YOUR TRIBUTE........TOO LATE FOR MY TASTE......

JAMES BROWN'S statue adorns the median in the middle of BROAD ST...........unveiled about a year ago, it seemed like a token gesture from the city that had so often shunned his very presence.......at the time that is.........

In light of recent events, the modesty of the JAMES BROWN statue seems altogether fitting.........because while James was an ego to be reckoned with(deserving of tributes cast in bronze), he was also an everyman.........human in every way imaginible.......however to a fault loving his fellow man........

I visited the statue tonight.........there were throngs of people gathered around.......taking photographs and signing the flag draped around his shoulders.......the power of it all was striking........i was moved to tears.......i cried for JAMES BROWN the same way i cried for JOHN LENNON.........they were equals in my mind.........i miss him more than i thought i might........

In my hometown tonight, the hotels along the riverfront are filling with celebrity mourners........The Jackson Family has rented out the entire top floor of the Riverfront Marriot.........Usher drank at the bar there tonight.......Don King wandered the lobby looking for the bathroom as Patty Labelle signed autographs.......the airport reports private planes from all over the globe landing there in the past many hours........

Tomorrow morning thousands will file past that golden casket.......and it will be a good thing..........i think i need closure..........i think Augusta needs to reconcile its shabby treatment of this man......and replace that long held disdain with what THE GODFATHER deserved all along.......RESPECT..........

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder.......

Stak

RESPECT.............from a man who is a fan who was once a fan who was a boy........

As a resident of Augusta,Georgia, i've experienced how the forest becomes obscured by the trees........JAMES BROWN has been a legend to the entire world for the entire span of my lifetime.........however, in Augusta, he was looked down upon.......sneered at by old money,southern aristocratic inbred retards........they couldn't see past his mistakes..........they couldn't see through to the fact that he changed the entire musical landscape for several generations.......they couldn't embrace the fact that he was one of the first inductees to the rock and roll hall of fame.......they just wanted to feel better about themselves because they could judge someone else.......not a one of them a blip on the radar of existence........

JAMES BROWN is worthy of our adoration..........he rocked it like he meant it......from start to finish.........

we can only hope to do it half as well.......

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder.......

Stak

IT'S A SIMPLE PROMISE,BABY DO YA DO OR DIE............

Hold on to your knickers folks.........the weekend of Christmas brings not only gluttony and greed gone all beserker.........it also brings an extremely interesting weekend of NFL ballgames........the vast majority of which hold playoff implications.........most especially in the NFC where mediocrity reigns supreme.....the NFL likes to call it "parity".........my ass in a fruit jar..........it's not parity when the result of the playoffs will most likely be THE SAN DIEGO CHARGERS kicking the living shit out of whichever flawed team the NFC sends to the SUPERBOWL........

That said, my FALCONS are still in it at 7-7 going into this week(who'da thunk it).......this sunday THE DIRTY BIRDS face CAROLINA(all the sports "experts" pick for the NFC rep for THE SUPERBOWL this year.....and to think, weathermen are criticised for making silly predictions).......CAROLINA has been an even bigger mess than THE FALCONS.........so THE FALCONS should win,right?.......yeah they should win.........but the CAROLINA coaching staff is far superior to the JIM MORA JR. FUNZONE EXPERIENCE...........

At any rate, should ATLANTA win against CAROLINA and then again next week against PHILLY, we're into the playoffs on a wildcard.......where i'm sure we'll be butt-raped by the second round........if not sooner.........but i'm still holding out hope the ATL surges forward to the NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.......though it won't happen......

On a side note, my Fantasy team is competing this weekend for the CHAMPEEENSHIP.........finally after 4 years of shuckin' and jivin' i've got a chance at one of them bobble head trophies.........i'm an underdog this weekend, but an upset would be an exceedingly pleasant Christmas present..........because then i could lord it over my fellow competitors all the way up until September.......bragging rights are like gold,baby...........

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder.....

Stak

WAS I SOUSED?..............you bet i was.........

My band JOE GRAVES AND THE DIRTY LEFT HAND played a tiny basement joint in North Augusta,South Carolina called THE HIGHLANDER last friday......it's a british style pub complete with shepherds pie on the menu......the last time i played there many years ago, the owner was getting high on his own supply......in a very thick,very drunken british accent shouted "THE BAND'S TOO GATDAMMED LOUD!!!!" throughout the set.....despite the fact that the crowd was digging it the most, he proceeded to shout through thirty minutes or so of solid entertainment........before finally cutting the power.......

The power wasn't cut friday night.........but oh how i wish it had been........we struggled through the set.........screwing up in just about every way imaginable......you see the Yeungling draught was free..........and apparently crippling to musicians...........

We sucked..........

They asked us back...

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder.......

Stak

JUST TA SPITE EM.............

Welcome to.....................















































































my longest ellipse yet.............












HOPE YOUR HOLIDAYS ARE AS FULL OF CONTENTMENT AS YOUR BELLY IS FULLY CONTENT.............ya fat bastards..........


*disclaimer* dat aint my belly..........mine is far sexier,by God.........

BABY AIDAN CANNOT LOOK................

