Welcome to Pi Day, a day set aside by math nerds who love a number a smidgen over '3' with an infinitely huge tail (no, not Kim Kardashian, although a paparazzi would need an infinitely wide-angled lens to capture either in their entirety).
Pi Day, or as the Mexicans refer to it, "Catorce de marzo", is calculated by dividing the circumference of a circle by its diameter, leaving the resulting ratio as 3.14 blah blah blah. It has been 'computed' to over 2.7 TRILLION digits and the Supercomputers are still crunching. I, for one, am infinitely thankful these Supercomputers are doing the work most Americans (or illegal immigrants for that matter) won't do.
Side note, Obama spends $Dollars faster than these Supercomputers can do the math. Cool, aint it?
Pi day just happens to fall on a Friday this year (its always on March 14th. Get it?), but I have always celebrated my favorite Pi almost every Friday for the past few decades. That's right. Pizza Pi. But since its Lent and I can't eat meat and don't like anchovies (or meatless pizza), I will fire up the oven for today's picnic Pi holiday family celebration consisting of frozen fish sticks.
I will remind my kids about the sacrifices of Pi and it's constituting of a 'countable' infinity, and surmiss the joy of infinite pizza. I will tell my kids that when they get tired and feel like quitting, to just think of Pi hanging in there and continuing to grind the sausage with another number.
There is no "I" in "Pi"... errr... OK, maybe there is, but there is no "quit" in "Pi". May we conservatives adopt Pi's tenacity in the long fight ahead. Please join me in this non-synchronized moment of silence in deference and honor to that number that just refuses to give up. [Pause] Amen.
Liked this post? Then Don't miss Life of Pi II
I have always had a fond fascination with Pi, although my first experience with Pi was very troubling. I remember as a young adolescent being given the fractional equivalent of Pi as 22/7.
ReplyDeleteWell, I decided to work that Pi to see how far I could get. One evening while laying on the couch with my favorite instrument in my hand (a large Cedar Point pencil), I began working Pi. I worked that Pi hard pushing myself to solve the mysteries of Pi. Sweating profusely and physically exhausted, I finally relented. Pi was not giving up her secrets.
The real slap on the face came later when I learned that 22/7 wasn't Pi after all but something like Pi. Every time I hear the song "Lola", it reminds me of my first experience with Pi.
lol. Pi is now calculated into the trillion digits past the decimal... a long way from 22/7. We've come a long way. Woot!
ReplyDeleteI loved the nerdy math comic. Good thing some of us do have time for math, science, and grammar ;-)
"good" doctor, if someone didn't already know, there is no mistaking the fact that you sprung from my momma's sister's loins! Which, BTW, the original Smokey & the Bandit was on TV recently and I watched it again all the way through. Sheriff Buford T Justice was the man! and thanks for sharing your personal experiences with Pi. I know that must have been tough :)
ReplyDeletecube - I thought of you when I posted this. I knew my favorite blog nerd would like it :) I admit I did lift that comic w/o a h/t, but I did add the "ain't nobody got time" lady for emphasis, so I felt empowered. You know how much I insist on following all the internets rules.
Favorite blog nerd. I'm taking that as a compliment... I hope ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnd as much as I love the math, science and grammar, I can also appreciate Sugar Brown's sentiment, "Ain't nobody got time fo dat". I mean, there's a ton of stuff we don't have time to deal with, but we're forced to deal with anyway. She's got a point... a very ungrammatical one, but a point nonetheless.
Of course a compliment, even though I mistakenly assumed you were slamming Blade's grammar. It would have been a fair shot
ReplyDeleteI've decided that calculating Pi is like trying to pee in the corner of a round room.
ReplyDeleteThanks Blade for claiming me. Suffice to say that my experience with Pi was a bit hairy. Do not forget that your daddy was my Grandmamies brother on my father's side as well.
ReplyDeleteJess, a true trivial pursuit indeed! But if enough beers were consumed, I'd make my own corner.
ReplyDeletedoc, HAHA! Yes that's why yo daddy is my uncle cousin! (true story people. It may 'splain a few things :)
I always felt it was OK to round off pie.
ReplyDeleteI'd nevah slam you like dat!
ReplyDelete