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Reading Nathaniel Philbrick's Mayflower, an account of the voyage of the Pilgrims and the settling of Plymouth Colony, what strikes me most is not simply the extraordinary suffering of those who made the crossing, or how close to failure the entire venture teetered for years, or even the author's recounting of the first celebration we've since dubbed Thanksgiving. What leaps out from the pages of the history, probably because it's so little a part of the common narrative of the Pilgrims, is a crucial decision by the colony's governor, William Bradford, to change the fundamental organization of Plymouth's economy, a...

Enjoy FReepers who have access to Hulu.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25, 2009 – Amanda Bailey has a lot to thankful for this Thanksgiving, with her husband, Army Spc. Christopher Bailey home from Iraq for rest and relaxation leave. And as head of his National Guard unit’s family readiness group, she’s helped to galvanize a communitywide show of appreciation for families of its deployed troops. Army Spc. Christopher Bailey, his wife, Amanda, and children are looking forward to spending Thanksgiving together during Bailey’s rest and relaxation leave from his deployment in Iraq. Ardmore, Ala., November 2009. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Bailey, a military policeman with...

"Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor--and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a DAY of PUBLIC THANKSGIVING and PRAYER to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness....

On Today's Show... November 25, 2009   Note: There will be no Rush in a Hurry Emails on Thanksgiving Day or Friday. Listen to the Best of Rush shows on both days, and check out their content at RushLimbaugh.com.     The Universe of Lies: Climate Hoax Lives, Obama to Join Copenhagen The bubble of man-made warming has burst, but the lies keep coming. Ed Begley, Jr. thinks he can shout down facts. He's wrong, as are all who corrupt science. (Rush 24/7 Members: Listen)   Where's the GOP? Navy SEALs Charged for Punching Terrorist Behind Fallujah Atrocity The most-wanted terrorist...

President Obama Pardons Turkey U.S. President Obama waved his hand over Courage the turkey Wednesday, pardoning the bird from being the guest of honor on someone's Thanksgiving Day table. "I hereby pardon Courage so he can live out his days in peace and tranquility" in Disneyland, where he also will serve as grand marshal Thursday in the Orlando, Fla., theme park's Thanksgiving Day parade. Obama said he was showing mercy to the 45-pound bird at the behest of first daughters Sasha and Malia because "I was planning to eat this sucker."

In the light of what is, what is not, what is going to be, how then shall we proceed? At the very least in light of life’s realities, be thankful! God is good no matter what or why or who and God’s saving grace is sufficient for you. Thanksgiving Deserves the Right Attitude A right attitude towards God is needed, not a attitude of indifference and rejection as in Romans 1:21 – “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were [they] THANKFUL; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”...

Richland, WA — Sarah Palin is taking a Thanksgiving break from her book tour to spend time with family in Washington and join a 5K run to benefit the Red Cross. Palin detailed her plans Wednesday on Twitter: “Leaving Florida to meet family from Texas/Alaska/Washington. We run in Red Cross charity 5k race tmrrw in Richland b4 Thanksgiving dinner” & "Much 2 b thankful 4 as Americans, most free people on earth! More opportunity 4 happiness/health/prosperity thx to our liberating Constitution," About 25 Palin relatives had registered for the annual Turkey Trot on Thursday at Kennewick's Columbia Park, said Heather...

RICHLAND, Wash. — Sarah Palin is taking a Thanksgiving break from her book tour to spend time with family members in Washington for a 5K run to benefit the Red Cross. Palin detailed her plans Wednesday on Twitter. Heather Filbin with the Benton-Franklin Chapter of the American Red Cross said about 25 Palin relatives had registered for the annual Turkey Trot at Kennewick's Columbia Park. Palin plans to have dinner at the home of her aunt Katie Johnson.

Happy Thanksgiving ...!?As you finalize your Thanksgiving plans, be sure to reserve a seat at your table for an extra guest: Uncle Sam. Have you ever asked yourself how much of the cost of your Thanksgiving feast is owed to the fact that the government takes a big bite at it in hidden taxes? The Americans for Tax Reform Foundation and the Center for Fiscal Accountability have calculated just how big that government “tax bite” for Thanksgiving is, and it clocks in at a whopping 40.91 percent....

2009 Thanksgiving Proclamation: Modeled after George Washington's Presidential Proclamation 230 Years ago: Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress, by their joint committee, ought to annually recommend, along with the President, to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording us peace and prosperity...

George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and...

Video: Understatement of the year "We have saved or created more turkeys!"

