If you were to believe popular lore, every pithy or wise thing you’ve ever heard in your life can be attributed to one of four dudes: Ben Franklin, Albert Einstein, Mark Twain, or Oscar Wilde. Those four did say a lot of smart things, so when someone can’t come up with the source of a quote I suppose it’s easier to just attach one of their names to it.
I get the temptation. As a journalist, accuracy is important to me. As a storyteller, it’s a little less so. “Never let facts get in the way of a good story” as Ben Franklin probably did not say. Or, maybe “God damn an eyewitness” as Oscar Wilde definitely did not advise.
The quote about how the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results” is not Einstein’s doing, but rather a bit of wisdom that was attached to him for the obvious reason that it sort of does sound like him, right?
Today, David wrote about an official government crash test of the Tesla Cybertruck which showed that, at least for the people inside the truck, the outcomes were pretty good. As Anoos pointed out, perhaps the Government should engage in a little insanity:
These are great results, but I still don’t think we have enough data.
They should run this test a few thousand more times just to be sure.
It’s almost like there’s an anti-Cybertruck sentiment out there. Is that an insane thing to suggest?
Perhaps “you can’t separate the beef-art from the beef-artist” as Mark Twain was fond of saying.
Photo: Depositphotos.com
So, not a fan of the CT to begin with, but there seems to be a LOT of anti-Musk/Tesla sentiment these days. Hmmmm. Wonder why?
It would be weird for a scientist to criticize repetition, given that the ability to reproduce results is foundational to science. But, as Mark Twain allegedly said, never let facts get in the way of a good story.
(I’ve also heard “the truth” in place of facts, but I’ve never seen anyone actually source the quote to anything published, so it is likely apocryphal.)
I mean, Gaelic Storm had a song that used “the truth” version, until an earlier source is proven I’ll just cite them 😛
People are thinking about this all wrong. They don’t need to test the CT over and over. Rather, it closely resembles the sleds used for crash testing, May as well swap the sleds out for CTs for all OTHER crash tests.
It’s not like they’re being used for anything else…
Saw one offered as a prize on The Price is Right last night. The woman seemed pretty excited about it, but I wondered what my reaction would have been if I had been in her place. I realize it was probably filmed before the current situation so maybe I wouldn’t have felt so strongly, but if that happened today I’d have quite the hurried debate in my head about how to handle that.
I don’t want a Cybertruck, but I’d probably be jazzed by any big prizes if I were on the show. Or small prizes. The whole show is designed to keep contestants amped up, and I assume I’d get swept up in it (not that I’d be picked as a contestant).
Besides, you may not be able to sell it for the full indicated value, but you could certainly make a few thousand dollars off of it.
But you’re solely responsible for the taxes. Had a friend in college that won while on spring break. All his prizes cost him/his parents a few grand.
Yeah, that’s why I only think you’d make a few grand. You pay taxes on the full value, you sell it for significantly less than full value, and you come out ahead a few thousand dollars. And, with the advice of a tax professional, you could also claim capital losses on the difference in assessed value and sale price, which should help you recoup some of the taxes you paid on the prizes.
It’s some extra work, but it’s not really that bad a deal overall.
You can always opt to take the cash value for PiR prizes. Had an acquaintance win pretty big, including a car, and had that option. She kept the car though, if I remember correctly. I’d be excited because of the cash value.
Shoot, that is a great deal, then. Even if they shave some percentage off the retail price when you take the cash, it’s gonna be more than you’re likely to get reselling it, and the hassle will be a lot less. Not to mention paying the taxes will be simple with cash in hand. I’d be even more excited than I thought!
Kinda like if I take any money out of my IRA.
It’s not that I really mind paying taxes. I GET that nice things the government actually does for us doesn’t come free. I went through the Prop 13 era in California. There’s always going to be waste and corruption, But, starving the government is not going to eliminate it. In the end, there will just be less of the greater good to be delivered.
And it annoys the F out of me that people expect that. And previously working in journalism, that people think they should be able to read stuff for free that people work hard to produce. Yes. I subscribe to news sites. And even this site. They should all be monetized.
I have no problem with it. I pay for Netflix and a bunch of other stuff that brings me joy.
Can we just get to a place where people just pay as they go? For what they get? Maybe that was the GOP line, like 20 years ago, but now even mid-West states are going “what? wait? you’re doing what?” FAFO
This site is given to “articles” which are so grossly immature it is truly pathetic.
Anyone with sense has known for years that Musk is a narcissist and a wacko and a sociopath. But fucking up trucks with a Tesla badge on them will accomplish exactly nothing.
Pathetic immaturity is what keeps me coming back. And maybe a few others too
It’s definitely the reason I’m here
Lol, username checks out.
And yeah also a major draw for me as well.
Turd Ferguson. It’s a funny name.
I see enough immaturity in my daily work that is just maddening that I really enjoy the pathetic silliness I find here.
