The Sondors eBike by Storm Sondors

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Earlier this week an Indiegogo campaign came to my attention via one of their emails, Storm Electric Bike.

 

This thing looks awesome, it promises to be an affordable (but simple) electric bike. I snagged one via the campaign for 499$ plus shipping, other electric bike options from current manufacturers and distributors start north of 1000$. What makes this one different you ask?

Storm doesn't have a bunch of bells and whistles. It does NOT have regenerative braking which requires less parts so less to build, it is fixed gear (while some current electric bikes are 10-speeds) so again less parts-less to build, all of the parts used to make this bike are off the shelf parts meaning no need to pay for custom tooling and molds, again significant cost savings. 

Sure at 499$ via the campaign Storm Sondors is unlikely to make much per bike, however this is just the crowd-funding price. Obviously when these sell retail they'll cost more, and that is where the profit comes in. Via the campaign comments a competitor is constantly fear mongering claiming this bike can not be made that his costs such and such and it's impossible to make a 499$ electric bike... yet that competitor's bike is 10-speed, has regenerative braking AND FOLDS IN HALF all of which cost more, he's also already at the retail point and is likely making a considerable profit per unit.

Look folks, I've looked at what it would cost ME to build a similar bike from off the shelf parts in small quantities with no contacts and no ability to order in considerable quantity. I estimate I could personally import all the parts for 30 bikes (including duties and brokerage fees) for less than 499$ each. It's doable. Also keep in mind, crowd-funding isn't the same as going to the store and buying something. Usually at best a prototype exists and the campaign creator(s) have little to no experience in manufacturing anything outside of their workshop so contributing is a risky gamble. One should NEVER expect to receive a single thing they contribute for, you are contributing to someone's dream. In this case however, Storm Sondors has decades of experience in prototyping and mass manufacturing (McDonald's happy meal toys) and likely has dozens or hundreds of contacts in various manufacturing, distribution, logistics, warehousing etc areas as well as an intimate understanding of reasonable timelines and challenges that will likely be faced to manufacture his bikes. I gave 499$ to this campaign and I do not regret it, I feel confident in my decision to contribute based on my above comments and the fact that several tech journalists have been allowed to use the prototype unit and their reputations give them ZERO reason to lie about their experiences using this bike from a currently unknown manufacturer. 

UPDATE:

Their are individuals crawling out of the woodwork to constantly slam this campaign, claiming it's a scam, claiming I'm an insider/work for Storm or Agency 2.0, claiming it's a giant scam and I'm part of the conspiracy to defraud people out of 3.1 million dollars and counting, etc. It's getting quite ridiculous. The individuals claiming such I deeply suspect of being direct competitors with a currently manufactured bike with similar specifications that starts around $1200. Why do I suspect this? In the early comments of the campaign a direct competitor was posting the link to his product and making the exact same claims. Now it's 'anonymous contributor' making these allegations (and claiming such to news outlets which, without verifying his complains, are reporting everything he tells them as 100% true, and that's just sloppy journalism).

This bike is more than able to be made (at a profit) for the $499 price, it is now $599 and is scheduled to increase yet again. Keep in mind this price is for BACKERS of the campaign and is NOT the final retail price. Also keep in mind Storm and company will make the bulk of their profits selling accessories and upgrades after retail launch of the bike. 

It amazes me how many people don't understand crowdfunding and think they are BUYING a bike like they would on Amazon.com

Re: Charlie Hebdo: A Death in My Family

The following is my reply to a post by another Brother: Charlie Hebdo: A Death in My Family

 

I appreciate your thoughts but I disagree on some points.

“because they were exercising their free speech”

There is the right to having free speech and being able to say what you want. I'm all for that. However there is also being repeatedly disrespectful to another's views/beliefs/religion. This is no longer free speech, this is being uncivil and absolutely disrespectful to others. While I don't think they should have died/deserved to die, I do think they were guilty of not exercising civility. Just because you can say something, doesn't mean you should.

“constantly threatened with death for doing something as simple as writing funny cartoons”

One man's funny is quite offensive to others. You don't attack other's beliefs, especially religion. You respect the rights of others to believe what they want. You don't continually mock one's religion/God/prophet in satirical illustrations that some even offend people NOT of the religion being mocked. They weren't being funny, they were being mocking, nay, derisive and full of hatred in their magazine.

“We as Masons are taught through our ritual and through our culture that we have a bond to the fraternity and each other”

We are also instructed that we are all on the level and that we shouldn't judge others for their beliefs. We've also learned as Masons that it's not fun to be persecuted... I mean the wiki entry Suppression of Freemasonry is a good starting point. Let me ask you this Brother, how would you feel if someone took something sacred to you, let's say Freemasonry, and began making hate-filled 'satirical' cartoons about Freemasonry. You'd be mad. Now what if you were devoutly religious and someone started taking your God/prophet/important religious figure and started making cartoons about them showing them doing idiotic thing, carrying out acts of a sexual or romantic nature with a person or animal that your religion prohibits etc? You'd be mad.

Pardon my language, but what really chaps my ass, is the fact that there WERE Brothers working at this publication. We shouldn't be making fun of the beliefs of others, whether we find it comical or not (because they probably won't). These satirical comics that Charlie Hebdo were producing were funny to some but grossly offensive to others. That's just unacceptable. 

“I also felt pride that my brothers were there, doing things that stood for something and shaped the world.”

I'm sorry, I don't take pride in bullying and bigotry. They weren't making cartoons saying why they preferred their belief over the belief of their target, they were showing extreme prejudice and bigotry for a specific group of people that make up a significant portion of the world's population.

“but Michel and Bernard were the ones who actually were going out and doing something. They were the ones with the guts. The ones without fear.”

They were the ones showing cowardice, afraid of the beliefs of others and lashing out against those beliefs with disrespectful illustrations that they claimed to be tasteful satire. Disgusting.

I'm truly sorry that these individuals were killed but let us take some good from this tragedy. Let us see it as a reminder to be more civil and tolerant of the beliefs of others, to be more respectful of the beliefs of others. There is absolutely no reason, in a civil society, that those comics should have been created and published. 

UPDATE:

A response to my disagreements has been posted

Let me address it

“We shouldn’t judge other people for their beliefs? Where in the ritual is that? ”

Not necessarily degree ritual but there are two things you do NOT talk about in Lodge. Religion and politics. Even in the York Rite with Templar stuff you must admit you are a Christian but you are never told to look down on those that aren't Christian. 

If Bob is the Worshipful Master and has on a cornstarch blue tie, I don't stop a degree "Hey Bob, what the hell man, cornstarch blue is so silly, Brothers laugh at Bob for his tie, everyone knows royal blue is far superior, oh Bob you are so silly"...

“If someone made comics attacking Freemasonry, I would be THRILLED to offer a rebuttal.”

Well, 2 men did make a rebuttal to the Islam-mocking comics. They did it with bullets. Because that's how some people think, not everyone can be civil and laugh off when you mock their beliefs or belief system, it's something they are passionate about and they may be from a culture that has developed a mindset in them that violence is an acceptable solution to everything.

“Bullying? Charlie Hebdo was a publication with 45,000 papers circulated per issue.”

ullying

  1. verb

    gerund or present participle: bullying

    1. use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants.

Is 45,000 more than the billion plus Muslims on the planet? No. Is a publication with a subscriber base of 45,000 of significant influence? While it's only 0.068 percent of France's population, 45,000 isn't a number to laugh at. Say each subscriber had an average household of 2.5 you now have 112,500 eyeballs looking at it also several of 'cartoons' are readily available online (and likely were prior to the shooting) which can be circulated via email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr etc considerably amplifying the number of eyes seeing them.

“They target a problem and show it in a humorous or thoughtful light”

A man in traditional middle-eastern garb open-mouthed kissing an artist in a Charlie Hebdo shirt. A bare, and ample, bottomed depiction of the most important prophet in Islam in a suggestive prone upright position with what appears to be Woody Allen filming him from behind... how are these targeting problems in a humourous or thoughtful light? These are two guarnateed ways to absolutely offend Muslims one blatantly showing homosexuality which is not supported in Islam or in primarily Islamic countries the other hinting at homosexuality and depicting the CHIEF prophet of Islam which you just don't do. These guys KNEW they were going to get people very upset with them, there are examples in recent history that received national coverage from similar illustrations. They weren't trying to bring light to a situation they were intentionally attempting to offend a significant portion of the world's population!!!

“Afraid of the beliefs of others? Citation needed on this one.”

Read literature on bullying, preferably from a behavioral specialist. You'll find that generally bullies are hiding behind a mask of anger/aggression/violence or even sarcasm as a shield. Something in their life has caused them enough fear to need to lash out at others. Sometimes they lash out at the cause of their fear which you'll see as physical confrontation with the person, or someone from a group, that has scared them. Sometimes it will be a soldier coming home from war afraid of what they saw and did and they'll become self-destructive or lash out at their friends and family (generally their partner or children). Sometimes it will be a weaker individual that just happens to be around, the bully on the playground picks a kid smaller than himself to lash out against because someone in his life scares him and he can take some comfort in terrorizing another weaker human being. These attacks can be verbal or physical, a satirical comic can be motivated by fear, hatred or uncertainty. Intentionally drawing comics that are guaranteed to offend is either idiocy or fueled by hatred/fear/intolerance.

“Many Masons lost their lives question and attacking the power structures of monarchal Europe and we should all admire them for their work.”

I agree 100%, but this publication wasn't fighting for their own freedom from oppression. They weren't taking up arms and heading off to terrorist camps, they were disrespecting more than a billion people with cartoon images that were sure to offend. If they wanted to make a difference they should have written articles on the oppression of women and of basic civil rights in some countries were crimes against humanity take place on a regular basis. They should have poured that time and effort into interviewing women that have been maimed for being women, little girls that were forced into marriages with men several decades their senior, They should have used their audience to bring awareness to groups that exist that are trying to peacefully work to bring about change. They could have been making funny comics for sick children in hospitals to help their quality of life in dark and scary times, not provoking individuals that believe in a violent and radical Islam.

For my readers that aren't Freemasons and are a bit more curious as to Freemasonry please don't take these cartoonists as an example of what a Mason is in regards to their 'satirical' view of the faith of others. If you want to learn more I'd recommend you check out Brother Hodapp's book Freemasons For Dummies 

 
Freemasons For Dummies
By Christopher Hodapp
 


I thought it was 42 Neil?

When asked, by a 6-year old boy, what the meaning of life was Neil deGrasse Tyson at an event at Boston’s Wilbur Theatre replied:

“So — what is the meaning of life? I think people ask that question on the assumption that ‘meaning’ is something you can look for and go, ‘Here it is, I found it. Here’s the meaning. I’ve been looking for.’ That scenario, however, doesn’t consider the possibility that ‘meaning’ is something you create. You manufacture it for yourself and for others.

So when I think of ‘meaning’ in life, I ask, ‘Did I learn something today that I didn’t know yesterday, bringing me a little closer to knowing all that can be known in the universe?’ If I live a day and I don’t know a little more than I did the day before, I think I wasted that day. So the people who, at the end of the school year, say ‘The summer! I don’t have to think anymore!’ — I just don’t know. To think brings you closer to nature. To learn how things work gives you power to influence events. Gives you power to help people who may need it — to help yourself and your trajectory.

So when I think of the meaning of life, that’s not an eternal and unanswerable question — to me, that’s in arm’s reach of me everyday. So to you, at age six-and-three-quarters, may I suggest that you explore nature as much as you possibly can. And occasionally that means getting your clothes dirty because you might want to jump into puddles and your parents don’t want you to do that. You tell them that I gave you permission.”
Neil deGrasse Tyson

Wow Neil. Aside from the fact that might just be a bit too wordy for the 6 year old, that's a brilliant answer. I mean, seriously, it's simple yet profound. This also happens to be my philosophy, I'm always trying to grok the universe. Every day I'm saying "need input!" and constantly looking for new things to learn.

All day at work I listen to podcasts at 2x until I've caught up on that day's and then I move on to books I've bought on Audible (my library is creeping up on 300 titles) that I listen to at 1.25x. When I come home I'm always tinkering, on forums, reading blogs, contemplating all that I've taken in.

need more input

I can't even go out on a first date without going on a 25 minute rant to the poor girl how I want the governments of Earth to give me a trillion dollars or more so I can start hardcore developing an asteroid mining program, so that I can have enough resources to start buying up all the smartest minds and thinkers in dozens of fields and give them all the resources they need so that we can first copy a human brain, then develop a way to restore a human brain in a freshly cloned/grown body AND so that we can download them into digital brains which would then allow us to develop singular intelligence entities that could rapidly solve things like FTL travel, zero point or super-efficient energy, subspace communications etc. I then go on to explain I need all of this done so I can effectively have immortality so I can live long enough to begin to understand the unfathomable number of things we do not presently understand about existence. I mean, there are countless things we don't understand about our own bodies, let alone the planet, let alone the solar system. Our solar system is an insignificant portion of our galaxy which is in turn a tiny dot in our universe and our universe is likely just a sliver of something even larger.

I count any day that I learn something new a success. To me the meaning of life is becoming not unlike God. I feel cheated having this temporary body, and I only hope that when it expires my consciousness is allowed to travel time and space for eternity figuring out the mysteries of existence on my own instead of just having them gifted to me by my creator.

Ordered my Amazon Echo

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So I'm sure you've heard about Amazon Echo... if you haven't, think Hal 9000 of the Amazon product line. She's basically like Siri or Cortana except the fact she's a standalone device. She exists as a black cylinder that contains dual downward-facing speakers that produce 360 degree omni-directional sound so wherever you are in the room you should (in-theory, let's see how well she sounds... especially with my wood panneling) hear her great. Not only is it a wifi device connected to Amazon's services it can also stream (from your smart device) via Bluetooth so you can use things like your Audible app, iTunes, Pandora etc to stream the audio to her.

Echo also can be controlled via an app available on Fire OS, Android, iOS and traditional desktop browsers. It has features like alarms, music, you can create shopping lists (I'll use this a lot, instead of getting out my phone while watching TV to remind myself of something I'll just say "Alexa add to list"), query Wikipedia etc. The best part is, from my understanding her brain is largely in the cloud meaning Amazon can easily add features and improve the software.

While some fear it will always be listening blah blah blah... I don't care, my phones could be doing that too, so could my iPad... in theory so could my Fire TV's remote!

Right now Amazon Prime members get special pricing on her as obviously the idea is she will be something that will help you shop within the Amazon system and hey that's fine with me I watch Prime daily via my Fire TV, I'm a long long long time Audible subscriber, I do most of my shopping on Amazon etc.

Josh needs your help

http://www.gofundme.com/joshfirerecovery

On New Year's Day my friend was in his apartment bathroom, next thing he knows the room is filling with smoke and his apartment is in flames. He grabbed one dog and got him outside, he then ran back in for the second dog. The second dog did not survive, Josh received fairly bad burns to his hands trying to rescue Jack and had considerable smoke inhalation. He was taken to a top-notch burn unit, put on a respirator & feeding tube and kept sedated. He has since been released.

Josh turns 31 next month and prior to the fire was already disabled, he has zero savings and has lost the vast majority of his belongings, including clothing. While his girlfriend is trying to help raise two-thousand dollars to help him, this is a pretty terrible thing to happen right after Christmas and to start the New Year with. 2 years ago on Josh's birthday he had to have spine surgery to try and help with some of the pain from the incident has left him disabled. I'd really like to see if we can surpass the goal and help him have a bright spot in an already gloomy year. Please consider sharing this everywhere you can.

If you know Josh, he's never had good luck. Life seems to find every chance it can to drag him down and then repeatedly kick him while he's down. Let's help Josh rise from the ashes of this fire, not unlike the phoenix, and use it as a Novus Initium (a new beginning). If you can, give a dollar, if you can give more please do. If you can't afford to give (or don't want to) please consider sharing this blog post or even the link to the gofundme campaign.

 

You will be missed Jack.

You will be missed Jack.

in

I have removed this post. It served its purpose and the parties involved are no longer remotely relevant.

 

 

 

 


Paleo friendly ketchup!

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So I know a lot of people love their ketchup (catsup) but hey, it's got a lot of sugar in it usually. Well, I went in search of a good sugar-free ketchup and I found one! I love it! I don't use a lot of it so a 13oz bottle lasts me about 2 months. What brand do you ask? Westbrae Natural Vegetarian Unsweetened Ketchup! 

Ingredients: Water, tomato paste (from red ripe tomatoes), apple cider vinegar, salt, onion, maltodextrin (from corn), spice, natural flavor.

Now, some of you are going to argue that maltodextrin is NOT paleo/sugar-free but I disagree.

Yes maltodextrin has a glycemic index of over 100, however it's in such small quantities in this ketchup that it's not even worth noting, a tbsp or two with your food is going to have a negligible effect on blood sugar levels and insulin activity, if you drink a bottle or two ok yes you might be getting enough to make a worthwhile difference bbbuuuttttttt if you are drinking 26 ounces of ketchup in a meal you have other issues. 

"Oh but maltodextrin from corn! Corn is a grain! Corn isn't paleo!" *facepalm* Maltodextrin can come from any number of sources, likening maltodextrin to corn is like saying "I can BBQ with diamonds instead of charcoal because they are both carbon!". 

Look, if you want ketchup that's sugar-free this is the best solution I've found that doesn't involve a lot of labor (try making your own, it's a giant time-suck). This stuff tastes wonderful, 2-tbsp takes care of a pound of hamburger for me (two 1/2lb patties) and adds a whopping 10kcals and 2g of carbohydrates (from the tomato paste) to a meal. If you are concerned about the maltodextrin, and just won't listen to me, buy some of the ketchup and get a blood-glucose meter and experiment with a bottle... for the vast majority of people you'll find a negligible change.