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Joe Hutto embarked on a unique, once-ina-a-lifetime scientific project
that became much more than just science: he lived as a turkey for a year.
Joe explains his life as a turkey in this interview with New Scientist:
You lived with wild turkeys in rural Florida for over a year. How did it all begin?
I had been experimenting with the imprinting phenomenon - in which young animals become attached to the first moving object they encounter - for years, with many types of birds and mammals. Wild turkeys are difficult to come by, so when I lucked upon some wild turkey eggs I decided: OK, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.These turkeys regarded you as their mother. Was that a lot of responsibility?
It was, because wild turkeys are precocial - they are born fully alert and ambulatory and don't stay in the nest. They have to imprint at birth so they know who mum is, and they can't be left alone at all. I realised that if I was going to do this project then it was going to be a 24-hour-a-day commitment, which I was willing to do.What did being their mother mean in practice?
I had to be with them before daylight so that when they flew down from the roost their mother was there waiting, and I had to remain with them until after dark. If I tried to leave before it was completely dark they would fly down and try to follow me, and then they were left on the ground, where they were vulnerable to snakes or weasels.Was your research scientific?
It started out as a science project but it became more than that to me. I found it impossible to avoid a very personal involvement, so a certain scientific empiricism and detachment was immediately lost in the process.
Link
| Joe's DVD Nature: My Life as a Turkey
The resident felines at the Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida may not know what Thanksgiving is, but they sure know how to celebrate! Watch as these big ole kittehs chomp down on some turkeys and chickens, loving every minute of it and proudly strutting their poultry prize around for all to see.
–via Break
In celebration of Thanksgiving, and to top the record of eating 5 lbs. of turkey in 10 minutes set by Sonya Thomas, Japanese eating contest legend Takeru Kobayashi ate 7.5 lbs. of turkey in 10 minutes. Watch the video of the champ in action, it’s sure to make you feel better about how much food you ate this Thanksgiving.
–via Gothamist
Miss C just posted about the Turdunkin, a turkey stuffed with donuts and brined in Dunkin’ Donuts Coolatas, but if that’s not enough to treat your turkey sweet tooth, then you might consider the Twinkie turkey:
I spent last Sunday in my kitchen, cutting Twinkies in half, scooping out the crème filling, and cubing and toasting the, uh, “shortcake.” I mixed those cubes with crumbled corn muffins and a chopped apple, stuffed it all into a turkey, and roasted at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the turkey was almost done, I mixed the reserved Twinkie crème with a quarter cup of honey, and used it to glaze the hot bird before popping it back in the oven for another 12 minutes. Suddenly, the smell coming out of the oven changed.
As for the taste?
I lifted a forkful of stuffing to my lips. Oh, dear God: cake doused with poultry grease. I quickly took a bite of turkey to try to erase the taste. Turkey, not too dry, normal flavor. And vanilla—sweet, sweet vanilla—mixing with the taste of roasted bird, the vilest thing I’ve eaten in a long time.
Would you guys rather have the Turdunkin or the Twinkie turkey?
If you can can handle the Cherpumple, if you can deal with the Krispy Creme Cheeseburger, then behold the turDunkin! From Unwholesome Foods, this creation is a turkey
brined in Dunkin’ Donuts coolattas, stuffed with munchkins and served with coffee gravy and mashed hash browns. The turDunkin’ should not be confused with the hot meaty mess that is a turducken, which is a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken.
Find out how to make this yourself at Instructables. Link -via Geeks Are Sexy
The secret to my wife's most wonderful and tasty turkey (stuffed with unpaid bills and expired medication) is finally outed, thanks to this clever bit of art by Lisa Hanawalt as published in the New York Times Sunday Review: Link - via The Fox is Black
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Tomorrow, we scale the Western Stuffing Slope and conquer the Sweet Potato Peak!
Just in time for Turkey Day, Grant Snider of Incidental Comics gives us this handy Map of Thanksgiving Dinner. View the larger size here: Link - via Laughing Squid
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Yep, that just about says it all. Don’t forget the whipped topping! From Jeff Wysaski at Pleated Jeans. Link -via Buzzfeed
How
many turkeys are there in the United States? No, not that big frozen blob
of white meat masquerading as real bird you'd find at the grocery store.
