Lady Gaga may be one of the recognizable and talked about faces on the planet at the moment but she can’t hold a candle to the Charles Shultz classic A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

The popular show which was being shown for a 38th year in a row managed to best A Very Gaga Thanksgiving. 

According to Newsbusters the cartoon was so successful that it managed 400,000 more viewers than Gaga’s offering.

When all was said and done ABC’s Charlie Brown Thanksgiving took in 5.8 million viewers for a 1.8 rating while A Very Gaga Thanksgiving saw just 5.4 million viewers with a 1.6 rating.

While both numbers are impressive in their own respect they were no match for a rerun episode of The Big Bang Theory which took in 11.2 million viewers with a 3.6 adult demo rating.

In my house we own the Blu-ray versions of all the Peanuts holiday movies and my wife watches them obsessively.

Are you surprised to learn that Peanuts after all of these years is still so popular among holiday viewers?

Peanuts Defeats Lady Gaga In Thanksgiving Day TV Ratings is a post from: The Inquisitr

It’s officially Christmas time at the White House. President Obama and his family didn’t waste any time after Thanksgiving to get their Christmas tree. The 18-and-a-half-foot balsam fir tree from Wisconsin was delivered to the White House by a horse-drawn carriage this afternoon.

The Star Tribune reports that White House staffers traveled to Wisconsin last month to pick out the tree.

The White House Christmas tree will go up in the oval-shaped Blue Room where it will be the centerpiece for holiday decorations this holiday season. The tree will be decorated to honor Blue Star families, or people who have loved ones serving overseas.

Here’s a video of Michelle, Malia, Sasha, and the president’s dog Bo inspecting the White House Christmas tree.

The Washington Post reports that the tree came from Schroeder’s Forevergreens near Neshkoro, Wisconsin. Tom and Sue Schroeder, who own Forevergreens, won the honor of providing the White House Christmas tree after winning a national contest run by the The National Christmas Tree Association. (The contest has been running since 1966.)

Sue Schroeder said:

“It’s just very thrilling.” Seeing our tree at the White House is the “highlight of our Christmas.”

The White House Christmas tree will be trimmed, lit, and decorated with the help of volunteers from around the country. The decorated tree will be unveiled on Wednesday.

Do you put up a Christmas tree? Real or artificial? Does it come anywhere close to standing 18 feet tall like the White House Christmas tree?

White House Christmas Tree Arrives the Day After Thanksgiving [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

In their ever increasing attempt to cannibalize the wallets of American consumers many retail chains throughout the United States will begin their “Black Friday” ads on Thanksgiving day or just seconds afterwards.

After a cool down in 2010 consumer spending many stories including Best Buy (midnight), Wal-Mart (some sales starting at 10pm) and Target (Midnight) will open their doors before the sleepiness of a turkey induced tryptophan slumber can even set in.

Black Friday as it’s commonly referred to is the point when stores “get out of the red (losses)” by accounting for nearly one-third of all annual sales in a matter of hours through the use of severely discounted goods. For example WalMart is selling a 42″ flat screen TV for just $199 (in limited supply).

Also set to open early are Old Navy, Kmart, Macy’s, Kohl’s and other stores who hope to get a jump start on the Black Friday buying public.

In responding to criticism that retailers are cannibalizing Thanksgiving Day Mike Vitelli, president, Americas and enterprise executive vice president of Best Buy tells Reuters:

“At the end of the day, we are trying to respond to what our customers want to do, and they are telling us that’s when they want to shop.”

During this years shopping season sales are expected to increase by 2.8 percent over 2010 numbers, but still falls short of 2010′s 5.2 percent gain for both online and offline retailers.

For customers who are looking to shop online Amazon.com is attempting to beat the WalMart rush by opening up their Black Friday sales at 9 p.m. the earliest we have seen a Black Thursday ad yet.

Regardless of the outcome it will be a busy time to be a shopper with 152 million people expected to head out to retail locations, 10.1 percent more people than last year when Black Friday ads started during their more traditional early morning hours, in some cases as early as 3am.

