High on Burning Man

[oneeyeddick]

Sorry Deb, Asians don't like being generalized as Asians anymore.

[Elderberry]

Sorry Deb, Asians don't like being generalized as Asians anymore.

It's funny, I still remember when they were called Orientals.

JK

[ibdave]

Sorry Deb, Asians don't like being generalized as Asians anymore.

It's funny, I still remember when they were called Orientals.

JK

Man, I didn't get the Memo.....

[gyre]

So?

Are you chinese or japanese?

[Deb Prothero]

Sorry Deb, Asians don't like being generalized as Asians anymore.

Next time I'll ask the narcs what part of Asia they're from so I get my story straight.

[TomServo]

Sorry Deb, Asians don't like being generalized as Asians anymore.

It's funny, I still remember when they were called Orientals.

JK

My girlfriend keeps reminding me that those are rugs. Personally, id rather be callled oriental than asian, if I weren't a limey/kraut/wop.

[Mister Jellyfish Mister]

Sorry for the long post. I've been holding this back for a while and feel that now is the right time to let 'er rip...

I was hosting the final night of our art piece, Fluffer, way out at the trash fence. The line was about 12 participants long and I was feeling rather good. A guy approached on a bicycle exclaiming that he had "milk and fresh-baked cookies 15 minutes out of the oven for everyone!". They tasted store-bought. He stayed hunched over his wares on the ground like he was intent to put on a show of continuing to arrange them just so and I got the feeling all he wanted to do was listen as he kept his ear toward the conversation. Harmless cookie guy, right?

Then a different guy approached me and said something like "Man what are you on?" I made the mistake of replying "Soooooommmmmethiiiiing". "No really man, what are you on?". I lifted my glasses and said "look at my eyes"-- likely another mistake but apparently still elusive enough. "Acid? Ecstasy? Pot? What are you on?" I just smiled and lowered my glasses back over my eyes. A wrong answer could have been reasonable cause for a search. It would have yielded no contraband but I would have felt like an idiot for giving up my rights so easily.

Then I figured it out. I took three steps back and pointed at him, and asked loudly "Are you two TOGETHER?!" as I swung my pointed finger over to the cookie man. They both shook their heads vigorously and said "No!" I grinned a Cheshire grin, everybody "got it", then everybody left. Way to harsh the art, boys. Still mad because you only get invited to the crappy parties?

Here's the thing-- I could have been completely wrong, and the cookie guy may have been legitimately gifting, but the two guys just struck me as though they were cut from the same cloth, and I find my intuitions are heightened on the playa.

I realize they have a job to do. What they don't get is that they are actually pawns of "The Man" sent there for one thing and one thing only: revenue. It's all about the money. Show me a cop who comes back to the precinct with no citations and I'll show you the next in line for layoffs. It's such a fine line, because those that are genuinely trying to keep kids off things like meth are doing important work. The ones that sign up for Burning Man just want to feel superior to us while they see all the titties they can.

Lastly, I like my friend Boxarox' idea of the "drop your pants" radio campaign. Paraphrasing: "If somebody asks you for drugs, get to know them. Tell them you'd be oh so happy to help them out if they would simply drop their pants and pose nude with you first for a photograph. Share the love! Drop your pants!".

Oh, one more thing. Here's an amazing 45 minute video from "Flex Your Rights" entitled "BUSTED: The Citizen's Guide to Surviving Police Encounters":

[youtube][/youtube]

P.P.S. Would somebody please remind us all of eplaya's Terms Of Service as it applies to discussion of illegal activity?

[ygmir]

I realize they have a job to do. What they don't get is that they are actually pawns of "The Man" sent there for one thing and one thing only: revenue. It's all about the money. Show me a cop who comes back to the precinct with no citations and I'll show you the next in line for layoffs. It's such a fine line,.

not to derail your fine missive, MJM......but, really, you are so clever to embed a double entendre and pun in the same simple sentence....a true master of communication, you are, Sir......

[Mister Jellyfish Mister]

Oh Ygmir. You are a CARD and you need to be DEALT WITH!

