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Lessons From Bonnaroos Past

I'm currently in Manchester, TN, for my third Bonnaroo experience. Unlike Rachael, my excitement for Bonnaroo does not translate into the kind of anxiety that requires me to curl up in the fetal position or overrun the falafel vendor. That is because I now know that Bonnaroo is a game of survival. To get the most out of it, you have to be prepared. Sunscreen, hand sanitizer, granola bars, sweatshirt for chilly evenings, good attitude, phone charger... read press bios in advance, know the line-up, walk around like you own the place...

Here's a recap of previous experiences.

2005: Helped distributed 8,500 copies of the magazine across the site; walked 132 miles (rough approximation) to get across the site and distribute said magazines. Discovered Sweetwater Beer. Lost phone... this would be the first of many times this happened in my adult life. Saw Iron & Wine for the first time and had a quasi-life-changing experience.

2006: Took a year off. Still shuttering from memories of Bonnaroo 2005 and subsequent exhaustion.

2007: Went for 36 hours but did way too much in those few hours. Camped and discovered a whole new world called Tentaroo where people miraculously wander back to their tents while on substances of various origins. Waited 3 hours to see Flaming Lips and watched people around me pee in the grass to avoid losing their coveted spots in the front of the crowd. Allergy attacks (big attacks). Mistook John Paul Jones of Led Zep for John Bell of Widespread Panic (big mistake).

So that brings us up to speed. Last night I interviewed Lez Zeppelin, which does not make up for my mistaking Led Zeppelin for Widespread Panic, but it's a step in the right direction.

Can't wait to see what this year holds.

J.K. Rowling's Harvard Haters

Photo by Robert Spencer for NPR

Thanks to Katie for bringing me this NPR story about J.K. Rowling's keynote speech at Harvard's commencement.

Can she come back in 2010?!? I would be THRILLED to hear J.K. Rowling speak!

But not everyone shares this enthusiasm...

"I think we could have done better," shrugged computer science major Kevin Bombino. ..."You know, we're Harvard. We're like the most prominent national institution. And I think we should be entitled to … we should be able to get anyone. And in my opinion, we're settling here. "

You know what I think, Kevin? You're like the reason that, like, recruiters are hesitant about hiring graduates of the "most prominent national institution." And I think we should be entitled to slap you. And in my opinion, NPR just did. Snap!

Okay, maybe that's harsh. But yikes! As Jason Mraz once told our office, "Practice graciousness!"

Props to 10-year-old Allister Beeson for this excellent commentary:

"That was a terrible thing to say! They're just a bunch of Muggles!"

Caren Explains "The Trapeze Swinger"

Last weekend I drove to North Carolina to spend time with the bride-to-be, Becky! It was a long ride (up and back), but luckily I had some good men in the car to keep me company: Ryan, Elliott, Jeremy and Sam (aka Iron & Wine).

Iron & Wine melts my heart. When he played in Atlanta a few weeks ago, he opened with "The Trapeze Swinger," a song I had never heard before. I cannot get over how beautiful and slightly devastating it is, especially live (the album cut -- clocking in at 9 minutes 32 seconds -- is found on the In Good Company soundtrack).

After some sleuthing I was able to track down a crystal-clear recording from the 9:30 Club (in my hometown!) but it can only be streamed through the trusty ol' Hype Machine... regardless, I hope you enjoy it.

LISTEN: Iron and Wine - The Trapeze Swinger
READ: Lyrics

Please, remember me
Happily
By the rosebush laughing
With bruises on my chin
The time when
We counted every black car passing
Your house beneath the hill
And up until
Someone caught us in the kitchen
With maps, a mountain range
A piggy bank
A vision too removed to mention...
Read the rest

Caren Explains What Not to Do As a Parent

People watching is the best free hobby on the market. I love picking up on mannerisms, accents and behaviors.

What I don't love? The growing realization that there are a lot of crazy adults in the world... particularly parents.

Here's what I've learned this week from observing parents:

1. No matter how cute your baby is, it is never acceptable to change his diaper in a restaurant... next to people who are eating food. ("Wow, I got a whiff of that!" you say? Well, so did I... that's why restaurants come equipped with -- wait for it -- bathrooms!)

2. Don't ruin your family vacation by reminding your children how expensive it is... that's a one-way ticket to a post-adolescence guilt complex.

3. Just because your kid is attached to a child leash doesn't mean you can stop watching him... particularly at malls where escalators look like amusement park rides. Better yet, don't attach your kid to a child leash.

4. Don't critique your teenager's looks with an Anthropologie clerk... oh wait, I saw that on SNL (listen for the Decatur, Georgia, reference!)