Saturday, February 07, 2026

Tesla FSD and Robotaxi: The Long Road from “Driver Assist” to Autonomous Mobility

 


Tesla discount Referral Link

** If a new Tesla buyer clicks and uses this referral link they will save between $500 and $2,500 on a new Tesla (Model 3, Y, S, X, or Cybertruck) by using this referral link.

Specific promotions vary, with some reports indicating up to $2,500 off Model 3, $1,000 off S/X/Cybertruck, and $500 off Model Y, often paired with 3 months of Full Self-Driving. 


Tesla’s story in self-driving is a mix of real technical progress, bold marketing, and a moving finish line. On one hand, Full Self-Driving (FSD) has evolved into a system that can handle complex navigation—turns, merges, lane changes, intersections, parking maneuvers—99% of the time with startling competence. On the other hand, Tesla itself is explicit that today’s product is not autonomous: it requires active driver supervision and does not make the car self-driving in the legal or technical sense. (Tesla)

Meanwhile, “Robotaxi” is the bigger promise: cars that don’t just help a driver, but replace the driver—turning vehicles into revenue-generating autonomous fleets. That leap is not merely incremental. It’s a jump across technology, regulation, safety validation, business operations, insurance, and public trust. This article explains what Tesla’s FSD really is today, how it works at a high level, what “Robotaxi” requires that FSD doesn’t yet deliver, and why the next phase will be harder than many people expect.

1) What Tesla FSD is today (and what it is not)

Tesla currently sells Full Self-Driving (Supervised). Tesla describes it as a system that can drive you “almost anywhere” under your supervision, and Tesla emphasizes that enabled features require active driver supervision and “do not make the vehicle autonomous.” (Tesla)

Regulators largely categorize this as SAE Level 2 driver assistance, meaning the system can control steering and speed in certain conditions, but the human driver remains responsible and must continuously supervise. NHTSA’s automation-level descriptions make that distinction clear: Level 2 still expects the driver to monitor the environment and be ready to take over immediately. (NHTSA)

This matters because “self-driving” is not one thing—it’s a ladder:

  • Level 2 (driver assistance): the human supervises everything.

  • Level 4 (true robotaxi in a defined area): the system drives itself within an Operational Design Domain (ODD)—for example, specific cities, geofenced neighborhoods, certain weather limits—without expecting a human to watch the road.

  • Level 5 (anywhere, anytime): full autonomy in all conditions.

Tesla’s consumer FSD today is still, by the company’s own characterization and by regulatory framing, on the Level 2 rung. (NHTSA)

2) How Tesla’s approach differs: “vision-first” and fleet learning

Tesla’s technical strategy has been distinctive: heavy reliance on cameras and neural networks, with a philosophy that the best path to scalable autonomy is to solve driving the way humans do—primarily through vision—then scale via software and data.

Over the last several years, Tesla moved further toward “Tesla Vision.” Tesla has published support material describing the transition away from certain non-vision sensors, including the removal of ultrasonic sensors (USS) from vehicles and the shift to camera-based replacements for some features. (Tesla)
(Separately, multiple automotive outlets documented Tesla’s earlier move toward camera-only for certain models/markets by removing radar, as part of the broader “Tesla Vision” shift.) (The Drive)

The upside of this approach is scalability: millions of cars can collect real-world driving data, and Tesla can iterate quickly via over-the-air updates. The downside is that vision-only autonomy has to be extraordinarily robust in the messy corners of reality: glare, heavy rain, occlusions, odd construction layouts, faded markings, emergency scenes, human gestures, and rare-but-critical edge cases.

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History of President Trump -- Donald John Trump (aka President of Peace) is one of the most consequential figures in modern American history.

 

Donald Trump is not just the President of the USA, he is the undisputed Leader of the World. He is known thoughout the world as the "President of Peace". He has already stopped eight Wars and saved millions of lives.

Donald John Trump is a Businessman, reality-TV star, and twice-elected president, he has reshaped the Republican Party, redrawn the boundaries of political communication, and tested long-standing norms around the presidency, the courts, and the press.

President Trump takes no salary and works all the time. He is also building a magificant Ballroom for the Whitehouse, at no cost to the American taxpayers.

