I recieved a ticket, but this lottery thing is BOGUS!

[kelizabeth]

How excited I was when I got an email telling me that yes! I indeed received a ticket through the lottery system! A $409 ticket! (Yes, yes, I put the top ticket price as max amount I would be willing to pay to increase my chances, but in no way am stoked on paying the highest amount in FEBRUARY)

OK, the financial burn aside (I'll get over that, I guess), my best friends who I go with every year were denied tickets. What is the point of me having a ticket, if my friends don't? I'm not going without them!

Of all the hair-brained ideas to solve the problem of server crashes last year, THIS has to be the dumbest.

I'm starting to wonder if this whole burning dude drama is going to be worth it every year from here on out, or if I should just take vacations in Oaxaca or Peru instead.

*sigh*

OK, done ranting. Anyone else feeling a bit burned?

[lemur]

extra points for using bogus and stoked in the same post!!


youre channeling keanu today!


congrats on getting a ticket..

[The CO]

my best friends who I go with every year were denied tickets. What is the point of me having a ticket, if my friends don't? I'm not going without them!

They were not denied, they just didn't get tickets in the lottery. Patience, and persevere. Your friends can find tickets, but just like we told you last year, they have to put the effort into looking for them.

What's the point, you asked? You go to an awesome thing in the desert and make up to 53,000 new friends.

[kelizabeth]

They were not denied, they just didn't get tickets in the lottery. Patience, and persevere. Your friends can find tickets, but just like we told you last year, they have to put the effort into looking for them.

What's the point, you asked? You go to an awesome thing in the desert and make up to 53,000 new friends.

Effort. Right. Finding tickets last year was totally infuriating.

The lottery was, hands down, a terrible concept.

[The CO]

It's been true for years, and will keep being true:

"Ya gotta earn the burn!"

[ZaphodBurner]

I'm starting to wonder if this whole burning dude drama is going to be worth it every year from here on out, or if I should just take vacations in Oaxaca or Peru instead.

That's what I'm hearing from about half the burners I know in Oregon (New Zealand, Ireland, relatives on the east coast.) Which is fine, but...

...we sat it out last year. My wife can only make it out every other year because she works in education. If we sit out this one, I guess we'll have to hope we get tickets in 2014. Or, we buy our tickets from a scalper which is what this whole clusterfuck was suppose to prevent.

By the way, I have a profoundly difficult time believing that "server issues" could be this extremely insurmountable that close to the silicon valley. What that makes me feel like is, not only was a mistake made after we were promised it would be better than before and not to panic, we're being fed giant buckets of bullshit about how this is "good" for us because there won't be scalping, and we'll still be able to get tickets, etc. WE WERE ALREADY TOLD THAT.

I've "earned the burn" every year I've gone, starting with the first when I cleaned deer guts out of my engine and replaced the radiator on the side of the road outside Lakeview. If somebody tells you you have to "earn the burn" it's like a scalper telling you if you -really- want good seats, you'll earn them by giving him a blowjob.

[The CO]

I've "earned the burn" every year I've gone, starting with the first when I cleaned deer guts out of my engine and replaced the radiator on the side of the road outside Lakeview.

Then it seems you ought to understand the concept. It's never easy to get to BRC. There are a million things conspiring against you every year. Not having a ticket (yet) is one of those millions of things.

If somebody tells you you have to "earn the burn" it's like a scalper telling you if you -really- want good seats, you'll earn them by giving him a blowjob.

Nah, try again. I'm not offering tickets for sexual favors, I'm saying if one really wants to go to BRC, it takes effort on their part. Every moment spent complaining about not having a ticket is a moment that could be spent working on an art project/grant app, or rehearsing with a fire conclave, or networking with burners you know to find out who has a ticket they may be able to sell you.

[Elderberry]

my best friends who I go with every year were denied tickets. What is the point of me having a ticket, if my friends don't? I'm not going without them!

They were not denied, they just didn't get tickets in the lottery. Patience, and persevere. Your friends can find tickets, but just like we told you last year, they have to put the effort into looking for them.

What's the point, you asked? You go to an awesome thing in the desert and make up to 53,000 new friends.

