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1997 Experiences: Share with us.

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On the photo issue: I always ask, very few people are put off by my asking. The added benefit is that in asking a conversation often follows. I have sent many photos to people who've asked for them. -- Pedro, February 2, 1998 at 9:19a

I understand that Geiger counters will be necessary survival equipment at this years Burningman due to the location near a dump site. Look on a topo of the area. Danger will robinson! -- Michelle, February 1, 1998 at 8:03p

mr. klean...if you have any questions about eastern oregon (east/north of lakeview) regarding possible locations eg. lake, malheur, harney counties- another 150-200 mi north of present site, contact at this address. bye -- n/a, January 30, 1998 at 7:34p

exactly.------. is this thing (wed b4 labor-day till sunday b4 labor-day? )? where, ive heard some conflicting locals. how much and where/when do i send it? thanx. -- miller, January 29, 1998 at 8:54a

Captain Longface, the Nightline episode shows about 10 seconds of you, if that was you running up the steps to the Man completely engulfed in fire. -- Sheyna, January 28, 1998 at 10:21a

Geeez, talk of the NEW site--hope it's all super flat and dry and cracked and expansive 'cause I'm working on my ultra-dangerous, super-sonic, extra-coooshy chaise longue on wheels with flames, 'n glitter, and abstract concepts dribbling and spinning off the hand rests at a heretofore unanticipated speed. -- syd, January 28, 1998 at 1:23a

As a member of the mystic crew of satyrs being involved in burningman was great.The last night on the playa we paraded to the man on a fire spouting whale.During that parade members of the crew were blowing fire including me. Upon intering center circle i was overwhelmed by the excitement and i got careless and set myself on fire.If anyone out there has any footage of this or photos i would love to see them.I do not have e-mail yet,but my adress is 800 1/2 prospect blvd. Pasadena ca. 91103.P.s.I'm still blowing fire...the man will burn without you!!!Captain Longface -- captain longface, January 27, 1998 at 2:24p

As a member of the mystic crew of satyrs being involved in burningman was great.The last night on the playa we paraded to the man on a fire spouting whale.During that parade members of the crew were blowing fire including me. Upon intering center circle i was overwhelmed by the excitement and i got careless and set myself on fire.If anyone out there has any footage of this or photos i would love to see them.I do not have e-mail yet,but my adress is 800 1/2 prospect blvd. Pasadena ca. 91103.P.s.I'm still blowing fire...the man will burn without you!!!Captain Longface -- captain longface, January 27, 1998 at 2:23p

Pepe Ozan is currently pursuing studies of the Brhamavaivarta Purana in India. He has relayed to me a message about establishing contact with the Brethren of Purity, a group of followers of Ali Birundi, the Muslim astrologist. His current status is unknown, but I am sure that he will complete his search and return to Burning Man. -- Danger Ranger, January 24, 1998 at 8:16p

I've heard that some bad shit has happened to pepe ozan...is it true? -- chuck, January 24, 1998 at 4:40p

We all have dreams, and eventually have to wake up , which is the sad part because when we wake up its back to the wake up land we live in, and our dreams over. But the wonderful thing about being apart of the week long dream of B.M is sometimes we have to go to sleep,but when you wake up its all still there -- colleen moran mcguire, January 24, 1998 at 9:17a

I've heard tale of an official Drive By Shooting Range... Could it be true? Have I, a turd huckin, stick farmin gun nut from on yonder found my natural calling? If there's a corn dog stand and no particular scorn directed at a man who keeps company primarily with farm animals, I'll pay that two-digit entry fee - saddle up the Rambler and blaze off into the desert for the full tour. Burn That Man.       -- Francis "Buh Buh" Corn, January 24, 1998 at 1:35a

I, too, have been dreaming of Burning Man 98... at least once a week, I wake up thinking I'm on the playa. I'm already planning my structure, musing about themes, coaxing friends who absolutely need to be there....I know its a long way off timewise, but it exists in my head all the time, and I can't wait to go back. Glad to know I'm not the only one thinking about it already. -- Sheyna, January 23, 1998 at 1:27p

Burningman 1997 was my first BURN. ( also, my first year LIVING in SF.) My only regret is that I has not there in the beginning...basking in the creative energy that gave birth to the phenomenon when I went, I was not sure of what to expect...other than being very hot and getting a sunburn on my ass. I am thinking...what's the big fucking deal? they just set this guy on fire, right. I was soon hypnotized by the chaos and the anticipation of the BURN was intoxicating. that night, as we approached the central area, where everyone was gathering, I felt I should have be wearing a tuxedo. it was a thousand newyears eves.. * * * * when the TOWERING FIGURE was LIT... there where many tiny explosions as the neon tubing and packed fireworks melted. a flare that was supposed to launch into the sky, shot directly into the crowd. the roar of the participants sounded like crashing ocean waves... then, when the superstructure was engulfed and consumed fire the roar became a singular scream. the force of our voices and the weight of the flames was more than the man could withstand...and the figure collapsed. I was the most compelling thing I have ever seen, and I don't have the slightest idea of what it meant . http://home.pacbell.net/baldguy/zero.html -- ToBY, January 22, 1998 at 10:40p

<blink>smile</blink><h3>jesus loves you</h3> -- digital alarmclock, January 22, 1998 at 10:36p

My name is Mr. Klean and I'm in charge of finding a site for Burning Man 1998. At this stage I am reviewing several sites in Nevada. I have not ruled out the Fly Ranch and other potential sites in Washoe County. I am also looking in Mineral, Esmeralda, and Lander Counties. There are many factors involved including county politics, local infrastructure, and proximity to services. As soon as we find the site it will be posted on the Web Site. Sincerely,      Mr. Klean -- Will Roger, January 22, 1998 at 3:40p

Any updates on where we plan on having BM next year? -- Andy, January 22, 1998 at 5:50a

I had my first BM '98 dream last night and it was a wondrous thing. Much like the pre-Christmas dreams I had as a child, an earlier child, all filled with anticipation. The sort of dream I'd sometimes awaken from fearing that I had somehow missed the big day. I heard distant voices on megaphones, and laughter, and squeaky bicycle chains. Through the warm darkness I saw the lights of what looked like an ancient carnival partially obscured by smoke, and the silouettes of figures dancing to the rhythm of my own heartbeat. Through my bones and flesh there was an energy resonating up through my center, and it was the energy of 10,000 stories being made, and then told, and then made again. I'm so happy to have a Christmas again, and happier still that I haven't missed it. -- syd, January 15, 1998 at 0:49a

I like the idea of a symbol for not taking pictures. However, the thought of it immediately got my creative juices flowing imagining wonderful ways to display the symbol - and ironically making it an attractive photo opportunity...guess it might not be such a great idea after all... -- This Woman, January 14, 1998 at 3:41p

Is the photos/no-photos thing an emotionally charged issue or what!? It's great to debate it, but please, let's try to keep open sarcasm directed at others off this bulletin board (and I admit, I get tempted too). I've seen too many BBS's laid to utter wasteland by flame wars. (Now, wouldn't THAT be the ultimate irony for the BMan site?) -- sparky, January 14, 1998 at 11:55a

where can I buy desert camoflauge? -- howard, January 13, 1998 at 9:09p

Sam: The no-picture club wouldn't do much good if it were secret, now would it? -- David, January 13, 1998 at 7:19a

Hi! 2 people asked me how big my mural would be, and I am currently looking at it being 40 feet tall, if that helps with creating a frame. I don't have any design on paper, but will have one soon.--Sam -- Sam I Am, January 12, 1998 at 11:22p

Ohhh... It could be secret "dont take my picture" club. Maybe they could have a "secret handshake" too! [grin] -- Sam I Am, January 12, 1998 at 11:20p

On this continuing camera thing, maybe everyone could agree on some symbol that means "don't take my picture." Then those who'd rather not be photographed could wear or otherwise display the symbol in some discreet way, and the photographers would know to leave them alone without making it a big issue. -- David, January 12, 1998 at 7:27a

Burning Man 97 was my very first Burning Man! I still think that it is the most interesting event, that I have ever been to in my life! I spent 4 days being in AWE! This event is like none other on the Planet and must be experienced to believe! See ya in 98! -- Sonjia Miles, January 12, 1998 at 0:33a

Hi all.. HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Sam I Am is planning to create a GIANT LIGHT MURAL. I've got many of the details down, except a frame to put it in. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who may have have an idea where I can make/rent a frame (Anything that is used to hold a backdrop would adaquate). Thanks! Sam -- Sam I Am, January 11, 1998 at 8:11p

Loved My Time at BM97 I bought the video and have seen numerous reports on TV and the WEB (Was Even Quoted in an online article) But nowhere did I see my picture (I WAS hard to miss.. with a neon suit and breathing fire and ALOT of photos were taken) If anyone out there has a picture of me PLEASE inform me! I'd really like proof that I was there... Oh Yea in 98 I am planning on a metal sculpture! if there is ANYONE in the LA,CA area that would like to help PLEASE EMAIL ME! also planning a theme camp arround said metal beast.. -- HAL, January 10, 1998 at 2:39a

Its funny to see after so many months so much again about cameras....i attended with a photographer...he was there to revive his creativity ...one thing i did learn.... and i have read this sentiment here... when in doubt... aske permission of the participants... very simple....and really.. it doesn't interfere with the shot...some people DID revel in the freedom of being anonymous and we all should respect that....no don't ban the cameras... just use them respectfully when shooting others. -- Jen, January 9, 1998 at 10:21a

I, Thor, and my fairy of doom attended BM 97, all the way from witchcity,USA,Salem, MA. It was more than worth the trip. Anyone complaining that the festival wasn't up to par with years past are whiny west coasters;we have nothing even remotely like BM out here on the east coast. Check out my article in an upcoming magazine called aftertaste, whose first issue is due out in about a month. Thank you for all being a part of something very special... -- David Iverson, January 8, 1998 at 8:03p

97 was my first BM......I was the teeny girl with balck hair wearing a burgundy velvet skirt and 20 hole Docs. I also had the eye of Ra airbrushed on my torso.....Many photos were taken, and I'd love to see one. Thanks to all who made it one of the most memorable experiences of my life, right up there with marriage, graduation, etc, only way more fun! Anyone who could show me a picture of myself having such a wonderful time would be responsible for making those memories come flooding back with an alarming clarity and I would be grateful! P.S. Contribute! I did! -- Latex Goth Girl, January 8, 1998 at 4:08p

There are plenty of people with cameras who are participants. There are also lots of men walking around naked with a bit of body paint who are merely spectators. Personally, I'll take the camera people any day. -- Ultravixen, January 8, 1998 at 0:18p

Looks like fun! I'll do my part to help make 98 possible. From: Silly New Mexican living in Alaska! -- Ryno Gator, January 8, 1998 at 4:21a

Wasn't there in 97. Want to be in 98. Wouldn't that just be great. Want to build a cyberspacestation. -- Calico, January 5, 1998 at 6:20p

There is an excellent article by Mark Van Proyen in Dec/Jan journal the New Art Examiner. Well-done and a good read. -- Lauren, January 5, 1998 at 0:10p

I'll join in the camera discussion. I brought a video camera to this, my first, BM but I'm always torn when I take pictures. On one hand, video that I've taken on overseas trips is so effective for reliving the sights and most importantly the people. Still photos work on the Pyramids, but for people, in a market or at a dance for example, you need video to really get what happened. I liked taking video at BM because I could bring back the sights and sounds to my friends who were too intimidated by the media representations to go. So because of the video there's a bunch of us buying Xmas lights and other fixings for what will become our BM 98 installation. But on the other hand I'm also aware that some people can not be spontaneous when their spontaneity is being captured and preserved on film or tape. So of course the thing to do is to ask for permission and otherwise tread lightly. Presumably a lot of folks were liberated enough by the event to be freer than they are during the other parts of their lives. I don't want to interfere with that spirit, so I stay away from closeups and taking pictures of unclothed people. Seems like most folks are justifiably proud of the stuff they put together for BM, and therefore happy to have someone think their stuff is cool enough to be videoed. At BM 98, if I forget to ask and you do not want to be taped, let me know. I'm always happy to rewind and rerecord over tape which includes people who don't want to be recorded. Finally, the theme is "no spectators" but everyone there is a spectator of everyone else's show. What "no spectators" means to me is that there shouldn't be any "free-riders" - to earn the right to be a spectator you have to put on on your own spectacle. So if you bring a camera, when you put it down, you better be doing something worth others taking a picture of you. -- Paul, January 2, 1998 at 5:38p

With the end of this, is the beginning of that... Would some one take a picture please? I am to busy with life, but would like to remember your perspective. Happy New Year and to all a good night. NeeRah -- Anon., January 1, 1998 at 4:42a

happy new year to all in the burningman community...98 is gonna ROCK!!!! -- spaceghost, January 1, 1998 at 1:02a

Happy New Year to all. Although for some strange reason, it seems now that my New Year revolves around Labor Day. -- Dark Angel, December 31, 1997 at 11:19p

last night i got a-board a real fantasy vehicle.I dreamed of danger rangers barth ,3 decks, and room for everybody lucky enough to spot it.(too bad this gigantic barth is imposible to drive out of the dream world.roads are not made big enough) music was playing pretty loud for everybody it passes to hear and want to jump on -no fee.i never did get down to first deck to see if the mad man driving was danger ranger.i felt so awfuly dressed in clothes i don't even own , while everybody else was so beautiful in their sequins and feathers. everywhere alcohol was being passed and spilled.so many faces i remember, and so many new ones.it was if we had all been blessed with bliss.this barth was going nowhere but everywhere (like the "bus to nowhere" that finally decided it had to go somewhere and stopped at the hot springs ,latenight/earlymorning) a kind lady told me that this barth was to drive all across the u.s.a. just for people to hop on and off as they wish and if any still on, to eventually drive to burningman when the time had finally come. i hope this entry is as delightful to you the reader as was my dream that sent me here so fast to tell all before i could forget .happy new year tomorrow,i hope it brings desired changes for all .see you at burningman 98 -- colleen moran mcguire, December 31, 1997 at 8:57a

"A tribute to the music and energy of the Grateful Dead" "IN THE SPIRIT OF A NEW YEARS DEAD!" NEW YEARS EVE w/ THE DEADBEATS. at The Grass Valley (CA) Vets Building.=== followed graciously by the Dead Parade. Climaxing in the emergence of the BABY NEW YEAR "from" the 15 foot (or so) BURNING MAN. COME GET YER' GROOVE ON!!! Bring your drum. -- Shona, December 30, 1997 at 5:22p

Anyone out there seen the "Burning Man 1997" Benefit Video? As a completely non-objective, 100% biased particiapnt who helped work on the darned thing, I was wondering what "y'all" think of it. Comments, criticism, praise, and nude photos accepted. Peace, Eric. -- Eric, December 28, 1997 at 2:16p

Happy Saturnalia! -- Yessum, December 25, 1997 at 11:11a

blah blah blah, blah blah blah. -- Andy, December 24, 1997 at 8:16a

Well, since it looks like it was my post on 12/16/97 that touched off this latest round of "Cameras: Good or Bad?" I thought I'd jump in with a few more words. ~~ Brad, you said "People with cameras are the ultimate spectators." Yes, this is true, but only so for the few moments you raise the camera, frame the shot, and snap the shutter. At that point you can go ahead and crawl back in the mud, rejoin the dancing mob, or get back to whatever participatory thing you were doing before you took the picture. You see, Participating and Spectating do not have to be mutually exclusive things and it's unfair to imply that "people with cameras" do not participate in the event. My camera was usually locked up in the car; for about an hour each day I took it out to go on photo excursions. Does the fact that I did this somehow invalidate the other 23 hours in the day that I tended to our theme camp, cooked and ate wonderful meals with my friends, visited countless other camps, jumped around to Idiot Flesh, served birthday cake to grateful passer-bys, etc? ~~ I love having my photos to share with my unfortunate friends who have not been able to attend (yet). I'm not a good enough storyteller to be able to capture everything about the BM experience in mere words -- in fact, I seriously doubt anyone could do that. ~~ Yes, some people make themselves very annoying with their cameras. I've had to shoo away a couple shutterbugs who did not have the common courtesy to ask before walking into our camp and pointing their cameras at us. But aside from sometimes being in my way these folks did not detract from my experience so I don't lay awake nights worrying about them. ~~ Tom is correct. Cameras are a very insignificant problem and are not worthy of all this attention. -- David Peterman, December 23, 1997 at 10:31p

i still cry every time the screams of saturdays sunset wash my dreams. . .dreams of being back with you -- grasshopper, December 22, 1997 at 6:00a

children go where i send thee, how shall i send thee? i'm gonna send thee one by one...one for the man thats gonna BURN! -- god, December 21, 1997 at 10:47p

Perhaps the debate over cameras vs. no cameras is a shallow distraction from the more important issue of spectators vs. participants, whether or not they have a camera. Being photo-worthy is one of the best indicators participants have of success on the artist’s stage of Burningman. If no one is photographing you, you haven’t tried hard enough. I want to give my fellow BMer’s something to take home and show their friends, and the memory triggers in their albums that will be so valuable to them later in life. Burningman, more than anything else we do, needs to be photographed to even begin to show friends what we lived through, or even to convince ourselves that it wasn’t just a stoned dream. Rather than see cameras as an offense against the spirit of BM, I think the real drag on the event is the presence of non-believers, to borrow a phrase from the religious world. Just like Moslems have always recognized that having infidels infiltrating the haj to Mecca would have a negative effect on the spirit of the gathering, we intuitively sense that BM is stifled by the presence of people who are inwardly sneering at our culture, or making moralistic judgments about our lifestyles. That’s what a lot of us go to BM to escape from for just a few days a year; we shouldn’t have to find that the naysayers have followed us all the way out onto the desert where they can keep on tut-tut-tutting us. Banning cameras, although a monstrous enforcement headache, might at least in theory be possible. But controlling the presence of a certain mindset is a hopeless and Orwellian challenge. In my normal life, as for most BMers’, it would be impossible to tell from my appearance that I like to cut loose in the desert with thousands of other like-minded people once a year. There is nothing about me to suggest that my spirit has wings. There is no way the organizers can make a cut at the gate and say, you get in, you go home. The best they can do is eliminate day passes, so that everyone who comes makes the commitment to be there for a few days instead of heading back to their motel room in Reno after a day of gawking. The next thing that would benefit the event is banning the use of motor vehicles in Black Rock City. Come in, park it, and leave it parked until you leave. This especially applies to all the motorcycles and ATV’s that get brought in - they SHOULD be turned away at the gate; it doesn’t matter how many wheels it has; if it has a motor it’s too heavy and too fast! This includes official vehicles. They don’t need to be cruising around, creating danger and raising dust just to ogle us and flex their authoritarian muscles. The Danger Rangers and other volunteers with official duties, true “art cars”, and vehicles actively involved in art installation construction should be the only exceptions. Forget cameras. They’re the least of our problems. -- Tom Ness, December 20, 1997 at 0:44p

Let me add that as I have chronicled my personal travels on film, I have always tried very hard to adhere to some basic principals of privacy and respect whenever I include persons, or their personal trappings, in my photography. Specifically, it is obvious to me, as it should be to anyone using a camera, that cerain things are off-limits, and if there is any doubt about it, simply by asking permission to photograph something the cameraperson will be provided with the proper decision they should make. If asking is not possible, or an answer is not forthcoming, then I usually make the decision to skip the shot, and regrettably, confer the image to memory. The question remains, what is obviously off-limits? Certainly, recording images that can be acquired only by deception, abush, hiding, chasing, or any other surreptitious means is not only unjust, it dishonors the people and things that are the subjects of the camera. (We all know too well how paparrazzi can be nuisances in the least, and inflictors of abject misery in the worst.) There is, however, a distinction I make concerning those elements of my immediate environment that I consider freely my own: the people and things that in the context of the moment are rightfully mine to record for my own posterity. A public parade is a clear example of something I get to keep; a volleyball game at the nudist colony, captured with a telephoto lens, is not. While some of you will be unable to find any excuse for my photojounalism, and even call me a voyeur, I am sanguine in my belief that I comply with all tenets of fairness and decency I know of or can infer (and at this point sincerely apologize for any negligent acts I've unknowingly committed out of ignorance). From this I offer the suggestion that not all people, and perhaps not even myself, can distinguish between when it is and is not appropriate to use a camera, or any recording device for that matter. But what I personally believe to be consistent with the spirit of Burningman, is that any person should be allowed to take away from the playa whatever they wish, as long as they are honestly certain that the memento has been obtained without intruding upon or ripping-off someone in any way. Some of us will need to be reminded of, or introduced to, for that matter, the boundaries of what is commonly acceptable. At the same time, all of us should accept that there are others who will capture an experience in their own manner, allowing them to enjoy it just as much as anyone, and they are not of malicious intent. If it is possible to compromise on this issue, perhaps the start will be establishing some simple guidelines we can all promise to operate from regarding permanent recordings of future Burningmans. As far as the commercial media go, aren't there already some protocols the press can be compelled to follow? Any other suggestions? -- sparky, December 20, 1997 at 10:31a

I wish to share some thoughts on issues brought up in recent messages. I am a newcomer to all this, BM '97 was my first, but I would like to submit these thoughts based on my experiences. The media exposure is a mixed blessing, so many people will be attracted to the next BM because of it that the demographics of the next gathering will change. I think the Nightline and TOPX shows were 'pretty good'( for commercial media), and those who would benefit from being at BM would get an idea of it's nature even through the commercial framework of the presentation. Many others will come out of curiosity, however, and action is needed to keep the ratio of participants to spectators at an acceptable level. I am attending to this by gathering my friends who would enjoy BM and doing my best to bring in as many appreciative participants as possible. It occurs to me that's the most positive thing we can do, besides helping to create things to enjoy once we get there! The camera is a tool some of us use to suppliment our memories, and it's use can be artful and considerate or banal and intrusive. My use of a camera was in the former catagory, I am an artist and I used my equipment like one. About a third of the time I used my still camera, taking slides, another third with my video camera, the rest with just my peepers. Only the still photos of Saturday's sunset with the Man nearby were truly memorable (as the crowd was cheering-see my first long post) The spirit of things was better conveyed by the video I shot. My feeling on video cameras is that thier intrusiveness is directly related to thier size and the extent demands are made on the surroundings to accomidate them such as lights, giant mikes, etc. I HATE the big betacams with crews attending to them, they are of the old school of massive machinery nearly impossible to capture events with without annoyingly affecting them. I use a SMALL camcorder, and I urge all who wish to tape at such events to keep the machinery small! I think the smaller machines are less intimidating to others as well as less of a dedicated effort to carry and use. Ideally one of the tiny digital camcorders would be used, which can be put away in a side pouch when not being used. I didn't make myself obnoxous seeking out nudity, but I did situate myself so such people would walk across the field so there was some choice involved. The fireball morter, the colorful big tent, the happy zaniness all lent itself to wonderful video imagry. The other night I showed my edit at the L.A. BM benefit, where Chuck Cirino's tape was also shown ( which I urge people to get!). The TOPX program started to be shown, but it was so lifeless compared to our tapes it was ended early. Chuck said he would have considered adding some of my footage to his compilation if he had known of it's existance. The beauty of it all can never be captured on tape, but selected sights are of lasting value. I didn't want to experience the whole event through a viewfinder, and I didn't, but I considered it my duty to preserve what I considered visually compelling elements of this transient event. For the next BM I am trying to rig up a pedal car with solar panels on it's roof, powering a camera platform. Please remember that many of us with cameras have agendas counter to the 'media scum' and thier sponsors, and are wildly sympethetic to the event we are surrounded by. Ban the professional big media if you must, but remember the tape you buy to help the cause was shot by individules acting in the spirit of the occassion, and that participation can also include seeking out and preserving the beauty and zaniness of it all in a manner you will never see on commercial TV. It would be better to ban alcohol instead of cameras! Don Davis -- Don Davis, December 20, 1997 at 1:00a

i have monitored these pages since the event and am amazed everytime someone makes a post about banning this or banning that(mostly cameras). i am not sure how they would effect this ban. i for one am ever so grateful for the wonderful shutterbugs who are just as much MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY as anyone else. their pictures buoy my spirits during the "off season." dark angel has one of the nicest sites i have seen. maybe brad should look at it -- spaceghost, December 19, 1997 at 6:09p

Ah yes, those pesky photographers. What are we ever to do with them, or without them. The truth of the matter is, photographs change the world. They inspire, and they share. They open the eyes to the rest of the world who may have missed it. I remember picking up the cover of an issue of Wired Magazine a little over a year ago. In the foreground danced a woman. She was beautiful, serene, vibrant, and free. In the far distance burned the man. The cover read, "Welcome to The Burningman" and I felt welcomed. Eagerly I flipped through the pages to get to the article. I needed to find out what the woman on the cover seemed to know. I was looking for answers. I was floored at what I came across. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I couldn't believe that it took place for the past several years... without me. And this past year I went. And oh yes, I took my camera, and you bet your ass, I took pictures. And I got involved, and had pictures taken of me. Let them. Because as far as I'm concerned, that picture is an invitation to someone, in another corner of the world, to come to the Burningman, and celebrate by the fire with me. Maybe they'll even come as far as New Jersey. -- Dark Angel, December 18, 1997 at 8:50p

Ok, I know how distasteful spectators are to some folks. But do they really detract so much from the experience, or is it just the "in" hue and cry of the die-hard B-man'ers to chastise people who can't accept that some can enjoy an event just as much, but in their own way. Sure, the news crews are kind of beat, we chased many away, but have you looked at some of the photo web sites devoted to Bman? Some are awesome (check out the Dark Angel site). I spent a week out on the playa, and PARTICIPATED MY ASS OFF, taking pictures all along the way. Sorry, I'm not one of those people who can be satisfied with images only in the mind's eye, and I've looked through my Bman pics dozens of times, with the other participants from my camp (CMR), and its been a supreme pleasure over and over. BTW, I helped with the Man, I helped build the main stage, we volunteered almost everyday, and I have great photos from all of that. And when it was done, I cleaned up after myself, and also lot of crap from other less tuned in folks. Is that enough participation for you. Sorry, if this sounds like I'm flaming you, that's not what I mean to do. But the one thing I came away with from the week, was how easily we judge people, and stereotype, and exclude folks. It ain't right, and Burning Man is a great lesson in living together, even when we don't see eye to eye on things. So if we ban cameras just ask yourself, "what the hell is next?" -- sparky, December 18, 1997 at 4:09p

People with cameras are the ultimate spectators. Ever notice that a lot of camps had more people photographing than participating? Cameras suppress participation. Imagine what it would be like if we didn't reduce every BM to photo albums and video retrospectives. What would it be like if we banned cameras @ BM98? Just wondering. -- Brad, December 18, 1997 at 3:07p

Just wanted to jump in with a shameless self promotion and invite everyone to visit my Burning Man site. It contains pix from the last two years and you can leave your mark in the Guestbook! <a href="http://www.peterman.org/burn/">www.peterman.org/burn</a>. -- David Peterman, December 16, 1997 at 3:22p

burning Man 1997 had to have been the single most exciting event I have attende in my life! We arrived on Tuesday night set up our tents and went to sleep. First thing when the sun began to go down and the Playa cooled off we began to set the stage for our Theme camp. "Extasy through Meatness" The 3rd year that The Aesthetic Meat Foundation has participated and my first. As a new Meat Family member and a first time visitor the city of Black Rock I must pronounce that I have never had a more memorable experience. We most definetly intend to attend BM 1998. Currentlt I am organizing a few things and we intend to design a much larger and more complex theme camp for the coming year. A caloborated effort of AMF and Darquewaive Productions. We do hope that all will have a chance to see one of the many performance art pieces we will spend the entire year working on! And If any one would like to participate in our theme Camp "Armagedon" in the year 1998 or if you have suggestions or would like more info then e mail me: darquewaive@hotmail.com Sincerely Yours, Jayj Brawley -- Jayj Brawley, December 16, 1997 at 11:12a

labor day is september 7, 1998 -- spaceghost, December 11, 1997 at 10:33p

Please forgive my lack of knowledge concerning the customary dates of the holidays of this great nation, but do the anticipated dates for the '98 Burn (Tuesday Sept. 1st-Monday Sept. 7th) fall during the week _after_ Labor Day? Looking forward to another stay in Black Rock City, wherever it may plant it's roots. -- Anton, December 11, 1997 at 3:04p

Thanks Don. -- Shona, December 10, 1997 at 8:29a

a happy holiday season to all my burning man alumni! i encourage anybody passing thru reno or in california to drop me a line. peace -- johnny handle, December 8, 1997 at 11:11p

Glad to hear the good news about the cleanup. I promise to remove whatever I bring. I also won't try again to leave the same day as everyone else! -- Don Davis, December 7, 1997 at 4:02a

don- the clean-up of the 97 site was completed sox weeks ago. three structures were left, the now bent-over bone tower, pepe's tower, and the windmill. the project will be moving the trailers and the ranger HQ soon. we have received a letter from the washoe county board of health stating that the clean-up efforts were a complete success. i hope this answers your questions. -- spaceghost, December 6, 1997 at 5:15p

howdy folks, in case you haven't yet had your fill of burning man '97 pictures, i've just posted a virtual slide show on my web site. I'd be honoured to have you all as visitors. www.zbolan.com cheers, z -- zac, December 6, 1997 at 0:11a

Hello, I posted a longish piece earlier on my impressions of the event, and am expanding on it with my videotapes helping flesh out my memories. Corrections have been made to numbers and a few facts. Looking back at it all it stands out as one of the peak experiences of my life. So many little things excited my laughter and wonder. The dog with the glowsticks along it's back and legs stays in my mind, along with so much else... At a local gathering next week I will show and view other tapes shot at the event.I have seen three television features on BM97, and have heard of a half hour program on the subject airing on L.A. cable access. Many people will attend out of curiosity after all this exposure, and I worry that the spectators will start to outnumber the participants. The best way to counter this possibility in my opinion is to bring along as many participant types as possible. I tell everyone I think might be interested about it all and I think I will have some of my friends along on the next one. This should become a priority for clever wizwrd mutants everywhere! Some of us are going to build a pedal cart with solar panels on the ceiling to power a mounted video camera. BM revived my hopes for the future. I hear that many people built things and left them there, this is disasterous.I wish I lived nearby with a truck but the water's probably covering everything now. The need to avoid littering the scenery might be stressed in the preparations for the next one. I almost wish it could be in California next time, but I liked the playa surface and I only know of an area around Edwards AFB with a surface as smooth, a very desirable feature for wheeled vehicles. I would like to see some updates on how things are going with cleanup, site plans, fundraising etc, if only on the hotline. See you next Labor Day weekend! -- Don Davis, December 5, 1997 at 9:18p

Hello burning man people. I travelled over from London to the burning man to make a documentary - i was. very literally blown away. It was amazing, the night of the burn was beyond my anticipation, the actual burn it'self - a bit of a let down, but hey fuckit it was extremly glourious. Anyone i met out there, i hope you are all well and living accordingly - i did meet some lovely types, pea seagal, dennis the pyromaniac, Robert the rocket car guy, respect to you people for walking it like you talk it - loud and proud - i hope to be back next year for more revelry. I met larry harvery and marian, lovely people, larry was patient beyond the call of duty. I would like to wish you best, i hope you got your holiday, and that the shit you put up with has not putt you off doing the same next year - i will see you there, no camera this time, i am comin' butt naked and ready to fuck. much respect to the guys and grrrls that made it a very cool experience. love and peace mertle -- mertle, December 5, 1997 at 11:06a

Any Updates on the current affairs of Burningman Fianances, and hopes of a different location for next years burn? -- Andy, December 5, 1997 at 6:22a

Before I left, my lady friend handed me a box of wet ones. She said a week out in the desert sounded brutal, and a little female intuition was behind the gift. I did not think much of it at the time, but when my brother fell on top of shit sticking out of the andy Gump at night drunk out of his mind, he began to have a panic attack. Luckily, I had wet one which earier he and another friend of mine laughed at. I recomend it for anybody who goes to the next one( I pray to God every day for more). Either throw it away in the andy gump or put it in a plastic bag and take it with you when you leave. I know it is not the most beautiful story ever written, but from the state of the toilets, I think a lot of people had similar experiences. My God, what in the hell were all you people eating? -- Miles Walker, December 1, 1997 at 10:07a

I'd like to hear an update from the Burning Man leaders. Maybe they could disscuss '98 location and money issues. Thanks. -- Christopher, November 30, 1997 at 3:07p

Is there any place to find a running tally of how much post burn cash has been raised by the various BM parties and fundraisers? I'd like to know how we're doing. -- Kevin, November 29, 1997 at 1:24p

bbbbbbbb........ -- Will, November 26, 1997 at 4:57p

Looking for "Steel Neal", artist of the incredible kneeling man sculpture from NYC. Would like to submit my photo of your work for cover of The Stranger in Seattle and also send you a print. Please contact me.... -- Reba Roo, November 25, 1997 at 8:59a

Is any body have a key words for Ultra Vixen, for any levels?????? -- Denny S., November 25, 1997 at 7:19a

Great message, Tom. I also felt that the biggest downer was the flux of traffic through the city. A lot of it was the "official" traffic, but there was a lot of activity from day-trippers and even locals who refused to respect the handful of simple rules (suggestions?) put in place by the organizers. As someone who was a resident of the Black Rock City 'burbs, I did witness several folks who seemed to think four-wheelers and motorcycles were somehow exempt from the classification as motor vehicles. At any rate, a suggestion/idea. Some engineer type out there can try to make it reality, since I have neither financial nor technical means. . .how about the Black Rock City Commuter Skylift? Imagine a chair lift 30 feet or so over the heads of the populace, running from an outer parking/gathering area into the heart of center camp. Even better would be a hub with arms spreading to the wings of the city. Anyway, it's just a thought. Daydreaming again, I should get back to work. -- Phillip, November 21, 1997 at 8:50a

Garth wants to know what I think of the Hualapai Playa site, so here it is: The playa surface is nowhere near as good as Black Rock Desert. Even where it was dry, it was softer and harder to roll on with any kind of wheels, and where it was (unpredictably) wet it was impossible. Since wheels of one kind or another are important components of many art pieces and nearly everyones' transportation, this is a very big consideration. It might have been worth the switch to the poorer playa surface if my fondest dreams had been realized of BM finally being able to keep the frat boys and rednecks out, but the critical need for gate revenue and the consequent sales of day passes meant we ended up with the worst of both worlds. Black Rock City is not too large for anyone to get around on foot or by bicycle, so why do the motorheads have free rein to terrorize everyone else? On Black Rock Desert the problem of open access was unsolvable; on Haulapai it could have been solved but wasn't. Worse, the fire and police "services" we were forced to pay for became one of the biggest sources of traffic, vehicle after vehicle, each filled with just the kind of oglers this closed site should have kept out. One success of the city layout was that it prevented the kind of suburban sprawl which created much of the traffic at previous events. It was amusing, actually, to note at BM ‘96 that the same individual motivations were able to create the same problems in an instant city as plague real cities: people who want more quiet and privacy in their camp went way out in the desert the same way downtown workers commute to suburbs. Then when they wanted to visit downtown Black Rock City, they drove their cars into town, oblivious to the effects they were having on every citizen who happened to live on a path between their home and downtown. Like any city, the people who conscientiously minimize their transportation needs (and therefore, impact) by living close to their work and evening recreations are the ones who get to eat the worst of the commute effect of those who choose more bucolic surroundings for their home life. They fill the freeways in our real cities, and they raised the most dust at BM ‘96. Haulapai’s Black Rock City largely stopped this, but then we lost the gain by having official vehicles rammed down our throats, and uncontrolled use of personal motor vehicles for intra-city transportation. I will admit to “anchoring out” overnight with my bicycle-towed wheeled -hammock playa boat. Apparently a fair number of people wander out to sleep on the playa, away from the throbbing downtown, and that should be cool as long as their way of getting there isn’t disturbing or endangering anyone else. The way the quiet contrasts with the electric excitement of the city is something everyone should experience, for you haven’t fully seen Black Rock City until you step back from it far enough to absorb the whole scene that has materialized in the desert vastness. But the pilgrimage out to the desert to see the city from afar or lay down for the night under the stars only makes it more important that *motor* vehicle traffic be restricted to emergency vehicles, and they be restricted to actually answering emergencies, not aimless and intrusive cruising. The more motor-free Black Rock City becomes, the more creative people will get about filling their transportation needs with human power. As for camping in the dense heart of town, I know anyone can take the cacophony if I can, considering myself a true connoisseur of fine silences. On the night of the burn, I pulled a tendon fire leaping out at the Man, and had to retire early while the rest of the city went wild. With the main street next to my bed in full blooming madness, smoking , flaming, screaming, scene-from-Dante’s Inferno madness, I put in my earplugs, tented a heavy quilt over me, and slept like a narcoleptic. The county commissioners who dictated what “services” and “protection” we would have to buy are supposed to have some expertise in running the small details of a civilization. Presumably that’s why they held themselves out for election and why Washoe county’s citizens voted for them. So their failure to provide protection from motor vehicles, instead becoming a major part of the problem themselves, is one mystery. Their failure to understand the need to balance expenditures for city services - one hundred percent for police and fire and zero for trash collection - is another mystery. That’s a priority screw-up that could get them booted right out of office if they did it to their constituents instead of to a bunch of out-of-towners who can’t vote. So, Haulapai’s biggest problem may be that it’s in Washoe County, but some of BM’s problems will follow it wherever it goes, at least until city planning, wise spending of money for the things we really need, and individual consciousness come together to make Black Rock City all it can be. -- Tom Ness, November 21, 1997 at 8:02a

