On School

I remember going to school and swearing that if I ever found the guy who invented school, I would let him live...maimed and in excruciating pain for the rest of his life. Well, I finally found him.

His name was John Baptist de la Salle and here is a short history taken from In Illo Tempore: A Catholic Liturgical Calendar. He attended the seminary in Paris, but quit to care for his brothers and sisters upon the death of their parents. When they were grown, he returned to school. Canon of Rheims in 1667. Ordained in 1678. Doctor of theology in 1680.

Spiritual director of the Sisters of the Holy Infant who were devoted to teaching poor girls. Founded the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (Christian Brothers) in 1681, established and supported academic education for all boys. He liquidated his personal fortune, and his Brothers expected him to use it to further his education goals (greedy bastards), but he surprised them by saying they would have to depend on Providence. The money (about $400,000) was given away to the poor in the form of bread during the great famine of 1683-1684. He kept enough to endow a salary for himself similar to that which the Brothers received so he wouldn't be a burden on them.

Here is the important bit. He instituted the process of dividing students into grades. Established the first teacher's school. Started high schools and trade schools. Proclaimed the patron of all teachers of all youth by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

In other words, the bastard is a saint.

Google Maps

I've been playing around with Google Maps recently, and just for a laugh I asked it for directions from New York, America to Moscow, Russia. Surprisingly, I got detailed instructions on how to travel between these two cities. But the absolute best was directions 22 to 24.

22. Turn right at Long Wharf 0.1 miles
23. Swim across the Atlantic Ocean 3462 miles
24. Slight right at E05 0.5 miles

But it doesn't end there. They actually calculated the time it would take you to swim that distance, because the total travel time it would take to cover the 5 526 miles is given as about 30 days & 13 hours.

Brilliant