (and this one) from earlier in the week: Given that both teams are insufferable, are you rooting for the Colts or the Pats to win?


text:
Robots are working alongside humans on car production lines, taking what Technology Review calls "a huge step toward revolutionizing the role of robots" at car factories. Previously, robots had been seen as being too unsafe to place them shoulder-to-arm-joint with humans on the assembly line.
It's nothing new to put robots on the assembly line, as the tech website notes. As far back as the 1960s, the huge Unimate arm was put to work in a GM car factory. But new systems in two factories are seen as being safe and reliable enough to work next to humans, without guards or other barriers between them.
The robot arms are made by Denmark's Universal Robots. In Germany, the company's robots are working next to humans, helping to produce engines for Volkswagens at a facility in Salzgitter.
Universal Robots says that the "robotic arm is able to collaborate directly with people without any guards. It thus contributes significantly towards optimizing healthy working processes."
In the United States, BMW's factory in Spartanburg, S.C., employs more than 7,000 people, according to the carmaker, making an average of about 1,000 vehicles each day. It also employs Universal Robots to help make car doors.
BMW says the plan isn't to replace people on the assembly line, but instead to help them work at an older age.
"Our workers are getting older," BMW's head of innovation, Stefan Bartscher, tells Technology Review. "The retirement age in Germany just rose from 65 to 67, and I'm pretty sure when I retire it'll be 72 or something. We actually need something to compensate and keep our workforce healthy, and keep them in labor for a long time. We want to get the robots to support the humans."
Technology Review says that "BMW is testing even more sophisticated final assembly robots that are mobile and capable of collaborating directly with human colleagues."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
Senate poised to renew Violence Against Women Act
Like this?
Log in to share your opinion with MPR News and add it to your profile.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
By JIM ABRAMS
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators tussled Thursday over whether Indian authorities should be able to prosecute non-Indians in domestic abuse cases, an issue that has delayed passage of legislation to renew the federal government's main law in the fight against domestic violence.
A final vote on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act is now scheduled for Monday.
The 1994 act expired in 2011, but reauthorization was blocked last year by differences between the Democratic-led Senate, which is seeking to extend new protections for gays, lesbians, immigrants and Native American women, and the Republicans in the House, who said the Senate bill goes too far.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
Advocates of the act have been more optimistic this year because Republicans trying to shore up their losses among female voters in the November election say they are eager to pass a bill.
The Senate had hoped to pass its bill on Thursday, but a final vote was put off so that it could debate, and defeat, a substitute by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, that would have altered the provision on tribal courts. Grassley, saying subjecting non-Indians to Indian courts would raise significant constitutional problems, instead proposed that more federal prosecutors and magistrates be placed in Indian country for domestic violence and sexual assault cases. He would also have allowed tribes to petition a federal court for protection orders to exclude an abuser from Indian land.
How to deal with the alarming level of violence against women on tribal lands, often perpetrated by non-Indian partners, was also a major sticking point last year when the Senate and House passed different bills.
The Senate bill would recognize tribal authority to prosecute non-Indians who commit domestic violence against their Indian spouses or partners.
Indian women often live hours and hours away from the nearest federal prosecutor, said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a key supporter, and for those abusing women in these isolated places that "equates to nothing short of a safe haven for them."
The National Congress of American Indians says that 39 percent of Indian and Alaska Native women will be subject to violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes, well above rates for other races. It says U.S. attorneys declined to prosecute half of violent crimes in Indian country, and two-thirds of those cases involved sexual abuse.
"Let's not undercut the provisions to help protect Indian woman," said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. "The best legal views of which I am aware believe these provisions are both constructive and constitutional."
Grassley's amendment, which would also have taken steps to reduce fraud and overspending in programs covered by the Violence Against Women Act and tighten rules that govern immigrants subject to domestic abuse, was defeated 65-34.
The House last year took a similar approach to the Grassley amendment and also removed language specifying that lesbians, gays and bisexual and transgender victims should have equal access to VAWA-funded services.
A possible solution to the Indian court issue has been offered by Republican Reps. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, one of three House members of Indian heritage, and Darrell Issa, R-Calif. They have proposed giving non-Indians the right to request that their case be moved to a federal court if they feel they are not receiving a fair trial.
Cole, in an interview, said he was meeting with House Majority Leader Cantor, R-Va., and others involved on the issue and there was a "genuine effort to find common ground." He said that one in three Native American women is subject to sexual assault in her lifetime, often by a non-Indian, and that federal authorities often are too far away to help. Cole called it "bizarre" that tribal leaders were unable to pursue cases.
Cantor, the lead player in crafting the House bill, said Wednesday he had been having daily meetings on how best to move the bill forward, and had been in touch with the office of Vice President Joe Biden, who as a senator was a lead sponsor of the original 1994 bill.
Speaking on the House floor, Cantor said that "while we want to protect the women who are subject to abuse on tribal lands," the bill had been "complicated" by other issues. "I hope to be able to deal with this, bring it up in an expeditious manner."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., on Thursday urged Republicans to act quickly, saying that every minute Congress delays another 24 Americans become victims of domestic violence.
Under the existing law, the federal government provides grants to states and local governments for services such as transitional housing, legal assistance and law enforcement training. This has helped increase rates of prosecution and conviction of offenders by helping communities develop dedicated law enforcement units for domestic violence. VAWA's National Domestic Violence Hotline receives more than 22,000 calls a month. The law also established the Office on Violence Against Women within the Justice Department.
The Senate bill would authorize $659 million over five years for the programs, down 17 percent from the last reauthorization in 2005. The bill also gives more emphasis to sexual assault prevention and takes steps to reduce the rape kit backlog.
It removes a provision that Republicans objected to last year that would have increased visas for immigrant victims of domestic violence.


text:
In the presence of this vast assemblage of my countrymen I am about to supplement and seal by the oath which I shall take the manifestation of the will of a great and free people. In the exercise of their power and right of self-government they have committed to one of their fellow-citizens a supreme and sacred trust, and he here consecrates himself to their service.
This impressive ceremony adds little to the solemn sense of responsibility with which I contemplate the duty I owe to all the people of the land. Nothing can relieve me from anxiety lest by any act of mine their interests may suffer, and nothing is needed to strengthen my resolution to engage every faculty and effort in the promotion of their welfare.
Amid the din of party strife the people's choice was made, but its attendant circumstances have demonstrated anew the strength and safety of a government by the people. In each succeeding year it more clearly appears that our democratic principle needs no apology, and that in its fearless and faithful application is to be found the surest guaranty of good government.
But the best results in the operation of a government wherein every citizen has a share largely depend upon a proper limitation of purely partisan zeal and effort and a correct appreciation of the time when the heat of the partisan should be merged in the patriotism of the citizen.
