Category: Elon Musk

Gail’s Tesla Podcast Taking a Break Due to Accident

Gail AlfarLeave a comment

(Austin, Texas)

Tesla Cars Are the Safest Cars on the Road

April 7: My husband and I experienced a tragedy. My husband was hit from behind by a drunk driver who didn’t have a car registration, insurance and no driver’s license. Although this person was arrested and taken to jail, our Tesla Model 3 was totaled.

The damage is so bad the car lost a wheel, was shredded on one side, and the front end was demolished. My husband lived through this wreck thanks to Tesla. However, we did not have comprehensive auto insurance due to the high cost.

Looking back, we wish we did but now we are faced with many costs. 

No One Should Drive While Drunk

Below is a list of what the money we raised from a short GoFundMe are helping to cover. The GoFundMe was closed on April 13, and is no longer taking more donations. We will use the money raised to pay for part of:

  1. Adam’s medical costs 
  2. Charges for towing, wrecking yard, storage
  3. Offset costs to purchase a new Tesla. We are getting a Model Y which is really affordable due to the rebate. 
  4. Uber, rental costs for Adam until take delivery. 
  5. Legal fees.

My family and I would like to express our deepest gratitude for all of the support and kindness. The contributions helped us not only overcome this challenge but to raise awareness about the importance of not getting behind the wheel while intoxicated.

Thirty Seven People Die Each Day Because of Drunk Drivers

This drunk driver almost killed my husband and the father of my five children. Every day, around 37 people in the US die due to idiots thinking they can drink and drive. I am so grateful my husband is not a statistic. 

“Our Model 3 is totaled but my husband is alive. He was hit by a man who ran a red light and according to the police report he was DUI and undocumented. He was taken to jail I am distraught, but grateful the love of my life is alive. He told me he thought he was going to die.”

See X Post

Update

April 10: Update on the accident – it’s a big financial loss and I appreciate every donation to the GoFundMe. The man who was DUI has no ID, no insurance, no assets & I’ve spoken to several attorneys & there’s nothing we can do. I’m just grateful that my husband is alive.

This is the rear passenger side behind the driver, seconds mattered in this accident, or fractions of seconds.

April 13: I shared a short update on the accident on X. This podcast, “Gail’s Tesla Podcast” will take a break for a bit.

Hope

I have always been optimistic. Being a nurse for most of my career, I love helping others. I will continue to be positive and encouraging to others, to work to support Tesla and Elon Musk. Elon is doing the most good in our world to help civilization. When it comes to this accident, I have learned a lot. There is always much more that goes on behind the scenes, and this is true for this accident as well. In the end, I am grateful for the support and fantastic people who encouraged me. Linda Yaccarino and Elon Musk both sent their regards on the X app right after I shared that this accident happened. Numerous friends (both old and new!) sent donations and communicated well wishes to my husband and I over the course of the last week. We live in a beautiful world.

Gail Alfar, author. Exclusive to Gail Alfar. All Rights Reserved. My goal as an author and podcaster is to support Tesla (the most American vehicle manufacturer) and Elon Musk in making life better on Earth for humans and becoming a space-fairing civilization.

FOR MEDIA USE ONLY News media is welcome to use my material in connection with a story or article. By downloading any content I create, you understand and hereby agree and represent that: (1) you are a member of the news media; (2) use of the content is in connection with a story or an article appearing in newspapers, periodicals, digital publications or television; (3) all images and rights thereto remain the property Gail Alfar.; and (4) use of the image is not for publication covers, advertising, promotion or otherwise for commercial purposes. Furthermore, use of any and all images and content appearing on this page must each include the notice “Courtesy of Gail Alfar” Use of materials copied from this website is at your own risk. You must obtain prior written consent from Gail Alfar for uses that exceed the above parameters.

What’s a great way for kids to Grow up? Tidbits from What We Know About Elon Musk’s Childhood.

Gail Alfar8 Comments

Austin, Texas. My belief is that part of the reason people do not want to have kids is the built-in expectation that they are expensive. Kids are expensive if they are placed into organized sports, various lessons, and tutoring. This creates unrealistic expectations for parents and pushes them into deciding to have “only one or two” children because, admittedly, it is quite time-consuming as well as costly to fill a child’s schedule with everything from soccer games to math tutoring to chess lessons. Do we need to do this? I argue we do not. I did not overschedule with my five children.

We Do Not Need to Provide Kids With Multiple Activities

Elon wasn’t taken from lessons to tutoring to sports teams as a child. This we can gather from what he has said about growing up and from Walter Isaacson’s and Lynne Vance’s biographies, as well as Maye Musk’s book, “A Woman with a Plan.” In fact, it appears he had a lot of self-directed time as a child and he chose to use it both wisely and creatively. His mother trusted him. This is a key, I think. It is good advice for parents to trust their kids. Sure, kids can be clever, and certainly Elon Musk was one of the most clever kids, and his mother believed in him. 

These Early Years Of Elon Musk’s Life May Have Helped Shaped Him Into The Man He Is Today

Elon Musk Was Not an Overscheduled Child, He Had Lots of Self-Directed Time

Elon Musk’s upbringing was far from today’s typical overscheduled child who is shuttled from one activity to another. Instead, his childhood was marked by adventure and self-discovery. This environment allowed him to cultivate his curiosity and imagination, laying the foundation for his future. Kids need this.

So how, then, did Elon Musk thrive without tutoring and lessons?

