You Still Can't Afford an Electric Vehicle, But . . .

   Yes, it's true, it's true. I'm fully aware that the average price of an electric vehicle is $64,000, while the average for a gasoline car is, well, $48,000. (I'd say, "just $48,000," or "only $48,000" or "but $48,000," but those words are hardly appropriate when the price is that high. "Only a staggering $48,000" works, though.)

  But I need you to consider a few things. You won't need to change the oil, so no cost there. You won't have so many repairs since there are not so many moving parts, so time and money spent in the garage will be down. And, if you do the recharging at your home instead of relying on commercial rechargers, you are going to save a bundle from the fuel price of a gas car.

  Oh, and the government will give you a $7,500 tax credit, and some states offer price rebates. Take those off the sticker price and the average difference between N old-fashioned gas car and A new-fashioned EV is drastically reduced.

  Okay, we still haven't arrived at making it affordable for you to buy an EV, but we've come a long ways. And, as far as an EV costing more to buy and run than a gas car? It's probably just about even.

(Index -- climate change  info)

The Strange Case of 'PacMan' Pacquaio and 'Skinny' Hussein

Manny Pacquiao, one of the greatest boxers of all time -- they called him "PacMan" -- benefited from the cheating help of a referee to get there. Perhaps it should be the man who outboxed him that day -- a fighter you probably have never heard of, -- who deserves the greater legacy.

Nedal "Skinny" Hussein from Australia. Hussein came into the match undefeated, and on the verge of international stardom. He floored Pacquiao in the fourth round, but referee Carlos Padilla -- the same Carlos Padilla who had refereed The Thrilla in Manila and many other of boxing's greatest matches and was now refereeing his final bout -- gave Pacquiao a long and generous time to recover (eighteen seconds).

Padilla? He was a local, a Filipino -- same as Pacquiao,  

There were signs there would be foul play even before the two boxers touched gloves to come out fighting. Hussein was placed in a hotel two hours away from the venue. He was given different gloves. And, in the fight, itself, the long count in the fourth round was not the only thing that tilted things for Pacquiao. In the deciding round, Padilla encouraged the doctor to stop the fight due at a cut on Hussein from a headbutt.

So, PacMan was awarded a technical knockout, vaulting him into a big title fight. He went on become one of the most revered athletes on the planet. Later in life, he entered politics, serving as a senator and running for the presidency of the Philippines.

Hussein? Even though he remained undefeated for the next few years -- other than the loss to Pacquaio -- he was not even given a chance to fight for a world title, "I know for a fact that it took the soul out of me," he told the Sporting News. He suggests there were likely shenanigans in other fights Padilla refereed. “He had obviously done it before," Hussein said.

"I hated the sport after that," Hussein said. "I just couldn’t handle the politics."

Hussein ended his career in 2007 with a 43-5 record, compared to the 62-8-2 mark posted by Pacquiao when he left the ring in 2021. PacMan was the first fighter to win titles in eight different weight divisions, He is the first boxer ever to hold world titles in four different decades. And, of course, he was inducted into boxing's hall of fame. 

The crooked ref, Padilla, was also inducted into boxing's hall of fame.

Now, here's the interesting thing about this story: How do we know of Padilla's corruption? Well, from his own lips. Padilla spilled the beans on himself in a recent interview. "'I thought he was going to get up, but his eyes were cross eyed," Padilla. laughing, said of Pacquiao being knocked down in the fourth round. "I am Filipino and everybody watching the fight is Filipino, so I prolonged the count. I know how to do it."

Padilla spoke of how if there's a headbutt, the ref stops the fight for a moment and tells the judges to deduct a point from the fighter doing the headbutting. In the tenth round, Pacquaio headbutted Hussein, resulting in a cut. At that time, Padilla said,  he hinted to the doctor to stop the bout: “The doctor -- he already sensed what I meant -- he climbed up (and I waved off the bout).” 

History was made, but it is just now being told.

Election Results by Trump Decree?

If you don't like the way the election turned out, appoint the loser to be the winner. I refer to a news story titled, "Trump Demands Kari Lake Be Made Arizona Governor After Her Defeat."

And we suggest that Democracy in America is not under siege? Most troubling to me is a word Trump used -- "Installed."  "Kari Lake should be installed Governor of Arizona," he said. "Installed," to me, has little regard for who won the election or whether his (and her) charge that the election was rigged should be proven. Dictators might be "installed," but in America, we elect our leaders.