I mean real turkeys.
Not many, it turns out. A survey in 1997 showed that there were only 1,300 turkeys - in the entire country - not bred for the food/avian industrial complex we know as Thanksgiving.
But thankfully, turkey (again, the real variety) is making a comeback. Claire Thompson wrote an interesting article over at Grist:
... if you’re not old enough to remember a time before the Broad Breasted White, you may be surprised that the ALBC’s website calls turkeys “the quintessential American bird.” Indeed, Benjamin Franklin wanted to designate the turkey—indigenous to North and South America—as our national symbol instead of the eagle. And for hundreds of years “turkeys were barnyard staples” in the U.S., says Vaughn. “They’re an easy, abundant source of meat, resilient and self-reliant. It was a no-brainer to have [them] around.”
Fast forward to today, when “they have literally bred all of the turkey out of the turkey,” says Will Harris, owner of White Oak Pastures, the largest USDA-certified organic farm in the state of Georgia. Harris raises American Standard Bronze turkeys, one of eight varieties identified by the ALBC as heritage breed turkeys—or birds descended from a continuous gene pool dating back to before the rise of the Broad Breasted White. Heritage birds can still mate naturally, and have a long outdoor lifespan and slow growth rate. Industrial turkeys, on the other hand, said Harris, “are satisfied to sit in one place and eat and defecate.”
Link - via GOOD Finder
Sure anyone can eat their Thanksgiving meal, but it takes a truly creative mind to ignore the temptations of such delicious treats and instead turn their food into a work of art. Here are a few creators that know just how truly tasty a great work of art can be.
While there are tons of artists who work with food out there, Jason Mecier is the only one I could find that actually created a portrait using aspects of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Using turkey, sweet potatoes, corn, mushrooms, onions, green beans, cranberries and more, Mecier was able to construct a portrait of Sarah Hale, the woman largely considered responsible for the creation of a national Thanksgiving holiday. Personally, I couldn’t think of a more appropriate subject for a Thanksgiving meal artwork.
It might not be as artistic as some of the other creations on this list, but the Meta Turkey was the winner for Best Conceptual Turkey in the 2008 Turkey-shaped Jell-O Mold Competition. So what makes a turkey mold become a Meta Turkey? It must contain aspects of all parts of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, including turkey, cranberry sauce, gravy, stuffing and mashed potatoes.
This entrant into the 2008 Turkey-shaped Jell-O Mold Competition might just be the only artwork on this list that you would actually want to serve at your own Thanksgiving meal. That’s because aside from its strange turkey shape, the sweet potato pineapple casserole adorned with marshmallows and pecans looks simply delicious. Of course, I would recommend toasting the marshmallows before serving, but that’s just me.
Family Shmamily … I’m Here For The Turkey T-shirt – $9.95
Can we talk turkey? Is there a little holiday secret you need to get off your chest? You need the Family Shmamily … I’m Here For The Turkey T-shirt from the NeatoShop. This design is also available on sweatshirts and hoodies in case your family doesn’t think you are funny and makes you eat outside.
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more Thanksgiving tomfoolery and Chris Murphy designs!
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Inflatable Turkey – $11.95
Let’s talk turkey. Are you tired of always having to call the turkey hotline for help with your Thanksgiving bird. Forget cooking and get yourself the Inflatable Turkey from the NeatoShop. The Inflatable Turkey pairs perfectly with Chinese takeout.
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more great Inflatables and Thanksgiving foolishness.
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Thanksgiving Gumballs – $2.95
Thanksgiving Gumballs are back in stock at the NeatoShop. This fantastic seasonal item includes 22 delicious gumballs in the classic flavors of Thanksgiving:
Get your yummy Thanksgiving Gumballs before they run out.
Be sure to check out the Neatoshop for more Thanksgiving fun and fantastic hostess gifts.
