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Excerpt: "Shares of Nvidia (NVDA) rocketed more than 26% on Thursday, as the graphics chip maker rides the generative AI explosion. The rip higher comes after the company reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings Wednesday, and pointed to a dramatic acceleration in data center revenue in the current quarter. Nvidia is the leading AI chip maker thanks to years of investments in AI technologies. And according to Raymond James managing director Srini Pajjuri, the company isn’t going to lose that title anytime soon. “There’s only one supplier of GPUs, and Nvidia has been investing in this market for the last 10 years. They not only have the chips, they have the systems, the software, it’s a full stack solutions company,” explained Pajjuri. “In the short term, Nvidia is the only game in town,” he said. NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) View quote details NasdaqGS - Nasdaq Real Time Price (USD) 379.80 +74.42(24.37%) At close: 4:00PM EDT 378.80 -0.99 (-0.26%) After hours: 7:49PM EDT Nvidia beat analysts’ expectations on the top and bottom line in Q1 thanks to its data center business, which brought in $4.2 billion in revenue versus the $3.9 billion Wall Street was anticipating. That was better than the same quarter last year when the company reported data center revenue of $3.8 billion." More in the article here: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/theres-an-ai-war-and-nvidia-is-the-only-arms-dealer-analyst-174654030.html

Excerpt: "The tie-up between the rivals makes Ford the first major automaker to embrace Tesla's proprietary charging standard, giving the automaker access to the biggest network of high-speed Superchargers in the United States. Access to charging stations is considered one of the main hurdles so far to broader acceptance of electric vehicles, analysts have said. Tesla said last November it would open its proprietary charging design to other automakers and charging network operators. A Tesla-developed adapter will provide Ford EVs fitted with the Combined Charging System (CCS) port access to Tesla’s V3 Superchargers. Ford will equip future EVs with Tesla's own charging standard, removing the need for an adapter for direct access to Tesla Superchargers, starting in 2025. "The idea is that we don't want the Tesla supercharger network to be like a walled garden. We want it to be something that is supportive of electrification and sustainable transport in general," Tesla CEO Elon Musk said during an online Twitter Spaces conversation with Ford CEO Jim Farley. "We love the locations, we love the reliability, your routing software, the ease of use of the connector, the reliability of it," Farley said. "Tesla storms through the train station like 300 kilometers per hour Shinkansen," Farley said, referring to Japanese bullet trains. "We're learning a lot." Tesla had 17,711 Superchargers, accounting for about 60% of total U.S. fast chargers, which can add hundreds of miles of driving range in an hour or less. Farley said earlier on Thursday at a Morgan Stanley forum that "on the infrastructure side, I think it's room for some collaboration between the auto companies, which is totally unnatural for us." Farley added, "I think we need to start – I mean, I think the first step is to work together in a way we haven't, probably with the new EV brands and the traditional old companies." For example, he called it "totally ridiculous" that the industry has multiple plugs for its charging networks and "we can't even agree on what plug to use." Musk earlier this month tweeted: "I think Ford’s overall strategy with EVs is smart. The electric F-150 (Lightning) has high demand." He also defended Ford over its losses on its electric vehicle business. "Always tough with margins for new vehicle lines, especially when there are major technology shifts." Farley said on Thursday that Ford should take the lead to reach out to a new company like a Tesla or a Nio Inc or BYD "to kind of work together in a non-natural way as competitors. I think you'll see Ford do that just because that's what kind of company we are." This year, Tesla has started to expand beyond its proprietary connectors and incorporate the rival CCS standard at some of its charging stations in the United States, as the Biden administration seeks to provide billions in subsidies to expand charging networks. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tesla-ford-ceos-talk-evs-205013445.html

Gotcha, thanks. We are already there and the access fee is very fair. Our CSU is a municipal utility and actually adjusts prices down when they pay less. Last week I found they pay .02/kWh wholesale for electricity. I am now charging only on off peak hours.

PP, what do you mean access fee par vehicle? For electric access or road access like toll roads? I have an access fee of just ~ $13-15 just to be connected to the grid when we have our solar system installed. I think fees at registration with the DMV and making weight a factor in the equation might just work.

