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$22,532 – $26,402 Invoice
19 / 26 MPG City/Hwy
Enter your information and a representative will contact you for this 2006 Mercury Montego !
What's New
All-new in 2005, the Mercury Montego moves into 2006 with minor changes. Standard on all models is a leather-wrapped steering wheel with satin aluminum inner cuffs and audio and cruise controls. Two options have been added: a rear-seat entertainment system to keep the kids occupied, and on Premier arrays, a navigation system to keep the parents on the right track. Late in 2006, the Luxury array will receive adjustable pedals, which move fore and aft three inches to allow the driver a comfortable seating position. Three new exterior paint colors join the lineup: Satellite Silver Clearcoat Metallic, Dark Blue Pearl Clearcoat Metallic, and Vivid Red Clearcoat Metallic.
The Mercury Montego is the sister vehicle to the Ford Five Hundred, both of which compete in the tough Large Conventional segment. While it shares the platform and many of the same features, the Montego offers some upscale technologies the Ford Five Hundred doesn't, like High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps that help improve visibility at night with a brighter, whiter light, and Light Emitting Diode (LED) taillamps that illuminate faster to give the driver following behind more warning.
A highlight of the Montego is its cavernous interior, in particular the rear-seating area. The trunk rivals the interior volume with more than 21 cubic feet of cargo area, almost 50 percent more than many competitors in the class, according to the automaker. The rear seat of this five-passenger sedan is a 60/40 split-fold arrangement, and the front passenger seat folds flat as well, enabling items up to 10 feet in length to be stored inside the cabin, which makes the Montego practical for hardware store errands. The Montego utilizes a modified Volvo S80/XC90 platform, which means safety is intrinsic, and as such earned it a "Best Pick" rating by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Forward movement is courtesy of the standard 3.0L Duratec 30 V-6, which makes 203 hp and 207 lb.-ft. of torque. The Montego can be equipped with either a 6-speed automatic transmission or a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), which features an infinite amount of gears to keep the engine speed constant as it moves through the powerband. No shifts translate to a smoother ride for occupants. The Montego also can be ordered in front- or all-wheel drive for those who need that extra bit of traction in bad weather or when experiencing poor road conditions.
The Competition
The Montego competes against 13 other models in the Large Conventional segment. Similar to the Midsize Conventional segment, value is the name of the game in this segment, where buyers are looking for modern safety features in a slightly larger package.
The Chevrolet Impala is the sales leader in this segment, having sold 246,481 units during 2005, well ahead of the Chrysler 300 (144,048 units sold) and the Pontiac Grand Prix (122,398), according to the J.D. Power and Associates Sales Report.SM Mercury dealers sold 27,007 Montegos in 2005, roughly one quarter as many sales as sister vehicle Ford Five Hundred (107,932).
|City/Hwy MPG
|Luxury (100A)
|6 speed automatic
|203-hp / 3.0L 6-cyl
|Premier (120A)
|6 speed automatic
|203-hp / 3.0L 6-cyl
$21,330–$27,330 Base MSRP
$20,157–$25,827 Invoice
18/27 MPG City/Hwy
$24,335–$26,835 Base MSRP
$21,901–$24,151 Invoice
19/28 MPG City/Hwy
$27,900–$30,150 Base MSRP
$25,511–$27,568 Invoice
20/28 MPG City/Hwy


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"I" versus "You"
There's an old joke about the opera diva who receives an adoring fan in her dressing room after a performance. The diva goes on and on about how magnificently she sang every one of her arias, about her dramatic acting, her expressive gestures, and her fabulous costumes. After about half an hour, the diva says to the fan, "But enough about me, what did you think of my performance?"
Joe Dator, a cartoonist for New Yorker magazine, did a variation on the diva joke. In his sketch, a man is speaking to a woman seated across a table. The caption reads, "Enough about me, but nothing about you just yet."
This is no laughing matter in most other walks of life where self-centeredness is an obstacle to communication. In presentations, self-centeredness is manifested by a lack of relevance to the audience, and in sales by the lack of benefits for the customer. But to fully understand the negative impact of such one-way communications, let's take a more universal view by focusing on self-centeredness in conversations, a social phenomenon otherwise known as "Having a 'versation."
We've all been trapped by party bores who emulate the opera diva by delivering monologues all about themselves. One of the early indications that the one-way street is heading for a dead end is the ratio of declarative statements to questions. Bores speak with no question marks on their verbal keyboard.
Another indicator is the ratio of how frequently bores say "I" to how infrequently they say "you." That simple metric serves as an early warning for you to excuse yourself to head for the bar and refresh your drink. But the role of pronouns in communication extends beyond chit chat into interpersonal relationships.
James W. Pennebaker, a University of Texas at Austin psychologist, studies the connections between the frequency of words and feelings. In his book, The Secret Life of Pronouns, he writes:
Pronouns (such as I, you, we, and they)…broadcast the kind of people we are…By looking more carefully at the ways people convey their thoughts in language, we can begin to get a sense of their personalities, emotions, and connections with others.
Mr. Pennebaker conducted a variety of research projects ranging from Craigslist ads to Twitter messages to prove his point. One of the most revealing was a study on speed-dating which, according to a report in the New York Times, "found that couples who used similar levels of personal pronouns, prepositions and even articles were three times as likely to want to date each other compared with those whose language styles didn't match."
This post is not meant to help you improve your results at speed-dating, but to urge you to match closely with your listeners, to focus on the "co-" in communications, to have a conversation, not a 'versation.
When you present, be mindful of your audience by offering them benefits; when you converse, be mindful of the other person by balancing your "I" to "you" ratio. When in doubt, err on the side of the latter.
Note: Mr. Pennebaker offers an opportunity to assess your compatibility with a friend by tracking your word usage in this online exercise: secretlifeofpronouns.com/exercise/synch

