It seems the Occupy Burning Man Class War long promoted on eplaya.burningman.com (while being simultaneously dismissed as irrelevant at the BJ) has finally come to fruition.
White Ocean was sabotaged by hooligans, who trashed their camp and glued doors shut on their trailers. Rather than sympathy from the Org, they were told they deserved it.
Some Burners might laugh at this, thinking it’s a throwback to the glory hole days of the Cacophony Society, but it’s not cool. This is way more than a prank. Pranks should be funny. Like this:
It goes against the whole point of Burning Man, which is radical inclusion. The vandals are MOOPing all over the Playa, “in the name of the Ten Principles!” What dicks. Not to mention that it might not be the smartest thing to mess with these people.
White Ocean put on a huge stage, bring some of the best musical talent in the world, give it away for free – so they deserve to be punished by Burnier-Than-Thous? For what, not gifting enough? Having people in their camp from other countries? First Camp is where people should be protesting.
The result of this attack is more likely to be “raise prices further so poor people can’t come”, rather than “all the rich people will now leave”. Camps will now be forced to have security staff, velvet ropes, members-only areas, all the things the vandals presumably hate. Generators will be closely guarded, strangers will be looked at with suspicion.
Sadly, this is symptomatic of the huge rift in the community caused by the BMorg 2.0 attitude, as exemplified by the “Man upside down” theme of this year. The message from Larry Harvey on the official Burning Man blog is that art comes from rich people sponsoring poor artists, instead of a communal effort by all of us where anyone can be an artist so everybody’s got to try.
These days, some people have $190 tickets and others have $1300 tickets. Burners don’t think “that’s so awesome that they paid more for tickets, they’re funding art” – because the extra money quite clearly is not funding more art. Instead many think “most of my friends couldn’t get tickets and these sparkle ponies don’t even care about our values or appreciate how lucky they are to be here”.
Instead of Da Vinci tickets funding more art, the annual Art Grants budget was adjusted to include the Man, Man base, and Temple, as well as grants to Burner artists. Of course, all the same old names who’ve been getting grants for decades get rewarded each year, whether they need the money or not.
What about Vehicle Passes? Did this money go to art? Vehicles? To making Burning Man or the world a better place? Or did it go to flying the 100+ full time, year-round Org staff around the world to a bunch of festivals on recon for Fest300 while courting wealthy patrons to finance off-Playa real estate deals?
When vehicle passes came out, we were told it was for the environment and improving local roads. Were the roads any better this year? All we have heard about is Police stings at the Gerlach crosswalk.
Perhaps related to this attack, or perhaps a total coincidence, but a structure in an unnamed camp collapsed, injuring 6 people. 1 had to be airlifted out, BMOrg aren’t saying where. From SFist:
A Burning Man theme camp collapsed earlier this week, injuring six and requiring that one festival attendee be airlifted out of the desert for medical treatment. The Reno Gazette-Journal reports that this all went down Monday, and that festival organizers are keeping a tight lid on the details.
According to the paper, the structure was part of a theme camp — not one of the giant art projects that cover the Playa — but officials are not saying at this time which camp. Five of the injured six, whose names have not been released, were treated by medical personnel onsite and one needed x-rays from medical contractor CrowdRx. The sixth was sent elsewhere for treatment, although Burning Man spokesman Jim Graham did not confirm to the paper to where or for what injuries.
We can safely assume, however, that Paris Hilton was not one of the injured as she was still Instagraming away as of yesterday.
The 70,000-person festival is no stranger to accidents, and has serious medical care facilities on site as a safety measure. And while most years are free of accidental deaths, it was just two years ago that a woman died after she was tragically run over by a bus.
The collapsed structure was officially closed off Tuesday morning, and we assume the five injured and released attendees are, at present, dancing to some deep house.
[Source]
Meanwhile, back in SF, the Chronicle reports that the 3% drop in city population due to Burning Man has been quickly filled up with tourists. Probably taking advantage of the glut of week-long AirBnB rentals.
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Rich people are pulling 300,000x more then everyone else and own 75% of society around the planet.
These people are morons. Do they expect everyone to be complacent to their theft and worship them or just their lackeys?
Yes, and enough do. Luckily, a bunch of them go to the same place the week before Labor Day, and the rest of us get a break.
