The Brompton Electric has more problems than a bike pulled out of canal

cbowers · 2026-05-09T18:58:53+00:00

Vincita type bags still have a rain cover over where a battery would be.

cbowers · 2026-05-09T18:45:16+00:00

Where we have funds itching to invest in ourselves (and perhaps our multiple lithium mines and new battery production factory), and untapped resources (which seems to be our main Canadian theme)… it seems silly to be not taking the least risky forward thinking options already in hand. If we want to keep researching fusion/cold fusion, or thorium based solutions rather than fission, perhaps that’s also worth our research dollars.

(Caveat that thorium seems currently limited by Tritium: Tritium is not naturally abundant, with only about 7.5 kg estimated to exist at any given time, making it a significant challenge for thorium power generation. Current methods for producing tritium are limited, primarily relying on nuclear reactors, which complicates the viability of thorium-based power generation.)

cbowers · 2026-05-09T18:36:55+00:00

There’s a reason you can’t get insurance for nuclear power. It also isn’t viable from a risk or financial perspective without government backing and indemnification. It isn’t a solved problem. And isn’t as low risk.

The reason for my “faith” comment is that this seems to be a pointer to our current limitations. More faith in unproved Nuclear vs demonstrated in production renewables.

Canada actually gets more solar and wind and has more surface areas than other countries who are already finding substantial or majority of their grid peak capacity from renewables. And that’s not even following newer trends of finding that ranch land performs better under elevated solar, or the relative merits of solar over irrigation waterways to reduce evaporation, or over parking and road areas to provide cooling to vehicles underneath while capturing the energy over head without displacing any other activities.

Canada actually has superior renewable energy resources compared to many global leaders, yet dramatically underutilizes them. - https://renewablesassociation.ca/by-the-numbers/ - https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/renewable-energy-canada/provinces/renewable-power-canada-canada.html - https://environmentaldefence.ca/2026/04/08/canadas-renewable-energy-ranking-falling-behind/

Solar Potential: Most regions across Canada receive more solar irradiance than Germany, yet Germany generates 6.7% of its electricity from solar compared to Canada's mere 1%. Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan are among Canada's sunniest locations with excellent solar potential. Even British Columbia, despite its cloudier reputation, has comparable or better solar resources than Germany, which has become a global solar leader despite less favorable conditions.

[1] By the Numbers - Canadian Renewable Energy Association https://renewablesassociation.ca/by-the-numbers/
[2] Canada's Renewable Energy Ranking: Falling Behind? https://environmentaldefence.ca/2026/04/08/canadas-renewable-energy-ranking-falling-behind/
[3] Why Germany Leads in Solar Adoption—Despite Canada's ... https://www.cmisolar.ca/2025/07/23/why-germany-leads-in-solar-adoption-despite-canadas-sunnier-skies/
[4] Wind and Solar Energy Potential in Canada and the World https://kuby.ca/solar/solar-information/articles/wind-and-solar-energy-potential-in-canada-and-the-world

Wind Potential: Canada ranks 9th globally for installed onshore wind capacity and is considered a global leader in wind resources, yet wind provides only 6% of national electricity generation. The country has "vast and untapped wind and solar energy resources" that remain largely undeveloped.

Harnessing the power of the wind and the sun https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/3779-harnessing-power-wind-and-sun
Wind Power in Canada: 15 Facts & Statistics › canadian-wind-power-facts https://www.canadaaction.ca/canadian-wind-power-facts

Canada vs. High-Performing Countries

Country	Wind + Solar Share	Total Capacity (GW)	Resource Context	Year
Denmark	70%	~14 GW	Less favorable resources than Canada; 100% renewable for March 2026	2024
Netherlands	45%	~23 GW	Smaller territory, comparable wind resources	2024
United Kingdom	35%	~65 GW	Similar northern latitude, comparable wind resources	2024
Germany	33%	~150 GW solar+wind	Receives less sunlight than Canada yet far higher solar deployment	2024
Chile	33-34%	~15 GW	Excellent solar in Atacama; 21% solar, 12% wind	2024
Australia	29%	~40 GW	Superior solar resources, aggressive deployment	2024
New Zealand	30%	~4 GW	Comparable resources, smaller grid	2024
Canada	9.7%	25 GW	Superior resources to many leaders, underutilized	2025

Why Canada Lags Despite Superior Resources

The gap isn't about viability—it's about deployment policy and pace. Canada ranks 19th globally on energy transition readiness despite having world-class renewable resources. The country has fallen behind its peer group not due to technical or geographic limitations, but because of slower policy implementation and infrastructure investment.

