Guaranteed to see the Aurora Borealis

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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I just booked tickets for a summer trip to Iceland with no expectations of catching a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis, but Icelandair is now guaranteeing that at least some of its passengers will see nature’s light show. They recently launched an Aurora Borealis-themed jet as part of a campaign to get more passengers from North America and Europe to spent at least a week in Iceland on a stop-over. The Hekla Aurora recreates Iceland’s mindblowing northern lights throughout the Boeing 757’s cabin using a LED lighting system. While the exterior sports a matching theme.

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Posted in Air Travel, Art, Europe, Tourism, USA | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Animal Farm is still banned in Cuba

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

It seems that as long as there have been books governments have been banning them. This infographic from printerinks.co.uk takes the long view on book banning throughout history.

via http://www.printerinks.com

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It’s a plot

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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

Rommel Drives Deep Into Egypt

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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Drawing Paris

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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Last month, the brilliant British artist/mapmaker Jenni Sparks released a brand new hand-drawn map of Paris. Sparks, who is known for her fabulous maps of London, new York City, San Francisco and Berlin, spends months pounding the pavement, visiting landmarks and interviewing locals to gather information and create her painstakingly detailed maps. Prints of the Paris map can be purchased here

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Posted in Art, Europe, Maps, Tourism | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Iceland Comes to NYC

Posted on February 20, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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If you are considering a visit to New York City, and if you love music, you should know that next month NYC’s fantastic Museum of Modern Art is launching an extraordinary retrospective on the work of Iceland’s greatest export, Bjork. The exhibition will cover more than two decades of the artist’s daringly original solo projects. It will chronicle her career through sound installations, films, objects, costumes, technology, and instruments. Special museum spaces will be created to showcase sound and video works commissioned by MoMA for the exhibition.

The show will run from March 8 through June 7, 2015, and will coincide with five live performances around NYC. Entry to the special Bjork show will be included in the museum’s general admission ticket, but timed tickets will be required for segments of the show, and will be on a first-come-first-served basis. You can get more information at moma.org.

Fans may enjoy this hour-long BBC documentary from a few years back.

 

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Bucharest for Booklovers

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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The former Chrissoleveni bank building in the heart of Bucharest, Romania, has been transformed into a bibliophile’s dream bookstore. Carturesti Carusel , or carousel of light, covers six floors of the grand 19th century building, with more than 10,000 titles, thousands of albums and DVDs, a café under a massive skylight, an events space, and an art gallery. Just launched on February 12th, the stunning bookstore is located in a trendy pedestrian zone with hip coffee houses, fashion retailers, bars, and theaters.

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Posted in Architecture, Books, Bookstore Tourism, Europe, Tourism | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Who Is Eustace Tilley ?

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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This month the iconic magazine The New Yorker is celebrating its 90th anniversary. To mark the milestone, the publication is being printed with nine different covers. Popular artists, including Peter Mendelsund, Roz Chast, Carter Goodrich, and Kadir Nelson, have riffed on The New Yorker’s first cover mascot, the monocle dandy Eustace Tilley.

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Sin City

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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I have to admit that I was dazzled by my first view of Las Vegas from a plane, but photographer Vincent Laforet’s images of Sin City from 10,000 feet at night are truly breathtaking . Taken while literally hanging out of the side of a helicopter, the brilliant photos may challenge your preconceptions about Vegas.

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The increasing use of LED lighting on casinos, hotels, restaurants and shops, along with the old school neon signage create surreal landscapes that look more like a sci-fi film or a video game.

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Posted in Architecture, Hotels, Photography, Tourism, USA | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Straight Outta Silver Lake

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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Los Angeles-based writer and map enthusiast Eric Brightwell has been creating some wonderfully idiosyncratic, hand-drawn maps of his city neighborhood by neighborhood. Under the enigmatic sobriquet Pendersleigh & Son Cartography, the project explores the diverse enclaves and corners of the sprawling metropolis. You can see more of the maps and even buy prints online.

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Posted in Art, Maps, USA | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment