The most beautiful thing at Burning Man

lizwiz · Post by **lizwiz** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 4:23 pm

The first time I went to BM was the coolest experience of my whole life up until that point. The most beautiful thing I saw there was the night sky when the moon had set. Until then, I had never seen so many stars or even the milkyway like that. It was breathtaking. During my first year, I was up all night pretty much every night. I started learning the stars. I could read how much time had passed by watching the constellations travel across the sky. I could even see satelites. I think star gazing is one of the best ways to feel one with the Universe and think about who you are. At BM, you are in the middle of the desert. You can really look in all directions and see and feel the earth. Looking at the stars really puts things in perspective.

This years theme is all about the Universe and our perceptions.

The decription of the theme talks about how the ancients thought that the stars were fixed in the vault. They were just trying to figure out reality and to understand the universe.

Has anyone fully figured out reality yet? I don't mean functioning as living human beings. I mean grasped what the Universe is about. I feel like I have a good idea and am growing towards the answer. Burning man fosters this sort of growth and understanding. I find incredibly enlightened individuals there. This theme is meant to inspire more people to awareness.

Smiles,
Liz

Isotopia · Post by **Isotopia** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 4:24 pm

The most beautiful thing at Burning Man?

That would be me.

cowboyangel · Post by **cowboyangel** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 6:59 pm

Iso are you man woman, thing or very smart poodle?

LeChatNoir · Post by **LeChatNoir** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 8:44 pm

Yeah... I live way out in the country and get to see the stars every night, but there is still bleed over from the cities. The trip to Burning Man is going to let me check off one of my “Life List” things. And that is see the stars go from horizon to horizon. I’m really looking forward to going out into the dark at getting some of my solitude time in.

Well... I’d like to see the stars in the Sahara too, but the American deserts will do until then for sure.

Coastburner · Post by **Coastburner** » Wed Jun 16, 2004 10:16 pm

The stars are beautiful no matter where you are. The dessert is a great place to see more of them, that's for sure.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 9:02 am

And we get a full moon this year too, I think!

lizwiz · Post by **lizwiz** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 12:58 pm

Kitt Peak National Observatory out of Tucson, Arizona. Gorgeous. They do tours and is a great tourist destination.

McDonald Observatory, West Texas. This place is the darkest spot on the continental US.

The beach.

Desi Arnaz · Post by **Desi Arnaz** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 3:11 pm

Yep, full moon, Monday August 30.

http://www.ameritech.net/users/paulcarl ... endar.html

DeadlyKungFu · Post by **DeadlyKungFu** » Thu Jun 17, 2004 5:04 pm

... the Space Cowboys Unimog... it brought tears to my eyes... first time I saw it was the throw down they did at the temple of gravity last year.. they FM transmitted the SLAMMING set and art cars showed up to retransmit... full surround disco...

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 8:34 am

I find that the playa during Burning Man is unfortunately not as ideal for stargazing as it would seem. There is a lot of light being thrown from Black Rock City.

lizwiz · Post by **lizwiz** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 4:29 pm

aww, just like when you want to go star gazing normally, you gotta leave the city. go on a playa picnic. bring a buddy or few and a blanket. wander out. Stay away from the fence that surrounds the outer edge. You will stumble across random art. be prepared with water and warmth. You get chilly when you stop moving around for awhile. friends are great to cuddle, too. After the moon goes down, there is plenty of stars to gaze at even in the city if you are not next to a bright light source. It takes about 15 minutes for your eyes to become night adjusted. Be patient and the stars will appear.

smiles,
Liz

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 8:46 pm

And we get a full moon this year too, I think!

Isotopia's?

bullD · Post by **bullD** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 10:00 pm

Beauty surrounds us, in every regard. There are moments however, on the playa, when a blissful clarity overcomes all thought and sensory perception,,, ahhhhhhhh, I can't wait.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 10:18 pm

Bob wrote:
And we get a full moon this year too, I think!
Isotopia's?

