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Despite heartfelt warnings from friends and family, even an occasional, “Don’t go in there!” I keep an Internet eye on what I call the Loony Left. These muddle-brained folk are not about a coherent ideology like Marxism; their agenda (if you can call it that) is typically a jumble of clichés, empty slogans entering on multiculturalism, diversity, race and ethnic grievances, a dollop of feminism, a half cup of anti-Americanism, a pinch of economic redistribution and whatever might attract this motley crew of progressive “activists.” My aim in tracking this web-based nonsense is quite serious – much of today’s horrific...

When we sit down at the Thanksgiving table this week I am quite certain there at least a few feelings that swoop up and tug at our conscience. However we intend to celebrate this ceremonial coming together of family and friends, there is the distinct possibility that something may be missing from the table. It could be the representation of the gift of thanks from our last Thanksgiving. Just what is that gift of thanks that may be a distinctly distant memory? It could be the true meaning to what we are giving the credit for our thanks. Is it...

U.S. President Barack Obama fills a bag with a Thanksgiving day pumpkin pie alongside first lady Michelle Obama (2nd R) and their daughter Malia (3rd R) during their visit to Martha's Table, a community-improvement organization for the underprivileged in Washington, November 25, 2009.

Walter Reed, Week 241, 11/27/09 Thanksgiving – Thanking Our Brave Soldiers The Friday After Thanksgiving FRONT GATE NOTES November 27, 2009, Thanksgiving, No Bus and Patriotism Friday night after Thanksgiving is normally quiet with light traffic. Tonight was no different. Very windy, making the hi 40’s seem like the lo 30’s. Even so, eleven of us were in place during the evening. The wind was so stiff that our banners would have blown away, leaving us with signs and hand held flags. The war doesn’t stop though and two big ambulances raced down Georgia Ave and into Walter Reed to...

A Washington state family whose turkey was stolen by a dog on Thanksgiving have quite a story to tell about how they eventually got the bird back (Nov 28). See Video News for more

Comparing today's Thanksgiving Proclamation by President Obama with last year's by President Bush presents us a study in contrasts. Specifically, one heart that turns in gratitude to God and one that doesn't... A friend observes this may be the first time in the history of presidential Thanksgiving proclamations the President does not call men to give thanks to God. If anyone has the gumption to check it out, please let us know. First, President Barack Hussein Obama; second, President George W. Bush.

The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:8-12)

Elizabeth Smith says she cooked the ham the night before and asked her father-in-law to wake her up on Thanksgiving morning so she could cook the rest. But when she woke up at 7 a.m., she said, Donald "Junior" Smith was already stuffing the turkey. With celery. Elizabeth's husband, Tristan Smith, is allergic to celery. "It makes him sick," she said. She started crying. Junior yelled. Elizabeth's husband shouted at his dad for yelling at his wife. "You're not going to step in my wife's face," Tristan hollered, according to Elizabeth.

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 27, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - President Obama's brief proclamation of Thanksgiving Day on November 26 was unique among all recorded Thanksgiving proclamations by his predecessors: it is the first one that fails to directly acknowledge the existence of God. The beneficence shown by God to America is a theme that traditionally defines the Thanksgiving holiday, and this theme is strongly emphasized in the original Thanksgiving Day proclamations and consistently acknowledged even by modern presidents. Obama's unprecedented proclamation, however, only makes indirect mention of God by quoting George Washington, stating: "Today, we recall President George Washington, who proclaimed our...

Forget Thanksgiving, Today Is New American Holiday! President Honors Fore-Fathers bythelastcrusade.org President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle are celebrating Eid al-Adna in the White House.The Muslim holiday which takes place today celebrates Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael to Allah.This year, Eid al-Adna represents the high tide of the hajj - - the annual pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca, a journey which must be made at least once in the lifetime of every Muslim believer.The President’s Grandmother Sarah is presently in the holy city and making her three trips around the Kaaba.To proclaim his belief that America...

Oh my. The other week, the neighbor, who lives six miles up the road, stopped by and invited me to two Thanksgiving dinners; one on Thanksgiving Day itself, the other the day after. He was obviously hoping I would attend both of them--after all, there's not many people in this area of the Sandhills of Nebraska--but I got the sense he really wanted me to come today (Friday), if I wasn't willing to do the Thanksgiving Day thing, too. Well, no, I wasn't willing to do the Thanksgiving Day thing, but I was curious about this day-after-Thanksgiving event, and so...

In this photo from another Thanksgiving celebration in Iraq, The Red Bull logo of the 34th Infantry Division is displayed in bread for their Thanksgiving meal on Contingency Operating Base Basrah, Nov. 26. Photo by Spc. Samuel Soza, 34th Red Bull Infantry Division. BAGHDAD — Two cultures come together at a table. The hosts, strangers in an exotic land, welcome native guests with a rich history stretching back thousands of years. This scene, reminiscent of the historic celebration at Plymouth, took place here on Forward Operating Base Falcon, Nov. 26, as dozens of Iraqi tribal, civil and military leaders and...

We had the chance to talk with her earlier today at the 6th Annual Turkey Trot and she was full of energy. "This is so encouraging, nice warm reception. I should have expected it because it's the Tri-Cities, and amazing hospitable people live here, we love it," said Palin. Sarah Palin was surrounded by hundreds including a handful of supporters from Alaska. The former Vice Presidential candidate has taken a few days off her nationwide book tour to spend her Thanksgiving weekend with family and friends. She has two aunts in town and deep roots in the Tri-City area. "It's...

Thanksgiving dinner video from the dining facilities (DFACs) on Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2009. Soundtrack is my addition, and should be familiar to one and all. I'm thankful to have been there, done that, and be home for this one. And I'm thankful that the men and women of the US military keep on keeping on.

When the current resident of the White House learned that the Pilgrims invited Indians to the first Thanksgiving he decided to do the same. I think he may have invited the wrong ones. (sarc off)

“In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwriten, by the loyall subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britaine, Franc, and Ireland king, defender of the faith, etc. “Haveing undertaken, for the glorie of God, and advancemente of the Christian faith, and honour of our king and countrie, a voyage to plant the first colonie in the Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God, and one another, covenant and combine our selves togeather into a civill body politick, for our...

If you're looking for something more creative than a sandwich to make with your leftover Thanksgiving turkey, this is an easy recipe that's sure to please. You can also substitute with chicken.

100 Reasons to be Thankful, Even in Hard Times November 26th, 2009 by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur For my article this week, I decided to ask people (young and old) what they were thankful for this Thanksgiving. Truly, we have much to thank God for! I offer my thanks to all who helped me with this, and wish all of you a very blessed and happy Thanksgiving!I am thankful for . . . The health of my family. Taking naps on the couch or in the backyard. Driving the scenic route. Community events open to the public. My (flawed) relationships with God...

Let Us Give Thanks November 26th, 2009 by Dr. Mark W. Hendrickson As we celebrate our national Thanksgiving holiday in 2009, are you feeling worry, fear, anger, or despair about the direction of our country? Let us instead give thanks.As we pass through this temporal world of “tares and wheat,” we may vacillate between seeing the glass as half empty instead of half full. Many patriotic Americans are sad and fearful at what they see happening in the country we love so dearlyFiscal insanity prevails in Washington where an already bankrupt government persists in digging ever deeper into the hole...

Since most of us have grown up with the Thanksgiving Holiday it is easy for us to assume that this is the way things are and should be but it has not always been so nor is it necessarily so. The American Thanksgiving holiday is the result of a series of presidential proclamations. It became a federal holiday in mid-20th century. The apostolic churches in the first century, however, experienced no such national or official affirmation of their faith. The Apostle Peter called the Christians of Asia Minor “strangers and exiles” (1 Pet 2:11). Indeed they were. They had much...

For everyone who didn't vote for Obama, "Happy Thanksgiving!" For all those who did vote for him, "Enjoy your Turkey!"

