I like to sew things, and I am currently working on a ridiculous Halloween costume. I was searching online for buttons to add to a vest, and I found these really cool buttons that look like gears. They're appropriate for my costume, so I clicked to look at them in more detail. The description caught my eye:
JH98899 - Steampunk Gears Button - Nickel finish - 5/8". See our other metal Steampunk buttons, including gears, wheels, clocks, gadgets and flywheels in silver, copper and brass finishes. Picture these buttons finishing up your elaborate Steampunk garments, whether you are anachronists, salvagepunks, dieselpunks, pulp devotees, rakes, bounders, flâneurs, steampunks, neovictorians, demimondaines, Edwardian scholarly types, airship pirates, or a member of the asylum for the chronotemporally dislocated. Steampunk is a style of dress and/or lifestyle based in the worlds of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Robert Anton Wilson and Alan Moore. It embraces the alternative possibilities of the Victorian England period, where steam power runs elaborately geared machines, women wear corsets and eccentric villains challenge the good guy with outrageous gadgets and inventions. Here is the Wikipedia Definition: Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Specifically, Steampunk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used-usually the 19th century and often Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. This technology may include such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne or real technologies like the computer but developed earlier in an alternate history. Other examples of Steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of "the path not taken" for such technology as dirigibles, analog computers, or such digital mechanical computers as Charles Babbage's Analytical engine. These are great for Steampunk, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Farscape, Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, Star Wars, Firefly, Stargate, Doctor Who, Science Fiction, fantasy, X-Files, Lord of the Rings, Serenity
...Robert Anton Wilson?
In case you'd like to see these buttons for yourself, here's a link to one of them:
http://www.amazon.com/Steampunk-Gears-Button-Nickel-Finish/dp/B004XU19BC/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&m=A1IY0P9H3N8IZK&s=generic&qid=1318360916&sr=1-6
There are several different styles, colors, and sizes. They're all sold by the Patterns of Time Amazon store.
--St. Mae, Discordian.com
Since RAW was a futurist, I see no reason why he'd think steam powered anything would be a good idea.
I'm trying to recall all the steampunk inventions in the Historical Illuminatus trilogy. I'm not having any luck.
LSD powered technology, maybe. Steam-powered, hell no.
Best I can do is Hagbard and the yellow submarine, but that had a massive fucking supercomputer on it, so...
Hahahaha what the hell?
Perhaps the person who wrote the copy was Discordian, and it's a wink and a nod.
Quote from: Nigel on October 11, 2011, 09:41:44 PM
Hahahaha what the hell?
Perhaps the person who wrote the copy was Discordian, and it's a wink and a nod.
Hahaha. Good possibility.
Also, HI ST. MAE!
I am NOT fucking wearing cogs glued to my jacket.
END OF STORY.
Also, who the fuck made RAW the official Discordian spokesman?
Quote from: Doktor Howl on October 12, 2011, 06:14:54 PM
Also, who the fuck made RAW the official Discordian spokesman?
I don't know, it's a bit puzzling. Perhaps because he's the most well-known Discordian writer?
Quote from: Nigel on October 12, 2011, 06:18:02 PM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on October 12, 2011, 06:14:54 PM
Also, who the fuck made RAW the official Discordian spokesman?
I don't know, it's a bit puzzling. Perhaps because he's the most well-known Discordian writer?
I think a lot of people honestly don't realize that the Illuminatus! Trilogy borrowed from the Principia, not the other way around. I suspect that's because a lot of people aren't that bright.
Quote from: Nigel on October 12, 2011, 06:18:02 PM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on October 12, 2011, 06:14:54 PM
Also, who the fuck made RAW the official Discordian spokesman?
I don't know, it's a bit puzzling. Perhaps because he's the most well-known Discordian writer?
Because he ripped off Thornely, the same way he ripped off Leary for
The Cosmic Trigger. Then he writes 3 bad books, and now all of a sudden I'm a steam punk because someone ELSE used his image in some steampunk bullshit.
EATING THE MENU, ITR.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on October 12, 2011, 06:20:15 PM
Quote from: Nigel on October 12, 2011, 06:18:02 PM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on October 12, 2011, 06:14:54 PM
Also, who the fuck made RAW the official Discordian spokesman?
I don't know, it's a bit puzzling. Perhaps because he's the most well-known Discordian writer?
Because he ripped off Thornely, the same way he ripped off Leary for The Cosmic Trigger. Then he writes 3 bad books, and now all of a sudden I'm a steam punk because someone ELSE used his image in some steampunk bullshit.
EATING THE MENU, ITR.
We might need to do something about it.
