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.