THE END OF THE BEGINNING
By Team Editor Conner Lopez

Written by Team Editor Matthew Krueger
original release date: July 10, 2010
updated: January 22, 2011

Back to the Future: Steampunk
Imagine an industrial underbelly, a forest of pipes, gears, and nameless gadgets. Reach back across time to a quaint but clattering world of factories and locomotive whirlygigs, zeppelins, and wooden submarines with red velvet interiors. If Jules Verne or H.G. Wells come to mind, you’re not far off, as what may seem to describe a 19th century flight of fancy has actually exploded into a present day movement all its own: Steampunk.

The art of my favorite mysteries - Clue #1

Written by Team Editor: Conner Lopez

So heres the challenge....
How do I tell a story about gift that I received once without revealing who gave it to me and why I made a concious choice not to open it.
Because as someone said once, some things are better left unsaid.
Sometimes lifes biggest mystery's are ones we never have a satisfactory answer for.
Lets take a look at my favorite mysteries in no particular order.

Welcome to the Steampunk Movement! "Imagine an industrial underbelly, a forest of pipes, gears, and nameless gadgets. Reach back across time to a quaint but clattering world of factories and locomotive whirlygigs, zeppelins, and wooden submarines with red velvet interiors". Quoted from one of our popular Steampunk blogs Back to the Future: Steampunk by Matthew Krueger.

Are you Zombie Invasion Prepared (ZIP)?

Written by Team Editor Conner Lopez
Yeah I know its a cliche now to talk about the zombie apocalypse (ZA). Though its like everyone who knew about Green Day before they were famous. I was talking about this first. Maybe not pre george romero first, but for damn long time.

About Metal Smith / Handmade Jewelry Designer Sally Jewett-Brocato: I am inspired by the organic textures and shapes created in nature. I particularly love designing handmade jewelry using the very textures I find all around me such as palm bark, grasses and raffia.  I also delight in the look of reticulated, fused and melted metals which you will find in much of my work.

Handmade Jewelry White Pearl and Sterling Silver Geometric Necklace This stunning modern handcrafted artisan jewelry geometric necklace is created with a single, pure white freshwater coin pearl surrounded by an organic textured half moon of sterling silver. This designer jewelry necklace is centered on a dainty, sterling silver chain with spring clasp closure. The sterling silver half moon has a black patina in the texture crevices to highlight the dramatic, organic markings. This fashion jewelry necklace measures approximately 15" so that the focal point is at the throat. It is designed to be worn as interestingly with a little black dress as with a pair of torn jeans.

Written by Team Editor Conner Lopez

What is the Dark Tower?
The dark tower is not the destination, its not the journey, its something inside of you. The dark tower is the magnetic force that pulls or pushes you through your life towards something inevitable. Foreboding as it sounds, that something isnt neccesarily bad, in fact its quite the opposite.

The dark tower may be an event, it may be a person, it may be place, it may be a state of mind. Its not something that we can avoid because the dark tower is something that happens in your life, and every decision that you have ever made has led you to it.

In Stephen Kings The Dark Tower series, the dark tower is simply a physical entity that our protagonist is trying to find.

While the term itself is full of mystery, you've probably been known the style of Steampunk longer than you realize. Popular video game "BioShock." is all about it. The feature film "Golden Compass" has it. Even famous literary novels Homunculus and The Affair of the Chalk Cliffs by Jules Verne and H.G. Wells are heavily influenced by Steampunk.