Burning Man

[quilbilly]

If you ever want to see California in all of its infinite, decadent weirdness, Burning Man out in Nevada's Black Rock Desert north of Reno is the place to see it. I once harbored thought of going but recently looked at the price of tickets (I didn't even know you needed a ticket). Amazing. $380 for the weekend, $190 for a "low income" ticket, and over $600 for the delux ticket. Only Californians or a Californian want-to-be would be crazy enough to pay those prices to camp on a dry lakebed with all those rules. P.S. - apparently it is sold out with over 40,000 tickets sold. I will be looking for Jim in the pictures in his New Zealand hunting suit. If I see him, we may have lost him.

[High Lord Gomer]

I had to ask the googles about it: http://www.burningman.com/

[41 mag fan]

Don't even look like something i'd even be a millionth interested in.

[PS Paul]

An orgy of drugs, promiscuity, leftist "artists", liberal decadence and stinking, filthy hippies coming together to celebrate all that is horrible about our new society.

Funny thing is the creators/founders of this thing are now butthurt it has become too "commercial", although they are more than happy to enjoy the evil "Capitalist trappings" the event has filled their coffers with......

A truly shameful, hedonistic display of the decline of western civilization.

[Bent Ramrod]

Cripes. I'd hope at least, for the price asked, that there would be a lot of "facilitators" drifting around making belitling personal comments and refusing me permission to go to the bathroom until I'd had my "spiritual breakthrough."


Supposedly, a lot of people used to live lives of quiet desperation. Now it looks like a lot of them live lives of utter meaninglessness, personally acknowledged and accepted. The organization that is fleecing these pathetic individuals for nothing in return would, of course, be first in line to denounce someone who offered a real, tangible, useful item for a price as a greedy, exploitative polluter.

[Ohio Rusty]

An orgy of drugs, promiscuity, leftist "artists", liberal decadence and stinking, filthy hippies coming together to celebrate all that is horrible about our new society.

That sounds like my highschool in the late 60's and early 70's ...... man o' man I miss that free love and no worry about catching sumpthin'deadly. At least penicillin would fix everything. Those were the good years .......
Ohio Rusty ><>

[Shooter973]

A more wretched hive of scum and villainy won't be found on this planet....

[dragon813gt]

A more wretched hive of scum and villainy won't be found on this planet....

So you've never heard of Washington DC then?

[380AUTO]

So you've never heard of Washington DC then?

Made my day! Hahaha

[olereb]

You would be surprised at what kind of people go there,i lived in reno several years ago and went with a few friends not knowing what it was and I must say you get all kinds out there,lol.

[jeepyj]

So you've never heard of Washington DC then?

I wasn't quick enough. My thoughts exactly!
Jeepyj

[Blacksmith]

Where do they get the money to build all that stuff? Some of that isn't cheap.

[quilbilly]

Many of the best photographers in the world show up at Burning Man and some of their work is positively amazing despite all the decadence, weirdness, and occasional depravity. I can't help but wonder as well where these people get all the money to do this stuff. Can't be working so must be selling drugs.

[1Shirt]

Remember it's the cereal state!
1Shirt!

[cbrick]

An orgy of drugs, promiscuity, leftist "artists", liberal decadence and stinking, filthy hippies coming together to celebrate all that is horrible about our new society.

Funny thing is the creators/founders of this thing are now butthurt it has become too "commercial", although they are more than happy to enjoy the evil "Capitalist trappings" the event has filled their coffers with......

A truly shameful, hedonistic display of the decline of western civilization.

Hhmmm . . . Yep, that about describes it.

Rick

[longranger]

An orgy of drugs, promiscuity, leftist "artists", liberal decadence and stinking, filthy hippies coming together to celebrate all that is horrible about our new society.

Well said,
I would be driving through that part of the country on my way home to WY and see some of the "participants" at the truck stops/gas stations boy do they look like the leftovers from a Mad Maxx film shoot.

