Being different. It's one of the things that binds us as a community. Different from the social norm, different from one another. But as I found out last night - after three hours of hell and refusal into the country - the Canadian border guards don't share this enthusiasm. At the crossing - on the way to the White Trash party guard: Why are you coming into Canada?
me: To visit a friend. guard: What's the name of this friend?
me: Dylan Cole. Sorry Dylan - yours was the first to pop into my head. guard: How do you know this friend?
me: We're in the same community of artists guard: What's the name of this community?
me: Burning Man At which point the conversation stopped. The guard pulled out a white slip, wrote "Burning Man" on it, and asked me to pull over into one of the stalls. Differences. Mine's subtle. I'm a successful businessman, husband of 23 years, father of two incredible kids, and an active member of my community. Normal except for one thing. I dislike the appearance of success. The outward "I've got it and you don't" facade that you see (and might expect) from someone with my history. It's my differences that went wrong. They don't like to see someone who says they're a CEO of a software company driving an 85 chevy van, with a bunch of white trash clothes in the back. They don't like that I enjoy working on my own vehicles, and like to carry around tools when they break. They didn't like that my van has a bed in back, where I could live. I was guilty of the appearance of going to Canada to look for work. For the next 3 hours, they ripped my van apart piece by piece. They accused me of things my mother wouldn't think of. Naked pictures on my iPhone didn't help, but I'm a lifecaster. And a burner. All respectful images. And in the end, when they couldn't find anything, they turned me around and told me to go back to the US. They handed me a paper telling me to bring proof of wealth and stability next time I try crossing. I'm proud of being a burner. I like that I'm accepted for who I am, and not what I look like. But at the border there isn't time for that. They're taught to make decisions based on appearance. Next time I cross, I'll "get ready" like I do for any other party. Only my costume will be "normal", and I won't mention Burning Man. What was I thinking?
From Toes to Tresses (by Princess, aka Jeannette Crow) You've done your research, or you're a BM veteran. You've read or re-read the required reading (http://www.burningman.com/preparation/event_survival/). You already know you need to consume ridiculous amounts of water and wear enormous amounts of sunscreen on the playa, and that ziploc bags and zip-ties are the remedy for almost any logistical ailment there. You are sitting in a pile of playa preparation, but you are still wondering, "How do I tend to my vanity and creature comforts when I am at Burning Man?" Well, Princess is here, with years of vanity and experience tending to her creature comforts, to answer that question. Toes Get or give yourself a pedicure before you go to the playa. Having softer, tended, moisturized feet to begin with will make it take longer for your feet to get totally thrashed. Extra points for toes painted shiny, pretty colors. You can also re-pedicure on the playa if you bring the right stuff. Moisturize your pretty tootsies EVERY day. My favorite lotion for hands and feet is Neutrogena Norwegian Formula. It's especially for superdry skin. Wear socks as much as you can. Only you can make the important choice between fashion and footcare, but the more your feet are well-covered, the better they will fare. If you buy peds (you know, those superlow socks with no cuff), they don't look as foolish as regular socks if you are, say, walking around naked, or wearing lingerie. Shoes. A serious business indeed. Deeply personal. You and you alone should make footwear choices for yourself. But here are some qualifications: 1)You should have at least one pair of shoes you can walk endlessly in. Even if they're less than fabulous. You will walk miles and miles. 2) If you are, say, going to walk around naked, or wearing almost nothing, you should have shoes the color of your skin or the playa to wear. Or black boots with 4 inch heels. 3) Sneakers go with slips. But you know, if you want to run around naked wearing orange converse and black ankle socks, that's really ok too. You can do whatever you want. That's the whole point. Legs If you can bear the trial of growing your leg hair out, and the pain of the experience, get waxed before you go. I am a delicate flower of a girl, and avoid such physical discomfort at all cost. As such, I use Nair the night before I hit the playa. Slows hair regrowth a little bit. If you have never used Nair or whatever depilatory you might chose, make sure you do a patch test. You'll be wearing sunscreen, but bring regular lotion to actually moisturize with at least once a day. You can shave with 1 cup of water: Get 1 cup of water, regular lotion, a razor, and a fruity cocktail. Sit in shade with leg in front of you and cocktail beside you. Lightly slather leg in lotion. Thin with a little water if needed. Run razor along leg in your usual fashion. Rinse razor in cup of water. Sip cocktail. Repeat as needed. Koochie That's right. I said koochie. Boys, if the perfectly normal and natural experience of a woman's menstrual cycle, which there is way too much stigma associated with, and far too much tip-toeing around, freaks you out, skip to the next item now. Really. Ok. First of all, pack feminine hygiene products, just in case. Second, the only feminine hygiene product that is playa-appropriate is the tampon. Everything else produces way too much waste, and you can't put that stuff in the port-o-potty. (Where in the hell do you put them, then? Doubled up ziplock bags.) OB tampons are the my favorite - no applicator means half as much waste. Condoms. You should use them, but you may not want to use the ones with spermicide. In the high heat Nonoxynol can cause rashes. My condom of choice for the desert? Beyond Seven and Kimono Micro-thins both have non-spermicidal options. Yeast infections are really easy to get on the playa. All that heat makes for very happy yeast. Consider bringing treatment for a yeast infection with you. You or your campmate will be glad you did. Bum If you bare your beautiful bum, put extra sunscreen on it. This skin is paler and more delicate than other skin. You have to sit on that ass all week. Take care of it. Belly Requires very little tending, as long as you don't get it pierced before you come out. Don't get it pierced before you come out. Do permit the kissing of it, and if necessary, use it for a body shot. Bosom Neck Your neck is pretty. Show us your pretty neck. Face 3-in-face wipes rock. They require no water, they clean your face, remove make-up, and your skin feels soft and hydrated after using them. They're also really great for the road trip portion of your BM journey. Lots of companies make them. Not to be confused with disposable face wash cloths like Oil of Olay Daily Facials, and others of that ilk, which require a little water, but less than regular face wash, which I am also bringing to the playa this year. There is a trade-off - while these require less water, and are really convenient, they do create waste that regular face wash doesn't. Trash you have to pack out with you, if you can't find a burn pile. I choose my sunscreens based on how nice they feel and how good they are to my pores. My favorite sunscreens are: For Face -SPF 15: Dove Essentials Day Face Lotion -Higher SPFs: Coppertone Faces For bod -SPF 15: Lubriderm Daily UV lotion -Higher SPFs: Neutrogena "Fresh Cooling Body Mist" spray on, or "Ultimate Sport Sunblock Spray" Bring a regular moisturizer in addition to whatever sunscreen you wear on your face. Once night falls you should wash it off to give your skin a break from the extra protection, but you'll need to remoisturize with your regular one. Make-up on the playa: Make-up can do neat things. It can make your eyes look scary, your lips look unnaturally red, or your skin shimmer. But if you have a regular cosmetic regimen, it may be hard to maintain on the playa. A lot of stuff you might normally wear will slide right off your face in the playa sun. I use a powder rather than a liquid foundation, and lipliner instead of lipstick. Lipstick melts. Lips Wear something on them to protect them from sunburn and prevent them from chapping. You too, boys. Soft lips are kissable lips. My lip balm au current is Blistex Herbal. Eyes Wear contacts? I do. I have a lot of friends who find wearing them on the playa really difficult or even impossible. Delicate flower of a girl as I am, I still have no such problem. I wash my hands free of dust as much as is possible, then I do not foolishly dry them on my dust covered towel, then I take my contacts out in my tent, with the door closed. In the morning again: wash well, don't dry, apply in tent. Bring at least one extra pair, and your glasses. Also, you may be able to scam a free pair or two of those two-week, leave-in-all-the-time disposables if you inquire with your eye doctor. Those guys are into trial pairs of contacts. Tresses I'm not here to tell you how to style those lovely locks, I am here to say only one word about hair: leave-in-conditioner. Makes for better hair protection, and much less gray-water. You will need a deeper conditioner than you normally do. Other stuff I can't live without on the playa Air or foam mattress. Sleeping on the ground is for cavemen. Ear plugs. Crucial for beauty rest Long-johns. Sure, it'll probably be hot, and sure, it was hot as hell last year, but remember in '99 when it was 35 goddamn degrees(f) at night? You wanted long-johns then, didn't you? And you just never know about the weather. Emotional comfort item. Mine's my journal. Bring a favorite book, your favorite tea. Or your teddy bear, you big sissy. Solar shower. Extra towels and pillowcases, stored in ziploc bags. Stackable drawers. No more routing through giant plastic tubs. Available at your local Fred Meyer or Target. Children's sippee cup. Perfect for cocktails. No dust, no spill. Well, that's all, mes cheris. This is anything but comprehensive. Just some of the things that make being inside my own skin better for me in the desert. I love you so dangerously that you should wear a helmet,
Princess
Nation of One, Camp Princess
(c) Jeannette Crow, for real. If you wish to reproduce this list, you may do so in part or in whole, as long as you don't edit, and as long as you cite me.
