Dec 29 2014

Seeding the Future

A guest post by reader Nick Heyming, who has been inspired by Burns to create something phenomenal.

Burner Holiday

In the spirit of the holidays, here’s a story to make you remember what gifting and communal effort is all about. If you’re more interested in the latest on the commodification crisis or tickets, don’t bother, but if you want to read about burners who are taking the principles to a new level, read on.

The first place Nickipedia heard about the burn was in Biloxi, Mississippi. He was standing next to a large dome, a decorated bus, and a newly rebuilt buddhist temple. The man in front of him was Big Stick, a civil engineer and the head of heavy equipment and last arbiter of safety for all the amazing and sometimes dodgy construction projects people bring out to the playa. He was explaining about the event, the temple, the art, and how a huge group of them had driven straight out from the festival in 2005 to help rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.

Nickipedia, being a noob and kind of a dork, said ‘Wow, sounds like a great party’.

Big Stick looked at him with a scowl, and said, ‘Yeah, you probably shouldn’t go’.

Nickipedia quickly corrected himself, ‘Um, I mean, it clearly is a lot more than just a party. Sounds like a rite of passage or a spiritual…’

Big Stick cut him off ‘If you need a rite of passage, stick around here’. He gestured to the piles of debris littering the vacant lots surrounding the encampment. “There’s plenty of opportunity to come of age helping these people out. When you’re done with that, maybe you should come out to the playa and see what we build with that blank canvas and no code enforcement or FEMA in our way.”

The blunt attitude of the Burners Without Borders didn’t dissuade young Nickipedia from venturing out to the playa 10 months later. The efforts of BWB have been well documented in such films as Burn on the Bayou:http://vimeo.com/8057642 . What many don’t realize is how many burners, both with BWB and on their own, have shown up to rebuild after disasters.

Ten years ago, when the tsunami hit Southeast Asia, thousands of volunteers from around the world poured into the area to lend their support. Many of them were backpackers and burners, looking to do more than just be tourists but to actually have meaningful exchange with the locals and leave a positive trace.

Founding members of Communitere (http://www.philippines-communitere.org/ and http://www.haiti.communitere.org ), Hands On Disaster Relief, International Disaster Volunteers (http://www.idvolunteers.org/ ), and of course Burners Without Borders (http://www.burnerswithoutborders.org/ )are regular attendees of Burning Man and go there not just to recharge but to connect with fellow volunteers they may not have an opportunity to see anywhere else.

The work the Burners do internationally is not just superficial: aside from serious engineering and sanitation projects, Burners frequently find themselves as hubs for interagency coordination. When well-spoken foreigners show up, doors open, and Burners are known for sneaking as many disenfranchised locals in when the opportunity presents itself. This can mean doing things like community-wide design charettes where people who never normally are heard get to voice their needs directly to decision-makers.

Burner making efforts for the greater good aren’t just limited to after disasters though. That little virgin Nickipedia who almost got told off at the beginning of our story? He ended up going to Burning Man in 2006, then again for a month with DPW and Black Rock Solar in 07, again with BRS and BWB in 08 (after appointing himself director of external relations for BWB in Peru for 4 months). He’s taking the lessons he learned rebuilding parks in Mississippi.

And creating community gardens in Peru.

To create a series of video games that educate people about sustainable gardening and farming practices. The goal is to mitigate climate change, solve world hunger, and help with internet and video game addiction. All using radical self-expression, communal effort, and leaving an awesome trace.

He’s in the last day of his crowdfunding campaign and they’re still a few thousand short, so if you think that sounds like something the world needs more of, support and share at www.igg.me/at/seeds

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Dec 24 2014

Burning Man 2015 Tickets Information [Updates]

See all the details here – http://tickets.burningman.org/

4,000 Pre-Sale tickets will be sold for $800 each, $150 more than last year’s “art benefactor” tickets.
20,000 Directed Group Sale tickets are priced at $390, $10 more than last year.
40,000 Individual Sale tickets and 1,000 OMG Sale tickets will be $390 as well.
4.000 Low Income tickets will be available at $190.

