Bizarre Statue of Man With Funnel

Google Street View

Google Street View

This bizarre sculpture showing a limp humanoid figure with funnel in his mouth is artwork of Rotterdam Sculptor Atelier Van Lieshout.

Made of polyster it is located on the A27 highway just outside the town of Breda, Belgium and is known as "Big Funnelman". The sculpture was commissioned in 2004 by the Breda civic body.

Source of info: Dutch Wikipedia (English Translation)

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Double Pennies Bike At Googleplex

Google Street View


Google Street View

In my earlier post I had written about a Strange Vehicle which I had found at Googleplex - the headquarters complex  of Google at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, Santa Clara County, California, USA.

It seems the area has some more strange vehicles. Here is another strange one  which to me looks like evolution of Penny-Farthing of old days. For lack of any info I have called these as  Double Pennies Bike.

Like the earlier vehicle I couldn't find any thing about these also on the Net. May be some reader or some one from Googleplex  can throw more light on it also.

Strange Vehicle At Googleplex

Google Street View

Found this strange looking vehicle in the Googleplex - the headquarters complex of Google at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, Santa Clara County, California, USA.

No idea how it operates? I can see 5 seats but some are facing one way and some are other way. Shadow shows two (or may be three) sets of pedals. Is it purely manually operated or is their some other driving engine built into the bike? It also looks that the conical blue basket contains some bike helmets.

A search on Google yielded no result. May be some reader or some one from  Googleplex can throw more light on it.

Additional info: The area has some more strange vehicles. See my next post.

Edit Note Feb. 21, 2012
Dana Payton an active member of Google Earth Community has informed that it is called Conference Bike. ( conferencebike.com)

Its a seven seater, pedal operated cycle created by Dutch  artist Eric Staller and is used primarily for tourism, with a few used on university/corporate campuses for teambuilding.

Image from Wikimedia Commons is by Eric Staller

Credits: Thank you Dana for the info. I was totally flummoxed by the Street View at Googleplex but now everything is clear.

Beauty and The Beast In London

Google Street View

Google's Camera Car snapped this beast with a beauty at the junction of Saint  Bride Street with Shoe Lane and Stonecutter Street in London.

The beast here is actually a sculpture with a strange name  'Resolution'. It's a creation by the famous artist Antony Gormley and in words of the artist;

"Seen from afar it looks like a man, from close up it looks like a city. It  is wonderful to be able to site a work that interacts with the daily life of the street." (Source: londonist.com).

Perhaps by interaction with daily life, the artist meant this scene as captured by Google's Camera car, when it caught unaware the beauty (who of course is just a passer-by) with the beast.

Alien Plants in Belgium

Google Street View

While roaming the Google Streets in Borgloon, Belgium found these strange looking alien plants (or are these giant worms coming out of the stump of the tree?)

Couldn't find any info about this bizarre sculpture. Perhaps my Belgian friends/readers can throw more light on this strange piece of art.

Update: Feb. 20, 2012
After reading my post, Walter Van Regemortel, a very active member of Google Earth Community, wrote to the Info Services in Borgloon seeking more details about this sculpture. In reply Renaat Roekaers, coordinator for Cultural affairs in Borgloon informed that there used to be a tree at this location and it was cutdown as it had decayed and was a potential hazard.

Borgloon is in the centre of Hesbay/ Haspengouw, a region internationally known for its fruit plantations and every year in the blossom period (April-May) Borgloon organizes a walking route and this goes together with an exhibition "Blossom Impressions" along that route. (Part of their project "Art in Open Space") .

The unusual looking sculpture was created by some local artists on the occasion of this annual exhibition, in reference to the removed tree. After the blossom period ends, the art exhibition was closed and the art installations were also removed. Presently the roundabout is empty.

The Street View imagery is therefore historic now and it will be lost when the imagery is updated by Google.

Thank you Walter for finding information about the sculpture.

Update: Feb. 26, 2012
Noisette, a volunteer moderator of the Google Earth Community, top contributor on the Google Earth help forum and a Google Earth addict (like me), was kind enough to visit the place. She found that there is a tree now at the round about. From the photo taken by her, the tree looks to be freshly planted. It may be just possible that Walter's query to the  Borgloon civic authorities may have spurred them to plant the tree.



Image from Picassaweb is by Noisette.

Thank you Noisette for this additional information and sharing the image of the roundabout.

Ridiculous Road Sign For Speed Control At Six Precise Times

Google Street View (Unfortunately in low resolution)

A ridiculous road sign on Bogie Lake Road, White Lake, Michigan, which tells motorist to slow down during 6 precise timings 6:49-7:15 AM, 7:52-8:22 AM 8:37-9:07 AM, 2:03-2:33 PM, 3:04-3:34 and 3:59-4:29 PM.

Not only the car's watch or the driver's watch (if he/she is wearing one) has to be precise but the driver has to keep track of the time also so as to adhere to the speed limit.

Full story: Oakland Press

Credits for the story: Good Morning America on Google Plus

Truth or Consequences - A Town with A Strange Name

Google Street View

Believe it or not - A town in New Mexico, is officially named as "Truth or Consequences".

