R.I.P. James Brown and other last minute Christmas Gift ideas...

So I learned a few minutes ago that James Brown has passed on. One man's day of birth is another man's day of expiration.

Before I found out this round of news, I had been wrapping my family's xmas presents and playing pool with my dad (the old man got the best of me 2-1). actually as i write this my parents are putting the presents underneath the tree... i'm still pissed about the revelation of the true identity of Santa.

Speaking of, Columbia's own NASCAR driver has started a record label in Columbia, MO. So now among Emergency Umbrella, Co-Opt, and Cat Jams, we can now add Back 40 Records. According to the site Carl and his pal Aaron have a number of artists that range from Hip Hop to Rock. The claim here is that they will help talented Columbia artists get into the national spotlight. they have a studio somewhere in columbia and are ready to get everything up and running. i have emailed carl or aaron to say hi from EU and that i would geniunely like to meet them and see the studio. their roster of artists are not my cup of tea, but we'll see what their contribution will be to the community.

I also made some time to buy some guitar strings at Guitar Center. I absolutely hate going into BIG guitar and instrument shops. There is always a sales associate wailing on some $2000 guitar (distortion, hard rock scales complete with squeals, and almost always sporting a pony tail). There is also a customer trying out a bass amp, playing the same notes over and over and over and over. After a couple of measures they should get the idea. And then there is of course a Nirvana song they have blaring over the speakers in the store. Go to one of these shops and I promise within 30 minutes you will hear Nirvana. Look I like Nirvana just as much as the next person, but if I were working at that store, I would use my shitty health insurance to have doctors remove my hearing.

Well I'm off to sleep and wake up to a tree full of tightly wrapped presents, though i got my big present already a 14 month membership as my main present... god i need to get back in shape...

anyway, i hope everyone gets what they want under their tree... as for me i hope my 22 year old sister doesn't wake me up at 6 am (she still hasn't outgrown the excitement of christmas morning).