The proposed merger of AOL and media conglomerate Time Warner made it through the Federal Trade Commission this past week, but the fat lady can't squeak a peep before the blessing of their union is granted by the Federal Communications Commission.

In the "For Those About to Kraut-Rock" department: The Crippled Dick Hot Wax Records label has just released Popshopping, an intriguing compilation of original German advertising jingles from the 1960s and 1970s.

Holiday high jinks! Animal instincts! Christmas camaraderie and much egg-noggery! Take musical arms my friends, and toss those lame superstar Christmas albums to the dustbin! Come with me, and let's dip into Santa's sack a little early this year and get the party started right! I've always thought Christmas was a lot like Elvis, all about love and all about showbiz.

All this scratchin' is making me itch! I swear turntablist extraordinaire Mr. Dibbs must be an octopus, with multiple arms flying, dropping needles, cuing beats, and wagging platters like a mad audio scientist. Sure, he's been awarded top-10 DJ status from Spin, Trace, and Thrasher magazines, but it's the sheer creativity of the layers be builds up, drops out, and smashes together that's amazing: fuzzy psychedelica over jazz, Led Zeppelin into Lenny Kravitz, ragamuffin pimp-strolling beats, and snippets of spoken-word children's records.