Memory Leak Free on Kindle 12/9 to 12/14!

Get my Sci/fi Thriller Memory Leak for free on kindle from 12/9 to 12/14!

Please 'buy' a copy for free on the kindle and review it! This goes for you bloggers too! Get it HERE!

Synopsis:
Every night, Jonathan Hart dreams of a cracked wasteland in the setting sun. By morning the image retreats to his subconscious mind. Again, he finds himself in a city of symmetrical people, where he is anonymous in his perfection. A voice in his head tells him there is more to life than following the will of his supreme leader, Liam Mail, and that there is more to his own life than he can remember. That there are things he can’t remember about the city of symmetricals that could tear down the fabric of his world. Now, Jonathan must fight against the forces that suppress his memories before his mind is damaged beyond repair. Can Jonathan expose the twisted truth about the symmetrical elite, and in doing so restore society to its flawed asymmetrical origins? Or will his efforts explode and create a MEMORY LEAK?

Steampunk Beetle

I made this unique sculpture of a Steampunk Beetle entirely out of parts I salvaged from a 1970s Pioneer CT f7272 Cassette Deck. This is a one of a kind item that I'll never be able to reproduce. It comes with its own stand made from one of the inner workings of the cassette deck! The beetle measures 5.5" W x 7.5" L x 3.5" H (give or take).

Check it out on Etsy!

Steampunk Airship "Infiltrator"

Sail through the sky on a ship powered by steam. Command your own vessel and pillage the seven skies! The Infiltrator runs entirely on Aether which is converted to steam in the central cylinder of its suspended engine. Fly past your enemies with this quiet but devastatingly quick airship. They won't even know you're coming.

Measures 9.5" bow to stern, 9" wingtip to wingtip, and about 4" from its base to its highest point.

The Infiltrator is made of antique clock parts, parts from a meat grinder, extra parts from a Pioneer CT F7272 Cassette Deck from 1974, and various beads and wire parts.

This is a unique build and impossible to reproduce, since the parts stem from so many time periods and devices. Would look great on a solid oak or mahogany desk or you could rig it to hang from the ceiling! Use strong hooks, it weighs a few pounds!

Buy it on Etsy here!

And now, here's a day by day view of its construction:

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

Day 4: (Completion)

Tornado 30 Kinetic Sculpture

If I had a lab, believe me, this would be the first thing I would get. There's actually a vortex inside the chamber...you can reach in and disrupt the airflow...yeah. Awesome. And what would one of these set you back? $33,250 plus $750 shipping.

Here's the Tornado 30 on Etsy

The sculpture measures 7'6" H X 3' W X 3' D...It looks like something out of Casper (the version with Bill Pullman).

Here's a great video of it in action!


Just amazing.

Trevor's Rating of the Tornado 30 Kinetic Sculpture: 99%

Wall Tentacle

Classic Jules Verne here. This $1,100 Wall Tentacle is completely custom made. Here's what the seller, ArtAkimbo, has to say about it:

(Link to Wall Tentacle)

"This listing is for a custom wall tentacle, to be built in a manner similar to the photo.
All of my tentacles are hand made, no two are exactly alike, but the general size and, you know, awesomeness, remain constant. I will need a six week lead time to complete the piece. The octopus is a master of disguise, and can change color at will, so I'm offering your choice of mottled paint colors (and porthole treatments)."

This would look awesome in a huge library among many leather-bound books. Unfortunately, in order to make it fit in on a wall in my house, I'd have to add on a 1,000 sq foot library with all furniture made of rich mahogany. Sigh...

Anyway, I'm glad there are people out there making this kind of thing.

Trevor's Rating of the Wall Tentacle: 97%

Steampunk Eyepatch

Nothing says "Sky Captain" quite like an eyepatch. This $28.00 Steampunk Eyepatch is a great example of Steampunk Geekery, perfect for a convention or, how I would wear it, just around the house...

Sometimes I browse Etsy's Geekery section of Steampunk to get ideas for stories. I have a couple just from this eyepatch, thanks EarthWorn!

