Okay, stay with me here...

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A weird feeling came over me today, whilst viewing the front page of the New York Times newspaper on the 8th of August.

Here's the listing that grabbed my attention, with the internal links provided:

Lieberman and Lamont Battle to the Wire
By PATRICK HEALY
The rivals in Connecticut’s Democratic primary for United States Senate used sharply different tactics on the last day of a contest that appeared to be tightening.

Public Pension Plans Face Billions in Shortages
By MARY WILLIAMS WALSH
By one estimate, state and local governments owe roughly $375 billion more than they have committed to their pension funds.

Lebanese Offer to Send Troops to Patrol Border Is Dismissed by Israel
By HASSAN M. FATTAH and STEVEN ERLANGER
At the United Nations, diplomatic efforts stalled after Lebanon and Arab League members objected to a draft resolution on a cease-fire.

After Bomb Kills Loved Ones, Life Turns Ghostly
By SABRINA TAVERNISE
Ghazi Samra stumbles on through grief and regret after an Israeli airstrike killed his wife, daughter and granddaughter

Nine Passengers Are Killed in Chase at Border
By PAUL GIBLIN
A sport utility vehicle carrying suspected illegal immigrants overturned while being pursued by Border Patrol agents in Arizona, officials said.

Ohio Republican Tied to Abramoff Will Retire
By PHILIP SHENON
Representative Bob Ney, who is entangled in a corruption scandal, said that he would abandon his re-election bid

DeLay Must Stay on Ballot as Court Rejects Appeal
By RALPH BLUMENTHAL
The decision was a victory for Democrats, who have fought to keep the former House majority leader in the spotlight

Biggest Oil Field in U.S. Is Forced to Stop Pumping
By CLIFFORD KRAUSS and JEREMY W. PETERS
The emergency at BP's Prudhoe Bay operation in Alaska drove world crude oil prices to just under $77 a barrel.

What was the "feeling" that came over me? Well... It's going to sound rather sick, actually... But I will explain, I promise...

That feeling was "glee."

Yes, I'm serious... I felt this overwhelming feeling of euphoria.

Sounds pretty awful doesn't it? But now... Please let me explain, before you purge your bookmark, and refuse to ever read my blog again.

There's a movement in the United State's Evangelical Christian Church that seems to celebrate the idea that the world is coming to an end. It's a real thing... They truly believe that the "rapture" is coming, and Christ will be amongst us soon. This explains the reason so many Christian-Right folk don't seem to care about the environment... To them, they find worrying about green-house gases to be "cute" 'cause heck... The world is ending anyway... So... Why should we care.

They actually are looking FORWARD to the end of the world. Strange no? I admit that I've never quite understood how these strange Christians can be so happy about "Satan taking over the planet" as it seems to be a bit "anti-Christian" however... There it is.

But now... I suddenly DO understand them.

The difference, is that I'm not looking forward to Christ coming down and removing the righteous from the Earth, whilst leaving the rest of us to burn in eternal hell-fire.

On the contrary, that thought rather frightens me. Luckily, I'm not Christian, so I don't really have to worry too much about that stuff... But moving onward...

What am I looking forward to? What did the "above" headlines make me feel 'happy' about???

The democrats. And I use the "small d" on purpose... I'm not talking about "DEMOCRATS" and the movers and shakers of my DFL party in the United States. Rather, I'm talking about a growing movement of people who have been watching the world fall apart for the last five years, and have somehow "not noticed" that it was happening... Until now.

Suddenly the newspapers, the scary "FOX Newses" the political pundits, even the Dems and Republicans in the House and Senate...

Everyone is suddenly realising that Iraq was stupid... That Israel is wrong to attack civilians in Lebanon because of "hidden" terrorists that may, or may NOT be hiding amongst them... That the world is warming due to our own negligence... That our reliance on an old-polluting technology of oil and gas is stupid, and that no one is doing anything about it... That the Baby-boomer generation in the U.S. is going to have SERIOUS issues with retirement, pensions, and health-care and that my generation is going to be a MESS trying to keep the population above the water... That Bush and his cronies in the Whitehouse are completely and totally out of touch with REALITY!

I’m happy (in a sick way) that the news is so overwhelmingly AWFUL, because... If the news stays THIS bad...

Maybe... JUST MAYBE... The democrats have a chance to take back our government... Maybe right-minded responsible caring loving non-sectarian people may gain control once again, and start HEALING this world, rather than watching it spin around the drain of human suffering and horror.

Maybe.

I hope for that day.

-- Tuckmac