What was Ben thinking?!.....
Posted by Zoe's Dad at Thursday, November 15, 2007 1:35 AM and is filed under Turkey,Bald Eagle,Poor Richard,our national bird,Thanksgiving 
The man was clearly genius, forward thinking and ahead of his time. To read his biography is dizzying. One is struck with the impression after scanning just a short list of his accomplishments that one lifetime is not enough. America's first library, our first fire station, our first hospital, instrumental in the formation of two colleges. He was a publisher, an author, an inventor, a politician, a musician, an ambassador. He was also crazy as a loon! OK. That is my little addition to the biography of one of America's founding fathers. It's not true. But he did have some wild opinions on all manner of things. Check out the book Fart Proudly: Writings of Benjamin Franklin You Never Read in School if you don't believe me. It's great stuff and provides some interesting insights into the wit of the man we generally regard as genius.
As the holiday season approaches, I am reminded of a bit of useless trivia regarding Mr. Franklin. In a letter to his daughter he made known his disapproval of our nation's choice of the bald eagle as it's national bird and offered as an alternative, the 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......"
Despite his objections, I'm glad we stuck with our original choice. Besides, the Bald Eagle is much more breathtaking to behold in the wild. Take a look at my new neighbors.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Besides, eagle is kind of stringy and tastes like chicken.
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I think a buttermilk marinade cuts the gaminess.
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{makes note} "Farts Proudly" by Benjamin Franklin {/makes note}
OK, its on my christmas list, sounds like my kind of book.
We don't have a national bird in the UK, none that we like to own up to anyway, we may have had in the past but we probably made it extinct.
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Hey, we just about offed the eagle here. Something about build a better apple....
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Let's see, soar like an eagle or attack like a turkey.... Hmm, I'm with you. Mr. Franlin was crazy as a loon.
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I've heard those gobblers can be mean!
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Dude, have you ever been attacked by a turkey? Those big bastards are mean! And they Don't. Stop. Coming! Sure, their talons are not as impressive (because I'm pretty sure they don't have any), but their beaks are hard, man! BF had the right of it. (And he also had syphilis, which is where the loony comes in.)
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We have a witness! Mean turkeys. Although the eagle may not be as agressive he carries himself in a way that you'd rather not find out.
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Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.
-B. Franklin
Plus, the dude was born in Boston. Bound to be a great man.
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I've used that one before. (The quote and God's frosty happiness.)
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The more I've read about Ben Franklin, the more he sounds like he would be hysterical to hang out with. His opinions and stories crack me up. I think he'd be one of those old guys that you'd never know if he was being serious or just screwing with you - like the turkey thing.
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And just intimidating enough that you would never call him out for bluffing.
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