Today is my birthday! I am 33. I am grateful today for life, family,
cookies, beets, beats, dancing, wind, colanders, bandstands,
Microphones, Rams, stingrays, faces, donuts, camels, hope, stunts,
moving pictures, dialogue, randomness, light, rivers, tree branches,
wimps, mistakes, cakes, red, monster songs, total the cereal, pews,
wood, cacti, friends friends and enemies who are always friends with
somebody so that makes them friends.

I just got back from Patagonia and Austin. I was in Patagonia because
Emmett Malloy invited me and James Mercer to come down and experience
the awesomeness of it and work on some songs for a movie he and his
cousin Chris are working on down there. It will come out next year and
it is called 180 Degrees South. I will let the movie explain itself. It
was an amazing adventure. Sleeping on glacial river banks, hiking into
remote mountains, drinking from aqua lakes, and singing with Gauchos
around a fire each night with a wonderful group of friends. We had to
take 4 flights and a 18 hour drive on dirt roads to get where we were.
On our down time we also shot a video for my new record and James and I
recorded some stuff too. It was an incredible experience. I am grateful
for this beautiful earth.

Then I went to SXSW and had a different style of fun. It was great to
see old friends as well as to meet new ones. I had the honor of being a
part of the Body Of War show that Iraq veteren Thomas Young put on to
bring awareness to his new movie about Iraq. Tom Morello asked my to
come sing This Land Is Your Land with Serj Tankian and Billy Bragg. I
recommend checking out the movie and the soundtrack. I also got to check
out fantastic sets by Kimya Dawson (who is so wonderful), She and Him
(Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward’s new project whose songs have been dancing
in my heart), and a bunch of other great artists. It was a great time! I
am grateful for tortilla chips.

Now I am home and getting ready to head out to Japan and Hawaii in a
couple weeks to hook up with Jack Johnson and Matt Costa. Today I am
gonna eat some cake and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies!!! Yep.

See you soon. Thanks for being you!
Mason
Minneapolis, Minneapolis
3/19/08