It was the wrong thread

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by LessinSF
I survived. It was almost indescribably surreal. Part stupification at the incredible time and money people spent to build (And haul out to buttfuck nowhere, Nevada) art installations, art cars , camps, equipment, stages, etc. Part adult playground where anything goes on or in your body. Part dress-up, part dress down. Part grody and disgusting - the omnipresent dust, nekkid people who should be nekkid, porta potties, sun showers, etc.. Part way, way, way too much techno music. And part hippie dippie stoner bullshit about participating, giving, loving, getting out of your corporate mindset, changing my life, communing, and "having a good burn, man."

I'm glad I went, but I don't know whether I will return next year. If I do go, I want an RV, less fat and/or less naked campmates, more interesting campmates, and a camp theme that involves a bar giving away gin and tonics to hot chicks.

So what motivates people to do this? I can understand the desire to spend a few days drinking and drugging, and doing it with a bunch of others. But most people do this at bars and/or raves/dens/etc.

Then there are the "artists". Is this just a "look at me" event? See how wild a costume/vehicle/campground/whatever I can come up with?

I'm not judging; I'm trying to understand why this event draws so many people each year. It's a fascinating study of human psychology, no doubt.

And, if Star Trek conventions were held in the desert, with this much press coverage, I'd probably be asking the same questions.

[dtb]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
So what motivates people to do this? I can understand the desire to spend a few days drinking and drugging, and doing it with a bunch of others. But most people do this at bars and/or raves/dens/etc.

Then there are the "artists". Is this just a "look at me" event? See how wild a costume/vehicle/campground/whatever I can come up with?

I'm not judging; I'm trying to understand why this event draws so many people each year. It's a fascinating study of human psychology, no doubt.

And, if Star Trek conventions were held in the desert, with this much press coverage, I'd probably be asking the same questions.

I think I missed the part where it explains what the heck "it" was.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by LessinSF
I survived. It was almost indescribably surreal. Part stupification at the incredible time and money people spent to build (And haul out to buttfuck nowhere, Nevada) art installations, art cars , camps, equipment, stages, etc. Part adult playground where anything goes on or in your body. Part dress-up, part dress down. Part grody and disgusting - the omnipresent dust, nekkid people who should be nekkid, porta potties, sun showers, etc.. Part way, way, way too much techno music. And part hippie dippie stoner bullshit about participating, giving, loving, getting out of your corporate mindset, changing my life, communing, and "having a good burn, man."

I'm glad I went, but I don't know whether I will return next year. If I do go, I want an RV, less fat and/or less naked campmates, more interesting campmates, and a camp theme that involves a bar giving away gin and tonics to hot chicks.

Did you find my friends?

[greatwhitenorthchick]

Originally posted by LessinSF
Burning Man

How was the jiffy-lube?

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
So what motivates people to do this? I can understand the desire to spend a few days drinking and drugging, and doing it with a bunch of others. But most people do this at bars and/or raves/dens/etc.

Then there are the "artists". Is this just a "look at me" event? See how wild a costume/vehicle/campground/whatever I can come up with?

I'm not judging; I'm trying to understand why this event draws so many people each year. It's a fascinating study of human psychology, no doubt.

And, if Star Trek conventions were held in the desert, with this much press coverage, I'd probably be asking the same questions.

My friends who do it are pretty committed to it. They say that the experience is surreal and in some respects life changing. Many of them work for at least six months putting together their ideas for the next year, and there are a lot of spin-off communities and events. Life-long friendships have been formed there. Some are artists, all are heavily involved in the arts here in Houston.

I'm heavily involved in the art car community here in Houston, which is one of the most active in the country. Two years ago, the most amazing art car I've ever seen came down for our art car parade. It was made at the previous year's Burning Man.

If I hadn't made prior arrangements month ago for another vacation, I would have been there this year.

[LessinSF]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
Did you find my friends?

No. I looked where they were supposed to be, but couldn't find them. Instead, I had cocktails at a bar called the Hair of the Dog that was near where they were supposed to be. I should have asked the bartender if he knew where they were, but he was otherwise occupied.

[LessinSF]

Originally posted by Penske_Account
Any naked pics for the adult board?

I did not take many pictures of people - you are meant to ask permission and shit. The friend I went with took more people pictures, though, and I will see what she captured.

But I quickly found these through Google:

[LessinSF]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
So what motivates people to do this? I can understand the desire to spend a few days drinking and drugging, and doing it with a bunch of others. But most people do this at bars and/or raves/dens/etc.

Then there are the "artists". Is this just a "look at me" event? See how wild a costume/vehicle/campground/whatever I can come up with?

I'm not judging; I'm trying to understand why this event draws so many people each year. It's a fascinating study of human psychology, no doubt.

And, if Star Trek conventions were held in the desert, with this much press coverage, I'd probably be asking the same questions.

As RT said, for some it is a sense of community building, where everyone get along, there's no money, there are no "hang-ups," yada, yada, yada. For others, it is art-driven - they even get grants and shit. For others, it is the eight-day party. Some people do say it changed their life. I clearly didn't "get it" in that sense. I found that all a bunch of stoner mumbo-jumbo. But there is a sense of release - that anything goes (within certain boundaries), that you can wear outlandish costumes, take drugs/get drunk/fall down/sleep in someone else's camp or out of the playa, get spanked in public while wearing women's panties (or whatever turns you on), wander around, check people out, and wake up and do it again the next day. It is more of a bacchanal than your average rave with far less risk.

[Spanky]

Originally posted by LessinSF
As RT said, for some it is a sense of community building, where everyone get along, there's no money, there are no "hang-ups," yada, yada, yada. For others, it is art-driven - they even get grants and shit. For others, it is the eight-day party. Some people do say it changed their life. I clearly didn't "get it" in that sense. I found that all a bunch of stoner mumbo-jumbo. But there is a sense of release - that anything goes (within certain boundaries), that you can wear outlandish costumes, take drugs/get drunk/fall down/sleep in someone else's camp or out of the playa, get spanked in public while wearing women's panties (or whatever turns you on), wander around, check people out, and wake up and do it again the next day. It is more of a bacchanal than your average rave with far less risk.

From the picture it seems pretty spread out. Lots of space. I expected it to look very crowded. But it seemed that that there is a lot of walking involved. In addition, was there considerable dust?

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Spanky
was there considerable dust?

PCP?

[Penske_Account]

Originally posted by LessinSF
I did not take many pictures of people - you are meant to ask permission and shit. The friend I went with took more people pictures, though, and I will see what she captured.

But I quickly found these through Google:


[/IMG]

Except for the guy in the pink bunny costume, it looks good to me.

[LessinSF]

Originally posted by Spanky
From the picture it seems pretty spread out. Lots of space. I expected it to look very crowded. But it seemed that that there is a lot of walking involved. In addition, was there considerable dust?

From one side of Black Rock City to the other is two miles, but the city is set up as concentric circles around a mostly empty (there are art installations in the middle) playa:





Although a bicycle is not absolutely necessary, it would suck not to have one. Just going to the bathroom would take ten minutes each way if you had to walk. Everyone gets around on them. They litter the playa, and (basically) no one locks or steals them.

As for the dust, it is ubiquitous. It cakes your shoes, your hair, the cars, backpacks, anything and everything. Further, there are occasional sandstorms that blow through. Some people carry breathing masks and goggles. I didn't. A couple of times, though, I did stop, turn away from the prevailing wind, shut my eyes, and wait a minute or two before moving on.

[Spanky]

Every picture you past seems to have an empty feel to it. Like the people in the picture are the only people there. I have not seen any picture that gives me the feel of a massive swath of humanity.

[LessinSF]

Originally posted by Spanky
Every picture you past seems to have an empty feel to it. Like the people in the picture are the only people there. I have not seen any picture that gives me the feel of a massive swath of humanity.

1. Look at the pics of "Critical Tits" I put up on the adult board - hundreds, if not thousands, of topless chicks on bikes. Also, check these out:

2. Typical daylight scene of a bar:



3. Nightime club:



4. Watching the Man burn on Saturday night:

[Spanky]

Where is the Adult board?