After 9 months of work shooting and editing images, writing the essays, working with Burning Man on permissions, learning to write iPhone apps, actually developing the application, and dealing with the insanity of the Apple approval process, my first iPhone App is finally available in the iTunes store!!!
Burning Man 2008: A Photo Essay by Matt Freedman
 Think of the app as a coffee table book for the iPhone. It contains over 300 extraordinary Burning Man photos, packaged in an easy-to-use full screen photo viewer. - View the whole set, or browse by categories (People, Art, Art Cars, The Man, Dust, etc.).
- Mark photos as favorites, for quick retrieval.
- Every image has an informative caption, which can be displayed, or left hidden.
- Slideshow mode, or manual "flick" paging.
In addition to the photographs, you will find essays: - A foreword, by Marian Goodell, Burning Man's Director of Business and Communications, explaining what exactly Burning Man is.
- An introduction describing my own personal 10 year journey with Burning Man, along with my views on the evolution of the event.
- My 4000 word Photography at Burning Man how-to guide, which gives you detailed information on how to take better photographs on the playa. What gear to bring, how to carry and protect it, when and where to shoot what, and perhaps most importantly, rules and etiquette.
- My own annotated Burning Man packing list. What to pack for your own visit, and why.
You can visit my site to see sample images, excerpts from the essays, and a complete version of the packing list, or go directly to the iTunes App Store and get the app. If you do get it, PLEASE go back to the app store and enter a numerical rating, and if possible, a brief written review. This is absolutely crucial for its success.
Please share this link with anybody and everybody you know who has an iPhone or iPod touch, and/or an interest in Burning Man (if you could post it to your Facebook newsfeed, twitter, etc. that would be great!)...
http://www.silentcolor.com/projects/burningman2008
Burning Man 2008: A Photo Essay by Matt Freedman has been reviewed and approved by the Burning Man Organization, and a portion of the proceeds from every sale goes back to the organization as a contribution to the community it supports.
Special Screening in Seattle July 10th July 10th 2009. 8pm
The film starts at 8pm sharp. Film is 83 minutes long. Be on time. Join director Olivier Bonin for a screening of the film. Followed by Q&A. Click on the address below for map/access: Youngstown Cultural Arts Center
4408 Delridge Way SW
Seattle, WA 98106 Get Tickets Now. $11 Pre-sales. $15 Door. (Only ~100 seats) All previous shows have SOLD OUT!!
 Invite your friends to this event on Facebook
About the film: Dust & Illusions looks at 30 years of history of Burning Man all the way back to the late 1970s deep into the origins of the event. Through 21 interviewees the film presents the philosophies that fueled the creation of the festival, and its evolution from a small gathering of friends to the largest “counter-cultural” event in North America. It offers a new perspective of the meaning of the event, and questions whether its organizers are more concerned about making sure the show is ready when the gate opens or if they still truly engage in building a community and fostering art (Check their budget outline). 
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Critical Massive is our annual alternative arts event: a week-long, summer camping festival featuring music, performance, theme camps and art installations. Critical Massive is produced by-and-for the members of the Pacific Northwest arts community. It is sponsored by Ignition Northwest 501c. Critical Massive 2009 runs from July 15 - 19 at LARC in scenic Mount Vernon, WA. More info can be found here: http://www.CM2K9.org Tickets can be purchased here:
[The following is reposted from mail sent to BCWA, members-announce and other local lists on March 18. Any questions regarding art grant submissions for Critical Massive 2009 should be sent to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
] Howdy folks!
So, it’s March 18th. As of 9AM, we’ve been officially open for accepting art grant applications for Critical Massive 2009. Here are the quick highlights of what you need to know (please read this entire mail for details): - Accepting applications for art grants and microgrants
- Submission period opened: March 18th, 2009 – 9am
- Submission period closes: March 31st, 2009 - 7pm
- Recipients announced: April 10th, 2009
To apply, fill out and submit the following application forms...
Read more...
The Ten Principles as they relate to The Burner Community PotluckRadical InclusionAnyone may be a part of the Burner Community Potluck. We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our potluck. All people, burner or not, old or young, gay or straight (and everything in between), all nationalities, all races, all religions: Your ass is welcome at the potluck. (Note: just because your ass is welcome doesn't mean you can be an asshole, but we don't really get too many assholes)
Gifting
The Burner Community Potluck is devoted to acts of gift giving. The value of a gift is unconditional. Gifting does not contemplate a return or an exchange for something of equal value. Gifting often manifests itself in bringing something yummy to eat or drink but if you can't bring something to eat, that's cool, too. (However, let us all remember The Potluck Where Nobody Brought Any Food.) People also gift their music, their bodywork, their skills and their chihuahuas, so be creative.
