Maverick Philosopher

My Cat Zeno

For Zeno of Elea
My cat's named
Solvitur ambulando
Is his game.

Saturday Night at the Oldies: Halloween

Screamin' Jay Hawkins, I Put a Spell on You
Howlin' Wolf, I Ain't Superstitious
Bobby 'Boris' Pickett, The Monster Mash
Mannheim Steamroller version

Alexandru Andries, Dracula Blues.  This one goes out to Peter Lupu.
Lightnin' Hopkins, Black Cat Blues.  The one goes out to Max and Manny, the brothers Black.

 

Friday Cat Blogging: The Debt Ceiling Cat

Friday Cat Blogging

“The weakest link in a chain is the strongest because it can break it.”
- Stanislaw Lec

Cats Crepuscular

My wife observed last night that our young cats are very active at twilight.  No surprise there, said I.  Neither diurnal nor nocturnal in their hunting habits, housecats are a crepuscular species of critter.  The word derives from the Latin crepuscula, twilight.  But there is morning twilight and evening twilight.  And so critters crepuscular are either matinal or vespertine or both.  Matins are prayers said in the morning while vespers are prayers said in the evening.  Cats, however, prey rather than pray.  When not on the prowl or in play they sleep, having been made in the image and likeness of Sloth.

There is also an interesting etymological connection between Hesperus (Hesperos), the Evening Star, and vespers.  Hesperos/Hesperus became the Latin Vesperus.  Eosphoros/Phosphoros became the Latin Luciferus, Lucifer, light-bearer, from L. lux, lucis, light.  Interesting that the Bearer of Light in his later career became the Prince of Darkness.

Eosphoros and Hesperos in their later careers went from being gods to being mere Fregean senses, mere modes of representation, Darstellungsweisen,  and conduits of reference. 

Here a cool cat name of Thelonious Sphere Monk bangs out "Crepuscule with Nellie."  Was he on the prowl with her, or just hanging out in the gloaming?

Friday Cat Blogging: Schroedinger's Cat

Friday Cat Blogging: Montaigne and His Cat

Friday Cat Blogging: 'Cat' with Cat

Cat Blogging Friday: The Real Housecats of the Blogosphere

A take off on The Real Housewives series, a show the vapidity and vacuity of which makes one wonder how long we can last as a country. Somehow, 'real' is not the adjective I would attach to these pampered pussycats of suburban decadence.

Cat Blogging Friday: Kerouac and Cat

Holding up my
purring cat to the moon
I sighed.

—- Jack Kerouac, American Haiku, 1959

Cat Blogging Friday: Catitude

You talkin' to me?

Cat Blogging Friday: Atheist Cat

Because I'm a rational animal.

Because, unlike you, I was made in the image and likeness of God.

Max the cat responds: Because I'm a logical positivist.  The God question is devoid of cognitive significance.  Meaningful questions pertain to such matters as mice, cheese, birds, and catnip.  And now I think I'll go take a long nap, a car nap.

Cat Blogging Friday: Alekhine and his Cat, Chess

Reuben Fine, The Psychology of the Chess Player (Dover 1967), p. 53:

In 1935, an international team tournament was held in Warsaw.  Alekhine played top board for France, of which he was a naturalized citizen.  However, on this trip he arrived at the Polish border without a passport.  When the officials asked him for his papers he replied: "I am Alekhine, chess champion of the world.  I have a cat called Chess.  I do not need papers." The matter had to be straightened out by the highest authorities.

Catblogging Friday

As you know, Friday is official catblogging day here in the blogosphere, a tradition started in aught-four by Kevin Drum. So, in lieu of a substantial post, I present you with: