A step closer to wireless charging

Tesla had acquired several companies that specialized in wireless charging technology, but that seemed to lead nowhere…

Until this week, when they filed a patent on wireless charging technology. And they have shown how it would work with specific cars. Which would seem to indicate this is how the robotaxis would stay charged while on the road. 

This could be an amazing breakthrough, and I might be a little more enthusiastic if it weren't involving Elon musk. 

But in any case, I'm excited about the evolutionary step that's about to happen. 

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1144426_tesla-wireless-charging-system-patent

Election-related videos

Under the headline "doing what I can to help,"  I decided to produce some short videos about the election, and more specifically why to vote for Kamala - and why not to vote for the orange menace.

They are being posted regularly to TikTok here 

https://www.tiktok.com/@lostandfoundwdw

And they can all be found in a playlist on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP3oqLLQjcQ&list=PL2P9RQmz1CVMXc3gilWwaKJfSGzyYjTl3

Feel free to watch, share, or ignore (if that's your thing!) 

A refresher on trumps collusion with Russia

This is a look back at the disinformation campaign - and the subversion of the 2016 election. 

Think it couldn't happen again? Think again. 

https://link.motherjones.com/public/34415116

Specialty license plates in Florida

Among the (very many) specialty license plates that are available in Florida, there is one that is Disney World related. 

But the thing is that specialty plates have a special designation, and proceeds from them must benefit a charity.  Disney World worked with the Make-A-Wish foundation, and donates the proceeds there.

They just announced that they reached a milestone in these donations.

The $3 million raised has helped send more than 300 Florida families on unforgettable wish trips, bringing them happiness and hope when it's needed most. Here's what one mom shared with us after her daughter's wish to visit Walt Disney World was granted:

 

"Disney has always represented magical moments for our family and when Vyla's wish was granted, it was more than we could have dreamt of. I couldn't hold back the tears walking into the park because it was a moment we didn't know we would see. We are so grateful for Make-A-Wish, Disney and all of the people who made these moments possible for our family."

Black Trump supporter was called a slave…

There's a story about a black man who claims he was "all in" as a Trump supporter, and wanted to help promote the orange menace. 

Did I need to mention that he's in Flori-duh? I mean we are the seat of stupidity.

He started canvassing (going door to door to talk to people) and then complained about not getting paid and someone in the campaign called him a slave. And so he cried foul, and also talked about how they also asked him to bribe someone. 

I have SO MANY questions. 

Of course there's the headline. He was derided - or at least he took it that way. And that's really all that matters. The campaign seems to have two views: the one that says the person was wrong to say it and the one that buries its head in the sand. 

What century is this again? Why would this even ever come up? 

But to me, there are a couple of deeper issues that came out. 

I know people canvassing for Harris. They do it because they believe in the cause. The Trump campaign is paying people to do the same? Huh? Could that be at least part of the reason he decided to join the team? There's a lot of legal fuzziness around the payments as well. A separate company is contracted to employ people and they have some weirdness going on. 

Then, a spokesman said something about how they track the canvassers, and they can see which houses they went to. That seems much less like a political movement, especially something "grassroots" doesn't it?

How does that work? And who pays for the technology?

And then there's the matter of bribe. Is anyone actually looking into this? Who was being bribed? And why? There's something weird going on there, too. And something about having a black man who was hired as a canvasser setup payments for something seems amiss. There's got to be more to this story. 

https://atlantablackstar.com/2024/08/29/black-trump-supporter-says-he-was-called-a-slave-by-the-conservative-organization-he-was-campaigning-for/

Can you pass the citizenship test - answers

1. c: The printed copies distributed to state delegations and others originally bore just two signatures: those of Congress President John Hancock and Secretary Charles Thomson. The parchment copy most Americans know and revere wasn't engrossed until the following month, and some delegates never signed it.

2. b: The seven red stripes represent valor and "hardiness"; the six white stripes stand for purity and innocence.

3. d: James Madison, often called the "Father of the Constitution," initially opposed having an addendum to the document. But some states held off ratification until a "bill of rights" was added.

4. b: Madison's initial draft of the First Amendment did not include freedom of worship. It read: "The people shall not be deprived or abridged of their right to speak, to write, or to publish their sentiments; and the freedom of the press, as one of the great bulwarks of liberty, shall be inviolable."

5. a: That number was first adopted in 1911. The House temporarily added two more seats following the admissions of Alaska and Hawaii as states in 1959.

6. d: Although George Washington was born in Virginia, the first president could have been foreign-born, so long as he was a U.S. citizen "at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution ..." Martin van Buren was the first president born after the United States broke away from Britain.

7. d: The framers hoped that staggered terms would promote stability and prevent senators from combining for "sinister purposes."

8. a: Before 1951 and the ratification of the 22nd Amendment, presidents could theoretically serve unlimited terms. Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected four times but died in office, is the only chief executive to have served more than two terms.

9. b: Congress controls taxing and establishes an annual budget.

10. c: Those three words are the beginning of the preamble. That differs from the Articles of Confederation, adopted in November 1777, which focused on the sovereignty of the states.

Could you pass a citizenship test?

Immigrants seeking to become United States citizens have to show a working knowledge of the nation's history and how the federal government functions. And they don't get multiple choices.

Could YOU pass even a dumbed-down citizenship test? Let's find out!

1. When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

a. July 4, 1775

b. Christmas, 1782

c. July 4, 1776

d. Oct. 19, 1781

2. What do the stripes on the U.S. flag stand for?

a. They hearken back to the British flag

b. The 13 original colonies

c. The blood shed in the American Revolution

d. No one knows for sure

3. How many amendments make up the Bill of Rights?

a. Five

b. Twenty

c. Thirteen

d. Ten

4. Name one right guaranteed by the First Amendment

a. The right to bear arms

b. Freedom of assembly

c. The right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

d. The right to privacy

5. How many members are there in the House of Representatives?

a. 435

b. 438

c. 450

d. It fluctuates

6. Which of these is NOT a requirement to be president of the United States?

a. Must be a natural-born citizen

b. Must be at least 35 years old

c. Must have lived at least 14 years in the U.S.

d. Must own property in the U.S.

7. How long do Senators serve?

a. Four years

b. Two years

c. Eight years

d. Six years

8. How many full terms can a president serve?

a. Two

b. Unlimited

c. Three

d. Four

9. Which branch of the federal government controls spending?

a. Executive

b. Legislative

c. Judiciary

d. The Internal Revenue Service

10. What are the first words of the preamble to the U.S. Constitution?

a. "We hold these truths to be self-evident ..."

b. "Four score and seven years ago ..."

c. "We the people ..."

d. "When in the course of human events ..."

— this is from 6ABC.com