all of a sudden i have a really nice road bike...which is awesome except i need to put some snow friendly tires on it, suggestions? im a city commuter, and i don't have alot of money so super fancy tires (read above 30-40$ a tire) is out of my price range.
thanks in advance.
also now that i have this bike thats stupid nice for commuting im debating ways of wrapping the frame to one: make it less desirable to thieves and two: not let it get all scratched to shit. the two ideas im tossing around are gaffers tape, which i hear doesn't mess up the frame if/when you decide to take it off and/or old tubes sewed on, which will take more time than i have but i think it might look ok. anyway, other suggestions?

Greetings. Longtime costumer, first-time steampunk explorer, etc. etc.

In a search to understand just what makes steampunk costumes steampunk -- outside of actual pieces of faux technology, e.g. brass ray guns -- I've seen certain symbols: cogs, gears, watch faces, watch fiddly bits, keys, locks. To a lesser extent I have seen compass roses, compass faces, clock hands. It's also usual in jewelry in decoration to see coiled wire, with the occasional ship's wheel and (for some reason) the octopus. (All hail the octopus.)

There is another class of symbols that don't seem to be drawn upon for steampunk identifiers: the square and compass, the sun, the moon, scales, or the phoenix -- which are all masonic symbols. Freemasonry was a prestige club in Victorian England (or so I understand) and it seems like these "symbols of devising" would fit in with steampunk. But so far I have not seen any. Has anybody run across any of them in their steampunk wanderings?

(Also... has anybody seen Illuminati symbols worked in to steampunk costumes, like the eye in the pyramid?)

Thanks.

Greetings my fellow steampunks,

I pray that this missive finds you all in the rudest of health and the highest of spirits despite the seasonal chill that blights this land. And possibly the Americas too, I am uncertain. I had high hopes that this new technology would find a way to end the cold winters of my youth, but regrettably they continue unabated. Global warming my left foot.

But it is not environmental policy I wish to discuss with you all today. It is the orient. I believe at some point in the not too distant past, our very own J.D. Falksen wrote a series of articles relating to steampunk across a variety of cultures, one of these I believe was Japan and China. Sadly I am unable to locate a copy of this essay, despite my best efforts. I do wonder if one of my fellows would be able to send me one of those hyper-links to this work? I would also be very interested in hearing the thoughts of others on this matter, whether they be in essay format or less formal manner.

Seasons greetings from England,
Professor Zarkov

Want a little more "steam" in your coffee? Introducing the Royal Vacuum Coffeemaker.

But more than a vacuum...what really sucks is that they're out of stock until Summer of 2010.

I hope this is alright to post here. I'm sure there used to be a steampunk place to buy and sell, so please feel free to remove if i've done the wrong thing

i'm posting this here because I have made a gorgeous dress that i'd like to sell, and it looks like it would fit it nicely in the steamy world.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade SilkOrchidCorsetry.etsy.com

Been a little lazy and just pasted widget thing. This will link you to my etsy shop and you will be able to look at my other things. some of you may even be into lolilta as well.

if you're not intereted in buying the dress, i hope you've enjoyed the picture, there are a few more pictures in the listing as well.


Thank you for your time, and i hope that my post has made some people happy

I've seen a very cool Christmas idea going around a few places - namely, compliment threads. You leave someone's name in the thread, and the idea is to give them compliments to make their day better.

I haven't linked to any of them because I don't know the people making them - I know, it's completely anti-season, but I'm shy about linking to a friend-frenzy originated by strangers - but shadowwolf13 has started her own. She's got a very nice listing of all the people mentioned thus far (though I dunno how long she'll be able to keep that up), and I figured I'd add mine.

My thread's for my wife zoethe, of course: here it is. If you have nice things to say about Gini, go nuts.

In the beginning, The Simpsons had two store owners: Apu and Comic Book Guy. Apu would sell anything at the Kwik-E-Mart to make a buck, and Comic Book Guy was an overblown tyrant who'd sell any collectible to make a buck.

Thing was, as time went by, people started to feel guilty about Apu. As an immigrant from India, you could tell that they were a little uncomfortable mocking the American dream so much - here was the guy who came from another land to open up his own shop! Isn't that worthy of being more than just a bit gag?

So they started asking a vital question: "Is there anything else about this guy we should know?" And as it turned out, yes. They started writing episodes that opened up his character - he wasn't just a ripoff artist, but a psychotically hard worker! And a devout Hindu! And proud of America! And a vegan! And a Ph.D. in Computer Science! And now Apu has a wife and too many children, and his relationship has been the focus of more than a few episodes.

They kept deepening who Apu was until he had depth. He's always got his roots in that stereotype of the Indian store-owner, but they've kept adding to him until he's a character in his own right. Because, I suspect, it felt unfair just to leave him stranded as nothing but a stereotype.

Comic Book Guy got no such save.

Comic Book Guy's been the focus of a handful of episodes, but the same could be said of almost any Simpsons character - after 400+ episodes, they're desperate for new plots. But his central character hasn't changed: desperate for women, a blowhard, lives in a basement, has no social life. And, I'd argue, it's because the Simpsons writers (and people in general) feel that the guy at the heart of the Comic Book Guy stereotype largely deserves his fate.

And I can't deny that. I've known too many Comic Book Guys, with their shops and lousy business practices and their focus on making themselves the king of their local nerd cabals rather than running a good business, and I'm pretty much in agreement that they're all just worthy of being mocked relentlessly. Apu got a bad break, and should have been fleshed out. Comic Book Guy? Well, he chose that path. He deserves nothing but mockery.

