diff --git a/light9/web/graph.coffee b/light9/web/graph.coffee
--- a/light9/web/graph.coffee
+++ b/light9/web/graph.coffee
@@ -165,6 +165,8 @@ class window.SyncedGraph
     @prefixFuncs = N3.Util.prefixes(@prefixes)
         
   Uri: (curie) ->
+    if not curie?
+      throw new Error("no uri")
     if curie.match(/^http/)
       return N3.DataFactory.namedNode(curie)
     part = curie.split(':')
@@ -175,7 +177,7 @@ class window.SyncedGraph
 
   LiteralRoundedFloat: (f) ->
     N3.DataFactory.literal(d3.format(".3f")(f),
-                          "http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#double")
+                          @Uri("http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#double"))
 
   Quad: (s, p, o, g) -> N3.DataFactory.quad(s, p, o, g)
 
@@ -215,7 +217,7 @@ class window.SyncedGraph
       for q in qs
         if not q.equals
           throw new Error("doesn't look like a proper Quad")
-        if not q.graph?
+        if not q.subject.id or not q.graph.id?
           throw new Error("corrupt patch: #{JSON.stringify(q)}")
     
   _applyPatch: (patch) ->
@@ -334,6 +336,8 @@ class window.SyncedGraph
     return @graph.getQuads(s, p, o).length > 0
 
   nextNumberedResources: (base, howMany) ->
+    # base is NamedNode or string
+    base = base.id if base.id
     results = []
     # we could cache [base,lastSerial]
     for serial in [0..1000]
diff --git a/light9/web/timeline/timeline-elements.html b/light9/web/timeline/timeline-elements.html
--- a/light9/web/timeline/timeline-elements.html
+++ b/light9/web/timeline/timeline-elements.html
@@ -220,30 +220,6 @@
   </template>
 </dom-module>
 
-<!-- One trapezoid note shape in a row.
-     This element has the right Y coords.
-     We compute X coords from the zoom setting.
-     diagram-layer draws the note body. -->
-<dom-module id="light9-timeline-note">
-  <template>
-    <style>
-     :host {
-         display: block;
-         background: green;
-         /* outline: 2px solid red; */
-     }
-    </style>
-    <light9-timeline-note-inline-attrs rect="{{inlineRect}}"
-                                       graph="{{graph}}"
-                                       selection="{{selection}}"
-                                       song="{{song}}"
-                                       uri="{{uri}}"
-                                       effect="{{effect}}"
-    >
-    </light9-timeline-note-inline-attrs>
-  </template>
-</dom-module>
-
 <!-- All the adjusters you can edit or select. Tells a light9-adjusters-canvas how to draw them. Probabaly doesn't need to be an element.
      This element manages their layout and suppresion.
      Owns the selection.
@@ -256,7 +232,6 @@
      :host {
          pointer-events: none; /* restored on the individual adjusters */
      }
-
     </style>
   </template>
 </dom-module>
diff --git a/light9/web/timeline/timeline.coffee b/light9/web/timeline/timeline.coffee
--- a/light9/web/timeline/timeline.coffee
+++ b/light9/web/timeline/timeline.coffee
@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ class Project
     U = (x) => @graph.Uri(x)
     quad = (s, p, o) => {subject: s, predicate: p, object: o, graph: @song}
       
-    newNote = @graph.nextNumberedResource("#{@song}/n")
-    newCurve = @graph.nextNumberedResource("#{newNote}c")
-    points = @graph.nextNumberedResources("#{newCurve}p", 4)
+    newNote = @graph.nextNumberedResource("#{@song.value}/n")
+    newCurve = @graph.nextNumberedResource("#{newNote.value}c")
+    points = @graph.nextNumberedResources("#{newCurve.value}p", 4)
 
     curveQuads = [
         quad(@song, U(':note'), newNote)
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ coffeeElementSetup(class TimelineEditor 
     playerSong: {type: String, notify: true}
     followPlayerSong: {type: Boolean, notify: true, value: true}
     song: {type: String, notify: true}
-    show: {value: 'http://light9.bigasterisk.com/show/dance2017'}
+    show: {type: String, notify: true}
     songTime: {type: Number, notify: true}
     songDuration: {type: Number, notify: true}
     songPlaying: {type: Boolean, notify: true}
@@ -124,10 +124,8 @@ coffeeElementSetup(class TimelineEditor 
   ready: ->
     super.ready()
     