Well, it's a critical week in the NFL.........most particularly in the NFC where mediocrity has led to a shitpot full of teams competing for playoff spots........THE FALCONS remain bigtime live among this pack.............what makes this week particularly interesting for THE FALCONS is the fact that CAROLINA and NEW ORLEANS look like they may lose this week........

Baby Aidan said "bzzzrrrrrpp oooooo" which loosely translated means "this week should be easy peasy japaneasy for THE FALCONS......however, we all know how the dirty birds handle the gimme games......it's a possible one and done from here on out......i can't look"........

I can't look either.......

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder.......

Stak

I SMELL HEARTACHE..............but i hope it's just gas..........

I once played in a band that had a great original song about failure............"Golden boy with all the promise.....never could deliver"..........well that's how i feel about my ATLANTA FALCONS...........one thing they NEVER fail to do is disappoint me.........and this year may yet prove to be a continuation of that theme......i hope not.......

Imma DIEHARD fan............my Dad Bpops often likes to remind me that fan is short for fanatic.........at which point i usually tell him to piss off, prompting him to have fits of giggles........at any rate, being a diehard fan.......i have faith......and by its very nature,faith requires us to believe in what we can't see or what has yet to be...........

So having said that, my homer ass is making the bold prediction that THE ATLANTA FALCONS are going to the NFC CHAMPIONSHIP game this season...........will they actually do that?.......probably not..........but i'm used to being wrong where they are concerned.........and i'm used to them falling short of their incredible potential...........the fuckers........

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder.........

Stak

IMMA CAPTAIN AMERICA.........and so is you..........

When i was a kid, i adored CAPTAIN AMERICA..........don't ask me why i idolized an instrument of WW2 propaganda..........i just did......i thought he was cool......he rose above judgement........in my mind, there was no propaganda..........

it's funny.....if you look back over the history of comic books, there are loads of covers which feature CAPTAIN AMERICA punching out HITLER and other such repressive entities........

When i was six years old, i had an incredible set of rubberized action figures.......the full gamut of superheroes......and a dumptruck-load of sand in the front yard......the perfect setting for superhero brouhaha..........

I also had a friend named Hank..........Hank was black..........and he was cool as hell..........he lived a mile and a half away in a very large subdivision......but we found each other,because we were kindred souls..........i felt right at home walking into his house for the first time and smelling the incense burning and seeing the MOTHER'S FINEST 8-track on the kitchen table(i just dated myself).............

We played ROC-EM SOC-EM ROBOTS and electric football with abandon and glee........his family took me to see MR. WRESTLING NUMBER TWO take on ABDULLAH THE BUTCHER at THE BELL AUDITORIUM.........in other words, in the world of six year olds we were as tight as that fabled prom date.........only purely innocent..........

One Saturday afternoon, Hank and I were playing on that sandpile when my Dad came to pick me up for the weekly visit...........somehow or another, the rubber band holding CAPTAIN AMERICA'S two legs to his body broke...........and it just happened to be in Hank's hands at the time...........I PITCHED A FIT...........i poured out the blame on him as my father waited to take me for the weekend..........Hank looked so sad to me as i rode away in my father's car............

When i returned on Sunday evening, i found a brand new CAPTAIN AMERICA waiting for me.........i think i cried from guilt.........i know i've cried from guilt since then........that kid Hank was my first true friend, and i had been a complete asshole to him over a piece of plastic and rubber..........and despite my lack of grace and forgiveness.........and despite the fact that his own family was EXTREMELY poor, he made ammends where it really wasn't due..........and for that, i owe Hank.........

Shortly after that, we moved from the neighborhood and i never got to express my appreciation for what a great friend Hank was to me when we played kick the can at the bus stop.........and when we roamed the neighborhood like pirates........and when i wronged him that day and he repayed me with kindness........EXACTLY as JESUS would've done i'm sure(not to preach at anyone).........but shit........if JESUS broke my CAPTAIN AMERICA action figure, he would've brought me a new one........even after i cursed his name.........it's called grace............

sometimes you see it in real life..........

years down the road, i ran into Hank.........he was living out the life afforded by his station.........he never really did so well in school........so he was grinding out a blue collar existence............but i'm sure he was doing it with grace and style..........

his eyes lit up when we met again..........and so did mine.............i miss friends like my friend Hank........we were six years old.........


Rock it like you're trying to commit murder........

Stak

WILL THE FALCONS EVER WIN ANOTHER GAME WITH THE CURRENT COACHING STAFF/WR CORE/O-LINE...........or am i gonna have to go up there and commence killing

Mike Vick apologized in a very professional manner for giving fans "the dirty bird" at the end of the game last week vs. THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS..........he stated that he gave the gesture in defense of a team mate in response to an extremely lewd tirade by several fans.........regardless, clearly THE ATLANTA FALCONS are frustrated.......they have managed to beat themselves in the last four games......this when they entered the second half of the season very much in the playoff hunt..........

The problem with THE FALCONS has been analyzed to death.........and i'm not interested in repeating the problems........because they are like the demon possessing the little girl.......Their name is legion, for they are many.......

My interest in the rest of the season will be seeing if this bone-headed coaching staff has half the talent required to motivate a group of seriously underachieving athletes.......this team is chockablock with talent itself........and i think the successes they've had this season may've been in spite of suspect coaching.........ESPECIALLY where the play calling of the OC Greg Knapp is concerned.........but injuries have hurt on both sides as well.........

We'll see...........clearly the hopes for even a winning season at this point are dim at this point........but certainly possible given the state of the NFC.......

Imma save a more colorful interpretation of the current state of affairs in FALCON-LAND until after the game against THE REDSKINS tomorrow......and it may be sonuvabitchin' ugly.........so don't read it aloud around your kids if my birds lose.......

NOTE TO FALCONS WIDE RECEIVERS...........CATCH THE FUCKING BALL.............ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE WIDE OPEN WITH THE DEFENDER PROSTRATE ON THE GROUND BEHIND YOU!!!!...........IT'S NOT TOO MUCH TO ASK!!!!.............


sidenote:this SEC championship game is something to behold........both teams repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot........GO RAZORBACKS!!!(just because i despise THE GATORS as a rule........imma DAWGS fan.......their National Championship hopes be damned)....

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder.......

Stak

BILLY JOE ARMSTRONG GOT A BIG FAT BLOODY NOSE THE DAY WE MET.........

i alluded earlier to the fact that i've once spent a bit of time with GREEN DAY.........so i thought it might be cool to relate the whole story........and that's what imma do now......

time machine back to 1989.........i played in a sorta punk rock band called NEATO TORPEDO............we were forever playing all ages clubs.............there was one called THE WHITE HOUSE right across the street from our rehearsal space.........and as a matter of convenience, we ended up pretty much being the house band there........

GREEN DAY came through one weekend.........this was before they got the major label deal, so they weren't all that well known, but they were good as shit even back then.......so my band got to open the show for GREEN DAY...........it was really cool......they said later that we were the best band they'd shared the stage with the entire tour..............

after the show, we got to hang out for several hours.........the owner of the club had been raiding a nearby warehouse which housed prizes for the annual fair here.......and as a result, he just happened to have a huge box of wiffle balls in the green room..........so NEATO TORPEDO had a wiffle ball war with GREEN DAY(bet none of you can say that.........nan nanny boo boo)......my bass player Brian was on my team as well as Mike Dirnt from GD...........Brian ended up getting off a lucky shot on Billy Joe Armstrong resulting in one Hellacious nose bleed...........it was great great punk rock fun..........

it would be really neat to talk to Billy Joe about that sometime........i'm quite should he will never forget that particular show as long as he lives........

i remember seeing GREEN DAY-BEHIND THE MUSIC on VH-1 several years later........the flier we had put out for the show(it has a cobra on it) was shown in the beginning of the show..........perhaps the closest i'll ever get to being famous........

but seriously, that's pretty cool,right?.........

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder........

Stak

THIS KID IS FANTASY FOOTBALL GOLD BABY.........and he won't spend any more sundays on my bench........

So i'm pretty much kicking ass and taking names in my FFL this year.......it's a nice bit of vindication after the 3 previous years when my team sucked like a black hole........i've already clenched a playoff berth and i'm planning to take this mickey fickey to the house..........

That's Tony Romo pictured above.........and i picked him up off the waiver wire as soon as Drew Bledsoe got benched........i also picked up Marques Colston off the waiver wire and he's a one of those rare flex position players......so i play him at TE each week and it's essentially like adding another wide out to the starting roster.........those are just two of the ingredients that have added up to a 10-2 record thus far.......i'm flat out destroying opponents........and it FEELS GOOOOOOD..........looking forward to further gloating at the conclusion of the playoffs..........


Rock it like you're trying to commit murder........

Stak

BLOG AS THERAPY...........take a deep breath and grab the tissues folks, this one's gonna be bumpy........

Let me first start by saying that this post is in no way intended to illicit sympathy.........don't feel sorry for me because i don't want or need that.........however, i make no attempt to hide the fact that my life is an open book......and there are thorns among the pretty flowers.......

Secondly, i must add that after a bottom line assessment, things could hardly be better........i enjoy the love and companionship of a wonderful girl........i have a career that is the envy of my friends.........i have a beautiful new son(although his football prognostication is for shit.......either that or i suck at interpreting baby-speak)..........i have a beautiful teenage son..........i have family that is SOLID.........Bpops is there for me, and that puts a rod in my spine........i play with glee every chance i get........and that is more than most adults i know........

All that said, i hit the wall today.........this requires some confessional history, so bear with me...........

I graduated nursing school in 2001.........it was a glorious occasion........it felt like i had achieved legitimacy in so many respects......as president of the class, i gave a powerful speech at the pinning ceremony.........it was one of the highest points in my life.........that quickly changed.......

3 days later, my sister was dead..........struggling with a disease i could not understand,even with years and years of experience as a mental health professional, i couldn't understand.........she took her own life in a strange motel room miles away from home.......she had been recently diagnosed with bi-polar disorder........an evil bitch of a disease up to evil fuckery most foul.......i love her intensely and miss her..........she left behind not only me, but a father and a mother,grandparents and her own beautiful children..........there are 3 of them........they are now being raised by another woman they call mom.........they were very young when that world changed for them.......a great good friend of mine played "Let It Be" at the funeral......it was no comfort whatsoever........

