Man, anybody else hate the ad that pops up in this video? I tried to close it right away but the close button is so tiny I accidentally clicked it and it took me forever to figure out how to get the video playing again.

I hate this new ad model video sharing sites are trying to implement. Most annoying thing ever. Guarantees I'll never buy anything from their ads.

Its funny that people seem to think that "old people" are almost a completely different species.

"My word, look at that brown-crested oldicus farticus there--fascinating!"

It helps to remember that there's a person in here, with a sense of style all his own. I have my own style, and while I'm 25, I like to think that when I'm older I'll still have my own style and that i won't be classified as "dressing like an old person."

Remember, old people are people too.

For those harping on the price, just keep in mind the fact that you're also getting a live concert...not so expensive for the experience when you take that into consideration.

I'm really looking forward to this convention. While I'm unfortunately unable to attend this year, I'm proud to have just signed up as a sponsor (you'll see my ad on the bottom of the conference guide front cover!) and am hoping for really great things for this show.

I really think there are some great people involved in the steampunk community and the fact that they have several Etsy crafters exhibiting I think shows that this is going to be about as authentic a show as you can get.

I wish Robert and the rest of the people putting this on the best of luck and hope I can make it next year.

God I wish I could get on that airship!

To those who say the fish recognize people with food and have "personalities", I would challenge you to look at potential scientific causes for such behavior.

For example, they may not recognize individual people or be "social" as one poster put it, but rather they may be attracted to motion near the surface, which could indicate a bug or small lizard or something edible that may land in the water. They would have a better chance of catching it by getting close to it so they approach.

Personalities are not such in the manner that we are accustomed to, but rather chemical/nervous reactions that cause the fish to respond in a certain way to specific stimulus.

There are plenty of scientific tests that can be done to determine whether what you are suggesting is realistic.

Sorry to rain on the "awwww creatures love us" moment but it saddens me that people resort to this sort of magical thinking over behavior that, while most definitely interesting and good story-telling material, is most likely the result of the fish's simplistic natural wiring, and nothing more complex.

I for one would be curious to hear peoples thoughts on other possible scientific reasons for the behavior this fish exhibited.

#39:
Wow, 2 months? That was quick! Any way to get the reason for her termination and her briefly paid salary figure using the Freedom of Information Act?

To #8 and #11...

I'd just like to provide some real market insight into this...the steampunk community does indeed like their works handcrafted, but they have no problem buying the works of others if it suits their fancy.

I am the creator of a website-based tool for the steampunk community which I won't link here (although I will say it contains the words "buy" and "steampunk" in the URL) and through it, I'm able to see the eBay purchases that my users make.

Rest assured, they don't mind buying the works of others, even when there are multiples of that product created. However, I think the real question is where do you draw the line between a limited run and mass produced?

Why does the latter have to have a negative connotation? I've been a member of various subcultures in the past that have started as niches and exploded into the mainstream...two examples were the rave scene and anime. I've seen what happens when they go mainstream...yes it dilutes the core audience, yes it leads to a lot of crap, but it also adds a lot of variety and brings new people into the fold.

I know some people feel protective of their niche and don't want "mainstream people" coming in, but everybody has to start somewhere, and some people didn't find out about it until it went mainstream. Plus, until something goes mainstream, often times there isn't enough of a market to make it worthwhile to produce the really cool things that sometimes pop up. We wouldn't have half the anime we do today if it hadn't exploded the way it did in America. While some would argue whether that is a good or bad thing...I feel like variety is always a good thing.

Subcultures rarely stand the test of time in the same form. Yeah it'll be a sad day when Hot Topic starts carrying a steampunk line, but to me that just indicates that the subculture has grown to its limits and is shrinking again. Eventually the mainstream goes away to the next trend and leaves the core followers behind to once again enjoy their world as it was before, albeit with a lot of new toys most likely.

Sorry for the long post, but I feel I have a lot of insight into this very topic and think it needs further exploration.

Well, I agree on the nobility faking...and parlor tricks could do wonders.

I think the best thing to get into good graces of those with power would be to find some charcoal, some paper, and start sketching weapons and tactics that could give major advantages of others.

While doing this, do your damndest to convince them that you are looking for allies in their country and are happy to share your secrets with them in exchange for luxury and protection.

Keep in mind this was a time where if you pissed the wrong person off, you would likely get poisoned or shanked. Keep your secrets close and make things as indecipherable as possible by writing out your ideas in your modern language which they would be unable to read.

If you're starting with nothing in the middle of the woods or something, try thinking basic survival. You need fresh water which can be gained from collecting rainwater or from a fast moving stream. Build a spear or a bow if you can find strong enough fibers or animal sinew to string it with and a sharp rock to carve things.

Fire can be had by rubbing two sticks together (although it takes forever) and try to keep yourself off the ground by nightfall. To learn more about this stuff, watch all the episodes of Survivorman and Man Vs. Wild that you can find--really interesting stuff.

And remember, people in this time were incredibly greedy and your best chance of preventing them from killing you right off is to make them thing they have something to gain by not doing so.

Make sure everything you drink is either alcoholic enough or hot enough to kill bacteria and that your food is thoroughly cooked or raw plants.

In terms of lodging, it may actually be safest to go the hermit route and build a treehouse high enough up to avoid detection by the brigands and animals that will most likely be going through the woods.

If you're in a desert area, good luck...you're probably screwed.

Ooo, a fellow MCAD alum (class of '05 BS:Vis alum myself)! Glad to see we're still pulling in interesting speakers there.

I have to say, if its one thing I learned from going to art school there with some of the most creative individuals I've ever encountered in my life, its this:

Creativity isn't something you necessarily nurture. It is something that no matter how hard you may try to contain it, somehow manages to squirt out of every little pore of your body and permeate everything you do.

The truly creative (not just those trying to fake it) out there know this and just go with the flow. If they can make money doing what they do they enjoy it but it certainly isn't their reason for doing it. That's why so many poor artists are content to slave away in a coffee shop while painting at night in their tiny studio apt.

For anybody who is near the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, I encourage you to just walk through their halls (they are open to the public). Every week I would find new inspiration in all of the student work that went up.

Is it just me or does this seem like an easy to way potentially avoid gambling regulations while fixing the games however you like?

Given that MMORPGs are like a giant virtual Skinner Box (a great article on that can be found here: http://www.nickyee.com/eqt/skinner.html), it deeply concerns me that people are utilizing them to leverage another equally addictive game.

Being from the U.S. all I can say now is that I'm so glad that for the most part us this style of pay-per-loot MMO isn't popular and hasn't taken over the market here yet.

I'm proud to announce that you can now win your very own Kreigerhund (the little brother of the Dardenbahst) from Jamie "Morgan19" Spencer!

My site, http://www.BuySteampunk.com has teamed up with him to offer this and a custom-painted steampunk minifig as prizes in an art contest.

Users submit their artistic renditions of the Dardenbahst or Kreigerhund (or both together) and Jamie will pick his favorite. That person will receive the minifig.

Shortly after submissions close on 4/30 I'll be posting all of the submissions for users to vote on and the winner of that will receive the Kreigerhund!

Full contest details and pics of the Kreigerhund and minifig prizes can be found directly at:
http://www.buysteampunk.com/steampunkblog/2008/03/21/contest-win-this-lego-steampunk-mecha/