Hey don't forget, if you're looking for something to do tonight, Motico is playing at Trash Bar, round 10pm. I'm actually feeling cautiously optimistic about this show (how that for punk rock attitude?), we've been practicing a lot, even though a lot of our newer stuff is more open-ended than the old stuff. This could totally blow up in our faces, as it often does, but it still might be fun to watch us frantically trying to figure out where we got off track.

I've slowly honed down my pedal setup, I'm down to a single pedal-board now, partially due to active economizing, partially due to pedals breaking down. Either way, it leads to a leaner, meaner, keener sound. Matt just got some new sticks and has plenty of pent-up frustration to take out on his drum kit! I still can't believe it took us a year to get back on this show horse! I wonder if we even know any of the bands we're playing with tonight. Is the Knack still together?

Labels: Bands, Bars, Motico, Shows

We're gearing up to start moving some of these kittens. I just realized that the oldest kittens have gotten really big in just the couple of weeks they've been here. It's been years since I got to watch a kitten grow up, so I don't remember if this is normal. But they're like 2/3rds the size of their own mom already! Their increased size, plus the fact that a couple are still not very tame is making me nervous. But I'm going to start posting to Craigs List soon to look for possible adopters. Perhaps somebody out there would be interested in a work in progress.

Then again, I hear about people adoptign cats, then wanting to return them for reasons like "he always tries to get outside" or "he scratched the furniture." Considering that declawing is still standard practice for many cat owners, I sometimes think maybe they're better off on the streets. Unless of course those streets are anywhere near JFK.

I'm thinking of dumping a thousand rats on the JFK tarmac; that'll learn 'em. Anyway, if you're interested in kittens, check out CL over the next few days! And come ot the Motico show tomorrow at Trash Bar! We're on at 10pm, giving you plenty of time to egg the neighbors' houses before heading out, but still getting you home in time for Conan.

Labels: Cats, kittens

Another week of kitten training comes to a close, some progress has been made. Ira finally let me pet him, and Monkey seems braver. Still, she prefers to hide in the kitchen cabinet; a drawer is missing so she hops into the opening and hides among the pots and pans. The weird thing is when we look in there for her, we can't find her! I don't want to move things around too much for fear of smooshing her, but there don't appear to be that many places to hide. I suspect she's hiding under the wok.

Not sure exactly when we'll start trying to adopt these guys out, Gladys is on the auction block now but we're only getting scam responses so far. It's always gonna be easier to farm out kittens over adults, which is really too bad. Truth be told, I don't think I like kittens all that much, they're too small to pet satisfyingly, they have trouble comprehending the intricacies of the litter box, you're always this close to stepping on them, and their personalities can be summed up in the thought, "Is that string moving? OMG!!!"

But they're cute and deserve a chance to make it. But since most people out there looking for cats seem to think kittens are better because they're somehow fresher or something (like bread!) I gotta get on the adoption circuit right quick or the older kittens will be too cat-like to get anybody's attention.

Then again, if there really was a market for adult cats, people who wanted one could do what we did: open the window and watch them stroll inside like they own the place!

Labels: Cats, Feral, kittens, Strays

For some stupid reason they have been keeping the air conditioning on full blast here, even though it's October (albeit, a rather warm October). This has something to do either with our LAN room (sort of makes sense) or the building renovation next door (makes no sense), depending on who you talk to. Whatever it is, it's totally annoying. I'm cold.

So I've been drinking lots of hot beverages, which is not unusual. But for the past week, I swear every single time I go to get coffee from our sub-par coffeemaker, there is barely any left. So not only do I have to drink the burned, sludgy dregs of the carafe, I gotta make another pot.

This wouldn't bother me but I know by the time I get back, it'll be back down to almost nothing again. I have made 3 pots of coffee today, and benefited from none of them. This is why communism doesn't work.

I hope our new parent company has Flavia.

Labels: Bad Stuff, Office, Weather

Wow, one year ago today we loaded up the truck and moved to Bushwick. A whole friggin year. This is one of those moments that simultaneously feel like "Whoa, I can't believe a year slipped by!" and "Jesus Christ, it feels like a century has passed." But life rolls relatively on, and I guess we're generally doing all right, no major horror stories (yet), just a lot of cats. A whole lot of cats.

