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Author Archives: Brian D. Butler
Coffee Makes The World Go Round
I would like to think of myself as a semi-pro coffee roaster, but I know that’s just the beans talking. My roasting is limited to small batches for family and friends. And my roaster only has the capacity to do … Continue reading
Russia sinks to new low
A Russian bombing attack on August 1 hit an automated publishing distribution center in Ukraine, “destroying approximately eight million books, continuing a campaign of ‘deliberate’ assault on the country’s book industry,” the Bookseller reported. Two Russian drones hit a RNK-Ranok Publishing warehouse outside … Continue reading
Chop. Copy. Shred.
Over the last month or so I have seen quite a few news articles and blog posts about how Anthropic, creator of the large language model (LLM) Claude, set out in 2024 to “destructively scan all the books in the … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged AI, Anthropic, Bookselling, Claude, Project Panama, Substack
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Why A Duck (Redux)
This amazing book sculpture was created by Thomas Wightman for Visit Scotland. The work celebrates a childhood train journey over the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct bridge. It may look familiar, if you’ve ever seen a Harry Potter film. all images ©Thomas Wightman
Posted in Architecture, Art, Books, Europe, Tourism
Tagged Harry Poter, Scotland, Trains, Visit Scotland
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Hot Stuff and Sundry Sunday
“Explore the world’s only complete guide to the hot sauce types of the world. Hot sauces have been around for millennia, as Aztecs and other people of Mexico and Central America ground chile peppers, water and spices, adding heat and … Continue reading
Southern Gothic
“Where you come from is gone, where you thought you were going to was never there, and where you are is no good unless you can get away from it. Where is there a place for you to be? No … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Flannery O'Connor, Gothic Novels, novelists, Southern Gothic
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Bugging Out
If you need another reason not to visit the United States this year maybe this will do it. Fortunately, I have not been bitten by bedbugs since I was an adolescent, but I have heard enough horror stories from travelers … Continue reading
we move another summer closer to our last summer together
THE ORDINARY WEATHER OF SUMMER In the ordinary weather of summer with storms rumbling from west to east like so many freight trains hauling their cargo of heat and rain, the dogs sprawl on the back steps, panting, insects assemble … Continue reading
Tourists, Go Home
Travelers who want to avoid other tourists and interact with the people who actually live there, should probably avoid Monaco and Malta. According to this chart, the first has 9 tourists for every local, while the second has 6.3 to … Continue reading