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If you don’t gobble this deal fast, you’re a birdbrain! Found at Criggo, where you can find lots more newspaper gems.
Comments Off This building apparently doesn’t have a freight elevator. In order to avoid carrying boxes upstairs, these guys hatched a plan. The language in the video is Turkish, and the video was posted to a Russian video site, where there is no more information available. -via Buzzfeed
Update: This is an award-winning ad for a Turkish bank. You can see the full version here. -Thanks, Murat!
Ani is an abandoned city in Turkey near the Armenian border. At one time it had 200,000 residents, but no one has lived there for 300 years. Huge empty ancient buildings remain, all alone in their magnificence. The history of this city is long and bloody, and the remaining archaeological site is in danger of disappearing completely. See lots more pictures at Kuriositas. Link
Pamukkale, which means “cotton castle” in Turkish, is a geological wonder in southwestern Turkey. In the second century B.C.E., the Hellenistic rulers of Pegamon built a spa at the hot springs located in this area. The site, dubbed Hieropolis by the Greeks and Pamukkale by the Turks, has been a tourist attraction ever since. Calcium carbonate deposits have created fascinating shapes and forms, as you can see at the link.
Link via The Presurfer | Photo by Flickr user nodomain.cc used under Creative Commons license
President Obama upheld a presidential tradition and pardoned the official White House turkey yesterday in Washington. Since 1947, the National Turkey Federation and the Poultry and Egg National Board have given a turkey to the US president as a gift. But the pardons are a relatively recent innovation.
Since then, presidents have been more likely to call the turkey dinner than give it a reprieve. But a notable exception occurred in 1963, when President Kennedy, referring to the turkey given to him, said, “Let’s just keep him.” It wasn’t until 1989, during the first Thanksgiving of President George H.W. Bush, that a turkey was officially pardoned.
Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama have all upheld the turkey pardoning tradition. However, some confusion still abounds regarding the true origin of this practice. Some claim that Harry Truman pardoned the turkey he received in 1947, but the Truman Library has been unable to prove this as fact. Others say that the tradition dates back to Abraham Lincoln’s pardoning of his son Tad’s pet turkey.
SFGate details the fates of the pardoned turkeys, including the 2010 bird. Link
This video shows a man in Turkey jumping out of a motorcycle’s sidecar and onto a moving truck. He steals one of the sheep in the back. What do you think: real or staged?
via Nerdcore
Oh no! The family will be here anytime and you forgot to cook the turkey! What to do? I don’t think the Butterball hotline has the solution you’re looking for. What heats up faster than a microwave? Thermite! No, we don’t advocate trying this, but you can watch the magic of thermite cook a turkey in under thirty seconds in this video. And yes, they eat it. Link
The following is an article from The Best of the Best of Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader.
If you think the radio talk shows get a lot of strange calls, take a look at some of the questions that the folks at the Butterball Turkey Talk-line have fielded over the years.
DIAL “T” FOR TURKEY
If you bought a Butterball turkey in the 1970s, it would have included a sheet of cooking instructions, just like they still do today. But people still called the company to complain when their birds didn’t come out right, which made Butterball wonder if people even bothered to read and follow the instructions. Disappointing dinners make for poor repeat business, so in 1981 Butterball started printing a toll-free number on the packaging and inviting customers to call in with any cooking questions they might have.
In those days 800 numbers were fairly rare, and the idea of calling one to get free cooking advice was a novelty. The company wasn’t sure that callers would get the concept or even understand that the long-distance number was free. But they hired six home economists, set them up with phones in the company’s test kitchen, and waited to see if the phone would ring. They were flabbergasted when more than 11,000 people jammed the line during the holiday season, especially on Thanksgiving, when the company figured hardly anyone would bother to call. An American institution was born.
CLUELESS ON LINE 4
Today Butterball has an automated phone system and a website to handle the most frequently asked questions. Still, more than 100,000 people call in each year to talk to the 50 turkey experts who staff the phones from November 1 through December 25. The advent of cordless and cell phones has put the Talk-line in even greater demand: People now call right from the dinner table to have someone talk them through the carving of the bird!