It's been a while since I've been on the bulletin board, & it's good to see that there are still tons of entries being made (except for the ones where you guys are ripping on each other). Can you all believe it's been almost 3 months since BM? How many more days til BM98? It's good to see you all keeping the spirit alive....that's hard to do after all this time being back at work. I miss the playa. I just want to wish all of you happy holidays. See you next year! Peace. -- Karen, November 20, 1997 at 0:35p

After the burn my friends and I wandered from fire to fire, danced with some amazing drum circles. The best one was the one on the extreme west side of camp. There were about 50 people there in various stages of post-burn hysteria and they were all awesome - we fed off each other's energy as well as the musicians' but it was the music itself that blew me away. It blended industrial-sounding distortion with intense, furious drumming. We eventually made it to the rave at center stage and chilled there (literally) until we saw the sun coming up. We walked out deeper into the playa and witnessed one of the most spectacular sunrises of all time. Then we collapsed back into our camp and slept barely long enough to start dreaming, then we helped clean up. -- Bone Daddy, November 20, 1997 at 9:14a

Keep the spirit of Burning Man alive into the holiday season by embracing the non-commercial spirit of the event. Start off by observing Adbusters international "BUY NOTHING DAY", Friday, November 28. Check out their website. Plan a sofa blockade of your local mall. Tie up toll-free mail order lines by talking forever (be indecisive, and slow making up your mind), ordering thousands of dollars of stuff, and then cancel it. Are there any Cacophony Society escapades planned for this day? Is it time for Santa to rear his ugly head? Be creative. Screw the pooch of economic development! -- tripper, November 19, 1997 at 8:26a

I would like to here an update from the BM leaders. Or, is there some other place I should look? Thanx. -- Christopher, November 19, 1997 at 7:52a

-- Anon., November 19, 1997 at 2:34a

First time visit to Black Rock City. Went with a rather large group that included people who had been there four years or more. By the very nature of the group, we almost immediately dubbed ourselves, "Smart Ass Camp". (This will stick) One of our clan, Fuzzy Rodgers, built the conifer, a Christmas Tree-looking thing made from lumber, almost pure grain alcohol, and a bunch of fireworks, etc. This was burned on Saturday night, just before the Ishtar opperetta. Another member of ours, Kevin Rolly, brought along with him to da Man one Tickle-Me-Elmo doll. (yes, those hideous things that were selling for thousands of dollars last Christmas.) The opportunity to burn Elmo, sacrifice-style just could not be passed up. And we did, to the tune of, "hahahahaha - that TICKLES!", being sent through an effects processor, an amp, and blasted over the playa just before the conifer went up. This was an excellent opportunity for me to handle gasoline and fire in an environment where it could be appreciated. (thank you, Black Rock City) After Elmo and the Conifer had been burning for a while and the crowd began to dispurse, we rather attractive woman, feeling the energy of the moment, began to dance before our fire. Now, I was busy with the 5 gallon gas tank, but I'm not one to shy away from stimulating conversation. She asked me, "Wow, what are you gonna do with all that gas?" I stopped, looked her square in the eye and simply said, "Burn it." Her slightly stunned reaction finnally gave way to, "Boy, you're a real smart ass, aren't you?" I immediately perked up, "Why yes! As a matter of fact I am! Camp Smart Ass. Thanks for noticing." You couldn't pull my smile off with a pit-bull. -- Glenn Storm, November 17, 1997 at 11:45a

I walked into burning man lost and broken- A hollow cage - a future primitive. I walked in alone. But on my second sunset amidst the citywide applause for the unrelenting red sky I knew for the first time in my life I'd finally found a home. One where there was no underlying greed or competition. One where our spirits could play without being yelled at. It was the most beautiful thing I've ever felt - and I cried under the Man that night. Cried for my new family. Cried for joy and relief.. Cried for the hope I felt.. and the tears fell upon the haystacks under the Man and as they later burned with him I knew the badness had gone away and that everything from here on out for me was totally different.......I also learned that kharma is real and a great way to help the world is to give something away every day, a compliment, a flower, something you normally wouldn't go out of your way to do. Do it. -- Chris, November 17, 1997 at 0:40a

dont waste yer time tellin the bm staff how much you liked the fly ranch site cuz the overwhelming consensus was against it. besides the county couldn't have put up a bigger unwelcome sign! WHATS IN IT FOR YOU GARTH? -- john c, November 16, 1997 at 8:12p

Let your wishes be known ! If you liked the site of 1997 Burning Man (Waulapai flat/Fly Ranch) let the staff of Burning Man know. If you live in the Reno / Washoe County area get in touch with me to help fight against County exploitation of this event, do it now ! -- Garth T.Elliott-Black Rock Art-, November 14, 1997 at 7:23p

Much thanks to the 16 people that helped at Burning Man this year with my project , and graciously allowed me to "life cast them"( at the Hot springs). I still have not been contacted by all 16, please get in touch with me as I have goodies for you. -- Garth T. Elliott -Black Rock Art-, November 14, 1997 at 7:16p

I heard that burning man had to sue washoe county to recover money taken by the cops. Is this true? Anyone else hear this -- john little, November 14, 1997 at 11:28a

A little aside from the frankly hostile posts I have seen here lately... The beautiful bone arch is gaining a new home in northern nevada where it can be viewed anytime by anyone... Black rock city Nevada will survive forever! -- Joshua!, November 14, 1997 at 10:31a

Yeah, yeah, yeah, paganism, ceremony, ritual, religion; all that shit. Enjoy it. BM is [in my mind] concieving and planning your own elaborate religion, ritual, canon and icons, with all the bells and whistles, totally internally consistant, and then BURNING THE FUCKER TO THE GROUND. I planned for six months and built for three months all the stuff I did at BM 97, and I left with two trash bags of ashes. [Mental] energy->matter, matter to energy. To me, that is why BM is there. Design, and really belive the pomp and ceremony that you make for BM, and destroy it and all that went into it every year. Start over after every Labor day weekend. See what hardcore pagans are about. Respect fundementilist Xians for a year, and really try to understand them. Create your own religion, complete, and every year, burn your faith and preconcieved notions. Do alot of work on costumes, masks, structures, let others enjoy it, and then destroy it. Then, goto the playa, celebrate it, then burn it. Get drunk with a local cowboy and trade "first lay" and "first arrest" stories with Gerlach rangehands, run around nekkid, take drugs that were invented last week, screw strangers, blow shit up, burn shit down, and be reborn every year. Laugh at the self-rightious [do this every day] Fuck- it works for me. Hackett in NYC -- Hackett, November 13, 1997 at 10:58p

I am still floating in the heavens after my experience at this years Burning Man. It has changed my life forever. I only pursue the dreams which I were only dreams before. Months have gone by, yet I still cannot put into words what the whole thing meant to me. I cannot wait to go again. -- miles walker, November 12, 1997 at 6:34p

Thank you -- Anon., November 11, 1997 at 10:23p

I apologize to everyone, including Questing Bear, for my part in disrupting the harmony of the BM community. This is not a place for argument and/or debate. This is a place to share experiences at BM97, as well as hopes and plans for BM98 and beyond. I was out of line with my comments in response to QBs initial enthusiastic announcement. My opinions have not changed, but I see now that my statement was uncalled for and has resulted in harm to the spirit of this bbs. The best of luck to you Questing Bear! May your play truly touch our primal core. Peace to all. -- Vector7, November 11, 1997 at 7:52p

spent last saturday picking up detritus on the playa with a friend. we camped by the hot springs which were magnificent with the 20 degree air temp. packs of coyotes howled an hour before sunrise. standing out on an empty playa, knowing all that had gone on just two monthes before was powerful. it also was a teaching lesson. everything fades. to carry it inside is the ultimate challenge. i cant say i have suceeded yet. peace and good thoughts to all burning man people. keep it alive in your heart!! -- johnny handle, November 11, 1997 at 3:30p

Okay, can we please move on to another topic... I'd much rather check in daily to hear more fond reminiscences of BM97 than debates between Questing Bear and everyone else. QB, your posts are there, anyone who is interested in participating I'm sure will contact you. Your point has been made; let's just move on. And I mean that in the *nicest* way possible. -- Diana, November 11, 1997 at 0:44p

Questing Bear - oh, my! I go away for a week and I am repeatedly trashed. Why? While I truly appreciate your passion for your art, why is it so important to you that I (or anyone) be convinced that your play will be as great as you believe it is? Maybe it will be, maybe it won't. We will not really know until BM98. Right? And besides, if you enjoy yourself in doing it, what should you care what others think (certainly someone as "gutless" and "spineless" as me)? In the mean time, we are wasting a lot of energy discussing it in this manner. Why not just post a brief outline here for all to see? And then go to BM98 and do it! And allow me to reserve my judgement on your work until then. That said, please review my posts. I made my initial comment with respect to my opinion regarding mock sacrifice and fertility rituals. That was all. If you cannot accept that without going ballistic, then fine. My later posts were merely my expanded thoughts on those subjects and life in general. That was all. I never slammed you personally, your art, your education, or pagans. So, lighten up. Now, in closing, you seem to be obsessed with my email address. I did not give it because you seem unnecessarily LOUD and hostile. Frankly, I get enough of that r/t. But in the interest of peace, here it is. May it make you happy. But don't expect me to get in some e-mail flame war. I have better things to do. And so now, I am going back to them. Thank you, one and all, for your endulgence. -- Vector7, November 10, 1997 at 3:38p

ahem... make that questing bear, sorry -- kaigan, November 10, 1997 at 3:34p

make that sting bear -- kaigan, November 10, 1997 at 3:33p

welcome to questioning bears web site...the home of all things questioning bear -- kaigan, November 10, 1997 at 3:30p

NEWS FLASH! The next Burning Man will not be in Nevada or Oregon! It will be in your mind where it may stay and flourish all year around. Bring BM to you, wherever you may be. That way even if political red tape and finances brings it down, it will continue to burn forever. -- Rob the Wop, November 10, 1997 at 9:35a

I don't have any Hardcore Pagan Agenda for Burning Man 98. I would say the Trend I am bringing is Modern Primitive. Our Theme Camp Back to the Stone Age is merely a stage for us Hardcore Workaday Industrial Slaves to indulge our Primal Fantasy's. It's not Hardcore at all, but it's going to be Lighthearted and lots of FUN, FUN, FUN. The response to my Play and Theme Camp by Everyone that I have described the Play to has been Overwhelmingly Supportive. I have been inundated with E-mail. The only Chip I have on my shoulder fell of after I got done chopping wood the other day. Peace, Art and Love may the Creation be with you. -- QUESTING BEAR, November 10, 1997 at 4:05a

Dearest Ultravixen, I also would like to add that I am a very Open Minded Eclectic Pagan anything but hardcore. I also have many very close Christian Friends. I am however very Hardcore and Sensitive about my Art. I don't know of Any Artist that wouldn't get His or Her Hackles up when some Bumpkin spurts out To Hell with This and To Hell with that without even knowing what my Play is about. I probably gave people the wrong idea about myself when I shot back at Vector7 about the Burning Times and How the Pagans have suffered. I really detest Spinless Critics. I appreciate your thoughts my friend. -- QUESTING BEAR, November 10, 1997 at 3:42a

My good friend Ultravixen, I am not hardcore or humorless. As a matter of fact the Tribal Performance will include the Burning of a 10 foot wooden stick Wicker Man with 3 Manicans attached. The performance will be called Burning Manican (pun intended). It will be Pagan but I would say more Primal Tribal. And it will be alot of Fun with lots of Wild Headresses, Masks and Body Paint. I guarentee the Drumming and Frenzied Dancing will reach right into everyones Primal Core. By the way I am open to any thoughts and opinions you might have about the Preformance (but first I guess I should mail you a rundown of Play. You should be commended and respected for your insights. You at least have a Spine by allowing me to exchange my opinions with you, unlike others who love to throw stones at an idea but don't want any feedback (no E-Mail Address Provided). Peace and Love my friend. -- QUESTING BEAR, November 10, 1997 at 3:25a

I think most people have failed to understand the Premice of my Play. This is understandable. Stravinsky had Eggs and Garbadge thrown at his Orchestra, Dancers and Actors at his first performance of the Rite of Spring. Unlike my Gutless Critics Vector7 and Diana I provide my E-mail address for all to see. I as Stravinsky tried to recreate is the Passion and Frenzy of the Ultimate Tribal Ritual Practiced by our Stone Age Ancestors. This is the essence of creativity. Theater is a passsionate recreation of events that have happened in our History. As the founders of Burning Man have stated let's not critisize each others Art. Any Questions and Comments would be most welcome at my E-mail Address. QUESTINGBR@aol.com Let Creativity and Art Flow Free Questing Bear -- Questing Bear, November 9, 1997 at 1:21p

-- Anon., November 8, 1997 at 10:09a

hey, people out there. it's getting winter time in good old germany. but the burning man still keeps me warm.i might be late, but also my personal review is now in the net. interested to see some nice photos of the ammonite sculpture sculpture and a little story about it ? here is my adress: www.apropo.de/rn/ammonite/burningman.htm the burning man site with all its links is absolutly my favorite in the web. it keeps the fire burning... -- hendrik, November 8, 1997 at 6:20a

Yo Questing Bear -- If you are going to Burning Man with a specific political agenda, you might be surprised and will definitely be disappointed. Although the Festival does have pagan overtones, that is not its purpose for existence. Indeed, I've seen several hardcore and humorless pagans come to the Festival and get upset because people were getting plastered and having fun instead of doing rituals. Of course, if you interviewed 10,000 people about what Burning Man means, you would get 10,000 different answers. I would venture to say that the people who peruse this board are more educated than most, and yes, we are aware that millions of people died because they were pagans. And no, we are not insensitive to that history. But Burning Man is about the present and the future, not rehashing the unpleasant aspects of the past. If you want to do a theme camp and performance, great! But don't be surprised if people are more interested in playing games than watching your performance (unless, of course, you've got lots of cool pyrotechnics and burn everything down at the end). I think before you go throwing accusations around, you should attend the festival and understand what it is you are dealing with. Perhaps a good thing for you to sacrifice to the Man is that huge chip on your shoulder. And no, I'm not afraid to include my e-mail address. -- Ultravixen, November 7, 1997 at 1:34p

Did anyone video tape the TBS special on Sunday, Nov. 2nd? Even if it wasn't that great, I would really love to see it. Please let me know if someone has it. Thank You, and never stop dancin'! ~~~ -- astrogrl, November 7, 1997 at 0:05p

DARK ANGEL OF BLACK ROCK you have completely captured the spirit of Future Primitive. Your pictures are exceptional. Thank you; I needed it. -- this woman, November 7, 1997 at 9:52a

DARK ANGEL OF BLACK ROCK you have completely captured the spirit of Future Primitive. Your pictures are exceptional. Thank you; I needed it. -- this woman, November 7, 1997 at 9:52a

Visiting the BM site has rehashed (no pun intended) all the wonderful memories of Burning Man. The drive from Las Vegas was rough, and the drive home to Houston was even more trying (an extra person in the car, a festiva with no back seat, and VERY stinky socks). But the experience on the playa was one not to ever be forgotten nor passed by again. I met a whole slew of great humans; The Mist Tent from San Fran becoming my instant pals. Bianca's Smut Shack proved to be the local pub and it just seemed as if everyone I met was more than happy to be alive and to be talking to me. This is a far cry from the anti-human city of Houston where the local "scene" is more or less a "holier-than-thou" social gossip gathering. Damn, if only the BM crew (yeah, all ten thousand of us, sans the media and the drunk Barbie and Kens that showed up the night of the burn) could live in my backyard...yeah, we would all go on walks... I could take everyone to the store with me.....And when it was time for that pesky visit to the gynecologist, well, all of y'all would get to go in the exam room with me...ahh, that would be the life..... Wait a second, have I been rambling again? Sorry, the medication hasn't kicked in yet.... I do wish I could find the "squatter" looking guy that was walking around quoting Alice in Wonderland oh-so-beautifully...I think I could marry him....and I don't believe in marriage....... -- Frog, November 6, 1997 at 7:49p

Anyone interested in a topic based Burning Man BBS? We have started a new Burning Man a question and answer forum now at The Burning Man Archive. See: http://www.zpub.com/burn/ Ask a question, start a discussion or leave a comment. There is also a place to list and view new 1997 Burning Man websites. -- richard, November 6, 1997 at 3:06p

Dearest Diana: It is easy to attack someone on the BM bulletin board, especially when you don't have the Guts to provide your internet address. To provide you with my Educational History, I have a B.S. in Chemistry from George Washington University and an Engineering Degree From USF. I admit my grammatical skills are not what they shoul be but My Scripts Have been Raved by Several Florida Critics. Before you start making Snap Judgements about someonelse's Art I think you should examine yourself. Self Judgement can be Ultimatly Revieling. QUESTING BEAR QUESTINGBR@aol.com -- QUESTING BEAR, November 6, 1997 at 8:46a

Dearest Diana; It is easy to attack someone on the Bulletin Board especially if you don"t have the Guts to provide your E-Mail address. To fill you in on my Educational Background I am a Mathematician and Engineer from USF. I also have a Degree in Chemistry from George Washington University. I admijt that my grammatical skills are not what they should be but I have been praised by several Scripts that I have wriitten in Florida on Tribal Theater. My Play's, although lacking in grammatical correctnos, have been given rave reviews by Critics. I would be most happy to send you a description of my Theatrical Performance. Let's have Peace. As the heads of Burning Man have stated I don't think as artissts we should critisize each others offering of Art. I was somewhat inebriated when I shot back at Vector7. I guess I am biitter about Critics. Please send your thoughts. I am not as nasty as I sound. -- QUESTING BEAR, November 6, 1997 at 8:12a

Dear Vector7, I humbly appologize for my earlier statements. I was somewhat inebriated when I wrote it. To set you straight on my Theatrical Perfomance, I am not advocating returning to Live Human Sacrifice with this performance. This is also not a peformance about AZTECS! I see an unfortuanate tendency among people to Group things together that are not related when it comes to cultures. Every culture seems to have its Armeghedon. The Jewish Culture had to endure the Holocaust. The Pagans of course had the Burning Times. But who speaks for the indigenous Tribes that have been vanquished by our so called Industrial Society? Mock is perhaps the wrong word for the Sacrifice. Perhaps the word Recreation would be apt. As far as the Fertillity Rituals, people tend to make snap judgements on a Very Poor description (I admit my lack of skill at describing the Play in my first message). Primitive Tribes often enacted Fertility Rites with Human Sacrifices (Death and Rebirth as the Theme). This is not nessacerily the case in this Play if you would like to read my description of it. I would be most happy to send you a description of this Play if you would have the guts to send me your E-Mail Address. -- QUESTING BEAR, November 6, 1997 at 7:45a

Please forgive the spelling and grammatical errors below. Upon reviewing my last post, I would like to add that as a society we are not beyond the need for live sacrifices. We participate in them daily. Our mock sacrifices in film and television, our hate and/or comtempt of other humanbeings who hold views and live differently than ourselves (people we desire to destroy, so that our vision of life might be manifest), the vicarious experience of violence through many forms of competitive sports (people putting their physical welfare on the line for those who would not do so themselves), and lastly the ultimate combination of sacrifice and violence through media covered lethal combat (e.g., the Gulf War where we got a blend of all of the above right from the relative comfort of our livingrooms) are strong indicators of anything but our trancendence of the need for blood sacrifice. Sad, but true. -- Vector7, November 5, 1997 at 1:20p

Max - I completely agree with you. I do not advocate returning to the rituals of the past. To do so would be to miss the point, and the power, of being alive. My experience on Sunday night was to pour my death, fear and anger onto the Man and have him as the sacrifice for their release. It is my experience that human consciousness reconciles and propels itself through metaphor, myth and ritual. BM is a new doorway for many (not all) to understand what it is to be a humanbeing. Some had a experiences that were, for lack of better word, transcendant, others came for mere entertainment, the freak show, etc. I suggest that it is more likely that those who trashed the palya came for entertainment. Perhaps I am wrong, but that seems to be a fundamental human problem, and a dilemma for the future of BM. Decadence is sometimes defined as the need for greater levels of stimulus to achieve the same results, the same degree of satisfaction. A thought: more people and larger, more intense productions may not equal a more satifying experience. Just a thought. Also, a historical note: fertility rituals were (are) just that, rituals to conjure fertility (i.e., making babies, as well as crops and animals for food). Perhaps today one might see the metaphor of a fertility ritual in terms of personal artistic and intellectual creativity. But sensuality is a somewhat different creature than fertility. Having a sensual display as a primer for mutual masterbation is not a fertility ritual, anymore than sexual desire equates with the intent to make and nuture babies. I expect that may strike a negative cord with some. Please do not take it as such. Both the sensual and the fertile are vital aspects of the human experience. I just see a difference between them. Overlapping, true, but different. In sum: Yes! Let's create the future! Thanks for being there. -- Vector7, November 5, 1997 at 11:23a

Vector7, why do we have to recreate the past? Being a full fledge information junky, craving the new, why would we want to do anything but invent the future? Now I'm not advocating that we only do what hasn't been done ( that ends up being merely a reaction to the past, which is just the same thing in reverse ) but why not cull the best of the past and recreate it with new ideas. Recreate past rituals in a way that fits and propels forward our current modern society. I personally am happy to live in a society that has progressed past the point of finding live sacrifices a necessity for spiritual growth or just a good time. Now given that, for me, what would be interesting is: What can you create that would evoke the energy and power of a live sacrifice, but without the obvious horror and loss of life? Additionally, much of BM97 ( my first ) was so intense for me, it was far from 'mock' ritual or just 'entertainment'. In fact, it was quite the opposite, Sunday night, I was at my personal edge, physically, mentally, and emotionally. THEN the man burned, and a large part of me did too. More room in the sand box for new shit, whoo hooo! -Max -- Max, November 5, 1997 at 9:52a

Dark Angel of Black Rock you have THE BEST pictures I've seen of Burningman yet. You show true imagination. -- Andy, November 5, 1997 at 6:24a

For fifteen minutes at a time...due to the miracle that is the Superstation...I wandered the playa once more...forever more... P.S. relax everybody...no need for fighting on this page, this is where we go to get away from all of that...check out my Burningman Site http://members.aol.com/legionenfx -- Dark Angel of Black Rock, November 3, 1997 at 4:30p

Excuse me Questing Bear....Thanks Bargoyle. It was a bit of a joke, and not meant to be taken as an attack on you personally. I am certainly not a Christain (hehehehehe). I do read (alot). I am very familiar with history. The statement I made was a response to "mock". The power of actual blood gushing, heart rending human sacrifice (e.g., your aztec brethren) and sexually explicit hard cock and wet cunt fertility rituals (e.g., ancient Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, etc.) cannot be truly appreciated through "mock" which is to say "entertainment". The ancients generally lived and died more passionately than we. Burning Man is simply a taste of a sense of the world lost through monotheism and industrialization. The question I posed in my earlier response is this: do we have the guts make real that which we mockingly display, or are we really just spectators of our own shallow hypocrisy? Where is the sacrifice (figurative or literal)? And, as the poet said, we need great golden copulations! Let's get real. -- Vector7, November 3, 1997 at 3:51p

What a time it was! To the many that helped put it together and to the few that cleaned up KUDOS! Am truely sorry that I couldn't help clean up. Next year I will definatly help restore the site. By the way Chris/Vickie the house of doors was incredible! I will never forget you guys! ~~See ya in '98 -- Ed Cobbs, November 3, 1997 at 3:22p

"Highly educated pagan"? Gee, you sure can't tell by the spelling, punctuation and grammar. -- Diana, November 3, 1997 at 3:14p

I admit that I am harsh sometimes and somewhat arrogant being a highly educated Pagan but Vector 7's comment sure sounded like an attack to me rather than a joke. Pagans in general tend to be sensitive about History especially about the Burning Times that we had to endure. -- QUESTING BEAR, November 3, 1997 at 0:58p

Caught the TOPX show on TBS last nite... Thought it was pretty good, but I have to wonder what I would have thought had I never been to The Burn. As it wa I just enjoyed seeing all of the places and people as if it were just happening again. And then I thought... Hey, I was there! -- Joshua!!, November 3, 1997 at 0:29p

Was anyone else as deeply disturbed by the TBS "TopX" piece as I was? -- Mr.M, November 3, 1997 at 0:16p

Um, Questing Bear...have you thought about trying decaf? Maybe take a deep breath, issue a wee bit of slack, and you might note that Vector7 was only making a little joke. I'm not V7, I can only guess at his/her motives, but yeeesh, it was hardly an attack. A small dose of chill goes a long way. -- Bargoyle, November 3, 1997 at 10:37a

VECTOR7 YOU SOUND LIKE ANOTHER STUPID CHRISTIAN THAT KNOWS NOTHING OF PAGAN HISTORY NOR CARES ABOUT THE MILLIONS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN BURNED ALIVE DURING THE BURNING TIMES BY THE MALE CLERGY SERVING A MALE GOD RESPONSIBLE FOR TERRIBLE WARS THAT RAVAGED THE POPULATIONS OF THE WORLD. NOT TO MENTION THE THOUSANDS OF INDIGENOUS TRIBES THAT WERE VANQUISHED BY CORTEZ AND HIS HORDES AS THEY ATTEMPTED TO IMPOSE THIER PATRIACHAL CRAP ON THE PEOPLES OF THE EARTH. PERHAPS IF YOU HAVE ANY ARTISIC TALENT WHICH I DOUBT, YOU MIGHT UNDERSTAND THE THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE THAT I AM ATTEMPTING TO CREATE. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO EMAIL YOU A DESCRIPTION OF THE PERFORMANCE, THAT IS ASSUMING YOU CAN READ! -- QUESTING BEAR, November 3, 1997 at 2:04a

My domain is down while my service provider moves my site to a faster server. MindStation X is mirrored at: http://www.slip.net/~rigged Check out my Burning Man page. -- Rigged, November 2, 1997 at 10:01p

Question; I would like to get a copy of ANY VHS tapes of Burningman. I saw on a early listing some one was offering if sent a tape they would do it. I would like to take you up on this! Please E-mail me to make arrangements. "May our hearts continue to BURN Bright" David Roman {Guy in the fishnet shirt} catyanna@hotmail.com (916) 492-0405 -- David, November 2, 1997 at 3:57p

Hendrik! I just wanted to let you know, your ammonite sculpture was the first "real" participation installation my Katttt and I experienced at BM 97. Until we crawled, then wriggled through your piece of art, we were spectators at Burning Man. Emerging from the tiny end of the tunnel was like shedding the skin of resistance to the openness and spirit of the BM experience, and it will always hold a special place for both of us in our memories of our first Burning Man! Thanks! Phillip -- Phillip, October 31, 1997 at 8:43a

Just wanted to inform all of you that still read this, that I still, own and operate on a daily basis the lighter that was purchased at the fronteir store at the Burning! What a way to live! Isn't Burning Man Great? -- Joshua!!, October 31, 1997 at 7:59a

Hey BM'ers Wanted to let you all Know that you got more support in da Bay Area. Thanx to Flash, Andy, Ma n Pa From Big Daddy loves Redneck Rest-O-Rant. Well be there in ' 98 let us know how we can be of service . -- Jeremy, October 30, 1997 at 7:28p

hopefully this time the message doesn't bounce again... i'm a computer rookie, life is not easy in the net. sorry, my english is not good enough to express how packed my suitcases were, full of emotions to bring home to good old germany. i'd like to thank everybody who is envolved in organizing and realizing this incredible event. it was a big pleasure to participate. i also like to thank everybody who helped me with the setup of my ammonite sculpture. you did a great job !! Thanx to all you people visiting my walk-in-stallation expieriencing and sharing your emotions with me...thanx for your respectfully treatment... thanx to you guys from sacramento to pick up my baby and store it when my "friend" denis did not come back to the dessert. thanx to david, who made so many things become true in the forefront of the event. thanx to everybody who paticipated to make the burning man so uncomparable. it was my first but not my last time in nevada. thanx to larry to be so ironheaded, see you next year! thanx to the motel 666 and the bavarian illuminate motorcycle cabal for shadow, good vibrations and hands. hope to see you all next time...hendrik oct.30th -- hendrik hackl, October 30, 1997 at 3:02p

To hell with mock human sacrifice, and mock fertility rituals. Let's get real! -- Vector7, October 30, 1997 at 0:50p

Can someone inform me on how to run Christmas lights from batteries? Or a string of lightbulbs? Seems like this is The Group to answer questions on battery-powered lights.... -- Reba, October 30, 1997 at 11:21a

I'm sorry about the misspellings on the previous message. Please send the any ideas or opinions to the E-mail Address QUESTINGBR@aol.com or call (206) 329-7381. Also write me at : 2812 Harvard Avenue East, Room #2, Seattle, Washington 98102 -- Questing Bear, October 30, 1997 at 9:07a

I want to start a Primal Theme Camp at Burning Man 98 called Back to the Stone Age. The Theme of the Camp will be to create a Tribal living space, complete with a Wild Savage Sacrificial Altar in front of a Savage Pagan Idol. I want to plan a Mock Human Sacrifice at a Friday Night Performance. I don't want to interfere with the Daughters of Ishtar Performa ce on Saturday Night. I would like to attend the perfomance. Please let me know your thought on the Idea. I want it to be like a theme from a Tarzan Movie. With Wild Savage Tribal Priestesses Surrounding a male Sacrificial Vicitim and prepareing him for Burning. It will be the most spectacular performance of Tribal Ceremony ever performed. Please Send me you thoughts to : QUESTINGBR@aol.com I need volunteers for the Savage Performance. Blessed Be Questing Bear QUESTINGBR@aol.com. -- Questing Bear, October 30, 1997 at 0:02a

I was just thinking about the impending doom that is Christmas and wondering to myself, what would Christmas be like if it really WAS about what they say it is: good will towards men, merriment, generosity, etc., instead of what it IS: elbows and assholes at the mall, overextended credit, folks killing one another over parking spaces on December 24. I was wondering and trying hard to imagine, what would Christmas be like if you removed the commercialism? And then I had it: Burning Man! -- Anon., October 29, 1997 at 1:47p

More pictures of Burning Man 97 at http://www.w-link.net/~techguy Come one, come all sign the guest book. See you all next year!!!! :) -- Mike, October 29, 1997 at 11:15a

Just wanted to thank everyone who made it to the site to help with the clean up. I will make sure that I have a day or two more days to help with the clean up next year. Until then, I can only thank those that have to time to do it this year. Peace. -- Sean, October 28, 1997 at 2:04p

Any one have arial photos of the city for sale???? -- LENNY JONES, October 27, 1997 at 1:29p

First of all ; Kudos, and my deepest, respect to all of those who participated in the clean-up efforts. Thank-you ! This was my Second year at the Burn, it is a relatively short drive from my home town of Salt Lake. Did anyone catch the almighty fashion show Sunday night? I was the square dancing Jesus along with my closest diciple Sancho Paza. If anyone out there has posted any Fashion Show pics online, drop me an email. Already looking forward to '98. Burning Man will Survive to greet the Millenium. Dave 23 -- Dave 23, October 24, 1997 at 3:47p

First of all ; Kudos, and my deepest, respect to all of those who participated in the clean-up efforts. Thank-you ! This was my Second year at the Burn, it is a relatively short drive from my home town of Salt Lake. Did anyone catch the almighty fashion show Sunday night? I was the square dancing Jesus along with my closest diciple Sancho Paza. If anyone out there has posted any Fashion Show pics online, drop me an email. Already looking forward to '98. Burning Man will Survive to greet the Mellenium. Dave 23 -- Dave 23, October 24, 1997 at 3:47p

The Vegematic is from SRI. -- Anon., October 23, 1997 at 3:12p

FYI - The "Flame Throwing Vegematic" was not from Fandango Camp. The spot labeled "Fandango Stumble-in" on the map was not where Fandango Stumble-in Theater ended up. We love a good flame thrower as much as anyone, but alas, we threw no flames this year. -- Bill, October 23, 1997 at 0:48p

I'd like to hear some of Santo Pollo's music again. Does anyone know how I can get in touch with them?, maybe get a recording? -- Bug, October 23, 1997 at 5:57a

If the Burning Man fought Godzilla, who do you think would win? -- Kevin, October 23, 1997 at 0:48a

I finished my Burning Man page. I have all the pictures up too and the poetry I wrote before during and after life on the playa. http://www.mindstation.com/burn/burning.html And yes, I really did get the tattoo. Its nice to have a constant reminder of home. Anyone in the S.F. Bay Area wanna get together for some drumming? Email me: rigged@mindstation.com -- Rigged, October 23, 1997 at 0:04a

Anyone else from Virginia at Burning Man 1997? What an experience!!!! I truly felt that I had finally found my kind of people. There are too many in Newport News, Virginia thats for sure. Watching the MAN burn was worth all the effort to get there. It awakened the inner pagan in all of us. And we all did the fire dance till dawn. It was great. I haven't felt this alive and intense for years!!! Did anyone else see the Flame Throwing Vegematic from the Fandango Camp. You Guys are pyros after my own heart. Next Year you need to put a car motor on it so you can drive like a bat out of hell, torching every thing in your path. That would be a great idea to make it into a fire breating bat!!! And you could make the wings flap up and down!!! Anyway, thanks for letting me hang out with you guys. I really like seeing the Duck burn. And they should have let you torch the non-stop Techno/Trance Music Machine but I guess someone would have been seriously burned. We need to save Burning Man!!!! The future of America depends on it!!! THEY WANT TO SHUT US DOWN. THE REAGAN/GREENGRINCH REPUBLICANS WANT TO SHUT US DOWN. WE CANT LET THEM BEAT US. THEY GOT GUNS BUT WE GOT THE NUMBERS. THE SPIRIT OF BURNING MAN LIVES ON. YOU CAN BANKRUPT US BUT YOU CAN STOP US. WE WILL HAVE BURNING MAN 1998 AND THE DREAM WILL SURVIVE. PLEASE WRITE ME. GABBA GABBA HEY -- Epes McMurran, October 22, 1997 at 10:43p

Anyone else from Virginia at Burning Man 1997? What an experience!!!! I truly felt that I had finally found my kind of people. There are too many in Newport News, Virginia thats for sure. Watching the MAN burn was worth all the effort to get there. It awakened the inner pagan in all of us. And we all did the fire dance till dawn. It was great. I haven't felt this alive and intense for years!!! Did anyone else see the Flame Throwing Vegematic from the Fandango Camp. You Guys are pyros after my own heart. Next Year you need to put a car motor on it so you can drive like a bat out of hell, torching every thing in your path. That would be a great idea to make it into a fire breating bat!!! And you could make the wings flap up and down!!! Anyway, thanks for letting me hang out with you guys. I really like seeing the Duck burn. And they should have let you torch the non-stop Techno/Trance Music Machine but I guess someone would have been seriously burned. We need to save Burning Man!!!! The future of America depends on it!!! THEY WANT TO SHUT US DOWN. THE REAGAN/GREENGRINCH REPUBLICANS WANT TO SHUT US DOWN. WE CANT LET THEM BEAT US. THEY GOT GUNS BUT WE GOT THE NUMBERS. THE SPIRIT OF BURNING MAN LIVES ON. YOU CAN BANKRUPT US BUT YOU CAN STOP US. WE WILL HAVE BURNING MAN 1998 AND THE DREAM WILL SURVIVE. PLEASE WRITE ME. GABBA GABBA HEY -- Epes McMurran, October 22, 1997 at 10:43p

Anyone else from Virginia at Burning Man 1997? What an experience!!!! I truly felt that I had finally found my kind of people. There are too many in Newport News, Virginia thats for sure. Watching the MAN burn was worth all the effort to get there. It awakened the inner pagan in all of us. And we all did the fire dance till dawn. It was great. I haven't felt this alive and intense for years!!! Did anyone else see the Flame Throwing Vegematic from the Fandango Camp. You Guys are pyros after my own heart. Next Year you need to put a car motor on it so you can drive like a bat out of hell, torching every thing in your path. That would be a great idea to make it into a fire breating bat!!! And you could make the wings flap up and down!!! Anyway, thanks for letting me hang out with you guys. I really like seeing the Duck burn. And they should have let you torch the non-stop Techno/Trance Music Machine but I guess someone would have been seriously burned. We need to save Burning Man!!!! The future of America depends on it!!! THEY WANT TO SHUT US DOWN. THE REAGAN/GREENGRINCH REPUBLICANS WANT TO SHUT US DOWN. WE CANT LET THEM BEAT US. THEY GOT GUNS BUT WE GOT THE NUMBERS. THE SPIRIT OF BURNING MAN LIVES ON. YOU CAN BANKRUPT US BUT YOU CAN STOP US. WE WILL HAVE BURNING MAN 1998 AND THE DREAM WILL SURVIVE. PLEASE WRITE ME. GABBA GABBA HEY -- Epes McMurran, October 22, 1997 at 10:38p

Re: Photos of any of the parties at BM'97. I am writing a piece for UK dance music mag DJ and haven't got any photos of any of the memorable parties/raves (somehow I didn't have my camera with me when I was seeing the most spectacular things!). I'm especially after some ones from Sunday night and Morning morning when Goa Gil p[ayed on the main stage. I saw people taking pictures of people dancing against that amazing sunrise and will happily pay to use some (but would obviously prefer to borrow and return in exchange for a thanks in the mag and hope of meeting up with the owner of the pics at BM 98!). Please contact asap as my deadline is apporaching fast. And thanks to everyone who made BM 97 the cultural oasis it was. Mindblowingly beautiful vibe. -- Jason Brookes, October 22, 1997 at 0:19p

Re: Photos of any of the parties at BM'97. I am writing a piece for UK dance music mag DJ and haven't got any photos of any of the memorable parties/raves (somehow I didn't have my camera with me when I was seeing the most spectacular things!). I'm especially after some ones from Sunday night and Morning morning when Goa Gil p[ayed on the main stage. I saw people taking pictures of people dancing against that amazing sunrise and will happily pay to use some (but would obviously prefer to borrow and return in exchange for a thanks in the mag and hope of meeting up with the owner of the pics at BM 98!). Please contact asap as my deadline is apporaching fast. And thanks to everyone who made BM 97 the cultural oasis it was. Mindblowingly beautiful vibe. -- Jason Brookes, October 22, 1997 at 11:33a

Re: Having a rave at Burning Man. I remember hearing about a rave in '96 and what a pain in the ass it was with one day passers driving over people and shit. I love techno and I love raves, but there's plenty of electronica at Burning Man without a rave and all its attendant problems. Just my $.02. -- Senor G. , October 21, 1997 at 3:57p

I want very much to find people from the Portland area that went to the BM. If there is another BM I would like to be a bigger part of it. I have some artisitic talents and would like to build/be part of a theme camp from Portland. I'm open to any suggestions. As to Maid Marion and Larry Harvey, thank you for building a unique experience. This paycheck I should have some money left over to donate. I do not require tickets to a future event, I can buy them next year. -- Rob the Wop, October 21, 1997 at 3:18p

If anyone out there knows where I can learn to fire dance, PLEASE contact me. I'm a belly dancer but have never tried fire dancing and I can't stop thinking of the beauty the dancers created. Thanks. -- Sheyna, October 21, 1997 at 0:38p

Attention!! Attention!! There seems to have been alot of controversy over the beautiful bone arch lately... I will personally guarentee it a home so that future generations of BM'rs can see it on their long drive to where-ever the event is held. I live in a rural town in northern nevada and have plenty of space to display this awsome artwork... -- Joshua!, October 21, 1997 at 11:57a

This year I focused on my own group's camp -- Garden of Earthly Lights -- as the source of beauty and strangeness to feed my camera. See http://www.ankiewicz.com/photos/burningman.html for photos from Burning Man 97 and 96. -- Kristen Ankiewicz, October 21, 1997 at 3:28a

News Flash-- Burning Man 2014 to be held on Mars. In addition to bringing ALL the food and water you need, participants are urged to bring a few billion cubic feet of breathable air rich in greenhouse gases so that we might raise the ambient temperature a couple hundred degrees. Solidarity at last. -- syd, October 20, 1997 at 10:18a

this just in from a very high source in the willie brown administration...willie and larry harvey just signed a deal to bring the burning man festival to treasure island in 98. its gonna be a hoot! -- blondie, October 20, 1997 at 0:36a

I am sending this message from somewhere over the rainbow, and I have heard (strait from the top) that Burning Man '98 is being held in a poppy field, just outside Emerald City, OZ. Trust me on this one, I know. Many flying monkeys are applying for ranger positions, and there will be theme camp Munchkin Land. -- The Great Wizard of OZ, October 20, 1997 at 0:10a

Thanks for the offer to help from everyone, There are a VERY few folks up at the site today and Monday, finishing the clean-up. If anyone can make-it out there, they would love the help and support. You can host an officialy sanctioned PARTY for Burning Man in your area. Burning Man can help you: Set-up the party Supply you with stuff to give away for donations Help you set up a donation box, raffel lAuction of artifacts Maybe even send Danger Ranger to your party to share some of the lore of BMan and the desert.. If you are able to help in this way, E-mail me or leave your E-mail address here and I'll get back to you. If -- St. Bacchus, October 19, 1997 at 9:31a

Join our Hedonistic Roman chariot Parade. Oct 31st Downtown San Francisco. A few creative people are getting together to build chariots and parade them around San Francisco. We are looking for fire breathers, flag carriers, drummers, harlots, and anyone else who wants to commence in hedonistic behavior. P.S. it's also critical mass that night. We are meeting at the Embarcadero Center 5:00 to 6:00 e mail me (I sure wish I could find that girl who was twirling the fire batoon the night of the burn. vandall -- Vandall Bondage, October 18, 1997 at 5:13p

I just wrote about my idea and read furhter into this page I did not attend Burning Man 97 but I want to thank the people who are giving their efforts in cleanup who am to thank..... an appreciative participant that wants to return in 98 How can I help and when. -- drew, October 18, 1997 at 11:25a

My idea may be a little far fetched but I am trying to think of ways to help Burning Man Survive.I remember last year in 96 when their was big rave camps like Wicked, Gateway, and Carlos Campos and Company.Well what about asking these organazations to throw raves in the survival of Burning Man.Invite them to next years event.Ask them to organize a massive and donations.Funky Techno Tribe, Friends and Family, Fuck it go world wide by networking as many rave families as possible.Enough money could be made in several raves.We need to all donate I know I'm going to and try to influence others so we can all show up next year in 98 -- Drew , October 18, 1997 at 11:13a

How 'bout TEXAS? yep. -- Buster Bad Ass, October 18, 1997 at 1:13a

Listen, I really am sorry I had to leave right after the event. I feel bad that so many people left so much stuff on the Playa. My camp was left clean! I came to BM 97 with an open mind, not having been to any previous BM events. I drove 2 days from Canada to attend, and unfortunately had to leave on the Monday. If (when) we can pull this together for next year, I'll stay for at least 1, maybe 2 extra days to help clean up other peoples stuff. And to all the locals (within a day's drive), thank you for spending your weekends cleaning up. Whether you think so or not, your efforts are appreciated. thanks zac -- zac, October 18, 1997 at 0:18a

Wow! I just woke up from my nap, and I see that the next BM is to be held at Ronald's Playhouse! I LOVE Ronald's Playhouse! But somehow, I doubt the veracity of the source, since I am dating Ronald McDonald's brother, and I have no cousin named Hurricane Linda, nor am I "very influential in the Burning Man organization". Or do you think the clown's brother could be cheating on me with some Burning Man person from southern Oregon who hangs out in the China Lake desert on 3rd and Fairfax? Is this the same desert rat who donated all that money several posts ago? -- Phillip, October 17, 1997 at 2:49p

I think we could all use a nap. Zzzzzz. -- Cliff Raker, October 17, 1997 at 11:49a

this stuff is all bullshit except the part about so oregon. larry is agood friend of mine and thats how i know -- windy willy, October 17, 1997 at 11:09a

I have it from a very high up and reliable source that the next Burning Man will be held at Ronald's Playplace at the McDonalds on 3rd and Fairfax in L. A. I know this because my cousin is dating Ronald McDonald's brother, who is the lover of someone very influential in the Burning Man organization. The county is very supportive of our community as is the McDonald's corporation. Only Big Daddy Love (formerly McSatans) is opposed. -- Hurricane Linda, October 17, 1997 at 8:32a

i have it from a very reliable source at the top that next years site will probably be in the china lake dessert in eastern california -- fred, October 16, 1997 at 10:04p

is this true about the alvord lake playa? great location! chuck -- chuck, October 16, 1997 at 9:57p

Uh-huh. Also, the Burning Man project has purchased, at a VERY good price, the Brooklyn Bridge. By turning around and selling it again for a higher price, they will not only get out of debt, but have plenty left over to prepare the new site in Oregon. This info comes directly from the top financial manager at the same meeting. -- Gullible Fool, October 16, 1997 at 1:06p

The new site for Burningman 98 is the ALVORD PLAYA in southern Oregon. Like the Black Rock Playa only a bit smaller (Much bigger than Hualapi Playa). This info comes directly from the top of the organizer group as discussed at Tuesday's meeting. The Harney County Chamber of Commerce is supportive and the local folks are with us! -- JONES, October 16, 1997 at 9:00a

Welcome to the Anon pages..... -- Andy, October 16, 1997 at 5:59a

burning man 98 in esmerelda county nevada? just a rumour i have heard -- johnny, October 14, 1997 at 9:25p

welcome to the shona pages..... -- anon, October 14, 1997 at 7:27p

PART 1 :::"Un"Official Playa Cleanup Update::: Tuesday 14 October 1997 !!If it isn’t your birthday today . . ."Happy UnBirthday"!! First of all, let me say something regarding some of the recent negativity on this Bulletin Board…!!ENOUGH!! We’ve got work to do. Let’s discuss our common goals and work out a plan to achieve them. -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:40p

PART2 I have a few questions for everyone : "Can you imagine the incredible possibilities of our working together?" "Will you be so bold as to be a part of such an expansive and blissful ideal?" Imagine such a world, imagine such a community, imagine yourself as an integral part of such an idea. -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:40p

PART3 Is it hard work? You bet it’s hard work! Is it worth the effort? Look around you, look inside of yourself, see what causes uncontrollable joy in your heart, look around again, look inside of you again, see what causes sadness and pain in your heart Answer the question for yourself. Is it worth the effort? Only you know the answer. Think about it again; what is our shared vision? What is our shared experience? -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:39p

PART4 There doesn’t seem to be more than a few pertinent questions in our lives; who am I, where am I, what am I doing at this moment? How do I feel about what is going on around me? Where do I want it to go from here? These seem to be a few of the questions we all share. Individually, our answers to such questions seem to change over and over again, through time, but ultimately, our answers are all threads of a common fabric. We find ourselves ‘together’, at the end. We are all related, we are all connected; "Mitakuye Oyasin". For me, personally, this is a very small part of what Burning Man is about, and the rest, as we all know, just simply can’t, and shouldn’t, be put into words. -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:39p

PART5 I won’t address the issue of who didn’t show up this weekend, It’s a pointless discussion to dwell on coulda’ shouldas’. That’s all I’ll say about that. Instead, and generally, let’s talk about who ‘did’ show up, and what ‘was’ accomplished. Here’s the skinny as I lived it : PEDAL CAMP : DECONSTRUCTED / CENTRAL CAMP STRUCTURES : DECONSTRUCTED / HOUSE OF DOORS : DECONSTRUCTED / ICE SCULPTURE FRAMEWORK : DECONSTRUCTED. ALL SALVAGEABLE METAL / WOOD / PLASTICS : STACKED AND HAULED OUT OR WAITING TO BE HAULED OUT. ALL "HEALTH DEPARTMENT" CONCERNS (ROTTING AND INFESTED TRASH) : CLEARED <<DUMPSTERS STILL NEED TO BE REMOVED FROM PROPERTY>>. MISCELLANEOUS GARBAGE THROUGHOUT THE PLAYA : needs another once over due to wind blowing but for the most part done. -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:39p

PART6 Incredible amounts of work were accomplished this past weekend. There wasn’t a soul out there that didn’t do the work of ten people. -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:39p

PART7 A short but powerful storm came to the Playa Friday afternoon and made for very soggy and chilly working conditions Friday night and through most of the day Saturday. Everyone carried a few pounds of mud on their shoes, in addition to carrying countless pieces of lumber, metal, and unmentionables throughout the day. The spirit never diminished, everyone was alive. As tired and caloused and wet and wind blown and muddy and thirsty and hungry and muscle cramped as everyone was (at one time or another), the spirit never diminished!! The small group of people out there this past weekend represented everything that’s "good" in all of us. They are an incredible bunch. For every bottle cap they picked up, a mountain was moved. For every pile of debris they cleared, the land expanded. For every kind smile that was shared, for every helping hand that was offered, love and community manifested. -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:38p

PART8 Will and Crimson, thank you for everything.. Not just for this weekend, but for working throughout the entire year so that we might all call the Playa our home. You did so much ‘behind the scenes’, and you’re still out there getting things ready for next year. On behalf of everyone who has ever enjoyed the planning of the city layout, the driving across a graded road out there, who found their way because of all of the markers and tags and road signs, thank you. You did so much to help create this wonderful Black Rock City that so many of us call home. -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:38p

PART9 TeePee Dan, your vision moves me man, Chuck from Reno, you’re limitless energy inspired us all , the three guys in the blue Jeep from Reno who stacked and took care of the house of doors, thanks. Jim and Joanna, Dan from Oregon and Flynn with the super fetch puppy, thanks for picking up the ice ball structures and for all of the other many ways you contributed. The crew from the city : Pony Boy Girl Toolshed and Jeff, doing whatever needed doing, picking up a million bottle caps and shiny pieces of string. Paul the Apostle a.k.a. Cyber Satan and AbCynthia eagle eye roamers of the Playa and providers of Starburst, lip balm and general great spirit, "Super Jules" the incredible grit cookin’ Texan and all around wonderful soul, you are wonderful company, I miss you. Richard and Mary the Mermaid going around helping everywhere. Walt & Kimberly, again, thanks for making the trek to the site and contributing so positively. Fred with the Incredible Does Anything Goes Anywhere Gets the Job Done Super Truck, you did the work of twelve people everywhere and at every moment. "This Woman" (Amii), thank you for your energy. I love you all, I thank you all from my heart. You did it! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:38p

PART10 Special Mucho Bueno thanks to Flash, to Sunny and to Dan. Flash has a great vibe that makes anyone have fun and is the most incredible cook. He made us all a great dinner Sunday night. It was so yummy. Sunny and Dan, your poetic rhythm, your incredible charm, envelops me. I miss you both, I’ll see you at Ananda. -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:38p

PART11 Well, it was a great few days on the Playa. We accomplished so very much. On an earlier trip out, A little hologram smily face necklace found me and I had been wearing it ever since. It has brought me so much joy. Somewhere between the pedal camp teardown and lunch, I reached inside my shirt to show it to TeePee Dan, and I discovered that it was gone. For a brief moment, I was sad. But then I remembered how it came into my life in the first place. I was sitting at "the tree" one early morning at Twilight, and the wind blew through the branches and it just fell into my lap. I thought "grooovay!!!" It was icing on the cake of a wonderful sunrise at the Playa. Like I said, I had been wearing it ever since that morning (a few weeks). TeePee Dan and I were stacking metal panels from pedal camp and he was telling/relaying to me some of his memories from when he attended the original Woodstock. I was extra happy at the moment and wanted to show him the hologram happy face necklace around my neck. Well, like I said, when I reached down for it, it was no longer there. -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:37p

PART12 My thought on this moment is this. Maybe I was extra joyous at the moment because I had just outright "absorbed it" and was now in a continual state of bliss, or maybe it just decided that it was done with me and it found its way back to the Playa surface. Well, if I absorbed it, then I think that’s pretty neat, I’ll always carry it in my heart nonetheless. If, however, it decided to return to the Playa, then I think that this is good also. It will fall into someone elses lap some Twilight morning and then they too will be in a state of super bliss. So, if it happens to find you while you are at the site at some future date, tell it I said hi and thanks, and please cherish it while you have it in your company. -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:37p

PART13 So what’s left to do on the Playa? Well, throughout the year, some of us have committed to making regular "non-intrusive" treks out to the site and taking out hefty bags and rakes and doing what we can to be very certain that it is returned as closely as possible to zero impact. Some great souls are still out there at this very moment, Some of us will return every couple of weeks. The roads through camp are beginning to regrow their brush and much of the wildlife is returning as well. The Aspen groves in the hills above the site are just beginning to turn golden, It’s an incredible thing to see. There are still some fire pits on the grassy areas of the site that need to be safely moved away from the brush. -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:37p

PART14 Everyone wants to know about the Bone Arch and about Pepes Tower. Well, here’s the scoop. Pepes tower, as many of you know, was not entirely burned during Ishtar. It’s remnants still remain far out on the site. It seems to have assimilated itself "into" the Playa surface and resembles an "outgrowing" , birthing, reaching for the sun, semi-organic, "thing" that in a certain perspective seems to have "emerged" from the Playa. Will it remain? There is word that it’s structure will be salvaged and/or hauled out. We’ll see how it goes. -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:36p

PART15 As for the Bone Arch., here’s my very personal take on this beautiful work of art. The giant wind storm last week has cordially molded the bone arch into a "flacid" state (check out the picture, you’ll get it). The interesting thing is however, that if you didn’t know what it looked like before the flacidness, then I think you’d still look at it and say "Yowza, that’s pretty nifty". Even if you were able to know it "pre-flacidia", I think you’d still think it’s !!dynomite!! (Jimmy Rogers impression). So, if it was left there, it’d still be this beautiful thing,. I look forward to touching it and admiring it everytime I trek out to the site. It’s like it’s saying "Hi, I missed you". -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:36p

PART 16 On the other hand, Joy the Astrogirl has a great slant on this. Burning Man should be new every year. Burning Man is nomadic, Burning Man site structures should all disappear after each event so that each year has it’s own vibe, it’s own space. I think Astrogirl is right on. So I could go either way regarding the Bone Arch. The consensus this past weekend was that it should be left. I’m alright with that. Ultimately, I think, Mother Nature and Mother Earth will tell us what the best course of action should be. I’ll check on it every time I’m at the site and I’ll do what my heart tells me to do, re-tie a bone here and there, or if the whole thing just gets blown/washed/eaten away over time, I’ll do what I can to clean it up. I’ll just see how it goes and go with that. It’s not my decision anyway. It’s a decision that all of us make together. Send your vibe, let’s see what happens. -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:36p

PART17 Also, here’s a reminder to any and all skilled workers out there. If you visit the site, give something back, ask the land owners what you can do to lend a hand, maybe take a rake with you and trek out to find some left ashes that need raking or packing out. As always, send good vibes out to the Playa, the whole land and the whole planet and beyond, and most of all, to yourself and those you love. It makes a difference. -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:36p

PART18 This is an interesting note of interest. On the way back I pulled into a gas station and there was this guy there. He didn’t know that it was my Jeep that he saw a Burning Man sticker in the window on and so he comes into where the cash register is as I am paying for my gas. He says, "That yer’ Jeep out there?" I replied, "Why yes, yes it is indeed my Jeep out there". He says "So, you one o’ dem weirdo’ freaky satanist fuckers from da’ deeeeeesert"? I replied "No, just a regular freak". He says "Alright Mr. Smartass, you got a beef wit’ me, you want sum'!!"? I replied "What is your preoccupation with my ass being smart or not, by the way"? (That was when he got reeeealy angry). Well, needless to say, he didn’t take to kindly to my questioning of his obvious masculinity and tried to hit me. It was kind of fun for a second and then I remembered that I was having dinner with a friend at the Lake that night so I exited stage right. It’s okay, he didn’t get hurt, except maybe his ego. -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:35p

PART19 The reason I’m telling you this is to bring to light an otherwise obvious point (this isn’t the first time that something like this has happened by the way, but I reeeealy like my Burning Man Sticker, so I keep it visibly posted on my window), for whatever reason, there will always be those that fear, are threatened by, or are otherwise upset that people like us exist in this world. They choose not to understand that we "feel the Earthbeat", that we have a need to be free and a need to express ourselves in our own way, to be a part of something much much more than what commercial society has prescribed and administered to our parents, ourselves and our children. They will always try to stifle our creativity, our enthusiasm regarding spirit and love, and our general opposition to the current norm of "buy this and be happy". -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:35p

PART 20 Will they always take a literal swing at you? No. Metaphorically however, they will always take a swing at you. I’ll tell you this from my own experience of being witch-hunted over the years as a free thinking freak. "Step in and act", embrace your fear with joy and love, laugh joyfully as they lead you to your persecution, for you are truly and forever "free", and as all things are, you are on your way to somewhere. Much luv, and I'll see you 'out there' . . . Shona -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:35p

PART 21 P double s, Alice in Wonderland and all of the Fire Circle; I’m drummin’ and thinking of all of you, every day. I love you all very much. Shona -- Shona, October 14, 1997 at 6:34p

I read on the Connections bbs that Annie Westerbeke is SUING Burning Man? Someone please tell me this isn't true. Please. -- Sheyna, October 14, 1997 at 2:44p

As far as I know, there's been a huge mess left EVERY year, and people stay behind for a month after, cleaning it up. Part of the problem this year was that Washoe County had taken $25,000 for Cleanup, but when the organizers asked for the money, they said it had been put into a "Miscellaneous" fund. The County eventually capitulated and gave the money back, but that was a couple of weeks after the event. Therefore, much time, motivation and (perhaps most importantly) good weather was lost. In addition, the weather here this past weekend was not merely cold, it was blizzardy. Friday night, a friend's band drove up to Reno from Sacramento. It took them five hours to get over the pass, normally a two-hour drive. If I were in SF, I'd have a difficult time convincing myself to drive ten hours through the snow to pick up trash. I'm sure many people were deterred. Every year, people leave the site trashed. It's just that by mid-October, things are generally cleaned up, and no one really hears about it. I'm sure the organizers do not intend to leave the place, garbage and all; indeed, one of the things most admirable about the Project is its excellent environmental record. I think it's a matter of all sorts of converging circumstances this year that have caused things to go haywire and made clean-up an issue when it hasn't been in the past. Perhaps instead of bemoaning the condition of Fly Ranch, we should be talking about getting it completely cleaned up before the weather gets bad and stays bad. I have a feeling that winter isn't too far off, and that it's going to be nasty. It has to be finished; there is no question of walking away and leaving a mess. We just need to get it done sooner rather than later. -- Fiona, October 14, 1997 at 2:03p

Usually, I am a bit of a doomsayer. Its a superstitious thing, I think. Also, an ego thing. If I worry sufficiently that a loved one is dead on the highway, that will assure the cosmos to see the loved one home safely. And when I looked across the playa after the burn, the doomsayer in me knew it was the end of community and the beginning of a football game. A dirty, smelly mess. But I don't share the same doomy feelings as those stated below. I did not describe this last weekend to friends as "only 20 people showed up...", but rather, "It was great that so many people showed up - there were at least 20 there." Give it some thought. 20 people out of 10,000-15,000 that attended a football game would NOT go back weeks later to clean up! Also, this year was different (I know - ALL Burning Man years are different). There was so much media attention that a goodly portion of the first timers had none of the knowledge of previous first timers. None of the many articles, film clips, etc. ever mentioned anything beyond art and nudity. We all know that Burning Man is so much more than that. One of my more humorous experiences this year made it very clear to me that there were a lot of newbies who had NO point of reference (like tripping for the first time without a babysitter...). Anyway, I was standing in line for the sani huts on Saturday morning, enjoying the sun and bartering for butter. There were 3 young women in front of me who were obvious newbies, all pretty as a picture in their fresh, clean clothes, heels and impeccable makeup. They were chatting together about mundane things when one of the stalls opened up. The first woman in line stepped gingerly up to the stall and opened the door with the very tips of her thumb and index finger. The horror on her face was palpable. So much so that a hush grew over the line. Suddenly, possessed by the spirit of the man himself I grinned a big wide grin, put on my best redneck voice on and said, "Its the best time of the day; the trucks cleaned the huts less than 1/2 hour ago. Yep, it doesn't get any better than this!" The crowd chuckled in agreement, and the woman took a deep breath and stepped inside....I like to think they will come back again as participants. Maybe the other fresh newbies will come back again too having learned at least to pick up their trash. But on a more practical note, what the hell was that beer truck doing out there? If that is not inducement to litter, I don't know what is. -- this woman, October 14, 1997 at 9:46a

I am dismayed at anyone who left any thing on that playa that did not belong there. This was my first burning man and I thought it miraculous. I enjoyed respecting where I was as well as the people who attended; I believed I was a part of a unique community. However, I am saddened to learn that that was not the case and that some people do not share in the vision of burning man: we are burning man. I commend all who participated to the full extent of that ideal--autonomy, self-governing, communitas existence. If we are representative of burning man than what remains on that playa is us. I applaud those who left the playa with their trash. It was very simple really, the directions to the specified trash site on the map and invitation were clear and precise. And remember, this was an invitation. We should be gracious and delighted for this opportunity. It is loathesome to read of such disregard for that precious environment. I do not know if I will attend next year and I empathize with the early participants of burning man. To the organizers and the core of people who cleaned up and apparently are still cleaning up: thank you. -- lauren, October 14, 1997 at 8:34a

Thanks for your happy and helpfull message Mister Neptune. Do you feal better now? -- Andy, October 14, 1997 at 7:08a

I was disappointed to see the amount of crap still out on the playa, regardless of what was supposed to be allowed to remain. Even more disappointing was the less than 20 people who turned out for the cleanup. Did the cold scare you off? If we could have had just 50 people, we may have gotten the job done. I guess the cleanup saga will continue unaided by all the people who were so moved and changed by the event. Don't be surprised when you hear that BM will not be in Washoe county or Pershing next year. We have worn out our welcome. I would love to go to a place where we are invited and not seen as "locusts". Somewhere where we will be respected and not fucked by the county. Anyway, thanks for the help we got from the people who cared enough to help. Next year we will have to do better if we want to continue developing our community. -- Neptune, October 13, 1997 at 10:32p

Burning Man was an incredible event, but I am feeling a little disillusioned about it now, after having come from the playa this weekend, where a SMALL group of us helped to clean up. One of the main points of burning man is to have zero environmental impact. Many people left so much trash that I felt ashamed for all of us. Burning Man is about respecting each other and the environement. What I saw this past weekend was about pure carelessnes and disregard for a truly beautiful site. -- Tom Durante, October 13, 1997 at 9:29p

The House of Doors folks apparently had permission from the landowner to leave the structure up. Recently, she changed her mind and made them tear it down. They were going to attempt to do so this last weekend (Oct. 11-12) -- I believe they will finish as soon as they can. Things aren't always as they seem. -- Bill, October 13, 1997 at 2:06p

Where are the people who built the House of Doors? The Pedal Camp? The Bone Arch? I know you are out there, or that people who know you are. Where the hell are you?!!!? I had so much respect for you until now, so much admiration for your efforts. Now, that respect has dwindled away to nothing, nothing but dismay and disappointment over your lack of responsibility. I bet you were all so proud of yourselves at the burn -- "I'm not a spectator, I'm a participant! A major participant!" Where is your participation now? Participation in the cleanup? Well, now you're a participant in the destruction of the playa, and a probable contributor to the end of our welcome at Fly ranch. Thanks a fucking lot. -- Linda, October 13, 1997 at 8:51a

Craig, is this true? I remember walking around the open playa the Monday after the burn, looking at the beer bottles strewn for what looked like miles in all directions, and feeling deeply depressed. If after five weeks we still can't come down to zero impact, then I am even more depressed. If Burning Man is cancelled on account of our own slovenliness, and not devious county politics, it will be a sad irony. -- Eric, October 13, 1997 at 7:44a

Me and my friends just returned from a weekend on the playa helping with the cleanup. Our efforts felt futile amid the huge mess that remains and the tiny crew of people working out there with minimal equipment. Thank you Dan, Fred, Shona, Mary, Richard, Will, and all the rest for your many hours of heroic effort. You're keeping the spirit of Burning Man alive right now on the playa. I was stunned to see how much stuff was left out there a full five weeks after the event. Pedal Camp in its entirety, heaped with trash. The House of Doors still standing. The Bone Arch finally giving in to desert reality, bending down almost to the ground. A huge amount of work was left for a small group of people to finish. So many big messes remain to take care of that the playa is still littered with little things (cig butts, gum wrappers, bottle caps, etc.) The result, in my opinion, is that we won't be invited back to Fly Ranch next year. "Pick up Everything, Leave Nothing Behind." Unless we do exactly that, Burning Man becomes just another symptom of our disposable consumer culture. -- craig, October 12, 1997 at 10:16p

Does anyone know?....Is CNN due to broadcast an hour long doc on BM97 in November?? Original source for this rumour, Long Island Newsday....Please post or mail me. -- Kevin, October 12, 1997 at 5:28p

I watched the man burn from 20 miles a way and 1000 feet up while sitting atop my jeep. I was overlooking the entire flats and could see over the small hills that separated the juallapi valley from the playa, and could clearly see the camp and the ever changing neon man. We did not attend the man itself this year, as we had since 1991. I remember how wonderful it was when there were fewer than 300 people dancing around the man in and out of the fire like aborigines before safety was a major concern. Living in Empire for 3 years I remember what the desert was like throughout the seasons before the hordes of people began coming on a regular basis leaving garbage, dirt bike trails and other unmentionables behind. The hot springs were always empty and quiet and now they have multiple groups of people camped out nearly every day of the year, shooting guns, dropping garbage. Now with private people and government hot for developing the area at hand, the wild nature of the area will be lost for good. The burning man itself is not evil, just the after effects, of what it has become is..it has got to stop before the full californiazation of the nevada desert is complete. -- Robert Wykoff, October 12, 1997 at 11:03a

Ah, friends, it's taken me this long to recover, to capture the strong memories in words, to align them with the pictures. I've built a site for me and for you, all of you, who helped to create something so wonderful this summer. Thank you, and I'll see you again soon. -- http://www.morrisdesign.com/projects/bman/ -- Aaron Young, October 12, 1997 at 1:49a

I can't beleave it, someone is playing an hours long of the Burningman on the radio. KCMU (90.3) in seattle, I feel like's it's flash back... I can't stop thinking about it. MAN.. wish I could do that all the time. well just had to let that out. : ) i'll go back to my burningman page (www.w-link.net/~techguy) Hope to see you guys next year. -- Mike In Seattle listen to kisw, October 12, 1997 at 0:04a

Photo Contest !!! Outside Gerlach, NV, Aug.Sep. Œ97:          PissClearBlackRockGazetteetcetc and Motorized Living Room crew have too much fun and don¹t take the time to take the photos to relive the event...so we¹re offering you the chance for the night of your life in exchange for a few good pics/stills. YOU could win.... 1st Place - One Winner A Night on the Motorized Living Room at Burning man 1998 with 10 Friends or 10 Strangers, whichever you prefer... ~ OR ~ a date with Kristi (aka Living Room Lady, Cinnamon Girl...), a date with Tad (aka Siddhartha), or a date with Kristi and Tad 2nd Place - 5 Winners Official Motorized Living Room Highlight Video from Burning Man 1997 3rd Place - 10 Winners Official Motorized Living Room fave-tunes audio cassette: ³Cruizin¹ on the Playa² 16 CHANCES TO WIN!!! -this is not a joke - people will actually win the above mentioned goodies. the fine print : Please send entries to: Mr. Pepper Mouser, 2617 Bissonnet St., Houston, TX 77005 (800)392-4384. Entries are for keeps - hey, there are three of us - so don¹t send originals without a note and a self-addressed, stamped envelope/pack for return. Include your name, where you are, and how to get in touch. Contest deadline: Dec. 31, 1997. Questions? Email Kristi, aka Livingroom Lady, aka Cinnamon Girl , Kristimike@aol.com. -- Kristi, aka LIVINGROOM LADY -new address, October 11, 1997 at 7:20p

Words are inadequate, but I had the best time i've had anywhere, at any time in any place. Thanks to J.D. Petras, Joy Orabella, The Maidens, Michael and Daniel, the boyz from Bindlestiff Family Circus, my campmates, Gary, Shelly and Billy and All the Trolls at Bianca's Smut Shack. Thanks Larry Harvey for making it all happen and happen so awesomely. Next year, Kamp Kali will be back with 100 or so of my closest friends. Peace and may there be many burns to come. -- David S, October 11, 1997 at 6:23p

I just heard a rumor that I have to confirm. Did anyone see the fashion show on Saturday, with that guy who ejaculated into the crowd and called himself "Crack Moses"? Is it true they caught him on CNN? Is that actually CRACK MOSES?? I just have to know. Please, anyone who has seen Crack Moses e-mail me. Thanks- -- Hyperelf, October 11, 1997 at 10:13a

Hello all who still frequent this page. Share with me my memories of Burningman 97. http://members.aol.com/legionenfx -- Dark Angel, October 10, 1997 at 0:48p

Front page of today's Reno paper:Picture of the remaining trash/structures still at the playa. Headline "Burningman leaves legacy of litter." PR disaster. I've done clean up, Shona rallied some people a week or two ago to clean up more. Where are the rest of you, and most importantly, where are those whose remnants now appear on the front page of the paper all the Washoe County decision makers and their bridge partners read? Why give the shallow souls any excuse to quell our celebration? Why shoot ourselves in the foot so? -- Matt, October 10, 1997 at 10:33a

Hope to see you at the big cleanup then this weekend Kemuel -- Anon., October 9, 1997 at 6:58p

This is a story about 4 people named: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, becouse it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it . It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done. Give what you can to keep those fires burning.... Burning Man 98' baby!!!! -- Kemuel de la Pena, October 9, 1997 at 6:12p

This is a story about 4 people named: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, becouse it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it . It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done. Give what you can to keep those fires burning.... Burning Man 98' baby!!!! -- Kemuel de la Pena, October 9, 1997 at 6:12p

