Hello and Welcome... What's your name? Tell me about You...

[seaquesta]

Howdy again folks! I've been out sailing and generally sluffing off.
Some of you may remember me as I told of hoisting my 40' sailboat onto a trailor and driving it towards Nevada. I said I was going to stop along the way and pick up planking from a small sawmill in route to construct a make shift deck/ dock to both shelter and house a Bahama's type bar for libations. It's also going to resemble the forepeak of a square rigger where the crew hung hammacks to sleep.
If anyone's ever been to Bimini they should have gone to the "End Of The World Bar" if not you will get your chance at the next burning man. I have sort of secured a supplier of Red Strip Beer, Horay Beer!
So, I'm Your skipper (Bob, what a good name for a boat guy!)

I am a resident of Treasure Isalnd, Florida, 51 years young and have observed the burn from the beginning. I've not attended being I am the sort to sail off to a secluded anchorage rather than cruise in to be a part of a happening. But, times they are a changing.

Side note: for those of you whom are concerned for the boats safety she will be strapped to a trailer, braced to the ground and made able to withstand the over 70 plus (150 is the break point) miles an hour of wind the Playa can produce. And, my brother, a resident of Reno who is in the autobody business will be opening up the back of the shop for the repainting and re-working of the wood work I intend to do before "Mariah" is slipped back into the water in San Francisco.
From there, who knows. Aloha

[LeChatNoir]

Ahoy Skipper...

Been fascinated with the South Seas since before I first heard Bertie Higgins singing “Just Another Day In Paradise”. Found out recently that some of my ancestors may have passed through Barbados en route to the States. Ahh... "The tropics call... and back you'll come." Look forward to seeing the boat/bar on the playa.

Cheers!!!

[Last Real Burner]

Lots of new burners here. Always glad to see ya, babe.. did I mention that you should just say hello? We don't bite.... well some do but, not to worry they've had their shots .

curvingly,
mr smith

[Last Real Burner]

I just ment that it would be nice if all the newbies posted a "Hello, my name is _________. and a little personal info so we could get a little feel for who you are. This is not a requirement, just a simple request. I am a big fan of thread drift (as most can tell) so if this thread is fluid and moves in various topics thats cool too, but try to take long coversations on to appropriate threads elsewhere. That is all and bye the way did I say Hi to any new people just now getting here?

"Resist Resistance."

concurrently,
mr smith

[Schwance]

My name is Ken Lawler, I'm from Portland and I really want to go to BM04. The problem is 1) I don't drive, and 2) I don't want to go at it alone. I would realy like to hook up with a group from the local area that's doing a theme camp. I'm waiting to buy a ticket to see if I can get there first.

A little about my self: I'm 31 years old, lived in Portland since I was five, I love to camp (I like to think of BM as the ultamate camping trip), I like to think of myself as a good cook. I'm shy with new people at first, but once I get to know you, watch out! I don't do any illegal drugs, it's personal choice, but it doesn't bother me if others do. I do drink, but not alot.

So, if you want to talk to me, just shoot me an e-mail at [email protected] and let me know.[/b]

[robotland]

Howdy Folks, Robotland here.....I'm a sculptor living outside of Greater Metropolitan Kalamazoo, Michigan, in the southwest part of the mitten not far from Lake Michigan. Two fellow Kazooans and I make up Kamp Kalamazoo, which was part of Hushville last year. (We had the 3-level dome.)
I'm fond of creating contraptions from leftover technology and dumpster trimmings, and do art fairs and gallery shows exhibiting the robots, creatures and abstracts that I make from scrap aluminum and plastic.
Just bought my ticket this morning, and I'll see you on the playa.....

[Dusza Beben]

Hi all! I'm David and I hail from Michigan City, Indiana. Myself, my wife Halcyon and my 6 year old daughter Florida will be attending for the first time in '04 as part of the burning Chicagoans at camp whistleworks. We've wanted to come for years but a series of events had prevented us from attending. This year our only excuse is money and we have decided that that isn't good enough of an excuse so we've bought our tickets and here we come! We are both artists, my wife being a ceramist, animator and book maker and I am an assemblage artist and sculptor in too many mediums. I'm a little buzzed on port at the moment so stop me if I ramble. Anyway we can't wait to get there and meet bunches O' like minded folk.

