Quotes

Burning Man is a piece of art constructed on a blank canvas of a dry lake. It is a form of meta-art. It is an art project made of many other art projects that becomes different the instant you come through the gate. You have no choice but to participate because once you are there, you become a part of the overall project. “No spectators” isn’t what some might think it is because you have no choice in the matter. No matter how hard you might try to remain only a spectator, you can’t do it if you are there because you have become an integral part of something larger than you simply by showing up.

Burning Man is a piece of art constructed on a blank canvas of a dry lake. It is a form of meta-art. It is an art project made of many other art projects that becomes different the instant you come through the gate. You have no choice but to participate because once you are there, you become a part of the overall project. “No spectators” isn\’t what some might think it is because you have no choice in the matter. No matter how hard you might try to remain only a spectator, you can\’t do it if you are there because you have become an integral part of something larger than you simply by showing up.
geekster via ePlaya :: View topic – What is Burning Man?

I think that my criteria for what constitutes a burner has shifted to “Were you open enough, even just a crack, to let the experiences of the group, up to and including whatever event you attended, change you?

I think that my criteria for what constitutes a burner has shifted to “Were you open enough, even just a crack, to let the experiences of the group, up to and including whatever event you attended, change you?
Angels vs. Demons: Burnier-Than-Thou

Our next holders of state power might end up being chosen by a minority that seems to stand for very little—or, perhaps, for nothing at all.

Our next holders of state power might end up being chosen by a minority that seems to stand for very little—or, perhaps, for nothing at all.
The Trouble With Independents | The New Republic

According to the IMF forecast, whomever is elected U.S. president next year — Obama? Mitt Romney? Donald Trump? — will be the last to preside over the world’s largest economy.

According to the IMF forecast, whomever is elected U.S. president next year — Obama? Mitt Romney? Donald Trump? — will be the last to preside over the world’s largest economy.
IMF bombshell: Age of America nears end Brett Arends\’ ROI – MarketWatch

Noam Chomsky told a sold-out Mackey Auditorium crowd in Boulder Friday night, “Richard Nixon was our last liberal president.” No doubt – American politics has slid so far to the right in my lifetime that were he alive today, Nixon would be too liberal to even get nominated. By the Democrats.

Noam Chomsky told a sold-out Mackey Auditorium crowd in Boulder Friday night, “Richard Nixon was our last liberal president.” No doubt – American politics has slid so far to the right in my lifetime that were he alive today, Nixon would be too liberal to even get nominated. By the Democrats.
Conservatives, Progressives and the future of representative democracy: what would an American Parliament look like? | Scholars and Rogues

The smell of marijuana smoke is no longer enough reason for police to order someone out of a car, now that pot has been decriminalized in Massachusetts, the state’s highest court said in a decision published on Tuesday.

The smell of marijuana smoke is no longer enough reason for police to order someone out of a car, now that pot has been decriminalized in Massachusetts, the state\’s highest court said in a decision published on Tuesday.
MA court rules marijuana odor is no longer ‘reasonable suspicion’ for cops | The Raw Story

To truly teach is to instill the values and knowledge which promote the common good and protect a society from the folly of historical amnesia.

To truly teach is to instill the values and knowledge which promote the common good and protect a society from the folly of historical amnesia.
Why the United States Is Destroying Its Education System | Common Dreams

Deschutes claims on its website that the Abyss pairs well with caramelized onions and cream cheese on pepper crackers. Bullshit! The Abyss pairs better with the nine horseman of the Apocalypse riding steeds made of granite. Enjoy.

Deschutes claims on its website that the Abyss pairs well with caramelized onions and cream cheese on pepper crackers. Bullshit! The Abyss pairs better with the nine horseman of the Apocalypse riding steeds made of granite. Enjoy.
Ten beers that will make you a man — if they don\’t kill you first – Denver Restaurants and Dining – Cafe Society

Humans born into this floating world quickly become like dust on the roadside. At dawn, small children, by sunset, already white-haired. Without real understanding, they struggle without end. I ask these children: for what reason do you pass this way?

Humans born into this floating world
quickly become like dust on the roadside.
At dawn, small children,
by sunset, already white-haired.
Without real understanding,
they struggle without end.
I ask these children:
for what reason do you pass this way?
Ryōkan