This morning, my ipod shuffle treated me to Dave Matthews' and Tim Reynolds' version of "Bartender," from their "Live at Radio City Music Hall" performance. Despite my awful memory, I can still recall the first time that I popped that CD into my car stereo, and the dramatic chills that resulted from Dave's soulful humming at the beginning of the track. It made me think about how much is sometimes said, without a single word being uttered.
It is so cool to have a basement. As a kid, I used to spend countless hours in our fully-furnished basement in Massachusetts, marveling at the thought of being underground, while still inside. During my time in Florida, I lived sans basement, although, there I spent as many waking moments as I could underwater, so I guess that's kind of the same thing. And now that I am in North Carolina, my basement serves as my office, my writing space, and my place of peace and quiet. That is when the incredibly loud tread of one very rambunctious two-year-old isn't thundering above me.
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the external messages that we receive as children, and how, even as adults, it is often extremely difficult to replace those messages with healthier ones; even when logically we believe the healthier ones to be true. What, doesn't everyone wake up in the middle of the night thinking of these things?
Yesterday, like nearly every teen in my county, I went to see the "Hunger Games" at the town theater. Several months ago, upon the recommendation of a friend, I started reading the books, and like so many others, became immediately hooked, so I was eager to see how the movie would measure up to the text. I was also very excited to see local footage, as many of the forest scenes were shot within minutes of my home. In my opinion, the movie was fantastic, and that is not an easy feat, since flicks are, so often, watered down versions of their literary predecessors. I won't give anything away, as I imagine many of you will be making this journey on your own, but I can't help but share some of my thoughts on this phenomenon, especially when those thoughts take me right back to DMB. 
Last Sunday, Dave Matthews participated in John Varvatos' Annual Stuart House Benefit. The event, held at Varvatos' West Hollywood Store, raises money and awareness to help children who have been sexually abused. This year, Dave assisted the foundation in raising over $700,000 for this worthy cause.
As Steve Baltin of "Rolling Stone" describes it, the day is full of family fun and relaxation, complete with a kids tent for the little ones.