[amarantha]

How excited I was when I got an email telling me that yes! I indeed received a ticket through the lottery system! A $409 ticket! (Yes, yes, I put the top ticket price as max amount I would be willing to pay to increase my chances, but in no way am stoked on paying the highest amount in FEBRUARY)

My BF and I had much debate over which tier to register for... him saying we should do a lower tier because if we did $390, they would automatically charge us that much if we won. I talked him out of it, saying that I trusted them not to "rig" the lottery in that way, that they said they would draw the tiers 1, 2, and then 3, and if it came down to it, I'd rather pay $390 than not get a ticket at all.... now it looks like he was right all along and we did get tickets, but we paid more than we can really afford. Yes, we freely chose to sign up for 3rd tier, so I would NOT be complaining if the lottery had worked the way they said it would and we had still ended up with 3rd tier. But I thought we would have two chances at a lower-priced ticket before being entered into the 3rd tier drawing, and now it looks like that was not the case at all. I don't know... I know I should be stoked to have tickets (AND I AM) but I also just spent 5% of my yearly income on 2 Burning Man tickets and it just pisses me off that they weren't up-front about how the lottery would work, because it would have made a difference to me at least. I had my shit together in January, I should have been able to get a lower tier without freaking out over the possibility of not getting one at all, and wanting to do everything I could to guard against that (i.e. by entering at the highest tier).

That said, I know lots of people had their shit together too and didn't get any tickets at all so I shouldn't be complaining. I get that, so please don't flame me.

[Timezone LaFontaine]

What is the point of me having a ticket, if my friends don't? I'm not going without them!

I dunno... what is the point of going if you're only sticking to hanging out with people you already know? I always go alone and always meet a lot of amazing people. I mean totally random encounters that lead to sheer awesomeness. I do have other friends who go (separately), but I'm not pinning all my hopes of having a good time on hanging out with them. It seems most of my friends didn't get tickets through the lottery either but it ain't the end of the story. Your friends will probably be able to get tickets through the upcoming opportunities. But don't write off everyone else just because they're not already in your crew. Some of us are quite cool and amazing too.

[Galaxo Magic]

It's been true for years, and will keep being true:

"Ya gotta earn the burn!"

Spoken like someone that got his ticket. Can't you even feel a little sympathy for those that are hurting right now?

[kelizabeth]

This lottery system was a terrible idea that completely (and totally unsurprisingly) backfired, and no amount of elitist BMOrg apologists spouting off ridiculous "catch-phrases" in a haughty, patriarchal tone is going to change that.


-------------
As an aside, I think I can finally admit to myself that the event has outgrown itself, which becomes clear in all this and related drama (last year included).

[International Incident]

This lottery system was a terrible idea that completely (and totally unsurprisingly) backfired, and no amount of elitist BMOrg apologists spouting off ridiculous "catch-phrases" in a haughty, patriarchal tone is going to change that.


-------------
As an aside, I think I can finally admit to myself that the event has outgrown itself, which becomes clear in all this and related drama (last year included).

So don't come.

Don't be a part of the event.

Bye, bye... the rest of us will make it without you.

I am not a BM'org apologist. i am a Burner. And you trying to bring me down is not going to fuck with my burn.

Most of my campmates don't have tickets - but dammit we are going to make it work.


And as my dear friend Bay bridege Sue says...
WTF??!! You're so special you always get what you want (no, demand) RIGHT F*CKING NOW as soon as you tell the world you want it, and if you don't get it you revert to a 3 year old spoiled brat??!!! FUCK YOU!!!

[kelizabeth]

So don't come.

Don't be a part of the event.

Bye, bye... the rest of us will make it without you.

I am not a BM'org apologist. i am a Burner. And you trying to bring me down is not going to fuck with my burn.

Most of my campmates don't have tickets - but dammit we are going to make it work.

Cool story, bro.

[RedHeaven]

Hey I liked that story

I have such Ticket Holder guilt I am very confused and don't know what to do at the moment.

I am heavily leaning towards, GONNA GO AND KICK THE MOST BURNER ASS POSSIBLE....

I have always been autonomous at BMan. I don't need all my friends....I can camp with anyone really.
This could be a good year to meet the BMIR people and see how that works. I was a community radio broadcaster for 8 years, it would be enriching to see if I could be a part of that.
I could go and smile and talk to people, branch out and meet the neighbors, do my best burnie things.....even if it feels like Burnageddon, I do love it enough to take some charge instead of run away (even to 4th of J) I think I should stop being afraid of taking on this craziness. Plus my friend is selling me his ticket, so if I dont go its not like I can sell it to a major theme camp leader or anything.

Just thinking out loud. I know I am a third tier peon and have no real worries. Its the die hards I am stressing for. The ones with art cars and huge theme camps and big art pieces. The ones who work their asses off all week AND year to make the city fucking awesome. Me, Im some lucky fuck nut dealing with ticket shame oh poor fucking me ;p It's weird!!!!!

[Trishntek]

Hey I liked that story

I have such Ticket Holder guilt I am very confused and don't know what to do at the moment.

