Elliott, you are a gem. Thank you. And don’t forget, friends, that giving money and donating food is a way of HELPING the economy, short-run wise, as well as helping people and giving yourself a good, hearty immune-supporting dose of good feeling.

That is probably my favorite Norman Rockwell painting. Not what Thanksgiving is, but what we wish it was. Specially love that uncle in the lower right hand corner looking at us. Precious.

People need food all year round. It’s nice to see an effort at Thanksgiving, I would encourage people to find your local food bank and drop things off on a regular bases.

Find your local Food Bank here.

much obliged MM, much obliged.

And always look for the food pantry cart or bin at your local grocery store, where you can drop in a coupla cans every time you shop. Or that coupon freebie. Or that buy one, get one.

It’s easy to give one…or two…everytime you shop. All you gotta do is do it.

I shop at Wegman’s, and they make giving to the local food bank very easy. At the checkout counters they have coupons where you can add $1, $2 or $5 to your grocery total.

A friend is the development director for the statewide food bank network here. I have been hearing all kinds of horror stories for a couple of months now and it is only going to get worse. Montana actually has less unemployment than most places (3 of the best places in America to get a job are here according to a recent report).

Very inspiring, Elliot, thanks!

From what my friend has told me, both cash and food donations are way down nationwide, just as demand is skyrocketing.

Yes, yes — thank you Ellie!

Why isn’t there a recommend button for this one?

Yeah, I think it’s already been recommended.
But there’s a Digg right here.

Thank you Elliott!

Done Dugg.

I can dig(g) that. Thanks newt!

If you belong to a group that meets on a regular bases, why not set up a food drive for the group? Find a local food bank, collect some canned goods monthly and help some people in need.

You’ve just inspired me. Thank you.

Many food banks have websites where you can donate cash online as well. They are also always looking for volunteers to staff their facilities if you have some free time (every hour of free labor is one they do not have to pay for and that money can go to food).

Also, check to see if your local food pantry distributes other essentials like clothing and household goods.
Ours does, and it is gratifying to see donations go directly to the needy.
We also donate toys (in new or like new condition), especially at this time of year.

I can digg it, you can digg it, he can digg it, she can digg it…

You’re welcome. I think you find people will respond well. It may take a couple meetings for it to catch on, however it will.

There are also a number of national organizations like Feed America (formerly America’s Second Harvest) which partner with local organizations. They can tap into national producers more readily and also need our help.

I work for a county government, and each year most everyone in all of the agencies participates in the Adopt-A-Family program. It’s heartbreaking to see their lists of needs — it’s almost always household items and clothes. Very gratifying to contribute. We do all kinds of creative fundraisers to raise money.

I should have said that we do this at Christmas time. Given the increased needs of the community, I wish we could do it all year long.

Hey, Loo Hoo!
Looks like Southern Dragon did the Digg-deed. Thanks, SD.

Second Harvest is going to be a very going concern here this year. Lots of families are in deep distress right now. Families. I hate this. I have clients I have known for more than 10 years who have no place at all.

Oh, geez. My mom just moved in with my brother. I got the dog.

Rufus, (Roofie to me) has turned out to be a really good guy. And much happier than he was with mom.

Our grocery store has a Drop off Box right inside the doors … we drop a little food each week and it feels great to be able to do so.

((((( LL )))))

Sending a chilled Leffe to ya …

Hey, Petro! Though of you tonight as I was cooking tandoori turkey legs (turned out really good!). Fixed braised red chard and pumpkin with mushrooms and a baked white sweet potato topped with butter and a mix of paprika, cayenne, and garam masala as well with a savory cranberry-apple chutney on the side.

(((( Petro ))))

Thank you! I’ll stash it in the fridge for my days off *g*

Gotta go, working tomorrow. Good night all.