American homes on the fourth Thursday in November will waft with more than the aroma of turkey and pumpkin pie. Also in the air will be the joy at the start of the holiday season running from Thanksgiving to Christmas through New Years. As temperatures turn cold outdoors, we'll warm ourselves inside and out with gatherings of friends and family, festivities, parties and presents. Inevitably this season also gives rise to queries about the "true meaning" of this or that holiday, usually with complaints about the superficiality of the season. To these critics I say, "Stop being an ugly hair...

As American families sit down to their traditional Thanksgiving feasts they will naturally recall the familiar story of the Pilgrims taught to every school kid and, in the process, distort the true character of the nation’s religious heritage. Most children learn that the Mayflower settlers came to the New World to escape persecution and to establish religious freedom. But the early colonists actually pursued purity, not tolerance and sought to build fervent, faith-based utopias, not secular regimes that consigned religion to a secondary role. The distinctive circumstances that allowed these fiery believers of varied denominations to cooperate in the founding...

Prior to Thanksgiving I went into Boston where they sold clerical collars. I, a Protestant, would dress as a priest. It was the only way I could be certain that I’d be safe at nighttime in Sculley Square — the dregs section of the metro. It was after all where the prostitutes stood on corners, vagrants slept in the gutters, and a downtown mission sang hymns like, “Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is Calling.”

Today, the biggest event of the holiday, though competing with watching parades and football games on TV all day, is the preparation of the Thanksgiving meal. Thanksgiving Day is a time-honored American tradition, a time for family gatherings and a holiday meal that encourages over-the-top decadence, according to WebMD.com. And for many (some 97% of us), the thought of a Thanksgiving without turkey is heresy.

Every Thanksgiving season, I am reminded of the ten lepers in John’s Gospel. You know these ten, Jesus is on his way to Galilee when they spot him and begin to cry out for a healing. Our compassion filled Jesus grants this request and the ten rush off to present themselves to the priest. They will be announced clean and allowed to return to their families, their faith, and their lives. One stops in the midst of the joy, realizing both the source of the joy and the importance of gratitude, and returns to express both realizations to his newfound...

LISTEN TO THE REAL REVEREND JESSE ON THE INTERNET OR A RADIO STATION IN YOUR AREA......BOND Action, Inc...Educating, Motivating and Rallying Americans! The Jesse Lee Peterson Radio Show Streamed live online from 6-9 a.m. PST / 9-12 a.m. EST. Call in the same times usually. For Live Questions or Comments Call 1-888-77-JESSE(5-3773) You can email comments and questions to radio@bondaction.org For more information on getting The Jesse Lee Peterson Show picked up on a station in your local area call Ermias Alemayehu at 1-877-WE ACT77 (932-2877) Go to HERE and order a truckful of these bumper stickers as Jesse says.....

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The traditional presidential pardon of a turkey will be a little different this year. The turkey pardoned will most likely be Cold Cash Jefferson.

(Something I got at work some ten years ago) Most people believe that Pilgrims began the Thanksgiving tradition in Massachusetts. However, settlers in Virginia held a feast celebration in 1619 - a year before the Pilgrims even arrived. Historical documents show that other settlements sponsored feasts to rejoice over their first harvests, too. On Thursday, November 26, Americans will think of many different ways to celebrate Thanksgiving. For the sake of comparison, here’s how American Natives and Pilgrims assembled for the 1621 harvest festival in Plymouth. American Natives About 90 Wampanoag men and their chief, Massasoit Pilgrims 21 Men 4...

The world's biggest animal sacrifice got under way in Nepal today with the killing of the first of more than 250,000 animals as part of a Hindu festival in the village of Biriyapur, near the Indian border. * * * In the main event, 250 appointed locals with traditional kukri knives began their task of decapitating more than 10,000 buffalo in a dusty enclosure guarded by high walls and armed police. Frightened calves galloped around in vain as the men, wearing red bandanas and armbands, pursued them and chopped off their heads. Banned from entering the animal pen, hundreds of...

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 24, 2009 – How do you plan Thanksgiving dinner for 180,000 people more than 6,000 miles away? If you’re a food buyer at the Defense Logistics Agency, you start by making a shopping list in April for meals to be served to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Providing superb meals to our U.S. troops is a critical mission of the Defense Logistics Agency, and one we put a great deal of effort into,” said Air Force Brig. Gen. Scott Chambers commander of the DLA Philadelphia field activity, which provides all the food for U.S. military personnel worldwide,...

Happy Eid al-Adna, America Pagan Holiday Upstages Thanksgiving & Christmas Electronics Giant Celebrates Islam thelastcrusade.org Is America becoming a Muslim nation? Has the tide of history turned against the Christians and Jews living in the land of the free and the home of the brave? Will Islamic law eventually become the law of the land?The answer to all of the above is yes.Proof comes with the holiday ads from Best Buy that will be inserted in every leading newspaper throughout the country this Thanksgiving.The ad makes scant mention of Thanksgiving, other than to urge people to “Shop Thanksgiving Day”....

The White House announced that Vice President Joe Biden has been chosen with the task of hunting a fresh turkey for the White House Thanksgiving feast. President Obama asked the former Vice President Dick Cheney to join Biden in the hunt. “Contrary to the chatter out there, I am not trying to get rid of Vice President Biden,� said President Obama. “Dick Cheney has a significant amount of hunting experience, and it only makes sense that he join Joe in this important task. Two vice presidents going turkey hunting. I think it’s a great story.�Biden appeared a bit concerned...

"Be thankful unto him, and bless his name." - Psalm 100:4 DEAR LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY, THIS HOUR AND THIS SECOND. LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME YOUR SAINTS CAN GATHER BEFORE YOUR THRONE OF GRACE WITH PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION. LORD, WE PRAY FOR ALL OF YOUR SAINTS NO MATTER WHERE THEY MAY BE OR WHATEVER THEIR NEED. LORD, WE PRAY ESPECIALLY FOR OUR TROOPS AND PATRIOTS WHO FAITHFULLY PLACE THERE PRAYERS FOR OUR HEROES AT THE FOOT OF THE THRONE,AND TO ALL MEMBERS OF GOVERNMENT WHO HOLD YOUR TRUTHS CLOSE TO THEIR HEARTS. LORD,...

As many families gather for this splendid holiday feast, there are too many others who in the year suffer the American equivalent of hunger. This is more like deprivation and thankfully not the clinical malnutrition and starvation it is in the Third World. At the same time, this super-rich nation is also battling what is described as an epidemic of overweight and obesity. Obesity, according to the experts, is mushrooming faster than any other health problem. If not slowed down, it will exact $344 billion in health care costs in 2018. By that time 43 percent of Americans, or 103...

Thanksgiving is coming! For most people, despite what the media try to tell us, the day is just that – a day to give thanks to God for all of the blessings we have enjoyed over the past year. Every year Thanksgiving is tough on some people who are facing tough times and this year that may be especially true with many Americans separated by war, some who grieve for the loss of loved ones because of that war, others without jobs and always for those who are alone. Most of us will at least offer a prayer for our...

Here it comes: Best Buy ran a national Black Friday ad inviting the world to celebrate Thanksgiving and Eid Al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice. Fair enough, right? Happy Eid!

My attempt to squash your romantic view of Thanksgiving! Mayflower Myths:The reason that we have so many myths associated with Thanksgiving is that it is an invented tradition. It doesn’t originate in any one event. It is based on the New England puritan Thanksgiving, which is a religious Thanksgiving, and the traditional harvest celebrations of England and New England and maybe other ideas like commemorating the pilgrims. All of these have been gathered together and transformed into something different from the original parts. James W. Baker Senior Historian at Plymouth Plantation. There are more at the link...

When a ship called the Mayflower set sail for the Americas on August 1, 1620, no one would have thought that a historical lesson in politics would be learned by those who gave up everything for a chance at a new life in a new world. 102 passengers set sail with William Bradford that day and once they were on the high seas they all signed an agreement. This agreement, or contract if you may, established what was to be a just and equal law for all members of the new community, irrespective of their religious beliefs. What the settlers...

Thanksgiving Street I knew a man whose name was Horner Who used to live in grumble corner; Grumble corner in crosspatch town And he never was seen without a frown. He grumbled at this, and he grumbled at that, He growled at the dog. He growled at the cat. He grumbled at morning. He grumbled at night, And to grumble and growl was his chief delight. He grumbled so much at his wife that she Began to grumble as well as he. And all the children, wherever they went, Reflected their parents discontent. If the sky was dark and betokened...

With food and gasoline prices generally lower than 2008, are you planning a bigger Thanksgiving? Yes, more family members will be attending this year. Yes, We are traveling this year. No, our Thanksgiving will be the same as most years. No, we are still cutting back because of the economy. We are volunteering this year to help others. We don't really celebrate Thanksgiving. No Opinion

Once again, for about the 3rd or 4th year in a row, I'm posting instructions on how to properly deep fry a turkey. This year, however, although I will be deep frying one, I won't be eating it. The reason? Last week on Thursday I suffered a mild stroke and the doc says no more fried stuff (although I MAY sneak a bite or two). After a night in the emergency room and 4 days eating hospital food, I have no desire to go back. The good news is I've recovered almost 100% use of my left leg and my...

