Thursday, March 26, 2009

Who's in the driving seat of this boingboing shit car?

I read BoingBoing.net. Sometimes they have interesting posts. 50% of the time they post about ukuleles and steampunk.

Its probably just the editor/contributor's obsession with both intensely stupid topics, but its so frequent its almost like there is money involved, payola from Jo Honolulu Ukuleles Inc. and Col. Waxy Mustache's Brass Gears and Clockworks.


Above: Jo Honolulu


Above: Col. Waxy Mustache

The ukulele girls, well that's just annoying because its a really shallow topic of interest. Wow another wispy folk girl strumming out some clanky tune on a tinny instrument. Do people really care? Maybe this an attempt at creating some obscure genre of music the editor can list in his Facebook interests. Either way one, maybe two posts would have sufficed. But 5 a week? You've well worn out the novelty.


Above: Some run of the mill Ukulele girl.


Steampunk though, I find that way more offensive. I think I would have less issue with this 'lifestyle' if some genius hadn't piggy backed 'steam' on the word 'punk'. (I notice they've done the same thing with this 'gorepunk' crap, but let me keep to the topic at hand)

So you like..
  • anime based in some imaginary history path set in the Victorian era with advanced steam based technology.

  • typing on your engraved brass encased Linux box by candle light.

  • a horrible band that sounds like the musical offspring of Savage Garden and Evanescense.

  • and wearing a top hat & welding goggles with your pizza stained jogging pant ensemble.


You're a fucking nerd.

It's a style derived from an imaginary fairytale world and you're trying to create a lifestyle from it. You're like that Peter Pan creep with better craft skills!


Above: Steam-brother pan.

So please tell me, what does that have to do with the style of stripped down rock & roll music created from distaste for 70s A-O-R plop?

Nothing.

Wait, a minute ... hmmm, maybe it concerns the classic definition of the word 'Punk'.

From Merriam-Webster: Punk


Main Entry:
punk
Function:
noun
Etymology:
origin unknown
Date:
1596

1 archaic : prostitute
2 [probably partly from 3punk] : nonsense , foolishness
3 a: a young inexperienced person : beginner , novice ; especially : a young man b: a usually petty gangster, hoodlum, or ruffian : a young man used as a homosexual partner especially in a prison
4 a: punk rock b: a punk rock musician c: one who affects punk styles



Let me revise the definition of Steampunk to suit!

Steampunk:
A term given to the culture of boy prostitutes who catered to the patrons of Victorian steam baths.



Above:Losers

The work put into the costumes & the objects must really take some skill and hard work... but I don't want to hear about it you dorks. It probably takes a lot of work to make that shitty 'Shaker' style faux-antique scuffed up white furniture too, but I don't want to see that crap in my daily news feed either.


Above: Voluntarily 'Distressed' furniture!

Let me finish with something that hits me a bit to close to home from the google image results....


Above: Steampunk Vespa? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS!!!!~!

-C'mon

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Alright lets get this thing "rolling" heh.

I'm browsing Google images for a photo of some Vespa part to explain something to this local worry wart. I happened upon a Vespa restoration blog I followed for a bit last year while rebuilding my own Vespa, which is quite similar.

Now I notice the most recent post is from March 2009. If I remember they guy was pretty close to finished his scooter last year, so its a shame to see hes still plugging away at it. I guess things came up, totally understandable.

Scanning down, I see this, which made me want to e-slap the guy.


"Grinding Hardware Stamps"



"As you know the stock kickstand hardware was not stainless steel, nor did it have a stamp on it. I want stainless steel, but I do not want the stamp; therefore I grind'd all four bolt heads for the kickstand hardware. Also note that there are two different washer sizes here. I was in a hurry before I moved West so I just got the bike together. Now that I am settled I can correct those minor errors.

I used my Dremel and just very lightly ground down the stamps and made it all look even. I was able to handhold the bolts.
"




"It is my hope that over the time the bolt head will weather a little bit and look a little more stock with less glossy shine on where I polished it with the Dremel."




So let me get this straight, you're still working on this thing, you need to take the time to grind the damn "Stainless Steel" text off the cm wide bolts on the floorboards of the scooter, too make it more factory correct..... in a PAINT colour the company didn't even OFFER the fucking scooter in in the first place?

-C'mon.