My cover letters actually are still improving. I just noticed with horror that I use passive voice so much in them. My last letter ended with an argument that I have bookkeeping or accounts receivable/accounts payable skills from using PayPal to sell tapes and compact discs on my website.

In other news, I have made a tangible step forward in understanding art better than almost anything written or commonly known about it.

"As far as we know, the human species is the only one that understands that death is inevitable, not only in general but in every individual's case."

This, added to the idea that people perform ritual to do as much as possible in their minds to survive, added to Harry Smith's idea that folk music is about mystery, added to Greil Marcus' idea that mystery is about death, gives me more confidence that art is ritualistic, and that although I have no religion, there is art that makes me believe that making and experience it is good and has supernatural power.

There was something else on my mind I wanted to write down. It wasn't this, but I thought I would make a Windows program that would do nothing but reverse a midi file.

Now I know. Next to the Harry Smith article was an article about Benjamin, and it occured to me that Chan Marshall may have taken the title of "What Would the Community Think?" from this very interview. And I felt proud for having a sharp eye and being able to understand at least some of the implications. It is weird to feel connected to someone you don't even know who makes records or books, because you don't really know the real them sort of, and I once got so worked up at a Cat Power show that I walked home and then ran back after I decided I needed to met her. I felt somewhat foolish afterwards, because I was nervous.

Anyways, the connection might be off, but if not intentional, it is at least good.