Pushing It Up

Like i said, 31 days of push ups. starting w/ a wimpy 20, and then smashing the 5-0 barrier in NYE climax.

Look:

Yup, that featherweight toothpick was me. Can you believe how skinny i was? Unbefuckinglieavable. No wonder the girls at work were picking on me.

But Not. Any. More. No. Way. Jo.Se. My own girlfriend doesn't even recognize me anymore. She's just like, "Wow, who's this musclebound meat head who's trying to crawl into bed with me???"

It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

No, I didn't see the movie. 

But like many people, I'm open to the possibility that December 21st, the end date of the Mayan Calendar may be (approximately) be an indication of some sort of spiritual shift in the collective consciousness. 

Considering that i actually have a deep dark beliefs about humanity catastrophically fucking the environment up the ass (not that there's anything wrong w/ making anal love for those who enjoy it), i wonder if we may be crossing that threshold of this "new era". 

I also wonder if we may shortly witness the end of capitalism (as we know it) and (imo) insanely narrowminded growth models. 
i don't expect these things to happen on Friday. i don't really expect anything to happen. Though apparently 20% of Chinese people are worried, buying candles and stuff. Luckily i already have some at home. 

This Friday, my plan is to finish work, then go to Beihai Park downtown w/ Yoyo and Derrick, and walk around to the top of the hill and have a view of the city as anarchy breaks out. 

At the very least, i think this Friday is a particularly good time to embrace the symbolism of the end of an era, the beginning of an era. i plan to stay squeaky clean sober, be (sort of) in nature and w/ loved ones. Maybe create something, but i haven't thought things through that far yet. 

Interestingly enough, Terrence Mckenna and hisTimewave Zero hypothesis is set to happen this Friday also.  (It was originally calculated for Nov, but he readjusted it to align w/ the Mayan calendar). Anyhow, he believes the universe is a "novelty machine", creating new, never before seen/had experiences, and that this Friday, we'll reach "a singularity of infinite complexity in 2012, at which point anything and everything imaginable will occur simultaneously." Unsurprisingly, he was on mushrooms when he came up w/ the idea. 

i think i may have had a similar experience (on mushrooms, incidentally), and it's truly truly truly like nothing you've ever imagined before. i was completely befuddled by an experience for which words seemed completely inapplicable. Later on i found that Zen Buddhists summed it up impressively with just 3 words: "All is One". 

So there i was walking the streets of Seattle, flabbergasted to experience this thing which was bigger than time itself, this thing which OBVIOUSLY predated the Big Bang and the universe itself. And yes, i still take it as concrete evidence that my experience was real, because of course my tiny little simple mind could never imagine something so unimaginable or REAL. But the incredible thing was that... everything was also totally NORMAL. i'd just noticed something that had always been there. Like noticing a little birthmark on your ankle. Oh hello, you've always been a part of me, but i wasn't paying you any attention.  

So. Just in case there is a shift, and you do notice a birthmark on your ankle, i hope that you can just smile and relax. Some people may see that birthmark and freak out, call the doctor, try to cover it up, try to hack it off.  But i think it would be better to get to know that birthmark, 'cause it's not about to go anywhere. 

But like i said: i don't really expect any birthmarks this Friday. 


For way more information about this than you want to know check out Wikipedia here. 

Day 3: AGAIN???

No, i'm not blogging for Dec. Give a guy a break. But thanks to all of those who read along w/ me for Nov. You rock. Hopefully most of it was alright, though i thought day 29 was lackluster.

December, however...

Well Yoyo herself decided to actually commit to drawing daily this month after her failed Nov attempt.

And me, my plan is to do push ups everyday.

Again, totally doable. Def faster than blogging, though sometimes it takes a mental push to get there. Esp considering i'm not in shape. i barely pulled off 20 on Day 1.

I'm quite curious to see if there'll be a noticeable difference in my chest musculature by 2013.

Aren't you? 

Day 27: Fyogur Piano

Today i had some free time to kill w/ Yoyo, so we watched some Sigur Ros vids online. Music to sigh to. And the above vid is the best thing i've seen since Double Rainbow. Not to equate the two. Derrick likes it but thinks it borders on pretentious. i disagree, though the WTF factor is likely pretty high for non-artsy types.

Also, note the lead male. It's f'ing Shia LaBeouf from Transformers! Can't blame the guy for not wanting to be pigeonholed as The Transformers guy, and wanting to do some more like... acting. He looks pretty damn good in this piece. Good one, Shia. 

