Good day at Black Rock July 26, 2009 7:24 PM Subscribe
Black Rock City meetup anyone? This'll be my first time at Burning Man, and I know I won't be the only MeFite there. It'll be a rare opportunity to meet MeFites from other locations.
I was going to go to the meetup last year, but, uhm, it was burning man and I got ... distracted. I didn't even remember until I was back in SF.
But then I was kind of sad I missed it. This year I'm not going (although every time I hear the word "esplanade" I get these nostalgia pangs), but y'all should definitely meet up. And maybe some decent percentage will actually not be terribly distracted and show up.
posted by nat at 9:31 PM on July 26, 2009
But then I was kind of sad I missed it. This year I'm not going (although every time I hear the word "esplanade" I get these nostalgia pangs), but y'all should definitely meet up. And maybe some decent percentage will actually not be terribly distracted and show up.
posted by nat at 9:31 PM on July 26, 2009
My recommendation -- make sure you bring a watch. Sounds weird, but once you get a look at the events schedule, you will realize that there are things that you DON'T want to miss, and that's difficult if you don't have a watch.
Oddly, I recommend the opposite. I hate knowing what time it is. Most stuff in the what/where/when doesn't happen when it says it will. There's far more cool shit than you will ever see. Worrying about missing stuff takes away from the fun. Just dive in.
That said, if there's a meetup, I'll try to make it. I have a car. It makes snow. The meetup can have snowcones if I manage to remember to show up.
Or we'll show up in camp's other car, which is probably big enough for a meetup. Watch out for jabba's sail barge.
posted by flaterik at 9:37 PM on July 26, 2009
Oddly, I recommend the opposite. I hate knowing what time it is. Most stuff in the what/where/when doesn't happen when it says it will. There's far more cool shit than you will ever see. Worrying about missing stuff takes away from the fun. Just dive in.
That said, if there's a meetup, I'll try to make it. I have a car. It makes snow. The meetup can have snowcones if I manage to remember to show up.
Or we'll show up in camp's other car, which is probably big enough for a meetup. Watch out for jabba's sail barge.
posted by flaterik at 9:37 PM on July 26, 2009
Yeah, skip the watch. The description of stuff in the W/W/W often is way more interesting than the actuality and the stuff that you'll happen upon will be WAY more interesting and fun. Though wearing a watch will mean that lots of people ask you what time it is so it may be a good way to meet people. So no playa for me this year, maybe in a couple years I'll be back once the baby can enjoy it.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 10:20 PM on July 26, 2009
posted by otherwordlyglow at 10:20 PM on July 26, 2009
Haven't gone since 2001, considering this year but haven't made my mind up yet. I found it too disruptive -- even going for the burn weekend only the last time, I was in no shape to go back to work on Monday. If I do make it, I'd be interested in meeting some mefi people, but can't promise I'd show.. the place is so chaotic that it's very hard to make plans for anything.
My personal BM advice to any newbies is: Don't let anyone talk you into pitching your tent in their camp if it's near the center where all the exciting stuff happens, or you will not sleep the entire time you are there unless you do enough narcotics to induce it. The speaker stacks playing techno loud enough to make the ground throb for 100 yards gets pretty old when you're tired.
As for watches, there are two types of people: Those who give a shit what time it is and those that don't unless they need to be somewhere. You can tell which person you are if you own a watch. So if you own one, probably take it with you, as long as dust won't ruin it. There's so much to see there that I'm not sure it's really worth the trouble keeping an itinerary. Just walk around and crazy shit you'll remember for the rest of your life will Just Happen™.
posted by cj_ at 1:07 AM on July 27, 2009
My personal BM advice to any newbies is: Don't let anyone talk you into pitching your tent in their camp if it's near the center where all the exciting stuff happens, or you will not sleep the entire time you are there unless you do enough narcotics to induce it. The speaker stacks playing techno loud enough to make the ground throb for 100 yards gets pretty old when you're tired.
As for watches, there are two types of people: Those who give a shit what time it is and those that don't unless they need to be somewhere. You can tell which person you are if you own a watch. So if you own one, probably take it with you, as long as dust won't ruin it. There's so much to see there that I'm not sure it's really worth the trouble keeping an itinerary. Just walk around and crazy shit you'll remember for the rest of your life will Just Happen™.
posted by cj_ at 1:07 AM on July 27, 2009
Say "hi" to the rubber duckie while you're out there!
