Image Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer praising Donald Trump on television for being bipartisan. Well that day is today. As many of us predicted, Trump and Democrats have agreed to a framework for rebuilding infrastructure.
Both Schumer and Pelosi said they believe they can strike a deal with Trump on infrastructure, even as congressional Democrats ramp up investigations of the president and subpoena members of his administration in the wake of the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia report.
“I believe we can do both at once,” Schumer said, adding they aren’t “mutually exclusive”
“Building infrastructure of America has never been a partisan issue,” Pelosi said, saying Democrats “hope to go forward in a very nonpartisan way for the future.”
Tesla sold 244,920 vehicles in 2018 and some on Wall Street said they were the number two US automaker–up until Ford’s quarterly financial report was released this week. What a crock.
Over the same period—2018—Ford sold 5,982,000 vehicles.
The math is this; Tesla sold four percent as many vehicles as Ford and people said Ford was the number three automaker.
Folks, we don’t even know if Tesla is selling their vehicles at cost let alone making a profit. Ford is outselling Tesla by a huge amount. Ford sold 5,737,080 more vehicles than Tesla and somehow Elon Musk is our role model?
Tesla is tethered technology.
Both my buddy with the Chevy Volt and my future son-in-law who owns a Tesla, have the same problem. Namely, where to charge the vehicles.
My buddy with the Volt says he tried to go to Oregon with his Volt and found that he was stuck near the I-5 corridor because there was no place to charge the car once you got away from the Interstate.
Tesla is s finicky vehicle. It has three charging modes: super-fast, medium, and super slow. My son-in-law candidate drives to Elk Grove from the S.F. Bay Area to see the daughter. Before going home, he must drive to the Arden Fair Mall because that is the only fast charging station in the area. After charging the Tesla for 45 minutes to an hour, he can then go home. Please understand that this means that he drives over an hour further to get to the mall and back for the privilege of charging his car. This charging evolution adds two hours to every visit that he makes here for the privilege of driving an electric car.
If you fail to use the Tesla installed charging stations, then plan to wait several hours—like six or more—to get a decent charge on the car. Lest you think I exaggerate, check out this story of a guy in New York that took his son to camp in a demonstration Tesla Model S given to members of the media. Here are excerpts of his travelogue.
I’ve screwed up my range calculations. We don’t have enough to make the closest partner charging station. The car was warning us of this, but we needed to get the boys dropped off on time. So we took a chance and ended up ALMOST RUNNING OUT OF GAS, er … ELECTRICITY!
There’s a cable in the truck of every Tesla that enables you to charge on the fly. But there are no high-speed charging options up here in the middle of nowhere in the Catskills. So we had to resort to the slowest option, good old 120-volt, wall-socket-level rejuicing.
You plug into this small charging port at the left rear of the Model S.
Tesla charging in BFE via 110 VAC
Photo by Matthew DeBord
… but we’ll be getting only 1 mile per hour of charging! That’s mega-slow.
A few hours, a few more miles in the battery, and we have enough to head back through the lovely scenery to find lodging — and charging — for the night.
Tesla charging at one mile per hour
Photo by Matthew DeBord
By the next morning, at a charging rate of 3 miles per hour, we have enough juice to make the closest partner charging location. We’re plugged in …
… and drawing power again.
But this time, we’re charging much faster. In a few hours, we’ll have enough power to get to the closest Supercharger location.
Short version was that failing to charge the car resulted in an additional day of travel because it charged so slow.
Tesla = Tax Opportunities
Many early adopters of electric vehicles think that one big advantage is avoiding paying gasoline taxes. I’m here to tell you now that “Big Brother” is completely aware that you aren’t paying your fair share for road maintenance and has plans to remedy the situation. Soon Tesla owners will be introduced to the long-rumored mileage tax. Yep, you will be billed for each mile travelled by the electric vehicle that you drive.
Thanks to folks like the Chinese; government now has the power to track electric vehicles (and probably internal combustion powered ones too) via GPS. So, you won’t even have to do paperwork, you will be issued a mileage bill from government each billing cycle. Oh, I’m sure they will be happy to receive their funds via autopay.
For some folks, Elon Musk can do no wrong; however, I’m not a believer. America flirted with electric vehicles over 100 hundred years ago and the internal combustion engine won. In a free market, I think that same outcome would happen today, but our markets are anything but free.
Government is willing to put their thumb on the scale to help Musk, but I don’t think that gets this technology over the finish line. They just give him an unfair advantage in the short run.