What’s your favorite way to cook a turkey? Over the years, Butterball has tried to come up with cooking tips for every weird turkey fad that has come down the pike. In the early 1980s, they perfected a technique for cooking turkey in the microwave- which, believe it or not, was the third-most popular question in those days. (By 1987, it had dropped all the way down to #20.) Do you cook your turkey in a big brown paper bag? In a deep fryer? In a pillowcase smeared with butter? On a countertop rotisserie? The Butterball people won’t always approve, but they will try to help.
DO TURKEYS HAVE BELLY BUTTONS?
Butterball has fielded some pretty bizarre questions over the past 25 years. Here are some favorites, along with the answers.
* Should I remove the plastic wrap before I cook my turkey? Yes.
* I don’t want to touch the giblets. Can I fish them out with a coat hanger? Yes.
* Can I poke holes all over the turkey and pour a can of beer over it to keep it moist? You’ll do more harm than good- the skin keeps the moisture in. Poking holes in it will dry it out.
* Can you thaw a frozen turkey using an electric hair dryer? Or by wrapping it in an electric blanket? In the aquarium with my tropical fish? In the tub while the kids are having their bath? No, no, no, and no. If you’re in a hurry, thaw the turkey in the kitchen sink by immersing it in cold water. Allow half an hour per pound, and change the water every half hour.
* How can I thaw 12 turkeys all at once? The caller was cooking for a firehouse, so Butterball advised them to put them all in a clean trash can and hose them down with a firehose.
* The family dog bit off a big piece of the turkey. Can the rest of it be saved? Maybe. If the damage is localized, cut away the dog-eaten part of the bird and serve the rest. Disguise the maimed bird with garnishes, or carve it up out of view of your guests and serve the slices. The less your guests know, the better.
* The family dog is inside the turkey and can’t get out. A few years back, Butterball really did get a call from the owner of a chihuahua that climbed inside the raw bird while the owner’s back was turned. The opening was big enough for the dog to get in, but not big enough for it to get back out. The turkey expert instructed the owner on how to enlarge the opening without injuring the dog. (No word on whether the bird was eaten.) Butterball has also fielded calls from owners of gerbils and housecats. “I was told not to talk about that,” one Talk-line staffer told a reporter in 1997.
* I need to drive two hours with my frozen turkey before I cook it. Will it stay frozen if I tie it to the luggage rack on the roof of my car? The caller was from Minnesota, so the answer was yes. If you live in Florida, Arizona, or Hawaii, the answer is no.
* I’m a truck driver. Can I cook the turkey on the engine block of my semi while I’m driving? If I drive faster, will it cook faster? There’ve been cases in wartime where soldiers cooked turkeys using the heat of Jeep engines, but Butterball gives no advice on the subject.
* I scrubbed my raw turkey with a toothbrush dipped in bleach for three hours. Is that enough to kill the harmful bacteria? The heat of the oven is what kills the bacteria; scrubbing the turkey with bleach makes it inedible. (In extreme cases like these, or anytime the Talk-line staffers fear the bird has become unsafe to eat, they advise the cook to discard the bird, eat out, and try again next year. If the caller can’t imagine Thanksgiving without turkey, they can get some turkey hot dogs.)
* I don’t want to cook the whole turkey, so I cut it in half with a chainsaw. How do I get the chainsaw oil out of the turkey? Toss the turkey and go get some hot dogs.
* The turkey in my freezer is 23 years old. Is it safe to eat? Butterball advised the caller that the bird was safe to eat, but that it probably wouldn’t taste very good. “That’s what we thought,” the caller told the Talk-line. “We’ll give it to the church.”
MORE QUESTIONS FOR THE TALK-LINE
* How long does it take to thaw a fresh turkey?
* How long does it take to cook a turkey if I leave the oven door open the whole time? That’s how my mom always did it.
* Does the turkey go in the oven feet first or head first?
* Can I baste my turkey with suntan lotion?
* When does turkey hunting season start?
* How do I prepare a turkey for vegetarians?
