A Burner Lexicon

[theCryptofishist]

fwiw, the "no commerce" thing has to do with BLM permits.

Interesting I will touch on that in the No Commerce entry. Has this ever not been the case however, i.e. was there rampant commerce when the event was held on Indian land?

It had rampant commerce in the Black Rock Desert. Before the BLM cracked down. You could buy food and I think tee-shirt type stuff.

I wonder how long "no commerce" would hold if the event were moved to private land. I can make an argument for 5 years or more towards fifty.

[teardropper]

I have never heard sparkle pony used that way. Clueless and obsessed with effect over practicality. Possibly shading into "high-maintenance." But not as a variant on "stuck up."

Yeah, I think so, too. A bit clueless about where they actually are and high maintenance.

[Mosin]

I stand corrected. Perhaps my example would be more accurate reworked as follows:

I asked my campmate if she would take a shift sanitizing our camp's Super-Orgasma-Plasma-Magma Motivator and she refused. The only effort she exerted the entire week was trying to keep the dust off her new $800 Glowfur long coat! Fucking sparkle pony.

Better?

And while on the subject, isn't the official title Sparkle Pony Princess? Or is that another species?

[AntiM]

Sub-species.

I thought Sparkle Ponies showed up with 27 costume changes and no water.

[kitoconnell]

I wonder how long "no commerce" would hold if the event were moved to private land. I can make an argument for 5 years or more towards fifty.

Burning Flipside has been held for over 10 years now on private land, with even less commerce than at Burning Man -- only ice is sold, not coffee, and there seem to be stronger cultural prohibitions against cash-for-drugs transactions at the event.

Today's word is Black Rock City:
http://kitoconnell.com/2010/10/12/lexicon-brc/

[theCryptofishist]

Sub-species.

I thought Sparkle Ponies showed up with 27 costume changes and no water.

I heard it was 34 costume changes and one gallon of water.

That's it, too contradictory. We must confer longer.

[Ugly Dougly]

fwiw, the "no commerce" thing has to do with BLM permits.

Interesting I will touch on that in the No Commerce entry. Has this ever not been the case however, i.e. was there rampant commerce when the event was held on Indian land?

It had rampant commerce in the Black Rock Desert. Before the BLM cracked down. You could buy food and I think tee-shirt type stuff.

I wonder how long "no commerce" would hold if the event were moved to private land. I can make an argument for 5 years or more towards fifty.

I'd be willing to bet that the BLM connection must be coincidence - or a convenient excuse; the BLM has been used as an excuse for many policy changes.

[kitoconnell]

A Burner Lexicon returns with the Department of Public Works: http://kitoconnell.com/lexicon-dpw/

[Teo del Fuego]

Errrm, like I mentioned in an earlier post. Hasn't this project already been done before much more thoroughly than the current attempt? Just askin'

[Bob]

See also: Earth Guardians

Priceless.

[kitoconnell]

Errrm, like I mentioned in an earlier post. Hasn't this project already been done before much more thoroughly than the current attempt? Just askin'

Oh is that what you were trying to do? I thought you were just making an unhelpful suggestion since in no place did you tell me to stop the project. I expect more direct communication from Burners, I guess!

In any case I have to disagree -- if you think one line entries from the official mouthpiece of the event are more interesting than the longer entries I am writing (which also cover newer words and topics the official glossary avoids), then I recommend you take a pass on future entries. I've received a lot of positive feedback on this project too so I plan to continue.

[Teo del Fuego]

Ummm, no and no. Wasn't suggesting you stop anything, Kit. Just wondered why you had no comment after I pointed out that there was already a pretty exhaustive Lexicon already in existence. But now I have to ask how you find the earlier lexicon deficient. It was created by someone with a lot more experience at BM than you, no? Just curious, man, that's all.

[kitoconnell]

Ummm, no and no. Wasn't suggesting you stop anything, Kit. Just wondered why you had no comment after I pointed out that there was already a pretty exhaustive Lexicon already in existence. But now I have to ask how you find the earlier lexicon deficient. It was created by someone with a lot more experience at BM than you, no? Just curious, man, that's all.

Which I feel I've already done adequately in my reply to your previous post. Thank you for your feedback though.

[kitoconnell]

A little about Burning Man fashion in today's entry in A Burner Lexicon: http://kitoconnell.com/lexicon-socialpanties/

[Teo del Fuego]

seems you've gotten off on a track thinking I was dissing your project, so let me add yet another term to your Lexicon which is not in the original one:

playasexual: one who, for the week of Burning Man, is so caught up in the sexually charged atmosphere and sense of freedom and exploration, that he or she engages in otherwise uncharacteristic same-sex sexual encounters

[kitoconnell]

Thanks, I will add it to my list.

To try to address your feedback in a more neutral fashion, I feel that my lexicon:
o addresses words which are not in the Burning Man glossary
o in longer entries with photos and sometimes anecdotes or history
o from a perspective outside the official BMORG, and with an eye toward regional events.

All three of these, separately and together, are part of why I am continuing the project.

