Monthly Archives: January 2012

Don’t Embark Without One

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

There’s an embarrassment of riches when it comes to urban transit apps for smartphones, as well as a pile of dreck. But it can be a daunting task choosing an app to help navigate an unfamiliar public transport system. San … Continue reading →

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America’s Most Literate Cities

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

For the second consecutive year, Washington, D.C. , has been ranked as the most literate city in the country, according to an annual statistical survey from Connecticut Central State University in New Britain. Here is the top 10 for the … Continue reading →

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Watch Your Step

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The popular Spanish street art collective known as Luzinterruptus has created a humorous and dramatic installation that sheds light on a common urban problem. Portable hospital urinals were filled with yellow tinted water and led lights and then attached to … Continue reading →

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Hoping Oscar Is a Bibliophile

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a 15-minute homage to the printed book and to booklovers. A cunning blend of computer animation, stop-motion and traditional animation, this marvelous film was produced by Moonbot Studios of Shreveport, Louisiana. The … Continue reading →

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Would You Visit Napoleonland

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

In a baffling bid to increase tourism to France, Yves Jégo, Mayor of Montereau and Deputy from the Parti Radical, has announced plans to raise funding for a new French theme park dedicated entirely to Napoleon Bonaparte. Mayor Jégo suggests … Continue reading →

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Deutschland Joins World Book Night

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Germany has become the third country to join the World Book Night celebrations. Started in the UK last year, World Book Night will take place this year on April 23rd and is centered on the give-away of millions of books … Continue reading →

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Free Art Books

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The fabulous Guggenheim Museum in New York City recently made sixty-five classic artists’ catalogs and art texts available for free online. This treasuretrove offers many impossible to find historic catalogs from such giants as Kandinsky, Klee, Schiele, Klimt, Calder, Munch … Continue reading →

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Hundeheit is no joke in Norwegian

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Dog theft is an ever-increasing problem in Europe and North America. Well, there’s a solution for anxious pet owners who insist on taking their dogs on shopping trips. The clever Norwegian developers of the Hundeheit, or Doggy Den, have created … Continue reading →

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Cartography Can Be Fun

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

You won’t find any of these terrific, one-of-a-kind maps in a typical travel guidebook or in a travel magazine Many of these charming cartographical gems are created by professional artists or illustrators, but some of the most engaging maps are … Continue reading →

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Eye of America

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

For his audacious new project, Vanishing Cultures, Chicago photographer Dennis Manarchy is traveling around the United States creating astonishing, one-of-a-kind portraits of Americans who represent the vanishing cultures of the nation. Manarchy has created an amazing 35-foot-long camera called “Eye … Continue reading →

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