My youngest son works part time and is a full time student at ASU….. he rooms with three other guys……. his employer has been cutting hours before Christmas (retailer) and he started talking about moving back in but if he does……. all three of his room mates goes down unless he can find someone to replace him……

This year the number of homeless families has doubled in Phoenix in the first six months ……

Night, LL. Keep America safe from itself.

nite LL
Petro – how goes (besides the brewski, of course)?

‘Night DrD, I’ll do my level best!

*poof*

*yummy* … Bon appetit !

No brewskis, newt … tensed with the situation in Mumbai …

Pretty freaking ugly there right now. Looks like things are blowing up again between the Hindu extremists and the Muslim extremists.

World on fire. The planet is on fire.
Yeah, very tense.

Many years ago ,while serving in the Air Force my wife and I received a food basket left at our door.
I can’t tell you how happy that made us feel.
A turkey dinner and all the fixins were well beyond our means,we sure didn’t have much to look forward to that year.
I will never forget that kind act of generousity!!!

The Hindu extremists will try to use this to fan the flames of revenge … could get really ugly over there …

Apparently a group of hostages belong to an ultra- right wing Israeli group …

Evidence suggests this is a result of radicalization of Muslims in Maharashtra owing to the violence against them inspired by the Hindu Nationalists running the state. Probably stirred up by outside interests who would like to upset the growing rapprochement between India and Pakistan, as well as undermine the moderate, secular government in the latter.

It’s like the Chicken/Egg issue … who started the violence …

And, who might these outside interests be?

*check please* … *g*

Perhaps, but there has been a huge upswing in violence against Muslims in the country generally and in this state in particular. It is one of the things I follow for my race and ethnicity class (along with many other ethnic/nationalist conflicts).

Al Qaeda or, more likely, a Pakistani based (not associated with the government) radical Islamic group (whose name I do not remember just now) that wants to annex Kashmir and Punjab to Pakistan (as well as overthrow the moderate, secular government in Pakistan).

This state has seen an uptick in violence on every other community who are accused of stealing the jobs of the locals … I guess Lou Dobbs’ syndrome is not limited to America …

reaching out. . .touching you, Katymine.

Happy Thanksgiving Pups!
We (at work) did a food drive for a local church food bank — it felt great. We need to do it on a regular basis.

Hi. Not getting your reference. Explain?
And,
There was a time I was naive enough to think that if only women made the rules, we’d be a happier planet, but then I got a lesson from The Sarah.
I’m sad.

In ‘92-93, politicians managed to fan the flames of racial hatred in Mumbai, over 3,000 died. But many more were saved as Hindus hid Muslims from the marauding hordes and vice versa.

I hope that this spirit prevails in Mumbai once again …

Yep. That is in fact the basic point I try to make in my class. These religious fundamentalist political movements are all rather similar, whether it is Al Qaeda, Hindutva, Jewish Ultraorthodox and settler movements, Sikh separatist, or the Christian coalition. All play on the fears of people to incite hatred and violence toward “the other.”

The group I refered to earlier is Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Well wadda you know – Thers has a diary up!
CNN “Political Turkey” Snark: Bite Me, CNN

I’m with Ted Turner … men should be barred from all offices of power for 100 years.

Catherine the Great, the Dowager Empress, and Elizabeth I should have disabused you of any such ideas long before Sarah the (Im)Palin.

… and all of them are acting contrary to the teachings of their respective religions …

Hah … can’t wait to meet you over some nice Lamb curry and have a nice, long chat … lots of goals for 2009.

I get the impression that Mumbai and many other urban areas are a bit more tolerant. Much of the support for radicalism and Hindu Nationalism seems to be in the rural areas among people who arebarely surviving and getting little help from the government.

Exactly right … people of Mumbai are really tolerant … they often visit each other’s religious places and worship together …

Apparently, besides being naive, I need to bone up on some history.
Watching Braveheart right now. Pretty damn violent.

Absolutely, which is a main point of the exercise (given all the hysteria about “Islamic extremists”). Indeed, most are not even remotely representative of their fellow religionists, representing only small minorities.

History is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.

OMG, I hope so too. There really more sane people in the world than crazies.

The Islamic leaders of India passed a fatwa, renouncing violence as anti- Islamic … not likely to see that
on the news …

Yeah, I was arguing with a troll over at Sadly, No and pointed out that India is the second largest Muslim country in the world, but does not seem to be a hotbed of anti-Western Islamic violence. Same is actually true of the largest Muslim country, Indonesia. In India, there has been generally high levels of tolerance, despite occasional flare ups, until the rise of the Hindu Nationalist Parties who stirred up hatred for all the religious minorities.

Maybe this, I hate use the word, incident will allow the western world to actually learn about Islam and dispose of so many myths that have been shoved down our throats.
See, beside ignorant and naive, I’m idealistic.

Yes, there are more Muslims in India than in Pakistan.

Politicians love to use religion for political gain … but it is wearing thin even in rural areas of India.

I thought Deepak Chopra’s comments earlier were spot on and what the intellectuals believe … terrorism is a World problem and has to be dealt with at the roots and in accord with all Governments in the World.

I would not hold my breath. Even on the Newshour tonight they seemed to be looking for the Islamic boogeyman (if ever so politely). Virtually all of the Islamic violence in India arises over the status of Kashmir and Punjab, which are currently partitioned between Pakistan and India and claimed by both (as well as having significant independence movements). Islamic (and Sikh) extremists from these regions have stage a significant number of terrorist attacks in India. Combining Hindu Nationalist, Islamic extremist, Sihk separatist, and various assorted nutjobs, India accounts for half of all terrorist attacks in the world.

Yep. Ground in geopolitical and global economic forces beyond the control of the local populous and many national governments.

You ought to take a look at some of Jonathan Friedman’s work on globalization and its discontents. This is a pretty good collection from that perspective. I use selections from it in some of my classes.

Humankind has a lot to learn.
How to deal with terrorism at the roots. Look what Bush’s war has done to raise the numbers of volunteers to hatred in Middle East.
Hell of a dialog for Thanksgiving evening. But, it’s one that must take place.

Just makes us more thankful for our new president elect.

Thanks, I will get them.

Seconding Dr. Dick … very thankful for Obama and his peeps coming in for the next 8 years … I think he has more worldwide support than he does in America … %- wise

Not holding my breath. Worried for the future of the world’s citizens.
You noticed I did not say the planet.
I remember a piece that George Carlin did. He said oh the world is going to be fine. It’s survived a lot already. We need to worry about the people. (very loose transcription…I think the turkey has made me sleepy.)

He also seems to get the realities of the global situation and the roots of terrorism.

Another wonderful post Elliot.

We will get through this disaster like we have before, Americans are some tough mothers when it gets down to brass tacks.

True. We are unlikely to actually destroy the planet. Every living thing on it, however, is a whole other question entirely.

Yes. I am thankful for this opportunity and for the potential his presidency holds.
You and Petro are smart guys with big hearts.
I’m thankful for friends like you both.
Going to get horizontal with a book now.
I’ll do my prayers. This list is getting longer every day.
Night night.

… and he also gets the correct order of steps necessary to create the most benefit … master planner !

I hope it’s not PlayGirl … *g*

((( demi )))

Sleep well, demi.

Thanks and you too, when you get there.

You’re so silly sometimes.
Hugs back at ya, my favorite Canadian.

Seems to have gotten kind of thin here at the Lake. Perhaps too many tryptophan casualties.

Hmmm. Seem to be the last man standing here. Guess I will join the exodus.

I love the spiral cut ham, it is to die for.
I had some turkey and it was really good but I narrowly escaped the Tryptophan coma.
I don’t eat much or real regular.
I believe I ate more off of one plateful of food today than I usually eat in 24 hours.
Lord I was miserable for a bit.

Made me think about all those families out there struggling.

I do believe there is going to be some food donation at the local food bank coming up for Xmas. I am lucky, it is just me here in the Rat Hole and I have plenty.