Christmas Cheer Beer

Let's admit it.
This time of year is dismal enough without tacking a Christian theme on to a perfectly good Pagan Solstice celebration.
So what's a honorable Dojo Rat supposed to do?
Why, explore the history of Beermaking, of course!
According to this article in the German magazine "Spiegel", It was Beer Brewing that actually began the civilization of man!

"Humankind's first encounters with alcohol in the form of fermented fruit probably occurred in just such an accidental fashion. But once they were familiar with the effect, archaeologist Patrick McGovern believes, humans stopped at nothing in their pursuit of frequent intoxication.
(snip)
But that wasn't enough for McGovern. He carried the theory much further, aiming at a complete reinterpretation of humanity's history. His bold thesis, which he lays out in his book "Uncorking the Past. The Quest for Wine, Beer and Other Alcoholic Beverage," states that agriculture -- and with it the entire Neolithic Revolution, which began about 11,000 years ago -- are ultimately results of the irrepressible impulse toward drinking and intoxication.
"Available evidence suggests that our ancestors in Asia, Mexico, and Africa cultivated wheat, rice, corn, barley, and millet primarily for the purpose of producing alcoholic beverages," McGovern explains. While they were at it, he believes, drink-loving early civilizations managed to ensure their basic survival."

(D.R.)- Hey, I'm good with that... But wait, there's only one other thing missing...

That's right, here is the link to a new website; "Very Important Potheads".
Go ahead.
You won't get hooked.
Take a look at the most famous Potheads in history, complete with biography info and smoking status.

Enjoy.