Burning Man 2018
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30 members have voted
Quote: DocI suppose you could have asked him something specific like, "What is it going to take to get the Wizard of Vegas forum software working correctly again and when will that happen?"
I think god would have said to tough-up.
(Quote truncated to part I wanted to respond to.)Quote: Wizard
Then I asked him a question, that is too personal to repeat here. His advice was, and again I'm paraphrasing, to follow my heart and to heck with the consequences on others.
Wizard,
Here are two things that help me when I have a dilemma of this sort. Maybe one or both will help you or maybe not, but I thought it was worth sharing.
1) Regret analysis: I think there are two types of regrets. Regret of what you have done. And regret of what you did not do but wish you did. And those two types of regrets can feel very different. Sometimes I’ll imagine myself on my deathbed. And I’ll play out my life and the imagined outcomes of the decision I’m wrestling with. Run my life out both ways, first imagining I did “the thing” and second imagining that I didn’t do “the thing.” And while on my imaginary death bed I’ll try and decide if I would rather die with the regret of what I did or the regret of what I didn’t do.
2) Committed coin flip decision: Assign one decision to heads and the other to tails. Repeat to yourself that you will follow whatever the coin tells you to do. Make yourself believe it viscerally. Then flip the coin. While the coin is in the air, you will likely find yourself rooting for heads or tails. The crunch of the decision coming to a head outside of your control will often clarify all the issues your brain is wrestling with, and suddenly you will find that you really do want to “do the thing” or “not do the thing” based on whether you are rooting for heads or tails. Now catch the coin in your hand. Keep your hand closed. Let your brain come to rest on the decision you made while the coin was in the air. If it still feels right, put the coin back in your pocket without looking at how it landed. It has done its job.
Anyway, good luck. The above work well for me but YMMV.
Quote: unJon(Quote truncated to part I wanted to respond to.)
Wizard,
Here are two things that help me when I have a dilemma of this sort. Maybe one or both will help you or maybe not, but I thought it was worth sharing.
1) Regret analysis: I think there are two types of regrets. Regret of what you have done. And regret of what you did not do but wish you did. And those two types of regrets can feel very different. Sometimes I’ll imagine myself on my deathbed. And I’ll play out my life and the imagined outcomes of the decision I’m wrestling with. Run my life out both ways, first imagining I did “the thing” and second imagining that I didn’t do “the thing.” And while on my imaginary death bed I’ll try and decide if I would rather die with the regret of what I did or the regret of what I didn’t do.
2) Committed coin flip decision: Assign one decision to heads and the other to tails. Repeat to yourself that you will follow whatever the coin tells you to do. Make yourself believe it viscerally. Then flip the coin. While the coin is in the air, you will likely find yourself rooting for heads or tails. The crunch of the decision coming to a head outside of your control will often clarify all the issues your brain is wrestling with, and suddenly you will find that you really do want to “do the thing” or “not do the thing” based on whether you are rooting for heads or tails. Now catch the coin in your hand. Keep your hand closed. Let your brain come to rest on the decision you made while the coin was in the air. If it still feels right, put the coin back in your pocket without looking at how it landed. It has done its job.
Anyway, good luck. The above work well for me but YMMV.
This is great advice, unJon. Nice shot at focus with both, trying to dig clarity out of the muck of one's subconscious.
FWIW, Wiz.
I think the meaning of life is to make the most of whatever your potential is to be your best possible self, then use that strength outside your own circle to contribute something to the larger world. Neither of those are tasks that are ever finished, until you are.
One sign that you have succeeded, which you will never experience, is your legacy among those you leave behind. But part of your focus, while alive, is to see both a path to accomplishing a legacy, and the consequences beyond your short-term goals of your actions.
It's a start, anyway.
WOW, you really @#$ed that one up! The correct answer was... Let me show you in my tent.Quote: Wizard
After those instant-gratification questions, a young woman of about 25 asked me, "What is the quickest way to enlightenment?"
I didn't think the story was boring at all, it was getting really good, I couldn't wait to hear the end, unfortunately, I too I walked away feeling confused and unfulfilled.
Quote: WizardThe event is held on BLM land. I assume they lease the use of it to the BM organizers. It seems to me there are two layers of security when you go in, one for the BLM and one for the event organizers.
The whole thing is very well organized, I must say, and they seem to respect local, state, and federal laws.
Two layers of security, but 90% of attendees under the influence? What firm got the contract from the BLM, “Dewey, Cheetam and Howe”?
Quote: AyecarumbaTwo layers of security, but 90% of attendees under the influence? What firm got the contract from the BLM, “Dewey, Cheetam and Howe”?
That's my law firm! The attendees aren't under the influence on the way there. They get started after they arrive.
The post had a storyline, narrative tension and did not contain a video of your hands. What more could be hoped for?
