Thread Drift

[rebeccaC]

The base 3 does 220 miles on a full charge, which works well for what our needs would be. With our states growing fast charging network it could even be useful for some longer trips. One of the advantages of giving an early deposit for the model 3 was getting a 7500 federal rebate (which goes away after Tesla (or any car manufacture) has sold 200,000 pure EV cars) and here there’s a state EV rebate of at least 2500 and up to 5000 depending on income. Being the first state to get model 3 production runs helps too.

A 5000 state rebate for fuel cell cars like the Honda Clarity, which gets 300+ mileage, is another choice we’ve been thinking about since there are an increasing number of fueling stations in California now including three 24/7 ones within just a short drive from us.
California is about to add 3 billion to its rebate program. An additional 500 million will be added for rebates for disadvantaged communities, school and transit buses.

The average transaction price for a new car this year is 30,000+ according to a quick net search.
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[Crankin]

I was also going to say that it feels like the average price of a new car is 30k. It does seems higher than it should be, but that's what it is.

[ny biker]

As my 10-year-old Prius nears 140,000 miles on its odometer, I am not happy to think about having to pay $30k for a new car when the time comes. I'm hoping it will be another couple of years before it needs to be replaced, but still. It took long enough to pay off this car, and it cost < $25k. (It is a great car and I'm very happy with it. It's nice to feel like a major purchase decision was a good one.)

[emily_in_nc]

NY, I bet that Prius will last awhile longer. Great cars!

Our last car, a Honda CR-V, cost around $27K. This was for the "middle" trim line in 2013. The economy line was $2K less, but I had to have an armrest. I always joked that it was my "two thousand dollar armrest", as that was the only thing I just had to have from the next trim line up!

If we were to buy a car now, we'd go with a late model used car from Carmax. If you're willing to buy a car just 1-2 model years old, you can save some $$ off brand new.

[ny biker]

If I needed a new car now, I would want another Prius (they really are great cars). Last I heard there are not many used ones available, though that was a few years ago so maybe it's changed. I understand what you mean about the $2000 arm rest. I chose a more expensive option package on my car because I wanted the HID headlights. The other things that were part of that package didn't interest me so much. But it turned out that the auto-dimming rear view mirror that also came with that package is the best nighttime rear view mirror I've ever used -- it cuts glare amazingly well. I think when I eventually need a new car I will sorely miss that mirror. Also I will miss the stereo with the 6-CD changer, because yes I still prefer CDs!

What I really need for a new car is to bring my sister along to negotiate for me. She's way better at it than I am.

On another topic -- this morning I read about discounted prices at Whole Foods now that Amazon has bought them. I don't care. I still hate Amazon for putting good small companies out of business. In fact I may end up shopping less at Whole Foods in the future because of them.

[Crankin]

The closest Whole Foods to me are all about 10 miles away (3 of them). The only one I've been in was in Boulder, in 2002! My smaller, local grocery chain store (there are 4) is fine for me, supplemented by local farms, a gourmet farm market/grocery, a very local natural foods store, and occasional trips to Trader Joe's for chocolate bars and lox. I don't mind paying for good food, because I see it as medicine for my body. But I can get what I need elsewhere.

[rebeccaC]

On another topic -- this morning I read about discounted prices at Whole Foods now that Amazon has bought them. I don't care. I still hate Amazon for putting good small companies out of business. In fact I may end up shopping less at Whole Foods in the future because of them.

Lower prices will be necessary to attract more customers. Perhaps it will help to educate more people about better nutrition, gmo’s, pesticides etc. and to see the value in natural and organic food. We get all our fresh organic food from the year round farmers markets here….We prefer to support the small farms/business’s in southern Ca. which also helps to keep our food dollars circulating through our communities.

[Crankin]

I got a new phone in May. Ever since I got the phone, I can't stay permamantly logged in to TE. I keep checking the box to do so... I am wondering if it has anything to do with the Tapatalk app, which I keep x-ing out of signing up for. Perhaps this is their way of getting back at me for refusing to get the app? I tried it awhile back and hated it. Maybe it has nothing to do with my phone.

[smilingcat]

new app, learning new software... So even though I've retired from engineering work and designing those "computer" chips that create all those nifty gadgets. Writing low level coding from things called picocode to microcode to firmware development to things called RTOS...

Anyway, way back when SDI, aka star wars program, I was working as a researcher in thing called Expert Systems, a euphemism for AI. It really was not an AI in that it could not initiate its own learning. But today, using a language called Python and technology called Deep Learning, it has changed the landscape of AI. AI today is more than capable of learning from its own experience.

As for AI, what has it accomplished?

