Some Good Things for Thanksgiving
Ways to avoid arguing with your family... except about mayonnaise.
Cassidy Steele Dale writes to equip you with the forecasts, foresight skills and perspectives, and tools you may need to create a better, kinder world.
And one of those ways is to NOT write about the future this week.
All I seem to write about is the future, religion, and government — none of which are good topics for conversation with family over Thanksgiving or during the holiday season.
So instead I offer you the following comfort-food videos you can have on in the background or watch with your people. They range from historical recipes to Yule log/ASMR videos to Southern instructional videos to a mayonnaise debate to — when the kids are out of the room — a Ryan Reynolds meltdown and one in which Roy Wood, Jr. comments on a topic of national import while cussing a lot. Because he is my spirit animal and sometimes my ministry model. And then after that there’s the whole universe. Literally. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Let’s get started.
In case you need some American history…
From Tasting History with Max Miller and Townsends, both of whom make historical recipes.
In case you need some ASMR but aren’t ready for Christmas Yule log videos…
Here are the Northern Lights over Longyearbyen, the northernmost town in the world, on Svalbard in Norway (from Cecilia Blomdahl).
Here’s two Marvel Yule log videos… one of Captain America’s Brooklyn apartment and another of (the younger) Hawkeye’s apartment.
Here’s Nick Offerman drinking whisky while sitting next to hearth and staring at you for 45 minutes straight. Because he would.
Here’s a real-life modern-day old-school barber centering himself before his work day starts (from Haircut Harry).
And here’s one of Haircut Harry’s greatest hits. His channel is nothing but him getting haircuts and shaves from some of the most interesting expert barbers and top-notch barbershops in the world.
In case you need a few singalongs, here’s Choir! Choir! Choir!…
If you need some instructional videos for living in the South (from Matt Mitchell)…
But if you HAVE to have an argument with your family and it has to be somewhat Thanksgiving leftover-turkey-sandwich-relevant…
If by Saturday you HAVE to eat something other than turkey, here’s a few ideas from Cowboy Kent Rollins, hamburger master/historian George Motz, and Sandwiches of History…
If you need something odd-but-epic, Steve Wallis stealth-camps around Canada in some of the riskiest spots imaginable… like this highway roundabout… Yeah, you heard me right.
Once the kids are in bed…
If you need to watch Ryan Reynolds attempting to conceal his nervous breakdown after a long day of parenting…
And Roy Wood, Jr. commenting on an issue of national import. (NOTE: This is correct, righteous use of cussing. The prophet Jeremiah probably cussed this way.)
And if you need to see a band singing in zero gravity… and it being AMAZING… No, seriously amazing. You have seen nothing like this before.
And if you need some perspective by the end of this you will have it. The first time I watched this I was bawling by the end.
The world is just as beautiful and delicious and bonkers and audacious and funny and awe-inspiring as it ever was. And you — and your friends and family who are with you right now — are part of the reason why.
Maybe we should be thankful. About all of it and all of us.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.