Day 19: How to Cover Up the Mac Logo on Your Computer

When i was in Canada the last time me and my bro got an ipad for our mom. i knew she wasn't techie when i had to show here that a computer keyboard button has a Delete/Backspace button on it. (what will they think of next!) It was a big jump to having her very own piece of modern technology. She was reluctant to make the jump, but you know how these things embed themselves into your life.

Before you knew it she got kind of addicted to online games (Scrabble and Scramble). Now she warns the neigbours about how addictive it can be. Other than that, she just uses it for Skype and email. i think.

The first time we did vid Skype, both my parents were entertainingly impressed. "That thing's worth every penny!" exclaimed my dad after finishing the call.

Sorry for all this Mac propaganda. I covered up my Mac logo a long time ago. And my comp has probs and needs to be taken into the shop. Oh well, that's the gamble you take when you buy 2nd hand.

But my Linux computer's kinda fucked too right now. Oh technology, you always keep us on our toes (LOL ^^)


Special Feature!
*Covering Up Your Mac Logo

1. glue a circle of foil to the apple. If you don't, light will shine through and it'll look like shit. If you're really minimalist, stop here: presto you're  done! Your friends will love it.

2. If yr not minimalist enough to stop after step one, you can put banana stickers or whatever you want over the Mac logo. People with half a brain will still know that you have a Mac, but at least you didn't hold a magnifying glass up to the fact!

30 points to Up To Date.

Guess what? I'm still here. I scratched my elbow back in Canada, but somehow got through it.

Summary:

1. Started dating a lovely woman named Yoyo.
2. Went to Canada.
3. Tried to help my parents stop bickering w/ some degree of success.
4. Did some hiking.
5. Mountain bike camping.
6. Boat camping.
7. Visited some of my wonderful friends, even though the time was too short.
8. Snubbed a few by not visiting. (sorry)
9. Ate veg lasagna, olives, pesto, Mexican, org veg from the garden.
10. lots of clean air.
11. one bachelor party
12. voted against going to the peelers
13. didn't miss my flight back to China
14. house hunted with Derrick
15. went to Chengdu and Shenzhen w/ 18 other journalists.
16. My managers got chewed out for not telling me more directly what to do
17. 'Cause i kinda slacked it.
18. Chengdu: boomtown
19. Shenzhen: life post-manufacturing boom
20. Scored an apartment.
21. mini triathlon on Saturday.
22. 1500m race on Saturday.
23. Probably can't do the 1500m race for CRI, 'cause i'm double booked.
24. with the triathlon.
25. So maybe will run w/ my group Sat morning.
26. House-cooling party in teh evening.
27. Wow, all caught up in 26 pts.
28. There is no 28.
29. Or 29.
30. 'cause everybody likes round numbers.

(31. Yu Wenxia: role model for Chinese women around the planet)

Epiphany

Wow. I can't believe it took 37 years of life before someone showed me lightning in slow mo.

Alley Cat video

Here's the short vid my coworker did about the alley cat race. Dig the titles.

http://media.iphone.cri.cn/videos/2012/03/0322alleycat.mp4

Gao Xiao Wei: Surviving in Beijing Subways

I wrote THIS ARTICLE (on 2 pages) about this handicapped guy who sings in the subways for a living. I think the article is pretty good, but totally unnecessary since when i got ahold of our interview's translation, i was like, "Wow, this is amazing. What a shame i have to take this and write it into an article."

Well, i post for you my translator's interpretation of my interview w/ Gao Xiao Wei. i prefer the raw version. You?

Self Introduction
I was born in an ordinary rural family from Xuzhou, Jiang Su Province. I am 28 years old. I’ve had a lot of dreams since childhood. When I grew up I couldn’t pursue some dreams because of my physical limitations. So singing became one of my most important dreams. I have been singing in Beijing in underpasses and on the subway for five years.

My parents are farmers, and I have a younger brother who's in university now. My parents didn’t agree with me leaving the countryside. However, there’s nothing I could do if I was still at home since all the work there is physical labor. And being dependent on others is hard for me. Therefore, I chose to run away from home and went to the big city. Even if life is difficult here, I can live on my own.

I have been to many cities before I came to Beijing, such as Jinan, Weihai, and Qingdao of Shandong Provence and Changzhou of Jiangsu Provence. In Beijing I can have a relatively stable life.

