As you’re at home carving bird (or fake bird as some of my veggie eating friends are doing today) and watching the game, the Godfather marathon, the Rocky marathon, or actually speaking to the assorted relatives around the dining table, remember to give thanks that you ARE at home, and not currently caught up in one of the following world-wide ordeals.

• At least 125 are dead, and over 300 wounded in India following a massive terrorist attack on 3 locations in Mumbai. The attacks also saw hostages taken, with the gunmen reportedly seeking specifically U.S. and British citizens.
• There’s an increased police presence in and around New York City subways and trains due to a potential terrorist attack that could take place during the holidays according to an FBI memo.  The threat is being listed as “plausible but unsubstantiated”, however it is still being treated with the utmost seriousness.
• In better news the Iraqi Parliament has backed the security agreement with the U.S. by a substantial majority. The agreement will see the complete withdrawl of ALL American troops by 2011, following a withdrawl from cities and in 2009 to specified military bases.  All that remains now is for approval by the 3 member Iraqi Presidential Counsel.
• And in the most random “war” to take place, Axl Rose of the infamous Guns N Roses is launching an assault on Dr. Pepper accusing them of not living up to their promise of a free Dr. Pepper for all Americans if the album Chinese Democracy was released by the end of 2008.  To make it even more interesting, the album which has been in the works for 14 years is also under attack by the Chinese State Media who, being Communist are not thrilled about the album title and the title track.

I know that neither of those last two links are really all that important or meaningful in the grand scheme of things, but it seemed a friendlier note to end on than some of the other newsbites.

Happy Thanksgiving, I’m going to go eat some turkey now.