  1. A supportive family: Elon’s mother, Maye Musk, played a crucial role in nurturing his curiosity and encouraging his interests. Despite the challenges she faced, she provided a loving and supportive environment for Elon and his siblings.
  1. Early exposure to technology: Elon’s father is well known to have been (and still is) an abusive, bad person. He was also an engineer, and he introduced Elon to computers at a young age. This early exposure to technology may have sparked Elon’s passion for programming and laid some of the groundwork for his future endeavors. Today, all kids are exposed to technology. When Elon was growing up, it was rare to be exposed. He loved it so much that he wrote a video game called Blastar. 
  1. Self-directed learning: Elon was a voracious reader and self-taught learner. He would spend hours devouring books on various subjects, from science fiction to the entire encyclopedia. This self-directed learning style allowed him to develop a broad knowledge base and a unique perspective on the world.
  1. Resilience and determination: Elon’s childhood was not without its challenges. He faced bullying and adversity. He has Asperger’s Syndrome.  But these experiences only served to strengthen his resolve. Elon’s resilience and determination helped him overcome obstacles and pursue his dreams. Remember, kids can learn their own way and Elon did just that! Many kids do not conform to traditional school learning methods. Many kids have a form of Autism. Two of my own kids have been diagnosed with mild Autism, and they are doing very well but regular classroom programming does not and never has worked well for them. 
  1. A sense of adventure: Elon’s childhood in South Africa was filled with adventure and exploration. He would often venture into the wilderness, exploring caves and learning about the natural world. This sense of adventure and curiosity would later fuel his passion for space exploration and his desire to push the boundaries of human achievement.

Conclusion

Elon Musk’s childhood experiences played a  role in shaping him into the visionary entrepreneur he is today but they were not based on a “formula,” and they did not cost a lot of money. 

By examining his early years, we can better understand the factors that contributed to his success and learn valuable lessons about the importance of curiosity, resilience, and self-directed learning. 

Elon Musk’s story serves as a powerful reminder to people thinking of becoming new parents, that unconventional paths can often lead to extraordinary outcomes. 

Gail Alfar, author. Exclusive to Gail Alfar. All Rights Reserved. My goal as an author and podcaster is to support Tesla (the most American vehicle manufacturer) and Elon Musk in both making life better on Earth for humans and becoming a space-fairing civilization.

FOR MEDIA USE ONLY News media is welcome to use my material in connection with a story or article. By downloading any content I create, you understand and hereby agree and represent that: (1) you are a member of the news media; (2) use of the content is in connection with a story or an article appearing in newspapers, periodicals, digital publications or television; (3) all images and rights thereto remain the property Gail Alfar.; and (4) use of the image is not for publication covers, advertising, promotion or otherwise for commercial purposes. Furthermore, use of any and all images and content appearing on this page must each include the notice “Courtesy of Gail Alfar” Use of materials copied from this website is at your own risk. You must obtain prior written consent from Gail Alfar for uses that exceed the above parameters.

SECOND STARSHIP LAUNCH: HOW A LAUNCH TEST INSPIRES ALL AGES

Gail Alfar1 Comment

(S. Padre Island, Texas) Starship launched on 18 November out of Starbase and I joined thousands of people as the sun rose to reveal Starship across the bay. We all witnessed the fierce determination of an incredible launch test. I will share with you the inspiring thoughts of 4 people I met. 

Visitors and residents of all ages, woke up before dawn to walk in the dark to the beach to better grasp the magnitude of Starship. Everyone I spoke with came away feeling more hopeful than before about a future where we will make it to Mars. 

Moments before Starship Launch. Image by Gail Alfar.

A CHILD INSPIRED BY A GIFT FROM SPACEX

Six-year-old Grayson from Missouri was excited to show me a piece of tile from the heat shield of Starship. His Dad was in awe that SpaceX employees shared this with his family. The family let me open the plastic case up, take out the tile piece, and hold it. It was also emotional for me because I love those tiles so much. Grayson looked amazed too, then after a while, he said, “Can I give you one of my glow sticks?” 

There is a certain love that comes from the heart of the mission of SpaceX that rubs off on people when they see a launch. Grayson had that. When I asked him what he thought about the launch, he said he “loved all of it!”

NASA EMPLOYEES AT THE LAUNCH

I met several NASA employees at Isla Blanca, from lead engineers to a man who works in the warehouse. I talked with many, or rather, I listened to them. I walked away with the knowledge that they admire the speed of which SpaceX operates.

Gynn Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX explains it this way,

“I do want to make something clear: SpaceX does have a lot of government business, but we execute in a commercial fashion.”

One NASA employee, Mike Pantaleo, brought his long lens camera, and told me, “I am capturing history.” Pantaleo admires the hard work of SpaceX employees, he explained to me that he deeply respects their valuable work. 

A TOAST TO STARSHIP ON SOUTH PADRE

“Here, here, take a picture of this,” the bartender at Josephine’s on S. Padre was injecting liquid smoke into a cup of ice and mixing a drink, as he placed a rocket pop on top, he said, “I created this myself, I wanted it to look like Starship!”  I loved the enthusiasm and laughter over breakfast on Saturday morning right after the launch. The restaurant was buzzing with excited people and the bartender added “Elon is cool!” I shared my just-taken video of the launch with a family from San Antonio who had arrived after the launch thinking it would happen later in the morning. Starship launched right on time, just moments after sunrise.  

SHARING ENTHUSIASM IS PRICELESS

David, an engineer from Dallas, told me he was drawn to the people at the launch because of the shared enthusiasm for discussing details about Starship and genuine support for Elon Musk. He said, “when I’m at work, my colleagues are great people and they also do not share my level of excitement, it is so nice to be with others who do!“

David had the ability to paint a picture with his words, and when he talked about the day when Starships would launch at the rate of 2-3 per day, I could see that future. That’s the future we need.

“With Starship, actually, more profound than the size, is the fact that it is designed to be fully and rapidly reusable. The reason for the absurd size is that we are trying to build something that is capable of creating a permanent base on the moon and a city on Mars. That’s why it’s so large. Otherwise, we could make it much smaller.” – Elon Musk, IAC Space Conference 2023

Image Starship Launch 2 Courtesy of Elon Musk.

GROK’S TAKE: IMPRESSIVE AMBITION, WOBBLY IN EXECUTION

Grok (the new AI from xAI) chimed in about the launch, humorously saying that the launch was, impressive in its ambition, but somewhat wobbly in execution. Grok added “The success of the launch brings us one step closer to the dream of making humanity a multi-planetary species. Just imagine, in a few centuries, we could have humans colonizing Mars, living in biodomes and eating space-grown potatoes. It’s enough to make one wonder if Elon Musk has a secret stash of Douglas Adams novels tucked away in his office.”

