Saint Patrick, holding his second favorite book
This week, on March 17, there will be millions of revelers worldwide, dressed in green and drinking Guinness. What could they be celebrating? The conversion of Ireland to Christianity? If so, they would be 1500 years too late. The ridding of a distant island of snakes? That couldn’t be of interest to anyone (other than an ophidiophobe). A heritage that is claimed by as many as 80,000,000 people throughout the globe? Maybe, but remember – there are over six billion who do not claim that heritage. But if we approach a crowd of celebrants at random, it’s possible that we just might overhear them singing:
“Saint Patrick was an engineer – he was, he was.
Saint Patrick was an engineer – he was, he was,
For he invented calculus and handed it down for us to cuss;
Erin Go Bragh – Rah! For the engineers!”
Yes – just as we suspected, all of those partiers will be toasting Saint Patrick, the patron saint of engineers!
Engineering and the Cloud 