What makes an odd number different from an even number? This isn’t like a Sesame Street kind of test. I’m simply asking why should three be more odd than six? Or eighteen be more even in nature than twenty-one. What makes a number odd or even, and how is it that from the age of three or four every child knows whether a number is odd or even?
- Oddly arranged numbers in an Even order.
They might know what an odd or even number is, but do they know why? It’s strange. It’s bizarre. It’s well, frankly, odd. Growing up in England, I had a Chinese Mathematics teacher who spoke almost no English. Is it any wonder I don’t know a cosine from something which is co-signed. I missed my opportunity, as a child to ask a man of Mathematics just why 69 is considered odd? Actually I may have asked and that may have been why he kicked me out of his class. Maybe the question was lost in translation. But I digress.
Why just numbers? Shouldn’t everything be odd or even? If you think it’s a bizarre concept, take the French. The French attach gender to all their nouns. Everything is either masculine or feminine. Now you’d have to ask a French person why that makes sense to them, and while you’re in an asking frame of mind, ask them if any nouns have cause shockwaves in their family’s lexicons by switching genders or are (quickly looks from side-to-side) bi-gendered.
I think that everything should be assigned an Even or Odd designation. Let’s start with days of the week: I think Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays should be designated as Odd. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are obviously Even. Sunday doesn’t get assigned as Odd or Even as it is a “day of rest” and as such has already been designated. The Bay Area Brit only updates his blog on Odd days…It’s the law!
Everyone that reads this should assign them self an Odd or Even designation based on their personality. And then when they introduce themselves to a stranger, inform the person of their self-assigned designation. For instance: instead of meeting a colleague with an extended handshake and saying,
“Katy Clark–Graphic Design.” You would say, “Katy Clark–Odd.”
That way, if the next few things you say come out as kind of goofy, the person talking to you will understand why.
I prefer the Odds to the Evens; I always have. The Bay Area Brit is an Odd. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem with the Evens. In certain circumstances good, solid advice from an Even might prevent you from making some of the worst decisions of your life. Who do I want flying an airplane I’m on? An Even, no doubt about it. As my President? Well I suppose an Even there too, so long as he or she understands that just because we’re Odd it doesn’t mean that we’re not an invaluable part of society. Who do I want to cheer me up or make me laugh? An Odd. Who do I want to work with? Odds. Who do I trust in those moments of self-doubt to lift me out of the mire? Odds. My partner? Odd, definitely an Odd.
Look, almost every Odd will tell you that they have a friend or two that is Even, and I’m certain that every Odd needs at least one or two Evens in their lives. And vice-versa.
Personally, I just don’t think Evens relate to me (or my sense of humor) quite as well…and while I understand I can only ever appeal to 50 percent of the population, I do find it rather odd.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Bay Area Brit, Even, Matty Stone, Mondays Wednesdays Fridays are Odd, Odd, Odd or Even, The Bay Area Brit, Tuesdays Thursdays and Saturdays are Even | 7 Comments »
I read about your birthday on Facebook last night and there were just so many comments that at first I was all, I never get that many people commenting on my special day, but then I like chilled out and whatnot and thought, well, at least I’ll try and write something pretty sick, but you know, from the heart. By the time I thought of something cool to say, it was like after midnight, and well, by that time, I thought it was a bit pointless. Anyway, Earth, you know I love you lots and lots. Although I’m betting you won’t see this until after the weekend because I’m pretty sure you’re recovering from a hangover this morning 
(I noticed that you organized a little celebration at the bar.) Anyhoo, once again sorry about missing your birthday.