David

[Vampira_Vali]

Hello...I'm Still a newbie, But I have posted on this board long time ago, still getting ready to to go to burning man...

Hello All ~waves~

[depros]

What's up fellow e-playans?

I was posting regularly last year, so to those who don't know me...
My name is Mike, born, raised and live in Philadelphia. This coming burn will be my third. I camp at The Philadelphia Experiment where approximately 20 of us travel from Philly to the desert, with hopefully more this year. I was thankfully able to already purchase my ticket and am starting to get excited for my annual trek.

[RingO'Fire]

Hey folks, what's up? Burningman!, I reckon. My name's Steve and I live in beautiful Chattanooga, TN right on the banks of the Tennessee River, down in the gorge where the River cuts through the Cumberland Plateau. If you look at a map of the US, I'm literally right on the Tennessee side of the Tennessee/Georgia/Alabama "Tri-State" region (yee-haa!).

I earn my living as a hydrogeologist (groundwater geologist)/ environmental consultant. I'm working on a second bachelor's in environmental engineering too. I'm also a tie-dye artist (as you can probably tell from my "avatar") and have been making tie dyes for over ten years. I especially like making really BIG tapestry pieces (There's a local fabric finishing plant I found that sells seconds of 90" wide cotton fabric for $1.50/yd!).

This will be my first BM and I am totally psyched. One of my former Chattanoogan friends currently from Santa Fe, NM will be joining me. I lived in Las Vegas for three years while I was in grad school and in Santa Fe for three years after that. If the Black Rock Desert (i.e., northern Mojave) is anything like Vegas temperature-wise, I know it's going to be hottern' hell. I plan on taking a lot of the veterans' advice by just coming, having fun, checkin' it out, ragin' a bit, and contributing my mirth to the goings-on. I definately want to hook up with some more experienced, cool & mellow burners in some theme camp, although I'm not sure just which one. Y'all take care now, here?

[LeChatNoir]

GADZOOKS!!! Look at the surge of new folks...

Hello, Helloooooo all!!!

Schwance, Robotland, Dusza Beben, Vampira_Vali, Depros, and RingO'Fire

Lot's of folks told me "Howdy" when I first posted so I really enjoy returning the favor.

[Vampira_Vali]

I got sidetracked, I didnt tell you people anything about me...
Im 25 till may...Ive wanted to go to burning man for 3 years now...
Hopefully this year will be the year i meet all of you...well atlest most of you...I want to go to burning man, to set myself free from the restictions Ive allowed to be placed apon me...to see visual stimulating art and people...to make some friendships that last...get away from people that I love here for awhile...to test myself...and most of all to have fun...
I think Im done now...
Hello to every one that has said hello to me... [/quote]

[tiniebop]

hey you raging bunch of burners! I'm gonna be there this year, coming all the way from Belgium to be part of the madness! I'm checking the site every day, I have to restrain myself from going shopping for supplies already... can't ship that stuff, have to wait till I crossed the ocean!! I'm sooo looking forward to it! Bouncing against the ceiling with excitement. Partaaaaay!!! See y'all soon!!

[rallyncburn]

I just found out about Burning Man recently - stumbled upon it on the web and was instantly intrigued -- so much so that I bought a ticket 3/1/2004. I am really excited about experiencing this! Anyway, I'll be travelling from Raleigh, NC and plan to arrive on 8/30. I may not be able to stay the entire week. Also don't know if anyone will be travelling with me. Still in the early stages of planning. Anyway, a couple questions: I would like to camp in a theme camp, but how do I find one that matches my interests, and then get hooked up with them? Also, if I can't stay the entire week, is it pretty easy to break camp and exit the Burning Man early, or do you get blocked in by other campers? I guess I don't have a good feel for how the camps are arranged.

[goodvibe]

Hi, my name is Lydia. I'm 26, live in the south with my beloved husband Larry (we are going to be celebrating our one year anniversary on Aug. 30! We can all celebrate together!) and two kitties (Azure Chloe and Princess Octavia), and we have been wanting to come to Burning Man for years. The number one thing that stopped us was lack of a good travel vehicle, but we bought a big green van and are determined to not miss another year. I have a 9 year old stepson who will most likely be helping me make gifts. Kids are naturally great artists. Although I don't ever want any because I want to travel... but I digress...
We're 100% monogomous hippies. Walking oxymorons!
Our interests: kayaking, backpacking, hiking, camping, animals, art, making things, vegetarian (me), traveling, reading, Hinduism...
We are just a couple of laid back folks ready to see the world all of us will create.
Hasta la pasta!

[III]

>> may not be able to stay the entire week.

quite a few people don't stay the entire week - some veterans get burned out by party vibe that happens the last couple of days, and bow out early.

however, joining a theme camp means work, and a lot of that work comes at the end of the week. make sure that whichever camps you approach (and there will be plenty to approach, in a month or two) is aware of this.

plus, as a newbie, expect to maybe get sucked in, blow off your other commitments, and hang around anyways. it's a hard thing to miss the burn your first year (though i know a couple of people who've done it, but they were exceptional).

[Zephryus]

Greetings All,
My Name's Zephryus. It would be Zephyrus, after the old germanic god of the west wind, but I managed to goof it on the application form. Hence, I am Zephryus, Californian god of Casual Hedonism. I practice this by taking illicit pleasure in everyday things, and boy does it make life fun.
I'm an electric clown, which is pretty much what it sounds like: I really like to juggle and play with frightening amounts of electricity (I'm a lighting guy). Although I hail from northern California, I'm currently studying Japanese at a university in Tokyo.
Like many who have posted before me, I'm a BM virgin. Being a dedicated theatre type (read: nutcase) however, I'm jumping in with both feet and applying to volunteer with the DPW as early as mid-July. I'm the kind of guy who doesn't skirt around the edge of a project this big - I commit. And hey, working long hours in the middle of an inhospitable desert with cool people on a mind-bendingly enormous project honestly sounds like my idea of a good time. I just hope they'll have me.
So hey, nice to meet all of you. I've read this entire thread (if you can believe that) plus a generous sprinkling of the rest of the board. My initial question to all of you is this: If you had fistfulls of one yen coins (small, aluminum, worth a little less than a penny), and a desire to do something creative with them, what would you do?

[Last Real Burner]

Hi Zephryus, Schwance ( Ken ), Dusza Beben (David), Vampira_Vali, RingO'Fire (Steve), tiniebop, rallyncburn, goodvibe (Lydia & Larry, and your kids Azure Chloe and Princess Octavia). A great big Howdy Do and welcome to you all. Oh Yeah, you're gonna have fun now.

"Experience is the worst teacher, it gives the test before the lesson."

irrefutably,
mr smith

[Lujak]

Howdie,
Lujak is a play on Lujan, my name, give to me by my pal Chris. This will be my second BM.
I really love the creative energy and amount of effort everone makes to not just make this happen, but to get there, make stuff and let go of the day to day for a bit. I am an artist and BM feels like a big, all inclusive, open call art show.
Haveing worked with non profit art spaces, I have found it is harder to do an open call show than one might think. Everyone is a critic and wants to say who can play and who cannot. What if someone brings really bad (to me) art, do I have to put it on the wall? Gallerys are even worse (will it sell?).
The playa is a great big open (in so many ways) palet, embracing everyone and everything. It reminds us that yes some of us have wads of cash and lots of time to make 15 ton steel and glass monoliths lit with neon and a full sound system but that that, though cool, is not the only art. Some of us work all the time just barly eeking out rent, but still pull together some friends, cardbored, duct tape and make "The Giant Robot Bar" and it kicks ass!
To me wearing a penis suit is played out and old, but to the guy who spent the last 6 months, 1 hour a week learning about paper mache and how to mix colors to get that real fleshy flesh tone, it is Art with a capital A, and for that, I love it
I am lucky enough to have alot of artist and creative friends, and Burning Man is a big extension of that and an opertunity for all of us to open ourselves to art and creation and liviing the way we are meant to live, free.
So get out there and make some cool shit and see you on the playa!

[Schwance]

Well I just bought my ticket to BM04 so I guess one way or another I'm going this year. This will be my first BM. Still looking for a theme camp or group from the Portland, OR area to go with.

