Burnt Out
 

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.

Burnt Out
 

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

Burnt Out
 

Did you find my friends?

Even More Burnt Out
 

How was the jiffy-lube?

Burnt Out
 

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.

Burnt Out
 

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.

Burnt Out
 

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:

http://mvgals.net/albums/dionysus_bm...r/IMG_3519.jpg

http://mvgals.net/albums/dionysus_bm...r/IMG_3524.jpg

http://mvgals.net/albums/dionysus_bm...r/IMG_3553.jpg

http://mvgals.net/albums/dionysus_bm...r/IMG_3589.jpg

Burnt Out
 

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.

Burnt Out
 

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?

Burnt Out
 

PCP?

Burnt Out
 

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

Burnt Out
 

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:

http://images.burningman.com/gallery...lante.5802.jpg

http://www.burningman.com/preparatio...aps/05_map.jpg

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.

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.

Oh, the 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:

http://mvgals.net/albums/dionysus_bm...r/IMG_3602.jpg

3. Nightime club:

http://mvgals.net/albums/dionysus_bm...r/IMG_3708.jpg

4. Watching the Man burn on Saturday night:

http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/200...a51076_bms.jpg

Adult Board
 

Where is the Adult board?