What Do You Believe About Thanksgiving...?

Our friend Lisa Halliday forwarded this Thanksgiving trivia test. I got one wrong because I thought it was a trick question -- the year I was taught was the first Thanksgiving is, at least according to this quiz -- but some of the others were a little tougher.

The older I get, the more grateful I am for things that I'm surprised make me grateful. Of course there are family and friends, and still being able to pay the mortgage (which is a fixed-rate mortgage, thank you), but even in bad times we can be thankful. For those who have experienced a loss, you will find yourself thankful for your memories. For those who have experienced tough luck, you will find yourself thankful for the smarts and the determination to overcome your problems. And for those who have good luck and wealth, you can be thankful that you have the spirit to share those things with those less fortunate.

Happy thanksgiving!

The Responsbility of A Great Power

I got a forward from my politically conservative cousin about the military with which I agree.

When doing your Christmas cards this year, take one card and send it to this address.

If we pass this on and everyone sends one card, think of how many cards these wonderful special people who have sacrificed so much would get!

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington , D.C. 20307-5001

And please, don't forget to pass it on.

I do need to edit. He always chides me because I go to snopes.com to look up the quotes he forwards that are very conservative politically, but ostensibly from David Letterman, or George Carlin, or Lee Iacocca. I just like to know with whom I'm agreeing (or disagreeing). Otherwise we might as well start sending those forwards as coming from "George W. Bush" in support of opening the border with Mexico or "Rush Limbaugh" favoring the legalization of narcotics.

But, to be serious, just because you think our Commander in Chief made a tactical mistake by invading Iraq doesn't mean that the soldiers and sailors that had to do it should suffer. Yes, they volunteered to join the service, but they had to expect that they'd be fighting in defense of this nation (as they have in Afghanistan), or at least in defense of freedom and human dignity (as they did in the Balkans).

So I did go to snopes.com, and discovered that Walter Reed does not accept these sorts of messages. However, a Red Cross program called "Holiday Mail for Heroes" will.

The rules:

Please follow these guidelines when mailing a card to ensure that your card will quickly reach service members, veterans and their families. Every card received will first be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working in one of 16 sorting stations around the country.

All cards must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, December 10, 2008. Cards sent after this date will be returned to sender.

Participants are encouraged to limit the number of cards they submit to 25 from any one person or 50 from any one class or group. If you are mailing a larger quantity, please bundle the cards and place them in large mailing envelopes. Each card does not need its own envelope or postage.

Please ensure that all cards are signed.

Please use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals can not be delivered through this program.

Please send cards as opposed to long letters which delay a quick review process.
Please do not include email or home addresses on the cards, as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships.

Please do not include inserts of any kind, including photos, as these items will be removed during the reviewing process.

All cards received may be used in program publicity efforts, including appearing in broadcast, print or online mediums.

Just send your greetings to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility...

In today's e-mail, this forward from the spouse:

From a UK periodical:
Surprising secrets about Barack Obama:
He collects Spider-Man comics.
His favorite TV show is The Wire.
He is a Mac head.
He auditioned for a black pinup calendar while at Harvard and was rejected.

There's not a whole lot wrong with using your power for good, as Spidey's Uncle Ben would say. On the other hand, I hope that the Cabinet meetings don't wind up looking like an Avengers gathering...

Forward This Immediately

An outfit responsible for three-quarters of the world's e-mail spam has been shut down, it was reported today.

Damn. Just when I thought I might need c1al1s.

Am I the only one who assumes that in a Starbucks somewhere near Bora Bora, a group of nutbags is about to fill the vacuum?