tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78220237596739985052011-07-08T09:33:50.938-04:00the musings of an avant tardeDanielnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2781100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-87329282146994457802010-09-07T09:11:00.002-04:002010-09-07T09:17:04.015-04:00

After a minor crisis in which she realized she has lost the backs to her new earrings, and therefore might possibly lose the ability to show off her new pierced ears on the first day of school (she opted to wear them backless and live with the risk), I got her off to grade 2 without incident. This stuff is whirling by. It's brutal.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-85325720356173107522010-08-20T10:39:00.001-04:002010-08-20T10:39:18.203-04:00

She finally wiggled this one out herself at school after I failed two nights in a row to extract it using the door/twine method. I still can't comprehend why this is such a milestone for kids but she's really happy about it.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-61042155067332487452010-07-28T20:31:00.001-04:002010-07-28T20:31:38.811-04:00

Claire's newest song is a foray into more dance pop territory. Expect this single to storm the club charts in coming weeks. My favorite part: Claire's faux-echo effect produced by simply repeating the ends of phrases in a way that gradually trails off. Claire Johnson "You Just Know"

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-5579129955331579432010-07-14T19:29:00.001-04:002010-07-14T19:30:22.083-04:00

Claire in the Studio from Daniel Johnson on Vimeo.It's almost a bummer when she notices I'm filming her because I took her out of her totally pure moment of get-down.The girl's got moves. She gets it from me.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-3095982122043290722010-06-21T21:42:00.005-04:002010-06-21T21:51:37.706-04:00

I love these pictures that Kirst took of Claire and I yesterday. Claire's missing tooth makes her look like a deranged, but adorable hillbilly. I sometimes forget how much we laugh together until someone shows me a picture of it. Also, handmade cards are the best.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-59489275421090893922010-06-07T20:43:00.001-04:002010-06-07T20:43:25.296-04:00

In the end I used the string tied to the tooth, tied to the door handle which is then slammed method. Worked like a charm.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-15186863286649405862010-05-27T22:56:00.002-04:002010-05-27T22:58:56.893-04:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-38173545635503067332010-05-16T11:27:00.000-04:002010-05-16T11:28:13.353-04:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-84758018024695192782010-04-26T00:17:00.001-04:002010-04-26T00:17:23.512-04:00

I should explain before you see this video that we have a family inside joke in which we constantly tell each other to pipe down. It's become a game to see how unexpected you can make a "pipe down" come for the recipient, or to use it in a creative way. For instance, Claire might say, "I would love a glass of chocolate milk right now," and I would reply, "Too bad you're getting a glass of pipe

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-6532184226741889472010-04-13T14:36:00.008-04:002010-04-13T15:00:55.622-04:00

Saturday, Kirsten and I drove to Chicago to stay with my old comrade in arms, Charlie, and his squeeze Leah. They have a new apartment together. It was very stylish.The following morning we had an epic brunch at Treat with Charlie, Leah, Megan and Colleen. I ate what was essentially a salad on a piece of toast but it tasted like candy. Megan shocked everybody by whipping out two bottles of

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-66954204950692116802010-04-08T00:27:00.000-04:002010-04-08T00:28:11.886-04:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-73733344499769022412010-03-30T20:46:00.002-04:002010-03-30T20:56:56.697-04:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-67096590056541016172010-03-10T09:34:00.009-05:002010-03-10T13:08:44.280-05:00

We've been back a day and I still haven't gotten Nicaragua out of my system. It was such a real place. Real places mark you for life and when you leave you want to feel like you're an expert, because you feel connected to and changed by them. But I'm no expert, just someone who got a taste.What struck me about Nicaragua was the high contrast. Not just in the bleached-out images I caught with

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-46472889431086249792010-03-06T19:12:00.009-05:002010-03-10T11:54:51.214-05:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-17715257002486988172010-02-23T00:01:00.002-05:002010-02-23T00:02:14.563-05:00

I have a new web site for my music. I'll probably be spending most of my time over here, cause I'm migratory by nature.http://danielmusica.com/

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-41365775203646650682010-02-16T22:31:00.006-05:002010-02-16T23:08:16.019-05:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-88619547497165245122010-02-14T20:56:00.000-05:002010-02-14T20:57:12.211-05:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-1915090615328352772010-02-13T01:00:00.008-05:002010-02-14T00:30:26.377-05:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-24274845366585920852010-02-12T20:27:00.002-05:002010-02-12T20:28:20.396-05:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-53513227094295337512010-01-25T09:09:00.003-05:002010-01-25T09:16:51.527-05:00

This morning on the way to school, Claire asks me why it's raining in winter.Me: Do you know about the difference between water and ice?Claire: No. [Scrunches up her face in concentration.]Me: Okay, well, both rain and snow are just water that's falling down from really high up, in the clouds.Claire: [Scrunches up her face a little tighter.]Me: You see, water and ice are both the same thing,

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-26324955726857245162010-01-19T11:01:00.008-05:002010-01-19T11:34:52.354-05:00

Claire's obsessed with stuffed animals. And her mother and maternal grandparents have been happy to oblige her obsession to the point that each week when she shows up at my door it's normal to see her holding some brand new pillowy pet - always a girl, almost always acquired from Target - whose name I'm about to learn and just as quickly forget.I'm not thrilled at the wasted money involved or the

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-29570102591685090872010-01-17T14:46:00.005-05:002010-01-17T14:59:24.803-05:00

This is who Kirst and I saw last night in Ann Arbor. My mind is still blown. Funniest person on the planet.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-47354278574690722872010-01-11T00:21:00.002-05:002010-01-11T00:22:45.119-05:00

The Cove.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-92213741871324755602010-01-04T21:09:00.003-05:002010-01-04T21:12:58.728-05:00

I snagged these two photos from my mom's house when we visited this Christmas.Megan says I look Guatamalen in this picture, and I don't think it's because of my freedom fighter clothes. It's funny because Rod is Guatamalen and people always say we could be brothers.That's my brother Chris on the right with the exposed rib cage. I don't know why he looks like he's been starving in a concentration

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-66123716233265816672010-01-02T20:06:00.003-05:002010-01-02T20:21:23.965-05:00

This vacuum cleaner was a gift from Kirsten's sister Sarah. To my eyes this thing is a beautiful work of design. I love its simplicity - it's like the Platonic form of a vacuum cleaner - and '50s The Jetsons futurism. I've never been this excited about an appliance.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-42405525687918271322009-12-26T13:46:00.026-05:002009-12-31T12:30:22.965-05:00

I rang in the new year playing keyboards with Millions of Brazilians at the Belmont.And played my first solo set ever. I was pretty nervous about it but it went okay.In January I went to New York to work on pre-production for a record my friend was recording and producing. Almost immediately Zozzy showed up and roped me into the Esquire issue launch party where Anthony Hamilton was the guest

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-9288620292388801472009-12-23T12:32:00.001-05:002009-12-23T12:32:36.378-05:00

Something about these new Midlake tracks seems appropriate for the season. It's the cold end of the year, the ground is hard, the leaves have dropped dead and we too can let the past drop from our memories - and then we can start again.There's a "Greensleeves" quality to Acts of Man with its fireplace warmth, gentle acoustic guitars, flutes and soiled mix that seems out of time, haunted and

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-47145647183861526782009-12-14T12:45:00.000-05:002009-12-14T12:46:12.023-05:00

Claire has decided to get in on the Christmas music action. I think that most of you know I don't believe in pushing Claire in any one direction for her happiness, and that I've never encouraged her interest in music more than, say, her interest in scotch tape crafts or stuffed animals. But, it's been increasingly hard to deny the fact that the kid wakes up singing and sings made-up songs all day

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-13390010563480160882009-12-13T22:20:00.007-05:002009-12-14T00:09:19.942-05:00

I'm such a fan of the Dickens story. I used to read the book every year when I had that kind of energy, and I've seen and loved every film adaptation, from Muppets to Scrooged to my personal favorite, the George C. Scott version. So, as I've read critics ask, what is the point of making another big screen version of this classic story if it's been done so many times?I don't even know where to

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-85541028522707258262009-12-10T14:52:00.000-05:002009-12-10T14:53:15.757-05:00

I just revisited the mix of "Making Christmas," the song I did last year with Kirsten and Claire. Click on the image below to go to the page where you can listen or download it. We might try to do another one (maybe even a Claire original!) before the year is out. So stay tuned.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-38518308443888695432009-11-15T21:49:00.002-05:002009-11-16T08:06:02.509-05:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-48632772565755488082009-11-06T21:01:00.002-05:002009-12-04T09:22:06.409-05:00

