On Valentine’s Day, it seems rather redundant to blog about love…but to not mention it at all would be rather Scrooge-like.
So I send this online Valentine to Sir Alexander Fleming, who on this very day — Valentine’s Day, 1929 — introduced penicillin to the world.
Maybe Alexander was mooning over his love that day in the lab when he left a plate of staphylococcus bacteria uncovered. He later noticed that a mold — penicillium notatum — had fallen upon it and killed many of the bacteria.
Penicillin was born, and future scientists would develop it into the medicinal form used to treat many serious diseases, like syphilis and the ever icky staph infection.
Isn’t that romantic.
Although I am personally allergic to penicillin, I still think Alexander deserves some recognition on his anniversary. If he hadn’t made such an important discovery in the field of medicine, a lot of folks wouldn’t be able to celebrate in a such a big way tonight…iffin you know what I mean.
Nudge nudge. Wink wink.
Originally posted on February 14, 2011.
Posted in Health, History, Holiday, Humor, Love, Valentine's Day
Tagged allergies, bacteria, Health, history, Humor, infections, lab, love, medicine, mold, nudge nudge wink wink, penicillin, romance, science, Sir Alexander Fleming, Valentine's Day
Tell the truth
“The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.” — Teddy Roosevelt
— The Kansas City Star, 18 May 1918
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Posted in Commentary, History, Politics, quote
Tagged history, kansas city star, patriotism, politics, quote, teddy roosevelt, treason