To-day the executive branch of the Government is transferred to new keeping. But this is still the Government of all the people, and it should be none the less an object of their affectionate solicitude. At this hour the animosities of political strife, the bitterness of partisan defeat, and the exultation of partisan triumph should be supplanted by an ungrudging acquiescence in the popular will and a sober, conscientious concern for the general weal. Moreover, if from this hour we cheerfully and honestly abandon all sectional prejudice and distrust, and determine, with manly confidence in one another, to work out harmoniously the achievements of our national destiny, we shall deserve to realize all the benefits which our happy form of government can bestow.
On this auspicious occasion we may well renew the pledge of our devotion to the Constitution, which, launched by the founders of the Republic and consecrated by their prayers and patriotic devotion, has for almost a century borne the hopes and the aspirations of a great people through prosperity and peace and through the shock of foreign conflicts and the perils of domestic strife and vicissitudes.
By the Father of his Country our Constitution was commended for adoption as "the result of a spirit of amity and mutual concession." In that same spirit it should be administered, in order to promote the lasting welfare of the country and to secure the full measure of its priceless benefits to us and to those who will succeed to the blessings of our national life. The large variety of diverse and competing interests subject to Federal control, persistently seeking the recognition of their claims, need give us no fear that "the greatest good to the greatest number" will fail to be accomplished if in the halls of national legislation that spirit of amity and mutual concession shall prevail in which the Constitution had its birth. If this involves the surrender or postponement of private interests and the abandonment of local advantages, compensation will be found in the assurance that the common interest is subserved and the general welfare advanced.
In the discharge of my official duty I shall endeavor to be guided by a just and unstrained construction of the Constitution, a careful observance of the distinction between the powers granted to the Federal Government and those reserved to the States or to the people, and by a cautious appreciation of those functions which by the Constitution and laws have been especially assigned to the executive branch of the Government.
But he who takes the oath today to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States only assumes the solemn obligation which every patriotic citizen--on the farm, in the workshop, in the busy marts of trade, and everywhere--should share with him. The Constitution which prescribes his oath, my countrymen, is yours; the Government you have chosen him to administer for a time is yours; the suffrage which executes the will of freemen is yours; the laws and the entire scheme of our civil rule, from the town meeting to the State capitals and the national capital, is yours. Your every voter, as surely as your Chief Magistrate, under the same high sanction, though in a different sphere, exercises a public trust. Nor is this all. Every citizen owes to the country a vigilant watch and close scrutiny of its public servants and a fair and reasonable estimate of their fidelity and usefulness. Thus is the people's will impressed upon the whole framework of our civil polity--municipal, State, and Federal; and this is the price of our liberty and the inspiration of our faith in the Republic.
It is the duty of those serving the people in public place to closely limit public expenditures to the actual needs of the Government economically administered, because this bounds the right of the Government to exact tribute from the earnings of labor or the property of the citizen, and because public extravagance begets extravagance among the people. We should never be ashamed of the simplicity and prudential economies which are best suited to the operation of a republican form of government and most compatible with the mission of the American people. Those who are selected for a limited time to manage public affairs are still of the people, and may do much by their example to encourage, consistently with the dignity of their official functions, that plain way of life which among their fellow-citizens aids integrity and promotes thrift and prosperity.
The genius of our institutions, the needs of our people in their home life, and the attention which is demanded for the settlement and development of the resources of our vast territory dictate the scrupulous avoidance of any departure from that foreign policy commended by the history, uhe traditions, and the prosperity of our Republic. It is the policy of independence, favored by our position and defended by our known love of justice and by our power. It is the policy of peace suitable to our interests. It is the policy of neutrality, rejecting any share in foreign broils and ambitions upon other continents and repelling their intrusion here. It is the policy of Monroe and of Washington and Jefferson--"Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliance with none."
A due regard for the interests and prosperity of all the people demands that our finances shall be established upon such a sound and sensible basis as shall secure the safety and confidence of business interests and make the wage of labor sure and steady, and that our system of revenue shall be so adjusted as to relieve the people of unnecessary taxation, having a due regard to the interests of capital invested and workingmen employed in American industries, and preventing the accumulation of a surplus in the Treasury to tempt extravagance and waste.
Care for the property of the nation and for the needs of future settlers requires that the public domain should be protected from purloining schemes and unlawful occupation.
The conscience of the people demands that the Indians within our boundaries shall be fairly and honestly treated as wards of the Government and their education and civilization promoted with a view to their ultimate citizenship, and that polygamy in the Territories, destructive of the family relation and offensive to the moral sense of the civilized world, shall be repressed.
The laws should be rigidly enforced which prohibit the immigration of a servile class to compete with American labor, with no intention of acquiring citizenship, and bringing with them and retaining habits and customs repugnant to our civilization.
The people demand reform in the administration of the Government and the application of business principles to public affairs. As a means to this end, civil-service reform should be in good faith enforced. Our citizens have the right to protection from the incompetency of public employees who hold their places solely as the reward of partisan service, and from the corrupting influence of those who promise and the vicious methods of those who expect such rewards; and those who worthily seek public employment have the right to insist that merit and competency shall be recognized instead of party subserviency or the surrender of honest political belief.
In the administration of a government pledged to do equal and exact justice to all men there should be no pretext for anxiety touching the protection of the freedmen in their rights or their security in the enjoyment of their privileges under the Constitution and its amendments. All discussion as to their fitness for the place accorded to them as American citizens is idle and unprofitable except as it suggests the necessity for their improvement. The fact that they are citizens entitles them to all the rights due to that relation and charges them with all its duties, obligations, and responsibilities.
These topics and the constant and ever-varying wants of an active and enterprising population may well receive the attention and the patriotic endeavor of all who make and execute the Federal law. Our duties are practical and call for industrious application, an intelligent perception of the claims of public office, and, above all, a firm determination, by united action, to secure to all the people of the land the full benefits of the best form of government ever vouchsafed to man. And let us not trust to human effort alone, but humbly acknowledging the power and goodness of Almighty God, who presides over the destiny of nations, and who has at all times been revealed in our country's history, let us invoke His aid and His blessings upon our labors.
Grover Cleveland, Inaugural Address Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/204026


text:
What is fluid-solid interactions ? It is what happens when the motions of a fluid and of a solid are somehow coupled. This happens all the time, around you when leaves flutter in the wind, inside you when your heart beats, above you when wings of a plane vibrate, under the sea… The idea behind this MOOC is to give you the basic tools to be able to predict and eventually mitigate things called flutter, galloping, sloshing, vortex-induced vibrations, added mass, to cite a few.
We are going to consider any possible domains of applications such as civil engineering, aerospace engineering, nuclear engineering , ocean engineering, biomechanics and even food processing !
This is why we called the course "Fundamentals of Fluid Solid Interactions ". There are so many phenomena and so many models that we need to work together on the basic mechanisms .