I am heavily leaning towards, GONNA GO AND KICK THE MOST BURNER ASS POSSIBLE....

I have always been autonomous at BMan. I don't need all my friends....I can camp with anyone really.
This could be a good year to meet the BMIR people and see how that works. I was a community radio broadcaster for 8 years, it would be enriching to see if I could be a part of that.
I could go and smile and talk to people, branch out and meet the neighbors, do my best burnie things.....even if it feels like Burnageddon, I do love it enough to take some charge instead of run away (even to 4th of J) I think I should stop being afraid of taking on this craziness. Plus my friend is selling me his ticket, so if I dont go its not like I can sell it to a major theme camp leader or anything.

Just thinking out loud. I know I am a third tier peon and have no real worries. Its the die hards I am stressing for. The ones with art cars and huge theme camps and big art pieces. The ones who work their asses off all week AND year to make the city fucking awesome. Me, Im some lucky fuck nut dealing with ticket shame oh poor fucking me ;p It's weird!!!!!

Please Please PLEASE never think you are any less or more important than anyone else. If anyone ever makes you feel like there is some kind of hierarchy in BRC, tell 'em to go fuck themselves,,,,,

SNAP! Or better yet,,,, send them to me and let me fuck 'em instead.

[kelizabeth]

Oh, RedHeaven, a couple of my BMIR friends said the majority of their camp didn't get tickets, including the station manager.

So...

[BBadger]

This lottery has brought out the best in the community.

[Raymaker]

This lottery has brought out the best in the community.

That's only true if BMorg release the data.

[lemur]

This lottery has brought out the best in the community.

That's only true if BMorg release the data.

i think you may be missing his point.


he is right.

[Raymaker]

This lottery has brought out the best in the community.

That's only true if BMorg release the data.

i think you may be missing his point.

he is right.

My response was silly, but on reflection, as it really brought the out the best in the community?

[kelizabeth]

My response was silly, but on reflection, as it really brought the out the best in the community?

Well, it clearly made for a great new meme, so, that's something.

[The CO]

"Ya gotta earn the burn!"

Spoken like someone that got his ticket. Can't you even feel a little sympathy for those that are hurting right now?

Ad hominem will get you no sympathy.

I'm stating the same thing said since last years ticket sellout. If you want a ticket and don't have one, whinging won't get you one. I listed several options above, but they all take effort on the part of the ticket seeker.

If telling people that they have to put effort into something they want makes me unsympathetic, I'll happily take that title.

[theCryptofishist]

Hey I liked that story

I have such Ticket Holder guilt I am very confused and don't know what to do at the moment.

I am heavily leaning towards, GONNA GO AND KICK THE MOST BURNER ASS POSSIBLE....

I have always been autonomous at BMan. I don't need all my friends....I can camp with anyone really.
This could be a good year to meet the BMIR people and see how that works. I was a community radio broadcaster for 8 years, it would be enriching to see if I could be a part of that.
I could go and smile and talk to people, branch out and meet the neighbors, do my best burnie things.....even if it feels like Burnageddon, I do love it enough to take some charge instead of run away (even to 4th of J) I think I should stop being afraid of taking on this craziness. Plus my friend is selling me his ticket, so if I dont go its not like I can sell it to a major theme camp leader or anything.

Just thinking out loud. I know I am a third tier peon and have no real worries. Its the die hards I am stressing for. The ones with art cars and huge theme camps and big art pieces. The ones who work their asses off all week AND year to make the city fucking awesome. Me, Im some lucky fuck nut dealing with ticket shame oh poor fucking me ;p It's weird!!!!!

Please Please PLEASE never think you are any less or more important than anyone else. If anyone ever makes you feel like there is some kind of hierarchy in BRC, tell 'em to go fuck themselves,,,,,

Indeed. Go! have a wonderful time! Burningman will be there, what's the point of going and not having fun?

[theCryptofishist]

This lottery has brought out the best in the community.

Well, we finally are beginning to run out of hand wringing and wallowing and into thoughtful explorations of the emotions involved and humor.
A step up!

[kelizabeth]

"Ya gotta earn the burn!"

Spoken like someone that got his ticket. Can't you even feel a little sympathy for those that are hurting right now?

Ad hominem will get you no sympathy.

I'm stating the same thing said since last years ticket sellout. If you want a ticket and don't have one, whinging won't get you one. I listed several options above, but they all take effort on the part of the ticket seeker.

If telling people that they have to put effort into something they want makes me unsympathetic, I'll happily take that title.

I like how I can pinpoint your politics simply from the nature and tone of your posts. Fascinating. And annoying.

[junglesmacks]

Potatoes.