Sometimes, I am made of awesome

QUITE LIKE THESE COOKIES:

OMG they were amazing. I've been more-than-is-healthy obsessed with Smitten Kitchen for the past few days. Her argument about how 97% of things are better homemade than what you pay $4.00 for at Starbucks or Mrs. Fields is absolutely true. Splittin' 'em with The Blonde, and bringin some to work tomorrow before flyin' up to Portland for The Big's wedding.

Yes. Of course I'm going to hit Powell's Books. Don't ask stupid questions.

It's HOLMES homes! (Sorry)

You know that feeling you get when you've got work and life and friends and the gym and all you want to do is go. back. to. your. book?

No? JUST ME THEN.

The Russell Holmes mysteries make me so happy, I geek out. The series is about Sherlock Holmes' wife: how she met him in the early days of the Great War, and their marriage in the 20s. The character is wickedly aberbic and rabidly intelligent, and gives Holmes a run for his money. I enjoy her immensely. This is the latest book, just out in April:

I spent about an hour at Crepes on Cole tonight with a strawberry-nutella crepe and a pot of English Breakfast, completely blissed out.

That's the sweetness.

Movie Review: The Losers

Any one else would be dead by now? That's the tagline?

AUTOMATIC HEADS UP THIS MOVIE WILL BE AWESOME.

I love movies that don't take themselves too seriously. There are explosions, there are witty one liners, there are guns, there's even a crossbow. HELL THERE IS A REFERENCE TO PIRATES.

What's not to like? You HAVE to go into a movie like this without any expectations. Not even the expectation that you will be pleasantly entertained. I was worried, because the trailers attached to this movie included Step Up 3D and The Takers, a movie starring BOTH Paul Walker and Hayden Christensen. I don't really think anything else needs to be said.

Anyway...The Losers. Poorly thought-out plot? Check. Weak villain that backed by the US government? Check. Bazooka? Check. Wildly enjoyable? Check.

Totally win for a Wednesday night.

Go Petunias.

Tuesday is Music Day!

"A stroke, you unbrookable ninny. The only stroke I have ever had is one of genius!!" - Mr. Edward Magorium.

Recently, I had a stroke of UNMITIGATED GENIUS. I decided to take guitar lessons. I have had a classical guitar in my possession for a few years now, but have never really learned how to play it. Sure, I say I am "trying to teach myself guitar" but let's get real here. If you want to learn an instrument, it takes discipline. It takes practice. It takes the guilt and the threat of potential embarassment of showing up to class without having practiced and TOTALLY SUCKING.

Needless to say, I needed the structure a class could provide.

Enter Zambaleta. This place is awesome team. If you live ANYWHERE in San Francisco, I strongly encourage you to check it out. It's got everything from Guitar 1 to Turkish singing to yoga to Haitian Kanaval dance.

It's so affordable that even I can handle it. In 5 classes I can pretty much play this:

• Mad World by Gary Jules

More Gary Jules music on iLike

TOMORROW I PLAY THIS:

Ok, not really. BUT THAT WOULD BE PRETTY SWEET.

Kirk out.

Notes from Today (and possibly earlier)

I offer the following:

For your edification:

On another note:

I've been OBSESSED with this video (and kinetic typography in general) for a while. Love.

Finally, a scene from our sponsors:

Roommate I enters apartment, chattering gaily about dim sum while raving about the condition of Fell post B2B.

Roommate II commiserates with story of LITERALLY THE UGLIEST TATTOO EVER (seen below)

Roommate I moves toward rear of apartment to change clothes, opens door and SHRIEKS, then falls over, roaring with laughter.

Roommate II, knowing what Roommate I has discovered, giggles like a friggin' LOON.

Enter innocent bystander (McDeezy) who peers curiously into Roommate I's room, then startles back, discovering THIS SITTING UP IN BED.

The End.

Fantastic News

Attention all: The De Facto Publishing site has launched! Our fearless leader intends to "commission a tee-shirt that says PREZ immediately, as well as ring Barack posthaste about forming some sort of guild".

Sounds like a good plan to me.

There's even a new fan page on Facebook. CHECK IT OUT.

But the best part? THE BEST PART IS THAT WE ARE ALREADY ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS FOR A NEW BOOK. Yes people. A book that will be PUBLISHED. In hard copy. It's pretty amazing.

De Facto Publishing is an independent, non-profit publishing house located in San Francisco, California. We are currently accepting submissions for a compilation of short stories.

We are looking for short stories centered around women in their twenties in California, those qualifications being the only limits for subject matter. We are interested in stories about work, families, homes, cooking, friends, relationships, sunglasses, your dog, new shoes--any sort of subject matter, as long as it pertains to the human experience of being a woman in her twenties in California. Your age doesn't matter, your gender doesn't matter- the point is to write a story that relates to being a woman in her twenties in California, whether it's personal experience, a witness account, a theory about it, or what you anticipate.

This is not a paid gig! This publishing house, as a non-profit company in an industry where the bulk of the revenue is generated by the top 50 publishing houses in the industry, exists to promote literature! What you will get is industry recognition and something for your portfolio.

Submissions are accepted in physical form only. Keep the story 10-20 pages, print it, and send it in a manila envelope with your contact information on the first page to:

PO Box 26367
San Francisco, CA
94126

Website: www.defactopublishing.com
Twitter @DeFactoPub
Blog: www.defactopublishing.blogspot.com

On the Internet

My friends have joked that I consume about 90% of the Internet.

"Did you hear about the Muppets and the Webby Awards?" they would ask. But before they even hit "Muppets" I've already said yes. By the time they say "Webby Awards" I've already come up with the relevant video:

SO I'VE DECIDED TO CURATE THE INTERNET.

I'm culling these from all kinds of sources. My Reader (mostly) with interior design and recipes, Twitter (Whatever team, embrace it), and general things I've been sent from friends.

To start off, watch this immediately:

This went viral last Friday, and I've watched it probably 4 times since then. Hilarious.

Also, this:

That's the Sweetness.