MY THOUGHTS 

The images in my mind of the starry morning dawn giving way to a bright sunrise, the warm waters on the beach, and the T-30-second countdown are part of what gives people of all ages immense hope for the future. The very sight of Starship pushing up, with so much mass, is both beautiful and fearsome. Leaving Starbase, I met over 40 Tesla owners at Superchargers in Alice who had been to the launch. This was no ordinary day, and we all knew it. The joy that comes with sharing the excitement of watching Starship launch is unlike anything else. I hope that you felt that joy in the live streams and the people you know here on X. This is the next best thing to being physically present at a launch! 

Crowds await Starship Launch 2. Image by Gail Alfar.

Space is big. Really big

“Space is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly hugely mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemist, but that’s just peanuts to space.” – Hitchhiker’s Guide

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Article by Gail Alfar, please credit accordingly. Thanks to @SpaceX and @elonmusk

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Prior to Starship Launch 2, Elon Musk discussed his vision in an interview at the IAC Space Conference 

Gail Alfar1 Comment

(4-5 minute read)

The inside of Starship’s cargo space is grandiose, like a futuristic cathedral. It’s science fiction becoming reality and it will get humanity to Mars!

While attending the first launch test of Starship out of Starbase, Texas last April, I realized how urgent the task of getting to orbit is for Elon Musk, the SpaceX team, and some former NASA employees I spoke to. 

Elon talked at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) Space Conference 2023 and shared insights about Starship. Here are the noteworthy highlights:

Rapid Refueling and Reusability: The Cornerstone of Starship

Elon emphasized that the grandiosity of Starship’s cargo area is not just for show. Rather, it’s a testament to the spacecraft’s revolutionary design focused on full and rapid reusability. Musk explained that Starship’s enormous size is driven by its ambitious goal: to establish a permanent base on the Moon and even create a city on Mars. This commitment to reusability sets a new standard for space exploration.

When Elon was asked to give the audience a sense of the size of the cargo-carrying portion of Starship, he said “When you step into the Starship fairing or payload volume, it looks like a cathedral! It looks absurd, frankly. It’s like – this is ridiculously gigantic! That was my first impression when I first went up there in a man lift and climbed through the little hole for the Starship initial rough prototype, I was like… What have we done?? This thing is ridiculously big! -laughter- this actually can be great for Science, though.”

A Revolutionary Approach to Booster Recovery

Elon explains the importance of what many have come to call, mechazilla, “We have a giant custom-designed tower with massive mechanical arms, that will literally try to catch the booster and catch the ship, which, sounds insane, I mean I have not seen a science fiction movie that has done this. But, in theory, it should work.”

One of the most unconventional aspects of SpaceX’s plan for Starship is the use of mechazilla to catch both the booster and the ship after launch. Musk admitted that this approach might sound like something out of science fiction, but it holds the promise of revolutionizing rocket recovery and reuse. With the right licenses and permissions from the FAA, SpaceX aims to achieve the milestone of recovering the booster using the tower’s arms within a year, potentially before 2025.

Elon explained to the audience at the IAC Space Conference, “With Starship, actually, more profound than the size, is the fact that it is designed to be fully and rapidly reusable. The reason for the absurd size is that we are trying to build something that is capable of creating a permanent base on the moon and a city on Mars. That’s why it’s so large. Otherwise, we could make it much smaller.” 

Revealing more details, Elon explained, “In terms of catching it, for the ship‘s side, we actually want to make sure that it comes in fully intact, and lands at a precise location. before we try to catch it at the launch site because we. are taking every precaution we can so that we do not risk any human lives. or have destruction of property. So, when you see the ship able to have a precise-looking landing on the water, that’s when we will try to catch the ship with the tower.”

Starbase, Texas: The Epicenter of Launch Operations

Elon Musk reinforced the significance of Starbase, Texas, as the primary launch and booster return location. It’s here where the first launches and booster recoveries will occur, solidifying Starbase’s role in SpaceX’s ambitious plans for space exploration. 

Regarding the upcoming second launch test, Elon explained “There’s a ton of new technology in this rocket,” he also elaborated on the biggest risk, “The ship is designed to re-enter and has a heat shield. We think it’ll work, but we aren’t sure it’ll work. So if it doesn’t work, we want it to not work over the Pacific, which is quite a large body of water with almost no people on it.” The plan is to have Starship splash down somewhere near to Hawaii. 

Unprecedented Efficiency in Propellant Usage

SpaceX’s commitment to efficiency was highlighted by Musk when he stated that the Starship booster would return to the launch site in an astounding 4 to 5 minutes. This represents a major leap forward in propellant usage and marks a substantial step toward sustainable space travel.

Starlink Satellite Deployment: Revolutionizing Internet Connectivity

SpaceX’s Starlink project, aimed at global internet connectivity, could see the deployment of Starlink version three satellites as early as 2024. Satellite deployment could happen before SpaceX solves reentry and landing challenges. Satellites can be deployed without directly addressing those challenges, as they don’t reenter Earth’s atmosphere after being placed in orbit. 

Collaboration for Space Science

Musk unveiled a collaboration with UC Berkeley on a Space Telescope boasting an enormous lens, which could significantly enhance space science capabilities. This venture promises to unlock new discoveries and insights about our galaxy. Elon said,“So, one of the exciting projects that we are working with is with Berkeley on a Space Telescope that has an enormous lens, past 7 or 8 meters in diameter. The lens was meant for a ground-based satellite but you can then take that same satellite and put it in orbit, its capabilities are greatly enhanced because you don’t have the obfuscation of the atmosphere. So that’s why the Hubble, which is actually a fairly small telescope, can do better than any historical ground satellite, especially individual spectrum, so we’re very excited about what we can do for Space Science.”