subset: commoncrawl


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RPM Wide-speed-range DC Generators --
Description & Specifications
Main Features of our Generators
DC (direct current) generated from wind power is a good combination with photo-voltaic solar panel building-integral on-site installations. Together, solar and wind power is less variable, and thus can reduce battery storage. Installations in structures that increase and limit wind speed at turbines coupled to wide-speed-range generators enable high energy yields with high reliability and low cost, in locations where low average ambient winds are not practical for conventional wind powered generators. In structures shown in this webpage, loads are protected from over-voltage; turbines and generators are protected from severe weather, and bird kills are prevented. Our integral turbine-generator harvests power at low wind speeds, in contrast to existing high friction+cogging+loss generators coupled to turbines on towers, that harvest power at needed voltage only at high wind speeds.
Power generation efficiency exceeds 95% over a 10-to-1 speed range, with DC load current and voltage control by integral switch-mode boost-regulation power interface electronics.
Modular disk assembly affords wide power range selection, with less production parts inventory, to maximize yield from various rotary power drive sources.
Zero cogging torque and no gearing, plus boost-regulation integral DC power interface electronics, provides useful current and voltage regulated generator output DC power over a very wide speed and torque range. So energy yields from wind can be 100 times more than a conventional generator with its shaft coupled to the same size turbine mounted on a tower ! !
That's in addition to delivering far higher power quality (current and voltage control protects loads; never draws power from loads; supplies steady power during low winds and over a very broad speed range; supplies DC current with no ripple). Our higher energy yields are clearly measured and documented. Our current and voltage control, without power disruptions, provide highest quality power from our generator that protects batteries and loads from damage.
Energy yield per total system (including structure that increases and limits wind at turbines) installation cost, in any year, would be at least 10x that of commercially available wind turbines, towers and generators. Service life of our wind turbine and generator would be far greater than those on towers, in our on-site installation that protects it from severe storms and ultraviolet; and ours won't need maintenance.
No gears and hence no gear friction or cogging and far less periodic maintenance, no output disconnect switchgear, and no cooling systems for gear lubricants or generator coolants.
Our generator's DC output current regulation facilitates parallel connection of like generator power interface electronics. And it facilitates parallel electronics power interfaces, connected to stacks of stator disks of the same generator assembly, thus accommodating a wide power range with a small inventory of different parts.
Its DC output power is uniquely compatible with RPM's flywheel batteries as well as all available chemical batteries.
Our Generator Versions
Another version installed in electric vehicles (EVs) or electric power water-craft would augment onboard battery power while affording a healthy exercise option. This version could also produce electric power from health club exercise equipment.
Customized Models for specific applications
Left: Vertical axis version, mainly for coupling to vertical axis wind turbines, over a wide range of power ratings to optimize yield from a wide variety of wind turbine sizes. We have built and tested 2 prototypes that each generate 500 watts at about 1000 rpm, with useful power down to about 85 rpm, that charge a 48 vdc battery pack.
The vertical axis version has a relatively large diameter and large number of axial-field poles, to accommodate direct shaft connection by a flexible coupling to relatively low speed vertical axis wind turbines, and does not need the normal speed-up gearing of conventional generators (which would include drawbacks like friction and stiction and need for periodic maintenance, lubricants and additional bearings).
Left: Horizontal axis version, mainly for coupling to horizontal axis wind turbines, over a wide range of power ratings to optimize yield from a wide variety of wind turbine sizes.
Another version, with foot pedals attached to the shaft at each side, can be installed in an ultra-light electric vehicle, to augment onboard battery charge by generating electric power from a recumbent cyclist driver and/or passenger. This would extend the range of the EV while affording a healthy and convenient exercise option.
Both the vertical and horizontal axis versions provide regulated DC current and voltage to their loads through boost regulators in their power interface electronics. Both are self-starting, and never need to be disconnected from their loads. So they deliver far better power quality, at regulated voltage, optimized for the normally varying mechanical power driving their shaft.
Early applications for our broad-speed-range generators, with mechanical shaft input power supplied by wind turbines, will supply regulated DC current and voltage to a 48-volt DC power bus, connected to 48vdc chemical batteries.
Later version broad-speed-range generators can accommodate higher DC voltages. For example, generator versions that will supply DC power to poly-phase AC inverters, can provide relatively very high quality power synchronized to poly-phase power grids.
Test Setup to Demonstrate Controlled DC Output Current and Voltage over a Wide Speed Range
Testing the RPM Wide-speed-range Generator output current and voltage over variable selected shaft speed and torque is illustrated by the photo below.
DC electric output power and electromechanical power conversion efficiency as a function of shaft speed, for a representative RPM Wide-speed-range DC generator for use with wind turbines, is shown by Efficiency curve and Power curve in left image.
Dashed part of Efficiency curve is zero until generated power exceeds a few watts needed for its integral electronics.
With wind power above these few watts, DC output power increases with turbine speed3.
This generates maximum DC electric power, with optimum turbine torque load varying as speed2.
Our PWM (about 100 kHz switch-mode Pulse Width Modulation) boost-regulated integral electronics output DC voltage and current as a function of speed is shown at left.
Note that output voltage equals load voltage, over entire broad-speed power generation range.
Also note that DC load is protected from over-voltage.
Rectified voltage and current of a conventional self-starting (common alternator type) generator is shown at left.
Note that generated power is zero until its rectified voltage exceeds voltage of its battery load.
Also note that loads are not protected from over-voltage, unless voltage regulation electronics is included between this generator and its load.
Left image shows power to 3-phase grid from a typical wind-farm tower-mount induction generator.
No output voltage or power is generated, unless this generator is connected to the grid, and its speed is higher than needed to synchronize with the grid.
Note that, when this generator is first connected to the grid, brief negative power is drawn; also that its blade pitch and wind angle control, plus gear oil and coolant pumps, consume power even when its circuit breakers disconnect it from the grid.
Wind Power and Yield Calculations
Electric power from a wind powered generator = (.005)(windspeed)3 (swept area)
(wind capture percent / 100)
where power is watts, and wind-speed is miles per hour MPH
swept area is square feet swept by wind turbine blades
wind capture percent is for wind turbine and generator.
Since wind is so variable, average wind-speed is used to predict duration at
each speed, which follows the Rayleigh statistical distribution:
Probable time at each wind-speed V varies according to V / Vavg2 * exp(-.785 * V2 / Vavg2)
where total time is 720 hours/month
Vavg is the average wind speed at the wind turbine.
Probable time at each speed, in hours, for winds from 0 to 50 MPH is plotted below, with probable incremental power KWH (obtained by multiplying power generated in KW at each speed V by mean hours at V) as mean KWH at MPH for 10 MPH average. Probable energy yield over a period such as 1 month is the area under the curve Mean KWH at MPH.
The curve showing Mean Hours at MPH for a 10 MPH average wind speed is determined for a representative location by compiling anemometer and/or Pitot tube recordings, typically available for many locations over decades. If a specific location has a different average wind speed from the 10 MPH average shown above, its Wind Speed axis for the above graph would accordingly reflect the Average Wind Speed for that location, with the same ratios of Mean Hours at MPH to Average Wind Speed, and following the same statistical distribution except for different Wind Speed parameters.
The curve of KW at MPH shows available shaft power from a wind turbine as a function of wind speed. Shaft power varies as the third power of wind speed. Hence the RPM Wide-speed-range generator power interface electronics control output current so that power generated is also proportional to the third power of wind speed. This attribute extracts and produces maximum available power from the turbine shaft over a far wider wind speed range than other generators.
For a wind power installation where average ambient wind-speed is 10 mph that is channeled so 25 mph average wind-speed drives a 40 sq.ft. wind turbine and generator with overall wind capture efficiency of 35%, power generated at 25 mph wind would be about 1 kw, for a simplified average yield of about 720 kwh per month. Probable energy yield, by adding KWH at each wind-speed from winds covering the total statistical distribution, but with power limited at the wind turbine to 8 kw, would be about 1500 kwh per month. Very little energy yield is lost, by limiting the maximum wind-speed at the turbine to about double its average, because wind-speed above that will be so infrequent. Besides protecting the wind turbine, this speed limiting accommodates efficient broad range current and voltage control, and lower required peak power ratings. For example, by limiting wind-speed at the turbine to 50 mph (double the average wind speed at this wind turbine), the generator and power electronics maximum power rating would need to be 8 kw. All power ratings would need to be substantially higher without a speed limit: Power electronics would need to have higher voltage and current limits. Efficiency at low wind speeds would also be less if generator speed is not limited, and buck regulators would be needed to protect battery loads from over-voltage.
My US Patent 7646178 "Broad-Speed-Range Generator" and my patents pending fully describe and illustrate our generator's many details.
Custom wind turbines mounted integral with the generator rotor assembly afford substantial advantages over usual installations with turbines having separate bearings. Integral turbine-generator assembly circumvents need for turbine bearings that also need flexible shaft couplings and critical shaft alignment of generator to turbine.
Conventional Permanent-magnet Generators
Common alternator output voltages substantially vary proportional to shaft speed. Hence they cannot reach output voltage levels high enough to charge batteries or drive DC-to-AC power inverters, until wind speed is relatively high. And if connected to loads with no current regulation, internal losses may cause generator overheating and/or excessive load currents if shaft speed is not limited.
Most have iron poles that tend to align at rotor angles where magnetic
reluctance is minimum, thus causing magnetic cogging torques.
Shaft alignment common practice is laborious and expensive. Despite that high labor and expense, the coupled shafts always incur high friction and mechanical cogging torques, because the coupled turbine and generator bearings inevitably can't be aligned and maintained in adequate alignment, even by the most skilled installers.
Friction and cogging torques prevent startup at low wind speeds. No output power is delivered to DC battery loads until stator voltage plus rectifier forward voltage drops plus (when included) series voltage regulator circuit voltage drops exceed the DC battery voltage. So useful generator power at low wind speeds is forfeited. As the above Rayleigh chart shows, conventional generators that can't produce useful power at low wind speeds harvest under half the average energy over time, compared to RPM generators. They also don't produce power when it is most needed, compared to RPM generators. DC power to loads, without ripple (particularly if for flywheel batteries), generated when most needed, plus load current and voltage control, are RPM generator power quality attributes that are not available from conventional generators.
Conventional Induction Generators
Widely used induction generators can only generate power when their shaft speed exceeds the synchronous speed of the power grid connected to them, to augment grid power. At shaft speeds below synchronous, they would consume grid power, and so must be disconnected as wind speed fluctuates. At shaft speeds where induction generator losses are very high, the grid connection must also be disconnected, because power exchanged fluctuates excessively and internal generator losses can cause generator overheating. Although these shortcomings are widely recognized, induction generators are widely used in wind farms, directly connected to 3-phase power grids with no power interface electronics.
Utilities limit numbers of induction generators connected to them, because they have caused grids to fail due to inherent generator disruptions, power reversals, and uncontrolled phase. Also, wind farms where induction generators are usually installed require very windy locations.
RPM Generator Versions with Integral Wind Turbine and Enhanced/limited Wind-speed
This version circumvents existing high installation costs and shaft coupling problems, because its bearing pair serves as both generator and turbine bearings. Also, its generator speed limiting and broad wind speed range is optimized as a complete system that harvests maximum energy with highest power quality.
A custom VAWT (Vertical Axis Wind Turbine) in a structure that can increase wind-speed at the turbine to nominally 3x ambient, and can limit turbine wind-speed, is illustrated below. For example, in a location where average ambient wind speed is 10 miles/hour, average wind speed at the turbine blades can be increased to 30 miles/hour and limited to 60 miles/hour.
Its custom 4-blade Savonius turbine is integrally attached to our generator's rotor shaft. This avoids in-line shaft alignment problems incurred by the common existing practice of coupling generator shafts to standard turbines that include turbine bearings.
That common existing practice incurs inevitable high mechanical cogging torque and friction loss, high installation labor to align generator and turbine shaft, and need for flexible shaft coupling.
Common practice does not normally include turbine and (more importantly, in many cases) generator speed limiting.
The wind diverters shown increase wind-speed driving the turbine blades moving in the same direction as the ambient wind, regardless of ambient wind direction.
The wind diverters also prevent reverse torque incurred in normal practice, from wind on blades moving in a direction opposite the ambient wind, which normally causes Savonius turbines to harvest only 15% of power intercepted by their blades.
Increasing wind-speed at the turbine to 3x ambient will increase wind power 27x. And preventing reverse torque from wind on the opposite blade side can increase normal 15% harvest of wind power reaching a Savonius turbine through the opening area to over 40%.
The wind diverter structure also includes shutter vanes at its 4 openings that automatically limit wind-speed at the turbine. And the structure can protect the turbine, generator, and associated electronics from rain, snow, and sun, which otherwise cause damage to normally exposed wind powered systems.
Savonius turbines have a rectangular wind-intercept area, which facilitates a matching rectangular wind opening. Thus, most of the wind through the opening is caught by the turbine blades.
A Savonius turbine with more than 3 blades will incur considerably less torque fluctuations as it rotates, compared to those having 2 blades. Those with only 2 blades may not start rotating unless wind is at angles that produce higher torque than their 2 "dead spot angles". This problem is compounded by cogging, friction and stiction, in common wind power generators. Conversely, our integral design 4-blade turbine spin startup will be reliable and prompt, with blade speed almost equal to wind speed.
A profile view of this installation is shown below, with one of many turbine area and channeled wind to turbine and integral generator options.
An example of minimum energy harvest ratio, from our integral turbine-generator in a diverter as shown in these images, which funnels winds to 3x ambient velocity, compared to an identical size conventional Savonius turbine with shaft coupled to an alternator type generator:
RPM compared to conventional Energy Harvest Ratio = (Capture Efficiency Ratio) x (Wind Speed Ratio)3 x (2x speed range)
RPM compared to conventional Energy Harvest Ratio = (40% / 15%) x (3/1)3 x (2) = 144 ! ! !
Total land area needed for conventional small-scale wind turbine towers that can generate as much total power clearly exceeds the roof-top area of this wind diverter installation. Conventional towers are costly. Conventional turbines and generators on towers exposed to storms incur unacceptable failures. Long power cables from conventional towers are costly. Conventional wind power is poor quality and unreliable. So conventional small-scale turbines don't have wide market acceptance.
An on-site building-integral solar plus wind powered installation that can produce far more reliable, far lower cost per kwh generated, better power quality, is illustrated below.
Its dependable, zero-maintenance, low service lifetime electric power cost, and abundant on-site generated electric power, could make connection to central grid power optional.
Installations that channel wind from only 2 directions (compared to the 4 directions possible in the figures shown above) would need 2 openings with wind limiting (compared to the 4 openings shown above). A wind power installation between 2 high buildings would have wind from either of 2 opposite directions. Axial wind turbines are a good choice for buildings compatible with 2-directional wind installations, because their rotational speed can be high compared to Savonius turbines, so the generators they drive can use widely available low cost rotor magnets and so are lower cost.
