tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21893247700941341412024-03-01T21:05:56.096-08:00Podcars PueblaRon Swensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437944688837628074noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189324770094134141.post-8258369711551573972018-07-29T20:39:00.001-07:002018-07-31T13:04:14.840-07:00Comparing Costs of Transit ModesPodcar technology holds promise to deliver far greater economy and far greater capacity than conventional public transit. <br />
<br />
Podcars will come to terms with public transit – unaffordable in emerging economies and heavily subsidized in market economies. Examples from the USA demonstrate the technological inadequacy of current public transit modes. <br />
<br />
<center>
<table border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.44px; orphans: 2; table-layout: fixed; widows: 2; width: 480px;"><tbody class="" style="border-top: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">
<tr><td><b>Mode</b></td><td align="right"><b>Cost/mile</b></td><td align="right"><b>Cost/km</b></td></tr>
<tr><td>Heavy Rail</td><td align="right"> $262 million</td><td align="right"> $162 million</td></tr>
<tr><td>High Capacity Rail</td><td align="right"> $256 million</td><td align="right"> $159 million</td></tr>
<tr><td>Light Rail</td><td align="right"> $171 million</td><td align="right"> $106 million</td></tr>
<tr><td>Streetcar</td><td align="right">$38 million</td><td align="right">$24 million</td></tr>
<tr><td>Commuter Rail</td><td align="right">$36 million</td><td align="right">$22 million</td></tr>
<tr><td>Bus Rapid Transit</td><td align="right">$9 million</td><td align="right">$6 million</td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td align="right"></td><td align="right"></td></tr>
<tr><td>Average All Modes</td><td align="right">$89 million</td><td align="right">$55 million</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="3"><a href="https://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/Public-Transportation-Investment-Background-Data.pdf">Public Transportation Investment History • Background Data • Table 23</a><br />
<a href="http://www.apta.com/" target="_blank">APTA</a> 2015 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<br />
<u><b>Capacity</b></u>
<br />
Superficially it would appear that public transit has high capacity. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Light Rail can hold 255 people in each
vehicle, which in turn can be linked into a train of two or more cars.
Light Rail is smaller and slower than High Capacity Rail, but travels faster
and carries more passengers than streetcars or buses.
High Capacity Rail is larger and longer, holding up to 1500
passengers (in ‘crush’ conditions).</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>High Capacity Rail gets power from an electrified rail below the train and requires large stations, more infrastructure and safety
separation.
Light Rail can run above ground at street level, like streetcars, however
it operates in separated lanes, meaning it is not affected by car and
truck traffic. Stops are planned to be about 500 metres apart, but closer than High Capacity Rail stops. For more details, please refer to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_rail_terminology">Passenger rail terminology</a> in Wikipedia.</i></blockquote>
These numbers seem compelling but such High Capacity Trains require long headways, with extensive empty sections of track between trains<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>,</i></span> equivalent to trying to make a bucket brigade
more effective by using larger buckets. In reality a fire hose carries
more water by streaming it. <br />
<br />
High capacity rail systems require stations too large to fit above ground in dense urban areas or to be affordable in suburban settings, and trains usually stop at all stations <i>en route</i>. <br />
<br />
<center>
<div class="">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.44px; orphans: 2; table-layout: fixed; widows: 2; width: 480px;"><tbody class="" style="border-top: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">
<tr align="center" class=""><td class="" colspan="4" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; width: 500px;"><b>Relative Capacity per Hour </b><i>(not all seats are filled)</i></td></tr>
<tr class=""><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;"><b>Mode</b></td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;"><b>Seats per Vehicle</b></td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right; width: 69px;"><b>Headway</b></td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;"><b>Seats per Hour</b></td></tr>
<tr class=""><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">Bus </td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">0-50, 50 used</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right; width: 69px;">5 mins</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">600</td></tr>
