Ban glow sticks bring led blinkies or anything but glow junk

jimstamper · Post by **jimstamper** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 6:38 am

[b] I noted on 2006 census there was a question related to selling glow sticks at BM. ( + other stuff )

Considering the waste, the low light level and general difficulty of seeing a glow stick hanging around your neck when you approach someone from the back. LED's have a chance of being SEEN.

There are so many clueless folks out there who think a dying glow stick is enough to be seen, why support that ecologically bad and useless illumination concept by selling them at BM?

Sell them a bright EL wire or LED instead. At least it would last the week not just one night![/b]

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:46 am

You are so right on. Why didn't anybody else think of that? Somebody please sign me up for selling feeble electronics at Burning Man right now, before I forget.

phil · Post by **phil** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:05 am

> general difficulty of seeing a glow stick hanging around
> your neck when you approach someone from the back.

I've always been able to see a glow stick hanging around my neck when I approach someone from the back.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:08 am

And no running in the hallway! Hey, mister, I'm talking to you! Where's your hall pass?

Bob · Post by **Bob** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:12 am

Woah. What if we were all plugged into the same french-fry oil generator with extra-long extension cords and walked around with recycled floor lamps?

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:41 am

I tend to feel the same way, but I'm not sure the ecological and economic impacts are quite so clear-cut. I'm finding more and more discarded blinky lights every year. Most of them were broken or damaged and were obviously not meant to last very long. Some didn't even have a way to change the battery - the plastic or rubber was molded around it. EL wire gets damaged easily and most people would buy a new string instead of repairing the broken section. Even if nothing bad happens, what's the average use before getting thrown out or lost? Maybe 30 hours?

Is the ecological footprint of a strand of EL wire or a blinking LED thingy really smaller than the equivalent number of glowsticks when you take actual usage patterns into consideration?

I don't know the answer - just asking the question. What is the glow stuff made of anyway?

EspressoDude · Post by **EspressoDude** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 12:47 pm

jimstamper wrote: I noted on 2006 census there was a question related to selling glow sticks at BM. ( + other stuff )

Considering the waste, the low light level and general difficulty of seeing a glow stick hanging around your neck when you approach someone from the back. LED's have a chance of being SEEN.

There are so many clueless folks out there who think a dying glow stick is enough to be seen, why support that ecologically bad and useless illumination concept by selling them at BM?

Sell them a bright EL wire or LED instead. At least it would last the week not just one night!

Sell them flame throwers instead. That way at night if some stoned drunken yahoo on a bicycle crashes into you, you can turn them into BURNING MAN.

btw This is probably one of the same yahoos that leave their bicycle laying in a pile in front of a bar camp, so that everyone trips over it. A flamethrower will take care of that problem..It will be a burning pile that can be seen.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 12:56 pm

While we're at it, let's ban bacon as well. Those pig ponds are pretty gross. And nothing says burning man like a good solid ban.

jimstamper · Post by **jimstamper** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 1:26 pm

Point well taken about enviromental foot print of what is worse? And my lack of precise wording at 4 am. (see below for more fun). I think people get the drift. All that needs to be done is have BM if they start selling things, don't sell crap junk. Sell a good LED headlamp perhaps. (ok have fun with this) Then if you sell strap on LED's you'd be able to see if you are coming or going!

Now ban bacon? NOOOO it burns! A few years ago I met a lady who had written on her chest. Feed me cheese and Bacon. We had a good chat and I spent the day laughing on that one. I've been carrying a package of bacon ever since waiting to see her again.

Maybe we can make bacon the official barter object for trade? Beats clam shells!

Where do I sign up to become the official flame thrower vendor?

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 1:49 pm

Mak en bacon, Now were on to something!!!

Silver 2 · Post by **Silver 2** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 6:33 pm

I rather see your point but ....

"Sell them a bright EL wire or LED instead. "

Sell; humm, I show up with several gallons of extra white gas to gift.

Think about it.

Not sure I totally appove of the coffee sales; though it saved my ass twice in '06 -- long story.

I don't barter, I give away. If you need it I'll let you have it; if I need it back I will tell you so and if you have it and cannot share it I'll move on. The last bit hasn't happened yet.

s

SED · Post by **SED** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:41 pm

We should ban everything, confiscate it all, then give it all away to ourselves, absolutely free. Unless that's already happening . . . .

EspressoDude · Post by **EspressoDude** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 5:52 am

SED wrote:We should ban everything, confiscate it all, then give it all away to ourselves, absolutely free. Unless that's already happening . . . .

sounds like a Communist plot

SED · Post by **SED** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 7:16 am

You callin' me me a commie, E-Dude? Tell me about your means and I'll tell you about my needs. Perhaps there can an . . . arrangement, shall we say.

EspressoDude · Post by **EspressoDude** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 7:30 am

Communist Espresso??
naw,

Just sounds like some of them old time commie "collectives" Collect all the un-motivated workers output, put it a warehouse, let the officials dole it back out after taking their "share" of "democratic taxes"

(cuban coffee can be pretty good though)

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 12:00 am

I think there are a lot of other things that should be banned before glowsticks. Like plaid double-breasted blazers, for example.

Not a single glowstick ever thew itself onto the ground. Banning glowsticks doesn't stop people from littering. If they are going to throw a glowstick onto the playa, then they are also going to put their bottle caps, ciggy butts, ciggy pack wrappers, gum, gum wrappers, matches, body waste, etc. onto the playa.

