**Nerd Alert**
I listen to NPR. All the time. The "Most Emailed Stories" podcast is my favorite, but I have also been known to listen to "All Songs Considered," and the book review and pop culture podcasts. But "Most Emailed Stories" is definitely the best. What I enjoy the most about it is the complete randomness of the stories -- since it's the most popular items of the day as determined by NPR listeners, it's pretty much a nerderific grab bag. For example, yesterday's podcast included the following:
*A 40 year-old woman and her humorous essay about how she romanticized marriage (she's single), but ultimately decided that marriage is really just a business;
*A report detailing how Americans are less in touch with nature, visit fewer national parks, and do less camping and fishing; this report ended with a claim that we are moving into a "mediated relationship with nature";
*The summary of a study which has just come out and says that diabetics can actually die from moderating their blood sugar too well;
*An interview with a new author who just wrote a novel about a 12-1/2 year-old runaway lost in Las Vegas;
*A conversation about whether diesel engines have progressed to the point that they are more environmentally conscious than regular gasoline engines;
AND, MY FAVORITE:
*An explanation of the SteamPunk movement.
SteamPunk is both a type of speculative fiction and a collection of crazy people (PuppetGuy would have fit right in) who are fully in love with technology, but are decidedly not seduced by the sleek, shiny, mass-produced appeal of most technology, i.e.:
Instead of giving into the mass appeal of the new, SteamPunkers revere the clunky handmade nature of products from the steam age, and so "downdate" their goodies to make them look like they could have emerged from some Jules Vernian imagining of the technologized future, i.e.:
Well, that's all. Just...I think that's remarkable. Don't you?* It's like reverse science fiction made real.
* Don't get me wrong. I still desperately desire a MacBook Air. Just in case you were going to get me one.
4 comments:
I didn't know about Steam Punks either until last year's Comic Convention in San Diego. There was this guy who looked like a Ghostbuster, but old timey... I had no clue until someone on Flickr recognized the guy and explained it to me. It's an awesome get-up... if you're into that stuff: http://www.flickr.com/photos/giddygirlie/966770447/
Neat. There is a typewriter/ oil lamp set-up majig (kind of like the computer you posted) on p. 20 of the Anthro catalog. Are you already doing their photo shoots?? If not, it won't be long my friend.
As an aside, were you working during the ReadyMade valentine workshop last night?
Finally, I'd like to request that you two sign your posts so I know whose brilliance I am partaking of.
This is fascinating! I love the idea of this! I wanna be a Steam Punk! But I also want an imac air. . .what's a girl to do?
(poke)
I hereby announce my apartment is "Steampunk" and not "filled with old crap".
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