diff --git a/interface/src/Application.cpp b/interface/src/Application.cpp
index 8a7a5c610a..0bbd2b1c17 100644
--- a/interface/src/Application.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/Application.cpp
@@ -3064,7 +3064,6 @@ void Application::updateCamera(RenderArgs& renderArgs, float deltaTime) {
     auto myAvatar = getMyAvatar();
     boomOffset = myAvatar->getModelScale() * myAvatar->getBoomLength() * -IDENTITY_FORWARD;
 
-    //qCDebug(interfaceapp) << "boom offset" << boomOffset;
     // The render mode is default or mirror if the camera is in mirror mode, assigned further below
     renderArgs._renderMode = RenderArgs::DEFAULT_RENDER_MODE;
 
@@ -3075,12 +3074,10 @@ void Application::updateCamera(RenderArgs& renderArgs, float deltaTime) {
         _thirdPersonHMDCameraBoomValid= false;
         if (isHMDMode()) {
             mat4 camMat = myAvatar->getSensorToWorldMatrix() * myAvatar->getHMDSensorMatrix();
-            //qCDebug(interfaceapp) << "camera 1rst translation hmd " << extractTranslation(camMat);
             _myCamera.setPosition(extractTranslation(camMat));
             _myCamera.setOrientation(glmExtractRotation(camMat));
         }
         else {
-            //qCDebug(interfaceapp) << "camera 1rst translation desktop " << myAvatar->getDefaultEyePosition();
             _myCamera.setPosition(myAvatar->getDefaultEyePosition());
             _myCamera.setOrientation(myAvatar->getMyHead()->getHeadOrientation());
         }
@@ -3102,7 +3099,6 @@ void Application::updateCamera(RenderArgs& renderArgs, float deltaTime) {
 
             _myCamera.setOrientation(glm::normalize(glmExtractRotation(worldCameraMat)));
             _myCamera.setPosition(extractTranslation(worldCameraMat));
-            //qCDebug(interfaceapp) << "camera translation 3rd hmd " << extractTranslation(worldCameraMat);
         }
         else {
             _thirdPersonHMDCameraBoomValid = false;
@@ -3116,7 +3112,6 @@ void Application::updateCamera(RenderArgs& renderArgs, float deltaTime) {
                 _myCamera.setPosition(myAvatar->getDefaultEyePosition()
                     + myAvatar->getWorldOrientation() * boomOffset);
             }
-            qCDebug(interfaceapp) << "camera translation 3rd desktop " << (myAvatar->getDefaultEyePosition() + _myCamera.getOrientation() * boomOffset);
         }
     }
     else if (_myCamera.getMode() == CAMERA_MODE_MIRROR) {
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
index 9971f90bd6..8ba0841196 100755
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MyAvatar.cpp
@@ -1704,10 +1704,8 @@ glm::vec3 MyAvatar::getSkeletonPosition() const {
         // The avatar is rotated PI about the yAxis, so we have to correct for it
         // to get the skeleton offset contribution in the world-frame.
         const glm::quat FLIP = glm::angleAxis(PI, glm::vec3(0.0f, 1.0f, 0.0f));
-        //qCDebug(interfaceapp) << "position third person " << getWorldPosition();
         return getWorldPosition() + getWorldOrientation() * FLIP * _skeletonOffset;
     }
-    //qCDebug(interfaceapp) << "position first person " << Avatar::getWorldPosition();
     return Avatar::getWorldPosition();
 }
 
@@ -1992,7 +1990,11 @@ void MyAvatar::initHeadBones() {
         neckJointIndex = _skeletonModel->getFBXGeometry().neckJointIndex;
     }
     if (neckJointIndex == -1) {
-        return;
+        neckJointIndex = (_skeletonModel->getFBXGeometry().headJointIndex - 1);
+        if (neckJointIndex < 0) {
+            //return if the head is not even there. can't cauterize!!
+            return;
+        }
     }
     _headBoneSet.clear();
     std::queue<int> q;
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/MySkeletonModel.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/MySkeletonModel.cpp
index 86085798ab..0fc5e7521e 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/MySkeletonModel.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/MySkeletonModel.cpp
@@ -95,9 +95,7 @@ void MySkeletonModel::updateRig(float deltaTime, glm::mat4 parentTransform) {
 