Vehicle Passes are required again. 27,000 will be sold for $50 each, $10 more than last year.

What are your initial thoughts? Happy Holidays and see you in the comments!

– Rabbitt

Christmas Camp, 1993. Photo by Gerry Gropp. From galleries.burningman.org.

Peter Doty’s “Christmas Camp”, Burning Man’s first theme camp, 1993. Photo by Gerry Gropp.

[Update 12/28/14 6:12pm NZ]

Burnersxxx:

Thanks Rabbitt for this post. I’ve plugged the numbers into my spreadsheet and it shows a revenue hike of close to 10% for BMOrg, over their record-setting 2014. “Fewer vehicle passes” sounds nice but is practically meaningless since they sell them at the gate.

2014 sales: $28,598,595

Increase: $1,905,307 (6.7%)

To estimate the “Canada Premium”, I have used the number of Burners from Canada from the most recent Black Rock City census (September 2014). The shipping cost to mail tickets to Canada is $29 for UPS and $39 for UPS Expedited, so I have taken the median price ($34).

[Update 12/29/14 8:25am NZ]

Corrected a small error in my earlier assumptions, where I had the Canada premium at $15. The premium is on top of the regular Mail/Will Call fee of $12, so it should be $22.

In the last JackedRabbit they said:

We’ve worked hard to keep the price of tickets down, despite increasing event production costs. In 2012 the main tier was $390. When we got rid of tiered pricing the following year, we lowered the main tier to $380, which it has been for the past two years. This year there is an increase of just $10, putting the main price back at $390

As usual with ~~propaganda~~ information from this source, this is not actually the whole truth. Once you add all the handling and shipping charges, a ticket and a pass to get in by vehicle is $466 plus tax – a 23% hike over $380. It’s not so easy to get around the add-on charges. First of all, you’re not permitted to walk in. If you fly in, you pay an additional $40 and if you take the Burner Express bus it costs $68 from Reno and $100 from San Francisco (one-way). It is possible to get to Burning Man for less than $466, but only if you ride-share (or are privileged enough to be selected by BMOrg for a Low Income ticket).

In 2012 tickets started at $240 and the next tier was $320 – $390 was the MAXIMUM price. There were 15,000 tickets at the maximum tier, the same number at the middle tier, and 10,000 at the lowest price. So the “main” amount of tickets were much less than $390. The average across these tiers was $326.25, which $466 is an increase of 43% over.

The VIP Pre-Sale were $420 in 2012, so they have also just about doubled in 3 years…as has the cost for a regular Burner who just wants go to Burning Man. [Source: Huffington Post]

Dec 19 2014

BURNILEAKS: Commodification Camp Employment Email

If you’ve had enough of all the Commodification Camp controversy, don’t bother reading this post. For those who still care…

Thanks to Anonymous Burner for leaking this email that was sent to workers employed at this notorious Commodification Camp. I’ve removed some names and email addresses, but I think by now we all know which camp this is.

JT has apologized, and if he wasn’t still on the Board of Directors of Burning Man, I would probably let it go. Unfortunately, he is – and in his “apology”, he tried to downplay the commercial nature of his camp. If he’d just said “I did this, I fucked up, my bad, I’ve learned my lesson and it won’t happen again” – I think most of us would have found that acceptable. Instead he blamed his staff, his build crew, the camp next door, all the while trying to use the Ten Principles to convince us that everything his camp did was totally fine. He claims that because he failed to make a profit, we should believe that this 68-room hotel with 50 paid staff where 120 guests were charged $17,000 for rooms with porcelain toilets…was never intended to generate money.

Read this, and decide for yourself if this was a pure gift to the Playa, or a commodified VIP experience sold by a commercial enterprise. The email confirms some of the claims that were made earlier by Sherpagirl, including that there were 50 employees in this camp. What sort of “gift” requires 50 staff? How does this promote Radical Self Reliance and Decommodification? How did they know they could get 170 tickets, and all the Early Access passes required to create a camp like this?

