Leaving Cameron Village on Saturday we came across a couple of cars with flags following each other.  If you’ve lived in the area for more than fifteen minutes you know this could be sports fans from any one of a number of schools in the area.  On closer inspection I realized they cars were not flying the colors of NCSU, UNC, Duke, Shaw, Meredith or even Peace these cars had the historic Gadsden flag (aka Don’t Tread on Me).  We carefully moved in closer to investigate as they made their way onto Hillsborough Street and saw their web address written on the car window – www.rollingteaparty.com.  Until I saw this I had no idea that the Tea Party crowd had adopted the Gadsden flag and the Navy Jack as their banners of choice.  An interesting pick to say the least and quite honestly an interesting protest.

I’m sure these folks were en route to a larger caravan we saw three of what I have to assume were more but can’t really confirm.  From their website:

Did you come here because you saw the website name on a car today (or recently?) You witnessed a Rolling Tea Party – the goal was to deliver our message via this single website. The hundreds of cars that traveled the streets of Raleigh today, advertising this website, were participating in yet another rally of Americans against yet another abuse of power by government.

Issues listed on their website include – Kill the 1% NC Sales Tax Hike, Don’t “Cap” Our Economy, Immigration and Anchor Babies, Throw the Bums Out, and An Unconstitutional Amendment? All appear to be from the more conservative side of the political arena.  Issues that are all uniquely complex and unfortunately deserve more time and discussion than what they get either in the media or in person.  Most of this small site seems to push forward to a Constitutional Town Hall site which appears to be something of a “hub” for activities like this across the state – if you haven’t seen them yet (and there really are more than the three we saw) expect to see them soon in a town near you across North Carolina.

Last weekend Fayetteville Street on Friday night was the site of SparkCon and now a week later it is home to the Ray Price Capital City Bike Fest.  I don’t know if it is possible for two events to be on further ends of the spectrum and both feel so at home in the same location.  The weather was cool and the rain looked almost like snow flurries falling in such a light haze.  The motorcycles that were out both on display and from the people who came to the rally were very cool. (Pictures after the jump.)

A lot of credit to our city for having big, fun and diverse events almost every weekend and really encouraging cool events on Fayetteville Street in general.  I know – personally I am probably not a great fit for either group (maybe closer to the SparkCon crowd than the biker crowd) but both events were very cool to walk through at the end of the work week.

C and I visited The Bain Project this past Saturday and highly recommend that anyone who reads this do the same next weekend before the installation is closed.  It will be open again May 16 & 17th from 1 to 5PM with performances at 2 and 4PM.

The art deco Ernest B. Bain Waterworks facility caught my eye a long time ago as I was entering downtown via Wilmington Street.  It is one of those buildings you look at in a state of disrepair and say to yourself – someone should do something there – that building could be something great.  After a long time of admiring its exterior I was very excited to hear the building was opening for a limited engagement art installation.

The facility opened in 1940 and replaced the facility directly in front of it that had been in operation since 1887 (this one pumped water to the stone water tower that looks like a lighthouse in downtown).  The waterworks could pump 10-20 million gallons of water daily but was outgrown by the city by the 1960’s when the Neuse River facility was built.  The plant remained in operation until 1987 and was used as a backup facility until the early 90’s since then it was used for storage. [Source]

Thanks to the man on the street with his ear on the ground – wait – that is dangerous – GET UP BOB!!! Awesome news in the world of people who need more bricks in their daily diet. Read the headline again – LEGO is coming to Crabtree Valley Mall – now read the article – it is going to be a store. How awesome is that?

Here’s one for all the kids and kid-like adults in the Triangle: The Lego Store is coming to Crabtree Valley Mall.

The store will be big — about 2,000 square feet — and will open near center court at the end of May.

It’s a pretty big score for Crabtree, since Lego has only 23 stores in the whole country, and this will be its first one in the Carolinas. Personally, my favorite part of these stores is the “Pick-A-Brick” wall, where you can buy Legos in bulk like candy. Imagine the possibilties…

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