Yesterday at work, one of the drug reps brought in a movie made by the Eli Lilly Co........i saw my sister reflected in that film.......and her memory has been sitting on my chest since then........at least more heavily than usual........i was unable to go to work today.........because missing her has me pinned to the mat.........

To Cary,

i miss you so much.........you were better than you ever knew.......i was proud of you.........i love you...........and yet, you have me so pissed off........you have hurt so many people.........people who love you.......and while i'm sure that was not your intention, i wish you were here so i could scream at you how much i love you and how be-fucked that selfish act was.........and then take you into my arms and comfort you........everything would've been alright.....but i know you couldn't see that........so here's hoping you're better.........and i'll see you in due time.........

Your Brother,
Brian

P.S. you'd be brimming over with pride to see your children right now.......they are beautiful,bright and achieving........They are a piece of you on earth......and they shine........

MY NAME IS STAK AND IMMA FALCONS FAN..........

this jersey should be worn by someone besides the overpaid first round draft pick bust that currently inhabits it...........it should be worn by the cable guy........it should be worn by the milk man........your local dog catcher would do it more justice............

if the ATLANTA FALCONS don't at least BENCH roddy white(shite), then the entire coaching staff should be fired................

my 14 year old son could catch wide open passes better than Roddy White..........and he's all of 5foot5.............

i'm done...........

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder........

Stak

THE SAINTS.........ARE COMING........or how much i'd like to tell GREEN DAY to fuck off........and i've met and like those guys as people........

but where NFL football is concerned, GREEN DAY can bite a big fat wango.......with their "you feel good,i feel good,everyone feels good" exhibition during the first meeting of the NEW ORLEANS SAINTS and the ATLANTA FALCONS earlier this season..........no fucking hurricaine passes this time,bitches..........your horrible defense will be EXPOSED.............REGGIE BUSH will be shut down like the pro football bust he is..........Marques Colston(NO's true draft steal) is injured and will be lit up like a candle by Lawyer Milloy........

and baby Aidan said......."bweeeethwoothmumph.....umgunhhhh"...............which loosely translated means......"jim mora sr.s comments earlier this week have mike EXTREMELY pissed off.......i predict heinous acts of a severe nature perpetrated by my boy on the New Orleans secondary this week".........either that or "i got a red hot nappy and i need some powder now,folks"...........i'm not sure which.........

Happy football sunday folks and GOOOOOOO FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!.......

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder.......

Stak

IT'S RIVALRY WEEK IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL..........

Baby Aidan said "awhooogrrrmphh"........loosely translated, that means "enjoy your leftover turkey sammies and a great day of college ball.......GOOOOO DAWGS!!! SIC EM!!!!.......WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF!!!"...........either that, or "this diaper is at critical mass...somebody better get my change on".......i'm not sure which......

Have a wonderful day.......hope you're surrounded by family like imma be.......

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder........

Stak

HOPE I'M ON THE GOOD LIST.........i can't particularly use lumps of coal.......

Stak's Christmas Wish List........

1. A new printer

2. iPod(everyone else is using them,why can't i)

3. Satellite radio for my Automobile(corporate radio sucks)

4. gift certificates for good restaraunts

5. a chainsaw(i need to tame the back yard)


Not so much to ask.........

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder.......

Stak

DEATH SQUIRREL......or I KNOW WHY THE CAGED SQUIRREL BITES(it's because he's an asshole)........

I was inspired to share this story after reading Mist's most recent post about an encounter with a very fuzzy,yet unwanted guest at Thanksgiving dinner....credit where credit's due......her blog is the funniest i've read so far.....and worth a look.......

Lemme say upfront that i LOVE animals......all sorts of animals....even the occasional kingsnake i have to help across my dirt road...BUT there is one exception..........SQUIRRELS.........i DESPISE squirrels........i consider them mortal enemies.......they bark at me from the trees every day as i walk to the car.....our hatred seemingly mutual.....if every squirrel on earth dropped dead tomorrow, i'd probably have a party complete with grilled squirrel and squirrel gut fondue.........like THE WENDIGO, i'd savor the squirrel flesh as i absorbed their power.......i'd lick my fingers and ask for thirds.........haha......."you're all dead now, you fucking tree rats" i'd shout at the empty trees in the woods......it'd be grand.......

But i digress..........why such an unhealty hatred for such cute,fuzzy and relatively innocuous creatures,you ask........well imma tell you why........

about six years ago, a baby squirrel fell from it's nest in my front yard.......it was helpless and surely on death's door, it's eyes never to have opened.......being the ANIMAL LOVER that i am, i took it in.......i spent countless hours first researching how to care for this little furball, then caring for it.....i nursed it to health and encouraged its growth.......it was just so damned cute.........

as he grew, he became quite playful.......we would let him out of his cage and he would jump across the room from my son's shoulder to mine.....it was endearing really......we would give him Andes mints, which he seemed to love.......it was so cool because the mints looked like squirrel sized candy bars.....he would hold the mints in his front paws and nibble away........

somewhere along the way, our relationship began to turn dark......he became demanding....barking at us when we had no Andes mints to give him.....worrying relentlessly first one, then the other family member in turn......the squirrel's chocolate habit was becoming a pain in the ass(i'm engaging in creative hyperbole here, this is however a true story.....mostly)......there were never enough mints for this rodent, his bucktoothed mug be-smudged with chocolate.........

