Who was Shakespeare, really?

There’s a lot of interest in unveiling the real Shakespeare these days. That man from Avon was the business manager for one of the most famous acting companies of the day and had a well-documented life as a minor businessman, but no evidence he was actually a writer. The longest signed document was his will, in which he carefully catalogued all his possessions, which strangely, did not include a single book nor important manuscript. As a writer, I can assure you we keep copies of our creations.

When the man from Avon died, the world was silent. It wasn’t until seven years later that Ben Jonson wrote the intro to the first folio. But what if Jonson was really in on the gag and protecting the real story?

The man from Avon had two daughters, one of whom bizarrely appears to have been functionally illiterate. More important, however, for a commoner with no documented travel nor education, it is inconceivable the man from Avon could have absorbed all the details or had access to the wealth of information on a wide variety of subjects, or had such insight into the ways of the royals.

Delia Bacon was born in a log cabin in Ohio and went on to become America’s leading Shakespearean scholar. In the 1850s, she published The Philosophy of Shakespeare’s Plays Unfolded, in which she theorized a council led by Francis Bacon (no relation) had produced the Bard’s work. Many learned scholars, including Mark Twain believed she was onto something.

In 1920, however, Shakespeare Identified in Edward de Vere was published by J. Thomas Looney. This was the first attempt to place de Vere’s biography alongside the plays and the parallels were astonishing.

Women were not allowed involvement with the theater during Shakespeare’s time, which is why the actors are all men. However, royals like de Vere were also not supposed to be involved with the lowly craft of playwriting. And homosexuality was an even greater crime, so using beards was quite common. De Vere was a notorious bisexual and favorite whit of the Queen. 

He was also the patron of the greatest acting troupe of the day, known as Oxford’s Men (de Vere was the Earl of Oxford), while the other group, The King’s Men, included Shakespeare as actor and business manager.

The patron of the King’s Men was Henry Carey, who had a mistress 20 years younger than himself, Emilia Bassano, the most famous female poet of the age. Another possible female accomplice could be Mary Sidney, whose groundbreaking play Antonius revived interest in classical soliloquy. Sidney founded the most influential literary salon in the history of English literature and the most creative minds communed at her salon at Wilton House.

After having solved many mysteries, like the origins of the Holy Grail (born on the Hemp Road linking Europe with the East), Jay Gould’s involvement in the Lincoln assassination, JM/Wave’s involvement in the JFK assassination, my spotlight has turned onto the Shakespeare controversy.

Obviously the man from Avon does not have the CV for producing the work, and I believe only a team could cover the vast territory involved and keep publishing the work after the creator’s demise. My current thesis is de Vere is the real Shakespeare, and his secret work was overseen by his godmother, Queen Elizabeth and others. Those who could have been involved in polishing the work include Francis Bacon.

The man from Avon died in 1616 and the first folio creating his legacy was not published until seven years later, when the mythology was first laid down by Ben Jonson, who strangely had said nothing seven years earlier when his supposed great friend passed away. Strange also how the man from Avon knew no other famous writers, and never appeared at any of the literary salons of the era. No one else famous seems to have known him. And strange how new work continued to be published after his death, especially his love poems, most of which seem to have been written to male lovers.

The first portrait of Shakespeare appeared in that folio and his facial features strongly resemble a mask, and, in fact, a distinct mask outline is included.

The authorship issue,” says Lorenzo Geraldo, “is based on greed and continued misunderstanding ever since David Garrick came to Stratford in 1769 and started the illusion of William Shaksper as author of the plays.

Stratford is a tax haven for the Crown from the Tourist industry. Oxfordians continue to sell their water down by the river to naive newcomers. Edward de Vere is easily eliminated as he died way too early in 1604 before many of the plays were written. There are references in the plays that took place after 1604. Bacon on the other hand lived till 1626 and was there for the production of the 1623 Shakespeare First Folio. Bacon left actual evidence behind with the only Shakespeare related diary or notebook, The Promus, that contains over 3 thousand unique Shakespeare phrases jotted down in his own handwriting that precedes the Plays publication and stage performances.

This gag book would be a greater mystery if Bacon wasn’t Shakespeare. Yes there was collaboration, Ben Jonson is the key as he worked and lived with Francis Bacon after his impeachment. Jonson called Bacon, “The Chief” and wrote admiringly of Bacon’s mind and talents as did many other friends of Bacon’s who referred to himself as “a concealed poet.””

Bacon and de Vere were both bisexual. The fact work continued to be published after de Vere’s death is proof of nothing since the sonnets were also published after he had expired, and most were love letters written from one man to another. Both Bacon and de Vere preferred boys. De Vere married a 15-year-old at age 21 and had five children. Bacon, allegedly spurned by his first love, did not marry until age 45…to a 13-year-old. Although he sired no children, Bacon wrote two sonnets to his child bride expressing his true love.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ_cuc8OS4s

PEBL versus Elf

Give credit to the Elf for pioneering the concept of a solar-powered trike that can replace gas-guzzling cars for commuting and shopping locally.

