Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Only 2 Days Until National Feral Cat Day!

Only two days left until National Feral Cat Day!
If you're going to be in LA on Friday, October 16, check out my photos on display at the National Feral Cat Day art reception put on by Kitty Bungalow - Stray Art: Faces of FeralIt's happening at the Art District Downtown Photo Collective, 2432 E 8th St., from 6:00pm to 10:00pm.
While many dream of Christmas Day and Fourth of July, our students' favorite holiday is the upcoming National Feral Cat Day on October 16th.  As a 100% feral cat rescue, this day means a lot to our students, and you joining in the celebration will mean even more!
Our Annual Feral Cat Photography Gallery Event will be held this year at the Arts District Downtown Photo Collective! This event promises to be bigger and better then before, with more contributing artists, games, prizes, kittens, and crafted kitty cocktails!
Please join us for this special event on October 16th!  Mix and mingle, meet our current class of kittens, and share a drink with a friend. This is a free event. RSVP here!

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Frank Dillane in ‘Fear The Walking Dead’ more like Michael Hutchence in ‘Dogs In Space’

People keep comparing Frank Dillane to Johnny Depp, and I get that, but when I saw the opening scene of Fear the Walking Dead all I could think about was Michael Hutchence in Dogs in Space!


There are 12 videos up there, and none of them has quite enough of the scenes I wanted, but you should really just watch the movie anyway. Everyone should see it! 
The movie is set in Melbourne, in 1978. It is about a band called Dogs in Space, and a houseful of interesting characters. Hutchence plays Sam, the lead singer. His character was inspired by Sam Sejavka of The Ears.
The movie has some amazing music including The Ears, Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, and Marie Hoy (singing Shivers), to name a few.


Friday, July 24, 2015

Punk Rock Pre-School Is A Thing And I Want To Go - MTV

You have to go read the article, or at least see the really cool picture from the article that I wasn't able to post here.
So what exactly is Punk Rock Pre-School? Well, it’s basically a (lite) crash-course in the music business — mixed with all the usual fare kids learn before they head to kindergarten. Geller has written eight songs in total to teach the kids about everything from geography to currency.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Protect Your Pet this 4th of July

This is an excerpt from the Linda Blair Worldheart newsletter. Linda graciously granted me permission to re-post these important tips for keeping our pets safe this year. Thank you, Linda!

You can read the entire post here

Please go see their website and learn more about the incredible work they do for animals and how you can help!


Protect Your Pet this 4th of July

Follow these precautions to ensure a SAFE and HAPPY 4th of July:

  • Resist the urge to take your pet to fireworks displays.If possible, stay with the animal during the majority of the fireworks. They often react more intensely to loud sounds and flashes of lights when humans are not around.
  • Keep your pet indoors! Never leave pets outside unattended, even in a fenced yard or on a chain. In their fear, pets who normally wouldn't leave the yard may escape and become lost, or become entangled in their chain, risking injury or death.
  • Do not leave your pet in the car. With only hot air to breathe inside a car, your pet can suffer serious health effects-even death-in a few short minutes. Partially opened windows do not provide sufficient air, but they do provide an opportunity for your pet to be stole
  •  If you know that your pet is seriously distressed by loud noises like thunder, consult with your veterinarian before July 4th for ways to help alleviate the fear and anxiety he or she will experience during fireworks displays.
  • Always keep proper identification securely fastened to a dog's collars in case it gets out. Consider talking to your veterinarian about implanting a universal microchip.  Make sure your veterinary hospital and animal shelter have your correct contact information in their database.
  • Keep them away from the front and back doors. They may be under significant stress, which could result in unnecessary injury to others or cause them to dart out the door and become lost.
  • Create a special area or "den" in your home where dogs can feel safe. A properly introduced crate or kennel can be a calming refuge.  
  • Some dogs become destructive when frightened. If you don't use a crate, be sure to remove items from the room that they could destroy or would hurt them if chewed.  
  • Keep windows and curtains closed to reduce noise and bright flashes.
  • Turn on a TV or radio at normal volume to distract them from loud noises. 
  • Consider hiring a pet sitter to stay with the animal while you are away from home.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Jury Finds for Veteran in Service Dog Employment ADA Lawsuit

A federal jury ruled in favor of an Iraq War vet who sued his former employer by violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by refusing to allow him to bring his service dog to work for six months after he requested the “reasonable accommodation” and then treated him like dirt once they approved his request.
It is thought to be the first lawsuit of it’s kind in the U.S., but it is certainly not the last.
You can read more about it here and here and here.

