Author: Robert Kimberly

Travel (In-State), Travel (To San Francisco), and Travel (Hypothetical)

Did you know that The Peach State has a grape-themed highway. The Georgia Wine Highway is just that highway, and last week me and the missus hit a couple of the vineyards in the northern part of the state. A late start meant only getting to visit two places, but the vino-loving better half enjoyed the free wine from Frogtown Cellars and BlackStock Vineyards and Winery.

BlackStock Vineyards also had the added benefit of having small animals nearby. Goats are strange with their sideways eyes. Weird, I tell you!

In a few short days, I will be heading to San Francisco for another cruiseship job . I like the city but doubt I will see much of it at all. Hopefully a meal at Mel’s if I have the time.

Finally, we are starting to discuss the merits of different places to visit. I say Hong Kong for the inexpensive hand-tailored men’s suits. Suggestions, recommendations, horrifying tales of unending fear. Do tell. In the mean time, enjoy this website from Vice magazine

VICE: The Vice Guide to Travel

Places visited include:
The Gun Markets of Pakistan
Aryans in Paraguay
Chernobyl
The Congo (for dinosaur hunting!)
The Slums of Rio…

(Hosted by this very white guy in a suit, while attending a party thrown by druglords!)

…and many, many more!

Itching for a Trip: The West, Abroad, and Chicago

Me and the missus are wanting to do some travel. The cruiseship work is bringing in some decent bank so a trip may be happening after school ends. The discussion ranges from “The Great American Road-Trip, Part 2” or in an aeroplane over the sea (Everywhere else in the World.)

I’d love another trip to the strange American West to see places like…

The Cabinet National Library in Cabinetlandia, Luna County, NM

Cabinetlandia National Library
Originally uploaded by Sean F.

“Cabinetlandia is located 10 miles east of the town of Deming in Luna County, New Mexico, off Interstate 10 heading east.” – Cabinet Magazine Online –

Official Center of the World, Felicity, California, Felicity, AZ

Center Of The World – 010
Originally uploaded by Homer-Dog.

Center Of The World 2007 – a photoset on Flickr

Salvation Mountain, Niland, California, near the Salton Sea

Salvation Mountain
Originally uploaded by CharlieChu.

As for global travel, as long as being white Americans doesn’t mean immanent danger anything goes. Spain, South-East Asia, India, Croatia, Black Sea, etc. Chances are a cheap airfare to someplace will determine where we go.

As for Chicago, well that’s a long shot. But The Boring Store would be destination #1.


The Boring Store
Originally uploaded by ScanTheVan.

The store is a combination spy-shop/after-school education program founded by novelist Dave Eggers who also started McSweeney’s Magazine. Read this article for pictures and commentary on what may be the coolest place that “is not a spy store.”

A Return from Sea: Back From The Cruiseship

I’ve had one full day back on land, having worked a cruiseship for 13 days. It was 11 work days and two of travel. The company I worked for updated and installed new theatrical lighting systems aboard the ship. No better way to keep me off-line than charging 75 cents a minute for Internet access, ,.

It was the hardest work I’ve done in years, consecutive 14-hours days with a 21-hour day the second to last night worked. Grueling to be sure, but the final installation was a sight to behold, a beautiful collection of high-tech lighting features with not a cable to be seen. Its a tough thing to make such a complex installation look simple. But that’s the job. It did suck much being atop a ladder, reaching overhead while on at sea under power. Coupldn’t be happier now that I’m home.

Now I am here, blogging, uploading pictures to the computer and recuperating. A much needed massage was had earlier in the day, and a visit to the chiropractor tomorrow will sort my back out some more.

I return to an Atlanta in full bloom and pollinating like crazy. Its nice to see trees and animals, things not seen on a ship.

Red-Blooded American Museum


National Museum of Patriotism – a photoset on Flickr

Last week I visited the National Museum of Patriotism in Atlanta. It was a museum I often passed but had never visited. This will be a brief post about the museum which is deserving of a longer entry.

First thoughts: patriotism = enlisting in the military/supporting the military. All the armed services were represented, with high tech displays. Formed Tuskegee Airman Charles W. Dryden (USAF – Retired) explained in documentary why a black man would risk life and limb in a time of segregation. The collection of trench art from the museums founder.

A museum dedicated to the heartfelt belief that the US is the greatest country in the world, and should be celebrated as such. Fairly uncritical, but I can’t argue with the basic starting point. There is no greater country then ours.

More on that later.

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U have to be up in 4 hours. Hating insomnia right now.

Museums, Rollergirls, Cruiseships and Internet Overload

In brief:

Visited the National Museum of Patriotism in Atlanta on Wednesday. Pictures were taken (not posted yet) and some audio recorded in hopes of a podcast on the Georgia Podcast Network. Thanks to Rusty and Amber for the audio recorder, I’ll try get my ass in gear and get a podcast ready before my ship sails.