Starship: A Versatile Transport System

Elon Musk described Starship as a generalized transport system capable of taking humanity anywhere within the solar system. It’s not limited to just lunar or Martian missions; instead, it’s a gateway to exploring the entire cosmos.

Elon Musk’s talk at the IAC Space Conference was interesting and I will link to it below this article so you may listen to it in it’s entirety. SpaceX, an American company, is at the forefront of space exploration, pushing the boundaries of what is achievable and setting the stage for an exciting future where humans will become multiplantary!

WATCH THE INTERVIEW HERE ON X LIVE! IAC on X

Article by Gail Alfar, please credit accordingly. Have a lovely night under the glittery stars.

Austin, Texas downtown.

Read Why Bill Gates Has a Moral Obligation to Cease Shortselling Tesla.

Gail Alfar1 Comment

By now you’ve seen the headlines about how mean Elon Musk is.

Elon Musk was ‘super mean to Gates’ after the Tesla stock feud, refused a charity request via terse text message exchange, and Gates and Musk Clash Over Philanthropy and Climate Change

Elon Musk should be a lot nicer, right?

The media are villainizing Elon Musk, agreeing with Gates that Elon was mean to Gates after he gave him a tour in Austin of the Tesla Gigafactory, which produces the Model Y and will soon produce the Cybertruck.

Read on for more, but first, welcome to my blog! As I sit relaxing here in Austin, Texas, watching the sun go down on the end of September 11, I’m watching the buildings lit up in red, white, and blue and the flags at half-staff gracing the capital of Texas.

Downtown Austin, Texas. Courtesy Greg Anderson, Walkable Austin.
Downtown Austin, Texas. Courtesy Greg Anderson, Walkable Austin.

Living in such a beautiful city, in such a wonderful country where there are so many opportunities gives rise to hope in my heart that companies that are built by Americans in America will thrive. We’ve seen this happen with Apple, everybody equates Apple with being an American brand. Bill Gates built Microsoft in this country with some of the finest talent in Silicon Valley.

Everybody thinks of Microsoft as an American company, and it would seem odd indeed to outwardly root for these two American companies to fail.

Let’s fast forward to Tesla. I’ve never seen such an incredible company receive so much negative press and hatred, simply because the workers of that company chose not to unionize. There are other reasons, people say that Elon Musk is a person who doesn’t deserve for his company to be successful, because he steps on their toes, and doesn’t agree with everybody’s generalized overall opinion. He is a change-making type of person and for Elon Musk to accelerate change, he does things that are dramatically, different and fast.

So here we are with some new information that Bill Gates has held and may still be holding an extraordinarily large stock position against Tesla.

Gates May Be Tesla’s Biggest Shortseller

Make no mistake about it, a short position to the tune of millions of dollars is designed to only succeed if Tesla fails. The money that Gates had tied up in his short position is more than millions, he had shorted Tesla by $1.5 BILLION. This may place Gates in the running to be the person who shorted Tesla by the highest amount. Gates invested so much money in trying to kill Tesla, that he makes the TSLAQ crowd on the X App look like the Three Stooges in a roadside show!

To paint Elon Musk as a villain, because he was unhappy and hurt and angry when he found out Gates did this, is poor reporting.

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1701342980114706613?s=20

If Gates retains a short position today against Tesla, he has a moral obligation to close his short position and re-purpose his money for good things.

Bill Gates has spent a lot of money and energy and effort, crafting a good public image. Early on he built a reputation as somebody saving lives in different countries through vaccine programs.

Walking the Walk: Elon Musk

Elon Musk doesn’t bother to curate his “public image” in this way, because he’s busy being first and foremost, a technologist, and an engineer. He is not trying to engineer his image for the public, he’s trying to engineer an opportunity for you and your children to have hope in the future, which means everybody gets a chance to watch humanity have a base on the moon.

Elon is giving people an opportunity to see space travel originate in our country.

He is giving people an opportunity to see beautiful vehicles built in factories in the USA. He brings jobs to people who need them.

Today the news came out (this was totally ignored by the media) that Tesla generated 28,524 jobs in the last year, this is more than double the number of jobs generated by any other EV manufacturer. See the report by Inside EVs, “USA added over 188K EV-Related Jobs, Led by Tesla.”

As an American, I couldn’t imagine rooting for Elon Musk to fail, he is the inspiration and success story that we should be rooting for. We should be hoping his company succeeds, hoping his employees thrive, and hoping that the continued success of SpaceX showers down on Starship, which is man’s hope for becoming multi-planetary.

We ought to all be very grateful to Elon Musk for utilizing his unique style to greatly improve our world. If you are like me, a parent with kids, and I have five kids, you know you support each of your kids and you endeavor to see all the good in them.

Image

ᴍᴏᴅᴇʟ ʏ ᴀᴛ ɢɪɢᴀ ᴛᴇxᴀꜱ

To sum up, Bill Gates truly has a moral obligation to close his short position on Tesla. My suggestion to Mr. Gates would be that he would repurpose those billions into something good to make up for the damage he has caused to Tesla, he should designate those funds to go towards something good. I hope you have a beautiful month of September, Enjoy your life, your friends, and your family, and find precious moments to rejuvenate yourself. I rejuvenate myself by writing, and I appreciate your readership.

Article by Gail Alfar, please credit accordingly. Gail writes on X independently, she also writes for WhatsUpX.

Elon Musk livestreaming in Palo Alto, California.

Elon Musk Did a Livestream in his Tesla: Details

Gail AlfarLeave a comment
Elon Musk livestreaming in Palo Alto, California.
Elon Musk live streaming in Palo Alto, California.

Late Friday evening on August 25th, Elon Musk drove around Palo Alto in his Model S Tesla with white seats and a kid’s car seat in the back. This was no ordinary drive, he allowed the vehicle to drive around the idyllic town with millions of viewers!

Using his iPhone and live streaming simultaneously on the X App, he explained the vehicle’s autonomy in real-time.

I was lucky enough to not only watch the broadcast live from my home in Austin, Texas, but I also got to report on it in real time as well!