I can't answer why State of Grace (1990) is not held in higher, more revered esteem. It's an Irish gangster movie set in Hell's Kitchen featuring Sean Penn, Robin Wright Penn, Gary Oldman and Ed Harris. Beyond being a near flawless movie I'll always remember it for having the only love scene I can think of in cinema that actually approaches reality.I also can't answer why Ennio Morricone's

Danielnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-42929740680589520242009-11-04T15:46:00.001-05:002009-11-04T15:47:45.626-05:00

A conversation that took place this morning.Me: I had the weirdest dreams last night Claire.Claire: Like what?Me: I don't know. Just weird dreams.Claire: Like Tobias eating pancakes?Me: Yeah, like Tobias eating pancakes.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-40869921752468493772009-11-01T00:22:00.000-04:002009-11-01T00:25:15.011-04:00

That I really need to own a marimba and also possibly a vibraphone. I would appreciate any leads that would guide me in this quest.Gratefully,Daniel

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-3653946719950387102009-10-31T19:25:00.000-04:002009-10-31T19:26:12.526-04:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-74726121994599807812009-10-20T23:48:00.007-04:002009-10-21T00:06:03.879-04:00

Spike Jonze / We Were Once A Fairytale from background on Vimeo.Spike Jonze is killing me these days. I find it an encouraging testament to the elasticity of human potential to watch a skater kid turn into one of the preeminent philosophers of our time. Where The Wild Things Are was part Camus, part Cassavettes and completely without filters. I felt something every second of that film. At the end

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-14420863037791685382009-10-13T08:19:00.001-04:002009-10-13T08:19:44.528-04:00

Followers of the Hebrew g-d believe that h-s name is so holy it can't be spoken, only referred to. Muslims believe it's a sin to make an image of their prophet, and aboriginal Australians won't let you take their photograph lest you capture their soul. I'm a shitty mystic, but there is something about the music of Christian Fennesz that makes me want to avert my descriptive gaze - to shuffle in

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-39940132210180853132009-08-18T13:35:00.001-04:002009-08-18T13:36:25.085-04:00

It's remarkable that our culture produced something like this.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-10984384624963786472009-08-18T00:17:00.002-04:002009-08-18T00:17:39.873-04:00

Every time I see one of these it fills my heart with happiness.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-74541487339988520332009-08-10T23:00:00.011-04:002009-12-04T09:23:33.885-05:00

On the drive to Claire's summer camp this morning we got into a little argument after I heard her say, "I wish my eyebrows weren't so thick." In addition to unconditionally loving every single thing about her, I happen to specifically adore Claire's eyebrows and her little elfin unibrow is part of what creates her signature look. Still, I'm not stupid and I've always known that at some point

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-31396845213793699292009-08-10T11:05:00.003-04:002009-08-11T00:11:20.196-04:00

Last night I went jogging into the electrical storm. It felt like Ferndale was getting yanked up like a giant weed, like gravity was shorting out. It occurred to me that I could be struck by lightning at any minute but I really wanted to stick around and see what happened.--Should a man be concerned if he spends his dreams walking long distances lost in tall grass under dirty clouds?--In a second

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-77216330177717625752009-08-02T21:44:00.004-04:002009-08-02T21:50:11.156-04:00

Some of the tallest and oldest trees in the world are in Australia. A stand of male Huon Pines at Mount Read on the island of Tasmania are estimated to be more than 10,000 years old. Trees found in the Styx Valley and Mountain Ashes in Victoria are 300 ft tall and are still growing.To give some perspective on this, Detroit's tallest building, the renaissance center, is 103 feet tall.These are

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-64835808453861340902009-07-29T00:08:00.001-04:002009-07-29T00:14:05.079-04:00

I really need to consolidate blogs... been posting this stuff everywhere but my main squeeze, Wingstroke.My full-length record "Lazrus" dropped digitally last week on iTunes and will hit full online distribution as well as physical CDs in the coming weeks.Download the first single, Goodbye Sillhouette.Daniel - "Goodbye Silhouette".XLR8R said of the album and the single: An album of melancholy

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-6499783516818783572009-07-27T22:22:00.002-04:002009-07-27T22:25:13.610-04:00

Scratch that. Someone just stole my car. It's still light outside. My neighbors across the street were sitting on their porch watching the whole thing go down. After someone peeled off in my car, they flagged down a cop and the police chased my car all the way to 6 mile and Van Dyke where they lost the jeep. But apparently the car started smoking at some point during the pursuit (not really fixed

Danielnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-68870517823233684932009-07-27T18:30:00.003-04:002009-07-27T22:25:45.083-04:00

I've been without wheels for three weeks because I didn't have the bread to get my car fixed. Then I got some bread and paid to get it fixed and got it back yesterday! Then I realized it wasn't fixed and dropped it back off. Then they fixed it for real today and I got it back again and now I have wheels! Yay!!!

