Get A #Free #Reusable Carbonating Bottle: Take The #SodaStreamPledge To Fight Pollution!

Be the Change Bottle

Sodastream and the Oceanic Society have partnered to help cut back on plastics polluting our oceans by asking people to forgo single use water bottles in favor of reusable ones.

Visit SodaStreamPledge.com. Take the pledge and receive a free limited-edition Be the Change reusable carbonating bottle (first 10,000).

Although the bottle is designed to work with a Sodastream machine, it's merely a fairly basic reusable water bottle.

Would You Ride in #AutonomousVehicles? #SelfDrivingCars #OnBoardComputers #EV #AI

I don't drive. It's not that I don't get cars --- I am an engineer and a gearhead --- it's that I never had reason to learn how. Don't get me wrong, I understand the logistics, but it takes practice to become comfortable with and proficient at operating a vehicle, and I've never really had the opportunity to practice.

(I grew up in a small town where pretty much everything was within walking distance. I had an over protective mother who drove me wherever I needed to go when the car was working in order to assure herself of my safety and keep an eye on my activities. We were poor and often any vehicles to which we had access were unreliable. Most of the guys with whom I grew up had cars and willingly chauffeured me around. I learned to rely on my feet to take me where I needed to go. All of these things contributed to my not learning to drive prior to going off to college. And then the college environment brought its own set of limitations. Starting with the fact that freshmen weren't allowed to bring cars and it was a fairly self-contained private campus. Taken all together, I was never pressed to learn how to drive, or more accurately, to put in the time to become accustomed to driving. I am also a big proponent of public transportation.)

With the Age of Autonomous Vehicles nearly upon us, I've decided that I'm OK with being driven and am waiting for self-driving car actuality. Recently, I saw a survey asking "if you would ride in a self-driving vehicle" and a good portion of respondents said "no." There's always an adoption curve with new technology, wherein the layman has to become accustomed to it, but I'm often a bleeding edge early adopter where tech is concerned, so I say bring it on, I can't wait! Autonomous Vehicles will provide a chance for me to become self-sufficient in one of the few areas where I need to rely on others. Being a green technology advocate, my self-driving automobile will, of course, also be an electric vehicle that I will charge via designer solar panels that I plan to have installed on my home. (And yes, I do lust after the Tesla Model S.)

The future of transportation is coming, or it may already be here, depending on whom you ask. It's going to be a watershed for people like me, who want to reclaim our independence.

NOTE: Above, I use the term car loosely, as a stand-in for any vehicle, be it a truck, bus, plane or train.

So Soda Me Sodastream

I did warn you that I love beverages. All kinds of beverages. I like alcoholic beverages, I like EANABs (that's Stanfordese for Equally Attractive Non-Alcoholic Beverages, by the way). I LOVE soda. I could drink it all day.

But, of course, I realize that only drinking soda would be so bad. So I try to mix things up. And while I don't deny myself anything that I desire (foodwise) I do try to make healthier choices, on the main. I still drink Coke, Cherry Coke, Cherry 7UP and Cheerwine, but not every single day. Everything in moderation, as they say. No, I haven't given up drinking soda, however, nowadays I often make my own.

DIY Soda: Customizing ingredients means that even soda can be relatively healthy. For most creations, I start with seltzer water that I make with my Sodastream. (I own two machines. One for the kitchen. One for the bar-room. Both won as a prize in (separate) contests.) And then I'll add all sorts of stuff. Fresh fruit, juices, spices, etc.

I collect homemade soda recipes (and recipe books) and enjoy experimenting. I will also sometimes make use of the soda syrups and water enhancers one can purchase from the store. I often create new flavors by mixing whatever's on hand. It's great fun.

I really do love my Sodastream machines! Not only are they easy to operate — a good marriage of form & function — but they're green tech, requiring no electricity. I also "recycle" the CO2 tanks by exchanging empties for discounted price full ones.* (I'm big on building a sustainable estate and minimizing my carbon footprint so green tech is a win.)

*Several stores offer a discount for exchanging the CO2 tank vs simply purchasing a new full one. One can also purchase adapters which allow for cheaper cost refills.

Plus, another benefit of DIY soda is that I get to determine the level of carbonation (up to a saturation point) AND give my thumbs a workout. And I am a fizz fiend. Look at all those tiny bubbles… (And yes, that is a Don Ho reference.)

Having a Sodastream machine also encourages me to drink more water. I find plain water boring, but flavored fizzy water is great. Then there's the fact that fresh seltzer water can make awesome mixed drinks. Why do you think I have a second machine especially for the bar?

A Sodastream machine is definitely well worth the modest investment, if you like beverages as much as I do. Getting two machines for free? Well, that was a bit like winning the lotto, but only a scratch-off.

NOTICE: This post is a reblog from (the now defunct) castlemodern.tumblr.com. It was originally published 27-Feb-2016. Post may have been edited or updated from its original text.