[Teo del Fuego]

Some more valid definitions of commonly used Burner terms

Defaultia: the real world outside of Burning Man, see also, Reality Camp


Deep playa: the area between the temple and trash fence featuring incredible works of art and the occasional amorous couple

Zone trip: [previously defined. Read Brian Dougherty's book or visit the San Francisco Cacophony website.]

TAZ: or Temporary Autonomous Zone, is, according to early Cacophony event leaders, a zone where radical self-expression and otherworldly experiences occur. Believed to have originated with Michael Mikel, who along with Larry Harvey and John Law, are often credited as the original founders of Burning Man

hippie fishing: [previously defined]

Birgin: someone new to Burning Man; a Burning Man virgin

[Teo del Fuego]

your project is cool, no doubt. I think it would be awesome, however, if you incorporated, even if redefining them, all of the terms in the original lexicon so yours will be the definitive lexicon. You know, one stop shopping and all that

[kitoconnell]

I would like to be the 'comprehensive' lexicon, if such a thing can ever exist. I do plan to cover the vast majority of the words in the 'official' glossary, but I also may pick & choose a little.

For example, the glossary you quoted includes 'lingam' and 'yoni' which are hindu words for genitalia that are not in any way specific to Burner culture. I am not sure if I will include words like these.

Anyway thanks for your suggestions. Sorry I came off hostile initially.

[Bob]

"Lingam" has a specific usage wrt Burning Man, but whatever. Try the search engine on the main website.

[kitoconnell]

Well, not whatever -- what's the special usage? I searched for 'lingam' and it seems to be used for penis shaped installation art, or a specific art project which was there for a few years. I'm not necessarily planning on covering individual artworks (except in broad cases like 'temple' or 'effigy'). But maybe there's something I am still missing here? Referring to phallic art as phallic is pretty universal even if it uses a hindu word.

It may have been a bad example though given the context -- what I mean is I may or may not cover words that mean the same things to normal folks off the playa, regardless of whether BMan put them in their glossary. But I do hope to cover all the Burner words including those they include. There is already some overlap.

[theCryptofishist]

Believed to have originated with Michael Mikel

Meh. I think Bunuel had done something greatly like in the 20s or 30s with his Toledo League, or whatever it was called.

[kitoconnell]

So the book by Hakim Bey comes after the word's use by the Cacophony Society?

[Teo del Fuego]

yeah, words like yoni and lingham can and should be omitted. In six years I've never heard either of those used in a BM-specific manner. When this project is finished (if an evolving thing can ever be "finished") maybe it should be turned into a "sticky" on ePlaya, or not.

another possible entry: Utilikilt: brand name of a rugged, military-style canvas kilt featuring an excess of pockets and attachment points for tools, water bottles and other playa-handy items. Once considered de rigueur playa wear for playa men, now considered a bit cliched.

[Teo del Fuego]

Meh. I think Bunuel had done something greatly like in the 20s or 30s with his Toledo League, or whatever it was called.[/url]

and you can probably trace its roots back even further, perhaps. Clearly, one can claim that the Cacophony Society was an offsrping of the Suicide Club, as well.

But wrt to BM, TAZ was a Cacophony Society concept. Drawing a line in the playa sand to demarcate the beginning boundary of the TAZ was the first act upon arrival to BRC in 1990, when the Man made its first appearance on the playa. Michael Mikel, aka Danger Ranger, was the chap who drew the line and thus commenced Zone Trip # 4.

I am relying on my memory of having read the sacred texts and internet sites. If I am wrong in my specifics, I'm sure someone here can correct me.

[Teo del Fuego]

So the book by Hakim Bey comes after the word's use by the Cacophony Society?

IF my memory serves me, Brian Dougherty account of 1990 has MM using TAZ in 1990, which would be a year before Bey's book was published, but I find it very hard to believe the term was not adopted from Bey's earlier work.

Sorry to monopolize this thread. It just happens to combine two passions of mine: Burning Man and words. I'll try to pipe down for a while, but I wont promise it

[kitoconnell]

Teo: I love words too, and I've actually really valued your input all along (even when we got off to a rocky start). Please keep your input coming.

Today's word: http://kitoconnell.com/lexicon-greeter/

[Eric]

Some of the words found in all the Burner lexicons may have had meaning to the founding of the event, but certainly don't have much relevance to the event on the ground- things like Zone Tripping for example. I've never once heard this used outside a "word-guide" in 7 years of Burning.

TAZ I hear, but usually as people assuming we really are a "temporary autonomous zone" where the laws of the state & country don't apply and generally only hear it when someone is bitching about the LEO's. If you do define this one I would suggest pointing out it's more of a state of mind that a state of fact.

You might want to do the OED thing and list some words (like Zone Tripping) as "archaic" or "out of use" so the newbies don't come in tossing them like they are still functional.

[theCryptofishist]

You might want to do the OED thing...

If you do, check with Dick first. just polite.

[Ugly Dougly]

Kit, I see you're defining "orphan" as someone who is staying in Defaultia during the burn despite their best efforts.

I think that in current usage it refers to a Burgin who doesn't know anyone and doesn't have a theme camp to participate in.


Am I wrong, and if so, just how wrong am I?