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SpaceX Inspiration4 Mission to Space, first two episodes now available on Netflix.

Trailer:

Screen Shot 2021-09-06 at 11.04.19 AM.png


September 15th is the scheduled lauch date for the first all civilian spaceflight (3 day voyage orbiting around earth). The future is now.
 
SpaceX Inspiration4 Mission to Space, first two episodes now available on Netflix.

Trailer:

View attachment 705815

September 15th is the scheduled lauch date for the first all civilian spaceflight (3 day voyage orbiting around earth). The future is now.
Yeah didn't expect to spend Labor Day bawling over a documentary. My wife is like "what is going on?"
 
SpaceX Inspiration4 Mission to Space, first two episodes now available on Netflix.

Trailer:

View attachment 705815

September 15th is the scheduled lauch date for the first all civilian spaceflight (3 day voyage orbiting around earth). The future is now.

Please downvote this (genuinely asking), but I believe it's largely a publicity stunt, in a much more effective and meaningful way than Jeff Who's ten minute joyride.

SpaceX has proved its capability of doing ☝️with what's been done and what's going on with ISS/NASA. There is nothing further for SpaceX to prove, unlike Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic's recent sub-orbital spaceflight.

I'm a tiny bit torn between the $$$ SpaceX got from this (and a little bit more publicity as if there' is still not enough) and the engineering hours it costs SpaceX. But who am I to doubt Elon Musk/Gwynne Shotwell to make the best decision - so I don't and believe it's a good thing overall.

But it's still a publicity stunt, mostly in a good way.
 
Please downvote this (genuinely asking), but I believe it's largely a publicity stunt, in a much more effective and meaningful way than Jeff Who's ten minute joyride.

SpaceX has proved its capability of doing ☝️with what's been done and what's going on with ISS/NASA. There is nothing further for SpaceX to prove, unlike Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic's recent sub-orbital spaceflight.

I'm a tiny bit torn between the $$$ SpaceX got from this (and a little bit more publicity as if there' is still not enough) and the engineering hours it costs SpaceX. But who am I to doubt Elon Musk/Gwynne Shotwell to make the best decision - so I don't and believe it's a good thing overall.

But it's still a publicity stunt, mostly in a good way.
The cinematography/editing of this documentary is out of this world!

After watching the documentary, I am pretty certain that this is no publicity stunt. It's as inspirational as the electric circuit board that printed "made on Earth by humans". At the end, it's a story about humanity at its best.
 
Please downvote this (genuinely asking), but I believe it's largely a publicity stunt, in a much more effective and meaningful way than Jeff Who's ten minute joyride.

SpaceX has proved its capability of doing ☝️with what's been done and what's going on with ISS/NASA. There is nothing further for SpaceX to prove, unlike Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic's recent sub-orbital spaceflight.

I'm a tiny bit torn between the $$$ SpaceX got from this (and a little bit more publicity as if there' is still not enough) and the engineering hours it costs SpaceX. But who am I to doubt Elon Musk/Gwynne Shotwell to make the best decision - so I don't and believe it's a good thing overall.

But it's still a publicity stunt, mostly in a good way.
I look at this film similar to how NASA tried to get the public engaged in Apollo. Community support will help the bigger challenges ahead, recruit the right talent and mindset, and why not do experiments on average people, possibly paid for by Netflix? We already know how the fittest can do space. It's all part of the science needed to poplulate Mars. I have only seen previews, but I think I'll watch this today. It sure snuck up on me. Had no idea this was underway.
 
Please downvote this (genuinely asking), but I believe it's largely a publicity stunt, in a much more effective and meaningful way than Jeff Who's ten minute joyride.

SpaceX has proved its capability of doing ☝️with what's been done and what's going on with ISS/NASA. There is nothing further for SpaceX to prove, unlike Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic's recent sub-orbital spaceflight.

I'm a tiny bit torn between the $$$ SpaceX got from this (and a little bit more publicity as if there' is still not enough) and the engineering hours it costs SpaceX. But who am I to doubt Elon Musk/Gwynne Shotwell to make the best decision - so I don't and believe it's a good thing overall.

But it's still a publicity stunt, mostly in a good way.