Until electric power is plentiful and readily available, such technology is a novelty. Sadly, California is moving away from readily available energy and towards limited options at higher prices. They are restricting the market not unleashing it. Socialist utopias are like that.
If I had the money, I would buy a Tesla, disconnect the battery, wrap the car in plastic and hide it in a non-descript barn for 150 years, then it might be worth owning; otherwise, I’m sitting this revolution out.
Yes, when it comes to Elon Musk, the logical disconnect between fantasy and reality is a wide chasm. Yesterday, Tesla’s first quarter earnings report came out but instead of talking about his leadership, Musk was busy on Twitter offering the faithful a quieter leaf blower; oh, and it wasn’t even his idea.
Here’s the story:
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says his company is planning to develop a new creation — only this time, it won’t be rolling on four wheels.
Elon Musk changing the subject away from cars
Elon Musk blowing more smoke on the Internet as his stock goes to pot
But come to find out, the quitet leaf blower wasn’t Musk’s idea.
Actor Rainn Wilson of The Office has accused Tesla CEO Elon Musk of failing to give him proper credit for the idea for a quiet leaf blower.
Wilson, who portrayed Dwight Schrute on the NBC sitcom, demanded credit for the idea in a tweet to the Telsa CEO on Wednesday, after Musk announced his company would be making the product.
Meanwhile, the 90-Day Cycle was not kind to Tesla. Even with lowered expectations, Tesla missed the numbers that Wall Street was expecting. The stock closed today at $235.14
Tesla six month stock results
December 13th was the high mark in recent months with a close of $376.79. From December’s high to today’s close, the stock is off $141.65 per share. Looks like it’s time to cue the dumpster fire graphic.
Ford Motor Co. on Friday regained its status as the No. 2 U.S. car maker in market value, leaving Tesla Inc. behind after a massive earnings beat that stoked a rally for Ford stock.
Ford F, -0.19% shares were at their best since July and amassed the largest one-day gain in a decade, bringing the company’s market valuation to around $40.7 billion late Friday.
Tesla TSLA, +0.90% shares traded at their lowest since January 2017, still reeling from the wider-than-expected first-quarter loss the company reported earlier this week. That brought Tesla’s market capitalization to around $40.6 billion.
I visited a fairly new establishment downtown about a month back, it is called Yard House.
First some background, Yard House was bought by Darden Restaurants (owner of Oliver Garden, Longhorn Steaks etc.) back in 2012 as a small regional chain in the Northeast and has been expanding ever since. Yard House is an American sports bar type establishment, and has a claim to fame of offering over 100 beers on tap at all its locations. I decided to check it out, what follows is my review.
Ambiance: Yard House is very similar to BJ’s Restaurant and Brew House in a sense they are both large open air establishments. Yard House has very tall beer glasses almost appearing like a bong on its doors…more on this later. There is a very large bar area, very large seating area, featuring booths and tables as well as a fairly large sized outdoor patio, covered and with ample heat lamps. The restaurant was fairly dark, not sure if it was because it was late (8 pm) or if this is done to set a mood. Hundreds of TV’s donned the walls in various corners of the store, all were set to music videos, and the accompanying music was being piped in via a surround system…it was a little loud. I assume if a game was on, or football Sunday, this place would be rocking. They had all kinds of random pictures on the walls, it is definitely a place one could hang out while sampling all 100 beers. 4.5/5; half a point deducted for having a picture of “The Chief” on the wall, apparently they wanted The Chief to do the food review not Johnnie Does!
Yard House wall features a likeness of “The Chief”
Food: Yard House has a menu that rivals Cheesecake Factory or BJ’s. In a sense, there is definitely something for everyone; however, I also view this as a downfall. The menu basically was typical bar food like fried mac n cheese or nachos, to regular items like burgers, wings and pizza to high end items like steak, salmon, and sea food pasta. While I am sure this works great as far as something for everyone, it is very intimidating, and how many people instead of “trading up” for an expensive dish, decide to “trade down” for cheaper dishes? The wings were great, and my burger was perfect; however, the mac n cheese sticks were cold. I think this is due to the extensive menu and trying to have cooks make all of said food. 4.2/5
Yard House serving beer your way
Drinks: I tried 3 beers–they have a sampler platter you can buy for a nominal fee; that essentially amounts to wine tasting. I liked this since it’s hard to find something you like off a list of over 100 beers. I found one I liked and ordered a half yard….it’s the same size glass donning the doors on your way in!
