Low Income Ticket Program

[5280MeV]

I think that it is unfair at this point to accuse Incubus of gaming the system just because she does not fit your mental image of a poor person, simply by virtue of having a family member who buys her a vacation once a year.

The low income page doesn't even mention the word poor. In fact, since it says that it is an amalgamation of the Scholarship and old Low-Income program, it seems like it would be pretty reasonable to assume that it would extend to students working their way through school. If I was working my way through school, I might be inclined to give it a shot and see what happens.

This thread kind of reminds me of the door-to-door raids in Iraq where soldiers would just go ahead and ransack someone's home, and after finding no insurgent links, would bring in an interpreter to apologize to the family and give them a large enough sum of money to fix the door and to make them more-or-less happy about the whole affair.

Therefore, on behalf of the Burning Man community, I would like to offer Incubus Pantomime a free drink coupon good for all nights of the event at all playa bars (*).


(*) Offer does not apply at select concierge camps and private VIP functions. Promotional drinks may not apply to top shelf items or to drinks purchased during burn night at select Plug&Play camps. Access to these premium items must be negotiated and paid for prior to the event. Other restrictions may apply. Proof of age is required for all purchases. Please drink responsibly.

[lemur]

mitt romney is unemployed.

[lemur]

This thread kind of reminds me of the door-to-door raids in Iraq where soldiers would just go ahead and ransack someone's home, and after finding no insurgent links, would bring in an interpreter to apologize to the family and give them a large enough sum of money to fix the door and to make them more-or-less happy about the whole affair.

this comment reminds of how bad some people are at analogies

[knowmad]

This thread kind of reminds me of the door-to-door raids in Iraq where soldiers would just go ahead and ransack someone's home, and after finding no insurgent links, would bring in an interpreter to apologize to the family and give them a large enough sum of money to fix the door and to make them more-or-less happy about the whole affair.

this comment reminds of how bad some people are at analogies

Dude give him a break he's a physicist....

[gyre]

Life is like an analogy.

[Stephendragonfly]

I thought life was like a box of metaphors.

Hmm, I wonder how different would this current thread of conversation have been if Incubus Pantomime had written something like, "Wow, I feel incredibly lucky this week, not only was I gifted a trip to Coachella, but my scholarship ticket to BM came through." Context is everything.

[inthecolumbiagorge]

^Word.

[5280MeV]

I thought life was like a box of metaphors.

Hmm, I wonder how different would this current thread of conversation have been if Incubus Pantomime had written something like, "Wow, I feel incredibly lucky this week, not only was I gifted a trip to Coachella, but my scholarship ticket to BM came through." Context is everything.

Life is a box of metaphors. Aside from that, excellent point.

And I will have you all know that I made no analogies in this thread so far, but merely a reminiscence of something I heard on NPR. This thread "kind of reminds me" of something I once heard. The memory of a thing does not need to be triggered by any logical connection, nor can it be criticized for hyperbolic excess. I make the factual statement of what ran through my head at the time of reading this thread. Lemur's criticism bounces off my armor of pure technicality, like a kinetic projectile launched against the explosive reactive armor of an M1 Abrams tank deployed in Iraq.

As a physicist, I now make my analogy:

This thread is like a Lithium-11 nucleus, with its two halo neutrons represented by Coachella and Incubus, and the nuclear core by Burning Man. Remove either of the neutrons, and the other will break off as well - like Borromean rings. However, this metastable state, as perilously close to the neutron dripline as it is, will continue to exist for several milliseconds before beta-decaying into Beryllium-11.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

[Bounce530]

As a physicist, I now make my analogy:

This thread is like a Lithium-11 nucleus, with its two halo neutrons represented by Coachella and Incubus, and the nuclear core by Burning Man. Remove either of the neutrons, and the other will break off as well - like Borromean rings. However, this metastable state, as perilously close to the neutron dripline as it is, will continue to exist for several milliseconds before beta-decaying into Beryllium-11.

"Bazinga!"

[Savannah]

5280MeV.

[Simon of the Playa]

you can ONLY find this stuff on eplaya folks...

no wait...actually, that guy standing next to you at the porta potties wearing nothing but a smile and a sticker that says "Anal is the New Black" could be a Nuclear Theorist working for Sandia.


ok, so TWO places...

[lemur]

I make the factual statement of what ran through my head at the time of reading this thread. Lemur's criticism bounces off my armor of pure technicality, like a kinetic projectile launched against the explosive reactive armor of an M1 Abrams tank deployed in Iraq.

this comment reminds me about how much i hate waiting for the fedex truck

[incubus_pantomime]

right.

so those that game the system are not to blame.

yeaaaaaah.

keep telling yourself that.

You know what, I'm done. I was trying my best to stay positive and not try to take all of this seriously, but this is it. I did not "game the system." I am also not going to apologize for the way I choose to live my life. Coachella is so not the point -- it's the way that Burners are treating other people that they don't know the slightest bit of information about. I am essentially gifted my Coachella experience every year, but BURNING MAN IS A COMPLETELY DISPARATE EXPERIENCE. I have been attending Coachella for years with my father as a way to bond over a mutual interest. Shame on you for judging me. My brother and I are 100% responsible for every last penny that will need to be spent to attend BM this year. My daddy is not paying for any of this because I actually give a damn about the 10 principles, INCLUDING radical self reliance.

When I look at the cost of BM, I consider the entire list of expenses as one entity (including tickets). Trying to save up somewhere between $2,000-$3,000 (by my calculations) for EVERYTHING -- plane tickets, event tickets, rental car/rideshare cost, gas, food/water, incidentals, etc. -- is really difficult for two students working part-time, minimum-wage jobs and paying for school at the same time. Yes, I said WE PAY FOR SCHOOL. My daddy doesn't pay a cent. $40,000 of student loans for my undergraduate education were in my name, and I am solely responsible for the payments that have started to roll in. My graduate school loans (all $20,000 of them) are also in my name. BUT, I should not have to explain any of this to a single one of you.

So, I reiterate. I DID NOT CHEAT THE SYSTEM. The documents I provided my 2011 tax return, my bank account statement, and my student loan balances and payment schedule (which has already begun). Again, I should not have to explain this to ANYONE, but if that's what it's going to take to direct the hate and snark somewhere else, then I guess that's what I have to do.

Now, I'm going to try and wash away all the negativity and stay positive. I really do wish that everyone could experience the playa this year, and I have only happiness and good vibes to send to each and every one of you, including those that insist on lambasting me and misdirecting their frustrations about the ticketing fiasco on me. I wish you all the best of luck, and I'm hoping that I can meet all of you and prove to you that I am just as deserving as any other person who is waiting for a ticket.

For what it's worth, I don't think you gamed the system, you probably do make under a certain amount. That's not the point, of course. For that reason, I think the LIT program is broken. Nobody's fault, really. And if you can't see how mentioning your weekend in Coachella and your winning a LIT in the same post might grate a little, well, I'll chalk it up to youthful entitlement.

No, I do understand in retrospect that my comment may have inflamed some of those that are still waiting for their ticket. I apologized for that, and I have made my peace with my own naivete. What upsets me is the fact that I made such an apology and was still treated like a spoiled brat, which I most certainly am not. I'm also quite mad to be accused of cheating the system because the thought of doing something like that has never crossed my mind, and was never my intention. I applied for my ticket legitimately -- I did not falsify documents, I did not clear out my checking account so it looked like I was "poor," or anything else so devious. I answered all questions truthfully and submitted documents showing my lack of income in conjunction with a large amount of debt to my name. I also talked about wanting to volunteer at the event, and about my desire to help de-MOOP the playa during my experience at Burning Man, and expressed how much I've taken to heart after reading about the event and preparing for quite some time.

i cant argue with the blind, they refuse to see the point.

go have your hissy fit honey if it makes you feel good.

have fun at coachella too.

some of us have more expenses and less resources yet we manage to make it, somehow.

and for a first timer, we sure are uppity, now aren't we.

im not asking you to change your lifestyle, just look at your dancing shoes before you claim to have no feet.

oh, and BTW, fuck yer day, darlin'....

