Friday, Feb. 28th - Tonite is the BIG GIRL HARBOR show, and i feel a little unprepared. Not musically (i even have my spare bass at the office if i feel like practicing), but wardrobe-wise. I went to pick up my nice shoes today at the shoe repair place - after being told on Wednesday to come back - and they're still not done ...

And so with that, this page is full. See you next month ...

Wednesday, Feb. 26th - Headline of the Day

4:38pm - Other Headline of the Day

>From: GIRL HARBOR
>Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 13:53:49 -0500 (EST)
>To: It's Jens!
>Subject: (none)
>
> jens,
>
> I think you and your obsession with Ke-ri has forever ruined our lives! no guestbook...that's
> sad. I think it's time for you to address this matter in the next news/photo of the week
> (the photo could be Keri) and you can tell the whole story and come clean about just being a fan
> (and not the inventor). you can then say that we also don't own any weapons of mass destruction and challenge
> Ker-ri to a televised debate. I thought it was funny at first myself, but now it is just weird and annoying ...
> alright, it's still a bit funny.
> ga
>

----------

From: It's Jens!
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 11:09:33 -0800 (PST)
To: GIRL HARBOR
Subject: Re: Ke

Keeping in James' "never explain, never apologize" approach to the band (and life), i'm pretty tempted
to leave it a non-issue. That sux about the guestbook, until i realized that no one has really signed it
lately, and those who did were in response to the whole Ke-Ri business anyway. So, what do we even need
a guestbook for? Besides, i'm somewhat flattered that people think we are clever enough to come up with it
as a marketing ploy, ergo, making it a let-down to fess up that we didn't. James once mentioned
he wishes we thought of it. If no one knows we didn't, what's really the difference?

Mis dos centavos. We'll discuss further tonite, if y'all want.

J-C

Monday, Feb. 24th - A pleasant, but uneventful day. I, after not buying anything on e-bay for almost a year, broke down and bid on a vinyl copy of Steely Dan's "Dallas", sung by their late, not-so-great drummer Jim Hodder! Only four days to go. Now, no fair bidding against me ...

Saturday, Feb. 22nd - Rainy, rainy day. Rain mixing with inches of left-over slush (+) girlfriend in Philly (-) work (=) nice day to stay inside and update the website. Unfortunately, i don't feel much like writing today. I've spent most of the day trying to download songs from the new Ramones tribute album, only to be repeatedly foiled, probably by the record label, who will upload versions that will cut out half-way through and such, just to frustrate one's attempts to shanghai free music. There's probably a name for this practice that i'm not privvy to yet, maybe something like "dorking" or "juking," or perhaps even "foiling." If anyone knows the correct term (if it exists), please lemme know, as this is what made downloading the new Snoop Dogg such a pain in the ass. Anyway, some of the Ramones Tribute tracks sound surprisingly good too, especially Tom Waits' "The Return of Jackie and Judy" and The Pretenders' "Something to Believe In." Seriously! And so, now, i'm considering buying it. Double foiled. Maybe i'll wait and buy it used. The ironic part i'm just now realizing, of course, is that i played the damn record release party for the thing at Arlene's - and had COVER ME BADD learn three songs for it - and i didn't even come away with a copy. Instead i got a t-shirt from the event, which is nice, but all they had was XL. "I played the Ramones Tribute Release and all i got was this lousy t-shirt." Man, am i ever digressing today.

I also finally made it all the way through all 7:47 of Sun Ra's "Nuclear War" for the first time today. It's that kinda day.

Anyhoo, i got Jeff's camera back from him, and retrieved some long lost pictures for your info-tainment. Enjoy.

Is it me, or is BABY DAYLINER starting to look more and more like VANILLA ICE?
Not that Roz seems to mind ...

Scenes from a recent recording session
Drew thinks were "#1!"

It's funny about Karen, and about love. You'll have to pardon me, but i'm scatting a little bit here. I love her, in case it wasn't obvious. We've had that talk, and all is swell. But, it's still a lot to comprehend. Any talk of it here will come across as cliche, to be sure. And, much like being drunk or dreaming, being in love tends to be a state of mind only interesting to the participants. But, it's love. We disagree a lot, and we're probably going to fight a lot. She's very emotional, and i, as you know, can't resist antagonizing emotional people, even at my age. Our tastes and outlooks on life are very different. We hate each other's taste in music, even though we like each other's bands. We're both very stubborn. Put another way, i think i've met my match. She's in Philly today, and i miss her and i worry about her traveling in this awful weather. I hope she's gonna be okay. She'll be okay, right? Yeesh. And it's not even that it's scary, just overwhelming. I like staring into her eyes, specifically her left one. I like eating breakfast with her. I like talking about Brazil with her. I don't know where i'm going with all this, but i guess i don't really need to go anywhere. I'd say be happy for me, but my hunch is that you already are. How about this: i'll just try from here on in to gross you out as little as possible. Done. I guess i *did* feel like writing today ...