Labels: House

Last week was rough. We were both sick to varying degrees, and the addition of the new kittens was really weighing heavily. At first we were afraid to let the kittens into the cellar so we closed the door and brought the litter boxes upstairs. This had one major positive effect: after months of sleeping in the basement, Decatur was forced to come up to our bedroom (though she slept in the closet most of the time). But most of the kittens had diarrhea, the litter boxes were beyond gross, and we started thinking that even crazy cat ladies are better prepared than us.

But we got things under control eventually. A pal of mine works for a rescue group and was kind enough to give us some dewormer for the kittens. A better brand of cat litter helped control things in between cleanings (which I now do twice a day, with patrols throughout the day). The kittens have settled in and are all quite happy to be here. Well, all except Monkey.

Monkey, the lone female in a sea of boy kittens, she's still pretty skeptical of her human hosts. She's getting better though and spent a good deal of last evening playing with the other kittens.


Rusty, the orange kitten, has almost totally been tamed. The only thing he doesn't like is being picked up. But hey, a lotta cats don't like being picked up. His two brothers (Baby Bones and Ira) remain standoffish, which bugs me since they're getting really big and I am dubious of the market for full-grown cats who don't like people.


Chester, the Russian Blue kitten, is also super tame. He is darned cute and will be difficult to part with. I wish his sister (Monkey) would come around, as they really should be adopted out together.


Shoehorn, the gray tabby kitten, is also doing very well. He's a bit skittish, but will accept petting and has been sleeping on the couch next to us.


Ira, the darker of the gray tabby brothers, soooo wants to be a housecat. I can see it in his eyes when we're playing with the other kittens. But alas, he has a psychological block he has been unable to overcome that prevents him from allowing us to touch him. Still, he has been pouncing on our toes while we're in bed, so I think his defection is imminent.


Baby Bones, named for his resemblance to Mr Bones, has been the slowest to progress. This is odd since he was the first of Gladys' kitten to come into the house over a month ago. Perhaps he's too self-sufficient, or maybe he's just too smart for us. He knows that eventually I'll put out food for him, and he gets a lot of attention from the other cats. So maybe he thinks there's no reason to make nice with the humans. I'll think of something!

Labels: Cars, Feral, kittens, Strays

Due to the incessant complaints form my reader(s), I will attempt to speak about something other than cute, cute kittens. As you may know, we are thigh-deep in the CMJ Music Marathon, which has become one of the most despised events in my show-going calendar. So I'll complain about that now.

As I've whined before, what bugs me about this thing is its overkill, and how despite the hype, when I actually go to these shows, NO ONE seems to be there for the music. Okay, most of the bands playing suck, that's a given, so perhaps it's to some people's credit that they will stand there, talking loudly in front of the stage, while I vainly try to get the bartender's attention. But still, why are they there?

How many people actually buy those badges vs. get the free, through being in a CMJ band or related label? Those who get in for free have little vested interest in the proceedings. Sure, normally I'd wish that all shows be free, but here it backfires, with people stuffing themselves into small rooms and then not paying any attention to anything before heading off to another small, crowded room. Barely anybody seems to be there for the bands; indeed, if I had to judge I'd say the bulk of the people were there just to elbow me in ribs as they push past with their swag bags and Ketel One cocktails.

This year my feelings about CMJ are even more stark: whether by Providence or old-fogeyness, as I look through the listings, I am loath to find a single night of music I would want to attend. Okay, there's some okay stuff (Meat Puppets, Ruins, Sightings, Fresh Kills, Forms, Made in Mexico, Christopher Cross[!]) but who can enjoy even the decent bands when you're surrounded by morons?

Lucky for me, all I have to do is basically hold my breath for the next few days. Things will get back to normal, the good bands will start playing again. Speaking of which ... MOTICO (not to be confused with Modico) is finally off its ass and playing out at the end of the month.

Yeah, it's been a full year since we performed live, a fact that makes me feel like we stepped into a time machine or perhaps have been in a coma for the past 10 months or so. Yes, we had to move to our new digs, and yes, we spent a long time building the new practice room so we could continue to be the biggest cheapskates in the scene and not rent studio space. But even so, we should have been out there sooner.