Maybe? I suppose I'd ask what the definition of "stunt" is and why it matters. Publicity is certainly required in order for them to 1) increase the public's interest in space exploration, and 2) raise $200 million for St Jude's. Both noble causes.
 
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Bringing here this this discussion about new China developments off the main investment thread as it may be too much Off Topic tho long term interesting to consider.
In global news, seems like China has entered a new phase in its war on our current US system (not clean capitalist, with a corrupt SEC and dysfunctional financial system, more like an oligarchic system really) - this together with the recent arm China detaching itself from its parent company arm, see
The Semiconductor Heist Of The Century | Arm China Has Gone Completely Rogue, Operating As An Independent Company With Inhouse IP/R&D
Interesting to see how China's CCP will treat Tesla - considering Tesla's mission is congruent with China's and is not the type of vampire capitalist company the CCP is against.
More delicate next puzzle to solve, how will Starlink operate over China - I don't see the CCP just waving fists at the sky.


Just want to chime in about how Starlink would go in China:

Probably not much; when and where it's much, it will likely be heavily controlled by the government.

Not much: China in vast majority areas (likely close to or above 95% of population) there are high speed wireless/internet. Info from the ground is that even in many very remote areas, like small village with less than 100 people, governments (likely local) had spent $$$ to have wireless network/internet access.
Speedtest Global Index

When and where it's much: I have no doubt the central government would like to do whatever it likes and tight control of info flow is one of its core measurements to govern/maintain power.

Personally I prefer "Chinese government" or "China central government" or similar terms than "CCP:" CCP is the ruling party in China since 1949 and counting. There is no alternative or "opposition" parties in any meaningful way. I'm no fan of CCP or any authoritarianism, but it is what it is. It's unnecessary, and in many cases harmful for the goal of having a better understanding to what's going on in China (or anywhere) when putting the ideology-driven AND negative notion front and central.
Re Starlink: it's not so much about internet access but about how the internet in China is completely censored by the CCP - for example there is no Google search available in China (as Google exited the market not wanting to yield to the CCP oversight, unlike Apple, Yahoo et al); if you search for Tiananmen or 天安门 you won't get any result, and the public there is mostly unaware of these events (only older folks remember, but no communications about it is allowed*)

So the internet via Starlink would NOT be censored, unless some extra measures are taken by Starlink**.

I also did not want to imply as some incorrectly assumed, that Tesla would be in danger from the CCP in the future, as it is well known that China's premier and essentially the whole CCP was/ is very pro Tesla/ Musk, at some point jokingly offered Musk a Chinese Green Card (but any supposedly light joke has strong meaning in China politics). To wit, Tesla is the only 100% foreign owned company allowed in China, all others have to have a near 50% Chinese participation. And the Chinese government went out of its way to help speed up Giga Shanghai - even offering local bank loans for its construction.

In fact, I would even go so far as to say that once Shanghai became operational is when the Wall Street dominated US would no longer be able to contain Tesla via its SP even tho it still tries of course. BUT Tesla no longer has any problem getting capital considering its production might, with Giga Shanghai completely independent of any US reach.

Remember during the Covid darkest days, Giga Shanghai was running full blast, after precautionary measures were taken and approved , while in the US Fremont was being shuttered.

re Serpentza's YouTube video - he certainly appears alarmist, but as I mentioned Tesla is a special case, the CCP is going against the worst forms of "capitalism" even tho of course (some) of their members are not immune to self enrichment at the expense of the masses. I would still rate their leadership a notch above that of Russia. Which owes much of its survival to its oil and gas reserves, TBH, much like the Arab countries.
And Serpentza's is one of the few places where this important shift in China's war rethoric has been noted. You won't read about it in the mass media.

Re: Audubon's "If you think what you would like to post IS, then perform the following test before posting: “Is what I write something that a Tesla PR team - if it existed - would publish”? If not, do not post. "
I don't think the TMC investment thread should adhere to what Tesla 's PR team would publish - any information relevant to TSLA IMHO should be discussed in that forum. I agree tho that posting something that could be mis-interpreted - esp for those not familiar with Tesla's history with China- wasn't necessarily best. But these are relevant realities, and China did amp its war like rethoric quite a notch. So I think this is relevant to Tesla, long term, for sure.

