16 comments on “2014 Caravansary Street Names”

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  4. Gold is telling in regards towards Larry’s thoughts.

    I am gobsmacked by the hypocrisy of the post, upon the BMOrg’s Burning Man(TM) Facebook page, requesting of Burners to donate towards The Temple of Grace. David Best, and his awesome mates, are making attempts of raising $93,500 towards their awesome temple, which is solely $1.50 of each $380, or $448, or $650 ticket to the party on the playa.

    Larry, and his BMOrg mates, by appearances, are paying solely their usual of near $1 of each $380 ticket towards another awesome temple. This is in despite of Larry, and his BMOrg mates, by simple maths upon their numbers, their statements, and their corporate records, taking $38 million to $50 million towards their pockets. I must update the maths of this post towards the addition of, by simple maths upon their afterburn report of 2013, the $2 million to $2.5 million of usage levies for the licence of their Burning Man(TM) name and trademarks within 2013, in addendum to this usage levy within 2014, 2015, and 2016, and the salaries paid towards their pockets by the Burning Man Project, of which, were not within the original numerals.

    Please donate towards the projects of the awesome artists, whether funded, in small part, by the BMOrg, or not, to assist the awesome artists towards their costs of wood, lease, and transportation to the playa.

    Reply

    • The donation for the Temple is actually via the Black Rock Arts Foundation, an organization that does not have a good track record of distributing the funds donated to it. According to Guidestar, in 2011 just 29.8% of donated funds were distributed back out in grants.

      It’s amazing that the charities in BMOrg’s web of companies have ANY overheads, given the massive annual budget for salaries, rent, and expenses in the parent company’s year-round operations.

      To your continuing point about potential conflicts of interest in the dual roles BMOrg insiders play in the for-profit and non-profit companies: David Best is listed under “Officers, Directors, Trustees and Key Employees” of BRAF in the Guidestar reports from 2007 through 2010.

      Reply

      • Much obliged, again, burnersxxx, for your blog of awesome posts on Burner culture, for permitting me to pen a post upon it, and for permitting open commentary. Thank you.

        David Best is awesome, he is gentle, compassionate, brilliant, and he has sacrificed much to construct the temples. I am curious as to what per cent the Black Rock Arts Foundation take of funds donated towards the art projects and towards the temple for this burn?

        I am conflicted. I have thought very much, in regards of whether penning the post reporting upon their huge cash out was proper. I penned it from a sense of fair play, it is knowledge, upon which, awesome Burners whom contribute to the party might construct their own decisions, even though many of the decisions might not be decisions that result in happiness.

        I am of the realization that, even though the post had effect, that it was very proper to pen. This is in due of, even after knowledge of many millions of dollars directed towards the pockets of Larry and his mates became known by many, and after the difficulties of the Temple of Descendants, Larry, and his mates, still remained unwilling to part with the solely $2.50 of each ticket to fund the temple in total, nor double the funds directed towards the art projects. That would be a proper response, by them, if their concern was the Burner community, rather than their concern being of cash to remain upon the ledger for them to pocket.

        Reply

        • I am a David Best fan too, and I’m not knocking him. I do think BMOrg should fund the Temple, like they fund the man. It is different from all the other art projects, where we get to pick the designs we support and vote with our dollars. They pick this for us, then tell the artist to go and raise the money, and get their own insurance too. Then we have to pay for it all with even more donations.

          Perhaps you have encountered some personal flak from friends and acquaintances for airing your views in public. I think the truth should be told. I also think that Burner culture is MUCH more than BMOrg and their shills. People who care about the culture, the truth, and right vs wrong, are what we need over the long term to evolve and flourish past the bureaucracy and profiteering.

          I for one think “fuck yer day” is one of the best things about Burning Man. All the political correctness is the biggest danger to the unique anarchy and chaos that makes this thing special – and to the broader society that Burners engage with outside of the week long party. If people are happier in their ignorance, then let them be ignorant. Haters gonna hate!

          Reply

          • Much obliged, again. Thank you for your blog!

            I agree in total –
            ‘People who care about the culture, the truth, and right vs wrong, are what we need over the long term to evolve and flourish past the bureaucracy and profiteering. …

            I for one think “fuck yer day” is one of the best things about Burning Man. All the political correctness is the biggest danger to the unique anarchy and chaos that makes this thing special’

          • Nomad, much obliged for your descriptions of Stone Soup events and for your commentary upon these issues.

            In regards towards Transformus, kudos to the awesome Burners of Transformus for throwing their awesome crowd sourced party.

            I am not of the belief of a levy for utilization of the licence of the Burning Man(TM) trademarks occurred from Transformus, or, occurred from any regional party, towards the BMOrg within 2013. It was not prior to the middle of 2013 that Marian stated, within the sfbg, that they had not yet determined their fees for the regionals.

            The licence levies of the trademarks, by appearance, if they are to be paid in 2014, would not be paid from the regionals towards the Decommodification LLC of Larry and his mates, but, in it’s place, be paid towards BRC LLC or towards the Project, whom would add all the levies for the licence of the Burning Man(TM) trademarks upon one line in their ledger, and then pay it towards the Decommodifiction LLC owned by Larry and his mates. It would be hidden, from us, and from the donors of cash, labour, and art to the 501(c)3 Burning Man Project, and it’s owned companies, controlled by Larry and his mates, in similar manner as is hidden the estimated $12 million to $20 million payment within three years towards their Decommodification LLC for the Burning Man(TM) trademarks and the estimated $2 million to $2.5 million paid each burn for the utilization of the licences of the trademarks for the Burning Man event, they solely would not state the numbers prior to being forced to do so,

            Even at the present, I would not be of the belief of the regionals paying a separate licence levy of the trademarks, it would be hidden within any levy a regional would pay towards the Project, or towards the BRC LLC, in due of their support of the regional party. The licence levy would be small, in comparison towards the licence levy from the party on the playa, and not worth the troubles to collect upon.

          • yep, I reckon you’ve nailed it there. And then they get to say “people are spreading BS, regionals don’t pay any royalties to Decommodification LLC”…when the net effect is, they are.

            Thanks

        • ABP, FYI, here are the financials for Transformus, an official Regional Burn:
          http://www.transformus.com/files/ABReport_2013.pdf

          Almost 7% of the gross income goes to art grants. The biggest expense is private land rental. None of the BoD or functional staff get paid, though there is about $200 for snacks. The event relies heavily on the participants to volunteer, but there is no elite cadre that manages that – you just sign up for a shift time of the activity you want to help with. The Team leader manages their volunteers.

          No direct evidence of payments to Decommodification or any of the Larry LLCs, though there are “Event Costs” and “Donations” that could include these.

          Reply

          • Funny, even though Transformus states that they are an official regional, they are not apparent in the 2014 list, or calendar: http://regionals.burningman.com/official-events/

            I suppose one of the things that gripes me, is taking my money to pay people to tell me what to do – people that I had no involvement in choosing. In the other, MUCH bigger stone soup groups I am a member of, the people who are on salary WORK FOR US. We, the paid members, volunteer our time, and make all the functional decisions in our committees. We elect those who are in charge, from the membership. The salary people keep things running, but they follow the rules and policies that the paid members decide.

          • Nomad, apology. My response to your query is above your query, I clicked upon the incorrect reply button.

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