Althouse: At the Count-Your-Blessings Restaurant...

November 22, 2009

At the Count-Your-Blessings Restaurant...

... it's almost Thanksgiving.

23 comments:

Meade said...: I'm thankful that I'm not a candy wrapper.; 11/22/09, 7:53 PM
Ron said...: One turkey is named Liberty, the other Solvency...

breast or leg?; 11/22/09, 8:01 PM
Scott said...: Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to his daughter, explained why he preferred the turkey to the bald eagle as the emblem for our nation:

"For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

"With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country . . .

"I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America . . . He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."

(HT: GreatSeal.com); 11/22/09, 8:05 PM
traditionalguy said...: How can a wild turkey survive among all the natural predators? It looks slow to run and to heavy to fly. It doesn't land and float in the water. We know it is good meat. So Does it peck wolves and lions to death?; 11/22/09, 8:10 PM
Scott said...: Maybe the guy who invented turkeys was the same one who invented bumblebees, who as we all know should not be able to fly.; 11/22/09, 8:16 PM
Unknown said...: Meade said...

I'm thankful that I'm not a candy wrapper.

???

It's been a weird weekend, but I missed that one entirely.; 11/22/09, 8:52 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: I'm thankful that I don't have to do a diavlog with Professor Althouse, as I'm sure that I, like Michelle Goldberg, would end up spatchcocked.; 11/22/09, 8:56 PM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. ...he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him

Sounds to me like a pretty accurate representative of our government.; 11/22/09, 9:03 PM
J. Cricket said...: No Larry, you're not a candy wrapper. You're a candy ass. Althouse LOVES candy asses!!; 11/22/09, 9:13 PM
campy said...: Tough birds. I was once waiting at an intersection and saw a turkey survive a collision with an SUV. The bird popped out of the weeds in front of the driver and was knocked down, but quickly shook it off, got back up and flew away leaving the vehicle with a broken plastic grill.; 11/22/09, 9:14 PM
victoria said...: dumbest animal alive, doesn't even know when to come out of the rain.; 11/22/09, 9:33 PM
David said...: Is President Obama going to pardon a turkey?

It was a great tradition, but I don't think Presidents have done that for a while.

The turkeys in the photos probably don't have much to fear. Certainly not as a species. They are everywhere these days in Wisconsin.; 11/22/09, 9:37 PM
Ann Althouse said...: Those birds came right up to us. I think if I had held out my hand as if I'd had food, they would have walked right up and could have been caught.; 11/22/09, 9:41 PM
Unknown said...: Ann Althouse said...

Those birds came right up to us. I think if I had held out my hand as if I'd had food, they would have walked right up and could have been caught.

They're probably so used to humans, they're halfway-domesticated, which leads me to a story...

My wife (this is years ago) was traveling through Yellowstone Park with her mother and a friend, and found she was able to pet the elk and fed Goldfish to the prairie dogs. The big encounter came when her mother opened the door of their van to get a better look at a herd of buffalo and a young buffalo stepped in for a visit, head and shoulders, anyway. As you might imagine, it was quite the adventure convincing it to leave.

WV "popub" English tavern only serving soft drinks (to your father).; 11/22/09, 10:10 PM
T.K. Tortch said...: Those turkeys are at least half tame. In the wild they tend to be, if anything, extremely paranoid and tend to flee humans on sight.

Also, when they want to they can be very fast on the ground, and can get airborne much more quickly than their size might lead you to believe. They are fast fliers, too, just not over long distances.; 11/22/09, 10:33 PM
vbspurs said...: Sir Archy is Benjamin Franklin!

Cheers,
Victoria; 11/22/09, 11:31 PM
vbspurs said...: OT, speaking of turkeys, it reminds me of the Oliver Stone flick, "JFK", where one character said Dealy Plaza was chosen because it was a turkey shoot.

AND THAT reminds me to mention to Althouse readers that you cannot miss the Discovery Channel's latest recreation of the JFK assassination. "JFK: Inside the target car".

It's not new, I think it's from last year -- but my God, after watching dozens of recreations of the Dallas assassination, this is surely the best, the most conclusive.

Do not miss, peeps! ;)

Cheers,
Victoria; 11/23/09, 1:58 AM
kentuckyliz said...: I was rounding a curve on the mountain parkway doing about 70 and there was a turkey on the road, I hit it. Broke my grill. Splattered grease all over my windshield which was disgusting. I couldn't get it cleared off my windshield. Like chicken fat.

I worked a season at Yellowstone and please do not pet the bison. They will gore you.

We were shown gory films at training. Another one seared into my memory was a lady was killed walking alongside the road and a camper RV with wide mounted outside rearview mirrors clocked her in the head with a mirror.

I watched the target car show last night, it was good. Also the one speculating about mob involvement.; 11/23/09, 5:59 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: Is President Obama going to pardon a turkey?

Not if it was part of the Bush Administration.; 11/23/09, 6:09 AM
Unknown said...: kentuckyliz said...

I worked a season at Yellowstone and please do not pet the bison. They will gore you.

I wasn't there at the time, but, from what I know of buffalo, I would second that.

Problem was, the buffalo saw the open door as an invite and, once in, didn't know how to back out. When I heard this little tale, I couldn't believe nobody was hurt.

WV "amilinsc" When Tonto says he is ilinsc.; 11/23/09, 6:59 AM
knox said...: Just like disgusting feathered dinosaurs. Look at their legs! Gross.; 11/23/09, 8:53 AM
knox said...: ... not that they don't taste good.; 11/23/09, 8:54 AM
Ignorance is Bliss said...: Knox said...

Just like disgusting feathered dinosaurs. Look at their legs! Gross.

Which made me think of this:

Sesame Street Thanksgiving; 11/23/09, 10:31 AM