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