Burning Man Unicycle Ride

[Catboy]

@BummerDave - If you weren't so fried in the brain you would know that they open the gates the last two days. By sneaking out there I meant setting aside responsibilities(something you probably know nothing about) for a weekend to check the festivities out. The real moochers are the hundreds of people that hitchhike into Reno only to panhandle the money for a ticket... Yes hundreds. They started arriving weeks ago and are flooding downtown Reno with their stench and queries for help getting to the man. Yes I know from ten years of living in Reno and 4 years of working 80+ hour weeks before, during and after the man. The two days I spent out there gave me enough of a taste of the drugged out loser culture for a lifetime.

@John - thanks! I know I am maturing quite nicely.

[reprah]

Hey, Catboy. My son's girlfriend is from Reno. Do you know her?

[BurnerDave]

For her sake, I hope she doesn't!!
edit: Aw shucks, I couldn't resist!

[wickedbob]

Druggie burnout hippies are a real drag.

[goldan]

Well...hmmm...lets see, we seem to be drifting off course. Can somebody break out a compass and give an intellectually humbling if not corrective response. Or just ignore the deep anger issues that surface unprovoked.

[BurnerDave]

Burning Man is different things to everyone. I don't even try to explain it to people who ask anymore because you can't. I just suggest they watch lots of videos on youtube and photos on Google to get the feel of it. For some people it's a life changing experience, for me it's just about meeting interesting people and all the art. I guess it depends where you are in your life. It can be a catalyst for change, if you go there primed for change.
I'm looking forward to riding my uni across the playa in the evenings with my 18 year old son who is going for the first time. I'll also be teaching my infamous Nazi yoga class at camp Apokiliptika. "Now everybody, hold zat pose.... for 1,000 years."
The chitchat with Catboy is all in fun. This is in "Just Conversation" after all!

[goldan]

Here is an interesting view on the subject from the University of Seattle Psyc. dept.

http://vimeo.com/3576807

[goldan]

Originally Posted by wickedbob

Druggie burnout hippies are a real drag.

What would be the opposite of Reno?

Somewhere in Connect-icut maybe?
...if one is feeling Dis-connected...lol

[BurnerDave]

It's a nice video. It covers the usual analysis, though. Sometimes too much thinking is a bad thing! There's 50,000 people and it's different to everyone.
Proportionately there are not too many naked people (meaning exposed groins). Anyone can go naked, but trying to come up with a decent costume is tough. There are the old guys who come in from relatively closeby cities mid-week and think they're going to get lucky but there are so few of them they don't get in the way, and they are photoworthy in their black shoes! In my opinion, the drugged out underage youth are the worse. They are stoned or drunk one day, and recovering the next ... for a week, and so they miss half the event. But even the worst of them are few and far between and those camps can easily be avoided. I don't smoke cigarettes or do any drugs, don't drink alcohol, and manage to have a great time there with the other 40,000. Just my 2 cents.

[mscalisi]

@BurnerDave Come visit me for breakfast. Pancake Playhouse at the 9 o'clock plaza.

@Catboy I'm a little disappointed at your bitter, judgemental hate tirade. You seemed much nicer a few years back when we went riding at Northstar. Hopefully one day you'll grow up and realize that these kinds of statements say far more about you than the people you hurl them at.

[mscalisi]

It's always funny to me the perceptions people have about burning man.

Sure, hippies go, but most participants aren't hippies
Sure nudists go, but most participants aren't nudists.
Sure drugs are prevalent, but most people aren't high.

The truth is, BM is a place where literally hundreds of subcultures gather. You can find some to hate on (ala Catboy style), but you're also certain to find others that you totally gel with. The are even subcultures there that you might not expect to find. There are several places that have daily AA meetings, Religion themed camps, republican camps, and Damn F*ing Texans (that's the name they give themselves). Oh yeah, there's also the gay orgy camps, S&M camps ...etc ..etc .etc. Like I said, literally hundreds of subcultures. Oh yeah, there's a very strong cyclist subculture (it is a bike city after all) and you'll be sure to see some of the most wild and artful cycles you've ever seen there. Oh, I almost forgot, there's also a unicyclist subculture there.

The part I enjoy the most (outside the sense of community) is the intersection between technology and art. There is so much engineering that goes into a great many of the projects. Many groups of artists literally work all year on their Bm projects.

...something for everyone.

Originally Posted by BurnerDave

It's a nice video. It covers the usual analysis, though. Sometimes too much thinking is a bad thing! There's 50,000 people and it's different to everyone.
Proportionately there are not too many naked people (meaning exposed groins). Anyone can go naked, but trying to come up with a decent costume is tough. There are the old guys who come in from relatively closeby cities mid-week and think they're going to get lucky but there are so few of them they don't get in the way, and they are photoworthy in their black shoes! In my opinion, the drugged out underage youth are the worse. They are stoned or drunk one day, and recovering the next ... for a week, and so they miss half the event. But even the worst of them are few and far between and those camps can easily be avoided. I don't smoke cigarettes or do any drugs, don't drink alcohol, and manage to have a great time there with the other 40,000. Just my 2 cents.

[BurnerDave]

Well put.
I surely will get by to visit. I can't say when but I will get there. (I even made myself a reminder note!) What's your Playa name, if you have one?
I was Tuco when I camped with the now defunct Black Rock Burner Hostel, a name given to me by my girlfriend who said I sneered and laughed like Eli Wallach (Tuco) in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly! I may just go back to being Dave.
Yeah the camp names are a hoot. One of our neighbours last time were the Motorhomos, a cluster of gay guys in ... motorhomes.

[mscalisi]

My current playa name is "Michael" :-)

If you have an early pass, we throw a "breakfast for dinner" party Sunday night before the gates open.

Originally Posted by BurnerDave

Well put.
I surely will get by to visit. I can't say when but I will get there. (I even made myself a reminder note!) What's your Playa name, if you have one?
I was Tuco when I camped with the now defunct Black Rock Burner Hostel, a name given to me by my girlfriend who said I sneered and laughed like Eli Wallach (Tuco) in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly! I may just go back to being Dave.
Yeah the camp names are a hoot. One of our neighbours last time were the Motorhomos, a cluster of gay guys in ... motorhomes.

[BurnerDave]

Mscalisi, I don't have an early pass this year, but I will make my way there during the week.
I received this link yesterday. After the propane, the drugs, the naked tushies, and the spectacular videos of BM on youtube, this video may give people who haven't been, some insight into how BM makes you feel good.
http://vimeo.com/13775444

[GILD]

Someone should build a "Catboy Loves You!" camp.

Just because.