Subject: Burning Man Staff – Please Read by August 6

*Dear Villagers,*

(*Following is a lengthy note that contains all of the relevant information you need to prepare for our upcoming time together. There is a great deal of time sensitive information. Please read this in its entirety by the end of the day on August 6th….*)

We are delighted that each of you has decided to join us for this year’s Burning Man extravaganza. It’s going to be an amazing and remarkable experience for all. We have the privilege of facilitating other people’s transformation and we take this responsibility seriously. it takes great intention, attention to detail, humility, joy, and a commitment to hard work. We have chosen each of you because you embody these values in your everyday life and you truly understand what a gift it is to be of service to others in this way.

Please take a moment to read this email in its entirety as it contains important information about logistics and expectations.

*Expectations*

We have spent nearly an entire year putting all of the pieces of our puzzle together. From the initial creative design sessions to packing each of our fourteen shipping containers, we have worked hard to ensure success in every regard. Now it comes down to all of you – the beautiful, talented, incredible people who will bring the vision to life.While each of you is being hired to “work” this event, we expect much more from all of you. More than employees, we want you to think of yourself first and foremost as an inhabitant of the village we are a creating. This year’s Burning Man theme is the *Caravansary*.

In the words of the Burning Man Org,”For countless centuries, travelers along the Silk Route crossed paths in caravansaries, a network of oases and sanctuaries that dotted the 4,000-mile road from Europe to East Asia. These bustling caravan stops offered more than just shelter from the desert wilderness; they were vital centers of cultural exchange, bringing together traders, pilgrims, monks, nomads, traveling entertainers, and wild-eyed adventurers from all points of the compass to share their stories around a common fire. Though fueled by mercantilism, their legacy to us is a grand commerce of ideas — a swirling exchange of languages, legends, technologies, philosophies and art that helped shape nearly every aspect of our modern world.”

As the inhabitants of our village, we will embrace our guests as if they wandered in off of the long and dusty Silk Road. Our job is to welcome them, feed them, hydrate them, entertain them, share stories, listen to theirs, and to provide the highest form of hospitality possible. There is a distinct difference between getting someone a drink, and nourishing someone in body and spirit. We are here to do the latter. To read our guests’ body language and to anticipate what they need even before they need it. In this way we will help them to feel seen, heard, and cared for in every way.

At the same time, it is Burning Man, and we are also here to help them engage with the ethos of the Burning Man experience. This means helping them to find a healthy level of self-reliance and active participation as a member a larger community. We’ll show them how to wash their own plates during meal time. We’ll instruct them on how to conserve water in our showers and toilets. We’ll invite them to participate in gifting to others on the Playa. Together we’ll find the perfect balance between service in the highest form and encouraging our guests to truly participate as a citizen of the Playa.Please begin thinking now about who you are going to be, what character you are going to play, and how you can truly embrace this creative, theatrical opportunity to truly invent yourself as an inhabitant of our shared world for eight days in the desert.

*Work Schedule, Arrival and Departure Dates*

We have two distinct crews this year – a *Build and Strike Crew* and an Event Crew. While a few of you are crossing over, most of you are on one or the other crew.If you are part of our *Build & Strike Crew*, we will begin building camp on *Monday, August 18th at 12 noon*. Please plan to arrive at that time. Build will take place until everything is done so be prepared to do whatever it takes. We have thoroughly planned and estimated how long it will take to do everything and we hope it will take no more than 12 hours of work per day. That said, our timeline is entirely weather dependent. For example, last year the weather was so bad we could not build anything almost three whole days. Please be prepared for such an eventuality.*If you are part of the Build crew, that means you are part of the Strike crew as well, *and you are expected to stay until camp is completely taken apart. Our goal is the end of the day on Tuesday, September 2nd. That means you will most likely begin your return trip to the Bay on Wednesday, September 3rd. That said, Strike is also dependent upon weather and other factors. Please be prepared for any eventuality.