After I arrived in Beijing I sold all kinds of toys and jewelry for ladies. But now singing in underpasses can let me live day by day better than selling things could before.


Daily life
In winter, I sing on the subway everyday. I live in a basement, a small space. I only have room for a bed and a chest. I just go back there to sleep.

I used to enjoy listening to the radio because the radio helped me to know events around me better, though I was unable to act. But now I rarely listen because the signal in my basement isn’t very good.

I met my friend when I set up a stall, and he started taking care of me. He pushes me to the subway to sing, and takes me to the toilet when I need to go.


About the Medical accident
I caught a slight cold when I was three, and went to the small village clinic which wasn’t very proper. At that time, rural medical conditions were very poor and the doctor also wasn’t very professional. As a result, the doctor gave me an injection in the wrong spot, which led to a medical problem which caused me to lose the use of my legs. I was paralyzed, and my family rushed to save me without retaining any evidence.

On the one hand, we had no awareness about the law at that time, and it was difficult to sue doctors. On the other hand, the population in the country was small, and we all had close relationships with the doctor. So we didn’t have the nerve to sue him, and we didn’t want to cause any trouble. There were no consequences from any of this, and we think we were really a bit foolish at that time. Later, in large hospital, the doctor was sure that it was caused by the [country doctor’s] medical error.

About Music
With music, I’m like an amateur, without any skills. But I love music very much; I hope to have the opportunity to develop my voice.

I really like folk music. I also like foreign singers and hope to learn from them. Now I like Jay Chou and his films. I sometimes sing his songs in the subway. But I don’t sing the Jay Chou songs often because I don't want to sing anything noisy that makes people get off the train.

I used to sing the songs that I liked without considering the feelings of others. Now I consider how others might not love the same songs and will be more respectful to others. This is a change that life brings to me.

the most rewarding thing
Two years ago, I formed a band with two friends. We used to sing in a busy underpass at Wangfujing where the environment was very good. We sang with musical instruments. At that time, many people appreciated us, and we gave many interviews such as for Beijing TV. Later, one friend got married back in his hometown. Then we broke up just before our CCTV performance. Still, that was the best time of my life.

the most difficult thing
I felt lonely after my friends returned to their homes. The most difficult thing is that no one can share music with me and I don't have a partner. Now my work is just for food and clothing. I lost my passion. I hope to meet some close musical friends again.



About Love
I wrote a song about love. It was Valentine's night. The street was filled with a happy atmosphere and many boys carried flowers for their girlfriends. But I saw a scene: a girl asked to break up with her boyfriend. She said they wouldn’t see each other from then on and the boy stood there, almost in tears. I suddenly thought of myself; I had fallen in love with a girl, my neighbor. But because I’m disabled, her family couldn’t accept it. She treated me like her little brother.

Now she is married but I still remember her. Because of her, at that time I wrote many poems. Love is really wonderful and gives me a lot of inspiration on music. But because I felt so much pain from my lost love, so I burnt those poems. Now I can still cherish memories from that period.

Something I want to share
Music is an indispensable thing in my life. Music can give me peace of mind, to temporarily forget the suffering in life. Although my life isn’t very good (some people may think I'm a beggar) but I need more than just food and meeting the needs of the body. I also want to pursue spiritual things and I think music gives me a lot of spiritual comfort.

Other Comments
When I see other beggars, I feel that they’re more pitiful than me. Since I don’t just come out to make a living. I also like to sing. Singing is what I love to do, and I take it as a serious job.

I don’t approve of some beggars. The subway tunnel is very busy at rush hour, and some of them just keep hassling people for money. At that time, everyone’s tired and has their own troubles. They don’t have any obligation to help. But I can understand the difficulties of beggars’ lives.

On the other hand, I’m very afraid when I see the police. Now the management is very strict. At first, the police were very hard on me and I was forcibly sent home. Now their attitude is kind, and they can understand us, but I'm still afraid of them.

About organized begging
Life in a rural village can barely sustain you, but they didn't have enough money to deal with major issues such as serious diseases and children’s tuition fees and so on. So some families make the elderly beg in big cities to subsidize their families. A family can form a begging group. Then they don’t need to sell grain and their life will be better.

Ripped Off By China!

Got My Fix

So I finally got a fixed gear bike. And found one (in a moped store) that was so dirt cheap that there wasn't any excuse not to get it. (About $150).

