Some goodish news

Perhaps it was the total solar eclipse that happened nowhere near here, perhaps it just so happened that things can only be awful for limited periods of time, like 2 for 1 offers at fast food joints, but today we woke up to a veritable rash of goodish news. To wit:

• The Senate, acting like they have brains for the first time in a long time, rejected the proposal to make illegal immigrants felons. Way to go, guys. Now the tough part is to ignore the shrill braying of rightwing banshees.

• Charles Taylor, the horrid murderous leader of Liberia was caught trying to sneak into Cameroon. Now he will be duly tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity as he deserves.

• Scumbag Abramoff gets 70 months in prison; the loony Afghan convert to Christianity who was about to be roasted on a spit for forsaking Islam, gets to go to Italy instead (an incredible show of Italian pious muscle for ONE guy).

• Israel voted for the Centrist Kadima party, sending the rightwing Likud to the dumps in a historic vote. The people have spoken and most of them want to "separate" Israel from the occupied territories. This being Israel, this really means that the squabbles between 10 zillion ridiculous parties are about to begin yet again. Hopefully Olmert will be able to do as he says and get rid of the occupation soon. What is amazing to me is that the voters registered quite a low turnout. The rest of the world is waiting with bated breath to have this freaking problem resolved and Israelis are either too tired or too cynical to go vote. Really.
If I were Olmert, this is what I'd do with the Jews who insist on living in the territories where they are not welcome, for purely Biblical reasons:
"Fanatical Jews who insist on living where you are not welcome: we are moving out of the territories by X date. You can start packing now. You will be very welcome to move back into your choice of Biblical condos within our safe borders. If you choose to stay behind, knock yourselves out. I won't be sending soldiers to retrieve you by the ears and by the hair, as has been the custom the past few dismantlings. Nor will I be sending soldiers to defend you after said deadline. You are on your own. Shalom. Ehud".

So all in all, things could be worse.