One of the persistent American misunderstandings is that Thanksgiving is about celebrating abundance. Norman Rockwell helped the myth along as much as anyone. In his 1943 series, "The Four Freedoms," the famous "Freedom from Want" painting depicts a smiling grandma hoisting a bird to the table with Uncle Ed there on the left eyeing up a juicy drumstick for himself. *break* When Rockwell painted the happy clan, all grinning at the prospect of a big feed, America was an economically depressed nation struggling through a two-front world war. Grandma had to empty out her ration book to lay out even...

VIRGINIA, Va. -- It's probably the last time that Timothy M. Kaine will step outside his house in the morning to find two dead deer and a turkey on his doorstep. But yesterday, the outgoing Virginia governor and his wife, first lady Anne Holton, stood outside the Executive Mansion in Richmond to preside over a Thanksgiving tradition that dates to the late 1600s -- Virginia's Indian tribes paying tribute to the governor. On a damp and gray but mild morning, Kaine welcomed about 200 people, including members of several generations of Indians in traditional garb, as well as Capitol Square...

Thanksgiving Day (USA)Fourth Thursday in NovemberJan Davidsz. de HeemEucharist in Fruit Wreath - 1648 - Oil on canvas, 138 x 125,5 cmKunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna History from the 1913 edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia:A civil holiday observed annually in the United States of America on the last Thursday in November. The president issues a proclamation, calling on the citizens, all Federal officials, and others subject to Federal authority to observe the day as one of national thanksgiving and prayer. The governors of states concur in the president's proclamation and also recommend the citizens to observe the holiday, and all public...

Forget about lighting up a crackling fire for your Thanksgiving dinner guests. A Spare the Air alert has been issued by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District for the full 24 hours of the holiday. The ban covers Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa and southern Sonoma and southwestern Solano counties. The midnight-to-midnight alert bans the burning of wood, manufactured firedogs or any other solid fuel, indoors and outdoors.The daylong ban covers woodstoves and inserts, pellet stoves, outdoor fire pits or any other wood-burning devices.

Washington D.C. October 3, 1863 By the President of the United States of America. A Proclamation. The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude...

KENNEWICK -- Thousands of people from across the Tri-Cites and the country were in Kennewick for the annual Turkey Trot to benefit the Benton-Franklin Red Cross. The appearance of Sarah Palin overshadowed the whole event, as hundreds of people tried to get an up close view of the former Alaskan Governor.

General Thanksgiving, By the PRESIDENT of the United States of America, A 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 favour; And whereas both Houses have, by their joint committee, requested me " to recommend to the people of the United States, a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING 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...

Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day, 1863October 3, 1863 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war...

Because the tradition the White House is breaking is a media one. The press office says they will not be releasing the menu of what the family will be eating today, as White House press offices have done on Thanksgiving Day for as far back, as well, we can remember. For instance, last year we know the Bush family dined at Camp David on free range turkey, zucchini gratin, and pumpkin mousse trifle. And in 2007, the record shows that the Bush family Thanksgiving menu was nearly identical, with the addition of a jellied cranberry mold. So what will the...

There's a wonderful e-mail going around this time of year. It's like a lot of other e-mails -- it tells a warm and fuzzy story. But this one is different. It's actually true. It was the first day of school at Robinson High School in Little Rock, Ark., in 2005. Robinson is a smaller public school with just over 500 kids. And virtually every one of those kids thought Martha Cothren, teacher of AP American History, AP Government, military history and coach of the girls basketball team, was crazy. They thought she was crazy because here it was, the first...

God's mercy is a monumental theme in Scripture, the English word appearing some 341 times in the Bible. The four Hebrew and three Greek words associated with this term appear a total of 454 times and are also translated as "kindness," "lovingkindness," "goodness," "favor," "compassion," and "pity." Of the sixty-six books of the Bible, only sixteen do not use one of these words for mercy. Even though "mercy" is an important concept, it is somewhat difficult to prescribe a definition, especially since "grace" is occasionally closely coupled with it.However similar they may appear to be, these words are not synonyms....

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. Now therefore I do...