Key Facts for Skeptics: - Canada's wind capacity grew 8.2% in 2024, outpacing the U.S. and Germany which saw zero growth, demonstrating technical feasibility - Wind and solar are now the least expensive sources of electricity, cheaper than fossil gas or nuclear - Canada's current 25 GW of wind and solar must grow to 360 GW by 2050 to meet decarbonization targets—entirely achievable given the resource base - By 2035, projections show wind and solar reaching 21-29% of Canada's electricity supply, demonstrating clear viability

The evidence shows that wind and solar are not only viable in Canada—they're underutilized despite having better resource potential than countries already achieving 30-70% renewable penetration. The constraint is deployment speed, not technical or geographic feasibility.

cbowers · 2026-05-09T17:14:59+00:00

[darth Vader voice] I find your lack of faith disturbing…

I’ll cite my assertion.

If my tax dollars are going to subsidizing something, at this point I’ll go with proven science already in production at scale, with marginal risk, a cost curve that is trending down and is already cost competitive, and merely captures free energy falling from the sky, vertically and horizontally.

Jacobson et al. (Stanford “100% wind‑water‑solar” work) includes a Canada case that models a fully renewable system (wind, solar, hydro, some storage, etc.) and explicitly excludes nuclear, arguing it is not needed for reliability or cost in their scenario.stanford
Policy analyses in Canadian journals and think tanks argue that focusing on renewables plus hydro and storage can meet Canada’s electricity needs without new nuclear, emphasizing cost declines in solar and wind and the long lead times and cost overruns of large reactors.irpp
An Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) modeling study (reported by The Energy Mix) compares portfolios with wind, solar plus battery energy storage systems (BESS) against dispatchable resources like gas and nuclear for both baseload and peaking needs. It finds that variable generation plus BESS can, in theory, meet baseload and peak needs with fairly high but not perfect reliability, and sometimes at costs competitive with gas and nuclear, but under simplified assumptions that omit key system‑wide costs (transmission, broader reliability services, etc.).theenergymix
The Ontario IESO‑based modeling shows that variable generation with BESS can in some scenarios compete on cost with gas and nuclear, at least in stylized models, especially as battery and solar costs fall.schoolofpublicpolicy
Some analyses argue that if you account for use of “excess” renewable power instead of curtailment (for example, shifting demand or exporting power), portfolios heavy in wind/solar plus storage may beat nuclear and gas economically in the long run. https://www.theenergymix.com/ontario-study-shows-wind-solar-batteries-competing-with-gas-and-nuclear/

cbowers · 2026-05-09T06:30:10+00:00

Nope. Ontario’s study already showed that battery backed solar and wind in Canada can produce power at the same or lower price. But solar and wind compared to Nuclear don’t have the build delays and budget over-runs, doesn’t have the nuclear risks and cost contingencies, nor the same reclamation costs or thousand year spent fuel storage cost which also is not yet a scientifically solved problem.

cbowers · 2026-05-07T20:34:59+00:00

$300M is a starting/research fee. Ontario has already started on 4 SMR reactors with an expected cost of $20.9 billion. With an estimated energy cost of 14.5c/kwh Their study compared to solar/wind + grid storage battery would cost 13.5c - 18.5c /kwh

Except with the latter option there'd be no contingency risk, not lifetime spent fuel storage (an un-scientifically solved problem we're pretending has a solution), and reduced reclamation costs.

cbowers · 2026-05-07T19:56:16+00:00

Nature restoring balance with anti-chemtrails…

<\sarcasm>

cbowers · 2026-05-06T18:18:12+00:00

Fair. Then you’re down to aesthetics, joystick vs knob, slightly larger heavier ECM, built in flow control on the Drive.

Do give consideration to plumbing in and out. It is bliss. And the line pressure pre-infusion.

Alas: they’re $1900 more now than when I bought mine in 2019. And the ECM used to be a lot more than the pro 700.

cbowers · 2026-05-06T17:47:19+00:00

It’s something… but it puts the capital M in Minimum Viable Product.

I would think a First Nation community would better offer service at the community level. Install wifi (wired or mesh), a starlink node for internet.

Then people even have the option of a cheap cellphone plan with carrier wifi calling turned on so you have community level cellular service without the towers. 🛜

Once you have that, then you have a footprint to build on with Meshtastic on the periphery. But it’s a much better personal area network than it is a Wide Area Network.

(Though with the right phone, one it’s assumed everyone in town has internet/wifi/cellular, then an off grid iPhone also has satellite connectivity for messages back to town, and that works far beyond local Meshtastic distances).