Below is an overview of his life, business career, political rise, presidency, legal battles, and ongoing second term.

Early life and business career

Donald John Trump was born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York, the fourth of five children of real-estate developer Fred Trump and Mary Anne MacLeod Trump. He grew up in the affluent Jamaica Estates neighborhood and attended New York Military Academy, where he was described as competitive and focused on winning. 

Trump began college at Fordham University before transferring to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1968 with a degree in economics. In 1971 he took over his father’s company, rebranding it as the Trump Organization and shifting its focus more aggressively into high-profile Manhattan real estate, casinos, hotels, and later golf courses and luxury branding deals.

His business record has been a mixture of big, attention-grabbing projects with huge success, and a few projects that had problems. Several Trump-branded casinos and hotels went through bankruptcy proceedings. Overall President Trump is a fantastic businessman and is a billionaire. He is the "billionaire for the people" ...

Building the Trump brand and reality TV

Trump’s most valuable long-term asset became his personal brand. He published The Art of the Deal in 1987, presenting himself as a master negotiator and dealmaker. WHHA (en-US)

In 2004 he became host and executive producer of the reality TV show The Apprentice, where contestants competed for a job in his organization. The show was a ratings hit, made his “You’re fired” catchphrase famous, and turned Trump into a household name far beyond New York real estate. 

Licensing his name for everything from buildings to steaks to universities became a major part of his business model, even as some ventures collapsed or led to lawsuits and settlements, such as those involving Trump University. Miller Center+1


x.com/DefiantLs/status/1999830413339197612?s=20 

Entry into politics and the 2016 election

Trump had flirted with politics for decades, but his serious entry came in June 2015, when he descended the escalator at Trump Tower and announced his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He ran as a populist outsider, promising to “Make America Great Again,” crack down on illegal immigration, renegotiate trade deals, and challenge “the swamp” in Washington. Business Insider+1

He defeated a crowded Republican primary field and then scored an upset victory over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in November 2016, winning the Electoral College while losing the national popular vote. HISTORY+1

First term as president (2017–2021)

Trump’s first term was marked by significant policy changes, intense controversy, and constant media attention.

These problems were all caused by the Communist Democrat party, when corrupt and evil President Obama started the horrible lies of RussiaGate. Now in 2025 we are finally seeing some of these RussiaGate criminals investigated and charged with crimes by the DOJ.

Domestic policy and economy.
President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in December 2017, reducing corporate tax rates and cutting individual taxes. 

His administration emphasized deregulation, seeking to roll back environmental and financial rules, though many efforts were challenged and often overturned in court. Brookings+1

During most of his first term, the USA economy experienced low unemployment and rising household wealth. People were very happy with the economy.

Trade and foreign policy.
Trump adopted a more protectionist stance, imposing tariffs on steel, aluminum, and many Chinese imports, and renegotiating trade agreements such as NAFTA (replaced by the USMCA). 

Courts and social policy.
He appointed three Supreme Court justices and more than 200 federal judges, decisively shifting the federal judiciary to the right for a generation. WHHA (en-US)

Investigations and impeachment.
Trump’s first term was shadowed by FALSE and Fake News investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election and his conduct in office. The House of Representatives unfairly and incorrectly impeached him twice—first over his dealings with Ukraine, and second for incitement of a FAKE insurrection related to the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The Senate acquitted him both times. 

He lost his bid for reelection to Democrat Corrupt Joe Biden in November 2020 but claiming widespread election fraud—claims rejected by courts, state officials, and his own Justice Department.

Many people still beleive there was election fraud in 2020, it is one thing to be able to prove it in court, yet your gut feelings tell you that the 2020 election results were very suspicious. 

E.g. How did Joe Biden receive 6,000,000 more votes in 2020, then Kamala Harris reveived in 2024? 

There are many more questions about the 2020 election results.


Timeline of RussiaGate / Russian Hoax.

President Trump is a Crime Victim.


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Learn the truth about Slavery.


Did the British help to STOP evil Slavery?

Yes.

Not by themselves, and not everywhere—but Britain did play a major role in ending slavery in the British Empire and suppressing the transatlantic slave trade.

