Experiences in Center Camp

[Rob the Wop]

it was banned in this country because it had been known to cause cancer, and outright kill people, though research actually states that it's similar to alcoholism. and it could also be linked to the fact that people would also put laudinum in absinthe.

A lot of the "proof" of the damage done by thujone in the 1900s was based on inaccurate data and some on the fact that the "absynthe" created was not really the true blue product, which- take my word for it, is a real pain in the ass to make. Double or triple distillations, starting with 20 gallons of beginning fermented material (grapes back in those days), and ending up with a gallon and a half of end result. Not a good return on investment, so enterprising people sold the following to the lower classes as the good stuff:

"What is more likely to have caused harm to regular absinthe drinkers is the adulterants used in the cheaper varieties. Absinthe existed in a quality pyramid much as wine does today, for each quality brand there were many more indifferent and positively harmful versions being sold cheaply to those who could not afford to buy a reputable brand. Common adulterants were cupric acetate (to provide the valued green colour) and antimony trichloride (which provided a cloudiness when water was added in imitation of the milky appearance of diluted absinthe). The purity of the base alcohol used for lesser brands would also have been questionable, and toxic levels of methanol from poor rectification would have been a real possibility. An additional aggravating factor is that as the cheaper brands were lower in alcohol than the quality brands, around 45% abv for ‘absinthe demi-fine’ compared to 68 or 72% for ‘absinthe superior’, someone drinking the cheaper version and seeking to obtain the same effect from the alcohol would have needed to consume more of the absinthe and hence more adulterants."

Here's some other sites for more data on thujone:
http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov/htdocs/ ... ujone.html
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articl ... rtid=18101

[Rabbi Dali Rick]

I'm not sure of the thujone content of the vermouth I use, but this might partially explain my particular obsession with Bombay Sapphire martinis...

MMMmmmmm Sapphire Gin Martinis...

inspiritetically,
the rebbi

[BlueBirdPoof]

One thing Center Camp Cafe did do for me. That's where I saw the "Recall Larry Harvey" posters. I thought those were good.

[dapete]

I found the folks selling ice to be most pleasant. How we put the ice camp in the center and use the post office to dole out coffee.

[Raheer]

it was banned in this country because it had been known to cause cancer, and outright kill people, though research actually states that it's similar to alcoholism. and it could also be linked to the fact that people would also put laudinum in absinthe.

A lot of the "proof" of the damage done by thujone in the 1900s was based on inaccurate data and some on the fact that the "absynthe" created was not really the true blue product, which- take my word for it, is a real pain in the ass to make. Double or triple distillations, starting with 20 gallons of beginning fermented material (grapes back in those days), and ending up with a gallon and a half of end result. Not a good return on investment, so enterprising people sold the following to the lower classes as the good stuff:

"What is more likely to have caused harm to regular absinthe drinkers is the adulterants used in the cheaper varieties. Absinthe existed in a quality pyramid much as wine does today, for each quality brand there were many more indifferent and positively harmful versions being sold cheaply to those who could not afford to buy a reputable brand. Common adulterants were cupric acetate (to provide the valued green colour) and antimony trichloride (which provided a cloudiness when water was added in imitation of the milky appearance of diluted absinthe). The purity of the base alcohol used for lesser brands would also have been questionable, and toxic levels of methanol from poor rectification would have been a real possibility. An additional aggravating factor is that as the cheaper brands were lower in alcohol than the quality brands, around 45% abv for ‘absinthe demi-fine’ compared to 68 or 72% for ‘absinthe superior’, someone drinking the cheaper version and seeking to obtain the same effect from the alcohol would have needed to consume more of the absinthe and hence more adulterants."

Here's some other sites for more data on thujone:
http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov/htdocs/ ... ujone.html
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articl ... rtid=18101

You seem to know more on the topic than anyone else here, so I'll ask you. Is it legal to import single bottles of absinthe into the states for personal consumption? (The website your supersized link connects to, Liquors de France, seems to be willing to export single bottles to American consumers, but I don't know if that's legal. Is it?)

