Happy birthday, Mr. Jefferson!
At the University of Virginia (U.Va.), today is called “Founder’s Day.”
At the same time that I temper my admiration for him with the knowledge that he kept people in bondage, bought and sold them, and abided their maltreatment, I also want to remember that Mr. Jefferson was among the principal architects—if not the lead author—of many socio-cultural, governmental, and philosophical constructs that I hold dear:
- Writing “A Bill For establishing religious freedom,” Bill number 82 of 1779, adopted in 1785 by the Virginia General Assembly and now commonly referred to as the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.
- Drafting the Declaration of Independence.
- Founding of U.Va.
- Commissioning the Corps of Volunteers for North West Discovery, led by M. Lewis and W. Clark.
- Designing U.Va., Monticello, and many other buildings, as well as special features in them.
The list could continue….And I very much appreciate these contributions to the commonweal. So, it’s a b’day worthy of celebration.
Pi Day again!
Over the years, I’ve repeatedly discussed “Pi Day” in posts timed to align with 3.14. Here’s another of them. In many of them, I’ve cited Vi Hart, the wonderful meta-mathemuscian who’s explained so many things so well.
This is another such post! Vi Hart has a new composition and features that I think people will admire. Now, ahem, where to find them? Well, I think the best way to do so is to go to https://www.patreon.com/vihart and become a regular supporter.
On 14 March 2022 (yes, I know that’s not the 3.14 notation), one can get a preview of what’s in store (teehee).
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