Month: May 2010

Friday Mixtape

I’ve always wished I knew more about music, and this is part of my Life List project to listen to 1,000 new songs. Right now I’m up to 228, and on Fridays I share some of my new favorites.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10012635&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1

“Invincible” by OK Go
I just saw these guys at the Fillmore. A friend had tickets, and I mostly knew them from You Tube (as you may know, they’re the treadmill/Rube Goldberg Machine guys). The performance made me feel smarter and more hopeful. Go see a show if you get a chance.

“French Navy” by Camera Obscura
via Josh A. Cagan See his movie!

“Away with Murder” by Camera Obscura
You know what? Just go ahead and love this whole album.
Also, via Josh.

“How You Like Me Now” by The Heavy
Via Andy Langer in Esquire

Still looking for more music? Here you go: Mixtape 1, Mixtape 2, Mixtape 3, Mixtape 4, Mixtape 5

Ambition

Me: What do you have there, honey? A wire hanger?
Hank: Yeah.
Me: Can you say “NO MORE WIRE HANGERS!”
Bryan: And then say EVEEEER!
Hank: EVEEERRRRRR!
Bryan: And then become a gay icon.
Me: Do you want to be a gay icon, Hank?
Bryan: You can be anything you want.

Clock Without a Face: Numbers 11, 4, and 3

Remember McSweeney’s Clock Without a Face treasure hunting book? The first three numbers turned up, and they’re lovely:

Eleven was found first in the California Valley.

“After maybe two stabs at the ground, the treasure was revealed. Or, leastways, a plastic baggie (with a rather large hole in it, which may have been groundhog mischief) covering another plastic baggie, containing a wooden box, was revealed. As we made very pithy proclamations, such as “I can’t believe this!” and “No way!”, I opened the baggies and then the box to find a cloth with a wax seal and string around it, as well as a piece of paper with a handwritten note.”

The four was found next in Virginia.

Number three was the most recent find in Washington. Photos of the container and wax seal are here. Those photos might give other sleuths an idea of how deep to dig.

Aren’t the numbers gorgeous?

And They Need a Stylist

-Yeah, my mom used to be a nun.
-What? When?
-Before I was born. For like 17 years?
-Whoa. I’m surprised you aren’t more religious.
-No. I had an atheist boyfriend who took care of that.
-Ugh! I hate that guy.
-I know. Atheist ex-boyfriends are everyone’s downfall.
-Actually, for me it was a religious studies course in college. But Atheist Ex-Boyfriend is my new band name.
-It’s a bunch of pale skinny guys who happen to play guitar.
-No way. It’s just three dudes smirking while they play, like, piano, violin, and french horn.

Friday Mixtape

This is part of my Life List project to listen to 1,000 new songs. Right now I’m up to 193, and on Fridays I share some of my discoveries. If you’d like to send me your own mix, please email me a link or send a CD to Friday Mixtape c/o Maggie Mason, 766 Valencia St., San Francisco, CA 94115. Happy weekend, everyone.


“Let Me Down Easy” by Bettye Lavette


“San Francisco” by Brett Dennen
Via Lindsay Grace


“5 More Minutes Please” by Meghan Smith
This would make such a nice lullabye.

“Balloons” by The Postmarks
Via Laura Mayes
I like to picture all the Peanuts characters dancing along.

Mixtape 4 Mixtape 3 Mixtape 2 Mixtape 1

New Bag!

I used to have a perfect travel purse that was just the right size for toting a magazine, a snack, and little purchases while I was knocking around a new town, but then it disintegrated. I’ve been looking for a new one for years, and had given up hope of getting one without spending $500 (no way), and then I spotted this amazing vintage saddle bag from Hollie and Jane at Ainslie Wood Co.:

I love it. Hollie and Jane have become Internet friends, so they tucked a special treat in the bag for me:

Aw. Buying stuff from people you like is better than buying it other places.

Speaking of which, someone needs to buy this poncho, which I would be all over if the color didn’t make me look undead.