I think this is the first time I’ve ever been mentioned in the OP of a thread of this type.
Siege, you are loved by both Kathy and me - you know that. Thanks for being a great friend over this past year. And thanks for starting this thread.
And to all the Dopers who I’ve had contact with either IRL or online, thanks for being here for me making me think, making me laugh, and sharing the good and bad times.
While my picks are not really inline with the op…
Unca Cecil for being the motivation for us all.
And The Reader for supplying the place for us all to meet.
Thanks to both of y’all and every other doper on the board.
Well, I think most of us (me, at any rate) suffer from a certain self-righteousness. What discussing things here allows is for those involved to pin down what they disagree about, and to progressively identify what they don’t actually disagree about. It’s actually quite rare to understand what someone else believes, not least because one has to want to understand them.
There’s also the more intangible matter of coming to an understanding of what people here are really like, what is their essence. But I think if one attempts to listen to and understand someone’s beliefs, the other thing will often follow.
I’m thankful for all the erudite-but-still-humorous posters on the board - Polycarp and Qadgop, for two, but there are many more - that make this place a force against ignorance.
I’m thankful for NoClueBoy, iampunha, nocturnal_tick and the rest of the Pack, and plenty of other Dopers for making me laugh.
I’m thankful for the admins and mods that keep the place running smoothly.
Thanks, guys.
Thanks to NoClueBoy, ivylass, Lute Skywatcher, Corner Case, and Johnny Bravo for particpating in the las Sci-fi story thread. I have more fun with those, and with the Westerns ivylass started!
Thanks to Horseflesh for not being put off(too badly) by my Linda Blair impression, when I was in the hospital, also for working on my computer.
Thanks to Skip Magic and auntie em for hosting the latest KC Dopefest. I don’t get out a lot it seems, and it was great to have adult conversations.
To all the Dopers who offered sympathy when I had one of my cats euthanized recently, but especially avabeth and bodypoet, who actually sent me their phone numbers and encouraged me to call if I needed to.
Thanks to matt_mcl for helping broaden my mind. And matt? I’ve seen your picture, I don’t know why you say you have trouble getting a date! 
I know that as soon as I hit Submit I am going to think of someone else that I should have included, so thanks to all the Dopers who have given me bellylaughs when I needed them, or food for thought, or answered questions in double quick time. I love this place, and if I don’t agree with everything I see here, well, that’s just too darned bad for me I guess.
Sorry I didn’t respond to this earlier – you’re definitely not invisible, faithfool. I saw this post and it was a really nice thing to read; it made me decide to throw my own bit to this thread, even though I can’t list everybody on the board who’s made an impact.
…like yosemite, vivalostwages, and Linus Van Pelt. I knew I’d forget people.
Probably still am too; nothing personal.
You know, I’m thankful for lots of Dopers, for lots of reasons, but mostly I’m thankful for the SDMB as a whole; where else are you going to find such a vast collection of brain power, sense of humor, diversity that manages to coalesce into whole, and altogether wonderful company? No matter how wonderful Siege, danceswithcats, Ms.Robyn, Airman Doors, Jonathan Chance, QtM, gobear, GingerOrTheNorth, WeirdDave, Aesiron, ETF, Sam Stone, NoClueBoy, Inigo Montoy, Master Wang Ka, Scylla, SkipMagic, Auntie em, fessie, DirkGntly, RTFirefly, Polycarp, Skulldigger, iampunha, OpalCat, Nyctea Scandiaca. . . are, where else in the world would I find them all in one place?
Mmm…Gettysburg? 
(Moral: Never ask a rhetorical question of Dopers! :D)
I want to differ with a compliment above – I try to remain respectful of opponents, but I have often lost my cool on issues that matter strongly to me. This might be a good time to say a generic “I’m sorry” and to express thanks for the fine people who have the temerity to have opinions that don’t agree with mine, and express them well – as the proverbial Scotsman said, if everybody had the same opinions and tastes, what an oatmeal shortage there’d be!
I would like to give a big shout out to a53623* I know I got that wrong. Sorry. for handling the **Dead Pool ** so well this year!
w00t!
You need a more memorable name. like I had syphillis once. or * Nice socks . 
To everyone that has read my long winded, often off topic posts were I talk about my life. To those of you that have made it a safe place to express any opinion on any life issue.
And to laurelann, my roommate IRL, who has had to put up with more than anyone should from me in the past year. From listening to me freak out about a boy that I liked but was taken and didn’t that make me a terrible person, to being there for me the morning I almost died and taking care of me even though she was almost as sick as I was. For being my sounding board on all of the issues of my life. For being there to pick up the pieces the night that bastard left me crying in the stairwell. For being online on Sunday nights when she got back from drum corps so we could have those insane conversations. For going to the Warp tour and the horrid heat. For wanting to move into the gazebo rather then spend that last week with our respective parents. For the three hours of phone calls about almost getting stuck with Pauline. For sitting up with me until three in the morning while I was trying to come out of the closet and failing miserably, and her response of “oh, is that all, I was worried you were trying to tell me you slept with my boyfriend this summer or something, and no I don’t hate you, you fool, how could I, you are one of my best friends.” And for everything else I’m forgetting. Love ya, roomie.
I am thankful to every single one of you! I love having people that I disagree with on message boards because you make me really think about why I believe what I believe. Those that agree with me normally say why they feel that way better than I ever could.
I hope the years to come are as good as the years I’ve had!
You dirty son of a…
I’m thankful for all my chat friends. Except Bert. So JOey and Brian and Number and lel and Harli and Robyn and lulu and ava and Xan and Chimpy and MissTake and everyone else who is not Bert: I’m thankful for you. 
And Cheri and Scott and the other Brian(s) and oldie and a whole host of people I don’t get to talk to anymore. And all the shiny people in this thread, and everyone who tried to help me find my fish (I never did, either), and, even still, all the people who helped me out with that whole thing with my mom, and the list goes on. I love you guys.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
So many I can’t list 'em all…but I will go out of my way to mention The ENT Dopers.
Wow. That’s some amazing friend you have there. You are indeed blessed.
I repeat: Wow.
This would be an excellent opening line to your biography.
Ha! Wrong! At least 13 of the Dopers I mentioned weren’t there (or at least not when we were). I’ll freakin’ well ask rhetorical questions of whomever I choose!
Oh great. Another popularity thread.
I’m grateful you’re all here, especially you night owls. Makes my night pass quicker.
But I ain’t mentioning any names!!!
Just like in real life I am lousy with names so I lose track of who is who so thanks to anyone who either:
I’ve only been here a little more than a year and my post count is barely in triple figures, but if I had to list all the posters I am grateful for it would take me all morning.
Not just the ones who responded directly to my requests for advice, but also the many others who have helped me indirectly in their advice to other posters, made me laugh and/or made me a little less ignorant.
I have just one poster I would like to thank by name: **Mighty_Girl ** for introducing me to the dope.