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Weather: Sunny. Highs in the lower 70s. Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s.
- Daily weather briefing from the National Weather Service in Jacksonville here.
- Drought conditions here. (What is the Keetch-Byram drought index?).
- Check today’s tides in Daytona Beach (a few minutes off from Flagler Beach) here.
- Tropical cyclone activity here, and even more details here.
Today at a Glance:
Palm Coast Farmers’ Market at European Village: The city’s only farmers’ market is open every Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at European Village, 101 Palm Harbor Pkwy, Palm Coast. With fruit, veggies, other goodies and live music. For Vendor Information email [email protected]
ESL Bible Studies for Intermediate and Advanced Students: 9:30 to 10:25 a.m. at Grace Presbyterian Church, 1225 Royal Palms Parkway, Palm Coast. Improve your English skills while studying the Bible. This study is geared toward intermediate and advanced level English Language Learners.
‘The Country Girl’ at City Repertory Theatre: CRT features “The Country Girl” by Clifford Odet as a staged reading at 7:30 p.m. Thursday Dec. 5, Friday Dec. 6 and Saturday Dec. 7, and at 3 p.m. Sunday Dec. 8. Performances will be in CRT’s black box theater at City Marketplace, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B207, Palm Coast. Tickets are $25 adults and $15 students, available online at crtpalmcoast.com or by calling 386-585-9415. Tickets also will be available at the venue just before curtain time. Odets’s play tells the story of Frank Elgin, a once-lauded actor who’s become mired in booze even as he’s hoping to return to his past glory, while his ever-faithful wife, Georgie, struggles to keep him from tumbling into an alcoholic abyss. CRT is staging some of its leading stars and veterans, including Director John Sbordone. See Rick de Yampert’s preview, “Addiction v. Redemption in City Repertory Theatre’s Production of Clifford Odets’s ‘Country Girl‘”
Rotary’s Fantasy Lights Festival in Palm Coast’s Town Center: Nightly from 6 to 9 p.m. at Palm Coast’s Central Park, with 55 lighted displays you can enjoy with a leisurely stroll around the pond in the park. Admission to Fantasy Lights is free, but donations to support Rotary’s service work are gladly accepted. Holiday music will pipe through the speaker system throughout the park, Santa’s Village, which has several elf houses for the kids to explore, will be open, with Santa’s Merry Train Ride nightly (weather permitting), and Santa will be there every Sunday night until Christmas, plus snow on weekends! On certain nights, live musical performances will be held on the stage.
Handel’s Messiah the Music Ministry and Concert Series of Palm Coast United Methodist Church will present the Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah, concluding with the Hallelujah Chorus. With professional soloists, a large Festival Chorus, accompanied by an orchestra, this concert is free and open to all. The performers will be accompanied by the Chamber Players of Palm Coast, directed by Paige Dashner Long. Please invite family and friends as well as pass this info onto anyone interested. Palm Coast United Methodist Church’s new location is at 6500 Belle Terre Pkwy.
A Christmas Carol at Athens Theatre, 124 North Florida Avenue, DeLand, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Adult $30, Senior $28, Student/Child $12; Groups of 8 or more, $25 per ticket. A $5 per ticket processing charge is added to all purchases. As the historic Athens Theatre does not have an elevator, the balcony is not accessible to anyone with a wheelchair or walker. Get ready to unwrap the true spirit of the holidays in an unforgettable experience with A Christmas Carol, a musical adorned with original enchanting melodies by the maestro Milton Granger and performed by a live band. This festive explosion of joy and redemption promises to transport you into the heart of Dickens’ timeless tale. With a live band providing the soul-stirring soundtrack, this production transforms into a captivating celebration of the season, weaving together the magic of music and the power of Dickens’ iconic story. Join the festivities as you embark on Scrooge’s transformative journey.
Grace Community Food Pantry, 245 Education Way, Bunnell, drive-thru open today from noon to 3 p.m. The food pantry is organized by Pastor Charles Silano and Grace Community Food Pantry, a Disaster Relief Agency in Flagler County. Feeding Northeast Florida helps local children and families, seniors and active and retired military members who struggle to put food on the table. Working with local grocery stores, manufacturers, and farms we rescue high-quality food that would normally be wasted and transform it into meals for those in need. The Flagler County School District provides space for much of the food pantry storage and operations. Call 386-586-2653 to help, volunteer or donate.
Al-Anon Family Groups: Help and hope for families and friends of alcoholics. Meetings are every Sunday at Silver Dollar II Club, Suite 707, 2729 E Moody Blvd., Bunnell, and on zoom. More local meetings available and online too. Call 904-315-0233 or see the list of Flagler, Volusia, Putnam and St. Johns County meetings here.
