Sometime in the last three-hundred years there was a brief period between the European discovery of North America, and the European rape of said continent, when the natives and the colonists actually co-existed peacefully. The tales of the first Thanksgiving are undoubtedly apocryphal and exaggerated with time, but the spirit of the holiday does not depend on historical fact. This is one of the few holidays in the US that is not overly tainted by commercialism, or religious dogma. You can wish anyone a happy Thanksgiving without having to qualify, or tap dance, or think of the current politically correct phraseology. Thanksgiving is simply a day when family and friends gather to take stock of what is good in their lives and rejoice together. And in the spirit of the day I’d like to express my thanks to all of you, the Simply Syndicated family, for all the wonderful things you have done for me this year. Rich, without your vision and drive we would not have had the opportunity to forge the bonds of friendship that we kiddingly call imaginary, but as is continually proven at the various meet-up, are anything but. Allison, you are the heart and conscience of our rag-tag family, and your kindness and unconditional love for all your ‘children’(even though some of us are just a wee bit older than you) have created an atmosphere of acceptance unlike any place on Earth or cyberspace. I want to thank everyone on the forums for your humor, and support, and abuse, and incredible knowledge and wisdom. Like any family we’ve had our squabbles and tiffs, but only very rarely do they end with our numbers declining. You guys and gals are my brothers and sisters; I start every day with a good morning to and from you, and end it with many a ‘good night, Admiral’. I love all of you. And finally to my beloved cohosts. Karen, you are an incredibly warm, knowledgeable, and truly funny person who bravely put your trust in me by stepping into the spotlight with us despite many good reasons to stay in the shadows. I never take that for granted, and it is one of my greatest joys to hear your voice every week. Kennedy, you’re OK for a Canadian. I keed! You are my brother from another mother, and I couldn’t ask for a better foil on the Starbase. Though we have yet to meet in person I feel like I’ve known you my whole life, and your sense of humor and professionalism, not to mention your ability to drag us back on track when we drift too far off course makes each show a joy to do. I never, for even a nanosecond, think that Starbase 66 is anything other than a group effort, and without Karen and Kennedy I’d just be some goob blathering into a microphone. I applaud you both, and look forward to a great second year.

And for those of you outside the US, even though you may not have an official day of thanksgiving, I hope that you are able to take stock of your blessings and appreciate those around you from time to time.

Live long and prosper, my friends, and may the Force be with you.

Love,
Marius