2007 September archive at rduwtf.com

Archive for September, 2007

Creepy Bike

Published by Robert E Leebowitz September 26th, 2007 in Lookit and Raleigh. 1 Comment

Ben commented in response to the No Hands King post: “Ok, now that that mystery has been solved, who is the other guy who rides around on a crazy bike? This one has leopard print fur wrapped around the frame, streamers, and what looks like headlight fairing from a motorcycle strapped to the handlebars.”

We don’t know much about that guy but here’s a photo of his bike. He doesn’t perform any stunts that we know of. His only trick seems to be the ability to capture the creepiness of the International Male Catalog and bondage fetish in his bicycle decorations. Click on the image for a larger photo.

Seven Wonders of Central Raleigh: Number Three

Published by The Furry Geezer September 26th, 2007 in Art, Architecture, Raleigh and Good Stuff. 1 Comment

My Seven Wonders list reflects places, buildings or objects that have a unique quality and also well represent a larger piece of Raleigh good stuff. The NC State campus is adorned with this fascinating spot, which encompasses architecture, physics, local building materials and a lot of fun. Go sit in one of these matching disks with a partner in the other and you will be able to exchange whispers at a hundred feet. Each disk has a sweet spot which perfectly captures the converged sounds from its opposite. They sit in a grassy lawn just east of the Brickyard, itself an NCSU icon (just behind the library off Hillsborough Street). You can impress anyone from a date to a four year old child with this trick of reflection and resonance. You can also check out the September 11th Oak planted right beside it.
In case you’re counting, My Wonder Number One was the Education Wall and I have proclaimed the Flag Guy as my Number Two. Dorton Arena and the Bridge Over The Beltline are definitely on my list for future posts, but I’m somewhat open on the last couple of spots. Give me a holler if you have an idea.

Anni Albers at Black Mountain College

Published by YeahYeahGirl September 26th, 2007 in Art and Raleigh. 2 Comments

Anni Albers

NCSU’s Best Kept Secret presents Mary Emma Harris speaking on Anni Albers at Black Mountain College

Thursday, October 4 at 7pm at the Gregg Museum of Art & Design, Talley Student Center, NCSU Campus
more info: 919-515-3503 www.ncsu.edu/gad

Mary Emma Harris gave a previous presentation at the Gregg Museum, titled “Architecture at Black Mountain College”, that was not to be missed. But you did miss it, didn’t you? Don’t make the same mistake twice. Over the past 15 years, the work of Anni Albers has continued to emerge from the shadow of her husband Josef, to reveal how truly ahead of her time she was. Apparently, her time is now. Continue reading ‘Anni Albers at Black Mountain College’

Here we go again…

Published by Robert E Leebowitz September 24th, 2007 in WTF, Architecture and Raleigh. 1 Comment

The N&O reports that Preservation North Carolina secured an option to purchase and resell the Paschal House in Raleigh. The Paschal House is Raleigh’s greatest remaining modernist residence and has an even greater price tag: $5.75 MILLION. The house is in much better shape than the Catalano House when it was for sale under a similar arrangement with PresNC, but the Paschal heirs are asking for a premium above the market price for anyone who commits to saving the house. Save the house, you’ll pay more money. Tear it down, you’ll pay less. As Yeah-Yeah Girl asked and answered, “Where are all the rich people with good taste around here? Ain’t none!”

Following is our list of potential candidates to purchase the Paschal House:

1. Petey Pablo

2. Jim Goodnight

3. Jim Goodmon

4. Andy Griffith

5. Clay Aiken

6. Evan Rachel Wood & Marilyn Manson

7. Greg Raymer

8. Randy Parton

9. Branford Marsalis

10. Charlie Gaddy

I’m sure we’re missing someone on this list.

Designing a 21st Century City

Published by Robert E Leebowitz September 20th, 2007 in Raleigh, Urban Planning and RDU. 0 Comments

Raleigh has two interesting options for tonight, Thursday Sept. 20.
First: we have the next installment of the Raleigh Department of City Planning’s Designing a 21st Century City Lecture Series. The subject: How Do We Create a Pedestrian-Friendly City? These lectures have been excellent and although they happen in Raleigh, and are Raleigh-sponsored, they are of interest to Durhamites and Chapel Hillions as well.

The Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, Kennedy Theater, in Raleigh, NC.

6:00-8:30 p.m.

And SparkCon also begins tonight.

SparkCon: What is it?

Published by Robert E Leebowitz September 20th, 2007 in Art, Urban Planning and RDU. 2 Comments

That’s what people ask us. We answer: “we support it!” because there isn’t a concise answer that we know of. Read their “about” page on the website. Dan Douglas, of the Raleigh Urban Design Center, will be skipping the lecture about building a pedestrian-friendly city to deliver the keynote speech tonight. The opening reception begins tonight, Thursday, at 7PM at Vintage 21. Vintage 21 is located in the old Jillian’s location on West Street. SparkCon has more events planned than we can list here but check out the full schedule on their website and participate!

Y-M-C-A

Published by A Loud Arcane Toad September 16th, 2007 in Architecture and Raleigh. 5 Comments

Interesting to note the apologetic tone of the mailers and radio commercials for the new YMCA on Hillsborough Street. “We kept the best parts, down to the letters!” says the brochure, which makes no mention of Barney Fife’s corner room. In fact it mentions all of the new amenities but carefully leaves out anything about the fact that they got rid of the dormitory rooms when they demolished the simple, stylish building. How Christian of them, indeed. But hey, they kept the letters! Gym turnover in the core Raleigh neighborhoods has been interesting and will continue to be so. Capital Fitness went from uber-hip to gross in less than two years. Seaboard Fitness is now trying for the metrosexual workout crowd, while the new YMCA is going for the ITB families.

Perfect can be the enemy of good.

Published by Robert E Leebowitz September 7th, 2007 in WTF, Architecture, Raleigh and Urban Planning. 5 Comments

Although we agree with Bob Geary’s assessment of the North Hills East financing scam, the fear that Kane might build sprawling crap on the site, just to stick it to the man, has us a little worried and it brings to mind Geary’s fight against Coker Towers. (scroll down to “double density”.) That fight, and not just Geary’s but the opposition in general, seemed to be very much about NIMBYism and little to do with shaping Raleigh development guidelines. Neighborhood activists organized to fight a development that was too dense, would create too much traffic and was not pedestrian friendly. The activists apparently won the battle of the backyards and stopped fighting the war. Continue reading ‘Perfect can be the enemy of good.’

Lump. First Friday Must.

Published by Robert E Leebowitz September 7th, 2007 in Art, First Friday and Raleigh. 1 Comment

Lump Gallery returns after an August hiatus, with an installation by Dana Raymond. Mechatronic Symphony is his fifth installation for Lump and his prior installations have been AMAZING. Room-sized, bio-mechanical wooden breathing machines, etc.. If Mechatronic Symphony is half as interesting as it sounds, it will be the must-see event of the summer. If not, it will still be better than a Louis St. Lewis show. And Lump (even scrolling through their MySpace page is like walking through a gallery) has an upcoming Teen Beat Graphica exhibit, featuring the design work of Teen Beat Records founder and designer, Mark Robinson. Something to look forward to in November, indeed!

Coltrane Tribute

Published by Robert E Leebowitz September 6th, 2007 in Art, First Friday, Raleigh and RDU. 2 Comments

COLTRANE TRIBUTE
First Friday, September 7 6–9 p.m. NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh

This event isn’t easy to find on the museum website. It doesn’t appear on their calendar, or their Google Calendar but it could be worthwhile. Coltrane deserves more recognition from the State of NC. Look at that man! Look at those clothes! Coltrane is, bar none, the most important cultural figure to emerge from the Carolinas. From the museum site: “We celebrate the birth month of jazz giant and North Carolina native, John Coltrane. A quartet will play an extended set, along with the usual First Friday fare, Natural Horror Picture Show, exhibit discount and Nature Art Gallery.”

rduwtf.com

Archive for September, 2007

Creepy Bike

Seven Wonders of Central Raleigh: Number Three

Anni Albers at Black Mountain College

Here we go again…

Designing a 21st Century City

SparkCon: What is it?

Y-M-C-A

Perfect can be the enemy of good.

Lump. First Friday Must.

Coltrane Tribute

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