the barking progressed..........and turned to teeth chattering........which rapidly turned to biting.......the little bastard eventually bit everybody in the house.......and if you can just imagine, a squirrel bite hurts like a motherf(shut yo mouth).........it's essentially four teeth meeting the middle.....squirrel teeth will cut right through fingernails.......a hot knife through butter........the fact that this little terror would warn you that you were about to bitten by chattering his teeth made it even scarier.......

so i'd had enough of this ingrate.........i take you in and care for you......rescue you from certain death and you repay me with puncture wounds......you little bastard.........

the decision was made to cut the chocolate junkie squirrel loose.........so i set his cage on the porch with the cage door ajar one evening......the next morning he was gone........WHEW!! i thought......my Andes mint bill will go way down now.......i went to work that morning happy.......problem solved,right?.........not so fast......

the satanic squirrel had other ideas.........and one mean jones for chocolate......the next morning, i was the last one to leave the house......i opened the front door to find the little demon sitting in the middle of the porch, barking at me vigorously......before i could get "oh shit" out of my mouth, he was on my shoulder......teeth chattering.......in a panic i grabbed the squirrel......he bit me repeatedly as i tried to throw him from my shoulder.......i'm not afraid to admit i screamed like a little girl......the squirrel from hell was not only haunting me......he was trying to eat me as well......

once on the ground, the squirrel calmly hopped into his cage as though he'd never left......the fucker........

i drove to work bleeding pretty heavily from both hands that morning.......i was afraid to try to go back in the house risking a second attack.......now i'm not the most manly man in the world, but i'm no girle man either.........regardless, here i am afraid of a squirrel.......that's some crazy shit.......

that evening, i dropped the squirrel off in a cemetary cage and all........luckily, it never found its way home.........

and that my friends is why i despise SQUIRRELS.............

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder........

Stak

LOOK AT ME FELLOW BLOG NERDS!!!........i'm O-fficial.......

The University of Blogging Presents to Stak An Honorary Bachelor of Bad Poetry Majoring in Psychotic Ranting Signed Dr. GoQuiz.com ®

Username:

Blogging Degree
From Go-Quiz.com

BABY AIDAN SAYS GIVE THANKS ALL YE MERRY KNUCKLEHEADS..........

He said "hooooooslumkphh"............loosely translated, that means "bundle up,friends...it's cold outside......and don't forget to strap everybody in tight and go slow if you're traveling today"..........either that or "Daddy can you please change the infernal channel to Sesame Street"........i'm not sure which..........

Happy Thanksgiving All!!..............

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder......

Stak

WE JAM ECONO AND PARTY LIKE ROCK STARS-a photo blog.........

BABY AIDAN HATES TO SAY IT...........

This week he said "aieeeee gooom gunh".......loosely translated, that means "The Baltimore Ravens won't need much offense to overcome a Falcons team in disarray and riddled with injuries on both sides of the ball.......another good week for Steve McNair".........either that or "this bottle of milk tastes like formula......gimme the good stuff"......i'm not sure which..........however, i do sincerely hope he keeps up his streak........look out ESPN, here comes your new "expert analyst"........


Rock it like you're trying to commit murder........

Stak

READING.........IT'S FUNDAMENTAL.........

Taking a cue from Skittles over at Skittles' Place, i'd like to share with you all the first paragraph+ or so of the book i'm reading currently.......i've talked about this author before.......hope this little section is good to whet your appetite for the brilliant books of Christopher Moore........the following section is from his debut novel.......PRACTICAL DEMON-KEEPING(A COMEDY OF HORRORS).........

The Breeze blew into San Junipero in the shotgun seat of Billy Winston's Pinto wagon. The Pinto lurched dangerously from shoulder to centerline, the result of Billy trying to roll a joint one-handed while balancing a Coors tallboy and bopping to the Bob Marley song that crackled through the stereo.

"We be jammin' now,mon!" Billy said, toasting The Breeze with a slosh of the Coors.
The Breeze shook his head balefully. "Keep the can down, watch the road,let me roll the doobie," he said
"Sorry, Breeze," Billy said. "I'm just stoked that we're on the road."
Billy's admiration for The Breeze was boundless. The Breeze was truly cool, a party renaissance man. He spent his days at the beach and his nights in a cloud of sinsemilla. The Breeze could smoke all night, polish off a bottle of tequila, maintain well enough to drive the forty miles back to Pine Cove without arrousing the suspicion of a single cop, and be on the beach by nine the next morning acting as if the term hangover were too abstract to be considered. On Billy Winston's private list of personal heroes The Breeze ranked second only to David Bowie.



Has a way with painting portraits of reprobates,don't he............

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder......

Stak

LOVE AFFAIRS PAST-remembered.............

Above are a few videos by a band who was all i could listen to for a time not so long ago............the legendary(in underground circles anyway)GUIDED BY VOICES.........i discovered them late in the game as their career spanned something like 20 years in various forms......i remember hearing them for the first time.......i'd heard all the hype surrounding them but not heard the music yet.......i went over to a friend's house and he had "Do The Collapse" on.........my first impression was "what's so special about that".....well, a few months later, i picked up "Isolation Drills" shortly after its release and ended up answering my own question.........

From there, this music became a minor obsession for me as i dove into the ridiculous amount of recorded output this great band has produced over the years.........

And in my humble opinion, GUIDED BY VOICES is the greatest guitar pop band ever with the exception of THE BEATLES..........

Enjoy the vids...........


Rock it like you're trying to commit murder.......

Stak

I'M A LOVER AND A FIGHTER............

You are The Lovers

Motive, power, and action, arising from Inspiration and Impulse.

The Lovers represents intuition and inspiration. Very often a choice needs to be made.

Originally, this card was called just LOVE. And that's actually more apt than "Lovers." Love follows in this sequence of growth and maturity. And, coming after the Emperor, who is about control, it is a radical change in perspective. LOVE is a force that makes you choose and decide for reasons you often can't understand; it makes you surrender control to a higher power. And that is what this card is all about. Finding something or someone who is so much a part of yourself, so perfectly attuned to you and you to them, that you cannot, dare not resist. This card indicates that the you have or will come across a person, career, challenge or thing that you will fall in love with. You will know instinctively that you must have this, even if it means diverging from your chosen path. No matter the difficulties, without it you will never be complete.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

ANTICIPATION gone all denial on my arse..........

So yesterday i decided to treat myself to some of my favorite stuff for lunch........i drove over to the SONIC.......ordered up a Chicken Club Toaster,some of those great tater tots and the coup de grace, a GIGANTIC cherry limeade.....i LOVE,LOVE,LOVE cherry limeades.......and SONIC makes a mean one........

Loot in hand, i headed back to work.........i've taken maybe two sips from the cherry limeade and i'm about a block away from work when i reach for that tasty,red concoction all loaded down with limes and cherries(i made em put in extras).....well what do you know......the straw goes right through the bottom of the 44oz cup and i'm wearing the freaking drink instead of enjoying it as it's meant to be enjoyed........i'm wearing khaki pants that are suddenly soaked down to the underwear......it's all over the seat,it has filled up the cupholder, it's all over the floorboards.........just fucking everywhere........BOOOOOOO!!!!!!........

i had to drive on to work and tell them i was going home to change clothes.....and consequently was an hour late getting back from lunch.......that whole debacle is PRECISELY the kind of crap that will ruin your entire day.........


Rock it like you're trying to commit murder.....

Stak

BABY AIDAN SAYS DOWN WITH THE BROWNS.........

As evidenced by the furious motion of his arms(pictured above), Aidan believes The Cleveland Browns will reap the whirlwind today..........he also said "ummmgahh".....which loosely translated means "look for a particularly big day from Warrick Dunn.....The Browns are 29th in the league against the run and Jerious Norwood won't play today.........also keep an eye out for rookie Marlion Jackson.....Go Falcons!!!"........either that or "oops, i crapped my pampers".......i'm not sure which........

Happy Football sunday,folks......

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder.......

Stak

DID WE PISS ON YOUR BCS PARADE?.........GOOD BITCHES!!!!!!..........HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

My DAWGS straight worked over number 5 ranked Auburn today........i think their QB may have nearly thrown more interceptions than completions.........3 of em to Tra Battle alone.........it all adds up to a bit of redemption for a miserable season for my Dawgs.......

Herein lies the rub..........SEC teams rarely compete for the national championship because the rivalries are so heated that SEC teams always end up pounding the crap out of each other during the regular schedule..........a blessing and a curse........makes for some kick ass football week to week during the fall......


GOOOOOOO DAWGS.......SIC EM.........WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF........

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder......

Stak

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY..........and the failure of public education....

So driving around last night, i came upon a carwash sign.......though noble in intent,it managed to be insulting.................intended to honor our veterans and active duty soldiers, it said.....and i quote......"We pray for,honor and appresheate are soldiers"..........great job South Carolina public education........

Aidan's Falcon's game prediction coming tomorrow...........

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder....

Stak

THAT BOY AIDAN GROWS LIKE A WEED.......

And he said "umm guh der yip"....which loosely translates to "I was embarassed by my bold prediction regarding The Falcons game last week, but you can bet your house on my next prediction(coming sunday)"..........either that or "where in the hell is that tit?"...i haven't figured out which.........babyspeak is tougher to get a handle on than mandarin chinese...........

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder......

Stak

SO YEAH....................

Tracy and I got married today...........bliss.........


Rock it like you're trying to commit murder.....

Stak

JUST FOR FUN...............

YOU ARE WHO YOU EAT.................

At home, we've been having a bit of an extended horror movie marathon as our still yet unfinished Halloween observance continues.............it's great fun.......i love horror movies of all sorts...........

Late last week we screened RAVENOUS...........a nifty little period movie set in a wilderness army outpost in the Sierra Nevadas in the late 1800's.......without revealing too much, i'll just say that there's a plot twist and that the movie revolves around cannibalism.........with a bit of Native American mysticism thrown in for supernatural good measure.....

What i found remarkable about this movie was its ability to make the viewer unusually UNCOMFORTABLE..........the soundtrack had alot to do with that.........and it did its job in a very subtle manner.......it managed to be unobtrusive while burrowing into my brain at the same time........

