Zebulon Vitruvius Pike

Jeff Mach’s event is huge. The largest of the steampunk conventions I’ve gone to with 4,000 attendees last year. In the lead up to this year they filled up the two main hotels quickly. Filled up an overflow hotel and then another overflow hotel.



The halls were going to be packed.



Friday



And, when we got there, a big chunk of parking lot was closed. And I am not just referring to the spaces that were closed off for the Midway tents and performance stage, this…

From Lunch Breath.

It won't take long for steampunk makers to mash up something like this. In fact, I'm surprised I haven't seen it yet.

If it was just myself, I would get up at 5am, like I normally do for work, and get going by 6. Euphorbia, on the other hand, is always much more leisurely and is satisfied with arriving just when the convention programming is getting under way mid afternoon so she would have preferred to leave at 10. I thought 8am was a reasonable compromise.



We got going at around 9.



Four…

I need to have a garment brush. Wearing dry-clean only jackets, vests, pants and frock coats to steampunk and Cowboy Action events, I should really brush them down more often. I also have several hats that could use a good brushing. So, on the way home yesterday I stopped by Heinz Healey’s on 5th Avenue.



“Heinz Healy's has everything any gentlemen needs for any occasion.”



Yea. Not so much.…

One hundred and sixteen years ago today, an article appeared in the Dallas Morning News proclaiming that an alien spacecraft had crashed in Aurora, Texas.

"About 6 o'clock this morning the early risers of Aurora were astonished at the sudden appearance of the airship which has been sailing around the country. It was traveling due north and much nearer the earth than…