Look up on Monday evening, December 1, and you will probably see a slender crescent moon, just 15 percent illuminated, in close proximity to the brightest planets in our sky, Venus and Jupiter. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27958792/

CongressLine: Presidential Patronage - Paul Jenks's commentary addresses the background of the scramble for thousands of presidentially appointed offices within the government that accompanies a new administration. The selection process has evolved over the past couple of hundred years and every position outside of the new president’s personal staff requires Senate approval.

The Government Domain: Tracking the Transition - Peggy Garvin's thorough and concise guide to free online presidential transition trackers allows you to stay current with all the latest news, rumors and commentary about the incoming administration, via reliable websites, blogs and RSS feeds.

Before 1791, the federal government had no permanent site
The early Congresses met in eight different cities: Philadelphia, Baltimore, Lancaster, York, Princeton, Annapolis, Trenton, and New York City. The subject of a permanent capital for the government of the United States was first raised by Congress in 1783; it was ultimately addressed in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution (1787), which gave the Congress legislative authority over "such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of Particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States. ..."
http://www.unitedstatescat.info/AmericanHistory/USCapitalOverview/USCapitalLocation/tabid/198/Default.aspx

The most famous Thanksgiving celebration was in the fall of 1621, when the Plymouth colonists celebrated with the Wampanoag Indians. It was the colonists' first harvest, so it was a joyful occasion. The Pilgrims had barely survived the last winter and had lost about half their population. But since then, they had built seven houses, a meeting place, and three storehouses for food. They invited the Wampanoag Indians to feast with them. Unlike our modern Thanksgiving, this event wasn't just one day. Many of the Wampanoag had to walk two days to get to the Plymouth settlement. There were about 50 English people and 90 Wampanoag, and since there wasn't enough room in the seven houses for the guests, they went ahead and built themselves temporary shelters. In between eating, they played games and sports, danced and sang.
There were actually Thanksgiving ceremonies in the United States much earlier—in 1565, 600 Spanish settlers arrived in what is now St. Augustine, Florida, and had a Mass of Thanksgiving to celebrate their safe arrival, and followed it up with a feast. Other Thanksgiving celebrations occurred in El Paso, Texas, and in the Virginia Colony.
Thanksgiving has been celebrated as a national holiday on different dates, in different months, and one year it was even celebrated twice. It wasn't standardized until 1941, when President Roosevelt signed a bill declaring that the fourth Thursday in November would be Thanksgiving Day. The Writer’s Almanac

Toledo Metroparks celebrate 80th anniversary
W.W. Farnsworth was a fruit farmer and state senator when he helped found the park district in 1928. He served as a member of the board before resigning to become the first director. During his tenure, six parks were established with the help of federal work programs during the Great Depression. The second director, K. Max Shepherst, oversaw the park’s growth from 1,300 to 5,000 acres. Shepherst told The Blade that he had personally planted 13,000 acorns one autumn.
Metroparks Magazine Fall 2008/Winter 2009

December 1 is the birthday of writer John Crowley, (books by this author) born in 1942 in Presque Isle, Maine. His most famous novel is Little, Big (1981). It's a fantasy story, full of fairies and enchantment, but it's also an epic saga of a New England family, complete with historical details. The critic Harold Bloom chose Little, Big as one of the books that changed his life. He said, "I have read and reread Little, Big at least a dozen times, and always am startled and refreshed." The Writer’s Almanac