Lasty, i would come up with some sort of clever caption here, but i'm starving.
I'm going to get a sandwich.

Thursday, Feb. 20th - Well, now what. I just got finished with the second of my two big projects at work, and that's always an anti-climactic feeling. A. because there's definitely a tendency to throw in a bunch of last minute crap you don't really like, in hopes that it flies, and 2. because you never know when you are gonna get stuck with some last minute change. But the late nights and homework-filled weekends seem to be gone for now. Ah. Maybe i'll write some of my friends, finally.

Today, i eschewed my normal lunch at Manhattan Heroes to chew a meatball sub from the Don Pepi Pizza in Penn Station. In fact, a co-worker just asked where i got it. I ordered the same sub right before Karen and i took the train up to Boston. I love hanging out at Penn Station, for some strange reason. I like walking past the LIRR terminals, looking at the maps and schedules, the big boards with all the information. I like all the pretzel vendors, and sometimes i get my coffee from the Dunkin Donuts. I go into the Hudson News stands and look at magazines. I like how big and dim and kinda dumpy it is. I like seeing all the commuters running around or waiting. And now i like the meatball subs.

I'm clearly writing just to write now - which isn't entirely bad - but i think i'll just wait until i actually have something to say before resuming. This may take a coupla days.

Tuesday, Feb. 18th - Today is the day after Presidents' Day, the day you return all the crappy gifts you got for Presidents' Day. At least if you can in the nearly 2 feet of snow outside. Yesterday is currently the 4th largest snowfall (19.8") on record in NYC, but it may have snowed enough during the morning to vault it into 3rd, ahead of 1996 (20.2"). I hope so. It was cool to run around with the new dame last nite, through the big drifts begging for impromptu snow angels, looking at cars that were completely buried in snow, and for stores that were actually open to buy food for dinner. We managed to get a movie (the extremely recommendable Y Tu Mama Tambien) and a bottle of wine (the also recommendable 2001 Turning Leaf Cabarnet Sauvignon (sp?)) for us to indulge in on the couch last nite. But, alas, there's work to do, and the subways are running just fine, so, inspite of overwhelming temptation to lie and say i got stuck in Boston, i'm in the office today, finding ways to stall before having to look at this damn John Mayer video *again.*

I have the funniest temporary tattoo on my bicep. The new dame bought it out of a vending machine yesterday on our long trip back to NYC. It's of a lunging tiger, leaping thru the coils of a dragon. Fuckin' sweet, dude. Don't fuck with me! I bought a sticker out of the same machine, and it was of a non-specific Latin girl on a glittery background and it read "Brown Eyes." I almost collapsed when i read it. *Sigh.* Being in love rules. I gave it to Karen - who is of Brazilian descent and has brown eyes, of course - to put on her Danelectro bass, but she accidentally left it in the back of her brother's car. Aw.

The problem with this John Mayer video, you see, is not only is it wincingly-cheesy yuppie singer-songwriter garbage to begin with, but VH1 has instructed us in no uncertain terms to not make any reference to his recently busted relationship with the busty-but-seemingly-universally-reviled Jennifer Love Hewitt. John, apparently is "very sensitive" and since he's going to be a "major" artist with VH1 this year and years to come, well, we just can't really discuss it. At all. Ugh. You know, i wonder just how much trouble i'd be in if anyone from VH1 ever read this. Anyway, this is all akin to how another yuppie music hero, Ryan Adams will have people thrown out of concerts for calling out for Bryan Adams' songs. Now, ironically, there was a short time when every week, at the ol' COVER ME BADD gig, people would shout out for Bryan Adams songs all the time, knowing we didn't know any. Never bothered us. And so, it would seem, success makes people into overly-sensitive insecure little pricks, who rightly fear in the backs of their small, narrow minds that they are overrated frauds who will someday be washed up with no one to anymore indulge their ridiculously demanding impulses. Enjoy it while you can, fellows.

Sorry 'bout that. I just think censorship is so damn un-American ...

