Never Mind the Hype

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

“Within the next generation I believe that the world’s rulers will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, and that the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging and kicking them into obedience. In other words, I feel that the nightmare of Nineteen Eighty-Four is destined to modulate into the nightmare of a world having more resemblance to that which I imagined in Brave New World. The change will be brought about as a result of a felt need for increased efficiency.” A. Huxley

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Some Favorite Places

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

While we take a little travel break we thought that you might be distracted by some of our favorite bookshops. This sample is completely random and in no order whatsoever. People often ask me to choose a favorite bookstore, but it’s just not possible. In fact, I’ve never even been able to pick a top ten list. Can you?

Shakespeare & Co, Paris

Caen, France

Ross-on-Wye, England

Leakey's Bookshop, Inverness, Scotland

Le Bal Des Ardents, Lyon, France

John Sandoe, London

Keith Fawkes, London

Seville, Spain

Housing Works Book Cafe, NYC

Hatchards, London

Voltaire & Rousseau, Glassgow

Rizzoli Bookstore, NYC

Barter Books, Alnwick, England

Abbey Bookshop Paris

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Mild, Mild West

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Next month’s issue of Budget Travel magazine (old-school version) will be featuring an excellent short article on Amsterdam’s West neighborhoods by Maria Robertson-Textor. The city’s former industrial area has been undergoing a slow, but inexorable gentrification for the last decade and is now attracting even the lazy tourists who rarely see more than the city center (and the coffeeshops). If you venture to the wild west, check-out the Westgasfabriek culture complex and park; there’s always something interesting going on. And while you’re out west, look for the new book wall.

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Hanging On

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Finnish conceptual artist Kaarina Kaikkonen creates her flowing, site-specific projects entirely from recycled clothes. Intially she worked only in men’s shirst, ties and jackets, but she has now expanded her work to incorpoated all types of clothing. The garments are typically donated by residents in the communities where her work hangs. Kaikkonen has installed her clothing lines in Vancouver, Miami, NYC, Copnehagen, Helsinki, Romeand most recently in Liverpool.

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Play Literary Geography

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Created in 1933 by cartographer Paul M. Paine, The Booklovers Map of America Showing Certain Landmarks of Literary Geography is a charming guide to many of our favorite literary places. Working during the 1920s and 1930s, Paine designed or co-designed  some terrific pictoral maps, including The Booklovers Map of the British Isles and the better known Map History of New York State. While some may disagree with Paine’s designation of Boston as “the Birthplace of American Literature his maps is a creative and entertaining take on our literary heritage.

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Amsterdam DNA

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The Amsterdam City Museum has partnered with PlusOne agency to develop a fascinating series of 3D videos for their department called Amsterdam DNA—a show that provides a journey through Amsterdam’s storied history. The short film below is the introduction to a series of seven films on one of my favorite cities. You can find out more about the project at PlusOne Amsterdam.

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Only in America

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Well, here’s an idea whose time has finally come:

“Imagine navigating the waters of Lake Union with sweeping views of the Seattle skyline while lounging in a luxurious soaking tub. The boat can accomodate up to six persons…It is powered by an electric motor at approximately 4 to 6 knots.”

Intrigued, you can learn more at Hot Tub Boats.

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Is it Das Slinky ?

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The Slinky Springs Bridge in Oberhausen, Germany was completed in the summer of 2011. Based on designs by Frankfurt artist Tobias Rehberger, the funky bridge drew its inspiration from the iconic Slinky children’s toy. Rehberger captured the wild, fun qualities of the Slinky in his spiraling bridge across the Rhein-Herne-Kanal. The bridge was actually constructed by structural engineers Schlaich Bergmann out of 496 aluminium coils that span more than 400 meters. I only wonder why my pals Bo and Carolin didn’t tell me about this.

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Flawed Symmetry of Prediction

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Artist/photographer Jeff Frost shot over 40,000 high resolution still images with a DSLR camera for this mindblowing film. Frost roamed the deserts of Utah and California searching for abandoned buildings with just the right decoration. No CGI effects were used whatsoever in the making of the film.

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Scotland : Not Just Kilts and Heather

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

 

We’re a bit tardy in reporting Scotland’s Carbuncle Award for most dismal town, but here it is anyway. Urban Realm magazine has named Linwood, just southwest of Glasgow, as the most dismal town in Scotland. The award was established in 2000 with the express intention of stimulating debate about the sorry state of so many of Scotland’s towns and cities

Beating out Nairn and Fort William this year for the title of “worst town”, Linwood was once the prosperous home of the famed Hillman Imp. Today, the Renfrewshire town’s center is in a shocking state of decay with little help on the horizon from the Scottish government. If we can go by previous winners of the Carbuncle Award, which include Glenrothes, Coatbridge and John O’Groats, Linwood has little hope for anything positive in the forseeable future.

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