(All images from the Butterball website)
___________________
The article above was reprinted with permission from The Best of the Best of Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader.
Since 1988, the Bathroom Reader Institute had published a series of popular books containing irresistible bits of trivia and obscure yet fascinating facts.
If you like Neatorama, you’ll love the Bathroom Reader Institute’s books – go ahead and check ‘em out!
Dondurma — Turkish ice cream — is apparently made differently from ice cream in the United States, and has stickier consistency. Jordan Breindel of Urlesque informs us that in Turkey, streetside vendors of the substance often engage in a performance art as they serve portions to customers. More videos at the link.
Alex may think his turkey cake looked like poo, but it has a long way to go to make it to this collection of Thanksgiving turkey cakes gone wrong. Link
Whoa! Where did the time go? I’d like to wish everybody a Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for reading Neatorama – the blog won’t be as fun without its loyal readers and commenters
(My wife and I lovingly call the cake above, which we got from the local supermarket, our Thanksgiving poo cake. I think that’s supposed to be a turkey or something. Oh, and it was surprisingly good!)
Drive sober in Salinas, California, and Tuesday could be your lucky night. At a certain DUI checkpoint, some motorists who pass through will be awarded a free turkey!
This is the seventh year Salinas police have added a giveaway to the Thanksgiving week DUI checkpoint.
It’s become so popular, Salinas police are now asking drivers not to go through the checkpoint more than once just to try to win a turkey.
Police keep the location secret ahead of set up.
The turkeys were donated by police, businesses, and private citizens. Link -via J-Walk Blog
This recipe for turkey stuffing calls for “18 White Castle hamburgers (no pickles), chopped into 1-inch pieces,” (or you can substitute bread, but it won’t be the same). I suppose if you live in the southern part of the US, you could substitute Krystals. Both brands are commonly called sliders. The recipe is a part of Thanksgiving for Chicago chefs Chris and Jill Barron, who share their Thanksgiving cooking schedule. Link to story. Link to recipe. -via Boing Boing
(image credit: Flickr user DaddyPlus5)
Family Schmamily … I’m Here For The Turkey – $9.95
This Thanksgiving, after fighting the long lines at the airport, navigating the parking lot that used to be called freeways, and defusing family tension at the dinner table, everyone could use a little humor. So wear this T-shirt and hope that your family sees the humor in it and give you an extra serving of turkey!
From the Neatorama Shop: Link
Design by the talented Chris Murphy
Move over, Bao Xishun and Leonid Stadnik (who was stripped of his title) the Guinness Book of World Records has certified that 27-year-old Sultan Kosen from Turkey is the world’s tallest man. Kosen is eight feet and one inch tall! What does Kosen want to do with his new fame?
“The first thing I want to do is have a car that I can fit in, but more than that I want to get married,” he said.
“Up until now it’s been really difficult to find a girlfriend. I’ve never had one, they were usually scared of me. I’m hoping now I will find one.”
He went on: “Hopefully now that I’m famous I’ll be able to meet lots of girls. I’d like to get married.”
Link to story (with video). Link to a biography and more pictures. -via reddit
Officials acting on a tip searched a bus in Tarapoto, Peru for cocaine. They had been alerted that the cocaine was in a crate of turkeys, but they didn’t see any. However, the two live turkeys appeared bloated. Police chief Otero Gonzalez said the turkeys had been surgically implanted.
“Lifting up the feathers of the bird, in the chest area, police detected a handmade seam,” he said.
A vet extracted 11 oval-shaped plastic capsules containing 1.9 kilograms (4.2 pounds) of cocaine from one turkey.
A further 17 capsules with 2.9 kilograms (6.4 pounds) were recovered from the other, he said.
The turkeys survived the surgery to remove the cocaine and are recovering. Link -via Arbroath
If you start knitting this now, you too can have your very own "Sexy Turkey Hat" for Thanksgiving 2009.
Etsy seller Angela Catirina, who is a force to be reckoned with in the world of crafts, is selling the pattern to this unbelievably awesome headwear (I dare you to find something more awesome, folks): Link | More about Angela at ExtremeCraft
