WCB

Weekend Cat Blogging #278: Going Yellow

For Weekend Cat Blogging #278, we at CatSynth are GOING YELLOW in honor of Livestrong Day.

Livestrong Day sponsored by the Lance Armstrong Foundation to bring awareness of cancer and support to cancer patients and survivors across the globe.  We at CatSynth have been strangely fortunate, cancer does not seem to be common in our family.  But we are aware that it can affect anyone, and are thinking of our many friends who have lost loved ones to cancer.  There are also our close friends who have survived, and we want to think of them as well.

Yellow is not a common color here at CatSynth HQ (it really isn’t), but Luna does have at least one yellow toy in her collection, which she demonstrates for the occasion in these photos.

Several of our online cat friends, including The Cats of Wildcat Woods, Zoolatry, Life from a Cats Perspective, Ozark Mountain Cats and the Cat Blogosphere are hosting events.

The Weekend Cat Blogging #278 round-up this week is at Mind of Mog.

The Carnival of the Cats will be up this Sunday at One Cat’s Nip.

The monthly Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos will be hosted by Samantha and Clementine at Life from a Cat’s Perspective.

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging and Photo Hunt: Natural

The theme for our combined Weekend Cat Blogging and Photo Hunt this weekend is natural. This complements a theme from a year ago, artificial. At that time, we explored the interplay of Luna’s natural beauty with her artificial surroundings. Especially in light of my recent experience with New Topographics, it seems like an appropriate subject to revisit. We often explore the interplay between Luna’s naturally curving biological body and the straight lines that dominate the art and architecture of her surrounding environment.

The patio is really our landscape. It is an artificially constructed one, but it is a space claimed by natural elements, such as the plants, Luna, the bugs she likes to hunt, the grass she tries to eat out of the flower pot…

Another bit of nature this morning, this time one that is not so welcome.

These snails were a menace in our garden when I lived in Santa Cruz where they seemed to arrive in swarms. This is the first one I have seen in our patio in San Francisco in over two years. Removing it from a cactus is not a simple task. On the plus side, it was opportunity to practice with macro shot, which is not something I usually do.

A sad note. Our friend Nirmanakaya’s Viandra (aka “Sniffie”) passed away last week. “Sniffie and Florida Furkids” have often visited and shared their thoughts with us on topics far beyond feline, and in turn we got to know a little about them. Sniffie will be missed, and our thoughts go out to her family.

Weekend Cat Blogging #277 will be hosted by Othello (with some assist from Astrid) at Paulchens FoodBlog?!

Photo Hunt #232 is hosted by tnchick.

The Carnival of the Cats will be hosted this Sunday by Nikita and Elvira at Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat.

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging #276: A quiet morning

It’s a quiet, rainy morning here.  So we are just relaxing a bit.  Luna was sitting quietly on the carpet for an extended period of time, which gave me an opportunity to play with the cameras.  First, a detailed black-and-white portrait (36mm):

Next, it’s over to the iPhone camera for more fun with the Hipstamatic app:

I think both the green lens effect and the monochrome of the first image capture qualities of this morning.  So does this nice big yawn:

A quiet, moody and gray morning like this is actually welcome.  It’s an opportunity to rest and turn inward.

Weekend Cat Blogging #276 is being hosted by Patchouli and Pam at Sidewalk Shoes.

The Carnival of the Cats will be up this Sunday at When Cats Attack!

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging #275

For Weekend Cat Blogging, some more photos:

Here we see Luna in mid-step in her favorite area for morning sunshine.  I like capturing her in mid motion.  The lines and curves of her limbs match the chrome bars on the chairs.

The extreme hours at my new job have been continuing, including this weekend.  And while I like the work I’m doing, the prolonged intensity is taking its toll.  But I am noticing that it is taking a toll on Luna as well.  She is a bit more stressed, although from her relaxed poses it would be hard to notice:

Spending time with Luna and working with these images, even if only for a few minutes, is a form of relief.

As mentioned in the previous article, the Peninsula Human Society and SPCA is working to help the animal victims and their human companions who were affected by the devastating fire in the nearby town of San Bruno this Thursday. Please visit their website to find out more.

Weekend Cat Blogging #275 will be hosted by LB and Breadchick at The Sour Dough.

The Carnival of the Cats will be up this Sunday at Mind of Mog.

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging #274 and Photo Hunt: Heatwave

Summer has finally arrived with a heatwave that brought even San Francisco into the mid 90s F (30s C).  And our apartment tends to get even warmer:

Luna was a bit uncomfortable in the heat, but it was a good excuse to nap (as if cats need an excuse for that).  And a napping cat is a good excuse for experimenting with the camera (such as fun with low f-stop settings):

It’s been another busy week – yes, that is a familiar phrase here at CatSynth – and I haven’t been home very much.  So I left fans running for Luna, and even a small ice pad out for her on the hottest day. I think we’re both a little tired out, physically and mentally.  But it’s a long three-day weekend, and the fog has once again returned with its calming and creative influence.  I think we will enjoy it.

