Category Archives: USA

Where in the world is the Republiko of Zendia

Posted on August 7, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

How do you find a republic that never existed ? During the 1950s Cold War, U.S Army cryptologist Lambros D. Callimahos created the mythical  “Republiko of Zendia” to use in wargaming for U.S. military intelligence codebreakers simulating the invasion of … Continue reading →

Posted in Cartography, History, Libraries, Maps, USA | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Oh Summer’s Day

Posted on August 4, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Emily Dickinson, “The Bee is not afraid of me”  

Posted in Books, USA, Writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Landlord’s Game

Posted on July 29, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

In 1904, Elizabeth Magie patented “The Landlord’s Game” the original version of what we now know as Monopoly. Her goal wasn’t entertainment. It was education. Magie designed the game to highlight the dangers of wealth inequality and unchecked capitalism, showing … Continue reading →

Posted in History, USA | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The house was quiet and the world was calm

Posted on July 25, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

The House Was Quiet and The World Was Calm By Wallace Stevens The house was quiet and the world was calm. The reader became the book; and summer night Was like the conscious being of the book. The house was quiet … Continue reading →

Posted in USA, Writing | Tagged | Leave a comment

Bookshop.org’s 100 Bestselling Books of 2025 (So Far)

Posted on July 14, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

The online bookseller bookshop.org recently released a list of their bestselling books of the year (so far). The list is quite a bit different than what you might see from larger booksellers and looks more like what your local bookstore … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Reading machine

Posted on July 6, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Many, many years ago, I lived in the university town of  Gainesville, Florida. One of the many limitations of the small city was its not so great transportation services, including a sorry little airport. But now the Alachua County Regional … Continue reading →

Posted in Air Travel, Books, Bookstore Tourism, Public Transport, USA | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Il caffè fa girare il mondo

Posted on July 5, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

You can visit coffee shops in different places around the world in this video. A coffee drink is ordered in nine countries, and we get to watch it through the customer’s POV. Each coffee drink is captioned, indicating its name … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Film, Restaurants, Tourism, USA | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

More than a bookstore

Posted on July 2, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

In the heart of the Grandmont Rosedale neighborhood in Detroit, a failed bookstore is experiencing a welcome rebirth. Pages Bookshop, a valued independent bookstore, has found new life with the help of the Steen Foundation and a team of dedicated … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, USA | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Bookmobiles are the best

Posted on June 28, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Open Books, a nonprofit bookstore and literacy organization in Chicago, Ill., has launched a bookmobile to bring free books to under-served communities. The Open Books Mobile made its debut on June 8 during the nonprofit’s annual Slide into Summer event, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, USA | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Library Spy

Posted on June 19, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

You don’t have to be a certified library geek to grok the fun little website called Library Spy. “This is a live, unfiltered look at what books are being checked out of the Seward Park library, a branch of the New … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Libraries, Uncategorized, USA | Tagged , , | 2 Comments