Every time I turn around, it seems, people are always asking me, "Do you know Dan Smith?" Or, they'll assume I already know him — what with his being black, working in the media and living in Japan for, like, forever and all. Sometimes I nod that I do, sometimes I even front like I know him ("Oh yeah, Dan's the man, no doubt!"). But the truth is, I didn't know the man — nor even of the man — and after the fifth or sixth time I was hit over the head with his name, I figured it was time I did.