Excerpt: "The truth is, there's more to choosing a vehicle/trailer combo than matching a vague idea of your max tow capacity to the largest trailer within this limit. Below, we'll go over a few important factors your dealership probably didn't mention: your vehicle configuration, your payload, and your wheelbase ratio. All of these factors are just as important in determining how big of a trailer you can safely tow. In this article: Towing Term Glossary How Much Towing Capacity Do I Need, and How Do I Calculate It? What Is My Payload? What Is My Wheelbase?" Source: https://www.etrailer.com/faq-how-much-trailer-can-I-tow.aspx This next video is excellent. Fifth wheels are more stable on the road if you have enough truck. I towed with a Ram 1 ton diesel Dually towing ~ 12k-12.5pounds. Safe Travels!

https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/newsletters/48559

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Yep!

Wow!

X2 👍👍

Just got here and Gary answered it. I don't trust RV salesman at all on towing capacities. They are right that you can tow almost anything with a pickup on flat ground. But emergency stops and stopping on a downhill run? I look forward to your future posts.

https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/newsletters/48540

Bill, Yep different hardware head units and Apps are different. You have built in Nav on your head unit. I have not paid for that in the forester just Android Auto whoich works great on its screen. My Tesla has Nav built in and the screen is excellent for everything built in as well as Nav because it is standard in it and my connectivity in it costs about ten bucks a month for 4G Internet access. But today they all get you there. I wrote this so RVrs could see that their phones are sufficient for Nav and for folks with Travel trailers class B, Pop Up trailers can make do with Android, as they rarely are tall enough to worry. Of course some may be today. I have no idea about iPhone navigation apps And of course it was not until Clinton in 2000 unscrambled our GPS Satellites that we could even use GPS outside of the military, and at first they were way to expensive. We did not even have cellphones until we came off the road full-time in 2003 and became part-timers. In late 2006 I got a Garmin for work driving a 100 mile radius of the ArkLaTex. Phones had little to no navigation we knew about until after 2007 with smart phones. Heck I used mine for only music on an SD card so we had no ads, only our music, and no dead zones. So in my experience we had no problem using an Atlas but still never trusted if a clearance looked iffy or just paved even on the bridges. I found out you can't trust clearances posted in apps and even in person! You still today need to be cautious on close clearances. I was cautious and snuck up on ones marked OK but close. A few with Lynn outside watching from the bridge berm so she could see if it cleared or not. We only took detours a few times and had to back up once. If mismarked and not reported to whoever monitors bridge clearances for the Nav App makers for trucks and RVs, even with RV apps you still need to be aware. "Pay Attention But That Sign May Be Old When you see a clearance sign, don’t ignore them. They are there for a reason and that is to protect you and your transport from harm. And because those signs may not have been updated after the last repaving job, take six inches off the clearance level. That’s SIX INCHES LOWER than what the sign declares. Also, note that various bridges have different clearance signs for different parts of the bridges. The middle of the bridge usually has the highest clearance level, but in mountainous areas it may be one side or the other. Go with the highest clearance area for your safety. If there is a bridge that you’ll just barely fit under and you don’t have any other option, go SLOW. Take a deep breath and move like a sloth under that bridge. By going slowly you’ll avoid unexpected bounces from uneven road surfaces that might have you grazing or hitting your roof. And don’t be surprised if you do have to back out and find a different route. Be prepared with safety equipment such as flares, neon triangles, etc., if you get stuck even before reaching the bridge. You may need extra notice to other drivers that you need to back your way out of potential disaster. Bottom Line Any damage you incur, will be your fault. Unfortunately, that’s the reality. The authorities won’t care about your excuses if you hit a bridge. Your RV’s height comes with special responsibilities." https://www.roamingtimes.com/2017/04/23/rv-height-clearance-tips/#:~:text=The Federal Highway Administration sets bridge clearances at,However%2C remember that states have their own restrictions. So we slowed or stopped to check out any iffy clearances. But at most places that allow RV parking there was never an issue like in National parks with some exceptions on secondary park roads. We never had smart phones when we were full-time 1997- 2003 because Apple and Android smart phones came out ~ 2007. We had no smart phones or GPS because the GPS satellites were still scrambled by the government in 1997 when we started out. So we planned our trips the day before on paper and Lynn had our giant Rand McNally Road Atlas out as Navigator. (Still have it as a memento our routes are marked on it) Back in those days we had CB radios (KAAY7082 The Connecticut Yankee) and they were SSB units in case of an emergency on the back roads of Alaska etc to shoot skip. However on major highways and in cities where there are semis we relaxed a bit with them. Then from 2004/2008 with a short break in the middle we used Garmins and bought the lifetime updates but for some reason the updates became too big and failed a lot or stopped working so we got into Google navigation apps finally ~ 2010 to date. Early on I found out that in some cases the folks who pave roads forgot to report the changes in clearance when they put a 4 inch layer of new asphalt. So being 13' tall to the top of our Maxxair Vent covers so we decided later with our two smaller rigs we never went back to them. I just don't trust the reporting system for secondary roads. We weighed ~ 12.2-12.5k pounds so would pay attention to bridge weights except on highways. Our phones are three and one year old so we never have issues just plugging them in when using the Subaru. But the Subaru has a hitch for small trailers but can't tow anything more than a teardrop ~ 1200 pounds or less. I have no hitch on the Tesla. Conclusion, if your RV is smaller you still need to measure your clearance on the RV. For newbys here is how you do it in a 44 second video:

So are we have: 2016 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 6L engine 6 speed automatic transmission 4.10 rear end Crew cab Still need: Long bed/Short bed 2 Wheel drive/4WD Single rear wheel or dual rear wheels? Then we can look it up for you and show you where we found your towing specs.

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Thanks FTW. We try.

Freebirds, we need what Gary asked for too. Thanks Gary!

Many folks don't like change and others do. In another thread Dan was asking about Navigation and everyone was talking Garmin units as the preferred way to go. I disagree and here is why. Rather than change the topic there I thought that having it separate would make it easier to find. Dan, I have used both Garmin units and even the Delorme's units in the late 1990s that worked sometimes on a laptop. I used Garmins for several years daily for steel building site visits for about three years in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas. Back then the phone Nav did not exist and even in the first ten years of smart phones they were was essentially in their navigation infancy. When I grew up we were always swapping out our car audio systems and now my son is doing the same with his audio/Navigation, and streaming head units systems. Our cars had them already. I would choose Android Auto over all the several thousand-dollar head units. I have seen advertised today. I do not do Apple so cannot comment on Apple Car Play but some of these do Apple too. I think folks need to look at head unit change options today because full capability head units are available for under $300 that do much more and better than before. Garmins cost close to that or more. The Garmin 780 posted costs $399.99 retail and on Amazon $319. Above I have read about the screen size making phone based Nav hard to use. We have not used our phone screen for Nav since we bought the Subaru in 2019, and the EV in 2020. My requirements, besides not trying to see my smaller phone screen for navigation while I am driving are: 1. A head unit with a big enough screen for me and the little 5” screens don’t do that for me. 2. SD card and/or USB slots for my already ripped to digital music to use when on trips for no ads and no fade or searching for stations. 3. Built-in streaming services that use the phone for the Data connection. But not all the time and for trips I want to use my already made up SD Cards with 128 GB of mp3 ripped music. 4. Both radio and SD card capabilities because we have our music digitized and have several 256GB SD cards setup with music for each car. I like to set it to shuffle so I hear B sides of my favorite music. 5. Good resolution for Nav. 6. Backup camera required unless already installed in a separate screen. I’m going to post a three YouTube videos below with two folks that own them in RVs, and their opinion and how relatively easy they are to install or have installed. I tried to pick ones that have the same price or less than Garmin units. I leave it up to you if you need want other features but the videos are RV installations, and reviews. There are lots of choices but these looked good with a search. The takeaway last video is about Android Auto and your always up to date smartphone for connections, Nav, and media.. The first one is portable and can be used with several vehicles if you buy additional mounts. Just like a Garmin but has a bit bigger screen which can be positioned anywhere you want. The other is a replacement head unit that goes in your dash. "In this video I will be reviewing the Carpuride 10" wide screen wireless Android Auto & Apple Carplay device. If your vehicle is not equipped with a navigation system or bluetooth connectivity, this device will allow you to add these features to your car. With the large display, you can use navigation apps like Waze and Google map. You can also listen to your Spotify music. In this video, I will show you how to install it and pair your phone to this device." $279.99 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjOwzH8rCKY From seven months ago: Wireless Android Auto and Wireless Apple CarPlay with Android for under $300! Eonon Q03Pro $159.99 on Amazon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWPHk4gP1oU From three months ago: Latest Android Auto Review, tips and tricks! You won't believe what it can do!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YA-npNvRWTQ I think we have moved beyond just phone screens and/or GPS units. Our in-dash Nav units now are way easier to use and see than our Garmins or phones alone were and came in our cars from the factory. Aftermarket head units have gotten to be as good, and not as expensive as a few years ago. Here is a video on tweaking Android Auto - Here are the most useful settings you should change in Android Auto, both in its developer settings and the main options page.: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/android-auto-tweaks/ Safe Travels!

