loving mainstream music while skipping starbucks

- As I take a break from drawing out diagrams of the respiratory and urinary systems, I have realized one sad fact about my life, I never have fun when I skip school. I typically skip school to work on school. It's pathetic how much more work I can get done when I don't sacrifice 60% of my waking ours to listening to teachers read a book at me. It's just sad that while most other people would skip to go do something fun, I'm skipping so that I can get ahead and be lazy in the coming week.

- I have realized my own hypocrisy over the past week. If anyone ever talks politics with me, I'm sure I will decry capitalism as the greatest evil of our society to them at some point. I realized yesterday I have gotten Starbucks about five times this last week. It's sad. I hate their coffee, I think it's poor quality, especially for the price. I do live in Tarrant County though which means I have no other option. To boycott Starbucks here is to boycott coffee altogether. The real reason I go is because I hate being stuck alone in my apartment. I've realized I go to Starbucks to fill in that need for community itch that all of us get. The sad thing is, it's not real community. I'll pay $4 to feel like I've been in community when in reality I haven't at all. Anyway, I'm going to do my best to limit that urge to once a week again. I had been doing good for a while, but I relapsed.

- A few weeks ago I was playing guitar with these guys. They were really good, but we didn't really appreciate the same artists. I like Jack Johnson a lot. I think his stuff is ridiculously easy to play, but that's not why I listen to him. I mentioned this to these guys I was playing with, and they go on to make fun of how easy all his songs are. I was kinda doing the facebook thing for the past couple weeks too (it's appeal is fading fast though), and saw another of my old friends was affiliated with a group named "I think Dave Matthews and Jack Johnson suck" or something like that. The thing all these guys shared in common was they are all music snobs. They evaluate music based on how unique and 'ground-breaking' it is, or how difficult it is to play, or any number of other criteria. But, I've found most of the arguments against Dave and Jack are missing the point. I think with both, most people listen for reasons that aren't totally music related. I think on some level they encompass a lifestyle/worldview/spirit (?) that lots of people want these days. If you go to a Dave concert you participate in an experience. 95% of the people there don't know a thing about music, but it's almost like the crowd gets to create the music with the band. That's kinda the attitude I see with all people who follow jam bands. Its like a modern continuation of the Greatful Dead phenomenon, just a lot more commercial. DMB spontaneously creates music on stage, it's never exactly the same as the time before. I think spontaneous creativity is more "real" as far as lots of people today are concerned. I think all of us want to feel something, like DMB feels music. We want that same spirit flowing through us. As far as Jack goes. I'd say just look at his lifestyle. He has the "no worries" attitude toward life, that I imagine most people wish they had. He's definitely not a jam-band kinda guitar player, but he's also a heck of a lot more than just a musician. More than any other artist, he really comes across like he doesn't give a crap if people buy his stuff or not. He's not that attatched to fame. He lives life a little bit freer than the average person. His music carries that attitude, which is a huge part of why I like it so much, regardless of how easy and simplistic it is.