Daily Thoughts 05/23/2015

Bowl and Book, Juan Gris, 1926-1927
 
Daily Thoughts 05/23/2015

I checked the library Twitter and Facebook.  I also did a little work on preparing my new book order for next week.

I have been reading more of Elon Musk.  I am reading about the rivalry between Blue Origin which is run by Jeff Bezos and SpaceX which is run by Elon Musk.  Blue Origin tries to regularly hire away people from SpaceX.  Elon Musk is not a fan of Amazon.com.

I watched New York Underground The American Experience which was a dvd about building the subway system in New York city.

I have been reading a little more of Elon Musk. I am reading about Tesla and how it started out with a focus on taking advantage of lithium ion batteries and sportscar technology.  Right now, I am reading about the Model S sedan http://www.teslamotors.com/models which has won numerous industry awards.  Creating the Model S led to partnerships with Toyota and Mercedes Benz. The Model S is the first car with a commercial autopilot. The next car which Tesla is working on is the Model X which is a SUV.

I finished reading Elon Musk, Tesla, Space X and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance.   There are three companies which Elon Musk runs, Tesla, SpaceX, and Solarcity.  Solarcity is not as much of a flight of fancy.  It is rooted in home energy storage and leasing solar power to business and homes.  The advantage which Solarcity has is that with a lease on solar power, the month to month charge is less than the utility bill from the grid.  This is especially true in California and Hawaii where there is a lot of sun.  The common thread in the companies he runs is that they are all future oriented, and tied together as high technology companies. 

This book tells the story of a driven entrepreneur with a positive vision for the future who pushes hard to realize his goals.

I started reading Prudence, the Custard Protocol Book One by Gail Carriger.  It is a mix of silliness with vampires, werewolves, steampunk, and Victorian etiquette.


Web Bits

May 23, 1911: The New York Public Library Opens on 42nd Street

http://www.thenation.com/blog/207937/may-23-1911-new-york-public-library-opens-42nd-street

Library's Closing Reveals Fading Carnegie Legacy, Hopeful Future

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-aurora-carnegie-library-closing-met-20150523-story.html#page=1