Decommodification
In order to preserve the spirit of gifting, the Burner Community Potluck seeks to create social environments that are unmediated by commercial sponsorships, transactions, or advertising. We stand ready to protect our potluck from such exploitation. We resist the substitution of consumption for participatory experience. (Which isn't to say that the folks at GrrrAttitude House won't accept a financial donation to help offset the costs of having 75 people over to the house once a week. But honestly, they'd be just as happy if you help clean up!) Radical Self-relianceThe Burner Community Potluck encourages the individual to discover, exercise and rely on his or her inner resources, and to bring everything that they need to serve the dish that they bring, and to not eat the house food. It also means introducing yourself to folks if you're new, helping to clean up during and after the potluck and taking initiative to make the potluck more fun. We don't ask that you bring your own toilet paper, but donations of paper plates, TP etc are helpful. Radical Self-expressionIf you want to bring bacon, bring your best bacon. If you want to bring tofu, bring the best tofu you can. Above all, be yourself. Bring your friends. Don't be afraid to go out on a limb, and don't be afraid to bring a limb of lamb. Do something weird: show up in costume, bring something interesting. Cook something new and share it with us. Note: Radical self-expression doesn't mean you can get hammered and act like a jerk or force yourself on people who don't want to engage with you. Communal EffortThe Burner Community Potluck values creative cooperation and collaboration. We strive to produce, promote and protect social networks, public spaces, works of art, and methods of communication that support such interaction. Use the space for meetings, connect with people, dream, plot, plan, scheme. And snuggle the chihuahuas! Or have your theme camp sponsor a potluck. That'd be keen. Civic ResponsibilityThe Burner Community Potluck values civil society. Community members who organize events should assume responsibility for public welfare and endeavor to communicate civic responsibilities to participants. Hence, this email. Leaving No TraceThe Burner Community Potluck respects the environment, and most importantly, we respect GrrrAttitude House and the people who live there. We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and endeavor, whenever possible, to leave such places in a better state than when we found them. This means doing a bit more than your share, and taking care to NOT leave your PBR cans all over the porch, not being so loud that the neighbors freak out, not parking on the lawn, and flushing the toilet. ParticipationThe Burner Community Potluck is committed to a radically participatory ethic. We believe that transformative change, whether in the individual or in society, can occur only through the medium of deeply personal participation. We achieve being through doing. Everyone is invited to work. Everyone is invited to play. We make the world real through actions that open the heart. ImmediacyBe At The Potluck Now. Immediate experience is, in many ways, the most important touchstone of value in our culture. We seek to overcome barriers that stand between us and a recognition of our inner potluck, the potluck of those around us, participation in the potluck, and contact with a natural potluck exceeding the standards of even the most demanding chihuahua. No fast food or fine dining can substitute for this experience.
So if you haven't heard, Doc & Erin are already on getting SeaKids: A Critical Massive Kids' Camp well organized. We're chattin' 'bout how to make this the best for the kids...and we're not just talkin' babies and toddlers!!! Thankfully, Ozzy has also been at it already and has loads of activities and fun for the kids for their stay in SeaKids... If you haven't registered with SeaKids, you have kids, and MAYBE, just MAYBE you're considering bringing them, then it's time to get on what Doc & Erin have already begun for us...join the group and decide that you too WANT to share CM with your offspring this year!!! http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SeaKids/ Camp Goals - * Secure a "Perimeter" - something kids can easily recognize as the "end of the kid-safe zone", and adults can clue in to go play their adult games elsewhere... (perimeter fencing!)
* Create a play space where we can control the environment (imagine two or more 10x20's enclosing a space with AstroTurf or carpet and some heaters/AC).
* Plan and Organize Family/Kid Oriented Activities and Workshops.
As far as personal food and shelter and such we would ensure those involved have the space for their needs but would not want to organize meals and such collectively. Obviously people can still make Plans along these lines but better to keep that off the overall purpose.
