Free Bird!

Turkey in the Straw: President Barack Obama, D-2nd Chance, pardoned two turkeys, Gobbler and Cobbler, sparing both from appearing on the presidential Thanksgiving table.

The pardoning of turkeys became a formal White House tradition in 1989 under President George H.W. Bush. But such turkey pardons occurred twice before that: first by President Kennedy in 1963, and then again in 1974 when President Ford pardoned President Nixon.

A pet with all the trimmings: Should you plan to pardon your own turkey, a turkey rescue outfit in New York says that the birds can be kept as pets if you have adequate space outdoors to keep them.

Actually, I’ve found that turkeys take up very little room and are virtually no trouble, provided you leave them in the freezer.

No giblets, please: San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, going against the city’s free-spirited past, approved a ban on nudity on streets, sidewalks and public transit after complaints increased about a group of men appearing naked almost daily in one neighborhood.

Exceptions will be made for street fairs and parades, such as an annual Thanksgiving parade during which the men will be allowed to bare their wattles.

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