Re CCP vs Chinese Government - The Chinese government is heavily a government of the CCP, trying to say otherwise is not realistic. There is infighting within the CCP just like there is within our various politicians/ political parties, but in the end this is the system which dominates all activities in China, period. Also like in the US there is no alternative tolerated for any other 'parties' outside the established ones. Remember OWS (Occupy Wall Street) and what happened to it - infiltrated and disemboweled like any other opposition party in China.


(**) So my guess is that SpaceX /Starlink will not try and get into politics as Elon has often wisely stayed out of - an exception was to make a stand when the local authorities tried in March '20 to close Fremont using the Covid pretext (to recall, he defied the closure order and asked to be the first arrested if the local authorities attempted to enforce the law Elon deemed ill conceived). Nothing to be gained but headaches trying to interfere in another country's government.

(*) [OT] Just like here in the US we can't have any public scientific reasoned dialog about mRNA injections or mentions of an alternative approach, which is treating COVID infections for the majority of those who are more at risk from mRNA injections side effects than plain Covid infections, for which proven excellent treatment protocols have been found (but are being denied as legitimate even though they have been proven effective, see the FLCCC alliance of doctors, or any mention of Ivermectin and the associated protocols.

Seriously, wanting to eradicate C19... since when have we found a way to eradicate plain flu viruses? We can develop specific vaccines for specific flu variants, but for most normal adults (and certainly children) our immune system is our best defense against all viruses. And post infection is a better vaccine than any manufactured one. Finally, BTW why this insistence on fast tracking mRNA injections vs real vaccines like Covavax, so slowly being introduced, only now in the UK.
 
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I followed Serpentza's link to the official document to check that it said what he claimed, using Google translate. I could in fact not confirm the authenticity. Maybe it’s simply the news page being updated with more recent news, but it would be nice to have confirmation.
 
I followed Serpentza's link to the official document to check that it said what he claimed, using Google translate. I could in fact not confirm the authenticity. Maybe it’s simply the news page being updated with more recent news, but it would be nice to have confirmation.
Hmm .. this document does seem to match what Serpentza is saying - via Google translate - since Alibaba's Jack Ma's side lining to Ant's delisting etc things seem to have gone in that direction for a while. This official publication (and as Serpentza noted, it's NOT an opinion piece like the WSJ, it is akin to an official government directive/ news)

Also sounds like the usual heavy rethoric of CCP's announcements BTW - bold sentence mine

" ...
From the suspension of Ant’s listing, to the central government’s rectification of economic order and anti-monopoly, to the 18.2 billion fine of Ali and the investigation of Didi, to the solemn commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the party by the central government, the proposal to take the path of common prosperity, and the recent chaos in the entertainment industry. The series of rectification actions by the People's Republic of China are telling us that China is undergoing major changes, from the economic, financial, cultural, and political fields to a profound change, or a profound revolution. This is a return from the capital group to the people, and this is a transformation from capital-centered to people-centered. Therefore, this is a political change, and the people are becoming the main body of this change again, and all those who block this people-centered change will be discarded. This profound change is also a return, a return to the original intention of the Chinese Communist Party, a return to the people-centered nature, and a return to the essence of socialism.

This change will wash away all the dust. The capital market will no longer become a paradise for capitalists to get rich overnight, the cultural market will no longer be a paradise for nymphomaniac stars, and news and public opinion will no longer be a position for worshipping Western culture. The return of red, the return of heroes, and the return of blood. . Therefore, we need to control all cultural chaos and build a lively, healthy, masculine, strong, and people-oriented culture. We need to crack down on the chaos of big capital manipulation, platform monopoly, and bad money driving out good money in the capital market. Guide the flow of funds to entity enterprises, to high-tech enterprises, and to the manufacturing industry. The ongoing chaos of governance education starting from governance training institutions and school district housing, so that education truly returns to civilians and fairness, so that ordinary people have upward mobility. Space, in the future, we need to control high housing prices and high medical expenses, and completely level the three mountains of education, medical care, and housing. Although we are not trying to kill the rich and help the poor, we need to effectively solve the problem of increasing income gap between the rich and the poor. Common prosperity is to allow ordinary workers to get more income in the distribution of social wealth. This change will bring a series of new weather to our society. The current efforts to rectify the entertainment, art, and film and television circles are far from enough. We must use all means to combat the various star-chasing and fan-chasing phenomena that exist in the current society. , Completely put an end to the phenomenon of nymphs and small fresh meat in the social character, and truly let the entertainment, art, and film and television circles be upright and upright. Laborers and ordinary people have become the masters and protagonists of literature and art.