Friday, Feb. 14th - I'm not sure if this is good or bad, but between my workload, my new dame and band stuff, i've been way too busy to think about NYC under the threat of terrorism. I guess i'm a bit of a fatalist, or maybe ignorance is bliss, but i'm having a hard time getting very unraveled about our current tense situation. I've had a pilot to write this week after all, and it looks like VH1 is going to pick it up, meaning more work for yours truly. Besides - and we all know that i never lived here in the 70s - wasn't NYC once considered terrifying on a nightly basis? People afraid to ride trains, people afraid to go out at night, people afraid of one another. Duct tape sure as hell wasn't going to save you from any of that. And, so, a helicopter is hovering over Penn Station, right outside my window, but i know this is just because there was a fire there, caused by an errant cable and an electric rail. The problem is, i bet a lot of people *don't* know that. And so more paranoia, i bet. It starts when you're always afraid.

Last nite was pretty funny; i left here at around 7, just a coupla minutes after a PUV staffer *very* calmly informed us that a friend of a friend of one of his friend's wife's brother, or something, works for the anti-terror dept. of the NYPD and said that something was *definitely* going down in the subways that nite. This rattled a few cages, except for me, either too dim or Pollyannish to ever think something like that could ever happen to me. Especially since my commute lately has consisted of the V train to the G train, the two most under-utilized trains in the system. Needless to say, i got home fine, and so did everyone. Yeesh. I thought New Yorkers were supposed to be unshakable.

Me, i'm not even afraid of celebrating Valentine's Day for the first time since, what, when i was dating Tina? Actually, i remember going out once with Robin to a French restaurant. This is right after she bleached her hair. I remember loving her hair, but not really liking dinner. She was never the sentimental, Valentine's Day type. I'm not so sure Karen is necessarily, either, but i think we both at least find it pretty novel. Plus, i think we just like getting dressed up and going out, regardless of what nite it is. So, it should work out, especially if i stumble by a flower shop en route.

It's now 5:20 pm, and i'm splitting early to get ready for my big date. I like my chances tonite, too. Anyway, this has been Jens Carstensen, reminding you to not live in fear, and wishing you a happy Valentine's Day, if you go for that sort of thing.

Wednesday, Feb. 12th - Busy day. First of all, check out this rad photo of my band:

Photo: someone at the Block Magazine Holiday Party

Secondly, here's an early candidate for the "Ironic Juxtaposition of Headlines" Award for 2003,
courtesy of today's Daily News. I bet Zack made note of this.

And now She-ri, Marc Levitt's girlfriend, weighs in further on the merits, or lack thereof, of The PASTA PRO!...

I was flattered to play the role of the evil villain.

I have to tell you the whole reason for my dislike of the pasta pro that you may have missed that night.

While I too think the idea is ingenious. It has one fatal flaw...The holes for the colander are always open. When you turn the handle to lock the lid on it would be so simple to have a sliding piece that covers the holes but alas for $19.99 they skimped out. Too bad because now we have to have two pots, one for cooking pasta and one for cooking everything else that needs a lid to "steam" like rice, vegetables, etc.

So there is still hope you could fix this fatal flaw and be the man behind the greatest invention ever....one pot for everything. Just think of the possibilities!

And yes, red is a great color.

Tuesday, Feb. 11th - You know, there are few things i love more than the realization of an obviously simple idea that somehow no one has managed to come up with before. If you think this statement is leading into a big, breathless screed about The RAMONES, you'd be right for thinking that, but you'd also be wrong. No, in fact, in a Monday nite filled with high-lights, perhaps none made more impact than The PASTA PRO! Specifically, Marc Levitt's The PASTA PRO!, which he brought to the COVER ME BADD gig last nite. It's a snappy invention, and ridiculously simple: a pasta pot whose lid doubles as a caulinder. Marc first saw an informercial on it, but managed to resist buying it. UNTIL he got spammed *twice* with ads for The PASTA PRO!, at which point he finally broke down and bought it. So, while sitting at a table in back after the show, he took it out of the box and showed us all its handy features, all while his girlfriend Sheri struggled to not roll her eyes. I asked Marc if he eats a lot of pasta, but mostly he just seemed to be impressed with the invention itself. Something tells me he's going to make a great dad someday. I mentioned there should be a The PASTA PRO! Jr., a smaller one for one-portion meals, and Sheri exclamined with mock excitement "Oh! It's in there!" And, best of all: it's red.