Then, once you know you are going with your kids, please add your details into the database so we have a firm idea of who will be wanting to camp with us and what kind of infrastructure you have so we can reserve enough space. Here is the link to add yourself into the database...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SeaKids/database?method=reportRows&tbl=1http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SeaKids/database?method=reportRows&tbl=1 As we all know, when the kids are happy, everyone is happy... :)
 I'm proud to announce that the new and improved BurningManSeattle.com site has launched! WOOT! This site is intended to be the electronic hub of the local Burner-oriented community, and has a whole bunch of fun stuff to help make that possible. So while I put the site together it sure as heck isn't "my" site. It's yours. Now, you'll notice that there isn't a lot here. This is because it's up to you, the community and you, you in specific, to put stuff here. We've set this site up so that it's easy to register and write articles, post pictures, discuss stuff in the forum, add stuff to the wiki, add events to the calendar, submit links...and more. So, it's up to you to fill this site with goodies. Yes, you! After you've registered you can write articles on the site just by clicking the 'new' button on each content page. You can add items to the gallery from your profile page. You can add events to the calendar in just a few clicks. Please, go ahead and try it. You can't break anything. Post something. Anything. Anywhere you can! You don't have to know HTML to do any of these things, just click click click and presto, it's on the site.Enough of the hippie crap. Here's what we need to make this site totally awesome:We need Authors!- Articles about Burning Man, Critical Massive, the local community.
- FAQ Authors -- we need to re-write the Newbie Faq and write FAQs about Critical Massive and SeaCompression
- News writers -- Want to write a Weekend Roundup Report? Or make sure burners in the news get onto the site? You totally can!
- Bloggers -- Put your art project's blog onto the site. It's easy!
- WIKI authors -- We have a WIKI, and it needs content, like, bad.
- Photographers -- The Photo Gallery needs your photos. Upload a few. Or a hundred.
- Got an idea? I bet there's a place for it on this site.
We need Editors and Moderators!In order to have some modicum of sanity and good taste, we're going to need moderators and editors. - Content Editors -- Make sure site content is somewhat presentable and in good taste
- SeaPlaya Forum Manager -- Administrate the forum. Manage and create categories. Start discussions!
- WIKI Manager -- Manage the WIKI and keep it happy. Add new categories. Encourage users to add to it.
- Grand Master FAQ -- moderate FAQs submitted by users, add new FAQs as necessary
- Gallery Administrator/Photo Editor -- Take care of the photo gallery, add galleries, nominate photos for site-wide display
- Event Listings moderator -- Manage the event listings, encourage people to add events
- User Administrators -- Manage users. Add users to author/editor groups as necessary.
We REALLY need a Technology Team! If I have to do all the tech stuff for this site it won't work. I will go crazy. It will suck. We need the following kinds of people to help us avoid a future where I am crazy and the site sucks: - Designers -- Please oh god help us make the site look more exciting!
- HTML/CSS Tweaker -- Help implement the ideas that the designers come up with
- QA/Testers -- Try to break the site. Try to hack the site. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.
- Help Desk -- Track bugs, respond to users with site/technical questions, triage user requests
- Joomla Administrators -- You know who you are. You know what you do. Please help!
- Social Network Integrators -- Integrate social networks into the BurningManSeattle.com site
- PHP Coders -- Hack php code to make everything just perfect
- Unix Systems Administrators -- We're on Solaris now, hopefully we'll move to CentOS or a RHEL thing soon. Help us do it right!
- MySql DBA & SQL wizards -- Keep our database happy as a chihuahua in a sunbeam!
So...Go ahead. Register. Contribute. Bask in the healthy glow that the modern content contributor emits at all times. You know you wanna.
Guide to a Lousy Burn
Rule 1: Make Expectation List
- I expect to have my mind blown
- I expect to make the best friends I'll ever make anywhere else
- I expect everything I see to be unlike anywhere else
- I expect to have sex with strangers every other hour
- I expect to feel a warm, welcoming embrace from everyone
- I expect that all my neuroses will melt away
- I expect to be emotionally transformed
- I expect that I'll get over being shy/unhappy/sad/whatever, the minute I step on the playa
- I expect that all the plans I'm making now about what I'll do when I get there will actually happen the way I envision them
- I expect to run into the eight people I know who will be there
- I expect that the people I'm camping with won't be distracted by other things and never forget to include me
- I expect to be happy every waking moment
---------------------------------------------------------- A Guide to a Great Burn
---------------------------------------------------------- Rule 1: Make Plan
- I will plan for a unique experience, but I won't know what the experience will be or how to deal with it when it happens
- I will plan for my beliefs and boundaries to be questioned and possibly altered
- Regardless of how much I've planned and prepared, I plan that something may happen that was completely outside my plans and that it will be just fine
- I will plan to make the best of any situation, but realize that I'm my own limitation
- I will plan to let go of my expectations
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Author Unknown
******************** (Posted to BCWA email list by s1 on 8/12/08
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