Comments on: After the ’07 burn, and Afterburn ’07: news from BMHQ

By: Dystopian Veneer, New Performance by Paul Addis

Dystopian Veneer, New Performance by Paul Addis — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:55:47 +0000

[...] A longtime participant in the San Francisco arts community, in recent years Paul has gained notoriety, sparked intense discussion, had a stay in the Nevada Correctional System (and won unanimous approval from the Parole Board), inspired street art, and generally inflamed controversy, all stemming from an episode of premature ignition at Burning Man 2007. [...]

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By: Tang

Tang — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:20:55 +0000

Sunset and Ghostrider: I’ve been greeting on Monday afternoons for the last four years. Every year, we watch the newbie population grow, and grow in a manor that seems to be non-exponential. In other words, first timers used to show up mid or late week, but are now showing up early. Why? Maybe they feel as though they want to get there money’s worth. Who knows? Point is, that population segment is on the rise.

The greeters perform a necessary function. Many first timers come only with other first timers, and really haven’t got a clue. A little orientation is absolutely necessary. Most everyone that shows up is slightly agro, newbie or not, weather there is a line or not. If an express lane is opened, the people that will use it are probably the people that most need it. There has been discussion about brining bell ringers inside, out of line, but for some reason it has been discouraged.

Lines happen entering and exiting the event. They are annoying. If you want to avoid them, you might want to time your arrival in the early morning hours. For the time being, that seems to work. When waiting in greeters starts to piss you off, try to remember your fist arrival.

See you at home.

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By: Ghostrider

Ghostrider — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:27:04 +0000

I’m all about an “Express lane..seems that we had our day once but, with all the new directions at the burningman event one could be maybe, an express lane?”

I support the idea of a “faster entrance for we folk coming home again.” Please….kiss kiss hug hug

Ghostrider

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By: sunset

sunset — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:37:50 +0000

the only news i’m looking for is that there will be an EXPRESS LANE for non-newbs at the greeter station….pleeeese?

it just about kills me to make it all the way there, and then sit and crawl forward while the occupants of cars empty out and proceed to have their pics taken in all positions w/ the bell…then trade cameras and do it all over again and again and again. then next car and the next. i’m so close and yet so far. believe me, i’ve tried the cool down method…crack a beer, sit back and enjoy their glee. well, i’m all gleed out…what about it…EXPRESS LANE anyone???

hey, i said pleeeese!

just another gorgeous sunset

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By: wrybread

wrybread — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:12:38 +0000

Are these comments being moderated? If anyone here cares, there’s a much more balanced discussion here:

http://laughingsquid.com/paul-addis-pleads-guilty-to-burning-man-2007-arson-charges/

Amidst the chatter at that link, a very interesting fact arose from someone who works in law enforcement in Nevada: Bman.org was twice given the opportunity to go easy on Paul and have the charges minimized to something less than a felony. All they had to do was say the damage was less than $5k. Instead they showed up in court with possibly inflated receipts showing $30k.

This person (he posted he posted his credentials at that link) says that the people at the court were surprised by how blood-thirsty the people at bman.org were for Paul’s prosecution.

I’m not saying here whether I think Paul should or shouldn’t have gotten the sentence, only that I think it’s important for people to know that when bman.org says “we didn’t have anything to do with the sentence”, they’re not quite telling the truth.

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By: Iain

Iain — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:19:23 +0000

It comes down to this.
Burning Man is no longer counter culture.
Burning man is no longer about radical self expression.
Burning Man is part of the establishment.
Expression shall be kept within non-radical limits – using law enforcement as necessary.
Burning Man is now “The Man”

We all new it was headed that way – now it’s gone all the way.
The BORG proved Paul Addis’ point (even if he was somewhat crazy in making it)).
Time to move on.

Iain

Quote from Pershing County insider:
> “BM had two opportunities to close this case with less flesh off Addis’
> bones. They declined. In fact, they pushed hard for maximum
> prosecution and maximum sentence. That’s what they got. Even some
> people on the legal side were surprised at the level of BM’s
> vengeance. They didn’t expect “the hippies” to behave that way.
> The judge, as you might expect from a small town in conservative,
> rural Nevada, was not interested in all the self-important “cultural”
> arguments from either side, especially from Addis. In his statement at
> the sentencing hearing he followed BM’s argument that they are running
> a big business and that Addis caused severe damage to that business.
> What it boiled down to was money, and BM’s testimony leaned heavily in
> that direction. If they had gone a little easier in that regard Addis
> probably would have gotten some jail time, but not four years and a felony rap.”

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By: Scott the Fabulous

Scott the Fabulous — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:37:07 +0000

We have all heard the for and against for this clown. It all comes down to this. If people like this think that acts of vandalism are acts of art we are in bigger trouble than we know

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By: Al Billings

Al Billings — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:50:18 +0000

Then there is the fact that people who were *underneath* the Man when he torched had to be rescued at the risk of others because they were not awake or aware. He could easily have killed someone with his “art” and he put people at risk *and* cost the org thousands of dollars (and quite a few manhours from volunteers) to rebuild the Man after his art.

Sure sounds like arson to me. Maybe people would be happier if he’d managed to kill someone in the fire.

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By: Martin

Martin — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 03:31:25 +0000

Addis obviously needs help. Interpreting his actions as if they were merely disagreeable decisions made by a sane, stable person does not address the problem. It’s unfortunate that neither the legal system nor Addis himself seems able to negotiate this territory effectively.

It’s very disappointing that Burning Man LLC, with all its creative brainpower and community spirit, is also unwilling to step in and recognize this as a mental health issue rather than a simple criminal act.

The damage to the festival was real, though. Burning Man spends millions to orchestrate a grand and complex ritual, and the arson was a physical, financial and personal blow that affected many, many people. Some burners applied their cavalier attitude to the strange turn of events – but what else could they do? But they didn’t pay hundreds of dollars so the man could be burned before they got there, though.

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By: Canvas

Canvas — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 01:43:37 +0000

He got what he deserved. Enough of this hippie political correct shit. He set the man on fire, endangering nearby folks and he pissed all over a lot of peoples hard work.
There seems to be a distinct lack of respect for the art lately. I was deeply saddened to see art being vandalized and tagged at BRC last year. For some of us, its ALL about the art.

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