If you want to see how fluid-solid interactions work, and be able to use that knowledge, join us !
A first session of the course was run in early 2016, with learners from over 100 countries. It is now available with subtitles, in English and now in Chinese.
See the video at http://goo.gl/YKSMnD
What you will learn
A solid with a still fluid
Viscosity and gravity effects
Coupling with a fast flow


text:
Linkasink produces some of the worlds most beautiful and unique handcrafted copper sinks. All kitchen, bar, farmhouse, bathroom sinks and vessel sinks are handmade by artisans resulting in a distinctive, one of a kind work of art that is not only beautiful, but is functional and easy to maintain. The Linkasink difference- Linkasink uses 10 gauge copper which is more than twice as thick as competitors sinks, who use 16-22 gauge copper. Linkasink also heat treats the copper to protect the finish.
This item qualifies for free shipping within the USA! (except to Hawaii & Alaska)
- Semi Recessed Bowl Vessel Sink
- Dimensions: 17" x 6"
- 1½" Drain Opening
- Optional Mosaic Exterior available
- White Bronze Finish
- Linkasink warrantees their product to be free from manufacturing defects for the life of the product.


text:
Mortgage Woes Pock Irish Landscape
The housing bubble burst in Ireland some time ago, but empty homes and half-finished developments still litter the country. NPR's Philip Reeves profiles some Irish who've been left high and dry by the financial meltdown.
Many lives are being turned completely upside down by the eurozone crisis. That's especially true in Ireland, where they're still clearing up the mess left when the property bubble burst. Thousands of homes lie empty and unsold. And as NPR's Philip Reeves reports, some people have been left with colossal debts.
PHILIP REEVES, BYLINE: Step, for a minute, into the strange world of Jill Godsil. She lives among the farms and villages and rolling hills of Ireland's Wicklow County. The countryside's spectacular.
REEVES: So is her house.
JILL GODSIL: So, this is the original drawing room. It is a fantastic old Georgian style with the two large picture windows, sash windows. We bought the chandeliers separately. They're Polish crystal.
REEVES: It's a gloomy winter afternoon. The old house is cold and empty.
REEVES: Godsil can't afford to put the lights on. She can't afford to live here at all. She's stuck with the place.
GODSIL: There's eight bedrooms, eight bathrooms. We have three reception rooms, and then we have kitchen utility.
REEVES: In Ireland, house prices have more than halved. Lots of homeowners now have very large negative equity. If you have a job and can afford the mortgage payments, you can just stay put and hope that the market will bounce back. But what about those who have to sell up and move to find work, or who just can't make the mortgage because they've lost their income or a partner who was earning? Godsil says a few years back it would have been impossible to imagine the trouble she's now in.
GODSIL: I thought I had the dream house, the dream life. You know, I had two kids, I was church warden, Sunday school teacher, you know. I was sort of very much involved in the community and loved it very much. And I enjoyed my work. I was very good at my job, you know, I thought I had it all.
REEVES: Those were years when Ireland was the Celtic tiger. Godsil's small PR company was flourishing. The property market was roaring. Godsil wanted to invest in it. Why not? Everyone else was, says realtor Keith Lowe.
KEITH LOWE: People were hooked. They wanted houses. Every dinner party on a Saturday night in a house, it was all the discussions were around property.
REEVES: Lowe says the Irish were bargain-hunting all over the place.
LOWE: They were buying in schemes in the likes of Turkey and Eastern Europe. They were putting deposits down on properties, and multiple properties - one, two, three, four, five houses - without even the properties being built.
REEVES: Godsil and her husband bought their house pretty cheaply before the boom. Then they had it revalued and found its worth had soared to $2 million. Godsil's bank was only too happy to use the house as collateral and give her a second mortgage to buy a couple of places in Portugal.
GODSIL: It didn't seem crazy at the time. We bought decent property. We thought, well, over time that also will rise. So, it made sound sense at the time.
REEVES: What was sensible then sounds crazy now when you hear how much money she owes.
GODSIL: It's about a million now I think.
REEVES: A million?
GODSIL: Yeah, I think so.
REEVES: One million euros is $1.3 million. Godsil blames several disasters that happened at pretty much the same time: the eurozone crisis came barreling through; her business ran into trouble, and her husband left her and left Ireland. The deeds on her house made her jointly and separately liable for the mortgage. Put simply, that means it's her responsibility to pay it. She can't. A couple of months ago, bailiffs turned up at her company, waving an unpaid tax bill. That was the turning point, says Godsil.
GODSIL: It was very funny - a friend of mine came and said, Jill, you have now officially reached rock bottom. I went yes.
GODSIL: 'Cause you know what that means - when you hit the bottom, there is only one way and that's up.
REEVES: Up is not easy. Godsil and her two teenage daughters have moved into a two-bedroom cottage. In Ireland, you can't walk away from a mortgage. Your debts follows you. Last year, Godsil didn't pay the mortgage at all. Now, she's begun making tiny payments of under a hundred dollars a month. So far the bank's not tried to repossess her house. She's finding it tough scraping by.
GODSIL: I actually was wondering, how will I put food on the table? That is actually a scary, scary thought, especially for a professional career woman. That is very, very scary.
REEVES: Godsil's trying to get her business going again. She gets a modest amount of alimony from her ex, plus a little welfare, and her mum helps out. She's amazingly upbeat about the future.
GODSIL: The experiences that I have lived through have opened my eyes totally. So as an individual, as a person, I have gained hugely from the last five years. I am angry and I've been saddened and I've been upset, and I've been, you know, ah, heartbroken, but I have also been excited and elated. And I am going, wow, OK, there's so many things that I want to do.
REEVES: Philip Reeves, NPR News.
Copyright © 2012 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.


text:
10/15/10 Indonesia (CDN) — A church in Banten Province that has been in conflict with Muslim groups for more than two years was compelled to cease meeting in the pastor's home last week in a bid to put an end to harassment and threats.
The Sepatan Baptist Christian Church (GKB Sepatan) in Pisangan Jaya village, Sepatan, in Tangerang district, conceded that it would no longer worship in the home of the Rev. Bedali Hulu but rather in the facilities of two other churches.
In exchange, officials agreed to process a temporary worship permit that would presumably remove the pretext for Islamic protests against the church, but they refused to accept a deadline for doing so. Pastor Hulu argued at the Oct. 7 meeting with officials and Islamic groups that local government officials be given a three-month deadline for granting the temporary worship permit, but the officials insisted on a "flexible" time for issuing it.
Tangerang district authorities had issued a decree on Jan. 21 ordering all worship activities to cease at the church. Officials had pressured church leaders to sign a statement that they would stop all worship activities, but they refused.