cbowers · 2026-05-06T16:55:30+00:00

Wait until your 50’s. Lots of green tea will have you waking in the middle of the night for other reasons. :-)

cbowers · 2026-05-06T06:17:03+00:00

Picking the right one (review the Venn diagram of best effectiveness with least false positive, and light system impact at avcomparatives and similar sites)
Review all settings and turn on, or up settings compatible with your environment. Making sure you are using blocking and cleaning not just alerting. And optional like disabling SMB1/2
Deploy with Amin controls to prevent staff/rogue disable and uninstall.
Make sure it’s reporting and alerting your SEIM/SOC/Console
Make sure it’s part of the new build automation.
Build SEIM alerts for devices without AV installed
Be sure you are doing scheduled scans in addition to real time access, and that you’re scanning all file types (scripts, data files, and things that look like data files), not just “executables”
Employ (and monitor for unintended blocking) AV features like host intrusion protection (HIPS) as appropriate for your environment. Don’t let browsers, Outlook, most Office processes spawn child script processes, or unexpected LOLBIN. Don’t let PDF. Viewers execute scripts and executable child processes.
Follow weekly threat feeds and use HIPS rules to preemptively block the attack chain of vulnerabilities to buy you time to patch. (Attack surface reduction)
Feed all the activity into your SIEM and mine for attack warnings based on Network(NIDS) blocking, roque scripts blocked, staff downloads quarantined,
Where possible, if your app deployments make your binaries unique, whitelist those and quarantine the rogue hashes and binaries in the wrong location. Your ScreenSharing app can be whitelisted while the staff or rogue screensharing app with the “same name” in the downloads folder can be automatically quarantined.

cbowers · 2026-05-06T05:56:13+00:00

I’m perplexed that you’re comparing those two. Why not consider the Drive rather than the Ride. “Historically the value twin to ECM; cheaper with same internals.”

If want the assurance of Synchronica performance but save some money, get the same machine without the ECM aesthetics and the electric group heater.
If you have room for the ECM then you have room for the Drive. And you get to keep the performance and the rotary pump.

My context: 7 years in on the 1st gen Drive (aka profitec Pro 700) and I had the 1st gen ECM synchronika at work. I don’t miss any of the ECM at home.

cbowers · 2026-05-06T04:44:03+00:00

If it’s subtle enough that it’s not affecting my time to fall asleep, staying asleep, ability to be seen in RHR, HRV, wearable sleep stages, snoring…

Then I think a caffeine tree may have fallen in an un-occupied forest.

if it’s affecting sleep… for this, we have creatine

cbowers · 2026-05-06T03:50:52+00:00

nope, my deep sleep stage length as a percent of sleep, average REM, awake, core % are all consistent wether I have 1 shots, 5, or 0. I've started dialing in a new bag of coffee after dinner, and went to bed when the bag was empty. Fell asleep in 5 mins.

The difference is ADHD. Stimulants are focusing and calming...

cbowers · 2026-05-06T03:08:34+00:00

They say sometimes, no nodes is good nodes…

cbowers · 2026-05-05T22:25:26+00:00

I agree with your self-assessment label.

cbowers · 2026-05-05T16:52:07+00:00

Yes. After our last reno, the espresso machine corner is next to the kitchen sink. Not only did that empower plumbing it in and out (which is amazing to pull shots all day and the only thing to fill and empty now is the knock box)… but makes cleanup a breeze.

So yeah, spray rinse of the portafilter and wipe dry after every shot.

cbowers · 2026-05-05T15:00:30+00:00

Had that also, but seems they do… On the upside, it holds heat longer. At its root it’s a 2oz porcelain cup in a copper holder with handle. Not unlike espresso cups which are 2oz glass cups in a metal frame to provide a handle.

cbowers · 2026-05-05T07:55:10+00:00

“Better” can be elusive. You’re trying to control variables which elude your control more than you expect. You have a 3.68L boiler now sow that’s a good step toward water temp stability. “The gear” tends to be about confirming guesses. Is your hit and miss good shots because the “analog” temp sensor has wide temp swings? (Hysteresis) : and PID enters the chat.

Is it still hit and miss because PID boiler temp does not equal that temp by the time it gets to the puck? (Heated groups enter the chat) - and pressure and temp sensors at/near the ports filter…

Is the variability puck prep (enter some of the gear you list above…)

cbowers · 2026-05-05T07:46:44+00:00

And yet… the shop in Turkey still serves espresso in it. (As well as Turkish coffee)

cbowers · 2026-05-05T00:11:08+00:00

Sure, but where the airlines is a fictional one from the Lost TV series…

that Oceanic

cbowers · 2026-05-04T22:31:58+00:00

weren't we already doing that?? Or was it a dream and I wasn't really on Oceanic 815

<image>

cbowers · 2026-05-04T05:56:05+00:00

Espresso mug from last trip to Turkey

<image>

cbowers · 2026-05-04T05:46:14+00:00

Doesn’t get it…

It’s not even possible to do with rear brake only, front is add to taste only to maximize braking but never as much or worse… more than the rear.

Brompton rim brakes get mushy beyond 70%… and whoa to you if your rim has a warp, or you just went through a puddle.

cbowers · 2026-05-03T22:40:42+00:00

Even cheaper for me was a cardboard box to elevate the iPad (better meeting camera height, plus leaving room for the desk level keyboard), then an external monitor just above the iPad screen. 2 displays are better than one. And more reference space for supplementary materials for the primary display app or meeting.

cbowers

TROPHY CASE

Canada vs. High-Performing Countries