Burning Man

Who the hell are “Burners,” anyway?
Posted by Caveat Magister

We are what we do
A few months ago I was asked, in one of those email groups where people ask each other things like this: “what does it mean to be a burner? What are the core beliefs that unite us?”

I didn't respond, first and foremost because honest-to-God do I have that kind of time? No I do not, and it is hugely irresponsible of people to ask me open ended questions. It's like offering a hypochondriac free medical advice. His whole weekend's shot.

But I also didn't respond because I'd been wrestling with that question for some time … and had no good answer.

I know that the most common response is “The 10 Principles,” but … I don't see it. I bet 90% of the Burners reading this can't name all 10 without looking them up. Of that 10% who can, I bet 90% of them didn't know all the 10 principles … or anything about the 10 principles … back when that magical moment happened and they first decided: “Oh, I like this. I want to be a part of this.”

It's also commonly understood … though not often talked about … that most of us interpret the 10 Principles differently. Some of us (I'll raise my hand) believe that “Radical Inclusion” means “everybody can participate in Burning Man,” while others take it to mean “everybody should feel included and accepted by people at Burning Man”: we're worlds apart. Exactly what “Gifting” means is not a matter of settled tort. How “communal” does “Communal Effort” have to be? You might as well ask how many Burners can dance on the head of a pin, except that this was settled by 2005's massive art project “Dance on the Head of a Pin!” It's 82, and they light the pin on fire. Man that really should have been funded. Read more »

You can't Burn on Facebook
Posted by Caveat Magister

By Maxo. [GFDL (http://xfu73.goaryhako.com/5767c76a69dc9cc81113be9fd01a692f7a23 via Wikimedia Commons
If you get enough burners together in a room, they will probably (A) throw a party that involves at least partial nudity, or (B) create a sculpture installation that involves at least partial nudity. Because . well . really, is there a better option?
But if you get a lot of Burning Man regional representatives from around the world together into one room, they will probably end up having a panel discussion on best practices - and it will involve serious note-taking.

I mention this to set the stage for the Burning Man Regional Network Summit, where I found myself surrounded by many of the people who are absolutely essential to Burning Man at the state and local level . and geez, were they taking notes. What I'm saying is: data was compared. Best practices were rocked. Flow charts flew. Did they have fire? No - but they had mad fire safety tips. There were no DJ's . which is kind of a blessing, once you're in the middle of a nice conversation with a woman from Prague and you actually want to hear what she's saying . but there was a lot of talk about how to integrate people who want to DJ into your volunteer structure. Because, Christ, a lot of you want to DJ.

It clearly takes all kinds to Burn a Man, and one of the first meetings I attended was about how to reach out to your local burner community and keep everyone in the loop. This is essential, not just because it helps them know what Burning Man is up to but because it also makes people more likely to come out of the woodwork and explain how they can help. Because, goddamn, those of you who don't want to DJ often have incredible skills no one saw coming.

But with such a diverse community (or at least a community with such diverse interests) . how exactly do you

4 blocks of text that mean sweet FA to anyone else?

Anyway, burning man's old n busted.

Ukraine's where the party's at. Kazantip to be precise.