In an attempt to get some higher-bitrate rips of my Beatles catalog into iTunes, but fool the program into thinking that the files weren’t new, just updated versions of tracks already in its database, I managed to delete the 45MB file that contained all of my ratings and play count information. Well, not delete it– that would be recoverable. Rather, I managed to overwrite the file. I consider this the same thing as entering a fugue state and erasing all annotations from the margins of my books. Well, I would, if I wrote in my books, but it drives me batty to write in books even though I know it would be a good thing for me to do. Of all of the lame OCD traits to end up with, I get one that could one day significantly hinder my progress as a poet.

–David Ignatow