The Crossroads of the Aether

All Blog Posts (376)

Speech Writing: How To Write A Good One?

Speech writing is in lots of ways similar writing a paper, apart from that there is no penalty for spelling and punctuation mistakes. You should not try to write words in your speech that you are not relaxed pronouncing or don't know the meaning of because it can lead to a less fluently delivered speech. To be able to write a high-quality speech is a lot like making a good cake. Having the right elements is key for it's success. Every… Continue

Added by Barbara Wilkins on November 20, 2009 at 11:03pm — No Comments

Gates of Delirum....Adelaide's Story (so far)

"Haverghast. The very name grips the very heart and mind with primal fear, savaging the blessed ignorance of every hapless soul who recalls that fateful night - when the forest collected its due, when the Haverghast Family Mansion was mercifully blasted from all time" That's what the ignorant populace wish to think of what happened to my family home. It was there...then wasn't...vanishing from the face of the earth. It was Father's doing...Edward du Haverghast. Him and my equally stupid brother… Continue

Added by Adelaide du Haverghast on November 20, 2009 at 8:18pm — No Comments

I'm new to these parts.

Hello, I've just joined the Empire here. Everybody seems so very nice. I've just recently become interested in the Whole Steampunk Genre. I've been working on my first outfit for at least a month or more (working on it mostly in the evenings after work). It's coming along well. When It's done I'll post a pic. I've even thought up of a "persona" as well. More about that later. In doing research for my costume and the whole genre in general I've come across the band Abney Park, which I absolutel… Continue

Added by Adelaide du Haverghast on November 20, 2009 at 6:39pm — 1 Comment

BURLEIGH'S EERIE WORLD - 3 - DASHING DAN

In the 1890s, an eccentric but well-intentioned character of distinction named Danby Gifford cut a well-known figure on the streets of Liverpool. An incurable insomniac, Danby, or "Dashing Dan" as he was known, would leave the 380-roomed North Western Hotel on Lime Street each night, and patrol the midnight streets, armed with a silver gilt-handled malacca sword stick and .22-calibre two-shot Derringer, said to be the very same pistol that Wilkes shot Lincoln with, won from a riverboat gambler i… Continue

Added by Burleigh's Extropian Primarch on November 20, 2009 at 8:58am — No Comments

Middle of nowhere or not

Living in Crosslake Minnesota is a bit different from working in Manhattan. We relocated to the middle of nowhere and I find it to the focal point of all I ever dreamed. Tucked away in the woods 25 miles from the the large town of Brainerd MN. population 13,000, It is probably the greatest place I have ever lived. The rush and speed at which the world operates here is like being transported to another time. Being in the art field all of my life I find my interest and imagination are fired by th… Continue

Added by Steven M. Croak on November 19, 2009 at 7:18pm — No Comments

Deadlands RPG Episode Twenty Six

From: Mr. Zebulon Pike, Coffin Rock, Colorado To: Mrs. Hannelore West, Kingsport, Mass. October 1879 Dearest Sister, Before leaving Cheyenne, we were met by Miss LaRue. She is a messenger rider who occasionally rides through Deadwood, has some prior relationship with several of the girls of the House of Pancakes, has decided to join us in our travels at least in the short term and I mention her now in more detail because she brought us news. To me, she brought news that a package from you had… Continue

Added by Zebulon Vitruvius Pike on November 19, 2009 at 5:00pm — No Comments

Secret Santa

Okay, so I volunteered to be a secret santa on another forum that I'm a member of. I haven't got pics, so I'll get those later. I can be feminine sometimes, verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry girly, and I learned how to crochet and embroider at a very young age. (Growing up as a girl in the deep south, it just seems natural that hunting, fishing, fighting and learning those two go side by side). I finished making the lace trim last night (I'm sending off several yards of it as part of the present). 3 emb… Continue

Added by Athena Hoven on November 19, 2009 at 1:42pm — No Comments

New stuffs, book covers, etc...

I'm getting closer to being done with this series, and finished with the book... well, the art book anyway. The shirts and bandanas will likely be available months before the book - They will be decorated by the cover image, but not the cover text, and are pretty amazing. I'll be screen printing all of these on my own this time around - hopefully that will make them extra special, at least to to some people.… Continue

Added by Myke Amend on November 18, 2009 at 8:59pm — No Comments

BURLEIGH'S EERIE WORLD - 2 - ARAMINTA - A VAMPIRE STORY

I had long known about an alleged vampire being at large in Liverpool in 1680, when a blood-sucking farmer decided to kill himself after he had murdered his wife and drunk her blood. The authorities had his body buried face down at the cross roads of Rupert Lane, Breck Road (formerly Breck Lane), Heyworth Street and Everton Road. A huge wooden stake was driven through the corpse to ‘prevent him rising’. The staked skeleton still lays there today. The chronicle of Lancashire vampires mentions a ‘… Continue

Added by Burleigh's Extropian Primarch on November 18, 2009 at 7:30pm — No Comments

Traditionalist?

