Rob's House

Notes on an American Bad Ass

Napolean Hill was a bad ass, plain and simple. An American author who was one of the earliest producers of the modern genre of personal success literature, that’s right, self-help books.  More


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The finish line: Central Park!

Sept. 1
Cape Charles, Va

Bryan:
Today we where slapped in the face with a new sensation. Cold and rainy straight to the bone. We had a six miles ride to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel entrance.  We were not allowed to pass. They had to call a couple of vehicles to haul us across the 23 miles of unwilling roads. What a site the sea was choppy and the winds where calling. The tunnels where a experience. My heart jumped in my throat as we went deeper into the abyss.  More


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Charleston to Virginia Beach

Aug. 19
Charleston, S.C.

Bryan:
All I can say is it was nice to have a day off, even though we spent most of the day chasing down a room for tonight. For those who do not know we have been getting hotels donated along the way. Thanks to some really nice people we have a place to lay our heads and hopefully get some good sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a 60 miles day. US 17 here we come.  More


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St. Augustine to NYC: Sixty miles a day to “Slow the Way”

Two dear friends of mine from Chattanooga Tenn., Kathleen Vlodek and her husband Bryan Hensley, and another old friend of ours, Hector Victoria are taking part in a fundraiser to fight Huntington’s Disease. They are fighting by bike. They started pedaling in St. Augustine, Fla., on their “Slowing the Way” fundraiser, and their final destination is Central Park in New York City in 30 days. They will be bicycling 60 miles a day.  More


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Myth and Madness in the High Sierras

I’d been reading a bit and thinking a lot about old John Muir, that crazy fuck.  So easy to think of him as simply the wizened old naturalist, an Aldo Leopold sort of nature writer with a flowing white beard and a broad brimmed hat, sitting there under a tree with Teddy Roosevelt, mapping out a novel little plan to leave a couple of little green postage stamps of these esteemed states unlogged. And sure, if that racist old coot TR hadn’t liked camping so much, there would have been nothing left in just a few more years.  More


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Drinks with Peter Stubb

I had a fantastic time doing this and hope you enjoy it. I’ve been a fan of Peter Stubb for a minute now but I never thought we would do an interview. He was very talkative and very sweet. A true Southern gentleman.

Dry Ink sits down and drinks with the legendary Peter Stubb from Dalton, Georgia. He has put out over 100 tapes since 1992 about demons, wolves, Christmas, suicide, pussy and food. We drank Pabst Blue Ribbon, some whiskey and later sangria and talk women, food, songs and mental institutions.  More


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From The Garbageman

I fell into a puddle and thought of my brother. We were in Jersey and I saw my reflection. It wasn’t pretty. Cuts and bruises on face and an ear half ripped. I walked and walked and thought and thought. I need money, food, drinks and ideas.
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A Tale Of How Not To Cross The Border

Silence.

Thats all that I remember hearing as we walked back over the pedestrian bridge from Mexico, back from Nuevo Laredo (New Laredo in Spanish) to old Laredo, Texas. Well, there was chattering in Spanish around us and perhaps the noises of cars, but it didnt matter. It was all the same. We weren’t in Mexico. We got turned back from immigration.  More


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“On the Second Night, They Came For Us in the Dark.”

Uno
The border we broached at a desolate crossing called Tecate, like the beer, where we fumbled for pesos to fill the cooler. Later, the pavement ended in San Felipe, farther south, most of a day’s twisting drive south from la frontera. A dusty town of mean looks and men hawking barely feathered parrots at the intersections.  More


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Notes from the Lower Ninth Ward

As little as I feel I know about the contemporary art scene, I know I can identify quality ideas. Ironically, the urgency of great art is often difficult to immediately describe. Finally, it takes shape in your brain as a moment you’ve lived and want to share like a good book, great song or great wine. You find yourself wanting to write it down or explain it to people that didn’t get the chance to bear witness. Such is art and such is writing. They are about moments.  More