Swine flu, electic cars, and Gay Iowans.

The 24 hour news networks have really gotten all lathered up over the swine flu. It's hard to believe it won't just kill everyone! Clearly, un-warranted panic gathers far better ratings than reason.

Economists have done studies on this sort of thing. People tend to get all excited over events like this, where the likelihood that it effects them is remotely small. Meanwhile, far more Americans will die from gunshots, or from having insufficient health insurance that won't allow them to afford needed treatment, but we don't do anything about that. But everyone wants something done about this swine flu.

In other words, people are stupid.

The other day I was telling some folks that I would like to see, before I die, and electric car with a foldable solar panel in the trunk, so folks could recharge their car while they are at work. Well, today I saw a little electric car made by Small Planet Evehicles that was close. It had a solar panel on top, and was fully electric. Unfortunately, it is tiny and will only go 40mph, so there is not much chance that this car becomes widely used. But, it is a step in the right direction, and with each step the technology improves.

Finally, gay couples have lined up this week to get married in Iowa. While I don't know why gay couples want to suffer the same way that straight ones do, I can't see how they shouldn't have that right. And maybe as more people see that allowing gays to live their lives like anyone else does not ruin marriage or turn their kids gay, we will make progress toward this, just as we have civil rights for other minorities. Frankly, I don't see how the 14th amendment doesn't already give gays this right.

I was telling a gay student of mine the other day that I see so much progress in this area, at least as far as general acceptance goes. When I was in high school, I told him, there were no gays in my high school. At least, as far as anyone knew. Today, kids are a lot more accepted if they are gay. Just like with other races, each generation is a bit more comfy with people who are different than their parents. All we need now is for the Neanderthals and "my faith tells me your evil" morons to catch on.