Welcome Onboard

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Every flier has endured those tedious, unimaginative flight safety videos while awaiting take-off. Most of us barely acknowledge the drill. Virgin Atlantic has taken heed and created a new animated, pre-flight safety film that manages to be entertaining and informative too.

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Snippets of Europe

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

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Illustrator, teacher and Fulbright scholar Emma Fick has created a marvelous digital sketchbook of her life and travels in Europe. “Snippets” is a charming, whimsical and introspective pictorial journal of observations of European culture and life on the road from the perspective of a discerning, imaginative young American. Fick is a keen observer and talented artist too.

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What About Staten Island

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Earlier this month we shared a very clever New York City coffee map based on subway stops. Now the creator, Android developer Nimal Banerjee, has expanded the original Manhattan- only map to include the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. But it seems that once again Staten Island is snubbed.

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Leave Your Heart, Take the Map

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

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San Francisco is unquestionably one of North America’s favorite destinations for travelers. It is also well served by public transit and is quite easy to get around. But who doesn’t love a fun, practical and even whimsical navigational tool that folds like origami, is water and wind resistant and tear proof .

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The Open Company has just released its 2014 Guide to San Francisco map which is brilliantly designed, looks great and is utilitarian too. Best of all, it costs just $12 including shipping.

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Stories for Strangers

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

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Calling himself “The Roving Typist”, C.D. Hermelin visits parks in New York City where he writes impromptu stories for strangers for a fee. Story patrons provide some ideas on what they’d like in a story and pay what they choose for the finished text.

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You can find out more about “The Roving Typist” in the short film below. If you’d like your own story, and can’t visit Hermelin in NYC, you can visit his website and order your own short story.

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

We Share Their Grief

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

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This March 11th will mark the 10th anniversary of the horrendous Madrid train bombings in which 192 innocent people from 17 different nations were murdered by terrorists. Paris-based, Italian photographer Ciro Prota has organized a moving photographic memorial book to commemorate  the tragedy. Prota enlisted 192 photographers to each create a separate photograph in the name of an individual victim. The moving Projet 192 is a powerful memorial to every family touched by the events of 11-M as it is known in Spain.

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Winter in Trondheim

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

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I once had the immense pleasure of spending a joyous Midsummer’s Night on a mountain above the northern Norwegian city of Trondheim. I never really considered visiting during the winter, that is until I saw this wonderful film from the folks at Visit Trondheim. Winter in Trondheim, 2014 was shot by drone and helicopter by Natural Light.

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MTA NYC Goes Digital

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

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New York City’s MTA has finally launched its much anticipated new digital, touch-point “MTA On the Go” kiosks. The units offer 47-inch screens providing real-time transit information, including visual station to station directions with transfers and line info, countdown to train arrivals and line alerts. Users tap their intended destination and the map draws an easy to follow route.

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The first batch of kiosks were installed in the Grand Central Terminal subway station. More units will roll-out in the MTA’s busiest stations in the coming weeks. The “On the Go” system should be a boon to tourists and locals alike. Here’s how they work:

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A Love Letter to the City

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

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Here in the Philadelphia area, Stephen Powers’ large-scale murals have been a colorful, entertaining and surprising presence since the 1990s. Although he’s currently based in Brooklyn, Powers has been spreading his personal brand of typographic signage murals around South America, Africa, Europe and the U.S.. This week the Princeton Architectural Press released a terrific retrospective of Powers’ vibrant, joyous work called “A Love Letter to the City”.

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You can follow Powers at his website.

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An Atlas Can Light The Way

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

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Rotterdam-based artists/designers Michael Bom and Antoinet Deurloo market their line of sustainable, recycled artwork under the BomDesignNL brand. Utilizing discarded books and atlases, the pair create beautiful, practical pieces that warm up any room. You can see more of their “Book Lamp” project and buy one for your very own at their etsy shop online

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