Thank You, TIME

This isn't music-related, but I just wanted to say, on a personal note, that I was deeply honored to find out last week that I had been named TIME magazine's Person of the Year.

In 2006, wars were fought across the globe, films were made and books written, the injured and sick were treated by countless doctors and just as many teachers imparted their knowledge and wisdom to the next generation of leaders, scientists and poets.

Meanwhile, I sat on my ass and blogged. Blogged my heart out about every fool thing that caught my eye. Once, even, I uploaded a short video I made to YouTube.

And TIME noticed.

(Frankly, I thought I had killed any chance I had of winning when I bashed the magazine's top 100 albums of all-time list on this very blog, calling it out for being the piece of crap that it was, but it seems the judges, admirably, are thick-skinned and might even have appreciated my blunt, but honest criticism).

For the first time ever, as TIME points out, I am part of my own world; when TV networks and Hollywood failed to develop enough crap to waste my time, I turned to my PowerBook to fill the void. When monopolized radio stations continued to ignore my favorite indie rock bands, I linked to mp3's. No, I didn't create the music, make the news or actually do any real reporting on this blog. Instead, I faithfully culled information I found on the Web and repackaged it by downloading and resizing photos and typing "a href" over and over again. And while I was lucky to get 50 unique visitors in a day, little did I know that TIME was one of them.

TIME, you were able to look past my numerous shortcomings and lack of any real redeeming value - recognizing that 2006 was not a year marked solely by political turmoil, civil war and growing religious fundamentalism, both in our country and abroad, but of snarky commentary and user-uploaded garbage - and see me as the Person of the Year I always knew I could be.

For that I thank you, from the bottom of my heart.