Speaking of Paradise...

Could today be any sweeter? I looked forward to blogging about how Democrats took back both the House (expected) and the Senate (wasn't expected by most experts), but then, to have the opportunity to point out a bold faced lie by Mr. Not-My-President Bush about how, just last week he gave a "heck of a job" referral about both Cheney and Rummy and how he expected them to stay on through the next two years of hell we must endure by him--and here, today, the day the American people woke up and said "No!" to the republican corruption, scandals, lies, uncontrolled spending and deficits, tax breaks for the wealthy and the oil companies--we also find out that Rummy is leaving... Too bad, so sad, really...

Bush said in a press statement today that he knew last week (after his "atta boy" shoulder slap) that he was going to be replacing Rummy--but he lied. Go figure, right?

But one thing that is definitely a positive--even, if after all the votes are recounted in Virginia and Allan really did win (which won't happen), now compromise must happen. Dem's may hold a majority, but it is a slim one in both cases, regardless of how it is spun. And that, in a nutshell, is what America needs. The races remained close this election year, with a lot of the races decided 50%/50%, 51%/49%, and 48%/52%--not a mandate by any stretch of the imagination, no matter how Shrubya tried to spin his election results that came down similarly last time. But it does mean one thing--although America has moved slightly left (very slightly) allowing Dem's to take back control, we now need to see some type of compromising going on. Yes, I still want investigations into the Iraq War/Haliburton/Oil Company Tax Breaks/Patriot Act/Warrantless Wiretapping/Guantanimo Torture/and everything else that has shadily gone on in these past six years.

If we end up impeaching Bush, so much the better--but it's not high on my agenda. High on my list of priorities: Health care for all (I don't care if that means big government or just a revamp of commercial health care systems). As the richest country in the world, there is no reason--NONE--that we shouldn't be able to provide everyone--EVERYONE!--with adequate, cheap, quality health care. This includes prescriptions, specialists, procedures, the whole gambit.

I'd also like to see Iraq over with (and this does not mean "cut and run" even though that phrase as well is nothing more than a red herring). If that means chopping the country up into six or seven differing areas, fine. If it means nuking the hell out of them (not on the top of my list), fine. If it means just leaving the area and surrounding Iraq to contain it as they all kill each other off, fine. Just stop making our soldiers die for a lied-about-falsified intelligence-big oil-revenge for my daddy war in the desert. It's pointless, it was never part of the war on terror, had nothing to do with 9/11, so let's get it over with already. Too many innocent men and women have died.

Find Osama, for fuck's sake!

Education: ID is philosophy. Stick with science in the science rooms. Philosophy in the philosophical rooms. Ad standardized testing is for the birds, and I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a teacher that actually backs this "No Child Left Behind" crap! Revamp it, let kids specialize early if they desire into the sciences, maths, political sciences, health, auto mechanics--whatever! If kids know y ninth grade what they want to do, our educators should be able to make that happen. If not, keep classes well-rounded and not dumbed-down so kids can choose what type of education they want to pursue in college. Learn how to test kids in such a way and to work with them on their strengths, not punish them for their weaknesses. A testing that allows for kids who don't do well in essay form--allow them to speak their answers! Or for kids who can't read due to a learning disability: Let them also speak their answers! To kids who don't speak well--let them take written exams! How about essays to music? Or auto-mechanics in an actual garage, not in a "school lab"? Education can be so much more than what it is in this country. We assume all kids are dumb, make them take tests not geared to help them, put dumb ones with smart ones and wonder why all of them are suffering--get creative! Get out of the classroom! Teach something! (and not the answers to some stupid "standardized test"!)

I think I'm done for now. I'm giddy over the Dem's win, and Rummy's leaving, but a lot has yet to happen, and Bush has never played well with others...

Time will tell. I apologize that this is pretty scatter-brained. I stayed up really really late to watch us win, I've slept for about three hours, got back up to learn about the Senate races, and need to force myself to stay awake to get back on my work schedule for tomorrow....

Till next time...