-    ko.options.deferUpdates = true;
+    ko.options.deferUpdates = true
     
-    @dia = @$.dia
-     
     @selection = {hover: ko.observable(null), selected: ko.observable([])}
 
     window.debug_zoomOrLayoutChangedCount = 0
@@ -170,6 +168,7 @@ coffeeElementSetup(class TimelineEditor 
     
   _onGraph: (graph) ->
     @project = new Project(graph)
+    @show = 'http://light9.bigasterisk.com/show/dance2017'
 
   _onSetAdjuster: () ->
     @makeZoomAdjs()
@@ -188,6 +187,7 @@ coffeeElementSetup(class TimelineEditor 
     vs = @viewState
     dependOn = [vs.zoomSpec.t1(), vs.zoomSpec.t2(), vs.width()]
 
+    # shouldn't need this- deps should get it
     @$.zoomed.gatherNotes() if @$.zoomed?.gatherNotes?
   
     # todo: these run a lot of work purely for a time change
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ coffeeElementSetup(class TimelineEditor 
       @$.adjustersCanvas.updateAllCoords()
     shortcut.add 'Delete', =>
       for note in @selection.selected()
-        @project.deleteNote(@song, note, @selection)
+        @project.deleteNote(@graph.Uri(@song), note, @selection)
 
   makeZoomAdjs: ->
     yMid = => @$.audio.offsetTop + @$.audio.offsetHeight / 2
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ coffeeElementSetup(class TimeZoomed exte
     @addEventListener('iron-resize', @_onResize.bind(@))
     Polymer.RenderStatus.afterNextRender(this, @_onResize.bind(@))
     
-    @$.rows.appendChild(@renderer.view);
+    @$.rows.appendChild(@renderer.view)
 
     ko.computed =>
       @stage.setTransform(0, -(@viewState.rowsY()), 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0)
@@ -323,20 +323,23 @@ coffeeElementSetup(class TimeZoomed exte
     
   gatherNotes: ->
     U = (x) => @graph.Uri(x)
+    return unless @song?
+    log('assign rows', @song)
 
-    log('assign rows',@song)
+    songNotes = @graph.objects(U(@song), U(':note'))
+    
 
     @stage.removeChildren()
     n.destroy() for n in @notes
     @notes = []
     
     noteNum = 0
-    for uri in _.sortBy(@graph.objects(@song, U(':note')), 'id')
+    for uri in _.sortBy(songNotes, 'id')
       con = new PIXI.Container()
       @stage.addChild(con)
       row = noteNum % 6
       rowTop = @viewState.rowsY() + 20 + 150 * row
-      note = new Note(con, @project, @graph, @selection, uri, @setAdjuster, @song, @viewState, rowTop, rowTop + 140)
+      note = new Note(con, @project, @graph, @selection, uri, @setAdjuster, U(@song), @viewState, rowTop, rowTop + 140)
       @notes.push(note)
       noteNum = noteNum + 1
  
@@ -384,7 +387,7 @@ coffeeElementSetup(class TimeAxis extend
 class Note
   constructor: (@container, @project, @graph, @selection, @uri, @setAdjuster, @song, @viewState, @rowTopY, @rowBotY) ->
     @adjusterIds = {} # id : true
-    @draw()
+    Polymer.RenderStatus.afterNextRender(this, @graph.runHandler(@draw.bind(@), 'note draw'))
 
   destroy: ->
     log('destroy', @uri.value)