Panos for Progress: Thoughts and Selections

  I was quoted in WalletHub's Best and Worst States to Drive 2026. What tips do you have for a person looking to keep the costs of car ownership low? Those looking for a new or replacement car need to research their next purchase. Sources like Edmund’s and Consumer Reports are free of hype and provide reliable data on vehicle features, performance, long-term costs, and mpg. Buyers should visit a dealer well informed and always test a few comparable models before committing to a purchase. They should ignore the so called “dealer pressure”. If they already own an expensive vehicle to run, then they can consider a swap with a low running cost model at a dealer, Carvana, etc. Typically, hybrids are more economical and many used EVs are on the market at a fairly low price. Gasoline affinity programs can save several cents per gallon. Research local websites and find reliable independent car repair shops; obtain at least two quotes for an expensive maintenance and/or part replacement job...

Of course Sergei Brin and Google are almost synonymous, but I was intrigued by the fact that quite a few other Russian named people are associated with Goggle, so I decided to ask three prominent AI tools about publicly listed Google associates with Russian names. None of the tools was very forthcoming with a list, so I used three questions which I list below along with the free version of each of the three AI tools that I consulted. The results were a mixed bag and the success rate was about 50%. Claude corrected me that Anguelov whom I know as a Waymo engineer, is actually Bulgarian. Gemini came up with a person named Alan Russian! 1. Can you list publicly known Russian named associates at Google? 2. How about Dragomir Anguelov? 3. Any one else? Click the image of the table to see a large, clear version.