MUSIC MONDAYS: TO EAT OR HEAR?

You get lots of hypothetical questions that ask people to choose between sound and sight. But what about sound and taste? That's too difficult to answer fully. No more Miles Davis or no more Kobe sliders? Impossible! But as I've come to realize, it's not so hard to cut some dollars off my daily lunches so I can support my music buying habit. No reason I shouldn't be able to eat AND hear.

Last night I almost won a 9 disc Mini-LP King Crimson set. I got out bid with 6 seconds left. The rush of coming that close was exhilarating. I don't even care that I lost. I'm sort of happy that I lost but came so close. I'm an addict. That's what it comes down to. In the 45 seconds that I led (and the forty minute beforehand where I decided I'd bid), I calculated that if I had $5 lunches instead of $10 lunches for two months, I'd pay off the set. Not bad. Now if I could cut down to $2 lunches, I can buy even more stuff.

I've actually found quite a few places to get lunch for under 10 dollars. It's easy to forget when you spend $25 one day on sushi or $15 on a salad, but even in LA, deals exist. These deals- Like California Sushi and Teriyaki's amazing $3.95 lunch special- have allowed me to continue buying music without breaking the bank. Another way to save music money is to never get an actual drink. Just say "a cup for water." If you're a thief, you can easily sneak in some soda. I keep it pure though.

... As long as we're on the topic of economical music, let me let you into a little secret: the dollar's doing a lot better these days. Either that or the pound is sinking. Go to Amazon UK now! The deals are tremendous.