A custom axial wind turbine HAWT (Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine) may be preferable to a VAWT for this environment. One HAWT can be mounted on our generator shaft extending from one end of our generator assembly, plus a second HAWT on the opposite end, as illustrated below.
This integral 2-HAWT and generator assembly can (like the above VAWT) be in an enclosure that increases wind-speed in it to about 3x ambient and limits wind-speed at the turbine to about double its average in this installation.
HAWT rotational speed is considerably higher than VAWT speed, so our HAWT driven generator can have less rotor pole magnets, and thus correspondingly lower cost.
This integral HAWT design requires less space than common axial turbines requiring a tail so their turbine axis follows wind direction.
This HAWT design does not require slip-rings because its turbine and generator assembly do not need a horizontal rotation axis to follow wind direction. Slip-rings are needed for common HAWT towers, to prevent generator output conductor damage, by excessive twisting as its angle changes to follow wind direction.
Our 2 HAWT turbines are identical to each other. Both turbines harvest power from wind, to drive the generator shaft. The turbine facing the wind can harvest about 45% of wind power passing through its spinning blade area. The turbine at the other side can harvest about 30%. So total power from the generator shaft can be about 75% of wind power passing through this installation. Wind passing the first turbine incurs a rotational speed component opposite the turbine spin, which would reduce power harvested by the second turbine. The rotational wind speed component is reduced substantially by the fin shaped generator mount at its bottom, top, and 2 sides.
Each HAWT has blades with a gradually varying optimum pitch angle vs. distance from their spin axis.
For example, pitch angle at blade tips may typically be about 15o from wind direction; whereas pitch angle where blades are attached to their hub may typically be about 45o, with a gradual pitch angle transition from tip to hub. Blade width is greater near the hub, compared to the tip. So maximum power yield is delivered to the generator, and blade stress at hubs is very low compared to common available axial wind turbines. We have not found any commercially available wind turbines with enclosures as described here. So they are subjected to wind storms. Most don't have variable blade pitch to limit blade speed and stress in high winds. High blade shaft stress at hubs is responsible for many turbine failures of common axial wind turbines.
An example of energy harvest ratio, from our integral turbine-generator in a wind funnel and limit installation as shown in these images, which increases winds to 3x ambient velocity, compared to an identical size conventional tower-mounted horizontal-axis turbine with shaft coupled to an alternator type generator:
RPM compared to conventional Energy Harvest Ratio = (Capture Efficiency Ratio) x (Wind Speed Ratio)3 x (2x speed range)
RPM compared to conventional Energy Harvest Ratio = (75% / 45%) x (3/1)3 x (2) = 90 !!
Along with far more energy harvest compared to equal cost conventional wind turbines on towers, our integral generator and turbine installation can provide far longer zero-maintenance service life, with inherent generator and turbine protection from severe weather.
Both the custom VAWT and HAWT illustrated above should preferably be installed within enclosures providing wind-speed limiting that protect the turbines, generators, and their loads. This wind-speed limiting also enables generator assemblies and their PWM boost-regulated electronics to be built with components having lower maximum power and voltage ratings. This results in lower cost, broader speed range of power delivery to (for example) 48vdc or 170vdc loads, and higher efficiency (resulting in higher energy yields).
Some wind turbine and generator brochures quote their maximum power ratings as if those ratings were the power yield. Actual power and energy yield from such devices is far lower than what they imply. Our generator's output, over a typical wind speed range, can be readily demonstrated by mounting our turbine-generator on a truck and recording power to batteries it charges vs. truck speed, when ambient wind speed is essentially zero. This demo can prove actual performance, of our turbine-generator, and of our turbine-generator in wind funneling and limiting enclosures.
Electric motors that automatically control vane closing/opening make wind-limit adjustments only when wind is high and generator power needs to be limited; so no electric power yield is lost driving the motors.
Since wind funneling and limiting, also protecting wind turbine and generator, are not common practice, educating customers about its advantages will be challenging. But customers might be easier to convince, whose traditional turbines were destroyed by strong winds, or damaged by normal weather, or caused frequent battery failures, or had turbine blades damaged by the sun, or did not harvest even a small fraction of energy levels that vendor brochures imply.
Other advantages of this integral design approach include: Far higher service life and reliability for all UPS elements, with far less maintenance. No need for turbine-generator shaft alignment and flexible coupling. Lower total cost of turbine and generator -- facilitating light-weight low-cost turbines, lower generator peak power ratings and thus lower cost generator and electronics, rain protection, preventing turbine collisions with birds, etc. And our wind power systems will deliver our specified far higher energy yields, with far better power quality, than all others.
The wind-funneling diverters and protective wind-turbine housings shown above are mainly for existing structures. New functional architecture buildings can have exterior walls that funnel wind, with average speed at wind turbines 3x to 5x ambient, as shown below:
RPM Generator and Flywheel Battery in Solar/Wind-Powered Building
Left: Building-integral solar and wind power generation with flywheel battery power storage and regeneration to provide uninterrupted electric power as needed.
Advantages of solar+wind power building-integral installations are:
The building exterior walls channel wind to the turbines driving the generators, which increases wind speed 3x to 5x at the turbines. Doubling wind speed increases generated power 8x. Tripling wind speed increases power 27x, etc.
The generators and wind turbines do not need towers to support them.
Screens around the generators and wind turbines can prevent birds from colliding with turbine blades.
Motors powered by our generators can limit wind speed at the turbines by vane angle control, to provide steady and regulated generator output power during wind storms and to prevent turbine damage. Motor vane angle control is needed only in high winds, when generator output is highest, so no generator power yield is lost to drive the motors.
The building can also protect the wind turbines and
generators from rain and sun. Achieving these exceptional goals requires a
dedicated team of engineers, physicists, and architects, plus resources to
manufacture and implement the technologies described.
Combining wind and solar power reduces energy storage requirements, compared to power from only one option. But reliable, low-loss, long-term energy storage will be essential to most building-integral installations. A brief description of our flywheel battery development is presented below:
Our flywheel battery that stores and regenerates electric power as needed, as kinetic energy of its spinning rotor, from our broad-speed-range generator and solar panel power maximizer electronics
Photo at left shows our 1st version flywheel battery prototype we built and tested, having a non-contacting rotor whose axial and radial position is stabilized by servos.
It is described in Fradella's U.S. Patent 6,794,777.
While its rotor balancing is not critical, its size is scalable, and its probable service life is long, it needss many rotor position and rate sensors and close proximity magnetic bearing servo electronics, due to ground loop problems and signal interference.
Its magnetic bearing servos are difficult to stabilize, and need over 2kw to position a 40-pound rotor.
It has challenging problems that we learned how to circumvent with 2nd and 3rd version flywheel batteries.
Photo at left illustrates prototype tests, with descriptions of main elements, for our 2nd version flywheel battery. It has repel magnet lift, radially stabilized by ceramic ball bearings.
Its integral regenerative motor is inside the rim and its top and bottom rim holders.
The motor stator is fixed to the center shaft. Its four 2-phase stator wires and four connections to two aligned Hall sensors are accessed by a center bore that can be seen at the top of the center shaft.
Main rotor axial lift is provided by the ring magnet shown and an identical ring magnet that it repels upward, in the bottom rim holder. The rotor is radially aligned by a ceramic ball bearing in the top rim holder and another in the bottom rim holder.
An axial preload spring under the top ball bearing and another under the bottom ball bearing prevent ball skipping and sliding, and provide consistent additional rotor lift force to each inner race. Main rotor axial lift is provided by the magnets.
The 4 power (from 2-phase regenerative motor stator windings) and 4 sensor (from 2 Hall-effect devices each aligned to a respective stator winding, that sense rotor spin angle) conductors of the assembly, connect to power interface electronics, which exchanges DC current with a 48vdc power bus.
Fradella's U.S. Patent 8,242,649 "Low-Cost Minimal-Loss Flywheel Battery" fully describes and illustrates its many details.
We are now developing a 3rd version flywheel battery. It has pairs of concentric ring magnets that maintain rotor centering and provide rotor lift force that is stabilized by a single axial servo. The servo startup power to axially position a 40-pound rotor is under 200 watts. It can achieve steady-state rotor position in about one second, and then needs about 2 watts to maintain axial position. It is expected to cost about the same as the 2nd version, and will not incur its size, speed, and service lifetime limitations.
Status of the our broad-speed-range generator and flywheel battery
We developed and tested the generator and flywheel battery prototypes shown above; but none are in production. Prototype tests and demonstrations have been conducted for our 2 wind powered generator versions and 3 flywheel battery versions. Our 3rd version flywheel battery prototype tests are not completed.
The technology shown and described above is described in Fradella's U.S. Patents 4085355, 4520300, 6566775, 6794777, 7646178, 8242649, plus U.S. patent pending 13/080,488 and others in preparation.
Horizontal Axis Broad-speed-range Generator Version and Motor-wheel for Ultra-light Solar-Fitness EV
Left: A "see-through" view of a personal, 4-wheel ultra-light "Fitness EV" that seats 2. PV can be applied on all top surfaces, that would collect more than 1500 watts for several hours daily. Thin-film amorphous PV in window glass can reduce glare and interior heat load from sunlight, comparable to conventional tinted glass or reflective coatings that don't provide electric power.
Intelligent power electronics can enhance this EV, by providing infinitely variable speed control, with synchronized non-conflicting proportional regenerative braking.
With power electronics, its 2 rear wheels are each driven by a brushless regenerative motor-in-wheel, a special version of the motor described in US Patent 4520300. Instead of conventional connection to tire rims, it has springs between the motor housing and rear wheel rim, and between the front wheel hubs and rims. So unsprung mass (only its tires and rims) is very low, and its motor-in-wheel is cushioned from road shock.
This EV weighs 700 pounds or so. Its ultra-efficient motor has cruise control for any speed from zero to maximum. It also controls downhill speed, and regenerates power to charge the battery whenever braking or decelerating.
Optional pedal power supplied by a driver in a recumbent position (where we output the most power without tiring) to our EV version generator (shown in red) can augment solar power. Effort level is selectable, like cardio workout gym equipment. As can be seen from the graphs below, a champion athlete can generate 370 watts almost indefinitely, a physically fit person 180 watts. So a driver, pedaling in daylight with 1500 watts from onboard PV, could travel indefinitely at about 45 mph average speed, carrying a few hundred pounds of cargo, without discharging onboard batteries. This EV would be capable of traveling at speeds up to 75 mph, on mostly battery power, recharged by plugging into a garage power outlet, by its onboard PV, and by pedal power.
Left: Block diagram of ultralight EV with onboard battery power, charged by ac or dc plug-in sources, probably in owner's garage.
Batteries are essential for regenerative braking, whenever the EV's 2 motor-in-wheel brushless regenerative motors decelerate the EV.
While driving, power can be augmented by about 1500 watts from multi-junction photovoltaics on all upper EV exterior surfaces, including its front and rear windows. Also, power can be augmented at any speed, by the pedal-powered generator. A second generator can be easily included for a passenger who might also want the exercise it affords, while extending the EV's range. Pedal effort level can be selected by the user. Depending on the user's fitness level, each generator can output up to 1.5 hp (1100 watts) for brief periods and 0.5 hp (370 watts) for over an hour, as can be seen in the graph below. Total sustained power, from 1 generator and the EV's PV, can thus average about 2000 watts. So the EV can thus be driven for extended durations at speeds averaging 45 mph, without discharging onboard batteries.
If provided in-transit power, via the 2 red extendable contacts shown, on electrified highways, it could maintain 60 mph indefinitely. We need to make the public aware of this simple, clean, very low-cost electric highway option, so politicians will come onboard, and permit the highway infrastructure for it.
Main motor and braking effort may be applied to the two rear wheels, by regenerative bi-directional motor drive and braking, plus a friction brake (as a parking brake, and backup mechanical brake). No motor clutch or gearshift or differential gear is needed. With 2 large diameter motors in the 2 rear wheels, no speed reducer is needed. If the batteries ever fail (and are disconnected), the EV may be driven powered only by PV and/or pedal power. It can be driven forward or reverse at 0-15 mph from an onboard generator driven by pedal power only.
Two red stripes are shown at the EV's rear left side. Early versions may have only an extension cord, to plug into 60 Hz outlets. Until we have electrified highways for EVs, the 2 red extendable contacts shown could be used as charging contacts, automatically extending to engage recessed electrified conductive charging strips, in a future home's garage.
PV and sustained pedaling power can sustain ~45 mph without discharging the batteries. Considerable data from cyclists is available. It's compiled in the chart at right:
Note that the time scale is logarithmic. Also note that a champion 160-pound athlete can output 1.5-hp for several seconds, while a physically fit person can output about 1-hp.
The athlete can sustain about 0.5-hp for well over an hour, while the fit person can sustain about 0.25-hp. A driver wanting to power his vehicle more from his pedaling will probably choose to have 4 onboard 600 watt-hour batteries or less.
This lightweight "fitness EV" might have only 2.5 kwh onboard battery capacity. Its aero drag coefficient could be 0.1 (large area, sloped PV windows, and narrow large-diameter tires, help achieve this). Its frontal area could be 12 square feet. Nickel-metal-hydride, lithium-ion batteries, and ultracaps may soon cost less, and high efficiency multi-junction PV with 2000 watts output may be worth the higher cost for this market segment.
With 10-kw peak motor power, this EV with full cargo load, can accelerate to 15 mph in 2 seconds, 30 mph in 7 seconds, and 45 mph in 20 seconds (mostly on battery power).
Aero drag will increase when interior ventilation is needed, during high driver pedal effort. But that's no problem at speeds up to about 35 mph (where rolling friction considerably exceeds aero drag).
The images below are from 3D CAD models. Analysis shows RPM's generator, with electronics that includes selectable effort level; plus a motor-wheel version of RPM's regenerative motor having a tubular non-rotating shaft that supports its motor-wheel ball bearings and is a conduit for its 8 electrical connections to its power interface electronics, can enable a very low cost no-gas "solar-fitness EV". Spring connections between the motor and wheel rim enable very low unsprung mass; and with its large diameter/width ratio tires, incur low rolling friction (inverse to tire diameter) and smooth ride.
While applications for the "cleantech" electric power products we hope to manufacture and distribute shown above may seem diverse, their technologies are related. And the generator, flywheel battery, plus the ultra-light EV shown above are very compatible with each other and with solar power.
RPM's other 11 webpages also cover sustainable technology we are developing; to improve our environment; increase building and vehicle safety; lessen global dependence on fossil fuels and nuclear energy (and their serious negative consequences); and provide far more convenient and reliable UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supplies). To view them, please click on any of the links below.
Dual-mode Electric Highway Vehicles -- a great way to travel, if relatively low cost infrastructure is permitted
RPM's Minimal-loss Flywheel Battery -- an enabler for reliable UPS, solar/wind powered buildings, electric highways
Building-integral Solar and Wind Powered Buildings -- a serendipity of great converging sustainable technologies
Flywheel Basics Tutorial -- a review of rotational dynamics and some new flywheel battery perspectives
Comparison of RPM's flywheel battery with others -- a somewhat detailed study
Brief Summary of RPM's Business Plan -- what we've done and plan to do for the future
RPM's Resources -- our people, tangible properties, office and lab facilities, etc.
Flywheel Facts and Fallacies
Technology: Public and Business Policy
RPM's UPS can enable future distributed on-site solar/wind power, and more
RPM's brushless regenerative
motor and generator in ultralight EVs
RPM greatly values your interest in this exciting venture, and welcomes your participation.
If you have comments or suggestions, email Dick Fradella at email@example.com
Edited March 2014