Like the flames from the man, activity on this board is flickering lower and lower. Soon, the postings will be little more than the black smoke that lingered over the Playa on Monday morning. But keep the embers glowing, deep beneath the cooling ash. . .the soft smolder that, with a fresh desert breeze and the fuel of BM 98 will blast forth in shooting flames next Labor Dayweekend. Keep the Man alive! Burn it! -- Phillip, October 9, 1997 at 8:25a

Well it's finsh, but the memories will last for ever. My page is up with pictures of my great time I had at Burning Man 97. Come check them out I tell me what you think, or I took a picture of you. It's at www.w-link.net/~techguy hope to see you all next year! -- Mike, October 7, 1997 at 8:40p

     gas torch we love you!! -- danboy, October 7, 1997 at 4:29p

WONDERFUL!!!! I received my t shirt today-pretty cool. -- soupcan@gte.net, October 6, 1997 at 10:41p

HEDENISTIC ROMAN CHAROIT PARADE: OCT 31ST SAN FRANCISCO Care to join us? A few creative people are getting together to build charoits, to pull around downtown San Francisco on Halloween night. We are looking for Dummers, flag carriers, harlots, chariots, roman soliders, fire breathers and anything else that has to do with fire and Rome A.D. PS It's also the night of Critical Mass email me -- Grant aka Vandall Bondage, October 6, 1997 at 7:00p

How to MAke money for Burning Man. In all pre event info let every one know that you would like a ten dollar donation at the gate with your regular fee. Have some interesting performers beg people for the donation, when they enter. THe locale officials should have no right to take donated moneys at the gate. Ten dollar donation from most everyone who come to Burming Man should be a big help! Hope it goes on again in 98. -- robert, October 6, 1997 at 4:16p

I loved the Bone Arch -- it was one of the highlights of the event for me, it was amazing, phenomenal, beautiful. I couldn't walk by center camp without paying it a visit each time. I asked everyone whom I met, "did you see the bone arch?" and if they hadn't, I'd take them to it. That is how much I loved the bone arch. However, I believe it should be removed. Burning Man is supposed to be fluid, changing from one year to the next -- a TEMPORARY autonomous zone. No matter what we create, the supreme beauty of the locale originates from its natural state. Leaving something, even one thing, one year, then the next, then the next, eventually creates Disneyland. I prefer to think of Burning Man not as an event or a place, but a spirit... a spirit that appears, and then vanishes without a trace, which is part of its magic. It should vanish, leaving us to wonder over the course of the next 11 months, "can such a thing really have existed? Was it all in my mind?" until the spirit visits us again. Remove the bone arch until it is time to create a brand new reality next year. -- Linda, October 6, 1997 at 2:06p

What is the status with the Burningman 1997 t shirts? I have no problem with the money going towards BM 98 but it would be nice to know. On August 21st I was advised the shirts would be on their way, should be in by the time the event was over-can someone please advise? Thanks. -- soupcan@gte.net, October 6, 1997 at 1:24a

Hello! I am very homesick, I miss my neighbours- Eron, John, Zeke&Andrea, Madame (toa), Dragon Boy ( I didn't thank you for the use of the parasol!). I keep finding desert dust everywhere. Thanks to everyone who stayed longer than we did for clean up! And to everyone going back later this month for more clean up.(?)Fuck everyone who didn't take their own garbage out...you're all so fucking cool. Well, it's getting rainy and cold here on Vancouver Island...I miss you all. fare thee well untill next year, when we are all Home-at Burning Man '98. PeaceLightLoveJoy. Michelle -- Michelle from Victoria, October 5, 1997 at 6:31p

SHONA- WHAT SIZE SYSTEM ARE YOU DEALING WITH? # OF PANELS=, TOTAL AMP HRS OF BATTERIES, DISTANCE FRM PANELS TO BATTERIES,DISTANCE FRM BATTERIES TO LOAD, WHAT ARE LOADS,WHAT ARE PANELS TO MOUNT TO,WHAT PRECISELY IS SYSTEM TO BE USED FOR, INVERTER? -- DAN, October 4, 1997 at 2:26p

I just hope everybody realises that even IF some bigshot writes a big check, that does not relieve any of us of our responsibilities to our community. We must all still be responsible, and increasingly so, for our own NEEDS, INTERACTIONS, and EXPERIENCES. There is no easy way. WE ARE BURNING MAN. peace -- jeff, October 4, 1997 at 1:54a

Some Pics on the Burn, just click on the Burningman ticket to see them (May take a little while to load, but they're worth it!) There's a good one of Larry "The Man behind the Man" At the climax of his song under the Man. Go to www.geocities.com/SoHo/Gallery/3464 Enjoy!! See ya next year!! -- Todd Springett, October 3, 1997 at 0:40p

would love to be in desert again, to help, to clean, to lend a hand. Great distance keeps me away, but my thoughts remain with all of you. enjoy each other. -- lauren, October 3, 1997 at 11:16a

would love to be in desert again, to help, to clean, to lend a hand. Great distance keeps me away, but my thoughts remain with all of you. enjoy each other. -- lauren, October 3, 1997 at 11:16a

yes, yes, leave the bone tower. A tower or arch of bones historically and symbollically was designed to "protect the city." leave it and any other structures essential to the survival of our city and burning man. -- lauren, October 3, 1997 at 11:14a

yes, yes, leave the bone tower. A tower or arch of bones historically and symbollically was designed to "protect the city." leave it and any other structures essential to the survival of our city and burning man. -- lauren, October 3, 1997 at 11:13a

check out - http://www.go-symmetry.com/rainbow.htm for the book Imagine Again (free) I M A G I N E A G A I N -- Mark, October 3, 1997 at 8:14a

Okay, after a whole week+ of BM experiences several of us came up with a theme camp for next year: Naked Viking Camp. In all seriousness it would be two camps at opposite ends of the playa. We'd build a long ship around a truck frame and conduct raids. Ya know, have Viking meals, rape and pillage, a Viking funeral etc. Course we'd burn everything in the end. Anyone interested? Woops blew it, first posting didn't have the right e-mail address. -- Stan, October 2, 1997 at 9:57p

Okay, after a whole week+ of BM experiences several of us came up with a theme camp for next year: Naked Viking Camp. In all seriousness it would be two camps at opposite ends of the playa. We'd build a long ship around a truck frame and conduct raids. Ya know, have Viking meals, rape and pillage, a Viking funeral etc. Course we'd burn everything in the end. Anyone interested? -- Stan Pisle, October 2, 1997 at 9:54p

I'd like to help cleanup on the 10/11/12 weekend but I need a ride from SF. Will chip for gas and such. Anybody have space for 1??? -- Richard/Neptune, October 2, 1997 at 5:44p

P double S, Do you have any skills regarding Solar Panels/Solar Power for the ranch, i.e., installation, where to get them, etc.? That would be great too. See you out there. -- Shona, October 2, 1997 at 3:07p

::ATTENTION ALL:: Do you have experience in roofing, plumbing, electrical wiring, or general carpentry??? Then your help and knowledge sure could be put to use at the event site anytime, especially during the volunteer cleanup effort the weekend of the 10th, 11th & 12th. (Oct) There is much work to be done at Annie & Vans ranch (they are the wonderful people who allowed us to set up Black Rock City on the Playa). Repairs, helping with construction on the ranch, hauling out left items, carpentry of all sorts are needed. Arrange supplies with Annie and Van "before" you head out. Donate some of your skills to these wonderful people; pound a few nails, help install a door, insulate something, hang some siding, ask "how can I help"? Someone who could have a creative idea or two regarding "communications" for the ranch would be great (any mobile communication speacialists out there?). Hope to see you out there. P.S. have an extra 1/4 or 1/2 chord of good firewood that you don't need? They could use it for the Winter (theirs was 'borrowed' during the event). A lot is being done at the ranch, but "more able bodies" would help to speed things up a bit. Hope to see you out there. Much, much love. -- Shona, October 2, 1997 at 2:39p

way from the site. Some structures will, and should, be left alone. The bone arch still stands and is a beautiful piece of art. Please leave it alone (my personal opinion). So there is deconstruction to be done, as well as alot of hauling to the conveniently located dumpsters on the site. That means that "flatbeds" and "trucks" are mucho bueno items that will greatly help the cleanup effort. Also, it rained heavy the last couple of days, so keep that in mind if you plan on treking "out" on the Playa. Also, it is a little colder during the night time now, so if you camp, bring warm stuff to beat the chill. The weekend of the 10th, 11th & 12th, your help is needed. Whatever you can contribute, time, encouragement, even a positive vibe from wherever you are, it would mean so much. Please help to "fully" restore the event site to its' amazing and wonderous beauty. And when you get out there, if you happen to run into Annie or Van, just say to them "thank you" for being such generous hosts, thank you for everything. ((and, if you can, bring them some good firewood for the Winter too, since theirs was 'borrowed' during the event, I'm sure they would appreciate it very much)). Hope to see you all out on the Playa the weekend of the 10th, 11th & 12th for the cleanup effort. Much, much, much love. -- Shona, October 2, 1997 at 2:11p

:: Site Cleanup Update :: Speacial thanks to everyone who participated in the volunteer cleanup effort last weekend (26th, 27th & 28th). You got so much done. Bob, Sharon, JoeMe, Stephanie and Aaron from the City and Santa Cruz, Garth from Reno, Don, Sunny & Littlefeet from Nevada City (hope to run into you this weekend at Ananda), Kim & Walt from Heaven, thank you so very much for everything you did. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!!! Also, thanks to "Flash" for caretaking of the Playa, he may never see this post but thanks, nonetheless. All of you, for every bit of picking up this or that, helping out at Annie and Vans' ranch, and just generally giving so generously of your time and sweat. It is so very appreciated. So where do we stand now in terms of the site cleanup? Well, opinions differ, but my take on it is this : A great deal has been accomplished in the month since the event, but there "still" remains much to be done. Can it be done? You bet! As a matter of fact there is a plan to get "everyone" out there the weekend of the 10th, 11th & 12th. What is left to do? Most of the labour of love "on the event site" revolves around PEDAL CAMP (pun intended). Nearly all of pedal camp was left (trash included). So there is messy cleanup work (hauling to the dumpsters) as well as deconstruction work, involving more hauling of unsalvageable wood to the dumpster and the stacking of any "salvageable" wood in a pile so that those who can use it may haul it a -- Shona, October 2, 1997 at 2:01p

Hello folks. It has been a thoughtful month since we left the Burn. And i have a small selection of pictures now at http://www.cea.berkeley.edu/~john/bm/ Come visit. Burn Mondays! -- John, October 2, 1997 at 1:14p

Is there any more news on the gathering this weekend at the boyscout camp in Santa Cruz?? I did't get a check to them in time, so I'm hoping I can still go. -- Sam I Am, October 1, 1997 at 11:27p

The imposter is gone. BTW, the same person who was impersonating me and kat was also the same person who was signing as Bruce Baxter, AND Elizabeth Harvy. According to server admin, that person is now banned from this server. Let's forget it and MOVE ON. Keep the Spirit! There seems to be less and less of us here! Take Care. Sam -- Sam I Am, October 1, 1997 at 11:25p

It's the new moon, Cliff. And you know what that does to our lunatic spirits. 'Tis more mournful still than a waning gibbous (although just the bees-knees for celestial observation). -- Syd, October 1, 1997 at 8:22p

That's the Moon has gone full cycle. Geeez, long day. See Ya at Seybold! -- Cliff Raker, October 1, 1997 at 8:13p

Amazing! Fifteen hours later and I am the only person with something to say. The full has gone full cycle since the Burn. Where is everybody? -- Cliff Raker, October 1, 1997 at 8:11p

I have read every message left on this board since returning from the burn last month (A Whole Month! WOW!). Never before have I been part of such a "wonder-full" community. The spirit that moves through the community of Burning Man is worthy of the future, from the Playa to the farthest realms of our imagination. $100K is nothing! We (the 10k that came, plus the tens of thousands more that understand) average that much collective income in an hour or two (perhaps even less), and undoubtedly produce even more. Money is not the problem. Lack of spirit is the only thing that can kill Burning Man! I expect to be at Black Rock City, where ever it may rise, next year. Whether in Washoe Co., or Eastern Oregon, or if need be with one friend in my own back yard, I will be there! OK enough of my rant. Except, a special thanks to the beautiful woman in flowing white who danced silhouetted against the CD wall at about 1am on Monday. -- Cliff Raker, October 1, 1997 at 5:01a

BTW, Yes it is true, according to Jack Rabbit Speaks that Washoe County is giving back about 50 grand. While this is a lot of money, and a major victory, as far as I know burning man is STILL BROKE, and needs needs another 80,000 to 100,000 dollars! The $50,000 paid the landlord, but nothing else. Please send money. I know I keep on saying this, but BURNING MAN WILL NOT CONTINUE IF THEY DO NOT GET THE NECESSARY FUNDS. I have made what I consider quite a contribution to Burning Man. I encourage everyone else to do what they can so that we can have festival next year. Thanks! Sam -- Sam I Am, October 1, 1997 at 0:37a

Hi! First of all, I will say Yeah Man! Second of all, I have been impersonated again. While I wouldn't mind being the contact for Gay/Lesbian groups on burning man, I am neither Gay, nor Lesbian, so perhaps someone else might be better. Sorry Sam I Am's evil twin. You will have to better than that to piss me off.. Take Care all! -- Sam I Am, October 1, 1997 at 0:32a

YEEAAAHHHHH mMAAAAANn....ROTTWEILLERS RULE!!! -- Nelsson, September 30, 1997 at 10:13p

Overheard at a party: "Next year someone should build Penis Camp. There were so many of them out anyway..." -- Anon., September 30, 1997 at 9:29p

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

Yeah, man! -- Keith, September 30, 1997 at 8:33a

Anon, do you have a life? -- Andy, September 30, 1997 at 8:06a

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

Yeah, man! -- Anon., September 30, 1997 at 6:23a

Hello all, I had an unbelievable time at the Burning Man this year. Larry and Company, thank you for providing an experience I'll never forget! As awesome as the B-Man was, I seemed to have contracted something there that I'm in need of help in trying to identify. I've been fighting this strange malady since leaving the playa and it's shown no sign of abating. I'm wondering if anyone else has had experienced any sort of similar illness. My symptoms: fatigue and general malaise, lightheadness (at times feeling like I'm going to pass out), mental sluggishness, lower back aches, impaired fine motor response and visual acuity, and feeling flushed. I've been checked out by physicians and they have no clue what's wrong. Blood and urine tests all came back negative. Presumably it's some viral infection, but no one has been able to help. I've done some medical research on my own and still haven't been able to find an answer. Please, if you have any information or if you know someone with similar symptoms, get in touch with me ASAP. Your help would be GREATLY appreciated! Best regards, DJ -- DJ, September 29, 1997 at 5:19p

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

Hey, what's up BM people!? I'm doing real well. Almost broke my arm last week celebrating the 125,000 donation only to find out that it was BS. I was thinking of writing a check for 125,000 myself but since I only got $613.27 to my name, I guess the check probably would bounce. Burning Man is really cool. I love all you people out there. Spread the love. ----IF YOU LOVED BM AND IT CHANGED YOUR LIFE, SAY "YEAH, MAN!"---- Let's hear it, guys & gals! -- Mike, September 29, 1997 at 2:36p

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

I think she lives on the West Coast -- but I'm not sure. California? -- Mark, September 29, 1997 at 2:24p

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

Kat, you mention you're playing at Richie's on Route 283 but you don't seem to mention WHAT CITY YOU LIVE IN! AN important piece of information, don't you think? -- Steve, September 29, 1997 at 1:56p

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

*Hey everyone!* I'm thinking of starting a Burning Man Gay/Lesbian Dating Service... what do y'all think? Would you like to sign up? E-mail me for information! Burning Man people have gotta stay together! -- Sam I Am, September 29, 1997 at 11:39a

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

My funk band will be playing over at Richie's on Route 283 next Tuesday, around 10 pm. Beers are only $1 from 9-11 so stop on by and take a break from that busy schedule of yours. By the way, we're looking for a new drummer. Sam I Am? Marty told me you were in a band way back. E-mail me if you're interested. Hey, does anyone know if Billy Fitz is reading the board? If he is, say hi! We miss you. Lots of love to all... -- kat, September 29, 1997 at 11:35a

Hey! is it true what I heard on the news last night? That Washoe County is planning on re-imbursing roughly 56k to Bm for cleanup and other such stuff? I think that that is wonderful, and perhaps the county is saying, "Even though you crazy people scared the hell out of us, we would like to make sure that this is able to happen again" It does not solve the problem, but it sure would make a hell of a dent!! -- Joshua!, September 29, 1997 at 10:08a

Burning Man is where I UNLEARNED the rules that "real society" had taught me for so many years: Never talk to strangers, be a passive consumer, shun those who are unlike you, and always look out for your own interests first. Instead, Burning Man taught me the incredible lessons of love, giving, sharing, warmth, community, and peace. -- Scott Rose, September 29, 1997 at 0:35a

Land Speed Record, Schmand Schpeed Schpecord.....the Land Speed Record for the Motorized Living Room stands (unofficially) at 55 mph with 6 passengers. Look for improvements next year; possibly a split level motorized mini home! PS - Keep your eyes peeled for a photo contest regarding photos of the Motorized Living Room...details to follow when we get this organized. It will be announced here first! Yours with a year to burn, the Motorized Living Room Crew - Pepper Mouser, Tad Griffin, and myself - Kristi. -- Kristi Robison, aka LIVINGROOM LADY, September 28, 1997 at 4:46p

Burning Man is probably the best gateway ritual into the 21st century, but it should be on New Years Eve 2000/2001, not 1999/2000. The entire year of 2000 resides in the 20th century. Good idea, though. -- Christopher, September 28, 1997 at 11:04a

LARRY AND ALL OTHER BURNINGPEOPLE- HERE'S A THOUGHT. NEW YEARS EVE 1999/2000, BLACK ROCK CITY RINGS IN THE MILLENIUM! WE'LL WELCOME THE ARMAGEDDON OR THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW AG E AS ONLY WE KNOW HOW! JUST A THOUGH. -- ACTION DAVE, September 28, 1997 at 6:33a

-- Anon., September 28, 1997 at 6:29a

-- Anon., September 28, 1997 at 6:29a

-- fonchbud@aol.com, September 28, 1997 at 6:27a

Your pain. Your fear. The worst archtypal horror.... Is in the making. Be afraid. Be VERY fucking afraid...... "Clownhenge" Remember, you read it here first. -- Marcel, or is it Boz....., September 28, 1997 at 5:35a

Most Excellent! Thank you. By the way, That was my Roman Candle... I donated it just before they brought the man back up right before the burn, and they had time to put in the right spot. Would the real kat please stand up, and wave your right hand?? Sam I Am -- Sam I Am, September 27, 1997 at 11:24p

There is no way what I experienced can be comfortably encapsulated in these lines. It's like 2001's Dave Bowman being debriefed by men with clipboards after his trip through the Stargate. I have never beheld a greater concentration of creativity in one place, including all the art shows I have ever seen. The need for such intensive 'tribal gatherings', where freedom and unleashed exuberence rule, is another of the sociological enrichments introduced in the sixties. This is apparently an event which would never have come into being without the discovery of Psychedelic drugs. The influence of this other sixties innovation were by no means universal but clearly woven throught the collective fabric of the occassion. If you read 'The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test' by Tom Wolfe some hints of the initial inner sparkle behind it all can be gleaned...but magnify the size and variety a thousandfold and add the maturity of the tools available now to enhance the mass experience and the stage is set for a wacky carnival where unpredictable beauty, zaniness, and irreverence meet you at every turn. I laughed until it hurt then laughed some more. The gathering took place on a VERY dry desert, a 'playa', or flat sediment filled basin between mountain ranges. We arriveed Wednesday afternoon, and set up our tent with hardly any neighbors at first. The Milky Way that night was wonderful to behold, arching over us from Scorpius to Perseus. It was cool at night, but hot in the afternoons, approaching 100 degrees F. A number of people required medical attention for heat stroke, staffs of doctors were always ready for such things. No one died, (as 2 did last year) and I saw no fights, arrests, etc. By the third day, I was in ther midst of a tent city, with roads and population centers well established. About 25-30 thousand people were spread out in a crescent shaped mass with the flatness beyond broken by isolated giant sculptures, with the 40 foot tall 'Burning Man' itself towering over everything, neon lights outlining it's form at night. Thousands of generators filled the night with lights and sounds. Three FM radio stations played music and very local news. Recordings of live Grateful Dead shows were prominent in the selections, with This Mortal Coil and Loreena McKennett also heard along with much obscure and exotic sounds. Incessant drumming came from everywhere, and marching bands snaked along the foot and bicycle traveled streets. No cars were allowed in the village. No selling of items except for a few camp run provision centers. Countless elaborately decorated cars, habitats, and 'theme parks' are the backdrop for this transient community, many people with fantastic costumes, some wearing little or nothing. Many of them are engineers and artists who build creatively elaborate contributions to the mass experience. One of our next door camping neighbors was a chairperson for SIGGRAPH! Meeting with those I knew there we shared company and refreshments and proceeded to be enveloped in the gathering joyous madness. I walk in the dusty streets, past a group of men wearing nothing but broad stripes of body paint, with tents and geodesic domes of all sizes around me. More elaborate structures covered with brightly colored sculpture and topped by flags were adorned with slogans and symbols of near and distant times. Mutant manniquins and intricate metal and wooden creations adorn the habitats and exibits. Bare breasts are so common you no longer consider it exceptional. Climbable towers and tall wooden light and flag poles loomed above the city, with elaborately tied rope mandalas and tie-dye banners stretched across thier structures. A couch on wheels smoothly rolls by, it's driver using a joystick to steer while passing a bus covered with thousands of brilliant toys, 'OMYGAWD' is painted in reverse on it's front, for the benefit of those in front of him on the road. A right turn brings me face to face with a small remote controled wheeled robot vehicle with a camcorder (mounted in a clear dome capable of swiveling about) and a big television monitor mounted at the base to show the spectators what the camera sees as it picks it's way through the crowd. A loud drone draws my attention upwards, to see 2 ultralight aircraft flying in close formation, and a one person helicopter putters across the flats beyond, gaining speed in the uncrowded regions to take off. A very loud engine sound in the distance proves to be a 'pulse jet' like that which powered the V-1 buzzbombs powering a small wheeled vehicle. Another tricycle cart speeds up as a 10 foot jet of flame erupts from it's rear! The shimmering light building up the scene around me forms an image of sail cycles in the distance riding atop a mirage looking for the world like sailboats on a lake! The temperature delightfully drops as the high clouds form tapered and feathery shapes...near the sun, stripes of irridescent colors give me a taste of the most beautiful hues nature can provide...I shoot Kodachromes as I revel in the beauty above and around me! Kites twirl in the breeze, long tails forming cirlique patterns in the deepening sky. A tremendous arch made of 50 tethered kites is held by Carter Emmart on one end, and by 'Lizard Man' on the other. I wonder if the conditions are ripe for a good sunset and soon enough I get the first good sign: the Eastern clouds are being lit along thier bottoms like the western ones soon will be. I have a fresh roll ready and moving to the emptier stretches I watch the natural spectacle begin. As I shoot frame after frame, varying the exposure, I become aware of a new sound emerging all around me- the cheering of thousands who stopped what they were doing and poured thier appreciation out in waves of joyous roaring filling the fiery heavens with another dimension of excitement! The deep red afterglow persisted for a long time as the sea of lights came alive below. A band plays "The Star Spangled Banner" into the gathering night. A bat is briefly sillouetted against the twilight. While still on the flat less crowded playa I see someone preparing a mortar like device and I notice people giving the general direction it's pointed a wide berth...suddenly a yell "Fire in the hole" and an eruption of fire spews out in an instant to form a towering 50 foot fireball, startling in it's size and heat, rising and twisting and darkening into an undulating black smoke ring directly above us. -FAST FORWARD- The population is gathering towards Burning Man, it is nearly time. Another fine sunset nearly as colorful as last night's has left a slowly dispersing cloud ceiling dripping with bulbous 'mammatus' shapes. This one markes the start of the climatic ceremony I and my companions arrived early, I have three fully charged batteries and a full Hi8 tape, and lots of water. I have the best view and the wind is at my back. Columns of drumming costumed people with long spear like staffs bearing green glowsticks and torches arrive, assume places, and dance around the wood and neon giant in the center. A fire show begins, many dancers with giant flaming batons...men walking on burning stilts, naked women carressing themselves with torches, a few dignitaries with huge adorned masks carried by others and looking like priests of forgotten cultures...the drumming builds in intensity and overlapping variety and the neon on the Man looks like slits through which the light of another world shines. The audience yells "Buurrrn it!!!" and talkitive individules who don't know what they're saying pour it all out to thier neighbors. Suddenly someone climbs the tall steps at the base of the Man while blazing from head to foot! This stuntman in protective gear stands between the legs, reaches out and activates the fuzes, climbs down the other side, and collapses as a crew covers him with foam and blankets. The Man is on fire, red flares spewing from the extended arms and yellow flames climbing the wooden structure...A sputtering roar announces the first of many levels of pyrotechnics buried within, and the torso erupts in a white sparkling mass. The neon tubes die quietly. Skyrockets roar upward from the shoulders, smoke surges sideways, and well placed roman candles provide fiery ejaculations from the proper spot on the figure! Finally the Man collapses in a fiery mass and a dance around the heap of fire begins, many of the participants naked, many carrying torches, all being very pagan. Fireworks rise from the crowd to explode above. Red flares drop among us. Music and drums everywhere. It is time for the community to begin to die. While I head back to continue my own revelry with friends I see a huge tractor-like wagon, bearing a flame thrower with a long tube which spins loudly and menaceingly as it prepares to fire... a wild crowd moves alongside it, yelling out advice on what to burn. At a selected sculpture a stream of burning gasoline erupts from the tube, tracing out feathery patterns at it's bottom, billowy above, as another bonfire is added to those around me. Some of then look as big as burning houses! A side mounted model rocket atop a truck loudly spews out a 20 foot jet of flame nearby while people wearing phosphorescent glow sticks along thier bodies look like simple computer graphic skeletons. A large black dog thusly adorned looks particularly surreal in the darkness! An elaborate arrangement of moving lights in a wheeled vehicle looks like someone reined to a giant dragonfly with flapping wings. Don Davis -- Don Davis, September 27, 1997 at 10:06p

from the pages of the gazoo journal, daily coverage of noble and breedloves attempt to shatter the land speed record in the black rock desert. fawning press, no obstacles from washout county, green lite go man go!!! no enviromental damage at all(ha). no economic benefit to washout county. hardly any to gerlach and empire. go figure -- johnny handle, September 27, 1997 at 4:51p

http://www.abattoir.com/~rsn8/bman97/01bman97.html will show you this years album of the creators of the Geometry Installation- the *last* installation on the playa... -- Geometry Photo Album is UP, September 27, 1997 at 1:39p

hey kat, why don't you tell us more about this band you're involved in? puerile? not in my typing. -- kat, September 27, 1997 at 1:29a

Oh no, I too have been impostered. Maybe I should listen to myself, though. Pass that pipe, Sam I Am (The real me I think) -- Sam I Am, September 26, 1997 at 11:44p

T-dub... you didn't leave your e-mail address... there's an L. A. fundraiser planned for October 25. Calvinball! Spread the word. Email me. -- Linda, September 26, 1997 at 10:55p

if anybody has information on any of the bands that were at the burn and when/where they're playing in the bay area, we would greatly appreciate it... expecially Beyond Race peace and rave!                -- beck, September 26, 1997 at 7:56p

What I cant understand is how some devious person could post such horrible lies on this board. This type of "Mis-Info" could seriously damage the generious donations of those who want to help. What I suggest: Lets mail bomb this person who's spreading false promise to us Residents of Black rock. Hopefuly theres someone out there who knows how to break in to his "E-mail" and fuck him up!!!! What motivation could be behind such diabolic slander as this??? The devil himself, I say!!! B-man changed my life, and hope that there are a thousand more to change others who have the " civilization bug". I work non-stop 5-7 days a week and hope to send money to my People at B-man. If we all pull together, I see a sure future for our cause!!! The forces of evil are surely at work, spreading these false rumors of $125K, and riping organizer off from the start of 97. Any L.A. people out there who are setting up donation ideas, e-mai me!! -- T-Dub, September 26, 1997 at 6:04p

What I cant understand is how some devious person could post such horrible lies on this board. This type of "Mis-Info" could seriously damage the generious donations of those who want to help. What I suggest: Lets mail bomb this person who's spreading false promise to us Residents of Black rock. Hopefuly theres someone out there who knows how to break in to his "E-mail" and fuck him up!!!! What motivation could be behind such diabolic slander as this??? The devil himself, I say!!! B-man changed my life, and hope that there are a thousand more to change others who have the " civilization bug". I work non-stop 5-7 days a week and hope to send money to my People at B-man. If we all pull together, I see a sure future for our cause!!! The forces of evil are surely at work, spreading these false rumors of $125K, and riping organizer off from the start of 97. Any L.A. people out there who are setting up donation ideas, e-mai me!! -- T-Dub, September 26, 1997 at 6:03p

What I cant understand is how some devious person could post such horrible lies on this board. This type of "Mis-Info" could seriously damage the generious donations of those who want to help. What I suggest: Lets mail bomb this person who's spreading false promise to us Residents of Black rock. Hopefuly theres someone out there who knows how to break in to his "E-mail" and fuck him up!!!! What motivation could be behind such diabolic slander as this??? The devil himself, I say!!! B-man changed my life, and hope that there are a thousand more to change others who have the " civilization bug". I work non-stop 5-7 days a week and hope to send money to my People at B-man. If we all pull together, I see a sure future for our cause!!! The forces of evil are surely at work, spreading these false rumors of $125K, and riping organizer off from the start of 97. -- T-Dub, September 26, 1997 at 6:01p

To Bruce Baxter, This was my first year at Burning Man and instead of the wild party I thought it would be, it had a greater sense of community than any Christian gathering I have ever been to in my youth. I plan to take more of a part in it next year. Oh and as for a job- I work in the research department at Intel and do more for the eventual future of mankind than I'm sure you do. I am also in the Navy Reserve and will die for my country in the event of a war. I believe I have well earned the right to any peaceful assemby that I so choose and Burning Man has been the best I've been to. In short- fuck off - until you have proven yourself so much better than I that I will head your words. Some of the greatest potential achievements have been destroyed by mediocre little minds. -- Rob the Wop, September 26, 1997 at 3:49p

To ALL you beautiful people: What I love about Burning Man is that is doesn't die. I love that the beauty in all of us has been let out in all its splendor, and that it is encouraged, recognized, and supported. I love that those who did not feel so beautiful before Burning Man realized that they ARE, that everyone is beautiful, and that innner beauty , when it comes right down to it, is MUCH more beautiful than outer physical beauty. Inner beauty is amazing, and it shines through -- we can see it. We can feel it. I love the collectiveness, the spontaneity, the creativity, the positivity. I love Burning Man -- I love the atmosphere it provided, I love the people it attracted, I love the way I felt while there -- I keep it with me. Thank You all. -- astrogrl, September 26, 1997 at 1:46p

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

Sorry I've been posting so much. I've gotten a little out of control. I've been smoking up way too much and I get kinds giddy. Sorry. Love to you all. -- Sam I Am, September 26, 1997 at 1:45p

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

Yea, Kat... Let us know when you're playing! Everyone should spread the word when they're giving concerts, etc. We've all got to come out and support our fellow Burning Men/Women! -- Keith, September 26, 1997 at 1:43p

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

All these friggin' imposters are driving me crazy! They're posting all over the place using my name. What's going on? I never asked for all this attention. In fact, I hate the spotlight. I like to hide out in my little corner and do my own thing (i.e. make some mean music!) P.S. My band is having a concert coming up -- I'll let all you BM'ers know when and where! -- kat, September 26, 1997 at 11:54a

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

Hoaxster: It wasn't funny... you got up all our hopes that we were in the clear... and then we were shattered to find out that we're back where we started. Not fair play, hoaxster. Play your puerile pranks elsewhere. -- kat, September 26, 1997 at 11:37a

What? No big ole donation? Dammit, hook line and sinker. . .I'm so easy. Anyway, the anonymous perpetrator of this fraud has still sewn some pretty hefty kharma. From these tiny ripples, great waves will grow. -- Phillip, September 26, 1997 at 10:24a

So no big donation. Just as well--it seemed like spectating instead of participating. I guess I'll get off my ass and participate by mailing a check, if I can find that P. O. Box number again. -- David, September 26, 1997 at 10:08a

to all,'the part in us that does not burn watches the part that does.' -- lauren, September 26, 1997 at 7:39a

to all, you should not accept anything except the most invigorating life. -- lauren, September 26, 1997 at 7:37a

Sorry for the 3rd post in a row, folks, but this time the Burning Man wants to speak, and he isn't going to let me go until I write what he has to say. This is very real...... Greetings from Sam's head! What if someone DID donate 125,000, or even a million dollars? What if Burning Man was financially secure for the next hundred years? This would mean nothing. Burning Man does not need a "savior" burning man needs YOU. 10,000 people donating 50 cents each from their heart means much much more than on person donating a billion dollars (sorry Ted). It is very important that everyone really feel burning man, much like the person writing this for me (his eyes are shut now, and I am almost tking over his hands). Once again I have to say that burning man lives inside of you!! no where else. NOT EVEN ON PLAYA!! While the Playa is a catalyst for change. IT IS NOT BURNING MAN. Burning Man is bigger than anything you have ever imagined. It is love, adventure, pure, and beautiful. And unlike heaven, it exists right here whereever you are. Burning Man is life. Please remember the feeling You had Sunday night, when for a brief moment, burning man came alive, and filled your bodies with flames. Most of you remember the power and the energy, but how many felt the love and peace. Yes it was there, along with anger, and hatred. All aspects of life were there all in one instant. Some call this enlightenment. You can carry that with you, if you want. It is your choice. The channeler of this letter has chosen buddhism as is medium for this, but there are others. There is also just belief that something like that exists.---togetherness, onness, you are youness. You are an individual, and can be no other person, so stop trying. but most important, we are also not alone on this planet earth. we have each other. use us. it is the only way to strive and survive. Sincerely, Burning man. Nam myoho renge kyo. Nam myoho renge kyo. Nam myho renge kyo......Thank you. by the way, this was definitly more the collective conciousness of Burning Man, than myself. Post such as these will occur only on a random basis. I recieved absolutely no warning what so ever. Thanks! Also note... Burning man is by no means always serious. It's just that I didn't have that power bar handy! -- Sam I Am, September 25, 1997 at 10:30p

the gazoo journals email is rgjmail@nevadanet.com. i coundnt find the appropriate email for washout county yet. -- johnny, September 25, 1997 at 10:08p

the reno gazoo journal reports today that burning man owes its creditors $100,000 in unpaid services including the fly ranch, empire general store and others. washoe county holds money from burning man in escrow? escrow for what? they overcharged in the first place. please email the gazoo journal and washoe county with response. will post these emails when i find them on the net. peace love and apologies from this ass backwards state. -- johnny handle, September 25, 1997 at 9:58p

