Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

Pure Aesthetic Enjoyment

Posted on January 18, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

I have only visited Alaska during the early days of autumn, but after seeing this stunning video I’m reconsidering a winter time trip. Filmed by London-based cinematographer Tom Welsh during a week long visit this New Year by train, plane, … Continue reading →

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Sunshine Express

Posted on January 17, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

The new Florida intercity passenger rail system is called the Brightline, but I would have called it the Sunshine Express. Just my opinion, however I did live in the Sunshine State for most of my 20s and I just don’t get “Brightline”; it sounds like a … Continue reading →

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No Porn Involved

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

When I was in Amsterdam a few months ago, I got to spend some time in the rapidly evolving NDSM-werf section of Noord Amsterdam. Not long ago, this area, which once was home to an enormous shipbuilding and warehousing complex, … Continue reading →

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A Landmark Day For Landmarks

Posted on January 15, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

If you are the type of traveler who believes that visiting local historic sites offers unique and essential ways to experience and understand a place, then you will applaud this week’s announcement of the addition of twenty-four newly designated historic … Continue reading →

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Imagine No Borders

Posted on January 14, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

If you are a regular follower of TBTP, you’ve likely noted that I’m a bit of a map and globe geek. The fascination probably began with a globe/lamp combination that sat on my bedside table as a young child. I’m … Continue reading →

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No More Leftovers

Posted on January 13, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

On my most recent international trip I visited three countries that all used different currencies. By the time I got home, I had a baggie full of miscellaneous coins and bills that may never get used. Now, all of that … Continue reading →

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Drawn Together

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Aline Kominsky-Crumb and Robert Crumb have been creating brilliant and transgressive comic books together and independently for more than four decades. The pioneers of the underground comic genre have been smashing taboos and busting boundaries with insightful, funny and decidedly … Continue reading →

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New York, New York

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

When Israeli director/animator/filmmaker Ynon Lan visited New York City for the first time, he recorded his impression in over 3,000 photographs. He then used 330 of the images of people, taxis, brownstones, and Starbucks to create a stop-motion film called Still … Continue reading →

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A 3D Time Machine

Posted on January 10, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

British illustrator Steven Wilson has created some mindblowing cover art for Knopf Doubleday’s Vintage Books imprint’s new H.G. Wells series. The Time Machine reissue even comes with a set of 3D glasses.

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First Bedbugs, Now Germs

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Recently we have seen a spate of stories online and in travel publications about bedbugs in hotel rooms and filthy conditions in most airplanes. Some folks religiously clean their airline seats, arm rests, tray tables, and entertainment systems with anti-bacterial … Continue reading →

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