Check it out here: Steampunk Eyepatch

Trevor's Rating of the Steampunk Eyepatch: 88%

Handstitched Original Journal

Journals set off my geek alarm, especially ones that are handstitched with care. Each page is hand-dyed! The outside is faux leather, which is okay. The journal is 7" x 10". Cost is $35.00.

Are you as into handmade journals as I am?

Check this journal out at Etsy.

Trevor's Rating of Handstitched Original Journal: 89%

Absinthe Lip Balm - Clockwork Couture

Clockwork Couture is one of the most prominent Steampunk outfitters around, and now they have this great product. There have been many days when I couldn't wait to start drinking Absinthe until the acceptable time (after 10am) and so this is just the product for me. Now I can apply some Absinthe lip balm and wait out the tough couple hours in the morning until my friends and I can start drinking Absinthe acceptably...

Seller's Description: "Have your lips had a rough day? Let them unwind with a thin coat of Absinthe Lip Balm. The delicious anise aroma will have them perked up and puckering in no time. Each tube is 2-1/2" (6.4 cm) long with a twist bottom dispenser."

Absinthe Lip Balm would be cool (and funny) enough, but there are actually several more Absinthe flavored products...More than I ever thought possible.

Check it out here: Clockwork Couture

Trevor's Rating of the Absinthe Lip Balm: 95% (would have been 100% if it was twice the size...I go through a lot).

Sci Fi Super TESLA Steampunk Ray Gun

Was Shopping on Etsy today and found this Ray Gun

It costs $19.50 which isn't bad for handmade. Here's the seller's description:

"This one-of-a-kind gun appears to have been used often in the far future and then teleported back to our time for your fun and amusement. What is TESLA? It stands for Tera Energy Superconducting LInear Accelerator technology. Simple, eh? (The mechanism has been dismantled for your protection. We wouldn't want an entire civilation obliterated! )

This gun was meticulously hand painted with several layers to acheive its well worn old style appearance. It measures about 10 inches long and is perfect for the steampunk, goth, or sci fi enthusiast."

I tend to like the Steampunk products on Etsy because there are good stories to go with them. Steampunkers tend to be some of the most creative people I've met. A good writer would be able to fashion a novel out of the stories on etsy pages like this. Props.

Trevor's Rating of Sci Fi Super TESLA Ray Gun: 79%

Steampunk IPhone Stand

Check it, someone made a Steampunk IPhone stand. I love those old rotary phones. The article states that the phone actually works. Nice...Like most of the objects I post about, it is overpriced. It costs $450 bucks.

Steampunk IPhone Stand

Trevor's rating of the Steampunk IPhone Stand: 83%

Jesus Christ, Vampire: A Blasphemous Short Story

This is a repost from my other blog, http://trevorsschmidt.blogspot.com/

Salvo Press has just published my Short Story Jesus Christ, Vampire! It's available on the Nook, Kindle, and Mobipocket.

Have a teaser:

Some believe he is the son of God. Some believe he is the messiah. Some are waiting for his return. What no one knows is that he has never left. Learn the truth that he’s been hiding for more than two thousand years. You think you know Jesus Christ? Think again.

One day I was talking with my dad and we thought it would be funny to create an alternate history where Jesus Christ was a vampire. One thing led to another and I was hard at work writing the story. It's safe to say I'm going to hell.

Here's a link to Jesus Christ, Vampire on the Nook.

Or buy it on Kindle:

I'm happy to say Jesus Christ, Vampire is already spurring a bit of buzz on the internet and I've received several messages saying it was hilarious!



Check it out for only 99 Cents. Comment if you feel strongly either way about my story. Follow me on twitter: @trevorsschmidt

Steampunk Android Phone...50K?

I saw this article while browsing around the interwebs. I don't care what the guy in the blog says, that phone is totally worth it.

Features Include:
# 32GB of memory. 

# 3.2-inch touchscreen.

# Biometric fingerprint reader.

# 8MP camera.
# Ulysse Nardin mechanical watch rotor - creates kinetic energy, supplying supplemental power to the phone.
# Professional polishing service (optional, an extra 5K per year).