Weekend Cat Blogging #274 is hosted by the handsome pair Jules and Vincent at Judi’s Mind over Matter. Jules, the black cat, often appears when we host WCB, so we’re returning the favor this week.

Photo Hunt 229 is hosted by tnchick, with the apropos theme of Hot.

The Carnival of the Cats will be hosted this Sunday by Kashim, Othello and Salome.

The monthly Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos will be hosted by Nikita and Elvira at Meowings of an Opinionated Pussycat.

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging #273: Another technological encounter

Luna has a moment of self discovery.

Notice any resemblance?

Luna is just not as interested in technology as some other individuals are, but she deigns to pose with the Smule Magic Piano.

I might use the Magic Piano in today’s performance, depending on how it unfolds.  I will definitely be using at least one other app, Curtis, with some vocal recordings I made last night.  Luna was a little perplexed by my practicing the text for today, and interrupted me several times with her own recitations.

Weekend Cat Blogging #273 is hosted by Elvira at Meowings of an Opinionated Pussycat.  She anxiously awaits for submissions to come in.

The Carnival of the Cats will be hosted this Sunday by Samantha and Clementine at Life from a Cat’s Perspective.

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging #272: Sadness

It was a sad week for many of our cat friends and their families. This past Wednesday saw no fewer that four announcements on the Cat Blogosphere of regular contributors who had passed away. Anyone who has studied probability and statistics knows that such clustering is normal behavior for random events, but one still notices it and can be affected by it.

And then late in the day we received some sad news from our friend Vivi Pedgraglio that DJ Kikovas had passed away.

This was very sad news, and our thoughts are with Vivi this weekend. We often featured DJ Kikovas on CatSynth. And the symmetry of our exchanges was fun, the white boy cat playing electronic music in the studio in Argentina and the black girl cat in the U.S. who is surrounded by electronic music. He will be missed.

Among the cats whose passing was announced on Wednesday was Luxor, an elegant white cat whose site we followed. Our thoughts are with his family as well.

It is a dreary overcast morning, after a week that in addition to the sad news has been quite tiring. So we rest.

[click to enlarge image]

I looked at those photo of Luna resting on the bed linens – this has been her favored resting place again over the last few weeks – and thought about how often I have seen her curled up there over the years. Here is a photo of her in the same position in 2007, at our former home in Santa Cruz.

So many things stay the same, but the same time life is always moving forward. That is both a happy and sad thing.

Weekend Cat Blogging #272 is hosted by Samantha and Clementine at Life from a Cat’s Perspective.

The Carnival of the Cats will be hosted by Nikita and Elvira (who is hosting for the first time this week) at Meowsings of an Opinionated Pussycat.  They also have a tribute to the cats who past away this week.

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging #271: iPhone and Orange

For Weekend Cat Blogging #271, we put aside the “big camera” and present some images of Luna all taken with our new iPhone 4.

This was taken with the Hipstamatic app. It emulates the classic Hipstamtic camera, including various lens and film options. This was taken with a Kaimal Mark II lens (not sure how it got an Indian name). It tends to give the image an overall orange tinge, and thus we squeeze into this week’s Photo Hunt theme of Orange.

Here are two more photos of Luna taken with two other Hipstamatic lenses:

And another in the clear (i.e., just the camera without additional apps or filters):

She does lounge quite elegantly sometimes. I also tried out the video capabilities, here is a short clip:

Yes, Luna is very much a cat. I quite like the look in her eyes at the end.

Weekend Cat Blogging #271 is hosted by LB and Breadchick at The Sour Dough, where they are enjoying lots of relaxation, and a bit of golf and baking.

Photo Hunt #226 is hosted by tnchick. This week’s theme is Orange.

Carnival of the Cats will be up this Sunday at When Cats Attack!.

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging #270

We at CatSynth are happy to be hosting Weekend Cat Blogging #270. This edition is coincident with World Cat Day 2010 on August 8, so we are making that the theme of this edition!  If you would like to participate in WCB or WCD, please leave a link on this post, contact us or leave us a tweet @catsynth with tag #WCB and we will add you to the round-up.

First up, at Sidewalk Shoes Patchouli is coping with the heat (98F or about 36C) that is affecting much of the U.S…except of course here in San Francisco with it’s about 50F, which is about typical for mid-summer.  Anyhow, Patchouli and Pam have a lot in common and agree there is only one way to spend time when it is 98 degrees outside.

A note from Tristan Tabbycat Longtail about Van Meowlin’s British Invasion Tour: “Yes, I had in fact heard that London Bridge is falling down and yes, I know that the concert last night got a little out of hand, but I can ASSURE you, neither I, nor any of my entourage had ANYTHING to do with ANY property damage ANYWHERE in city. Now, you must excuse me, I have to catch a flight….”

“Nom, nom, nom!” Looks like Diamond Emerald-Eyes has some tasty new treats.  Visit her blog to find out more about them.

Usually it’s all-black Jules who comes to visit from Judi’s Mind Over Matter when Luna hosts WCB.  But this week it’s all about Vincent, who is looking through a window and stalking a tiny moth.  We’re happy to see Vincent this week, and he is at least “mostly black.”