OMG My eyes My eyes!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 2:21 pm

a fucking shower.... especially after 4 days... i do miss the hot spring bus though.. some drunk fucks fucked that one up.... plus some idiots would proabably have ended up drownign their asses in it..

Dustdevil · Post by **Dustdevil** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 1:46 am

The most beautiful and the most awe inspiring thing about the Festival was a scene on Saturday night. About two hours after the burn I was walking out of Illumination Village and I stopped to gaze upon the Playa. The fires, the lights, the music and people created a vision that has remained in my mind ever since. The life of the city was so radiant. I was content just to stand and stare at the city for what seemed like hours. I was sober and that fact made me realize just how special Black Rock City really is. It is that way only because of the people who build it and tear it down each year. I am honored to be even a small part of it.

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 12:55 pm

I concur,

the most beautiful thing at burning man is burning man. The whole of it is greater than the sum of it's parts. And there's a lot of freakin parts. So many perspectives have wonderful sonic and aural impacts.

mamasaid · Post by **mamasaid** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 8:29 am

The most beautiful thing fer me...

By the end of the week, it was so obvious that everything and everyone was somehow connected and that everything, however it was, was exactly right. It's hard to put this into words, this feeling, awareness...
Bringing this idea into the other world, this world, outside bm world is a huge lesson to get right.
It sure allows me to stop worrying about how I WANT things to be versus how they are. A practice all in it's own...

I live in SF and am still seeking a ride to get me there on Monday...Not a huge amount of stuff, bike, food, costumes, me...

Maldita

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 10:01 am

Coastburner wrote:The stars are beautiful no matter where you are. The dessert is a great place to see more of them, that's for sure.

The best desserts for stargazing:
Baked Alaska
Fortune Cookies
Sachertorte

Moon Pies will be too bright and will drown out the stars.

lizwiz · Post by **lizwiz** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 11:27 am

I went to a "viewing of the moon" party on the roof of the Astronomy building on campus. They served Moon Pies and Liquid nitrogen Ice Cream. The moon pies definitely rose my interest in the moon.

RingO'Fire · Post by **RingO'Fire** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 11:53 am

Moon Pies rule!

Plus, they're made right here in little ol' Chattaboogie, Tennessee.

http://www.moonpie.com/home.asp

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Thu Jun 24, 2004 6:36 pm

theCryptofishist wrote:
Coastburner wrote:The stars are beautiful no matter where you are. The dessert is a great place to see more of them, that's for sure.
The best desserts for stargazing:
Baked Alaska
Fortune Cookies
Sachertorte

Moon Pies will be too bright and will drown out the stars.

I'll have to take your word on Baked Alaska, since I have never been to Alaska, much less baked while there!

cowboyangel · Post by **cowboyangel** » Sat Jun 26, 2004 9:54 pm

RingO'Fire wrote:Moon Pies rule!

Plus, they're made right here in little ol' Chattaboogie, Tennessee.

http://www.moonpie.com/home.asp

Ring...what about hushpuppies, man?

RingO'Fire · Post by **RingO'Fire** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 11:43 am

cowboyangel wrote:
RingO'Fire wrote:Moon Pies rule!

Plus, they're made right here in little ol' Chattaboogie, Tennessee.

http://www.moonpie.com/home.asp

Ring...what about hushpuppies, man?

Dude, we got hushpuppies out the ying yang. No joke, there are probably half a dozen or so "All you can eat" Catfish restaurants here in town.

One of them, the "Riverside Catfish House" is close to my house down in the Tennessee River Gorge. In fact, when giving people directions to my house, I tell them, "I'm exactly 9/10 of a mile past the catfish house."

Here's a link to a little public interest news story about the Catfish House.
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_13189.asp

This is where I live:
Photo #1: Looking upstream on the Tennessee River. I live on the opposite side of the River from the photographer. My house is "behind" the point of the Cumberland Plateau, on the right side of the photo, that is kind of "sticking out" into the river. The little grassy area behind the tree, about 2/3 of the way down on the left side of the photo is Mullen's Cove, which is just a little downstream from me. Although you can't see it for all of the trees, US Highway 41 runs across the flank of the Plateau on the right. I live on Highway 41 right on the water's edge. The catfish house is also on the water's edge, just a little farther upstream from me.

