Euchronia was the Steampunk New Years Eve party organised by the Antipodean League of Temporal Voyagers. It last ran in 2008 and was so successful they postponed it for a year to make sure it remained novel. I'm not entirely certain how that works, but boy was this year's a hum-dinger! Baron von Borg, Lady Alexander, the Cerulean and Gil of ROSEA joined me in attending; the Cerulean also brought along an independent contractor as her offsider for the evening so it was an even numbered affair.
A while ago I was contacted by the makers of Steampunk Magazine for the iPhone and asked to check out their application. I did, and it was fun, and inspired me to look into more Steampunk Books. A series that I really enjoy is the Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger.
Continuing Professor von Explaino's investigations into every realm of science (due to his expertise in the field of Omniology), and inspired by Cheyenne Wright's Corset Inspector badge, I have created two new devices that were to be shown off at the next Prometheus Bound. As that was unfortunately cancelled, we reconvened to the nerd friendly Mana Bar and had an impromtu steam gathering. Those of you on Facebook can see the results of the outing at the Mana Bar's Facebook page
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. After all, child pornography is bad and the filter will stop that badness (so they've been told), which means people are either pro-filter or child pornographers1. This is not the fault of the average person. By keeping actual intelligent discourse at bay via whinging and bluster, both the pro-filter and anti-filter camps are doing all parties2 a disservice. Time to change the game by framing the argument how true, thoughtful, engaged, REAL Australians will understand. By comparing it to booze.
A 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.
Pushing 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.
I 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
An 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 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.
I 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.
As 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:
Again 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.
Ignorning the casino's glitzy and glamourous (according to their flyers) exterior, the Cerulean led the way into the first of many darkened and seedy alleyways that nested behind the safe, shiny front. People looked up at the group as they ran past, the scream not having any to do with them some complained about the intrusion, others quickly put away items of negotiable legality. ROSEA paid no attention, soon ammassing as a group on the grass of a forgotten garden, highwalled tenemants surrounding it having been built with scant regard for the greenery. With the others acclimatising to the sudden re-amergence of light, the Cerulean stood waiting by a hedge-rimmed bed. When finally the others came over she walked off to continue the investigation while the Professor retuned his device to examine what was most likely a corpse.
With regrettable haste1 ROSEA left the suare of the Duke and Duchess of Kent in order to investigate the objects Captain Adventure and the Cerulean had manage to bring down using the Centurian Eagle's starboard arsenal. Part of this haste was due to the strange metal spheres' downward trajectory, Professor von Explaino having theorised their landing in an unfortunately populated area outside Kent's main entertainment district. Given the likely-hood of other guests from the Kentish political soirée would have made the sojourn to the gambling establishment earlier in the evening — immediately after the strange lights and ominous sounds from the heavens (followed by the rain of metal fire) had made the ballroom less than convivial — there was no time to be lost.
It occurred to me that I was doing this demonstration a bit backwards, showing the individual components of the laboratory without showing the laboratory as a whole. To make up for that, here's a few shots of the 'completed' laboratory before I dive back into showing the laboratory sections in detail.
There cannot be a laboratory without a workbench for the Professor to plan his science. Placing this desk in the corner means there's two walls to work with as well as blocking off a lot of the desk making it easier to fit in with the rest of the laboratory.
So, in the new house we've established there's a large, concrete floored room with three walls (2 sides brick, one side fibrous cement) and panelled ceiling under the house. What's the first thing that should be done in such an area?
I'm a child of the late 80's and early 90's. Inspirations for the Prof are drawn from the media that was prevalent at the time, yes we had inspiration before the wide-spread installation of cable modems.
