I very much enjoy listening to Garbage. While I no longer possess any of their albums, I recently downloaded "Kick My Ass," which is probably my favorite song of theirs. I first heard it at the home of one of the finest human beings I know, Peter Swulius, during the summer of 2000. While living in Dallas for a month, I spent a few days at his place, working on Axis Mundi Sum, smoking cigarettes, drinking Mountain Dew and soy milk, and generally enjoying the final days of the curious, energetic dot-com era. Despite being four years late, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Peter for those few days, and more importantly, the friendship he and I have shared since our meeting in AB1 215.

In fact, I would like to acknowledge everyone that has done their part to make this world a better place, not by any particular action, but by simply being themselves. I do not mean "everyone who asserts their individuality," as that is not always impressive in itself, but those whose humanity, in the strongest sense of the word, is radiant to the point of impressing itself upon others without any hint of aggression. I am extremely fortunate to know many of these people, and I thank God that a common fool such as myself has been given such a privilege. You know who you are, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It is people like you that make being a human being an honor.

Nota bene: I am not writing this as some sort of drunken paean to friendship and Settimbrinian humanism, but in complete sincerity. Again, my deepest thanks.