I will be missing the next two months worth of Atlanta Rollergirls rollerderby because of work on cruiseships. So, please go people, these girls do the derby out of love and it shows. Not happy about missing the derby bouts, but very happy about the paychecks. Soon I will be spending 13 days installing high-tech lighting systems on board a cruiseship. This time it will be at sea and not at drydock like the last one. So the conditions will improve, but I will lose most communication with my sweetie. No cell phone reception, expensive internet, and $7.98 per minute from guest rooms. Notes in bottles, maybe?

I will hate to be unable to not hear her voice on a daily basis, but being away from the internet may be a needed interruption. I’m constantly surfing my usual sites, not out of any real need, but almost compulsive action. I was net-free on the first ship, and found nothing really important/interesting when I resumed surfing again.

And now to finish writing and continue my search for the end of the internet…

The Other Georgia Stonehenge: I Went There So You Never Have To

Few things disappoint like an interesting theme poorly explored. Take the idea of naming a neighborhood Stonehenge ( Google Maps), in Athens, GA. Even at the height of the 70’s this could not have sounded like a wise choice for community development: druids, strange street names like Salsbury Plain Dr., Sersen Cir., and Heelstone Ave., the hope/fear of human sacrifices. So, the likelihood of an interesting spectacle is always something to be hoped for, and the reason for a trip. At the best it could be a fantastic recreation in stone, honoring the spirit of the original and infused with something additional from the new place it was built. If nothing else, it might look funny, like the scene in “Spinaltap.” ( tiny audio file)

All I knew was there was a recreation of the Druid’s monument there, courtesy of someone on Virtual Globetrotting. Armed with a map, we headed out. Little did I know when my wife and I ventured out to Athens, Georgia in search of this local stonehenge that we would be seeing the least-interesting Stonehenge ever. We’ve seen stonehenges made out of cars, and one in North Georgia dedicated to population control and insulting politicians. There are loads of amazing stonhenges that populate the US. This was not one of them.

If I sound disappointed, it’s because so many of the other roadside attractions I’ve visited have been interesting in at least one way. So many of them have been kitschy, well-made, historically interesting, etc. The Stonehenge of Athens was a complete letdown, however. Barely henge-like. And the neighborhood that was behind the shrine, boring. Just regular house, some with cars being worked on in front and no sacrificial alters.

But a trip into Athens proper, and the sweet shoes and wallet found on sale at Junkman’s Daughter helped ease the “pain”. There are many times that I hope people go where I got a chance to visit. This isn’t one of those times.

Christmas Comes Late: New Book

I finally have the Little Nemo in Slumberland book I’ve been wanting since last year.

This huge book comes as a result of Christmas giftcards and my wife pointing out a good sale on Amazon.

The laptop gives an idea of its size, but it really is a different thing to read a book this big. From 1905 to 1914 illustrator Winsor McCay created these color Sunday comics, and this book recreates the comics in the size they were first published in. Its such a big book, I have to make a plan before looking at it. Clear a large area of table and make sure cat is nowhere nearby. She has a tendency like most cats to sit on whatever we read.

Its just gorgeous.

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Also see:

“Gertie on tour–excerpts” / Winsor McCay – 1921 Quicktime movie from the Origins of American Animation, 1900-1921 at American Memory from the Library of Congress.

Gay Toothbrushes From Atlanta

These Atlanta-made toothbrushes are “A Guaranted Gay Product.” Awesome. A google search of “Gay Products Company” doesn’t come up with many hits, mainly just stuff on eBay.

Thanks to the guys from Retro Thing for letting me repost the picture.

When the Bad Result of Good Intentions is Better…

Okay, let me start again…

I miss going out and made plans tonight to do just that. The Atlanta Rollergirls had a meet-and-greet at the Star Bar. But a late dinner and a drink means not going out. So, instead of going out, finding parking, having a drink and maybe running into a friend I’m staying home, not going to a new bar, and saving money.

Hmm… I miss having friends who don’t drink and bars within walking distance.

ATL Rollergirls: Game 1 of Season 3!!!

Yeah, it gets three exclamation points. It was that good, and it was just the first bout of the year.

The Denim Demons got beat by the Toxic Shocks, 126 to 102. They were a pretty fresh team, with a lot of new players. The Toxic Shocks looked like a better, stronger machine. Despite their loss, the DD’s never stopped playing and tried to cut the TS’s lead right up until the end. Plus there was fantastic ejection by the refs of Toxic Shock’s Captain Queen Loseyateefa.

After illegally pushing a jammer out of the rink, she was kicked out due to a rude gesture aimed at a ref. Nice!

Both teams have some great jammers (the only team member who can scores/moving target). Here are some of the nice quiet girls who skate better than you ever will.


S.M. Allsk8r – Denim Demon


Demi Gore – Denim Demon


Sk8 Outa Compton – Toxic Shocks


Wheelin’ Jennings – Toxic Shocks

I was bummed that I missed last year’s Vegas match, but we saw 3 of the season games and the great championship. Looking forward to the ’07 season. Did I mention that the bout was estimated by the teams to have about 1,000 people attending? Good number!

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Also see:

Atlanta Rollergirls on Atlanta Public Broadcasting

Demi Gore in Prick Magazine