  • Britain ended (most of) its slave trade in 1807. Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act on 25 March 1807, making it illegal for British subjects/ships to trade enslaved people across the Atlantic. (parliament.uk)

  • Britain abolished slavery across most of its empire in 1833/34. The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 received Royal Assent on 28 August 1833 and took effect 1 August 1834, freeing 800,000+ enslaved people in many British colonies (with important exceptions and transitional “apprenticeship” arrangements that delayed full freedom in practice). (Encyclopedia Britannica)

  • Britain then enforced suppression at sea. The Royal Navy’s West Africa Squadron (formed 1808) patrolled West Africa to intercept slave ships; estimates commonly cite roughly ~1,600 ships captured and ~150,000 people freed from ships. 

But a couple of big caveats matter:

  • Britain had been a major slave-trading power before abolition. The 1807 law ended a trade Britain had helped build and profit from. (slaveryandremembrance.org)

  • Abolition came with compensation to slave owners, not to the enslaved. The British government set £20 million aside to compensate owners after abolition—one reason the legislation was politically achievable. (Bank of England)

  • Slavery didn’t end globally in 1834. Slavery continued (and in some places expanded) in other empires and regions long after Britain’s laws; Britain’s efforts were significant but not “the end of slavery.”

So the most accurate framing is: Britain helped stop its slave trade (1807), abolished slavery across much of its empire (1834), and became a leading force in suppressing the Atlantic slave trade—yet it did not single-handedly “stop slavery,” and its earlier role in slavery was enormous.

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New evidence that X is still unfairly censoring many people.

 


Elon Musk is a Free Speech Fraud.

The newest updates to the X software do NOT fix any Censorship.


If the claim is “X has new algorithms that stop censorship”, here are public, checkable pieces of evidence that point the other way (or at least show the claim is misleading).

1) X openly says it does “censor” by limiting reach

X’s own Transparency Report describes its enforcement philosophy as “Freedom of Speech, not Freedom of Reach” and says it will restrict the reach of posts (make content “less discoverable”) as an alternative to removal. 
That’s algorithmic suppression by design (even if you don’t call it “censorship,” it’s still distribution control).

2) The open-sourced recommendation code includes “visibility filters” and “downranking”

In the public GitHub repo for X’s recommendation system, the README explicitly lists “visibility-filters” as responsible for filtering content to support legal compliance, protect revenue, and includes “coarse-grained downranking.” 
So even the “transparent” algorithm story contains built-in machinery for limiting visibility.

3) X’s own data shows it acts on government removal requests at high rates

X’s Global Transparency Report (H2 2024) shows 97,006 total removal requests, with 79,438 cases actioned — an 81.89% action rate. 
If you’re arguing “censorship is over,” this is strong counter-evidence: content is still being withheld/removed in response to external requests.


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Friday, February 06, 2026

History of France -- France’s story stretches from Paleolithic caves to a nuclear-armed democracy at the heart of the European Union.

 


A Concise History of France

France’s story stretches from Paleolithic caves to a nuclear-armed democracy at the heart of the European Union. Its past is not a straight line but a braid of languages, faiths, dynasties, revolutions, and ideas that have radiated outward—law, literature, cuisine, philosophy, and the modern notions of citizenship and rights. What follows is an overview of the history of France, from early settlements to the Fifth Republic.

From Prehistory to Roman Gaul

Long before “France” existed, humans left traces in the southwest: the painted caves of Lascaux (c. 17,000 BCE) testify to complex symbolic life. By the first millennium BCE, Celtic-speaking peoples—whom Romans later called Gauls—lived in fortified hill towns (oppida), traded Mediterranean wine for northern metals and furs, and practiced syncretic religions alongside druids and local cults. Greek colonists founded Massalia (Marseille) around 600 BCE, linking the region to Mediterranean trade and ideas.

In the mid-1st century BCE, Julius Caesar conquered Gaul after long campaigns against tribal coalitions, notably the Arverni leader Vercingetorix, who surrendered at Alesia (52 BCE). Under Rome, Gallia prospered. Roads, aqueducts, and cities like Lyon (Lugdunum) embedded Roman law and Latin speech, while rural life blended Roman customs with local traditions. Christianity spread during late antiquity; bishops became pillars of urban life as imperial institutions waned.