If you are part of our *Event Crew*, the event begins on *Sunday, August 24th*. Unless we have specifically discussed different timing with any of you, everyone is expected to arrive at camp by *3:00pm on Sunday, August 24*. The gates open at 10:00am which should give you all enough time to make it through the entry gate and to camp on time. Please plan to leave early enough Sunday morning or the night before to ensure you can make it to camp by our start time. Our event ends on *Monday, September 1st at 6pm*. You are expected to be present for work up until this time.

Each of you on the *Event Crew* will be expected to work approximately ten (10) hours each day, divided into two (2) separate five (5) hour shifts. You will have a three (3) hour break between shifts. Ultimately each of you is expected to work as long as necessary to fully complete whatever needs to be done. As weather and other factors can quickly change plans on the Playa, please be mentally prepared to do whatever it takes.

We are planning for each of you to get at least one full day off during the week. Please note that this cannot be guaranteed. If things go as planned, everyone will. If, on the other hand, Burning Man throws us some unexpected curveballs, you might not. Please be mentally prepared for this possibility. Your exact schedule for each day will be shared with you during orientation on Sunday night, August 24th.

*Compensation and Employment Paperwork*

Each of you will be compensated $180 of shift pay for each day worked. If you do indeed get a day off during the week, you will not be paid for that day. If you get a half day off, your pay will also be divided in half. There will be no tracking of hours or overtime provided. Each of you is required to complete a W9 form as well as an employee agreement and a waiver of liability to participate as a contractor for this event. Please complete the attached forms and return them to me no later than *Friday, August 8th at 5pm.*

*Camp Location*

We are happily located at 8:45 and Kandahar. Yes, this is the outer ring of the Playa. We are located on a circular promenade next to other amazing theme camps. Right next door to us is the Lost Hotel and the Playa-Famous Raw Bar. You are highly encouraged to spend time with them at the Raw Bar. It’s an awesome place to meet people and get to know the artists artisans who make the Playa such an incredible place.*Orientation and Training – Sunday, August 24, 5pm to Midnight. *We will work together upon your arrival on Sunday afternoon, from 6pm to midnight, to introduce you to every single element of camp. Attached to this email is a copy of our camp schematic that we have shared with the Burning Man organization as part of our Theme Camp application. This document provides a basic overview of the many amenities we’ll have at our
camp. Please show up ready to focus on Sunday night.

*Tickets and Early Arrival Passes*

For those of you who live within one hour of our office in [snip], please schedule a time to come by our office, Monday through Friday between 9am and 5pm to pick up your ticket and your Early Arrival Pass if applicable (only *Build and Strike Crew* need early access passes). For those of you who live more than one hour away, please email me your mailing address *no later than Thursday, August 7th* so that we can mail your ticket and Early Arrival pass to you. Please note that *YOU MUST NOT LOSE YOUR TICKET*. We do not have any extra. Also, if you do need an Early Arrival Pass, you MUST have the actual Pass assigned to you on your person to get through the entry gate. Each Pass is specifically bar coded and entry will not be granted without one.

*Transportation*

For those of you departing from and returning to the Bay Area, we are happy to provide up to 2 mini-van or passenger van rental vehicles for you to use and share to carpool to and from the event. If you are willing to volunteer to be a driver, please let me know by *Friday, August 8th *so that we can plan to add you as a driver on the rental agreement. Depending on the number of you who want to utilize this option, there will be 1 or 2 vehicles departing from the Bay area on either the evening of Saturday, August 23rd or approximately 4am on Sunday, August 24th. The exact time of departure will be determined by those of you choosing this option. This vehicle(s) will return from the Playa to the Bay Area on Monday, September 1st or Tuesday, September 2nd. *Please note that vehicles may not be parked at camp*. You are welcome to drive up to camp to unload your personal items. Once you are done we’ll show you where to park your vehicle nearby.