Whats true and whats not…
There were no cables cut
yes super glue in key holes
yes chicken and beef cubes in rv resivoir
yes dye in rv water too
Dish soap added to shower water cubes
Yes water dumped
yes olive oil in the bathroom floors
no personal items were stolen
yes lug nuts off their art car were taken
Not connectedto the hotel cube collapse
Why?
The four people that were targeted were Timur, Oliver,Eduardo, Kfir…. these rich seperatists think they are above the burning man ways.. they think they can stronge arm people with threats of violence from their connections to the russian mafia and or throw lawyers with lawsuits at you to force you to do what they want…. they hire mexican workers to do all the camp setup and breakdown for burning man and their other events(further future)… if they cant demand their way then they bribe it… why do you think they were even allowed back after the last few years…all they allow at their dinners are the rich and famous and they dont even bring food or water for the mexican workers they hired… them and their friends drug women and try to take advantage of them, and btw their drug mule is Alex Song… they only put Paul okenfolds name on the camp so the bm community would “feel it”…. because what burner could really relate to a billionaire russian gangsters son? With all of the people tgey have fucked over and threatened over the 4 years they have been a compound at burning man they deserved some payback… This is just the beginning, every year they return people will mess with them and their camp… This should happen to all the elitest groups on and off the playa…
These rich entiteled bastards dont deserve to treat the playa like their own personal parties…. it is the communties…
This was done by 4 highly trained individuals who are spread out in the burning man community around the world listening to how the other elitest groups are treating their fellow burners… take your community back, stand up against these kinds of snobby bastards ruining burning man…
Sounds reasonable, since the Borg have disenfranchised the burners from any decisions or formal process. Any response from the other side? Perhaps a police report in contrast to the claims of either side, like cut power cables?
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I hate Burning Man and the stupid fuck pasty white fucks who occupy our deserts national parks and ruin them. They’re basically a bunch of horny aging flabby douchebags. Is it wrong to root for a terrorist attack?
Yes.
Cutting their power cords: not so much.
Your humility, love, and kindness is duly noted. May I suggest upgrading your knowledge of public land nomenclature, however? Thanks Jim!!
The lost hotel is the camp that collapsed. Heard about it early in the week.
That is one “hell” of a coincidence
Glad to hear that the collapse was not related to the WO disco vandalism, though still quite a bad thing for the Lost Hotel.
so, two of the commercial camps experienced issues this year is what I’m hearing?
OH no…rich people incurred some damages. Its totally unexpected!
Meanwhile, native americans, including women and children, were *actually attacked* by an energy construction company (Energy Transfer Partners). That company attacked them with **dogs** and mace, as these native americans were protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline cutting through their land and through sacred burial grounds adjacent to their property (North Dakota).
Can we get enraged about actual attacks, please, actual shit that matters?
Meant to say this is happening now *in* North Dakota.
These people are actually getting physically attacked. Mauled by dogs, getting sent to the hospital, while their lands and rights are being abused and battered.
Some perspective, yeah? How about we get mad about that, instead what amounts to a week vacation.
I don’t know if you missed it, but we are now property to the rich. They deserve being mauled by dogs because rich people deserve no resistance to what they want from society.
Simple: Not a concern for Burnt Man.
It is an issue that burners and Burning Man veterans could help with. Our demand for fossil fuels is the reason for the pipeline: no demand = no pipeline. In fact, at present prices, the pipeline is not cost effective. But as prices rise, they will build it.
What better proving ground for energy independence than TTITD? In an alternate reality, the Borg has been designating larger and larger sections of BRC as “energy independent.” No deliveries of fuel, and no gensets allowed to operate. All energy is from batteries and solar. This gives a chance to develop and demonstrate both, which are the path to the inevitable sustainable energy future.
In that alternate reality, the Borg has used all the Burning Man press attention to show off the burner innovations, not selfish attention to “BRC Solar” and other narcissistic supplies. Also, Dr. Jill Stein is leading in the polls.
http://2qtvrz46wjcg34jx1h1blgd2.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/67/files/2012/07/jill-stein-sign.png
Fuck, don’t turn their tragedy into an ad for your candidate. Thats like Trump tweetin’ & tryin’ to get votes over people getting shot in Chicago. Just. Don’t.
