More Bang for My Buck

This should be two posts but somehow they fit the title in very different ways. Busy day teaching a basic tax form to a room of disinterested students very ready for break. I can't help thinking this is the last time to teach this or that lesson and how much my daily life will change without the constant of work next fall. I have some serious soul searching to do about returning and if so where or to pursue something else. Onto the post-

Obama is about to pass the one year mark and why 2010 midterms are a better barometer of his success I look back to the insurmountable hurdles that he faced coming into office just months ago as proof that the right person is leading this country. My desk calendar this week is an apology to the 44th President from his predecessor for the giant mess created. The calendar is called Pardon My President and contained 52 postcard apologies to such items as the English Language, Ann Coulter, Evangelicals, the Environment, God.

Obama's stance on Afghanistan was a surprising policy shift and after watching the West Point Address,recent statements in Copenhagen. Why does this sound like past US involvement that then escalated into something much more than we bargained for. One of the memorable things I learned from a Military History course was the underestimation of the sheer will of native peoples to defend their land at any cost and for any duration.

With a key vote to change what 7 administrations have failed to do for the millions of uninsured Americans, or the chance to take on real global leadership on climate change, or even to attempt to begin to shrink the widening gap between the wealthiest and poorest citizens Obama need to remember that the American public will only buy in for ___ # of priorities. All this in the face of an economy that is not responding as promised to the massive amount of stimulus and tax cuts already on the table.

Now is the time to remember "that bitch of war ruined all my hopes for progress at home" as LBJ learned that inheriting a war doesn't mean you must continue the same bellicose attitude. I'm watching and hoping that in one year Obama will make the right call, sooner if realization that we need to cut our loses if that is evident we are not making progress. I also hope beyond hope that supporting escalation of war is not a political maneuver to get Congressional War Hawks on the side to support domestic legislation. This would be log-rolling at the expense of human life and surely not his motivation.

On a much, much, much lighter note. I tried Real Simple's 10 ideas from One dough to make holiday cookies. The best results I have ever had in the Christmas cookie department in part due to the multiple options by just adding or changing a single ingredient. They beat my pink phallic candy canes disaster of last year hands down