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-29269418528437931202009-07-27T17:00:00.000-04:002009-07-27T22:20:03.745-04:00

I've always hated selling myself, my creations, my body (though that one has been especially lucrative). But there comes a time when you just have to suck it up and say, buy this now!Kirsten and I are going into business together with our first joint creation. It's called a Zen Hammock. Like the popular Zen Gardens, which are scaled so small they calm you by giving you the feeling of god-like

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-6264411454993363512009-07-17T09:00:00.001-04:002009-07-17T09:00:52.473-04:00

I really enjoyed writing this piece, out today in this month's Hour Detroit. They asked me to write a profile about a classic car, but I ended up hearing a really sweet story of a happy marriage.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-29890442288457386362009-07-15T20:03:00.001-04:002009-07-15T20:03:42.001-04:00

She may be six, but she's 13 every morning when it comes time to wake her up.This was recorded during my second attempt to rise her.Key moment:Me: Claire, we have to get ready for school.Claire: [without opening her eyes] It's summer camp.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-91909596748993011742009-07-11T12:42:00.003-04:002009-07-11T12:52:50.626-04:00

Even before the silhouettes start dancing before the star machines this video gets to me. I don't know why, because there's nothing to it. But it makes some kind of sense. From video footage following the singer through an outdoor fair (looking for someone?), it rolls like a snowball into something haunting.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-62771203306608592432009-07-11T12:38:00.002-04:002009-07-11T12:40:50.155-04:00

I can't help but notice that all of the Michael Jackson photos chosen for the commemorative phase of this media bonanza are of him before he surgically altered himself. Because we do not approve of the choices he made. We're judging him even in death.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-29213569937788800012009-06-30T12:57:00.005-04:002009-06-30T13:22:57.617-04:00

I tried to get out of writing this story. I've been completing a composer's internship at a music house where I make music to go with commercials, generally composing and producing 2 to 3 spots a week. It's insanely engaging, not to mention time consuming, so the majority of my energy has been going there and not to pitching stories to my editors.A month ago my editor at Metromode asked me to

Danielnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-80482331617356223012009-06-30T12:42:00.005-04:002009-06-30T12:54:22.853-04:00

It went by too fast. Lake Michigan, bed and breakfast, perfect weather, friends, fun, drinking, and all of it within walking or bicycling distance...

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-64599727902620619072009-06-15T20:23:00.006-04:002009-06-15T20:41:48.915-04:00

Noah Harris is a songwriter from Champaign, IL that I met probably seven years ago. My band was on an epically bad tour (which we named The Trail of Tears Tour after the fact because it had been so poorly booked). We shared a bill with Noah at a coffee shop in Wisconsin and I watched the room go still as he chased the demons out with his voice, acoustic guitar and strong fingers. Days later he

Danielnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-62235326703462756172009-06-14T23:48:00.003-04:002009-06-14T23:51:54.696-04:00

This chunklet of a baby boy in front of me is Kirsten's nephew Anthony. Big T. It was his first birthday today. I'm kind of bothered by the fact that my baby voodoo doesn't seem to work on him. We've had odd moments here and there where it felt like we were bros, but for the most part he's not feeling what I'm putting out there. This is me trying all of my tricks to get him to laugh, specifically

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-80319848614499796722009-06-13T20:37:00.001-04:002009-06-13T20:37:24.766-04:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-64342924765662122602009-06-02T11:11:00.002-04:002009-06-02T11:16:30.496-04:00

I made this and it's available today.BULBZ1. Love Lockdown (Like Ripples) [Kanye West/Radiohead]2. Does Not Compute [Prince]3. Cruise With Me [Smokey Robinson]You can get it here:http://www.moodgadget.com/premiere/bulbz

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-78907708864814671902009-05-31T11:34:00.002-04:002009-05-31T12:41:22.870-04:00