People are in the hospital with wounds from dogs. Some decency.
She is NOT my candidate.
So, Corpserate, how do you propose that a blog discussing “opinions, Burner culture, and Burning Man” deal with your concern? Please share your genius of how your issue fits in so that we can make a difference. Or is that beyond you? …because it is not intuitively obvious from what you have posted. Not seeing that your hemorrhaging cardiac comment is getting any discussion legs here.
Or, should we just moan and complain about the thousands of wrongs in the world that are beyond the scope of Burner culture and Burning Man? …How about the obvious hacking of the Clinton private server (as evidenced by her extraordinary measures to scrub it) and smart phones (evidenced by smashing them with hammers) – you don’t do that to protect your c/c numbers. Nefarious parties inevitably have the goods on her that they will NOT release before the election. Why? Because they will blackmail her once she gets in office to nudge any number of Presidential actions in their favor. No less than subtle control over the Emperor of Rome. Thousands if not millions of lives and our civilization could be in that balance.
“Or, should we just moan and complain about the thousands of wrongs in the world that are beyond the scope of Burner culture and Burning Man?”
Its not a coincidence that the rich are more wealthy and powerful than ever and their camps get pranked..It will escalate if the rich do not smart up and stop taking more than they deserve.
Understanding the world and life must really be a challenge for you. Very frustrating, eh?
If you had substantive concern for this you would have posted some links from recognized news sources with further information.
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I’ve only been a couple of times so I don’t know what it was like “back in the day”…nor do I care. Both of my experiences have been resoundingly positive and in some ways transformational. I don’t like the turnkey camps but they don’t impact my burn in the slightest. WHo cares what they’re doing? As long as the majority of the Burn is provided by “real burners”…what you want will be there. I ignore the rich assholes outside the burn I can do it there too. That’s their burn…whatever..
The issue with the White Ocean incident is not whether or not it was ok to because of who they are – it’s whether or not we think this behaviour is acceptable full stop. It isn’t. It opens the door to other self-entitled assholes with a grudge against whatever camp to go and do the same thing. At what point do we draw the line on that? What happens if you find someone in your tent or RV just making themselves at home…is that acceptable because “fuck your private camp space dude”? No, it is not. The guiding principles come down to one basic idea – respect. Self respect, respect for others, respect for your environment….. this kind of vandalism shows none of that. It makes some people think it’s ok to do these things whenever and wherever they like. We either say no – full stop…or we have to start judging each incident on it’s own merits…”Hmmm did they deserve that?”. By what measure do you do that?
This isn’t ok. Not at all.
“Someone stole my bike!” = Lock your bike (or don’t use one, which is where you will be after it is stolen).
“Someone glued by RV door!” = Lock your RV door (or, don’t use one, which is where you will be after it is glued shut).
“Someone drained our 200 gallon tank of water and cut our power cords!” = Secure your camp if you spend big bucks to capitalize it (or, do like the commoners, which is where you will be after it is trashed).
Objectively, it is all a matter of degree.
I prefer to be someplace where you can have a bike but don’t have to lock it. Unfortunately that does not fit with the above. Welcome to Burnt Man.
>It opens the door to other self-entitled assholes with a grudge against whatever camp to go and do the same thing
Cutting power cords and sacking camps has been going on for 20 years..
And 20 years ago… if you are going to make a practice of being an ass, be sure to lock your bike. Then again, you know who you are, and better bring an air pump, too.
I don’t think bikes started getting stolen until 2003. Or at least that’s the first year it happened to me. There was a fair amount of things getting fucked-up before then, ie – I don’t like you playing Barry Manilow 24 hours a day, so I’m going to steal your generator or put dust in the tank or cut the cable. The glue thing is new, and is the most retarded thing I’ve ever heard done on the playa, so it’s almost certainly a lie.
You give the rich an inch, they take a mile.
Its why they are rich
The Sherpas Revolt
http://www.designsonthetruth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/peasants-revolting.jpg
Look at that…some understanding
Sadly i think the sherpas will suffer punishment whether they did it or not, such as no pay (if they were going to be paid in the first place)
I actually thought this headline was a Band lineup
jesus.. i never thought it was really bike “theft”.. i just figured someone was wasted and grabbed the wrong bike and didn’t really figure it out until, like, 4 days later. bummer. but why in the hell would you steal a bike? didn’t you bring one? oh well…
fucked up scene… if you are lucky enough to have the “good old days” memories.. keep ’em and create a new scene..BM is gone.