Monday, March 2, 2015

Insomniacs and People Who Sleep Think Differently

I’ve noticed that there are two completely different ways of thinking for people who sleep through the night and people who don’t. I’ve noticed it a lot over the years, but most recently it struck me when I was reading this article about morning routines (which I was led to on this very excellent blog).  

It’s good advice, but WOW! This is written by someone who “sleeps” very differently to me. It’s a 24 minute routine, consisting of 6 steps, to set you up for a great and productive day. What really struck me were steps 1 and 2, in combination. Step one is to brush your teeth because saliva production reduces while you sleep and that lets bacteria grow wildly in your mouth. Then step two it to drink water.

That’s all good stuff, but the author notes that he prefers to drink water after the mouth cleaning because he doesn’t like the idea of pushing all that bacteria through his system. And that’s where things get a little silly for me.

Not that I disagree with the ick factor, but that it implies that you haven’t been sitting up and drinking water throughout the night! I keep a glass of water on my nightstand, and it’s not unusual for me to drink the entire glass, sometimes two or three glasses, between the time I go to bed and the time I get up in the morning.

I get up and do other things, too. I have to get up to pee several times most nights, even on the nights that I don’t drink much of the glass of water. Sometimes I need a snack. And I’ve learned that it’s better to go ahead and have that snack than to lay in bed unable to sleep for hours due to the anxiety brought on by low blood sugar.

In fact, I read that keeping a bit of cheese on your nightstand so you can roll over and eat it before you’re totally awake, can help you get right back to sleep and possibly avoid long bouts of sleeplessness. So of course I tried it, and it really did help, but it’s a bit complicated when you sleep with cats and/or dogs.

Another thing that boggles my mind is the bedtime routine. First of all, the very idea of a bedtime is absolutely ridiculous to someone like me. Second, performing a set of tasks immediately before trying to sleep is the most counterproductive thing I’ve ever heard of!

Why? Because I have to slip into sleep, trick myself into sleep, or just fucking pass out! My best chance is reading myself to sleep, and even that can take hours if I’m not sleepy to begin with.

Here’s how it works. I do whatever I’m doing, whether it’s email, blogging, or (rarely) watching TV, until I feel myself getting sleepy. Then I move myself to the bedroom with as little activity as possible, so as not to wake myself up any more than absolutely necessary. I slide into the bed, and read until I start dozing off. At that point, if I’m lucky, I turn off my book and slide it under my pillow without waking myself up so much that I can’t keep drifting off. If I’m not lucky I have to get up and go pee, then read some more until I start drifting off again.
No matter how exhausted I am, the entire process of going to sleep can take hours. And then the actual sleeping part may not last very long before I wake up and have to start the process over again.


At least I’ve figured out one thing. If I want to implement a “bedtime routine” I have to shift my thinking and call it an “evening routine”. Something to be done and completed long before I start the process of actually getting into bedtime mode.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

The Natural History of the Cat - Alley Cat Allies

Did you know that just 60 years ago, few cats lived entirely indoors at all? In fact, for more than 10,000 years, cats have lived outdoor lives, sharing the environment with birds and wildlife. Understanding cats’ place in history and human evolution reveals how very recently domestic cats came indoors and how millions of this species—feral cats—continue to live healthy lives outdoors today, as all domestic cats are biologically adapted to do.
Please read more at:



The Natural History of the Cat - Alley Cat Allies:



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