Why don't we have rotors to create kinetic energy for powering phones and the like? I wonder how much energy it actually produces?

Trevor's Rating of the Steampunk Android Phone: 92%

Check out the article by TG Daily here:
Steampunk Android Phone

Is It Steampunk?

Is It Steampunk? You Decide. Every Friday I post a picture and link to a product that is actually for sale. This product is billed as "Steampunk." But is it really Steampunk? That's up to you! Use the voting buttons below each post to log your opinion.  Is it "Stone-Cold Steam," or drier than the "Sahara Desert?"

Week 7 (3/6/2015): Steampunk Dust
Week 6 (2/28/2015): Steampunk Owl Sculpture
Week 5 (2/20/2015): BDSM Bondage Collar (Steampunk)
Week 4 (2/13/2015): Steampunk Rat Ornament
Week 3 (2/6/2015): PVC Bustle Skirt
Week 2 (1/30/2015): Steampunk Spats by J Souza
Week 1 (1/23/2015): Upcycled King Louie Costume

UK to make Massive Steam-Powered Computer

A friend showed me this article from inhabitat.com. Charles Babbage's analytical engine was originally conceived in 1837 and is now to be constructed in Britain. For more, I suggest you read the intriguing article linked below:
Check it out!

Trevor's Rating of Babbage's Analytical Engine: 99% (although I'm not entirely sure how it works).

Steampunk Palin!

Check this out! Amid several worldwide catastrophes, Sarah Palin touts Steam power as the solution to save the world! This is a real comic released by Comic Alliance. I must find me a copy. Classic.

http://www.amazon.com/Steampunk-Palin-Oct-2010/dp/B004M3DI2S/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408940966&sr=1-1&keywords=steampunk+palin

Trevor's Rating of Steampunk Palin Comic: 95%
Trevor's Rating of Steampunk Palin's Hotness Factor: 110%

Velociraptor Specimen Jar Necklace

Found this on Etsy. Nothing's better than a Velociraptor in a jar! Follow the link to read the seller's description and history of the Velociraptor. This kind of item brings me back to The Lost World or even The Time Machine. Not terribly Steampunk, but something a Victorian scientist would faun over.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/32208755/velociraptor-specimen-jar-necklace?ref=sr_list_1&ga_search_query=steampunk%2Bvelociraptor&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_shopname=biggreenbeacon

Trevor's Rating of Velociraptor Specimen Jar Necklace: 80%

Happy Birthday, Jules Verne!

In honor of what would be Jules Verne's 183rd birthday, I sought out the most expensive item of Jules Verne memorabilia I could find. Ebay!

For $6,500, you could own 3 first edition Jules Verne tales. I wish I had that kind of money to blow. They were made with actual Calf-Leather Bindings and appear to remain in good condition. Raise your hand it you like old leather-bound books! *Raises Hand*

Here's a link in case you can actually afford these volumes:
http://cgi.ebay.com/JULES-VERNE-FIRST-EDITION-Robinson-Crusoe-LEATHER-1st-/120543501114?pt=Antiquarian_Collectible&hash=item1c10f3db3a

Trevor's Rating of 3 first edition Jules Vernes: 100%

Professor Alexander's Botanical Vasculum

Brilliant! I love browsing through etsy under the geekery heading just for this reason. You never know what you're going to find. This is actually a working terrarium. My geekometer is going off. The best part of shopping on etsy is the wonderful "histories" of the products. This is the seller's description:

"Whilst traveling in my handcrafted time traveler, I happened upon the laboratory of Professor Alexander, a somewhat unheralded Victorian botanist. I managed to take in trade this extremely rare instrument of study used primarily in the observation of moss-like varieties contained in an controlled environment."

