Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

Better Than Streetview

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

This extraordinary panoramic photograph of Manhattan by Sergey Semonov won the 2012 Epson International Photographic Pano Award in the Built Environmental catagory. Based on multiple photographs taken from a helicopter trip over NYC, the 3D panorama is an awesome stitch-up. … Continue reading →

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BiblioTech…meh

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

San Antonio, Texas Judge Nelson Wolff is a bibliophile with a surprising mission. Even though he owns an extensive personal library, with more than 1,000 collectible first editions, the Bevar County judge and library board chair has been the torchbearer … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, ebooks, Libraries, Tech, Uncategorized, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Travel Can be Taxing

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

Travelers the world over are frequently blindsided by immoderate hotel taxes that boost the cost of overnight stays. The United States is no exception. When guests book hotels, they rarely explore the potential additional costs of local, city or state … Continue reading →

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Free Schwabylon ?

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

From the outside, we tend to view the Germans as a monolithic culture, but stories like this one demonstrate how wrong that viewpoint can be. There is an internecine war brewing in Berlin’s trendy Prenzlauer Berg District between native Berliners … Continue reading →

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The Clocks Were Striking Thirteen

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

Penguin UK has decided to mark the sixty-third anniversary of George Orwell‘s death by launching “George Orwell Day” and by issuing a series of new paperback editions of his most beloved books. The series has all original covers designed by … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, Freedom of Speech, History, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Is True Crime Your Genre ?

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

Are you in the market for a very special book collection? Do you have an interest in True Crime ? Well, eBay seller uswego has an offer just for you. For the farcical price of $1,000 (plus $250.00 shipping) you … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, USA | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Who needs the Guggenheim?

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

Who needs the Guggenheim ? And who says that math is boring? Certainly not the creative folks at New York City’s newest museum. Opened to the public on December 15, 2012, the National Museum of Mathematics, in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, is … Continue reading →

Posted in Museums, Tourism, Uncategorized, USA | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Traveling Photographer

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

This ingenuous short documentary by Max Monty is entitled “A Traveling Photographer”. The film documents the unpretentious, but often poignant work that photographer Kevin Russ creates on his wanderings through the U.S. west and in Mexico. Russ’ pared down technique … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Photography, South America, Tourism, USA | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A Room With a View

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

Faktum Hotels is not your ordinary hotel brand. In fact, it doesn’t actually rent hotel rooms at all. Instead, Faktum Hotels is a clever media campaign to bring attention to the plight of homeless people in Gothenburg, Sweden. Website visitors … Continue reading →

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Everyone Wants to Drive the Train

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

Yesterday, a Swedish train cleaner succumbed to that universal urge to be a train engineer and went for a three minute joyride with a suburban Stockholm commuter train. Unfortunately, she lacked the skills to keep the Saltsjobannen train on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments