Today we explore some properties of the number 36. It is of course a perfect square, 6 x 6. But it is also a so-called “triangle number”, the sum of consecutive integers from 1 to 8. It is highly composite, having 9 factors, all 2s and 3s. Composites of 2 and 3 have a particular appeal for humans, and are very common in music (where most rhythms are subdivisions of 2 and 3), and in organization (e.g., dozens, etc.).
We will continue to post properties and facts throughout the day, but feel free to suggest your own in the comments.
Yesterday (January 28) was the birthday of the artist Jacskon Pollock.
Regular readers know that we at CatSynth are big followers of modern art, and Pollock was one of the most well-known and influential artists from the rich period of American art in the 1950s and 1960s. He is most often associated with the large and diverse movement abstract expressionism, but his work is quite distinctive even with in that context, and his large “drip paintings” are instantly recognizable.
I first encountered Pollock’s work at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and later at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). I did have an opportunity to see a major retrospective at the MoMA in 1999, which brought together not only his large iconic paintings, but his earlier works that mixed abstraction with Native American and folk influences – although these works were “modern” they were more conventional for contemporary art of the time. I managed to find this article from the News Hour (PBS) discussing Pollock and the 1999 retrospective.
Although Pollock is held in high regard by those who follow and care deeply about modern art, he is often treated derisively by people who simply don’t like modern or abstract art. He is perhaps the most associated with the phrase “my five year old could do that.” The idea is laughable. This is unique and skillful art, especially on such a large scale. Such paintings were not seen before the 1940s, and centuries of five-year olds never produced anything like it.
Google has a tradition of honoring major artists on their birthdays with a themed home page, and yesterday they did so for Jackson Pollock:
This week we celebrated a belated Thanksgiving and birthday with Luna, who is still boarding away from home.
Luna’s birthday was on November 30, so it’s natural to combine with Thanksgiving. I brought her some leftover turkey from New York, some of which I accidentally dropped while taking it out. But that didn’t stop Luna from rushing over to enjoy it:
Meanwhile, she is making friends with some of the other cats, including another black cat.
It’s great to see her happy and making friends. And even though Luna had to celebrate her birthday and Thanksgiving away from home, we’re hopeful she’ll be back home in time for Channukah.
We also mark the initial release of the new CatSynth website this weekend. All the original posts and comments are here, including many from our “CatSynth FEMA Trailer” site. I’m very happy with the new look and structure, it reflects our modernist and urban aesthetics. Feedback is welcome as we continue our work.
Weekend Cat Blogging is being hosted by Sir Tristan Tabby Cat Longtail at Tabbylicious.
The theme for this weekend's Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos is “toys or boxes.” And we at CatSynth have both toys and boxes. Luna received a package this week from a friend of ours, conveniently arriving for both her “burfday” last weekend, and Channukah this week. What's inside the box? Well, we have birthday cards:
and of course some fascinating new toys:
You want more boxes? We got more boxes!
Yes we have been packing up things here at “soon to be former CatSynth HQ”, even though we're not entirely sure where it is we are moving to.
Thanks to everyone who wished Luna a happy birthday last weekend. We will pay individual visits to everyone as soon as we can.
The Bad Kitty Cat Festival of Chaos is being hosted this weekend by Samantha and Tigger at Life from a Cat's Perspective. Weekend Cat Blogging is being hosted by our friends Upsie and sher at What Did You Eat. Upsie is still working through her diabetes, and we wish her well.
Well, we had a cold, dark, and camera-less night, but that didn't stop us from kicking off Luna's “Burfday” Weekend. Here's a slightly blurry cell-phone photo of Luna:
We had a bit more fun today, and even managed to scrounge up an old camera for some photos. It wouldn't be a birthday without new toys:
And Luna is expecting some more exciting things in the mail real soon.
Of course, there is still plenty of time for rest on a favorite spot, especially as it has been very cold this weekend (even dipped below freezing for a bit):
We're doing the best we can to have some enjoyment and celebration in this really hard, transitional time.
This weekend, D and her lazy co-hosts are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging #78. This is also the weekend of Luna's birthday, which was officially on November 30 (last Thursday). She is two years old now – the ketzelas grow up so fast, don't they…
Of course, what birthday would be complete without presents? Luna had plenty from her human friends (click on the pictures below to see larger images):
Her favorite seems to be this little blue mousey, she's been playing with it all weekend:
Doesn't the kitty on the cover look a lot like Luna?
We're going to try the crab cakes this afternoon, if I manage to get my act together. I know a lot of WCB'ers are foodies, so please do check in again later to find out how the feline culinary adventure goes!