On the one hand: does buying another bike fit into my life goal of minimalism? Answer: if i give away my other bike, then Sure Why Not?

After a week on Beijing's uberflat roads, it feels really natural. No less safe than my other bikes. Except that it definitely is faster.

i hesitated to get it, 'cause the fixie scene here seems all about color coordination and green tires or whatever. And doubtless i look like more of a stereotypical hipster now, but who the hell cares when i ride 75 minutes by myself to work in the morning? i love it.

And coincidentally, it does match my bag and helmet. You gotta problem with that?


Note to Joe: the handlebar is a rusted drop bar, sawed off. The perfect bar, imo.

Everybody, Get Wikid

Does everyone realize just how much statusq loves Wikipedia?

Really, he does.

I mean, when you need to check FACTS, then Wikipedia is your best friend.

('cause if it's on the internet, it must be true, yadda, yadda).

But really, if you hear that a chicken can live for EIGHTEEN MONTHS WITHOUT A HEAD, then yes, you shake your head and roll your eyes, but then, with a few simple references Wikipedia will force you to accept the incredible REALITY of Mike the Headless Chicken!!!

EIGHTEEN MONTHS!

If forced to choose between a world with no Wikipedia or one with no Youtube, I'd choose the latter.

Everytime Wikipedia asks for money, i happily pull out my wallet, because for the number of times i use the site daily, it's worth it. i actually gave money to them before they ever even asked .

i decided a while ago that i wanted contribute to my favourite site. You know: participant vs observer. And weirdly enough, my favourite Beijing band had no page. So i wrote one. Great. Great experience. Learning experience.

Because, truly i had no f'ing idea that writing a wiki page is way way way more work than i'd thought possible. i requested help three times. My first attempt at publication was rejected, requiring beefed up references. It took me like three months before i finished the bloody thing.

Can you believe there's all these freaking weirdos out there who created 20 million articles for us? Have these people nothing better to do with their time? Nutters.

I take my hat off to them.

Not to put you off: I highly recommend you give it a try, possibly something with less formatting issues than mine.

By the way, HERE is the page I whipped off, for the great BJ band Hedgehog.

Me So Pretty

Well, if i be not mistaken, every Converse store in China has images from the photoshoot i did before.

Poked my head into a couple stores, but have yet to have spotted my face anywhere. i wasn't even sure if the bod in the pics was me, except that i spotted my less than cool qiuku (long johns) clearly visible. Gotta represent.

Plus some pic of me and some guys climbing over a fence. i can recognize the hat i was wearing.

But that's cool. In fact, i haven't even seen the face of the hottest girl who was there. Go figure. Those fuckers are only about the clothes, no doubt.

What's On My Playlist These Days

Um, i could do one of those Best of 2011 music lists, but the fact is... i'm a lot less of an indie afficianado than i used to be. But anyhow, if yr interested, here's my Best Music of the Last Two Weeks list, which is probably just as good.

Apparently Xiami.com doesn't fly in N.America, but Grooveshark seems to do the trick...

Russian Red
http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Fuerteventura/6069642
 They call her the Spanish Feist, but i think it sounds like what you'd get  if you crossed Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval and Joanna Newsome and put them on anti-depressants.

Washed Out
http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Within+And+Without/6141745
I love it: this guy studied Library and Info studies in uni, couldn't find work, recorded an album in his bedroom, put it on Myspace, and then influential music bloggers realized it was the fucking BOMB. Def my most listened to album  this year.

Girl Talk - All Day
http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/All+Day/5235582
Slightly less schizo than mixes they've done in the past, and w/ enough 80's hits to please norms and cool kids alike, this is a party winner. How can you say no to a mix which mashes together 372 tracks, laying old and nu school hiphop onto the likes of INXS, Phoenix, Belinda Carlisle, Radiohead, U2, Lady Gaga etc, etc, etc, etc, etc...

Real Estate
http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Days/7010428
Hey, i'm getting closer to 40 each day, so i can listen to as much mellow jangly guitar alt pop as i want. Apparenlty Wilco is considered "dad rock' now. Fucking hell.


There's a Canadian guy here at CRI, and he does a music show. i finally got around to listening to it, and was happily impressed. Shit, you listen to the radio, and you like here all this like new cool music. How amazingly convenient! And technological.

The Pulse by Johnny Hutong...

Grooveshark. Who woulda thunk it.