My character is having a hard time dressing herself. Do we go high fashion Victorian/Entrepreneur, or rough and tumble mechanic girl? Does she forsake the top hat for a go-to-hell hat? Do we throw out the hoop skirt and corset for jodhpurs and a vest? Where do we go from here...... I'm not sure how visible these entries are, but if anyone has an opinion, I'd like to hear it. Tune Up Continue

Added by Petunia Hupp on November 18, 2009 at 5:29pm — 6 Comments

It's a Steamburgh thing

The Steampunk Empire seemes like the place for steampunks to be online. Here, I joined the Ohio group because there was, as yet, no Pennsylvania group. There is a Pittsburgh Steampunk group on Livejournal but there isn't a lot of activity. The Steel City Steampunk Society on Lefora which hasn't seen any activity in months. And a Pe… Continue

Added by Zebulon Vitruvius Pike on November 18, 2009 at 5:09pm — 3 Comments

BURLEIGH'S EERIE WORLD - 1 - THE CURSE OF THE GREEN EYE

For thousands of years, the belief has persisted that certain people and objects can bring misfortune. In 1830, a British banker and gemstone collector named Henry Thomas Hope bought a large blue diamond which became known as the Hope Diamond. The origins of the oversized diamond are not known with any certainty, but it is thought that the gem was cut from an even larger diamond in the Golconda mines of India, and there is a brief reference to the Hope Diamond being in the possession of King Lou… Continue

Added by Burleigh's Extropian Primarch on November 17, 2009 at 8:00pm — 3 Comments

WindyCon report - Sunday

Sunday was another day of getting up early. I didn't put on a costume settling for the "just another fanboy in a t-shirt" look. Packed the car. Checked out. Chocolate milk for breakfast. Off to panels. I kept running into Claudius van der Graffe and Louis Nicoulin at panels as we apparently had the same interests in panels about metalworking and props. … Continue

Added by Zebulon Vitruvius Pike on November 17, 2009 at 5:59pm — 1 Comment

The Clockwork Dolls - Dramatis Personae now available for free download!

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Steampunk Community, As some of you may know for the past 2 years a scrappy little group from Baltimore started to work on a musical project called "The Clockwork Dolls". After many months sweating away in the studio and many bottles of whiskey, The Clockwork Dolls has completed it's debut album, Dramatis Personae, which ran to press this week. We are offering you a complimentary copy of our album free for download! h… Continue

Added by The Clockwork Dolls on November 17, 2009 at 2:30pm — No Comments

steampunk linkblog, November 17 2009

Over the weekend, I will be at the third annual Dances of Vice Festival! You should be there, too. It looks like it's going to be an amazing time. (DOV is also on Facebook, where they are posting additional details.) Related to DOV is Zelda Magazine, which just came out with its premiere issue. Buy it if you can! Steampunky designers are encourag… Continue

Added by Steampunk Librarian on November 17, 2009 at 11:48am — No Comments

Queen Victoria's Little Wars

I just read this book review and have added the title to my 'To Be Read' list. Methinks many of us here, would enjoy it as well. Queen Victoria's Little Wars From the review: "This book is not about the famous wars and major battles of Victoria’s reign—it’s about the smaller skirmishes, most of which took place on the outer fringes of the British Empire. The word “Empire” tends to s… Continue

Added by AnthonyStevens on November 17, 2009 at 12:30am — No Comments

WindyCon report - Saturday

Saturday is, of course, the big day of any convention and I got an early start of it because, unusually for me, I had a full slate of programming I wanted to attend. Even though I didn't get to bed until after 1:30 in the morning, I was awake by 7:00, made an ultimately futile attempt at getting back to sleep, and finally got up and going. I got a quick shower even though I had showered before going to bed because the hotel pillows really messed up my hair. (And that takes quite a bit for my hai… Continue

Added by Zebulon Vitruvius Pike on November 16, 2009 at 8:00pm — 2 Comments

Beyond Victoriana #4: "For Science!" in the Muslim World

Image courtesy of BiblioOdyssey “For Science!” is one of the many catchphrases of steampunk and mad scientists everywhere. Yet I’m sure this phase must’ve been muttered long before in lands east of England—in fact, here’s a little linkfest primer on science in the Muslim world. These examples are f… Continue

Added by Ay-leen the Peacemaker on November 14, 2009 at 10:30pm — No Comments

Deadly nightshade botanical society new cd pre orders!

the time is now! preorder Accoutrements and odditeis and get a bunch of yummy deals like a free digital copy of the christmas cd as well as a five dollar off coupon, and lots of other perks you can get it here at http://deadlynightshadebotanicalsociety.com/store/catalog/ Continue

Added by Dizzy on November 14, 2009 at 8:11pm — No Comments

Detroit Steampunk project

Calling all Steampunks....or anyone how wants to help with a Steampunk project. I'm looking for props, extras, etc soon. If you have props you wish to have used or would like to be apart of the project and are able to make it the Detroit area let me know. Please note we are looking for volunteers and donations only at this time. Please contact me at vargabeast@yahoo.com Continue

Added by Vargabeast on November 14, 2009 at 11:37am — No Comments