Just my personal Rant

willm3 · Post by **willm3** » Thu May 21, 2009 5:37 pm

This is a small part of why I'm not going this year
My first year,I went alone
Had a fuckin' blast
Went out and saw a bunch of stuff and people,made a lot of friends(still remember the guy at the base showing me the inside of the lanterns)
My second year,I went with a "Theme Camp"
Worst mistake I ever made
I found out that if you try to "be part of" the whole BM thing,(in my case)you lose a lot
Campmates that are unwilling to make the camp what it "should be" and reality,are hard to come by.
Leaving the "Virgin Campmate" to handle the day to day operation is just bad
Lesson learned
Reality is,if you go with a camp,make sure you know EVERYONE in the camp and that they ALL know what their part is going to be

motskyroonmatick · Post by **motskyroonmatick** » Thu May 21, 2009 6:17 pm

Hey. Why not go solo again. Maybe it will help you get over your theme camp hangover and back in the swing of things.
Maybe whatever the big part is will take care of it's self.

J/K will be along any time to welcome you properly....

Good luck to you!

Post by **mdmf007** » Thu May 21, 2009 6:59 pm

Sorry you had a bad experience, but one time is not a pattern. 2 times isnt a pattern.

So to date you have 1 Great experience, and on not so great. Go solo again, or find 2-3 friends and go again. That way you know who your dealing with.

Go to a regional - meet some peeps.

You are obviously interested in BM still or you wouldnt be on Eplaya.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Thu May 21, 2009 7:47 pm

I am having a time accepting anything Freudian coming from someone who's finger is still in his nose

...even he he did switch nostrils.

Post by **mdmf007** » Thu May 21, 2009 8:19 pm

oneeyeddick wrote:I am having a time accepting anything Freudian coming from someone who's finger is still in his nose

...even he he did switch nostrils.

You can clearly see that the finger is not penetrating the orifice. I am merely scratching my upper lip.

Hah I edited out my error

thisisthatwhichis · Post by **thisisthatwhichis** » Thu May 21, 2009 8:29 pm

mdmf007 wrote:
oneeyeddick wrote:I am having a time accepting anything Freudian coming from someone who's finger is still in his nose

...even he he did switch nostrils.
You can clearly see that the nose is not penetrating the orifice. I am merely scratching my upper lip.

No, yer not..... yer dragging it down into between the lips.... a little suck, and it's over......................

Oh, and yea, Theme camps aren't for everyone..... Please try to just enjoy it again, if you so choose..... It's not like you are forced to do that every year....... We save that for those of us that like the punishment........ Please Sir!!!.... May I have another!!!!!!..... WOP!!!

Post by **Elderberry** » Thu May 21, 2009 8:34 pm

Hey there, welcome to eplaya!

JK

SilverOrange · Post by **SilverOrange** » Thu May 21, 2009 8:49 pm

Hey willm3. Sorry, I can imagine it would be disappointing to feel like you "lost" that week that had so much potential. Don't let it stop you from going again however, or that good time you had the first year will never happen again! Hey, at least your not this guy. http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic. ... ht=screwed (Now that's a rant!)

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Thu May 21, 2009 10:10 pm

mdmf007 wrote:
oneeyeddick wrote:I am having a time accepting anything Freudian coming from someone who's finger is still in his nose

...even he he did switch nostrils.
You can clearly see that the nose is not penetrating the orifice. I am merely scratching my upper lip.

liar liar pant on fire

will:
I don't want to guess as to why you didn't get along with a themecamp but I'll give ya a few pinters to consider if you want to try a different one another year.

1) Theme
Try to make sure that the theme of the themecamp fits your personality and that the camp is what you are into.

2) Workload/Costs
Themecamps have lots more work involved as you found out. You need to make sure your workload is known an acceptable before you join up. There is always gonna be more responsibility with a themecamp, its up to you to find out what you can handle. Not all themecamps are the same and many have a fuckload of work going into it while others may be really easy to setup and get goin. With many themecamps there is added cost.. this varys from 10 bucks to alot more than 10 bucks. Often there are folks in the themecamp that won't do as much work or put in as much money.. its not really anyones business as to why. It should be obvious that someone who supplies say a big ass dome and sound system should be able to slack more than the person showing up with the clothes on their back. Newbies are often givin a lil more work and tested a lil more to earn their place. Some camps you should even expect to wake up with sharpie on yer face. Theres all sorts out there and its up to you to be informed and choose something suitable for you.

3)Community
Themecamps are alot more intensive in this regard. With so many people pitching in on various levels alot more comfort can be achieved at the least. Things like showers, kitchens, bars. shade chill spaces can be shared by the community. This allows for more shit to be brought overall for the camps enjoyment. For example if someone hauls out just the kitchen stuff others can bring different stuff. Once everyone is there and setup you have almost everything in the house out there. This is not too easy when you go it alone. Having a schoolbus will help to bring most of your house but you pay the cost and have to setup everything yourself.

4) Security/Safety
By choosing a themecamp you SHOULD have a new family you can trust. When more folks watch each others backs and are there to pitch in when someone gets hurt or is feeling a lil emotional or somesuch theres folks that you can trust rather than be on your own looking for help from someone you don't know.

I can't speak on all themecamps but most I have had the pleasure of getting to know seem to be great things to be a part of on the playa. I have come across a couple "small time flaky" camps listed in the website. All I can say about that is that anyone can register a themecamp, there is no promise of anything more than a tent when you get to the address. Sometimes the camp won't even exist if they broke down on the way to BRC and are a local camp from somewhere with only 4 people and a bus. On the opposite side of the spectrum you have camps with hundreds of people pitching in to make it happen, sometimes not even for a whole week. There are camps out there still working when the gates open.

Try not to be too harsh just because ONE themecamp wasn't what you are looking for. Next time you go solo make sure you visit any that seem to be into the same things you are. Theres nothing better than just chatting it up with folks under some shade for a bit while you're in between art installation visits. A great way to find out if you are a fit for a themecamp is to have checked em out first. Not everyone is going to get along with everyone, even in a themecamp. If you aren't feeling someone else just walk away from the drama. Maybe the next day they'll be nicer or just avoid them all together. No rule that says you have to be in camp all the time, do the work expected of you and cover your commitments. Shouyldn't be any drama outside of that unless there are 2 people to make it happen.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Fri May 22, 2009 6:13 am

mdmf007 wrote:
oneeyeddick wrote:I am having a time accepting anything Freudian coming from someone who's finger is still in his nose

...even he he did switch nostrils.
You can clearly see that the nose is not penetrating the orifice. I am merely scratching my upper lip.

So:
which orifice would your nose normally be penetrating?............

I see a cryptic message in this one.......you clever lily you..........

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri May 22, 2009 8:03 am

Sounds like a management issue.

Next time, bring a big axe.

Dr. Pyro · Post by **Dr. Pyro** » Fri May 22, 2009 5:36 pm

Yeah yeah yeah, theme camps are a pain in the ass. I should know. Try being a mayor of a village. Or having a kick ass theme camp (for example, Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro, almost universally considered the best theme and destination camp year after year at That Thing In The Desert) in which you do a plurality of the work. Ugh. But on the other hand, it's a great way to meet [fill in the blank as appropriate] women, men, people who share the same perversions as you, fellow inebriates, and condesending assholes.

Oh, ygmir, you joining BDV this year or not?

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Fri May 22, 2009 5:51 pm

Dr. Pyro wrote:Yeah yeah yeah, theme camps are a pain in the ass. I should know. Try being a mayor of a village. Or having a kick ass theme camp (for example, Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro, almost universally considered the best theme and destination camp year after year at That Thing In The Desert) in which you do a plurality of the work.

Oh, ygmir, you joining BDV this year or not?

You know Doc, You are the "TRUMP" OF THE PLAYA.

Monkeypoo · Post by **Monkeypoo** » Fri May 22, 2009 11:28 pm

Rants? RANTS????!!!!
OMFG, don't get my ass started on fucking RANTS.
I've got too many!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've got too many to fucking express!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You live.
You learn.
You grow.

You love.
You embrace.
You smile.
You hug and kiss.
You look into each other's eyes.

You know each other.

Life turns on a fucking dime.

Love is the greatest.
Doesn't matter how many days or years.
It's the quality of time.
It's the adventures you have.
It's the growth.
It's the love.
It's the joy.

So when your loved one might go away, or has gone away,
you pick up the pieces, you follow the advice of some co-worker
who says, "YOU NEED TO GO TO BURNINGMAN AND HEAL."

Call me a fucking hippie.
Burning Man IS a healing experience.
Always has been for me.

It can be a fucking party experince to some.
It can be the utmost beautiful artistic expression to some.
It can be a sense of survival to many.
It is a sense of community.

I knew I should have stopped at the first brownie.

My sister told me once, "You are so lucky, sis. Sometimes people
go through a whole fucking lifetime not knowing what love is. And
then there are people who do know that love - if only for a short time."

Love the one you're with.....

[youtube][/youtube]

I've only said this to one other man in my life....and I loved him too. Yay!!!