In America, you don't have the power to just accuse the other side of cheating and therefore be awarded the office.

But, are the protections against that eroding? Is Trump chipping away at Democracy? Is a day coming when the vote will no longer be meaninful, but rather who Trump declares the winner be given the office?

Impersonating Us on Facebook? Throw Them All in Jail

The thieves of Facebook. They come along and impersonate your account with a fake one made from stealing your pictures. 

Fraud. 

And, we ought to be doing more to fight it. Is there not a way to trace back when people steal your pictures and info? Or, once the fake account is up and running, surely it is possible to tie it to a computer source. 

We have the FBI for a reason, but I often think they don't do much against Internet fraud. I'm not sure these thieves should be so hard to catch. Or, is it that there are no laws against taking someone's pictures off their page and using them to create a fake account?

We need one of two things, or maybe both. (One) /A law enforcement agency dedicated to fighting Internet fraud. If that is there only job, they will be forced to be more accountable. It becomes that if you don't solve the crime, you are an abase failure. (Two) we need laws that outlaw all the specifics of Internet abuse.

The idea is, when someone commits a crime, you track them down. We are not getting much but a limp effort out of our current law enforcement.

Don't Have To, Want To

 It is not the person -- or team -- that has to be good, but the one that wants to be good that ultimately gains the victory. What I'm saying, is that the weight of heavy expectations has ruined its share of players.

Left them feeling like a deer in the headlights. Made them freeze in the middle of the game. Gave them a mental block. Left them panic-stricken. . . . However you want to say it, the have-to, have to, have to feeling has torn apart more players and teams than it has ever lifted to glory.

Don't say you have to do it, say you want to. Thirst to be great. Dream of reaching the goal.  Want something so bad it's a joy just to go out and pursue it, but don't want it so bad you become a broken person if you don't get it.

You know the old adage, Enjoy the ride. 

Never give up on yourself. Keep wanting and plotting, and planning and pursuing. Continue to think you can do it.

Just don't think you have to. Enjoy. Have fun. Be happy. Drowning in your tears is a poor way to fill a swimming pool to swim in, but laughing in the rain just might get it done.

There Should Be Three Filters

 Such a great story belongs up there with the one about Thumper being told that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Or, the one where Chicken Little says the sky is falling in. Or, "The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen.

You know, stories with morals. 

This story is so great, it ought to be required reading. Well, maybe let's not go that far, but if people were to take the advice offered in this story, the world would be tenfold better. Don't know who wrote it, but it is wonderful. 

And now, our feature attraction:

Socrates, one of the greatest Greek philosophers, who lived from 469 – 399 BC, shunned gossip. It is said that one day he came upon an acquaintance who ran up to him excitedly and said, “Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students?”

“Wait a moment,” Socrates replied: “Before you tell me I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Triple Filter Test.”

“Triple filter?” his friend asked.

“That’s right,” Socrates continued. “Before you talk to me about my student let’s take a moment to filter what you’re going to say. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”

“No,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and…”

“All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?”

“No, on the contrary… “

“So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about him, even though you’re not certain it’s true?” The man shrugged, a little embarrassed. Socrates continued. “You may still pass the test though, because there is a third filter – the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?”

“No, not really,” the man admitted.

“Well,” concluded Socrates, “if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?”

Police Are but a Cut of Society

 They are cut from society at large. So, some of them are good, some bad. When you hire police officers, for the most part, expect to get a representation of society as a whole.

If, among society at large, there are those who can't control their tempers, or are egomaniacs, or who abuse their leadership roles when given them . . .

Well, yes, you're going to have the same kind of people on your police force.

But, while this is generally the rule, there are other factors; those who seek out police jobs often have aspirations differing from those of society at large. Some have a greater desire to do good in the world than society at large. Some have a greater desire to rule over others than society at large. Some love to give orders. They see the police force as a place they can do that. 

Some have instincts for protecting others, serving country and community, and being honorable and upright citizens. 

And, a sizeable number of them are gun enthusiasts -- a very large chunk of them.

It would be nice to have a police force that is better than society at large. If we truly desire to have such a force, we would do well to investigate the reasons the applicants want to be police officers.