China is currently facing an increasingly severe and complex international environment. The United States is implementing increasingly severe military threats, economic and technological blockades, financial strikes, political and diplomatic siege against China, and is launching biological warfare, cyber warfare, and public opinion against China. Wars and space wars have increasingly launched a color revolution against China through the fifth column within China. If at this time, we have to rely on those big capitalists as the main force of anti-imperialist and anti-hegemonism, and are still catering to the American nipple strategy, so that our young generation loses their strong and masculine vibes, then we don’t need enemies to fight. I fell first, just like the Soviet Union back then, letting the country collapse, letting the country's wealth be looted, and letting the people fall into serious disaster. Therefore, the profound changes currently taking place in China are precisely in response to the current severe and complicated international situation, precisely in response to the barbaric and ferocious attacks that the United States has begun to launch against China.

Every one of us can feel that a profound social change has begun. Not only the capital circle, but also not only the entertainment circle, it must not only destroy the dead, but also repair the wounds, clean the house, freshen the air, and make our society healthier. Let social subjects feel physically and mentally happy. "
 
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Bringing here this this discussion about new China developments off the main investment thread as it may be too much Off Topic tho long term interesting to consider.



Re Starlink: it's not so much about internet access but about how the internet in China is completely censored by the CCP - for example there is no Google search available in China (as Google exited the market not wanting to yield to the CCP oversight, unlike Apple, Yahoo et al); if you search for Tiananmen or 天安门 you won't get any result, and the public there is mostly unaware of these events (only older folks remember, but no communications about it is allowed*)

So the internet via Starlink would NOT be censored, unless some extra measures are taken by Starlink**.

Re: Re Starlink: yes, it's mainly not about access as it's widely available. Also in agreeing with you, Chinese governments heavily censor internet. Therefore, uncensored access through Starlink won't happen, as Chinese government simply won't allow Starlink user terminals "Dishy McFlatface" to enter into China through normal channels as it is now (i.e. un-censored, completely free access). If it's smuggled etc., that's another story, and even that, it still needs SpaceX/Starlink to make the service available through its satellites when passing above China.
 
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In global news, seems like China has entered a new phase in its war on our current US system (not clean capitalist, with a corrupt SEC and dysfunctional financial system, more like an oligarchic system really) - this together with the recent arm China detaching itself from its parent company arm, see
The Semiconductor Heist Of The Century | Arm China Has Gone Completely Rogue, Operating As An Independent Company With Inhouse IP/R&D
Interesting to see how China's CCP will treat Tesla - considering Tesla's mission is congruent with China's and is not the type of vampire capitalist company the CCP is against.
More delicate next puzzle to solve, how will Starlink operate over China - I don't see the CCP just waving fists at the sky.

I haven't looked at this yet, but Im about to watch.

Little extra context on this tho, this guy and his American friend used to live in southern china and married some Chinese women and as far as I could tell made a living making videos about China for years. They weren't super critical but they also weren't really the type of thing that the government would have liked to have exist. It was kinda unlicensed journalism in a country that does like to have its finger on the public narrative. A little before the pandemic both these guys were "tipped off" by some friends that they had become persons of interest by the authorities because of their videos. They then both "fled" to Hong Kong. It was never really clear to me that there was much to any of the way they seemed to portray everything, and since China has custom checks as you exit the country as well as has control of Hong Kong I was always highly skeptical of their claims. Even if it wasn't real they could have just been scared by a rumor.

TL;DR this guy isn't exactly a unbiased source.

edit: ya this seems about par for his attitude and the document isn't particularly uncharacteristic of stuff that comes out now and then. There was a government thing that came out about a decade ago warning that american cia agents go to china and pretend to be interested in china and start relationships with chinese women to spy on china. It's weird when it happens, but it largely goes ignored when it happens. I guess this time could be different but it seems like the same kind of thing that comes out every now and then and as far as I could tell nothing really changed.
 