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In case you were wondering how Donald Trump felt about the Robsten reunion, the ever-outgoing mogul took to Twitter to make his feelings known. Trump issued a strong warning to Robert Pattinson against getting back together with former girlfriend and Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart after she was caught cheating on him with her Snow White And The Huntsman director Rupert Sanders back in July. Although he was probably just trying to be helpful, the 66-year-old dispensed the advice in his own uniquely abrasive way. Would you expect any less from The Trump?
"Robert Pattinson should not take back Kristen Stewart," he tweeted last night, after reports circulated that Rob and Kristen were seen back together in LA. "She cheated on him like a dog & will do it again — just watch. He can do much better!" So we guess he's Team Edward? Predictably, Trump faced a pretty epic twitter backlash from Robsten loving Twi-Hards, but still he remained defiant. Having zillions of dollars can do that to you, we guess. "Lots of response to my Pattinson/Kristen Stewart reunion," he wrote in a follow up tweet. "She will cheat again–100 certain–am I ever wrong?" To answer that question, we'd like to present you with this picture of Trump's hair. If that's not wrong, we don't know what is.
He then made a direct appeal to Rob once again this afternoon. "Robert I'm getting a lot of heat for saying you should dump Kristen- but I'm right. If you saw the Miss Universe girls you would reconsider." Ooof, cheap shot Trump. If Rob leaves Kristen for a pageant contestant, that would be the end of the pop culture universe. But then again, we have a funny feeling Rob isn't into the whole spray tan look.
[Photo: Getty Images]


text:
I want to be sick forever
old and decrepit,
so that by the time I can face it
visiting hours will be
I could kill my self now
and I would leave a note in the
densely jungled pits of
my buttercup hands
written with the blunt edge
of a dried up fountain pen.
My left would say:
"here my garden
grows in shadow, sick things blooming
in absence of sunshine."
And you would have no idea what
significance that tiny confession
But my right hand would be
methodic and cerebrally legible;
I imagine it would say something like:
"I am your many whores
Everyone you failed to please
And I am shattered, because you
Did not give me water."
and inches of all of you
would effervesce with
guilt; boils would rise
in your teeth; pills would lodge
in your wooden throats; my scent
would rot under your tongues.
in your shrieks you would feel
the glide of my


text:
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WATCH: Tim Tebow does monster leg workout
Tim Tebow has been working out this offseason at a new gym in Arizona, and he seems physically ready for the 2015 NFL season.
The most important quarterback in the game?
I won't make you read the entire article just to figure out who the NFL's most important quarterback is. It isn't Aaron Rodgers. It isn't Tom Brady. It isn't Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, or Philip Rivers. The most important quarterback in the league is this guy: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports Yes, of all of the elite quarterbacks in the league, none...
Via The Sports Quotient
6 days ago | Discuss
Report: Sam Bradford should be ready to start training camp
Philadelphia Eagles training camp gets started August 2 and it looks as if quarterback Sam Bradford will be ready to participate fully with his team. Bradford is reportedly looking great and has been in the rehab room every day of the summer. Bradford said in June if he couldn't be ready for 11-on-11 drills come the start of training camp, then "something has gone horribly...
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Giants punter breaks down Eagles' QB situation
New York Giants punter Steve Weatherford recently spoke about new Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tim Tebow. He's clearly a supporter of Tebow's off the field. "I'm the biggest Tim Tebow fan in the world," Weatherford said in an interview on WFAN on Friday. "I mean, who wouldn't want their daughter to date a guy like that?" However, when it comes to playing...
Via Sportsnaut
June 27, 2015 | Discuss
Chip Kelly: Tim Tebow is a quarterback
If Tim Tebow somehow makes the Philadelphia Eagles' roster out of training camp, it will be as a quarterback and no other position. At least, that's what Chip Kelly wants us to believe. "He's a quarterback," Kelly told reporters Thursday, per NFL.com's Marc Sessler. "That's how we're looking at Timmy. We're not looking at him...Read More
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May 29, 2015 | Discuss
State of Alabama passes a 'Tim Tebow' bill
This is no joke. A bill in honor of Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback Tim Tebow was just passed by Alabama's House of Representatives that now allows home-schooled students "to play sports for their local public schools." Tebow earned the name in the bill because he was home-schooled before playing at Florida. Back in 1996, a comparable law was passed by the State of Florida...
Via Sportsnaut
May 08, 2015 | Discuss
Jay Feely: Tim Tebow is worst quarterback I ever saw in NFL
Tim Tebow is back in the NFL (for now), which means it's a perfect opportunity for the Tebow bashers to come back out of the woodwork. One such basher is NFL kicker Jay Feely, who ripped the former Denver Broncos quarterback during an appearance on a panel on "Jim Rome on Showtime." "He's such a...Read More
Via Larry Brown Sports
April 21, 2015 | Discuss
Report: Tim Tebow agrees to terms with Eagles
Tim Tebow is getting another shot at playing in the NFL, as the 27-year-old has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports that Tebow will be in Philadelphia on Monday and will sign with the team. The former Florida star has been working with respected quarterback coach...Read More
Via Larry Brown Sports
April 19, 2015 | Discuss
The curious case of Tim Tebow
The sporting world's most persistent water cooler argument returned to the forefront this week:You are an NFL team desperate for a QB. What if I told you I found one? In games he's started, his team has had a winning (8-6) record. He started at quarterback for a playoff win. He's thrown 17 touchdowns to only 9 interceptions. He's athletic too, rushing for 12 touchdowns...
Via Football By Football
March 20, 2015 | Discuss
Report: Tim Tebow works out for the Eagles
You simply cannot make this stuff up. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Philadelphia Eagles are working out former first-round pick Tim Tebow on Monday. Tebow, who has been out of the league since 2013, is apparently in the midst of a comeback attempt. It was reported earlier this month that Tebow was considering attending the first ever veteran combine in Arizona later in...
Via Sportsnaut
March 16, 2015 | Discuss
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text:
A Crash
You were seeing the beauty of the Swiss Alps up close and personal in a private helicopter. A rogue crosswind slammed the chopper into the side of the mountain with no warning. Miraculously you find yourself outside of the wreckage, the only survivor and basically unscathed, save a few bumps and bruises. This is the way we wake up each morning.
Start Where You Are
For many of us, accepting where we are in life is tough. "It is what it is", possibly the most overused expression in modern times, is popular because it fits. No matter where you are, what you are doing, what your past experiences have been, it all lead you to where you are today. If that's not someplace you want to be, the only way out is to assess the situation, focus on what you have (experiences, skills, finances) and start using those things to lead you to a better place.
A Survivor
We're all survivors of various maladies of life. Loss of family members, trouble with money, crime, drugs, accidents, if you've lived in this world for very long at all, chances are you've been through it. People that mope around and complain because the world has been mean to them are just "preaching to the choir."
It also relates to what we tell our kids when they say "It's not fair!" We say "Nobody said life was fair." It is what it is. It's not right but it's true.
When I thought about this it became applicable to so many things in my life, it inspired me to write the rest of the lyric.
Excerpt from Open Mind, Open Eye by Trace Relations:
It's not right but it's true
Incidents happen and fingers point at you
You can shake a fist, demand to see the score
or you can work it out
You can laugh at doubt
What do you think?
I invite comments and discussion at the bottom of this post, and would love to hear your thoughts.
Here's our song, hope you'll give it a spin…
Open Mind, Open Eye
Performed by Trace Relations
Written by: Tracy Ready and Kevin Lewis
Published by TraceTV Music LLC (BMI) All rights reserved.
What to do?
Assess what you have. You find the radio in the chopper and try desperately to get a signal out. You rip apart the seats to have a makeshift coat. You scavenge for whatever food you can find in the wreckage and then begin to make a plan for survival.
Same in life, you wake up each morning and have a choice to make. You can lay in bed and wish things were different, or you can get up, see where you are and make a plan to make it better.
I know this could be taken as an overly simplistic view of life, but to me that's the point. If I can boil down a million thoughts into one simple one that I can actually understand, then I feel I have a chance at moving forward.
Thanks for listening. All the best, Trace
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Let's Stick Together: Become 1 of "My Top 5 Indie Musicians"
Need help with media training for upcoming TV appearances? Need video produced for corporate audience or broadcast television? What about Social Media? Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Linkedin are business drivers in the new economy. Let Tracy help – Call Trace Productions (972-437-4433) or email firstname.lastname@example.com to schedule a phone consultation. We tailor our services to fit your needs. Thanks for visiting The Social Freelancer ™ blog.
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text:
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Gotta take the good with teh bad. Still more good than bad for me.
I love the sound of the Natchez but there were times where somebody got a little to whistle happy and held the valve open for some LONG, LOUD blows, completely drowning out the band and making people hold their ears. I can understand the trains doing that with all the fest-goers trying to dash across the tracks, but next time, I hope the Natchez captain will stick with the short bursts.
They were everywhere. Great job!
Not the first time I've heard a story like this. I think the door guy at the Maple Leaf is certifiably insane.
Great day at the FQ Fest. Really like that Wolfman/Krown/ Batiste trio, maybe better than the Wolfman's full band. Second time I've seen Poche with his ensemble. Has some good songs but comes off as too much of a show off for my taste and think he should leave the singing to Leslie and the band. Johnny Sketch/ Dirty Notes picked some great songs to cover and really rocked it.