[poosie_kat]

Hello! I'm from Muncie, IN and have my ticket for this year already bought. This will be my second year out there (non-consecutive.) This year I'm going out with a few more people than I did in 2002. No real camp yet, but I am working on getting a Midwest Regional together ([email protected]). I just got tired of feeling like I was the only person who had been, but I knew that I wasn't the only one who wanted to go. I have no real desire to be part of or to start a camp though. It seems like that's a lot of people's thing here and I think that that's way cool. I hope to see you all out there this year. I'll be the one with a smile on my face (can you pick me out of the crowd?)

Ape-Rule

[rallyncburn]

I'm a BMAN virgin, but trying to learn as much as possible before the event so that I can get the most out of it. (read: trying not to relive my freshman year in high school ). I've ordered my ticket, reserved a relatively cheap rental from Budget so I can drive from NC, and I'm reading several of these threads to try to learn what I need to bring, since money is kinda tight. Don't want to go out and buy unnecessary things. Found several threads with lists of things to take/not take that seem to be pretty helpful.

On another note, I found a used copy of the book and DVD "Drama in the Desert". The DVD, especially is really well done. Was wondering from those of you who have been to BMAN, and seen this book/DVD how well does the book and/or DVD portray the event, keeping in mind that everyone's experience is surely different?

[III]

>>how well does the book and/or DVD portray the event?

just about every media thing i've seen has missed a couple of aspects:

- the large numbers of mundane people. sure, there are way more interesting people than you get out in real life, but there are a surprising number of touristy types. they rarely show up in movies/pictures because who the hell wants to take pictures of them anyways?

- how being in an incredibly stimulating environment with little sleep for a week can affect your state of mind. breakdowns or screaming matches are not uncommon (though certainly not a constant presence either). in fact, it seems to me that an interesting documentary might be covering the freakout tent (or whatever the rangers call their recovery space now).

- community is what happens when you're not doing what you got together to do: the art is nice. the burn is nice. but what you'll probably remember is the talks with neighbors and strangers while you're just sitting down trying to take a break from it all.

[rallyncburn]

Hey III, thanks for the insight. I was looking for someone that would tell me how the DVD compares to the actual event on the playa. You mentioned some great points. Hopefully I won't be perceived as one of the mundane types. Although I'm still open to participating in a theme camp or other project I'm reluctant to get over-committed since what I really want to do is just take the week to experience the event from as many perspectives as possible. I'm really looking forward to being able to experience BMAN, and not really be obligated to too many things. Walking and biking in my b'day suit to as many of the camps and art as possible, meeting all types of people etc. will make it a great week for me.

[Badger]

(though certainly not a constant presence either). in fact, it seems to me that an interesting documentary might be covering the freakout tent (or whatever the rangers call their recovery space now).

Trey, we really don't need a film crew skulking around the Sanctuary dome with video cameras and microphones. We're just not all that interested in having someone film us as we try to horse whip the stupidity out of the folks who wind up there.

[Badger]

It's our guilty little pleasure that we'd just as soon not let the rest of the City in on.

[III]

>>we really don't need a film crew skulking around the Sanctuary dome

dude, we don't need any skulking around *anywhere*, but if the powers that be insist on letting them in, i don't see why *you* should be so special.

anyways, a good dose of harsh light and reality should be good for the little mind wiped drooling ravers.

[LeChatNoir]

Any other new folks care to stop by and say “Hi”????

[dougaldutch]

Hello my name is Lee, I work and live in Edinburgh (Scotland) and decided that I needed something different, some purpose. Started looking around for more information on Burningman one afternoon and 2 hours later I had a plan, passion and a small dose of excitment (that has been getting bigger). I cannot soak up enough of BM and plan on seeing as much of it as I possibly can. Every newbie probably makes the same promise but I consider it a challenge.

Love meeting people and just sparking random connections with them and that is why I have such hopes for BM. Plan on doing the regular festival scene over here just to build up, but as preparation goes I feel it will be woefully short of the mark. Still will have a laugh, a few jars and come back with a few stories to tell.

Lee

[hageymon]

WELCOME ABOARD, Lee! The desert beckons...