Hi everyone and a very Happy Thanksgiving to one and all. Today is the day set aside for us to give thanks for all the wonderful people and many blessings that grace our lives. For all the grumbling and bitching I sometimes do about stuff like Obamanomics, five years at a job with no pay raises, skyrocketing costs just to merely exist and so forth. I also spend time being grateful that I'm better off than a lot of people, not just in other countries, but here at home too. It is a day to get together with friends and family and revel in each others company, watch football on TV, or any number of other 'traditions' that each family may have to celebrate the day. And lets not forget that special tradition that most families enjoy........... eating! Most families probably opt for the traditional fares....








Personally, being on-call and having to forgo family festivities until tomorrow, I have my own unique Thanksgiving tradition as far as eating goes. Since finding a 2-3 pound turkey is kind of difficult and cooking larger turkeys for just me and a psychotic cat is too much of a pain in the butt, I opt for the turkeys smaller cousin at dinner time, namely, chicken. To be more precise....... Bar-b-que chicken wings!



Mine have been soaking in bar-b-que sauce since Monday afternoon and are ready for cooking today. Of course, a few friends of mine have found out about this tradition of mine and they stop by to hang out with me. We'll watch football and go through about eight rolls of paper towels when we nosh on those wings. While searching for images of Thanksgiving earlier, I ran across one that has a good mantra for the day that I think I'll be adopting from here on out. Here it is:



Also, in keeping with the friends and family aspect of this holiday, I read my "Tip of the day" from the website www.komando.com. Its a tip that plays to the social nature of us human beings and I thought I'd share it for anyone who's interested. here's the article:


From the Kim Komando “Tip of the Day”

Q. I remember you giving instructions on creating a family Website. At age 58, I am the current president of our family. Next summer will be our 60th family reunion. I would like to do something special for the occasion. I was hoping to make an economical and secure Website. I'd like to let family members upload photos, stories, recipes, etc. That way, we can share all of these things and even print them out. Thanks.
-Tom, from Sapulpa, OK, listens to my show on KRMG 102.3 FM

A. What a great idea, Tom. Creating a family Website is an excellent way to share and store priceless memories.

Of course, there are a number of tools out there to get your family's Website going. The trick, as you wisely pointed out, is finding one that's secure.

Sites like Wordpress and Facebook have made it extremely easy to have a Web presence. But neither of these sites is a really good choice for a family Website.

These sites were created to broadcast information all over the Internet. That's certainly not what you want to do with personal, private family data.

But don't worry. I've found a perfect solution for you. It's called Chattertree. You can create a free, private social network just for your family.

It's a bit like Facebook. You can chat, send messages, and upload photos and video. The major exception is that only certain people are allowed to view these.

Chattertree lets you create customizable forums. These forums are called rooms. You can make as many rooms as you want. And each room has its own settings. For example, you can choose to make a parents-only room or an immediate family room.

These rooms add a great deal of security. You can be certain that the information you put in a room stays in the room. Only the people you choose to be there can access your rooms.

In a room, users can upload photos and video and talk about upcoming family events. For example, you could make a room dedicated to your upcoming family reunion.

Speaking of your reunion, Chattertree is also great for keeping track of events. There is a calendar feature as well. You can enter birthdays, family outings or vacations. You name it. As the date approaches, a reminder is sent to everyone involved. It's an awesome tool to coordinate special events.

Chattertree even includes a built-in video chat feature. This lets you video conference with up to six different people. You don't have to install and set up a separate program. All you need is a Webcam.

Haven't talked with your siblings on the other coast in a while? Want grandma to see the new baby but don't have time for a vacation? Video chat is perfect for situations like these.

You can also use an Alerts feature. This is a quick way to send urgent messages to either your whole family or selected groups. The site can send alert messages via e-mail or text message. It's a great way to get your whole family up-to-speed in a hurry.

One last neat feature of Chattertree is the Chattertree Store. This is a marketplace of over 300 online stores. You can purchase gifts for birthdays, anniversaries or holidays.

Chattertree even gives each family member a personalized Gift Corner. In the Gift Corner, family members can make wish lists of things from the store.

Is your nephew graduating soon? Just head over to his Gift Corner and you can see exactly what he wants. You'll never have to worry about buying the wrong gift again!


With that, I'll close this post and wish everyone the happiest of Thanksgivings, full of fun, laughter, friends, family and love. Food, football, conversations and anything else that you do on this special day should be cherished too.



May your day be a blessed one!

Later gators!