Thank you for Not "Gifting" Me

buckethead alien · Post by **buckethead alien** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:37 am

Please consider not bringing any junk to the playa to give away to strangers unless it is booze, ice, food, water, condoms, or sun block. Objects like candy necklaces, trinkets from Oriental Trading Company, images of the man made from Play-Doh, glow sticks, and burny refrigerator magnets are not welcome among large segments of Black Rock City. "Gifting" (a vile corruption a perfectly good noun,) is not a prerequisite to having a good time or being a participant in Burning Man. At the risk of stating the obvious, this is not Mardis Gras. You do not need to give it to get it.

sputnik · Post by **sputnik** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 5:37 am

I couldn't agree more. Thanks for posting.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 7:57 am

I actually ENJOY accumulating matter...after all, the Universe isn't making any MORE of it- But I do agree about most generic gifting being MOOP. I make and give (not "gift") personalized artworks, and almost always do so UPON REQUEST. I always have room for a little something that someone made with their own hands, unless those hands were in China somewhere and they were getting paid a nickel per thousand made.

blyslv · Post by **blyslv** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 9:09 am

robotland wrote:But I do agree about most generic gifting being MOOP. I make and give (not "gift") personalized artworks, and almost always do so UPON REQUEST. I always have room for a little something that someone made with their own hands, unless those hands were in China somewhere and they were getting paid a nickel per thousand made.

I think one of those would be nicer then 10 "mass produced" trinkets.

Also give the gift of action. Make someone dinner, clean up their dishes, give a vinegar foot rub with clean socks. Some people are partial to sexual favors! Think of total MOOP elimintation as a design challenge rather then a constraint. But leave the candy necklace at home, usually some body else has to pick up its peices.

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:57 am

buckethead alien wrote:Objects like candy necklaces, trinkets from Oriental Trading Company, images of the man made from Play-Doh, glow sticks, and burny refrigerator magnets are not welcome among large segments of Black Rock City.

Would you take this button I made for you?

blyslv · Post by **blyslv** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 11:03 am

It would save everybody time if you just threw it directly onto the surface of the playa.

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 11:27 am

blyslv · Post by **blyslv** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 12:32 pm

Saying No Makes People Feel Bad On The Inside

buckethead alien · Post by **buckethead alien** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 12:44 pm

How about "Don't Make Me Harsh Your Mellow" ?

joel the ornery · Post by **joel the ornery** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 1:01 pm

buckethead alien wrote:How about "Don't Make Me Harsh Your Mellow" ?

how about a button that says...

"NO!"

Rian Jackson · Post by **Rian Jackson** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 2:24 pm

I'm throwing my vote in there with the leave your crap at home gang. But then, I suppose I'm a hippie. I'd like less stuff in my life. It's a big enough challenge in this society... it would be great to promote a culture where we don't need to show our love and affection for each other through items. Yes, art pieces are wonderful, and in a category unto themselves. But hell, if it's a choice between your time and conversation or your plastic thingy (damn that sounds dirty) I know what I want.

Funny, isn't it, how much senseless money we, as a community, drop into this moop-to-be, isn't it? Why do we need it?

I'm convinced that most/many people out there on the playa have more to offer than a blinky light or a button. Much as those can be fun and may have their place somewhere in the universe, I'd like to think we can do better. Funny thing is, they're likely to walk away from a non-trinket-based interaction feeling like they're received a substantial amount, too.

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 2:35 pm

I'm convinced that most/many people out there on the playa have more to offer than a blinky light or a button

you don't get out much, do you?

Rian Jackson · Post by **Rian Jackson** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 2:37 pm

Oh yeah, I stayed in my camp last year. I was having a hippie moment, and trying really, really hard to believe that they just aren't attempting it but have the capacity.

Gimme a break, I was gifting you with not being surly for once.

smooooooch

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 2:42 pm

oh yeah?!

well I was gifting you with my dry sense of humor.

<huggggggg>

blyslv · Post by **blyslv** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 2:44 pm

GIFTIER THEN THOU

Better or worse then "burnier then thou"?

Please discuss.

Zulegoona · Post by **Zulegoona** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 2:47 pm

I also think it's good to consider that people have a wide range of abilities, for some it might well be a stretch to design something that could be printed as a sticker or button. as an expression of themselves what ever they can do should be respected.
last year I received a glow stick from a person who seemed to be on a mission to light up unlit pedestrians walking the playa. it was an expression of concern for the safety of others. good gifts to my thinking.

