Atlanta, GA

[Drunk Monk]

First of all, priceline SUCKS! I was booked a roundtrip with one layover and three flights were on US Air, the first was on United. Actually, it was on Ted. They've dropped the UNI, along with any semblance of service. Ted SUCKS! I got to SFO 2 hours early (when you look like me, you expect delays at security). I got to US Air and they sent me to Ted. You know the SFO horseshoe? Ted and US Air are on the opposite ends. After spending over an hour in line, Ted said I wasn't in the system and managed to get me a ticket with 5 minutes to spare. Of course, there was no way I could get thru security to the gate in 5, besides Ted overbooked the flight by 30+ people, so I was bumped to the next flight along with 25+ people that didn't get squeezed on the previous flight. I walked the horseshoe 4x and made 2 O.J. dashes to the gate (the 2nd was successful). It was 6+ hours before I actually boarded a plane. Ted basically screwed US Air via priceline. 'yea, sure, we'll book that first flight'. I wound up on US Air all the way. US Air has removed all films and music to 'save fuel'. It's $2 for any drinks, $5 for a snack box that's smaller than a lunchable and $7 for a salad worse than McD's. It's no fun to fly anymore.

But back to ATL, one of the worst airports in the world. I had this horrid flashback on the way back. I thought I hadn't been to ATL since '97 when I was out for the same tournament. Then I realized I was there for a layover earlier this year, but had nicely blocked it out of my mind. Dammit. Now I'll have to drink more to drown that memory.

Atlanta still has that echo of segregation with the white metropolitan and the black ghetto perimeter. When there's money and poverty so close, there's a ton of strip clubs. I got to ride the Marta (the art in marta is the same as bart for those of you lucky enough to never have to be in Atlanta) and got to see some black dude get slammed to the pavement by three cops at one station. The nice part is that it's only about $2 to get anywhere one-way on marta.

Also, since it's the home of Coke, you can't get anything to drink but Coke and Coke products like Minute Maid. Vitamin water? That stuff gives me the trots. The food is total southern fried grease. I was feeling bloated just watching others eat breakfast.

There's nothing like that first breath of fog and plane fuel when you step off a plane coming home to SFO.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Hmmmm...I can say one nice thing about Atlanta: Cartoon Network Headquarters. Other than that, given its reputed context as the Lone Beacon of Civilization in the medieval south, it is pretty much a pit. Good bar-b-cue as I recall, but that's about it. I was only there twice around the olympix, tho.

[Drunk Monk]

...i had lunch on my own at a sports bar that was connected to the venue complex (exhibition rooms on the top floor/small indoor mall on the bottom floor). wound up chatting over sweetwater 420's with some local dude who was fascinated by the whole martial arts event. he kept asking questions, to which i would have mind-blowing answers - like the only qigong person he knew was the one that i just went to his disciple ceremony at (it'll be in the next issue). anyway, turns out he worked for cartoon network and schooled me a bit on that.

[King Bob]

I used to have family there, but haven't been in maybe 20 years. I recently found out that Atlanta also is one of the most congested commutes in the US.

Actually there are a couple of things worth seeing there: Stone Mountain and the Cyclorama. You may know about the former, which is the Mount Rushmore of the confederacy; the latter is a huge painting in a round building with a diorama in front of it showing scenes of the Civil War. It's 19th century high tech, and there are a few spots where it is impossible to tell where the diorama ends and the painting starts. (<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://atlantacyclorama.org/overview.php">http://atlantacyclorama.org/overview.php</a><!-- m -->)