Do you plan to head out on “Black Thursday” for Black Friday sales?

Forget Black Friday Thanksgiving Arrives With Black Thursday Sales is a post from: The Inquisitr

Thanksgiving dinner is just a few hours away. If you’re looking for a quick Thanksgiving turkey recipe and you think deep frying your turkey is the best option, you might be right. You also might be a few steps away from setting your house on fire.

According to Fox News, deep-fry fires are responsible for five deaths, 60 injuries, and more than $15 million in property damage every year. The Department of Homeland Security even issued a warning against deep frying turkeys. The DHS wrote on their Twitter account: ”How dangerous can turkey fryers be?”

The DHS posted this video on Twitter.

Tommy Steen, a 28-year veteran firefighter in Mississippi, said: “99.9% of the time you can pull this off without a problem, as long as you do it right.”

So what goes wrong .1% of the time?

Steen says that there are basically four common turkey frying mistakes. Don’t deep fry a frozen turkey. Don’t let the oil get too hot. (Keep it under 400 degrees). Don’t use too much oil. Don’t fry indoors.

Seems simple enough. But still, many people will end up with something that looks like this.

Are you deep frying a turkey this year? Have you ever had a deep fry fire?

If you are responsible for the turkey this year and you’re worried about cooking the perfect bird, Mary Risley from Tante Marie’s Cooking School has a few words of advice for you: “It’s just a fuc*%!g turkey.”

Risley says that all you have to do is put the turkey in the oven. (Having a few glasses of wine doesn’t hurt either.) Here’s a Thanksgiving turkey recipe video from Tante Marie’s Cooking School.

When Thanksgiving Recipes Go Wrong: How Not to Deep Fry a Turkey [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Taking a half-hour walk 12 to 16 hours before your big thanksgiving meal is the best way to stay healthy says a new study.

Researchers found that people who take a walk 12 to 16 hours before their big meal see a significant reduction in the type of fat known as triglycerides.

According to the Wall Street Journal Triglycerides push their way through arterial walls and increased levels have been linked to a high risk of heart attack.

Researcher are not sure why such a long period between working out and eating helps the body but they point to cellular changes in the body during exercise that can last up to 48 hours.

While a brisk walk half a day before your big meal is a good idea the researchers point out that consistently exercising is still the best way to avoid dangerous fats that can cause heart and other problems.

According to director of Baylor University’s Center for Healthy Living:

“Those people wishing to start an exercise regimen can see beneficial effects on postprandial lipids with just one session.”

Do you find that exercising before big meals leaves you feeling better about your overall health hours after the meal has been consumed and digested?

[Image via ShutterStock.com]

Walking 12 Hours Before Thanksgiving Dinner Can Help Avoid Heart Attacks [Study] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Liberty and Peace will live on for at least one more day. President Obama pardoned two turkeys, named Liberty and Peace, during a ceremony at the White House today.

Standing in between his two daughters, Sasha and Malia, Obama pardoned the two National Thanksgiving Turkeys, continuing a presidential tradition that has been performed for the last 64 years.

Obama said:

“Some of you may know that recently I’ve been taking a series of executive actions that don’t require congressional approval. Well, here’s another one. We can’t wait to pardon these turkeys. Literally. Otherwise, they’d end up next to the mashed potatoes and stuffing.”

According to ABC, the two 19-week, 45-pound birds got their names from over 100 submissions to the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association’s website.

According to Obama, the two turkeys were vigorously trained for their day in front of the media. Obama said:

“I’m told that in order to prepare Liberty and Peace for their big day, the students exposed them to loud noises and flash bulbs so that they’d be ready to face the White House press corps. This is actually true. They also received the most important part of their media training, which involves learning how to gobble without really saying anything,”

But Obama wasn’t all jokes. He said that Thanksgiving was the perfect time to reflect and“be grateful for what we have, be mindful of those who have less.”

Here’s a video from the Associated Press of Obama pardoning two turkeys for Thanksgiving.

Obama Pardons ‘Liberty’ and ‘Peace’ Turkeys For Thanksgiving is a post from: The Inquisitr

Target plans to begin their Black Friday sales this year at midnight and while that may mean their customers won’t have to wake up at 3 in the morning to take part in the stores deals it also means some employees will have to come into work after a long day with the family, a fact that has led parking lot attendant Anthony Hardwick to fight against the new sales time.

As Hardwick tells Bloomberg he and fellow employees were forced to accept the holiday hours “because the economy is bad and so our employer has us over a barrel.”

Hardwick is scheduled for a 10 hour shift which starts on 11pm on Thursday which means he’ll have to go to bed in the early afternoon just so he’ll be awake and alert for his long shift.

In response to his company’s demands Hardwick has started a Change.org permission which is asking people to help “save Thanksgiving” by instead having Target stores around the nation open at 5am.

In the two weeks since Hardwick has started the petition it has received 85,000 signatures and now he fears that the company he stood up against may force him to resign.

In the meantime it isn’t just Target employees who have been told they will be reporting to work during the national holiday, Macy’s, Kohl’s, and Best Buy open at midnight while Toys ‘R’ Us, Kmart, Gap, and Old Navy stores plan to open even earlier on Thanksgiving day.

While I understand the importance of Black Friday sales in terms of yearly profits for many organizations I can’t help but think that the way these businesses are treating their employees is selfish. In terms of Target they simply can’t seem to get anything right lately.

Will you be heading out on or before midnight on Thanksgiving day to complete some or all of your holiday gift buying?

Target Employee Fight Company’s Decision To Open At Midnight On Black Friday is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you plan to travel or know someone traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday you might want to tell them to avoid five of the nation’s busiest airports.

Based on booked ticket numbers and expected last minute fliers the Los Angeles Times has announced that Los Angeles’ LAX airport will be the most used travel hub in the United States, beating out another regular favorite in Chicago’s O’Hare airport.

Based on travel expectations from November 23 through November 27th the top five list is topped out by O’Hare, Orlando International, San Francisco International and Boston’s Logan International airport.

Numbers were compiled by ticket booking agnet Orbitz who added up ticket sales from the country’s 50 busiest airports.

The ranking service also found that LAX travelers have an alternative if they don’t mind traveling 40 miles southeast to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, a facility that is expected to be one of the least busy major airports in the country.

The Times are also offering this bit of advice for American Airlines customers at LAX who are looking to avoid lines:

Take advantage of a new check-in service that lets VIP passengers on American Airlines zip into the terminal through a special entrance leading to a “premium” security line.

Will you be traveling out of a busy airport over the Thanksgiving traveling week? If you are planning to fly what tips do you use to avoid long waits during the busy holiday travel season. I personally prefer the crowded roadways during the holiday’s, at least then I can pull off to the side of the road if I become frustrated.

[Image via ShutterStock.com]

Busiest Thanksgiving Day Airports Revealed, The Usual Suspects Reported is a post from: The Inquisitr

Lady Gaga will be appearing on the nation’s screens this Thanksgiving, having agreed a deal to shoot a 90-minute show for ABC. ‘A Very Gaga Thanksgiving‘ will consist of interviews, performances, and special guests, and is due to air on November 24th.

The 25-year-old ‘Born This Way’ singer will be interviewed by Katie Couric for the show, which ABC is promising will shed light on the personal life of Lady Gaga.

There’ll also be eight songs performed in front of Gaga’s close friends and family, including singles ‘Marry the Night’, ‘You and I’ and ‘The Edge of Glory.’ Crooner Tony Bennett will be popping along as well for a duet of ‘The Lady is a Tramp’ (video below).

Special guests will include celebrity chef Art Smith, who will be helping Lady Gaga prepare a Thanksgiving spread of deep-fried turkey and waffles for her guests, which sounds reassuringly surreal and weirdly kitschy.