*Bikes*

You are required to *provide your own bike for the event*. While we may have some extra bikes available for use at certain times, there is no guarantee that one will be available at any given time, so please plan accordingly. You are welcome to bring your bike to our office in [snip] before *August 11th* if you’d like us to transport the bike for you. Another option is to rent a bike on the Playa. They cost $150 for the week, plus a $150 deposit that is returned to you when you return the bike. As of yesterday they still have bikes available. *I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this option*. You can email [snip] to find out more and reserve your bike. Directions to our office are listed at the bottom of this email.

*Drugs*

Illicit drugs are prohibited on the Playa. This includes marijuana as it is not legal medically or otherwise in the State of Nevada. Burning Man is required by law to allow State of Nevada police personnel to patrol the Playa in search of drug offenders. Most of these personnel do this undercover, dressed as a typical Burner. Please be aware that absolutely anyone might be an undercover agent, even someone inviting you to participate in the illicit use of drugs. Even the smell of Marijuana is enough probably cause for an agent to search your body and/or your shelter so be smart!Illicit drugs are also prohibited in camp while working as a contract employee for us during this event. You are expected to show up for every shift sober, alert, and prepared to fully carry out what is expected of you. No exceptions.You are welcome to drink at our bar when you are not on a working shift. You are expected not to drink while on shift.

*Sleeping Accommodations*

We are providing a combination of cubes, hexayurts and playa huts for each of you to share. Each structure is double occupancy and will include either a cot with a foam mattress or a foam mattress on a frame. Each unit will also have a light, an air conditioner and an outlet for you to use to charge a personal electronic device. You cannot use a hairdryer with these outlets. *Please note that you must provide your own pillow, sheets, and blankets or sleeping bag. *Also, accommodations are tight. It’s the Playa. Look forward to getting to know your bunkmate 🙂

*Mindfulness in Community*

we are going to be living in close quarters amidst one of the most profound, disorienting, mind blowing environments on planet earth. there will be 120 camp guests, an ecclectic collection of some of the most interesting and influential people in the world and 50 crew members ranging from cooks and bartenders to musicians, belly dancers, filmmakers, acroyogis, bodyworkers, and artists of all forms. each one of us is a key player in a small, contained ecosystem. each of our behaviors will greatly affect others. embraced one way, this experience invites you to reimagine yourself anew and to choose which character with which spirit you choose to bring to the rest of the group. the more intentional you are, the more likely you can positively impact and co-create the experience with others around you.

*Food and Drink*

We will feed all of you three awesome meals a day as well as an incredible assortment of snacks and other delights. You will all eat the same food as our camp members. You are also welcome to eat and drink at our bar and to generally enjoy all of our delicious, organic food and drink. Within reason, you are welcome to invite friends and family to come by camp for a drink or a bar snack. We’ll keep you informed throughout the event as to our inventory supply. Should we face any shortages we will have to limit the amount of guests we invite to eat or drink. Please note that breakfast, lunch and dinner are for camp members and staff *ONLY*. Guests may not be invited to share actual meals.

If you have any food allergies, please notify us immediately so that we may do our best to accommodate your needs. In addition, if you have specific”treats” or “food needs” that you enjoy and need to have around, please
prepare in advance and bring this food for yourself. If you are so inclined, bring yummy treats to share with other staff as well. While we’ll provide amply for you, it never hurts to have a bit more of anything on the Playa.

*Personal Items*

Please provide your own costumes, goggles, dust masks, head lamps, water bottles, mugs, and anything else you need to be a full citizen of the Playa. Please take a moment to review the Burning Man Survival Guide to
make sure you are 100% prepared for your time with us. You can find it here – http://survival.burningman.comIn addition to what you’ll find on the Survival Guide, the following are
also very helpful items to have on the Playa:

– Hydration pack
– Cup w/ a carabiner
– Neti pot (kitchen can provide the salt)
– Utility belt
– Silk underwear for cold nights
– alarm clock
– Supplements (Vit.C, B Complex, 5-HTP, etc.)
– Sunscreen
– Skeleton of a ancient Siberian snow leopard
– The preceding bullet was a joke. We’re just checking to make sure you
have read all of this information.

