Thanks for the Abiword reminder. Haven't used it in a while, but always found it relatively lightweight and more pleasing (font rendering?) to use than OpenOffice.org/LibreOffice.
"People are fed Fake News all the time, from all sorts of sources. None of that really matters to what they choose though."
When you can't tell facts from reality, it CERTAINLY affects your judgement. I listen and watch pretty much everything including CNN , PBS, Fox News, Hannity, and Limbaugh. Absolutely NOTHING comes close to the fact twisting deception of Sean Hannity and Fox "News". 6 months before Trump is elected, the low unemployment rate reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is a "LIE". The actual rate is 43%! Obama! 6 months after Trump is elected, unemployment is at a new low thanks to Trump.
Fox News viewers actually despise their real journalists like Chris Wallace and Shepard. These guys, because of their training and journalists and sense of professionalism, at least try to stick to the facts and shy away from conspiracy theories like the Seth Rich story. The green movement is a scam. People who disagree are RINOs or closet liberals, and therefore are diseased. No really, liberalism is a mental illness, right? They constantly reported on police murders in 2016, yet have been silent since Trump took office, despite police murders rising. Mexicans are murderers and rapists. They only "send" the bad ones here. Sharia law already being implemented in the United States. Obama is a muslim, and the head if ISIS.
Just a small sample of the garbage that spews from Fox News, Hannity, and the likes. And sooooo many people, including my own father, keep the T.V. tuned to that channel. If you think that doesn't affect "what they choose", you're a fool. This is how propaganda works. A constant, controlled stream of misinformation.
For the generator's controller to request more stream pressure to the turbine, it's simply requesting higher output, right? As in more nat-gas or coal to increase the boiler temp and add more energy to the steam. How else do you increase the steam pressure? If that's the case, you're assuming that 1. the plant isn't already at max capacity and 2. that the boiler can react that quickly (which it can't). I'm no E.E. (just a simple M.E.), but I've worked at (conventional) nat-gas power stations with steam turbines and they certainly can't power up that quickly. Maybe gas turbines can react this quickly, but not boiler fed steam turbines.
Even the old versions of Python are pleasant to work with. In some ways, more so than more recent versions. I remember when decorators were introduced and meta-programming became all the rage. While I could appreciate their purpose, I was not thrilled about the increased complexity. That said, these features are optional.
I'm a certified mechanical engineer and I think it is a good idea. Before reading your comment I already assumed you'd have redundant cables and propulsion systems capable or correcting or reestablishing rotation.
"Body fat building up around the pancreas causes stress to the beta cells in the organ that controls blood sugar levels."
They didn't "cut carbs", yet achieved the desired results. If anything, "cutting carbs" causes you to cut excess sugars (proven to be unhealthy) and highly processed foods (also proven to be unhealthy due to lack of fiber and nutrients). You can get the same affect by eating more vegetables (plenty of carbs) and minimally processes whole grains. You don't need to go into ketosis to achieve these results, as this study shows..
"They don't have the infrastructure to compete on a world wide scale with the big automakers."
So only established players can play? History is full of counter examples. IBM, Kodak, and Blockbuster to name a few. Sure, they can't build the infrastructure overnight, but they already have enough factory capacity to produce the Model 3, which was their original purpose.
The "big automakers" have shown little motivation and even some hostility towards moving to E.V.'s. They've lobbied against increasing fuel efficiency standards and publicly shown skepticism towards the E.V. market. Waiting is right though. They would wait forever, which brings me to the next point.
Technology advancement isn't a given. Especially without well funded basic R&D (which has diminished significantly in the U.S.), advancements in technology rely almost completely on market forces. This is unfortunate because most basic R&D doesn't have a guaranteed return and companies can't justify the expense. Tesla created relatively large demand for E.V. capable batteries. This demand has driven both economies of scale, causing huge price drops as well as increases in R&D to serve a market for longer range and cheaper E.V.s. Anticipated demand for the Model 3 alone roughly doubles the required battery capacity worldwide.
So the other manufacturers are "waiting" for something that they know would never happen. Tesla decided to make it happen - and that requires significant planning and investment. Building cars is hard, and the incumbents have advantages there. But they don't have batteries and so much of their business and expertise is tied to combustion engines. Switching to electric will require them to throw out 50% or more of what sets them apart and keeps the barrier to entry to high. It's not too much different than what SpaceX did to ULA. SpaceX had to develop a rocket from scratch, which is hard and expensive. But ULA, despite all their expertise can't compete with the newcomer SpaceX, largely because like the "big automakers", they're so entrenched, it would almost be easier to start all over than to change.
"You just need to break down the hydrocarbons to release the energy and that's entirely contained in the fuel."
Are you counting air and "fuel", because without oxygen, you get no energy?
"Electric cars have a more complex fuel system with regard to the batteries and the need to recharge them."
Fuel filter, electronic fuel injection, MAF sensor, oxygen sensor, TDS sensor,... vs. BMS and some fail-safes. ???
"However, petrol-based cars have the advantage in that the fuel is petrol."
After owning an EV for a year, I don't agree. Petrol's inherit advantage is that it's portable - you can pour it in a can. This advantage is only used for lawn mowers, etc; rarely for automobiles. Things people consider drawbacks for batteries, like range and charging speed are not inherent limitations and are progressing rapidly. Increasing EV demand increases R&D, which accelerates progress. Today's best EVs (tomorrow's mainstream ones) have a range of 350 miles and can charge at 120kW. Tomorrow's best EVs will have a range of 500 miles and charge at 300+kW. And so on.
Then there's: 1. Charging at home or anywhere there's a plug. 2. No local emissions - cleaner air in the city. 3. Smooth operation - no shaking/vibration. 4. Loads of torque (very addictive). 5. Fewer moving parts.
"BTW - What's green about huge stacks of Lithium-ion batteries?" Not spewing combustion products into the air. Recyclable/Reclaimable. Over the last 10 years, they've improved dramatically in energy density, longevity, and cost. And as slashdoters should know, they're still well under their theoretical potential.
From an engineer's POV, creating energy on demand is insane. We only do it because storing it has been too expensive. We SHOULD be aggressively pursuing practical energy storage solutions, not denigrating progress and clinging to the status quo. And since you like economics, try this:
Economies of scale: The cost of a full scale, mass market product = its marginal cost.
The marginal cost of wind and solar = $0. The marginal cost of oil, coal, and natural gas??? Solar panels today already last 25-30 years and their capital costs is MUCH less than any new power plant. Wind turbines are competing with nat gas today on levelized costs, thanks to scale. Most of the cost of wind turbines is in their construction, so larger turbines are more cost effective. Battery prices have plummeted by 400% in the last decade and are forecast to continue. Doubling the lifetime of a battery isn't like trying to double the efficiency of a heat engine (limited by carnot). As we understand the reactions better, it's very likely that we'll develop batteries that last practically forever. We have some today that can cycle 10,000 times (25 years at one full cycle per day). So if you see where this is going, these systems have virtually no marginal cost, their capital expenses are falling and their lifetimes are increasing. Coal, nat gas, etc. are at their limits.
I'm not a smoker, but it seems to be there's been an illogical campaign against e-cigarettes, even in the "public service announcement" arena. I don't doubt that nicotine has negative health affects, but nicotine + water vapor has to be better than nicotine + 1000's of tar based substances, yet you would think they're more unhealthy than cigarettes from the anti-e-cig campaign. And where was this nicotine research when nicotine patches got FDA approval?
1. No point in U.S.A. aiming for sustainability if (insert 3rd world country) isn't doing their part. - Check 2. It's just a wealth transfer. - Check 3. Renewables aren't reliable and consistent. - Check
There is no perfect solution. Saying something is worthless because it's not perfect is just a stalling tactic. There will never be an enforceable, global contract. The Paris accord was a success in getting every nation to recognize the problem and work towards solutions. It was a really good step in the right direction. Nobody claimed it was "gospel" except you. "sent trillions of dollars from the US to anyone who wanted a free bucket of money" Source please. - I call B.S. on that statement.