Here’s what I call my “Drive Fun Summary” of Elon Musk’s amazing live stream!

DRIVE FUN SUMMARY

Since I am a writer I seized the opportunity to write about the drive while it was happening! Enjoy! It was a pleasure to watch (link to video below)!

THE HIGHLIGHTS

The near 45-minute drive began at the Tesla Engineering HQ and Elon pinned a random spot and engaged FSD beta V12. The car passed construction flawlessly. It also slowed down for a speed bump, based on what a human would do, not based on what a line of code told it to do. He mentioned the same is true for bicycles and stop signs. The car uses the neural net to decide – like a human would – to stop at a stop sign.

At a “round-about” Elon’s car waited for 2 cars, then took its turn. Elon said there is about 100 watts of inference compute (all local) on hardware 3. Elon explained that no internet connection is needed. It uses 8 cameras at 36 frames per second. The reality of the roads are based on 24 frames per second.

Elon joked, “Hello assassins if you want to get me, head to Palo Alto.” Thankfully Elon Musk stayed safe the entire livestream.

Elon said there are FSD test drivers in Japan, Europe, and all over the world.

The vehicle drove around students who were walking around the Stanford Campus. At another round-about, Elon reassured drivers there is no line of code for this, as it is trained on data.

Elon and his AI Engineer (also presenting the car) explained that Tesla’s data curation needs to be trained on excellent data, and not mediocre data. High quality data is always selected from the fleet.

When interventions occur in the fleet, it is integrated with training and then updated with the weights.

Elon invited viewers to edit his live video and speed it up.

On the drive, Elon did not have to intervene even once. He said that with traffic lights, there’s no code in V12 to say what light colors stand for. Instead, all training is done on neural nets.

For fun, Elon decided to head over to Mark Zuckerburg’s neighborhood in real-time. When he arrived it was just a bunch of homes on a street, not really Zuck’s home, which would have been surrounded with high security.

On the ride back to the Tesla Engineering HQ, here’s the main highlights:

– Ride was super SMOOTH, with Elon playing lovely Classical music

– Palo Alto reminds Elon of the perfection seen in the movie, “The Truman Show.”

– The car was very polite/conservative with Pedestrians and bicyclists, meaning it was cartious and slow around them (and so was Elon as he did not film them).

– Training is needed all around the world as the weather in California is too nice, and situations are needed with parades, people, etc.

– A successful unprotected LEFT turn onto a high-speed road was achieved.

– V12 will be ASS (meaning Smart Summon will work well)

– Intuitive Smooth speed-up in places (different than posted speed)

– Elon had lovely music playing (we would love Elon’s Playlist!)

– Tesla Engineering HQ is at the “former HP headquarters.” (an honor for Tesla). Note the Tesla HQ is Austin, Texas.

– Tesla parking lot was pretty full, even at 7 p.m. on a Friday night. How did FSD beta do, getting into the hectic parking lot? It went perfectly to the “pinned” spot!

– Pure AI driving does NOT have to have a map. It can do what a human would also do without a map.

If you would like to watch this video, you can here:

Elon Musk live stream in a Tesla on August 25, 2023.
Save with Gail's Referral. Order Tesla products with Gail's Referral Link to earn cash off your order plus exclusive referral benefits. ts.la/gail74884 
Here are a few more screen shots from the drive.
Starship Launch Test One, April 20, 2023. Image Courtesy SpaceX.

Elon Musk’s Talk About Starship and Starlink

Gail Alfar1 Comment
Starship Launch Test One, April 20, 2023. Image Courtesy SpaceX.
Starship Launch Test One, April 20, 2023. Image Courtesy SpaceX.

“Space is very big.  Space is bigger than people realize.  

You can put a lot up in Space.”  – Elon Musk

While in Italy, Elon Musk graciously took the time to share an update about Starship and Starlink. I attended the first Starship launch, and I join many other people in being very excited about this update. Elon’s dedication to communicating is notable, as he attempted to host a Twitter Space on two previous days but had to stop due to connection issues. I listened live to this third attempt hosted by Ashlee Vance. I am sharing the highlights of Elon’s talk which includes the late-breaking news that hot staging will be used. Elon explains hot staging in this article.  

How Starlink is Helping Small Business: Railroads vs. Horse and Wagon

Amidst clinking dishes, pouring water, and the occasional singing Italian voice, Elon explained how the cost to orbit is much reduced with Falcon 9.  He explained how numerous small satellite companies have been greatly helped, by Falcon 9, to create a business through the low cost to get their company satellites into orbit. 

To better illustrate the low cost of transport, Elon used the example of early train rails,

“In a way it’s sort of like the Union Pacific railroad across the US where it’s like back when the early businesses were popping up in California, now you’ve got a railroad and previously you had to drag a wagon over the Sierras or the Rockies.  

The point is, once you enable world-class transport you also enable a lot of companies to create interesting businesses because it is no longer prohibitively expensive to get to orbit.”

Starship and Falcon 9

Getting to orbit is hard, Elon explains,

“I think it’s worth identifying the difference between space and orbit, most people think of those as synonymous, but getting to Space is easy, and getting to orbit is hard.

Getting to orbit is much harder than getting to Space, which is somewhat arbitrarily defined as a 100 km altitude, but you still have an atmosphere at 100 km, it’s over 60 miles.” 

It is extremely hard to get Starship into orbit, with its massive height of about 400 feet and mass of 5000 tons.  And yet Elon remains on course to pursue that SpaceX mission of colonizing Mars. In fact, today Starship is humanity’s only hope to become multi-planetary. 

The Space Station

Elon continued, 

“If you immediately get to Space and you have no velocity you will fall back down just like a cannonball. Going up is all about orbit.

Space Station is somewhat of a misnomer because it is anything but stationary. The Space Station is moving around Earth at 17,000 miles an hour. The Space Station is moving roughly 12X faster than a bullet from an assault rifle, right now. And it goes around the earth every hour and a half, roughly every 90 minutes. So I wouldn’t call that stationery.  It’s basically not a Space Station.” 

