Jrs V07 I05

JRS VOLUME #7; ISSUE #5

JRS/7.05/11.18.02

HEY! 280 days until Burning Man!

The Burning Man senior staff is running full throttle with planning for Burning Man 2003, having just returned from its annual debrief meeting where we review how this year went and set priorities for next year.

Burners (hey, that’s you, isn’t it?) made 2002 one of the best events ever, and staff came out of last week’s meeting with some new processes and direction to build on our success to make 2003 even better.

A big part of that is extending the Burning Man community to something that exists year round — and everywhere burners continue to do just that. The East Coast burn community is hosting a decompression party titled “Shipwrecked” and will be drawing burners from all over the country. Recent gatherings in Seattle, Arizona and elsewhere are the talk of the regionals list. Across the Atlantic, the Euroburners are preparing for their own burn event in December.

So, while the staff and departmental volunteers turn their eye to the playa for 2003, we hope you’re feeling a connection of your own to the world we shared there in 2002. Check the Events and Happenings section below, or pop over to the event calendar at

calendar/yearround/month.php

And while we have your attention, we know you’re thinking, “How about that theme?” Each year, the requests to know next year’s art theme come earlier and earlier; we’re working right now to try to get it out to you as soon as possible. Watch for the announcement here in the JRS sometime after the Thanksgiving week.

Meanwhile, there’s news, news, news. Plus, stay tuned after this JRS for a SPECIAL EDITION: LOST AND FOUND FILM announcement. Read on:

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*************TABLE OF CONTENTS************
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BRC NEWS!
**DECOMPRESSION GETS ITS OWN BRG**

**INSPIRATION POINT**
**WE NEVER TIRE OF FLAT TALK**
**MAID MARIAN ON NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL**
**PLAYAFY YOUR DESKTOP AT BURNINGBEACH.COM**
**SEEKING: SWEAT LODGE CREATORS**

PARTICIPATE!
**SATURDAY IN THE CAFÉ**
**COVERED IN ADVERTISING**
**DRAKA PHOTOS NEEDED**

EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS!
**NYC DECOMPRESSION 2002**
**VANCOUVER EVENT**
**TORONTO DECOMPRESSION!**
**CELL SPACE BENEFIT**

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***********BLACK ROCK CITY NEWS**********
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**DECOMPRESSION GETS ITS OWN BRG**

The BRG Staff has pulled off a wonderful edition of the “Black Top Gazette”, which premiered at the San Francisco Decompression last month. It tells its tales of BRC 2002, from the Playa Chicken to the Human Man formation, alongside a cleanup wrap-up from the one and only Coyote, and a fabulous article about bringing home Burning Man all year long! (OK, I wrote that one.) You won’t want to miss it… and you don’t have to!

If your city has a regional contact, each regional has been mailed a hefty stack of BTG’s to distribute to the community. Visit Regional Contacts if you’re not connected yet to a regional in your area.

If you’re in a location without a contact, just cut and paste this whole link to get to a page for the premiere issue of the Black Top Gazette!

Blacktop+Gazette+2002

Black Rock Gazettes from the playa are temporarily residing at
burningman.com/~monkeyboy/brg

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**INSPIRATION POINT**

A writing from a participant, Bonnie Doyle, that we really enjoyed:

It has been 3 weeks since Burning Man.

Feels a bit like, “it has been 3 weeks since my last confession,” doesn’t it? My sins in the ‘default world’ are mounting and perhaps it’s time for a cleansing, except that, well, someone moved the confessional. Someone moved the church, the city; everything. There’s a bit of it spread here and there, all over the world; in my costume bin, in Suzanne’s garage.

I have been thinking lately about the nature of the dullness that crops up; rises oh-so-proportionately to the length of time that stretches out from Terrible Tuesday. I am beginning to realize that it is the slow and arduous death of inspiration.

I’ve been thinking about the nature of inspiration. What is it? What does it feel like? Where does it come from? Where does it go? Why does Burning Man seem to activate it? And as it pertains to a tangible result that might matter to me, if only for one inspired instant: what is the nature of the discipline that takes over when the excitement of inspiration has breathed its last breath, so that result might actually come to fruition?

What is inspiration? According to Funk and Wagnall, circa 1961: The inbreathing or imparting of an idea, emotion, or mental or spiritual influence; the elevating, creative influence of genius.

Inbreathing. Yes. We must all breathe, mustn’t we? Yet, breathing is and must be bi-directional. Perhaps there is a clue for me here. A clue of sustainability and balance required for survival. Even so, I feel thoroughly un-satiated by this definition.

I see that Funk makes no mention of a required result or product from this state: Ooh! Ooh! I have an idea… Fuck it. That qualifies. Great.

Inspiration. I spent days (and nights) meandering the playa in a constant state of inbreathing. What did it feel like? Well, it wasn’t necessarily wrapped around a specific idea. It felt more like the potential to create without limit, without boundary. Oh, and the boundaries; like my own head, my own self, telling me it (whatever it is) cannot be done, or if it were to be done, not without great difficulty.

Where did it come from, this sudden notion of all things possible? It certainly didn’t hurt to be surrounded by the generous creations of a cast of thousands. (you can do what with latex/plaster-of-Paris/nylon/ steel/fruit cocktail/old remote controls?) It certainly didn’t hurt to be surrounded by love, expressed in as many forms; a hug, a smile, free beer. But if the secret that releases each of our muses is as unique as apples before grafting became prevalent, why are they all set free in Black Rock City? (They are, aren’t they? Or am I being presumptuous? You were inspired, right?)

Could it be that when you take a creative risk in BRC, and your eyes are shut tight in fear of judgment, but after a bit you hear no laughter, so you open one eye, just a little, and what you see is acceptance, listening, and interest in its stead?

