Thanksgiving is the holiday sandwiched between Halloween and Christmas or Hanukkah. Thanksgiving doesn't have the glitz of costumes, the sweetness of candy or the excitement of gift giving. What it does have is lots of food with a side order of football.

Dear Helaine and Joe:

You'd think the thin strips of wood above our fireplaces were gangplanks the way they make us quake at the knees when it's time to dress them up for the holidays. Even those who love to decorate for the season feel stage fright when it comes to tackling mantels. But I've got a secret for you: Creating a marvelous look on your mantel is simple when you follow one of these two strategies:

Many Americans, including a surprising number of black people, somehow believe that U.S. blacks did not start taking seriously the core traits of personal responsibility, valuing education, conducting their affairs ethically, condemning and avoiding crime, caring for one's family and being civic-minded until Barack Obama came along.

The accessories in your home reflect your personality. Since Halloween has passed, you can now concentrate on Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations, so let's focus on making your home more inviting and representing that great personality. Let's start with Thanksgiving accessories.

WASHINGTON - Federal law-enforcement and national-security authorities are on alert for counterfeit doses of H1N1 vaccine and anti-viral medications that they expect to surface in the United States, particularly as shortages of both continue to grow.

Poisoning caused by binge drinking -- drinking excessively within a short period. For men, that's five standard-sized alcoholic beverages within two hours. For women, it's four or more standard-sized drinks, which is defined as a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine or a mixed drink with one shot.