Steam Punk

You might ask yourself WTF are people walking around my convention in Victorian clothes and brass gears hanging out of their nose? And then you might not. But if you did these cosplayer's are Steampunk.

If anyone knows who took this picture or who is in it contact me. Thanks :)

Wikipedia defines steampunk as "Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s.[1] Specifically, steampunk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century and often Victorian era Britain—that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them; in other words, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, art, etc. This technology may include such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne or real technologies like the computer but developed earlier in an alternate history."

Which I have to say is pretty damn Accurate.

If anyone knows who took this picture or who is in it contact me. Thanks :)

Epic Abe Lincoln, and as always, If anyone knows who took this picture or who is in it contact me. Thanks :)


I personally enjoy the craftsmanship the steam punk crows has to offer. I enjoy the shiny brass bobbins and the corsets and the use of top hats. So to me it's not that bad. The big problem with steam punk (for other conventions) is the theme crashing. What I mean by theme crashing is If you go to a sci fi convention you expect to find star wars, star trek, battle star galactica costumes. When jack Sparrow shows up he is theme crashing. When you are at "Midlevel days" a local rein fair you expect to see knights, maybe silk cover merchants, bonnie lasses in poet shirts and bondage (I mean corsets), you might even get an occasional pirate or musketeer. But, That storm trooper he is theme crashing. Anime and comic conventions are no less a victim, I have seen Darth Vader duel a Pokémon, and I have scene Spiderwoman glomp Dr Who. Theme crashing happens.

Steam Punk gets a bad rap for it. They rarely get cons of their own and they are kind-of-a-sub-genre of sci fi and fantasy. Almost all forms of fiction have a steam punk influence. Rather it be Steamboy or Skycrawlers or Big-O in Anime, Dr who's Dalek's (which embody high-end technology that could pass as a late 18th century espresso machine), Back to the Future even has a heavy influence with a steam punk train. There is even a number of authors who delve into the sub-genre. Like " White Chapel Gods" a personal favorite of mine. Orson Scott Card even touched base with it in his fictional histories of America "Seventh Sun". Movies have played with cowboys with laser guns, knights with lightsabers, high-tech HG Wells styled machines, dystopian retro technologies, and Victorian envisioned time travelers. So it's not like there isn't a source material.

The point I am making is there is literally hundreds of cross genre, genre bending themes in fiction and sci fi. So give the steam punks a break. They have to share conventions with the rest of us for now, and when they get their own conventions we can crash them in out Spiderman under wear, storm trooper jack boots, and shiny chainmail. Preferably with their respective costumes and not all mashed up together.
Another Note: The steam Punk crowd in Colorado is One of the most active I have ever seen. They are outgoing, compassionate, and full of some rather interesting and awesome people. So pull out a bowler cap, a Victorian coat, and a spray painted nerf gun, and join in on their fun. Or not, it's all gravy to me. I am sure in future posts I will interview some of the Local Steam punks.

PS Don't paint your nerf guns up to look like real guns, cops can't tell the difference and its not safe to go waving it around in the hood either.


Some steam Punk Events mentioned to me By Colorado Steampunks, Kronda Seibert are listed below, enjoy.

Grave yard Picnic

Sunday, June 26 · 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Fairmount Cemetery
430 S Quebec St
Denver, CO

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=102701159820391

Steam Punk pride

Civic Center Park
Saturday, June 18 · 11:00am - 4:00pm
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=221213201225307
Colorado Renaissance--Time Travel!

Colorado Renaissance--Time Travel!
Saturday, June 11 · 10:00am - 6:00pm
Colorado Renaissance Festival
Larkspur, Colorado
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124362360976240


Victorian Ice Cream Social
Friday, June 3 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm
City Park, Denver
Denver, Colorado

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=174943412560052

As Promised Hats

Hats not hate:

So thanks for hearing out my recent rant. Not to detract from it in the least here is that article about hats.

Hats are a great accessory and the modern world just ignores them. I mean plenty of people have a baseball cap or a cowboy hat but how many times have you put on a boater, bowler, bucket, cabby, casual, chauffer, civil war, derby, dress, engineer, fedora, fishing, fur, gambler, gaucho, Greek, golf, goorin, gus, kepi, military, newsboy, open road, pith, pork pie, sombrero, straw, and 'tom mix to name a few. I mean seriously hats make the outfit, make the costume, set the mood.

Seriously, every United States President until Kennedy wore a hat during their inauguration (Kennedy took his off and left it at a chair). But what probably killed the hat was the automobile and less head room in smaller cars... Not kidding look these up. People have all kinds of theories about why gentlemen stopped wearing hats.
But I digress, the point of this article is hats are epic and you should get some. Some bad asses who wear hats (fictional and real in no particular order): James Bond, Indiana Jones, Sherlock Holmes, Abraham Lincoln, Charlie Chaplin, Al Capone, Marlene Dietrich, Johnny Depp, Tim McGraw, John Wayne, Queen Elizabeth, Frank Sinatra, Diana Keaton, Cary Grant, Sammy Davis Jr, Diana Princess of Wales, Winston Churchill, Bing Crosby, Popeye, Carmine Miranda, every bad ass in the United States Navy, and those Shriner's.

So some of you might be thinking I am mad as a hatter at this point. But I assure you I have not ingested enough mercury ... yet for that to take its course (look it up hat humor). The point of this whole article is to show wrapping an old top hat in some ribbon and spare cloth and make it have a dashing new look.