Yes, back in the good ‘ole days, someone might grab your bike by mistake. But that meant there was their bike, and you just made an involuntary swap, sometimes with more than one person involved, but everybody who came with a bike left with one.
Today, at Burnt Man, people specifically steal bikes. Thousands of bikes end up abandoned in the deep playa, or the good ones end up on trucks taken back in town to be sold. The fate of the bike tells the tale. Many are stolen by people who just don’t want to bother to bring one of their own.
Once you feel entitled in getting your ticket, lots of things come along with that mental preset. By carefully avoiding any sense of gratitude in all regards, the Borg fosters the opposite: a sense of entitlement. All part and parcel of the NPD culture they have created and amplified with their $20 million in annual overhead.
“Everything’s free at burning man”…even bikes
But the herpes will cost you.
Wow! So many idiotic and taunting comments! A bunch of but hurt assholes I see here. I bet most of you consider yourselves “real burners” too… Ha! Ironic. Jaded, grumpy, motherfuckers. Build something! Bring something to the table! Put in your sweat and blood into creating something for someone – then come and be wise and sarcastic!
Fuck all of you who thinks he or she is better than those responsible for WO camp! Fuck you assholes!
And FYI I’m not affiliated with them in any shape or form so here’s an unbiased opinion for you.
Bunch of smelly dicks
I HAVE done many theme camps, the last three HIGHLY interactive. JV does a MV. None of this WO disco crap. So, go curate yourself, Art.
‘but hurt’ is one word.
butt hurt. jesus, it’s butt hurt.
Maybe it should be “burn hurt.”
Art, we burners MADE Burning Man, not the Borg. Now the Borg is cashing in on what we did, excluding the burners in decisions, even down to who gets tickets. In their infinite NPD wisdom, they chose directly or through designated surrogates each and every person who was ticketed, including the hooligans. They also chose to give this WO disco camp space in BRC. For years they have accepted bike theft as the norm, setting the disrespect precedent for personal property . This is entirely of their making. To blame anyone but the Borg is ignoring the facts.
Define “we”. good luck with that
Define “we”… EASY!
“We” burners are those that went to the NV burn when it was Burning Man, before the sellout. Everyone that wanted to be there was. Each person individually chose to be there and was. All you needed was internet access and a credit card.
Now, Burnt Man, after the sellout, is a private party. Everyone there was chosen by the Borg or their direct agent. Choosing to go is no longer sufficient conditions to be there, and so, it is not the same. Those that come to Burnt Man, those chosen by the Borg, are not “we.” So, you get hooligans, bike thieves, Google execs, and disco camps. Sure, they were there before, but now they define the culture rather than challenge it.
So, Circusboy,ElMano or Tym, how did you get your ticket the last time you went to the NV burn?
“I’m not affiliated with them in any shape or form so here’s an unbiased opinion for you.”
Since you brought it up, just how did you get your ticket the last time you went:
a) Profile invitation link;
b) Directed Sale link;
c) Comp Ticket (Borg assimilation).
Re: “art”: I don’t consider myself a burner. But frankly your opinion doesnt mean squat. You call people stupid names, and have no sense of humor or perspective. Hence you’re just boring and immature. And you claim we (?) aren’t doing anything.
Whatever dude!
I’d bet you that I’m being a ton more productive with my life than you are with yours, so don’t be so smug sweetheart!
The thing is, if people wanted to take the wheels off the whole thing en masse, they could.
Doesnt the borg know that?
Thats why they keep the virgin population high, so people dont know their potential, or the problem.
Not so sneaky.
At another burn, a comp-ticketed insider told me that the virgin participant goal was “more than 40%.” I suppose that is part of the magic sauce that the Borg brings to the table for $20 million a year. …Funny thing, though, it was the veterans I learned from at my first Burning Man. I never came in contact with the Borg back then, but that was when they were less then $1 million a year. NOW, with the $20 million and 30,000+ virgins you get bike theft and hooligans. Clearly something I missed out on.
“The message from Larry Harvey on the official Burning Man blog is that art comes from rich people sponsoring poor artists, instead of a communal effort by all of us where anyone can be an artist so everybody’s got to try.”
Of course Larry is right. These hooligans need to find a wealthy benefactor to capitalize their efforts. Maybe sell, …er, gift to donors a ride on a bedazzled bulldozer next year? Of course Kickstarter is always a fall-back, but misses the chance of getting that private jet flight to the BRC airport.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/93/2d/a5/932da5c0d71d9ce8a33b21b6a0d3f31c.jpg
Fuck this camp and fuck Burning Man. Praise to the vandals.
In the long run I doubt it’ll make any difference. To make the clientele the borg have been courting more comfortable there will probably be a need for rent-a-cops or some other armed force to protect monied guests. Plus it’ll give them another rationalization to jack up the price. Win win for the borg.
Can’t help but wonder how many more years the greedy bastards that run this farce will continue to bill it as a wild and woolly transformational event showcasing leading edge thinkers and doers. God what a bunch of bullshit. They make me feel like puking every time I see and hear one of their sanctimonious assholes.
“Can’t help but wonder how many more years the greedy bastards that run this farce will continue..” at all.
At a recent burn, one of their BoD mentioned that the Borg might be “unloading” a lot of the Burnt Man people to the Regionals. He complained that they would not tell him how many when.
Makes you wonder what is the Borg’s next move. Selling Flysalen shares is obvious, but how much of the elements (or remains) of Burnt Man will be exploited? Maybe formally acquire the Regionals?
With all the BoD Mountain Valley geniuses and their lawyers, the staus quo cannot be presumed. Not only will they look for every possible new Burnt Man revenue stream (maybe sell a breathing permit?, Rent-A-Ranger for security? Sell ads… er, donor promotions on the video streaming? Sell bike permits? Sell bike theft permits?), but they will be experimenting for overall event diversification.
Grab some popcorn. Should be interesting. …But be sure to lock your bike.
Oh, oh… forgot: Hooligan Permits!! Should be an up-and-coming market.
good
>…would never be possible in OUR Burning Man utopia.
There’s a common attitude out there called, ‘sophomoric megalomania’. A big indicator that someone is suffering from SM is the use of the term ‘our,’ especially when talking about the culture or community. So big caps ‘OUR’ tells me SM was a factor leading to their vandalism. SM is more offensive and insulting than normal duchebaggotry as it sets apart people into ‘us’ and ‘them’… The ‘us’ think of themselves as special and enlightened and go out of their way to show this and make other people (them) feel like dirt.
It’s never justified to vandalize people’s stuff, but when you get your stuff vandalized – there’s usually a good reason.
First of all, this story, as told in their captured post, is strange. People would capitalize a camp, and then everyone – EVERYONE – would all go someplace else at the same time? It would take some time and preparation to do all this damage. How does that happen spontaneously? Or were the hoodlums patiently waiting behind the bushes? Maybe they were people camped next door who simply had enough. (My take is the Borg “quote” in the story was their admission of cause for the event.) How is this not an “inside job” one way or another, possibly in motivation and planning by sherpas, and clearly people who knew the camp one way or another.
Second, respect for property is respect for property. It is either by group consensus or enforced law (i.e., people with guns). Is bike theft better or worse this year? It’s the same issue: either everyone’s property is respected, or only property of those who have Borg/LE leverage (to command the attention of people with guns).
I am happy not to be there and be exposed to the cadre of people the Borg has curated (invited) to attend. Here, I can drive to the local china buffet for all-you-can-eat sushi, leave my home unlocked, and all will be there when I return. (Sure, a friend might have dropped off some fresh veggies from their garden on my kitchen table, but I don’t consider that a problem.) If I could not do that (as I did today), I would not like where I live. It would not be Home.
If you are reading this from BRC: Welcome to Burnt Man! …Lock your bike. Limit your losses.
They glued their trailer doors shut…. hmmm. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with glue on the playa. There might be some jobs needing glue, but not many. Very odd.
Perhaps they got it at the Goreilla Glu Camp?
http://img.talkandroid.com/uploads/2010/10/kingkong-galaxytab-400×500.png
I know…. Kidsville!! Darn those little insurgents, instead of using their glue for little burner dioramas.
Yeah glue is a lot of time and effort. Why not something quicker and longer lasting, like depositing porta pottie contents in their chill space? These folks took their time. And they were nice! They coulda been a lot meaner.