text:
State Finishes Play at 2014 Redhawk Invitational
April 8, 2014
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. – The NC State men's golf team completed play at the 2014 Redhawk Invitational on Tuesday afternoon at the prestigious Chambers Bay Golf Club, the site of the 2015 United States Open Championship.
Through three rounds of play at the par-70, 7,047-yard course, the Wolfpack placed 11th with a team score of 878 (+38). State finished ahead of St. John's, Boise State, Long Beach State, Seton Hall, Northern Colorado, Northern Illinois, and host Seattle at the tournament.
The Pack was led by sophomore Carter Page, who tied for 29th place with a three-round score of 218 (+8). He was followed closely by teammates Logan Harrell and David Cooke, each of whom tied for 34th with three-round scores of 220 (+10).
Cooke recorded State's best round of the day, shooting a 71 (+1) on Tuesday.
Harrell proved to be very effective on the par-three holes at the course, tying for fifth with an average of 2.83 strokes per hole. His combined score on all of the par-three holes was -2.
Redshirt junior James Chapman was the Wolfpack's next finisher, tying for 55th in the 92-golfer field with a three-round score of 224 (+14).
Stanhope Johnson rounded things out for State at the tournament, tying for 76th with a 229 (+19).
The Wolfpack will close out the 2014 regular season by hosting the Wolfpack Spring Open at Lonnie Poole Golf Course on the campus of NC State University from Apr. 19-20. State will then compete at the 2014 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships at Old North State Club in London, N.C., from Apr. 25-27.
Redhawk Invitational – Final Scores


text:
Metascale is one of many Sears subsidiaries except that it focuses on Big Data born out of running just about "every distributed system...every flavor of data warehouse...and enterprise system you can think of," says Sears CTO and Metascale Phil Shelley.
Metascale focuses on open source and in particular, how to introduce Hadoop into large enterprises. What makes Metascale interesting is that it was hatched by a large enterprise consumer of IT, not an IT vendor (not that they, too, do not consume IT). About 75% of CIOs do not how to spell Hadoop or much less, know what it does, adds Shelley.
What I like about this video is that he offers real examples of using legacy data with Hadoop. The Hadoop apps pertain to price elasticity, increasing speed of price changes, inventory and improving the user experience. Hadoop taps historical data based in traditional data warehouses. One Hadoop application he mentions reduced 6,000 lines of Cobol to 400 lines of Pig, a Hadoop programming tool.
Think of Hadoop as an "eco-system," not a replacement for data warehouses, he says. Data still flows into traditional data warehouses, but is off-loaded into Hadoop where the analytical applications are run. Most Hadoop applications use structured data, not the gobs of unstructured data that's so hard to tap.
But not to worry: we're only at "the beginning" of this evolution, he says.
Shelley claims Sears is one of the biggest Internet mobile commerce destinations. Century-old and sometimes struggling Sears? Who would have thunk it?
Watch the video: Shelley knows a lot more about Big Data than me.
Follow me on Twitter.


text:
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Make yourself comfortable in LEGO® Studios, Scandinavia's biggest 4D cinema, and let your adventure begin. You've never seen films like this before – with you whole body!
LEGO Studios
You will find LEGO Studios theatre – Scandinavia's biggest 4D cinema – in the far corner of Imagination Zone. In showing films that involve all the senses, LEGO Studios strives to give children and parents quality film experiences on a level with the best and most professional concert halls and theatres in Denmark.
Advanced soundThe sound in LEGO Studios is also an experience, with surround sound and amazing acoustics. For example, the loudspeakers have 32,000 W output power. In comparison, 2000 W are normally sufficient for an indoor music event.
Light, smoke, wind and rainThanks to an advanced light system with 200 projectors, smoke machines and various 4D effects that make a multi-show possible, you will experience the feeling of wind and rain on your own body. So, put on the 3D glasses, and be prepared to experience a truly wonderful world. During the season we will present:
LEGO® Legends of Chima™
Don't miss the thrilling 4D Movie Xperience, where you and the young animals participate in a wild chase through Chima, and inadvertently becoming entwined in a battle for CHI between Laval the Lion Prince, and Cragger the Crocodile Prince. Feel the full power of CHI – only at LEGO STUDIOS in LEGOLAND!
Clutch Powers in 4D – only at LEGO StudiosDon't miss the thrilling Clutch Powers 4D film that will bombard your senses. Hold onto your hat and glasses, when the cool Clutch Powers and his team of experts set out to find a top-secret package. It won't be easy, because there are unpleasant surprises everywhere, vicious monsters, and lots of 4D action.
LEGO Racers in 4D – be the driver of a high-speed racerYou can still see the cool LEGO® Racers film that takes you on a tour of an amazing world. Wearing 3D glasses, it's as if you're at the wheel of one of the lightning-fast LEGO Racers! And there is more! You will also experience the 4th Dimension, as a snowstorm howls around you!
Worth knowing• Not recommended for children under 3 years of age• Everyone receives 3D glasses before the films begin
• See show times on posters in the park
• LEGO Studios is located in Imagination Zone
Did you know that 3D technology involves superimposing two pictures on top of each other? Each eye registers a picture, and the polarised 3D glasses enable the brain to form a complete, three dimensional picture. But your head does all the organising.
• The screen is 6.5 m tall and 11 m wide• The loudspeakers have 32,000 W output power. 2000 W are normally enough for an indoor music event• 8 huge wind cannons that resemble jet plane motors have been installed to create "wind"• 200 projectors are coordinated to go on and off with the action and music• 25 km of cables and wire were required to make LEGO STUDIOS function.
LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick and Knob configurations, the Minifigure, DUPLO, LEGENDS OF CHIMA, NINJAGO and LEGOLAND are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2015 The LEGO Group. The LEGO MOVIE © The LEGO Group & Warner Bros Entertainment Inc. © & ™ Lucasfilm Ltd.
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text: In our eyes, Elle Macpherson can do absolutely no wrong in the style stakes. With a relatively classical dress sense - it's the divine finishing touches that make this and all of her outfits just so exceptional. Her white blazer with gold piping trim is simply stunning. Add to that oh-so-Elle white jeans, gold bangles and an on-trend animal clutch and you have a practically perfect outfit in every way. Shop her look below.


text: I would like to request a topic on automated backup schemes for *nix machines. So, are there any people out there that are proud of a script or process they would like to share to the rest of us. A little history. I currently have a hacked up script I use to backup the systems now. I've named it: 'Admin-NightMareButDetailedBackup.*' Frankly, I do not like how it works. I would like it if some has a backup they feel confident in and could talk about it in a meeting. ;) This is a suggestion. Not the whole meeting just a few minutes and possibly answer a few questions from me. ------------------------------------------------------ To UNSUBSCRIBE send a message to firstname.lastname@example.com with only the word unsubscribe in the body. More information can be found at www.nmlug.org/info.html -----------------------------------------------------


text:
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama plans to observe a moment of silence at the White House on Friday morning in honor of the victims of the Connecticut elementary school massacre.
The White House says the president will observe the moment of silence at 9:30 a.m. EST, about one week after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in which 20 children and six adults were killed at the school.
Obama has asked Vice President Joe Biden to produce recommendations on new gun laws by next month and pledged to push new legislation without delay.
The White House said the president's observance of the shootings would take place in private without press coverage.
See President Obama's full remarks at Newtown High School:
Related Links:
Obama Sets January Deadline For Gun Policy Proposals
President Obama Challenges Us To Protect ALL Of Our Children In Remarks At Newtown, CT
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President Obama
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text:
Since I got interested in functional programming, I did a little research in the web, downloaded DrScheme and started to work through HtDP a few days ago. I know imperative languages (mostly C, Java, Ruby) fairly well, so I skimmed through the book, yet did all the exercises that contained writing scheme code.
Then I encountered exercise 12.4.2 [given a list, produce a list of its permutations]. I read it, started to code and failed terribly. I couldn't get it right and got frustrated.
So I fired up chrome and googled for a solution, but I couldn't find one. Just a few threads on the plt-scheme mailing list which didn't provide a solution but emphasized the usage of "design recipes". I googled some more for permutations, learned a little about the math background - which was interesting but didn't help me to solve 12.4.2, and found video lectures of Jerry Cain of Stanford which contained a spectacular permutation function but in the end didn't help me either.
In the end, I started over with HtDP and learned every little bit about "design recipes". Then I took pen and paper and designed the arrangements function using what I have learned. After that I fired up DrScheme, entered the 4 functions (including the given function arrangements) and check-expects with the examples for each function I came up with, and guess what? It worked right away :-D (this was a few minutes ago).
Thank you very much. I think learned my lesson.
Roman Sykora


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Real Housewives of Atlanta
Kandi Burruss Goes Back to School and You Won't Believe What She's Studying!
Kandi Burruss has always been one of the most entrepreneurial and motivated housewives, so we weren't surprised to learn that the former Xscape singer was headed back to school several months ago. But we were a bit shocked when she revealed exactly what it is she plans to study!
On Aug. 17, 2012 Kandi tweeted, "This week I've taking steps to better myself. I'm officially a student studying sex education & clinical sexology! #EducationIsEverything."
OK, maybe given Kandi's adult sex toy line — Bedroom Kandi — we shouldn't have been too surprised with her course of study, but what do you think of Kandi's decision to learn about sexology. Weigh in below!


