A Brief History On January 9, 2015, a funeral in Mozambique was the eerily appropriate venue for a disaster involving the favorite bubbly beverage of millions, or even billions, of people.  The funeral goers were supplied with the local brew they call pombe, and sadly the beer was contaminated with a deadly germ called Burkholderia gladioli. Digging Deeper Beer has been a staple beverage and even food for many centuries, and generally speaking if consumed in moderation it can have beneficial effects on health.  Like many other foods and drinks, when consumed to excess, bad things can happen.  Or in…

A Brief History On January 8, 2023, supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro stormed the Brazilian capital of Brasilia in protest of the 2022 presidential election that Bolsonaro lost to Luis Inácio Lula da Silva.  Apparently, dissatisfaction with the results of a presidential election is NOT a uniquely American phenomenon! Digging Deeper The pro-Bolsonaro mob heavily damaged several government buildings, including the Presidential Palace and the national Supreme Federal Court as well as the Congress building.  The stated goal of the mob was to force the Brazilian military to take action and hopefully reinstate Bolsonaro.  Hundreds of rioters were…

A Brief History On January 7, 1894, Ohio born uber-inventor Thomas Edison made and demonstrated a kinetoscope, a sort of device using multiple photos or drawings to show the illusion of movement, in this case of a man sneezing.  Although Edison is often given credit for inventing the “motion picture,” his own employee, William Kennedy Dickson, actually received the patent for motion picture film on that same day. Digging Deeper Edison is often cited as the most prolific inventor in history, and it is his name on 1,093 patents, although more modern inventors have dramatically eclipsed this number.  Edison’s real…

A Brief History On January 6, 2021, a throng of supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol in response to claims by Trump and his allies that the 2020 US Presidential election was “stolen” from Trump in favor of Joe Biden.  Five people allegedly died in conjunction with the riot, disturbance, or demonstration, as you prefer to call the incident, and 138 police officers were reportedly injured along with possibly scores of other people. Digging Deeper Called a rebellion, a coup, an insurrection, or a riot by the Left, Right wing Americans called the melee a righteous response…

A Brief History On January 5, 1943, African American agricultural scientist George Washington Carver died at the age of 79 after a fall.  Carver was a professor at Tuskegee Institute and developed methods of increased crop production through soil management and crop choices, while also advocating for the environment. Digging Deeper Although Carver was a keen advocate of foods such as sweet potatoes and the peanut, he did not  “invent” peanut butter as is often believed.  Other people have also been given credit for inventions they did not really invent, including but not limited to: Thomas Edison, did not invent…