Ordinary World: Thanksgiving
[Th1] What Was on the Menu at the First Thanksgiving? by Megan Gambino: The history of the holiday meal tells us that turkey was always the centerpiece, but other courses have since disappeared
[Th2] A short course on the history of 8 Thanksgiving foods: “The myth of our holiday’s Pilgrim origins took hold. But the dishes we eat at Thanksgiving? They capture other stories about the making of the American nation.”
[Th3] Sorting out the myths and history behind Thanksgiving: “There are plenty of varying myths and beliefs around Thanksgiving. Some people think it marks the victimization of Native Americans under colonialism, while others just want to eat turkey in peace without their hyper-political nephew chiming in.”
[Th4] American Myths: Benjamin Franklin’s Turkey and the Presidential Seal:How the New Yorker and the West Wing botched the history of the icon by Jimmy Stamp: “First up, the idea that Benjamin Franklin, in his infinite wisdom and wit, wanted the National Bird to be the turkey.”
[Th5] Bad Timing Award: How Recalled Foods Are Cramping Thanksgiving Dinner Menus This Year
[Th6] Alice’s Restaurant: An Illustrated Version of Arlo Guthrie’s Thanksgiving Counterculture Classic
[Th7] If You Need a Thanksgiving Conversation Guide… By Roland Dodds (2015): “Is it really that difficult to talk about these issues with people who don’t share your perspective? Are urban young professionals so divorced from other segments of the broader community that they are unable of engaging in these discussions without assuming their family is a bunch of ignorant idiots? Have I asked enough rhetorical questions?”
[Th8] Forget Thanksgiving. What happened to Black Friday? by Vikram Bath (2013): “Regular people know about Black Friday and are able to participate, so we see pricing that is no better than other sales during the year. This doesn’t mean you can’t save on Black Friday. It’s just that you shouldn’t expect to save more than you would have on Labor Day. That’s right. The problem is that Black Friday has become too commercialized. This makes me sad.”
[Th9] A Rambling Thanksgiving Post by Mike Dwyer (2012): “Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. I love the whole concept of recognizing a time to be grateful for what we have. The holiday has its roots in American history. It represents the ‘official’ start of the winter hunting season for me. And it’s all about food.”
Th8: We were in the market for a new television. We got pretty much exactly what we wanted three weeks ago for more than $100 off what it had been selling for a week earlier. When I picked it up, the woman working the desk told me that they were trying desperately to clear out the smaller TVs in order to make room for the truckloads of much larger sets that were going to be the Black Friday focus this year.
I don’t think we could use a bigger TV. With this one, if I’m standing in front of the couch and there’s a fast horizontal pan in the content, the image is big enough that there’s a moment of queasiness because my eyes and ears don’t agree about whether I’m moving (I don’t get along well with IMAX theaters either).Report
I don’t think I have a wall big enough for what seems like the average TV I see in the stores.Report
There was a commercial for a sale during the football game and it mentioned a 50″ television as well as a really awesome dollhouse. The dollhouse was $189. The television was $199.Report
4K UHD resolution allows people to sit close enough to the screen, but outside the distance where they can resolve pixels, that head-and-neck closeups will show many complexion flaws. At 8K UHD, we’re into “that shaving nick that makeup doesn’t quite cover is annoying” sorts of resolution. I foresee the day when “I’m ready for my close-up” means “the CGI skin specialist says they’re confident they can fix everything”.Report
T1 and T2: Aww man, why couldn’t venison and duck be our Tday dishes? Did someone just really like aliteration? Thursday Thanksgiving Turkey….
I just really like Vension and Duck.Report
Growing up most family thanksgivings were wild game and not turkey. Deer season in WV is such a thing that “thanksgiving break” from school is a full week minimum to coincide with hunting season. They tried a few times to change it but nobody came to school. Deer and bear meat were always staples at family get togethers, and ham was the star more so than turkey.Report
After my parent’s divorce, my father went back to his family roots for holiday meals. And as his mother was part of the German diaspora it meant duck for Thanksgiving (helped by the small size of his family compared to my moms sprawling brood) and goose for Christmas, both followed by a Linzer tort, as that was his favorite dessert.Report
Venison is hard to provide at commercial levels. It would be on the experience expensive side for even very affluent families if they can’t kill and dress one themselves. Ducks tend to be smaller than turkeys and most Americans do not eat them I gather. They are also more associated with haute cuisine or Chinese good than American style family eating.Report
@saul-degraw Stay tuned for a Friday post from @atomickristin which will, among other things, delve into the historical reasons why the turkey reigns supreme….Report