Yard House beer bong
A large amount of beer and while I finished it, I did not need 1 more that is for sure. Great selection, cool glasses, I would say 5/5.
Overall: The service was awesome; I really liked the beer selection, and cool ambiance of the place. Only couple quibbles I have are the extensive menu, which I think hurts food quality control, and stock keeping must be a doozy, and the place just seems too similar to other restaurant’s in the same competing space. I found it very similar to a BJ’s or Cheesecake Factory or Buffalo Wild Wings and the lack of differentiation makes it a place that can get “lost in the shuffle of other chains” such as Applebee’s, Chili’s, Outback or Friday’s. I just wish there was something different that made me want to return. That being said 4.5/5
Last week, I accompanied my family along with 16 eighth graders and some other adults to Washington D.C. The tour was thru an organization called “World Strides”. The cost is about $2,300 a person which included airfare, meals, admission to all venues, tour guide and bus to haul you about the area.
I plan to blog about the various places that we visited in future installments but to begin with I wanted to address the question of what makes DC different? Donald Trump and others call this region “The Swamp”. In the 1970’s Gary S Paxton called it “Potomac Fever”. Over the years, others have questioned whether there is something in the water that makes D.C. different. In short what makes this region so disjointed from the rest of the country. However, this is question is phrased, it remains, “Why don’t our representatives represent us?”
I will offer a few thoughts based on my brief observations.
Washington DC is a rich and prosperous area. With trillions of dollars flowing thru the Federal government coffers, having a bureaucracy able to direct this amount of wealth is a daunting task. Government produces nothing but consumes much. Tens of thousands work in and around DC in support of “Uncle Sam”.
As the nation’s capital, much of the best housing, entertainment, and goods available are readily accessible. Gasoline is over a dollar a gallon cheaper than California. Housing costs are high but so are wages. Also, much housing is available just outside the District. Roads are not well maintained but mass transit of various sorts is accessible as well.
One thing that is clear is that elected representatives never have to interact with the public unless they choose to do so. While touring Congress, we entered thru the public entrance and elected folks have a private entrance. Members have token office space at the Capital and larger accommodations at nearby office buildings.
One example of the disconnect between California and its representatives is the statues on display in the capital building. Each state gets two statutes—typically bronze or marble—to represent them. I recall seeing Thomas Edison, Robert E Lee, Jefferson Davis, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, etc. The statutes representing California were Ronald Reagan and Father Junípero Serra.
Reagan was a President from California (as was Richard Nixon) and both were Republicans. I can understand Reagan but I’m not sure the average voter in the once Golden State would agree. Folks, I doubt the Reagan statute would be allowed to be prominently displayed, if at all, in our own Capital in Sacramento.
Ronald Reagan bronze statue in Capital Rotunda
The second statute, an image of Father Junípero Serra, represents California too. In the current political climate, there is no way in hell that Father Junípero Serra would be regarded by those in power as a representative of what is unique and good about California. Last I heard, Serra was about to get the Christopher Columbus treatment and be purged from our history and recast as an exploiter of native peoples. Serra was not the face of salvation and Christianity but an enslaver and exploiter of those that were—up to that time—living in blessed harmony with nature.
Father Junípero Serra lifting high the Cross of Christ
Visitors to our nation’s capital get to see both statutes as those that represent California’s best. Apparently, the California contingent led on the House side by Maxine Waters, Adam Schiff, and Nancy Pelosi and on the Senate side by Diane Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, and Kamala Harris have never noticed the incongruity or really don’t believe all the B.S. that they spout when they are back home.
Those elected to D.C. are part of an exclusive club that is far more select than the so call one percent. These guys get drivers, armed security, special access, and are part of the aristocracy of power that makes our world go around.
Occasionally they make honest mistakes which in their world means when they are honest that it’s a mistake. Take our local jewel of colossal ignorance, Doris Matsui. For many years, Doris listed her residence as Maryland not California.
Sacramento Democratic Rep. Doris Matsui has repaid $2,800 in back taxes on her $1.5 million Maryland home after state officials said she received tax breaks for erroneously claiming it was her permanent residence. Matsui, 65, indicated earlier this year that she wanted to withdraw her application for the tax breaks and that she would voluntarily repay the back taxes, said Robert Young, associate director of Maryland’s tax office. The tax credit she sought is a homestead tax benefit for residents of Maryland. Young said Matsui had to answer a questionnaire that asked whether her property in Montgomery County, Md., was her “principal residence” and whether she was registered to vote in the state, among other things.
