Monday, 17 January 2011

Turkey Foot

Yes, I know there are other birthdays to celebrate, but I thought I'd focus on Benjamin Franklin. He would have been 305 today. He was a statesman, a printer, a diplomat and a postmaster. He was an inventor, too. He gave us the lightening rod, the odometer, bifocal lenses, and the Franklin stove. We can thank him for gems like, "A penny saved is a penny earned." "Fish and visitors smell after three days." And "Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead." This Turkey Foot block is in his honor. As the story goes, someone complained that the bald eagle on the Great Seal adopted by congress in 1782 looked more like a turkey than an eagle. Franklin's response was to say that a turkey would make a better symbol, as the turkey lives by its wits while the eagle profits from the work of others. Not bad for a fellow who flew kites in thunderstorms.

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