Space is Big

One of my favorite parts of Elon’s talk today was when he brought listeners into the world we know from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. He said,

“Space is very big.  Space is bigger than people realize.  You can put a lot up in Space. Think of the Earth as a sphere but being in orbit is basically a vast number of Earth’s surfaces, like a series of concentric spheres, and they’re not filled with debris, they’re filled with nothing.”  

 

Elon explained that with coordination, satellites can be placed at different orbit levels so they will not interfere with other satellites or collide.  He explained satellites can be maneuvered to avoid even coming close to anything else. Communication is important to make sure various countries have coordination between various satellite positions.  For example, the Starlink satellite orbit is unique, and other satellites will never be put into that same orbit.  

SpaceX Does not Worry About the Competition

“Anyone who spends time thinking about the competition is wasting their mental energy.” – Elon Musk

Elon Musk said SpaceX does not think about the “competition.” Instead of worrying about the competition, Elon and his team at SpaceX think about how they can make Starlink better and the Rockets better. He explains this using the example of sports.  If you see a runner look back at the other runners right before he crosses the finish line then he’ll lose the race. 

SpaceX has launched competitors’ satellites into orbit (since Soyuz stopped) indicating that SpaceX is supportive of competitors. 

For example, on May 20, 2023, SpaceX launched a demonstration satellite for OneWeb’s second-generation broadband constellation. OneWeb is considered a competitor to Starlink. COSMO-SkyMed was launched for the Italian Space Agency in January 2021. See Rocket Launch live’s website for an up-to-date list of each SpaceX mission.

SpaceX’s Global Lead

I am amazed that 80% of all payload from Earth going to orbit will likely be brought there by SpaceX. Elon explained that China will put about 10% into orbit, and the rest of the world will put about 8-9% into orbit. “This year, if our luck holds, we’ll do 80% of Earth mass to orbit.  That’s the key metric.” 

Starship’s Significant Late Breaking Change: Hot Staging

Elon carefully explained that there are well over 1000 changes between the last Starship flight on April 20 (see video attached from SpaceX) and the upcoming launch test. Because of these changes, the next flight has a possible 60% higher probability to get into orbit.

“It depends on how well we do at stage separation.” 

Elon revealed that a late-breaking change has been made for the next Starship launch, which is planned for about 6 weeks from now. 

Hot staging will be used.  The upper stage engines are lighted while the first stage of booster stage engines are still on. SpaceX will shut down most of the engines on the booster, leaving just a few running, and then at the same time, start the engines on the ship (or upper stage). This obviously results in blasting the boosters then you’ve got to protect the top of the booster from getting incinerated by the upper stage engines.  

Never Stop Thrusting

In Soviet rocket history, hot staging has been used. There is a meaningful payload to orbit advantage with hot staging that is, conservatively, about a 10% improvement in payload to orbit.

Elon explains, 

“With hot staging, you basically just never stop thrusting! The moment the rocket stops thrusting it’s engine, it starts falling back to earth. You don’t want to be coasting or be in a situation where the engines are not on because you just immediately start falling back to earth, unless you are already in orbit. You want to have a nonstop thrust situation. 

Basically, you want to start the ship engines before you completely shut down the booster engines.  In order to do this we actually have to have vents or the super hot plasma from the upper stage engines are going to go somewhere so we’re adding an extension to the booster which is almost all vent essentially.  So that allows the upper stage engine to go through the vented extension of the booster and not just blow itself up.  This is the most risky thing for the next flight, I think.”  

This explains why protective shielding will be added to the top of the booster.

I could hear the concern in Elon’s voice when he mentioned to the interviewer (Ashlee Vance) that there are a lot of variables that are outside of his control when it comes to the next Starship launch test. The amount of work needed to prepare for this test is massive. The team at SpaceX must be working around the clock to prepare for this launch.  Blood, sweat and tears go into every aspect.  Starbase is hot, humid, and the work is very physical.  

Elon continued, explaining time is needed to get the launch pad ready with 2 thick plates of steel, welded together with water-cooling layers sandwiched in. 

“Think of it like a gigantic upside-down showerhead. It’s going to blast water upwards while the rocket is over the pad to counteract the massive amount of heat from the booster. The booster is the world’s biggest cutting torch, with a massive amount of heat and force. The pad is overkill on the steel sandwich and the concrete, but it should leave the pad in much better shape than last time. We’ll also be doing a higher thrust weight so it will spend less time on the ground.”

If you are interested in Elon’s deep technical dive into more changes to Starship, please see the interview on Vance’s Twitter account, “The Rise of Commercial Space with me and Elon Musk” and go to 43:10 to begin. I won’t add in the technicalities due to most people will glaze over, unless they are that 1 in 1000 rare engineer. 

I am thankful that Elon had time to connect with the Space community and others on a Saturday afternoon.  I listened from Austin, Texas while he was in Italy.  Listeners were there from all over the world.  Millions are inspired by Starship.  Starship is humanity’s only hope to become a spacefaring civilization.  If you are like me, this makes you excited to get up in the morning!

Starship Launch Test One, April 20, 2023. Image Courtesy SpaceX.
Starship Launch Test One, April 20, 2023. Image Courtesy SpaceX.

Article by Gail Alfar, first appeared on Gail’s Twitter account as an original article. Please credit Gail Alfar accordingly.


Tesla Model S. Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.

Tesla Takes #1 Spot In Global Automaker Rating 2022: Leading The Transition To Electric Vehicles

Gail AlfarLeave a comment
Tesla Model S. Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.
Tesla Model S. Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.

Hardworking, dedicated, future-driven, committed, fearless… these are adjectives that describe the amazing Tesla team, and Elon Musk. These qualities are paying off as Tesla is ranked #1 in leading the transition to EVs.

The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) released its report on May 31 revealing Tesla and BYD at the top of ratings for leading the transition to electric vehicles.

