Tag: Burning Man

Absolute last minute inspiration led me to print some of these to affix to various metropolitan surfaces in Black Rock City (with permission of course). Please feel free to copy and replicate.

I’m not all that into the costume ethos, but I thought what the hell, I can have some fab shoes to ruin while on the playa.

This is a txt my wife sent to one of her friends about my burst of craft bling:
Shoes at Goodwill: $9.
Bucket of bling at Hobby Lobby: $8.
My husband getting hit on by a cute boy at Burning Man: Priceless.

I realized last weekend that our current family tent was just too unwieldy for me to manage solo on the playa. That and it has a vast amount of mesh that needed covering to inhibit dust invasion. So I ventured out to Gander Mountain and procured a Grizzly Den 8 Dome Tent that has an amply high center ceiling with the added bonus that all mesh areas have fabric zipper closures. Only the bottom edge of the two roof triangle mesh areas were loose, so I cut thin strips of fabric batting and safety pinned it between the outer mesh roof and inner loose flap. That’s about as good as it’s going to get absent a hermetically sealed plastic bubble.

The front door is decorated with a colorful scarf I picked up at Goodwill midweek as well.

via http://www.good.is/post/transparency-how-you-will-get-hurt-at-burning-man

This morning I fully assembled my shade structure for the first time. Last weekend, I’d put up the center pole and support ropes, but today I collected all my gear and timed my assembly time. In total, it took me about 1 hour to assemble all by myself. I’m pleased with the result so far, but I’ll reserve final judgment until it’s been playa tested.

Also, I received my El Wire and outfitted my bike today as well!

Today there were 42 days left before the man burns, and I got into gear. Yesterday I picked some 12″ galvanized spikes and washers for tent anchors, some more plastic totes, a small tarp, Gorilla Tape, and some Reflectix 2′ x 25′ Double Reflective Foil Insulation.

This morning I hit up the Goodwill 50% off Saturday sale for another pair of shorts and pants, two more shirts, a sleeping bag, a battery operated radio tape player, and a small pair of speakers. Came home and got to work rigging up my playa pounder (my wife’s cruiser bike that I’m commandeering for the burn).

I affixed a basket to the handlebars, added the speakers, and connected the radio so I’ll be able to tune into BMIR and the other stations only available on the playa. I have some spoke blinkies, and I’m waiting on some EL wire from BikeGlow.

I then set about making a cooler koozie cover out of the Reflectix and Gorilla Tape. The sleeping bag wraps around the whole thing to make a super cooler!

Oh, perhaps the best find of the day at Goodwill was a set of metal trophy mugs for an easy to clip on cup solution.

Slainte!

In such circumstances the mind is influenced through the body.  Though your mouth glows, and your skin is parched, yet you feel no languor,- the effect of dry heat; your lungs are lightened, your sight brightens, your memory recovers its tone, and your spirits become exuberant.  Your fancy and imagination are powerfully aroused, and the wildness and siblimity of the scenes around you, stir up all the energies in your soul, whether exertion, danger, or strife.  Your morale improves; you become frank and cordial, hospitable and single-minded; the hypocritical politeness and the slavery of Civilization are left behind you.  Your senses are quickened; they require no stimulants but air and exercise; in the desert spriritous liquors excite only disgust.

There is a keen enjoyment in mere animal existence.  The sharp appetite disposes of the most indigestible food; the sand is softer than a bed of down, and the purity of the air suddenly puts flight a dire cohort of diseases.

Here Nature returns to Man, however unworthily he has treated her, and, believe me, when once your tastes have conformed to the tranquility of such travel, you will suffer real pain in returning to the turmoil of civilization.  You will anticipate the bustle and confusion of artificial life, its luxuries and its false pleasures, with repugnance.  Depressed in spirits, you will for a time after your return feel incapable of mental or bodily exertion.  The air of the Cities will suffocate you, and the careworn and cadaverous countenances of citizens will haunt you like a vision of judgement.

Source:
Personal journal entry of Richard Burton during his Pilgrimage to Meccah and Medinah circa 1853. From ‘The Life of Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton’ by Isabel Burton, published in 1893 (via books.google.com).

/via Lost’n’Found via [BManUpdate] V14:#22:07.08.10

I find the gift economy of Black Rock City to be one of the most intriguing and unknown aspects of burning man. Over the past few months, I’ve been collecting bandannas from the local thrift store to have on the playa to gift to any unfortunate souls I come across in a dust storm with unshielded faces. Yesterday I also obtained some sample size sunscreen spray from a health care company at my place of employ, but I did a little bit of cover-up work on the corporate logo label!

Perhaps I’ll come across a karma box where I can leave some.

“It is a place where each person goes individually inspired to experience collectively. This person-to-person shift of personal motivations, reasons, intentions, and expectations help create the weather patterns that become the atmosphere known as Burningman. A genuine playground.” /via Burningman Virgin’s Guide BY FUCKO