Enough Already

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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Overheard at Small World Coffee in Princeton, New Jersey this week: “Enough already with the blogs and tweeting”. Yeah, maybe enough with the tweeting, but I say keep the blogs coming.

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Library Inside Out

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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This week the New York Public Library opened its always popular summer outdoor reading room on the Fifth Avenue plaza near 40th street in the heart of Manhattan. “The outdoor Reading Room 2015: Read Everywhere!” is open daily 10AM to 7PM daily through July 17th.

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The alfresco library annex offers author talks, book swaps, librarian recommended books, and space for readers to share their own book suggestions. Learn more right here.

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

But How’s The WiFi

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

With all of the time that travelers are forced to spend in airports these days, free and fast wifi has become even more important. The website Rotten WiFi has compiled crowd sourced speed test data on more than 130 airports in 53 countries worldwide to determine which airports have the fastest wifi.

The top ten list includes 3 Asian, 5 European, and surprisingly 2 U.S. airports.

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Travel Hacks

Posted on June 23, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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I’m a sucker for blog posts and websites that dangle the clickbait title of “travel hacks”, but usually it’s the same old common sense stuff any traveler should know. How many times do we have to see so called hacks like “pack your socks into your shoes” or “take a picture of your passport and email to yourself”. Well, this short video, which was sponsored by Holiday Inn Express, actually has a few clever ideas. I love the t-shirt/underwear/sock wrap.

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The Mind Is Like An Iceberg

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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One hundred years ago Sigmund Freud published his groundbreaking paper titled “The Unconscious”, which revolutionized thinking about the mind. To mark this centenary, this week the Freud Museum London is launching a three-month long celebration to demonstrate how the unconscious mind influences human behavior and thinking.

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Along with films and animations, the museum has commissioned the sound-art collective Disinformation to create an audiovisual installation. Visitors will also be invited to spend some time on Freud’s own couch and even participate in an archeological dig in the museum garden.

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Posted in Europe, History, Museums, Writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

It’s Fathers Day in the USA

Posted on June 21, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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H/t to Buzzfeed for these very appropriate Game of Thrones themed Fathers Day cards. Apologies to non-GOT fans.

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Posted in Film, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Like Spotify for books (sort of)

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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How do you chose your reading material ? Do you ask a friend ? A librarian ? Maybe you only read New York Times bestsellers. Now the pressure is off. You can get book recommendations from some of the best writers in the English language working today. While it’s still in beta, the Alexi app promises to provide “hand-picked” reading suggestions from writers such as Ali Smith, David Mitchell, William Boyd, Maria Semple, Julian Barnes, and John Le Carré.

Alexi says that it is a “curated app for discovery of great books”. It promises to provide meaningful suggestions and thematic lists from both in-house editors and guest curators. And best of all, there’s no pressure to purchase anything—yet.

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Posted in apps, Books, ebooks, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Oslo is a Scream

Posted on June 19, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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Norwegian artists Steffen Kverneland and Monica Tollnes recently teamed up to bring a street art twist to Edvard Munch’s iconic work “The Scream”. The mural, in central Oslo’s Tøyen neighborhood, is based on a magazine cover by cartoonist and illustrator Kverneland, and it marks the first major street art piece for the pair.

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Posted in Art, Europe | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Colossus NYC

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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As an artistically challenged person who lives with an extraordinarily talented artist, I am awestruck on a daily basis by the brilliance of creatives. So, it’s no surprise that I was blown away by the amazing video of British artist Patrick Vale’s superb pen and ink, freehand drawing of the New York skyline. The timelapse video, titled “Colossus”, captures each moment of creation of Vale’s stunning triptych.

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Posted in Architecture, Art, Film, USA | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Seventy-one Square Miles Seeded With Hustle

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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The just launched Brooklyn from the Wildsam Field Guide Series describes the New York Borough as “…seventy-one square miles seeded with hustle and grit and leaps of faith”. As the product of more than a century of Brooklynites on both sides of my family. I heartily endorse that notion.

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As a travel guidebook, this addition to the growing Wildsam series on U.S. cities is far from comprehensive, but it more than makes up for any shortcomings with creativity and local insights. Just 140 pages, with 45 original illustrations, the book is equal parts travel guide and cultural barometer. It offers wonderful hand-drawn illustrations and maps by Lauren Tamaki, interviews with famous Brooklyn characters, hotel picks, food and drink recommendations, shopping hints, and insightful essays.

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Posted in Art, Books, History, Hotels, Maps, Museums, Music, Public Transport, Restaurants, Tourism, Travel Writing, USA | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment