While I am not a cigarette smoker, I have been known to enjoy a clove here and there with a few drinks. Lately I went as far as to stuff Djarum blacks into the discontinued in the U.S., fabled red and black Sampoerna Xtras box, just to get the satisfaction of confused looks.

Author Alicia Porter Smith ponders the question on her blog Stuffgothslike , “Why do Goths smoke cloves”?

“Is it because they are worse for your health than regular cigarettes, therefore beckoning Death at an accelerated rate? “

Perhaps unconsciously the urge towards rebellion and self destruction does drive Goths toward clove smoking, however it could also be the color, spicy/sweet taste and morose appeal.

Regardless of whether one is a smoker or not, another stab at withdrawing civil liberties has been actualized. The Obama administration has approved the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, a move that gives the FDA control to regulate every aspect of  Tobacco product advertising, distribution and who knows what else. The first step of which is banning “flavored” products, or using the terms “mild” or “light”.  We all know that when something is banned, people go out of their way to try and find it, import it, or create it to no end.

If the Government was paying 100% of everyone’s health care costs, I can understand their having a say in what you put into your body - since illness related treatment and prevention would come out of their pocket, but this is not yet the case.

I say let “we the people” make our own decisions about what we can consume, grow in our backyard, or purchase…  are we one step closer to a totalitarian dystopia?

What do you think?

Here are the confirmed dates so far (venues will be announced soon):

08/19/09 Houston (tba)
08/20/09 Dallas - The Church
08/21/09 Austin - Elysium
08/22/09 Phoenix - (tba)
08/23/09 San Francisco (tba)
08/24/09 Seattle - El Corazon
08/26/09 LA - (tba)
08/27/09 Salt Lake City - Club Vegas
08/28/09 Denver (tba)
08/29/09 Chicago (tba)
08/30/09 Minneapolis (tba)
09/01/09 Detroit (tba)
09/02/09 Pittsburgh (tba)
09/03/09 Toronto Canada (tba)
09/04/09 Boston (tba)
09/05/09 Philly - Shampoo Club
09/06/09 Richmond (tba)
09/08/09 Cincinnati (tba)
09/10/09 Atlanta - Masquerade
09/11/09 Jacksonville (tba)
09/12/09 W.Palm Beach - Respectable Street
09/15/09 New Orleans (tba)
09/17/09 San Antonio (tba)
09/19/09 NYC - Stimulate

… if your town is missing, then go and pester your local concert organizer until he capitulates and books us, all right?
http://www.pitchfork.de/concertenglish.htm

The Alice in Wonderland books were written by Lewis Carroll during the Victorian era, a time now remembered for its stifling propriety and constrictive morals and were an immediate success when published in 1865 . The creatures of wonderland have many arbitrary customs and their behaviors are all defensible with strange logic, but the customs are still silly or even cruel. There are obvious echoes of the Victorian world, as the animals are opinionated and have strong ideas about what constitutes appropriate behavior. The creatures’ preciousness and their arbitrary sensitivities mock the fastidiousness of the Victorian era - a true irony indeed.

The story always retains a sense of mystery and a fondness for the sinister; even the characters who aid Alice have a dark edge to them. The hints of mortality and the sense of fear in the books have only contributed to their popularity!

There have been numerous interpretations of this quintessential “tale” in various mediums including film, comics, giftware (like this teapot), theater, apparel and more. One of my favorite versions of the film is the twisted Jan Svankmajer Alice DVD, a dizzying blend of stop motion animation, puppets and live action - with a distinctely gothic tone and morose symbolism. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab has a fantastic collection of Wonderland inspired scents, on their page called: Mad Tea Party.  I’ve personally had the Alice scent, which is true to it’s components and description of milk, rose, carnation, bergamont and honey.

A related film that has yet to see the light of day is Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll, a film by Marilyn Manson. The film synopsis hints of “a haunted writer in an isolated castle is tormented by sleepless nights and visions of a girl named Alice. He finds himself becoming a symptom of his own invention.“ WiKi source

Perhaps we may have to wait a while for that one… but in the meantime….

Tim Burton steps forward with a stunning concept for the Alice genre. Set to release March 5, 2010 the new Alice in Wonderland film will be a blend of live action and CG - released in both regular screen format and 3D!

The seemingly very well suited cast includes:

• Caterpillar (Alan Rickman)
• Jabberwock (Christopher Lee)
• Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter)
• Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp)
• Alice (Mia Wasikowska)
• White Queen (Anne Hathaway)
• Knave of Hearts (Crispin Glover)

According to USA Today: “The traditional tale has been freshened with a blast of girl power, courtesy of writer Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast). Alice, 17, attends a party at a Victorian estate only to find she is about to be proposed to in front of hundreds of snooty society types. Off she runs, following a white rabbit into a hole and ending up in Wonderland, a place she visited 10 years before yet doesn’t remember.”

I leave you with this final quote:

“But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked. “Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.” “How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice. “You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here.”

Original photos from: http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-06-21-alice-in-wonderland_N.htm

Any thoughts about the upcoming film, or past favorite renditions?

A physical gift certificate and personalized gift note card in a sleek, midnight black envelope will be mailed U.S. Postal Service to the shipping address you provide during checkout, and you can also opt to have a digital copy emailed to the recipient.

Visit here for more info.

Some of the bands playing are Das Ich, Reaper , Project Pitchfork, Icon of Coil, Assemblage 23,  and many more awesome bands… unfortunately Skinny Puppy had to cancel for some reason….

We setup with a couple of tables in the Pit area, along with amazing artist Vaughn Belak from whom we bought a surreal painting much to our delight.  Some photos to follow…

Best Regards,

Jeff Bronson, Owner
Obscuria - Darkly Unique Gothic Shop

Necropolis is held at:

The Independent Bar
70 N. Orange Ave.
Downtown Orlando, FL. 32801
407-839-0457

]]> http://blog.obscuria.com/gothic/latest-obscuria-gothic-shop-updates/vending-at-necropolis-masquerade-ball-5-tomorrow-night-562009.html/feed http://blog.obscuria.com/gothic/latest-obscuria-gothic-shop-updates/vending-at-necropolis-masquerade-ball-5-tomorrow-night-562009.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Obscuria/~3/iKAhbICAcuU/fantastical-new-steampunk-items-release-may-2009.html http://blog.obscuria.com/gothic/latest-obscuria-gothic-shop-updates/fantastical-new-steampunk-items-release-may-2009.html#comments Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:53:52 +0000 Kraven http://blog.obscuria.com/?p=146 Steampunk! Ever so wondrous contraptions, imagineered from an age that could have
been, or still can be!

How about having some ridiculously cool machinery none of your friends do?

A few samples:

Rosenstein Optical Rarefying Dilator Steampunk Monocle

A fascinating and hypnotic Steampunk monocle unlike anything you’ve ever seen
before. An intense aqua colored eye blatantly stares into the diabolical cogs
of gyrating machinery, edged against a crisp Victorian lab coat, padded for
the winter snow. A pseudo copper gauge sits atop this 24″ long leather
strap, which secures itself with press stud fastening…. If this isn’t the
coolest thing you’ve ever seen, well, then we give up….

Anima Machinatio Futurus Steampunk Belt Buckle

Latin meaning ‘mechanized life to come’; the future of the human race. With
the increasing development of A.I, a Matrix - like future may be on the horizon,
so wire up, jack in and tune out with this symphony of Steampunk forged gears
encircling the infamous Alchemy logo. A perfect cross between Steampunk and
Cyberpunk, get yours today! Pewter cross-section of a human skull, showing brass
and copper internal components.