Matsui said she has paid in full; however, the state of Maryland disagrees. Young said Tuesday that Matsui still owes thousands and that she will be assessed penalties and interest for not paying back taxes dating to 2005. “What I can tell you is those monies have not been repaid,” he said. Rob Hagedoorn, chief of Montgomery County’s Division of Treasury, said Matsui and her husband, Robert, the former congressman who died on Jan. 1, 2005, in all likelihood had received the tax break even before 2005.
Matsui lied for many years, as did her husband before her, just to get a tax break. But I disagree about one thing, Matsui lied, not about her principal residence being in Maryland, but that her principal residence is in Sacramento. Truth is that she hasn’t lived in the area for decades. She is only occasionally in the area near election time. She doesn’t represent anyone in California, she is a Democrat first and a loyal vote for their leadership and thus insulated from the consequences of her stupidity—as long as she votes right.
Sorry, I can’t quantify what’s wrong with “The Swamp” but for those of us outside that bubble, its easy to see what’s wrong with it. I hope the examples above illustrate that fact.
Having survived the Mueller Report, President Trump is facing round two from within his own Party. Besides the unsolicited attacks from Mitt Romney, the CRA and its offspring, the National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA) appears to be piling on as well.
Below are portions of solicitations for the NFRA Convention that I have received in the last 48 hours.
Yesterday we are informed that Donald Trump is not our only choice for President. Former Governor Bill Weld is offering himself to take-out the Orange President.
Today we are told about the speaker list which includes Ted Cruz. No surprise there.
Trump has done more for the faith community since any President since Ronald Reagan—and arguably more–but its not good enough for the NeverTrumper wing of the Republican Party. They seem to want Hillary Clinton in the White House until such time as God Himself rides in on a white horse to settle all accounts. (FYI This won’t happen in your lifetime so get over it.)
Its really pathetic that Trump is the most effective weapon in the Republican arsenal and many of them can’t wait to plunge a knife in his back the first chance that they get.
Update April 22nd
Pay to play option unveiled. Everyone going is automatically a delegate.
My apologies for the long hiatus, but over the weekend I heard there was a shortage of short school buses in California, so I needed to investigate.
Turns out the short yellow buses were needed for transportation to the CRA convention, conveniently located in the nation’s capital Sacramento.
For the CRA–Sacramento is our Nations Capital
Before either of the South Sacramento members complain about this being untrue….. I still get emails from you despite not being a dues paying member for several years! Oh by the way, Corresponding Secretary Jorge Riley AKA the “Drunken Jedi” sent out that very email….. not a member of the Exec board caught it. The convention took place at a local Discovery Zone in Sacramento which is funny because neither the CRA nor Discovery Zone has been relevant in about 30 years.
The CRA had the back room rented out so if you wanted a sausage pizza, it was free but cheese would cost some money…again ironic as the CRA slogan should be “where’s the beef?”
Delegates and bus drivers were told to stop at a local Burger King to be sure to pick up their crown…because in the CRA anyone who pays can be king for a weekend!
CRA Delegate being certified
Unfortunately, the CRA didn’t qualify for the group rate since you need to have more than 50 members actually in attendance. Truth be told, I doubt they even have 50 dues paying members anymore. For all I know, they likely rented the ballroom by the hour similar to how one may rent a Motel 6 these days. The speak series actually wasn’t that bad; Dinesh D’Souza, Ben Shapiro, and Tomi Lahren….oh wait, they were at the conventions that are actually relevant. CRA was stuck with the usual group of back benchers and no names that make the convention ticket so worthwhile. But hey…you got a rubber chicken for lunch…so?
I haven’t been able to find out much about the program, and I actually am curious….. are smart meters still being outlawed? Is a resolution to impeach Donald Trump still being bandied about? Has Ted Cruz begun hiring staffers for a 2020 run? Or since the meeting was held in the “Nations Capital” are we planning a “CalExit?”
How come the “Ronald Reagan Freedom Fighter Award” was given to Thomas Hudson?
Tom Hudson–CRA’s 2019 Freedom Fighter Award winner
What exactly has CRA Predident Hudson done to deserve this? The facial hair does look nice on him but I must have missed him prosecuting the Park Brothers for their malfeasance, or helping us win back seats lost previously to Democrats, or hold the electeds accountable, or maybe hold the statewide party accountable? Sadly, none of the above. This award first bestowed upon the great Lt. Col. Oliver North who went to jail for defending American interests has been rendered as a useless as a participation trophy.