Kari Lake Was Dishonest

    Bless Katie Hobbs, who's just been elected governor of Arizona. She withstood some very dishonest advertising by her opponent, Kari Lake. Lake accused Hobbs of being a "twice-convicted racist."  

   The basis for Lake's accusation? Hobbs was senate minority leader when Talonya Adams was working as a senate policy advisor. Adams sued the senate, not Hobbs individually for paying her a substandard wage and then firing her because of her race and sex. 

   The court awarded Adams $1 million. The senate requested a second trial and again lost, but the judge noted Adams presented no evidence of racism, but because of sexism, she still won the case. 

   So, who was convicted -- the senate or Hobbs? Hobbs wasn't even the senate pro-tem, but just the minority leader. Twice convicted of racism? It was sexism, not racism that determined the second court decision. And, is the term "conviction" even used in civil lawsuits?  No, it isn't. Convictions come in criminal cases, not lawsuits. But, the ad was clearly deceptive and dishonest. 

   We need moral leaders. Lake lacks the morality we need and should demand. If we, as voters, don't care about the character of our leaders, we cannot expect to have ethical leaders.

Give Us Leaders Who Enact Just Laws and Give Just Orders

    We've always been for law and order. When we vote, we vote only for the candidate who promises law and order. Well, that's certainly one thing we look for.

   But how about lawful and orderly? Don't we want our leaders to conduct themselves lawfully and orderly?

   And, how about one who will enact just laws and give just orders? Now, there's something we really need in elected officials. They shouldn't enact any laws unless they are just laws. And, they shouldn't be telling us what to do except when they are justified in telling us what to do. 

   Just a little play on words.

 Once or twice or thrice

Never say a word

That isn't isn't nice
It'll soon come back to haunt you
Once or twice or thrice

(Poems)

Great poems

A Simple Nail

It's Christmas time at our house
And we are putting up the tree.
I wish I could find one simple way
To remember Christ's gift to me.

Some little sign or symbol
To show friends stopping by
The little babe was born one day
But he really came to die.

Some symbol of his nail pierced hands
The blood he shed for you and me
What if I hung a simple nail
Upon my Christmas tree?

A crimson bow tied 'round the nail
As his blood flowed down so free.
To save each person from their sin
And redeem us for all eternity.

I know it was his love for us
That held him to that tree
But when I see this simple nail
I know he died for me.

-Author Unknown 

No Enemies

You have no enemies, you say?

Alas! my friend, the boast is poor;

He who has mingled in the fray,

Of duty, that the brave endure, Must have made foes!

If you have none,

Small is the work that you have done.

You’ve hit no traitor on the hip,

You’ve dashed no cup from perjured lip,

You’ve never turned the wrong to right,

You’ve been a coward in the fight.

-- Charles Mackay, Scottish poet

(Great poems)

2Laura Davis and Judy Bell

Here's How to Introduce Competition in the Concert Industry

 Why is it that a smaller company cannot sell tickets to Taylor Swift's upcoming Eras Tour? Why is it that all the smaller companies cannot sell Swift tickets, competing with Ticketmaster? We would buy from whoever gave us the cheapest prices. It's called competition.

It could work in at least two ways.

 One. The concert producer would sell tickets to the companies, taking the highest offer for, say, 50 percent of the available tickets. The other 50 percent would then be split equally between the next seven bids. The eight ticket-marketing companies would then compete with each other to sell off the available tickets. In concerts not expected to sell out, prices would be forced down. In concerts expected to sell out, this might not have as big of an impact as the ticket-marketing companies would be able to sell all their tickets regardless how much they priced them at. This system would prevent the concert producer from setting the price for the tickets as it liked; it would force the concert producer to accept lower offers. 

 Two. Every company that wanted to sell tickets would be allowed to do so, each paying the same price to obtain them. Sales from each company would be tallied as sales progressed, and when they were sold out, sales from all the companies would cease. Since price would be the only difference, the company offering the best price would sell the most tickets. With this competitive system, in theory, the ticket sellers would be forced to sell with little profit margin. 

Taylor Swift Fiasco Should be Bringing Outrage from Republicans, Also

    Hmm, the Taylor Swift ticket sales fiasco is bringing Taylor Swift -- I mean, swift -- reproval from several members of Congress. Let's see, there's Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat; New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat; New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat; and there's Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline, also a Democrat.