Taking away glowsticks doesn't address the real problem. All it does is piss off the people who act responsibly. So in order to prevent 1% of the population from throwing glowsticks onto the playa you are going to prevent 99% of the people from having them. WONDERFUL. Gee, that avoids the whole problem of holding people responsible for their behaviors AND allows someone to go running around playing glowstick sheriff. In other words, YOU don't have to do anything about it. Somehow some magical "glowstick ban" gets approved and it becomes someone else's responsibility to enforce it. Wow ... that is even better. That way nobody has to be responsible except "The BMORG"!

So exactly how would you intend this "ban" to be enforced? What happens if someone is on the playa with a glowstick? What is the penalty? How many people will it take to enforce this? Who is the volunteer coordinator for the Glowstick Nazis? What's can we ban next?

I have a different idea. How about if you see someone drop a glowstick on the ground you tell them to pick it up and if you see them drop it again you will superglue it to their forehead because it is Just Plain Wrong? Or, if you are walking around and see a glowstick on the ground, pick it up yourself. Novel concept, huh? That whole "responsibility" thing ... alien concept to most, I know, but back in the old days ....

StevenGoodman · Post by **StevenGoodman** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 3:13 am

Better to ban the people who drop their "blah blah blah" on the ground. This is mostly smokers, but there are others. Many things up on the ground that should be taken home. But a lot of people seem to not care.

Even I screw up! :)

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 8:09 am

I don't pick up many glow sticks. What's a real pain in the ass is plastic cups. People throw them in the street and others run over them. When hit by bike tire they beak into a mess.

timburly · Post by **timburly** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 5:15 pm

tripper fishin:

Step one) Get a glow stick, activate it

Step two) Tie thin string to glow stick, 20 or so feet works great

Step three) Throw glow stick out into street, keep ahold of end of string

Step four) When person reaches to pick it up jerk it away.

We kept entertained for hours doing this while sitting in camp hehehe
Its amazing how many people will chase the glow stick.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 8:25 am

timburly wrote:tripper fishin:

Step one) Get a glow stick, activate it

Step two) Tie thin string to glow stick, 20 or so feet works great

Step three) Throw glow stick out into street, keep ahold of end of string

Step four) When person reaches to pick it up jerk it away.

We kept entertained for hours doing this while sitting in camp hehehe
Its amazing how many people will chase the glow stick.

....and soon it breaks people of that troublesome "picking up other peoples' shit" habit.

Post by **mdmf007** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 8:16 pm

We used to do the string thing in college - called it poop bill.

Take a 5 dollar bill, and attach it to the lightest fiching line you can find - 1 or 2#, put dog poo on it,

drop it out of the Theta house 2nd story window to the street.
Sit on the deck and drink beers and watch the idiots pick it up, sniff it, then you yank it out of their hands!!!! did this soo many times, good memories thanks for the reminder

later all

SED · Post by **SED** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 10:23 pm

timburly wrote:tripper fishin:

Step one) Get a glow stick, activate it

Step two) Tie thin string to glow stick, 20 or so feet works great

Step three) Throw glow stick out into street, keep ahold of end of string

Step four) When person reaches to pick it up jerk it away.

We kept entertained for hours doing this while sitting in camp hehehe
Its amazing how many people will chase the glow stick.

I'll do you one better: Glue a couple of three barbed fish hooks onto the glow stick, smear them with the substance of your choice (LSD, cayenne powder, your own feces) and then see if you can hook suckerfish.

Make sure you have a big net and a gaff for the landing.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 6:25 am

...Back in my sign company days we'd bore a hole in someone's workbench and connect a coin or tool to a hidden neon transformer. Great for those after-lunch sleepies!

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 9:30 am

robotland wrote:....and soon it breaks people of that troublesome "picking up other peoples' shit" habit.

Yeah... I'm all in favor of harmless practical jokes but ridiculing people for doing the right thing is not cool. What's next, pointing and laughing at people as they siphon their extra gray water into containers instead of dumping it on the ground?

Zhust · Post by **Zhust** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 9:44 am

So sorry to rain on the off-topic parade, but here's a tip for buying something that glows: ask yourself, "will I be using this 10 years from now?"

Eh ... or not.

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 8:20 pm

Sounds like what goes through my mind when I shop for underwear and socks.

phil · Post by **phil** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 8:40 pm

What in the name of America will we still possess and use 10 years from now.

robotland · Post by **robotland** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 7:27 am

phil wrote:What in the name of America will we still possess and use 10 years from now.

NOT that five-pound can of tuna that we brought to Burning Man '03...Timmy finally made a casserole, the other year.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 7:49 am

robotland wrote:
phil wrote:What in the name of America will we still possess and use 10 years from now.
NOT that five-pound can of tuna that we brought to Burning Man '03...Timmy finally made a casserole, the other year.

However your Twinkie will be just fine....

B.

Post by **AntiM** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 9:31 am

phil wrote:What in the name of America will we still possess and use 10 years from now.

My cast iron pans?

Ban glow sticks bring led blinkies or anything but glow junk

Ban glow sticks bring led blinkies or anything but glow junk

Re: Ban glow sticks bring led blinkies or anything but glow