Hidden in an auto shop off of West Johnson Street (near an abandoned DeSoto and Chrevrolet) lies a 1957 Ford Country Sedan station wagon. What makes this car particularly unique is that it is the result of combining the front ends of two identical cars. That means two steering wheels, two radios, two sets of headlights, and so on.

Two station wagons were chosen because the pitch of the roof was just right to be flat once both cars were joined. The emergency brake on each end doesn’t function as a brake; rather it is used to lock the wheels in place for whichever end will serve as the rear. Although it has only one engine, it can drive in either direction, if put in reverse.

If there are two drivers, the car can crab walk, dog walk, drive diagonally and nearly sideways as well as other unique car dance moves as a result of having four wheels that can turn. It was built here in Raleigh, and has been in several local parades.

Although it is street legal, it hasn’t been driven since about 1994.

An ad for a 1957 Ford Country Sedan station wagon

Looking at what this car used to look like, I can’t help but wonder what happened to rear sections of both cars. It seems like they could be combined, to create a camper trailer that could be towed by the car with two front ends.

The car was created by brothers Linwood and Roger King in the late 1950s. Roger’s son Phil was kind enough to give me a bit of the history of it.

About 5 months ago, we launched a campaign to restore Raleigh’s first piece of public art, The Color Wall. Since that time, we’ve raised nearly $4,000 toward the effort to bring it back to life.

Karl gives us an update on new developments over at the Color Wall Restoration Fund web site.

This weekend I met with Kaptain Lee Moore and Miss Rachel Riot of Boneland Productions, a local horror film studio, to discuss their upcoming show, The Halloween in August Extravaganza, and their current film – “Going Feral”

Kaptain Lee and Miss Rachel Riot will be hosting The Halloween in August Extravaganza this Saturday night at Volume 11 Tavern. The show is being held both to raise money for Boneland Productions upcoming film Going Feral, and to celebrate Miss Rachel Riot’s 26th birthday. The show, which is all ages with costume optional (but so much fun) starts at 10 and should run into the late hours of the morning. This promises to be a tremendous time.

Boneland Productions is a newly founded horror movie production company in Raleigh, NC. Their first major picture, Going Feral, is a horror comedy based on the true story of a run-in with a North Carolina based tribal/survivalist group.The script sounds quite promising, focusing more on suspense than special effects to achieve its result.

Writer, director & actor Kaptain Lee has been involved in film since college, where he majored in film productions. This will be his first time heading an entire movie.

Miss Rachel Riot has a solid background in organizing events and live performance shows; this will be her first time producing for a film.

Most of the people involved in this film, says Kaptain Lee, are people with experience in these areas, but for almost everyone it’s their first time being involved at this level. Production is scheduled to start next Spring, and the studio will be working on a few short films in the interim as they continue to work on raising funds and establishing a strong team. Kaptain Lee and Miss Riot feel confident the film will be a success; based on my interview, I’m inclined to agree.

Boneland productions can be found on facebook, myspace, and twitter.

Saturday, August 22nd at Volume 11 Tavern

It looks like Raleigh has its own permanent and three-dimensional example of pareidolia– the phenomena of seeing something significant (usually a face or religious icon) in an inanimate object. This one is visible from the Boylan Avenue Bridge.

The Kudzu Jesus blessing a passing freighter

While discussing the topic of local railroading history with Raleigh Boy and Craig on the Boylan Avenue Bridge, a patron from the Brewpub asked if we had noticed the figure with outstretched arms giving a blessing to passing trains. I was immediately interested, as the topic of pareidolia was the subject of a research paper and presentation I made for a class at State.

Chances are you’re familiar with perhaps one of the first examples, the “Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese” which was auctioned off on eBay for $28,000. This and several other examples provided for some interesting reading, but I can’t say that I formed an opinion on either the people who found them or those who expressed a fervent interest in the artifact. I was and continue to be fascinated by the phenomena, however.

The example cited above is merely a coincidental growth formation on power lines, but can still be an interesting topic of conversation.

You can see more on the Pareidolia flickr group.

This Friday (July 31) will see the DJs and VJs of 120 Mins of Music presenting a flashback 80s party that is sure to ellicit some great memories of that fabulous decade. 120 Mins of Music is the same group that put on Rave Til Dawn, so it looks to be a very fun party.

As stated on the flyer, 80s dress is not required, but desired. We are busting out some crazy old school clothing. Don’t remember what you wore? Google is your friend. We can’t WAIT to see what crazy stuff you guys bring out. We promise not to disappoint. The last 80s party we had Madonna, Boy George, and countless other varieties!

First and foremost, this is a VJ / DJ battle where 120 Mins of Music will be playing videos against the Phantom Frequency who will be busting out some pure audio. We’ll be going back and forth all night trying to out 80s one another with our massive collection of 80s music between us.

But to take the night even a step further, we WILL be having an Atari 2600 challenge. There will be prizes for best scores. We promise, it will NOT be ET!

We’ll be playing video clips all night to reminisce all your 80s television and movies memories.

VJ130XE, one of the VJs from 120 Mins of Music at Rave Til Dawn

Some of the contributing photographers from Goodnight, Raleigh! will be there. Come dressed up in your best 80s attire (desired but not required) and enjoy some great 80s music and video. It should be a lot of fun.

Flex Nightclub

Corner of Hillsborough and West Streets

This Thursday (07/23) from 8-10 p.m., Tough Love is hosting Summer Love – billed as a shopping party and trunk show with free summer food and beverages.

Alongside Tough Love’s regular collection, the Summer Love Trunk Show will feature clothes by Revamp and jewelry by Good Girls Studio. Enjoy free snacks and wine as you browse the store and mingle with the designers. You’ll be so swept off your feet by these unique creations that you’ll want to take some home with you! Who says summer love has to be just a fling?

Revamp is a line of reconstructed vintage clothing by Jamie Powell, which was recently a part of the Redress Raleigh Fashion show.

More information:

• Revamp
• Good Girls Studio
• Tough Love Boutique
  

A few days ago I was intrigued when strolling by Scooterz Inc. on Hillsborough Street and noticed Ryan (above) tooling around the parking lot in this unique combination of cold beverage container and electric transportation device. He mentioned that they just received the one in the photo above.

The first thought that comes to my mind is a perfect mode of transportation for tailgating. What other uses can you think of for an electric scooter/beer cooler?

Despite what nearby residents and many in the architectural community may say about this structure, I think Bloomsbury Estates is both beautiful and a great addition to Raleigh.

It is by no means perfect–the turret is oversized and the windows undersized–but I believe it to be far more appealing than most of the other high-density living structures that have been recently appearing.

I’ve never wanted to live in a condo (prefer a backyard and ground-level living), but if there was one in which I would, Bloomsbury Estates would be my first choice.

In a second-story storefront display of Flythe Cyclery overlooking Peace Street lies something from antiquity: a penny farthing.

The rear of The Hudson (Wilmington Street side) houses a posh courtyard area. It’s hidden from view unless you look down from upper levels of the recently constructed parking deck or from one of the high rise buildings around it. Barely visible is the blue illumination which covers the rear but no longer the front of the structure.