Thank you for the encouragement to attend, and your personal replies. I will think about it. I would certainly like to meet more makers, before I meet my “maker.”

Xeni, thank you for your kind offer. I won’t take your money, but because I am impressed with your generous nature, you’ve made a friend, “like it or not.” :-)

“Do you know what they call me, Mr. Smart?”

Max (thinking): “Uh… Lefty?”

http://kineticsteamworks.org/page42/page6/page6.html

But I’m guessing that this oilpunk/dieslpunk thing is strictly US-only. Here in the UK, the period of history which “harkens back to a time when hard work, combustion engines and industry shaped us” was the steam era.

Yaknowwhudimean?

The Diesel Vision was of small independent farmer/makers who pressed their own carbon-neutral vegetable oil for fuel and feedstock. Running Dr. Diesel’s engine on petroleum is an abomination and an abuse of the legacy of a great man.

Do go! Having been every year myself, I’m sure that once you’re inside, eyes agog and mind reeling from the abundant and diverse creativity on display, any thoughts of the ticket price will hastily dissipate. Much like Burning Man, the only people who bemoan the (seemingly exorbitant) ticket price are those that haven’t been. Once you experience it firsthand, the scale by which you evaluate such things is forever recalibrated.

Further, though it may perhaps be of little help this year, for both events, many people who cannot afford to attend obtain free passes by volunteering their time to help make the event a reality. This approach has the further benefit of providing other, richer experiential rewards. I’ve given months of my labor to Burning Man over the years, and I can assure you that a free ticket is the least of the perks. The memories, friendships and experiences I’ve gained are priceless.