Oliver North CRA’s first Freedom Fighter Award recipient
Good news for Mr. Hudson, I heard second prize was an all-expenses paid trip on a longer school bus to Fresno…so I’d say he did alright.
Short Yellow bus to Fresno
As far as officer elections go, there was a slate of officers running on the “Make the CRA Great Again” mantra…how cute, since you never endorsed Donald Trump and actually cannot stand the guy! I am not aware of any board elections worth a darn that were contested so I guess the elections went well as the deck chairs were re-arranged and all is back in order.
CRA’s deck chairs are now ready for two more years
The worst part of the convention, per the Facebook posts on the event, were the election of minor offices–presumable Senate District Directors. Ironic that the folks that demand voter integrity for the rest of us had to hold multiple elections for minor offices to get a valid ballot count. Cynics might even say this happened so they could get the results that they wanted. However, I thinks its more charitable to think that the organizers didn’t know what they were doing. No word if Patrick J Buchanan was on the ballot.
CRA recount of botched election
Best part of the convention? The Drunken Jedi was stumbling around and giving away free samples of his latest vintage. But if anyone was curious, it was safely stowed away in his backpack. While some may call this drunk in public…I just call it a CRA convention, just a bunch of enablers helping a dying man along the way to meet his maker. I do wonder if he believes his maker is really Makers Mark but oh well.
Bill Cardoza was able to attain a symbolic position, which is unfortunate, because I think he should have been elected leader, what better object to symbolize the CRA than a spineless do nothing?
“X”
Fear not, the short buses were loaded up with the sheep and they returned safe and sound to their destination and will re-focus on helping derail the Trump agenda one day at a time.
No, I’m not talking about the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ which we celebrate at Easter. Neither am I talking about those in the Philippines that reenact the crucifixion each Good Friday as a way of identifying with the suffering of Christ.
Annual reenactment of Crucifixion of Christ on Good Friday
Berkeley children apparently face the threat of bodily injury and death for collecting Easter eggs on public property. These risks include, blindness, heart attack, broken bones, paralysis, and death. Where else but California?
Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the paper trail: Hard-boiled lawyers made sure no kids could participate in the University of California-Berkeley’s campus Easter egg hunt on Sunday without their parents first signing a waiver.
Before the tykes were ushered toward the roped-off grass, parents stood in line for up to half an hour to hand in the official form for 25th Annual Easter Egg Hunt and Learning Festival. (God forbid the kids just have fun.) According to the waiver, which was obtained by Reason, the undersigned agreed that “Participation in The Activity carries with it certain risks that cannot be eliminated regardless of the care taken to avoid injuries.” These risks ranged from “1) minor injuries, such as scratches, bruises and sprains 2) major injuries such as eye injury or loss of sight, joint or back injuries, heart attacks, and concussions to 3) catastrophic injuries including paralysis and death.“
At your next traffic stop in California, prepare to meet the new rainbow police.
Yes, from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to your local cop, the state legislature that can’t shoot straight has decreed that when the public interacts with law enforcement that men are no longer men and women are no longer women. Under the law, if a cop calls a man “sir” or a lady “ma’am”, they can be subject to discipline for violating the state’s laws on gender discrimination. The officer is required to ask what gender identity and pronouns are appropriate for them to address you before writing you the citation for speeding or jaywalking.
Once the traffic stop is completed, the officer is required to include the gender identity information in their report. This is an expansion of the laws already on the books to document and prevent racial profiling. These statistics are required to be given to the perpetual litigant of President Trump, Javier Becerra.
The below is from the California Attorney General’s website
Stop Data Collection Requirements and Final Regulations
In addition to requiring the collection and reporting of data regarding citizen complaints that allege racial or identity profiling, AB 953 requires all city and county local law enforcement agencies in California, as well as the California Highway Patrol and peace officers of California state and university educational institutions, to collect perceived demographic and other detailed data regarding pedestrian and traffic stops. Probation officers and officers in a custodial setting are excluded from this collection requirement.
The data to be collected includes, among other things, the perceived race or ethnicity, gender, and approximate age of the person stopped, as well as other data such as the reason for the stop, whether a search was conducted, and the results of any such search. Law enforcement agencies subject to this reporting requirement must report this data to the California Attorney General’s Office every year, with specific reporting deadlines set forth in the statute.
So there you have it. California cops must check your gender identity so as not to offend you when writing you a ticket but they sure as hell better not check your residency or immigration status.