Notably: A friend writes in response to yesterday’s Notably: I should have noted the exact date but it was sometime no later than late 2001 when my daily drive up US 1 to St. Augustine was increasingly littered with the American flags fallen from commuters’ rain gutters. That was when I suspected that “Never forget” was changing to “Remember when your politicians remind you for their own benefit.” I realize that is overly cynical, even for me. We still had pointless wars to fight and countless 9/11 memorials to dedicate. And we still, as a people, have no better idea of why the people who carried out the attacks or cheered them hate us (“America? Why would anyone hate America? We …” fill in your own accomplishment). Considering the US stopped winning “real” wars in 1945, you’d think some answers would have sunk in by now. Regardless of the actual time remaining on my personal clock, I am sure nothing will have changed in that regard before I journey to the bard’s undiscovered country. If the last election proved anything, it proved that.” On a not entirely unrelated note, this meme feels about right:
—P.T.
Now this: Michael Sandel on What Trump’s Win Says About American Society:
| In Coming Days: December 14: Palm Coast's Starlight Parade in Town Center is scheduled for 6 p.m. Dec. 14 in Central Park, this year capping off the city's 25th anniversary celebrations. This festive parade will be a celebration of community traditions, featuring numerous community partners. Enjoy a delightful evening with food, entertainment, and fun for all ages. Don’t miss this opportunity to come together and honor the vibrant spirit of Palm Coast. Be part of this magical event and celebrate our community in style! Santa will arrive on a Palm Coast Fire Engine! There will be food trucks, Letters to Santa station, face painting, and kids crafts. |
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The Live Calendar is a compendium of local and regional political, civic and cultural events. You can input your own calendar events directly onto the site as you wish them to appear (pending approval of course). To include your event in the Live Calendar, please fill out this form.
Separation Chat: Open Discussion
The Circle of Light A Course in Miracles Study Group
Weekly Chess Club for Teens, Ages 9-18, at the Flagler County Public Library
Rotary’s Fantasy Lights Festival in Palm Coast’s Town Center
A Christmas Carol at Athens Theatre
Flagler County Drug Court Convenes
Palm Coast Democratic Club Meeting
Model Yacht Club Races at the Pond in Palm Coast’s Town Center
Flagler Beach City Commission Meeting
Rotary’s Fantasy Lights Festival in Palm Coast’s Town Center
Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series
A Christmas Carol at Athens Theatre
For the full calendar, go here.
So then come discrepancies and gaps. They were warned in their training about the problem of dissonance. They were warned about what would happen with repeated exposure to this seamless earth. You will see, they were told, its fullness, its absence of borders except those between land and sea. You’ll see no countries, just a rolling indivisible globe which knows no possibility of separation, let alone war. And you’ll feel yourself pulled in two directions at once. Exhilaration, anxiety, rapture, depression, tenderness, anger, hope, despair. Because of course you know that war abounds and that borders are something that people will kill and die for. While up here there might be the small and distant rucking of land that tells of a mountain range and there might be a vein that suggests a great river, but that’s where it ends. There’s no wall or barrier – no tribes, no war or corruption or particular cause for fear.
—From Samantha Harvey’s Orbital (2023).
Tired says
Can we stop with the anti Trump nonsense!! He won move on!
Laurel says
Tired: No. As long as the stupid stuff continues, people will protest.
Sherry says
@tired. . . winning an election most certainly does not make a “Convicted Criminal and Sexual Abuser” above reproach! As long as trump continues in his unethical and immoral behavior, those of us who still in in “Factual Reality” will continue to point out and make fun of his massive character flaws and criminality. . . because, you see, we do NOT believe him to be an Emperor/King/Lord God All Mighty as you apparently do. Enjoy your delusions!
Ray W, says
During this morning’s Meet the Press segment, President-elect Trump spoke of potential deportation policies.
“[W]e’re starting with the criminals and we’ve got to do it. And then we’re starting with others, and we’re going to see how it goes.”
He suggested that families with mixed immigration status could be deported together as a family so as to limit separations.
He intends to end birthright citizenship, which is ensured by the 14th Amendment that says, “all persons born in the United States are citizens.” He added, “Well, we’re going to have to get it changed. We’ll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it. We’re the only country that has it, you know.”
As for the Dreamers who came to the U.S. at a young age, he said, “The Dreamers are going to come later, and we have to do something about the Dreamers because these are people that have been brought at a very young age. And many of these are middle-aged people now. … They don’t even speak the language of their country. And, yes, we’re going to do something about the Dreamers.”
Make of this what you will.
It strikes me that President-elect Trump’s vision is a lot more nuanced than he let on during the campaign.
He intends to first focus on felons this time around, which tracks Obama’s executive order strategy during his two terms in office. And his expression of sympathy for Dreamers tracks Biden’s expressions for them during his term.
The willingness to change the Constitution is somewhat unique. Who knows the coming commentary on this issue?
Something tells me that those who hoped for wholesale deportation of millions of immigrants might soon be disappointed.
Ray W, says
A couple of weeks ago, Business Insider reported on the intense price competition within the Chinese EV industry.
Here are some bullet points:
– Xpeng’s CEO commented to a reporter:
“From 300 start-ups, only 100 of them survived. Today, there are fewer than 50 companies that still exist, and only 40 of them are actually selling cars. … I personally think that there will be only seven major companies that will exist in the coming 10 years.”
– Tesla’s main EV rival, BYD, is not struggling like other Chinese EV makers. It’s third quarter earnings surpassed those of Tesla, with a profit of $1.6 billion, from record sales figures. According to the author, BYD makes almost every part and component in-house, which lowers build costs.
“‘BYD’s high degree of vertical integration — making rather than buying many key strategic components — means it can control production of batteries and chips and do so at very low cost’, David Baily, a professor of business economics at the University of Birmingham, told BI.”
– Xiaomi, China’ largest Smartphone maker, now makes EVs. Its number one selling “SU7” model, praised by Ford’s CEO, already crossed 100,000 units thus far this year, but the company continues to bleed money.
– Xpeng had record third quarter unit sales; it lost $250 million in this year’s third quarter.
– Zeekr made and delivered 55,000 units in the third quarter, up more than 50% from 2023’s third quarter; it too continues to lose money ($157 million), though less than last year.
– Nio’s losses increased year over year to $700 million in its third quarter, up 11% from last year, despite it setting a new quarterly delivery record of 61,800 units.
Make of this what you will.
Me?
I recall many articles detailing Tesla’s early struggles to turn a profit despite ever increasing output of EVs from its factories. Commenter after commenter wondered why Tesla stock retained so much value despite the losses.
Now we know. Tesla became profitable by being the first to dominate an emerging market sector and by continuing to innovate and grow, even though it no longer dominates the maturing field. Scaling up production often drastically cuts individual unit build costs.
In what may be a concession to reality, I understand that Tesla now buys many of its second-generation batteries from its partnership with China’s biggest battery-maker, CATL.
BYD is China’s second-largest battery maker.
It stands to reason that those Chinese companies that survive the winnowing will emerge with less competition and higher unit prices. BYD’s $10,000 Dolphin model, about the size of Chevy’s Spark, if it ever makes it to the U.S. market, will likely cost more than $10,000 per car to the American consumer. If BYD can make money at its current price points, imagine what it might make if it enters the American marketplace sans tariffs with no domestic competition?
There is a reason why the Biden administration recently imposed a 102.5% tariff on Chinese-made EVs. We are years behind the Chinese EV industry.
Ray W, says
A week after announcing the completion of its pilot battery assembly plant, a Honda executive held a press briefing to announce anticipated solid-state lithium-metal battery specifications, should certain limitations be overcome.
Here are a few bullet points from the briefing:
– Honda’s current pilot solid-state battery is one-hundredth the size of its expected final product, it needs to be scaled up to full size.
– The ceramic separators within the battery have a potential to crack during use.
– Dendrites can form in the putty-like electrolyte. An innovative roll-pressing technique to make an even and ultracompact electrolyte layer, per Honda, “achieves thin films at high speeds.” And a “continuous mixing method” permits making the electrolyte slurry three times faster than the conventional batch method of mixing the slurry.
– Climate-control issues inhering in each of the many different processes suggest that Honda’s factory will have separate modules or rooms for each process in order to simplify the manner of individually addressing temperature and humidity needs.
– Should Honda achieve its goals, “[o]ur all-solid-state battery will be a game changer in this EV era,” said Honda R&D president Keiji Otsu.
– By 2030, Honda expects to be mass manufacturing solid-state batteries with a 620-mile range that is safer to use, faster charging, 50% smaller, 35% lighter and 25% cheaper to manufacture than current liquid-state lithium-ion batteries.
– “After 2040, the goals are more ambitions. That range figure will be pushed even further to 776 miles, while the size, weight and cost will be even smaller,” wrote the reporter who attended the briefing.