And you know what? I'm not whining. Whining would be bitching at someone who was awarded a ticket before me, or saying that it's not fair that I don't have a ticket and someone else does. I'm standing up for myself, which is an entirely different matter. Did you really think I was going to take such harsh comments lying down, or that I wouldn't try to explain myself? Have I cursed at anyone? Told everyone to fuck off? Made comments about anyone's financial situation in relation to mine, or tried to judge someone based on their "worthiness" for a low income ticket? Nope. I simply stated that the comments made towards me were unwelcome, and that maybe you should get to know a person better before you make snap judgements.

And yes, I'm going to be uppity. It's not often that I'm told to fuck off or called a wench, especially by people that are essentially strangers.

Now, I shall step off my soapbox.

[junglesmacks]

And yes, I'm going to be uppity. It's not often that I'm told to fuck off or called a wench, especially by people that are essentially strangers.

Hey there, welcome to eplaya!

[lucky420]

Hey it's 420!

[Simon of the Playa]

ok...kiss and make up, since it's 4:20


i apologize for being such a new yorker to a texan.


it is my nature.

[halugii]

more tickets are going out! i just got mine at 5:16pm, woohoo!

[theCryptofishist]

im not asking you to change your lifestyle, just look at your dancing shoes before you claim to have no feet.

I'll take that under advisement...

[theCryptofishist]

One thing's for sure, tattoogoddess has grit.

[lemur]

i like drama on eplaya better than on the playa

[Roberto Dobbisano]

oh karen...He's sorry...

[theCryptofishist]

i like drama on eplaya better than on the playa

I don't like drama on the playa. Not in the least.

[gaminwench]

Howdy, Incubus Pantomime...

Fuck yer day is a playa/eplaya term of endearment...
and what the h*ll is wrong with being called a wench???

and being snarked at by SOP is de rigueur in all the best circles!

welcome to eplaya.

[lemur]

fuck yer day


and


yer doin it wrong


words to live by

[Simon of the Playa]

All i know is ive made it to BRC and back to Rochester ny for $500...

250 for the ticket, 150$ train, i hitched from reno, i bought crackers gorp and water and drugs with rest



If you want you gotta earn it.


Just my stupid opinion....Burning Man SHOULD be torture.


The way it used to be.


I walked 30 miles thru smelly fucking hippies and coaxhella didnt even exist


Dangnabbit, kids these days.

Gotta spend 3 fuxking grand on a picnic in the desert.


Anyway.


This years gonna suck, and be dusty, and windy and chaotic.


Just like old times....

[Roberto Dobbisano]

You tell em', gramps.

[lemur]

$3000 for burning man.. sheesh.

back in my day we could do it for far less than $1000...sucking larry off was what you did to get a "low income" ticket.

there were no greeters making you do playa angels, and stinkin bell.. just larry and his overly raw man batch.

and we liked it.

[gyre]

If we start to scrutinize the behavior of people with low income tickets, we will quickly find that there was some way that they could have afforded a ticket.

Text messaging plan? $240/year.
Cable television? over $400/year..
Total cost of owning a dog? $500-1500/year (low end).

$240 year to text?

Where are you texting from?
The moon?

[catinthefunnyhat]

$240 year to text?

Where are you texting from?
The moon?

I don't have a portable phone/device, but a quick Google search suggests that $20 a month is the normal, going rate for 'unlimited text-only plans in the US and Canada.

[5280MeV]

If we start to scrutinize the behavior of people with low income tickets, we will quickly find that there was some way that they could have afforded a ticket.

Text messaging plan? $240/year.
Cable television? over $400/year..
Total cost of owning a dog? $500-1500/year (low end).

$240 year to text?

Where are you texting from?
The moon?

Actually, I might as well be texting from the moon. I believe that the cost of transferring data to and from the Hubble Space Telescope is greater than the effective cost per MB of text messages.

$240 is the actual cost per year with Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T for unlimited texting on a standard individual plan, although if you are smart you can find a promotion or bundle that reduces this cost.

In my opinion it is the biggest rip-off and obvious case of anti-competitive industry collusion going on right now. Those messages literally cost the major providers nothing.