More black cats this weekend.  We meet Boom Boom, a big and lovable cat and hear about his homecoming story.  I think this may be the first WCB entry from the new blog I Think My Cat Is An Alien, so please join me in welcoming them!

There is a plethora of cat-blogging events out there in addition to Weekend Cat Blogging.  Nikita Cat and Elvira break it down for us in their post 7 Days, and 37 Ways.  Their four great pictures help promote their list, which will also be incorporated into their permanent sidebar.  We have not a chance yet to “formally” welcome Elvira, who recently joined the family.  And their dad Kiril has some Good News and Bad News about his health, which is actually all good news.  We continue to wish him well.

Sparkle has advice for humans on World Cat Day.  It can be summed up as follows: gifts.  Lots of them, with wrapping paper.  But most importantly, spend time with your cats today. A longer play session, or a longer nap together, or whatever brings you and your cat(s) closer.

The folks at Zoolatry are celebrating World Cat Day with a series of posts and images in tribute to all their friends from around the Cat Blogosphere.  Do to take the time to scroll down from the main post and see them all.  They are also responsible for the “World Cat Day” graphic that we are using.  PS: nice hat :).

There was a little bit of gender liberation as Faith Boomerang steps in for “Mancat Monday”.   We at CatSynth find such fluidity in gender roles quite refreshing, actually.  Also, thanks to KC for helping to get the word out about our weekend event.

Sniffie and the Florida Furkids are celebrating with a remembrance of Cats who Came Before.  It is a celebration of some of the cats their mom has known over the years, with photographs.  We also sending thoughts for Sniffie.

The chair that speaks at The Chair Speaks has been a favorite resting place for cats for years, and hopes to be around for years to come.  “To all the cats in the world, big and small, Happy World Cat Day!  And wish that all cats have the right to a loving home, food and care.”

The Cats of Wildcat Woods are celebrating World Cat Day with a series of trivia on feline colors and markings. Fun and educational!  They also conclude with this thought that we would like to repost here:

“Cats give us so much – they captivate us with their beauty, make us laugh with their antics, give us companionship when we are lonely, snuggle with us while we watch TV, keep our houses free of mice – our lives are enriched by their presence in our homes. Do something special for your cat, your neighbor’s cats or the cats at the local shelter. Give them back a little of what they give us. Have a Happy World Cat Day!”

World Cat Day is really just a normal day for Samantha and Clementine.  Here we see Clementine relaxing, and perhaps plotting something fiendish, while Samantha is blissfully snoozing off in another photo.

It looks like a normal day for Salome as well.  She joins us from Vienna while snoozing away the weekend on her gizzy quilt.

Congratulations to Rosa and the cats at Rosa’s Yummy Yums, who are celebrating their 5th Blog Anniversary today!  Rosa’s blog mixes baking, cooking, photography, and of course, cats, and she has been a long-time participant in WCB.

The cats and humans at PDX Pride are celebrating World Cat Day with a newly adopted kitten.  Angel Skylar found his mom Erin adopt a new kitten named Scamper, who appears to be fitting in quite well.  It’s always great to hear about cats finding new homes.

Thanks to all who participated this week.  We had a nice large turnout.  We’ll continue to post entires as the come in through Monday morning, but for now, we will rest.

Weekend Cat Blogging #269: Entropy

Another weekend has arrived, and with it Weekend Cat Blogging.

Here we see Luna in the studio in an embarrassing state of disarray. July was a rather busy month – actually most of them are, but this one was a bit different. Between the Outsound Music Summit and all of the associated rehearsals, the various photo shoots and my new job that started last week, there hasn’t been a lot of time for much else. In particular, the studio has a victim of entropy with a lot of equipment being moved out of place for use in shows (like the keyboard and cables) or to make way for new items (the E-MU modules in the back of the picture are being moved because the space is being taken up by the new Pro Tools HD system, but I need them still to be easily accessible). And then there is the never ending torrent of paper. Some of it useful, like the scores from Reconnaissance Fly, the Cardew Choir and Conduct Your Own Orchestra night that can be seen behind Luna. Others, like just about any piece of paper sent by any financial institution, are mostly useless. But they accumulate as one sorts them out.

The new job has also meant less time at home, and less time with Luna. I suspect she spends a fair amount of our time apart napping. It is a moment to reflect on the month that has past, and how it was a chance to focus on things that were of particular importance – my cat, music, art, city life, friends. Hopefully, after the initial change and chaos, things will be begin to come back into balance.

We have also been tardy is visiting our fellow WCB participants over the past couple weeks, and will do our best to make up for that this month.

As for today, we have to start cleaning up a bit.

Weekend Cat Blogging #269 is hosted by Pam at Sidewalk Shoes, with a nice photo of Smudge in the yard.

Carnival of the Cats #333 will be up this Sunday at One Cats Nip.

The monthly Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos will be at Mind of Mog.

And the Friday Ark is at the modulator.