Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Greetings Infomaniacs,

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I am ready to eat! While I'm stuffing my face with turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing, I will remember to be thankful for the food I'm able to eat and the family and friends that I am surrounded by. I hope that every one of you has something for which to be thankful. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Enjoy!

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WHO SAID IT?
QUOTE: "Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings."

HINT: (1921-1994), author of Fountains of Faith, is one of America's most quoted writers of inspirational maxims.

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RANDOM TIDBITS
The first record of the term 'pilgrim' applying to some of the Mayflower passengers and those of the group that followed later appeared in William Bradford's "Of Plymouth Plantation". In it he used biblical imagery to describe the Pilgrim's departure from Leiden in 1620; "So they lefte goodly and pleasante citie which had been ther resting place, here 12 years; but they knew they were pilgrimes and looked not much on these things, but lift up their eyes to ye heavens their dearest cuntrie and quieted their spirits."

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Sarah Hale is considered the "Mother of Thanksgiving". She urged President Abraham Lincoln to make it a National Holiday. She also wrote the popular song "Mary Had A Little Lamb."

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Turducken is becoming more popular in Thanksgiving. Originating in Louisiana, a turducken is a de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed with a small de-boned chicken. The cavity of the chicken and the rest of the gaps are filled with, at the very least, a highly seasoned breadcrumb mixture (although some versions have a different stuffing for each bird).

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The term 'turkey shoot' comes from an early Thanksgiving tradition. Original turkey shoots dating at least to the time of James Fenimore Cooper, were contests in which live turkeys were tied down in a pen and shot from 25-35 yards. If the turkey died, the shooter received it as a prize.

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Due to white meat being the most popular part of a turkey, turkeys have been bred to have huge breasts. So much so, that modern day domesticated turkeys are no longer typically able to mate due to the breasts getting in the way of the male mounting the female. As such, most hatcheries use artificial insemination to fertilize the eggs of domestic turkeys.

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To debunk a popular turkey tale, Benjamin Franklin did not advocate for the turkey as the National Bird. However, according to The Franklin Institute, he was against the Bald Eagle, stating in a letter to his daughter that it was a "Bird of bad moral Character" whereas the turkey was a "much more respectable Bird...a Bird of Courage."





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*** Weekly Mind-Scrambler ***
With three eyes and as black as night, I frequently knock down ten men with a single strike! What am I?

Submit your answer by clicking: TheDailyTease

Answer will be posted in Friday's Trivia Today. Good Luck! If your name appears in Friday's newsletter, EMAIL MICHELE your complete name and address to be shipped your prize.

Be sure to put "Winner" in the subject line.

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WHO SAID IT?
QUOTE: "Gratitude can transform common days into Thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings."

ANSWER: William Arthur Ward.