Running Numbers

A scholarly look at the digits that matter.

by Nick Norlen

3 Number of times — when asked where we were from during our trip to North Carolina last week — that my girlfriend and I repeated "Philadelphia" before the questioner, who admitted she used to live near Hershey, replied, "Where's that?" Apologies for our apparent warp-speech, Southerners. P.S. PhillyishellanorthoftheMasonDixonLine.

3 Numbers of discs included in the Season 1 and 2 DVD set of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia , which hits stores Sept. 4. Bonus features include outtakes, commentary and the lost episode, "The Gang Gets Asked Where Philadelphia Is."

3 Number of "internationally renowned artists" — Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Rachid Koraïchi and Berni Searle — who will be featured in "Re:Print Re:Present Re:View," a Philagrafika exhibition running Sept. 6 through Nov. 3 at 259 N. Third Street. According to Philagrafika, "Each artist's project will directly engage an aspect of Philadelphia's diverse and multiple histories, through a contemporary or historical episode or a site or neighborhood." Multiple histories? Watch out for that alternate 1985, where casinos already exist in Fishtown!

3 Rank of Penn's The Daily Pennsylvanian for "Best College Newspaper" in The Princeton Review's Best 366 Colleges: 2008 Edition . Actually the DP is so good they scooped The Princeton Review and objectively ranked themselves No. 3 like six months ago.

3 Number to which thou shalt count before lobbing the holy hand grenade . For further instructions, ask Michael Palin during his discussion of his new book, Diaries 1969-1979: The Python Years , Sept. 6, 7 p.m. at the Free Library, 1901 Vine St. Admission is free, but you must answer these questions three: What is your name? What is your quest? And where is Philadelphia?

Hey ... can I get your digits? I want to hear about the numerals you need to see. Let a number-runner know at runningnumbers@gmail.com.