Monthly Archives: February 2011

The Fool Triumphant: LA’s Been Brainwashed

Posted on February 18, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

  If you’ve seen the clever satire, Exit Through the Gift Shop, then you’re already familiar with the ersatz street artist known as Mr. Brainwash. It appears that “Thierry Guetta” is celebrating the film’s Academy Awards nomination with more LA … Continue reading →

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When Air Travel Meant Luxury

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

Once considered the zenith of air travel luxury, the long-gone Boeing 314 Clipper could transport pampered flyers to faraway, exotic locales in only a matter of days. The enormous airliner, first launched in 1936, had the amazing range of 5,200 … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Tourism, USA | Tagged | 1 Comment

I Can’t Believe We Lost To Lewisburg

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

It’s official. Newtown, Pennsylvania is cool. But only the seventh coolest small town in America, to be precise. The borough took the seventh spot in the “Coolest Small Town” competition by Budget Travel Magazine. With 15,082 votes, Newtown came in ahead of … Continue reading →

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Maybe Not Essential, But Pretty Good

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

Our lantsman Jason Diamond over at the brilliant website Jewcy.com has come up with a list of the “50 Most Essential Works of Jewish Fiction of the Last 100 Years”. The criteria to make this august list included any work … Continue reading →

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Seal It With A Kiss

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Brian D. Butler
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Good Clean Bookstore Fun

Posted on February 13, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

The very clever photoblog Corpus Libris is an amusing compilation of people manipulating bookcovers so that their gestures match the images on the covers. It was originally created by our brilliant friends at LA’s Skylight Books featuring themselves. But now … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Photography | 1 Comment

Tropical Depression:Not A Review

Posted on February 12, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

I was pleased to receive a review copy of Arin Greenwood’s debut novel, Tropical Depression. Inspired by Greenwood’s own escape to the South Pacific island of Saipan, Tropical Depression is a laugh-out-loud romp with just enough existential angst to keep … Continue reading →

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I Still Miss Mine

Posted on February 11, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

Artist Todd McLeelan’s newest project, Disassembly, deconstructs all manner of useful devices and gadgets. While I love my computers, I still miss my old Royal. You can see more of Todd’s work on his website. Click on New Work .

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The Laughing Point

Posted on February 10, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

If you haven’t been hooked yet by the hilarious new website, Malcolm Gladwell Book Generator, you must give it a try. When you visit the website, just click on “generate new bestseller” and a new title will be generated. Here … Continue reading →

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The Cheaper the Crook, the Gaudier the Patter

Posted on February 9, 2011 by Brian D. Butler

An unpublished collection of short stories by the groundbreaking author Dashiell Hammett, often named as the originator of hardboiled noir fiction, has been discovered in Austin, Texas. Hammett, best-known for the novels The Maltese Falcon, The Thin Man and Red Harvest … Continue reading →

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