They could’ve glued the doors while people were inside then set fire to the camp. That’d teach those bastards who thought they could bring hot chicks and great DJs to a party!
Qui Bono? I can only see one party, and it ain’t Burners.
They only need to look at which camp projects required glue. Find the empty tubes then dust for finger prints.
The Man? The Piazza?
Reddit says something similar happened to them last year too. Generator fuel dumped everywhere. So find someone with glue and motive, 2 years in a row
The glue is the key to all of this. Also, shouldn’t the trailer doors have been locked before people went off to party? How do you glue a locked door shut? Best thing to do would have been to put glue in the lock.
Yeah, because what would Burnt Man be without “hot chicks and great DJs?” The more the better, right? Besides, it’s not as if you can find that anywhere else. Hot chicks and great DJs are an utterly unique experience only found at Burnt Man. Also highly interactive: whomever is dancing entirely changes the experience.
“Find the empty tubes then dust for finger prints.” Yup. GOT TO FIND these people messing with someone’s RV!!
If your bike is stolen on the playa, maybe with your water, stranding you there for a long walk, is inconsequential. Serves you right for using a bike and going that far from your RV. Better just stay on foot near your RV, or hire a Rent-A-Ranger and a sherpa rickshaw for transportation.
RVs and dance camps are the very soul of Burnt Man. Bikes are only a nuisance anyway.
I’ve wanted to go to Burning Man for years. I had hoped to start when my son was a little older. Maybe take him one day.
But then I read article after article complaining that rich people are going to burning man. And now this. And worse, this very comment section shows nothing but hate. People don’t deserve hate just because they’re rich (note: I’m average income by US standards).
I don’t care if those people are rich. I don’t care if one of them looks like a Russian thug. They were contributing in their way.
This makes me sad. My vision of burning man is now Paris Hilton, Occupy criminals, and hateful commenters. I missed my chance I guess. Or maybe I just had some naive ideal of what Burning Man might be.
Boo 😦
“I missed my chance…”
Yup. Unless you got that time machine working, you missed the sinking of the Titanic, the Haight in the ’60’s, Woodstock, the Moon Landing, 9/11, and Burning Man, regardless of what you are told.
Here is a tip: any event where getting tickets is like going to the Super Bowl, is going to be commodified like Burnt Man.
Instead, take all that totally fungible “getting tickets” effort and put it into finding a place where you can participate. Answer the Figment question: “What are you bringing?” If the necessary and sufficient answer is “tickets,” keep looking…
Even 15 years ago, burning man wasn’t all sunshine and hugs. It’s people, people who are: tired, wonderful, generous, jerks, creeps, kind, selfish, open-minded, narrow-minded, cranky, open-hearted, etc. Add in the fact they are all in the middle of nowhere, it exaggerates all of those qualities. It’s everyone and everything. But it ain’t all great, that’s for sure.
True, but you did not have to lock your bike 15 years ago. That bike thieves are now so pervasive shows who the Borg have invited. …So, if you are a bike thief, Welcome Home! …And bring a bike lock. 😉
My point is burning man isn’t utopia, and never was. Now it’s even less utopian. It ain’t a magical perfect world. If people go there expecting that then they will be sorely disappointed. (Then or now.)
This is a flat out lie. In 2002, I chased a guy down who stole my friend’s bike; he was a first timer and claimed he thought he could just take any bike. I made him take it back and apologize. I had another friend’s bike just disappear that year or 2001, I can’t remember. The good ole days were not so perfect.
What part of “True, but you did not have to lock your bike 15 years ago. That bike thieves are now so pervasive shows who the Borg have invited.” is a lie?
Did I say it was perfect? DId I say there were no bike thefts? No, that is only in your assimilated perception. I even gave an example of what happened to me. I sad YOU DID NOT HAVE TO LOCK YOUR BIKE back then. And there was a 99.9% chance your unlocked bike would be there when you came back.
Now, at Burnt Man, if you don’t lock your bike you have a good chance of getting your bike stolen. This is mostly because the other bikes are locked. This is from reports of friends who have only left their bike unlocked for a few minutes. I suppose you could say that the “problem” now is all those locked bikes.