   This should not be a partisan issue. Republicans and Democrats alike should be calling for a breakup of Ticketmaster's monopoly. Both should be outraged. 

Live Nation-Ticketmaster is a Double Monopoly

    Enter Live Nation Entertainment-Ticketmaster into the row of monopolies. It is a monopoly both in terms of dominating ticket sales and in terms of controlling the product from start to finish. Live Nation manages the careers of many artists (U2, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Miley Cyrus, the Beatles, and Jay-Z have been among its clients). It owns and operates entertainment venues. No, it does not own a recording label, but beyond that, it pretty much controls some of what it sells from start to finish.

  They call it a horizontal monopoly when you control the sales market. And, they call it a vertical monopoly when you control your product from start to finish. Ticketmaster-Live Nation Entertainment has been a bit of both since the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation in 2010. It is believed to control 30 percent of all ticket sales -- well better than any other firm -- and directs some musicians all the way to the venue they sing in.

   Monopoly-monopoly; call it a double monopoly.

 

End the Filibuster

    I do not understand why the Senate filibuster was ever created. I do not understand why there is not outrage calling for it to be done away with. And, I was surprised when a Super Pac backing Sen. Mike Lee suggested that one reason voters should not support his opponent in the election, Evan McMullin was that McMullin wanted to do away with the filibuster.

   Hey, wouldn't that be reason to vote for McMullin? If it is time to vote on an issue, vote; don't let somebody speak for 24 hours to prolong the process and attempt to block the legislation. 

Both Sides Are Entitled to Their Beliefs

    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today surprised many by endorsing a proposed federal law that would recognize marriages of same-sex couples.

   The church said its stand on same-sex marriage remains the same. So, it still holds that such marriages are not correct. But, it is willing to allow the government to recognize them.

   Such a stand seems appropriate to me. Same-sex individuals have the right to their beliefs and should have the right to marry if they choose. But, that does not mean churches and others should be forced to believe such marriages are ordained of God. Both sides are entitled to their beliefs. 

Inflation, Inflation, Inflation . . . Lack of Competition is to Blame

    Inflation? Listen to The Guardian and you'll know why.

    Lack of competition.

   "Why are grocery prices through the roof?" asks The Guardian. "Because just four companies control 85% of meat and poultry processing. Just one corporation sets the price for most of the nation's seed corn. And two giant firms dominate consumer staples."

    Just five notable pharmaceuticals. "Big Pharma"? There's a reason they call it that. The airline industry has gone from a dozen notable companies to just four today. There are only five giant banks. Three giant cable companies dominate the broadband industry.

   If you are looking for a solution to inflation, the answer will likely be found in bringing more competition to the markets. 

Politicians are the Masters of Pack Logic

    Wonder, if you will, how it is that just a single seat in the Senate will throw the balance of power one way or the other. I'm talking on the issues. How is it that a single seat should make a difference on whatever issue might come up. 

   For one thing, if the senators were considering the issues on their own, how is it that every democrat would agree with each other on all the issues, and every republican would agree with each other on every issue. Clearly, politicians do not do their own thinking; they simply agree with what the others in their party are saying.

  Politicians are the masters of pack logic. It's all they know. How is it that we keep electing people who can't think for themselves?  

   

Elections are not Won, They are Bought; We need to change That

   Politics is a matter of money, not morality. Nearly $1.3 billion was spent on the 2022 primary and general elections.

   And, that's just the senate races. 

   Voters rely primary on two things when they vote: 1) Which party the candidate belongs to, and 2) What they have learned about the candidates from listening to campaign ads.

   Did you get that? Political ads -- none of which offer a balanced presentation of the candidates -- they are deciding who wins and who goes home crying. Who would of thought, in a country that threw off the rule of kings and queens, a country that was to have been built on the common person, this would happen. Rule by ruble, or rule by dollar, whatever you want to call it, it is spiraling out of control. With each election, the ante to win climbs to new heights.

  Elections are not won, they are bought. We need to change that. Outlaw political advertising? Something must be done. What other solutions are there?

    

Let Enes Kanter Freedom Back Into the NBA

   It would be nice to see Enes Kanter Freedom return to the NBA. Drafted as the third pick in the 2011 draft by the Utah Jazz, he last played for the Boston Celtics. In February, he was traded to the Houston Rockets, who waived him. 