Photo #2: Looking downstream from the same vantage point.

Although

RingO'Fire · Post by **RingO'Fire** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 11:50 am

Damn! Looks like the photos don't want to be linked to the eplaya. I found them on a hiking blog page. They looked fine in the message "Preview." Oh well, here's a kind of grainy pic that gives you the general idea of what it's like where I live down in hushpuppy and catfish country.

Here are links to the other two photos from my previous post:

Photo No. 1: http://community.webshots.com/s/image1/ ... gJZ_ph.jpg

Photo No. 2: http://community.webshots.com/s/image1/ ... DKD_ph.jpg

RingO'Fire · Post by **RingO'Fire** » Mon Jun 28, 2004 5:33 am

Oh yeah, getting back to LizWiz's original intent of this thread...

What is the most beautiful thing you've seen/exerienced at Burning Man?

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Tue Jun 29, 2004 9:27 am

I'm surprised you leave home for the burn, considering what a freakin' amazing view you have, plus moonpies and hushpuppies......Would it inconvenience you if I were to go there when I die?

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Tue Jun 29, 2004 9:30 am

speaking of hushpuppies, you think you might want to gift them on the playa?

or what do you need for me to get some.(hushpuppies that is.) I cant get them out here. and even if i could i dont think they are gonna be as good as where you're from dood.

RingO'Fire · Post by **RingO'Fire** » Tue Jun 29, 2004 11:36 am

robotland wrote:I'm surprised you leave home for the burn, considering what a freakin' amazing view you have, plus moonpies and hushpuppies......Would it inconvenience you if I were to go there when I die?

Sure, y'all come on down! I'll buy you a moonpie and a RC Cola. Then we can go eat at the Catfish House near my house. We could just about walk there from my house, but we'd be drenched in sweat by the time we got there. As you can see, it's pretty lush (read "humid as all get out") down here.

Yeah, it is a pretty amazing view. I totally love it. I've heard for years that we have one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world here in the southeast rainforest, but I really "snapped to" a few days ago when walking around my yard. As I was looking around, thinking how shitty my yard looks (not at all a well-manicured lawn), suddenly, I noticed, "Damn! There are like 50 different kinds of 'weeds' growing all around here! This is pretty cool! Ya know, I think I like these weeds better than a well-manicured lawn!"

Oh, I discovered [too late] that the links to the two pics give you a "You don't have permission to view this page" message. However, the photos will open it you just hit the "Refresh" button when looking at the "You don't have permission.." page.

Here they are again (be sure to "REFRESH"):
Photo No. 1: http://community.webshots.com/s/image1/ ... gJZ_ph.jpg

Photo No. 2: http://community.webshots.com/s/image1/ ... DKD_ph.jpg

DVD Burner wrote:speaking of hushpuppies, you think you might want to gift them on the playa?

or what do you need for me to get some.(hushpuppies that is.) I cant get them out here. and even if i could i dont think they are gonna be as good as where you're from dood.

Non-fresh or old hushpuppies are kinda gross. They're really easy to make though. It's basically a ball of corn meal with pepper, onions, maybe some green or red peppers, maybe a little jalapenos, chopped up in it and deep-fried in some hot oil. Yummy! (It's lunch time and I'm getting hungry thinkin' 'bout some hush puppies!).

Gifting Moonpies might be easier, but I'd have to make sure they don't get squished and/or hot and turn into a little bag of hot crumbly goo.

DVD Burner · Post by **DVD Burner** » Tue Jun 29, 2004 12:12 pm

well the refresh did'nt work but I did get to see both pics. And I cant cook worth a shit so I'll just be ass out.

The most beautiful thing at Burning Man

The most beautiful thing at Burning Man

Other great star gazing spots

playa picnic

a fucking shower

how do you say....

Moon Pies