I’m back in CA student teaching EAT. There have been big storms here, and we were without power, or phone for 4 days. Many roads were closed, towns without power...now power and phones are back and today it has been cloudy but not raining. Thanks to anyone who sent me anything in the mail...I haven’t been able to get to the post office yet but I will on Saturday.

A friendly amendment to the post preceding this one. The number of deaths cited includes all veterans and active duty military who died during the time period. It’s a lot of people, over 73,000, but they were not all fighting in the middle east.

I see the Clinton machine is running on course. Ugh. I am disgusted by the condescension and clear allegiance to and commitment to remaining among the power elite that both Clintons demonstrated in their remarks about Obama this past weekend. If she is the nominee I will write-in Kucinich, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. If the Dems want to win they better pick someone other than Clinton. Oh I forgot, there is no picking, the nomination is a bought and paid for thing, as is the presidency. My bad.

I just downloaded a pdf file from a government site, specifically a Veteran’s Affairs website. Here is the link. http://www1.va.gov/rac-gwvi/docs/GWVIS_May2007.pdf Please download it, read it, distribute it, talk about it. Here are some highlights to pique your interest:

73,846 U.S. troops killed in the gulf region since 1990 (on page 8 of the pdf))

The upshot of this is that since Papa Bush we have been at war in the gulf region, and the real human cost just in american lives is way more than the government has been publicly declaring. The real numbers are direct from the VA. Check it out.

It's the end of 2007. Wow what a year it's been. Just in my own life a lot has happened. I've done some good work in this past year, which is gratifying. I'm not always sure I'm "on track" but 2007 was pretty good in that regard.

Then of course there is all the bigger picture stuff that's happened in the last year, including the terrible murder of Benazir Bhutto that happened a couple of days ago. Watching the world, feeling with the world, intending to effect the world...all cause to take a deep breath.

Now I am planning 2008. Oy vey. I have manifested another set of teaching engagements abroad. I'm pretty excited about the workshops, the enthusiasm of the folks I am working with, and the adventure of more travel.

I'm also feeling mixed, like it would be so nice to find a little cabin in Montana and just settle in.

Ironically, yesterday evening I was thinking about the difficulties I am having finding funds to do things like...buy food, service my truck, buy an airplane ticket to Europe. I started to panic a little, and then I calmed myself and considered...maybe I am not going abroad. Maybe it isn't happening. Maybe I just can't get that together, and I should stay stateside. I felt some relief when I thought this. I even went so far as to imagine getting a counseling license in Montana and working in the field of psychology again. Then I slept on it.

This morning I received email from a friend who may be willing to float me the price of my ticket until I sell the truck in Vermont in February. That casts a whole new light on the situation, and gets me back into thinking about taking this trip after all. Never a dull moment in my life!

This is a fascinating article about the Bush family. I encourage you to read it and share it.

The Bush Dynasty of Death