On a lighter side, however, I'd like to share with you a letter that I am sending to Washoe County. Maid Marion was impressed when she read it...... <P>Dear Washoe County Commissioners <p>I am writing you in regard to the Burning Man event that was held this year in your county. I am writing as a participant in the event. My opinions are my own, and not of the Burning Man Foundation. I know you all are busy, and you may have many letters such as these, but I really would like to ask that you read this letter, and consider what I have written. <p>Thank you very much for allowing us to hold such a fantastic event in the Black Rock Desert. I know that you had many reservations about having the event in your county this year, mainly based upon the problems of last year. I want you to know that because of the changes that were made (discouraging car traffic, and police presence), I felt very safe and secure. I think everyone participating in the event felt this, and pitched in to help by not driving, and looking after other people's belongings. I will be honest with you, and say that I think the helicopter for the most part wasn't necessary (except in the event of a medical emergency, or other disaster), and I would have preferred that it remain grounded most of the time. I definitely welcome the presence of law enforcement and fire fighters next year, wherever the event is held <p>But the main point of my letter is not to praise the work of the law enforcement/fire officials, but rather to ask for your help. The Burning Man Foundation is in serious trouble this year, mainly due to the permit fees, and other costs imposed by Washoe County, and I am am asking for help, because if The Burning Man Foundation cannot recover/get out of debt, it is highly unlikely that there will be a Burning Man next year. <p>I would like to relate to you my experience of Burning Man, and how it has changed MY life, and hopefully show you how important it is for Burning Man to continue. <p>Up until the weekend before the event, I was unsure as to wether I should go or not. Because of last year, I, too had fears of wether it would be safe to go. Some of my friends also expressed that they thought I may get hurt or injured while out in the Desert. However, I knew that Burning Man was going to be a spiritual experience for me, and that I HAD TO GO. It was then that I went to their web site, and registered. <p>Due to a number of things the rest of my week was chaotic... it seemed like everything in the universe was jumping up in front of me to keep me from going (there is a Buddhist term that basically says that any time you strive to do something great, devils will arise and try to stop you). But I persevered, and took off Thurs. Afternoon for Burning Man, with a travel companion whom I had never met before. <p>As the days and nights of Burning man flew by, in what seemed like both an eternity, and blink of an eye at the same time, I evolved. What I believed to be my reality of my work-a-day life evaporated, and a whole new world was placed before me. I got my head shaved [and since I was going bald to begin with, it turns out to be an excellent look for me, and was well accepted by my managers at work], was able to speak freely about myself to total strangers, and allowed myself to dance with wild abandon. <p>All this came to a dramatic conclusion with the Burning of the Man. There, with 10,000 or so other people, I was able to come to the conclusion that I AM A BEAUTIFUL PERSON, AND I HAVE A LOT TO OFFER THE WORLD. The shell that was me evaporated in smoke and flame, and out emerged a very beautiful and wonderous individual. I wish I could describe better the transformation that took place that Sunday night, but even I do not understand entirely myself. <p>Returning from Burning Man was very difficult. I came back to my same house, my same job, and all the problems that I had before I had left. I did have a different view of things, but it was overshadowed for a time by my longing to return to the desert, and the experiences that I had there. I knew what I had to do, but it was taking a lot to do....... <p>In order to keep the "Spirit of Burning Man" one must walk out of the past and into the future, to bring the Burning Man experience to your family, your co-workers, your neighbors, every one. I need to take my experiences there, and my "new self", and "new beauty" to encourage other people and help change them. Some people think that all the fire-related activities are based out of a primal, or medieval mind, but what it really does is allow someone to transform themselves, and hence transform other people. <p>Burning man is also about learning to live with no regrets. In order to accomplish something great, often times you have to put yourself out on a limb, to go outside your "comfort zone", and cast off your fears of not being understood, or maybe even losing your financial security. But unless you try to do something, you will NEVER know if you were able to do it. That is one of the reasons why I am writing this letter. I do not know if you will understand where I am coming from, but I HAVE to try. I feel that Burning Man is too important. I have to try to save it using whatever means I can. <p>When I mean that burning man is too important, I say that because I know that the festival changed ONE person, ME. I also know that I am NOT the only one who has had a life-changing experience there. The web site proves it. Based on that, I can probably say that the Burning Man Festival had quite an affect on a MAJORITY of the participants this year... I saw it every day, and with everyone I talked to most of them said that they would never be the same again, and were very awestruck that a mere 5 -2 days in the Black Rock Desert could have such an affect on their life. With this I am going to say that BURNING MAN IS STARTING TO CHANGE THE BAY AREA, AND TOUCHED MANY LIVES THROUGHOUT THE NATION AND THE WORLD. <p>Burning man IS the future. It is a new philosophy, transcending race, creed, color, religion, sexual orientation, and religion (burning man will never be a religion). It is a new face to humanity, and a new time. I believe that many leaders in both business and community will come out of the Burning Man festivals. I have had a vision that some day, communities throughout the US will pick a holiday, and pack up, and head out to the countryside, where the citizens of that city will commune together, get to know each other, survive together, and BURN A WOODEN MAN together, so that they may go back to their communities and work as one, refreshed and revitalized, with a new outlook on their own life and their community as a whole. <p>But Burning Man is in trouble. While they have done their best abide by conditions that were put forth this year (I am quite amazed with what they HAVE been able to do), They were unable to raise enough funds to pay for all the permits and requirements that the BLM and Washoe county have placed upon them, AND be able to pay for the rest of the event. I believe they have gotten a big response from their request for donations, but it is hard to raise enough to cover the very large outstanding debt ($100,000 to $150,000). The last news letter they sent stated that if they cannot overcome the debt, Burning Man will not happen next year, and the whole movement will die. Because I feel that Burning Man is so important, I am sending them a check for $500 dollars, which is a lot for me give... this is so you know that I am not just writing words here. <p>This leads me to the point of this letter... While I do not know what the actual cost of Burning Man has been to Washoe County, I am pleading that you give any extra money that was not used for operating costs back to Burning Man. If you do not want the Burning Man event in your county next year, please tell us, and we will find a new home, but PLEASE DO NOT BE THE FORCE THAT KEEPS BURNING MAN FROM HAPPENING. I feel very strongly that this festival IS creating good, and IS making a positive change in US. I do apoligize if our first years are burdensome on the neighborhood communities, but you can see that this is changing... compare last year to this year. I know the participants will also work harder to bringing the Burning Man Spirit to the communities that surround our festival next year. <p>Thank You very much for listening to this long letter. Please consider my words <p>Sincerely, Sam Weiss Proud Citizen of Black Rock City, Washoe County, NV -- Sam I Am, September 25, 1997 at 8:52p

Sam I Am is bummed. I've been trying to stay away from negative comments, but it is really mean to jump up and say "the checks in the mail", when it is total bullshit. Too bad there isn't a way to find out who posted it. -- Sam I Am, September 25, 1997 at 8:46p

Well, even if for a false reason, doing a Jig in front of my co-workers sure felt good. Not to worry, it'll happen eventually. Volunteer cleanup crew still going out to the site this weekend, hope to see you out there. -- Shona, September 25, 1997 at 6:20p

I am astonished to read that we have received a donation of $125,000. Would that it were true. This message is disinformation. I'm sure of this for a simple reason: I am acquainted with no one by the name of Elisabeth Harvey, the person who sends this message on my "behalf". I must conjecture it was written with ill intent. Why contribute anthing to Burning Man if our needs have been met for "years to come"? In reality, donations are beginning to arrive, and we hope that during the next two months we can meet our goals. Should "Elisabeth" post again, I would appreciate it if someone else could find the time to promptly "out" her. This person means mischief. -- Larry Harvey -- Larry Harvey - Director Burning Man Project, September 25, 1997 at 5:40p

The information about a $125,000 donation is not true. I will investigate further, but please consider it a hoax until further notice. The post after mine is from Larry Harvey, who does NOT have an email address. ~Maiden -- Maid Marian, September 25, 1997 at 5:22p

i'm back from some traveling, only to note my impersonator(using my name and address) is still at work. what gives? -- kat, September 25, 1997 at 4:41p

It sure seems like Larry himself would post the notice. Or a notice one way or the other. -- Cautiously Optimistic, September 25, 1997 at 2:47p

Regardless of whether or not the donation is true, keep sending money! The Project will still need funds to operate throughout the coming year. And remember, NONE of the organizers are not getting paid for their efforts. At the very least, they should have an office to work from, instead of having to do things from their homes. It would be good, actually, if the news didn't hit the media, because the Project needs to get some of their overcharged funds back from Washoe County. If word leaks out about the donation, I'm sure the County in their infinite wisdom will tell the organizers to shove it, and keep some of the money which doesn't rightfully belong to them. I'm with Kat and Bill -- official word from the organizers is in order! -- fiona, September 25, 1997 at 2:38p

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

I just spoke to someone in SF who's really involved in the BM project etc. and they had no idea about this gigantic donation. They said it could be bullshit. Don't get too excited yet... What does MaidMarian have to say? -- kat, September 25, 1997 at 2:23p

What a great differance a year makes......time keeps on ticking ticking & the Bucks start rolling rolling in.Cool....Way Cool,Thank-You Anonymous Giver,only in the Land of the Free Home of the Brave.Batter UP. -- LuluPie, September 25, 1997 at 1:35p

Damn! Missed it again!! I'll be there next year, though... Thanks Donerperson!!! -- Rob, September 25, 1997 at 11:58a

What incredible news! Ah, but there's the rub. The news is incredible -- as in "difficult to believe." For as long as I've known it, the Burning Man community has been in love with apocryphal legends, spurious stories and Great Big Whoppers. Since I, and everyone else, want so badly to believe it, I will go ahead and do a happy little jig about it for now. But I would very much like to hear from Maid Marion, whose role as Communications Coordinator is to control the spread of false rumors. Jackrabbit, what say ye? -- Bill, September 25, 1997 at 11:44a

Please to allow me to introduce myself. I am Nezmut M’Hut M’Hut. I came to your planet to do reconnaissance for my civilization. Though there were many places on your planet that seemed to harbor life I chose "blackrockcity" as you call it to investigate. Some of your residents gave me the honorary title of Effluent man I am honored. Well I am happy to say that my superiors are very happy with my research. Your civilization is very advanced, the vibe of good energies was well within the range we use to consider colonization. We have much to learn teach and share and since your architecture is very similar to that on our own planet we were wondering whether we could move into the neighborhood Sincerely Nezmut M'Hut M'Hut Interplanetary explorer -- The Great Quentini, September 25, 1997 at 11:35a

To the Anonymous Donor: All the thanks I could give would be insufficient to express the gratitude of myself and all the other people you've given all this hope and happiness to. I hope your generosity is rewarded in the best of all possible ways for you and all those you cherish. -- Gax (The Whiskey Pixie), September 25, 1997 at 10:58a

THANK YOU Anonymousdonorperson!!! I wish you could have been me, or I could've been you. ..how wonderful you must feel to make this contribution! What an incredible kharmic future you've sewn. .. I handed off a little bit as I pulled out of the gate on Labor Day, but how that pales in contrast to your generosity! Thank you, and you know your future will glow bright in the burning light of a million men! -- Phillip, September 25, 1997 at 10:10a

Can't wait to see the HUGE headlines in the papers, reporting this great act of generosity in line with the spirit of Burning Man and it's participants. What will the authorities do to justify their existence now? There response to this act will show their true colors. -- Abudabi, September 25, 1997 at 9:51a

Endless gratitude to such a generous soul. The goodness of humankind never ceases to amaze me, in spite of bureaucratic power hunger. -- Another greatful spirit, September 25, 1997 at 9:47a

HUZAH! Heartfelt gratitude to the anonymous donor. Just another example of how Burning Man is more than an event. It is a movement. Thank you again, friend. -- this woman, September 25, 1997 at 9:35a

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

**************************************** **************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ANNOUNCEMENT! ANNOUNCEMENT! ANNOUNCEMENT! On behalf of Larry, I am proud to announce that an anonymous donor from the state of California has just agreed to donate $125,000 to Burning Man. These desperately needed funds will go to pay off outstanding debts and insure that Burning Man will exist for years to come. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the effort. It has been your help that has made it possible to climb out of this giant hole. With this gift of $125,000, one man/woman served to insure that thousands more will learn and grow from the unique experience in the desert -- an experience we call "Burning Man." **************************************************************************************************************************************************************** **************************************** -- Elisabeth Harvey, September 25, 1997 at 8:15a

great rap: camp cross the way from us put on a schtick about "Lurkers" as in someone lurkin' in yer camp, shady stylee. "Lurker!" Lurker!" they shouted and there he was! a lurker all dressed in white! "Shine a lite on him--he hates lite!" they yelled as they chased the lurker out of town... -- snoopy, September 24, 1997 at 11:36p

It's great for me to read all the positive feedback from BM97. I am responsible for the site clean up effort. Two empty 30 yard dumpsters were delivered on Monday and the full ones removed. The site landlord has asked me to identify any on site workers. PLEASE contact me if you plan to go to the site for any reason and thank you for your efforts. -- Will Roger (Mr. Klean), September 24, 1997 at 11:11a

I just added a bunch of new pictures to my site. http://www.vortexia.com Thank You for all your support and e-mail. There is going to be a benefit concert in Seattle in December to help save The Burning Man, Info on that will be posted on the site soon. -- Webmaster, September 23, 1997 at 10:07p

home.pacbell.net/baldguy -- toby, September 23, 1997 at 9:37p

greetings earthlings- visit my page and enjoy my burning man pix! -- toby, September 23, 1997 at 9:36p

Monday AM this cute little kid, big blue eyes, about seven years of age, comes up to our camp and says: "Excuse me, but do you have any gasoline or anything I can use to blow up my teddy bear?" his name is Evan, and someday he'll grow up. I'm looking forward to it. -- Torreya, September 23, 1997 at 7:38p

Has anyone heard from Maid Marion recently?? I was wondering how things were going with Washoe County.... Re: camping trip... Keep in mind that we will be on private land. I'm sure we will be welcome, as we will be cleaning up, but may not be welcome at the hotprings. I may not be able to go anywhere until after the first week of Oct. I will keep you posted.--Sam -- Sam I Am, September 23, 1997 at 7:11p

By the way again, there is a "post burn" gathering at I, Claudius in Reno on Sunday. -- Matt, September 23, 1997 at 6:59p

By the way, a couple pick-up trucks would be very handy, but not necessary. Hands are most important. -- Matt, September 23, 1997 at 6:55p

There are two dumpsters at the site, but they are filled to the brim, and there are stacks of garbage bags around them. If nothing else, all the stuff spread around the site could be consolidated in one place. The bike shop is still up, surrounded by a zillion wheels and bike parts. Looks like hell. 12-20 people could have the place spotless in a day. Have a bonfire Saturday night? What do you all say? -- Matt, September 23, 1997 at 6:52p

Reading these messages about the generous contributions to the clean up effort is pissing me off all over again, because it's reminding me of something I saw as I was leaving the burn on Monday. Some friends of mine, who were camped right around the corner from us (around the corner from the House of Doors, across the street from Crazy Dante's), whom I previously thought were responsible people, left behind a huge pile of trash. We had gone over to their camp to say goodbye, but all we found when we arrived were a bunch of full hefty bags and cardboard boxes. I am so tempted to post their e-mail address here and subject them to a collective group bitch-out free for all, but I'm sure they'll figure it was me who did the deed. I was also tempted to give them a person-to-person tongue lashing, but I'm sure it would evoke nothing but a rash of groundless excuses and rationalizations. But there is no excuse, no rationalization that is valid -- if you had room to pack it in, you had room to pack it out. Well, thanks for letting me get this off of my chest -- I know YOU'LL listen, even if they won't. -- Anonymous, September 23, 1997 at 3:57p

Somehow, the following came out twice. I guess that means I'll be back . . . one way or another. -- Mitch from California, September 23, 1997 at 2:51p

When that man burns, it's one of the great experiences of all time. -- Mitch from California, September 23, 1997 at 2:38p

When that man burns, it's one of the great experiences of all time. -- Mitch from California, September 23, 1997 at 2:37p

Hey I might just make the 10 hour drive from Los Angeles to do the cleany campy thing. Wouldn't mind inhaling that huge sky one more time, or even dissolving in those hot springs. Are there dumpsters there? Does anyone have trucks to haul it out with. All I have is a little Honda so I'd probably have it full of trash in about ten minutes. Also, should I drive straight up there, or hook up with people in San Fran.? Hmmm. Perhaps someone will have answers to some of these questions. -- Syd, September 22, 1997 at 6:39p

Ok, I'll let you folks know very soon if I can make it. I'm definitely in favor of the idea, and want to go. Perhaps we can have one last whack at Ishtar!! [unless they want to leave it up... Does anyone know who the owners of the remaining stuff belongs to?? Do they want it??] -- Sam I Am, September 22, 1997 at 5:29p

Heading out to the Playa this weekend to help out. Anyone care to join me? Will also be heading out to the site at least once a month throughout the year for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Anyone care to join me? -- Shona, September 22, 1997 at 1:48p

Looking for techno videos like the ones played from the RV with the video projector and 20" high screen. Does anyone know what I am talking about? I was kind of out of my head at the time but it was awesome. They played alot but not for very long. Kind of like a video sampler thing. thanx -- David, September 22, 1997 at 8:42a

Hey, remember that ironic end shot in the film "Woodstock": There was a vast sea of trash. It kind of told a story that shouldn't be repeated. It IS possible for us to be as idealic, without being as niave, or hypacritical, is'nt it? -- Christopher, September 22, 1997 at 8:41a

I would say the remaining refuse etc would fill two dumsters (not counting the house of doors, and the arch,which we could proabably leave.) There's a frontloader and a bulldozer all ready there. 12 people, 2 or 3 pickups, 1 day, and 1-2 dumsters....the place would be spotless. I am willing to go help. I will organize it if there is sufficient response. e-mail me and let me know. Say sept 27-28th? -- Matt Riecken, September 22, 1997 at 8:27a

So, are there people interested in heading off sometime within the next two weeks or so to help with the residual cleanup? If so, drop a line. I've a truck and and plenty of camping equipment. -- Ray, September 22, 1997 at 5:55a

What is the meaning of life on this big spinning ball? I know it`s not about making money. I know it`s not about zooming through hyperdimentional tunnels of lights and colors. (although this is more fun than making $) I think it has to do with community, people comming together to share love and bliss. All this publicity might wake up the mainstream just a bit more. I love it! Let`s freak them out, and show them what life is about. Thanks to all who made this wonderful event happen. I hope to see it happen again next year. Let`s stay focused on that vision. Untill then, peace- -- hyperelf, September 22, 1997 at 4:10a

Truly the happiest time of my life. Met some of the most beautiful people I now know. Burned a jailor living in my head. Learned to love myself a little more. Was given the courage to let go of a few more fears. Decided to move from south Florida to the west coast with tons of support from my new friends out west. Now can anyone tell me how to integrate this with the way the rest of society functions without feeling stifled? Don't know about the rest of the country, but although BM'97 was the happiest I've ever felt, south Florida seems an even lonelier place once I got back. Well, we do our best to communicate what we learn to those we love as the world moves forward. All my love to everyone out there! See you next year! -- Steve Velazquez, September 22, 1997 at 0:42a

Just returned from a weekend camping at the playa. A magical dejvu. Arch of bones is still up, Ishtar stage still stands, "house of doors" is still there, as is quite a bit of refuse and remnants of the event. Hope approprite parties will clean up soon. Cleaned up a bit myself while there. Such an indescribable feeling being there---alone---the magic lives inside. Had a nice visit with the land owner. Seems very amenable to the event remainig there, but conscerned about the amouunt of remnants still rexisting. And of course, getting paid. Said Gelach loves us. Even mentiioned a 70 odd year old lady from Gerlach who went this year and had a ball. What a surprise. One last item. lost me flashlight the night of the burn...met a guy Saturday still camping near by who found it that night, acutally saw it in his car when talking to him. He said he was glad it was back in the hands of the rightful owner. (and not a sheriff for miles!) AMAZING. Peace and Love people. The truth is a force that always rules over ignorance. Do you realize the incredibly unique opportunity this event affords us? I ache to share you all again next time. -- Matt, September 21, 1997 at 9:49p

collective behavior of this event is cross between the acquisitive mob and the expressive mob. soc major with interest in such topics!!! thanks for staring a social movement! hope to see ya nest year! -- richie rich, September 21, 1997 at 9:32p

maid marian. i disagree. burning man does contribute to nevadas tax base. gas purchases food purchases and some overnight accomodations do count. plus the county prospers when its "services" are put to use when otherwise idle. however i think having to pander to the county about the ecomomic benefits sinks to their level. we have a right to hold burning man as long as we cover our own bills and police ourselves. incidentally, the publicity to generated for the state alone is priceless. just my nevada take on things -- dapper dan, September 21, 1997 at 9:30p

Many thanks and blessings to all who helped me build the Cafe in Center Camp. Please email me if you can help in the future. -- Bob Stahl, September 21, 1997 at 9:21p

for those of u not in the reno area, letters to the editor have been running ten to one in favor of burning man with a whopping seven in todays gazzette journal alone from small towns in nevada such as winnemucca and fernley. press coverage from sais mcnewspaper was generally quite fair. anybody wishing a reno connection, keep in touch. peace -- johnny handle, September 21, 1997 at 9:17p

-- Anon., September 21, 1997 at 1:55p

Amsterdam Shmamsterdam. Who cares about cameras? As long as everyone participates, everyone can observe. Pictures are only pictures, dead butterflies pinned to a board, but in 20 or 80 years you will come across a picture of yourself naked, painted, in fairy wings, dancing madly around a fire, and you will smile and shed a tear. Thank you all, we are all the burning man. If we each police our own self we wouldn't need rules. Pack it in, pack it out. Don't litter. If you see treash on the ground, pic it up. If you see someone littering, politely remind them that nobody is getting paid to pick it up, then pick it up. Keep Burning Man Beautiful. $150,000 split 10,000 ways is $15. Send $20 and we have $50,000 for next year. If we can treat each other this humanly on the playa we can do it the rest of the time too. I love you all, you are all beautiful, stay beautiful, keep theman burning in your heart. See you next year. -- jeff, September 21, 1997 at 1:46p

Hey, all this talk about....everything and NO talk about Knockers the Clown. Did the kidnappers make good on their demands? Jesus, these are the burning issues that a small confused planet needs to be more aware of.... -- Bunkie the Mule Doctor, September 21, 1997 at 2:34a

Note... I will never ask for money from any company, nor will I do anything at all without getting permission from the BM officials. [note... this means I need permission!!] -- Sam I Am, September 21, 1997 at 0:27a

Well, if someone gives the email/snail mail address for Ted Turner/anyone else who might give us money, I'll generate a letter, and kindly ask for money. I've already got one kind of created. I have a letter ready to send to Washoe County Commisioners. I'm waiting for Maid Marian to give me the address. -- Sam I Am, September 21, 1997 at 0:24a

10$ a person times 10,000 people!!!!! c'mon people, how bad do you want BM98?? 10$ is just pennies a day over a year!! DONATE TODAY FOLKS! -- Anon., September 20, 1997 at 11:07p

Wow, great post. Burning Man is like a prism, filled with an infinate collection of colours. Tikigod -- TikiGod, September 20, 1997 at 8:34p

burning man! dead living alive waiting dust plumes waste smells water at all times love hate anger patience primal urges dancing desert vastness nothingness created by god art created by man burning apocalypse ishtar cum slipping tongue sucking mud dripping hot springs soothing sun baking pubic hair shaving clitoris piercing house of doors dancing kim calamity jane laura gordon richard jamie ashley tools evan laughing tripping seeing imagining mind blowing blowing blown bicycle sailing ships too polo on fields ice clocks melting the persistence of time spontaneous eruptions at fiery red sunsets penises swaying tits bouncing chaos erupting spontaneous masses creating mud people emerging welcome to the teva convention bianca's smut house voyeurs and actors licking and sucking fucking and eating grilled cheese sandwiches ISO where are you this is not graphic enough girlie girrrrrls fingering and lecturing mr. death performing thrown and skull intact ishtar! ishtar! I am the light I am the light the goddess of love somewhere way away over the top mid-evil resurrections primates in mysterious eerie shadows and torches star here there gone cold hot warm cool breeze balmy down right boiling and cold chaos erupting burn it! burn it! burn the watermelon helicopters flying people chanting desperate excessive energy burn it! burn it! who is that? that man burning! torch it - cum flying fireworks dynamite sticks fire erupting in mass heat crowd surfing yelling erupting explosion rush! moths before the flame - hitler youth circling the apocalypse desperately searching burn it! Burn it! I am a vegetarian cowboy so more raves techno raving moving idiot flesh beyond race gotta take a shit piss and drink more water majestic mountains mud caked on my dick push-ups on la playa USA Today will never print spherical neon balls as I devolve smaller and smaller and smaller and waiting with people in hot dusty claustrophobic self- tortured crustaceans cro-magnum neanderthal astralopithicus desert nomad rat snail busting out! freedom! I am man burning ISO burning man where is lady di? more port-a-potties more shitting more drinking more tripping ishtar! ishtar! wild hedonistic pleasures satanical stark nakedness mind blowing numbness dry harsh survival mad max is laughing sheer absolute total colossal madness and I think I quite enjoy that and that little neon stick dancing in my hand, yeah i'm a ya-hoo and my throat is shot, the heat all around "i'm melting" we're off to see the wizard - making traces on the screen "I wish upon the disco Ball, that life was always like this" or at least like this fashion show with giant creatures oogling googling and prancing men burning delirious people stripping mud baths flowing things exploding techno absurdist post apocalyptic moon age ishtar mirages before me yes, I wish life was always like this -ram -- richard, September 20, 1997 at 5:41p

-- Anon., September 20, 1997 at 1:47p

So, Ted Turner gives a billion dollars to the UN.... You'd think that he could have spared one or two hundred grand for The Man...But no-oo... and I used to work for that fucker...Guess it's up to us...Feed The Man. -- Kevin O'Blivion, September 20, 1997 at 0:10a

well said -- the other larry, September 19, 1997 at 6:57p

These are the lessons I learned at Burning man: Everything is temporary. Everyone is beautiful. Everyone is weird. We should celebrate the weirdness in others, that's their wonderful creativity. We shouldn't try and split them off and say "well, there's my kind of people and other kinds of people." We should celebrate everybody's differences, everybody's individuality, and everybody's shared humanity. Everyone is lonely and looking for someone to hold on to, someone like themselves, but in many fundamental ways every person out there is like yourself. Loneliness is your greatest teacher. It teaches you not what you want to know, but what you need to know. Don't rain on anyone else's parade. You might look at them and say "Oh my God, that person is so bizarre, that person is this or that." Hey, that person is expressing their beautiful individuality. Appreciate what they're doing and creating - and don't just do it for their sake, do it for yourself. You'll be happier. Remarkable joy comes from opening your heart and your mind and appreciating the beauty and creativity of other people. Those are two separate and very important things: the beauty of other people and the creative beauty of other people. Creativity is one of the only things humans have to contribute to the world. It's what can make you say "wow." If you're looking for "wows," you can get them from the beauty of the natural world, from the warmth of other people, or from the wonderful things that people create. I intend to live the rest of my life from wow to wow to wow. Yes, a wow is a temporary thing, but there may be no other ultimate happiness, you've just gotta keep piling those wows up if you want to keep growing and enjoying this journey we're all in. Don't be a spectator. Be a participant. Give of yourself and you will receive in kind. The more you give, the more people will appreciate you and love you for your giving nature and your inner and outer beauty. I learned that if something takes work... making the effort to do the work well makes something much more worthwhile - much more of a wow. If you put creative effort into something people appreciate the effort and creativity in you all the more depending on how much work you put into it: coming up with something creative, setting your mind to building it and doing it right, that's a good way to make a wow. Feeling proud and being appreciated is a wonderful thing, as is gratitude. Working together to create something wonderful is one of the greatest things you can do in the world. It's satisfying on many different levels, and it's most satisfying when you are working and giving for the benefit of the group. Without that working and giving and helping and cleaning up after yourself and others you're just missing out. When you feel good about yourself because you're moving and accomplishing and seeing and doing and being grounded you'll find that you won't have - shouldn't have too many layers of distance between yourself and others. You're able to look them in the eye, be unashamed of anything, not feel awkward about yourself and that which you have to come across; not see yourself as having an agenda, but move through life in a straight-ahead fashion, realizing that if others were in your shoes they would understand what you're looking for, what you're doing and what you're trying to accomplish. Openness and directness leads to complete comfort with others. People will see your openness, directness and comfort and trust you and love you. Finally, accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative. Hang on to that affirmative but don't mess with mister in-between. A million thanks to Larry, Maid Marian, and the uncounted others who made burning man the greatest experience of my life. Love, Larry the cherub -- Larry the cherub, September 19, 1997 at 4:51p

Oh, man. What a time that was eh? Truly hope we can do it all again next year. But, I'm curious. We had to bug out early Monday morning - still wacked on 'shrooms and burdened with driving 24 hours back to Vancouver - so never did find out what the state of the playa was after the dust settled. I know there was a clean-up effort (heartfelt thanks to those of you Environ Mentalists who did the dirty work - sorry I couldn't join you) but when we got off the playa early Monday the place looked pretty sad. What did it look like later? All of us at the Canuck Camp want to know - please email. -- Arne, September 19, 1997 at 4:51p

Don't listen to me I'm a compulsive liar and a dork -- Anon, September 19, 1997 at 3:53p

Wow, what a time we all had out there. I just try to keep it going everyday, here, in society. Some can handle it, some can't. It's interesting to see who they are, isn't it? Hey, a friend of mine was wearing a suit of big lights, even on his hat. His name is "O" and I wanted to see if anyone had pictures of him. He didn't have a camera. Lastly, two years ago when I started filming my short film at Burning Man the media wasn't quite as accepted as they are now. It's interesting to see that as Media presence has grown (a lot this year) so has the acceptance, and in fact, willingness to appear and perform on and for the camera. Whatever. Hey, there was an ARRI at the ICEBALL vs. VEGGIMATIC on Sunday night. Let's talk, can I borrow some footage from you? Peace and Matches. . .:) -- Nage, September 19, 1997 at 2:07p

Thanks to everyone who made Burning Man feel so queer-friendly this year. (My first time was 1995, when I came on a whim suffering from a broken heart and burned my own little box full of pictures of dumb girls I love(d) and metal objects.... I'm glad to hear a broken heart started the whole thing off in the first place -- I always do more cool stuff when I'm not having any sex.)... Anyways I had a great time but it felt very male/straight to me that year. Maybe because I didn't come with anyone I knew. Anyways it feels like the queers and drag and fun polymorphous stuff has gotten more public and playful at Burning Man and I loved being in such an amazingly creative place where I didn't feel like I had to protect myself from homophobic crap. So often my only choices are to be in a queer ghetto or else put up with endless hassle and insult just for being myself and doing my stuff. I hope Burning Man keeps happening though it seems like at some point it will collapse from the weight of expectation and hype and religious fervor that it's gathered around itself. Then I hope there will be a million little spin-off Burning Mans to take all the positive energy to the next step while the buzzards are distracted by the smoking remains. Thanks to the Space Cowgal who gave me a great kiss Friday night! The Polaroid's a little wrinkled, but if you send me $10 I won't show it to your girlfriend (THAT IS A JOKE) Thanks also to all the fucking great people who actually turn all those fever dreams into REALITY, cause I sure as hell haven't managed it yet. -- Fish, September 19, 1997 at 0:24p

Joepin, sign me on as permanent member to the "Environ Mental Patrol" I did it this year, but didn't have a name. Also, I want a shiny badge or something. I did want to address one litter problem that I couldn't adequately solve: I was one of the people you saw dumping bags at the already overfilled garbage bin. To those who felt the need to ridicule me perhaps you'll learn a different approach than snap judgements. My camp's garbage was two full bags. We carried out 4 bags in the car, and I dumped 2 bags at the bin. Frankly I assumed that those who stayed on to clean would appreciate that even though they ultimately carried out 2 of those bags, I gathered up 4. What was I supposed to do once my car was full? Stop cleaning? no thanks. So, Joepin, I'm there. -- this woman, September 19, 1997 at 11:58a

Calling all BM pilots, calling al BM pilots. Let's start planning for next year! -- brad, September 19, 1997 at 8:47a

Have not yet seen any entries from members of the pilot's camp (other than Bob Ter's). Anyone out there? Also, there were some aerial photos taken by Marion and others. Where are you Marion? And lastly Thank you all, for such a great 5 days. Can't wait until next year........... -- Brad, September 19, 1997 at 8:43a

Back in 1995 when I was quite unhappy I was quite fond of quoting Lee Van Cleef in For A Few Dollars More: "This train'll stop in Tucumcari." Tucumcari was my metaphor for... a place I hadn't seen yet. The place I was looking for, a psycho and surreal place but one which had a community I belonged in. My home. Well, out there on Friday night, a little overloaded and in culture shock, I wandered out in the middle of the playa, and found the little shack underneath the man. And I have never found anyplace I've ever felt more at home. Everyone in there was so groovy, everyone was playful and on their own trip and letting everyone do their thing. And when I left the shack and went back out under the stars, I couldn't believe the sight before my eyes, this gigantic universe dwarfs anything that ever hurt. It mocked any problems I ever had with its flashing lights, in the sky and on the playa. I found peace - my problems were shadows and passed away before the playfulness of these lights. And I went into the tent city & the whole feeling, the whole incredible vibe just stayed with me. And all the way home, I've had a perma grin ever since I got back! Nothing can bring me down. Black Rock is my home. So now I can quote Lee Van Cleef a few seconds later in the movie. "I DID get off. Thanks." And another quote, from Killing Joke, is stickin in my head: "We'll build shrines for our loved ones, we'll burn fires and lights, and we'll talk of the old ways, to find new ways that might, they just might..." See ya next year Black Rock. -- Sabado GIGANTE, September 19, 1997 at 2:37a

Okay I have just finished booking a Burning Man benefit show for Dec. 4th at Sub-Zero (a.k.a. the Offramp) in Seattle Wa. Bands to be announced. I need to know where to send the money. Also I need a list of all of the BM mail server type things so I can spread my message. I also need anyone living in the Seattle /Tacoma area to contact me to plan MORE EVENTS. Also, there will be a post-burn meet and greet type thing on Sep. 27th e-mail JIMH@SCN.ORG for more info. I love you all! Burn! Burn! Burn! Cyburn -- Cyburn, September 19, 1997 at 0:27a

Tell a who??? What are we going to dance around the stage naked, and say that we won't leave until we've made our 150 grand! Sounds like a great idea. Anybody got a tv station, and an antenna that can pump out some wattage. Or I guess the best thing would be to tap into the satellite feed. I'm all into the ticklish dragon thing. I need to be licked.---Sam I Am -- Sam I Am, September 18, 1997 at 11:11p

How about a Telethon?!!! -- Jerry Lewis, September 18, 1997 at 9:43p

who, the man is not for poking a chunck of corn at. i feel that as long as the dragons are tickleish, we shouldn't throw grapes at em. and then the midgets get embarresed and everyone licks freely and pointes at the wind. -- Anon., September 18, 1997 at 9:27p

This is NOT painting a pretty picture... Microsoft introduces "Microsoft Burning Man 98"... It would be six months late, full of nasty bugs, POLITICALLY CORRECT (Oh My God!), AND it would have Billions of Users! BAD IDEA. Sorry Folks I couldn't resist. It was set up and ready to go. If I didn't do it, someone else would have. BURNING MAN! KEEP THE SPIRIT ALIVE... DONATE!!!! (I did!) -- Sam I Am, September 18, 1997 at 7:48p

I read what someone said about the b-man debt and getting corp. America to help out, but I really don't think that opening the door to the likes of Bill Gates is wise. The last event I would attend would be the "1998 Microsoft Burning Man". I am sure you have heard the story about the scorpion and the fox? Men like BG don't know any other way to live other than "payment for gain" personal or corporate. Ask anyone who has ever worked for a company that MS has absorbed. Maybe we could get an endowment from the NEA, they are already under so much pressure as it is. This way they could go out in a real ball of flames. -- ---already lined up for next year!, September 18, 1997 at 3:18p

the answer to the BB posting asking who the drummers were that played all night Sunday and until sunrise Monday: They are Copper Lingus (Austin,TX), and you saw them at Cataclysmic Megashear Ranch. Didn't they ROCK? They really got us in the mood to burn the BAR. Thanks to Peer Pressure, who masterfully deconstructed it for us. -- sparky, September 18, 1997 at 3:17p

OK the confiscate film idea was dumb. Hay no on is perfect. But I still think the camera free day would be nice. ***** And yes - I did not leave any garbage on the Playa ****** How about a group of volunteers who are the "Environ Mental Patrol" who go out every morning and clean up some of the last evenings mess and talk to people about keeping the place clean for everyone. I would be glad to volunteer my time to this. Anyone else want to join me? -- Joepin, September 18, 1997 at 1:05p

There is going to be an After Burn Party on Sunday Sept. 28th in Reno at I, Claudius. We are going to be showing video and have a picture showing and exchanging party. There will be a Bar-B-Que and libations. Call 786-6004 (The Blue Lamp) or 324-5405 (Area 51) for details. "Burn Baby Burn" -- kara sue, September 18, 1997 at 11:50a

Please come by and have a look at some pictures at http://www.sirius.com/~tko/bman/bm_home.html - Enjoy, Kevin (who also casts his vote for Eastern Oregon in all its volcanic splendor) -- Kevin O'Connell, September 17, 1997 at 6:59p

The desert landscape of Eastern Oregon is featured beautifuly in the August issue of National Geographic. -- Christopher, September 17, 1997 at 6:51p

Jon, Pete, Mike, Dave and all the guys from Reno, if ever your in San Fran, be sure to look me up for a b man reunion!!!HUgs&KissEs -- radha, September 17, 1997 at 5:18p

We would like to have a film festival here, with clips that anyone wishing to contribute in vhs format about burning Man, since many have been looking at this web site thru us. Date TBA, if interested on attendance let us know also for E-mail of events. CYBER CITY CAFE, NEVADA'S PREMIER INTERNET CAFE http://www.cybercitycafe.com -- Cyber City Cafe Las Vegas call for FILMS, September 17, 1997 at 3:21p

Oh, give the camera whining a rest already!! You who complain so loudly about cameras, were you a model Black Rock citizen? Did you make sure that you did not leave a cigarette butt, bottle cap, bottle or can on the playa? I think we need a creative way to correct this behavior and refuse to allow the squalor of our society to follow us into the desert. We need to encourage people to ingest their beverages in their camp and then venture out to the various venues on the playa. Last year a bit of litter started showing up on Saturday, with the worst being Sunday. This year Friday was already worse than last years Sunday. If we don't correct this, it will only esculate to an issue that could bury The Man. And, a buried man doesn't burn very brightly. Get enlightened you fools. For a "non-commercial" event, it's ironic how much evidence we leave of the trappings of the commercial culture we profess to free ourselves of. I see nothing wrong in warning people that if they are caught tossing a butt, bottle, or can on the playa that they will be escorted out of Black Rock City, their citizenship revoked. I'm against imposing of more rules, but this one would actually bring greater freedom to the community. Comments? -- tripper, September 17, 1997 at 1:46p

Wherever it is, I will go! -- Rebecca Hanck, September 17, 1997 at 0:54p

A well traveled friend told me there are a number of likely alternative venues in eastern Oregon. Specifically he mentioned the city of (get this) BURNS, and WAGONTIRE. Does anyone know about these places or anyother sites in the desert of eastern Oregon? More photos, including pan of BRC from playa http://www.snowcrest.net/turn/burningman/photos.html -- Cliff Raker, September 17, 1997 at 0:45p

One day with no cameras sounds fine, but what's this about "on penalty of confiscation"? Weren't there enough police running around on the playa this year that we are going to turn ourselves into them? I say NO to rules and taxes. How about a day with no cameras, and if you see someone who has a camera anyway you say, "were you aware that today was camera free?" and leave it at that? Frankly, I couldn't care less about the cameras - media or otherwise. When my mom joked that I may be endangering a future career in politics i responded "Burning Man will be my platform! - Every day is Burning Man". -- this woman, September 17, 1997 at 11:46a

I snuck into Burningman last year. I had a fabulous time and I want it to happen again next year so I am paying up and then some. ******* TO EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER GONE TO BM AND NOT PAID - it is time to payup. "Why should I", you say - because if we don't payup it might not happen again and I think we all want BM to happen again. -- anon, September 17, 1997 at 10:56a

Does it really matter what contributed to Larry's incredible realization that the burning man could be what it is today? Who cares if he went to Amsterdam and saw something that helped his vision? Human society is built on the backs of those who came before use. We take our experiences and the experiences of other and build upon them. That is what he did and everyone involve should be eternally grateful to him. Without him we would have all been sitting around on Labor Day at some kinda barbecue eating hot dogs and making small talk about what was on TV instead of having the most exciting times of our lives. Larry is the visionary who created this phenomenon. It serves absolutely no purpose to say he doesn't deserve the credit. It is interesting to see how BM came into being but please give credit where credit is due. -- Joepin, September 17, 1997 at 10:51a

From the phenomenological point of view the world is the condition we engage with and inhabit; it is constitutive of our lives. We are not to see the world simply as a physical object against which we are set as thinking subjects; rather, we are "beings-in-the-world and our human reality or mode of being, is that multitude of ways in which we inhabit life; that is, by 'having to do with something, producing something, attending to something and looking after it, making use of something, giving something up and letting it go, undertaking, accomplishing, evincing, interrogating, considering, discussing, determining...' Seeing the human encountering of the world and of the mood in which we encounter it as placing a value on our world. We find ourselves occupying the world, in the sense of inhabiting our own perspective on life and using what we find around us, and this is our facticity. Each of our appropriation of the world, the grasp of one's situation in the world and the understanding that one can attempt to become what one envisages rather than be carried along by the surge of events exists for us and by us. Keep perspective. -- lauren, September 17, 1997 at 8:32a

To all those concerned about who started it, what it means, who should get credit, (re)rent "Life of Brian", look in the mirror and have a good laugh at your puffed out pejorative faces -- Andre, September 16, 1997 at 8:29p

I move that next year we have a "camera free" day where no photos or videos are allows to be taken on penalty of confiscation/removal of film or tape. We should do it on the Friday. ****** No media that day. One day out of 6 isn't going to kill anyone. We can make memories in our minds don't you think for that one day? We will publisize it heavely to insure that everyone is aware of this "Camera Free" day. -Jumping Joepin -- Joepin, September 16, 1997 at 4:51p

Hello to Danger Ranger, Scooter, David G, Lerner, Spaceghost, Eagle Eye, Joseph, and all the Black Rock Rangers. You are all the best. I started out working Ranger and was so bummed to find that I had to give it up in order to make our Kill Your Television performance happen. I was over my head tryin' to do both. Thank you David G for saving the show with your lighter and knife! David G, Scooter, and EagleEye warmed my heart so when you thanked me for the giving of art to the community. EagleEye said he's a Ranger cause he can't DO art. I want you guys to know that Rangering is the greatest gift of all to the project. I hope I can Ranger again to learn the wonderful ART of patience and tolerance that Danger Ranger has to share. Rangers are the glue that holds the community together. Sheriff Kirkland's boys should have been taking notes on community policing. You/we are all artists. Thanks for being there. -- tripper, September 16, 1997 at 2:59p

Oceania Camp, I have photos from a camera you left behind. Do you want them? Leave a phone number. h -- harlen, September 16, 1997 at 2:55p

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds" -- Albert Einstein -- Trace, September 16, 1997 at 10:34a

I got some of the pictures up on my BM page now. http://mindstation.com/burn/burning.html Sasha, Matthew, Dan, Larry, Leah, Turk -- thanks for making it great!! -- Rigged, September 16, 1997 at 10:21a

Everywhere I turned at BM '97 there was an EXPLOSION OF CREATIVE GENIUS!! Larry Harvey - THANK YOU for this opportunity to experience, explore, create, innovate, and most importantly, to BE. As a resident of Washoe County, I want to say that I am sickened by the reaction of the county. I SINCERELY hope that their bullshit politics don't run you out of Nevada. They don't realize the gem you've brought us. Then again, GENIUS is seldom understood. One more word: TRASH. If you can't take out what you brought in, DON'T COME, because you are obvisiously missing the point. There's some great people & silhouette shots on my Burning Man page: http://www.laboroflove.com/burning.html Ciao! -- Purple Princess, September 15, 1997 at 8:35p

This is a real long shot, but just before the burn Scot Jenerik and I were standing back watching one of the smaller fires. The Megaphone guy was silhouetted against the fire atop the crowd. It's an amazing shot if someone got it. Anyone? We didn't have a camera with us at the time. -- Ethan Port/ Monday Morning DaDa Club, September 15, 1997 at 7:23p

Big Art in big places. I am hoping to expand the walls of the gallery Burning Man. I would like to help people create large scale works of art in other places and at other times. I am looking for artist who would be willing to help other artists build their dreams. I am looking for artists with big dreams. Live Burning Man year round, get off your ass and make something real. There is so much talent, skill and time out there waiting, let that energy you gathered at Burning Man have a place to create year round. send e-mail I will send info. cg -- THE ILLUMINATION PROJECT Dir. Charles A. Gadeken, September 15, 1997 at 4:41p

Hello, Maid Marian here. As many of you know, we have had alot to talk about and share since the burn, but now we need to focus some of the energy toward making next year a reality. Just few notes for now, but stay tuned for the plan. First, the reality of the situation, despite all of the prattle to the contrary, is that Burning Man does not bring revenue to Nevada. We do not stay in hotels in Reno and spend money in the shops and stores. We do not support their tax base. The cost of Burning Man is and will continue to be a reality, which means we should plan for it. Second, if this was your first time at Burning Man, please try to contribute next year, make something happen. Third, I was mistaken: Larry was in Amsterdam and did borrow the theme from a previous Zozobra festival. He recently recanted his earlier story when reminded by his previous girlfriend of their ill fated trip to Amsterdam. Should this be an issue, well, only if you are a journalist. Otherwise, remember that all Larry can look forward to in the future is the haunting truth that he created an uncontrollable screaming vortex that has yet to reach its zenith. -- Maid Marian, September 15, 1997 at 4:09p

"Mystery festivals should be unforgettable events, casting their shadows over the whole of one's future life, creating experiences that transform existence." - Aristotle <<I went to Burning Man for the first time with this quote in mind, and true to Aristotle, I came away with shadows of one of the most wonderful experiences of my life, my existence transformed. Burning Man 97 for me was an experience far beyond anything I could describe in words - trying to do so would be much like how snapping a picture takes away the soul of the moment.>> All I want to do here is to thank everyone that I met and did not meet for making my experience possible. The whole community and all of my neighbors: Ian, Max and the rest of the Canada crew; the Boise contingent - we had a blast!; Lisa and Laura; and my friends from Oregon who helped me out on Sunday night - you will never know my appreciation and love for you. JERSEY!!! Glad you could make it! A dreamy hello to Bridgette from LA who I met in the hot springs under the woman on Sunday - you are truly an angel, and I get the feeling we’ve met in lives or festivals of civilizations long past. But the biggest and warmest thanks go out to the LIZARD MAN and MISTRESS BARBIE for making my experience possible, starting from when you picked me up in SLC. You guys are the best ever, and we need to get to work on our village for 98! Lizard Man, do not ever forget Saturday night - I know I won’t. The Afterburn has been hard, but with friends like you and all of you out there in the tribe, the spirit of Burning Man lives on. See you on the Playa in 98! -- Camron, September 15, 1997 at 3:24p

YO, OATMEAL BOYS! Does anyone know how to get in touch with the guys on the south end of the camp who were making and serving the best oatmeal ever? My friends who were camped next to you (who are computerless) own a store, and they would like to carry your product in their store. I would like them to carry your product in their store also, so I can enjoy more of your incredible oatmeal sooner than next August! You guys are really onto something -- great stuff. Anyhow, if anyone knows how to reach these guys, an e-mail would be greatly appreciated. -- fiona, September 15, 1997 at 0:01p

We need to get a guy like Bill Gates to donate some of his billions to pay off the BM debt. It would be a drop in the bucket for a guy like him - who has made an insane amount of money from the likes of US. Also, we should start a bidding war with those locations that would like to earn the millions of dollars of benefits that hosting the BM brings. Think of all the Airplane flights, taxis, hotel rooms, gas tax, gas, food and supplies, meals, rentals for vans, trucks, motor homes, water. If you think about all the money generated by this event you would think that Washoe county officials would be paying BM to return to their county. I am sure that there are many other counties that would enjoy a labor day economic boom to their economy. GET THOSE EMAILS TO MICROSOFT GOING ASKING FOR A DONATION FROM THAT COMPANY THAT HAS MADE BILLIONS FROM US - AND WHO HAS DONE NEWS STORIES ON BM. -- Greg, September 15, 1997 at 11:21a

NYC BURNINGMAN PEOPLE...UNITE! I've got a few people interested in doing a fundraiser here in NYC. Does anyone know who put the CBGB event together last year? -- Cory, September 15, 1997 at 10:29a

To that beautiful man near the burn. Your budweiser was resting on a ladder and a bottle of tequila was resting in your hand. You shared both. I stood next to you in an exalted state and could only smile. I ran away to the fire and began to miss you!!! I swung around, caught a glimpse and then you were gone. Where are you now? -- nicole, September 15, 1997 at 9:47a

MedusaLook..Lost your e-mail address and want to respond to your e-mail!!! -- Matt, September 15, 1997 at 9:14a

MedusaLook..Lost your e-mail address and want to respond to your e-mail!!! -- Matt, September 15, 1997 at 9:00a

I would like info on obtaining videos, tapes or CD of the band 'Tchkung. I've written their e mail address and have had no response, so if anyone has this info please get back to me. Keep on Burning! -- HP, September 15, 1997 at 8:49a

the moon is near full, time for drumming! mr. nation says he'll host a mid-moon party...at OZ??? -- kat, September 15, 1997 at 0:52a

Please check out my new Burning Man web site and tell me what you think! It has details of my experiences at the last 6 Burning Man festivals and features BURNING MAN COMIX #1 in full color! The URL is http://nmach1.threedgraphics.com/weirdfuture/bm/home.html -- Howard Hallis (Wrong Dimension Boy), September 15, 1997 at 0:07a

Check out BURNING MAN COMIX #1 on the web! It features my experiences at this years festival! Read about The Modnight Sun and Blue Girl! See how I GOT LAID! Meet the one and only FECAL MAN! See Mike Gump's Bug Van! Read it at http://nmach1.threedgraphics.com/weirdfuture/bm/bmcomix/cover.html -- Howard Hallis (Wrong Dimension Boy), September 15, 1997 at 0:03a

more photos at http://www.snowcrest.net/turn/burningman/photos.html -- Laurence Cook, September 14, 1997 at 10:09p

Working as a BlackRockRanger at Burningman 1997 was the most rewarding and gratifying experience OF MY LIFE. I've been priviledged to have attended a number of alternative sorts of gatherings over the years (including the original Woodstock). BURNINGMAN TAKES ALL!!! Thankyou for the most precious moment of my life. I want there to be many more; I will work to see that there are. I'll always be a BlackRockRanger. Maybe someday I'll be part of a Theme Camp AND be a BlackRockRanger. Where do I send the money? -- Daniel Clifford Henklein ("TIPIDAN"), September 14, 1997 at 9:26p

DAVID & SUSAN FROM SEATTLE, thanks for making my weekend great. and the miso soup!! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE contact me about pictures. i'd love to see them. especially the ones of me & shawn. 901.276.3736 -- david (from memphis), September 14, 1997 at 5:48p

imagine checking this site wed morning after the burn and seeing so many posts. imagine it taking me this long to finally post any feelings. there are no words to explain how it felt. (or how long it's taken me to get used to being home) thanks to all my neighbors for making me at home until my friend could arrive. i understood what this was all about by your generosity. thanks to shawn for coming. what a great way to catch up. you live three hours away but we have to go to nevada to meet again? you made my weekend complete. i miss you as much as i miss the man. hope to see you all next year. form the fine folks in elvisville, tennessee -- david (dave), September 14, 1997 at 5:44p

Many of the postings on this bulletin board deal in one way or another with the broad subject of exchange between individuals in Black Rock City. There seems to be a mass euphoria at BM created by a sort of nuclear chain reaction of giving and receiving that occurs completely outside of the cash economy. Although some writers have said that if BM wants to make money to cover expenses we should sell T-shirts and trinkets like any other gathering, the consensus is that Black Rock City’s cashless economy is one of the most important aspects of the experience and that to monetize it would destroy it. <P> In Marshall Sahlins’ classic work on human exchange, _Stone Age Economics_, he discusses the continuum upon which exchange takes place. At one extreme there is _generalized reciprocity_ where the giver expects nothing in return, or at least with only loose expectations that someday, somehow, the favor will be returned. At the center of the continuum is _balanced reciprocity_ where the two parties expect an even exchange with little or no time delay, which although it is less personal than pure gift-giving, it nonetheless can be a very satisfying human contact. At the opposite extreme lies _negative reciprocity_, the part of the continuum where one or both parties to the exchange are trying to get the better of the other. <P> When my partner, Sophia, and I were planning for our first BM in ‘96, we didn’t know what to expect and wondered if it would present any opportunities to sell the street fair crafts we used to make. We were surprised, and delighted, that the playa was a commercial-free zone. We quickly understood that BM was about _giving_ the best in yourself, whether it was art, performance, neighborliness, or simply the pleasure of a beautiful human body without the layer of clothing we usually hide behind. We came to BM ‘97 prepared to join in the gift-fest to the fullest of our capabilities. Our thing was giving rides in our bicycle-towed sailing cart, the Spirit of Black Rock. The only fare was our passangers’ desire to accept what we had to offer, our pay was their smiles of delight. Perhaps we could have given more rides if more people had understood that. We also brought to BM every ripe tomato we could glean from our garden, and started each morning with a “breakfast tomato slice” table for our neighbors and strollers. The spiritual satisfaction of engaging in this burst of generalized reciprocity has been like medicine for the soul, as so many postings on this bb have expressed. <P> My most memorable moment at BM came one morning when I gave a lady a ride from near downtown as far as my camp towards the north end of town. When she got out, she wanted to give more for the ride than her smile, and pulled some of her own craft out of her bag. It was a beautiful little ceramic-bodied meditation drum. Upon seeing it, I knew I had to give HER something more lasting than a ride, and ducked into my camp for one of the hairsticks that I make to grace lovely heads of hair such as hers. She clasped it tightly in both hands and gave it the little shake that wordlessly says, “I will cherish this forever” and walked away. In accepting each others’ gifts, we were re-enacting a scene that was going on all around us, thousands of times over. My act of generalized reciprocity had spun uncontrollably into a moment of balanced reciprocity between strangers that neither of us will ever forget. <P> Citizens of Black Rock City are very sensitive to violations of our code of keeping exchange somewhere on the continuum between generalized and balanced reciprocity. When the drunk at the burning of the man yelled at the woman in the red dress to “take it off”, he was in the realm of negative reciprocity, demanding something for nothing. She had the presence of mind to call him on it, using her demand for him to “take it off” to turn it into balanced reciprocity. This is what “no spectators” is all about. If what you are wearing or what you are doing is not a good-faith effort to be just as spectacle-worthy as everyone around you, the exchange has broken down. The human brain has a very highly-evolved built-in ledger for keeping track of exchange accounts. (See chapter 9, “Friends”, in _The Moral Animal_ by Robert Wright for a full discussion of this.) This is why we bristle so much at the media who are there sucking up our city’s energy without adding to it. It could be argued that we should cut them some slack, for they are a kind of delivery service that transmits our energy into distant living rooms for people who would never otherwise know anything about Black Rock City. It could also be argued that no one who isn’t there will ever understand Black Rock City, so we shouldn’t let the media try to transmit something that is doomed to failure. But they seem to have tried their best this year, and the non-attendees posting to this bb who don’t get it probably wouldn’t get it even if they had been there. <P> When we first learn about the continuum of reciprocity, the quick mind immediately sees that most of the modern economy takes place toward the negative end; everybody understands that every corporation they buy from will rip them off in any way they can. It is tiring to the spirit to know this, that the car part you need is marked up 500%, or your prescription drug sells for 5,000% over cost. I think we have a deep yearning to be someplace like Black Rock City where we leave our money behind for a few days and just deal with each other in the most primal human way, giving and receiving freely as members of a tribe in a cashless society. <P> Therein lies the reason for government loathing of Burning Man. Larry Harvey said it well with his line that we wouldn’t be having any trouble with the bureaucrats if we were just selling cotton candy and ferris wheel rides. All of the government’s money and power is derived as a direct percentage of money changing hands. Telling them that you want to bring thousands of people together for an experimental community in which everything is given away and no money changes hands is more threateningly revolutionary than any armed militia. This is in spite of the not-well-concealed fact that millions of dollars were spent by those thousands of people preparing for and getting to the event. Surely they can let us have our five days without money, and surely we can figure out ways to pay for the event while still honoring past traditions of it being a commercial-free zone. -- Tom Ness, September 14, 1997 at 1:15p

Many of the postings on this bulletin board deal in one way or another with the broad subject of exchange between individuals in Black Rock City. There seems to be a mass euphoria at BM created by a sort of nuclear chain reaction of giving and receiving that occurs completely outside of the cash economy. Although some writers have said that if BM wants to make money to cover expenses we should sell T-shirts and trinkets like any other gathering, the consensus is that Black Rock City’s cashless economy is one of the most important aspects of the experience and that to monetize it would destroy it. <P> In Marshall Sahlins’ classic work on human exchange, _Stone Age Economics_, he discusses the continuum upon which exchange takes place. At one extreme there is _generalized reciprocity_ where the giver expects nothing in return, or at least with only loose expectations that someday, somehow, the favor will be returned. At the center of the continuum is _balanced reciprocity_ where the two parties expect an even exchange with little or no time delay, which although it is less personal than pure gift-giving, it nonetheless can be a very satisfying human contact. At the opposite extreme lies _negative reciprocity_, the part of the continuum where one or both parties to the exchange are trying to get the better of the other. <P> When my partner, Sophia, and I were planning for our first BM in ‘96, we didn’t know what to expect and wondered if it would present any opportunities to sell the street fair crafts we used to make. We were surprised, and delighted, that the playa was a commercial-free zone. We quickly understood that BM was about _giving_ the best in yourself, whether it was art, performance, neighborliness, or simply the pleasure of a beautiful human body without the layer of clothing we usually hide behind. We came to BM ‘97 prepared to join in the gift-fest to the fullest of our capabilities. Our thing was giving rides in our bicycle-towed sailing cart, the Spirit of Black Rock. The only fare was our passangers’ desire to accept what we had to offer, our pay was their smiles of delight. Perhaps we could have given more rides if more people had understood that. We also brought to BM every ripe tomato we could glean from our garden, and started each morning with a “breakfast tomato slice” table for our neighbors and strollers. The spiritual satisfaction of engaging in this burst of generalized reciprocity has been like medicine for the soul, as so many postings on this bb have expressed. <P> My most memorable moment at BM came one morning when I gave a lady a ride from near downtown as far as my camp towards the north end of town. When she got out, she wanted to give more for the ride than her smile, and pulled some of her own craft out of her bag. It was a beautiful little ceramic-bodied meditation drum. Upon seeing it, I knew I had to give HER something more lasting than a ride, and ducked into my camp for one of the hairsticks that I make to grace lovely heads of hair such as hers. She clasped it tightly in both hands and gave it the little shake that wordlessly says, “I will cherish this forever” and walked away. In accepting each others’ gifts, we were re-enacting a scene that was going on all around us, thousands of times over. My act of generalized reciprocity had spun uncontrollably into a moment of balanced reciprocity between strangers that neither of us will ever forget. <P> Citizens of Black Rock City are very sensitive to violations of our code of keeping exchange somewhere on the continuum between generalized and balanced reciprocity. When the drunk at the burning of the man yelled at the woman in the red dress to “take it off”, he was in the realm of negative reciprocity, demanding something for nothing. She had the presence of mind to call him on it, using her demand for him to “take it off” to turn it into balanced reciprocity. This is what “no spectators” is all about. If what you are wearing or what you are doing is not a good-faith effort to be just as spectacle-worthy as everyone around you, the exchange has broken down. The human brain has a very highly-evolved built-in ledger for keeping track of exchange accounts. (See chapter 9, “Friends”, in _The Moral Animal_ by Robert Wright for a full discussion of this.) This is why we bristle so much at the media who are there sucking up our city’s energy without adding to it. It could be argued that we should cut them some slack, for they are a kind of delivery service that transmits our energy into distant living rooms for people who would never otherwise know anything about Black Rock City. It could also be argued that no one who isn’t there will ever understand Black Rock City, so we shouldn’t let the media try to transmit something that is doomed to failure. But they seem to have tried their best this year, and the non-attendees posting to this bb who don’t get it probably wouldn’t get it even if they had been there. <P> When we first learn about the continuum of reciprocity, the quick mind immediately sees that most of the modern economy takes place toward the negative end; everybody understands that every corporation they buy from will rip them off in any way they can. It is tiring to the spirit to know this, that the car part you need is marked up 500%, or your prescription drug sells for 5,000% over cost. I think we have a deep yearning to be someplace like Black Rock City where we leave our money behind for a few days and just deal with each other in the most primal human way, giving and receiving freely as members of a tribe in a cashless society. <P> Therein lies the reason for government loathing of Burning Man. Larry Harvey said it well with his line that we wouldn’t be having any trouble with the bureaucrats if we were just selling cotton candy and ferris wheel rides. All of the government’s money and power is derived as a direct percentage of money changing hands. Telling them that you want to bring thousands of people together for an experimental community in which everything is given away and no money changes hands is more threateningly revolutionary than any armed militia. This is in spite of the not-well-concealed fact that millions of dollars were spent by those thousands of people preparing for and getting to the event. Surely they can let us have our five days without money, and surely we can figure out ways to pay for the event while still honoring past traditions of it being a commercial-free zone. -- Tom Ness, September 14, 1997 at 1:08p

Many of the postings on this bulletin board deal in one way or another with the broad subject of exchange between individuals in Black Rock City. There seems to be a mass euphoria at BM created by a sort of nuclear chain reaction of giving and receiving that occurs completely outside of the cash economy. Although some writers have said that if BM wants to make money to cover expenses we should sell T-shirts and trinkets like any other gathering, the consensus is that Black Rock City’s cashless economy is one of the most important aspects of the experience and that to monetize it would destroy it. <P> In Marshall Sahlins’ classic work on human exchange, _Stone Age Economics_, he discusses the continuum upon which exchange takes place. At one extreme there is _generalized reciprocity_ where the giver expects nothing in return, or at least with only loose expectations that someday, somehow, the favor will be returned. At the center of the continuum is _balanced reciprocity_ where the two parties expect an even exchange with little or no time delay, which although it is less personal than pure gift-giving, it nonetheless can be a very satisfying human contact. At the opposite extreme lies _negative reciprocity_, the part of the continuum where one or both parties to the exchange are trying to get the better of the other. <P> When my partner, Sophia, and I were planning for our first BM in ‘96, we didn’t know what to expect and wondered if it would present any opportunities to sell the street fair crafts we used to make. We were surprised, and delighted, that the playa was a commercial-free zone. We quickly understood that BM was about _giving_ the best in yourself, whether it was art, performance, neighborliness, or simply the pleasure of a beautiful human body without the layer of clothing we usually hide behind. We came to BM ‘97 prepared to join in the gift-fest to the fullest of our capabilities. Our thing was giving rides in our bicycle-towed sailing cart, the Spirit of Black Rock. The only fare was our passangers’ desire to accept what we had to offer, our pay was their smiles of delight. Perhaps we could have given more rides if more people had understood that. We also brought to BM every ripe tomato we could glean from our garden, and started each morning with a “breakfast tomato slice” table for our neighbors and strollers. The spiritual satisfaction of engaging in this burst of generalized reciprocity has been like medicine for the soul, as so many postings on this bb have expressed. <P> My most memorable moment at BM came one morning when I gave a lady a ride from near downtown as far as my camp towards the north end of town. When she got out, she wanted to give more for the ride than her smile, and pulled some of her own craft out of her bag. It was a beautiful little ceramic-bodied meditation drum. Upon seeing it, I knew I had to give HER something more lasting than a ride, and ducked into my camp for one of the hairsticks that I make to grace lovely heads of hair such as hers. She clasped it tightly in both hands and gave it the little shake that wordlessly says, “I will cherish this forever” and walked away. In accepting each others’ gifts, we were re-enacting a scene that was going on all around us, thousands of times over. My act of generalized reciprocity had spun uncontrollably into a moment of balanced reciprocity between strangers that neither of us will ever forget. <P> Citizens of Black Rock City are very sensitive to violations of our code of keeping exchange somewhere on the continuum between generalized and balanced reciprocity. When the drunk at the burning of the man yelled at the woman in the red dress to “take it off”, he was in the realm of negative reciprocity, demanding something for nothing. She had the presence of mind to call him on it, using her demand for him to “take it off” to turn it into balanced reciprocity. This is what “no spectators” is all about. If what you are wearing or what you are doing is not a good-faith effort to be just as spectacle-worthy as everyone around you, the exchange has broken down. The human brain has a very highly-evolved built-in ledger for keeping track of exchange accounts. (See chapter 9, “Friends”, in _The Moral Animal_ by Robert Wright for a full discussion of this.) This is why we bristle so much at the media who are there sucking up our city’s energy without adding to it. It could be argued that we should cut them some slack, for they are a kind of delivery service that transmits our energy into distant living rooms for people who would never otherwise know anything about Black Rock City. It could also be argued that no one who isn’t there will ever understand Black Rock City, so we shouldn’t let the media try to transmit something that is doomed to failure. But they seem to have tried their best this year, and the non-attendees posting to this bb who don’t get it probably wouldn’t get it even if they had been there. <P> When we first learn about the continuum of reciprocity, the quick mind immediately sees that most of the modern economy takes place toward the negative end; everybody understands that every corporation they buy from will rip them off in any way they can. It is tiring to the spirit to know this, that the car part you need is marked up 500%, or your prescription drug sells for 5,000% over cost. I think we have a deep yearning to be someplace like Black Rock City where we leave our money behind for a few days and just deal with each other in the most primal human way, giving and receiving freely as members of a tribe in a cashless society. <P> Therein lies the reason for government loathing of Burning Man. Larry Harvey said it well with his line that we wouldn’t be having any trouble with the bureaucrats if we were just selling cotton candy and ferris wheel rides. All of the government’s money and power is derived as a direct percentage of money changing hands. Telling them that you want to bring thousands of people together for an experimental community in which everything is given away and no money changes hands is more threateningly revolutionary than any armed militia. This is in spite of the not-well-concealed fact that millions of dollars were spent by those thousands of people preparing for and getting to the event. Surely they can let us have our five days without money, and surely we can figure out ways to pay for the event while still honoring past traditions of it being a commercial-free zone. -- Tom Ness, September 14, 1997 at 1:08p

> Burning Man gave us the stars... - astrogrl Yes. A big circus tent doming the horizon full of stars. When the winds and the chemicals were right,the circus tent swayed in the breeze and the Milky Way warped a little bit. I had a conversation with Carl Sagan when I was out on the playa, because I hadn't taken the opportunity to say goodbye. -- Kevin, September 14, 1997 at 0:12p

Would anyone by chance know how to contact one of the photographers (well, guy with a camera,besides Spencer) who was snapping pictures of the huge crowd of naked people at 7 am? If you happen to be reading this, and don't work for ABC news or such... you took a picture of me (5'6", female, brunette, obsidian belly-button ring,lots of goosebumps)holding hands with my bestest friend, (5'10, male, black hair, beard, also freezing...)I'm extremely anxious to see this photo, please e-mail me if you can - thanks! Thank you also to everyone who made this experience so special, INCLUDING all the grumpy and dis-illusioned folks,(you can't please everyone, you know) dreamers, wishers, liars, hope-ers, pray-ers and magic-bean-buyers. Send money to San Fran! Send your photos to your Mom!It's not such a bad world after all. -- wanderer, representing the Rainbow Lizard Welders for Kali, September 14, 1997 at 4:02a

Dearest Maid Marian (Jackrabbit), We of the Rainbow Lizard Welders for Kali (green Ford Escort station wagon) thank you for the neon bands and sincerely hope that your message got through on Friday night. -- wanderer, September 14, 1997 at 3:23a

Hi folks, I want to comment on some of the negative comments here.. ENOUGH PLEASE. I know that there are some unkind posts here. Please ignore them. It isn't worth the space, and really what they want you to do is write negative posts. If you ignore them, they go away in a few lines of text. This is like those "email viruses" like good times... ignore them, and they loose their power! Anyway, I'm still riding on my BM experience... to those that have gotten depressed, Please BRING BURNING MAN TO THE PRESENT. Take the feeling of burning man, the spirit, into your life... take it to work, your home, your commute. There is no reason for it to go away. the experiment is working, and people are changing. You have to keep it with you. Keep Burning Man Alive! And donate... send $10 dollars for each post. If we can't get out of debt, Burning Man will not happen, and then I do believe the spirit will be lost, as there will be nothing to remind us, and nothing to show other people what Burning Man is about. Thanks! -- Sam I Am, September 14, 1997 at 1:12a

My most incredible experience at Burning Man happened just minutes after the man burned. There was much electricity in the air. Everyone was in an altered, ecstatic state of mind. My 4 buddies and I were walking around the playa enjoying the many rituals around the fires, when suddenly I noticed a particularly happy young woman, buzzing around the playa like a happy bee. She was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life: dirty blonde hair, fresh ingenue face, slender body. She was wearing a flowing purple outfit that floated in the air as she danced and ran around the playa, giggling with glee. I was absolutely mesmerized by the positive energy that she exuded. My buddies and I approached her and suddenly, without warning, we found ourselves dancing and running with her across the playa. Soon, the 5 of us formed a circle, running around her while she danced and giggled on the inside. After the circle broke, she took me by the hand and led me on an incredible half-race, half-dance across the playa. I was laughing like I haven't laughed in ages. The next thing I knew, we were holding hands and swinging each other around like you did when you were a child. Eventually we stopped, face-to-face with each other, breathing hard and looking deep into each other's eyes. The rest of Burning Man faded out around us. All of the chanting, all of the music, all of the fire... it just disappeared. And suddenly, nothing else was there... just her and me, standing on the playa, looking at each other. And then we kissed. And we kissed. And we kissed some more. We kissed and we kissed, standing there on the playa, holding each other closely. I have never felt a kiss like this in my entire life. Lightning bolts were shooting through my body as I opened up my entire soul and let all of her positive energy flow into me. We kissed longer, and we floated above the playa together... gravity no longer had any hold over us. It was the purest exchange of energy I have ever felt, bundled with unbridled passion. It was the most perfect moment I have ever felt, as every part of my body tingled with sensation. It felt like it lasted for hours. And then we stopped. She looked up, giggled, and ran off into the night, singing back the words "Thank you!" to me. The last thing I remember is her flowing purple outfit fading into the darkness. -- Scott Rose, September 13, 1997 at 9:30p

Like when Jerry died..... -- Anon., September 13, 1997 at 8:54p

Isn't the spirit all about doing it yerself? -- Anon., September 13, 1997 at 8:53p

LOS ANGELES post burn meet & greet, Sept 19, 8:00p.m., email me for further info. -- Linda, September 13, 1997 at 6:13p

check out the 1997 Burning Man photo Gallery http://www.sltrib.com/97/sep/090797/sunday_a/2861.htm -- rick, September 13, 1997 at 3:13p

thanks to who ever turned in the missing white Nissan car keys Sunday night! -- rick, September 13, 1997 at 2:52p

My Burning Man pictures are now on the web, check 'em out.      http://web-inforum.net/tbullock/bm97.htm -- Tom, September 13, 1997 at 0:51p

Lotta funerals on TV lately, noticed? Hey, that's cool: at least some women are finally gettin' some attention. How come no one at Lady Di's funeral yelled "Show us yer tits!" Sorry bad joke. No! That's an oxymoron. Is Buring Man dead? Who gives a fuck? If he dies cause of money, well then that's funny. No. All you RV heads should pay up! I did. Felt good. Not that I watch RV....anyway...if burning man goes out, so what. You mean we'd have to do a new one ALL BY OURSELVES?!?!?! O' shit! That would be the end of it wouldn't it? No one to tell us where to camp? No fucking local authorities in our non existant faces? O my god that would be the end of burning man! O help I would never stay changed as I am for ever or was! Coffee now dammitt!!! -- Anon., September 13, 1997 at 2:44a