Another great feature of this product is that the LED light creates a steampunk shadow pattern on the wall when lit. This belongs in a Victorian-era laboratory, or in my bedroom so I can play with it. I really want to play with it...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/35420458/professor-alexanders-botanical-vasculum?ref=sr_list_3&ga_search_query=steampunk&ga_filter=&ga_noautofacet=1

Trevor's Rating of Professor Alexander's Botanical Vasculum: 96%

Weave, Wrap, Coil Review

Weave, Wrap, Coil is a book I bought specifically to learn how to make wire-wrapped rings. The first 21 pages of the book provide step-by-step instructions for general wire-wrapping techniques as well as a detailed list of every tool you will need for the process. The book itself is not necessarily steampunk, but some of the tutorials in the book would only need a little bit of tweaking to make them steam. If your goal is making steampunk jewelry, I would only recommend this book for learning the wire-wrapping techniques. However, there is one tutorial for making "Key to my Steampunk Heart," which involves some clock parts.

A nice feature of Weave, Wrap, Coil is that it breaks up the twenty-five tutorials into beginner, intermediate, and advanced. This helped tremendously as I could filter through the book for the right level of difficulty for me, and then challenge myself with more difficult pieces. My favorite tutorial is the "Evolution Ring," which is categorized as advanced. With a little tweaking and a careful choice of materials, I might be able to replicate one of Daniel Proulx's pieces from Catherinette Rings.

I found out while writing this review that the editor is none other than Jean Campbell, author of Steampunk Style and Jewelry. I've heard there's a follow-up book coming out this year, which I have high hopes for.

Trevor's Rating of Weave, Wrap, Coil: 87%

Steampunk Style and Jewelry by Jean Campbell

I found this book while working at a Barnes and Noble near Portland, OR. During my shift I paged through it and eventually decided to buy it. There are tutorials inside for making several pieces of jewelry and near the beginning there are tutorials for general jewelry making techniques (something that, as a beginner, I found quite helpful). It was this book that schooled me on the ins and outs of what constituted Steampunk style, as my earlier endeavors never passed the level of Victorian in nature.

I can't recommend this book enough to the beginning jewelry maker or to anyone who is new to Steampunk. The introduction also includes a history of Steampunk itself. One of the coolest things for me was seeing the exact ring (Catherinette Rings - Seraphinite) on a full-page display in the book. I was in the bookstore wearing that ring when I first saw the book. I had no choice...the book would be mine. I encourage you to click the picture and make it yours as well!

Trevor's rating of Steampunk Style and Jewelry: 96%

Steampunk R2-D2

I found this Steampunk R2-D2 on Etsy just now. I thought, how awesome is that? It stands 13 inches tall by 8 inches wide and costs $140.00. It looks like a lot of work went into it and the detail is really nice. There is a lot of Star Wars Steampunk geekery out there but this one strikes me as one that wouldn't even look out of place if inserted into A New Hope.

I haven't found a lot of information on it, so I have to go by the pictures provided on etsy..You can see a couple of clock faces in R2's chest, which is pretty neat. What do you think of R2?

A link to R2 on etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/66674699/steampunk-r2?ref=sr_list_29&ga_search_query=steampunk&ga_shopname=trevorschmidt&ga_filter=&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_order=price_desc&ga_page=3

Trevor's Rating of the Steampunk R2-D2: 76%

Jules Verne Victorian Pocket Watch

I bought this pocket watch back in November from a different seller. It didn't have the black necklace or the key, but the rest was identical. I looked up the name "CAIFU," which is imprinted on the watch face, and found out it was a Chinese company that makes replicas of famous/historical objects and oddities. This watch was a replica of Jules Verne's pocket watch.

The watch worked great and after winding it up it lasted for well over 24 hours. The internal mechanics were quite good and the ticking was surprisingly loud through the casing. The glass panel on the back allows for easy viewing of the inner workings, which is honestly more fun than telling the time. The face and numbers are kind of dark anyway, which makes telling the time a lot harder. I would recommend this piece as an aesthetic piece rather than a practical one.

On a final note, I'm a little disturbed that the sellers of this watch put it in the handmade section of Etsy, since it's clear it was made in China. The wording on their etsy sites suggests they handmade it themselves, when in reality, it was made by the hands of some Chinese kid.