Pastor Hulu said that he had received the government order on Jan. 26. The church had permission to worship from both local citizens and Christians in accordance with a Joint Ministerial Decree promulgated in 1969 and revised in 2006, he said, but pressure from Islamic groups forced local officials to try to close the church.
Representing Islamic interests in the five-hour long deliberations of Oct. 7 was the Communication Forum for Religious Harmony (FKUB) of Tangerang City. Local officials included the Sepatan district chief, Sepatan sector police chief, the sub-district military commander of Sepatan, Civil police, and an official from the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Tangerang.
Pastor Hulu said he felt forced to accept the terms of the Islamic group and officials.
"Actually, we want the district to facilitate our worship by letting us use the function room of their office," he said. "Also, we hope for the government to grant permission for our worship in accordance with the Joint Decree."
A member of the Tangerang FKUB, Abdul Razak, said the talks resulted in the city and the Tangerang FKUB committing to help the congregation to worship temporarily in the nearest church buildings, which are seven kilometers (more than four miles) away in Kedaung, East Sepatan and belong to the Assemblies of God and the Pentecostal Church in Indonesia.
But those two churches use their buildings from 6 a.m. until noon on Sundays, Pastor Hulu said.
"Our congregation wants to worship between 10 am to 12 noon, because after 12 worship would conflict with family customs that are usually done at that hour," he said.
Because of the incompatibility in worship times, the pastor said, GKB Sepatan appealed to a member of the FKUB Tangerang identified only as Zabir, who only suggested Pastor Hulu adhere to the FKUB consensus.
Although the Muslim groups and city officials were able to dictate where the church should worship in the coming months, they allowed the congregation to worship in one of the church members' homes on Sunday (Oct. 10), as long as it wasn't Pastor Hulu's house, he said.
"Next week, if the local government has not been able to facilitate a place of worship to us, then we will worship from house to house," the pastor said.
The church had worshipped in Pastor Hulu's house since November 2008. Previously worship rotated among various members' homes, reducing the congregation from 90 people to 30, he said, but now the congregation numbers 150.
The church has established good relationships with communities, religious leaders and local government, he said.
"First, we helped victims of the tsunami in Aceh in 2007," Pastor Hulu said. "Second, we provided basic food, rice, blankets to flood victims in the village of Pisangan Jaya. Third, we have helped provide free medical treatment for residents affected by flooding in the village of Pisangan Jaya."
The Oct. 7 agreement is yet to be signed. Razak said that the FKUB would draft an agreement for all parties to sign.
"If these problems can be resolved properly, then this will be a moment in history that the district of Tangerang was able to resolve religious issues, particularly related to the establishment of houses of worship," he said.


text:
Stepping out of my hotel on Friday evening, I could see cars backed up for miles, stretching all the way around the Benghazi's biggest lake, not far from the shores of the Mediterranean.
Horns blared in every direction, but not just car horns: bull horns, oo-gahhorns, vuvuzelas, aerosol-powered horns, even a bagpipe or two. The air smelled of exhaust, gasoline and the occasional whiff of hash. It was a cacophonous mess, overwhelming, painful to the ears, joyful, extraordinary.
Stepping closer to the cars, I could see people of all ages stretching out the windows, waving Libyan independence flags that were sometimes larger than the person waving them. Boys and girls, men and women, the elderly, they'd all come out to celebrate.
Militiamen on "technicals" — pickup trucks mounted with heavy weapons in the back — danced on the roof of their trucks. Teenagers stepped into traffic to dance, while the cars they were blocking egged them on. When these cars moved forward, the teens sometimes jumped on the hood to dance. Almost every song associated with the revolution blared simultaneously.
Not far from my hotel, a group of militiamen stood watch. One of them, a plump man in fatigues with a heavy, prematurely gray beard, came up to me and asked for my camera — not good. Someone had mentioned to me earlier that they might not appreciate being photographed, so I'd actually been avoiding them. Nonetheless, this particular guy was on to me.
He took the camera, inspected it and nodded to himself. "Here," he said to me in English. Rather than return my camera, he gave me his AK-47 and proceeded to start snapping pictures of his fellow militia. They all mugged for the camera, and he did his best to take photos. He even insisted I get in the picture with them. Soon enough, I got my camera back, though he jokingly pretended to drop it, then slapped me hard on the back, chuckling to himself.
As for the thousands of Libyan families in their cars, their goal was to reach Benghazi courthouse and its main square, the symbolic heart of the Libyan revolution. At this rate, though, there was no chance that most of these cars would ever find a place to park. Since the road runs all the way around the lake, at least they had another option: to continue as a procession of hundreds of cars, cruising slower than a person walks, laughing, cheering, singing, waving Vs for victory to whomever made eye contact with them.
They may not have realized it, but these Libyans had just created Benghazi's first true Independence Day parade.
With Twitter and other social media, NPR's Andy Carvin monitored immediate, on-the-ground developments during the upheavals of the Arab Spring from Washington, D.C., through thousands of tweets and an army of followers that numbers in the tens of thousands. Now, he is in Libya, meeting face-to-face with some of those activists. He'll be sending us periodic updates on his journey.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
Back to List
Hearing aid customization means creating a one-of-a-kind hearing aid that fits your exact ear anatomy for optimal comfort and performance. Custom hearing aids represent the best of hearing aid science combined with the personal care and treatment that only an experienced professional can provide. We're excited to introduce our newest custom product, Picasso™, a hearing aid that provides superior sound quality and reliable streaming from your smartphone directly to your hearing aids with our easy-to-use SurfLink® accessories. Picasso also provides you with:
Download Picasso Brochure In addition to Picasso, our pioneering custom solutions include SoundLens® Synergy® iQ, tiny hearing aids loaded with advanced features, like Acuity Immersion — Starkey®'s exclusive algorithm for immersive listening and pristine sound. While maintaining the power of Starkey Sound, our wireless solutions give you the ability to stream TV, music and much more.
SoundLens Synergy iQ hearing aids and our easy-to-use SurfLink accessories deliver the most personalized hearing experience ever, and are designed to:
Download SoundLens Synergy iQ Brochure


text:
Tired of hypothermia
Mileage: 40
April mileage: 326.6
Temperature: 38
In everything I've tried in my two winters in Juneau, I just haven't found a way to stay warm during a long ride when the weather is in the 30s and raining. "Waterproof" clothing is anything but. Wet neoprene lets too much wind through. For a while I thought overdressing was a good strategy, but sweating out the inner layers before the outer ones soak through seems to nix any warmth benefit. I've been thinking about a seal-skin parka or a rubber suit, but one is probably pretty unobtainable and the other is very uncomfortable to exercise in. "Basically," I've been trying to tell Geoff, "it's impossible."
