Monthly Archives: December 2023

How Random Is That

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

In 1927, the publisher of Paris-Soir  newspaper hired the prolific novelist Georges Simenon to become an advertising attraction. They had a glass booth constructed in the lobby of the newspaper where Simenon, under eyes of the public, was to write … Continue reading →

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“Hope”

Posted on December 10, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

 Happy Birthday Emily Dickinson   “Hope” is the thing with feathers BY EMILY DICKINSON “Hope” is the thing with feathers – That perches in the soul – And sings the tune without the words – And never stops – at all … Continue reading →

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Last Lines

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

He loved Big Brother. –George Orwell, 1984 (1949) ⇔ Before reaching the final line, however, he had already understood that he would never leave that room, for it was foreseen that the city of mirrors (or mirages) would be wiped … Continue reading →

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Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us.

Posted on December 8, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

  “What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would … Continue reading →

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Bookshops come in all sizes

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

A few years ago I posted a story about the smallest indie bookshop in New Zealand, which is most definitely the littlest bookstore that I’ve ever found. You can revisit The Twizel Bookshop right here. But ‘The Exceedingly Tiny Bookshop’ featured in … Continue reading →

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Atop NYC

Posted on December 6, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

New York City’s famous Rockefeller Center is taking tourism to new heights. They’ve just launched a new, immersive experience called “The Beam” which offers  visitors the chance to recreate the iconic “Lunch atop a Skyscraper” picture that was taken in … Continue reading →

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Where comedy meets geography

Posted on December 5, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

It’s always a treat when two of one’s interests intersect. In my case, I’m a huge comedy fan and a big old geography nerd. So I was happy to recently discover that Geographical magazine has a profile of the Map Men—that is, … Continue reading →

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Thank a pirate for guacamole

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Born in England in 1651, William Dampier embarked on a life of piracy in 1679 in Mexico’s Bay of Campeche after a number of unsuccessful early jobs. He changed his fortunes by joining the rapidly growing field of high seas … Continue reading →

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Thank you for waiting

Posted on December 3, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Thank You for Waiting by Simon Armitage Thank you for waiting. At this moment in time, we’d like to invite First Class passengers only to board the aircraft. Thank you for waiting. We now extend our invitation to Exclusive, Superior, Privilege … Continue reading →

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Devil’s Dictionary

Posted on December 2, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Yesterday’s post on the dictionary word of the year reminded me of a recent book listing for the enduringly popular satirical book The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce. Bierce was one of America’s most popular humorists, journalists, and short story writers … Continue reading →

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