Quote from: Nigel on October 12, 2011, 06:28:36 PM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on October 12, 2011, 06:20:15 PM
Quote from: Nigel on October 12, 2011, 06:18:02 PM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on October 12, 2011, 06:14:54 PM
Also, who the fuck made RAW the official Discordian spokesman?
I don't know, it's a bit puzzling. Perhaps because he's the most well-known Discordian writer?
Because he ripped off Thornely, the same way he ripped off Leary for The Cosmic Trigger. Then he writes 3 bad books, and now all of a sudden I'm a steam punk because someone ELSE used his image in some steampunk bullshit.
EATING THE MENU, ITR.
We might need to do something about it.
Well, the thing is, the steampunk crowd is the only NICE bunch I've met. I can't blame THEM.
I'll blame St Mae, for bringing it to my attention.
RAW doesn't belong with that list of authors.
For multiple reasons aside from anachronism.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on October 12, 2011, 06:14:54 PM
Also, who the fuck made RAW the official Discordian spokesman?
or Greg Hill and Kerry Thornely for that matter!
bunch of beardy unwashed chair fuckers!
The scene in The Widow's Song where De Selby floats into the prison room of Sigisundo Celine, banging on the side of that machine, was sooooort of Steampunk. But one little scene in a writer's oeuvre is hardly enough to classify someone as "steampunk".
Yeah... it's true, I had nothing important to contribute to this conversation, I just really wanted to use the word "oeuvre". Carry on.
Does that make you a whore d'oeuvre?
:crankey:
:thanks:
I actually liked that pun.
Bravo, Suu, that may be a first.
Quote from: Cramulus on October 12, 2011, 06:40:20 PM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on October 12, 2011, 06:14:54 PM
Also, who the fuck made RAW the official Discordian spokesman?
or Greg Hill and Kerry Thornely for that matter!
bunch of beardy unwashed chair fuckers!
Actually, after they first dribbled the PD onto paper, I'm pretty sure they went off and did other shit.
But I'm also not getting your point, here.
they're all pretty questionable characters
and I don't think he's the spokesman, but he is associated pretty strongly
I have no idea why this chick thinks RAW wrote steampunk though, clearly she never read RAW.
Yeah, I can see that.
But what I don't see is that anyone is a spokesman for Discordianism, and I don't think a picture of a dead writer means we are somehow steampunk.
Steampunk isn't BAD, compared to shit like anime pillow fuckers or goth musicians, it's just (IMO) irrelevant.
As is RAW's image, in this context, hence my comments on St Mae's post.
"Steampunk is a style of dress and/or lifestyle based in the worlds of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Robert Anton Wilson and Alan Moore."
My google search for Steampunk + "Robert Anton Wilson" returned about a million copies of the above sentence. It seems to occur in lots of places where people are trying to describe what steampunk is. Personally, I think we are looking at a really well crafted troll. My money is that this is not a typo or misunderstanding, but originated from a fan of Wilson's writing.
Quote from: Cramulus on October 12, 2011, 08:49:54 PM
"Steampunk is a style of dress and/or lifestyle based in the worlds of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Robert Anton Wilson and Alan Moore."
My google search for Steampunk + "Robert Anton Wilson" returned about a million copies of the above sentence. It seems to occur in lots of places where people are trying to describe what steampunk is. Personally, I think we are looking at a really well crafted troll. My money is that this is not a typo or misunderstanding, but originated from a fan of Wilson's writing.
Hell yes.
And well-played.
Quote from: Cramulus on October 12, 2011, 08:49:54 PM
"Steampunk is a style of dress and/or lifestyle based in the worlds of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Robert Anton Wilson and Alan Moore."
My google search for Steampunk + "Robert Anton Wilson" returned about a million copies of the above sentence. It seems to occur in lots of places where people are trying to describe what steampunk is. Personally, I think we are looking at a really well crafted troll. My money is that this is not a typo or misunderstanding, but originated from a fan of Wilson's writing.
I think you're overestimating the intelligence of the average convention-goer.
:lulz:
Quote from: Doktor Howl on October 12, 2011, 08:52:53 PM
Quote from: Cramulus on October 12, 2011, 08:49:54 PM
"Steampunk is a style of dress and/or lifestyle based in the worlds of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Robert Anton Wilson and Alan Moore."
My google search for Steampunk + "Robert Anton Wilson" returned about a million copies of the above sentence. It seems to occur in lots of places where people are trying to describe what steampunk is. Personally, I think we are looking at a really well crafted troll. My money is that this is not a typo or misunderstanding, but originated from a fan of Wilson's writing.
I think you're overestimating the intelligence of the average convention-goer.
I can confirm the good Doktor's assertion.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on October 12, 2011, 06:29:45 PM
Quote from: Nigel on October 12, 2011, 06:28:36 PM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on October 12, 2011, 06:20:15 PM
Quote from: Nigel on October 12, 2011, 06:18:02 PM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on October 12, 2011, 06:14:54 PM
Also, who the fuck made RAW the official Discordian spokesman?
