l'objet petit a

(In case it's not readily apparent, it is free to download in various high-quality formats. I'm planning on keeping it this way for March, then re-evaluating.)

Um, sorry RSS readers...you just got the last 15 posts having not received any from me in some time, no? I've changed the main feed to just include the Livejournal. If you want the links you'll have to subscribe to them separate. I'll fix the feed links on the main site soon.

This is what I get for not subscribing to my own feed. We'll get this all sorted out a lot better soon.

I updated danielsjourney.com. I had sort-of taken the site down for a couple weeks out of external frustrations, and played with a bunch of options for how I might re-vamp the site, but in the end the underlying markup hasn't changed that much, nor has the way the content is presented (although that is what I wasn't exactly happy with with the last design). It is even more lightweight than it was, the markup only has two structural elements and the CSS is now really small. I was/am still thinking about adding content from all the different areas not represented (Flickr, Vimeo, etc), as well as adding customization options, but in the end have kept just the LJ, Delicious, and Twitter for now.

I also updated /writings and /art quite a bit. There is still quite a bit of archived stuff to add to those areas, but I got a good chunk re-published. Turned out a lot of the art stuff was still on the server, just either not linked to properly or still the victim of a Dreamhost server hack that occurred last summer.

Welcome feedback.

mp3s of the day: David Sedaris, Parade (part), which I just found hilariously appropriate on many levels. Sean Lennon, Two Fine Lovers, which I'm just really into at the moment.

My friend Wood is the editor for SCM's
Movement magazine. While I was visiting him last year (I think that's when it was), he asked me if I'd like to write for the magazine. Christians over there not generally being quite the strange bunch they are stateside, I agreed. The following is what resulted:

The Antipocalypse

I'm actually slated to do two more, and the request is I continue this thread. I have no idea how I'm going to do that, but I have three weeks to figure it out!

I've been working on danielsjourney some more lately, unhappy as I was with the last header, we've disposed of the graphic altogether in deference to a print-like masthead. Also moved some links and took the twitter feed out and just stuck the latest tweet in said header. I worked on the content for /design, and really need to work on the rest of the areas of the site as well. The whole thing's been in flux too long.

Oh, and the damn thing still doesn't look right in Internet Explorer. I refuse to spend any more time bending over for that godforsaken browser, though.

We've posted the trailer + 5 episodes of Sherry's Journey and have been hard at work spreading the word and communicating the message. We decided to take a break from posting new episodes today to continue focusing on those efforts. Sherry posted to our blog:

Help to spread Hope

Copy and paste the code below to help spread Hope:
<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://blip.tv/scripts/flash/showplayer.swf?enablejs=true&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhopeshow%2Eblip%2Etv%2Frss&file=http%3A%2F%2Fblip%2Etv%2Frss%2Fflash%2F420778&showplayerpath=http%3A%2F%2Fblip%2Etv%2Fscripts%2Fflash%2Fshowplayer%2Eswf" height="291" width="390" allowfullscreen="true" id="showplayer"><param name="movie" value="http://blip.tv/scripts/flash/showplayer.swf?enablejs=true&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhopeshow%2Eblip%2Etv%2Frss&file=http%3A%2F%2Fblip%2Etv%2Frss%2Fflash%2F420778&showplayerpath=http%3A%2F%2Fblip%2Etv%2Fscripts%2Fflash%2Fshowplayer%2Eswf" /><param name="quality" value="best" /></object><br class="DS_br" /><br class="DS_br" /><a href="http://hopeshow.tv">The HopeShow</a> is dedicated to sharing videos of inspiring real-life stories of courageous men and women who have overcome challenging circumstances in their lives. Our first series is Sherry's Journey. <a href="http://hopeshow.tv/?p=4">Episode 1</a>.

New episode next Monday!


mp3 of the day: Athlete - Airport Disco

The HopeShow

on YouTube

...I'd be much obliged if you spread the word...series starts next Monday...

BarCampDallas4 is this Saturday, September 29, 2007 at Improving Enterprises. I am going to be presenting on the new venture I'm involved with. Gonna have the AV club wheel in a projector and show movies and stuff. Like the cool substitute teacher.

For the benefit of those who do not visit the site directly, I made some markup improvements and further deconstructed danielsjourney last night. Implementing some things I learned at the conference over the weekend and preparing for a content restructuring in the hopefully not-too-distant future. Not sure if/how I am going to re-implement a menu, but /design, /art, /writing, /photog and /music still all work...the lattermost two go elsewhere now...