Strangely, your post left me with the same feeling of vagueness and shifting pointlessness that you are attempting to describe in your story. The effect you create would be hard to achieve if you had actually set out to do so. If this was a writing assignment for a college English classic, you would get an A or A+. Really.
“2) Committed coin flip decision: Assign one decision to heads and the other to tails.”
e.gg: heads = happiness, tails=badness (tailspin etc.)
Gog learnt from Wiz dat u should expect 200 consecutive tails (ie misfortunate events one after another) if u don’t attend BM with a fantasy 25 yaer naked gal…lol
Quote: gordonm888Actually, that was one of my favorite posts that I have read recently.
Thanks Gordon! That means a lot to me.
At the time I was writing it, I was afraid it would be taken for a Nathan-like story with no point and no closure (I hope she doesn't read this). However, if it conveyed a sense of a void or emptiness that I'm trying to fill, then it achieved something.
In other news, I spent hours yesterday making videos to answer the forum's burning Burning Man questions. However, I wasn't happy with the final product. Just a middle aged guy babbling in an otherwise empty and messy office. I think I'm going to have to bring Angela or another model in to ask me the questions.
Quote: WizardThanks Gordon! That means a lot to me.
At the time I was writing it, I was afraid it would be taken for a Nathan-like story with no point and no closure (I hope she doesn't read this). However, if it conveyed a sense of a void or emptiness that I'm trying to fill, then it achieved something.
In other news, I spent hours yesterday making videos to answer the forum's burning Burning Man questions. However, I wasn't happy with the final product. Just a middle aged guy babbling in an otherwise empty and messy office. I think I'm going to have to bring Angela or another model in to ask me the questions.
I think it would be cool to do some opening remarks, get to a question, then cut to a relevant snippet, photo, or frame capture from your video log, as you voice over your answer. Cut back to you in the "studio", get reaction from your co-host, go to another question... rinse.... repeat....
Quote: AyecarumbaI think it would be cool to do some opening remarks, get to a question, then cut to a relevant snippet, photo, or frame capture from your video log, as you voice over your answer. Cut back to you in the "studio", get reaction from your co-host, go to another question... rinse.... repeat....
Thanks. That would be good, but I have only so much footage. Like the question about what I ate. I simply don't have any food pictures from Burning Man.
Wiz: Have you ever heard of RAGBRAI ?
It's been years since I was on that, but it was pretty interesting back in the day.
Quote: JohnnyQInteresting thread. Not for me I don't think. It would be interesting to send the "mysterious JB" next year to file a detailed report on what has changed for the better and for the worse.
Wiz: Have you ever heard of RAGBRAI ?
It's been years since I was on that, but it was pretty interesting back in the day.
I think Wizard would probably enjoy RAGBRAI but it wouldn't be much of a challenge for him. I had lots of friends participate when I was going to the University of Iowa.
his fingers were in one of the videos. Very disturbing.Quote: gordonm888Actually, that was one of my favorite posts that I have read recently.
The post had a storyline, narrative tension and did not contain a video of your hands. What more could be hoped for?
Strangely, your post left me with the same feeling of vagueness and shifting pointlessness that you are attempting to describe in your story. The effect you create would be hard to achieve if you had actually set out to do so. If this was a writing assignment for a college English classic, you would get an A or A+. Really.
I didn't mean it would be a physical challenge. I was thinking more about the personalities you see and meet, the house along the side of the road with a sign that says "Pool / Free Beer", a pyramid of bicycles built on Main Street in Podunk, taking a shower at a self-serve car wash, etc.Quote: DRichI think Wizard would probably enjoy RAGBRAI but it wouldn't be much of a challenge for him.
Quote: JohnnyQInteresting thread. Not for me I don't think. It would be interesting to send the "mysterious JB" next year to file a detailed report on what has changed for the better and for the worse.
Are you saying he has been before? That would surprise me a great deal.
Quote:Wiz: Have you ever heard of RAGBRAI ?
No.
Quote: JohnnyQInteresting thread. Not for me I don't think. It would be interesting to send the "mysterious JB" next year to file a detailed report on what has changed for the better and for the worse.
Wiz: Have you ever heard of RAGBRAI ?
It's been years since I was on that, but it was pretty interesting back in the day.
Been held for about 50 years now, maybe longer. You would enjoy it a LOT. Huge crowd of fun and fit people making their way across Iowa. Takes a long time, but it's a party the whole way. You might consider a father-son adventure.
Edit: looks like this will be the 44th year.
https://ragbrai.com
Quote: beachbumbabsBeen held for about 50 years now, maybe longer. You would enjoy it a LOT. Huge crowd of fun and fit people making their way across Iowa. Takes a long time, but it's a party the whole way. You might consider a father-son adventure.
