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| 10 Buoy on Colonial |
| First of all, IT'S NOT A BOMB! it's an old river buoy, and, to nobody's surprise, there is a story as to why. According to the owner of the home at 1185 Colonial, there was a big flood on the river about 30 years ago and the thing broke loose. Rather than return it, (to whom I'm not quite sure) they decided to turn it into lawn art by sticking it in the ground upside down. You see, those fins on the top that make it look like a bomb are actually what stabilize the thing in the water. Why not. |
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| 9 Asteroid Field on Central |
| At 3027 Central Avenue is what appears to be a large asteroid field. However, a geographic survey of the area reveals that no other concentrations of this sort of rock exist, so it's my guess they were placed there by some landscaping company. The real answer will remain a mystery however, as repeated attempts from the call box to find out why these space rocks A. exist and, B. have to be so secure, were not immediately returned. Anybody else watch The X-Files back in the 90's? |
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| 8 Mullins United Methodist Church |
| Legend has it that original plans called for local cell carriers to install their hardware inside the many steeples across town in exchange for $250,000. But when all other churches said no, MUMC said yes... with a twist. You see, MUMC doesn't have a steeple. They have a glockenspiel like bell tower with three rows of sound vents. So the cell company just raised the roof a little and added a fourth set of dummy vent rows. You just have to "click to enlarge" on this one to appreciate the work. |
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| 7 Union Globe |
| Since I first put this list together, the "Union Globe" received a fresh paint job and a new set of dolls. That's right, dolls. In each of those round pods there are doll parts. Guess that's why it's called art. Uncultured buffoons like myself don't have a chance interpreting anything that deep, which is why I like to just make stuff up and tell people that each pod marks a nation with nuclear capability. Say it with confidence, and pretty much anybody will roll with it. As for the real reason, I have no idea. |
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| 6 Peabody Radio Tower |
| On the corner of Peabody and Melrose sits an enormous out of place radio tower in the middle of a residential neighborhood. In place since the 1920's, the tower actually used to broadcast AM signals prior to Roosevelt's bringing "order out of all this chaos" in 1934 with the passing of the Communications Act. Now it just sits there and collects rust and ivy. Still, I'm convinced I'd get lost in the neighborhood without it serving as a visual reference point. Just don't bump it with your riding mower. |
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| 5 Madison Gorilla |
| Just outside of Tri-State Vacuum on Madison stands a gorilla named Rufus. And why wouldn't there be? Anyway... a guy by the name of John Hardin runs the place and he told me that the gorilla has been outside the shop for over 40 years. Interesting, but not nearly as interesting as what else I learned. Deep down, John wants to be a musician, which is why Tri-State Vacuum now sells guitars and amps. Rock on brother. You are the ONLY guitar, amp and vacuum shop in town. Can you say monopoly? Go make a million. www.tristatevacuumcompany.com |
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| 4 The Key Shack |
| Shoehorned between the RXR tracks and Poplar Avenue, the Key Shack is a true wonder. How can a place this awful meet code, yet alone haughty East Memphis visual standards? And the way those guys inside barely open up that tiny drop off window as so to save the efforts of the 150W HVAC system, just adds to the charm. But even if you've shopped here, you haven't truly experienced "the shack" until you've waited in line as a train goes by. The whole place jingles like a giant key chain. |
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| 3 Joe's Liquors |
| A borderline mainstream tourist attraction on its own, this sputnik like icon graces the cover of albums and magazines frequently. Still, since it doesn't appear on the pages of Kevin Kane's "Convention and Visitors Bureau Travel Guide", it qualifies for our list. Furthermore, with the owner being a neighbor of mine, I'd like to give the place a little extra run whenever I can. And with all the maintenance this thing requires, we all owe Joe's a big thank you just for keeping the thing operable. |
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| 2 Mendenhall Buddha |
| Originally installed facing the wrong way, the 22 ton Buddha on the corner of 3004 Mendenhall is a slam on the breaks, tire screeching, get hit from behind, "what is THAT" sort of landmark. Protected only by an 18" tall picket fence, this massive Buddha is illuminated at night by a host of "do it yourself" 90W bulbs. A miniature fountain in the yard adds some much needed tranquility to what is an otherwise disturbing scene. I didn't even feel right while taking pictures of this guy. |
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| 1 World Overcomer's Lady Liberty |
| Sometimes picking a clear cut #1 can be tough. This is not one of those times. Located on the lawn front lawn of World Overcomers Outreach Ministries Church at 6655 Winchester, a 72 foot tall "replica" of Lady Liberty stands proudly as she surveys what used to be a K-Mart across the street. But what makes this landmark extra special is the internal PR she gets. As if being listed in the NY Times wasn't enough, World Overcomers has shrink-wrapped 18 MATA busses to advertise her greatness all over town. Hey, with a price tag of $260,000 I'd scream about it too. |
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