Today capped a week-long birthday celebration (two homes=two parties) for the bear. Ridiculous.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-72249226399252731852009-05-27T08:00:00.000-04:002009-05-27T08:00:00.487-04:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-2849064279136710092009-05-14T10:32:00.000-04:002009-05-14T10:33:03.683-04:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-48250525366148210622009-05-11T09:22:00.005-04:002009-05-11T09:28:44.175-04:00

I just moved into a new house and I'm still adjusting to the physical and mental space it's provided. I love, love, love, love, love this new house. Our neighborhood is noisy with tree rustling and bird talk. Take a listen to this conversation happening on my block this morning while I was getting ready.(Make sure you get to the second half, when the conversation gets really heated.)Birds

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-67798534948836275622009-05-07T12:10:00.003-04:002009-05-07T12:12:48.758-04:00

Really amazing, funny and frustrating story that I just read in GQ about a guy who goes to work for Lenny Dykstra and quickly regrets it:You Think Your Job Sucks? Try Working for Lenny Dykstra.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-35627962271649268512009-04-28T20:20:00.002-04:002009-04-28T20:46:28.441-04:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-11326754723010043102009-04-20T19:48:00.005-04:002009-04-20T20:13:05.261-04:00

The annual shearing of the fur manatees was upon us Saturday. I have to drug them to get them comply. Tobias, in particular, is a big baby about being stoned. But he forgave me and he ended up loving his new look.BEFORE AFTER

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-67873361678431988912009-04-19T15:23:00.005-04:002009-04-19T15:29:37.449-04:00

I don't know what's hotter, Kirsten's calves or my footwear.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-90563913626900158972009-04-17T19:53:00.013-04:002009-04-20T14:35:19.805-04:00

Arturo and Ulises, two Mexico City poets, vanish and reappear throughout Roberto Bolano's The Savage Detectives like starving angels. In this chapter Amadeo Salvatierra tells the story of the night they visited his home searching for information on a forgotten 1920s poetess, Cesarea Tinajero, whom they believe may be the source of all that is true in Mexican poetry but seems to have hardly

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-3618386895524114952009-04-14T16:34:00.009-04:002009-04-15T00:16:45.979-04:00

Claire's creative and mental levels are going through the roof. It's like living with Akira or something. Her newest thing is giving Kirsten and I homework assignments. She'll just appear behind one of us and hand us a piece of paper over our shoulder. "What's this," I'll say. "It's your homework. Draw a picture of a squirrel." And then she's gone before you can argue.At some point she started

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-85094422264024089922009-04-13T20:37:00.001-04:002009-04-13T20:38:42.793-04:00

Seeing this picture online of Rodrigo today made me want to tour.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-90064032901333575562009-04-02T11:27:00.003-04:002009-04-02T11:36:53.401-04:00

I have a story out today for Metromode.com about young politicians in the region. The experience writing this was similar to a piece I did last year on female head Chefs in that the angle I was assigned to write turned out to be bogus. In the case of the Chef story, I was asked to explore why a male-dominated kitchen has kept chicks out of head positions, and then learned that, actually, none of

Danielnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-19740676584549566372009-04-01T20:43:00.001-04:002009-04-01T20:45:41.374-04:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-59609058435286695912009-04-01T05:30:00.004-04:002009-04-02T11:40:00.490-04:00

How I ended up in the emergency room tonight. By Daniel Johnson, 5th Grade.So yeah, to tell this story right means I'm going to have to embarrass myself a little. Don't judge.I suppose this really all started about a year ago when I began looking for the perfect medallion. I was thinking, maybe a shark tooth (I like whatever Zozzy has, I think that's a shark tooth, or a urn with his relative's

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-33303123973522264132009-03-30T23:18:00.004-04:002009-03-30T23:33:06.799-04:00

I've had this concept for an image in my head for years and finally decided to make it happen this weekend. Luckily Kirst was game, meeting up with me after working a long day at her job, driving with me from tanning salon to tanning salon until we met someone nice enough to let us break the rules, and laying in a hot ass tanning bed with me while I fooled with the camera timer. I promise you,

Danielnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-39882424946200363882009-03-26T12:11:00.002-04:002009-03-26T12:14:13.684-04:00

The view from our kitchen window.The view from our back porch.The view from our sidewalk.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-11836404632113548342009-03-25T14:51:00.006-04:002009-03-25T18:20:17.544-04:00

