I have taken great care with these Essays; they have been distilled from work I have been doing for nigh on fifteen years, but I have been mulling over the ideas they contain for twenty-five or more. Literally thousands of hours have gone into writing, re-writing and re-thinking this material. In addition, I have spent more money than I care to mention obtaining obscure books, theses and papers on a whole range of topics directly and indirectly connected with DM.

In that case, anyone who cannot bring to this discussion the seriousness it deserves is encouraged to go and waste their time elsewhere. I am not interested in communicating with clowns.