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6U 900mm Depth Rack-mount Server Cabinet
Keep your servers cool, quiet, and secure with this 900mm Depth Rack-Mount Server Cabinet from Monoprice!
This desk-side, floor mounted server cabinet is designed for small/medium business, research, academic, and studio environments, where a dedicated server room is not practical and excessive noise is unacceptable. This aluminum and steel framed cabinet features lockable front, side, and rear access doors/panels for security. The vented doors combine with the optional cooling fans (up to six 120mm fans on the top panel) to provide excellent air circulation, keeping your servers and other equipment at optimum operating temperature.
The cabinet rails are horizontally adjustable to ensure a perfect fit. It provides 6U of mounting space and 900mm mounting depth. Top and bottom cable tunnels allow for easy cable management. Heavy duty casters provide mobility when you need to move the cabinet, while extendable landing gear keeps the cabinet weight off the casters when mobility is not required.
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The Den is a theatre, cafe, and studio. We are a space to converse, create, inspire, and relax. Salvete, omnes! Welcome all.
The Den Theatre does not handle the ticket sales for productions taking place at The Den Theatre other than our own productions (The Den Theatre Ensemble). Please click on the ticket links provided or visit each individual company's website.
"The theater community in Wicker Park will get a big boost with The Den Theatre's new street-level space at its current home on Milwaukee Avenue. The Hypocrites, one of Chicago's highly praised…"
Click here to read more.
For booking and pricing information, or to schedule a tour, contact Jamal at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Click here for info about The Den makeover.
Are you currently renting from The Den Theatre and have tech questions? Email questions here.


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1:41 pm
Wed June 6, 2012
PHOTOS: The Enterprise Travels Up The Hudson River To Its New Home
By Eyder Peralta
The shuttle Enterprise made a incredible trip up the Hudson River by barge, today. The shuttle was framed by New York City's skyline and eventually it will be hoisted from the barge to its new home at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.
Here are some pictures from the Enterprise's journey:
Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.


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Thank you all for making our 7th annual CAToberfest a success!
South County Cats' CAToberfest, 'A Celebration of Cats', is an annual event held to thank volunteers, donors, foster parents and all the others that make South County Cats the success it is! We enjoy food, facts, festivities, family fun and lots of fabulous items in our raffles and market place. It is family-oriented and admission is free!
CAToberfest gets bigger and better every year, thanks to our many donors and volunteers. All proceeds benefit our spay/neuter programs:
- Companion Cat Spay/Neuter Program for income qualified south King County residents at Pasado's Spay Station and participating veterinary and spay/neuter clinics
- Trap-Neuter-Return of community cats
- Spay/neuter of foster cats and kittens prior to adoption
View photos of this year's event on our Facebook page. Plans are underway to hold next year's CAToberfest at the same location. We hope to see you there!


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help? I used memorex dvd+r like 4 times already with different softwares, but wii won't even read it. It'll just start, make some beeps, and quit. I've installed neogamma, softchip, and even cioscorp, but none work. my wii's like 1 year old so there shouldn't be a prob with the laser and stuff.
Will this problem go away if I bought verbatim dvd-r? I don't wanna waste $20 if I can't get somewhat of a guarantee that it'll solve the problem.
help please?


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Plantronics HL-10 Remote Handset Lifter
List Price: $79.99
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Answer your phone when you're away from your desk with the HL-10 Remote Handset Lifter! Enjoy the full mobility of cordless conversations!
Answer Your Phone When You Can't Be There To Physically Pick-Up The Call!
The Plantronics HL10 handset lifter fits on your telephone, letting you answer calls with the touch of a button, conveniently and automatically takes your handset off hook.
Plantronics HL-10 Remote Handset Lifter Features
Automatically lifts handset and returns it to the cradle
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Designed specifically for Plantronics wireless office headset systems
No desktop footprint
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Plantronics HL-10 Remote Handset Lifter
Price: $69.99


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The Hewlett Packard LaserJet P2055dn Printer is a cost-effective printing solution for the workplace or home. This B/W printer can output 35 pages-per-minute, with an 8 second first print speed. The 600MHz processor and 128MB expandable memory, along with 300 sheet standard paper capacity, ensure that the pages will keep flowing. Additionally, a wide range of printer languages, Windows and Linux operating systems support, and included software all help to keep the work moving along smoothly.
Other notable features of the LaserJet P2055dn include a quiet mode, its small footprint, and the LCD control panel for onboard controls and status updates. The security features of the printer make sure your information is safe, while HP Web Jetadmin allows for remote tracking of the printer. Check consumable levels, order more supplies, and receive alerts all from your computer. And for peace-of-mind, Hewlett Packard backs the P2055dn with a 1-year limited warranty and toll-free phone support.
- Productive, Cost-Effective, and Fast
- Save money: this printer pays for itself within 18 months*
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- Stay on top of toner replacement with HP SureSupply. Receive alerts when a cartridge is low, monitor its remaining life, and order online or check stock and prices at stores
- Get clear, sharp-looking pages with highly rated HP cartridges
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- Print in volume: each replacement cartridge yields 2,300 pages (declared yield values in accordance with ISO/IEC 19752) high capacity 6,500 page cartridge is also available
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- Get peace of mind with the 1-year limited warranty and toll-free phoe support
Note:*Based on energy, paper, and toner savings from regular printer usage. Results may vary.


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BMX Freestyle BikesSave on BMX Freestyle Bikes at Proboardshop.com! Great selection of bike gear at unbelievably low prices. Proboardshop has been selling BMX Freestyle Bikes and outdoor gear for over 30 years and we're proud of it.
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Eastern Vulture BMX Bike 20in 2014
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Baccarat Churchill Reviews
write your own review
I have given rothchilds and churchills to many of my friends - they have all switched to Baccarat.When smoking in a crowd, people have commented on the great aroma. Both cigars get a little hot toward the end, but hell,I've found the same thing in other premium cigars.
Love the Baccarat line but lately the quality and consistency has not been there. Three or four cigars from every box are just plain bad!!
I am a full bodied cigar smoker. Padron, Bolivar, LFD, etc. BUT, after breakfast I can t smoke anything except one of these honeys. I LOVE them! Great flavor, great way to start another day in retirement. Price can t be beat.
I've smoked baccarat's for year's for the price you can't go wrong there my "go to " cigar mild enough to have with morning coffee I keep my humidor stocked with them
First half is not mild. Smoke is irritable until you get past 1/3 then it seems to mellow out a bit. I'll order a bundle of Cusano M1's before any of these.
Baccarat is a mild, great cigar.
I purchased one of these on the recommendation of my local retailer and paid over $5 for it. I was really surprised to see the great price that Famous sells them for. This cigar is well constructed, burns evenly, has a smooth draw, and gives off a very pleasing smell when you smoke it. It might be a little too mild for some smokers, but it's hard to beat this one for the money. I've since purchased a box from Famous, and they are great right out of the box. I plan to age them a little and see if they get even better.
I can't imagine how you can beat the Baccarat if you're looking for a smooth, mild cigar at a very affordable price! The burn is great and you don't have to apologize for the 'smell'. I can't think of any negatives for this gar.
I've been smoking the natural curchills for several years now. They are MILD (if you're looking for a full-bodied cigar, look elsewhere), so no complaining about the body. I've NEVER had one with a bad construction, poor draw, stagnant taste, or stale aftertaste. However, they are not aged long enough, and six months in a humidor dramatically improves the flavor - I learned this by accident. The sweet taste comed from the sealer gum at the end of cigar, and is not a side-effect of the filler. Good stick at a decent price.
I've enjoyed cigars off and on for more than twenty years. While I'm no expert by any means, the Baccarat Churchill is an incredibly mild cigar, with a good draw, excellent construction and just a hint of sweetness to the head. While the maduro wrappers seem to hold together the best, I prefer the taste of the naturals. If you're concerned about expense...give this cigar a shot. You won't be disappointed.
these are my favorite cigars. i love mild cigars and these are the best. the sweet taste on the cap is perfect and the construction and draw is always flawless.there is no reason to buy any ther cigar when you factor in taste appearance draw and price these are a 10


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Since 1976, Juno Lighting has been "lighting the way" with award-winning recessed and track lighting. Juno established its reputation with the Trac-Master track lighting system and grew from there. Today, the Juno Lighting Group is comprised of seven industry leading brands, including Juno, Aculux and Alfa.
The Adustable Joiner Track Connector is available with the following:
- Made of aluminum
- Joins two track sections
- Can flex up to 90 degree angle to left, right, up or down
- UL Listed
Finish: Black, Silver, White
- Fixture: Height 0.69", Width 2", Depth 1.38"
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Adjustable Track ConnectorBy JunoFrom: $20.923 Finish Options{boxId:"compareuu444006", id:"uu444006"} See Comparison


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Twitter nets $100M, valuation soaring
Microblogging company Twitter confirmed that it raised additional capital last week in a funding round led by T. Rowe Price, Insight Venture Partners, Spark Capital and Institutional Venture Partners rumored to be worth $100 million. The company did not disclose the amount of the funding nor the valuation it received however.
The Wall Street Journal and TechCrunch said the round valued the company at around $1 billion, a significant increase from the $255 million valuation it was assigned in its last funding round, which took place earlier this year.
Twitter is still yet to generate revenue, but its user base is growing rapidly. Many different ideas for how the service will earn money have been floated, including running targeted ads. But it still remains to be seen if Twitter can provide a return on the significant investments that it has received.
For more:
- see the Wall Street Journal article here
- see the CNET post on the story here
Related articles
Twitter raises cash, valued at $250 million
Twitter changes terms of use, will allow targeted ads
JAJAH beta-testing Twitter VoIP calling


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Hi, Josette! Yes, we do all teach! :)
Huge thanks for joining our awesome forum--I truly look forward to learning from you and getting to know you.
Hoping that you pick up what you need as far as ideas go for your little one and find our group as supportive and talented as we all do!
If you could take a sec in the next few days to update your profile--add a photo, some info, whatever--and join any and all groups that interest you, that'd be awesome!
Thanks, and welcome!amy
© 2015 Created by teachmama--amy.