Your comment that China is "simply not good at keeping promises. They are good at deception, expansion, and colonization" reeks of the type of isolationism rhetoric that's infected the airwaves lately, and it's got little to do with addressing AGW. I'm not defending China and their government, but I take issue with your statement. The truth is that China has exploded over the last 20 years and is still developing rapidly. They've experienced many growing pains including terrible pollution. That pollution has caused them to prioritize clean energy. It's no coincidence they are the lead solar panel manufacturer. They're also a leader in renewable installations and battery powered vehicles. "China added 35 gigawatts of new solar generation in 2016 alone. “That’s almost equal to Germany’s total capacity, just in one year" http://news.nationalgeographic...
"Simply dumping non-renewable sources means that millions suffer and die because we lose necessary power for hospitals, refrigeration, air conditioning"
Pure Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. You forgot to mention the children. Nobody is calling to just suddenly shut off all the coal power plants. Anyway, it doesn't matter what you think. The economics of renewables have already overtaken coal. "... solar already rivals the cost of new coal power plants in Germany and the U.S. and by 2021 will do so in quick-growing markets such as China and India." https://www.bloomberg.com/news... My relatives in Mississippi, yes Mississippi, have an offer on a nice chunk of land for the power company to install solar panels. Time to wake up.
"And lets face facts: We will always have some dependency on non-renewable sources of energy. Renewable sources are not consistent, and dead batteries are very bad for the environment."
No. That's not a fact. Not consistent? The sun shines. Water runs. Wind blows. The earth holds heat. Not all the time in every place, but in combination with smart distribution and storage it's very much possible. It's sad the pessimistic view you have on the potential of the human race. The "dead battery" thing is such a red herring. Though no product has 0 impact, common lithium-ion batteries are relatively benign, recyclable, and have lifetimes greater than 10 years. Tesla's lead researcher, Jeff Dahn, one of the world's leading and most respected battery researchers claimed they've doubled the lifetime of batteries. https://electrek.co/2017/05/09... So we have 10 year batteries in service and 20 year batteries on the way - all of which can be recycled. And that's not even looking at Vanadium-Redox, salt water batteries, and lithium-iron-phosphate batteries and so on.
"Tesla is the absolute slimiest company I've ever done business with." And you accuse Tesla of exaggerating? I own a 2016 S and I can say without hesitation that it's the best car buying experience and the best "dealer" experience of any car I've owned. Ever. The car is exactly what I hoped for and even exceeded my expectations. Autopilot is wonderful on long trips. Charging/Supercharging works as advertised. The car is wicked powerful and will effortlessly (really, half throttle, no drama) embarrass "muscle cars" leaving a stop light. Room for the kids and plenty of stuff. Comfortable and soooo quiet. Pre-warm/cool in the garage. No idling in carpool and filter for the tail pipes in front of you. I could go on.
"I really hope I can keep my Model S going until a competitor arrives, but Tesla isn't making it easy" B.S. Now I think you're posing. Probably a dealer pissed off about Tesla's sales model. The cars come with 8 year battery and powertrain warranties and Tesla has backed it up.
Problems? I haven't had any major problems, just some minor stuff. Sticky wiper blade. Door trim misaligned. Dash rattle. And what did the "unethical", "slimiest" company ever do? Fixed it all. Fast. Gave me a loaner. Really, the only thing they didn't do was come pick up my car. And they actually have a ranger service, so I guess that's covered too.
Contrast that with my local Jeep dealer who told me it would be a month before they could fix my jeep (wouldn't start - I fixed it myself thanks to forums) and again a month for a software update (recall related). Oh, and spilled oil all over my motor during an oil change and didn't put the cap on right so it popped off.
I was just behind a truck creating large clouds of black smoke. The cloud just sat there between buildings with all nearby pedestrians forced to inhale. Now I know this was probably brake dust and tire particles.
Are you asserting that it's OK if it compiles? I'd rather have a program halt in production than have it silently fail, corrupting data or some other type of silent failure. And if you want to have the program keep running and log errors, that's simple exception handling/logging.
The enemy of good is perfect. The Paris Deal is progress and the naysayers have unspoken agendas. Oh, the "economy" is always the copout reason. Like every technical advance in history, a a shift to clean, sustainable energy will improve quality of life. The only parts of the economy that will suffer will be those contributing to GHG emissions (hint hint - these are the ones complaining). Funny you mention China and India's emissions like, but omit their very deliberate and notable effort to move to clean energy. Very Hannity like.