Rian Jackson · Post by **Rian Jackson** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 2:51 pm

We've been known to gift with light.

Blyslv, both suck until you say 'than' instead of 'then'.

Zule, I'm saying that the trinkets aren't necessary. Giving something of yourself is worth far more.

Zulegoona · Post by **Zulegoona** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 3:02 pm

I agree with geekster, on the bar thread the gift is more of a symbol, the way they are given is more important than what is given. I prefer hand made expression of the giver too, But I'm a collector, I've just recently gotten myself to stop picking up stray pieces of metal I find in the street, and I've hauled art materials bones and stones with me on every move for the past 20 years I love stuff, most of it isn't the sort of thing others find value in but I cherish most of the odd bits of shell and feathers and pieces of wood, They all contain spirits of there own, and they all have potential to become something else of my making. They are the artifacts of existence,... god help whoever has to clean out my house after I die,....

blyslv · Post by **blyslv** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 3:07 pm

Grammatical chastisment: The Gift of clear Communication

buckethead alien · Post by **buckethead alien** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 3:13 pm

god help whoever has to clean out my house after I die,

Amen, brother.

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 3:14 pm

one man's handmade craft item is another man's moop.

I want to ask the question 'why are you giving me this thing?' If the answer is something like 'cuz I met you and we shared a connection and this is for you to remember that moment' then I'm down. If the answer is 'cuz I read this blurb from what appears to be an increasingly dogmatic and cult like borg press and it said I had to cuz BM is a gift economy.' then fuck off.

Rian Jackson · Post by **Rian Jackson** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 3:26 pm

I think I love you, Staurt.

Steven bradford · Post by **Steven bradford** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:09 pm

What about moop discussion threads that just make you want to roll your eyes and say "oh bother"?

Rian Jackson · Post by **Rian Jackson** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:19 pm

Feel free to provide a link for those of us who no longer read this board constantly. Unless you don't really want a reply, of course.

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:55 pm

aw, I love you too, Rain.

Rian Jackson · Post by **Rian Jackson** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 5:03 pm

Iago · Post by **Iago** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 6:59 pm

But I bought this bag of 250 plastic army soldier guys in '98 and I still got about 127 left over to give away. I mean I don't want them to just collect dust at home in the basement. Fuck, this whole thing is so hard to figure out anymore... Give, don't give? what's a burner to do??? geeeze, just so many to rules to follow anymore to be free.. this is giving me a mental enema...?

Lassen Forge · Post by **Lassen Forge** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 9:25 am

Radical new idea...

If you don't want to be gifted, and someone tries to gift you, then tell the gifter "no thanks".

How's that for RSR? Instead of forcing your views on someone else (if these be your views) you get to take responsibility for your own thing with those 2 little words.

Hey - Some people may not appreciate 151-soaked brownies, and if they say "I'm not into that" or "no thanks", I can totally respect that. No infringment on their space, no skin off my nose, no hurt feelings.

BBS

blyslv · Post by **blyslv** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 10:55 am

I don't think the OP was trying to "force views" on anyone. this is a public discussion board and I think he was trying to spark discussion. And the plea was not agasint exquisite brownies baked with love and 151. It was agasint crap that turns into MOOP. Crap that is thoughtless and a mere commodity. It doesn't take much thought, effort or creativity to hand out candy necklaces. And a lot of those necklaces, the wrapper, the string, the candy itself ends up as MOOP.

I've practiced LNT outdoor activities long before I cam to BM, and the dictums of "don't let it hit the ground" and "clean as you go" are sound. The point of the OP, I think, was that if people don't bring crap in the first place, then there is that much less crap left for volunteers to pick up a month after the event.

So instead of thoughtless handing out 50 or 100 of some trinket you bought, why not spend time and effort thinking up a gift that may touch only 1 or 2 or 5 in a much more deep and creative way?

Tiahaar · Post by **Tiahaar** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 12:03 pm

I'm still bringing back my "magic chocolate" candy machine...if folks would like some they have to crank the handle, so its a self service gift I suppose heheh. The peanut m&ms did tend to get soft & broken up a bit so this year it will be boston baked beans or toffee peanuts or ???(experiments on heat tolerance proceeding). BUT this thread did give me an idea for a MOOP tray to catch any that are missed opening the little chute. Thanks!

Thank you for Not "Gifting" Me

Thank you for Not "Gifting" Me

Re: Thank you for Not "Gifting" Me