This is getaway day for many - yours truly among those who will be putting the job on hold for a few days - to give thanks and re-charge the batteries for the oncoming holiday onslaught of gift buying, gift giving, and planning for the New Year. Today in Crane’s Corner, our pre holiday news buffet, plenty for everybody so help yourself. Food stamps? Of course we take them and many Americans will be using them to load up on turkey and the trimmings. A new report from the Sunlight Foundation suggests 41 million Americans will be using California Fresh or some other cleverly named government food assistance to put the numbers in perspective. Put a food stamp debit card in the hands of every man woman and child in the states of California and Connecticut and you’re almost there. A program currently costing the government 72 billion dollars. You might have missed this before voting. Food stamp use is up 70 percent since we elected Mr. Obama.

He had no plans to use food stamps or even cash for groceries. A disgraced NY City cop is behind bars. Computer data from his home suggests Gilberto Valle was planning to abduct, rape, and then cook a young woman for his Thanksgiving meal. The cannibal cop hit the authorities’ radar screen after accessing the national crime information center data base and compiling a list of 100 potential victims he hoped to turn into entrees.

Maybe if Mitt Romney’s supporters had stayed home and mailed their ballots…he’d be going to an inauguration in January. There’s research suggesting the rate of traffic deaths is much higher in Republican country, the so called red states. The folks crunching the numbers cite higher speed limits in rural sections of those states and the denser urban populations in Democrat heavy blue states where mass transit often replaces the personal vehicle.

It’s been said that numbers never lie, unless they’re used in college sports. As a proud, big ten grad, who attended a founding member school, it’s bothersome that in 2014 the big ten will have 14 teams and in that Midwestern conference, 3 teams will be from the east; Maryland, Rutgers, and Penn State. Get your tickets now. Don’t want to miss that Indiana-Rutgers barn burner, and don’t forget to set the DVR for the Iowa-Maryland tussle. And when Kobe Bryant marvels about another basketball player’s night. Especially when the guy’s playing at division 3 Grinnell colleges. There’s a skill set to be thankful for. A point guard named Jack Taylor poured in 138 points taking 108 assorted shots as Grinnell blasted faith Baptist Bible College 179-104. Well, Kobe doesn’t like to pass much either…