Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

Be Prepared

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Many of us who live on the East Coast of the United States have been rudely schooled on the importance of being prepared for natural disasters and emergencies. Lots of folks that I know will wish that they had heard of the … Continue reading →

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No Dikes Yet

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

In 2009, the RTL television network in the Netherlands filmed a feature in New York City on a proposal to construct a Dutch-style storm barrier across New York harbor. In light of last week’s visit by Hurricane Sandy, it seems … Continue reading →

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There and Back Again

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Air New Zealand —the official airline of Middle Earth (really)—recently released a new safety video. Titled An Unexpected Briefing , the video was produced in conjunction with WETA Workshop, which created the special effects for Lord of the Rings and … Continue reading →

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Travel Randomly

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Are you a spontaneous traveler? Would you trust a website to randomly plan your travel? If the answer is yes, you might want to give the oddly named “adventure generator” Drungli a try. Pick your departure city and dates that … Continue reading →

Posted in apps, Europe, Tech, Tourism | Tagged | 2 Comments

My Kind of Mayor

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

I recently heard about  an interesting initiative by the French railway company SNCF. To celebrate its new high-speed line direct from Lyons to Brussels, SNCF recently set up a giant cube to introduce the citizens of Lyons to Belgium’s capital … Continue reading →

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The Worst Hotel In The World

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

A dirty, cold, tiny hotel room can put a damper on your trip. But for the Hans Brinker Budget Hotel in Amsterdam, those attributes are essential to the promotional pitch. That’s because the Hans Brinker is proud to be dubbed the “worst … Continue reading →

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Happy Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

One of the first true horror films that I saw as a child was F.W. Murnau‘s 1922 silent vampire flic Nosferatu. When I was a little older and I finally read Bram Stoker’s classic Dracula, I realized that the Murnau’s … Continue reading →

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Is Book Art Blasphemy

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

I admire the cut-out book collages of Alexander Korzer-Robinson, but still cringe a little at the evisceration of antiquarian books. He says of this work: “By using pre-existing media as a starting point, certain boundaries are set by the material, which … Continue reading →

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Bibliomania

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Rosalie Osman is a freelance animator based in Melbourne, Australia. She describes her film Bibliomania as: A twisted fairytale about a young man obsessed with the acquisition of books to the detriment of all else. Having inherited his father’s library … Continue reading →

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Above Paris (revisited)

Posted on October 28, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The first time zeppelins flew over Paris, it was to bomb the city during World War I. Now, a German zeppelin company says it is nearing agreement with a company in Paris that plans to offer flights around the Eiffel … Continue reading →

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