A Service of Kilgore Trout University
Baptist Booze Iconic "Che"
Today – The world's first batch of Bourbon whiskey was produced 222 years ago today by Elijah Craig, a Baptist frontier preacher. Settling in Kentucky long before it became a state, Craig drew the plans for the Kentucky’s future Georgetown, started the area’s first “classical” school and served as founding pastor of today’s Great Crossing Church. After opening one of the first commercial distilleries in the region, Craig began aging local corn whiskey in charred oaken casks – giving “bourbon” it’s distinctive reddish color and unique taste. Of his service to God, one of Craig’s contemporaries wrote: “His preaching was of the most solemn style; his appearance as a man who had just come from the dead; a thin visage, large eyes and mouth; the sweet melody of his voice, both in preaching and singing, bore all down before it.”
Birthday Boy – Ernesto “Che” Guevara was born 83 years ago today, the oldest of five children reared in an affluent Argentinian family. As a young physician, the highly-educated and idealistic Che became outraged by the hopeless state of the poor in Latin America – this based on his experiences caring for lepers as well as his travels throughout the region by bicycle and motorcycle. Seeking to become “a true revolutionary” dedicated to improving the plight of millions of impoverished Latino peasants, Che eventually met up with the brothers Raul and Fidel Castro – joining their July 26th Movement which led to the 1959 overthrow of Cuba’s brutally corrupt dictator Fulgencio Batista. Labeled Fidel’s “brain” by Time magazine, the CIA noted, “Che is fairly intellectual for a Latino.” While attempting to overthrow the government of Boliva, Che was captured by loyalist troops – and executed by a drunken army sergeant 1969. Today, the bearded image*(above) of Che has become a global icon for virtually every group sympathetic to the plight of the poor. On a more local note, Che played a key role in enabling Miami to become the world's second largest Cuban city. (*In 2001, the BBC labeled Che's iconic image the “most famous photograph in the world.”)
Click here for The Che Song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po09lcDxXIA&feature=related
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