<tr class=""><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">Light Rail</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">0-200, 200 used</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right; width: 69px;">10 mins</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">1,200</td></tr>
<tr class=""><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">Automobiles</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">1-6, 4 used</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right; width: 69px;">(3 legal) 1-6 secs</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">4,800</td></tr>
<tr class=""><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">Podcars</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">1-8, 4 used</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right; width: 69px;">3 secs</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">4,800</td></tr>
<tr class=""><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">Podcars</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">1-8, 4 used</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right; width: 69px;">1 secs</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">14,400</td></tr>
<tr class=""><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">Podcars</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">1-8, 4 used</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right; width: 69px;">0.5 secs</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">28,800</td></tr>
<tr class=""><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">Podcars</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">1-8, 4 used</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right; width: 69px;">0.25 secs</td><td class="rteright" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; text-align: right;">57,600</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class=""><td class="" colspan="4" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px;"><i>* 0.25 second headway gives each vehicle 3.91 meters of space</i></td></tr>
<tr align="center" class=""><td class="" colspan="4" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px;"></td></tr>
<tr class=""><td class="" colspan="4" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); padding: 0px 6px; width: 341px;"><i>Adapted from JPods 2018</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</center>
<br />
<div class="">
<div class="">
The capacity of the vehicle is not the throughput of the network. </div>
</div>
<br />
<u><b>Operating Costs</b></u> <br />
<br />
When these high capital costs are amortized over time to be repaid at the farebox, deficiencies are deflected into subsidies. Public transit systems are heavily subsidized throughout the world, with some notable exceptions in east Asia and London. (Curiously, the farebox recovery rate in Silicon Valley is one of the poorest, on the order of 10%, where it costs more to accommodate a public transit commuter than it costs to own and operate a car.) <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://transportgeography.org/?page_id=5233" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="1503" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUjIsO7HA3i6JuKtX4M4EurNp-PJrk9rpI936TdDtDa7J-mFU-cJhdjIu255VyN0cj4Rfh5B9G0dZN-ngluqj_Njo4OW9cHDgi9sWFA_mtkYumTK4HqlsKSgxmvV-XPzLeUQ2_wzrHIY/s400/Map_World-Farebox-Ratio.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farebox_recovery_ratio" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Aspiring podcar vendors estimate that their costs will be much lower that other forms of public transit, due to a number of factors. For example, this chart from JPods demonstrates, surprisingly, that before even considering the advantages of podcars, due to high labor costs and low ridership, buses are even more expensive than private automobiles. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvuGXDR7Q1EeFrAHyGc4wmwrg_hYJYuTzaRWqF6cQSpcuggJ-HCs15-92PBd6eF3ZpQsV-nZhKWDtY_4958XISVDLAb_WZLcBDim3k2fDcN49M4Nmele0leEJVhVi4uPecLPVWYYQuMo/s1600/COST+to+Operate.JPods.006.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvuGXDR7Q1EeFrAHyGc4wmwrg_hYJYuTzaRWqF6cQSpcuggJ-HCs15-92PBd6eF3ZpQsV-nZhKWDtY_4958XISVDLAb_WZLcBDim3k2fDcN49M4Nmele0leEJVhVi4uPecLPVWYYQuMo/s400/COST+to+Operate.JPods.006.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<u><b>Safety</b></u><br />
<br />
Another important cost metric is safety. <br />
<br />
<br />
<center>
<table border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 466px;">
<colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 8618; mso-width-source: userset; width: 202pt;" width="269"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 6314; mso-width-source: userset; width: 148pt;" width="197"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="21" style="height: 16.0pt;">
<td height="21" style="height: 16.0pt; width: 202pt;" width="269"><b>2016 motor vehicle
crash highlights</b></td>
<td style="width: 148pt;" width="197"><br /></td>
</tr>
<tr height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">
<td height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">Deaths</td>
<td align="right" class="xl63">40,327 </td>
</tr>
<tr height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">
