Monthly Archives: March 2024

Bilbo’s Last Song

Posted on March 31, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Bilbo’s Last Song (At Grey Havens) is a poem about leaving Middle-Earth. It first appeared, as seen here, as a poster published in 1974 by George Allen & Unwin Ltd., the original English publisher of his famous novels, with illustrations … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Are you strawn

Posted on March 30, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I have been fortunate enough to have visited glorious Scotland many times, but I only recently heard about the Scottish term thrawn. So, thrawn is a Scottish word that means ‘stubborn’ and unbending. Sometimes it’s an insult but increasingly an admirable characteristic. … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Film, Tourism | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Not Just a Phone Booth

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Like many other overseas Anglophiles, I was dead chuffed to finally get to make a call from a genuine red phone box on my first visit to London many decades ago. So, I had a tinge of nostalgia watching the … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Film | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Tourists Go Home

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Málaga, in the hugely popular Costa del Sol in the south of Spain, is fed up with tourists and locals have resorted to sticking unfriendly stickers to show their displeasure with the situation. Tourist apartments and buildings are carrying angry words … Continue reading →

Posted in Air Travel, Europe, Hotels, Tourism | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Course des Cafés

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

My very first encounter with a Parisian waiter reinforced every stereotypes of French restaurants. To be fair, it was an early morning visit to a railway station café after a night train from Amsterdam. My traveling companions included three other … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Restaurants, Tourism | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Cultural Connections

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I hesitate to promote apps because so many turn out to be disappointing. However, I really like the Bloomberg Connects app which offers access to exhibitions, collections and renowned artists at over 350 museums and other cultural organizations. Bloomberg Philanthropies … Continue reading →

Posted in apps, Architecture, Art, Asia, Canada, Europe, Libraries, Museums, South America, Tourism, USA | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Ghostwriter

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Designer Arvind Sanjeev has designed Ghostwriter , a smartly named answer machine that uses Open AI’s ChatGPT language model to answer queries manually entered by users, based on a modified old Brother typewriter. Tradition meets modernity. The Ghostwriter is a poetic intervention that allows us … Continue reading →

Posted in apps, Art, Tech, Writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Stages

Posted on March 24, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

 

Posted in Books, ebooks, Writing | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Not all those who wander are lost

Posted on March 23, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Each year on March 25th fans of J.R.R. Tolkien celebrate Tolkien Reading Day.  Around the world folks reread the books, discuss them with friends, and participate in Middle Earth related literary events. The Tolkien Society established Tolkien Reading Day in … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, Film, Libraries, Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

New York State of Mind

Posted on March 22, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Both branches of my family emigrated to New York City from Eastern Europe during the late 19th century. So, it’s natural that I’ve always viewed New York as the center of the known universe. Back in the 19th century, marketers … Continue reading →

Posted in Air Travel, Architecture, Art, History, Museums, Photography, Public Transport, Tourism, USA | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment