Comments on: A little confidence

By: jj

jj — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:54:26 +0000

Let me say something about new blood. This year I was farting around in the deep playa and came across a couple of girls hanging out at a hug booth. One of the girls had badly injured her foot and was being carted around in a makeshift wheelchair made from an old chair and a bunch of other random bike parts and crap.

It was her first year. It was her friend’s first year. In fact, her entire camp was first year burners and they had come together to make her a functioning wheelchair from random camp parts.

It did my heart good to see a bunch of newbies doin’ things for themselves. Whether I come back next year or not, kids like that can keep the flame alive.

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By: Roissy

Roissy — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 23:11:02 +0000

“In the five years I’ve wrangled volunteers for them they’ve never put their own processes and internal workings over the needs of the people I’ve worked with. ”

This may be true for the part you have worked with. For other parts of the ORG. it is less so, although it seems to get fixed after a few years.

The theme was announced at the ARTumnal Gathering as “Fertility 2.0″

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By: Mamawitz

Mamawitz — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:08:38 +0000

Well said! Not only shouldn’t we “worry” about getting a ticket, I’m confident those of us who’re enthusiastic non-procrastinators will get their tickets. The beautiful thing about Burning Man is that things are just as they should be. Once we accept that, we’re there!

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By: marrvelous

marrvelous — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:24:02 +0000

Caveat is sayin’… man-up and remember this is Burning Man. If you want to be there, you will make it happen. And it’s totally possible unless you put your head in a hole in the ground for 9 months.

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By: Homiesinheaven

Homiesinheaven — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:22:21 +0000

1965 was the best year for Burning Man. everything after that has been so corporate…

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By: G

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 23:00:22 +0000

The beauty of the event is that it rebirths every year, it is impermanent, and they do continue to tweak it. I picked up on discussions concerning the over sized city plan of the ’08 event while at the ’08 event. Sure enough the layout was back to being smaller the following year.
IMHO, ’12 will look totally familiar. Of course if they get a permit for 70,000, and 70,000 show, ummm, that might feel unfamiliar.
Agreed concerning the virgins. The wonder, excitement, and confusion that the virgins add to the overall collective psyche is essential to the event.

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By: Horzon

Horzon — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:48:45 +0000

I so like that line “New blood, new visions, amateurs visiting the desert in an attempt to find their home for the first time, is far more the secret to Burning Man’s magic than fire and furry boots.”

I am asked often to explain why I travel 2500 miles every year for the “fire and the fur” but truth is its the magic of the mystery that I can’t wait to see what NEW people and things show up.

That is something you can’t predict … and if you could … don’t … who wants a christmas morning without wrapping paper!

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By: Caveat Magister

Caveat Magister — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 06:01:42 +0000

It’s a fair question, and I honestly don’t know. I haven’t asked privately, and no policy that I know of has been handed down.

There are actually a pocket full of questions about implementation that will effect my ability to recruit and manage volunteers for the media team — we lost a small number this year when the tickets ran out, and I don’t know yet whether that will happen again as a result of the lottery. It would be a significant change if I had to tell people “get your ticket first, then we’ll talk about helping out.”

What I can say is that my willingness to help out is not contingent upon my getting a ticket — I’ve been VC for Media Mecca before during a year when I couldn’t make it out, and I’d willingly do it again.

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By: g

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 05:46:26 +0000

Is your ticket for next year 100% guaranteed, or are you in the “lottery”?

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By: Zach

Zach — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 05:42:03 +0000

It does. Quite. Thanks Magister, your eloquentness is yet again appreciated.

The vision inspires many.

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