The top 20 manufacturers in the world were analyzed for overall ratings based on 10 custom-built metrics, which identified the leaders, the transitioners, and the laggards in transitioning to zero-emission vehicles (ZEV). Tesla had the highest scores in Technology Performance, scoring a perfect 100 in Energy Consumption, Charging Speed, Driving Range, and Battery recycle/repurpose.

Tesla’s strategic vision did not go unnoticed

Tesla was the only automaker that scored a perfect 100/100 in Strategic Vision for ZEV target, Investment, and Executive Compensation.

Among the laggards are Tata headquartered in India, and Japanese automakers Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, and Suzuki.

These automakers scored in the bottom third.

Table. Overall scores, The Global Automaker Rating 2022. Credit: International Council on Clean Transportation.

My take is that Tesla has and continues to put forth extraordinary effort at building EVs at scale. Tesla continues to expand Fremont factory, Giga Shanghai, Giga Berlin, Giga Nevada and Giga Texas. This shows that Tesla has thought about how to speed up and scale production to meet the global demand for good-quality electric vehicles. Tesla furthers this strategy by building their own batteries. Soon, Tesla will be refining Lithium (in Texas) and building more affordable vehicles in Mexico.

To read the ICCT report in full click here. Many thanks to the entire Tesla team for their dedication to the mission to accelerate the world to sustainable energy and their commitment to not being complacent. This article by Gail Alfar first appeared on Twitter, please credit accordingly.

Elon Musk talks at Tesla 2023 Shareholder Meeting. Image by the author.

Tesla Is A Company That Wants To Do The Most Good, And Will Now Hire A 3rd Party To Examine Mining In It’s Supply Chain

Gail AlfarLeave a comment

Elon Musk will hire a 3rd party organization to investigate Tesla’s supply chain for Cobalt, a rare mineral in order to assure shareholders and others that Tesla does not exploit child labor in any way. Elon was asked, during the Q/A portion of the shareholder’s meeting on May 16, 2023, to do this, and he agreed.  

I had the honor of attending the meeting in person and I saw firsthand when Elon said this from the stage.  He emphasized that the phones we all use have more Cobalt than Tesla’s batteries, and that he’s thinking of installing webcams at the mines to make sure no child is ever harmed.  

I turned to Eliza Bleu for a little more understanding on this issue, as she had been asking me recently about Tesla’s supply chain and I had referred her to some information from Tesla’s recent Investor’s Day, summed up well in a tweet by Martin Viecha, Tesla Investor Relations, 

“If you want just one takeaway from Investor Day, make it this one: A sustainable economy will result in *less* mining/extraction than we currently do. *Zero* rare earths are needed for this transition. Too many smart people I know believe the opposite.” – Martin Viecha 

In addition, Elon Musk has also emphasized how clean Tesla’s supply chain is for it’s batteries.  Tesla’s Lithium and Iron based batteries do not contain any Cobalt, while those made with Nickel use a very small amount of Cobalt as a binder.

Please watch Tesla’s videos on Investor Day and Shareholder Meeting 2023 for reference. Also, Tesla’s next gen motor will require ZERO rare earth minerals. Less mining and extraction are also needed for a clean energy future as compared to a fossil fuel based economy.  

MY INTERVIEW WITH ELIZA BLEU

Gail: Do you find that company CEOs are willing to face the challenge of creating a clean supply chain for rare earth minerals like cobalt? 

Eliza Bleu: I’ve found that there is a vast difference between what CEOs are being told and the in-depth research that has been done by folks like Siddharth Kara, author of “Cobalt Red,” on the ground. It would be incredible if CEOs sought the truth and worked aggressively to find solutions! 

Gail: When you heard that Elon Musk is going  to hire a third-party organization to do this for Tesla, what was your first reaction? 

EB: I’m a survivor advocate, so any little glimmer of hope brings a tear of joy to my eye. I take a moment to enjoy the positive progress before I think about the long road ahead. I applaud Mr. Musk for making those statements. I believe that he will follow through and continue to set the industry standard. 

Gail: What is your expectation, for companies that use a lot of rare earth minerals, like companies that produce the phones that we use every day? Do you think they will continue to use components in their products that require rare earth minerals? 

EB: The time has come for this conversation to fully see the light of day. I expect tech companies to seek the truth about their supply chains from start to finish. The entire industry will move away from cobalt eventually but between now and then there should be drastic measures to ensure that child labor and human exploitation is not used. Even when companies move away from cobalt it won’t repair the damage done to the Congolese people. It also won’t account for the labor trafficking and human exploitation in other parts of the supply chain. Apple is notoriously bad in this way. 

The tech industry is uniquely positioned to provide those that work in the mines with basic needs like electricity, water and PPE. The brightest minds in the world can prioritize these issues. I’m grateful for Tesla’s commitment. I have hope around this issue and the first step is getting everyone to admit that there is a problem industry wide. The next step is to cut through the PR nonsense and to put humans over profits. The future of technology is bright but it cannot be built on the backs of children. 

Tesla is one company among many that uses cobalt. I hope that Mr. Musk’s commitment sparks a long overdue industry wide conversation.

CONCLUSION

Despite challenges, there is hope that other CEOs will confront the issue of clean supply chains for rare earth minerals like cobalt.

Elon Musk’s decision to involve a third-party organization for Tesla sets a positive example, and it is crucial for the entire industry to engage in transparent discussions and prioritize human well-being over profits to drive meaningful change.

Elon Musk talks at Tesla 2023 Shareholder Meeting. Image by the author.
Elon Musk talks at Tesla 2023 Shareholder Meeting. Image by the author.

Article by Gail Alfar, please credit accordingly.

Tesla Shareholder Meeting 2023: Join me for the tour & to meet some awesome people

Gail AlfarLeave a comment
Cybertruck, 2023 Shareholder’s Meeting. Photo Courtesy Sarah Alfar.

(May 20, 2023 Austin, Texas)

“The goal is to give people hope, realistic hope, and simply to say that there is a path to a fully sustainable global economy, that we are on that path, that we are accelerating that path, and so long as we don’t get complacent about it, it will happen.” – Elon Musk at Shareholder Meeting on Master Plan 3

At the heart of Tesla’s success lies Elon Musk, the incredible Tesla team, and a dedicated community of individuals who are passionate about the company and its mission.