[starmac]

They are not all from Cali, they come in from every state in the union by the droves.

[mroliver77]

Well it is nice of them to take it out where they don't bother decent folks. It might be fun to have a giant cast boolit fest close by!!!
J

[3006guns]

Oh Boy! A chance for a righteous rant!

Hey.....how do you think I feel? I LIVE up here! From what I've heard, this whole thing started many years ago when a guy jilted by his girl friend built a large wooden replica of her lover and burned it with the help of a few friends. Over the years it has evolved into "the thing" to attend and we reap the result. Oh, the local merchants have a field day, but the people living in these small communities end up with vandalized property and thefts. I have to admit that such activity has slacked off some, but I think that's due to increased law enforcement presence and community awareness.

On the positive side, the local high school kids have discovered that the participants don't like that white alkalai dust all over their vehicles. As a result, there are at least two roadside carwashes manned by kids looking to make some case for the next school year.

I don't know. I've driven through Gerlach and skirted the Black Rock Playa on my way to ghost towns and shooting adventures........and I understand why the early pioneers took their wagons through at night and as fast as possible. The playa is bleached bone white, flat as a billiard table and has wind blown dust that gets into everything. On top of that the temps can reach lethal highs, and yet thousands of people go out there for "fun"?

One interesting story....some years ago a few of the participants decided to close the road that skirts the playa in order to keep "looky lou's" out unless they bought a ticket. That road is a county access and an old cowboy pulling a horse trailer was stopped and told he couldn't go through without permission or paying. His response was to pull the 30-30 out of the window rack and clear a path. The road stayed open after that.

[waksupi]

At least the Rainbow People have left Montana for sunnier climes. When they left here, it cost the county over a quarter million bucks to clean up their mess.

[starmac]

It was my understanding that Burning Man was an answer to the Rainbow festival, that was held in a different place every year. Because noone ever wanted them back.

If you have never seen hundreds (thousands) of naked folks covered by a few days of alkali dust matted to them, you jest ain't seen nothing.

[PS Paul]

A few years back, some of the "artists" (who just glue a bunch of junk on their cars-no doubt high on drugs while at it- and call it "art") took to pasting cutouts of GWB on their cars and burning effigies of GWB, much to the delight of the drug-addled losers who cheered while they burned.

I would think the folk from Missouri should send the Ohomo rodeo clown up there and burn a few effigies of their precious anointed one for the hippies' pleasure! Just IMAGINE the OUTRAGE!! he he. 'Twould be the full embodiment of liberal hypocrisy, I figure.

[Love Life]

You'd be amazed by the numbers of Professionals that attend burning man. Lawyers, Doctors, Executives, etc.

[starmac]

Yup they come from footback, to million dollar diesel pushers. Kind of like the deadheads, there was even some lear jets involved. lol

[PS Paul]

Well, considering the leftism involved with judges, lawyers and other professionals these days, NONE of those in attendance would surprise me.

Wouldn't be surprised if some of our politicos were in attendance either.....

[Blacksmith]

Here is a picture gallery of Burning Man:
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/the-burning-man-festival-1377881975-slideshow/

[Thumbcocker]

The problem with public nudity is that most who want to be naked in public should never be naked in public. I have long advocated a permit system so that those naked in public would be like living statues of Greek gods and goddesses. Alas I am a voice in the wilderness.

[starmac]

Somebody was pretty selective in what pictures they showed. lol

[mroliver77]

The problem with public nudity is that most who want to be naked in public should never be naked in public. I have long advocated a permit system so that those naked in public would be like living statues of Greek gods and goddesses. Alas I am a voice in the wilderness.
I totally agree.

[R.M.]

I've been trying to ignore this comment, but just can't. Just because a person's body type doesn't fit your idea of being perfect, why do you believe they need to be kept hidden. This world is made up of every kind of body shape. Who's to say what is allowed to be seen naked or in a skimpy swim suit. It should be no-one. You don't like what you see, don't look.