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Man dies as police execute search warrant
Police say a man died as police searched his home for a fugitive in Doddridge County.
The incident happened Thursday as West Virginia state troopers were executing a search warrant at the residence of 71-year-old Elton Wine of West Union.
Officers were looking for John Bowman, who had active warrants for manufacturing with the intent to deliver marijuana, according to a press release from the West Virginia State Police.
Police say both Wine and Bowman have "extensive and violent criminal histories."
While troopers were executing the search warrant, Wine was uncooperative and tried to interfere with the search for Bowman, police said.
"After gaining Mr. Wine's cooperation, he indicted he was having difficulty breathing at which time members provided assistance and first aid and subsequently summoned EMS which was stationed nearby," according to the release.
Wine then become unresponsive and died, according to police.
Wine's remains were taken to the office of the chief medical examiner to determine the cause of death.
Police arrested Bowman the following evening along the road near Wine's residence. Bowman was taken into custody without incident, police say.
He is charged with felony cultivation of marijuana. He was taken to the North Central Regional Jail.


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Longevity research
Since Ponce de Leon, people have searched for a fountain of youth, something that provides a longer life with fewer of the afflictions of aging. Might it exist in a still-unknown substance? And can modern scientists find it?
Calorie restriction in laboratory animals leads to a longer life span. But very few people would consider a consistent calorie restricted diet to provide a high quality of life. Now, for the first time, there's a substance (rapamycin) that's been proven to lengthen the life span of mice, in part through work done at the Laboratory. It's not a magic elixir—indeed, it dangerously suppresses the immune system—but it will give clues into how and why we age. And, perhaps, ways we could alter the process to our benefit.
Analysis: Female sexual maturity in mammals and an evolutionary theory of aging
By Kevin Flurkey, Ph.D.
Scientists including Jackson Professor David Harrison have found a number of genes that appear to control lifespan in mice. In 2009 the National Aging Institute's Intervention Testing Program, which includes the Harrison lab, demonstrated the first pharmaceutical intervention to extend the lifespan of a mammal by more than 10% when they administered rapamycin to mice late in life. But even that important discovery has not yet led to interventions that can be applied to humans.
All the mutations we know of that increase lifespan in mice have been found through reverse genetic strategies: by testing a known mutant gene for effects on aging and lifespan, or by structurally altering a gene and then testing the effects of the induced mutation. While such studies have demonstrated that lifespan can be increased in mammals through genetic means, presumably by retarding aging, they appear to do so at a physiological "cost"—i.e., none of these mutant mice could survive in the wild because some important physiological function is typically compromised by the mutation.
In fact, there is almost no natural genetic variation in the "lifespan" genes we have found through analysis of mutants, probably because of the physiological cost of diminishing the function of these genes. Thus, any attempt to medically mimic, for humans, the lifespan-enhancing effect of these mutations would also produce an impairment that would probably shorten the lifespan of anyone who doesn't live in a bubble (or at least in sterile, pathogen-free mouse colony with constant temperature and no stress).
Rong's approach was to look for genetic variants that already exist in nature. It seems unlikely that the lifespan-enhancing effect of a natural genetic variant would cost too much—otherwise it would have been removed from the gene pool. Thus, genes that produce normal variations in lifespan probably provide much better targets for biomedical interventions.
Rong was not the first to think of this—scientists have been trying to map lifespan loci using natural variation for decades—but the loci that have been found seem to be as evanescent as the Cheshire cat's smile. This is no surprise: Lifespan is a horrible phenotype to try to map. There's relatively low heritability, and unidentified environmental variation has such a large influence on lifespan variance that it can mask the genetic influence.
Rong's innovation was to use evolutionary theory to refine his focus. The evolutionary theory of aging actually predicts that the genes that regulate aging will be found among the genes that regulate development and maturation. In fact George Williams, one of the two people who developed the evolutionary theory of aging in the 1950s, actually stated that if you could halt maturation, you would stop aging. (Dave Harrison calls this the Peter Pan corollary, after the boy who refused to grow up, and so never grew old, although it hasn't worked so well for me.)
The key here is that the genes that regulate natural variation in maturational rate should be much easier to find than genes that regulate aging. For example, when looking at "maturational" genes, there's no confusion from disease genes that affect lifespan (like cancer genes) but have no little relation to inherent aging rates. In fact, Rong showed that, in mice, the heritability of the marker he used (age of vaginal patency) is five to 10 times greater than the heritability of lifespan, which greatly improves the chances of finding these genes.
To my knowledge, Rong is the first scientist to apply evolutionary theory to guide the search for the actual genes that regulate aging in mammals. Success depends on finding, among the genes that regulate the maturational phenotype, genes that also regulate lifespan. This PNAS paper reports the first evidence of the success of this strategy, and Rong has identified a few very promising candidate genes.
Kevin Flurkey is an associate research scientist in the laboratory of Jackson Laboratory Professor David Harrison, Ph.D.
Personal Connections
Larry Closson feels blessed. He's 85 years old—"my father and grandfather didn't make it past their 70s"—lives with his son and family, and enjoys his time out of the house.
"I look forward to coming here every day so much. I like to read, but otherwise, when you get older, you can get terribly bored without a place like this."
"Here" is the Straus Center in Southwest Harbor, Maine, which provides day programs for seniors like Larry. Each day Larry and his friends gather for music, games, a mid-day meal and other activities. The center has a casual feel, friendly and welcoming, that makes it easy to forget the activities and facilities are carefully planned.
"Larry is in the early stages of dementia," says Debra Chalmers, director of adult day services at the center, a community resource for seniors with memory problems and their caregivers. "His long-term memory is intact, but his short-term memory is limited."
"I'm sorry to say that he has not been assessed to ascertain a specific diagnosis, which is a common occurrence for many older adults who display symptoms that fall under the umbrella of "dementia." I look forward to future research helping unlock some of the mysteries around dementia and other brain diseases," Debra says.
Larry's long-term memory is formidable indeed. To reminisce with him is to revisit a Downeast Maine that no longer exists. Born in Sullivan in June 1925, he grew up on an island estate in a house without telephone or electricity.
"My father took care of the estate and served as boat captain and chauffeur for the owners, who were grandchildren of Longfellow. I loved it. It was very quiet, very peaceful, not like around here nowadays with all the hustle and bustle in the summer."
Larry did profit from the summer tourist business as a teenager, keeping lobster traps and selling what he caught. He used the money he earned to buy clothing for the school year. Asked if he ever kept any of his catch, Larry shudders. "Oh, no, never. I hate eating lobsters myself."
World events swept him away from the quiet for what turned into 20 years. He enlisted in the Navy and served in the South Pacific during World War II and the Korean War, flying off aircraft carriers and returning to the deck with what he vividly remembers as a "controlled crash landing."
"I've seen so many things happen, so much history, but you don't think about it like that when you're going through it. And when it's war, it's just awful, terrible experiences."
Larry retired from the military in 1962 and quickly returned to his Maine roots. He raised five children, all of whom still live in the area. His military-honed mechanical expertise contributed to both his civilian work and hobbies.
"I loved to work on old cars and used to restore Model A Fords. I can't do that any more—my leg sometimes goes out on me like a broken airplane landing gear." He laughs. "Sometimes I feel like an old car—I've got too many replacement parts in me!"
Kevin Flurkey, Ph.D., is among the researchers at The Jackson Laboratory leading the effort to find ways to extend our health span, the years of robust health and high quality of life.
"We're looking for the processes that control aging," Flurkey says. "The ultimate goal is to delay the onset of age-related diseases and increasing health span."
With advances such as the drug rapamycin, Flurkey wants to find out not only why we age, but how to use that knowledge.
As for Larry, his future is now, and he lives it with gusto.
"The folks here at the center, they're perfect, absolutely wonderful. I have no complaints. I'm very lucky and I know it."
The Search magazine"Live long, live well"
Harry Lodge, M.D.
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