Happy Halloween from the Sedlec Ossuary, Kutna Hora, Czech Republic.
These extraordinary maps are created by a brilliant group of map geeks at the University of Sheffield with help from computer wiz Mark Newman from the University of Michigan. The collection of 700 world maps uses equal area cartograms, where territories are re-sized on each map according to a particular variable. You can find the amazing maps, and much more, at their website Worldmapper
All images © Copyright SASI Group (University of Sheffield) and Mark Newman (University of Michigan)
Tourist Destinations
World Popoulation Year 1AD
World Population 1900
International Immigration
USA Population
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The New Zealand government agreed to a deal “under which they will contribute special 
financing and introduce labor legislation” to discourage Warner Brothers and Peter Jackson from taking the production of the two movies adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit out of the country. According to the New York Times, the agreement came “after a week in which thousands of New Zealand film workers had taken to the streets in a push to save The Hobbit–and much of New Zealand’s film industry with it–while others questioned whether its politicians had gone too far in kowtowing to Hollywood.”
Until the early 19th century, most books were purchased in paper covers for the owner to have bound according to his own taste and budget. These books would have been bound by hand in small workshops. During the nineteenth century, this practice was increasingly superseded by the mass production of publishers’ bindings. In hand-bound books, the sewn text-block was laced into boards and then covered with leather or cloth. In publishers’ bindings, the covers were made separately and in quantity, and were not an integral part of the structure.
Publishers’ bindings became more sophisticated as the 
century progressed, reflecting both technological developments and artistic trends. Initially cloth was the favored medium because it was cheaper and easier to work than leather, but a wide range of covering materials was used, including paper, papier-mâché and wood .
Gradually book binding design became recognized as art in itself. If you admire the stunning Rococo Revival, Neoclassical, Orientalism, Gothic Revival, Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau and Egyptian Revival bindings from the 19th and early 20th centuries as much as I do, you will happily spend hours on the fascinating Publishers’ Bindings Online 1815-1930 website
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Many thanks to reader Ed Moss for the link to this terrific travel ephemera site.
David Levine’s online gallery of 1920s, 30s and 40s travel related ephemera has preserved hundreds of fragile travel brochures, advertisements, maps, time-tables, tickets and various travel graphic designs.
New Zealanders have taken to the streets in the thousands to try and keep the production of The Hobbit film from moving out of the country.
Many protestors dressed as characters from JRR Tolkien’s books and movies. The protesters opposed the idea of relocating Peter Jacksons two-part Lord of the 
Rings prequel. A dispute over pay and conditions led producers to hint that they might move filming to another country.
Carrying banners proclaiming “New Zealand is Middle Earth” and “We Love Hobbits,” a reported 2-3,000 people gathered in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, and other cities such as Auckland, Hamilton, Matamata and Christchurch in advance of a visit by executives from the studio Warner Bros.
Jackson is due to start shooting early next year, but the row with a local union – now resolved – has damaged New Zealand’s chances of retaining the films. The Lord of the Rings trilogy helped to establish the country as an up and coming location for big budget film-making. But in recent weeks producers have hinted at a move to the UK, Canada, Australia or eastern Europe for the new films.
The Warner executives will make the final decision later this week, reports say, after meeting New Zealand’s prime minister, John Key, who has stepped in personally to try and resolve the crisis. He told reporters yesterday that there was probably a 50-50 chance of the movies being filmed in New Zealand.
First they put up billboards in San Marco, now the Italian government is moving ahead with plans to impose an entry fee on all visitors to Venice who arrive by air, rail or cruise ship. The fee is likely to be insignificant, in the one euro range, but it will raise needed funds from the more than 20 million annual tourists to help restore the city’s deteriorating buildings and monuments. Critics say the fee will reinforce the image of Venice as a cultural and historical theme park, but supporters say the fee is necessary because so many tourists come just for the day and bring their own food, spending little money in the city.
If they truly want to discourage stingy day-trippers, the fee should be at least €10 per person.
What do you think ?
Designers Ben Pieratt and Eric Jacobsen have created a marvelous website devoted to paperback book cover art at the Book Cover Archive
Virgin Media has launched the world’s first billboard made entirely out of cheese.
The broadband provider unveiled the edible advertising platform at Covent Garden in London to kick off a new ad campaign for its super-fast broadband service.
The cartoon ad features Speedy Gonzales – “the fastest mouse in all Mexico” – and is scheduled to air today.
Created by noted food artist Prudence Staite of Gloucester, the 5m x 4m cheese billboard is made up of ten different types of locally-sourced cheese – including Double Gloucester, Cheshire, Lancashire, Red Leicester, Shropshire Blue and Wenslydale – and weighs 110kg.
Ashley Stockwell, executive director of brand and marketing for Virgin Media, said the Speedy Gonzales character is the perfect celebrity partner to advertise the company’s broadband speed.
“As the fastest broadband provider in all of the UK, delivering real-world speeds of 10Mb, 20Mb, 50Mb and soon, 100Mb, it’s great to be teaming up with the fastest Looney Tunes character around,” he said.
No word from the Mexican Embassy yet.
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