Burning Man

[neon tetra]

is really just an annual fundraiser for Wal-Mart, local gas stations, and law enforcement.






Seriously though, I wonder how much $ Burning Man brings into the Wal-Mart's in the area every year.

Would it be better if BRC sold more items there, especially if the $ went towards a greater good in the long run?

Why coffee, tea, lemonade, hot chocolate, electrolyte drinks, ice . . but nothing else?
Would water jugs & some good organic, fair trade food really be so over the top?

[Fire_Moose]

Yes it would.

Now apologize to wal-mart.

[theCryptofishist]

Ice for the health department.
Cafe stuff to support the center camp space and stages.

That's plenty.

I once googled something like "vending blm" and I could only find one piece of blm land where vending was permitted. And you had to take your gear out once every five days for cleaning. The no vending/commerce thing does come from the blm rules. But I like how that removes us from the whole commercial landscape that the united states has become. Those few things that are sold on playa while the event is there are pretty legitimate (except for the cafe space, that's always going to be controversial), but I see no reason to expand them.

[neon tetra]

I just find it kind of hypocritical when people preach all the 'radical self-reliance' and how 'evolved' the Burning Man community is. It's not like people are living off the land out there or anything. They're just eating & drinking a bunch of processed crap from Wal-Mart, for the most part.

A lot of the camps provide really good meals, and those are paid for on the playa, just in the form of 'camp dues'.

I don't know... I think a food camp could be a good thing. Of course, it would be a huge controversy (like everything else) whether it should exist or not, who runs it, what gets sold, etc.

Just a thought.

Heck, they're even selling goddamn t-shirts now!

[Elorrum]

My opinion: It's not about having some more harmless items to buy, or keeping the money in the community being a better idea. It's about NO MONEY. NO ATM< NO WALLET<NO> No economy really, "gift economy" sort of gives people the expectations of what they'll "get" Gift means extra, unexpected, and not in exchange for anything.

some take issue with ice and coffee. There are reasons behind these, spirit of the law vs. letter of the law and so forth (my understanding) [EDIT to say, thanks Cryptofishist for clarifying health dept ice, and blm requirements regarding vending] o.k. I don't argue about that, off the table, no griping.

[Ugly Dougly]

You shop at Walmart? Can't stand the place.

[theCryptofishist]

I find it cute when people who just signed up on the board are suddenly experts on how everyone else should live their lives.

Of course, I don't like preaching either. And there are certainly times when I think the llc is being disengenous.

But an event of 50,000 people is going to have lots of contradictions. Trying to live in a space of pure heart is going to collide with living in a physical and political world.

As for highly processed food, that's going to take more than the burn (although grassroots is good.) There are hidious things going on. It's going to take a lot of us standing up and saying, over and over to be heard over the money of Big Ag and the others, that our food system isn't working and that the FDA is not doing its job. So, you know, don't scold us. We're doing our fcuking best.

[Simon of the Playa]

[neon tetra]

I find it cute when people who just signed up on the board are suddenly experts

Put your BM bonafieds at the bottom of every post, so everyone knows that you have the right to comment.

Anyway, I'm not telling people what they should or shouldn't do. Just making conversation/observations.

[Eric]

I just find it kind of hypocritical when people preach all the 'radical self-reliance' and how 'evolved' the Burning Man community is.

"Radical self- reliance" means you bring what you need to take care of yourself and your needs. It doesn't mean anything else- and it covers someone who pays for a luxury RV & a full staff down to a hippie in a lean-to, as long as they have covered their needs. Any other interpretation is pretty much bullshit.

As for the Community being "evolved"? I just puked in my mouth a little. Thats some lame ass new-age crap that has nothing to do with the event on the ground. Anyone who thinks they're more "evolved" because they camp in a desert for a week in the middle of one of the largest cities in Nevada needs to put down the drugs & step away from the koolaid.


oh- this:

Put your BM bonafieds at the bottom of every post, so everyone knows that you have the right to comment.

is sarcasm.

[theCryptofishist]

oh- this:

Put your BM bonafieds at the bottom of every post, so everyone knows that you have the right to comment.

is sarcasm.

Heavy sarcasm in fact.

So, you might in future want to be more careful, things like:

...hypocritical when people preach...
...processed crap...

it's going to look like lecturing.

I've volunteered for the event, and eaten at the commissary. It wasn't bad, understand, but it's not something I want to pay 10 bucks for. And there are already stories of mouthy, attitudinal servers insisting on cash tips at the cafe. I'd hate to see them going into full-hog waiter mode.

Just my thoughts.

[neon tetra]

Of course it's sarcasm. Which is why I quoted you doing the very thing you're making fun of.

[Simon of the Playa]

its a FUCKING CAMPING TRIP iN THE DESERT


and so much more!


or not.

[knowmad]

So just cause I can log on I am An Expert! Yeah!!
ok maybe not. But...

[*my Best Forest Gump*]

Stupid is as Stupid Spends!

I Never Set Foot Into A WalMart. Ever.
I returned to the US in 2003 after a 7 year absence, saw what a mess of crap for the whole picture and, said; No! Wasn't really that hard.

Now before you all go flaming me, I'd like you to know; I also never question where some one bought something, or Ask them what brand of Shit they poop.
So If you think X is the problem Solve for X and Have a nice cup of Shut the Fuck Up! Some of us are Working Here!

BTW You really aught to go Rack up your post count, or Post up a rack count; here's a few (.)(.) (.)(.) (o) (@) <---- (nipple ring)

[Isotopia]

Would it be better if BRC sold more items there, especially if the $ went towards a greater good in the long run?

Hey camel! Get your nose out of the fucking tent.

Don't you have an event of your own you wanna start?

[oneeyeddick]

There was a new form of commerce out there now.

Propane.

Don't ask me why, but for the first time they marked up the propane costs to the artist, this is a first.

Kinda sucks ass when they are giving us grants for the art, and then charging us tax from for the propane that they provide for it which is in effect taken directly from the grant in certain instances

The response that I got was "to help pay for the costs of the DPW depot".

Buncha BS in my book, regardless.

[Bob]

If I were mayor you'd pay to do art. Theme camps too.

And there'd be a taco truck on every block.

[shykat]

are the tacos gifts?

[brcmysharona]

It used to be that you couldn't buy potable water, but I saw that out there this year too. At least the lady driving the truck was nice to a parched pixie asking to buy a 20 oz bottle refill by giving it to her free.

[oneeyeddick]

That water truck has been out there for 6-7 years now.

The ladies name that gave you the water is prolly Julie.