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.

Wait...what?

The Cast: The Mav, The Blonde, and I

The Situation: Working on resumes

Topic: Where the HELL in Turkey has The Blonde been (like Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, without the two-bit music)

So The Blonde is trying to remember the name of the island in Turkey she went on her cruise in case she is asked for specifics in her interview. We thought we had figured out the mystery when she exclaims in satisfaction, "WAIT, I REMEMBER! It was the one with ALL THE RUINS"

The one with all the ruins eh? The island with all the ruins in the Mediterranean Sea.

Oh. Of course. I know that one.

On Projects.

I was speaking with The Coz today, off in merrie olde England, and I was getting all excited for summer. For her garden. Ok - for her mother's garden, which she will not be able to enjoy this year because she will be gallivanting around Europe, going to Operas in Vienna, and so on.

Because I am obsessed with Reader, and more specifically the glorious possibilities afforded to me by the source of instant gratification in the form of food blogs, Food in Jars was recently brought to my attention. Canning, apparently, is the new Thing. The new Cake Pops, if you will. As people move away from processed foods, and actually eye the nutritional labels to see the sodium content (and subsequently keel over from spontaneous cardiac arrest) the old-fashioned ways return.

See here:

Fascinating no? The product review seems particularly intriguing. I was not able to talk myself into the purchase however. I feel like I should start smaller with things I actually have available: blackberry jam, for instance. Or pickles.

Not making my own butter from the placid Cow I have in the backyard.

We shall see if this actually happens. I typically get all excited to start a project, but rarely actually do so. For example, the time I wanted to build a couch. Or last week, when I got all excited to make pillows out of my new bridesmaid dress.

However, when I DO start things, I typically finish them. For example, I am still working on my scarf! At this point it is NEARLY large enough to SWADDLE A BABY. So...I am still toolin' right along on that front.

Except when that "thing" that I start is Lent. I don't want to talk about it.

Pretty. Awesome.

So, per the usj, I am late to the game of hooking up the old lappy to your roommate's SWEET HDTV.

And per the usj, I am kicking myself for not doing it sooner. The DVD player seems to have suffered a terrible and ugly death, and is refusing to work. I, in my infinite wisdom, elected to purchase the appropriate cables so that I could use the player in my lappy.

1) VGA Cable

2) Audio Cable #1

3) Audio Cable #2

Note that all three were purchased separately, with a great deal of frustration. But finally, FINALLY everything is working as it should, and it is a revelation. No joke - we just streamed Julie, Julia from Netflix and it was a piece of pie. Or Bavarian Raspberry Creme if you prefer.

Currently listening to my Ocean's 13 soundtrack through the TV while paging through the recently uploaded pictures of the work on the HOUSE for the 3rd time. Ask, and I will send photos :D

Inspired to write thanks to Meryl Streep. I love you Meryl Streep.

BON APPETITE