Not enough info to answer. What year Chevy? What engine? What Tranny? What rear end? What body style crew cab or two door cab? We can find your answer with some information.

Soon I may not be able to say Tesla does no traditional paid advertising. However this one by their Asian division is not on TV. It is on Musk's twitter. Not TV ads yet but a baby step and a well done video! Excerpt: "Tesla's Asia division has published what some are calling the brand’s first advertisement. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Tesla’s first ad was published on Twitter by its Tesla Asia account, in which a Tesla customer outlines her buying experience and what drew her to the brand in the first place. Great video!" Source with the video: https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-advertising-with-new-video/

ExxonMobil Breaks into the Lithium Market with Arkansas Land Purchase As it prepares for a future beyond black gold ExxonMobil is turning to silvery-white gold. Exxon, a name synonymous with the oil industry in the US, has taken the first steps toward doing business in a future where the world is less dependent on petroleum. Sources told The Wall Street Journal that the largest offshoot of John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil is now on the hunt for lithium. Fitting, given one of its labs was the actual birthplace of the first lithium battery in the 70s. Keeps Going, and Going, and Going Lithium, the lightest metal on the periodic table of elements, is used for all sorts of modern products – cell phones, laptops, smart watches, tablets – generally as the main component of their batteries. Lithium batteries charge quicker, last longer, and provide more power than conventional lead-acid batteries. And now with car makers taking huge steps away from the internal combustion engine to usher in the true era of the electric vehicle, the need for lithium has punched through the sunroof. As the automotive industry pivots, so too does the fossil fuels sector: • Exxon purchased 120,000 acres in Arkansas’ Smackover Formation from exploration company Galvanic Energy for more than $100 million, sources told the WSJ. The area has been known for its rich oil deposits since the early 1900s, but just last year, Galvanic Energy reported the area has enough lithium to produce batteries for 50 million cars. • It’s not quite an immediate needle-mover for the $430 billion market cap Exxon, but it’s a way of expanding its reach to other materials while still focusing on its flagship product. Oil will remain Exxon’s bread and butter for the foreseeable future, but its new venture into lithium is kind of like adding margarine to the breakfast table. “It’s a classic hedge against the prospect of eventually declining oil demand,” Pavel Molchanov, an analyst at Raymond James, told the WSJ. There from the Beginning: The Smackover deal marks a return to the lithium market for Exxon, which pioneered the industry roughly half a century ago. Chemist Stanley Whittingham helped develop the lithium battery while working at Exxon in the 1970s. The market proved too small at the time to justify all the research, digging, and production, but in 2019, Whittingham received a Nobel Prize for his efforts, and now lithium-ion batteries are the most popular form of energy storage." Source with more: https://thedailyupside.cmail19.com/t/t-e-zgddjy-jdttikduik-yh/