Thanks! That does indeed look like the kind of thing I would enjoy. I'll keep it in mind for 2019.
Quote: WizardAre you saying he has been before? That would surprise me a great deal.
JB, Bluejay, BJ, whatever.Quote: WizardForum member MichaelBluejay has been many times, and quit, so I hope he can comment on the evolution of the event.
OK, how about the American Birkebeiner ? Heard of that one ? Assault on Mt Mitchell ? Boston Marathon ? Excellent article ideas, just sayin'.....
My proofreader suggested that I add more material about my own experience there, but she didn't know I already had a video on that. The purpose of this article is to give some reasons to go and not go as well as some advice for those attending for the first time. Maybe I should have broken it into two articles, but when I get started on something, it's hard to stop.
Quote: WizardI just finished my article BURNING MAN -- TO GO OR NOT TO GO. I put a fair bit of time into my articles, so please have a look. As always, I welcome all questions, comments, and corrections.
My proofreader suggested that I add more material about my own experience there, but she didn't know I already had a video on that. The purpose of this article is to give some reasons to go and not go as well as some advice for those attending for the first time. Maybe I should have broken it into two articles, but when I get started on something, it's hard to stop.
Thank you for sharing this. I really enjoyed the article. I think I would have really enjoyed burning man in my college or post-college bachelor days. Not at the point in my life right now where I think I could do this.
One typo I noticed, the final sentence is missing a “how” before “it goes.”
Quote: WizardI just finished my article BURNING MAN -- TO GO OR NOT TO GO. I put a fair bit of time into my articles, so please have a look. As always, I welcome all questions, comments, and corrections.
My proofreader suggested that I add more material about my own experience there, but she didn't know I already had a video on that. The purpose of this article is to give some reasons to go and not go as well as some advice for those attending for the first time. Maybe I should have broken it into two articles, but when I get started on something, it's hard to stop.
Quote: third sentenceAt the end, the remove or burn it down.
"Playa feet?"
I enjoyed reading it. I think you did a great job summing up the experience, especially considering it was your first Burn.Quote: WizardI just finished my article BURNING MAN -- TO GO OR NOT TO GO. I put a fair bit of time into my articles, so please have a look. As always, I welcome all questions, comments, and corrections.
(Of course, maybe because it was your first Burn that you did such a great job... because everything was new to you and could look at it and see everything with "fresh eyes."
Note: The article was not at all long nor was it rambling. You said that "you could go on with Burning Man advice and stories..." If that is true, then you should add a few more stories. It's somewhat sad that our society today is so used to "text messages" and "tweets" that an article the size of yours is now considered a "long" article! Jeez, doesn't anyone take time to read anymore? Never apologize for a lengthy article, of any kind. I, for one, enjoy a well-written and lengthy article. The more entertaining it is, the less I want it to end!
A friend of mine that I've known for almost 40 years goes each and every year. She wouldn't miss it for the world. Even before the current event is over with, she is already making plans to return next year. And yet I learned more from your posts and articles than I ever have from her.
You probably answered this already, but if so I didn't see it. It is permissible to arrive a couple of days late (to avoid the crowd of people getting in) and then to leave a day or two early? If I ever did go, I suspect I would not want to commit myself to an entire full week of this. (Or full ten days or whatever it is.) I'd most likely want to start off slow and only spend... say, three days there. I think I could see a lot in three days and get an idea of what it is like.
One typo found: The cure is cleaning your feet well and then soaking THEN in a mixture of three parts water...
I'd like to think that seeing Burning Man through the eyes of a newcomer did help. Many have claimed my writings about gambling suffer the same problem, that I assume my audience knows things that they don't and I'm speaking over their heads. I would like to think there is a place for both sides.
To answer your question, I arrived late to BM and left early. I'm terribly impatient with lines and have heard that waits of eight hours are common if you try to arrive or leave on time. You can come or go whenever you want. In retrospect, if I return, I'll stretch out the experience at the cost of waiting lines. The lines are probably not so bad, as you don't creep forward an inch at a time, like a Los Angeles traffic jam, but they move your forward in spurts. To be more specific, if I returned, I would arrive on Monday and delay leaving until the crowds had thinned out. I hear they report on wait times on Burning Man radio, but can't confirm or deny.
In conclusion, if you could pass onto your friend that if her and her group ever have an extra ticket, I would be interested in buying it. I'm sure I'll return, but it is more a question of when. 90% of the people in my circle of friends are not the type who would like it.
Acknowledged. In fact, I will let her know that later this week, when she returns my car that she is borrowing for a week or so.Quote: WizardIn conclusion, if you could pass onto your friend that if her and her group ever have an extra ticket, I would be interested in buying it.
You can see a photo of Maria, at Burning Man, in one of her BM outfits here. (I don't have to tell you which photo it is... you will be able to figure it out easily.)
