Are there too many cameras on the Playa? Should we be free to create spectacles for each other, without fear of spectators capturing the moment to share with other spectators? The Voices of Burning Man weigh in.
Some good questions raised in this mini-doco by Jan Beddgenoodts. Meanwhile, tips are circulating about how to put your smart phone in Burning Man mode, in case you lose it. BMOrg were showcasing all the new smartphone apps on the Playa up until about a week ago – the links no longer work.
At one point, John Curley says “it’s like a family party, and I’m the family photographer. I bring a camera so they don’t have to!” Of course, woe betide anyone who wants to show any of those family photos to other members of our family…
I also don’t like that there is cell coverage this year. I liked being more remote, away from everything.
There are plans on the net for diy cell jammers, retail they go for around 100-300 depending on how large a zone you want to jam. I keep a personal size one with me at all times everywhere i go.
Does it work for both GSM and CDMA?
Cell coverage is necessary because, like it or not, sometimes bad stuff happens. Example: The 6.1 Napa Earthquake happened a few hours before opening in 2014. My husband is a Burner, and was already on the Playa when the earthquake occurred. We were fortunate, and had only minor damage and no injuries, so I could text him that everything was OK and to not leave. OTOH, had we suffered major damage, or if I had been hurt, contacting him would have been extremely important.
If you want to “get away from it all,” simply turn off your phone and stow it away until you’re ready to leave.
I know this is of a different meaning, but, in regards of ‘Shooting Burning Man’, might you have viewed the news, today, of Parents of Kathryn Steinle Killed on San Francisco Pier File Claims? ‘The claims are against San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.’
‘The family alleges in legal claims that a Bureau of Land Management ranger left his loaded service weapon in a backpack in plain view in his car before the gun was stolen in June.’
‘The semi-automatic pistol was later used in the July 1 killing of 32-year-old Kathryn Steinle.’ ‘BLM spokeswoman Martha Maciel said the agency is cooperating with the investigation of the shooting but she declined further comment.’
‘A ballistics expert said the BLM agent, (emphasis added) whose name has not been released, appears to have stored the handgun improperly.’
I am most certain this is solely a coincidence, and it is not in due of this, but whom might be the BLM ranger, or BLM agent, in downtown San Francisco, on business, solely one mile from BMOrg Headquarters building, solely one day after Jenny Kane reported upon Chocotaco Gate within the Reno Gazette Journal?
The San Francisco Police has near to 20 vehicle robberies within downtown San Francisco on June 27. A reporter might obtain the near to 20 police reports of June 27, purposed to obtain the name of the BLM ranger, or BLM agent, and of the business of the BLM ranger, or BLM agent.
In addendum, of another article upon this ‘San Francisco police ballistics expert Andy Smith testified Wednesday during a preliminary hearing to determine if there’s enough evidence to try Lopez-Sanchez for murder.’
‘Smith said the hollow-point bullet (emphasis added) that killed Kate Steinle, 32, was flattened on one side.’
What in bloody hell is the rationale of the BLM Rangers, and the BLM Agent, at Burning Man, utilizing hollow point bullets within their guns?
The Mercury News reports of
‘The agency-issued handgun was stolen from the agent’s personal car June 27 while the agent was in downtown San Francisco on official government travel, said Dana Wilson, a spokeswoman for the federal agency that administers 15.2 million acres of public land in California. The agent immediately reported the theft to San Francisco police, she said. The officer made a stop while he was en route to an assignment in another location. … BLM policy regarding weapons is that the officer is responsible for ensuring that their firearms are secure, …’ emphasis added
Just what does “the officer is responsible for ensuring that their firearms are secure” mean?
Does that mean, “Don’t blame us, it’s his fault, all we did was hire, train him and put the firearm in his hands.” Or, “What the officer did was responsible in keeping the firearm secure?”
Any other ideas? Maybe some damage control from some BLM lurkers?
One of the articles stated of the gun is to be within a gun safe, within the trunk of the personal vehicle. Perchance, the personal vehicle was a hired vehicle, thus, there was not a gun safe, or a trunk? In addendum of what might be the rationale of the BLM people terming the person an agent, not a ranger, it is a different title. There are solely near to 100, or 200, BLM Agents within the U.S. Might a reporter desire to obtain the near to 20 police reports, crimemappingdotcom is the proper site, linked from the SFPD site.
I am most certain of this is solely incorrect speculation in due of numerous coincidences.
Merely a statement of fact: hollow-point bullets have more stopping power, fragment in the body, and tend not to pass through the body – which could put other unintended targets behind at risk. This latter is their rationale for their use.
That being said, the single daily recurring act of government that puts each of us in the US at risk of death is to place armed individuals on the the street under the color of law. Then, they make it quite legal to explicitly limit the IQ of these individuals and their direct supervisors. Bad combination.
The drive by shooting range has been closed for ages. Shooting air powered fruit roll up cannons is gifting. Just say the drone or selfie stik got in the way of your gifting.
The modern Burner is part of the selfie generation. These people even take pictures of their food, of course they’re going to take pictures of goddamn everything and everyone at Burning Man. Nothing is meaningful in their lives unless it is recorded and gets Likes on Facebook. There’s no telling these people, ‘Gee, it be better if you just had the experience without taking a picture of it.’ They’ve gone far beyond that.
Not too many years ago at BM, people would look at you like you just grew a third horn if you took out a camera. But these people have been replaced by the modern Burner. That’s the cost of mainstreaming the event. Sow, meet the reap.
Funny, if people would react that way “several years ago”, it wasn’t because they were “old school”.
No objections were ever made when I was taking photos back in 1994, and I’m glad I did it since there aren’t all that many photos from back in those days.
http://www.well.com/user/tkiriluk/BURNMAN/burnindex.html
I always crowd-sourced my selfies… I would ask someone, “Would you mind taking our picture?,” and then hand them my camera. Never got a refusal.
There also weren’t as many people taking pictures back then, before digital photography, and the Internet was still a novelty. I’m glad you did take pictures then because there aren’t that many from the early days. But now, Burning Man needs photo coverage like it needs a hole in the head.
That’s true, about how things have changed. Years ago, when I went, there were rules – formal and informal – about photography. This week it’s all over social media. Very different. I wouldn’t like my image plastered everywhere instantly.
Now that is one cool meta look at how folks (and through what folks) Burn…!