So here goes: Go to and Arc, goodwill, garage sale, secondhand store, costume shop, or date a hat makers and go get yourself a hat. I like the beaten and the down trodden....
Read all the instructions before you start.

What you will need:

A Hat, I took a top hat for this project
A ribbon,
some scrap cloth,
glue

Anyway, My hat.

Part 1. First step, Wrap the ribbon around the hat, then tie it in a knot (I chose red) as this is for a vampire. Tie the ribbon in a knot or bow or glue it in place.

Part 2. Take a piece of scrap cloth, place it at the front of the hat. In this example also red.

Part 3. Take my second piece of cloth in this case mine is a bad ass lacey number with skulls bats and bugs (I used this stuff while making boots and a vest and had plenty left over for the hat). Wrap it around the hat tie it in a knot.

Part 4. Tuck the edges of materials in so that they are hidden.

Part 5. Trim excess material to desired lengths. I kept the excess length because I liked it.

Part 6. Now that you have your hat how you like it. Take it apart and add glue.... Or you can do this on every step (I however never glue cloth on because I might want to change the hat at a later date, and I am a cheap sob).

I thought I would dress
in baggy pants,
big shoes,
a cane and a derby hat,
everything a contradiction:
the pants baggy,
the coat tight,
the hat small and
the shoes large.
...Charlie Chaplin

PS As of today I am a Graduate!

U.N. Is Seriously F-Up! That is F U Nations if You are gay.

U.N. F. U.
Today, I wanted to write about hats. Fancy Hats, top Hats, and how to dress them up with some style for Conventions in your area. But that will have to wait. Instead I write to you about something very tragic, very serious and wholly Western in Ideology: Human Rights.

We live in a world of clip art, sound bites and misrepresentation, and that is just are so-called-objective-media. So, I try not to discuss politics on the internet. It's rather easy for people to quote you out of context. So I try to keep everything lighthearted, nothing that can jeopardize my character to the slings of convenient-to-the-moment media editing.
However, a few friends brought to my attention a troubling notion of human rights and the United Nations Idea of how to uphold them. This last week the United nations in the Third Committee of nations General Assembly passed a vote addressing extrajudicial, arbitrary, and summary executions: that will strike homosexuals from the list of protected minorities. This list previously included Homosexuals as well as, street children, human rights defenders, members of ethnic, religious, and linguistic minority communities.

The amendment put forth by ” The tiny West African nation of Benin (on behalf of the UN's African Group) proposed an amendment to strike sexual minorities from the resolution. The amendment was adopted with 79 votes in favor, 70 against, 17 abstentions and 26 absent." ~Thor Halvorssen

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thor-halvorssen/united-nations-its-okay-t_b_787024.html

Red governments voted for the amendment; yellow govt's abstained; grey govt's were not present; green govt's are the only ones to vote against the amendment which endangers gays.

The shocking thing about the above numbers in the vote is how evenly they are split between Western and Eastern Philosophy(see the map above). The West (Australia, Europe, N & S America) almost unanimously Voted against it. While the East, Africa the Middle East Asian (Minus India, Israel, Japan South Korea and a few other small nations) all voted for it. Almost across the board Countries ruled, settled, and emancipated from European rule nearly all voted for the dignity of all human Life. While Africa and the East all did not. You can draw your own conclusions on ethical or religious morals and how they influence the discussion (I am sure people will, I am ever certain America will be dragged into the press as playing to both sides). I'll leave that topic for others. I want to point out that the single most common feature of the split between the vote are Western Republics & Democracies that uphold the rights of individuals, vs. Pseudo-Democracies known for genocidal treatment of the people of their own nations based on the very traits the United Nations Resolution was meant to protect!

So here is a very Western way of thinking for you, Answer these Questions:
Why does a country with genocidal despotic dictators in office for 30 something years get to vote on human rights issues? Shouldn't there be a prevision that stops countries breaking a law from voting .

How the hell does a Popular Vote of 79pro-70con (out of 192 total) justify a change? It's not even a 50% Majority!

Why would U.N. allow a region allowing human rights violations to open up votes to change what counts as human rights violations?

The World wonders why the United States, Europe and our allies play world police and stick our noses into your business to clean up your messes, wipe your nose, and kick out despots. We clean up your messes because you can't seem to stop killing each other. You can't play nice with the other child-nations. If you don't stop it, we are going to just have to take away your toy tanks, bombers and soldiers. We have the means don't tempt us.

On Side Note: I have always said there is not enough money on Earth to make me step into Africa or the Middle East without an army with me. This U.N. vote just proves beyond reason that those sections of the world are unsafe.

I personally will never vacation in Asia, Africa, or the Middle East, because they have about the political stability of baking soda in vinegar. There are less than a handful of nations in those regions of the world where it's safe for anyone to walk around without an Ak-47. Let alone now the accusation of homosexuality is sanctioned by the United Nations as a justifiable means to execute someone.

I think all the heads of state of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East are Gay. You political leaders should climb into your own prisons and do a world a favor by hanging around above a knocked over chair.

Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day and Summer has finally made it to Colorado.
Sunshine oh sunshine how I missed you so. The pale glow of my winter skin makes me think of snow. But with your warm summers day is going to make that pale go away. Yeah Yeah Melt all the snow!
So I went hiking with a good friend to have a picnic up in the Red Rocks of the Rocky Mountains. It was a nice long hike through some of the best rocks in Colorado. So I figure I would share some photos with you all.

This is what I get to see anytime I want.

Can you believe this location use to be a dump?

It's Bacon!

You cannot eat the bacon.... Well unless you are the Rock eater in Neverending story!