Gizmodo has The 7 Best Deep-Fried Turkey Disaster Videos.

As a point of information, the gas in the canister that is heating the oil, like all bottled gas, is heavier than air and goes down, not up like natural gas. That means that when the line ruptures after the initial explosion, you can expect the tank to become a flamethrower before it explodes.

Since the end of the shuttle program, NASA has launch pads available for lease at Cape Canaveral, so if you really insist on deep-frying a turkey, you might consider renting space where the necessary emergency equipment is readily available.

My view of Thanksgiving was skewed by my Father’s attitude. Having grown up on a poultry farm, he saw the holiday as the culmination of weeks of work “processing” dozens of turkeys to be frozen and readying a few dozen more for fresh delivery. We generally ate ham when he was alive.

Having been on my Grandfather’s farm at this time of year I can understand my Dad’s attitude: our meal was subject to interruption by people picking up a fresh turkey at the last minute. A sale is a sale when you are business for yourself.

Watching the WKRP turkey giveaway was long a tradition at our house. It’s availability is not guaranteed. [update: Mustang Bobby has it this year.]

Enjoy your meal and try to forget about the world’s problems for a day – they’ll still be there on Friday along with a few people who think it’s essential that they buy stuff. There won’t be as many this year, but those with money will try anything to make it stretch.

[I should have kept my mouth shut about freezes, because we are having one this morning for the first time in years.]