Exxon Quietly Joins Search For Lithium: Report 22 May 2023 "Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) has started to prepare for a future that will be significantly less reliant on gasoline. Exxon recently purchased drilling rights to a sizable chunk of Arkansas land from which it aims to produce the mineral, a key ingredient in batteries for electric cars, cellphones, and laptops, reported the Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter. According to the sources, lithium is far removed from the fossil-fuel business, which has powered Exxon's profits for over a century. It signals the company's assessment that demand for internal combustion engines could soon peak. The report mentions that Exxon acquired 120,000 gross acres from Galvanic Energy, an exploration firm, in the Smackover formation of southern Arkansas, for more than $100 million. Galvanic said last year that a third-party consultant it hired estimated the prospect could have 4 million tons of lithium carbonate equivalent to power 50 million EVs, added the report. Exxon has plans to spend $17 billion through 2027 on cutting carbon emissions and developing low-carbon technologies, mentioned WSJ. Exxon's CEO, Darren Woods, said last year that heavy industry, heavy transportation, and the production of chemicals would drive demand for fossil fuels for decades to come. Lithium production would also diversify Exxon's portfolio and expose them to a market that is expanding quickly. The company is setting up other facets of its operations to support electric automobiles." Source with more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/exxon-quietly-joins-search-for-lithium-report/ar-AA1bwWhB

This what the energy companies could have been doing ten years ago instead of getting behind Koch and trying to stop EVs with misinformation. I believe we will see a lot of the old guard go bankrupt. Vehicle manufacturers as well as energy companies. Excerpt: Mon, May 22, 2023 "Eyeing a future of waning oil demand and rising sales of electric cars, Exxon Mobil is set to begin mining lithium, a key ingredient in EV batteries. Exxon has bought drilling rights for a 120,000-acre swath of southern Arkansas that is estimated to contain enough lithium to supply 50 million electric vehicles, The Wall Street Journal reports. The $100 million investment, small for a company of Exxon’s size, does not signal a major strategy shift, but it does reflect a rapidly changing market in which EVs increasingly displace gas-powered cars. In its latest energy outlook, Exxon projects that fuel demand from light-duty vehicles will peak around 2025 and that, by 2050, EVs will account for more than half of all new car sales. Oil majors are bracing for the shift. Some, like BP and Shell, are betting on renewable energy. Others are focusing on extraction. Occidental Petroleum is investing in technology for drawing up underground lithium. Exxon could begin mining lithium in the next few months, the Journal reports." More and related hot links here: https://news.yahoo.com/peak-oil-looms-exxon-wades-131400404.html

Great goals, wonderful post but no one is sure who actually wrote it. I asked a friend who has crossed 70 & is heading towards 80 what sort of changes he is feeling in himself? He sent me the following: 1. After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children and my friends, I have now started loving myself. 2. I have realized that I am not “Atlas”. The world does not rest on my shoulders. 3. I have stopped bargaining with vegetable & fruit vendors. A few pennies more is not going to break me, but it might help the poor fellow save for his daughter’s school fees. 4. I leave my waitress a big tip. The extra money might bring a smile to her face. She is toiling much harder for a living than I am. 5. I stopped telling the elderly that they've already narrated that story many times. The story makes them walk down memory lane & relive their past. 6. I have learned not to correct people even when I know they are wrong. The onus of making everyone perfect is not on me. Peace is more precious than perfection. 7. I give compliments freely & generously. Compliments are a mood enhancer not only for the recipient, but also for me. And a small tip for the recipient of a compliment, never, NEVER turn it down, just say "Thank You.” 8. I have learned not to bother about a crease or a spot on my shirt. Personality speaks louder than appearances. 9. I walk away from people who don't value me. They might not know my worth, but I do. 10. I remain cool when someone plays dirty to outrun me in the rat race. I am not a rat & neither am I in any race. 11. I am learning not to be embarrassed by my emotions. It’s my emotions that make me human. 12. I have learned that it's better to drop the ego than to break a relationship. My ego will keep me aloof, whereas with relationships, I will never be alone. 13. I have learned to live each day as if it's the last. After all, it might be the last. 14. I am doing what makes me happy. I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to myself. Happiness is a choice. You can be happy at any time, just choose to be! I decided to share this for all my friends. Why do we have to wait to be 60 or 70 or 80, why can't we practice this at any stage and age? I borrowed this. I don't know who to credit it to, but thank you!

Franco did you ever figure it out?