A Tale of Two Bridges

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I can’t explain my interest in brilliantly designed bridges and I don’t feel the need to explore it. So, here’s a tale of two more way cool new bridges in Europe.

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Designed by Amsterdam-based NEXT Architects, this stunning span connects the old town center of Pumerend, Netherlands, just outside of Amsterdam, with the growing neighborhood of Weidevenne. The “Melkwegbrug” crosses the Noordhollandsch Canal and is bifurcated, with the tall section for pedestrians and a gently sloping section for wheelchairs and cyclists.

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The crazy, looping new bridge near the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo, Bosnia is the brilliant product of three local design students. Named the “Festina Lente”, Latin for make haste slowly, the bridge spans the Miljacka River with a wonderful sanctuary mid-span.

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I Heart NYC and These Maps

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London-based artist and illustrator Jenni Sparks has created a new series of fantastic hand-drawn maps of New York City. The cleverly amusing maps include elaborate images of iconic neighborhood and borough hangouts that no tourist wants to miss. If you long to own your own copies, you van purchase at the Evermade website and even get free shipping for the holidays.

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Posted in Art, Maps, Tourism, USA | Tagged , | 2 Comments

I Want To Go To There

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Just in time for the release of the first edition of the Hobbit trilogy, Tolkien nerds can now lift a pint of Gaffer’s Ale at the very same tables as Gamgees, Tooks, Brandybucks and Bagginses. The Green Dragon Pub in “Hobbiton” was officially opened on November 29th by New Zealand Prime Minister John Kay.

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The new tourist attraction is situated on the primary set for the Hobbit near Matamata, New Zealand.

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No Pine Scent Whatsoever

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For decades, the Flemish city of Hasselt, Belgium has erected a lovely, traditional Christmas tree in the city’s Grotemarkt main square. But this holiday season has brought a charmingly novel approach to the tradition.

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Working with local residents, the Belgian PR firm MOOZ created the joyously clever “Taste Tree”. Incorporating donated white, gold and blue porcelain plates and cups, Stefan Vanbergen and Inge Vanluyd of MOOZ built a stunning 30 foot tall tree composed of nearly 5,000 pieces of crockery.

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

Nothing Beats A Good Book

Pundits have been writing obituaries for print books and libraries for years. But a recent study by the Pew Foundation suggests that even as e-readers proliferate print books and libraries remain popular in the United States. This neat infographic demonstrates just how e-books and print books can coexist.

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The True Way Is Along A Rope

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Austrian writer Franz Kafka (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Are you a Kafka fan? Do you love animation like a kid craves Saturday morning cartoons? If you do, set aside twenty minutes to absorb this fantastic Japanese animated film version of Franz Kafka‘s cryptic story A Country Doctor directed by Koji Yamamura. I promise that you won’t be disappointed. (but no refunds on your twenty minutes)

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I’ll Drink To That

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When the private company that provided night bus service in Ghent, Belgium stopped the operation, the municpal government found an innovative solution with an unlikely partner. In the new collaboration, the Antwerp-based brewery De Koninck agrred to cover the cost of the night bus system in Ghent in exchange for sole ad rights on the buses. An added benefit is the brewery’s buy-in to a municipal drunk driving reduction campaign.

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Fables for Living

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Readers with a proclivity for short-form fiction will relish Electric Literature. This uber-cool multimedia literary magazine can be read on mobile devices, e-readers or even in traditional, old-fashioned paper format. Publishing for three years, Electric Literature commissions work from contemporary literary stars, including Rick Moody, Nathan Englander, Aimee Bender and Kevin Brockmeier. The tech-forward zine also commissions some fantastic short videos and animations that riff on their story selections.

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Underground Books

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By now most bibliophiles have participated in, or at least heard about, bookswapping programs. The latest book give-away scheme is London’s Books on the Underground. All that’s necessary to be a participant is to visit the project website, request some stickers and start sharing. So, if you’re going to be in London, plan ahead and get youself some stickers. (h/t to Evan Smythe)

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Meaning Minus Truth

I’m a fool for book-based art installations, as you may have already surmised. So here’s new one called “Meaning Minus Truth Condition” by Vienna-based artist Thomas Ehgartner. Built with 8,000 recycled books, the installation in the Kunstacademie Wien also includes two computers which voice random Wikipedia entries and snippets of text from the Guttenberg Online Archive.

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