Trevor's rating of the Jules Verne Victorian pocket watch: 82%
Trevor's rating of the integrity of the seller: 10%

Tristan Steampunk Guitar

I found this Steampunk guitar while shopping on etsy, check it out:

Even though the body is a Washburn, the guy made it look ridiculously Steam by chopping the body and using that valve as the volume control. I have no idea how it would sound but if I were to buy it I would probably hang it on my wall anyway. I'm curious about the quality of the humbuckers, if they came standard on the Washburn or if he switched them out for better quality. In all honesty, I'm not sure I'd want to chop up anything higher quality than a Washburn for fear I'd ruin it beyond salvation.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/57849282/tristan-steampunk-guitar

Trevor's rating of the Tristan Steampunk Guitar: 78%

Catherinette Rings Review

I was shopping on Etsy one day and came across Daniel Proulx's steampunk rings. He runs the company Catherinette Rings out of Montreal with his wife, who is a fashion designer. I ended up buying the Seraphinite Ring because I recognized it as the one Allison Scagliotti wore on Warehouse 13.



I received the ring in less than a week, which was surprising since it came all the way from Canada. The ring was beautiful and has held up well despite continuous wear and rough handling. There are dozens of ring designs on his Etsy as well as Steampunk Sculptures of a scorpion, spiders, and many other clock-part-driven designs.

The design of the Seraphinite Ring actually inspired me to start making my own Steampunk jewelry, though I'm still trying to learn wire-wrapping. The results of my tinkering can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/trevorschmidt

And here is a link to Catherinette Rings: http://www.etsy.com/shop/CatherinetteRings

All in all, I highly recommend Mr. Proulx's products and plan to buy from him again in the near future!


Trevor's rating of Catherinette Rings: 97%

The Master List of Steamy Reviews

Top Post:
Mechanical "Winner" Watch

Friday Segment: Is It Steampunk?

Etsy Shop Reviews:
Catherinette Rings
Chanchala
Clockwork Couture (Absinthe Lip Balm)
Old Junkyard Boutique
Royal Peasantry Designs
Tinque Designs

Comic Reviews:
Boston Metaphysical Society (Kickstarter Campaign Issue 5)

Film Reviews:
The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box

Author Features:
Adam Dreece (The Yellow Hoods Series)

Book Reviews:
Steampunk Style and Jewelry - Jean Campbell
Weave, Wrap, and Coil - Jodi Bombardier

Videos:
Steampunk In Oxford
Steampunk Meal Time

Miscellaneous:
The League of S.T.E.A.M.

Specific Product Reviews: 
Alphonse: Full Metal Alchemist Steampunk Cosplay
Altitude Mask (Steampunk) 
Android Phone (Steampunk)
Astronomical Steampunk Ring
Babbage Analytical Engine
Chattergrub
Clutch Purse (Steampunk)
Coat (Steampunk)
Cybermen Helmets (Doctor Who)(Steampunk)
Eyepatch (Steampunk)
Feather Fascinator - OZION Design (Steampunk)
Flying Machine (Steampunk)
Gatling Gun
Gear Organizer
Goggles (Steampunk) 
Handstitched Original Journal
Industrial Lamp 
IPhone Stand (Steampunk)
Iron Man Helmet (Steampunk)
Jetpack/Time Machine
Jules Verne Victorian Pocket Watch
Light Up Bottles (Steampunk)
Lightsaber (Steampunk)
Linear LED Watch
Orkina Mechanical Steampunk Watch
Periodic Table Bangle
Plasma Teleportation Device
Professor Alexander's Botanical Vasculum 
R2D2
Robot Arm Gauntlet
Robot Plush Doll
Sci Fi Super TESLA Steampunk Ray Gun
Sewor Watch
Steampunk Palin
Steel Corset Wedding Dress (Steampunk)
Swashbuckler Eye Patch 
Teapot (Steampunk)
Tornado 30 Kinetic Sculpture
Tristan Steampunk Guitar
Velociraptor Specimen Jar Necklace
Wall Tentacle

Personal Posts:
Comic-Con San Diego 2013
Steampunk Airship "Infiltrator"
Steampunk Beetle