     // make sure lookAt is not too close to face (avoid crosseyes)
     glm::vec3 lookAt = head->getLookAtPosition();
-    //qCDebug(interfaceapp) << "look at " << lookAt;
     glm::vec3 focusOffset = lookAt - _owningAvatar->getHead()->getEyePosition();
-    //qCDebug(interfaceapp) << "focus offset " << focusOffset;
     float focusDistance = glm::length(focusOffset);
     const float MIN_LOOK_AT_FOCUS_DISTANCE = 1.0f;
     if (focusDistance < MIN_LOOK_AT_FOCUS_DISTANCE && focusDistance > EPSILON) {
@@ -115,8 +113,6 @@ void MySkeletonModel::updateRig(float deltaTime, glm::mat4 parentTransform) {
     glm::mat4 avatarToWorldMatrix = createMatFromQuatAndPos(myAvatar->getWorldOrientation(), myAvatar->getWorldPosition());
     glm::mat4 sensorToWorldMatrix = myAvatar->getSensorToWorldMatrix();
     params.rigToSensorMatrix = glm::inverse(sensorToWorldMatrix) * avatarToWorldMatrix * rigToAvatarMatrix;
-    //qCDebug(interfaceapp) << "AVATAR: " << avatarToWorldMatrix;
-    //qCDebug(interfaceapp) << "SENSOR " << sensorToWorldMatrix;
 
     // input action is the highest priority source for head orientation.
     auto avatarHeadPose = myAvatar->getControllerPoseInAvatarFrame(controller::Action::HEAD);
@@ -286,7 +282,6 @@ void MySkeletonModel::updateRig(float deltaTime, glm::mat4 parentTransform) {
     eyeParams.leftEyeJointIndex = geometry.leftEyeJointIndex;
     eyeParams.rightEyeJointIndex = geometry.rightEyeJointIndex;
 
-    //qCDebug(interfaceapp) << "right eye index is  " << geometry.leftEyeJointIndex;
     _rig.updateFromEyeParameters(eyeParams);
 
     updateFingers();
diff --git a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.cpp b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.cpp
index 07d1edcabb..69356cdfaa 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars-renderer/src/avatars-renderer/Avatar.cpp
@@ -169,8 +169,6 @@ AABox Avatar::getBounds() const {
         // approximately 2m tall, scaled to user request.
         return AABox(getWorldPosition() - glm::vec3(getModelScale()), getModelScale() * 2.0f);
     }
-    //float temp = _skeletonModel->getRenderableMeshBound().getLargestDimension();
-    //qCDebug(animation) << " largest bounding box dimension " << temp;
     return _skeletonModel->getRenderableMeshBound();
 }
 
@@ -1777,7 +1775,6 @@ void Avatar::buildUnscaledEyeHeightCache() {
     // Sanity check by looking at the model extents.
     Extents meshExtents = _skeletonModel->getUnscaledMeshExtents();
     float meshHeight = meshExtents.size().y;
-    //qCDebug(animation) << "mesh height " << meshHeight << " skeleton height " << skeletonHeight;
 
     // if we determine the mesh is much larger then the skeleton, then we use the mesh height instead.
     // This helps prevent absurdly large avatars from exceeding the domain height limit.
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp
index 80a9c5ccae..b5b8c039a1 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/CauterizedModel.cpp
@@ -139,6 +139,8 @@ void CauterizedModel::updateClusterMatrices() {
             glm::vec4(0.0f, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f));
         auto cauterizeMatrix = _rig.getJointTransform(geometry.neckJointIndex) * zeroScale;
 
+        // qCDebug(renderutils) << "cauterize matrix: " << cauterizeMatrix;
+
         for (int i = 0; i < _cauterizeMeshStates.size(); i++) {
             Model::MeshState& state = _cauterizeMeshStates[i];
             const FBXMesh& mesh = geometry.meshes.at(i);
diff --git a/libraries/shared/src/shared/Camera.cpp b/libraries/shared/src/shared/Camera.cpp
index c80e14d87c..787b7bfb1a 100644
--- a/libraries/shared/src/shared/Camera.cpp
+++ b/libraries/shared/src/shared/Camera.cpp
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 //
 
 #include "Camera.h"
-//#include "../SharedLogging.h"
 
 /**jsdoc
  * <p>Camera modes affect the position of the camera and the controls for camera movement. The camera can be in one of the