Here’s Palin-griller and news anchor Katie Couric with some thoughts on her interviewee:

“We all know Lady Gaga is a phenomenon. This is a chance to see more of who she is beneath the wild costumes and staged musical numbers. Lady Gaga as a high school student still bruised by being excluded from the party, Lady GaGa as a devoted daughter and caring sister, Lady Gaga as a 25-year-old woman embracing fame and fortune that seemed to come overnight. She will impress you, delight you and surprise you.”

For all her exhibitionism on stage, Gaga’s ‘personal life’ has typically been kept under wraps. Will you be tuning in to see if the singer really is such an open book?

Lady Gaga Lands Thanksgiving TV Special is a post from: The Inquisitr

The first wave of Black Friday shoppers are home and are seeking en masse to cut into the massive amount of turkey present in many American homes right now.

Turkey soup is arguably the most popular way to reuse the several pounds of excess turkey left over after Thanksgiving, and soups are one of the easier foods to make on a day when most people across the country are tired of both eating solid foods and even looking at kitchen utensils. So if you’re looking for turkey soup recipes, here are some options to get you started- from basic to curry-infused.

If you want a standard, all-purpose turkey soup, Alton Brown is a great source for basic recipes that are scientifically sound. Brown’s “Bird to the Last Drop” recipe includes nothing more exotic than Old Bay Seasoning, and is ready to eat in about an hour. Bonus- most of the ingredients are things you probably already have on hand. Definitely a simple turkey soup recipe option.

Epicurious has a busier version of the Black Friday staple, an Italian-ized version that includes tomatoes, ravioli and of course, turkey. The recipe includes a bit more in the way of spices, so if your spice pantry is depleted, you might want to give this recipe a pass. On the upside, it’s a slightly different flavor than the other classic post-Thanksgiving redux, turkey sandwiches.

Food.com bucks traditional flavors entirely with their Quick and Easy Curried Turkey Soup directive. While Turkey Curry is a common leftover option in places like the UK, Americans are not widely curry-thinking. If you’re really sick of the potatoes-stuffing-potatoes trifecta, a turkey soup recipe with curry might make you forget you’re eating Thanksgiving leftovers at all.

Are you more of a sandwich person or a hash fan? How do you plan to use the metric ton of turkey in your fridge?

[Image]

Three turkey soup options to attack Thanksgiving leftovers is a post from: The Inquisitr

Six Turkey Day Lolcats To Celebrate Thanksgiving is a post from: The Inquisitr

OK, so it’s not a message that everyone wants to hear this Thanksgiving, but you have to give it to the Addams Family for providing at least a memorable take on Turkey Day.

Happy Thanksgiving From Addams Family Values is a post from: The Inquisitr

Because phallic cakes are the best cakes.

[sofapizza]

Thanksgiving dessert table win? is a post from: The Inquisitr

As we posted yesterday, Australian journalist James West was successful in his bid to meet the Tran family and attend their yearly Thanksgiving celebration.

West met the Trans this morning, and uploaded this video about his adventures in Florida so far.

[Video] Australian journalist finds Tran family, is at Thanksgiving is a post from: The Inquisitr

Fancy putting your slippered feet up and conducting your Black Friday shopping from home and doing something awesome for your chums? If so, Valve’s Steam service has an, er, friend-friendly sale on from November 24th through 29th.

The Steam “Give & Get” sale features a new selection of deals each day. Today, you get the chance to buy ten copies of 2004 classic Half-Life 2 for you and nine pals for … $19.99! That is a steal if you like the idea of making yourself and nine other people you care about very happy.

Alternatively, you can buy eight copies of the amazing Deus Ex for $11.99 – you can catch today’s deals HERE.

Furthermore, Valve will randomly pull 30 usernames out of its headcrab novelty hat each day of the sale and give 30 Steam users the top five games on their wish lists. Sweet!

[Steam, via Joystiq]

Steam has an offer you and your friends can’t refuse is a post from: The Inquisitr

The team at Thankfulfor.com have polled users to find out what they are thankful for this Thanksgiving. The above is the result.

Infographic: What The Web Is Thankful For is a post from: The Inquisitr

This is really adorable.