President Hu Jintao's New Year Resolutions

(Lunar New Year Rezzies undisclosed at this point in time)

1. Throw away my ratty worn out Olympic mascot dolls.
2. Stop paying so much attention to the Republican candidacy race.
3. Buy more CK One to mask the pollution smell.
4. Laugh more often at America's expense.
5. See if somebody can speed up my Taiwan tourist visa processing.
6. Get a new navy blue suit. A traditional one, this time.
7. Sneak in to the gallery to see the Ai Weiwei exhibit.
8. Crack down on corruption, like we cracked down on Tibet.
9. Avert the revolution
10. Stop wasting all my time looking for erotic websites to censor.




pic from wikipedia

Hitting the Air Waves

Well, i definitely feel that this could be a better product, but it's not bad for a 1st go, after teaching myself Adobe Audition, and how to use the recording studio, blah blah.

i submitted it to a radio head, and she aired it on China Now. Then the weird thing, is the next day, my brother says he listened to it on Global Times, which is not even the state media i work for.

Anyhow, for those interested in my 1st ever self-produced radio piece, i present to you:

The Changing Face of Beijing Architecture

Here's some pix of the buildings too.


Galaxy Soho

Local car attendant: "It's beautiful. Of course I like [Galaxy Soho], but I can not live in it." [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/William Wang]

Wangjing Soho

Phoenix International Media Center

Wet Dreams

The other night i was asleep in bed, cozily snuggled under the heavy blankets. It's bloody cold in a house that lacks working central heating, don't you know. And i was having this dream that somebody had spilled tea in the bed, and the tea was turning colder by the minute. Well dang, that ain't cozy or comfortable.

In a state of semi-consciousness, the bed was indeed wet. Oh fuck, some idiot spilled tea in the bed. Hm? That's weird who could've done that? Maybe... i reached down and stuck my hand in my underwear to reassess the situation, and sadly confirmed my suspicions.

(Oh fuck, did i really just do that? What the hell, i haven't done that in months decades!!!)

So i crawl out into the cold air, take a(nother) piss, throw my wet jammies in the hamper, and figure... well hell, everything's already soaked through. No point in disturbing Q in the middle of the night.

So i crawled bk into the wet spot and fell back into dreamland.

Anyhow, i have no explanation for the above incident. i had had one single drink of fake scotch at a bar, hours previous to hitting the sack, but took a leak as per normal before bed.

Just one of those situations where you feel blameless, 'cause it's not like you (consciously) DID anything, y'know?

Jerry Seinfeld told his daughter once, "It's good if you're embarrassed. That means you're making other people feel good." Well screw Seinfeld! Who says i'm embarrassed? i posted it on my own f'ing blog for crying out loud!

It's Not Pathetic: It's Ascetic

Hung out the other night with a guy who's adopted an ascetic life style.

He's pretty hardcore.

He's from Santa Barbara, CA, and came out to Asia on a spiritual quest of sorts. For the last 11 months he has neither worn shoes (or socks) or touched money. 

In fact, he hadn't planned on doing this for so long. He's on a journey to India, but a lost passport kinda threw a wrench in the works. Well, the embassy got him a new passport somehow, but... he has no visa. He can't leave China without one, and he can't get one without buying one. With money. He's kinda up the creek on that one, thinking about how to sneak over Tibetan borders. 

First question. How does he eat?

He would walk through restaurants and grab food that customers hadn't finished. "French fries are good for picking up." Sometimes, he'd go for 3 days without food. Sometimes people would give or buy him food. Veg only. And sometimes he's teach english at a monastery and dine with the monks. He was definitely thin, but seemed fine.

Food is the only thing he let's people pay money for. Although when a handful of us went for dinner, we hopped on the bus, and he got all stressed out that we paid for his 15 cent bus ride. "I guess I'll just call that part of the dinner cost," he said forlornly. 

He can't speak chinese, but he can more or less write it. 

2nd question. Why no shoes? Dunno. But he did say he's intentionally framed himself as an outsider. His feet were pretty dirty, though the rest of him seemed quite clean. His hair was long, his face unshaven, but you know... he was clean.

3rd question. Where does he sleep? Usually on the street. Do note that it's pretty darn cold at night in BJ these days, below zero for sure. Sometimes he's invited to spend a night at someone's house, but he only allows himself to stay at one person's place for one night. 

He calls himself a prisoner to the rules that he created for himself, accepting the hardships as His Path. But he admits that he hopes that he can get to India soon, since he feels like hanging around BJ is a total waste of his time. Well, i don't know if my own spirituality would keep me uppity either in his shoes. 

So. Yes, his lifestyle is extreme. Yes, he has a life filled with hardships. For example, when i commented on his red eyes, he said that he's been wearing contact lenses in his eyes for 8 months straight, since he has no saline solution or lens case; he's well aware that his "rules" are f'ing with his health. But, talking with this young guy, he struck me as an intelligent, articulate, and sensitive guy. I'm sure I'll see him again sometime. He might join in for meditation night sometime, but i don't know how Q would handle him at this point. Hey, i'm well-acquainted w/ leftcoast hippies, so i can get on this guys level okay!

Day 26 - Rest in Peace, Sofia Rumeau

i got a message on Facebook today from my friend Sofia's daughter that my friend Sofia in Paris has just passed away.

i worked with Sofia in 2004 at the France Vipassana centre, and she generously invited me to stay with her husband and 2 (of 5) kids in the Paris suburbs. i lived with them for a full month during which time she and her husband repeatedly and emphatically insisted that i was not in any way imaginable overstaying my welcome.

Sofia was a truly unique person, born in Portugal of African descent. Reared 5 children from 4 (maybe 5) different fathers. All but 1 of whom loved her to bits as far as i could ascertain.

She was also tuned in to higher planes. Vipassana courses are a very logical and scientific form of inward exploration, but in these courses Sofia alone had the most interesting visions of and dialogues with enlightened beings (Buddha, Jesus). In one course i myself had a vision of Chinese faces which passed through my mind's eye in procession. Some old, some young, each one perfectly detailed. i wondered, "Wow, is my subconscious creating all these uniquely realistic faces?" Sofia later matter of factly commented, "No, those were angels." i never questioned how she knew.

She was somehow touched. Born in silence, not crying, she entered the world in refusal to demonstrate the suffering which Buddha uses to describe humanity's condition. In fact she was mute for 2 years or more, until her father finally used his belt to discover if she could cry out loud or not.

She suffered much violence from her father, yet also described fondly his hospitality at feeding any people and any number, friends or beggars, who happened to be near the house at a meal time.

Sofia had a touch of clairvoyance, and sometimes her desires were granted. She had wanted to independently give birth to a child, and did so once. Attempting to walk the miles to the hospital, she stopped at the side of the road and delivered her own child using her only her own hands.

There was in fact much suffering throughout her life. At the time when i met her, her marriage to Jack was starting to fall apart. i ended up acting as a buffer zone between them, even offering to act as a moderator to help them communicate. i wasn't surprised to hear later that Jack had left her, but it was a real blow to Sofia. She became reclusive.

Things for her became worse when one of her sons wound up dying destitute. i had met him a couple times and he was doing okay, but it was clear that he of all the siblings was unhappy. Sofia was devastated by his final downward spiral, but could only say that he had chosen his own path. Her love for her children was unrestrained.

She and i had discussed recording her memoirs, and it's a tragedy that this was never done. Her unembellished stories were amazing and touching.

i regret that i never really paid back her generosity. i regret that i let my fading skills in French prevent me from keeping contact with her. i regret that i started a letter to her just last week that was never sent.

Sofia, je t'embrasse trop fort. Je souhaite que tu as trouver ton paix.

A Very Important Number

37 is a scintillating prime number, the fifth lucky prime, the first irregular prime, the third unique prime and the third cuban prime of the form



It is, of course, a factor of all 3-digit base 10 repdigits, such as 111. 37 is the smallest prime that is not also a supersingular prime. It is a centered hexagonal number and a star number!

And did you know that 37 and 38 are the first pair of consecutive positive integers not divisible by any of their digits???

And 37 is a Størmer number! (Since the greatest prime factor of 372 + 1 = 1370 is 137, which is obviously more than 37 twice). How cool is that?

And surely you're fascinated to know that 37 is the only two digit number in base 10 whose product, when multiplied by two, subtracted by one, and then read backwards, equals the original two digit number: 37×2=74, 74-1=73, 73 backwards is 37!

And you probably already knew that 37 is the only two digit number in base 10 with the following property: The difference between the two digits equals the square root of the difference between the number itself and the least common multiple of the two digits!

Today i'm going to try to be the me i want to be.

Info courtesy of wikipedia. Embellishments courtesy of the author