It's a Thanksgiving tradition we never miss here at Casa TalkLeft. Radio stations around the country today will play the 18 minute version of Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant, recorded in 1967.

Should you miss it on your local radio station and yearn for the original version, you can listen to the You Tube version above.

Why listen to Arlo's 18 minute version of Alice's Restaurant? Because it's like our liberal national anthem, that only comes around once day a year, so you don't want to miss it as it's coming around.

If you're wondering where Alice is, she's here. Does anyone besides me still have a hardcover edition of her 1969 Alice's Restaurant cookbook in their kitchen? (Photo here.) It's filled with tasty recipes and very easy instructions.

After relaxing and laughing with Arlo, you'll be ready for the chaos of Thanksgiving dinner. [More...]

If you're one of the lucky ones not running around like a maniac today, here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

Belgian police asked citizens and journalists not to discuss their ongoing terror operation today on social media. Belgians complied with thousands of them posting photos of cats instead.

The Belgian Interior Ministry's Crisis Centre was very grateful.

Did they get their man? No. The New York Times reports that according the prosecutor's press release, they made 16 arrests but their target got away. Other reports have sighted him driving towards Germany.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

The attack in Mali at the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, seems to be the work of an al-Qaida affiliated group -- most likely Ansar Dine. Its leader Iyad Ag Ghaly called for attacks on France this week. France has forces in Mali assisting the anti-terror fight. More on the leader here.

The attack was at an international hotel filled with foreigners. The gunmen spoke English but shouted "Allahu Akbar." Three people are dead as of now, but they may be gunmen not hostages. 80 have been freed. Mali special forces stormed in. U.S. Special Operations forces are reportedly assisting.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Time for a new open thread, all topics welcome.

My picks:

Iowa -10 over Minnesota; Oklahoma @ Baylor -3, Oregon -10 @ Stanford, Arkansas +8 @ LSU, Memphis +7 @ Houston, Kentucky +3 @ Vanderbilt, Kansas State +6 @ Texas Tech, Clemson @ Syracuse +30, Nebraska @ Rutgers +8.0 Miami Florida @ North Carolina -13 (5 units), Michigan @ Indiana +13, Alabama -8 (3 units) @ Mississippi State, Virginia @ Louisville -14, North Carolina State +9 @ Florida State, Tulane @ Army -3 Purdue +15 @ Northwestern, Maryland @ Michigan State -15, Texas +9 @ West Virginia, Ohio State -17 (3 units) @ Illinois, Florida @ South Carolina +8, Georgia @ Auburn Pick (3 units).

Go Gators!

To talk about the Paris terrorist attacks.

I'm glad the weekend is almost here, but I have a lot of work to do so it will be tonight before I stop in again.

Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

Snow, wind and jail visits, that was my day.

Here's an open thread while I catch up on ISIS and the Russian plane crash news and El Chapo non-news. I missed last night's debate, but from what I heard on the car radio, I didn't miss much.

A special thanks to all our veterans. Even though I'm against war and big military spending, I appreciate their sacrifice and thank them for their protecting our country.

All topics welcome.

Open Thread.

Flooding the zone:

California @ Oregon -3, Arizona +20 @ USC, Navy @ Memphis -7, Iowa State @ Oklahoma -24 (4 units), UCLA @ Oregon State +18, Connecticut @ Tulane +7, South Carolina +18 @ Tennessee, Army +17 @ Air Force, Cincinnati @ Houston -9, Iowa -7 @ Indiana, Arizona State @ Washington State -2, TCU @ Oklahoma State +6, Arkansas +11 @ Mississippi, Wisconsin -10 @ Maryland, Florida State +11 (3 units) @ Clemson, Stanford @ Colorado +17, North Carolina State -3 @ Boston College, Syracuse +14 @ Louisville, Central Florida @ Tulsa -17, Illinois @ , Penn State Pick (3 units) @ Northwestern, Duke @ North Carolina -7 (4 units), Vanderbilt +22 @ Florida, Texas Tech +8 @ West Virginia, Notre Dame @ Pittsburgh +10 (3 units), Kentucky +16 @ Georgia, Florida Atlantic @ Western Kentucky -24, Charlotte @ Florida International -17.

Go Gators!

Open Thread.

I'm mostly following ISIS and El Chapo in my spare time. On the plane crash:

Egypt and Russia say no one has shared information with them showing a bomb brought down the metrojet.

From Charlie Winter in the Guardian, urging caution, but nonetheless expounding on what it would mean if ISIS did down the plane. Shorter version: Move over al Qaida, you're no match for ISIS.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.