31.10.2009 by Traveler.

Happy Halloween everybody!

Make it as steampunk a you can!

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28.10.2009 by Traveler.

This has nothing to do with Steampunk at all. I just watched this video and in the process nearly died laughing, so I thought I share it with you.

A little bit about my background: I worked as a banker from late 1993 to November 1996. The worst years of my life. I know how many bankers think (many kind of do not) and what both have to commedians have to say is so true:

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24.10.2009 by Traveler.

Yesterday I went to a pub moot of the Munich section of my favorite party:

I am member 6366 of the Piratenpartei, and when I saw my number, I thought “Damn, 300 too early.”
The pub moot was great, something I was afraid it would not be. I had previously been involved with University politics and found that the FSK and ASTA there were behaving like the People’s Front of Judea.

This pub moot was nothing of this sort. Everyone really was interested, there was an atmosphere of wanting to do things and getting it done. No unnecessary discussions at all. I shall go there next week again.

And now for the fun bit: After the official part was over, we all had plenty of time to socialize and I ended up standing in front of the room the pub moot was held discussing various things with Johannes, another chap who’s name I do not recall (I am terrible with names) and Steffi (Stephie?) and Christian, who are engaged (this detail has nothing to do with the story, I just thought I mention it).

So we were happily chatting away and I was checking my pocket watch every now and then and then Steffi asked me:

Bist Du ein Steampunk? (Are you a Steampunk?)

I was quite surprised for three reasons:

1. I did not expect that anyone would ever ask me that question.
2. I did not think that Steampunk had penetrated far into non-geek German culture, but than, a very high percentage of Piratenpartei members are geeks to at least some degree.
3. I was not dressed that steampunk at all.

Steffi told me after I answered in the affirmative that there were little clues:The vintage glasses, the suspenders and the fact I was carrying a pocket watch. She also told me that she found the aesthetics of Steampunk rather beautiful.

So it seems like the steampunk lifestyle has influenced my regular life far enough for me to be recognizable, even if I do not make an effort to dress up.

Very interesting in deed. Probably some form of evolution.

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19.10.2009 by Traveler.

Some random Zeppelin related images:

So here is the final and rather delayed part of the Expedition to the very steampunk Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen.

First, a very stylish and beautiful Maybach Zeppelin:

A classy car. Fit for every steampunk or dieselpunk movie. Also: Notice the modern license plate. This car is actually still in perfect operating conditions.

Next, some almost cthulhuoid weirdness, a Zeppelin skelleton which seems to be formed from tentacles… Modern art weidness, that’s all I have to say…

Yes, the Zeppelin Museum actually has an arts section. The sculpures and paintings range from the Middle Agesto what could be called Modernism but what I call vision-pollution instead. The above image is a moderate example of that.

This concludes the series abiut the Zeppelin Museum, at least for now. But than, you never know…

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14.10.2009 by Traveler.

There’s a book out now by the name of Leviathan, you can see the trailer on Youtube. It’s by Scott Westerfield and revolves around the adventures of an unlikely couple of youths embroiled in the events of a very strange alternate version of the First World War. Very strange, very steampunk and dieselpunk.

Also:

Keith Thompson has come up with this magnificant map, showing th powers involved and the stance they take:

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13.10.2009 by Traveler.

It has been a while since I have left the city of Munich for a greater length of time but now, another opportunity presents itself.

The gods willing, my throat infection will have cleared up by then and I will have my voice back. It is no use seing friends when you have a fever and can hardly speak. Which is twice as bad when you go to a roleplaying weekend, where you are supposed to talk a lot. RPGs are all about communictation after all.

I shall also have the opportunity once again to travel in style and at least wear some light travel worthy steampunk gear and there will be a few stories to tell afterwards.

Oh, this reminds me: There are still some photographies taken at the Zeppelin Mueum, which I should put up here, and there is the story of a freak chance encounter to be told…

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10.10.2009 by Traveler.

This commentary by Cenk Uygur of TYT sums it up quite neatly:

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9.10.2009 by Traveler.

Continuing on the hero theme:

News just in:

Barrack Hussein Obama is this year’s recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize

Well, I guess this is one clear signal to his predecessor and it is one well deserved award. I sincerely hope a few people in the US now get the message and stop bashing non-gun-toting policies. There is another way, it is called reason (yes, Sean Hannity, a thing like reason actually exists).

Keep up the good work, Mr. President.

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8.10.2009 by Traveler.

You may have noticed, I have a thing for heroes of various kinds and colours. Therefor, I dedicate this entry to the memory of Dominik Brunner. If you do not know the name, look him up. He died for the values he upheld. He was a decent, upright citizen, nothing more, nothing less.

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