<td height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">Medically consulted injuries</td>
<td align="right" class="xl63">4.6 million</td>
</tr>
<tr height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">
<td height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">Cost</td>
<td align="right" class="xl63">416.2 billion </td>
</tr>
<tr height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">
<td height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">Motor vehicle mileage</td>
<td align="right" class="xl63">3.174 billion </td>
</tr>
<tr height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">
<td height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">Registered vehicles in the United States</td>
<td align="right" class="xl63">269 million </td>
</tr>
<tr height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">
<td height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">Licensed drivers in the United States</td>
<td align="right" class="xl63">222 million </td>
</tr>
<tr height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">
<td height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">Death rate per 100 million vehicle miles</td>
<td align="right" class="xl64">1.3 </td>
</tr>
<tr height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">
<td height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">Death rate per 10,000 registered vehicles</td>
<td align="right" class="xl64">1.5 </td>
</tr>
<tr height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">
<td height="25" style="height: 19.0pt;">Death rate per 100,000 population</td>
<td align="right" class="xl64">12.5 </td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<style>table { }tr { }col { }br { }td { padding-top: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-left: 1px; color: black; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; vertical-align: bottom; border: medium none; white-space: nowrap; }.xl63 { text-align: right; }.xl64 { text-align: right; }</style><br />
<i><a href="https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/overview/introduction/" target="_blank">Injury Facts, National Safety Council</a></i><br />
<br />
</center>
All of this occurs under sovereign immunity and self-regulation by Federal and State Departments of Transportation. By contrast, 0.2 per million injuries occur on amusement park rides, under ASTM-F24 standards.<br />
<br />
By removing sovereign immunity, government officials would be personally accountable, operating as commercial mobility networks. Radically safer transportation networks would replace the unsafe, internally regulated government monopolies.<br />
<br />
<u><b>More</b></u><br />
<br />
Future posts will delve into these factors in greater detail.<br />
<br />Ron Swensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437944688837628074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189324770094134141.post-5601040969751958712018-06-07T05:14:00.003-07:002018-06-08T08:05:42.772-07:00CADi Puebla ResourcesAsociación Nacional de Energía Solar • <a href="http://www.anes.org/">www.anes.org</a><br />
<br />
Asociación Mexicana de Fabricantes de Equipos Fotolvoltaicos • <a href="http://www.amfef.mx/">www.amfef.mx</a> <br />
<br />
• Transitioning to a Renewable Energy Future • (<a href="http://www.donaldaitkenassociates.com/transitioning_daa.pdf" target="_blank">white paper, author's website</a>)<br />
• Sustainable Energy Technologies • <a href="https://www.crcpress.com/Sustainable-Energy-Technologies/Rincon-Mejia-Heras/p/book/9781138034389" target="_blank">text book</a><br />
<br />
The International Institute of Sustainable Transportation • <a href="http://www.inist.org/">www.inist.org</a><br />
<br />
• INIST Library • <a href="http://www.inist.org/library">www.inist.org/library</a><br />
<br />
Solar Skyways • <a href="http://www.solarskyways.net/">www.solarskyways.net</a><br />
<br />
Spartan Superway • <a href="http://spartansuperway.blogspot.com/">spartansuperway.blogspot.com</a> • <a href="http://www.superway.us/">www.superway.us</a> • <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SpartanSuperway/" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br />
<br />
Podcar City • <a href="http://www.podcarcity.org/">www.podcarcity.org</a><br />
<br />
Urban International Design Contest • <a href="https://www.facebook.com/UIDC2018/" target="_blank">UIDC 2018</a><br />
<br />
Futran Group • <a href="http://www.futrangroup.com/">www.futrangroup.com</a><br />
<br />
<b><u>Videos </u></b><br />
<br />
• INIST Videos • <a href="http://www.youtube.com/inistvideos">www.youtube.com/inistvideos</a> <br />
• Solar Nations • <a href="http://www.youtube.com/solarnations">www.youtube.com/solarnations</a><br />
• The Superway • <a href="https://youtu.be/2JiUSu25Meg" target="_blank">Daily Planet</a> <br />
<br />
<b><u>How to</u></b><br />
<br />
• Creating a team blog • <a href="http://spartansuperway.blogspot.com/2017/08/week-1-creating-individual-and-team.html" target="_blank">spartansuperway.blogspot.com ... creating a team blog</a><br />