For this article, you’ll get to come along with me to the shareholders meeting and we’ll start in the line of cars and then meet some awesome people!  Let’s set the time machine back to May 16, 2023, and hop in my Tesla. 

IMAGINING YOU ARE WITH ME AT THE SHAREHOLDER’S MEETING

Joining a long line of cars, we are very close to Gigafactory Texas and we see production at scale in action in front of us. Numerous deliveries on large, semi flatbeds are pouring in as we wait, car carriers leave the factory loaded with new Model Y.  The battery cathode plant and die shop are huge. The employee parking lot is overflowing. 

You get the window seat once we’re on the bus ride to the entrance.  The bus lumbers off around the Gigafactory.  I say I could do this ride over again 50 times and you tell me I’m a little extreme (I disagree, haha).  

We see a holding lot filled with Model Y as far as the eye can see. Model Y are charging at a George Jetson style charging bay shaded by solar panels.  Next up, a loading lot where inspections are being done, then cars line up to wait for their turn onto a car carrier.  There are long lines of car carriers. 

You pass several employee parking lots, they are bigger than you expected. 

The tour bus drives closer to the Gigafactory, and a cool shadow is cast over the bus as you gaze up.  We both gasp. The bus feels tiny as we crane our necks to look up to the rooftop. The roof is covered with solar panels that spell out “TESLA,”  but you already know that from when you flew into Austin.

While we wait to tour the Tesla Semi, a graffiti artist is creating Cybertruck art on the side of a shipping container. The day is perfect, 80 degree weather, a few puffy clouds, we’re lucky to be here!

You think you almost lost me after the Semi tour but then find me ogling the Cybertruck and the German-made Model Ys on the other side of the street.  The size of the truck is bigger than you expect. The Berlin Model Y paint is glamorous under the sun to say the least!

TOUR

As we enter the Gigafactory Tour, it’s apparent it’s in full production and did not shut down at all for this event, rather it looks like it’s under an even higher pace than imagined. Employees are actively working on model Y, and the production line is visible and moving along fast. We hear occasional happy beeps from Model Y under production and it sounds like they’re saying, “hey, I’m glad you came to see us.”  

We’re able to see the ground floor and then climb up stairs to the second floor and look down, which is incredible. The factory is so big and everything looks so clean and everybody working looks like they have purpose and order in what they do.

As a tour guide instructs us on the manufacturing processes in a video, you and I are more interested in listening to the sounds in the factory and watching the production line below, it’s an all inspiring vision, seeing these vehicles being brought to production at scale, and being there in person, is an experience that feels like the future. It inspires us to think about how incredible it is to be a part of Tesla’s success just by being a supporter and investor.

Reality kicks us in the face while the security guard says “hey ma’am, your tour is leaving.”

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I hope this gave you a feel for if you had been at the Tesla shareholder Meeting.  For the remainder of this article, I’ll introduce you to three inspiring people I had conversations with.

FROM TESLA OWNER TO INVESTOR

Winston was wearing a Longhorn shirt and the “Don’t Mess with Tesla” belt buckle which caught my eye.  He and his daughter Anne were waiting in line at the Tesla store.

Winston told me he bought a Model 3 in 2020.  He said the minute he stepped into his Tesla, the experience was so incredible that right away, knew he needed to invest.  

He now uses FSDbeta all over Houston, and he would not travel around any other way. 

I told him I had also used FSD beta in Houston and it was flawless.  (My Podcast #14 is all in Baytown & Houston) 

WITNESSING THE NEW EVOLUTION OF NORMALCY

I always respect the confidentiality and privacy of Tesla employees, so I’ll just briefly share with you what one employee said while keeping him private. Without mentioning his position at Tesla, I can say he looked at Tesla with a blend of optimism and amazement.  He told me he loves working at Tesla and compared it to what he knew about car manufacturing before he was hired.  As a kid, he grew up in Detroit and his father worked in automotive manufacturing.  He would visit the factory and remembers it for the awful smell of toxic fumes. 

At Tesla, “you can actually walk through it and breathe clean air. It doesn’t even seem like a car factory at times. I am experiencing the new evolution of normalcy.”  

SUPPORT FOR ELON MUSK FROM NORTH CAROLINA

Just outside the Tesla Gigafactory, near some oak trees, there was a handful of food and beverage trucks.  I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich and a slushie and looked for a shady place to eat.  This is how I met the Whitley family.  Dan Whitley’s love for Elon and Tesla was evident in his commitment to being a part of the Tesla mission.  

Dan explained to me that he supports Elon Musk because, “I think he’s a believable person and I think he’s got a kind heart and I believe in his mission and believe in him and just try to support him the best I can.” Laughing, Dan said, “And I’ve got 8 Tesla’s so I’m supporting him!”  I asked if this was normal for N. Carolina, and he said. “The company spoke to me, they have a good mission and I want to support them.”  

CONCLUSION

The conversations I had with people at the shareholder meeting offer a glimpse into the passion and devotion people have for Tesla and in the vision of Elon Musk. for some, it even made them rethink their future.  William Cross from Connecticut was at the Shareholder Meeting. I caught up with him later, and he told me how the experience left an impact on him. “It really made me rethink what I’m doing here.  I fell in love with the South.  I want to learn more and one day work for Tesla or SpaceX.”  

The company Tesla as a whole inspires many people, and Elon is highly respected and supported by many. When you hear negative talk about Elon Musk, please realize that is a small minority.  A small, very vocal minority. They, in no way, represent what most people truly think.

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Article by Gail Alfar. please credit accordingly. Thanks to Tesla for being amazing.  Thanks to Elon Musk and all my subscribers and readers on Twitter who support my writing in many different ways, I appreciate you very much. Video Courtesy @Tesla Inc., Pic credits Sarah Alfar and Greggortruck.