Laurel says
Well, the bugs have not all been worked out on EVs. Will Musk, the richest man in the world with the President’s ear in the near future, dominate the market with charging stations favoring his market? Or, will Musk not care about it anymore and focus, instead, on getting to Mars? Will we need to follow his ego, as well as Trump’s, or simply get another gas car?
Right now, charging, and distance between charging stations, are factors that *drive* people away. A family member rented an EV and had to search, late at night, to find a charging station online, only to find it not working when she arrived. Not a good scenario, and one she will not repeat in the near future.
Another problem is the driver-less function. It has failed, and killed people. This will probably not be publicly accepted until all vehicles have the function, and talk to each other as drones do. I know I’m not interested.
EV trucks are currently, extremely unpopular.
Ray W, says
Washington State University researcher, working with counterparts with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory published a report detailing efforts to create a “nanoscale structure” that enables ions to travel 10 times faster through “mixed organic ion-electronic conductors.”
The breakthrough has potential to impact battery technology.
Per researchers: “A speed record has been broken using nanoscience, which could lead to a host of new advances, including improved battery charging, biosensing, soft robotics and neuromorphic computing.”
Mixed organic ion-electronic conductors “… combine the unique properties of both ionic and electronic conductivity.”
“These types of conductors hold a lot of potential because they allow movement of both ions and electrons at once, which is critical for battery charging and energy storage.”
The problem to be overcome was the slowing down of ions that had to go through a matrix, likened to a “rat’s nest.” Researchers mimicked ion channels found in cell membranes to engineer a nanometer-sized channel lined with hydrophilic (water-attracting) molecules. Ions, typically dissolved in water, form an electrolyte solution. Mimicking the hydrophilic lining of the channel bypasses the “rat’s nest”. The resulting “superhighway” allows ions to move up to 10 times faster than they do through water alone.
Researchers also developed the ability to chemically open or close the ion superhighway by lining the channel with hydrophobic, water repelling molecules.
According to the research team, “the next step is really to learn all the fundamental mechanisms of how to control this ion movement and bring this new phenomenon to technology in a variety of ways.”
Make of this what you will.
Me?
American researchers remain at the cutting edge of battery research.
The issue is whether American industry will continue to look backwards toward outdated ICE technology or whether American industry will look forward to an EV future that while still in its infancy currently matches or exceeds ICE capabilities.
Ford’s CEO says that Ford decided to enter the EV marketplace in 2018 and then spent four years ignoring what the Chinese were doing. He says that none of the Detroit 3 had a plan to counter Chinese EV gains. The result was that Ford produced expensive EV’s that lost $20k to $30k per unit sold. So, in 2022, Ford opened it eyes and decided to pivot to a new method of making EVs.
Ford’s CEO claims that EVs are today’s Model T. The original Model T upended the entire American car marketplace. Quality cars sold at a lesser price bankrupted numerous other American car companies.
To Ford’s CEO thinking, EVs are this generation’s game-changer. ICE technology over its 125-year history has now maxxed out. Battery technology is in its infancy. Every significant improvement in battery technology leaves ICE vehicles further behind in the rear-view mirror.
I am channeling Ford’s CEO’s vision of the automotive future. He says companies that delay the change to EVs risk extinction. BYD is profitable selling an EV the size of a Chevy Spark that has good built quality and a price of $10,000. According to Car & Driver magazine, the Spark’s MSRP is $14,595. The Spark lists at 46% higher than BYD’s Dolphin. In mere years, Chinese cars have captured 25% of Mexico’s new car market.
Biden’s 102.5% tariff on all Chinese EVs is meant to protect America’s car industry until it gets its collective head out of the sand.
Ray W, says
China’s largest battery manufacturer, CATL, is mass-producing a new battery series, called Tectrans, that is geared to the heavy-duty vehicle sector such as long-range commercial trucks and mining vehicles. More than 20 heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers are using the product, which can be swapped out to reduce vehicle downtime. CATL now holds a 30% market share of the worldwide electric construction machinery sector.
The base model Tectrans battery pack offers a range of 310 miles and can be recharged at peak capacity to 70% in 15 minutes.
The slower charging longer-life battery pack lasts up to 1.2 million miles at a capacity of 600 kWh.
Its longest lasting variant holds 1,000 kWh of stored energy and has a 500-mile range. CATL promises a 15-year lifespan, or about 3 million miles, before battery replacement.
A comparable diesel truck driven 125,000 miles per year for eight years has a higher operating cost by $130,000.
Make of this what you will.
Me?
If a battery-powered semi-truck can save an owner-operator $130,000 in operating costs over eight years, it bears consideration. If the battery pack has a 15-year lifespan, that is a bonus.