*Headshot and Bio*

So that we may include you in the camp program, please send me a 2″ x 2″ digital image of you and a short bio, 30 words or less, *by Friday, August 8th*. Sorry for the short notice on this, but we’ve got a lot going on :).

Please include your real name, meaning the name you go by every day, and your Playa name if you have one.

*Attached Documents*

We have attached a number of documents for you to complete and review. Please make sure to return all necessary paperwork by the dates noted above.

+ w9 Form
+ employment agreement & emergency contact form
+ Participant Agreement, Release of Liability, and Assumption of Risk
+ Camp schematic – placement
+ Camp Invitation (this is the invitation sent to prospective camp
members. it will give you a good sense of the experience we intend to
cultivate)

*Thank You!*

That’s all for now! Thanks so much for being part of this experience with us. We are delighted that each and every one of you is joining us and we look forward to sharing this special journey with you.With love, respect, appreciation, and excited anticipation for what’s to come,

[snip]

“Experience is not what happens to you. It’s what you do with what happens
to you.” – Aldous Huxley

Where did they park all the cars?

Burners.Me: Me, Burners and The Man

Snarky. Cheeky. Grumpy. Dopey. Never Bashful.

Monthly Archives: December 2014

Burner Holiday

Let’s Go Outside and Play Together!

GrowGames has Three Goals for Food Action:

Seeds is a Series of Mobile Games Created with YOU

Connect Gardens Worldwide & Play an Ecosystem of Experiences

Grow Food, Play with Friends, Save Money: GAME JAMS

Open Game Jam Access to Design with Us!

Soundtrack benefit album + free downloads with all rewards over $13

As a thank you for helping us build these games we are producing a mix of our game music together with our favorite musical artists. You, the perfect beta testers, get the perfect seed album to start your garden adventures.

A Gratitude Garden Jam for you to enjoy anywhere

Seed Packs & Special Gift Packs with Sensors

Early Bird Worm Specials & Farm to Table Play

Seeds Launch Party in Vista

This is our Gratitude Garden and You are Seeds in the Game.

Employee-Owned Social Benefit Game Company

Action Engine EXPERIENCE with Food Systems

Our team includes amazing leaders in biodiversity and permaculture, technology and game development, interactive storytelling and educational applications.

How We Work with You & Your Guilds

When challenged by disaster, drought, outbreaks and epidemics:

Take control of your food system….and get in a great flow perk!

Send photos & videos #SeedstheGame to play

Burning Man 2015 Tickets Information [Updates]

Like this:

BURNILEAKS: Commodification Camp Employment Email

Like this:

Burner Holiday

Games to Grow Food – Apps & Music for Garden Adventures

Los Angeles, California

Let’s Go Outside and Play Together!

GrowGames has Three Goals for Food Action:

Seeds is a Series of Mobile Games Created with YOU

Connect Gardens Worldwide & Play an Ecosystem of Experiences

Grow Food, Play with Friends, Save Money: GAME JAMS

Open Game Jam Access to Design with Us!

Soundtrack benefit album + free downloads with all rewards over $13

As a thank you for helping us build these games we are producing a mix of our game music together with our favorite musical artists. You, the perfect beta testers, get the perfect seed album to start your garden adventures.

A Gratitude Garden Jam for you to enjoy anywhere

Seed Packs & Special Gift Packs with Sensors

Early Bird Worm Specials & Farm to Table Play

Seeds Launch Party in Vista

This is our Gratitude Garden and You are Seeds in the Game.

Employee-Owned Social Benefit Game Company

Action Engine EXPERIENCE with Food Systems

Our team includes amazing leaders in biodiversity and permaculture, technology and game development, interactive storytelling and educational applications.

How We Work with You & Your Guilds

When challenged by disaster, drought, outbreaks and epidemics:

Take control of your food system….and get in a great flow perk!

Send photos & videos #SeedstheGame to play

Help others find Burners.Me

Like this:

Help others find Burners.Me

Like this:

Help others find Burners.Me

Like this: