Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

Black History

Posted on February 16, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

The Black History Month Map is a new collaborative and dynamic map developed by kinkofa and PamPam to honor and document the significant places, individuals, and movements that have shaped Black history. To help you explore the invaluable contributions of Black Americans … Continue reading →

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Taste of London

Posted on February 15, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

A team of four highly skilled photographers has created a mesmerizing flow motion timelapse of London, deploying novel techniques to tell the story of the U.K. capital. A Taste of London is the fifth installment of FilmSpektakel’s long-running A Taste of series  … Continue reading →

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Going In Style

Posted on February 14, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

I finally managed to see Wim Wender’s superb film Perfect Days. This truly moving and heartfelt movie centers on a Tokyo resident who is employed cleaning a set of special public toilets in the Shibuya City district. If you haven’t seen it, … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Film, movies, Tourism | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

How we live now (almost)

Posted on February 13, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

It’s been more than a year since I read Paul Lynch’s Booker Prize winning novel Prophet Song, but I’ve been thinking more and more about it lately. Prophet Song takes place in an alternate Dublin. Members of the newly formed secret … Continue reading →

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Writer’s Dog

Posted on February 12, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

 

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The Trial

Posted on February 11, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the posthumous publication of Franz Kafka’s chilling novel of the nightmare world of authoritarian repression and merciless bureaucracy. I remember reading the book only after I saw Orson Welles’ chilling film production. Somehow … Continue reading →

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First there is a mountain…

Posted on February 10, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is Taranaki Maunga, or Mount Taranaki, has peaked to sentience—at least in a legal sense. … Continue reading →

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Would You Pay to Stay in a Shipping Container

Posted on February 9, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Researching hotel accommodations for an upcoming Japan trip has resulted in some unusual options. One of the oddest is Hotel R9 The Yard. This chain with the industrial-sounding name is notable for its unique lodgings, which are made out of storage … Continue reading →

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et cetera

Posted on February 8, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

It was W.H. Auden who said: ‘there are good books which are only for adults, because their comprehension presupposes adult experiences, but there are no good books which are only for children.’ The great discipline of children’s fiction is that it has … Continue reading →

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Your AI Travel Guide

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

I am still dubious when it comes to AI travel tools. I’ve tried out some AI trip planning with disappointing results. But how about navigating tourist sites with your very own AI travel guide, ready to reveal the stories behind … Continue reading →

Posted in apps, Architecture, Art, Asia, Europe, Maps, Museums, Public Transport, Tech, Tourism, USA | Tagged , | 1 Comment