If I don’t lock the door to my house, there is a 99.999% chance that nothing will be stolen. Neve have I heard a neighbor say, “But be sure to lock your door.” I don’t have to lock my door to make the thieves look elsewhere. I am Home.
Hibiscus, how did you get your last NV burn ticket?
If you are going this year, don’t lock your bike and let us know how that works out for you,compared to 2002.
For what it’s worth, I’ve never locked my bike and it’s never been touched. In all the years I’ve gone, only one campmate had a bike stolen. It’s a crapshoot, sure, but I wonder if the ratio of participants to bikes stolen is any greater now than it was 15 years ago.
As I recall you missed the last two NV burns. To consider your “sample,” how many times have you been in the past 5 years(2012-2016)?
Welcome to Burning Man
Also, when they say they “feed hundreds of non white ocean burners a day”, I assume they are referring to their poorly paid help.
& no, I don’t feel seriously bummed out over their spoiled sushi and soggy fur rugs. There’s actual fucked up shit in this world to feel genuinely bad about. Climate change. Refugee crisis. Poaching. Animal abuse. And so on…
The “magic”, that WAS BM/BRC; is DONE. Supplanted, by Millenials, sparkle ponies, bucketlisters, and commodification! Even, Larry; has souled out, to Fly Ranch investors! BM RIP! “What a long, tortured trip; its been”!
I dont think there is anything inherently wrong or avoidable with millenials attending (an entire generation), nor bucketlisters (why not), or…
But the commodification is the thing.
It’ll just keep devolving.
The @ sculpture says it all.
Hijacking the 747 is an awesome prank. Destroying property is not. As much as I dislike what White Ocean represents, what happened to them isn’t cool at all. That said, your little aside about not wanting to fuck with these people and linking to a profile of a straight up thug who’s the father of one of the financial backers of White Ocean doesn’t do much for their case. If that’s who’s funding WO, then shit, I’m all for sabotaging their camp. Fuck those people.
Seriously, “we provide one of the most state of the art stages on the playa” is their cry of interactivity. They aren’t providing shit. They’re spending a tiny fraction of their net worth to pay other people to build a stage and trot out a stupid loud sound system and build art cars so they can swan around the playa. This is one of the few things I agree with Nomad about. Money ain’t engagement. Money ain’t contribution. And money sure as shit ain’t art. To pay for the massive infrastructure needed for the White Ocean camp, they need to get in bed with Russian oligarchs. Are you fucking kidding me? And we should not care because…look at how big and loud and shiny!!!! It’s bad enough the BMORG is so cosy with nihilistic Silicon Valley gazillionaires. Burn the big art. Drive away the “more is more” crowd. The entire fucking point of this event is jettison what you do the other 51 weeks of the year (and that includes paying people to do shit for you).
Not only that, the dude’s company is named Black Ocean. So the name of the camp is a wink towards his investment company. The more I learn about this camp, the more I hate it.
^^^ What he said. ^^^
http://www.thehumorcolumnist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/darth-vader-thumbs-up.jpg
Wow, look at the unity and harmony of the After Burners coming together here. Never thought I’d see the day! No LSD or TED talks or songs about transhumanism needed.
Pranks should be funny. Who knows if this was the CIA or Clinton Foundation seeking revenge for Russian hacking, the Org trying to teach a lesson through shaming, DPW, another camp, or something from within. It is still shitty. Come up with something amusing and ironic. “Ha ha I cut their power lines”. “ha ha I smashed their window”, “ha ha I stole their bike and I’m gonna dump it at the end”. These people don’t deserve to be at Burning Man. You can’t blame the victim, even if you don’t like their music because it’s too loud and you are too old.
I agree that the “Black Ocean” thing is a little weak. But, if they purchase a timeshare slot at Flysalen, they should be allowed to put banners down the side of their 747, and so on. Just as long as there are no Trump stickers!
I’m guessing that WO are sufficiently insular that they are difficult to interact with, and they wouldn’t understand cacophony language.
As a result, the hooligans/pranksters/protesters did the only engagement WO would understand.
Why put the effort into nuance?
That doesn’t make their actions legal. It just seems like that might be the reasoning behind the choice of action.
I dunno. But I still don’t feel bad for them.
…The Fart is strong with this one….
https://youtu.be/h7l8rWfLAus?t=29s