Wow. Holy balls. When I went last, the duck was a immobile plywood structure out in the desert. Looks like I definitely need to make it back. :)
posted by blenderfish at 1:29 AM on July 27, 2009
Wow. Holy balls. When I went last, the duck was a immobile plywood structure out in the desert. Looks like I definitely need to make it back. :)
posted by blenderfish at 1:29 AM on July 27, 2009
("What advice would you give a first-time burner?" makes a really good informal personality test. So many different ideas of what counts as fun and how to have it!)
posted by nebulawindphone at 6:00 AM on July 27, 2009
posted by nebulawindphone at 6:00 AM on July 27, 2009
Just remember, the first person to burn the man wins.
posted by Eideteker at 6:49 AM on July 27, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by Eideteker at 6:49 AM on July 27, 2009 [2 favorites]
...and ends up with arson and destruction-of-property charges.
posted by gman at 6:57 AM on July 27, 2009
posted by gman at 6:57 AM on July 27, 2009
Only if you get caught. That's the second phase of the game.
People will try to stop you, but only because they wanted to burn the man first. Don't let this dissuade you.
posted by Eideteker at 8:16 AM on July 27, 2009 [3 favorites]
People will try to stop you, but only because they wanted to burn the man first. Don't let this dissuade you.
posted by Eideteker at 8:16 AM on July 27, 2009 [3 favorites]
My first time at BM last year. All the intentions of the world of going to the meet-up on Wednesday. And suddenly someone mentioned it was Friday and I was all WTF it's FRIDAY and then all WTF That means Wednesday was two days ago and all WTF Which means I totally forgot about the meetup. Which officially made me a Burner (even a neophyte one) but still really sorry I didn't make it.
Sadly, I did have a watch. Which didn't tell me which day it was.
posted by HeyAllie at 9:13 AM on July 27, 2009
Sadly, I did have a watch. Which didn't tell me which day it was.
posted by HeyAllie at 9:13 AM on July 27, 2009
So when/where for the meetup? I still say time is sketchy, but something like "when the sun is a palm width from the horizon on day x" is usually sufficiently accurate.
Also, by any chance does anyone else here use a garmin rino out there? Radios are kinda iffy, but a GPS with the city map loaded up is INVALUABLE, especially as an art car pilot. The rinos combine the two, and you can see where people are on the map when they talk to you. Even if the voice transmission is fuzzy, the location send works pretty well, so you can track people down.
If there was an attempt at a mefi FRS/GMRS channel that'd be pretty nifty. Especially if I (and two of my partners in crime) weren't the only ones out there with the rinos.
posted by flaterik at 2:11 PM on July 28, 2009
Also, by any chance does anyone else here use a garmin rino out there? Radios are kinda iffy, but a GPS with the city map loaded up is INVALUABLE, especially as an art car pilot. The rinos combine the two, and you can see where people are on the map when they talk to you. Even if the voice transmission is fuzzy, the location send works pretty well, so you can track people down.
If there was an attempt at a mefi FRS/GMRS channel that'd be pretty nifty. Especially if I (and two of my partners in crime) weren't the only ones out there with the rinos.
posted by flaterik at 2:11 PM on July 28, 2009
Alright, I'm going to call the meetup for Friday at noon, at the Raygun Gothic rocket being built by metafilter's own …possum. I don't know exactly where it will be located, but I'm guessing it won't be too hard to find. Hopefully there will be some shade nearby.
posted by adamrice at 2:56 PM on August 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by adamrice at 2:56 PM on August 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
I'll try to make it!
posted by freshwater_pr0n at 4:38 AM on August 3, 2009
posted by freshwater_pr0n at 4:38 AM on August 3, 2009
pssstt GPS Map of BRC
If you have a gps you want this! I can't say how awesome a toy that is to have.
At least 4 people in my circle are getting rino 120s just because they witnessed the awesomitude last year.
posted by flaterik at 4:07 PM on August 3, 2009
If you have a gps you want this! I can't say how awesome a toy that is to have.