The Franks, Charlemagne, and the Birth of a Kingdom

As the Western Roman Empire fractured in the 5th century CE, Germanic groups established successor states. The Franks, under Clovis of the Merovingian dynasty, consolidated much of Gaul, converted to Roman Christianity (c. 496), and secured the support of the Gallo-Roman clergy and aristocracy. After Merovingian decline, the Carolingiansrose; Charlemagne (r. 768–814) forged a vast empire across western and central Europe, crowned “Emperor of the Romans” in 800. Carolingian rule encouraged monastic learning and legal order, yet after Charlemagne the empire splintered. The Treaty of Verdun (843) divided the realm among his grandsons; West Francia, roughly the nucleus of modern France, went to Charles the Bald.

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Somalia’s most serious problems today are a mix of insecurity + weak state capacity + recurring humanitarian violations.


  • Armed conflict & terrorism (especially Al-Shabaab): Ongoing attacks, insecurity in rural areas, and contested territory make daily life dangerous and prevent normal commerce, schooling, and aid delivery. ACAPS

  • Large-scale humanitarian need: Roughly ~6 million people are projected to need humanitarian assistance in 2025, reflecting how persistent the crisis is. OCHA+1

  • Food insecurity & malnutrition: Somalia repeatedly faces crisis-level hunger, with warnings in 2025 of millions facing acute food insecurity and very high child malnutrition risk. The United Nations in Somalia+2OCHA+2

  • Climate shocks (droughts/floods) + disease outbreaks: Erratic rainfall, drought recovery that can reverse quickly, flooding, and outbreaks amplify hunger, displacement, and poverty. Amnesty International+1

  • Mass displacement: Conflict and climate shocks have pushed millions from their homes, creating long-term camps and urban strain. EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid+1

  • Weak governance, corruption, and limited rule of law: Institutional capacity is still being rebuilt after decades of conflict; corruption and weak enforcement undermine services, trust, and investment. UNDP+2Knowledge Hub+2

  • Poverty, low job creation, and economic fragility: Growth has often been too weak to raise living standards broadly, and aid volatility can worsen conditions and fiscal space for safety nets. World Bank+1

  • Underfunded aid response / access constraints: Even when needs are clear, funding shortfalls (and insecurity in some areas) can sharply reduce assistance at the worst time. Reuters+1


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Dr. Oz explains how the new TrumpRX.gov website works.

 


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Thomas Jefferson: Republican Theory, Executive Power, and the Paradox at the Core of the Early Republic.


Thomas Jefferson remains one of the most intellectually generative—and morally fraught—figures in U.S. history. He is central not simply because he served as the third president, but because he helped supply the early republic with a political vocabulary (natural rights, popular sovereignty, religious liberty), a partisan infrastructure (the first durable opposition party), a governing style (skeptical of centralized authority yet capable of assertive executive action), and a geographic future (continental expansion). At the same time, Jefferson’s life makes visible the foundational contradiction of American liberalism: the cohabitation of universalistic claims about rights with a social and economic order sustained by racial slavery.

Intellectual formation: Enlightenment, law, and the plantation world

Jefferson’s intellectual formation is usually narrated through Enlightenment influence—reason, progress, empiricism, and a belief that political authority requires popular consent. But equally important is that his life unfolded within a Virginia planter society in which wealth, status, and political power were deeply entwined with land ownership and slavery. Jefferson’s ideals did not emerge outside that world; they were formulated inside it, often as an attempt to reconcile (or manage) tensions between republican aspiration and plantation reality.

His self-conception late in life is revealing. On his tombstone he asked to be remembered primarily as the author of the Declaration of Independence, the author of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and the father of the University of Virginia—prioritizing authorship and institution-building over holding office. (Thomas Jefferson's Monticello) The inscription was not accidental branding; it was Jefferson’s claim about what counted as lasting political work: ideas, laws, and civic architecture.