Quote: EdCollinsAcknowledged. In fact, I will let her know that later this week, when she returns my car that she is borrowing for a week or so.
You can see a photo of Maria, at Burning Man, in one of her BM outfits here. (I don't have to tell you which photo it is... you will be able to figure it out easily.)
Wow, Ed... Now I understand why it is called “Burning Man”. That is some hot stuff to handle.
However, Wizard reports that after a few minutes in the hot dust, everyone looks like a hobo.
Quote: AyecarumbaWizard reports that after a few minutes in the hot dust, everyone looks like a hobo.
Yep, with those dusty medium-heel boots and maybe a little dirt on her knee, Maria sure looks like a hobo in her BM photo. Just not like any hobo I have encountered before. ;-)
Quote: EdCollinsAcknowledged. In fact, I will let her know that later this week, when she returns my car that she is borrowing for a week or so.
You can see a photo of Maria, at Burning Man, in one of her BM outfits here. (I don't have to tell you which photo it is... you will be able to figure it out easily.)
Thanks Ed! That is a great BM outfit and bike.
Before I go back, I think I'll watch Mad Max for some outfit ideas. In fact, Halloween is coming up, maybe I should try to get something together and give it a test run then.
If you are going to go the Mad Max route, you could go as the gyro captain from The Road Warrior (Mad Max 2):Quote: WizardBefore I go back, I think I'll watch Mad Max for some outfit ideas. In fact, Halloween is coming up, maybe I should try to get something together and give it a test run then.
This would solve your goggles issue too! (Snake optional)
Personally, I'd avoid the a$$le$$ chaps look, but maybe that's just me. Although, if you got a Wez costume:
you could also wear it to Raiders games next year! ;)
ETA: I enjoyed the article. Some interesting goings on, but all in all, it's probably not my cup of tea.
Quote: WizardI just finished my article BURNING MAN -- TO GO OR NOT TO GO. I put a fair bit of time into my articles, so please have a look. As always, I welcome all questions, comments, and corrections.
I agree with others - this is an excellent article. It addresses a difficult question that many people have and provides lots of actionable and helpful information. Nothing is white-washed in the interest of marketing or viewpoint. The structure of the article and content are excellent - it is analysis by a very intelligent, logical, thoughtful person with no axe to grind.
Hopefully, this article is tagged in such a way that it will get a lot of hits from non-gamblers who are searching the subject of BM because it deserves to be widely read. I think you might be able to sell some version of this to a national print magazine.
Quote: DRichWizard, in your first paragraph you say that Black Rock is the second most populated city in Nevada. That doesn't sound correct to me. Maybe it used to be, but I really doubt that it still is. I believe Henderson now has about 300,000 residents, is BM bigger than that?
That's what the greeter told me when I entered. I was tempted to argue with the guy, but he was being very nice, so I didn't get into it.
Judging by this list of Populations of Nevada Cities, Black Rock City would be sixth, just below Sparks.
Okay, I'll go back and correct that.
Quote: gordonm888I agree with others - this is an excellent article.
Thank you Gordon! Your compliments mean a lot to me.
Do you have any idea how they brought things like the plane in? Was it in pieces? Seems like it would be a herculean effort for something who's life is very brief.
Quote: HullabalooThanks for a good read. I've thought of going, but I'd go nuts with both the dust and all the people. Maybe I'll just show up a few weeks after it's over.
There would be little reason to go outside of Burning Man week.
Quote:Do you have any idea how they brought things like the plane in? Was it in pieces? Seems like it would be a herculean effort for something who's life is very brief.
My tour guide on the 747 said the plane was assembled there is pieces. From this article, it seems they started to bring in pieces in 2016.
I think that is the only art installation that is allowed to remain all year, but I'm not sure.
https://apple.news/AeaL8i1BhQ0SkKU2TkuQstw
Not sure if link works on non iPhone. Article is from Business Insider.
Quote: unJonWiz, here’s another article on going to BM for the first time.
That's a good article. I was able to read it on my PC. The writer sounds a bit more jaded than I am about the whole thing. However, there is no defined purpose to Burning Man. There is no commonality to the people who go. Everybody will leave with a different experience and stories.
The author mentioned having to expose his penis to get a snow cone. I went to that same camp, I passed it often on the way to the port-a-loos. Before you were allowed a snow cone you had to pick a playing card. I picked an ace which was "dealer's choice." The dealer picked the only woman present and told me to smack her ass by surprise. She didn't know we came in together, but I was happy to either way.
After that, I of course asked the dealer for the cards and starting doing magic tricks for her. It was tough because the cards were beat to hell. Everything seems to be at Burning Man.
Finally, I have to say that I find the part about brushing your hair in the tent taking things to ridiculous extremes.
