BAD BIRDS

Are we a nation of sissies?

Each year, sometime between the Halloween safety warnings and the Christmas safety warnings, come the Thanksgiving safety warnings.

This week, the "Tulsa World" newspaper dutifully printed these tips on how to have a safe turkey.

1. Don't wash the turkey. It just splashes the germs around.
2. Don't thaw your turkey in the garage or kitchen counter.
3. Keep meat chilled until you cook it.
4. When handling the turkey, keep it separate from other foods with separate cutting boards and utensils.
5. Once you touch the raw turkey, don't touch anything else until you wash your hands with soap and water.
6. Set the oven temperature at 325 degrees or higher.
7. Cook to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees to kill bacteria. Use a thermometer.
8. Food dishes cooked at home and served warm at the family gathering should be kept above 140 degrees.
9. Don't leave food out of the refrigerator for more than two hours.
10. Wash your hands before you eat. If that is not possible, use hand sanitizer or wipes.
11. Use different utensils for cooking the food and eating it. Do not use the same fork to handle the turkey while cooking and to serve turkey at the table.
12. Reheat all leftovers to 165 degrees. Gravy should be boiled.

And to think it only took the Israelites ten commandments.

How did we ever survive before all these safety warnings?

Sure, bad birds kill a few people every year. But considering how many turkeys give their lives for Thanksgiving every year, the birds are still behind.

So just eat up and have a happy Thanksgiving.