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The Tech of Burning Man

Posted by Hemos on from the peering-under-the-hood dept.

Marc Merlin wrote:"Some of you have probably heard of burning man, but most of those who haven't gone probably don't know that saying that it's just a bunch of naked hippies meeting in the desert to smoke pot, is a very unfair description of the event. I have been writing reports of it for the last 4 years now (akin to the linux show reports I used to do), and my 2005 report is the biggest one yet (1440 pictures, and a fairly complete overview page, showing the highlights) You can also look at the burning man index page (with pictures from the sky), and look at my first 2002 report for a view as a first timer."

2 of 352 comments (clear)

  1. fucking sterotypes by Ender+Ryan · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Just who is starting this bullshit sterotype of hippies becoming corporate types? I hear this bullshit all the time. I've known plenty of former hippies... most of them are still hippies, just without the obsession with drugs and other silly shit. But this sterotype of hippies starting big companies I hear mostly from people who are on the opposite end of the political spectrum.

    And regarding Ben & Jerry's... The same B&J that dropped a few products because making the product was giving the factory workers RSI? The B&J that started in a garage? The same B&J that donates 7.5% of its pre-tax profits to charities? The same B&J that's still doing this so many years later, even after having gone public and being acquired by a larger corporation? I don't know, maybe they have become corporate scum and should be hated by hippies, but I can't find any evidence of that after googling for a couple minutes. In fact, the only criticism of B&J's that I've found so far is by conservatives attacking their ideals. Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical of criticism of Ben & Jerry's coming from the fucking Cato Institute.

    Fucking hell man, I don't even LIKE hippies. They're extremists, and they piss me off. But don't even try to call them out regarding their integrity... 'cause damn, most criticism directed their way is from people who have no goddamn legs to stand on.

    --
    Sticking feathers up your butt does not make you a chicken - Tyler Durden
  2. Not a hippie fest. by Vicsun · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Recently a guy (sup blairerickson) on a forum I frequent posted a thread about the burning man. In an attempt to dispel some of the (usual) slashdot misinformation, I'm quoting some of what he said

    Burning Man is one of those events that a lot of people have heard of but few have any in-depth knowledge of unless you've actually been. So here's a thread to try and explain as many lingering questions people have about this strange phenomenon.

    How big is it?
    There were more than 35,000 people there last year.
    Here's a shot of the Playa (the place in Black Rock desert where it's held) from outerspace:

    And 's a random crowd shot to give you an idea of how many people are around any given street corner.

    Is everybody there all peace love and happiness type hippies?
    Nope. In fact quite the opposite. There are entire groups built on nothing but raw rage. But there are plenty of hippies too. For some people who go, a lot of Black Rock City is described as a cross between Survivor and Mad Max. Mad Max is the most common answer. Here's some photos to better explain why:

    http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/Muytator2.jpg
    http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/Thunderdome.jpg
    http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/mutantvehicle.jp g
    http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/Spinning.jpg

    Oh and then there's a group called the UberCarneys who built a giant device called the "Roaster Coaster" where they dropped spinning cages full of riders through a flame thrower while screaming over a megaphone about the sloppiness of its construction.
    http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/roastercoaster1. jpg
    http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/roastercoaster2. jpg
    http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/roasterfire.jpg
    Supposedly they're doing something this year called "Unsafety Town"

    In addition to the flame throwers and anarchy, you can also expect a heavy dose of insane behaviour, giant displays of sexual debauchery, and liberal drug use. Just plain good fun.

    http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/blowtorch-burn-b arrel_f.jpg
    http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/IMG_1079.jpg
    http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/IMG_1116.jpg
    http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/IMG_0617.jpg
    http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/BarbieDeathCamp. jpg
    http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/amacker-and-frie nd_f.jpg

    Is it all easy and fun?

    Not at all. Surviving in the middle of the Black Rock desert is pretty goddamn tough. You have to bring plenty of gear, supplies, water, and anything you can think of. And you will probably be injured at some point. Goes with the territory. Almost everyone I was with last year was injured. I ended up with a pretty gruesome stab wound (http://www.blairerickson.com/bman/kneescar.jpg) on my leg and a sprained ankle