[ygmir]

*shuffling off the scene*

[theCryptofishist]

I still don't get the Reno line.

JK

It should, eventually, get them to go off and try to buy drugs from some other, more hapless, burner. YOu don't have any, you don't know of anyone on the playa who does.

[Elderberry]

Thanks.

I was looking for something "deeper" like the twinkie line.

JK

[theCryptofishist]

I do find the term "Oriental" useful. My cousins are half Pakistani, and, for me, that's a completely different animal. (Yeah, how tacky of me that that was the idiom I pulled out.) So the idea of "yellow" "slanty-eyed" being different than Turks or Indians, ect, ect...
And, yes, I have been through the whole "there are really no races" thing and I believe on the itellectual level, but my brain has some squisly out-sated concepts in there and I haven't rid myself of them yet.

[Elderberry]

And, yes, I have been through the whole "there are really no races" thing and I believe on the itellectual level, but my brain has some squisly out-sated concepts in there and I haven't rid myself of them yet.

This is true of most people. We make too many of our important decisioins based on past experience and prejudice, rather than accepting facts.

JK

[ygmir]

And, yes, I have been through the whole "there are really no races" thing and I believe on the itellectual level, but my brain has some squisly out-sated concepts in there and I haven't rid myself of them yet.

This is true of most people. We make too many of our important decisioins based on past experience and prejudice, rather than accepting facts.

JK

there is good reason, IMHO, to, rely on past experience for decision making.........
Facts, are, only as good as their source, for most of us, since, we've probably not experienced or proven everything ouselves.........

Just because a certain "expert" says something, does not make it so......
How many times, are the "experts" proven wrong? How many times have we discovered later, that, certain information was disseminated, knowing it was false, just to get us to do things or act certain ways........

and, when busted, the perpetrators say "it was all done with good intent"............"so what if we lied, we were trying to do the right thing".........

or,
"you can't handle the truth"...........

[Elderberry]

And, yes, I have been through the whole "there are really no races" thing and I believe on the itellectual level, but my brain has some squisly out-sated concepts in there and I haven't rid myself of them yet.

This is true of most people. We make too many of our important decisioins based on past experience and prejudice, rather than accepting facts.

JK

there is good reason, IMHO, to, rely on past experience for decision making.........
Facts, are, only as good as their source, for most of us, since, we've probably not experienced or proven everything ouselves.........

Just because a certain "expert" says something, does not make it so......
How many times, are the "experts" proven wrong? How many times have we discovered later, that, certain information was disseminated, knowing it was false, just to get us to do things or act certain ways........

and, when busted, the perpetrators say "it was all done with good intent"............"so what if we lied, we were trying to do the right thing".........

or,
"you can't handle the truth"...........

Ygmir, you are, without a doubt, the most skeptical person I know.

If we followed your logic here, we might as well just stop trying to learn anything new, as it will all be proven wrong one day too.

JK[/img]

[ygmir]

I do respect healthy skepticism............

I totally love science, and, appreciate it.
I also love knowledge.....

but, am quite often skeptical of those that report on either........
so often, they have an agenda, and, at times, it conflicts with my own (we all have them, IMHO).

it's not the facts, it's the messenger.......to me.........

[theCryptofishist]

For myself...
I think it's important to consciously look at my prejudices and remember that have them. Back in the day, when we were evolving "strangers" all too often meant "scary people who are going to kill us and take our women." It's important to remember that, that we have this evolved to kill first and ask questions later. It's also important to remember that that no longer serves us as well anymore.
I also think that by hiding our knee-jerk racism, we push it into those dark corners where it grows and becomes more monstrous.
Nonetheless, it's kinda scary to put it out there publicly.

[gyre]

It is endearing that primitive tribes adopt travelers into their family.
That is until you realize, that in their world, there are only enemies and family.
Nothing else.


'Stereotyping" or finding patterns is the useful part of what the mind does.
It is a good thing as long as you see it for what it is, and not a conclusion.

And the most basic guess is likely the most accurate.
The brain tries to be specific.

[mdmf007]

I had fun outting a bunch of narcs this year.