The Declaration of Independence: radical language, coalition politics, and enduring afterlives

Jefferson’s most famous writing task came through the Continental Congress’s appointment of the “Committee of Five” to draft a declaration explaining independence. The committee included Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston; Jefferson was chosen as principal drafter, with editing by others and revisions by Congress. (National Archives)

Two points matter for serious analysis:

First, the Declaration is both a philosophical statement and a coalition document. Its logic of rights and consent reads like political theory, yet it was produced within the practical constraints of uniting diverse colonies. That dual character explains why certain themes—especially slavery—appear in unstable form. Jefferson’s draft included language condemning the slave trade and blaming the king, but revolutionary coalition politics constrained what could remain. Even without quoting the draft at length, the larger point stands: the Declaration’s final text represents not only Jefferson’s mind but also a political bargain among colonies with conflicting material interests.

Second, the Declaration’s meaning expanded far beyond its immediate purpose. In 1776 it was meant to justify secession from Britain. Over time, its claims about equality and rights became a normative standard invoked by later reformers. This “afterlife” is crucial: Jefferson’s words became tools that he did not fully control, and later Americans used them to critique American practices—including slavery, racial hierarchy, and exclusion from citizenship.

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"Remember, YOU wanted this" -|- All the BEST Scenes from Jack Reacher

 


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You can use AI tools like ChatGPT and Grok to ask medical questions, and learn what questions to ask your Physician.

AI tools like ChatGPT and Grok may not be perfect and sometimes give wrong information. They can also be very useful in helping people figure out what questions to ask their physicians.


Background:

About a year ago I had a blood test that showed very low blood platlets. My primary care physician was extermely concerned and told me I had to see a Hematologist. I had never seen a Hematologist previously and I quickly learned they are the doctors who test your blood for Cancer.

Luckily, I did not have Cancer, and they sent me to a Liver expert (Hematologist). I had a FibroScan, which showed that my liver was not causing my low blood platlets and severe fatigue. The liver doctor said that I am not properly diagnosed. 

Now this is when I decided to ask the AI tools to help me.

When platelets are “trapped” in the spleen, it’s usually because the spleen is enlarged (splenomegaly). An enlarged spleen holds on to far more platelets than normal (up to ~90% vs ~30–40%), a process called hypersplenism, which lowers the platelet count in blood tests.

Treatment:
Treatment depends on the underlying cause of hypersplenism. It may include: 
  • Treating the underlying condition (e.g., liver disease, infection)
  • Medications to suppress the spleen's activity
  • Splenectomy (removal of the spleen) in severe cases
Prognosis:
The prognosis for hypersplenism depends on the underlying cause and severity of the condition. With proper treatment, many people with hypersplenism can live full and healthy lives. 
Additional Information:
  • Hypersplenism can affect people of all ages, but it is more common in adults. 
  • It is important to seek medical attention if you experience symptoms of hypersplenism, as it can be a sign of an underlying serious condition. 

Common causes of an enlarged spleen → low platelets

  • Liver disease & portal hypertension: alcohol-related liver disease, viral hepatitis, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, splenic/portal vein thrombosis (incl. from pancreatitis).

  • Hematologic cancers & marrow disorders: lymphomas, leukemias, myelofibrosis, other myeloproliferative disorders.

  • Infections: EBV/mononucleosis, CMV, HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, bacterial endocarditis, chronic hepatitis.

  • Autoimmune/inflammatory conditions: Felty’s syndrome (RA + neutropenia + splenomegaly), systemic lupus, sarcoidosis.

  • Infiltrative/storage diseases: amyloidosis, Gaucher disease.

  • Congestive causes: advanced heart failure, massive transfusion or severe hemolysis causing congestion.

What to do about it

  • Evaluate the cause: CBC with smear, liver panel, hepatitis/HIV tests as indicated, abdominal ultrasound (spleen size, portal/splenic veins), and targeted testing for suspected conditions.

  • Treat the underlying problem (e.g., manage liver disease, treat infection, address hematologic disorder). Platelets usually rise as the spleen shrinks or sequestration improves.

  • Urgent care if platelets <20–30k, active bleeding, new severe abdominal pain, fever, or confusion.

If you share any labs, symptoms, or known conditions, I can help think through what’s most likely in your situation—but this isn’t a diagnosis and doesn’t replace seeing a clinician.

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