I think he was talking about me? Meh. I live when I can get off work.

BRD wrote:Just as an aside, we have "Frozen Man" back here, also on a lake... (aka: Eel Pout Festival) Here's last time up there (try to avoid)

Oh, Man! The Eel Pout Festival..........THAT is indeed a party. Thousands, and thousands of drunks on snowmobiles and pickup trucks on the ice, trying (sorta) to not run over an ice fisherman.......who is also shitfaced. Only people there not drunk last time I was there were the DNR Enforcement guys and the pilots.

Hell of a party, though.

MTV

375handh wrote:Burning Man, By The Numbers

What's the old saying? An environmentalist is someone whose house was built of wood, last year....

Gump

Nobody asked and have not been there..but...This thread created a significant impression on me...

From my perspective "Burning Man" is an attempt to create purgatory on earth. Looks like a living hell from what I see. It instinctually repels me. The general look and feel seems intellectually and morally deranged.

God save them.

(Disclaimer; opinion based on this thread only, 100% )

OK, I am over it carry on folks.

OK as I write this there is a special on Showcase channel called Spark,a burning man story..... so far its the history of this madness... started with this one guy in San Freakcisco, of course. and now there are untold numbers of "co founders" who evidently are leading quite successful lives, given there is a $400 buck fee for entry and who knows what else is generating cash...now I wonder how many of these wacko's are environmentalists who deplore waste of natural resorces, like earth first.. I'm watching the building of various objects destined to be burned in the desert... looks like a mountain of wood structures.... one consists of about 6 buildings to mimic wall street.... these are all constructed of ply wood and truckloads of wood ... creator of this one is a burn wall street nutcase...one girl just realized there is a bill for heavy equipment supplied by contractors and is just mortified that anyone would charge a fee...I guess reality sucks...a lot of complaints about how hot and windy it is... well DUH your in a fucking desert

well...ice u make sense to me....
as for the others that think im off my rocker, u dont understand what i said..."havent really done much" means something a lot different that u r thinking....for sure...
so...just ramble on, will ya...and for those that think this is an artsy deal.....
find one of the cops that works that event and see what he might tell you.....

There sure is a lot of typing energy expended in this thread to knock something you've never tried and obviously know little about. It may appear one way but it's like trying to characterize... shit I dunno. It can be whatever you want. It's literally a city. It's not Woodstock.

I went. Twice. 2004-2005. Maybe it's changed in 10 years but it was a great time then. It attracts lots of different people for different reasons, many engineers and mad max types. I'm a former motocross racer and I'm a gun nut and a pilot. You can identify with that, right? Never done a drug in my life save for after having a tooth pulled. Riding bikes around the playa at night with all those lights and music was amazing. Thunderdome was amazing. Seeing cute naked girls was amazing. I probably won't ever go again because I'm not that big a fan of huge crowds but I enjoyed the experience I had there and my wife and I remember it fondly.

Nice pics! I loved Burning Man....dying to get back there. I hope to have my license by the next one

I went in skeptically and thought it was an excellent event. The passion that people put in to the music, art and the community is very impressive. The atmosphere is respectful and open minded. If you appreciate human expression and are tolerant of others making choices that you wouldn't necessarily, chances are you would not regret the experience. If you take satisfaction from judging others, definitely don't go. I

Hey Scolopax, that's why I say it's hard to describe what it is! But whatever you think it is, it's not that!

What did you think of the new airport procedures this year? I've been reading a lot of complaints on the email list. How did it go for you?

I think Burning Man is one of those events that would have been fun to be in on in the early years. Now it's filled with old guys just there hoping to see some bare titty. Too commercial in a sense, but then again I dropped my EAA membership when they started putting ads in the Sport Aviation mag, and have not been to Oshkosh since the early 90's, too big and too commercial for me (and.... NO bare titty).

svanarts wrote:Hey Scolopax, that's why I say it's hard to describe what it is! But whatever you think it is, it's not that!

What did you think of the new airport procedures this year? I've been reading a lot of complaints on the email list. How did it go for you?

I understand and agree with what you are saying Svanarts. Any preconceived notion, judgment or expectation that you have about the event is definitely not reality.

I spend a lot of time in the desert. Someone said 'there's this thing in the desert where people make weird stuff and there's lots of fire - just like your camping trips. You should go.'

So in 1997, I went. Alone. My mind was blown. I loved the way people treated each other, the art projects, the desert. 10,000 people. $65.

In 1998, a group of people in Los Angeles started organizing a village. I joined them and volunteered a bunch making that happen. It was really gratifying. The people involved were deep and intelligent and open - just what this small-town hillbilly needed. 15,000 people. $90.

In 1999, I took it a step further. I went a month before the event and stayed a month after and worked for the Burning Man Department of Public Works there, mostly doing mechanic work, welding, fabrication, and the like. It was the best summer of my life. 23,000 people. $130.

Since, I'd continued to camp with the same village and kind of did the DPW thing at a smaller level on my own. I'd repair anything that people needed help with. Art cars, generators, welding, fabrication. I met some of the best people. Some of them would bring me some whiskey for my trouble. I like whiskey.

My last year was 2012. 55,000 people. $380. It was getting difficult to justify the expense and time off work. Too much law enforcement. Too many holier than thou types. I still love the people and music and insane projects. I still love and miss the event. I still think it's important. I might go back when I can fly in. ...but I'm saving some of that time and money for flying these days.

This was was my second straight year flying in and I have been plenty of times before that. There is no doubt that the event is changing. It may have even jumped the proverbial shark. Even so I had good year at Burning Man (not all were good). As many times as I have gone I still can not explain it to those that have not attended. But I will try.

No money, no trading, bring what you need and take out what you bring. Imagine the first week of college with no parents, no teachers and everybody is friendly. There are no clicks. Now imagine everybody is throwing a party in your honor and you are throwing a party in everybody else's honor. Everybody is trying to outdo your party and all the other parties. This is done by hosting an open bar, driving an art car the size of a city block, building and air conditioned orgy dome, spanking people, giving a TED talk, or playing smooth jazz on your saxophone. All that is asked is that you participate. That is Burning Man.

There is a bumper sticker that says "My vacation is your worst nightmare - Burning Man". You might hate it. I nearly always love it.