🐤 Walk it off

Markets: The inflation rate might not be increasing these days, but it’s not going down rapidly enough to reassure investors. Wall Street experienced a midweek sell-off in response to an underwhelming October inflation report. All three major indexes head into the Thanksgiving holiday lower as uncertainty remains the name of the game where economic policy (including possible interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve) is concerned.

Let the games begin: As usual, football fans across the country are ready for some Thanksgiving gridiron action, but in the era of streaming entertainment it’s not always easy to figure out how to watch your favorite games. There are three NFL games set for today — Bears vs. Lions at 12:30 p.m., Cowboys vs. Giants at 4:30 p.m., and Dolphins vs. Packers at 8:20 p.m. Eastern. They’ll be broadcast on CBS, Fox, and NBC/Peacock, respectively, but games can also be seen on platforms like Paramount+, Fubo, and Amazon Prime Video.

Taylor’s bakery: Pop icon Taylor Swift might be best known for her catalog of chart-topping hits, but those close to her also recognize her skills in the kitchen. Following the Chiefs’ recent win over the Panthers, Swift (who’s dating Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce) prepared a batch of homemade “Victory Pop-Tarts” to share with the victorious team. Although Swift has been a frequent presence in the stands for Chiefs games since her romance with Kelce began, she missed the recent game against Carolina … but made up for it with some treats.

Covering all the bases: Internet and cellular service access has become all but impossible for most Americans to live without, but there are many rural areas across the country with spotty, unreliable coverage. That’s where SpaceX’s Starlink hopes to fill in the gap. Elon Musk’s satellite company recently secured approval from the Federal Communications Commission to provide satellite mobile services — as part of a partnership with T-Mobile — in areas without adequate networks. Text service will begin this year with voice and data added in 2025.

Grok around the clock: Speaking of Musk, his social media network X has been offering an AI chatbot called Grok to subscribers for a while, but it will soon be available on an all-new platform. According to reports, a dedicated app is expected to be released next month, allowing Grok to directly compete against industry-leading AI interfaces like ChatGPT by OpenAI, Anthropic’s chatbot Claude, and Gemini from Google. Unlike those options, Grok doesn’t currently offer a free version. We’ll see if that changes when it gets its own app.

Overeating has become synonymous with Thanksgiving — and for many of us, that massive meal is followed by a nap or three hours watching football on TV. But it doesn’t take a physician to realize that this probably isn’t the healthiest way to handle the holiday.

A little walk does a lot of good

If you want to help your body digest that Thanksgiving feast more effectively, experts say all you have to do is take a walk. And it doesn’t have to be particularly long or strenuous … even a five-minute stroll can prove beneficial.

In addition to aiding digestion, some of the most notable effects of a post-meal walk are:

• Lower blood sugar
• Improved circulation
• Better sleep

As George Washington University Milkin Institute School of Public Health professor Loretta DiPietro explained, all forms of walking have benefits but you’ll “get more bang for the buck if you walk after meals.”

And since today is so closely associated with indulgence, she added: “If there were ever a meal to walk after, that would be the Thanksgiving dinner, given the load of calories that one is consuming.”

It’s a tradition around the world

The concept of following meals with a walk is hardly a recent revelation. Often known as a “constitutional,” societies far and wide have been practicing the habit for hundreds of years if not longer.

“Italians have been doing it and Europeans have been doing it forever,” explained DiPietro. “My grandparents did it.”

While the length and speed of the walk aren’t all that important, the timing is. Studies show that the best time to take a walk is about a half-hour after eating. It is at this point that glucose begins its trip through your bloodstream and a little exercise works to better regulate the process.

There are several national traditions associated with today’s holiday, including things like parades, football, and pumpkin pie. But when did the annual National Dog Show become a Thanksgiving mainstay?

Filling the gap

It’s been more than two decades since NBC began airing the canine competition after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade each year — and as you might have guessed, there was a business motive behind the decision.

In order to capitalize on the spike in viewers during the parade (as well as keep the audience engaged until football commences later in the day), NBC decided to fill the space with the National Dog Show. And the decision continues to pay off, with families tuning in year after year to find out which breed will take home the coveted title of Best in Show.

Channeling the past

The first official record of a dog show dates back to 19th century England, and they soon began showing up in post-Civil War America. About five years after the first U.S. dog show in Chicago in 1874, the inaugural National Dog Show was held … and it’s been an annual event for more than nine decades.

In the modern competition, more than 200 breeds are represented and roughly 2,000 dogs vie for the top prize: a title, bragging rights, and $20,000.

Embracing the future

It’s safe to say that the National Dog Show has changed a lot since its earliest days, and this year’s competition has a few updates of its own. Most notably, a new breed — the Lancashire Heeler — will be joining the ranks.

Whichever purebred canine wows judges the most in the categories of appearance, temperament, and structure will come out on top, and you can watch it all on NBC or Peacock beginning at noon.

In many ways, there’s never been a better time to be a nerd. The term, which was once used as an epithet, has gained power in recent generations. Now, self-taught experts and superfans are part of vibrant communities dedicated to their favorite genres.

And with the holidays approaching, there are many clever gift ideas that are sure to resonate with the lovable geeks in your life (along with a treat or two for yourself).

Something for everyone

Whether you’re shopping for a Marvel devotee, a Star Wars aficionado, or a Lego master, it’s not hard to find a trove of interesting gift ideas online. But if you’re looking for a place to start, we’ve compiled a list of some items that have already started attracting serious buzz.

We’ll start by including some relatively inexpensive gifts and stocking stuffers before finishing with a few big-ticket items.

• Lego Dungeons and Dragons minifigures: This item should please both fans of those ubiquitous plastic building blocks and the popular role-playing game, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
• One Piece straw hat: Anime is a major tentpole within nerd culture, and one of the most notable titles is One Piece. You can pick up a replica of Luffy’s iconic straw hat for under $20.
• Gamer PC hard drive: Best Buy has some deals on 2 terabyte hard drives that will keep all the gamers you know playing though the holiday season and beyond without any interruptions.
• Scott Pilgrim box set: It’s been 20 years since Brian Lee O’Malley introduced the world to his comic series. And new hardcover collector’s editions are available for fans to read or display.

And if nothing on this list hits the target, plenty of other nerd-centric favorites — vinyl albums, action figures, board games, etc. — are just a few clicks away.

When I walked into the restaurant, the hostess asked if I had reservations.

I said, "Yes, but I think I'm going to eat here anyway."