[waksupi]

Wow! I just Googled Burning Man, and clicked on images. Some nudity, but not all that much. However LOTS of really bizarre stuff. After seeing the pictures, I would actually like to see some of this stuff in person!

https://www.google.com/search?q=burning+man&client=firefox-a&hs=gHr&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ezMiUq-OCKOriQKrwIHIDQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1152&bih=493#imgdii=_

[PbHurler]

Wow, that's a huge mess of people.

I always thought this was just another music festival ie; "our generations' answer to Woodstock". I had no idea there was that type of art going up there. The vids on the BM website sure show some freaky people though.

[uscra112]

You'd be amazed by the numbers of Professionals that attend burning man. Lawyers, Doctors, Executives, etc.

Yup. Good friend of mine has gone for many years. He's now President-emeritus of a $100 million corporation. But he's also kinda burned out on it now - rules and regs they've put in place make it more like the Federal Government than Free Love. 'Course the rules and regs are partly because it's held on Federal (BLM) land.

[quilbilly]

Wow! I just Googled Burning Man, and clicked on images. Some nudity, but not all that much. However LOTS of really bizarre stuff. After seeing the pictures, I would actually like to see some of this stuff in person!

https://www.google.com/search?q=burning+man&client=firefox-a&hs=gHr&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ezMiUq-OCKOriQKrwIHIDQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1152&bih=493#imgdii=_ Hence the reason this is thought by some to be the "Super Bowl" of professional photographers of events. The good news is that, having rock hounded in the hills in the background, there is nary a trace of anything left behind a few months afterward.

[geargnasher]

And here I thought the Terlingua chili cook-off was the height of modern cultism.

Gear

[starmac]

I've been trying to ignore this comment, but just can't. Just because a person's body type doesn't fit your idea of being perfect, why do you believe they need to be kept hidden. This world is made up of every kind of body shape. Who's to say what is allowed to be seen naked or in a skimpy swim suit. It should be no-one. You don't like what you see, don't look.

I have to say it does hurt your eyes, when you see a gal wearing a bikini, but you can't see the bikini.

[SciFiJim]

I've thought of attending one of these events and going "counter-counter culture" and erecting "Ye Olde Trading Post and Gossip Emporium". Sell ice, beer, bottled water, toilet paper and a few food items. I would make fortune. Maybe have a sign saying that you take silver and gold as cash.

[waksupi]

I've thought of attending one of these events and going "counter-counter culture" and erecting "Ye Olde Trading Post and Gossip Emporium". Sell ice, beer, bottled water, toilet paper and a few food items. I would make fortune. Maybe have a sign saying that you take silver and gold as cash.


Might not be a bad idea. I have a friend that averages $10,000 selling fry bread at nationals.

[starmac]

I used to have a guy work for me (an equipment operator) that had a hotdog stand at the renaissance festival in Texas. He hired some young girls to run it and claimed to clear around 40,000 bucks a year on it.

[quilbilly]

This afternoon there were thunderstorms and rain in the area. If that rain hit the playa, it doesn't take much to turn that alkali dust to slime. Suddenly 68,000 people aren't going anywhere. You have to giggle at the thought. BTW - When I have been down there in the winter (not on the playa), in addition to rockhounding, the edges are not a bad place to pop a few coyotes or practice some long, long range shooting. Also, if you look up from the edges of the playa about 250 feet in elevation, you can see where the edge of the lake was during the ice ages until it began drying up 8,000 years ago. You would be amazed at what can be found up on those hillsides at the edge where that lake used to be.

[Firebricker]

I googled it a few years ago after watching an episode of "Malcom in the Middle" definitely some different types of entertainment there. BTW the episode was hilarious. Doesn't seem like an event I'd be real interested in but if I lived close and free maybe but no way I'd pay that to go but to each their own. FB