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Had my first experience of Tesla service yesterday. Had booked a home visit to fix one of the rear light clusters which was full of condensation. Booked on the app a week ago and had several reminder texts. On the day, the mechanic phoned me to say he was on his way.
Swapping out the unit for a new one took 5 minutes and after we chatted about all things Tesla. He was so enthusiastic about his employer and Elon. I don't think Ive met anyone who was so positive about the company they work for. The whole experience was top notch and a million miles better than going to a traditional dealer.
 
Had my first experience of Tesla service yesterday. Had booked a home visit to fix one of the rear light clusters which was full of condensation. Booked on the app a week ago and had several reminder texts. On the day, the mechanic phoned me to say he was on his way.
Swapping out the unit for a new one took 5 minutes and after we chatted about all things Tesla. He was so enthusiastic about his employer and Elon. I don't think Ive met anyone who was so positive about the company they work for. The whole experience was top notch and a million miles better than going to a traditional dealer.
Based on so many anecdotal reports, it seems the head of service needs to study what makes the mobile techs so consistently excellent while so many people grumble about Service Centers. Is it an issue of capacity or skills?
 
Had my first experience of Tesla service yesterday. Had booked a home visit to fix one of the rear light clusters which was full of condensation. Booked on the app a week ago and had several reminder texts. On the day, the mechanic phoned me to say he was on his way.
Swapping out the unit for a new one took 5 minutes and after we chatted about all things Tesla. He was so enthusiastic about his employer and Elon. I don't think Ive met anyone who was so positive about the company they work for. The whole experience was top notch and a million miles better than going to a traditional dealer.
Have a Mobile tech coming by this morning for a LED headlight swap. 3rd mobile visit I think in 4 years of ownership.
Every single one was a great experience. The Tech stopping by today has been here before and is an awesome guy.

We talked about Tesla after his last visit, and he had nothing but good things to say about working for the company.
 
Based on so many anecdotal reports, it seems the head of service needs to study what makes the mobile techs so consistently excellent while so many people grumble about Service Centers. Is it an issue of capacity or skills?
I think its more to do with skills. Why? Because when I booked, there were plenty of available slots at very short notice implying capacity. Also the mechanic who visited me also had responsibility for training the mechanics in the local service centre. So I obviously got a really good mechanic who is in demand. (This is all UK)
 
Based on so many anecdotal reports, it seems the head of service needs to study what makes the mobile techs so consistently excellent while so many people grumble about Service Centers. Is it an issue of capacity or skills?
Bias is most likely the culprit.

With mobile they come to you and fix simple problems which take a hour or so. The experience will most likely be great.

With the actual service center they fix complex issues that take a week or two, dealing with part issues, and sticking you into an uber while you have to constantly beg for more uber credits if the fix takes longer than expected.

So yeah you can't compare the two in experience. One is just naturally terrible unless they give you a loaner which rarely happens now.
 
Bias is most likely the culprit.

With mobile they come to you and fix simple problems which take a hour or so. The experience will most likely be great.

With the actual service center they fix complex issues that take a week or two, dealing with part issues, and sticking you into an uber while you have to constantly beg for more uber credits if the fix takes longer than expected.

So yeah you can't compare the two in experience. One is just naturally terrible unless they give you a loaner which rarely happens now.
Had 2 visits to service centers in the last year.
1 for new computer for FSD ...got a Tesla loaner.
2nd for AC issue ....got a Tesla loaner.
 
Bias is most likely the culprit.

With mobile they come to you and fix simple problems which take a hour or so. The experience will most likely be great.

With the actual service center they fix complex issues that take a week or two, dealing with part issues, and sticking you into an uber while you have to constantly beg for more uber credits if the fix takes longer than expected.

So yeah you can't compare the two in experience. One is just naturally terrible unless they give you a loaner which rarely happens now.
True — job complexity is part of the problem, parts backlog, quite a few things. Personally, I haven’t had many issues with Raleigh NC, but I haven’t needed much either. I worry that the rep is a potential damper on sales, but perhaps it’s only owners that are aware of it. I have a friend that is selling his 2015 S partly because of so many frustrations.
 
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