As per Wikipedia;

Originally named Hot Springs, the city changed its name to Truth or Consequences, the title of a popular NBC radio program. In 1950, Ralph Edwards, the host of the radio quiz show Truth or Consequences, announced that he would air the program from the first town that renamed itself after the show. Hot Springs won the honor.

More info: Wikipedia

The Centaur - An Unusual Sculpture In Paris

Google Street View
 

Here is a strange looking sculpture at the corners of the Rue de Sèvres and Rue du Cherche-Midi in Paris.

The 5 metre high bronze sculpture is known as "The Centaur" and is creation (1985) of French artist César.

Centaur is a mythical creature with the body of horse and bust of a man and in this strange sculpture the artist has put his face as the head of the human figure.

Source of info: paristoric.com (In French) (English Translation)

Florence Y'all Water Tower

Google Street View

The Florence Y'all Water Tower is large water tower in the city of Florence, Kentucky, USA.

The strange name "Y'all" has a curious history. The tower was originally painted with the large letters - "FLORENCE MALL" to advertise the nearby mall. This raised the issue of legality of using city property to advertise a private business and also violated the state laws for size of advertising on the highways.

To overcome these issue the then (1974) mayor of the town, came out with an inexpensive and easy solution of changing the "M" to a "Y" with an apostrophe.

The tower with the curious name has now become an icon of the city.

More information: Wikipedia

Update:
For all those who are wondering about the meaning of Y'all I am reproducing below part of the comments received from  Diane9247, who is  an active member and Moderator in Google Earth Community.

.... it's a contraction of "you all" and used almost exclusively in the southern states of the US. An example of its use is in a greeting, such as "Hey, y'all!" and a reflection of the extra -friendly nature of southerners. By contrast, the slightly more formal northerners would say "Hi, everyone."

Thank you Diane for this info.

Cow Through The Wall

Google Street View

A strange sculpture of a cow passing through walls.

Located at the junction of Niddry Street and Cowgate - A street in old Edinburgh, Scotland. The street is named Cowgate because for many centuries cows were herded down it during Edinburgh's market days. (gate being a Scots term for "street").

The sculpture made of wire frame, is artwork of Polly Verity.

Related post: Cat Who Walks Through Walls

Junk Art at Erie, USA

Google Street View

Dick Schaefer a retired automotive dismantler has converted old cars and scrap metals into steel sculptures which dot the landscape of his front yard on Hershey Road, Erie, PA, USA

Source of info: AOL Wierd News

Whom To Pity - Man or Machine?

Google Street View

Google Camera car snapped this giant of man on a small mobility scooter. I wonder whom to pity - the Man or The Machine?

Location: Elm Grove Lane/Catton Grove Road Crossing, Norwich, Norfolk, UK

Giant Water Tap

Google Street View

This giant water tap is installed as an advertisement, on the front wall of a plumber shop "Boes Plumber" in the city of Wateringen, The Netherlands. No further details are available about this giant tap.

Man Carries Large Snake On Road

Google Street View

Google Street View

Google's Camera caught this strange sight of a man on Clarkson Road, Norwich, carrying a large snake.

As per The Telegraph the man is Leon Kidd, 25, who has five snakes and the snake which was caught by Google Camera is 10 ft long red-tailed boa named Nibblez.

Credits: Faysal Bin Darul Via Google Earth Community.

Cabin Built from Fossilised Dinosaur Bones

Google Street View

This simple looking cabin is unique as it is made of fossilised bones of Dinosaur.

Located near Medicine Bow, Wyoming, it was constructed by Thomas Boylan in 1932-33. The 29 feet long, 19-foot wide cabin contains 5,796 pieces of bones recovered from nearby Como Bluff, the site of some of the most important dinosaur discoveries in the world.

More info: Travelogue Of An Armchair Traveller

World's Biggest Merino

Google Street View

This giant merino sheep made from steel frame and concrete, stands 15.2 metre tall and weighs 97 Tonnes.

Location: Hume Street, off Hume Highway, Goulburn,  NSW, Australia.

More info at: bigmerino.com.au

Credits: Farceur via Google Earth Community

International Spy Shop

Google Street View

Location: 555 Beach Street, San Francisco, USA

Credits: Lrae via Google Earth Community

Millions Have Seen It - Few Have Survived

Google Street View

This funny signboard is on the "Haunted Fun House" on Atlantic Avenue, Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA.

Teapot Dome Petrol Station, Zillah, USA

Google Street View

This unusual Teapot shaped petrol station (known as 'Teapot Dome') was originally constructed in 1922. In 1978 it was shifted to present location near the City of Zillah, Washington, USA. It has a historical association with Teapot Gas Field Scandal of 1921.

More info: cityofzillah.us

Cube Houses, Rotterdam

Google Street View

Cube shaped houses on concrete columns is one of most strange sight in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. These unconventional looking cube shaped houses near the city centre were designed by architect Piet Blom in the 1980s.

More pictures and info: Travelogue of An Armchair Traveller