What Should We Call TTAC's Ten Best Award?

If not the Farago award, then the Cugnot award (for the man who built the first automobile--in 1769.

And let's not forget, the Cugnot had not brakes and was reportedly the first automobile to be involved in a traffic accident and the first to have its driver arrested for wreckless driving. The title of this website is “The Truth About Cars” and what strikes me about the title is the word, “Truth.” There are all sorts of [s]depressing[/s] inspiring and [s]insipid[/s] interesting quotations from famous people throughout history about truth including: • “There are few nudities so objectionable as the naked truth.” Agnes Repplier (1855 - 1950) • “Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.” Andre Gide (1869 - 1951) • “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 - 1860) • “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Bible, John 8:32 Arguably, the most famous American truth teller is George Washington, the father of our country, who in myth as a youth chopped down his father’s cherry tree and when questioned about it by his father, admitted the deed. While not acronyms, possible names for an award from TTAC with a distinctively George Washington and American inspiration could include: • The Georgie • The Hatchet (A little too close to doing a hatchet job?) • The Axe • The Cherry Tree • The Cherry (Would lend itself to all sorts of nasty puns)

OTOH, [s]even older than George Washington or John McCain[/s] going farther back in history is the ancient Greek philosopher, Diogenes of Sinope (Turkey) who is known for carrying a lamp while conducting a Faragoian and futile search for truth in the form of an honest man. Although none of Diogenes’ writings have survived, there were many stories and some writings about him that have that have. There is too much to be said about Diogenes, but below are a few of the highlights of his life. Described as “Socrates gone mad!,” Diogense is credited as being one of the founders of “Cynicism” as a school of philosophical thought and was greatly admired by the “Stoics,” members of another philosophy and way of living. Diogenes has also long been associated with dogs [s]even before the Dogs Love Trucks ad campaign[/s] and the words for cynic and dog have similar origins in the ancient Greek language. Diogenes is also is also credited as being the first person to use the world “cosmopolitan.” Quick to use his middle finger, he lived a life of poverty, and carried out a lifelong campaign to debunk many of the social values and conventions of the time (not unlike out our own Robert Farago). Diogenes reportedly spent the last years of his life on the island of Corinth where he was brought after having been captured while on a journey and made a slave. He became a teacher to his owners’ children and he undoubtedly knew what rich Corinthian Leather looked like, although it would be nearly 2,000 years before automobiles were invented and 2,200 years before rich (fake?) Corinthian Leather would find its way into the interior of an automobile. Besides sounding ever so pretentious, awards with a Diogenetic theme could be: • The Diogenes • The Diogenian • The Diogenian Lamp • The Diogenian Staff • The Diogenian Dog • The Featherless Biped

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