In my life I don't feel normal. To much T.V., computors, isolation from the world, lack of new exciting things to do and see, just real tired of the same old world we make each day, for each other. Burning man made me feel normal and whole again, something I thought not possible. Leaving feel like a small death. What now? -- Robert, September 12, 1997 at 11:56p

Hey folks; If money is the problem then burning man must figure out how to "tax" its residents. unfortunatley so. There is nothing for sale except at the cafe, and the entrance fee. And we're in the hole. So to continue, and pay debts to Nevada next year burning man should sell more stuff. Not rely on donations. this is the world. ask hong kong. sorry for the neg neo capitalist industrialist scance. but the capital has to come from somewhere. All the people that plan this have to go through this too. We want this to continue, but it has to support this huge burden created as well to survive. Really. Thayer -- Thayer Walker, September 12, 1997 at 10:21p

I will be incredibly saddened if Burning Man does not happen again next year. The one-of-a-kind atmosphere of freedom and expression is simply a glimpse of what our lives could be like without the oppressiveness of social norms and reactive fear to the creative and novel. BURNING MAN MUST CONTINUE--if not in the same form on the playa, then elsewhere. Is there a reason the spirit of burning man--the creativity, freedom, self-expression, the community--cannot exist outside of a 3-day weekend in the desert? Why can it not happen evey two months? Every month? Every week? I don't believe that creating the spirit of burning man necessarily takes elaborate operas, nude bodies, or human effigies, but simply the energy and desire to create and express--and most importantly to thrive, not just tolerate, on the energy and creativity of others. Can we have the spirit of BM sustain itself outside of the desert? We should do all we can to see that it does--give BM money, but also let's keep it going throughout the year, let it be part of lives. Anyone with me on this? -- Jim, September 12, 1997 at 4:20p

Where are the Whiskey Fairies of yesteryear? -- Bryan, the ToA trenchcoat guy., September 12, 1997 at 3:49p

I can't believe that so much e-mail diarrhea continues after Maid Marians compelling post about the "state of Burning Man". You blathering idiots, the 'origins' of The Burning Man mean absolutely nothing if the community of Burning Man ceases to exist. Calm down the meaningless chatter and pay attention to ways you can contructively help. Donating money is one way to help. Writing intelligent letters to the bereaucrats can be helpful. Stay tuned to "The Jack Rabbit Speaks" for your marching orders as a citizen of Black Rock City, and then ACT ON THEM. I'd like to call attention to a point in the posting by "This Woman", about County Commissioners being leaned on because the event does not generate hotel(read CASINOS) business. This thing is bigger than political now. It's well known history that ORGANIZED CRIME owns the Casinos of Nevada. I'm sure that the crime bosses sent their puppet boys in blue to the Hualupai to collect for the coffers. Just look at the very suspect way that they went in and seized the gate return. I'm convinced that the non-commercial community experiment that is Burning Man, has become mired in the very commercially sustained politics of Nevadas organized crime syndicate. Conspiracy theory? I think we need to get the hell out of Nevada. -- Trip Allen, September 12, 1997 at 3:23p

regarding film processing - ASK FIRST. When I took in my BM96 film, my friends scoffed at my paranoia, but the first two places we went told me prints with nudity would NOT be developed. The third place (Fast Photo, Plumb Lane, Reno) were very cool - even had friends at the burn. Good luck! -- this woman, September 12, 1997 at 2:20p

Experienced and shared so many moments of spontaneous existance. thsi is always my lesson and my biggest challenge to bring back into the rest of my life. We had the Starlust Lounge in Center Camp (Holly thank you so much for the killer location!!). I learned a lot about my own being versus behavior as well as my budd's Dave, Barry, Neil, Fred, Don, and our adoptee Pete. We had a ton o fun and I was enthralled at how many more people I got to meet by having a barter bar. Special hellos to Adora, Kat, Cheese and Rina from Cyberbus, Amy, Misty, Steve Tatiana, Christy from NZ, Miriam Moebius and the guys from Frequency Publica, and of course, Marcia and Connie. Joegh, we missed you buddy. Hope to see you all at AnonSalon parties or just on the street. Keep those feelings of the deep connections we all shared on the playa alive! -- Harlen, September 12, 1997 at 2:15p

Burning Man gave us the stars... -- astrogrl, September 12, 1997 at 1:24p

whomever is posting as me, using my neighbors address, please stop! i would never be up on computer @6:44 am, just not my style. thanks in advance for stopping you imposterization. -- kat, September 12, 1997 at 1:13p

Amy, with whom I swapped "eye-deer" jokes: I've forgotten the punch line to the third one you told! Please drop me a line and save me from eternal puzzlement. -- William, September 12, 1997 at 11:15a

I have just come back from the Photo Center in Ithaca, New York where I left my BURNING MAN films for processing and here what I got instead of the pictures: 'DEAR CUSTOMER, BECAUSE OF WEGMANS POLICY CONCERNING PICTURES THAT CONTAIN NUDITY, SOME OR ALL OF YOUR NEGATIVES WERE NOT PRINTED. WE FEEL THAT THIS POLICY PROTECTS THE INTEREST OF OUR CUSTOMERS AND APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED YOU.' See you next year, Slawomir (grunberg@logtv.com) -- Slawomir, September 12, 1997 at 9:55a

I'm interested in finding out if anyone from Chicago attended BM97. I was unable to attend and after reading most of the postings, I really regret not going. Something has been missing in my life for quite some time and this event, I believe, would have helped me in my search. So, Chicago-area attendees, if you're out there, email me, tattoome5@aol.com - I want to hear more... -- Kris, September 12, 1997 at 8:09a

I don't find anything disturbing in the connection between BM and Zozobra, Wisconsin, Amsterdam, whatever else. Clearly, the event wasn't created to copy anything else, and yet its theme picks up elements from other events held by other people in other places. This kind of tacit sharing kind of extends the feeling of community for me. David -- David, September 12, 1997 at 7:34a

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

I think burning man was totally, totally, cool. But I'm like so bummed that Burning Man is in debt. That's so uncool. We should all pitch in and make sure that Burning Man can happen next year. Don't you think? -- kat, September 12, 1997 at 6:44a

Don't be gaping at saucers. Mind your own garden. -- Al Lien, September 12, 1997 at 1:11a

....."Hello? You rank?" .....Hey, that was quite a three rink circus, eh? --Come, let's talk about the Bindlestiff Family Circus: they performed, like, what every nite but last? And Knockers the clown got kidnapped! Hardest working family in burn bizness. Now let's talk Jenerik. Boss rig, dude. Anyone catch the flaming, mic'd oildrums with cable stretched across?: Scott@Centertown.Sun./~Nite. Me, I think the big ol' ice "cube" wuz good fer keepin beer cold and did you see those "trippin' hippies" touching it at nite?....Hey who caught Sunfur? That was a '78 Custom thru a phat-ass Marshall, inciniradentally, not bad fer the desert, eh? Hey Rosie, thanks for all yer help burying cable! ...also thanx and a tip o' the conical hat to House of Doorpersons: pirate TV! and to Wood Pussy: Good Neighbor awards to thee and thine! Those friendly silver balls at the cocktail party rocked and rolled! En plus, Crash Worship's homebrew was good-- but not as good as their exhortations to drink more of it from the 15 gallon jugs it came in! Remember Church anyone? Helluva band! And (some of) my favorite sponsors. Why, I saw a goddamned solar-powered bicycle-carried pirate-radio station: Radio SPURT. Interviewing another pirate radio station. On the spot! ...and that woman named...........well, fluxies, these were some of my favorite things.... -- Your Humble Narrator, September 12, 1997 at 1:05a

My favorite line:...as the scaffold behind the sound board folds into the wind and falls on Johnny Towel the Soundman mid-set, band rushes up and yells...the line...(drum roll pls)."Can you turn up the monitors please?" No one got hert, buy the way. -- jah dubwize, September 12, 1997 at 0:35a

I've heard people say Burning Man changed their lives.Personally, Burning Man ruined my life...it's a long way til next year... -- mac boody, September 11, 1997 at 11:51p

peace and love to everyone who made this BURN so special ... see ya next year, i hope!!! -- joseph, September 11, 1997 at 11:13p

hey, gotta go now, but had one last burning thought..."FOOL MOON DRUMMING, BOWLING BALL BEACH, HIGHWAY 1, MENDOCINO COUNTY, 4 MILES SOUTH OF POINT ARENA. LOOK ON THE MAP. POINT ARENA IS THE CLOSEST LAND TO HAWAII. COOL, EH? MOON'S DOIN IT'S THANG LATE MONDAY (the 15th, post headwaters, [we want, need, all 60,000 acres of that particular temperate rainforest,] ((in fact, we need all of our temperate rainforest to survive past 2050, but, that's another story)) ...SO THAT'S WHEN THE DRUMMING IS. NO SPECTATORS. BRING IT. PACK YOUR TRASH. whew. that was good for me. nitey nite! ;) -- kat, September 11, 1997 at 10:48p

the big old tort, Turlock, the one local and live denizen of the desert, is back in his burrow, the mascara and pink bands have been removed, but he says, " I really had a tortally cool time at the burning man and hope that it all happens again next year, so I can bring my many tort buddies and have a theme camp!" We would love to borrow Beyond Race for a burrow party someday, is a cassette or CD available????? My only complaint...it was too much in too short a time to see and do it all, I regret I never got to the Geysers and Garths artwork, also that Turlock was unable to connect with Maid Marian. Perhaps next year!!!!! Adopt a Tort-we need homes (nevada residents) The turtle lady and RTTC -- turtle lady, September 11, 1997 at 10:42p

hey elaine, i am completely bummed and angry that our entire country (dare i say, corporate world) is run by some bunch of pompous pinheads. there making it harder and harder for large groups of people to gather anywhere. it all can be very subversive you know.. who knows what kind of a revolution 10,000 determined, creative, action oriented type people might spawn. -- kat, September 11, 1997 at 10:30p

so i'm checkin out the messages,wondering why all this discourse about who did what first (like it matters...intersociatal culture dude) at any rate, i was quite interested to read a post by me that wasn't by me. probably those trickster ex-pickle guys, you know, the one who broadcasts pat robertson? not fair to speak for me. okay, so i'm without computer so i'm using my gracious neighbor's system, but please, no more kitty impersonators. thanks for ;your kind understanding and coooperation. be proud, sign your own damn name. over. kat -- kat, September 11, 1997 at 9:48p

this was my second burningman. it wont be my last. i camped with great people at wetpaint camp, which was a great success. whatever reason larry harvey had for burning a man on a beach, im all for it. i know i took my problems to the fire and dumped them into the flames and stumbled away feeling pounds lighter.i am completely bummed and angry that washcoe county seems to run by some a bunch of pompous pinheads, though i shouldnt be. i will definately do what i can to help the cause. maybe moving burningman elsewhere, remove the cashcow from the hands of greedy burueacrats in nevada,eastern oregon is quite lovely.even if for some terrible reason, burningman wasnt to be. i strongly feel that this has gathered too much momentum for people to give it up.i know i look forward to it all year, were already planning for next year. people need this way too much. so thanks ever so much to larry and all the people who helped put this one on.you guys are pretty okay in my book.it was too cool for words to express.i like running around the playa looking for fires, and getting so dirty that people cringed as i walked past in the reno airport. i also noticed that there were people from around the world who came just for burningman. cool! too much media types though, could do without them. o well, see youall next year.burueacrats be damned. -- elaine , September 11, 1997 at 9:39p

So next year we could get a corporate sponsor. Say "Burning Man--brought to you by Duraflame!" Or "The Burning Man Denorex Festival--for when your feet burn with athelete's foot fungus!" Or the "Preperation H Burning Man Festival." Or better yet--all of us who have had our life changed by this incredible event can all kick in a few bucks to save the festival, and keep it the way it is! -- David, September 11, 1997 at 9:00p

immmn responce to the gentleman: yes we saw the red light, and many other ones from the west. in tribe smoke over the sky. most 0f time on look out. ohala what that white star to the west, throuth the pass of terripin,still waiting to go. yes, rain bows arc in the day and shower the night. there will never be proof. peilcan spit. hullabaloo? -- pal, September 11, 1997 at 7:53p

immmn responce to the gentleman: yes we saw the red light, and many other ones from the west. in tribe smoke over the sky. most 0f time on look out. ohala what that white star to the west, throuth the pass of terripin,still waiting to go. yes, rain bows arc in the day and shower the night. there will never be proof. peilcan spit. hullabaloo? -- pal, September 11, 1997 at 7:52p

immmn responce to the gentleman: yes we saw the red light, and many other ones from the west. in tribe smoke over the sky. most 0f time on look out. ohala what that white star to the west, throuth the pass of terripin,still waiting to go. yes, rain bows arc in the day and shower the night. there will never be proof. peilcan spit. hullabaloo? -- pal, September 11, 1997 at 7:52p

I can say that I've never heard of this event prior to it's media exposure of recent. And to hear it's been going on for 12 years & that I like to consider myself well-informed really shocks me. But I'm happy to hear you got a great thing going here. Keep it up ! Do not let the dream die ! If there's any support or related matters happening in the Chicago area feel free to contact me. I'll be happy to assist. -- Ken J. Jr., September 11, 1997 at 7:48p

immmn responce to the gentleman: yes we saw the red light, and many other ones from the west. in tribe smoke over the sky. most 0f time on look out. ohala what that white star to the west, throuth the pass of terripin,still waiting to go. yes, rain bows arc in the day and shower the night. there will never be proof. peilcan spit. hullabaloo? -- pal, September 11, 1997 at 7:31p

As a member of Picasso camp and only being 17 I had a fabulous time. Even though I could not find a girl to go with me into girrrll girl but maybe next year! Any girls who would like to go with me next year E-mail me. Can't wait untill next year which will be my third time. Also Morgan if you are reading this thankyou for the great time. -- joshua leggett, September 11, 1997 at 7:30p

Hello, Maid Marian here. As you may or may not know I'm one of the organizers that worked for 8 months to make Burning Man a reality. You can confirm this by perusing the organizers' bios in the Project section of the web site. I am absolutely blown away by all the messages left here on the Experiences Bulletin Board. Almost all members of the organizing committee have seen what's here and we are touched. I was in tears as I read passages to Larry Harvey on Saturday (9/6). THANK YOU for all your words of encouragement. Though I have been a Burning Man organizer for only one year, I am told that 1997 was the most difficult to make a reality. It was, however, from all accounts, the best Burning Man ever. This is my third year in the desert, and I heartily agree. It is true, we are in debt. We will share more information as soon as we have finished a complete accounting, but for now I have this: Though we planned carefully for our costs based upon last year's expenses and assumptions regarding land use and permits for this year's site, we were informed on July 8th during a permit hearing that the county would be charging us over $400,000 for fire and safety protection. We negotiated this down to $321,000, but that was still more than we had anticipated, and costs at that level compounded on top of our own infrastructural expenses would have necessitated more participants than we had a permit for which was 9-12,000 people. The county charges sent a clear message to us, but we refused to be deterred. As a result the county commissioners would not even approve of the event until 18 hours before the start (2 pm on August 26th). You can only imagine how hard we worked to comply with the 121 festival permit requirements, some of which imposed costs over and above what could be viewed as realistic. For instance, we were required to provide housing for the 44 fire fighters, but the day before the start of the event we were informed the 2 industrial trailers ($10,000 total when outfitted with required AC & flush toilets) wouldn't be used. And, a week before the event we were required by the County to actually insure the firefighters against themselves. In case a fire got out of hand, they were insured against their own failure to act effectively. This addition required that a unique rider was added which could only be taken care of by Lloyds of London to the tune of an additional $17,000. Like the decision to NOT use the housing this was a capricious action. At this time the county has a $25,000 category in the accounting of the $321,000 called "Other". It was at one time earmarked for "Cleanup", but when we recently requested it be refunded so we could call in additional dumpsters and haul ash and garbage away from the site, we were summarily informed that the category had changed and the funds were not available for cleanup. These are only the most recent examples of what we were up against. You can see how difficult they made it for us to hold onto our income. (The county has yet to furnish us with an accounting of how they have spent our ticket sales). Washoe County, fearing they would not be paid, and in the last 15 minutes of a commission meeting 18 hours before the start of Burning Man, a decision was made to impound 100% of our on-site ticket sales at the gate each day. This rendered payment of vendor services nearly impossible. No arrangement was made ahead of time for payment of critical services, which as you know includes the center camp generator (powering the communications), water trucks AND porta potties. The Sheriff's planned to depart as soon as the nut was cracked, but it wasn't, and we still owe Washoe County $19,000 (the Reno Gazette confirms this). In addition, the landowner is owed a fee based upon the number of participants at the event each day. The exact figure for our debt is not determined yet, as there are vendor and services bills outstanding, but the total hovers between $110,000 and $150,000. Our intention each year is to cover our expenses, and have enough in reserve to support the director and any other critical personnel through to the spring when ticket sales begin to generate income (remember we have NO sponsorship and nearly NO vending). Larry Harvey has actually never received an income from Burning Man that is above the federal poverty level. In addition, we should start production on a winter newsletter, which we have never produced before, but is particularly critical this year. We understand the need for connection with the community that's been created. We are also in desperate needs of office space as 7 individuals are working our of our homes, and we have no central phones or filing system. However, expenses imposed by the Washoe County permit process caused all of our plans to be rendered impossible. Finding ourselves seriously in debt has been devastating; instead of planning for the future we are busy trying to stay afloat. We will not be able to produce another event unless we can climb out of this deep dry well. Donations of any size are gratefully accepted. Many of you gave us cash and checks as you left on Monday, THANK YOU. For a donation of $100 we are offering a ticket to next year's event and some "goodies". For a donation of $500 we are offering 5 tickets and the book Burning Man. (The 5 tickets can be used consecutively or all at once). The "life-time" membership was a short-term idea that will not be seen again, those that jumped on it will be honored and will see information sent directly to them. Please feel free to send contributions to our official box. It has been listed 3 times on this BB already, and can be confirmed by looking at your ticket stub, or at the now out-of-date registration form on this web site. I will again leave it here for you: Burning Man, P.O. Box, 420572, San Francisco, CA 94142-0572. We will shortly enable our secure server and CyberCash relationship in order to accommodate credit cards. Also keep in mind we have a hot line at 415-985-7471. We also have a mailing list, and if you'd like to receive the newsletter and other announcements email: snailmail@burningman.com If you are interested in having a fundraising party I can send you stickers and other such stuff. Let me know. If you want to volunteer your time, this is equally as valuable. Please email us at volunteers@burningman.com Those that like to keep up-to-date with developments in the Burning Man community please subscribe to the Jack Rabbit Speaks, my email missive. Posts are one or two a week. Subscribe by sending an email to: bman-announce-request@burningman.com, and add the word *subscribe* to the body of your message. In the coming weeks I'll answer some of the questions people have posed on this board, and share email addresses with those that want to create regional slide-parties/events as the list goes to over 2,500 people and the majority are out of California. Also, if you want to maintain a dialogue with others, there are actually two rather active email lists to which you can also subscribe, check this web site under Events/Communication/email. We will sub-divide this bulletin board within the next 24-hours. You will in the future reach an interim page and a choice of 5 or 6 different boards depending on the subject manner. Thanks again to everyone that attended Burning Man and helped create a safe, expressive and deeply connected community of unique individuals. I'm looking forward to building Black Rock City again. We hope to return to Washoe County, but if we don't we will find a new home. Burning Man is more than an event in the Nevada desert and it will continue...it's in our hearts. Maiden -- Maid Marian - Burning Man '97, September 11, 1997 at 7:17p

I posted the following 8 days ago, and have received several e-mails about Larry's "SAVE BURNING MAN" speech. Unfortunately, tho everyone WANTS one, nobody so far knows WHERE TO FIND A WRITTEN OR AUDIO COPY! There must have been 100+ big, fuzzy microphones there - not to mention the video cams! If you have any leads, please e-mail me & I will e-mail everybody back with the info! Thanks! "For all of you Black Rockers who missed hearing Larry Harvey speak at the bone vulva...you missed a lot. As founder/starter/keeper-of-the-flame, he not only told of the funny/sad/painful/joyous Burning Man history, but also of his lovely vision for the community. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN GET A TRANSCRIPT OR RECORDING OF THIS SPEECH? I was deeply impressed by this man and his (clearly) heart-felt words changed me for the better. Tia@sfbg.com -- Tia, September 4, 1997 at 7:04p -- Tia, September 11, 1997 at 7:04p

Larry Harvey DID start Burning Man with a few friends on Baker Beach in San Francisco. Dan Miller and Jerry James were there. He has never traveled outside of the country, and has therefore never been to Amsterdam. People told him about Zozobra after he had been burning an effigy on the beach for several years. He has neither attended nor been influenced by either event. Regarding Wisconsin, he has never been there. I recently received an email from someone suggesting Larry was influenced by some ritual in Madison, and I responded to that person as I do here, he has never been nor had heard of this ritual. Burning Man wasn't even called such for several years, as it was just an opportunity for a few friends to build something and burn it, until it was moved to the desert. At that point logistics drove it from a one night burn to a long weekend. And the rest is history. There are no secrets, explore other web sites, particularly http://www.zpub.com as he has interviews with Larry from several years ago. Extensive media reports cooborate the bulletin board entry a few below mine. There is NO warrant out for Larry's arrest. Any more questions? maiden -- Maid Marian, September 11, 1997 at 7:04p

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

I can't believe it myself... Does anyone have any other information? Or maybe it's a hoax that someone along the lines of Bruce is trying to play on us. I just want to say that Burning Man was a major turning point in my life. Never have I felt such liberation, such freedom. It's such a downer when you come back because you realize the richness of the earth and then are thrown back into the the fray of daily living. BM is pure -- it's "being". I will be back every year. It brought me to life. -- Michael Dennison, September 11, 1997 at 5:59p

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

That's probably not true. I'm pretty connected to a whole bunch of people who were at BM and know Larry from SF and they haven't heard anything.... Probably a nasty rumor started by the media. -- SexMachine, September 11, 1997 at 5:54p

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

I just head from a friend that the State of Nevada just put out an arrest warrant for Larry. They claim he recklessly endangered lives, etc. -- a total load of crap. Probably an effort to prevent BM from happening next year. Is this story true or just BS? -- Maggie, September 11, 1997 at 5:51p

BURNING PEOPLE THIS IS A CALL FOR HELP! While I was gone away frolicking with y'all, I forgot to put my roommate back in the fridge, and they fermented, mutated, and revealed their true identity: A MASSAGE HATIN', 9 TO 5 LIFESTYLE COVETIN',INTOLERANT, HUMOR DEFICIENT BEASTY, who hath declared: "NO MASSAGE IN THE HOUSE!" This cuts out half my income! Never mind there hasn't been any concrete problems, AT ALL, and I've been ultra considerate, making no demands on their home life, they just doooon't liiike the ideeeeeaa! (whiny voice here) So, HOW'D YOU LIKE A MASSAGE THERAPIST AS A ROOMMATE (san Francisco, please) I come complete with a functioning brain, cleaning hands, kind heart, dancing feet, joyous soul, and a life! Aside from massage, I write, dance, and help in the runnings of a local record label, plus lots of other neato stuff. ***I'M SEEKING A SOULFUL, CREATIVE, OPEN MINDED HOUSEHOLD WHO VALUE COMMUNITY AND THEIR HOME, AND WOULD WELCOME THE BEAUTIFUL VIBE MASSAGE CREATES. I'm looking for October or so, and I can afford $475 or so, more if it's supa dupa. Please Email me at: floe@cafenet.net THANK YOU, PEOPLE! -- Paul, September 11, 1997 at 5:48p

I told everyone I have some video that I'm giving away (at cost) but I've run into a snag. I was going to try to edit it at the cable access studio, but I'm having trouble getting studio time. Anyone in Dallas/Ft. Worth have a Hi-8 deck to SVHS set-up or other configuration with which I can make a decent master? I only need a few hours to get this stuff edited down to the non-accidental parts (I'm aiming to make a 2-hour tape). If you do, e-mail me. The only payment I can offer is help with whatever you're working on. Thanks. -- Hugh G., September 11, 1997 at 5:16p

Citizens of Black Rock! This is the story as it was passed on to me and with any story that is passed on through word of mouth, it may have changed a bit, but the story remains the same.The truth of the matter is that Larry Harvey never originaly intended this to happen...NONE OF IT. Some years ago a heartbroken young man built a man out of wood on the beaches of San Francisco. He lit it on fire and watched it burn, it was beautiful. Suddenly, people came from all over the place to see the spectacle, asking him "what it all means", and "why did he do it?" Larry Harvey watched it and a peace came over the people. You see, it was the most beautiful thing they have ever see.Some people were moved to tears, others were moved to dance...and for one night,,,all was right with the world. Then he did it again the next year, and the year after that, each time the number of participants doubled, it became a festival of sorts. Then it got too big for the beaches of San Francisco, so they moved out into the deserts of Nevada, where they could do no harm to anyone. Isolation together. And it became an escape in which they could flee the confines of fear, ignorance, and the society that would not have them. They would form their own community, which later came to be known as Black Rock City. They would camp out there under the crystal clear stars and dance around the Burningman until the smoke evoked a tear from the nearest star. And then Santa Clause came to town and had all the naughty boys and girls sit on his lap, and this was the first theme camp. And there soon would be more theme camps. Theme camps to make people aware, to educate, to be silly, to explore, to trade, to dance, to party, to love, live, to be. Many cultures since the dawn of time believe that to burn a symbol of a man meant to exorcise whatever demons plagued you. Others believe that it is a symbol of death...and rebirth, like the Phoenix who is reborn from the ashes...so are we. Yes it has been done before. By everyone. Everywhere. In every possible incarnation. But the Burningman Festival that we go to, and we believe in...is the one that started inside inside the soul of Larry Harvey, on that beach in San Francisco, on that very night, some years ago. It didn't start with a University of Wisconsin yearbook in his back pocket or an idea to make money off a bunch of "degenerates" from something he saw in Amsterdamn. It started with him and the memories of a love and the burning desire for radical free expression. So, Good People of Black Rock, tell the tale, as I have heard it from so many, and if I too am wrong or have misunderstood the translation, then I apologize and am no better than the other ignorants who poison this page. So seek the answers for yourself as I have, and proclaim what you find on this page or better yet scream them from the streets of Black Rock to those who will hear you. But what I do know is that Black Rock is a place where people go to escape ignorance, so let us think awhile before we shout out that which we do not know. For proclamation of ignorance, spawns ignorance. So let us stop the ignorance here. Now. Before it poisons our evergrowing beloved community. The beautiful thing about Burningman is that it can mean all things, to all people. Perhaps Burningman died for you, and rises again from the ashes for all who come to understand and witness his and our rebirth, and perhaps with our resurrection comes the replenishment of our souls. That is a precious gift indeed. Personaly I believe it's art. It's all art. Black Rock City is art. The playa is the canvas. We, the people, are the medium. Need I say who the artist is...? Educate me if I am wrong. I'm here to learn. -- Dark Angel, September 11, 1997 at 3:51p

Dear Bruce: I have a job thank you and a very, very good one that make my parents, friends and more importantly myself proud. I work so hard that I have been promoted twice already this year. I enjoy and adore Burning Man as it is my one weekend break away all summer and it brings me back to the reality of making friends, seeing interesting art work (now how can anyone be a degenerate who puts so much time and effort into fabulous art - did anyone else see for instance the huge iron man kneeling with his head back and screaming - amazing!)and all the other things that participate in Burning Man.I donate money to charities and sponser several children around the world. I am an extreamly happy person - I walk around with a smile on my face and feel lucky everyday that I had such a fantastic life. Are you happy Bruce? Did that make you feel good to make a nasty statement like the one you made? Did you know everyone at Burning man to judge so harshly? Look around and be very aware of yourself Bruce because your karma is very close to you and will swing back fast. Watch out - be nice,it's not hard. -- Anon., September 11, 1997 at 2:23p

Unusual lights in the sky near Burning Man While sitting on the Black Rock Desert directly east of the Burning Man festival on Saturday night (August 30th), two friends and I noticed several unusual lights moving across the sky at low altitude in an eastward direction (away from Burning Man). One was a brilliant red point, as bright as any of the stars that night. another appeared as a "tower" of red and yellow-green lights which were not as bright as the single red light. These lights moved very slowly across the sky and were unlike anything I had ever seen. These were definitely not fireworks or "conventional" aircraft and I don't know if they had anything to do with the festival, military activities, etc. If anybody else saw these most unusual objects or knows what they could have been I would greatly appreciate a response. We would guess that the lights appeared around 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM. Perplexed, Charlie charlesd@bcm.tmc.edu -- Junebug Charlie, September 11, 1997 at 2:22p

Talk about revolution,abundant delicious flesh, transformation,fire/ice/rain/hot springs, ascension, great beer,and an incessant orgy of light. Twas unforgettable yet will live on through my images. You Burning folks rock! margot@linex -- margot, September 11, 1997 at 2:00p

everybody should check out this page---- --->www.fray.com/hope/bm97/. (this IS NOT my page.) -- matt, September 11, 1997 at 1:52p

Ultravixen - Thank you for the Etch-A-Sketch project! It was one of the coolest on the main strip. Some of the artwork was amazing (although some was just stick figures...) I took a picture of it hoping to capture some of the artwork, but the glare off the etch-a-sketches obscured any of the lines. It's too bad you didn't have a good time this year - I just wanted to let you know that at least some people enjoyed your efforts. Hopefully it'll be better for you next year. -- Jim, September 11, 1997 at 1:48p

DREW MEEKS - his photos are great!!!! Thank you for sharing these with us - I wasn't able to get photos of the alien chess, the silver man etc., etc., I loved this page. -- Kate, September 11, 1997 at 1:39p

I just put my '97 burning man pictures up on the web along with me mighty fine links. Check it out! http://www.dharmabum.com/burningman -- drew meeks, September 11, 1997 at 0:03p

ME ME ME ME ME it was ME WHAA WHAA WHAA nobody gives ME cridit WHAAAAAAAAAaaaaa -- Whiner attention getter, September 11, 1997 at 11:41a

Hey, will you guys stop posting so much? Some of us actually have things to do while we're at work! :) -- anon, September 11, 1997 at 11:27a

I am amazed at the ignorance surrounding the discussion of whether Larry Harvey started Bman or not. The people who are worried about this show a complete lack of perspective and no sense of historical continuity. The orgins of the festival....who knows? Some of the first recorded burnings of giant, wooden, anthropomorphic effigies come from the Romans, while they were busy conquring Gaulish celts. Where'd the Celts get it? Hell, they probably stole it from some longer standing oral tradition that came down from Indo-european tribes now lost in the mists of antiquity. Nobody invents anything. It's process, not genisis! I say thank you Larry Harvey for helping to divert this stream of religio-historical ritual mayhem to our little outpost here on the forward and now recursive edge of a contiuous and every evovling mythical landscape. The U of W? Amsterdam? Celtic gaul 2000 years ago? Who cares. I'm more interested in Burning Man '98. Let's make it happen. -- Colin, September 11, 1997 at 11:03a

You know, there are those of us living in Reno who feel that the only advantage of living here is that for five days out of the year, we are only two hours from Burning Man (of course, the other 360 days suck, but that's another story). I'm glad that everybody had a wonderful time. Unfortunately, not only did I have my worst Burning Man ever (fourth year), but it was one of the worst weekends of my whole life. It was the first time I had been involved in a theme camp, and that was a big part of the problem. <P> Since everyone is excited and bubbling over with plans for next year, allow me to illuminate our mistakes, so nobody else has to suffer as we did. (1) Make sure you have enough people in your crew. If you are doing a large-scale art project (are there any other kind at Burning Man?), you need the manpower to make it happen. Our project, the world's largest Etch-A-Sketch, was built primarily by two people, and we spent all our time busting our asses to make it happen, not to mention all the work that had gone into it prior to getting there. There simply wasn't time for having fun. (2) Make sure you start far in advance. We did all of our construction a few days before we got there, and were already completely exhausted and strung out when we arrived in Black Rock City. Of course, the work didn't stop, so by the end of the weekend, we had been laboring for 9 days. Needless to say, tempers were short and things got a bit ugly. (3) Make sure everyone on your crew knows that a theme camp will involve WORK, and that they are committed to doing it. We had some people show up on Saturday, after the bulk of the work had been done. We looked at them for relief. They looked at Burning Man and said they were there to play. Resentment abounded. (4) Spend as much time working on your shelter as you do on your art project. While the Sketch itself was beautiful and well-executed, our chill space was Black Rock City's Section 8 housing. As our theme camp needed lots of babysitting, we ended up sitting in squalor for five days. Yuch. (5) Realize you are going to be in the middle of things ALL THE TIME. Yeah, it's nice to have people coming to you, but it gets old to have people strolling through your camp at all hours of the day and night. The first morning we woke up to discover that somebody had taken a dump next to our couch (it could have been a dog, but I don't think so....). Next year it's back to the ‘burbs of Black Rock for me. (6) If all else fails, abandon your camp, and damn the consequences. <P> Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that Burning Man itself sucked. People were, for the most part, well-behaved (although a comment I read somewhere that Burning Man had turned in to the Exotic Erotic Ball with RV's definitely rang true) and kind (although I met dozens of people, I never had the time to connect with anyone, hugely depressing to someone starved for intelligent discourse). The art was incredible and inspirational, the new site worked well, and the City was a peaceful and civilized burg. It still beat the pants off the real world, any day. <P> A couple of the people I went with have vowed never to return, and the thought did cross my mind. But no doubt I'll be back next year, trying to recapture that warm, squishy feeling from the first year, so that next year I, too, can leave a happy post. I know for certain, though, that the giant Etch-A-Sketch will never return to Burning Man. I hope you all enjoyed it while it was there. One of the few bright spots of the weekend was the smiles we brought to the citizens of Black Rock City as they strolled by. <P> Major props going out to the organizers, many of whom I met personally during their struggle to make it all happen. I hope they know the implications of the battle they're fighting goes far beyond Washoe County. They --no, make that "we "-- are truly changing the world. Peace to all, keep the flames burning, and if you can provide some intelligent e-mail to a former San Francisco-ite exiled in Reno, it would make me a happy, happy camper. :) -- Ultravixen, September 11, 1997 at 11:01a

Let's get back on track with something happier. For me, Burning Man was an amazing, eye-opening, heart-expanding experience. I went to the desert expecting a big party. Instead, I found a giant community of creative, warm-hearted, kind, delightful people who shared their art, their enthusiasm, and their lives with me. I was touched, tickled, and transformed by the many wonders there, both big and small. My heartfelt thanks to my fellow participants; I can't wait to see you next year! -- William (from bianca's smut shack), September 11, 1997 at 10:42a

People People People! I came to the event this year to get away from negative people like the Baxter's. People who have never been but condemn it-the epitome of ignorance. Just remember how much fun it was to be a part of, read the messages left and people like this DO NOT DESERVE A REPLY. I will see you all next year, planning a Seattle "get together" with some friends as well as people I have met via this board to raise funds for helping with '97 as well as '98. Keep positive and I have to say this to Mr. Baxter: 4 out of 5 of the people I met were college undergraduates, now that is a far cry from a degenerate or a loser. Think before you speak and treat people the way you want to be treated. -- Stephen, September 11, 1997 at 9:35a

To me it doesn't matter if Larry Harvy takes full responsibility for Burningman or not. Let it be known he brought it to you and me. Why babble back and forth about how the idea originated. It's wasted energy! Our task is to tell other people, all around the world, how humans have lost themselves in civilization, political correctness and the ideals of others. And how it doesn't have to remain that way. Throughout history, ideas have been documented to originate at similar times in totally separate places around the globe. Inspiration comes from many places and if good, will travel. Thank you Larry. -- Nairb Arotrot, September 11, 1997 at 9:02a