At least 4 people in my circle are getting rino 120s just because they witnessed the awesomitude last year.
posted by flaterik at 4:07 PM on August 3, 2009
I will try to be there also. If you get a better idea of where it will be, please let us know.
posted by mai at 9:02 PM on August 9, 2009
posted by mai at 9:02 PM on August 9, 2009
I would be up for a meetup, making a note of Friday/rocket/noon.
(also, if anyone needs a ride up and back from L.A., it would be a blast to go with a mefite! or, if you are a girl, I would be happy to share my campspace, too!)
posted by Vaike at 2:48 PM on August 14, 2009
(also, if anyone needs a ride up and back from L.A., it would be a blast to go with a mefite! or, if you are a girl, I would be happy to share my campspace, too!)
posted by Vaike at 2:48 PM on August 14, 2009
I'm in.
Its easy to divine when noon is on the playa. If someone in your camp says, "I can't move, I'll give you a cold Tecate if you go into my tent and fetch me one out of the cooler."
It's now 11:30am.
However, I will still be plenty drunk at the Lamplighter's Bloody Mary bash. (hint: you want to cut in line? Bring something for the bar. I bypassed the wait with a $5 jar of blue cheese stuffed olives)
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 6:32 PM on August 21, 2009
Its easy to divine when noon is on the playa. If someone in your camp says, "I can't move, I'll give you a cold Tecate if you go into my tent and fetch me one out of the cooler."
It's now 11:30am.
However, I will still be plenty drunk at the Lamplighter's Bloody Mary bash. (hint: you want to cut in line? Bring something for the bar. I bypassed the wait with a $5 jar of blue cheese stuffed olives)
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 6:32 PM on August 21, 2009
I got there at 12:30 and didn't see anyone with bells on. I asked a few people if they were my pretend internet friends, but they weren't.
Did anyone actually meet anyone else there? Next year let's pick a spot that has shade.
posted by aubilenon at 11:00 AM on September 7, 2009
Did anyone actually meet anyone else there? Next year let's pick a spot that has shade.
posted by aubilenon at 11:00 AM on September 7, 2009
Let's also pick a time that's not Friday at noon. Friday at noon
I wasn't even vaguely mobile until mid afternoon on Friday.
posted by flaterik at 10:49 PM on September 7, 2009
I wasn't even vaguely mobile until mid afternoon on Friday.
posted by flaterik at 10:49 PM on September 7, 2009
I was there on time. I saw no meetup, which is a shame because I'm with the yearbook camp and was all ready to shooot it and put the meetup in the yearbook. C'est la vie, playa time is playa time.
Next year!
posted by mullingitover at 12:53 PM on September 8, 2009
Next year!
posted by mullingitover at 12:53 PM on September 8, 2009
I was there too, right at noon, and asked around a bit, but no go. Also at noon, the Raygun Gothic Rocket guys were on the point of putting a perimeter in place to get people back from the rocket so they could prepare for "launch". They knew nothing of a meetup. Maybe next year we should try to meet at a place where the people running the joint might know about a Mefi meetup?
BM was fabulous this year. My 10th year in a row. We evolved, baby. First year with a real shade structure. First year giving out food (we ran a taco stand, Topless Tacos). First year I arrived on Monday, which made for a more relaxing burn with time to see a lot of stuff.
posted by telstar at 3:18 PM on September 8, 2009
BM was fabulous this year. My 10th year in a row. We evolved, baby. First year with a real shade structure. First year giving out food (we ran a taco stand, Topless Tacos). First year I arrived on Monday, which made for a more relaxing burn with time to see a lot of stuff.
posted by telstar at 3:18 PM on September 8, 2009
My 10th year in a row too, telstar!
Though, it's my first year not at a food-camp since 2001, actually. (First Luftwaffle, and then the good ol' SFGH)
posted by aubilenon at 12:22 AM on September 9, 2009
Though, it's my first year not at a food-camp since 2001, actually. (First Luftwaffle, and then the good ol' SFGH)
posted by aubilenon at 12:22 AM on September 9, 2009
I was about an hour late. There was a dust storm in my camp and I was kinda hunkered down.
posted by adamrice at 6:14 PM on September 12, 2009
posted by adamrice at 6:14 PM on September 12, 2009
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posted by mai at 8:15 PM on July 26, 2009