I love Pi.

I admit it.  Now, I’m not a math guru or someone who was a mathlete in high school, though I do get excited when I get to create a spreadsheet in Excel.   Nope, I just like the entire enigma that is Pi.  Why?  Because almost every person in the world has heard of it and can recite at least the first three digits (3.14), though almost no one over the age of 17 knows what it actually is.  For those who don’t remember, Pi is the circumference divided by the radius of a circle. If you don’t know what the circumference or radius of a circle are, Google can help with that.   

So getting back to my love of Pi, how many mathematical formulas have a movie named after it?  How many mathematical equations get a fancy name and Greek symbol to represent it (to all of those mathletes out there, this is a rhetorical question – please don’t ruin my illusion and tell me there are hundreds…).  Pi Day (3/14, naturally) has not one, but two websites dedicated to its celebration (again, I’m sure there are more, but how many Pi related website favorites must one visit to be a fanatic?).  There are also hundreds of school activities teachers can do with kids of all ages – how many mathematical formulas can say that?  (Again mathletes don’t ruin my moment).  There are pages and pages of Pi related apparel on many websites – I don’t see that for sine waves, do you?  And you can combine your love of math with all things Twilight by purchasing the Vamπire T shirt I stumbled upon online while purchasing my official Pi Day T shirt (www.cafepress.com/pi).

Another favorite part of Pi?  It is an irrational number.  For all of us who don’t remember calculus, this means that Pi cannot be expressed as a ratio (like “1.5” being represented as “3/2”).  Who doesn’t identify with the underdog that does not fit in with standard, rational numbers? 

I’m ready to take Pi to the next level here at The Land of Nod.  Why not Pi bedding?  Pi wall art?  Add Pi to the wallpaper letter program?  Pi baby apparel?  The list goes on and on. 

I know everyone is still thinking, wow, how did he get π typed in this article.  Did they add it to the keyboard (if I had my way…)?  Unfortunately, no.  So my parting Pi related present to you is this:  in Word, hold down the ALT key while typing 227 on the number pad and you get π. 

By Mike Janecek

In addition to being our Director of Stores, Mike Janecek is a collector of mid-century modern furniture, which he sells at various antique shops throughout Chicago. He also has an extensive collection of vintage paint-by-numbers. And, impressively, challenged himself to wear fun patterned socks for 365 days in 2011, a feat which he very stylishly accomplished!