• Assertion-Evidence • <a href="http://www.assertion-evidence.com/">www.assertion-evidence.com</a><br />
• Open Space Technology • <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Space_Technology" target="_blank">wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Space_Technology</a>Ron Swensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437944688837628074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189324770094134141.post-33964414210894728542017-10-13T17:01:00.000-07:002017-10-14T05:31:30.495-07:00Podcar Network ModelingAdvanced internet-based collaboration tools can be used to design podcar networks ... and then these designs can be used to offer a clear vision of the project, to help the public understand the benefits and offer suggestions to improve the designs.<br />
<br />
One such tool is <a href="http://www.encitra.com/" target="_blank">Encitra</a>. Similar to Google docs, numerous designers and stakeholders can participate online together in real time to design buildings, infrastructure, urban landscapes and more. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.inist.org/Projects/UIDC" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="664" data-original-width="664" height="200" src="https://scontent.fpbc1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/17352376_1518894638129104_5464344842543211215_n.png?oh=2c8d1bee464e6c8ad1e5d3ad043ea38d&oe=5A701ACF" title="" width="200" /></a>One opportunity to apply this tool and enter a competition is the Urban International Design Contest ("UIDC"). The UIDC facebook page is here: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/UIDC2017">http://www.facebook.com/UIDC2017</a>/.The contest is closed for 2017 but another competition is being planned for 2018.<br />
<br />
Here are some videos which demonstrate how this modeling tool works:<br />
<br />
Light rail system in Uppsala, Sweden:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5sYILGMZuDE?rel=0" width="500"></iframe>
Podcar system in Uppsala, Sweden<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/291yE_9eefU?rel=0" width="500"></iframe>
Ron Swensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437944688837628074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2189324770094134141.post-23742203831978012982017-10-11T20:07:00.001-07:002017-10-14T10:09:08.887-07:00Observe Design Present ... BuildHere is a brief overview of the three day Solar Skyways workshop at Tec de Monterrey in Puebla.<br />
<br />
<table border="1" style="width: 99%;">
<tbody>
<tr><td align="center" style="width: 33%;">Day 1</td><td align="center" style="width: 33%;">Day 2</td><td align="center" style="width: 33%;">Day 3</td></tr>
<tr><td align="center"><u>Orientation</u><br />
<i>What's the problem?</i><u> </u></td><td align="center"><u>Build a new model</u> <br />
<i>100% renewable energy</i></td><td align="center"><u>Opportunity</u><br />
<i>Follow your bliss</i></td></tr>
<tr bgcolor="yellow"><th>Observe</th><th>Design</th><th>Present</th></tr>
<tr><td align="center">Lightning Talks</td><td align="center">Lightning Talks</td><td align="center"><i>Conclude</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Each day will begin with an introduction. In the first session (<b>Observe</b>), teams will be formed and the initial tasks will be accomplished. At the end of the first and second days, each team will give a brief "lightning talk" to the other teams. On the third day, all the teams will present to their advisors, potential sponsors and clients, and then they will <i>conclude</i>. In the vocabulary of international trade, the person with the authority to conclude is the person who makes the deal. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJatdNrD3bXnVkz8hEwTBDcQTsew1NpRd1K7P50DYyiN4VHgaTSGstU2NUw__DU74CNLZcDhUXYoLa36Q0dcS1wxhsjrRFF_PkSwHmN7dpim0EDoj88xuSE8NDJuKmaJNOJrUrREXBQrg/s1600/Predict+future+design+it.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="563" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJatdNrD3bXnVkz8hEwTBDcQTsew1NpRd1K7P50DYyiN4VHgaTSGstU2NUw__DU74CNLZcDhUXYoLa36Q0dcS1wxhsjrRFF_PkSwHmN7dpim0EDoj88xuSE8NDJuKmaJNOJrUrREXBQrg/s320/Predict+future+design+it.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h3>
... (and then build it!) </h3>
<br />
We now have the tools to create a better world. Let's work together to design and build a new model that works for all of humanity. <br />
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<hr />
<table style="width: 100%;"><tbody>
<tr align="top"><td align="top">Prepared and presented by Ron Swenson, President, <a href="http://www.inist.org/" target="_blank">INIST</a><br />
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<br /></td><td align="right"><img border="0" data-original-height="102" data-original-width="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJCVRTWOy_GnNX2ziG4VhIZU7ACh5-V0dx0tqVOep9tWR-pt41QkxDbOlWvGYUgMHPLcHTAxUCJydujNE4U3Tx2S-f1jWP78XvnHSQ5db1IEuvXQkU_vF3QQ64tI8KjiTG4ITjIE4fo0/s1600/Logo+INIST+234x.jpg" /></td></tr>
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<br />Ron Swensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437944688837628074noreply@blogger.com0