As the guy at Starbucks took my money I noticed the tattoo of three squares on his inner forearm, like three diamonds and asked if it meant something. He said it means when he was sixteen he thought it was a smart idea. I presume it was even smarter of his sixteen year old self not to put them across his face. I marked a lot of papers yesterday and today. More than half the class are from places where they never heard of the materials I inspect in the name of songwriting. I change my mind at different times about which records to select. Should I choose because I love it or because it might be more familiar to the students. Last week’s presentation was awesome on M.I.A.’s Arular, tomorrow’s is on Bob Dylan’s Desire. They never heard of her and only a few know of him. One time I heard it said, everything in life is either the actual physical experience, like what you touch and see and hear or else it is a story.