Links for 2011-12-04

The year in photojournalism.

Did you know that beer was critical to the birth of civilization? That's right - beer. Scientists and historians line up to tell the amazing, untold story of how beer helped create math, poetry, pyramids, modern medicine, labor laws, and America. If you think beer is just something cold and filling to drink during sporting matches or in the kind of bars that you probably shouldn't order wine in, then, boy, are you ever in the dark. It turns out beer is responsible for, like, all the greatest things on earth. Learn more about what beer did for you.

they didn't even have to write the story, and this is already better political commentary than anything from the major media.