Also, meat-lovers be warned.........this movie will potentially put you off of steak,hamburgers,roasts etc. for awhile.........

Very well done movie......it FAR exceeded my expectations........



Rock it like you're trying to commit murder..........

Stak

MOOD ILLUSTRATED............

BUT DAMN..................

aint that boy a looker...................yes he is..............*descends into unintelligible baby speak*


WOW..........i love my boy........

BABY AIDAN SAYS THE FALCONS ARE GONNA KICK DETROIT'S ASS TODAY.........

He says "goo"...........which translates roughly to "this game is gonna be a blowout in which Michael Vick will have his second career game of the season"........


Rock it like you're trying to commit murder...

Stak

I BROKE THE "DRESS CODE" AT WORK TODAY..........

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FOLKS!!!!.................


Rock it like you're trying to commit murder........

Stak

ALIEN BRAINS IN MY FRONT YARD.......AAAAGGGGGHHHH!!!...

FUCKING BLOGGER.................

is making me INSANE..........i got these great photos of a mushroom that looks like an alien brain.......it popped up in my front yard.........i wanted to show it to you all.......but i keep getting errors each time i try to publish the blog........FUCK.........that's irritating stuff.......

SO MY YARD WAS INVADED BY BRAINS FROM OUTERSPACE.........

TECHNICAL VIRTUOSITY IS AS HEAVY AS A MILLSTONE.......

*Disclaimer*
The point of this post will most certainly be misconstrued by Bpops......This post is not in any way a dis on Tony Royster Jr.........


Above is one of the most amazing drum solos i've ever seen.........Tony Royster Jr. absolutely destroying a roomful of drummers at The Modern Drummer Conference.....made even more amazing by the fact that he was 12 years old at the time....this video used to make me ill..........i've been playing drums for over 20 years now and my skills are not in the same neighborhood as that 12 year old.......shit, they're not in the same zip code..........oh hell, they're not on the same continent.....

But then i realized.......like many virtuosos and classically trained musicians, Tony Royster Jr. couldn't make a concise,focused artistic musical statement if a gun were put to his head........the chops just jump out of him and fly in all directions......he can't control it.......he is TOO good........hence he would be lost playing behind a 3 minute pop song.........that is his curse.......doomed to never be recognized by the public at large.........oh sure, he is adored by other musicians and jazz fusion retards.......but face it......Mick Fleetwood is more popular.....and that guy sucks like a hoover........

Incredible talent........it's a blessing and a curse.........

Below is a more recent video of Mr. Royster.........at the end of the solo his band kicks in.........and they play that inane,incessantly boring brand of jazz fusion that only other jazz fusion musicians like......pretty cheesy stuff........

Jazz fusion........where hyper-talented musicians go to die........




Rock it like you're trying to commit murder.....

Stak

I LOVE LIO..............

This strip was recently added to the local daily.............i think it is amazing.......very dark.......sometimes sweet.........extremely funny.........created by Mark Tatulli, who manages to get laughs with zero dialog.......only images......truly brilliant........


Rock it like you're trying to commit murder...

Stak

HERO INTERFACE.............

i've talked about Christopher Moore's books on a few occasions up to now........i recently picked up his latest book A DIRTY JOB by chance in the public library.....after the first chapter i was convinced i had to read everything ever published by the guy.......these books are sublimely funny and precious.......after A DIRTY JOB, i read LAMB, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO BIFF, CHRIST'S CHILDHOOD PAL and COYOTE BLUE.........right now i'm reading FLUKE,OR I KNOW WHY THE WINGED WHALE SINGS......i love this guy's stuff........

long story short, i noticed that Mr. Moore encourages e-mails from his readers while perusing the back jacket of FLUKE.......so i wrote a gushing fan letter to this best selling author.......

HE GOT BACK TO ME IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS............i was thrilled........he gave me thanks for the encouragement and news of a new book around the first of the year and another very large project sometime a good bit later.......

i highly recommend the books of CHRISTOPHER MOORE........funny and exceedingly delicate in their portrayals of the human experience......while at the same time magical...........

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder........

Stak

BEING A NEW PARENT(AGAIN)............

you take your happiness where you find it............Tracy and i've decided........that were 8 week old baby Aidan a native american child, he would already have his tribal name.........GROWLING BRITCHES.........

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder.......

Stak

IT'S A CHICK THING....t-bird's first bit of press......

What follows is the text from part of that i article from THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE on female musicians of note in the area..........Tracy makes for good copy.........thanks go out to Steven Uhles for the fine work........


It's a chick thing
By Steven Uhles| Staff Writer
Thursday, October 12, 2006

Athough still seen as something of a novelty, the girl with a guitar or the woman who wails has long been an important part of rock music. Whether its Ma Rainey laying down an early blues blueprint, Janis Joplin redefining Texas roadhouse tunes or Chrissie Hynde and Debbie Harry's post-punk revolution, the sights and sounds of rock music have always featured a strong female component.



It makes sense, then, that Augusta's music-makers are not exclusively male. Here's a look at some of the women who have found their sound playing in and around the Garden City.