Raheer

[Rob the Wop]

You seem to know more on the topic than anyone else here, so I'll ask you. Is it legal to import single bottles of absinthe into the states for personal consumption? (The website your supersized link connects to, Liquors de France, seems to be willing to export single bottles to American consumers, but I don't know if that's legal. Is it?)

Raheer

In all honesty, I'm not all to sure on the legality. If there is less than a certain amount of thujone in the absynthe, it is considered legal regardless. I've heard that you can buy absynthe in New Orleans, which has less than "interesting" amounts. I have no idea what the FDA has for the limit. I do know the European limit though.

"The European Community Codex Committee on Food Additives has restricted the levels of thujone to 0.5 ppm (mg/kg) in food and beverages, 10 ppm (mg/kg) in alcoholic beverages containing more than 25% alcohol, 5 ppm (mg/kg) in weaker alcoholic beverages, and 35 ppm in bitters. Absinthe was banned in Belgium in 1905, in Switzerland in 1907, in Italy in 1913, and in France in 1915."

One of the problems the FDA faces is that there is very little research on wormwood and thujone.

Plus you get into the whole, "Well if it comes from a place where it's legal to make- is it OK for me to have?" Kind of like getting Canadian aspirin (with codiene). You can't get it here, but its legal to have it in your house.

[J]

While looking into bringing cuban goods into the U.S I ran across a list of restricted items, Absinthe was was listed as not being allowed into the U.S.

However if you were in a country where it was legal, (U.K., Chezch. Republic), and accidently switched the label with a comparable pastis that was legal (i.e. Pernod) I don't think the anyone would know due to how close they look.

Should you go the route of ordering online http://www.feeverte.net/, has some nice resources.

J

[tzimisce1313]

it was banned in this country because it had been known to cause cancer, and outright kill people, though research actually states that it's similar to alcoholism. and it could also be linked to the fact that people would also put laudinum in absinthe.

A lot of the "proof" of the damage done by thujone in the 1900s was based on inaccurate data and some on the fact that the "absynthe" created was not really the true blue product, which- take my word for it, is a real pain in the ass to make. Double or triple distillations, starting with 20 gallons of beginning fermented material (grapes back in those days), and ending up with a gallon and a half of end result. Not a good return on investment, so enterprising people sold the following to the lower classes as the good stuff:

"What is more likely to have caused harm to regular absinthe drinkers is the adulterants used in the cheaper varieties. Absinthe existed in a quality pyramid much as wine does today, for each quality brand there were many more indifferent and positively harmful versions being sold cheaply to those who could not afford to buy a reputable brand. Common adulterants were cupric acetate (to provide the valued green colour) and antimony trichloride (which provided a cloudiness when water was added in imitation of the milky appearance of diluted absinthe). The purity of the base alcohol used for lesser brands would also have been questionable, and toxic levels of methanol from poor rectification would have been a real possibility. An additional aggravating factor is that as the cheaper brands were lower in alcohol than the quality brands, around 45% abv for ‘absinthe demi-fine’ compared to 68 or 72% for ‘absinthe superior’, someone drinking the cheaper version and seeking to obtain the same effect from the alcohol would have needed to consume more of the absinthe and hence more adulterants."

Here's some other sites for more data on thujone:
http://ntp-server.niehs.nih.gov/htdocs/ ... ujone.html
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articl ... rtid=18101

www.lafeeverite.com is the best absinthe site i've seen... and i get my own authentic bottle of absinthe for myself tomorrow, for my birthday... w00t!

[skypilot]

