Press paws on this pet project: Boston bands replace musical instruments with cats

Yesterday Boston writer Michelle Buchman passed along a Sports Balls Replaced By Cats tumblr that found many mates on the ol' pitch playing around with kitty instead of that big round thing. Unlike Aston Villa, it was a huge success.

But it seemed Michelle and I had the first thought for a sequel: replacing musical instruments with cats, and allowing Boston to be the first in feline line. Whiskey and boredom is rarely this positive and productive.

Bent Shapes, Quilt, the Field Effect, Speedy Ortiz, Mutual Benefit, Emily Reo, and of course, Michelle -- this meow's for you.

So inspired by my new favorite tumblr, Sports Balls Replaced With Cats (which I will probably forget exists tomorrow) I took some of my favorite Massachusetts area bands and replaced their musical instruments with cats (and one dog, because I like dogs too. Sue me.) Enjoy, everyone. I’m glad my Wednesday evening drinking whisky and photoshopping was well spent.

Kitten in tiny hat gets smacked up

Well, this is no doubt the best thing on the Internet today.

See more funny videos and Cute Animals Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Happy birthday, Lola

My dearest daughter, the only woman I'l ever truly love, turns 3 years old today. I remember the day Amanda and I brought her home like it was yesterday. Some much, useless and otherwise, has transpired since then, but my oh my where does the time go? LOLApalooza in effect all day today. xo.

Lola helps decorate the Christmas Tree

We have the most epic Christmas Tree I've ever seen currently perched within the LTD living room (no to mention the most fun decorating party ever), and it all began with the help of the Lolabear. Our Christmas Tree Ornament Death Toll has stalled at 1, but a (unwinnable) war has been waged against tinsel.



For real though, look at this god damn tree...

Lola vs Mouse

Wrong way, Mickey.

"How to tell if your cat is plotting to kill you"

I don't have a source for this (stolen from Facebook*), but I'm still feeling lazy/busy and I kind of suspect Lola of plotting my death lately. Also, I kinda want that first cat pic with the skull and crossbones thought bubble as a tattoo. Huh. Click to enlarge for full-effect, and by full-effect I mean actual ability to read it. (* If you want to claim it, go right ahead...)

Lola turns 2 on Sunday!

We're celebrating the birth of my little kitty-cat, Lolabear "Beanz" Stringbean, who just turned 2 years old. Sunday's party will involve traditional Whole Foods tuna steak, a new scratching post and PediPaws. I'm 30 years old, by the way.

NYTimes: dudes <3 cats

So the NYTimes goes "all the news that's fit to purr" today and tells the world it's OK for a bloke to love his kitty. Naturally, Slate is all over it.

Why wasn't I consulted for this? Or was Lola contacted for a comment and never told me? She's been kinda bitchy lately (and very mouthy) but we think it has to do with the suddenly neon pink bedroom walls and my refusal to let her play with her new friend, Mr Q-Tip.

Lola Worship, Vol. 23,567,895

Been a while, so... Taken in the past week or so at Le Barrows.

No bathtime!

The Lolabear was getting pretty dirty and scuzzy living it up in the wretched pit known as Le Barrows, so it was high time for a kitty bath last night. Armed with rubber gloves, cat shampoo, a hysterically laughing Terence and a warm, inviting tub, this 8-minute exercise in futility was, surprisingly, a moderate success. Lola got clean, but vengeful. She refused to sleep in my bed last night, and for the first time since moving into the new crib in September, she didn't accompany me into the bathroom for my morning routine. As Morrissey once said, "My cat holds more grudges / Than lonely high court judges." Just look at the DEATH STARE I got last night:



But now she's all clean and furry, and hopefully I won't have a mouse tail sitting on my pillow when I return home. Lola can have a pretty bad attitude sometimes (I blame her mother), so we'll see what awaits me at home. I'm prety sure it won't be love.

Lola's first birthday! (In pictures)

Little Miss Lolabears had her first birthday over the weekend, and a small group congregated at Le Barrows to sing Happy Birthday and watch her dine on the finest tuna steak Whole Foods had to offer. It was a very posh soiree, as one guest put it, and will be just a glimpse of what Lola Day 2008 will encompass this summer.


Lola knew what was up, and started creepin as soon as the tuna cakes were finished.


This is probably the fanciest shit I've ever made.


Lola is not impressed with birthday candles.


But she soon chowed down...


...And proceeded to pass the fuck out afterwards. Sleeeeepy caaaaat!

Snow Day

In a bedroom chock-full of misery, depression and holiday anxiety, watching Lola marvel at the snow this morning was maybe the best thing I've witnessed all season.

A rare peek into Cat City

One of my many projects at the Barrows has been the construction and documentation of Cat City, a utopian feline society of paws and whiskers rivaled by only the most ambitious projects of Dubai. That’s all I can really say about this Top Secret development, but I can reveal three screen shots from pivotal scenes early this morning.

Lola

So it's been a fairly rough week, with the Editors bassist controversy, a near fist-fight with a Store 24 clerk and Day 12 of the realization that life is completely different again. So while I jumped in bed at 6:30pm yesterday never to re-emerge from my bedroom, I awoke with my pet kitten (she's now about 7 months old, still a kitten?) named Lola cuddling up with me. Really, that's all it took to snap out of this funk and realize life is... in fact... better than it was a month ago.

I raise a glass to the best lady in my life, the one and only Miss Lola Bear String Bean!