Tag Archives: burners

May 7 2016

Silicon Valley’s Secret Weapon: The Shadow History of Burners Part 2

Part 1 is here and the presentation is here.

In part 2, we lay out some of the Where and When of this story. It’s free, amateur content, based on Open Source Intelligence. Please forgive some minor slips of the tongue; references for the claims are in the notes to each slide.

You can download the presentation as a PowerPoint with detailed notes and citations or as a PDF of the slides and a PDF of the notes.

Please download and share this video widely, they are trying to suppress it.

 

One error – although Jim Channon was involved in promoting the concept of Be All You Can Be, credit for coming up with the phrase should go to his Task Force Delta colleague Frank Burns.

Aug 19 2014

Weather Proof Your Burn

The desert is usually hot, dry, sunny, and very dusty. It can get cold at night. Dust storms can remove all visibility, and can affect travel plans and navigation. Strong winds can come at any time. Rain can turn the Playa into mud that cars get stuck in. We hear that trailers have been blowing over, the airport is underwater. If you can’t get a plane and you’re thinking you could take the bus instead, you’re SOL. The Burner Express is no longer selling tickets. If you were planning to fly in and have to change your plans, try rideshare.burningman.com.

Some tips to weather the storm from my friends at Ohm Kamp. They’re going to be in Yurts but these are useful for tent campers too:

Atari says:

photo by Peter Ruprecht

photo by Peter Ruprecht

So i just came back from making love to the playa and watched 3 yurt foam boards fly 20 ft overhead and get lost in a dust storm. To everyone / anyone who is in a yurt, please make sure u have the following three things :
1. Rope for the roof halo
2. Tie downs (either rope or ratchet straps)
3. Rebar (there are pre-bent ones at Home Depot)
These three things are Essential to keeping ur yurt from blowing away when it’s up and please remember when ur setting up to make sure the foam boards are tied down as wind picks up within seconds and can send it sailing across the playa. Saw one fly 20 ft in the air and disappear into a dust storm today

Sick Dog says:

burning man stormHere are a few things to keep in mind for yourself if there is heavy or continuous rain:
Stay in camp! You should already have everything you need there
Don’t drive your cars, art cars, or bikes. The playa mud sticks and sticks and sticks!
Tune in to BMIR 94.5FM for information as they will provide info on weather
Bring a bucket and garbage bags! This will act as a toilet for you and others if it is impossible to get to the toilets (do a search for Lugable Loo for ideas on how to make one or where to buy one)
Cover/secure/turn off any electrical for your camp that may be affected by the rain water
Check your infrastructure to make sure it is secure if winds or other conditions pick up
And relax! Socialize and continue to enjoy your time on the playa (and think about the cool pictures and stories you will get to share!)
There are other personal tips as well like:
Bring a raincoat
Keep a set of dry clothes in a bag (good for rain or the day you leave BM)
Park your vehicle or trailer on a piece of wood (so in case of heavy rain the tires don’t sink) hopefully any rain during the years event will be small and fun!

Also check out our tips for bringing a camera from Curious Josh.

photo by Atari

photo by Atari – that is one Giant of a Man

Aug 15 2014

Share Your Burn With The World

cartoon camper caravanGoing to Burning Man? If so, we could use your help.

I’m taking a break this year from the Nevada burn. I’ve been going since 1998, and this would have been my 12th Burn. I’ve done the last 5 in a row, and I still have a few more left in me. We plan to do the deserts of both Africa and Nevada in 2015.

While Burning Man is happening, this site will keep going, and many Burners will be able to read Burners.Me on the Playa. We want to keep bringing you news as it trickles out. How’s the weather? How’s the shirt-cocking? How are the cops? Who has the coolest art? Which art car has the best music? How long did it take to get in or out?

This is where Burners come in. We would love for you to share your photos, impressions, stories of your experiences. Every Burner is unique, you don’t have to be an asshole or a celebrity to radically express yourself. A large part of participation is finding cool stuff, and telling other Burners about it.

Yes, yes, I know: smart phones are the new RV’s, as in “if you use a smart phone you’re ruining Burning Man”. Kind of like how those pesky automobiles ruined all the best horse trails, when they first came out. Don’t buy into everything the Burnier-Than-Thous tell you. There are tens of thousands of smart phones being used in Black Rock City every day. For pictures, for finding friends, for text messages, for apps. Regular cell service may be possible, and there is a full-time Internet backbone. Last year there were more than 150 wi-fi networks scattered around the city. There is usually free Wi-Fi in and around the Center Camp area.

So if you’re there, and you care to Gift something, please share with the rest of us. Follow us on Instagram burnersdotme . Tweet us @burnersdotme #burners. Email zos@zos.org. Let us know what Burning Man 2014: Caravansary looks like through your eyes. Everybody’s perspective is unique. It is this diversity that makes Black Rock City so colorful and interesting.