Even so, I can usually achieve at least three hours of quality cycling before the deep chill slices through my meager barrier (at which point it just keeps cutting.) But that hasn 't been the case lately. I don't know if it's a breakdown in every piece of clothing I own, or if my body is tired, simply tired, of being put through this crap. But I feel like every ride I embark on these days leaves me stiff and shivering, trying to remove soaked clothing with numb fingers as my rewarming skin flares with pain. I've had more brushes with uncomfortable cold in April than I ever did in December, January ... even February, when I did my fair share of riding in near-0-degree conditions and saw temperatures of 20 and 30 below. I hate 38 and raining. There, I've said it. Hate it.
It's tough because not only has this recent weather derailed my resolve to amp up my training and keep a strong base through summer, but it's also causing me to waver on one of my main summer goals - giving up use of my car. I was planning to wean myself slowly. By July I hope to commute every day to work, to the grocery store, to visit my friends, to see movies and plays ... everywhere (with the exception of twice-monthly trips to Costco for much-needed cases of Diet Pepsi and orange juice). I don't really expect to save much money (my car is worth too little to bother selling and I already spend more on bike food than gas). No, I just want to try cycling as a lifestyle - like touring, but with income.
It's a beautiful dream, but right now I'm having a hard time even getting my summer-of-commuting off the ground. I think about being wet and cold not only once per day, but three times (maybe more). I'll have to return from my training rides to take a shower, then commute to work, then completely change my clothes, then work for four hours, then eat dinner out of a microwave in the company break room, then work four more hours, then put all my wet and muddy bike clothes back on, then commute home. It's a hugely daunting prospect to think about doing this every day. It may very well be my greatest challenge yet.
Anyone have a rubber suit they could sell to me?
27 comments:
- AnonymousApril 15, 2008 at 11:03 PM
Perhaps a paddlers jacket? You'll be wet and possibly clamy but you will most certainly not get hypothermic from the wind penetration.
Pat R - AnonymousApril 15, 2008 at 11:08 PM
Seattle isn't nearly as challenging
as Juneau, but a few years of getting
around by bike has taught me a few
things. First commuting and training
are different. If you were a runner
and you wanted to get to work a mile
away without your car would you run
and arrive sweaty, smelly, red-faced,
and in need of a shower and a change
of clothes (and look forward to the
trip home in your cold damp running
clothes) or would you walk? There
are websites showing people in
Amsterdam and Copenhagen getting to
work by bike in a dignified manner.
There are three main sources of water
to deal with. If you are getting
muddy, you should probably reconsider
your fender strategy. Looong fenders
with a good long front mudflap can
really help change your outlook---
they helped change mine. Look at
Velo Orange, Peter White Cycles, and
the Planet Bike Cascadia for ideas.
If you are sweating and cooking from
the inside, try slowing down. Think
walking instead of running; hiking
instead of trail running. Around
town, I only work hard on short hills.
If slowing down works for you, then
you have more options for trying to
keep the water from the sky away.
For longer rides and for training,
Kent Peterson's "comfortably damp"
approach is relatively accessible,
though you would know better than I
whether this might work in Juneau.
You might also talk to Dave Harris
about getting quality bike workouts
in shorter doses, to make dealing
with the weather easier.
Good luck! Learning to get around
by bike is a worthy adventure.
Matt Newlin Matt ... thanks for the suggestions. Good ones. A couple of things: I do have some Planet Bike fenders, mudflap and all, on my road bike. Mud and road grit usually does find its way around the fenders and onto my shins and feet ... could be possible I need better ones. Also, slushy and icy conditions still necessitate road use of my mountain bike. It has fenders as well, but it's hard to find good fenders for 2" knobbies.
Comfortably damp is a good rule of thumb. Generally, I am comfortable as long as I'm damp. It's when I become saturated that I start to have problems. As far as clothing actually keeping the water out, I have yet to have much luck in this department (Even wearing a winter shell over a waterproof PVC jacket over a fleece jacket tucked into rain pants with neoprene booties and gloves.) I've come to the conclustion that the question I have to ask myself when evaluating my clothing is: If I jumped in a 40-degree lake, would it keep me dry? No? OK, how about warm? But it's this area that neoprene fails. Lakes don't have windchill.
Sweating isn't a problem for me, especially at commuting speed. And the summer will warm up, eventually, so the chill won't be as bad. Just have to suck it up, just suck it up. :-)c'mon jill, i keep telling you commuting won't be too bad. i've been doing it everyday for a year now and you need to believe me when i tell you that you just won't get that wet/dirty/sweaty in the 30 minutes it will take you to get to work. just keep a pair of shoes at work and you'll be good to go.
ReplyDeleteIn the past when I have commuted, I've always had three or four days of clothing at school and I leave a pair shoes there also. That works out fine. I get to school, shower, good to go. That way I don't have to carry much on the bike.
The hypothermic feeling sucks. Rode in -42 degrees this winter with no problems aside from cold toes and thumbs. Did a 48 mile ride a week ago in pouring rain and 40-45 degrees...full hypothermia by the time I pulled into the driveway. Took me 30 minutes to warm-up in a hot shower. Talk about pins and needles in the hands and feet. That I wouldn't do on a daily basis.
You are tough as nails!
Nigity - "Always keep a smile in your heart."If its really raining.... very rarely in denver =)
I put cothes in a dry sack and throw that in my backpack... I also usealy have some ziplocks stached in my pack as well cell phone money ipod camera...
I usealy just suffer for a bit and warm up at work or hit a shower at the gym, ymca whatever...
i'll do abunch of short rides if its crap... I think 30-38 rainy, wet is the hardest to gear for i think cheap pvc i've had the best luck with, followed by nylon windbreakers they get soaked but as long had you stay moving still do good cutting the wind.
Coffee shops are also key nothin like a little warm carrot to keep yah riding even if its just a hot pot of joe waiting at home =)Jill,
Get yerself a Marmot. Not the critter, a Driclime windshirt. This is the best dang thing you can get for that 30 to 50 degrees and wet thing. Really. It's the only garment I've ever had that dries out while I wear it without chilling me to the bone.
Dig through the archives of my blog. You can solve these problems.Hey Jill-
I ride 40 miles round trip on my commute every day regardless of the weather, and have a few suggestions.
To combat the little bit of rogue moisture that makes it out of your fenders, try a pair of gaiters paired with some waterproof overshoes (like the cheap rubber ones from a farm supply store, not the $50 Pearl izumi ones that don't work well). That combo keeps my legs and feet pretty dry.
I don't know how far your commute is, but I can't not sweat. It doesn't matter if it's 0, 30, or 70, I pour sweat. So, I'm more worried about wind protection. On really crappy days (35 and rainy) I will wear a wet suit with a wind proof top, and neoprene gloves with manzella (sp?) windproof shells over them.
So you would still sweat, but would stay warm.
When you get to work, turn the gear inside out, squeeze it out, and find a air vent to hang it in front of. I've never had a problem getting it 90% dried out if I squeeze out as much watter as possible first then get some air flowing over it.- AnonymousApril 16, 2008 at 11:02 AM
Although Kent seems to do fine with
homemade coroplast fenders on mucky
roads on his mountain bike, some others
think that the channel formed by the
rolled edge of good metal fenders helps
keep the spray off you. Both are
worth considering.
High-wind winter dinghy sailing is
pretty cold, wet, and windy, with
occasional solid water and lots of
spray. Wearing a wetsuit is pretty
standard, and a windbreaker over the
top seems to be a lot warmer. I
don't have much experience riding
a bike in a rubber suit, so take
it for what its worth.
Matt Newlin Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I have a few questions. As far as the high-tech rain gear mentioned here, how has it held up for you over time? I've bought what I understood was some bomber stuff. Gortex winter shell ... PVC jacket. They both were great for a couple months, but then their waterproof barriers started to break down. The Gortex used to bead. Now it soaks. The PVC accumulated a bunch of tiny holes from grit, so it leaks. And because nothing I find is skin tight, it lets water in ... through the neckline, up the waist, in the arms. Period. When the rain rate is 1-plus inches an hour, it feels like someone is dumping a bucket on your head.
An actual wet suit with a wind jacket and wind pants over the top isn't a bad idea. I might consider it for next fall.
This is all for long rides. This post was a little tongue-in-cheek. I'm not too worried about commuting. Geoff is right. It's a half hour each way, and I'll probably get some new PVC gear to wear that will keep me mostly dry for a half hour. I still plan to change into my work clothes at work every day. I'll probably ferry them there once a week with a dry bag.- AnonymousApril 16, 2008 at 2:23 PM
You may consider trying out a paddling jacket made for sea kayaking like one made by patagonia. It has a huge volume hood (over the helmet??) and neoprene cuffs on arms and neck. It has a super genrous cut...so size pretty small. Not breathable exactly, but it has worked for me in Juneau and southeast out kayaking. I believe that there is some type of coating on it that doesn't break down with salt water (hence, good for paddling). You could certainly stay dry on your short commute to the Empire in one of those since sweating is not an issue with you. They make (or made at some point) pants with the same features (neoprene cuffs etc). Not cheap, but you can use it for cross purposes if you got yourself out in a kayak! - AnonymousApril 16, 2008 at 4:22 PM
Jill - your commute will be far more challenging than mine because of the weather, but your view will be a whole lot better. Good luck.
ReplyDelete Best line of your post was: "this recent weather derailed my resolve to amp up my training and keep a strong base through summer." I had to read that twice to realize that it wasn't a typo. Here in Chicago I have been trying to keep a strong base through winter so I can enjoy our fast group rides starting in the spring. Of course, your races are in the winter. Thou art tougher than I.
ReplyDeleteSounds familiar, silly weather. I'm trying to build confidence to commute this summer as well, but the weather is not cooperating.
Tried wearing my kayak drytop once during a bitter windy day a few years ago. Sweat myself silly, then chilled hypothermic. Hard to get those neoprene cuffs off when you go numb.
Picked up a nice Nike Stormfit jacket on sale last fall, waterproof zippers, waist and cuff draws, nicely waterproof. Couple that with a Smartwool base and carefull venting keeps me happy. Wool is really neat stuff. I'm still carrying extra dry layers(same as all winter) in case of freak temp/weather changes that are so common during all day adventures this time of year.
This would fix all that even better though: http://www.lightfootcycles.com/stormyweather.htm
DGHere's another comment from another reader in the Seattle area...
For the past 3 months, I've been biking 4-5 times a week, rain or shine (mostly rain). I've done a lot of riding on rainy days with temperatures in the mid to high 30's. I've had extremely good luck with Foxwear rain pants (http://foxwear.net/). They keep the rain and wind off, but don't bake my legs.
That said, I'm really looking forward to "shorts and short sleeve jersey" weather. Unfortunately, we have light lowland snow forecast for this weekend... :(hey Jill-
About the durability of your gear...if the goretex jacket stops shedding water, get a container of nikwax from REI. You wash it in, and it restores your "waterproofness" I find i have to reload my jacket every spring and fall.
The micro holes in nylon and pvc are a little tougher to deal with. I find that if I reinforce the areas (like my behind) with something more sturdy, i have good luck...hope this helps!
Despite all this, I've discovered that the long and short of it is that if you ride in the rain, you'll get wet!- AnonymousApril 17, 2008 at 1:34 PM
alaska jill,
I am one of those mere mortals far south of you, say Charlotte NC, where people are reluctant to ride in dry 30-40 degree weather. Thanks for the perspective on challenging bike conditions. :)
Best wishes on finding gear to keep you warm and dry.
Laura - AnonymousApril 21, 2008 at 10:40 AM
buffalo jackets
Designed for Scottish winters, always cold and wet.
Good luck!


text:
Review: Sonos S5 ZonePlayer and 3.4 System Update
Sonos S5 ZonePlayers (2) and Sonos ZoneBridge 100 |
$798.00 (as tested) sonos.com |
Sonos S5 ZonePlayer ($399/each) • 3.5-in woofer • (2) 3-in midrange drivers • (2) tweeters • (5) Class-D amplifiers • (2) Ethernet ports • Line In (analog) • headphone jack • 8 1/2 X 14 2/5 X 4 4/5 in; 9 1/8 lb |
Sonos ZoneBridge 100 ($99) • (2) Ethernet ports • SonosNet (wireless) • 1 3/5 X 4 1/3 X 4 1/3 in; 3/5 lb |
Here at Sound+Vision, we've long loved the Sonos whole-house wireless system (giving it our 2005 Editor's Choice Award), and we've followed it closely though various changes and improvements; its most recent incarnation, the S5 all-in-one, impressed us - predictably enough - with its feature set, simplicity, and sheer user-friendliness.
We're also big fans of Apple's AirPlay. This latest version of the company's audio-streaming protocol is a snap to use, delivering on the ease-of-use promised by UPnP and DLNA, and looks to be an emerging standard, though at this point it's generated more excitement than it has actual compliant devices. That's sure to change, and with players like Google also looking longingly at the connected home/multiroom media space, the introduction of partner products is sure to pick up in the year ahead - which we're looking forward to, but with the understanding that the dedicated purveyors of wireless multizone audio are going to be facing a lot of competition from the tech industry titans.
So the announcement last month that Sonos - a pioneer in the relatively low-cost wireless music space - had added support for Apple's revamped protocol came as welcome news indeed. At the same time, Sonos also announced the addition of a free Android controller app to their controller lineup (the company has existing iOS and Mac/PC desktop applications), giving users on the most popular computing and mobile platforms the ability to access their Sonos environment from pretty much any device they might have handy. So we gave the combo a spin.


text:
UFC Store
On a night wrapped in historical overtones, Anthony "Showtime" Pettis dethroned WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson at Jobing.com Arena to earn a UFC title shot.
See post-fight interviews with all of the night's winners at WEC.tv
Glendale, Ariz. – UFC, are you ready for "Showtime?" Because he's coming soon.
On a night wrapped in historical overtones, Anthony "Showtime" Pettis dethroned WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson at Jobing.com Arena to earn a UFC title shot. Both fighters waged a back-and-forth battle that was worthy of Fight of the Night and may have been decided in the final 80 seconds of the fifth round. With the fight apparently up for grabs, Pettis went airborne, acrobatically bounced off the cage fence and executed a beautiful high kick that landed flush on the hometown champ's jaw and dropped him to the canvas. It was an electrifying and unprecedented move that no one in press row had ever seen, like something out of a "The Matrix" movie. It sent the live crowd at the arena into mass hysteria.
Henderson gamely weathered the crucial assault and got back to his feet, but that sequence may have anchored his defeat by unanimous decision. The riveting match was fittingly the last bout ever for the decade-old WEC, which is set to merge with its sister organization, the UFC. That means Pettis, a Milwaukee native who starred in an MTV episode of "World of Jenks," is slated to fight the winner of the Jan. 1 bout between UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and unbeaten challenger Gray Maynard.
An emotional Pettis, whose father was murdered during an armed robbery in 2003, credited his coach Duke Roufus for the one-of-a-kind kick that made a lot of people's jaw drop.
"We practice that all the time," Pettis said, "and I've got 10 more kicks like that coming when I get to the UFC."
Roufus called the kick an "Ong Bak" kick, noting it is an old Muay Thai technique. Pettis dropped Henderson on another occasion with a stiff right hand, but barely survived a rear naked choke in the fourth round that was close to being dead on.
Pettis was not the only man to make history Thursday night. Dominick Cruz did, too. Cruz's handsome reward for a night's work: Two world titles and a slice of history. The super-quick Californian used his 'catch-me-if-you-can' striking style to beat up No.1 challenger Scott Jorgensen for five rounds to become the UFC's first-ever bantamweight champion. The 25-year-old Cruz may well be on a collision course with Urijah Faber, the only man to defeat him in 18 pro fights.
"I'm ready to fight whoever," Cruz said with the UFC belt around his waist and the WEC title strapped over one shoulder. "I want to fight Urijah. Let's do it in Sacramento."
If you've seen any of his Cruz's fights over the past three years, you've pretty much seen them all. He used the same unorthodox blueprint to tame Jorgensen, a former Division I wrestling standout who had entered the bout winner of seven of his past eight fights. Since losing to Faber in March 2007, no one has been able to put a dent in the rejuvenated Dominick Cruz. He has overwhelmed and baffled seven straight foes with a blistering combination of punches, kicks, knees and takedowns. No fighter has been able to match his speed or figure out his rhythm, as he mixes up his striking and takedowns as well as anyone in the game.
At times against Jorgensen (11-4), it looked as if Cruz was engaging in target practice. He effortlessly danced around the cage and landed three-and-four strike combinations almost at will. Jorgensen, one of the sport's most durable fighters, never came close to wilting and always kept coming. But he had difficulty mounting a sustained offense because Cruz was simply too fast, elusive and scrappy to nail down. Jorgensen did manage to take Cruz down twice and even bloodied the champ's nose. On the other hand, Cruz took Jorgensen down in every round, bloodied the challenger's nose and busted up his right eye enough to cause heavy swelling.
"My conditioning was top-notch, I trained 10 straight rounds in practice with a different sparring partner each round," Cruz said. "Scotty is very tough. He took everything I had, head kicks and everything. Just a tough dude, man … The future holds a lot of title defenses. Every time I fight I'll be fighting for another belt. That will be my mentality from beginning to end."
In other action Thursday night:
Donald Cerrone vs. Chris Horodecki
Opposing fighters know that Donald Cerrone loves the triangle choke, but stopping the lanky Coloradan's slippery jiu-jitsu game still can be a tall order. In a fight where Chris Horodecki seemed to get the better of the standup battle in round one, Cerrone resorted to his most predictable move, forcing Horodecki (15-3) to tap at 2:43 of round two.
Immediately after the bout, "Cowboy" called out UFC lightweight Cole Miller for his next fight.
"Cole Miller beat a good friend of mine, Leonard Garcia," said Cerrone (13-3, 1 NC). "Cole, I'm coming for you."
Cerrone, who entered this contest coming off the finest performance of his career against Jamie Varner, credited coach Greg Jackson with helping him guard against a letdown.
Kamal Shalorus vs. Bart Palaszewski
The first round of this contest was a glorious testament to Bart Palaszewski's toughness. The truth is, not many fighters could have withstood the ground-and-pound beating that "Bartimus" absorbed for the opening three minutes. Blow after blow of hard body shots, and occasional head shots, that produced loud thumping sounds for those sitting within 100 yards of cageside. Amazingly, once the human punching bag returned to his feet, Palaszewski's face had neither blood nor swelling. But Shalorus, a world-class wrestler who hails from Iran and now trains in Austin, Texas, paid a price for his aggression. For the remaining 10 minutes he would be engaged in a nip-and-tuck battle, with Palaszewski (34-14) and his red Mohawk often getting the better of the standup exchanges with high kicks and fistic combinations.
"I took all of my strength trying to finish him," Shalorus (7-0-2) said after judges awarded him a razor-thin split decision by scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. "I made a mistake and used all of my power and pretty much gassed out in the second round. I will make changes and come back stronger."
Tiequan Zhang vs. Danny Downes
Fight aficionados, meet Danny "Boy" Downes. Highly intelligent, slightly geeky, and a young man who walked away from potential careers with the U.S. Secret Service or U.S. Commerce Department to be a fighter. On Thursday night, with his UFC future at stake, the Milwaukee product achieved what he called "the greatest accomplishment of my life" by upsetting previously unbeaten Chinese sensation Tiequan Zhang. The 32-year-old Zhang, a submission specialist, entered the bout with a sterling 17-0 record and furiously blitzed Downes for nearly the entire first round with submission attempts. Zhang took Downes down, and hunted for his trademark guillotine choke in vain. He wrenched on Downes' arm with two armbars, squeezing with everything he had, and Downes kept coming. Most perilously, Zhang took Downes' back with both hooks in and locked in several rear naked chokes. Downes, gasping for air, always managed to hand fight his way free or change the angle just a tad – though it was the Midwesterner's heart, more than his technique, that seemed to set him free.
Never before in his career had Zhang been forced to fight beyond the first round. Downes had wanted to test his opponent's gas tank and had succeeded. In the second round, a visibly spent Zhang looked like a 155-pound version of Shane Carwin during his UFC heavyweight title fight against Brock Lesnar. The turning point happened when Zhang went for a takedown, then oddly abandoned the takedown and pulled guard. The gesture signified his fatigue, and it was pretty much all Downes from that point on. The 24-year-old Duke Roufus protégé dominated positions on top and scored with ground and pound and threatened with rear naked chokes and an arm triangle. You could have arguably awarded Downes a 10-8 score for pitching a near-shutout in round two. The third round was mostly a carbon copy of the second, save for Downes (7-1) busting open Zhang's right eye, causing significant swelling.
"I'm just really stubborn I guess," a victorious Downes said afterward, alluding to his survival skills in the first round. "I trained really hard for this and made a lot of changes. Beating Zhang is the greatest accomplishment of my life."
Judges scored the fight unanimously in Downes' favor by scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27.
Jamie Varner vs. Shane Roller
For a pro fighter, few moments are as exhilarating as triumphing in front of your hometown fans, and few as disappointing as coming up short on your home turf. Unfortunately for former WEC lightweight champ Jamie Varner, he tasted the latter experience on Thursday night. The Arizona native dropped Roller with a crisp left hook in the first round, but the Oklahoman recovered quickly. Roller, a highly-decorated wrestler, then scored a takedown and immediately transitioned to the back, sinking in a tight rear naked choke to win the tap at 3:55 of the first round.
The sudden and dramatic turn of events ended what has been a hellacious 2010 for Varner, who will finish this season with an 0-3-1 record. Roller, meanwhile, moved to 9-3, redeeming himself for a loss to Anthony Pettis.
"I just wanted to stay relaxed. I didn't try to rush my takedowns and get it to the ground," said Roller, who stood and traded with Varner for most of the fight and even cut Varner's right eye. "I've got confidence in my hands and when the opportunity presents itself I'll take it to the ground."
Ivan Menjivar vs. Brad Pickett
The return of Ivan Menjivar to the UFC family produced an instant and leading candidate for Fight of the Night. In what played out as a predominantly standup extravaganza, Menjivar and Pickett took turns pounding each other with heavy leather, with the Montreal fighter rocking and wobbling Pickett in the second stanza and Pickett storming back in the third and returning the favor. The bout was awfully close but two Pickett takedowns in the opening round may have been the difference as the judges awarded him a unanimous decision by scores of 29-28 across the board.
The British-born fighter, who trains with American Top Team, said that some of Menjivar's punches caused him to see "my mom, my dad."
'I said 'Dad, I'm fighting!' and then came back to the fight," said Pickett, who demonstrated both an iron jaw and iron will during the fight and ran his record to 21-5. "He hit me with some good shots, I hit him with some good shots, so I'm happy. In my opinion this is the biggest win of my career. A lot of people don't know about him, but he's been fighting a long time … "
Eddie Wineland vs. Ken Stone
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, if he was watching, could definitely relate to what transpired in this matchup between former WEC bantamweight champ Wineland and WEC newcomer Stone. It was Stone, a member of American Top Team, who executed early with a bevy of stinging leg kicks that caught Wineland's attention. One of MMA's better boxers, Wineland momentarily stunned Stone with a potent right hand, though Stone would retaliate by cracking the Indiana fighter with a gnarly spinning backfist. Things got especially interesting when Stone jumped guard with a body triangle, forcing Wineland to stand and bear the weight of both men. Hoping to avoid going to the mat, Wineland – still carrying Stone's weight – walked him toward the cage and eventually slammed him hard to the canvas with violent force. The impact of the blow knocked Stone unconscious at 2:11.
"His first leg kick – wow! -- he's got a nice leg kick and I really wasn't expecting it," Wineland (18-6-1) conceded afterward. "That's definitely not a slapping leg kick. I tried to stay composed. I listened to my corner and (it was) lights out. I'm so hungry, I want it bad."
Danny Castillo vs. Will Kerr
We now know this about Danny Castillo: Thursday was not his "last call" in MMA's biggest league. The northern Californian was on the defensive for much of this bout, which lasted only 85 seconds but never delivered a dull moment. Kerr stormed Castillo at the opening horn, firing off a flying knee that just missed. A scramble ensued, with the ultra-aggressive Kerr applying a guillotine choke that Castillo escaped. On the mat, Kerr immediately unleashed yet another trick, threatening with a deep series of heel hooks. Castillo defended the moves, but Kerr kept insisting on the submission. Heel hooks and foot locks can be wonderful surprise attacks, but there can be a downside. Focusing two hands on an opponent's feet means no hands to defend your chin from punches. As it turned out, Kerr would pay for his insistence as Castillo landed a few heavy shots on top, putting his Connecticut adversary out cold.
"I've been working on staying composed in there and making the cage a home for myself," said Castillo, a Team Alpha Male fighter who improved to 10-4. "Right now I feel like this is my house. I feel like I've found myself as a fighter, I know my identity as a fighter. I'm ready to move forward and to keep winning."
Ricardo Lamas vs. Yuri Alcantara
This fight taught us that Yuri Alcantara, a training partner of Lyoto Machida, might be a fighter to keep our eyes on. Tonight, the hot-blooded Brazilian literally punched his ticket to the UFC. Equally dangerous on his feet and on the mat, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt eschewed his ground game and instead demonstrated devastating punching power, knocking Lamas out cold with a wide left hook at 3:26 of the opening stanza. The one-punch explosion ended what had been a fairly competitive standup fight, with each lightweight scoring in the clinch with knees.
"My hands are real powerful. Thank god I have another victory," said Alcantara, who improved to 24-3 and is riding an 11-fight win streak.
Chris Cariaso vs. Renan Barao
What looked like an intriguing matchup on paper turned into a decidedly one-sided affair as Barao, a much-hyped bantamweight and training partner of WEC featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo, dominated en route to a victory via submission. The 23-year-old Brazilian burst out of the gate with a steady stream of leg kicks. When the action hit the mat, Barao deftly passed Cariao's guard and threatened with a kimura, then smoothly transitioned to an armbar attempt before finally settling on Cariaso's back with both hooks in. The San Franciscan's attempts to fend off Barao failed, and Barao cinched in the choke and won the tap at 3:47 of the first round.
Power Slap


text:
About Recipes for Kids With Lactose Intolerance
These recipes are especially for kids with lactose intolerance. Kids with lactose intolerance often need to limit or avoid dairy products.
Balsamic Tomato Chicken and Pasta
Chicken With Beans and Rice
Curry Chicken
Italian Vegetable Casserole
Mexican Chicken and Rice
Spicy Rice
Spinach Salad
Strawberry Smoothie
Vegetarian Chili
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
© 1995-2024 KidsHealth ® All rights reserved. Images provided by iStock, Getty Images, Corbis, Veer, Science Photo Library, Science Source Images, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com