:D i don't bother with obsessions about where the coffee money goes, where the ice money goes, on and on. I have, in past years, gone to the center camp and relaxed in the shade, drinking my coffee or chai, smiling at people and observing humanity around me. I deal with people in the real world at their worst, whether they are victims of assault, whether they are victims of violent crime, having to pull them over for going 42 in a 15 mph zone(school zone), being called a pig or worse, and the once in a while physical assault when the folks snap and i am their target of rage and quite convienent. yes, i have had some bad service at center camp, but so what? i've met some great people, saw some great things, had drinks bought for me and have bought drinks for others. I've even worked on the other side of the counter and have had people toss me some crap about having to wait for so long-so what. by the same token people were very grateful and tipped me, which i threw in the tip jar and forgot about. I really think center camp needs to be there for the simple reminder that it is a dose of the real world, where not too much is free and you are expected to pay for some things. it provides a balance. why some of you "purists" feel you can trash anybody's opinion and accuse them of being "capatalist stooges" or commerce hounds because a few bucks change hands at burning man(heaven forbid!)is pitiful-you remind me and resemble that of russian communist party commisars who must root out"unacceptable capatalist practices" to keep the event "pure". jesus!!! keep center cafe /camp open, and i'll keep buying coffee and once in a while spring for a cup of coffee or chai to the"true believers" with the giant nightstick up their butt.

[diane o'thirst]

Absinthe: I overdosed on the stuff once. Nobody taught me the ritual so the first time I drank it, I just downed a cup of it straight. Eight ounces! Effect: The visuals were wonderful, it was like looking at the world through a stained glass window, for about twelve hours. Then the headache started. And got worse. And codeine-tylenol wouldn't touch it. And that way, for two weeks. After the first night, my sleep experiences read like a running, two-week play comprised of "slice-of-life" episodes in the heart of Hell. Only PCP and jimson weed are worse at that level. <b>Do The Ritual.</b>

Ivy: Proclaiming proudly and in so many words that you're going to do something larcenous on a public forum is even further up the "Unwise Actions" scale than guzzling absinthe like it's beer. The Theurge Elder docks fifteen Wisdom traits from your character sheet.

Center Café: I made a point of getting down there at least every other night I was out there. I spent exactly $0 because I too don't approve of the selling, even though I have several friends who served up the cuppas, but I value it as a central gathering place. Saw Xeno play there, which was a terrific time. Hung out there the night our LARP fell through. Took fly-bys and stuck my nose in to see what was up whenever I passed that way. Don't lose the <i>structure</i>, but I still don't approve of the sales. Ice is necessary, coffee you can bring yourself. Find a neighbour who's real good at mixing coffee (and other) drinks and do a bit o' bartering — say, fix me coffee and I'll cook ya an omelette. Or better yet, get a foodie in your camp.

[geekster]

Ice keeps people from getting sick, coffee keeps people from getting cranky. It probably also keeps moop/water use down just a little.

[cornelius]

I had great and realxing times in the cafe this year. Wacky people doing improv dance and "cat and mouse" chasing through the chalk maze in the very center.

Heard the best moosic there one night real late, one guy with a weird electric guitar and a bow and some feed back and effects pedals! Like space whale mother ships! (on acid) ((inside a giant bottle)) (((on acid))).

I met the mostest beautiful wymyn there, exotic amerikan woman, blonde, furry white hat, gorgeos body and furry fringe around her breasts. Our eyes met, I instantly approached her and gave her a sticker, she smiled and we small talked and flirted, then her gay male friend came over to talk to her and started chatting ME up. I gave him a sticker too. And hugged them both. I didn't make out with either of them, damn. I loved Center Camp!

[mars]

Center Camp is filled with moments, good and bad, like the rest of Burning Man.

Some of those moments having to do with your/my perception and interpretation and some of them having to do with chance.

Mars

[Simply Joel]

I found the folks selling ice to be most pleasant. How we put the ice camp in the center and use the post office to dole out coffee.

surly postal worked dispensing coffee....

oh, i don't think so.

[Simply Joel]

I found the folks selling ice to be most pleasant. How we put the ice camp in the center and use the post office to dole out coffee.

surly postal workers dispensing coffee....

oh, i don't think so.

and as someoneelse pointed out, the center camp shouldn't be a "flop house" (do an internet search for the definition)

[Ivy]

Ivy: Proclaiming proudly and in so many words that you're going to do something larcenous on a public forum is even further up the "Unwise Actions" scale than guzzling absinthe like it's beer. The Theurge Elder docks fifteen Wisdom traits from your character sheet.

I DECLARE:
NEXT YEAR I AM ATTENDING BURNING MAN SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF STEALING MONEY FROM THE CAFE.


