As we approach the holiday season with uncertainty for what the years ahead may look like for our nation, let us remember to always express gratitude for what remains constant: our family, friends and freedom. 

Here at Quite Frankly, our mission is to provide you with a solid home base of optimism, information, entertainment and a strengthening community of patriots. In this Thanksgiving edition of the newsletter, we have a well-rounded selection of each of those tenets, including articles from familiar Franklies, a feature from a well-known listener who has a fascinating career in aviation, fan-favorite recipes and so much more.

We hope your Thanksgiving season is filled with delicious meals, warm conversation and fond memories. As we highlight what you are thankful for, Quite Frankly is so very grateful for you, our loyal listeners and dynamic supporters. Without your dedication as an audience, this Bulletin would not be possible. Thank you!

Behind the Scenes

Attending Game 5 of the World Series, LAD vs NYY, with Mom

When the Yankees came out of spring training in March of 2024 I really didn’t think much of the team, and even now that all is said and done, I don’t know how they did it; but they made it to the World Series. I always wanted to go to a World Series game, but between never having the money and the Yankees not coming close to post-season success since 2009, it seemed like that day would have to wait forever. However, when the Yankees made it to the World Series, defying all the odds, there was only one person I knew I HAD to bring with me to the stadium and that was my Mom.

After a childhood filled with field trips to Yankee Stadium, opposing ballparks, the Hall of Fame, and plenty of nights parked in front of the television to sweat through some of the most thrilling match-ups in modern sports history, this was my chance to even the score. We had a fabulous time despite the outcome of the game, and made memories we will both cherish forever.

A Snap in Time

On the left, a picture of us sitting on the 3rd baseline for a game in 1997. My Mom is holding up a foul ball, hit by first baseman Tino Martinez, that struck her in the stomach. I remember scrambling for the ball while she was clutching her side.

On the right, us at the game on October 30, 2024.

November Splendor

What’s better than cake and cocktails?

Top Shots From Rich Baris

A QUICK Q&A WITH FRANK AND RICH

Since this is the day before the election, I figured I'd ask Rich Baris, Director of Big Data Poll, what we should all look out for, especially when it comes to two main areas of interest:

On the Potential for Donald Trump to Win the Popular Vote:

There’s a very real chance the Republican presidential candidate could win the Popular Vote for the first time since 2004, when George W. Bush defeated John Kerry with a 2.4% national margin and 284 Electoral Votes.

I’ve long been a skeptic of the scenario. It would require the Republican candidate to make more than marginal gains with non-white voters, particularly Black and Hispanic. Whites are more educated now than in 2004, and there’s only so much White vote blood Republicans can squeeze from that stone.

But that’s exactly what Trump appears posed to do. If the polls are correct, Trump will win the largest share of the non-white vote since Richard M. Nixon in 1960. It is unlikely that Trump will carry the Popular Vote but lose the Electoral College because it means he would have to perform better with non-whites overall AND college educated whites given non-college voters are overrepresented in the swing states.

The polls are close. But it’s more likely that they will have a marginal error and someone sweeps regional states, than it is that we see a 2000-like scenario. First meaningful votes will come from North Carolina and Georgia, while we’ll get bellwether county data early from places like Vigo and Pike, Indiana. Keep a watch on those counties to get an indicator early of how this election will shake out.

On the question of which states may turn out to be "Dark Horse" Swing States, that is, states that may shock the world by breaking from norms and going "red":

Minnesota has voted 3 points to the right of Virginia in the prior two cycles, yet the president’s campaign is headed to Salem, Virginia, instead.

October Highlights

The crew retreats to the Mountains

Our yearly trip into the Adirondacks is a sacred time not only for general decompression but to witness the majesty of the changing seasons. Whereas we always have a few more weeks of semi-Summer-like weather in Westchester County, among the peaks and valleys of Upstate NY the scene is bursting with color during the day and blanketed in frosty starlight by night. There’s really not that much to do up there, and that’s the best part. The drama that we are fed every day in the media ceases to exist and the stillness of the mountains reminds you how much of everything we deal with is really just a very loud puppet show.

Adventure awaits! Aurora poses with Dad, her Uncle Matt and Uncle Mikey at the sight of Natural Stone Bridge and Caves in Pottersville, NY.

Mountain living at its finest! A candid shot taken on our last morning picturing Frank and Aurora sitting together on the back porch firing her BB gun into the pond.

There’s always time to play!

Yet another fun and unexpected October adventure! Playland Amusement Park on the Long Island Sound kept the kiddie-land section of the park open until the second to last weekend of October this year. They decorated it for Halloween, built a make-shift hay maze, and provided an opportunity for children to have one last run on the rollercoaster until the park reopens in May. In this picture, Aurora is crying because she didn’t “want to take a family photo”, but really, we think she just didn’t want the Summer fun to end!

Vintage Frankly

"Mind Control, Cold Fusion, and Thanksgiving" ft. Zach Vorhies 11/27/19

This month's Vintage Frankly pick is from Thanksgiving Eve, 2019. This was the first time Google Whistleblower, Zach Vorhies, appeared on Quite Frankly and it was to talk about the subtle ways that infotech companies control the minds of large swaths of people. I remember wrapping up this episode feeling very satisfied, and skipping over to a friend's house for a Thanksgiving Eve drink before heading home. It was the last Thanksgiving of "normal", and the last Thanksgiving before Aurora would be in our arms!

And as a special bonus, we have the Thanksgiving Eve episode from 2016. For some reason the video is not showing up in our archives, but thankfully we have the podcast version saved. It's one hell of a time capsule episode as the buzz of that election was still at maximum!  

Celestial Events

NOVEMBER 15 – SUPER BEAVER MOON

The last Supermoon of 2024 will peak in the afternoon, but the show should be just as good after the Sun sets. Why is it called the Beaver Moon? Opinions are mixed. Some believe it originated because of beaver traps set out by Native Americans. Others think it comes from the increase in dam-building beavers take on before waterways freeze.

Celestial Events calendar courtesy of KOA.

Looking Ahead

Tuesday, November 5 - Election Coverage with J & Special Guests

As Frank would say “we are coming up on a fork in the road and we are taking it”. We will have special guests in the studio and on the phone and the rest will be history.

Friday, November 8 - Kick-off day for Redecoration

Shortly after Election Night, we turn our focus to a fabulous redecorating to add a nice shiny upgrade for the new year. A touch of paint, a new string of lights, and a little bit of razzle-dazzle - so be on the lookout for new changes on and off screen. Frank won’t be live at 7pm from Studio A, but stay tuned for impromptu streams on YouTube and Instagram Live.

Haul out the Holly!

For the rest of the month we will be committing to drowning ourselves in holiday bliss, gratitude, and end of year reflections. Lauren put the tree up on November 1 with lights and some trimmings around the house, BUT don’t worry, we won’t add ornaments to the tree, start enjoying Christmas movies or music until the day after Thanksgiving - we just love our tree!

Note, there will be no 7PM show on Thursday, November 28 - Happy Thanksgiving!

And as always, be sure to refer to the guest calendar on QuiteFrankly.tv for all our fantastic November guests - we have a great line-up!

Thank you again for sharing your time and energy which makes Quite Frankly such a thriving community. Please continue to contribute your photos, stories and Christmas cards on the forum and we look forward to including it in the special upcoming holiday edition of The Quite Frankly Bulletin!