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• Pamela Hill Nettleton: This tradition, yes, breaks the mold
  I stayed up half the night trying to build a tiered wedding cake out of orange gelatin. Engineering problems -- mainly gravity -- obliterated my efforts, and the whole thing splatted like a jellyfish all over the kitchen table. On the other hand, my pastry chef daughter's entry was brilliant. She made clear gelatin from scratch (who knew you could?) in the mold of a B-52, and stuck an itty-bitty plastic superheroine into the pilot seat. Voila! Wonder Woman's invisible plane.
  
• Rex Smith: Sometimes it's silly, the topics that have teeth
  But then, that's the nature of human interest, which an editor cannot ignore.
  
• The president's proclamation
  What began as a harvest celebration between European settlers and indigenous communities nearly four centuries ago has become our cherished tradition of Thanksgiving. This day's roots are intertwined with those of our Nation, and its history traces the American narrative.
  
• Garrison Keillor: For a few fine hours, behold: The family
  This is the day when the right, left and otherwise come together at the table.
  
• Health care bill is politics (as usual)
  Obama may claim a victory, but he certainly didn't change how it's done.
  
• Washington Post: Federalism isn't really catching on in Europe
  And there's no need for it anyway; the continent is still a player in world affairs.
  
• St. Cloud Times: The Legacy Amendment: Any regrets?
  Especially now that you can see how the money is being spent in hard times?
  
• The value of college, by degrees
  Maybe four years and a bachelor's degree isn't the right path for everyone. Maybe we should at least have a debate about the matter.
  
• Boston Globe: Lambert’s raunchy performance was merely about spectacle
  After gaining fame on "American Idol,'' openly gay singer Adam Lambert has treaded the line between being a flamboyant artist and a political figure, rolling out the news of his sexuality with caution, saying he doesn't want to stand for all gay men.
  
• E.J. Dionne Jr.: Afghanistan plan may land in the middle
  Neither all out nor all in, it'll seem like a muddle but may be the safest choice.
  
• Pamela Alexander, Julie Stewart: Cocaine sentencing disparity must end
  Attorney General Eric Holder is right to put this at the top of his reform list.
  
• Washington Post: The door is open for Katrina lawsuits
  It may be time for a federal settlement with the people of New Orleans.
  
• New York Post: Fort Hood victims deserve honors
  A bill now before Congress would make official what's already plain: The 42 victims, including 13 fatalities, in this month's Fort Hood shooting were casualties of war.
  
• Mike Sweeney: With level playing field, future is bright for news
  The Star Tribune is alive and well without tapping state taxpayers.
  
• Jill Burcum: Northstar: Riding the rigid rail
  Will a limited schedule limit ridership (and be a brake on transit growth)?
  
• Gayle Kvenvold, Patti Cullen: Minnesota at forefront in care for the elderly
  Providers are doing their best to cut the incidents of nursing home falls.
  
• Barb Rode: 'Please, let me do it my way'
  My mother didn't want to be limited -- and the inevitable happened.
  
• Philadelphia Inquirer: Space: Do we still have the right stuff?
  Having had his mind on his whirlwind trip to Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing and Seoul, Obama probably hasn't had time to appreciate the recent news that the presence of water on the moon has been confirmed. NASA purposely crashed two spacecraft into a crater at the moon's south pole and kicked up debris that included ice and water vapor.
  
• Los Angeles Times: D.C. council must take stand against Catholic Church
  The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is warning the District of Columbia Council that the church will stop contracting to provide social services if the city approves same-sex marriage as planned. To which the only valid response is, "OK."
  
• Time to hit a target
  Climate change was at the top of President Obama's agenda in China Tuesday, just three weeks before representatives from 192 countries meet in Copenhagen for a much-anticipated international climate conference.
  
• New York Times: Obama, cancel drug deal
  The drug industry has been ramping up its prices in advance of any health care reforms that might clamp down on its profits. The industry's rapid price escalation over the past year threatens to make a mockery of its deal with the Senate Finance Committee and the Obama administration to contribute $80 billion over the next decade to help pay for covering tens of millions of uninsured Americans.
  
• Beverly Beckham: A patriarch, forever in shadow
  His first son, George Quinn Curtin, born before the wedding, never lived on Windsor Street. He was a secret, given to a family in North Cambridge, and raised as Timothy George Keane. He was a Roman Catholic priest for years. His brothers never knew about him.
  
• Steve Chapman: The descent of the GOP thought leader
  From her rogue state (of mind), Sarah Palin can almost see America.
  
• Lori Sturdevant: And, as always, obstacles in the transit path
  Does a complicated decisionmaking process get in the way of building the infrastructure Minnesota will need?
  
• Nick Coleman: Won't you please help end recession?
  That's the pitch. Of course, holiday shoppers do have other options.
  

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