I was walking back in the 'burbs - trying to find a friend's camp. It was 9:30ish and seven people came along the street I was on (J or K) yelling out the names of drugs. I was chuckling to myself wondering if they really thought we were that stupid.

Anyway, as they got closer I looked behind me again to be sure they weren't going to run me over. The lead cyclist said, "you look like someone who knows where to find drugs." And I said rather loudly, "And you look like a bunch of narcs!"

They took off and never said another peep.

Saw them again later that night, walking their bikes in front of our newspaper camp. So I brought out my pals from the newspaper and hollered, "There's the narcs!" They jumped on their bikes, turned around and took off again.

Next time I saw them was on my way over to the Booby Bar late on Tuesday night. I was walking and they had discarded their bikes and were on A street approaching 4:00. I came up behind them and said, "Did you find any yet?" They took the next corner in an opposite direction.

Funny, made my day.

So it was easy to spot them. Five men, two women. All in their late twenties. All wearing the same boots. One Asian male, one Latino male, one African American male, two white guys. One white female and one Latino female. Looked like the political correct squad.

Funny Stuff.

I also like the Baking story above - makes those two nars sound like a 3 card monty team!!

I had a Narc ask me for weed, When I told him I dont smoke, he asked "want some?"

I then Said - "I thought you were looking?" with that your a jackass look.

"Man - I have good stuff, come on back to my camp"

"Thanks - like I said, i dont smoke....by the way wheres your camp? the county jail in Lovelock? or the US Magistrate in Reno?.." he got the point

[Elderberry]

I do respect healthy skepticism............

I totally love science, and, appreciate it.
I also love knowledge.....

but, am quite often skeptical of those that report on either........
so often, they have an agenda, and, at times, it conflicts with my own (we all have them, IMHO).

it's not the facts, it's the messenger.......to me.........

yes, but even facts need a messenger to spread the word. however with science, it's easy to bypass the messenger and go right to the source, to either confirm or dissuade your skepticism.

JK

[ygmir]

I do respect healthy skepticism............

I totally love science, and, appreciate it.
I also love knowledge.....

but, am quite often skeptical of those that report on either........
so often, they have an agenda, and, at times, it conflicts with my own (we all have them, IMHO).

it's not the facts, it's the messenger.......to me.........

yes, but even facts need a messenger to spread the word. however with science, it's easy to bypass the messenger and go right to the source, to either confirm or dissuade your skepticism.

JK

agreed, although, at times, direct sourcing can be difficult.

[Elderberry]

I do respect healthy skepticism............

I totally love science, and, appreciate it.
I also love knowledge.....

but, am quite often skeptical of those that report on either........
so often, they have an agenda, and, at times, it conflicts with my own (we all have them, IMHO).

it's not the facts, it's the messenger.......to me.........

yes, but even facts need a messenger to spread the word. however with science, it's easy to bypass the messenger and go right to the source, to either confirm or dissuade your skepticism.

JK

agreed, although, at times, direct sourcing can be difficult.

true, and that is really when you need to be skeptical.

JK

[ygmir]

yes, but even facts need a messenger to spread the word. however with science, it's easy to bypass the messenger and go right to the source, to either confirm or dissuade your skepticism.

JK

agreed, although, at times, direct sourcing can be difficult.

true, and that is really when you need to be skeptical.

JK

yeah, that's it,........wait, hey...........huh?

[Elderberry]

Ygmir, you always make me smile.

JK

[Mister Jellyfish Mister]

Hey, Ygmir, that's why I don't blog about real estate. It's that much closer to saying "I'm the expert and I know the future" and it should scare the hell out of people.

[ygmir]

Ygmir, you always make me smile.

JK

if so, then, my day is made.........

sharing a smile is the bestest thing to do........

[ygmir]

Hey, Ygmir, that's why I don't blog about real estate. It's that much closer to saying "I'm the expert and I know the future" and it should scare the hell out of people.

ah yes, MJM, but, those of us who worship you, know it to be gospel..........

[Mister Jellyfish Mister]

Great pic, Ygmir! Shows what a few whippits can do to a crowd!

[ygmir]

Manipulative bastard canines............