    He has been out of the NBA ever since. He alleges that he is being blackballed by the NBA for his outspoken views against the Chinese government and its treatment of the Uyghurs. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has denied that claim. "I made it absolutely clear to (Enes Freedom) that he was completely within his right to speak out on issues that he was passionate about," Silver has said.

   Perhaps we should take Silver at his word. But it would be nice if a team picked Enes up. His skill level remains high enough that he can still be a productive NBA player. One does not know how he is in the locker room and whether he molds well with team chemistry, but if it is just his political views that are preventing a team from claiming him, that is unfortunate. 

    

Candidates Calling Each Other Names Can Be Defamation of Character

   If someone went on TV, calling you a deadbeat, would you have the right to sue for defamation of character? I'm talking you, as an everyday, average citizen.

  Why should it be different when politicians falsely speak derogatory of each other? 

  Still, we should be careful if we were to ever decide to crackdown on candidates criticism of each other. That, too, can be dangerous. It's but a stone's throw to not allowing people to criticize government officials. In a day before Trump, we would not believe the U.S. could ever be reached by such a thing. But, these days, it is not out of the question, especially with the possibility Trump might return to office. 

 

Truth is Monetized

   Truth cannot be bought, but falsehood can be sold as truth.  The trouble with political ads is that is exactly what they do. Consider the process of how political ads are constructed and you will have to 'fess up that they aren't likely to determine the truth. One person tells his side of the story, and the other person doesn't get to reply. Truth is monetized. The only way the other person can answer the accusations is to buy his own ad. Truth is monetized.

  

  Who said, "There are liars, then there are damn liars, then there are statisticians"? What he meant to say is, "There are liars, then there are damn liars, then there are politicians."

'Just the Facts,' Mr. Politician

    "Just the facts, ma'am."

    America's elections would be well-served if it took that approach and didn't allow the candidates to spread their mud and lies. We would be well-served to do as Norway does  -- No, we should go beyond what Norway does. That country extensively regulates political advertising; we should outright ban it.

 Outlaw advertising in the media. No TV ads, no radio ads, no newspaper ads, no Internet ads . . . No, you just leave us alone. We don't need your mudslinging and fighting. We're sick of it; we're tired of it. And, don't think of getting by on yard signs and mailers. We are not going to allow those, either.

   So, that will leave you maybe just two ways to get your message out: news coverage and debates. Let those whose motto is "Just the facts, ma'am" sort out the truth.

   We are sick and tired of politicians getting elected at the whim of special interests. We are sick and tired of putting someone in office just to see them serve their campaign contributors. 

   The gig is up.

Law Enforcement hasn't Caught On

    Give the law a camera. I mean, surveillance cameras are usually owned by the citizens, but it is law enforcement that has the obligation of tracking down crime.

   So, give them surveillance cameras. Let them post them street lights, on public fences, are wherever they can. The cameras would catch a lot of criminals who are getting away with their crimes. Everything from slashing times to vandalizing cars would be recorded. Street shootings? The eye of the camera will catch you.

   Technology has made it easier to catch criminals, but law enforcement hasn't caught on. 

There Are Also Vertical Monopolies

 You could say there are two kinds of monopolies -- horizontal and vertical. In a horizontal monopoly, you control all the business at that stage of marketing: If you are the supplier or manufacturer, you are the only supplier or manufacturer. If you are the retail outlet, you are the only retail outlet..

   Vertical monopolies differ in that they control the product all the way (or much of the way) from creation of the product to sale of the product: They are the manufacturer, the distributor, and the retailer.

   Some monopolies are both horizontal and vertical, perhaps most of them.

   When we think of a monopoly, it is the horizontal variety we usually envision. But the vertical version also deserves attention, also. Oil companies have vertical tendencies. They might not always control the product start to finish, but there is a lot of that going on. Fast-food chains often distribute their own product, so that would be a partial vertical monopoly. Fast-food chains aren't so inclined to own their own livestock companies, so they are not fully vertical. 

   Just as horizontal monopolies can lead to higher prices, so can vertical monopolies.  If a distributor is selecting product from a number of companies, it can choose the one with the lowest price. But, if the manufacturer and distributor are the same company, no such restraint on price occurs.