"They've only been hyped up after Steve Jobs died because the media wanted a new Steve Jobs"
Musk got "hyped" when SpaceX began successfully launching rockets and the Model S was revealed.
"The reliability of their vehicles isn't too hot. The cost is high, even when sold at a loss."
Reliability of the Model S is "average" according to Consumer Reports. Not bad for Tesla's first production car (Roadster was extremely limited). The cost is high, but they're not sold at a loss, unless they're lying in every SEC filing. SEC filings consistently show 20%+ gross margins on their vehicles.
"Their mass-market model is delayed endlessly". WTF? The original target for mass market production (the Model 3) was 2020. They've bumped it up to 2018. In what alternative reality is that delayed?
You're kidding yourself to think the two elections were anyware similar. Politifact - Trump only 31% true (to some degree) - 16% pants on fire. Obama - 75% true (to some degree) - 2% pants on fire. Trump lies or is just ignorant 69% of the time.
Unprecedented hoards of absolutely fake news and headlines as documented in the article we're discussing. What fake news is there from the Obama election other than he's a secret Muslim not born in the U.S.? The pizza parlor shooting (from ACTUAL fake news) is just one of countless ridiculous "accusations" (I use quotes because the accusers always suggest - "I don't know... maybe") I've heard on right wing talk radio and the likes.
Trump - POW's are bad soldiers. Mexico is "sending" their "killers and rapists". Anyone who criticizes him is "fake news".
Slashdot Mirror
Thanks for the Abiword reminder. Haven't used it in a while, but always found it relatively lightweight and more pleasing (font rendering?) to use than OpenOffice.org/LibreOffice.
Most important finding in the survey. ... Gets popcorn ... Where is everyone? ...
Guess I'm getting old.
Will Slashdot ever get an edit button? Sorry for the typos.
"People are fed Fake News all the time, from all sorts of sources. None of that really matters to what they choose though."
When you can't tell facts from reality, it CERTAINLY affects your judgement. I listen and watch pretty much everything including CNN , PBS, Fox News, Hannity, and Limbaugh. Absolutely NOTHING comes close to the fact twisting deception of Sean Hannity and Fox "News". 6 months before Trump is elected, the low unemployment rate reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics is a "LIE". The actual rate is 43%! Obama! 6 months after Trump is elected, unemployment is at a new low thanks to Trump.
Fox News viewers actually despise their real journalists like Chris Wallace and Shepard. These guys, because of their training and journalists and sense of professionalism, at least try to stick to the facts and shy away from conspiracy theories like the Seth Rich story. The green movement is a scam. People who disagree are RINOs or closet liberals, and therefore are diseased. No really, liberalism is a mental illness, right? They constantly reported on police murders in 2016, yet have been silent since Trump took office, despite police murders rising. Mexicans are murderers and rapists. They only "send" the bad ones here. Sharia law already being implemented in the United States. Obama is a muslim, and the head if ISIS.
Just a small sample of the garbage that spews from Fox News, Hannity, and the likes. And sooooo many people, including my own father, keep the T.V. tuned to that channel. If you think that doesn't affect "what they choose", you're a fool. This is how propaganda works. A constant, controlled stream of misinformation.
What happened to Slashdot?
For the generator's controller to request more stream pressure to the turbine, it's simply requesting higher output, right? As in more nat-gas or coal to increase the boiler temp and add more energy to the steam. How else do you increase the steam pressure? If that's the case, you're assuming that 1. the plant isn't already at max capacity and 2. that the boiler can react that quickly (which it can't). I'm no E.E. (just a simple M.E.), but I've worked at (conventional) nat-gas power stations with steam turbines and they certainly can't power up that quickly. Maybe gas turbines can react this quickly, but not boiler fed steam turbines.
Even the old versions of Python are pleasant to work with. In some ways, more so than more recent versions. I remember when decorators were introduced and meta-programming became all the rage. While I could appreciate their purpose, I was not thrilled about the increased complexity. That said, these features are optional.
