Thanksgiving 2025: History, Evolution, and Economics

Welcome to episode 160 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and information architects. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!In today’s episode, hosts Daphne and Fred unpack a unique video from Matt Walsh about the decline in food quality from both fast food and prepared food companies (such as Denny's, Chili's, Red Lobster, and Cracker Barrel) in the United States. The video investigates the widely perceived decline in quality across chain restaurants in recent years, challenging the common narrative that private equity (PE) is solely to blame by noting that PE often steps in when brands are already struggling, as seen with Red Lobster. A primary argument presented is the consolidation of the food supply chain, highlighting how companies like Leprino Foods control pizza cheese and how Sysco and US Foods dominate restaurant distribution, leading to widespread homogenization of ingredients. The video asserts that businesses, regardless of PE ownership, are increasingly shifting from fresh preparation to reheating prepackaged or frozen meals to maximize efficiency and consistency. Contributing factors also include a documented increase in substance abuse among food service workers and a general disinterest in product quality from corporate leadership. Ultimately, the analysis concludes that this decline is sustained because the majority of American consumers tolerate low quality and continue to financially support these diminishing brands._________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt_________________________>> View the original video: https://tinyurl.com/25hmfajp>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 159 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!In today’s episode, hosts Daphne and Fred unpack a unique article from show producer Curt Robbins about Thanksgiving, with a focus on its true history, how it evolved during the 20th century, and the current economic impact. Robbins establishes that Thanksgiving is a duality, rooted in the political necessity of the 1621 harvest gathering, but truly nationalized by later presidents, notably George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. He charts the 20th-century transformation of the day from a religious observance into a secular tradition, detailing President Franklin D. Roosevelt's controversial decision to manipulate the date for retail benefit and the institutionalization of events such as the Macy’s parade and NFL football. Focusing on its contemporary financial standing, the article estimates the 2025 cost of the traditional meal to be approximately $55.18 and projects a record level of 82 million holiday travelers. Ultimately, Thanksgiving is framed as a massive commercial engine that now serves as the critical kickoff for the "Cyber Five" shopping weekend, generating billions of dollars in retail and travel revenue._________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt_________________________>> Read the original article: https://tinyurl.com/4wp8brw7>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 158 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!In today’s episode, hosts Daphne and Fred unpack a topic suggested by show producer Curt Robbins about how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the job market, particularly hiring and job applications. This episode centers on the growing crisis of trust and effectiveness in the hiring process due to the rapid integration of AI. An article from LinkedIn highlights that AI screening, fake job postings, and high application volumes are causing frustration for both job candidates and recruiters, with a significant percentage of people directly blaming AI for plummeting trust. This initial report is supported by a series of LinkedIn comments from recruitment professionals who emphasize that AI is leading to counterproductive outcomes, such as an increase in fraudulent resumes and irrelevant applicants, which wastes time for hiring managers. Many of these experts agree that hiring must remain focused on human connection, values, and character, rather than relying solely on automated keyword filtering. The overall sentiment is captured by the term “AI doom loop,” where both job seekers and companies are unhappy, underscoring the need for a balanced approach that maintains human oversight and empathy in talent acquisition._________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt_________________________>> Read the original article: https://tinyurl.com/mv9s3tpu>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 157 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!In today’s episode, hosts Daphne and Fred unpack a topic suggested by show producer Curt Robbins about the recent NVIDIA GTC conference in Washington, D.C. One key event highlighted is the surprise gifting of the new NVIDIA DGX Spark to "golden ticket winners," a move celebrated by commenters as a strategic initiative to fuel innovation within the AI developer community. Additionally, the episode emphasizes NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang’s commitment to open source, featuring his quote that researchers, developers, and companies globally require it for progress. Commenters widely agree with this view, discussing how open-source platforms democratize innovation in AI by offering greater control, privacy, and lower costs compared to proprietary models. The overall tone across the posts is one of excitement and collaboration concerning the future of AI and high-performance computing._________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt_________________________>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 156 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!In today’s episode, hosts Daphne and Fred unpack a new article by this show's producer, Curt Robbins, that reviews the six most popular video conferencing tools that was published on LinkedIn on November 15.They organize them into three categories: Ecosystem Titans (Google Meet and Microsoft Teams), Video-first Giants (Webex and Zoom), and Specialist Challengers (GoTo Meeting and Zoho Meeting).Robbins analyzes the pros and cons of each platform, emphasizing that the selection process should align a service's features, such as integration with productivity suites or focus on security, with an organization's specific needs. Additionally, the text includes a technical note explaining that the maximum video resolution for all reviewed platforms is currently 1080p, so spending extra money on a 4K webcam is a waste of money (instead, he recommends investing that money into a second monitor or standing desk). _________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt_________________________>> Read the original article: https://tinyurl.com/2umd2vkt>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 155 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!In today’s episode, hosts Daphne and Fred unpack a new article by this show's producer, Curt Robbins, about the popular screen capture application Snagit from TechSmith that was published on LinkedIn on November 14.We detail Snagit’s advantages, such as its robust editor, advanced capture options, and simple video recording capabilities. Similarly, we contrast these pros with the application's drawbacks, including its lack of full video editing features. Furthermore, we identify the target audiences for the software, including large enterprises, small companies, and individual consultants. We argue that the tool’s efficiency justifies its price for professionals (since all computer desktop operating systems include very basic screen capture capabilities). _________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt_________________________>> Read the original article: https://tinyurl.com/2ejv8m6h>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 154 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!In today’s episode, hosts Daphne and Fred unpack a new article by this show's producer, Curt Robbins, about quantum computing that was published on LinkedIn on November 13. This episode explains the shift from classical binary computing to the powerful, probabilistic world of quantum computing, which uses qubits to achieve exponentially greater power through superposition and entanglement. Robbins details the historical development of the technology, from Richard Feynman's early observations to the breakthrough of Shor's Algorithm and the current state of NISQ devices (which require extreme cooling). Finally, the article describes the global race for dominance in quantum technology among governments and tech giants and explores the future promise of applications in AI, medicine, and optimization, alongside the security peril posed by the quantum threat to current encryption._________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt_________________________>> Read the original article: https://tinyurl.com/mrxzzt6z>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 153 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!Today’s episode reviews recent announcements from AI companies Anthropic and OpenAI about $1.5 trillion in AI infrastructure investments. Both companies are aggressively pursuing their place in the AI marketplace of the future, only in different ways and with different backers. Hosts Daphne and Fred unpack this topic and discuss Anthropic's massive $50 billion investment to construct artificial intelligence data centers across the United States, beginning with sites in Texas and New York. This initiative, developed in partnership with Fluidstack, is viewed as a crucial move in the accelerating AI infrastructure race, with some commentators noting it positions Anthropic to compete with rivals like OpenAI. Several posts emphasize that this colossal backend is designed not just for current AI models, but for significantly more powerful AI expected by 2026. These will require state-of-the-art cloud compute and must be optimized for GPU clusters for Anthropic's Claude large language models. The investment is also highlighted for its expected economic impact, including the creation of 800 permanent and over 2,000 construction jobs. This includes reflecting a strategy focused on disciplined execution and profitability compared to the much larger spending commitments of competitors._________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt_________________________>> Read the original article: https://tinyurl.com/2mac6dvw>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 152 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!Today’s episode reviews an article by show producer Robbins entitled "Tool Review: Swagger" that was published on LinkedIn on November 9 (link below). Hosts Daphne and Fred unpack this informative article to provide a comprehensive review of the Swagger tool ecosystem that is built around the OpenAPI Specification (OAS) and is designed to improve the entire lifecycle of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Robbins details the numerous advantages of using Swagger, such as interactive documentation via Swagger UI, support for a design-first approach, and automation through Swagger Codegen, which generates boilerplate code. However, the author also presents challenges and drawbacks, including the steep learning curve associated with the OAS and the risk of documentation becoming inaccurate if not diligently maintained. Finally, the article identifies the target audiences for Swagger, arguing that it is highly valuable for large enterprises, API-first startups, and individual consultants due to its standardization and productivity benefits._________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt_________________________>> Read the original article: https://tinyurl.com/mry94bwf>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn

Welcome to episode 151 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins. This podcast is targeted at IT professionals, technical writers, and documentation specialists. Subscribe today to never miss a single daily episode!Today’s episode reviews an article by French AI expert Elsa Sklavounou entitled "The Power of 'I Don't Know': Seeking Truth in People and Systems." Hosts Daphne and Fred unpack this informative article that argues for the critical value of admitting uncertainty in both human and technological contexts. The author contends that society often rewards false confidence and discourages intellectual humility, leading to flawed decision-making in people and the creation of systems like AI that mask errors with articulate, authoritative answers. The article explains that acknowledging ignorance is the foundation of genuine inquiry, trust, and productive discovery in areas ranging from scientific research to organizational leadership. Furthermore, the text advocates for designing both organizational cultures and information systems with transparency and epistemic humility so that they communicate degrees of certainty rather than fabricating omniscience. _________________________I'm currently taking on new clients. I enjoy helping companies with their documentation and communications strategy and implementation. Contact me to learn about my reasonable rates and fast turnaround. — Curt_________________________>> Read the original Sklavounou article: https://tinyurl.com/43nrp253>> Read the Robbins article "Tool Review: Adobe FrameMaker" article: https://tinyurl.com/5dj3b8tp>> Read the Robbins article "Helping Junior Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/yc82h4j7>> Read the Robbins article "10 Famous Technical Writers": https://tinyurl.com/5ejznknw>> Read the Robbins article "Tech Writers: Embrace Structured Content": https://tinyurl.com/32ysxm3v>> Read the Robbins article "Role of User Experience in Tech Writing": https://tinyurl.com/mrdtenbb>> Join the Technical Writing Success group on LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mr28u7td>> Subscribe to the weekly Tech Writing Success newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/yc7dbfy3>> Subscribe to the AI for Technical Writers podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mppehxtn