MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has issued the following update:

"I want to start with saying Merry Christmas to you all and I hope that you all have a wonderful, rewarding day. Anyway, I went to go get a Coronary Calcium Cat scan or in other words, a heart scan, and I have good news! They found one!!

All kidding aside, I had my heart scan done and my score was a mind blowing zero. This means that I have 0% plaque in my heart and my mom died from congestive heart failure, and that stuff is hereditary I hear, so I was worried.

I am so stoked about the result and I owe it to my family, band mates, and my advisors and handlers for inspiring me to get better, to be better, and to stay better. I can't tell you how much my team, even the label have really supported me and helped me understand what we can and cannot do, instead of what "I" can't do.

Believe it or not even the media and the press, both positive or negative have been instrumental in helping me become a better person. There have been a lot of life's lessons I haven't been able to learn until recently, but I can tell you I have NEVER felt this good in my 48 years of life on this planet.

Hell, some stuff can be changed and some can't. I just need to be smart enough to know which is which. My manager Mark has mentored me in a business that is constantly changing (he was very instrumental in helping make the Big Four happen - for that, my hat and prolly several thousand other's hats are off to you). Funny thing is that I have been praying hard that I would be friends with the guys in SLAYER again, and METALLICA too. Is it just me or does it seem like some prayers have been answered?

Now, I am just praying that all of the fans around the entire globe will get to see this tour. Personally, I wish we would hit every single country and every major city. That would rule!!!

One last thing and I will let ya go for Christmas. You are going to want to read this, if you have even read this far.

I have a friend who is a very successful and wise businessman. Yes, he is one of the 7 1/2 friends.

Anyway, he told me that he wants to know if he can have a contest for his company and run it through TheLiveLine. I said, "Certainly!" because TLL is running a contest for me now for a brand new signature Dave Mustaine Marshall 1960 DM-A or 1960 DM-B 4 x 12" speaker cabinet, and a contest for King Of The Ring (a Martial Arts company) to have a fly-away to Okinawa, Japan.

I said, 'Whatcha got on yer mind?'

And he said . . .

'I want to put up travel, hotels, tickets and passes, and some mad money for two 18-plus year olds, from anywhere in the world, to go with Megadeth to one of the Big Four shows. Is this doable, because I would go along to make sure everything is cool.'

I said, 'Are you out of your mind?'

He just stone faced me. He was dead serious.

So, Scott Holmen (my company representative from TLL), my very dear friend who shall remain nameless until I get his permission (whom I'm sure you will all meet by way of internet - prolly by the next time I talk to him) are going to figure out the details and will be launching this sucka by or before NAMM.

He will also have a booth at NAMM for you to fill out registration forms or whatev! I don't know how to run contests, so I may have some of this stuff wrong, I just know how be the prize (or the boobie prize some times hehehe!).

In closing, thank you once again for helping me have a great year, to grow in stature and in success, to thirst for truth, and to hunger for humility (Sadly, I keep upchucking this last one every once in a while!)."