NAMM has come and gone.

The twice yearly North American Music Merchants (or something to that effect) show has come and gone, leaving its wake a multitude of new toys for us musician-types who love to spend money on things other than what they should be spent on.

Nothing groundbreaking, nothing spectacular, yet I still get the same feeling as I do every year despite noting that I already have everything I need/want to make music.

G.A.S.

This isn't an issue with bowels, or something that fuels a vehicle. It's Gear Acquisition Syndrome. It's the effect that new pretty and often shiny ojects have on an otherwise logical and intelligent being.

Must. Have. New. Amplifier. Must. Have. New. Guitar.

But why? You already have both. Why do you need more? Because. No other reason. Just because.

It's different. Or different enough to justify to one's self that money needs to be spent on it.

Ah yes......all musicians love/hate G.A.S.

I'm an IT engineer, so automatically I am an opinionated prick with computers. I've seen a lot of brands, worked with a lot, so therefore I know everything. ;)

Anyway, I try to be careful to recommend people what they really need, not what I need, when someone asks me what computer to buy.

This guy on another forum says he needs a laptop for documents, pictures, videos, internet, e-mail, and occasionally playing Flight Sim.

I recommended a build-to-order T61 Thinkpad off of Lenovo's site, because I just ordered a workstation class T61p for myself for $1548, I figure he can scale that down a bit to something more reasonable for his uses and easily hit his $1300 mark, while getting a fantastic laptop: light, reliable, great service, great performance.

This other assclown proceeds to recommend an Alienware cinderblock (M9750) with SLI and solid state drives. WTF? For internet, docs, and Flight Sim?

Not only is that bad advice, that's just being an asshole.

Happy New Year!

So another year older, another year wiser? Eh, probably not. Well maybe a little. Let's see how many grammatical/spelling errors I make.

Thank God for PABS (Polish Antilock Braking System). This consists of a Polish kid (in this case, me) pounding the brake pedal at about 160 beats per minute in the hopes of not colliding with the person in front, beside, and/or behind me. No accidents yet, even after today's delightful commute, which consisted of driving on freshly frozen sheets of ice/snow.

Perhaps one day IDOT will realize there's life west of Rt. 47 and send a plow or 3.