1:19pm Addendenenum - Lunchtime sighting of the day: a lady with a "Lose Weight Now! Ask Me How!" badge on her jacket, eating french fries at Ranch1.

Sunday, Feb. 9th - Recording with Drew went very well today. We did two songs for a comp that The GIRAFFES are putting out, featuring us, them, BEAUTY SUPPLY (neither of which have recorded yet), The VITAMEN (who's stuff turned out great), BLACK CAT REVOLVER (likewise), The FEAST (bearable) and TRIS McCALL (quite nice). One of the songs we selected involved us recording (separately) a really goofy, Sabbath-y fuzz bass intro, and we decided it would be good to have a bunch of peripheral noise while i did the take. So, because Drew has porn movies constantly running in his studio, we turned the sound on the TV up, James and Greg kicked some percussion around the room, Drew stumbled in and threw a box, and Jeff laughed and screamed, all while i was "rocking." It turned out pretty hilarious, and really frightening. I can hardly wait 'till it comes out, and at this rate, it ought to be ready by, like, the end of the summer. (addendenenum, 2/10 - I forgot to mention Drew complaining one not-aforementioned band on the comp was "dook.")

I have some great pictures from the session too, as well as some good photos from the BABY DAYLINER show last nite, but Jeff has the camera, so you'll all just have to wait. Besides, i have work to do, if i can stay awake ...

It's actually supposed to snow *again* tonite ...

It sure has been snowing a lot lately.

Saturday, Feb. 8th - This "working at home" routine has been a farce. Last nite i was supposed to "work at home", but instead i went to bed at 11:30. Guess i needed the sleep. I was gonna "work at home" this morning, too, but i slept until 11:30. ibid. And so, after showing Jesse and Greg of COVER ME BADD (and other, lesser bands) a few RAMONES songs for Monday, i high-tailed it home - picking up some delicious chicken/coconut soup and the world's best calamari from Thai Cafe en route - to "work at home", but instead watched some of the Flyers/Rangers game on TV, then decided to update the website. Geez, that was a long sentence. Anyway, the day someone pays me to write this instead of that damn TV show, well, i'll learn some editing skills.

Well, Klewski, it went quite nicely. Or, at least we got a ton of photos. Actually, i myself had an off nite, perhaps due to my repeated dropping of my pick, due to my repeated drinking of sake over dinner. James' parents were in town, and were nice enough to take us all out for sushi. I got the "Suki Roll", a delightful combination of octopus and crab meat which i loudly referred to as the "sucky roll." I've also been designated by James' dad to come up with an acronym for a fake advocacy group that is against government safety regulations on home electronic items (this requires way too much explanation to get into here). Anyhoo, we were expecting some "industry types" at the show; whether they actually showed is beyond me. I'm the last to find out about these things. The good news is we have plenty of ...

Pictures of rock and couples and stuff

James w/new guitar

Jeffrey w/old guitar

The shadowy Jens

Rock!

Buckin' for the ol' shoe contract

This was a very exciting show.

I'm goofy

Greg and Kat

Little does Anne know she's already had her picture taken.

Hilary clearly objects to something. Nonetheless, i'm glad she and Tris came.

James and Gregory are ready to deal with the industry types.

Jeff and Whitney are ready to deal with each other.

"Before"

Tuesday, Feb. 4th - I saw this article today, and it was like a sad little stake going through my 7 train-riding heart. But, that's progress for you. I think i might even buy one of those scrolling signs ...

Fan Art
from Rose Country Wawee
(a.k.a. Ms. Margarita Salaverria)

I should put this on the GIRL HARBOR site,
but she sent it to me, so it's mine now.

Monday, Feb. 3d - Crap, is it February already? Christ. I've been working a lot. I'm in a good mood for a change, as April and i have gotten a lot accomplished today. So, i took a brief walk this realtively balmy afternoon. I'm enjoying some sushi from the walk-up window on 7th Ave., and i bought some Cepacol tablets for my tonsilitis that just won't go away. And i'm writing. Boy, time flies. It won't be long before the weather is nice again. In tribute to that, i've included a sexy, sexy photo that Alex Petti took of me at Coney Island last summer. Okay, so it's a pretty limp excuse to be so self-aggrandizing. But it's a nice photo. You'll also note i decided to do away with the "date bar" at the top. I thought it'd be a neat idea, but ultimately, it was pretty useless. Everything else has been updated, tho (including a few important items on the calendar), so make sure you check out all the new stuff. And sign the damn guestbook for a change ... This sushi isn't very good.