• It has beaten a world's top ranking go player where the strategy is infinitely more complicated than game of chess. Program from what I understand is that it created its own set of strategy not created by any human.
• It has beaten one of best American fighter pilot at simulated dog fight. Pilot said that the AI knew what his next move was and the pilot was defeated multiple times by the AI.
• Latest is the game of DODA, AI creators backed by Musk's neuralink company, said that it never taught any strategy to AI, Instead, it allowed to play against another copy of the same AI and improve its skill over two or so weeks. And it beat one of the best gamer of the DODA.
• And what was that thing by Amazon?? Alexa? speech recognition and parsing the meaning of what a person said. It's not the cutting edge of AI...

I'm on the side of Elon Musk and not with Mark Zukerburg.

Learning a new language, how about Python? I like Python, it beats things called BASH and shell scripting etc. Though I still prefer: Tcl, Lisp (now common Lisp) and Haskal. And yes Crankin, may be the App knows that you will eventually give up and sign-up. Maybe you need to clear out cellphone of its history.

[emily_in_nc]

Lots of good geek-talk, NY! I used to work in an RTOS environment and also knew a few things like shell scripting languages (mostly csh or ksh). Have heard of most of the other things you mention but know nothing about them. I was mostly a high-level langugage girl, but even our HLL was low-level compared to most, because of the environment...an older telephone switching system where we had to manage our own timeslices, do bit shifting, and such like. My DH was a firmware engineer and specialized in assembly language & microcode, so he was even geekier than I!

[smilingcat]

there is a fire in my back yard.

• have important docs but my passport is nowhere to be found...
• have all the animal cages setup 3 big ones for the dogs and 4 small cages for the cats. 2 to a cage
• bottled water, ice chest, the usual camping stuff.
• extra cloth and clean underwear so if search and rescue finds me at least I'll have clean undies...
• oh not to forget dog food kitty food and kitty litter and boxes
• we both have n95 respirators with chemical filters. its bad out thare.
• Air quality index currently at 271. (very unhealthy!!)
• we are in level 1 evacuation notice

Well we are off the hook pretty easy compare to Harvey victims and Irma victims to come. I just hope my farm house and my house that I live in is still standing. My farm kitty has been moved to my house house. Poor guy, he is hiding in a closet.

Oh the fire in my back yard is the Eagle Creek fire in Columbia gorge. Fire line is about 7 miles from the house or just over 10km. Farm house is only 6.5 miles or so from the line. I hope the wind doesn't kick up like it did last night.

[rebeccaC]

stay safe smilingcat….from the internet news articles and videos it looks like an incredibly dangerous and still out of control wild fire. If the theory of how it started (15 year old boy throwing firecrackers) proves true it’s an important lesson in how a careless act can cause such damage and suffering. as a side note..the loss of parts of the gorge's natures beauty is a huge loss for all.

My prayers for everyone’s safety……

[Pax]

Hope you stay safe, and get some rain asap!

[ny biker]

Yikes smilingcat. I hope you and everyone near the wildfires are okay.

[shootingstar]

there is a fire in my back yard.

• have important docs but my passport is nowhere to be found...
• have all the animal cages setup 3 big ones for the dogs and 4 small cages for the cats. 2 to a cage
• bottled water, ice chest, the usual camping stuff.
• extra cloth and clean underwear so if search and rescue finds me at least I'll have clean undies...
• oh not to forget dog food kitty food and kitty litter and boxes
• we both have n95 respirators with chemical filters. its bad out thare.
• Air quality index currently at 271. (very unhealthy!!)
• we are in level 1 evacuation notice

Well we are off the hook pretty easy compare to Harvey victims and Irma victims to come. I just hope my farm house and my house that I live in is still standing. My farm kitty has been moved to my house house. Poor guy, he is hiding in a closet.

Oh the fire in my back yard is the Eagle Creek fire in Columbia gorge. Fire line is about 7 miles from the house or just over 10km. Farm house is only 6.5 miles or so from the line. I hope the wind doesn't kick up like it did last night.

Fire sounds quite close, smilingcat. Hope you, others, key documents and kitty, etc. stay safe somewhere! Those fires can travel fast.

In British Columbia there have been over 130 wildfires burning nearly the whole summer now --with some current big fires in some of our national parks. Calgary where I live is approx. 250 km southeast of the closest large wildfire. Approx. 2-3 days per week, depending on wind direction and smoke density, it has blown into our city. Where our famous bright blue skies becomes grey and smoke hangs in the air all over. My partner feels tightness in his chest if there's too much/cycling much. I'm less suspectible but still often smell smoke. Right now, there is a huge forest fire at Waterton National Park near the U.S. -Canada border in Alberta. It's burnt down the Parks' visitors' reception/info. centre building.

There have been various localized evacuations of residents in various areas.

Forest management /wildfire authorities are predicting some of these huge, scary wildfires will smoulder even into the winter/snow.