Spc. Adam Butler, of Summersville, W.Va., passes a pre-packaged bag of food to Saad Hawas Salim, at a mosque in the Zaydon marketplace, Nov. 23. American troops delivered 100 bags for distribution to the needy just in time for Eid al-Adha. Photo by Spc. Ruth McClary, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team. BAGHDAD — Military vehicles carrying a harvest of pre-packaged foods pulled up to the Salim Molaw Abu Hathafa Mosque in the Zaydon marketplace here, Nov. 23, just in time for Eid al-Adha. U.S. troops delivered 300 packages containing cooking oil, flour, tortillas, beans, canned meat, canned tomatoes, and powdered...

Gen. Odierno on what's being done for U.S. troops celebrating Thanksgiving in Iraq.

(Excerpt) Read more at floppingaces.net ...

Ephesians 5:17-20 (New International Version) 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (King James Version) 17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Being...

OK would like to send out a big thank you to our troops serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and throughout the world. We’re thankful for these men and women who fight for our freedom. We hoped that Obama would also express his gratitude, but he used his Thanksgiving Eve speech to send out a Haijj message to Muslims around the world. In fact, in spite – and in some cases, because – of Barack Obama’s bad- and non-decision-making, there are at least eleven other reasons to be thankful on this holiday. With that in mind, here’s our Top Reasons to Be...

Helen Thomas is thankful this Thanksgiving for having the first what? Video Straight Ahead...

Feast and football. That’s what many of us think about at Thanksgiving. Most people identify the origin of the holiday with the Pilgrims’ first bountiful harvest. But few understand how the Pilgrims actually solved their chronic food shortages. Many people believe that after suffering through a severe winter, the Pilgrims’ food shortages were resolved the following spring when the Native Americans taught them to plant corn and a Thanksgiving celebration resulted. In fact, the pilgrims continued to face chronic food shortages for three years until the harvest of 1623. Bad weather or lack of farming knowledge did not cause the...

In a day and age when elected officials in Washington, D.C., seem to be treating the American people more like turkeys than bosses, I offer this Thanksgiving Day cartoon as representative of how many Americans feel on this special day.

Handmade chocolates, artisanal cheeses, vintage Champagne — consumers are thinking twice about splurging on such luxurious goods during the tough economic times. But sales of at least one fancy food item have held up: gourmet turkeys that easily cost $100 or more. “It’s a hot item,” said Bill Niman, a prominent advocate for sustainable agriculture who this year jumped into the so-called heritage turkey market — older breeds of birds that had all but disappeared until championed by preservationists and foodies. He raised 2,500 birds for Thanksgiving and “sold every bird.” Mr. Niman’s turkeys were priced at $6.99 a pound....

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The Thanksgiving proclamation the White House issued on behalf of President Barack Obama is creating a bit of a controversy. The dustup doesn't concern what the traditional holiday message from the president says, but rather what it doesn't say.

1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation A PROCLAMATION by the President of the United States of America: 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...

What made this country truly great? Have we forgotten what is most important to us? What would our Founding Fathers think of us if they were alive today? Take a little over 3 minutes to watch this inspiring video and thank God for America and that you are an American. AMERICA: A LAND OF PROVIDENCE

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 favour; and Whereas both Houfes of Congress have, by their joint committee, requefted me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING 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 eftablifh a form of government for their safety and happiness:" NOW THEREFORE, I do...

Seasons of Steyn Thursday, 26 November 2009 A lot has changed since I wrote these words, but I'll stand by them. Enjoy the turkey, and count your blessings: Speaking as a misfit unassimilated foreigner, I think of Thanksgiving as the most American of holidays. Christmas is celebrated elsewhere, even if there are significant local variations: in continental Europe, naughty children get left rods to be flayed with and lumps of coal; in Britain, Christmas lasts from December 22nd to mid-January and celebrates the ancient cultural traditions of massive alcohol intake and watching the telly till you pass out in a...

As dark and hopeless as our world looked last Thanksgiving Day things have turned around and there is much to be optimistic about and thankful for this year. Counting our blessings is still easier here in America than in any other country. Even the poorest Americans eat meals many of the world’s citizens only dream about. We have a Bill of Rights and a full Constitution to protect us thanks to our Founding Fathers. Because of the foresight of those great men, we have the legal and moral tools we need to prevail against even the worst tyrants. Other societies...