Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past

Posted on March 26, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

Warner Bros. is heading back to Middle-earth once again, and this time, the journey comes with a twist nobody saw coming. A brand-new Lord of the Rings movie has just been announced, titled The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of … Continue reading →

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The Day of Homer

Posted on March 25, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

The Day of the Locust is a 1939 novel by Nathanael West that offers a dark satirical look at the American Dream in the 1930s, focusing on the desperation and alienation of hopefuls on the fringes of the film industry, … Continue reading →

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Geo Games

Posted on March 24, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

“Watch live TV from around the world and guess which country it’s from! Free, the way we like it. Fair warning: there goes the day. H/T Joe    

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Lunch Poems

Posted on March 23, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

“Lunch Poems” by Frank O’Hara. The beauty of the book is that Frank O’Hara supposedly wrote every poem during his lunch hour, and you can read it exactly how it was written — you can keep the book in your … Continue reading →

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Africa

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

There I Ruined It didn’t ruin a thing by turning Toto’s 1982 hit “Africa” into a geography lesson. Instead of the original lyrics, every word has been replaced with the names of all 54 internationally recognized sovereign countries in Africa.

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World Poetry Day

Posted on March 21, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

Each year on March 21, poetry gets its own global moment in the spotlight. World Poetry Day, created by UNESCO, is a celebration of language, creativity, and the quiet power of words to connect us across cultures. Whether you love … Continue reading →

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It’s fish doorbell season again

Posted on March 20, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

Every spring fish swim through the heart of Utrecht, Netherlands looking for a place to spawn and reproduce. Some swim all the way to Germany. There are complications, though, as the fish often have to wait a long time at … Continue reading →

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The War Over Middle-Earth

Posted on March 18, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

In 1965, The Lord of the Rings came out in the U.S. in paperback form, courtesy of sci-fi publisher Ace Books—and it did so without the authorization of Tolkien himself. Ace editor Donald A. Wollheim claimed that the works weren’t copyrighted in the United … Continue reading →

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A simple act of kindness

Posted on March 17, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

While I was watching the Academy Award show Sunday night, the appearance of Oscar winning actor Adrien Brody reminded me of this amazing story of a glimmer of humanity during the Hell of war. It is September 1939, bombs are … Continue reading →

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The World’s Shortest International Railway

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Brian D. Butler

I’ve traveled on some obscure railways, but nothing quite as interesting (and short) as the line featured in this fascinating short video. “What’s the shortest train journey you’ve ever been on? Yes, that Stourbridge branch line is very short, as … Continue reading →

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