The Real Story Behind Thanksgiving Did you know that the first [Plymouth Colony Pilgrim's] Thanksgiving was a celebration of the triumph of private property and individual initiative?William Bradford was the governor of the original Pilgrim colony, founded at Plymouth in 1621. The colony was first organized on a communal basis, as their financiers required. Land was owned in common. The Pilgrims farmed communally, too, following the "from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs" precept.The results were disastrous. Communism didn't work any better 400 years ago than it does today. By 1623, the colony had...

Our Catholic liturgical year follows a rhythmic cycle. It points us toward beginnings and ends and, in so doing, emphasizes an important truth that can only be grasped through faith. This is the Thirty Fourth or last Sunday in the Western Church year and we celebrate the Feast of the Solemnity of Jesus Christ the Sovereign King. Then, no sooner than we have celebrated the last Sunday of the Year, the feast of Christ the King, we will celebrate the First Sunday of Advent, and begin the time of preparation for the great Nativity of Our Savior. Our Catholic Christian...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Wide-eyed children around the world will be hearing from Santa's "elves" at the North Pole after all. During Christmas seasons for decades, these dedicated elves responded to thousands of letters addressed to "Santa Claus, North Pole." All that was ending with a U.S. Postal Service decision to discontinue the program based in the small Alaskan town amid privacy concerns. The elves from Santa's Mailbag vowed to fight the decision, while North Pole residents voiced outrage. A reversal of the Postal Service move was announced Friday. "We never wanted to spoil people's Christmas," said agency spokesman Ernie...

The National Football League has become an arm of the Obama administration with its partnership with Obama's "United We Serve" program.A video posted by the Obama administration to YouTube this week that is planned to air during broadcasts of the NFL's Thanksgiving Day games shows Barack Obama playing football on the White House lawn.The one-minute-thirty-second propaganda video is entitled, President Obama, United We Serve, and the NFL Team Up for Fitness and Service and is described by the administration on the site:In support of his United We Serve initiative, President Obama and NFL stars Drew Brees, DeMarcus Ware, and Troy...

In a stunning announcement, the White House today announced the end of the Thanksgiving holiday; it is to be replaced by a new event some are calling “political correctness run amok.” The new event, to be called ”Baracksgiving”, is described by the President as “similar to Thanksgiving in many ways, but it’s now an event that re-energizes the meaningfulness of family while keeping proper perspective on who we are and our place in the world.”

Place you Favorite Recipes here.

FORT HUACHUCA — With the handout of turkeys and food vouchers Wednesday, a major holiday problem for some military families has been answered. But with Thanksgiving needs met, still ahead for the fort’s outreach ministries program is Christmas. Before noon, employees of Sundt Construction purchased and delivered 300 turkeys to the main post chapel administrative offices. The turkeys — with a total weight of more than 2 tons — will be handed out with $50 in food coupons for the post commissary. Josephine Moore, who heads the outreach ministries, said the needs of 300 military families, ranging in size from...

Bringing Home the Turkey On many American tables the focal point of the Thanksgiving dinner is a roast turkey. In recent years, turkey — which stores often promote as a sale item for Thanksgiving and the holiday season — has usually been less expensive during November and December than in other months. However, with the exception of September, the average price of whole, frozen turkey was higher during November and December than in most other months in 2008.

Thanksgiving Dinner * 14.5 million turkeys were produced in Indiana in 2008. The Hoosier state accounted for 5.3 percent of national turkey production. This output was less than one-third of Minnesota's leading production of 48 million turkeys. * The value of Indiana's 2008 turkey production totaled $306.3 million. Indiana ranked fifth in value of turkeys raised, following Minnesota, North Carolina, Missouri and Arkansas. * The total weight of all Hoosier turkeys was 519.1 million pounds, compared to 1.3 billion pounjds in Minnesota and 1.2 billion pounds in North Carolina. * The typical whole turkey purchased at a store is a...

Today's America is in need of a spiritual reawakening. It may come upon just that as the righteous remnant remains faithful in prayer and thanksgiving.

Anita Mellott's column, Homeschool Encouragment looks at "Blessings" as we approach Thanksgiving.

All-American Michael Oher went from the streets as a 15-year-old son of a crack addict to potential NFL Rookie of the Year on the love and dedication of an adoptive family that wouldn’t let him fail. The movie that tells their story hits theaters in time for National Adoption Day—and recognition that about 130,000 Michael Ohers are waiting for a family to adopt them Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy adopted as a family motto, "To whom much is given, much is required," they had no idea just how much would be required, nor that they were adopting far more than...

I did this last year and a lot of good recipes were posted so I thought I'd try it again. Take one and/or leave one!