A little Holiday cheer with a twist

[paul holmgren <paulholm@xxxx>]

A History of Thanksgiving According to The Humor Network... 

1492 - Christopher Columbus discovers America, unless you count the
native peoples already living there. Columbus doesn't. Columbus and
crew celebrate by holding a dinner, giving thanks for their safe
arrival. Embarrassment ensues when every Indian brings maize, and
nobody brings pumpkin pie. 

1620 - Pilgrim men invent sport of football to avoid helping clean up
after Thanksgiving dinner. 

1671 - First embarrassing drunken relatives at Thanksgiving dinner,
as Captain John Smith's parents tell Pocahontas the "hilarious" old
"I got lost in the maize" joke for the hundredth time. 

1701 - At a historic Thanksgiving dinner, Dutch settlers unveil
historic "Indians Give Us All Of Their Land Treaty." Due to an
unfortunate oversight, the Indians are left off of the invite
list, and the treaty is signed without them. 

1776 - Excited that his British in-laws finally agreed to meet him
for Thanksgiving dinner, silversmith Paul Revere rides through Boston
announcing the news. Unfortunately, many colonists misinterpret his cry
"the British are coming!" as a warning, leading to the Revolutionary
War. 

1812 - At an international Thanksgiving dinner, King George of
England, still hurting from losing the Revolutionary War, challenges
United States President James Madison to "best 2 out of 3." 

1860 - At a Senate Thanksgiving dinner, the seven-year-old son of
Alabama's Senator Richard Applebee insults the Senators from
Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania, sparking the Civil War.
The tradition of the "children's table" is instituted in 1861. 

1903 - Canada steals idea of Thanksgiving holiday, placing it in
October, so they can say it was their idea first. 

1928 - To commemorate "our nation's greatest era of prosperity that
will last forever and ever," President Herbert Hoover dumps ceremonial
ten thousand turkeys into the Potomac River. 

1929 - Following the Great Stock Market Crash, thousands of men go
Turkey Diving in the Potomac River. 

1957 - Declaring her spicy stuffing "a communist threat to undermine
my health via heartburn," Senator Joe McCarthy has his wife placed
under arrest as a Soviet saboteur. 

1969 - The world's largest Eat-In event goes sour. Thousands of hippies
start having bad trips when bad "brown gravy" gets passed around. 

1991 - When Dan Quayle takes ill on Thanksgiving; a turkey is sworn
as Vice President for three days. No change is noticed. 

1997 - Strong natural tranquilizer tryptophane is discovered in
turkey. A Colombian cartel immediately starts selling "pure" turkey
on the streets for $500 an ounce. Turkey farmers get involved in
drive-by shootings, and the U.S. government declares a national
fowl emergency. 

2002 - America is on a terrorist alert. It is now against the law to
stuff a turkey since anyone is suspicious of hiding explosives.
George W. signs this law into Congress, during a patriotic speech he
defends this decision claiming "the evil doers are just looking for
any opportunity to show up at your dinner table." This Thanksgiving
take a real good look at your relatives...and report any suspicious
behavior to the CIA, FBI or your local police...who cares if it's
grandma...it's your duty as an American...