You may have experienced the phenomenon of the accidental CC- I was inadvertently included on a really boring email book club list, and they wouldn’t unsubscribe me no matter how hard I asked. Australian journalist James West has been wrongly included on yearly Thanksgiving chains involving the “Tran family” for several years, and what started as an annoyance got West both very hungry and very envious. So he began a social media campaign to “track down the Trans” and get an invite to their very American celebration. (He also apologies for being “creepy,” but it doesn’t come off creepily at all.)

Per The Daily What, West was successful in his venture- not only did he find the Trans, but he got an invite to their Thanksgiving dinner. The Tran family is reportedly very excited about the event and West’s inclusion, and TV cameras will be present at the airport to film the… reunion?

On the video’s YouTube page, there’s a message attributed to “Mr. Tran”:

Hey, its George and you are totally invited! See you Thursday morning!!!!!

Cutest line of the video: “I’m sorry for perving on your Thanksgiving… I’ll bring the canned corn.”

[Video] Accidental CCing gets Australian journalist Thanksgiving invite from strangers after years of “eavesdropping” is a post from: The Inquisitr

I always thought Thanksgiving was about pies, not cakes so maybe that is why these horrendous examples of cake baking are a double threat for causing you nightmares. It’s bad enough that these things look like rejects from a cooking class of the Wives of New York City without them also insulting the true tradition of pumpkin pie.

Some-one let the Alien chest popping creature lose.

See what you can do with a sand pail once you turn it upside down

Who let the dog near the cake before taking him outside?

Looks like the Great Pumpkin came back to haunt us in disguise

Where are my sunglasses the glare is killing me

Nothing like a bit of camo to provide some authenticity I guess

I’m not even sure where to go with this one.

hat tip to Buzzfeed

Thanksgiving cakes that nightmares are made of is a post from: The Inquisitr

As with all tradition there is a lot of history behind them, some of which are pretty common knowledge and others that have been forgotten over time. These historical facts aren’t always boring either. In fact most of them can be downright strange and in some cases outright bizarre.

Our big November turkey day holiday is no different so I thought it would be fun to share some of the more interesting facts about Thanksgiving.

It all started from the same person who gave us “Mary had a little lamb” – Thanksgiving hasn’t always been a national holiday but in fact only came into being in 1863 due to the campaign started by a magazine editor named Sarah Josepha Hale. Her other claim to fame was the nursery rhyme we all curse our kids with as they are growing up.

The entire population of Singapore – According to the National Turkey Foundation in 2007 Americans ate over 690 million pounds of turkey. Which makes it equal to the population of Singapore

And Columbus named the turkey that because he thought it was a peacock – Not always good with directions Columbus thought that when he discovered America he thought he was in India. As a result when he saw the turkey he named it “tuka” which is the Indian word for peacock.

Food is a drug – As stressful as Thanksgiving can be we are actually helped out by the food we eat to make that stress melt away. Stuffing is rich in vitamin B1, nuts have lots of magnesium, and the turkey contains tryptophan. Mix altogether and can say you have a real happy meal.

It’s party time – the original Thanksgiving dinner’s that saw the pilgrims and Wampanoag tribesmen getting down was typically three-days of dancing, singing and with a few games thrown in for good measure.

The birth of TV dinners – we can thank the presence of TV dinners on Thanksgiving. Back in 1953 when the first TV dinners were made it was because Swanson needed to do something with the 260 tons of frozen turkeys they had left over after Thanksgiving.

Houston, I think we need some turkey – The first meal on the moon was a foil packed roast turkey dinner along with all the trimmings.

That is one big bird – the largest turkey ever served up for a Thanksgiving dinner was one recorded to weigh in at  86 pounds.

Some things you may not have known about Thanksgiving is a post from: The Inquisitr

This is much really but as a lead in to a rather silly American tradition you gotta admire the willingness to have a little bit of fun. In preparation for the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon ceremony at the White House with President Obama they released this spoof of the event – which is really more like an announcement if you ask me.

The White House presents: The Turkey Pardon Spoof is a post from: The Inquisitr