TURKEY TALK TOPICS
Conversations that won’t get you impeached at the dinner table
Avoiding politics at the Thanksgiving table is an age-old rule that gets harder to follow every year.
The last time we gathered for this traditional feast, you had to dodge the discussion minefield of the 2018 election and our state’s ability to drag that process out for a couple extra weeks. This year, well, let’s just say that it’s going to be tough to avoid a politics chit-chat that could impeach your character.
But you can do this — and we’re here to help. When your wacky uncle tries to stir Ukraine into the conversation casserole, here are some other topics you can bring up:
Hey, did you know that snazzy new Hard Rock Guitar Hotel might be bad for the birds?
A local expert says it’s too early to tell, but a 2017 study showed that similar columns of light at New York’s 9⁄11 tribute could alter bird behavior. And Doug Young, COO of the South Florida Audubon Society,
shared concern about the height of the new Hollywood hotel and its reflective glass.
“It’s an issue with office buildings. There will probably be thousands of birds that die because they’re going to fly into it,” Young said of the 450-foot building that has rocked out our skyline.
Before you start feeling too bad about that, remind yourself that you’re about shovel a pile of dark meat onto your plate.
How the Dolphins are totally going to turn it around when they draft…
You’ll have to fill in this blank on your own. The Fins appeared to be tanking for Tua Tagovailoa … but then they actually won a couple games … and then the coveted Alabama quarterback suffered a serious injury.
So, the identity of the next supposed savior will remain up for great debate as holiday season bleeds into mock draft season.
If only the Dolphins had a chance to draft a guy like Lamar Jackson, the Pompano Beach native who is now the leading candidate for NFL MVP.
Oh wait.
Didja see how big a TV you can buy for 200 bucks?
Black Friday is always going to be discussed on Thanksgiving — sometimes as a well-timed excuse if you’re trying to make an early exit.
This year, you’ll likely hear chatter about megadeals on HDTVs. From 1080p to 4K UHD to HDR,
your eyes may start to blur just from reading all the options — let alone before you plant yourself too close to one of those behemoths.
Just know: When you watch football in 4K for the first time, your life will never be the same.
Tolls, traffic and all things transportation
Over the past year, we’ve made it a mission to answer questions submitted by you, our Sun Sentinel readers, and one of the overwhelming topics you keep asking about is transportation.
(Guess when you spend half your life sitting in South Florida traffic, it tends to weigh on you.)
Bone up on our latest Q&A about the upcoming I-95 express lanes and you’ll sound like an expert when the cousins grumble about how long it took them to get to your house.
Juice jacking — which has nothing to do with the vodka you just slipped into your cranberry cocktail
One of our most widely read stories of the entire year is about how criminals can steal your money and identity if you plug into a USB charging station at the airport or mall.
Hopefully you read that one before you hopped on your flight down here or started that all-day giftshopping binge.
(We keep telling you it’s worth it to read the Sun Sentinel!)
FOOD!
What better time to talk about food than when you’re already in loosenthe-belt mode?
And since we’re nearing the end of the year, it’s a
great time to reflect on the best meal you ate in 2019. (This writer’s vote is trending toward KYU in Wynwood.)
If you can’t think of a fave, there’s still time to have a great eating experience. Just hop into food critic Michael Mayo’s restaurant reviews and pick a place you’d like to try.
Who’s going to win the “Jeopardy! The Greatest of All Time” event?
Imagine Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Bill Russell lacing it up for one epic game of hoops. That’s basically what we’re getting in January when James Holzhauer, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter duel over daily doubles in a showdown of Jeopardy’s winningest players.
Ask your Thanksgiving guests to pick a side. Poll them on which member of the family would win a battle of wits hosted by Alex Trebek.
And start studying your Shakespeare, geography and word origins now.
How “Mean Girls” is coming to the Broward Center
A year ago, Hamilton’s visit was all the buzz. (If you missed it, everyone’s favorite bastard, orphan son of a whore will be in Miami and West Palm Beach in early 2020.)
Looking ahead to March, one of the highly anticipated Broward Center shows will be “Mean Girls,” Tina Fey’s parody of high school popularity.
Most of us have awkward memories of high school. If you thought it was the best time of your life, we hate to break it to you, but this musical might be making fun of you.
Now stop trying to make “fetch” happen.
How Major League Soccer is coming back to South Florida
For years, we’ve heard words spill out of David Beckham’s chiseled face about how he’s going to bring a top-notch MLS team to South Florida.
Believe it or not, it’s actually happening, with Inter Miami’s first home game set for March 14 in Fort Lauderdale.
Will the beautiful game capture an audience in its latest attempt in this market? Will a big-name European or South American superstar take his talents to Commercial Boulevard?
Time will tell, but at the very least, they’re going to look cool in those pink and black colors.
How we’ve survived hurricane season
Weather is truly that last-ditch category of conversation when you really have nothing interesting to talk about.
But Saturday marks the official end of the 2019 hurricane season, and that’s worth clinking a glass and also remembering those whose lives were impacted by storms this year.
How we’re thankful to live in South Florida
Not to get too sappy, but for all the memes and the madness, we get to live in a place that’s never boring. And the fact that we can show up to Thanksgiving dinner with a tan gives us a big turkey leg up on our northern neighbors.
Now pass some of that spiked cranberry juice and let’s toast to a happy holiday season.