Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my two or six favorite holidays on the western calendar. I enjoy most of the U.S. holidays, truth be known-- all but the ones claimed by those fascists in the American Legion. Thanksgiving offers that sort of universalism and inclusiveness that still handicaps many of the bigger, year-end holidays in this Jeffersonian democracy, and since the old adage still applies that a country is only as wealthy as its poorest inhabitant, Turkey Day stands out for its enduring traditions of social action and charity. There's no bigger day for volunteerism at the shelters and soup kitchens, and the holiday has remained shockingly free of both politicization and efforts at religious recruitment. And one other point-- whoever thought to schedule it on Thursdays so we could get a four-day weekend deserves to have his picture on the currency-- and on one of the low denominations. He does.

This year I feel especially thankful for the following (in no particular order)...

A roof over my head, nearly a quarter paid for

My local public library

My startlingly precocious baby sister

My startlingly precocious twin brother

Daily interest accrual on student loans

"According to Jim"'s writers going on strike

Maureen Dowd on Hillary Clinton, sometimes twice a week

Expert movie-making such as "Michael Clayton"

My buddy, Rob, who let me crash with him for six weeks this summer. I miss watching "Will & Grace" with you, Rob.

Mike Gravel

Netflix

My Davenport posse

Rear window defrost. How did I ever live without it?

The single-minded focus of Albert Pujols

The arm of Yadier Molina.

The diamond instincts of Jim Edmonds

The health of Jason Isringhausen

Friends

Family

My readers

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