I'm a certified mechanical engineer and I think it is a good idea. Before reading your comment I already assumed you'd have redundant cables and propulsion systems capable or correcting or reestablishing rotation.
Primecoin?
It's not the carbs! Read the study summary:
"Body fat building up around the pancreas causes stress to the beta cells in the organ that controls blood sugar levels."
They didn't "cut carbs", yet achieved the desired results. If anything, "cutting carbs" causes you to cut excess sugars (proven to be unhealthy) and highly processed foods (also proven to be unhealthy due to lack of fiber and nutrients). You can get the same affect by eating more vegetables (plenty of carbs) and minimally processes whole grains. You don't need to go into ketosis to achieve these results, as this study shows..
"They don't have the infrastructure to compete on a world wide scale with the big automakers."
So only established players can play? History is full of counter examples. IBM, Kodak, and Blockbuster to name a few. Sure, they can't build the infrastructure overnight, but they already have enough factory capacity to produce the Model 3, which was their original purpose.
The "big automakers" have shown little motivation and even some hostility towards moving to E.V.'s. They've lobbied against increasing fuel efficiency standards and publicly shown skepticism towards the E.V. market. Waiting is right though. They would wait forever, which brings me to the next point.
Technology advancement isn't a given. Especially without well funded basic R&D (which has diminished significantly in the U.S.), advancements in technology rely almost completely on market forces. This is unfortunate because most basic R&D doesn't have a guaranteed return and companies can't justify the expense. Tesla created relatively large demand for E.V. capable batteries. This demand has driven both economies of scale, causing huge price drops as well as increases in R&D to serve a market for longer range and cheaper E.V.s. Anticipated demand for the Model 3 alone roughly doubles the required battery capacity worldwide.
So the other manufacturers are "waiting" for something that they know would never happen. Tesla decided to make it happen - and that requires significant planning and investment. Building cars is hard, and the incumbents have advantages there. But they don't have batteries and so much of their business and expertise is tied to combustion engines. Switching to electric will require them to throw out 50% or more of what sets them apart and keeps the barrier to entry to high. It's not too much different than what SpaceX did to ULA. SpaceX had to develop a rocket from scratch, which is hard and expensive. But ULA, despite all their expertise can't compete with the newcomer SpaceX, largely because like the "big automakers", they're so entrenched, it would almost be easier to start all over than to change.
"You just need to break down the hydrocarbons to release the energy and that's entirely contained in the fuel."
Are you counting air and "fuel", because without oxygen, you get no energy?
"Electric cars have a more complex fuel system with regard to the batteries and the need to recharge them."
Fuel filter, electronic fuel injection, MAF sensor, oxygen sensor, TDS sensor, ... vs. BMS and some fail-safes. ???
"However, petrol-based cars have the advantage in that the fuel is petrol."
After owning an EV for a year, I don't agree. Petrol's inherit advantage is that it's portable - you can pour it in a can. This advantage is only used for lawn mowers, etc; rarely for automobiles. Things people consider drawbacks for batteries, like range and charging speed are not inherent limitations and are progressing rapidly. Increasing EV demand increases R&D, which accelerates progress. Today's best EVs (tomorrow's mainstream ones) have a range of 350 miles and can charge at 120kW. Tomorrow's best EVs will have a range of 500 miles and charge at 300+kW. And so on.
Then there's: 1. Charging at home or anywhere there's a plug. 2. No local emissions - cleaner air in the city. 3. Smooth operation - no shaking/vibration. 4. Loads of torque (very addictive). 5. Fewer moving parts.
I got OT a little bit,
What happened to Slashdot? The fact this is modded 5, Insightful, is depressing.
They don't need to full cycle every day. Going from 90% to 30% is MUCH easier on the cells than going from 100% to 0%, and not in a linear way.
"BTW - What's green about huge stacks of Lithium-ion batteries?" Not spewing combustion products into the air. Recyclable/Reclaimable. Over the last 10 years, they've improved dramatically in energy density, longevity, and cost. And as slashdoters should know, they're still well under their theoretical potential.
From an engineer's POV, creating energy on demand is insane. We only do it because storing it has been too expensive. We SHOULD be aggressively pursuing practical energy storage solutions, not denigrating progress and clinging to the status quo. And since you like economics, try this:
Economies of scale: The cost of a full scale, mass market product = its marginal cost.
The marginal cost of wind and solar = $0. The marginal cost of oil, coal, and natural gas??? Solar panels today already last 25-30 years and their capital costs is MUCH less than any new power plant. Wind turbines are competing with nat gas today on levelized costs, thanks to scale. Most of the cost of wind turbines is in their construction, so larger turbines are more cost effective. Battery prices have plummeted by 400% in the last decade and are forecast to continue. Doubling the lifetime of a battery isn't like trying to double the efficiency of a heat engine (limited by carnot). As we understand the reactions better, it's very likely that we'll develop batteries that last practically forever. We have some today that can cycle 10,000 times (25 years at one full cycle per day). So if you see where this is going, these systems have virtually no marginal cost, their capital expenses are falling and their lifetimes are increasing. Coal, nat gas, etc. are at their limits.
Now, if you want to talk about nuclear fusion, ...
Was thinking the same thing. Dose Slashdot have a different user base or is this the same group turned old and grumpy?
42.88% (and falling) is much better than 100%. Plus it's not spewed directly into the valley.
I'm not a smoker, but it seems to be there's been an illogical campaign against e-cigarettes, even in the "public service announcement" arena. I don't doubt that nicotine has negative health affects, but nicotine + water vapor has to be better than nicotine + 1000's of tar based substances, yet you would think they're more unhealthy than cigarettes from the anti-e-cig campaign. And where was this nicotine research when nicotine patches got FDA approval?
So these trucks can run around the clock, stopping every 3-4 hours for a 1 hour charge and still beat a trucker on average.
Of course, the 200-300 miles is unconfirmed. We'll see.
Denialist points.
1. No point in U.S.A. aiming for sustainability if (insert 3rd world country) isn't doing their part. - Check
2. It's just a wealth transfer. - Check
3. Renewables aren't reliable and consistent. - Check
There is no perfect solution. Saying something is worthless because it's not perfect is just a stalling tactic. There will never be an enforceable, global contract. The Paris accord was a success in getting every nation to recognize the problem and work towards solutions. It was a really good step in the right direction. Nobody claimed it was "gospel" except you. "sent trillions of dollars from the US to anyone who wanted a free bucket of money" Source please. - I call B.S. on that statement.
Your comment that China is "simply not good at keeping promises. They are good at deception, expansion, and colonization" reeks of the type of isolationism rhetoric that's infected the airwaves lately, and it's got little to do with addressing AGW. I'm not defending China and their government, but I take issue with your statement. The truth is that China has exploded over the last 20 years and is still developing rapidly. They've experienced many growing pains including terrible pollution. That pollution has caused them to prioritize clean energy. It's no coincidence they are the lead solar panel manufacturer. They're also a leader in renewable installations and battery powered vehicles. "China added 35 gigawatts of new solar generation in 2016 alone. “That’s almost equal to Germany’s total capacity, just in one year" http://news.nationalgeographic...
"Simply dumping non-renewable sources means that millions suffer and die because we lose necessary power for hospitals, refrigeration, air conditioning"
Pure Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. You forgot to mention the children. Nobody is calling to just suddenly shut off all the coal power plants. Anyway, it doesn't matter what you think. The economics of renewables have already overtaken coal. "... solar already rivals the cost of new coal power plants in Germany and the U.S. and by 2021 will do so in quick-growing markets such as China and India." https://www.bloomberg.com/news... My relatives in Mississippi, yes Mississippi, have an offer on a nice chunk of land for the power company to install solar panels. Time to wake up.
"And lets face facts: We will always have some dependency on non-renewable sources of energy. Renewable sources are not consistent, and dead batteries are very bad for the environment."