I just find it interesting that one stereotype got explored until he was a fully-realized character on his own, and the other remains a walk-on gag to say, "Worst. X. Ever."

(Full disclosure: my daughters say that I sound like Comic Book Guy, so feel free to read this entire rant in Comic Book Guy's voice. It's funnier that way.)

Howdy! After 30 years of being away from it, I have the urge to take a jazz dance class. I used to be reasonably competent, but I'm in my 40s and out-of-shape, so I'm looking for a beginner-level class. When I say jazz, I mean Broadway-style dancing, not something that involves a partner. I'm also looking for something that focuses on dance, not jazzercise.

Can anyone recommend a place in San Francisco, the Oakland/Berkeley area, or somewhere nearby that would have an adult beginner-level jazz class?

Hello!

This is Psyche Corporation [of Gilded Age Records]. I finished a new song ("Institute") last week, and it's probably the most steampunk song of my upcoming album. If you feel like it, take a listen! It has a ticking clock noise and other amusing percussive noises. Lyrics are under the cut, and the song can be heard at http://myspace.com/psychecorp Just scroll down the playlist and click on "Institute". I tried to make it go to the top of the playlist, but myspace keeps thwarting me, so it's at the bottom :/

More info on Psyche Corp. at http://www.psychecorporation.com

..and here's a picture to be decorative:
[photo by Steward Noack]
larger version also under the cut..

( lyrics for Institute )

2009 a year of facebook and tweets.

I know those of us dedicated to growing our hair out to any length, but particularly very long lengths, sometimes face setbacks.  The dreaded trim.  I know many of you search and destroy and dust, but as I like my blunt hemline (had I more pronounced waves, I would opt for fairytale ends, but as my hair is neither very wavy, nor very straight, blunt seems to work best) that's not so conducive to my maintenance. ( More whining (and pics) after the cut... )

To those of you who observe, have a blessed and joyous Yule, Jul, Alban Arthan, hibernal solstice, Dōngzhì, Saturnalia, or whatever you prefer to call it.

The days will grow lighter now, this time in more ways than one.

Edit (12/22/09): Yes, yes, the solstice was more technically on the 22nd than the 21st, as I suspected. Personally, I tend to think of the thing as basically covering both days in their entirety, because what with the start of a new date falling at midnight rather than at dawn, it gets confusing for me to calculate what twenty-four hour period actually constitutes the solstice.

Today is the last day to enter our corset giveaway. We draw tomorrow night. I guess you have a day and a half really. No matter, you should enter. It's really just a Twitter follow and a post to do so. Not alot of effort for a very cool prize. Secondly, ClockworkCouture.com is upgrading you to Express Overnight Shipping free of charge until tomorrow morning at 10am on orders totaling $200 or more. You can still get items in time for Xmas. Okay, I gotta go pack, Happy Solstice to those like me, who opened presents today *yay* Now back to work with me. :) And uh, here's an Hare Force Pilot

Gonna Xpost to steamy stiches but no place else.

EDITED TO ADD: Drew Carrey also knows the joys of Von Slatt's creations. He tweeted about it today. 

DrewFromTV

Fantastic Steam-Punk PC. Hand-made, of course. http://bit.ly/8M5cRU

 

So I built my first Elder Dragon Highlander deck last night. The general? Sapling of Colfenor. Why? Because I already had a B/G highlander deck (fairly successful in multiplayer) that I could adapt.

I'm not gonna write about it until I have a chance to play it, but I laid it out here because it's kind of like a puzzle - those who know Magic art well can see what cards I chose (barring basic land). Yes, it has a lot of powerful cards. But that's the way I like it!

...this year, we bought a water buffalo for Christmas.

i_hope_that
For many of us, the holidays can be kind of rough. If you're searching for a network of understanding friends, this ultra-nurturing community encourages you to express your heartfelt wishes and offer other members encouragement and acceptance. Not for the terminally snarky or emotionally-challenged, this is a good-spirited place to lend comfort and support.

diygifts
Feeling crafty? If you've got a few last folks on your holiday gift list, this is a great place to seed your creativity and generosity. You'll also discover wonderful DIY tips to decorate your home and entertain guests. Offering a no-frills-no-skills attitude that welcomes the cash-challenged and arts-phobic, you're sure to get ideas and make friends in the process.

cooking_club
A fun and friendly community dedicated to those who love to cook, whether you're a meat-and-potatoes type, an aspiring gourmand, and/or a vegan. In search of a brilliant dish to use up those weekly leftovers? Post your ingredients and you'll be whipping up a feast by dinner. You can also share favorite recipes. For Type A chefs, you can spice up your culinary repertoire with exciting cooking challenges.

Here are some coupon codes for Uncle Sam's Army Navy Surplus and a few plus-size retailers:



Uncle Sam's Army Navy Surplus - 25% off any one item from online store, use code 200910
50% off any in-store purchase with this coupon. Both expire April 1, 2010.


Chadwick's - 50% off your lowest-price item when you purchase 2 or more. Use code CHAD25. Or $20 off your online order of $60 or more. Use code CHE20.


Jessica London - 40% off your highest-price item. Use code JLF2711, expires January 30, 2010.


Roaman's - 40% off your highest-price item. Use code RD22080, expires January 13, 2010.