Image: what the PSD I was working in last night looked like...ended up going with the second-from-the-bottom for the new version of http://danielsjourney.com

Announcing Open Office Hours, every Tuesday and Thursday 9am-6pm...feel free to come by my place to cozy up to some wifi and coffee and kick some coworking arse together. I likely won't be chatty, but your presence will be appreciated for its implicit accountability. Smoking lounge and doggie day care out back and possibility of a random home cooked meal by another of your coworkers.



Email me if you are interested but do not yet know where I live.

RSVP with your hours if you want to assure desk space available when you arrive...but either way we will accommodate you.

Update: Tomorrow I won't be in from about 2:30-4:30, but I think another coworker will be here so if you want to come you can moil on without me. Also, on Thursday my housekeeper will be here from 9-12, so you'll have her dusting your laptop and stuff while you work (just kidding)...

Johnny Citizen will be playing for the first time tonight at 11pm at the Poor House in Ft. Lauderdale. Opening for The Freakin Hott.

I have a few projects I need help on. Just some info/opinions. And there are a lot of audiophiles, film buffs, artists and otherwise just quality opinions and ideas around.

The Record

First things first: The record is mixed. Mastering is next, and I need a song order. I've been struggling with it for a while. Here is a tentative order w/ the general theme of each song. If anyone doesn't have a tune floating around on their hard drive or iPod and wants to hear it, let me know and I'll post it.

1. Sucker For Love — Love
2. Our World — Jesus, Humanity
3. Don't Tell Me — Prayer, Frustration
4. Painful Tired — Frustration
5. Prayin' For You — Remorse
6. High Tonight — Remorse
7. Black Eyed Kind of Love — Love, Remorse, Frustration
8. Beautiful and Tragic — (well, really this song is about Bosnia, but) Love, Remorse
9. I Radio Heaven (the Over the Rhine cover) — Spirituality
10. Ehmerican Dreem Tawn (or American Dream Town 2006, which?) — Americana

Numb Us (— Americana) is not planned for this record; it just didn't seem to fit. My plan is to re-record drums and remix the Americana EP and re-release it properly with this song included. Opinions regarding that are also welcomed.

Here are some alternative orders I've played with. The first and last song are pretty set, the first due to its single-ness, the last due to its coda written by the amazing Jason Roberts; it kind of sends you on your way, I feel. But again, open to ideas. I've also considered ending with I Radio Heaven.

( alternative orders )

After getting the order down, I need a title. The working title has been Love || Hate. Originally I thought all the songs on this record were going to be about one or the other (and that could still be said, except more hate than love, which was the opposite of my intention). Also, it reads as, "Love, hate," but in (most) code languages it means, "Love or hate." There is a book I am (still) planning on releasing simultaneously, and its working title is Truth || Fiction. I like the idea of tying them thematically and aesthetically, but the book title is more apt than the record title. But then "Remorse || Frustration" just. doesn't. work. (they are even usually an "and" proposition, not an "or" one) even though those are the two most common themes on the record (near as I can tell). Thoughts?!?

Other Projects

I have one major art project on its way (the story of how it did not end up in the CityGallery show was too depressing to share) (I have about a half a day of tedious server configuration to do to run it off of danielsjourney.com, plus at least a full day of further tweaks to genericize and further bug-fix it)...but two more stewing.

For one I require recordings of public announcements. Anyone know of a resource for that? I'd like to spare the poor quality and time it would take to drive around DFW doing field recordings (in fact the time and lack of choice would be dealbreakers...I need an open source source).

For the other (much more vague idea but whatev) I need good movies involving American history, pre-revolution through early 1800s, maybe up through the Cival War. All I'm thinking off the top of my head is The Patriot and The Last Mohican, both of which are too cheesy for my purposes. I would love some classics or art house films. Also music. The music can be anything about the USA. Both of Sufjan's 50 States projects are in. Neil Diamond is probly in. Toby Keith is out. (Although I must confess my shame in liking some of his songs, especially with humorous video accompaniment.)

Ok I think that was it.

http://daniel.iaspiretonothing.com || http://danielsjourney.com is up. they're the same site you just get a different header depending on which one you ask for. lots still to do, but there you have it. still have to do redirects for RSS readers and other links that might be lingering around the Internets.

mp3's of the day can be found at http://daniel.iaspiretonothing.com/music. not sure what there you might not have yet, but maybe sumthin'.