No. That's not a fact. Not consistent? The sun shines. Water runs. Wind blows. The earth holds heat. Not all the time in every place, but in combination with smart distribution and storage it's very much possible. It's sad the pessimistic view you have on the potential of the human race. The "dead battery" thing is such a red herring. Though no product has 0 impact, common lithium-ion batteries are relatively benign, recyclable, and have lifetimes greater than 10 years. Tesla's lead researcher, Jeff Dahn, one of the world's leading and most respected battery researchers claimed they've doubled the lifetime of batteries. https://electrek.co/2017/05/09... So we have 10 year batteries in service and 20 year batteries on the way - all of which can be recycled. And that's not even looking at Vanadium-Redox, salt water batteries, and lithium-iron-phosphate batteries and so on.
"Tesla is the absolute slimiest company I've ever done business with." And you accuse Tesla of exaggerating? I own a 2016 S and I can say without hesitation that it's the best car buying experience and the best "dealer" experience of any car I've owned. Ever. The car is exactly what I hoped for and even exceeded my expectations. Autopilot is wonderful on long trips. Charging/Supercharging works as advertised. The car is wicked powerful and will effortlessly (really, half throttle, no drama) embarrass "muscle cars" leaving a stop light. Room for the kids and plenty of stuff. Comfortable and soooo quiet. Pre-warm/cool in the garage. No idling in carpool and filter for the tail pipes in front of you. I could go on.
"I really hope I can keep my Model S going until a competitor arrives, but Tesla isn't making it easy" B.S. Now I think you're posing. Probably a dealer pissed off about Tesla's sales model. The cars come with 8 year battery and powertrain warranties and Tesla has backed it up.
Problems? I haven't had any major problems, just some minor stuff. Sticky wiper blade. Door trim misaligned. Dash rattle. And what did the "unethical", "slimiest" company ever do? Fixed it all. Fast. Gave me a loaner. Really, the only thing they didn't do was come pick up my car. And they actually have a ranger service, so I guess that's covered too.
Contrast that with my local Jeep dealer who told me it would be a month before they could fix my jeep (wouldn't start - I fixed it myself thanks to forums) and again a month for a software update (recall related). Oh, and spilled oil all over my motor during an oil change and didn't put the cap on right so it popped off.
I was just behind a truck creating large clouds of black smoke. The cloud just sat there between buildings with all nearby pedestrians forced to inhale. Now I know this was probably brake dust and tire particles.
Are you asserting that it's OK if it compiles? I'd rather have a program halt in production than have it silently fail, corrupting data or some other type of silent failure. And if you want to have the program keep running and log errors, that's simple exception handling/logging.
The enemy of good is perfect. The Paris Deal is progress and the naysayers have unspoken agendas. Oh, the "economy" is always the copout reason. Like every technical advance in history, a a shift to clean, sustainable energy will improve quality of life. The only parts of the economy that will suffer will be those contributing to GHG emissions (hint hint - these are the ones complaining). Funny you mention China and India's emissions like, but omit their very deliberate and notable effort to move to clean energy. Very Hannity like.
"They've only been hyped up after Steve Jobs died because the media wanted a new Steve Jobs"
Musk got "hyped" when SpaceX began successfully launching rockets and the Model S was revealed.
"The reliability of their vehicles isn't too hot. The cost is high, even when sold at a loss."
Reliability of the Model S is "average" according to Consumer Reports. Not bad for Tesla's first production car (Roadster was extremely limited). The cost is high, but they're not sold at a loss, unless they're lying in every SEC filing. SEC filings consistently show 20%+ gross margins on their vehicles.
"Their mass-market model is delayed endlessly". WTF? The original target for mass market production (the Model 3) was 2020. They've bumped it up to 2018. In what alternative reality is that delayed?
You're kidding yourself to think the two elections were anyware similar. Politifact - Trump only 31% true (to some degree) - 16% pants on fire. Obama - 75% true (to some degree) - 2% pants on fire. Trump lies or is just ignorant 69% of the time.
Unprecedented hoards of absolutely fake news and headlines as documented in the article we're discussing. What fake news is there from the Obama election other than he's a secret Muslim not born in the U.S.? The pizza parlor shooting (from ACTUAL fake news) is just one of countless ridiculous "accusations" (I use quotes because the accusers always suggest - "I don't know ... maybe") I've heard on right wing talk radio and the likes.
Trump - POW's are bad soldiers. Mexico is "sending" their "killers and rapists". Anyone who criticizes him is "fake news".
Please. There's no comparison.