In regard to the debate about the origins of Burning Man, In virtually every culture around the world, there has always been a sacrificial figure, usually male, that was cut or burned down around the harvest time. (Think "John Barleycorn must die.") Kind of ties into the idea of a king being connected to the land in a palpable, physical way. Some kings actually sacrificed their mortal bodies for the good of their lands. After awhile, the sacrifice became symbolic, and a bull, or a wicker man or something was sacrificed in place of the king. This idea is as old as the human mind. Burning Man is just another incarnation of it. Now, whether a "Swedish hippie" or a buncha folks at the University of Wisconsin or the Sante Fe Chamber of Commerce came up with it, Larry Harvey could have come up with it independantly of all those sources. The idea's been around since the dawn of time. It's primal. That's why alla us were there in the desert watchin' the man burn. So, I say, thanks Larry Harvey bringing the latest, and to my mind, the most impressive incarnation of the burning man idea yet. And thanks, everyone else, for being there and being your groovy selves. -- Gax (The Whiskey Pixie), September 11, 1997 at 8:57a

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

U of Wisconsin? I sincerely doubt it. And profits? There are none. Just a mountain of debt, you bozo. Celebrity status? He's not interested in that. Only the vain and superficial are. -- Kevin, September 11, 1997 at 8:50a

I am glad to see the truth about burning man is finally coming out. While the exact origins are unknown, my leads tell me it was actually a yearly ritual at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, it is clear that Larry Harvey did not create and should not reap the profits and celebrity status from burning man. -- Anon., September 11, 1997 at 8:33a

In Santa Fe every fall, the community (politicos, Chamber of Commerce, and all) burn Zozobra, a giant paper man thing. It's part of a harvest festival of sorts, with a strangely similar focus to BM in torching the effigy, although vastly different in every other way. David. -- David, September 11, 1997 at 8:28a

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

This guy Bruce should be shot. That's what I say, at least. -- Firefly-Man, September 11, 1997 at 8:27a

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

That's total bull. I know for a fact that Larry invented this himself. There's always someone else trying to take the credit away. YOU CANNOT STOP WHAT HAS ALREADY STARTED! -- Anon., September 11, 1997 at 8:24a

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

Yeah, I've heard that some hippie from Amsterdam had planned to file suit claiming the idea was originally his. -- kat, September 11, 1997 at 8:23a

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

I believe) that the Burning Man festival in the U.S. is an event that Larry Harvey copied from a similar event he took part in when he was in Amsterdam. Back in the late 60's and early 70's, there was a "temporary community" created in a forest outside of Amsterdam where they erected a giant stick figure and set it on fire. The name of the festival (when translated into English) was "Fall" or "Topple" (as in the stick figure was toppled). From what I understand, Larry took part in the festival one year and then brought back the idea with him to San Francisco. What seems disingenious, however, is that Larry takes full credit for Burning Man (if you've seen him in interviews, etc.) without acknowledging its BM's true roots. What's the deal? How come we don't hear about where BM really started. -- Megan , September 11, 1997 at 8:18a

john with the snow camouflage, misplaced your e-mail, please send again and thanks. -- lauren, September 11, 1997 at 8:02a

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

Bruce, if you're so against Burning Man and what it stands for, why are you on the Burning Man site? The very fact that you're poking around on the site and reading the messages on the board tells me that you might just be interested or fascinated by what our community represents! You try to take the high road... but in the end, you eye those very people who you condemn with jealousy. I, for one, invite you to come to BM next year. Experience what we have experienced and then we can sit down and talk. -- Alex Martin, New York, NY, September 11, 1997 at 6:45a

Hey Folks ...just don't waste your time returning the negative posts...they only cloud the real reason for the board! -- Mike P, September 11, 1997 at 6:15a

Beyond Belief , some of the strangest things I have ever seen in my short 42 years. Hope there is a Burning Man next year, I'll be there butt naked. -- Edward Parker, September 10, 1997 at 11:52p

To Bruce and Dan Q.: Thanks for stereotyping all of us who attended Burning Man, you bigots. -- Anon., September 10, 1997 at 11:37p

Bruce baxter, bet you're at Burning Man next year. Bet you won't be able to keep yourself away. either way who cares? -- The TRUTH, September 10, 1997 at 10:18p

Ok, how about a "Save Burning Man" gift shop? It doesn't have to be commercialized, just a few t-shirts, caps and maybe a Burning Man doll that looks like it just went through a hell of a fire. That would be kewl and then folks would know it was legit and the money was well spent. As for my fondest memory of the burn... it had to be the naked guy that literally jumped on my back when I "stole his sole" with my Pentax. Thanx to the Rangers for intervening with a replacement roll of film... -- Jim, September 10, 1997 at 10:14p

RE:Bruce Baxter: You just wouldn't understand. But as you go your merry way, remember we condomn most in others that which we fear most about ourselves. May Karma always be true to you. From someon who founded a childrens charity, has a college degree, works a full time job in marketing, has coached children's soccer for two, yet have no children of my own, etd, what do you do? -- Matt Riecken, September 10, 1997 at 10:11p

I need that Burning Man feeling. Someone send me the name of the group that did the rave on Sunday night and how to find locate a cd or tape. -- alex, September 10, 1997 at 10:06p

just got my photo's back! wow! who is that hhhhooootttt couple in the pink and lime-green tutus? they were ssssooo cute in the fashion show and dancing wildly around the man when he burned!!! i especially loved that girl's little pink nipples! vavooom...can you make room? i wish she would have taken it all off like the girl in the red dress! -- liberte joyce, September 10, 1997 at 9:56p

The beautiful mud covered naked lady I gave my card to on the Playa Friday, and photographed... Remember, I didn't know where you were going to put the card and we folded it up carefully and u left with it. You have a great smile. The photos are great and I want to use one in an art show....Please get back to me. The High Desert Master -- Bob "The High Desert Master", September 10, 1997 at 9:38p

Chat room on AOL...... member room... special interest...name= Burning Man -- Jen, September 10, 1997 at 9:33p

LOL just took the first real look at my bike since Black Rock...... oh the Smile on my face... as i gazed on the playa still resting on my bike.... J -- Jen, September 10, 1997 at 9:23p

My first Burn, and I had an incredible time. Special thanks to the Fire Goddesses and their entourage, who made me feel welcome and at home in their campsite. Peter -- Peter, September 10, 1997 at 9:07p

Yes, who was the Sun. rave on the playa? Watching the sun come up had THE best mix I have ever heard. WOW - still psyched. -- Tikigod, September 10, 1997 at 8:44p

AKA ISHTAR!!! AKA ISHTAR!!!... -- lost son of Ishtar, September 10, 1997 at 8:22p

Can someone send me the name of the group that put on the rave on Sunday night after the burn? Did they tape it and is it available for purchase? Do they have any CD's? It was the best techno I'v ever heard. -- alex, September 10, 1997 at 8:16p

To the guy who tried to ride off on my mountain bike from the base of the Man Saturday night: Thank you for giving me the experience. I was able to go home and tell everyone that I saved a man's life at BM - because I didn't kill you. The community was so peaceful and harmonious, all I could do was ask, "hey brother, are you taking my bike far?" The bike was bought by me with some seriously hard-earned cash years ago. It has been with me through experiences extremely dear to me (like Burning Man). The attached panniers had accompanied me on my bicycle trip across the country, and were of extremely significant sentimental value. I am very thankful that I caught you. Realize how close you were to death by administration of mass quantities of tainted absinthe! Love y'all! -- Anon., September 10, 1997 at 7:27p

ANY BURNERS HEADING UP TO THE HEADWATERS RALLY?                                                    I live here in San Francisco and am am looking for any fellow Burners who might need a ride. I have room for 3-4 plus lots of camping gear *and* leftover foodstuffs from the Burning. Though altruism is a lesson I had reinforced from BM 97' my ulterior motive is to have someone who might be able to drive my truck back to San Francisco should I end up getting arrested by the local police... Let me know. Ray -- Orcina orca, September 10, 1997 at 7:20p

Let's just put the whole helicopter thing to rest because I have figured it out. About a year or so ago a police officer was killed in a helicopter training mission here in Washoe Co. Previous to that time no one was even aware of police helicopters or the necessity of police helicopters in this low-population area. There was quite a scandal because the insurers were required to pay benfits to the family of the dead officer. Ahead now to 1997 and the prospect of naked masses on the playa. What a perfect way to JUSTIFY the need for helicopters and thus the death (and death benefits) of one man. That is why there were helicopters on the playa, and that is probably the ONLY reason. And to respond to a previous post, even if the police were the least expensive, it was the County who required all of the more expensive stuff anyway. I would like to point out as well that an $11,000,000 insurance policy was required. That limit is outrageous! The county requires other events - single events that result in more arrests, property damage and bodily injury than all BM's put together - to carry only $1,000,000. Then they get very high-falutin about how BM still owes money, and great if they dont want to come back next year. As a Washoe County resident, I am ashamed and humiliated by their behavior. I want the burn here; it was something I could be proud of even before I started going - but if it has to go, it has to go. Some beaurocrat even went so far as to wine about how the income it brouht in didn't go to any hotels, as thought the store owners, etc. weren't every bit as valuable as the hotels (read CASINOS). On the nicer side, Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District firemen were wonderful, polite, and obviously itching to participate on a more creative level - C'mon back in your skivvies next year! And to the operators of the water trucks - we all love you desparately. We want to hatch your children. -- This Woman, September 10, 1997 at 6:57p

Thank you for sharing, Bruce. I think black is red and blue is green. Doesn't make it so, though. The difference between you and most of the people here who actually attended Burning Man is that they are willing to investigate on their own and learn before spouting opinions. Spouting about things you don't understand is a waste of good energy. Save it for the Klan meeting. -- Jim, September 10, 1997 at 6:41p

In 1994, before I ever even heard of Burning Man, I awoke from a dream that I was on an expanse of dry lake bed, with a range of mountains in the distance. A group of people were gathered, formed a pile of snow in the center of the playa, placed a transparent pyramid on top of that, and formed a circle grasping hands. Then someone lit a stick of dynamite, pushed into the snow mound, and then everyone turned around, and walked away casually. When the explosion ensued, the force of it picked me up off the ground, sailed me across the playa, and pushed me head-first into a mountain. I went through the mountain, then. Observing all the rocks and minerals, the molecules and atoms. In 1997, I attended burning man--knowing full well I would be fullfilling the vision I had three years before. On saturday night, during an intense peformance of pyrotechnics on the playa (the men wearing industry suits, the reverbed chainsaw music, and tin-foil hats with the fireworks shooting out from their heads) an explosion occured, a pyramid went up in flames, and the ice sculpture was put up that night. And I walked on fire--bare foot. I was symbolically "blown away." I missed the actual "burning of the man" on Sunday night because I needed to pay a visit to my girlfreind residing in Reno. We broke up that night after almost two years of living together. The pain, the fire--I WAS the burning man that night! I've come away completely re-inspired from a higher level. BM: what a psychadelic Disneyland! Never have I expereinced such a diversity of sight and sound. Creativity at it's apex (speaking of creativity--does anyone know how to get in touch with Elody, the sweet girl from France?). Burning Man brothers and sisters: we were upon the tabula rosa, creatity our own divinities! A velvet revolutiuon! Blooming, as desert flowers on the playa! -- Michael, September 10, 1997 at 5:16p

Looking for the guy that was ridding around on the mountain bike with all of the glow sticks on it. He also had a bottel of Abstence. (they were making it in their camp). He drove a old tricked out Ford Falcon. -- Alley, September 10, 1997 at 5:03p

"...they resent and ridicule what they don't understand..." How true, how true. -- Ann G. Foad, September 10, 1997 at 4:48p

Bruce Baxter- We already do help other human beings. This is what we do in addition to all that -- Anon., September 10, 1997 at 4:46p

THERE'S MORE TO LIFE THAN burning man!!!!! let me know what it is when you find out what it is -- Anon., September 10, 1997 at 4:39p

I just want to say that Burning Man is the funnest thing I have ever expierenced. I hope that it goes on next year. I went the last two years and its been great. Next year I plan on putting on a theme camp and burn it to the ground. I live in Washoe County and the regulations on the event I think are good but Washoe cCounty is going overboard. If you need any help, me and my family will be glad to help. Write back and hope to see you next year!!! p.s. Send me stuff on upcoming events. THANKS!!! -- Angelo Root, September 10, 1997 at 4:06p

Thank you for the life lesson. I will never forget you. -- fofo pups, September 10, 1997 at 3:43p

WHEN:           Wednesday, September 10th TIME:      Slide show starts at 9:00 PM           BEYOND RACE goes on at 10:00 PM Burning Man Fundraiser Tonight Sept.10 PLACE:      Minna Street Gallery, San Francisco           111 Minna Street (cross is Second Street) DOOR FEE:      $5.00 (All proceeds will be donated to Burning Man) -- Ransom Baldasare, September 10, 1997 at 3:30p

What about a fundraiser/energy-gathering at the spot where BM originally began on the beach in SF. I don't want to see outsiders paying for this. Donations would be strongly encouraged by the people who make it. Everyone can just come and show their support for each other and the movement and *give what they can* to keep it going. If everyone was a bit re-connected in the vibe of BM...I bet they'd give more than if they just donate to a random address. -- Anon, September 10, 1997 at 2:56p

I KNOW YOU ARE BUT WHAT AM I! -- aNDY, September 10, 1997 at 2:55p

It's always a sad moment when the adolescent-minded know-nothings start showing up and vomiting their narrow-minded judgements and criticisms all over the place. Mostly they're just here to push our buttons (and oh, how enthusiastically we respond!) and see their opinions in print. They resent and ridicule what they don't understand, and their negativity poisons us as we work ourselves into a lather defending what we already know to be Right and Good. Ignore them, I implore you. Especially the ones too cowardly to give a real email address. -=Be=- -- Bill E., September 10, 1997 at 2:35p

Hey, Bruce: I didn't take drugs, have sex or make a fool of myself. I had a beautiful experience with absolute strangers who behaved as if we were in a utopian community. I created my own sculpture, shared it with my neighbors and warmed everyone with a fire that took my work to the past, opening the way to the future. I am saddened that you feel so strongly against expression, art and community. Maybe you should move our of Montana (sorry all you freaks from Montana -- it's just an easy joke). Peace, Tom -- Tom Howard, September 10, 1997 at 1:55p

Craig- Who is this Greg character and why is everybody talking about him. -- Interested female, September 10, 1997 at 1:51p

Craig- Who is this Greg character and why is everybody talking about him. -- Interested female, September 10, 1997 at 1:51p

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

We could have the people who attended BM sell their bodies for hard $$ and use that to pay off the $100,000 in debt that Larry is now experiencing. At $100 a trick, only 1,000 people would have to do the dirty work. I volunteer Greg to be the first. -- Craig, September 10, 1997 at 1:45p

To Mrs. Bruce Baxter below - I am only referring to those that can afford to do so, and am glad to enjoy the company of those that cannot at future BMs! -- JoMoCo, September 10, 1997 at 1:34p

Jeremy - get the f*ck off my message board. -- Anon., September 10, 1997 at 1:32p

Jeremy - get the f*ck off my message board. -- Anon., September 10, 1997 at 1:32p

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Hi, my name is Jeremy and I'm looking for a cute girl. Call me. Jeremy. (908) 373-4632 -- Jeremy, September 10, 1997 at 1:31p

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DONATIONS! Feed my pizza addiction. Send $9.00 (enough for a large pie with one topping) to M. Callahan, 1718 Main Street, Obskop, Wisconsin, 61861! Thanks. -- M. Callahan, September 10, 1997 at 1:24p

If 10,000 participants donate $10 apiece.....you do the math. -- Princess, September 10, 1997 at 1:23p

JoMoCo-Without a job how are you going to be able to afford a $500 lifetime ticket. Selling drugs or your body? -- Mrs. Bruce Baxter, September 10, 1997 at 1:19p

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For a good time, call (212) 272-8098. Ask for Sugar. -- Sugar, September 10, 1997 at 1:19p

Besides donations, how about people contributing photos to turn into prints that can be sold wherever - some pics I have seen are worthy of framing. Also, need to figure out some web-wide method of fundraising, not just SF stuff. How about it people. I personally will buy a $100 ticket for next year or a $500 lifetime ticket if that's what it takes! Otherwise I will just donate! -- JoMoCo, September 10, 1997 at 1:18p

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Peggy, go get a brain! -- Bruce Baxter, September 10, 1997 at 1:16p

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Who are all these right-wing bastards who are now participating. Stay away, says Peggy! -- Peggy, September 10, 1997 at 1:16p

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Dan -- Who are you? A wannabe Dan Quayle? Get a life, you conservative, redneck, Christian fundamentalist, pig. Wake up and take notice of the angry, violent revolution that will soon be knocking at America's door. We will overthrow you Yuppie, BMW-driving, Armani suit-wearing, gourmet-food eating, investment-banker scum and take over the country. -- Craig, September 10, 1997 at 1:14p

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Dan -- Who are you? A wannabe Dan Quayle? Get a life, you conservative, redneck, Christian fundamentalist, pig. Wake up and take notice of the angry, violent revolution that will soon be knocking at America's door. We will overthrow you Yuppie, BMW-driving, Armani suit-wearing, gourmet-food eating, investment-banker scum and take over the country. -- Anon., September 10, 1997 at 1:14p

I first Heard Of BurningMan In '88 While I Was Roadieing For Faith No More. Myth And Fact Had Built Over The Years To The Point Where I Had To See For Myself. Burning Man '97 Was All I Had Imagined And Shitloads More. Truly The Finest Event Of My Adult Life! No One Can Diminish My Experience With Visions Of "Better Burningmans Past", I’ve heard lots of this. Burning man '97 Was My First And I Was Transformed By It. As A Musician And Artist I Feel Like Tackling These Disciplines Once Again. (This After A 2 Year Hiatus). Pagan, Punk, Underground Frontier Culture, All Controlled By Individual Responsibility For One Self. You Can't Get That At The Museum, a Gig, School,Books, Lollapalooza Or Where Ever The Fuck People Go For Inspiration. Charge More To Keep The "Visitors" Out I Say. $200 $250 For 5 Days Would Not Be A Problem To My Way Of Thinking. I’ll Go For As Long As The Event Stays True To Itself And It's Participants. All This Talk Of Corporate Infiltration. What A Joke, What With The Nea In Doubt Again, And That Mood Rife Amongst The Masses, Just Who Is This Corporate Monster Were Afraid Of? Naked People At A Bud Sponsored Event? Or Maybe Nike Sponsoring "Hoop On The Playa" With Explosions And Fire For The Losers? I Was There And This Course Of Events Seems Remote To Me. I Just Don't See Corporate America Going Ape$$$$$Hit Over The Better Parts Of Anarchy In The Desert. So For All You Old Timers ...Adapt! Or It Seems To Me You Miss The Point. Maybe The Media Should Be Restricted Far More. I Felt This Was The Only Big Buss. Threat That I Felt. They Were Often Rude And In The Way. But Thats A Small Price For So Much Fun And Mayhem. The Organizers Rule! I Gave My Last $60 To The Cause On My Way Out The Gate. Donate Donate Donate Donate Donate DonateDonate Donate Donate Donate Donate DonateDonate Donate Donate Donate Donate DonateDonate Donate Donate Donate Donate Donate -- JRVII, September 10, 1997 at 1:12p

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So, where's Greg? How come he's not participating? Greg: do you have anything to say? FIG SUCKS -- Mr. Biderman, September 10, 1997 at 1:08p

Bruce-calling these people "lousy degenerates" is an insult to all the truly "lousy degenerate" people out there. These people are simple minded, worthless, scared of failure individuals who last were popular sometime before their first pimple. But, without these individuals who would the scientific community have to experiment on? -- Dan Q., September 10, 1997 at 1:08p

Bruce-calling these people "lousy degenerates" is an insult to all the truly "lousy degenerate" people out there. These people are simple minded, worthless, scared of failure individuals who last were popular sometime before their first pimple. But, without these individuals who would the scientific community have to experiment on? -- Dan Q., September 10, 1997 at 1:07p

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

Next year, we should hoist "lousy degenerate" guy up in the air and set fire to his genitals. Just a thought. -- Craig, September 10, 1997 at 1:00p

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

Next year, we should hoist "lousy degenerate" guy up in the air and set fire his genitals. Just a thought. -- Craig, September 10, 1997 at 1:00p

As I sat zoning on the crap about lady Di on abc news( it's sad yes, just over-played)nightline came on with it's serious intro music, I was amazed(and dismayed)to see are community of black rock as there topic. Do we all remember the second helicopter, yes it was them. I wasn't sure how to take it, first of all, their depiction of B-man failed to show the true spirit of the event( not that I can)though I kept cringing with thoughts that this coverage has ruined future events, media, once again tainting what was such a pure experience. Though they kept a nuetral position on the event, I'm worried that people will get the wrong idea of what were doing there. As I sat slack jawed after seeing this, I decided to channel surf(I know kill your TV, blah,blah,blah)I was amazed to se it on "Strange Universe"( just kill me now) I found it to be insulting to the movement, suggesting it's some cult drivin group of deviants. I truly hope this exploitation of B-man will not taint future events, but bring the few open minds out of the woodworks to join us and save future B-mans. Maybe if we had burned the cameras, we would still be a pure interactive culture. Peace and thanks to all my country peoples of Black Rock. -- T-dub, September 10, 1997 at 0:59p

That's it, none of you children are invited back next year! You all complain too much. I KNOW YOU ARE BUT WHAT AM I! -- Andy, September 10, 1997 at 0:54p

Bruce - Man you just don't get it. You want me to get all pissed off at you and defend myself, but I can't. The drugs have taken such an effect on my brain that I just wonder around aimlessly these days and that's what I love about burning man. I'm not just a lousy degenerate to these people, but somebody to bum a smoke off of or if the spirit moves them to partake in God's greatest creation (sex). So, don't tell me to get a real job, because who in the yell would every hire me or the rest of these lousy degenerates. Think about it. If you learn we'll all still love you. -- Billy, September 10, 1997 at 0:50p

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"Lousy degenerates?" Who the hell are you, dude? Mr. Religious Boy? Go to hell. -- Anon., September 10, 1997 at 0:46p

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Yeah, whoever the loser is who said "take it off" shouldn't come back to BM next year. He obviously doesn't understand what BM is about. It's not about beer and sex. It's about community. -- Maggie, September 10, 1997 at 0:45p

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Long Live Greg Miller! -- Anon., September 10, 1997 at 0:44p

TO the guy who said, "take it off!" to a total stranger who was wearing a red dress: How would you like it if someone looked at you and (very perceptively) said, "get a brain!" ? I think you might be tempted to get into a fist fight with them, especially if they centered a crowd's attentions on you with the remark. Being drunk only adds insult to injury, it isn't an excuse... Just put yourself in the other person's place for a minute... I mean really put yourself there. Think about it. If you learn we'll all still love you. -- anon, September 10, 1997 at 0:40p

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

I think you all are a bunch of lousy degenerates who can't find real jobs and act like civilized adults. Instead, you run around haveing sex, taking drugs and making fools of yourselves. You should all be ashamed. Why don't you put your energy to good use -- like helping other human beings? -- Bruce Baxter, September 10, 1997 at 0:35p

Wed,8/27/97: We paid the tollmaster and shortly thereafter met up with the pace car which, unfortunately, could not keep it. Our carivan of 4 motor-pods pressed onward the lead pod, crowned with a giant human skull, slowly devolved into cro-magnon form. Arrived at the realm before sunset and summond up our incampment for the week. Thur 8/28/97: Awoke being alienated to our nieghbors by on of their own, screaming fowl obscenities about everyone's responsibility for having woken her. Where were those earplugs? I spent a millenia with such negativity once, not again. Sad too, no one could ease her pain and now we were cut off from the wonderfully zoftik women that dwelled nextdoor. Morning began to fade so Action Dave and I headed across that wonderfully flat playa, beckoning our bicycles to just roll on across, whose dryness was simply a mirage. The mud: thick, deep and sticky, clung to our tires our shoes our flesh. The wheels locked up but we pressed on , driven by the map I'd found of a fresh water spring lying in wait for us. Maps leave out details! The spring was underground. Through the brush we pushed our bikes, longing to return to the safety of Black Rock City, our legs bloody from the thorns that tore at our flesh. This was a true mountain bike experience, we love this kind of pain. Fri 8/29/97: Local law enforcement patrolled in their shiny new SUV's. The SUV's that were so shiny, so new so....expensive. They matched that big, shiny, shiny, big, new, big helicopter that showered us in dust every fifteen minutes. How could such a barren county afford shuch things? Hmmmmm... I wonder. Legs stiff can't move.Drink more, feel good, Night falls and everything is wonderful. We are beautiful dancing in the universe. A witch brews tea at our campfire. Tossed that penis right in! Free stickers. Love. Sat 8/30/97: Drank, danced, heckled, passed out condoms, ate grapes from the daughters, drank from their breasts, a beautiful woman vibrated herself with my sex shooters at the gathering. Sun 8/31/97: Woke up painted. Nursed myself back to health in time for the burn, loved it, couldn't dance though kept running int a big wall of playa bugs holding mic booms and big cameras. Maybe they'll lose interest next year or perhaps respect the circle. Mon 9/1/97: Cleaned up around camp. camp sucked into vortex.Evil theives abound! We will overcome. unspoken laws enforce themselves. Had the time of my life. Ladies, if you're gunna grab my butt please don't let go right away. Guys, if you're gunna grab my butt please let go right away-no hard feelings. -- Skinny Xychrom, September 10, 1997 at 11:33a

I'd like to thank Spiral Oasis, or Twisting Paradise, or whatever your camp was, for letting loose the giant blown-up glad bag on Monday, and for the dust cloud remember the "Church of the Asshole Neighbor" loves you Spiralina Camp! -- Hoolis C. Nation, September 10, 1997 at 11:28a

I am Arch-bishop hooly,of the Church of the Little Man. Did you see the little man burn? His flame was small but he burned just as bright. -- Hoolis C. Nation, September 10, 1997 at 11:21a

Um, it's true that the donation message below was not really from the appropriately named Sheriff Dick Kirkland. But the check, and the pledge of $10/month as a show of faith in Burning Man's future, were real. I apologize for giving the impression that Sheriff Dick might, in fact, not have his head buried deep within his backside. -- Robert N. Hood, Esq., September 10, 1997 at 11:17a

Perhaps all who plan on going to headwaters protest this weekend could meet and celebrate... -- kat, September 10, 1997 at 11:02a

Marion, it's kathryn, one of your dedicated food givers. i'd like to communicate with you, but have not been able to get your address. please respond. thanks! -- kat, September 10, 1997 at 10:59a

marion you ROCK!!!!! -- spaceghost, September 10, 1997 at 9:57a

My first event was filled with good times and I thank the organizers for their efforts. I was coming in as an observer but will return for the '98 event if it's a go as a full participant with my own indy/environmental art to display. All was well planned I think of this years event with the exception of the human waste issue. This is the only memory that is not at an A+, I'll give it a C+ due to the task is neither envious or easy to arange I would expect. thanks for the excellent effort and I will keep tabs regarding additional funds and donations and registration for next year. Thank you -- Mike from the JET CITY -- Michael E. McHugh, September 10, 1997 at 9:56a

SEATTLE FOLKS - A small group of us are meeting at the Uptown Cafe on Queen Anne Ave. Sunday (9/14) at 1:00PM for coffee, fund raising, planning, and sharing. Would love to see you there. Help keep Burning Man alive and enjoy the velvety foam.....email your confirmation or take a chance in showing up (the coffee is always good, if anything). ***Rage on CYBURN!*** -- randi, September 10, 1997 at 9:52a

Hear Hear! And thanks a lot to the organizers for letting us SPIRAL! JB -- john, September 10, 1997 at 9:49a

A big thanks to (and from) the Spiral Oasis; somehwat a theme camp with no theme, we are here to chill in the desert, have choreographed dreams (thanks mp) and an oh so cilvalized coctail party. major peace and respect to doran, artist extradinaire, whose wagging vertitubes probally saved a life or two and whose black 'ufo's' floating into the void caused a few minds to be blown. also big hugs and respect to the the artists republic of fremont who literally showed up with lazer show: The Lazers of OZ at 3 am: wow... (also biggest hugs to steve p, whose dedication and major work made the spiral happen this year.) -- vordo, September 10, 1997 at 9:15a

I saw a segment about the Burning Man on Strange Universe, and found it to be extremely interesting. If any one is willing to help me get out there next year (even if it's just info) I would be greatly appreciative. -- silverfire, September 10, 1997 at 8:58a

Eternal thanks to the person or group who created the huge, multi-colored tent. My three friends and I were lying on a bed under the canopy, tripping balls, when the windstorm hit on Saturday night. It was one of the most glorious things I have ever seen. Thank you for the amazing experience! -- Megan, September 10, 1997 at 8:41a

I just want to say thanks to all my friends at Camp Chiba. Out campsite was an awsome experience for me!! We worked our butt off and had a great time doing it. Thanks to Adam, Alex and the rest of the Whak Pak for organizing everything and a bigger thanks to Jim for driving my ass out there and showing me the way. One of my favorite experiences was watching the family of 3 throw molitov cocktails at the cop dummy. Thanks to all of you for a great time. -- Daniel, September 10, 1997 at 8:39a

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

My most surreal experience: Having anal sex on the open desert with the gorgeous star-filled sky in the background. -- Jamie Caruthers, September 10, 1997 at 8:25a

EDITORS NOTE: The message is probably not from who it is signed by.

A whole lot of you have been referring to the girl in the red dress... I was the guy who asked her to take it off... I didn't expect that would happen. I kind of just said "take it off" as a joke and then all of a sudden, a crowd gathered and she started yelling at me to take it off. I kind of got stuck in an ugly situation. But, the truth is, the girl in the red was a real bitch. Afterwards, she started saying all this crazy shit to me like I did something awful or something. In reality, I just made that comment as a joke. And I was pretty drunk too. Me and Jake traded for an 12 cans of beer and a quarter bottle of tequila. Between the two of us, we were pretty gone. I didn't mean to cause that but the girl had no right to be all smart-assed with me afterwards. Well, anyway, I thought I'd tell everyone what happened, from my perspective. By the way, I think the girl in red was named Lucy 'cause these two girls kept yelling that at her afterwards. PS I'm not leaving my e-mail address because I don't want you guys to bother me. -- Anon., September 10, 1997 at 8:23a

RE:Fire and sheriff expenses: the High Sierra Music Festival is put on every year 4th of July weekend at Bear Valley (this year Labor Day too), in the heart of the forest, 5000 plus attendeesand NO HELICOPTER'S FLYING OVER HEAD, NOHUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS SPENT ON FIREMAN. YET IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOREST, AND THERE ARE CAMPSTOVES GALORE GONG ALL OVER HE PLACE! What does Tuolumne county know, what do the organizers of that event know, that Washoe County doesn't, that Larry Harvey doesn't? -- Matt Riecken, September 10, 1997 at 8:02a

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It took two of you to write that? (entry below) You must be geniuses.... -- Anon., September 10, 1997 at 7:52a

Shit........ -- Scott / Greg, September 10, 1997 at 7:06a

I was married on August 16 1997. Due to our friends bad timing, two different couples got married the weeekend after us. So we were forced to start late. Tatiana, my lovely wife and I, embarked on our honeymoon the Wednesday before labor day. We finally made it to the desert early Saturday night. We talked a bit with Scott and Mark from Sacramental, and proceded on our merry way. We carried a bottle of red wine with us as we walked thru the city. We ran into a couple of guys who wanted cigerettes, which we had, and were willing to trade beer for them. A Honeymooning couple cannot exist on wine alone, ya know. Chief, if ya read this, the Mansfields say hi! Unfortunately, after three days on the road, we fell over too early in our tent (I vaguely remember finding it). We missed the big performance that night. That's enough news for now gotta get back in the water. -- Steve Mansfield, September 10, 1997 at 5:09a

Also----Thanks to Camp Callipygos for the frisbee Heather and I won in the 4 cheek sneak! :) -- Ran, September 10, 1997 at 3:55a

Hi all! ]=} 97 was my first Burn. I am grateful to the members of the TAZ camp who made it possible for me to go! As of know I still feel that my life has been changed, charged and made more visonary. I am a multi-media stage designer and performer. We put on the dance area on the left horn (facing the Man from center Camp, just on the playa (there was a short tower with revolving lights). I was getting ready to do my two hour ambient set. Well two hours turned into 5.5 hours and before I knew it I had transformed from an ambient DJ into dance DJ. A transformation that was as total as it was unexpected! :) This was on Saturday nite from 8 PM to 1:30 AM. Then on to my fav retreat "Biancas"! An oasis in the heat of reality! (sigh) I was inspired, excited, teased, pampered and left wanting more! ;) The experience at main stage between the Goa performer (Goa Gil) and the fire truck was breathtaking and perfect! I had brought my true love, an unrequitted love... She enjoyed and was enjoyed. My love is only stronger and she is still not near... Thank you Larry et al, and especially big huge thanks to Harley for understanding our truck scene at the TAZ stage!!! :) For those that remember; Omar is doing well!! He is funny with his personality intact!! He still suffers some physical disabilities but considering he was in a coma for 3 months... I am looking for some folks in the San Fran Bay area or around Santa Cruz to perform with me in a fertility/Dionysian rite. We plan on having a pavillion in a cave grotto style for BM98. Featured will be Chai, story telling, rituals, continousal ambient music and other surprises. This and more from the lycaeum. hugz, Ran -- Ran, September 10, 1997 at 3:42a

Thanks for all your kinds words. I have been brought to tears by more than one post on this BB. Tomorrow I have a nice long post for all of you wonderful people. For now, tho I must answer a few queries. That is NOT a post from Sheriff Kirkland that is below. Read between the sarcasm. Secondly, that IS our (Burning Man) P.O.Box number in three different posts below, check your ticket stubs if you need confirmation. Thirdly, in order to reduce rampant crashing of browsers we will be dividing this BB within the next 24-hours. All messages currently up will remain, but we'd like to lighten the download a bit and keep the energy alive. Also, subscribe to the Jack Rabbit Speaks, it's my newsy Burning Man emailer that has big and little tidbits designed to keep the information flowing and the energy alive. It appears in your in-box once or twice a week, or less...depends on the weather. subscribe at bman-announce-request@burningman.com. add the word "subscribe" to the body of your message. Thank you to all who are anxious to contribute cash, time and/or a jar of pickeled calves tongues (this was actually left behind in the dumpster on site). More info to come TOMORROW. ~Maiden. -- Maid Marian, September 10, 1997 at 2:59a

I saw a big yellow bus that said Fresno, CA on the side while I was on my way to the Springs. Did anyone here come from Fresno? -- Mike, September 10, 1997 at 1:57a

A big love gushing hug to all those who helped create the ill-fated CD dome by the house of doors. It was a wonderful effort by those in our Camp Chiba and those who stopped by to create a disco ball like no other. String enough CD's together and they weigh a ton. A few minor adjustments and NEXT year... The sound never came, but it was beautiful nonetheless. To come back from the joyous madness and gel in a floating sea of reflections... It made me smile, hope it worked for you too. -- Alex, September 10, 1997 at 1:50a

Hello from Comfort Camp! Had a lot of fun massaging all those strangers, and putting out the good vibe. Hope Ya'll come and see us next year. We are thinking of building a huge sailing land yacht to go with the dome next year. long live Burning Man! -- Reverend Greg, September 10, 1997 at 1:06a

Hello from another Comfort Camper! We really had a great time chilling out with everyone who stopped by to doff their shoes, clothes and inhibitions. Next year we'll have a bigger dome with automatic misters and martinis! Thanks to everyone who contributed to the AWESOME vibe at BM, and a special thanks to those of you who played a part in making Comfort Camp what it was. Cheers! -- Maggaluscious, September 10, 1997 at 0:27a

Old messages archives in the 1997 Retrospective.