I don't know, it's a bit puzzling. Perhaps because he's the most well-known Discordian writer?
Because he ripped off Thornely, the same way he ripped off Leary for The Cosmic Trigger. Then he writes 3 bad books, and now all of a sudden I'm a steam punk because someone ELSE used his image in some steampunk bullshit.
EATING THE MENU, ITR.
We might need to do something about it.
Well, the thing is, the steampunk crowd is the only NICE bunch I've met. I can't blame THEM.
I'll blame St Mae, for bringing it to my attention.
There simply isn't any good steampunk fiction. Its all trash, that's why they sort of latch onto anything considered good.
I mean look at them in film, they have the last ten seconds of back to the future three and nothing else (anyone who says wild wild west or suckerpunch deserves the latter).
Quote from: Hoopla on October 12, 2011, 08:25:08 PM
I actually liked that pun.
Bravo, Suu, that may be a first.
I have to admit, I was pretty damn proud of it.
It's true, RAW is not exactly a map to Discordian. My words were slightly imprecise.
At any rate, I just thought it was kind of funny, and a nice WTF. It does rather inspire me to insert Robert Anton Wilson into other places where he does not belong. Any of you sell anything on Etsy or eBay?
Quote from: stmae on October 14, 2011, 02:21:52 AM
It's true, RAW is not exactly a map to Discordian. My words were slightly imprecise.
At any rate, I just thought it was kind of funny, and a nice WTF. It does rather inspire me to insert Robert Anton Wilson into other places where he does not belong. Any of you sell anything on Etsy or eBay?
Just beads. :lulz:
yes i should add RAW to the neon pink shoes and marine corps track suit i am selling on ebay. THOSE ARE TOTALLY RELATED RIGHT GUYS?
Quote from: Vladimir Poutine ⊂(◉‿◉)つ on October 14, 2011, 05:52:00 AM
yes i should add RAW to the neon pink shoes and marine corps track suit i am selling on ebay. THOSE ARE TOTALLY RELATED RIGHT GUYS?
DO IT!
Quantum mechanics, also known as quantum physics or quantum theory, is a branch of physics providing a mathematical description of the wave–particle duality of matter and energy. The theory was developed in 1925 by Werner Heisenberg and the term was coined by Max Planck. Following Schrödinger's breakthrough in deriving his wave equation in the mid-1920s, quantum theory was significantly reformulated away from the old quantum theory, towards the quantum mechanics of Werner Heisenberg, Max Born, Wolfgang Pauli and their associates, becoming a science of probabilities based upon the Copenhagen interpretation of Niels Bohr. By 1930, the reformulated theory had been further unified and formalized by the work of Paul Dirac, John von Neumann and Robert Anton Wilson.
:lol:
We should do more of this.
RAW is a tiresome old bore, and I never really got the whole Wilsonism vibe in Discordianism, but I like the idea of ascribing his name to every other fucking thing we can think of, and cross referencing him back to his influence on Steam Punk, Quantum Theory each time too.
OR
We could do exactly the same thing but with some other author, like "M"en "B"ack.
Quote from: The Good Reverend Payne on October 14, 2011, 10:25:43 AM
We should do more of this.
RAW is a tiresome old bore, and I never really got the whole Wilsonism vibe in Discordianism, but I like the idea of ascribing his name to every other fucking thing we can think of, and cross referencing him back to his influence on Steam Punk, Quantum Theory each time too.
OR
We could do exactly the same thing but with some other author, like "M"en "B"ack.
Wilson had a few things to say, but you had to wade through James fucking Joyce to get there.
His non-fiction was slightly better than his fiction, at least from the standpoint of expressing his philosophy.
Some of it is still bullshit, but there's solid stuff there, too.
(http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb163/wompcabal/RobertAntonWilsonSteampunk.png)
Quote from: LMNO, PhD (life continues) on October 14, 2011, 04:13:38 PM
His non-fiction was slightly better than his fiction, at least from the standpoint of expressing his Timothy Leary's philosophy.
Some of it is still bullshit, but there's solid stuff there, too.
Fixed for accuracy.
OSNAP
I did read I!3 and SC3, not any more than that, so yeah maybe I'm basing my judgement on his writing purely on those.
I would rate him above the other author I mentioned of course even so.
Quote from: Cramulus on October 14, 2011, 04:33:03 PM
(http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb163/wompcabal/RobertAntonWilsonSteampunk.png)
So fucking good that it and the OP have earned a Google+ post.
BTW, I'm rocking the Discordian Society propaganda hardcore on G+ recently and under my Holy Name even (it's a legitimate identity, eh).