Bruni on an Italian Thanksgiving

Frank Bruni wrote a very funny column today. Go read it. It's about how Italians do Thanksgiving and it sounds exactly like my family.

(Don't mind the O'Connor name. My drunken Irish daddy left before I was three and my Italian mother replaced him with a nice, solid Italian guy. So I'm as Italian as anybody.)

All Italian holidays, not just Thanksgiving, are exactly as Bruni describes them. It's all about too much food and just the right amount of family.

It looks like we're going to be snowed in today but every family member has already arrived safely (to beat the snow). So all is well.

Happy Thanksgiving, crew. Have a great time.

What are you thankful for?

I'll start this off. I'm thankful for Dawn Dishwashing Liquid, top hats, computers, my friends and family, an algorithm named Dog, and the fact that I'm finally writing again.

The great thing about Thanksgiving is that people are thankful in a generic way. They don't seem to thank gods or demons or whatnot, though there are surely pockets of such stupidity. For the most part, it's just a feeling of gratitude. And that's how it should be. The fact that we're here, that we exist at all, is the most amazing coincidence of all.

So, me bloggies, what are you thankful for on this fine Thanksgiving day?

Giving thanks

As longtime readers know, I'm not keen on holidays. Thanksgiving might seem inoffensive to non-vegetarians but it's not so pretty if you don't eat meat. I know you meat-eating folks don't want to hear this, but the traditional dinner table is pretty creepy.

On the other hand, the idea of giving thanks is a good one. Foolish religious folk might ask who an atheist gives thanks to -- but that's just nonsense. You simply give thanks, to the universe, to fate, to reality. You're thankful for what you have. Works just fine without god.

Maybe some depressed folks don't think there's anything to be thankful for. But there is. If you're reading this, be thankful that you have a brain, and vision, and computer (or phone) access to the internet. And if you're reading this, you're probably located in a peaceful area where you don't have to worry about American drones hitting your house.

I'm thankful Romney wasn't elected, though I won't go so far as to say I'm thankful that Obama is president. We could do a lot better than that.

I'm thankful for my friends and family, and the great animals in my yard. I'm thankful that everyone around me lets me live like a hermit -- and doesn't hold it against me. Thanks, guys! I'm also thankful that Xmas Carol is finally finished. It's out there, where anyone can buy it. In fact, I got my first royalties check yesterday. It's a pauper amount, but hey -- someone bought and read my book. I give thanks for this.

So try to ignore your wingnut relatives today. And be thankful for what you have. Works for me. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!