Category Archives: USA

Who reads what where

Posted on January 23, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I’m a sucker for a clever infographic, especially if it pertains to books or reading. The graphic above shows which reading genres are most popular in 36 countries around the world. To collect the data, the folks at Study In … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Asia, Books, ebooks, Europe, USA, Writing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Edgar Allan Poe Philadelphia Travel Guide

Posted on January 19, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

              Morning on the Wissahiccon                                                  by Edgar Allan Poe The … Continue reading →

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Archives of the Planet

Posted on January 17, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

In 1908, French financier Albert Kahn created a project that aimed to photograph the diversity of humanity across the planet. He hired 12 photographers to capture images of everyday life and culture around the globe. His staff traveled to 50 … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Asia, Europe, History, Middle East, Museums, Photography, USA | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Promised Land

Posted on January 16, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

 

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History is made of maps

Posted on January 14, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

History Maps uses a combination of interactive maps, videos, illustrations and Wikipedia content to explain and guide the user through an impressive collection of historical events. Beware, it’s easy to fall down this rabbit hole and spend an unplanned hour … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Art, Asia, Canada, Europe, Film, History, Maps, Middle East, Museums, South America, USA | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

In The Stacks (Maisie’s Tune)

Posted on January 13, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

In the Stacks (Maisie’s Tune) by Robin Sloan is both a synthesizer with knobs you can fiddle with and a short story you can read. Here’s a sample, but you can read the entire story by the author of the … Continue reading →

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The Master of Mysteries

Posted on January 10, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

In the newest addition to the Library of Congress Crime Classics series, Gelett Burgess’ Astro the Seer proves that he is “The Master of Mysteries.”  This collection of short stories, originally published in 1912, features victims of crimes who bring their … Continue reading →

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To Airbnb or not Airbnb

Posted on January 8, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Like millions of other travelers, I have used the accommodation service with mostly positive results. Lately though, it seems that most stories about Airbnb range from negative to nightmarish. Still, Airbnb remains the most popular rental service in most markets. … Continue reading →

Posted in apps, Europe, Hotels, Maps, Tech, Tourism, USA | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Enough with the GOATs

Posted on January 5, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

It’s that time of the year when the faculty of Lake Superior State University releases an annual list of words that they say deserve to be “banished” from our vocabularies over “misuse, overuse and uselessness.” “Our nominators insisted, and our … Continue reading →

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A Library Is A Spaceship

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I have been a fan of the wildly imaginative writing of Isaac Asimov since I was a child. Recently I ran across a charming story about the iconic sci-fi author and a letter that he wrote in 1971. He sent … Continue reading →

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