PUNK ROCK AND PREGNANCY

The first few times Augusta audiences were able to check out Tracy Steele, the bass player for Joe Graves and the Dirty Left Hand, they were greeted by a well-rounded musician, clearly pregnant with her son Aidan and still willing to pour tremendous energy into the Dirty Left Hand's raw rock sound.

"Women in particular seemed glad to see me up there representing - particularly when I was pregnant," she said. "There was a lot of 'Yeah! A pregnant girl!'"

Encouraged by her significant other, Augusta drummer Brian Allen, Ms. Steele began entertaining the idea of joining him onstage after receiving a bass as a Christmas present.

"Really, music is the reason Brian and I got together to start with," she said. "We both love music, love the same kind of music. It's important to us, important in this band. I wouldn't want to play with people that I don't get along with, that don't enjoy the same sort of music I do."

With a newborn in the house, Ms. Steele said, playing with Left Hand gives her the motivation to practice that might have easily evaporated with Aidan's arrival.

"It really has become my outlet, my excuse," she said. "Now I have a reason to do this, something I might have put off otherwise. With a baby, it's very easy not to do something that doesn't really need to get done."

As a music fan, Ms. Steele has spent a significant part of her life looking up to the female rockers who have come before. Though she isn't willing to put herself in the pantheon occupied by some of her heroes, she said that being the woman onstage in front of an audience has its appeal.

"It is kind of neat," she said with a laugh. "I'd like to think that someone might look up to me the same way they look up to (Pixies bass player) Kim Deal or someone like that."

HEAR HER LIVE: Joe Graves and the Dirty Left Hand perform tonight at The Soul Bar, 984 Broad St. For more information, call (706) 724-8880.





Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.

From the Thursday, October 12, 2006 edition of the Augusta Chronicle

DON'T WORRY YO PRETTY LIL HEAD BOUT IT,BABY........

a lil blast from the past..........Barry and Levon have been quoted ad nauseum over many nights of socialization with friends......thanks to joe g. for tipping me that the clip was floating around out there..........

DLH in the place to be...........

Thursday night, JOE GRAVES AND THE DIRTY LEFT HAND took the stage at THE SOUL BAR in Augusta........my favorite place to play.....our good friends Kate and Sean Anderson(brother & sister)opened the night with their band RAWR.........i have to say, as a relatively new band they are already amassing quite a following.......our band not so much.........YET............

when we took the stage, we worked that crowd over.......sloppy and noisy and inspired.......it was on like popcorn from joe's first high kick........and progressed from there.......i seriously wish we had a recording of the show just to be able to hear the stage banter over and over..........that JOE GRAVES is a funny guy........

in this post, i also include the image of our new logo.....as well as a photo of tracy that was taken recently for an article in THE AUGUSTA CHRONICLE on women in augusta who play music(in addition to jobs,motherhood,etc...).........

i'll link to the article if anyone wants it, but you have to register with the paper to see it.....

THIS IS MY BOY MUDD................aint he handsome..........

Aidan's chosen protector(besides myself of course)......gorgeous,no?...........

to quote christopher moore..........CRUELLY TURN THE STEEL-BELTED RADIALS OF DESITNY.........

naaaaaaaahhhhhh........destiny is not cruel.......although it may seem to be EXACTLY that..........destiny clearly turns a blind eye to the scales of justice.......this fact is proven true on a daily basis by the fortunes reported on the 6pm news of those who had the lightning strike of a winning lotto ticket and more predictably so, those who fell victim to that inevitible stray bullet in those daily drive-by shootings......seems like some innocent 3 year old falls victim to more of those than the actual gang bangers..........

in Augusta, our Sherriff went before the city commission proclaiming the existence of 44 gangs operating in our area.........this in an attempt to prevent the loss of any deputies through budget cuts........now i don't know about FORTY FOUR gangs in our small/big town...........but i know for a fact(through my work in an outpatient mental health clinic for children and adolescents)we have a ton of unsupervised,neglected potentially brilliant kids out there.........kids given more likely over to a short life of lunatic danger than to the realization of that potential..........it breaks my heart............in the years since 1991(when i started my work in this field), i've watched SO many of them die or go away to the state penitentiary system as a result of being un-watched over......this despite my VERY BEST EFFORTS.............some have even killed..........

what i have yet to come to terms with is this......the home is the seat of cruel destiny for these children........for most of them, i could only be there and CARE for a few hours a day.......and this has proven to be no match for the years of neglect this culture of entitlement and pure laziness embraced by their parent(singular)has inflicted upon them.........

As far as i can tell from anecdotal experience, some of the socialistic tendancies of our government have done more to hurt our most afflicted folks than to help them in the long run...........no question truisms ring clear at times like these.......not bullshit at all........wrong in no perceivable way............give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime........and on down through the generations........

i have more on this subject, but it is best saved for other evenings.........

Rock it like you're trying to commit murder........

Stak

RECENT EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF STAK........in images........

Lately, i've not really been inspired to write much.........perhaps because i've been ridiculously busy..........seems like the requirements of household,new parenthood,the return to work,band practices and performances and the NFL season are consuming every last drop of my spare time.........so i'll post some pictures.......you can fill in the blanks for yourself.......












Rock it like you're trying to commit murder.......

Stak