On Thanksgiving, the good news is ...

By GottaLaff

As Paddy said earlier, today will most likely be a light posting day. But before I take off, I wanted to share some excerpts from an L.A. Times editorial. The good news is:

Our troops and their families. For yet another year, members of the armed forces have served with distinction in the face of renewed instability in Afghanistan and psychological and physical injuries from combat. [...]

Protesters in Iran who courageously fought back against a repressive regime and in some cases paid with their lives. [...]

Pixar, for showing once again, with "Up," that filmmakers can create a movie that's just as richly rewarding for adults as it is for children.

Barack Obama. Yes, the Nobel Peace Prize was over the top, and his popularity has dropped as Americans have learned that most of his big ideas come with a big price tag. He has nonetheless greatly improved the United States' relations with the rest of the world, set groundbreaking regulatory standards to fight climate change, overseen a stimulus program that set the stage for today's nascent recovery and begun the process of closing the disgraceful Guantanamo Bay detention facility. By the end of the year, he might even have reinvented the nation's healthcare system.

Sarah Palin, for releasing her book, "Going Rogue," just in time to remind us about how right we were to elect Obama. [...]

Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, for reminding us of the uniqueness, preciousness and fragility of our national parks.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, for its rediscovered role as protector of the public health.

While we're at it: We like the new dedication to science and the environment at the Environmental Protection Agency too. [...]

Jon Stewart. We were disturbed when a Time magazine poll dubbed the comedian the most trusted newscaster in America, but we have to admit that his uproariousanalysis of political issues is usually smarter than anything else on TV. [...]

The legislatures of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, for legalizing same-sex marriage (even if the Maine legislation was overturned by popular vote this month).

Pilot Chesley Sullenberger III, who in January averted catastrophe in spectacular style by landing a US Airways jet with engine trouble on the Hudson River without a single fatality. [...]

Lou Dobbs, for migrating from CNN in search of a better life. [...]

Pope Benedict XVI, for affirming that "animals, too, are God's creatures" and that cooping chickens close together or overfeeding geese contradicts "the relationship of mutuality that comes across in the Bible." We assume the pontiff will now forswear fur-lined vestments.

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, for refocusing our minds on the beauty and importance of the 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail along the Eastern Seaboard, even if he wasn't really there.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, for ruling that five victims of extraordinary rendition and torture deserved their day in court despite the U.S. government's claim that the case involved too many state secrets to go forward. [...]

Beyonce's "Single Ladies" video, for prompting a spate of entertaining parodies and earnest imitations by trios of women (and some men) all over the world. And putting Justin Timberlake in high heels.

We hope each and every one of you has a wonderful, healthy, and filling Thanksgiving. We are thankful for your company, and wish you a happy holiday.