Your friendly site admin here, with an advisory note.
There are several security and performance-related patches that have been tested against the various bits under the bonnet of the BrassGoggles blog and forum, and we’ll be installing these starting tonight, and extending through the weekend.
We’re also taking this opportunity to perform a little maintenance and retooling so that things continue to run efficiently.
At various times over the next several days, you may notice some intermittent down time as various components are taken down for maintenance. We don’t anticipate any particular instance of downtime to be more than about 15 minutes.
I have set up a status page on a separate server; check there for updates if you’re curious. If you have questions about this project, ask them in the comments here: I will do my best to answer them as I have time.
Update 2009-05-07 09:52:06 CT: Intermittent issues with database corruption have prompted a rebuild of the database. A few recent comments on the blog and forum may have been lost, but this damage should be minimal. Database config changes have been made in an attempt to correct this issue; unfortunately, all we can do at this point is watch and hope.
Joseph Priestley's Static Electricity Machine 1769 (Reproduction)
My we direct your attention to Mr. John Jenkins marvellous collection of vintage radio and scientific apparatus, also known as The Spark Museum.
To quote from the introduction to the site:
“Welcome to my “virtual” radio and scientific instruments museum where I display the radios and other items I have collected over the past 35+ years. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.”
House of Secrets Incorporated is the independent designers identity of a Miss Hilde Heyvaert from Belgium, who specializes in original and custom-made steampunk outfits that should agree to any type of steampunk enthusiast!
The lovely photograph above show several items from her “Steampunk Adventurer” wardrobe. Besides the goggles (“Girl Genius”), aviator hat (“‘t Amerikaantje”), belts (“Moda Stoffen”) and boots (“Schuh”), all clothes depicted are custom made, combined to produce an attractive outfit that breaths both steampunk and adventure.
On November 5th, the Daily Mail reported that, “Students in ‘Weird Science’ Halloween party [were] arrested under anti-terror laws.“
A group of students had their ‘Mad Scientist’ party brought to an abrupt end when police mistook them for terrorists.
The private party, held in Hackney, north London, was organised by a group of friends dressed in white laboratory coats and wigs, who put on a display of theatrical ‘experiments’ to entertain guests.
But when police entered the building for a routine check in the early hours of Sunday morning, they discovered scientific debris and plastic skeletons and mistook it for terrorist paraphernalia or drug-making equipment.
You can read the Full Article online. Thanks to a Mr Kevin DiVico for bringing this to our attention!
Courtesy of Mr. Marrock on the forum, this marvellous piece of field equipment has been brought to our attention, more information from earlytech.com:
“The Swiss Mikiphone, circa 1930, is probably the best of all the miniature gramophones produced in the first half of the twentieth century. The folding pocket gramophone when closed resembles a large pocket watch. All the parts apart from the winding handle are stored inside the case which when closed has a diameter of just 4.5″ (11.5 cm) by under 2″ thick (4.7 cm). The turntable is only just over 4″ in diameter (10.4 cm) and the records are held in place with a push on clamp. The celluloid ‘horn’ is in two parts and is also stored within the case.”
We presume that “Nautica” is the name of the mysterious lady depicted here against the backdrop of a dirigible inspired by the airship from the 2005 animated short film, The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Japser Morello. While the dirigible is positively steampunk, the lady herself appears like she would be better in place in some noir jazz bar or nightclub; indeed, the whole picture evokes the promise of some astounding pulp-inspired dieselpunk story!
This fine depiction was created by a German artist who goes by the handle of “Sulphar-Fire,” and she maintains a collection of further artwork on display at her Profile.