A few years later, the PEBL was created as the Elf competitor. Last spring, however, Elf shut down their production and is currently seeking a financial rescue that may or may not come. Since over 800 Elfs were sold over the past six years, it’s not difficult to find a used one on the Internet, often at a fraction of the $10k cost of buying a new one. The Elf started at half that price, but the cost kept rising as improvements were made and features added.

Although the Elf is bigger and wider, remarkably, it weighs much less than the PEBL, which means it’s also easier to pedal. In fact, if the battery gives out, and you don’t have an outlet to plug into, or time to let the solar panel refill a completely dead battery (something that can take around six hours with a 60-watt panel, although faster with a 100-watt). It’s not that difficult to operate the Elf on pedal power alone, something more difficult with the much heavier PEBL.

But on just about every other feature, the PEBL blows away the Elf, mostly due to its suspension system. The Elf works fine on flat level roads with no potholes, but the ride can be bone-jarring over bumps. The antler arms can also be difficult to wrestle over bumps. Not so with the PEBL, which is easily steered with one hand. The Elf has a more recumbent position, while riders are more upright in the PEBL. I prefer upright, but some others may prefer a more recumbent posture. Unfortunately, the pedal set-up on the PEBL is inferior and I find my knees too close to each other for maximum thrust power.

You won’t often find a used PEBL for sale, which could be a testament to customer satisfaction. I recently saw a fully-loaded model going for $7,000. At the present, there are two used Elves on the market, one for $3,000 and the other for $4,000.  Since many two-wheel ebikes cost over $5k, the used Elf is typically a great bargain. I expect these bikes to eventually start increasing in value as they become more famous.

Because it is charged while in the bike, the PEBL battery is bigger and easier to charge. It also holds more juice. The Elf battery can be removed, or left in place to charge, but the connection and position of the battery makes the operation far more difficult than it should be.

The Elf has an open floor and unfinished interior, while the PEBL is fully enclosed and carpeted. For use at the beach, the Elf makes more sense and is easier to sweep clean of sand. The PEBL is more narrow and has a shorter turn radius, but that may also make it more susceptible to rollover.

The PEBL is a four-season bike easily ridden through rain and snow, unlike the Elf which is designed for warmer weather. Remarkably, the price between the two was not very far apart, which accounts for the PEBL being a great value, even with the recent price rise.

As for modifications, I replaced the Elf mirrors with larger ones that folded in completely. On the PEBL, I put a Batman logo over the BB logo on the front. I’d urge BetterBike to explore a better logo.

The Elf logo was stylized letters for Organic Transit, but many see it just as a “T” for “Tesla.” The logo for a futuristic vehicle like this should be simple and iconic, like the Tesla in my opinion. The PEBL also needed a strip of clear tape on the rear hatch hinge because it leaked rain water into the cabin. This did not solve the problem, but PEBL was nice enough to come pick up the trike and fix the leak free of charge. I also installed a better, wider handlebar with cork handles, front derailleur, and NuVinci transmission, all of which were big improvements and now available as add-ons.

Update on May 11, 2020: I flipped my PEBL after hitting a bump while turning. I was leaning the wrong way at the time. It’s super important to lean your weight into the turns. This forced me to ride the Elf again after a long layoff. I put a backseat pad in the Elf and it made a world of difference. Makes up for the lack of rear suspension. I highly recommend this pad and ended up putting one in the PEBL as well.

After riding both trikes for hundreds of miles, I  found I prefer the Elf in summer, but need the PEBL for the cold months. I added two small mini coolers to the Elf to keep the dogs out of the wheel well, and also use small boogie boards as doors to keep them from jumping out during stops. I also put battery-powered electric fans in both vehicles. I’m currently experimenting with various tinted film to put over the windows on both vehicles in the summer. The Batbike will likely be mirrored all around, while the front windshield on the Elf will be clear but still heat-blocking.

If you are considering using this vehicle for commuting you’d probably be happier with a PEBL, but if you are using it primarily as an exercise machine, you might be better off with a used Elf, especially at one third the price.

Update July 2020, the new PEBL 100 looks amazing, and they took my advice on the front logo. This is now the model to have as it has numerous upgrades over previous models.

Update September 2020: Covid really slowed down PEBL deliveries, and some who ordered Spring of 2019 are still waiting. Meanwhile, it’s been reported that the delays are a result of difficulty getting essential parts out of Europe. The owners are presently planning to move the factory to Europe, which will likely result in a big increase in shipping charges and more delays. However, they may have a few refurbished models ready to ship now. Meanwhile, if you want either an Elf or a PEBL anytime soon, better stick with a used model. Hopefully both Elf and PEBL will be back up and running soon.

Update February 2020: formed a bike club in Atlantic Highlands, NJ, for Elf and PEBL riders. The club is called Riders du Soleil. We have some really cool gear for the members.

Update November 2022. The PEBL team in Germany has posted pictures of PEBL 2.0 that look fantastic and it appears the updated trikes may soon be shipping. Since some buyers have been waiting over two years, this is really good news.