Unlike some plaCes, the Users here areN’t a bunch of fart sniffers getTing off on believing they’re better than everyone else. Everything in the world is so serious right now. I like it here. You’d probably be happier with the ChatGPT, reformatted old place. (OP not you BP)
I C what you did there. Did you go to the University of North Texas?
No, but I can C it from here.
That is why it’s the best site.
So.
Uh.
Don’t read them?
That was a commenter’s comment. The article it was from had a detailed breakdown of the CT’s crash test results which is not only of a lot of interest in that the vehicle is so different and polarizing, but it also showed them in comparison to the very high volume selling pickup competitors, as well as giving good general insight into how these tests are conducted. Unless you meant this about unrelated articles, but there’s a mix of stuff and nobody’s making you read the ones that don’t appeal to you. For me, it’s RVs. The whole idea of an RV is a circle of hell for me, so I don’t read those articles (well, I don’t read all of them—sometimes there’s an unusual looking one that makes me curious and I enjoy Mercedes’ writing). Or yet another old Jeep. The Jeep thing is something I’ll never understand, but other people do, so I don’t care as long as there’s still other stuff I want to read.
I doubt many of us understand, but something keeps enticing people in to look at things. Kinda like a gruesome car accident.
EuroANCAP has been scientifically ‘fucking up’ trucks and many other motor vehicles for years in the pursuit of publically available knowledge about the performance of the safety systems built into a motor vehicle. It’s in the public interest to have an independent agent ‘fucking up’ cars for the public good. So why not ‘fuck up’ a few Cybertruck’s?
The primary reason that EuroANCAP hasn’t done so to date is because the Cybertruck is not compliant with most vehicle design rules outside North America and is therefore not road legal.
I think you think the comment featured in this article is an artice written by the site staff?
Anyway as a 40-year-old mom and lawyer, I personally am a huge fan of gross immaturity.
*FART NOISE*
Why else do you think the government was trying to buy 400 million worth of them.
Rampant Corruption, er “Support of a US business”
My mother used to write a Christmas card to all our family and friends–250+ each year.
In one of her last years, the letter began with one of our favorite quotes from Abraham Lincoln, which was, of course: “The problem with quotes on the Internet is that it can be difficult to determine their legitimacy.”
Dang – I thought that was Winston Churchill.
I mean, there are plenty more to test sitting on Tesla lots right now!
Grow up.
His comment is infinitely more clever and infinitely less problematic than anything Musk and his orbit have managed in years. Get some perspective.
“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.”
“in a mad world only the mad are sane”, alternately, “There is a sucker born every minute.” OR
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”
“If God dwells inside us, like some people say, I sure hope he likes enchiladas, because that’s what he’s getting.”
“Americans can always be trusted to do the right thing, once all other possibilities have been exhausted.”
OR
“If it looks like a Nazi, salutes like a Nazi, and screams like a Nazi – it’s a Nazi.”
“When fascism comes to the U.S.A. gourd shaped men will pretend to fight back by posting banal platitudes on the internet.”
“When fascism comes to the U.S.A. its supporters will defend it using banal quotes on the internet.”
Elon??? Is that you?
Are you here literally trying to discourage people from vandalizing SSybertruks to protect the one in your driveway?
You weren’t asking me, but I will answer anyway:
I’m trying to discourage people from vandalizing Cybertrucks because breaking someone else’s stuff is wrong, especially when you are mad at one person and break the stuff of a third party to display your anger. This is against the law, and for good reason, and is a trait of a phenomenon known as virtue signaling, more crudely known as “stroking a justice boner,” which accomplishes nothing but self-gratification.
Smashing your neighbor’s Cybertruck will not do any harm at all to Elon Musk, only your relationship with your neighbors.
Worrying about Cybertrucks while the person who benefits most from their sale vandalizes the entire world for personal profit is mind-numbingly myopic.
“Justice boner,” example 2.
So I guess that means you have a “stiffy for injustice.”
At the end of the day this isn’t about mild differences in opinions.
Musks fans support fascism. Full send “crush the undesirables and enrich the in-class” fascism. They defend his little Nazi salutes. They want to hurt millions of people to achieve their goals.
Fascists shouldn’t feel comfortable displaying their views in public. They should be ashamed and/or scared.
And don’t say something moronic like “oh you have to tolerate intolerance or you’re the real Nazi”
No, I won’t say any of those things. Instead, I will tell you that either a) you understand none of the proper definitions of those accusations; b) you’re making them based on really, really bad information; or c) both.
If you haven’t figured out in the last two years that very nearly everyone in very nearly every institution has been lying their asses off to you about very nearly everything, I can’t help you.
I would also say “citation needed,” or ask you to define “real Nazi,” etc., except this is already vastly more political than this space should be. So instead, let’s leave it at “I guess we’ll see.”
Oh thank you for that nebulous bullshit, “Everyone has been lying to you” fascist diatribe. Except our wonderful new overlords, right?
It does verify you’re a musk supporter though, just one too scared to go mask off.
Good. Be scared.