It has occurred to me that the Australian Internet Filter is being debated at such a high level that the average person will not understand what the fuss is about. Child pornography is bad and the filter will stop that badness (so you’ve been told), which means you’re either pro-filter or child pornographers(1). This is not the fault of the average person; by keeping actual intelligent discourse at bay via whinging and bluster, both the pro- and anti- camps are doing all parties(2) a disservice. Time to change the game by framing the argument how true, thoughtful, participating, REAL Australians will understand. By comparing it to booze.
Archive for the ‘Steampulp’ Category
The Australian Internet Filter as explained via Beer.
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010Phrases and thoughts
Monday, October 26th, 2009“If I have seen further it is by standing on ye shoulders of Giants.” –Isaac Newton
“Just be sure and face the right way.” — Professor von Explaino
Devices: Think tank and Hypno-ray
Monday, September 28th, 2009A few weekends ago GenCon came to Brisbane and the Royal Omnitological Society for Electrodyne Adventurers had to make an attendance. Feeling that the Clue-o-meter lacked the punch required for the latest event, I started work on the next Professor device.
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ROSEA vs. Baseball
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009Pushing their way through the thronging masses, Professor von Explaino and young Christoph force their way as politely as possible to the wings of the auditorium. The general hubbub shows no sign of abating but, as Christoph well knows, it takes an act of extreme interruption to silence a group of scientists at an exposition. Worse, this was the culmination of the Professor’s latest achievement – a Paradox Proof Polytemporal Person Procurer. As the innaugral cross-time science symposium, it had taken Captain Adventure’s timely detonating of a variety of experiments (one after another until the desired effect was achieved) for Baron von Borg’s opening keynote to be heard over the competing discussions. Still, it was all in good fun as the Cerulean had the foresight to create experiments for just that purpose so nobody’s feelings were hurt.
During his musing(1), Christoph saw the Professor grabbing the recently adjusted running sheet and make a few adjustments, when he tried to peer over the Professor’s shoulder to see what the program was he quickly pulled his head back as von Explaino snatched the program away and gave him a look. The new program brought von Explaino some great delight; the first presentation was on competitive virology from the World Health Organisation (WHO), James Watt was going to expound on some of Nikola Tesla’s theories and a late scratching saw Ms Lovelace, or Ada, now up third in a free-form programming event. The maths section held two panels, one on yocto-scale maths (10^-24, symbolised by ‘y’) and a discussion of base 12 trigonometry (with B as the highest single digit). After lunch was Sune Bergström discussing the importance of peace-promoting research and a German aeronaut discussing their new supercharger for which the Professor had used the appropriate German description of ‘Lader’.
[1) And by 'musing' read 'oggling the science dancing girls troupe who were getting changed into brass outfits for the opening number' ] (more…)
Professor von Explaino: next device
Sunday, August 30th, 2009I appologise for being dark, but I haven’t completed any new works to write about; instead I’m going to canvas for opinions on the Professor’s next device. The thing-o-meter has been grand, but I think it’s time to upgrade to something backpack powered. So far the logic is as follows
Steampunk Picnic
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009An Australian Steampunk event was held for Brisbane Steampunkers on Saturday, we had about 35 people turn up all told and some fantastic outfits. Most of the pictures are on the Facebook event at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=99289119155 but we’re working on moving some of them to non-Facebook areas so non-Facebook people can see the outstanding efforts. I cannot describe what a great time I had at the picnic, and I want to thank everyone who turned up – from the girls and guy who turned up first with the crazy chocolate cookies (2 minute noodles?) through to the organisers of Prometheus Bound (awesome Steampunk nightclub) who arrived in the afternoon after getting some much needed sleep. Especially to all the photographers.
Professor von Explaino: Moo cards
Monday, July 27th, 2009I was lucky enough to notice Moo when they did their first cross-promotion with LiveJournal, where you could get 10 free mini-moo cards, delivered anywhere. Yes, even down here to Australia. I put up a few of the photos I really liked and the resultant cards came out very nifty; everyone I showed them to agreed (maybe more of the concept than the shots 
). With the steampunk picnic coming up, I thought now would be the perfect time to get a few quick cards thrown together for the Professor; and it would mean giving some money to the guys at Moo who I think deserve it. Problem was coming up with a business card.
One idea I had knocking around in my head for a while was the Maze Generator I built a while ago. This thing takes any dimensions and spits out a one-path maze for you, using an algorithm put on the web by J Kirwin (link now defunct). Playing with the dimensions, I finally got a maze that would fit on a moo card – but it was still just a maze. How to make it belong to Professor von Explaino? The solution came in my site redesign, which Retro rocket had just finished. Incalculatable wrangling had gone into the design work for the interrobang-cog that was the Professor’s signature emblem – mucking around further with PHP and I found a way to embed the logo behind the maze with just enough alpha-ing that the maze came through and the logo was still visible.
Just in time for the picnic!
Professor von Explaino: Thing-o-meter
Sunday, July 26th, 2009Blast, late. Sorry about that.
One of the key aspects of the Professor persona is devices, von Explaino is always inventing and concocting so he must have held or otherwise carried equipment of an aetheric and esoteric nature. The first device I created, with the great assistance of Baron von Borg and Del von Gadgetus, initially for the “Brisbane Romp” charity event and then updated to be taken to a Valentine’s Day nightclub with a Steampunk theme. This was the Thing-o-meter, so named because while the general device would remain the same, its specific purpose would change to become a detector of Something depending on contents..
Goal: A weird device. A ‘detector’ scope of some description, so it needed a collector end and a reporting end.
Components:
- Glass fronted display box from Bunnings (hardware store)
- Dark mahogany wood stain from Bunnings
- Brass photo frame/ box corners from Bunnings
- Brown cloth covered electrical cabling, attached to brass-looking light fittings from Reverse Garbage (recycling shop)
- Carpet sample from friends
- Brass hinges from Bunnings
- Wooden chair leg from Bunnings
- Plunger cup from Bunnings
- Tuning fork from eBay
- Pin and miscellaneous bits from friends
- Metres of glow-in-the-dark cable from a birthday gift
- UV Fluorescent tube from JayCar (+battery)
- Electrical switch from JayCar
- Small brain for the Clue-o-meter from a novelty store
- Small heart for the Love-o-meter from a kids science magazine
First all the wood was stained, twice. Gave the box a rich quality, unfortunately I used a walnut matte stain on the leg so it was less impressive. The plunger was taken apart, it was a screw-ended model, leaving me with the plunger cup that would fit snug over the end of the chair leg. The back of the box, which comes off to put things in, had the carpet sample glued onto it to provide a thematic backing for the visual display unit of the device. Once the wood was dry, the light fitting was dissected and the small end attached to the leg with glue, and the large end was screwed onto the box back via hinges. This meant we could hide all the circuitry and battery for the fluorescent tube in there, so the on-off switch is sticking out of a hole in the light fixture. The UV tube was secured over the carpet end so that when it was shut it would be in the middle – giving the most light coverage. Baron kindly drilled a hole through the plunger cup and into the wooden leg so that the tuning fork could be jammed in there to keep the whole thing joined.
The ‘Thing’ in thing-o-meter is whatever’s front and centre in the view-port when the device is in use, thus determining its name – the Brain powers the Clue-o-meter, and a Heart powers the Love-o-meter. The brain had a mounting block made for it by a pin and left over parts; the heart was just stuck loosely to the glass by its own sticky nature. The rest of the box is then filled with the tangle of glow-in-the-dark cabling when the UV light is activated the box becomes filled with eerily glowing cables.
Professor and the Clue-o-meter (business end)
Love-o-meter in action
Steampunk picnic, Brisbane
Sunday, July 12th, 2009As the weather’s still cold enough to get away with layering, it’s a great time in Brisbane to get out to a morning tea/ picnic in the Roma Street parklands. ROSEA and FAUST will be there, and we want to meet as many other individuals and groups with Steampunk aficionado-ness to socialise and talk shop. If I can scrounge a boules set there’ll be that plus a few card games if it’s not breezy and people are in the mood. There’s a Facebook Event for those on Facebook, otherwise the details are:
- When: Saturday, 01 August 2009 from 10:00 til 14:00
- Where: Roma Street Parklands, Brisbane (aiming for near the lake, we should be easy to find)
- RSVP: rosea.crew@gmail.com
- Bring:
- Food (to share, or to eat yourself)
- A chair/ picnic mat (sitting in the dirt not-so-fun if you’ve spent a lot of time on your outfit)
- Shade (in case it’s too sunny)
- Warmth (in case it’s not)
- Drinks (hydration is key)
ROSEA and the Duplimorphs, part five
Sunday, July 12th, 2009Again the group ran through the darkened alleyways of London. This time they were blessed with an interruption free journey, the unearthly glow of the Professor’s detection device lit the concentration in his features to a degree that even the faithless, forgotten masses crossed themselves fervently as they passed. However, the Baron soon noticed they were being avoided by a better class of underprivileged and called a halt to the headlong chase. Then grabbed Adventure by the collar to actually stop him.
The Baron motioned the group to quiet, their current location bereft of any soul but theirs. Utilising his arm-ament case, he swapped the gripper for the illuminator and proceeded to check their passage.
Just as he suspected, their rush had taken them to the governmental district. What foul horrors could this beast wreak if given unchecked access to the humble lords and other lords of London? He made his way back to the group, relayed the message, then asked where von Explaino was. The unanswered question was resolved a short while later when the Professor returned, claiming he had been using a map and his device to tetrangulate the precise location of the readings. A plan was drawn up and hastily enacted, for the target was none other than the registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Records of everyone in London (well, ignoring the unregistered, of course) – in the hands (or equivalent) of these creatures think of the horrors!
They did. And regretted it. So thought of tea. This was a better option.
Not taking no for an answer, Lady Alex lead the way – hungry for a story. Adventure came next, having primed the M.A.P.C.A.S.E he was prepared for the worst. von Explaino was third, having experience in such matters he was putting on his sturdiest and most replacable gloves. Baron von Borg kept the illuminator low but ready for immediate activation.
So intent on the assault were they, that they didn’t hear the Cerulean’s calls for attention – whoever was in the back of any assault always called out for what was going on. It was tradition, so much so that she had to physically haul Christoph to turn around, too late as at that instant the group had their numbers halved by a sudden burst of light and sound.
Baron von Borg checks the location
ROSEA assault
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