Signs of Intelligent Life

I'm encouraged!

There are two data points that lead me to believe that as a civilization we are improving and this has me very optimistic this fine Friday.

According to USA Today, 2011 saw a dramatic drop in the number of people killed by lightening. As a matter of fact, nearly 90 percent of the people struck by lightening last year survived. They attribute this to a higher level of education. I'm not sure what education has to do with being struck by lightening. Does this mean fewer people freeze their tongues to metal street light poles during lightening storms because they are now inside reading the classics? I don't know. But, I find it surprising and encourageing that if I'm struck by lightening that I have a 90 percent chance of living. The next time there is a lightening storm it's time to head for the hottub! I don't actually own a hottub, but my neighbor does...

The other sign of our improving civilization is that ABC News reported this morning that the Kardashians are having trouble booking gigs because people have stopped caring about them. I haven't really understood the Kardashian phenom and I was under the false impression that Kimmy had been in a music video to get her semi-famous. My neighborhood educated me that Kimmy had actually been in a sex video and that made her famous. I, of course, immediately Googled the video and drew the conclusion that the video is amazingly well lit and photographed to be an "Ooooops, I didn't mean for that to get on the internet" kind of thing. Clearly, Kimmy raised the stakes on what someone will do to get her own reality show.

So, could it mean that we are becoming smarter as Americans? We are managing not to get struck by lightening and, when we do, survive 9 out of 10 times. And, we are learning to stop buzzing around the Kardashians like a moth fascinated by a lightbulb. Combine this with the fact that Charlie Sheen has not been quoted in a newspaper for more than a month and I think there might be some real hope that we are becoming a nation that thinks once-in-a-while. Granted, I'm setting the bar pretty low, but at least it's a starting point.