Once the band room was ready, we got down there and tried to relearn the old songs. Once we worked that up, we realized that more than playing out, we hadn't written any new material in all the time, either. So we set about trying some new stuff, which further extended our absence. Now we're back with newer and better songs, fat-free but doesn't let you down in the flavor department.

Our first gig is (guess) at The Trash Bar, as usual, on Halloween night. Which is on a Wednesday. And we're going on last. Frankly, Halloween or not, this is not the best slot to be in, but it'll be good practice to be on a stage again.

The following week we'll be playing our first REAL show, on a Thursday (much better) at Goodbye Blue Monday, right here in Bushwick. The show will be free and the vibe will be low-pressure. The only thing that would make it better is if they had a full liquor license (only wine & beer), but perhaps I'm not ready yet for total nirvana. We're not totally sure when we're going on but we're trying ti finagle something on the earlier side. I will post when we know for sure. Please mark your diaries now, November 8th is approaching!

Labels: Bands, Motico

Over the weekend, we brought in Gladys' kittens for a heart-warming family reunion. WRONG. Gladys is totally sick of her kittens and growls at them whenever they come near. Apparently this is part of the process, she has to cut the apron strings for fear of making them mama's boys. But it's sad seeing them call to her and see her hiss like they were a pack of wolves.

There are 3 kittens in all, I fear the 4th kitten didn't make it as we haven't seen it in weeks. They appear to be about 3 months old, they're getting big but have had very little human interaction, so they're jumpy and distrustful. Except for the orange kitten.

He's been making great progress, he loves being petted and even jumped into my lap last night. His two tabby brothers, however, are not getting the idea just yet. I'm trying to get them to understand we're not a threat it's slow going. But they aren't cowering in the corners or anything; they are as underfoot as any house cat, they just scatter faster.

Flossie (pictured above impersonating a hard roll) has been hanging around a lot, prompting me to think it was time to take her to the Fixin' Station. But she went out one night and brought back two kittens to visit. One was a mostly-black calico, the other was a Russian Blue. Wow! They are about 6 weeks old and total badasses (they let me pet them but growled the whole time). They didn't stay but I'm hoping she keeps bringing them back, they should move fast off the adoption shelves.

Which is what we intend to do with Gladys' kittens as well. But I'm wondering if I should start pimping them out now, while they're still somewhat young. Are there people out there who want the challenge of taming semi-feral kittens? It's kind of a pain, but it's been rewarding, at least with the orange kitten. I fear that their chances for adoption drop significantly when they get to be full grown, so I'm keen on getting them out of the house toot sweet. This would be better in the long run anyway, since my taming might not stick when they have to go to a new house. I wish cats could understand English, so you could just explain why it's in their best interests to get with the program now!

Labels: Cats, Feral, kittens, Pets

The weather is starting to change and the local stray cat population is starting to go nuts. Maybe these events aren't related, but the cats I know around here have been getting goofy lately. Gladys is recovering nicely from her surgery/vaccinations, she's gone outside a couple of times but seems to be content to stay indoors (what a surprise). The resident cats know not to mess with her, lest they be subjected to piercing screeching. She may not like the other cats, but she rarely has to tell them twice to keep their distance.

But the otherwise-outdoor cats have all but built one of those things you put up against a castle wall to storm the gates or whatever. Flossie, who still is believed to have a litter in the parking lot across the street) comes to eat and never wants to leave. The gray tabby who we always mistake for Decatur has become bolder as well, and Gladys' 3 remaining kittens are getting especially intrusive.


The orange kitten crossed a behavioral threshold the other night, suddenly not only tolerating being petted, but coming up and asking for it. He's still skittish, but otherwise he's ready to be a house cat. His brothers are less advanced, but they see him getting scratched under the chin and are probably thinking about it. I feel bad for the most fearful of the three, he sits on the windowsill and cries at Gladys. But Gladys seems to have forgotten she ever had kittens, she barely looks at him. Luckily he has the companionship of his brothers to assuage his woes. I keep trying to explain to them that it's in their best interest to get tame right now since the younger they are, the better adoption-fodder they are. Even Gladys may be a hard sell, since she's an adult more or less, and Flossie will probably only appeal to people who have a soft spot for special needs cats, or old ladies (I mean, Flossie would be good for an old lady, not people who are into old ladies).

Anyway, I need to begin construction on some bad-weather cat shelters. Lucky for me, I live in a neighborhood literally surrounded by 99 Cent stores, so it shan't be hard to pick up some big storage bins. But I gotta relocate some of these cats to the back yard; I get enough needling from the neighborhood kids as it is without having the areaway full of cat condos (lately I've been getting "Dude! Kitty, kitty, kitty!" in my direction.)

I'm also doing other stuff, including but not limited to preparing for Motico's first shows since last year! Basically we're practicing a lot and I'm trying to find new stuff to add to my rig to cover up for my lack of proficiency.

Labels: Cats, Feral, kittens, Neighbors, Pets, Weather

Columbus Day unexpectedly aided in my dream of getting neighborhood cats fixed, I had planned to take the day off yesterday so I could take Gladys the stray cat to the Mobile Spay Unit, but it turned out I had the day off anyway! Hooray for imperialism and whatever they had that parade for!

Things went smoothly, I got there at 7 to make sure I would get a spot; I signed on as #16 on the list (max is 25). Gladys was very well-behaved, even in the presence of an excitable German Shepherd on line. When we arrived, the van hadn't arrived yet, so when it showed up we all had to follow it until it found a place to park. It took a good hour to get Gladys dropped off, but they finished quickly and I was allowed to pick her up at 12:30.

She was super loopy, wobbly head and falling down in the carrier a lot. I moved her to a small enclosed room, she seemed to be taking things well considering she had just had major surgery. She's been sleeping heavily since then, but is still very affectionate and demonstrative when we come to see her. She so wants to be a house cat, she's acting like getting locked in a room with nothing but a ratty old futon in it is the pinnacle of her life's work; she doesn't seem interested in leaving at all. We're trying not to be swayed by this attitude.

Next on the list will probably be Flossie (calico pictured above), but as you can see there are still lots more cats to deal with around here. This new kitten showed up the other night, we assumed it's the offspring of the gray tabby, but the kitten stuck around the house, sleeping under our stoop for the next couple of days. I don't think the kitten is more than a month old, I'm surprised it's being left alone like this. But maybe now negligent mother cats know they can abandon their children here with no consequences. I feel like Kevin Federline.

Labels: Cat Fixin', Cats, Feral, kittens, Strays

Whoa, what an annoying week! It's like a delayed reaction from getting back from the vacation. But the first week back was okay; this past week, however, has been horrendous. Things are cooling down again, but work continues to threaten to spill over into my personal life, if only because I am constantly haunted by the memory of the tedium even when I am home.

I take my revenge by hoarding office supplies, I'm taking home a bunch of hanging file folders to go in the ultra-cheep filing cabinets we bought at the Rite Aid. Our intention is to get our affairs in order so we actually know where all our important documents are. This will free up countless shoeboxes in the basement, which can then be used for diorama-building purposes.

Speaking of useless activities, MOTICO is about to renew its contract with America, we actually have a couple of shows booked in the near future. I suspect most people think we've broken up, but you see, that's exactly what we wanted you to think! Anyway, we're playing on Halloween at the Trash Bar, and on Nov. 8th at Goodbye Blue Monday. Hey, that'll be our first show in our neighborhood! Mark your calendars.

In cat news, Gladys' kittens are slowly becoming more comfortable around us. Yesterday a couple of them jumped inside the house and were scurrying around for a while. Most of the the time they stay on the window sill while I try to ply them with a string tied to a stick. The orange kitten will let me briefly pet him, so he'll likely be the first one to turn. Meanwhile, their Moms is totally trying to act the part of a house cat. To that end, on Monday I'm gonna get her fixed, as the Mobile Spay Unit will be back in the neighborhood. The kittens are old enough to be on their own now, so I don't think they'll miss her. This could be tricky, since she is still an outside/stray cat. But she comes by with such regularity I should be able to snag her Sunday night and keep her until the appointment. One by one, I will fix every cat on the block!

Labels: Bands, Cat Fixin', Cats, Feral, kittens, Motico, Pets, Strays