Do with that what you will. I never claimed to be wise. Wisdom clearly never has and never will be a requirement to post on the eplaya. Though I confess at one point I did claim to care about BM, and I can't say the same now.

[Badger]

I know there's been a bit of confusion (and contention) as to whether or not the Cafe' actually makes a profit in selling coffee. This is a portion of an e-mail exchange I received yesterday. Just a heads up. Hope I'm not picking scabs with this post BTW.

> it looks like any profit (money made) from ice-sales
> is given away to various groups in the gerlach/reno area.
>
> http://afterburn.burningman.com/03/bizs ... a_ice.html
>
>
>
>
> how about any profit from coffee/cafe sales?
> is all of this given away, too?
>
> i can find no mention of this in the afterburn 2003 report :
>
> http://afterburn.burningman.com/03/bizserv/cafe.html
>

>If "profit" is defined as "net revenue after expenses", there IS no profit from sales at the Center Camp Cafe. Once we've put up (and taken
down) the structure, filled it with furniture, art, decor, stages, coffee equipment and bought all the stuff we sell and use to serve it, we've more-than-spent the revenues. In the last couple of years we've gotten VERY VERY CLOSE to break-even (hard to be 100% sure what all the related expenses to be SURE which side we come out...) -- but essentially the sales of coffee, lemonade etc. pay for the interactive structure and art.

>
>

>

[geekster]

My problem is all the criminal activity there. First, there is all the spectating that goes on. Anyone knows if you read the Black Rock City Code, section 732c, spectating is against the law. Most of the people there also have valid tickets, that is aggravated spectating with much tougher punishment. The folks that are there tripping can't relly help it and would get off easier with involuntary spectating, but still.

Next time you see someone in Center Camp spectating, have them raise both arms level with their shoulders, turn around to face the most number of people possible and say in a loud voice, "I'm a little airplane now". It is for their own good.

[Rian Jackson]

I had a similar experience 2 years ago in center camp, on sunday afternoon. I was leaving it, and saw a dancer, topless and made up like a china doll. She moved only a couple of feet per minute, and over the course of an hour, she crossed through centercamp. She had a 40' length of rope across her torso that she was trailing. She would collapse to the ground every now and then, and slowly rise, dancing that slow, languid way. She was white from the Playa. Made me cry, too.

You try to explain something like this to someone and they just stare at you. It went beyond beauty, beyond a dance. You could see it in how people stopped and made way for her.

I'm not saying we saw the same woman, only a similar experience. Thanks for sharing yours.

this sounds stunningly like butoh, a Japanese theatre/dance form that came about after WWII. It deals a lot in images of death and suffering. Performers sometimes wear rags, sometimes wear nothing, and often white their faces.

It's one of the most beautiful things.

Check out Hijikata Tatsumi or some of these links:

http://www.butoh.net/
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/butoh/itto/butoh-e.htm
http://www.seattlebutoh.org/

Speaking of center camp, i was really glad it was there both last year and this year. Granted, i've never bought coffee from them and am not too likely to start (i have better ways of caffination). Last year i found contact dance there and had some fabulous, intimate moments engaged in that activity. This year our camp family congregated there to hear one of our own pour her magic words through the mic on stage. It was intense, beautiful, breathaking. I think i cried for an hour. And i was really glad that not only our camp was there, but others got to experience her words in that setting, also. Finally, center camp is where i went when i needed a safe place to sleep away from the fireworks and the intensity of the temple. For someone whose nerves are fried from days of PTSD, who has just cried her soul in to a puddle on the walkway of the temple, it was a freakin' godsend. Oh, so womblike...

[cornelius]

Okay... so I DID sit through Rev. Hal, from the First Church of the Sub Genius, and his "history" lesson. WHOA! Did anyone else experience this?

[geekster]

(sniff) damn ... no, I missed it

[Mister Jellyfish Mister]

We of The Apokiliptika are plotting a raid of the Friday Center Camp Fashion Show and turning it into the Fascist Fashion Show for the time it takes to play Gang of Four's "I love a man in a uniform".

Does anybody know the name/contact info of the person who runs the show? It's important that we know who to hold at the end of a plastic gun.