The Johnson-Buys clan is once again on the move like the suburban nomads we are. It's hard to believe it was just last March that I rescued Kirsten from her well-paying job and killer-location apartment in Chicago and whisked her off to the safety and comfort of my Ferndale Manor. It's hard to believe it was just last July that we had enough of the Ferndale Manor and got ourselves set up in a

Danielnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-35647477116717371142009-03-24T10:03:00.001-04:002009-03-24T10:24:24.657-04:00

There is a WDET radio show on Saturdays called Essential Music. They're having a competition to come up with a theme song and Kirsten encouraged me to enter it. Take a second and vote for my track (Number 7):VOTE

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-28157038005665095012009-03-20T11:16:00.004-04:002009-03-20T18:35:17.805-04:00

This past Valentine's Day was an anniversary of sorts for me. An insignificant-in-every-way-that-counts kind of anniversary that I did not celebrate with flowers or wine or any kind of gesture at all really, but one which I did take note of internally. You see, it was about one year ago this past Valentine's day that I decided to start blogging on a somewhat regular basis. On this blog, in fact.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-11972159224039001782009-03-14T12:06:00.000-04:002009-03-14T12:07:10.449-04:00

It was chilly enough to need a jean jacket when I left the house today, but when I got in my car it was warm already, from the sun coming through the windows. This, to me, is one of the best temperatures.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-15566128348489453962009-03-10T15:48:00.002-04:002009-03-10T15:56:07.798-04:00

It's always bothered me a bit that President Obama is referred to as a black man, for the simple fact that it's inaccurate. He has one black parent, one white (and was raised and socialized by whites). I also think that by rushing to call him the first black president, rather than the first biracial president, we miss out on the true significance of his race, put so eloquently by my favorite

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-77390089423122057952009-02-27T15:31:00.002-05:002009-02-27T15:34:24.694-05:00

This week I made two major life changes: I switched from Whiskey Sodas to Greyhounds and from Pro Tools to Logic. Who says that change isn't possible?

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-46314578553091186252009-02-23T22:22:00.008-05:002009-02-26T11:30:14.817-05:00

I hate parent blogs. They're full of cuteness. And even though parenting is often an overload of cuteness it can also be terrifying and sometimes depressing as you do your best not to fuck up your kid while at the same time somehow managing to keep their ass alive and healthy (all the while failing daily). I mean, last night I'm reading this really interesting book that talks about social

Danielnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-6079513538181400852009-02-22T23:10:00.002-05:002009-02-22T23:13:26.859-05:00

Dance lessons were my present to Claire this Christmas. She also got the full leotard/tights/slippers costume as well but they couldn't be located in time for this past Saturday's class so we had to improvise.Claire is the same age as these girls but much, much larger. It's funny and cute how tall she is. But the extra height hasn't made her any less graceful.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-62794464666589085662009-02-20T17:31:00.001-05:002009-02-20T17:31:41.691-05:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-67237053212302317202009-02-19T16:38:00.001-05:002009-02-19T16:38:42.752-05:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-21940035536588646682009-02-13T18:48:00.000-05:002009-02-13T18:48:20.174-05:00

Because my life has turned into a giant fortune cookie it doesn't really surprise me that my ipod has randomly selected the same Telefon Tel Aviv track four days in a row, sometimes a few times a day, and that when I finally looked to see the name of the song it was "Stay Away From Being Maybe." I'm trying. I'm trying.[R.I.P. Charlie Cooper, one half of Telefon Tel Aviv, who passed last week just

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-27906521469169924582009-02-13T14:12:00.006-05:002009-02-14T12:28:23.053-05:00

I'm doing a lot of cross-blogging these days between my culture blog Fone Culture and here. I guess I'm having trouble distinguishing between the personal and the cultural right now.I am standing in a flood of thought and inspiration these days. My mind is fixed on the idea of outsideness, of any instance of someone stepping outside of their programming. There is no finer example of this than

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-42454418586392414992009-02-12T10:50:00.001-05:002009-02-12T10:54:29.476-05:00

Me, Anthony Hamilton and Christopher at the Esquire Magazine party last night in Times Square. Don't ask.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-46371039270746305652009-02-11T20:00:00.001-05:002009-02-11T20:00:00.651-05:00

I have a piece in the Metro Times this week that is as close to what I want to do with writing as I've gotten yet (I'm not even close). I don't think I've ever wanted to get a story right as much as I did this one. It's a profile of Melanie Rutherford, a Pontiac, MI-based songwriter and singer who I discovered this winter after becoming obsessed with her guest appearance on Black Milk's "Bond 4

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-66323973613161884092009-02-10T22:00:00.003-05:002009-02-11T13:36:41.798-05:00

Speaking of questioning...Saturday's This American Life came at an inconvenient time for me. I was running a couple of crucial errands for my girlfriend, who was home sick with the flu. A few of these errands required me to get out of the car during this, one of the most captivating pieces of radio programming my ass has ever heard. I was so torn!This American Life "The Ghost of Bobby Dunbar"I

Danielnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-48047065113517667532009-02-09T22:01:00.003-05:002009-02-09T23:36:18.034-05:00

I loved Terry Gross's interview with Antony. As someone who's fascinated with questioning my suppositions, and withdrawing from society's psychological rules as much as possible in my own slow way, a trans-gender artist like Antony has a perspective I want to learn from.I had a similar experience reading Esquire's "What It's Like" piece on Coral Hull, a writer with multiple personalities.In

Danielnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-77704305316026964402009-02-06T12:00:00.002-05:002009-02-06T12:01:18.731-05:00

That's all I have to say, really. You need to get with Jazmine Sullivan. And that Top 40 music needs to follow her direction: i.e. lyrics can be smart without being preachy; modern and raw without being hedonistic. And that her record has the songs, but it also has the production, so everybody wins. And that she's got weapons-grade pipes, but she keeps it in check with real-soul phrasing and

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-38534871729857401192009-02-05T08:27:00.002-05:002009-02-05T08:30:35.232-05:00

I have a new piece out this morning in Metromode about this wacky downriver priest who's converted his parish into an eco-friendly/sustainability wonderland. I was blown away by this guy's story and example.Check it out.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-81208129992187617692009-02-03T19:24:00.002-05:002009-02-03T19:25:30.221-05:00

I saw this on Zozzy's blog today and I have to post it. Ha ha ha ha. This little kid has entered the heart of darkness for sure.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-14463598862424469132009-01-27T22:45:00.011-05:002009-01-27T23:07:11.360-05:00

James Kenlar has been a friend of mine from a distance for almost ten years. He lives in Chicago and co-runs the independent label Flameshovel Records, which put out Judah Johnson's three releases. But James was always more to me than just a part of my music life. He has a weary kindness that always made me feel accepted and loved. I've always respected him and wanted the best for him. So I was

Danielnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-45527559511019728812009-01-23T17:04:00.001-05:002009-01-23T17:04:39.602-05:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-21553876685769557012009-01-23T06:50:00.000-05:002009-01-23T18:52:39.104-05:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-72332428183365030562009-01-19T21:53:00.006-05:002009-01-20T15:03:52.878-05:00

Seeing the movie Doubt, which was like seeing the wet, warring workings of my own brain dissected and put into conversational form on a large film screen, caused me to look into the writer and director John Patrick Shanley. I discovered that he wrote the screenplay to Moonstruck and had his directorial debut with Joe Versus the Volcano, which he also wrote. I had seen neither of these two films

Danielnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-78309886607100528912009-01-15T21:25:00.005-05:002009-01-15T21:40:29.235-05:00

So I'm standing in the living room of my friend A.J. making small talk when it happened. I had come by to borrow a midi controller and it was my first time setting foot in his home. We had digressed about cats, Christian rock and a pretty mindblowing concept for a screenplay based on A.J.'s recent breakup when I looked across the room and saw it. And my speech slurred to a stop. "Wha–? Is that...

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-30660894197371404892009-01-12T08:17:00.000-05:002009-01-12T08:18:12.669-05:00

Danielnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-61517147646394282832009-01-08T09:32:00.004-05:002009-01-10T12:15:34.224-05:00

This Onion piece perfectly captures Apple users' love/hate relationship with their machines. Apple products are beautiful, and clearly the best thing going, and yet.... their flagship programs (such as iTunes and iPhoto) are riddled with usability issues. And the stuff is not built to last. On Christmas Eve my latest iPod died on me. This is probably the fourth one I've had that has done this. I

Danielnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-42898571575204651242009-01-04T12:28:00.000-05:002009-01-04T12:30:19.384-05:00

It's science.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7822023759673998505.post-70455344276459075252009-01-02T00:57:00.001-05:002009-01-02T01:01:22.060-05:00

Ice is broken.

Danielnoreply@blogger.com2