Perhaps.

And what about the connection between an idea and its execution? None of us here is a stranger to curtailing the production of an idea because the inspiration to create it waned. So I would simply like to state the obvious: We have 330 (ed note: now 280!) days before we can breathe in again. I am making a commitment to keep the creativity flowing, even though its influence might be napping.

And you?

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**WE NEVER TIRE OF FLAT TALK**

We will post this next July but it never hurts to hear it twice:

Rolfe McAfee writes:

Just thought you should put additional warnings for people foolish enough (like us) to take the gravel road from Winnemucca to Gerlach. We had a serious blow out with almost new tires. Several people stopped to offer help and advice. The tow truck driver, the BLM lady, and another repeat Burning Man participant all said that if you don’t go 30-40 mph on the road the chances of having a flat are almost guaranteed. Even then, you could have one. They also told us people will have a flat, change it and then have another flat right away!! The repeat visitor had had 2 flats on that road the previous year. Unless you have super heavy duty off-road tires designed to prevent punctures from sharp rocks, or are patient enough to creep along, we wouldn’t recommend it at all! The BLM lady said she had stopped for at least 20 people during the previous few days, all with the same sad story. Anyway, just wanted you to warn people to keep them from having an expensive and frustrating experience.

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**MAID MARIAN ON NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL**

Maid Marian’s appearance on National Geographic’s “Inside Base Camp” will air on the National Geographic channel on Monday, Nov. 18th at 4pm Eastern, 1pm Pacific. The program repeats on Sunday, Nov. 24th at 11am Eastern, 8am pacific. The National Geographic Channel is carried nationally on Direct TV channel 26, and Echo Star channel 186, as well as many local cable systems. To find out if the National Geographic Channel is on your local cable system, you can log onto nationalgeographic.com/channel and type in your ZIP code.

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**PLAYAFY YOUR DESKTOP AT BURNINGBEACH.COM**

Burning Man computer desktop images available!

Santa Cruz photographer Richard Jones is making several of his Burning Man 2002 images available as computer desktop images. Jones shoots for the Black Rock Gazette and has been attending Burning Man since 1999. You can check them out at the Santa Cruz regional website: burningbeach.com/downloads.html

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**SEEKING: SWEAT LODGE CREATORS**

I’m looking to get in touch with the amazing men that put together the sweat lodge out on the playa this year 2002 at Burning Man. I attended a sweat & had a most incredible experience with these campers & some of my friends. I have 2 great photos I wish to mail to them, but forgot to get any contact for them post-Burn. Write to braden(at)interworld(dot)net

Best,
Braden Kuhlman

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******************PARTICIPATE******************
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**SATURDAY IN THE CAFÉ**

Michael Bluejay wrote to share his rewrite of Chicago’s “Saturday in the Park”, which he performed with the piano this year in the Café:

Saturday, in Black Rock, hotter than it was in July.
Saturday, in Black Rock, sun’s so cruel I’m gonna cry.
People cracking, people peeling, spontaneously combusting.
Something’s clearly wrong.
“I’ve got me some extra sunblock.”
“Can I have some?”
“Yes, you can.”
Well I’ve been baking such a long time, on Saturday.

Saturday, in Black Rock, the ticket says you know you could die.
Saturday, in Black Rock, there goes an electric pie.
People dressed like rubber chickens.
Pancakes for barter. A ring toss of Barbie dolls.
Costco Nambla Eggchair Gigsville. Snowflake Village, Recycle Camp.
Well I’ve been waiting such a long time, for Saturday.

Slow motion art car, cruising down the Esplanade.
Some guy, brought in, a whole truckload of sod.
Where is my camp? Damn it I’m lost. Damn it I’m lost, no.

Saturday, when it gets dark, there’s a man who’s going to fry.
Saturday, when it gets dark, there’s a man we’re going to fry.
People yelling their fool heads off.
No one selling ice cream. ‘Cause that’s not allowed.
This event can change the world. Can you dig it? Yes I can.
Well I’ve been waiting such a long time, for Saturday.

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**COVERED IN ADVERTISING**

From Bobby G in the BaltoWash region:

During Burning Corn in 2001, Gary Xaoui had these huge, huge tarps he used for stage canopies, theme tents, everywhere – the whole stage was wrapped in this stuff. When we arrived at 3 a.m. We were greeted with a huge 20-foot high white-on-black vertical sign (same material) that said “GOD.” We figured “we must be here.” I digress. The material. It was HEAVY and completely waterproof…(Buddy K. will remember struggling to pull that stuff onto a shelter in the frickin’ 90 degree sun)… I’m like, wow, where’d you get this stuff?

It was billboard vinyl. When I saw Gary again in the desert at Burning Person, at the Cataclysmic Megashear Ranch, he was lounging under yet another huge canopy, same stuff. It was some old ad campaign long forgotten…

He told me to call billboard advertisers and ask them when they filled their dumpsters with old ad campaign posters. so this guy in Waukehsa I called, says, “How many do you want?” I’m like, “How many have you got?” “Oh, pallet-loads of them…”

Each one is 672 square feet. They’re 14 feet wide and 48 feet long. each one weighs 75 pounds. Pictures are at:  burning-wheel.org/freetarps.htm

Can you beat that – free, huge tarps? i drove home with about 3500 square feet of material; could have gotten a lot more if I had my trailer with me. I may just procure boatloads of this stuff ’til I figure out all its uses…

Bobby g

**Jack Rabbit Reminder: For even more ideas on burner-useful giveaways, cast-off items, freebies, or trash-to-treasure opportunities in the Bay Area, we can’t say enough about obtainium.net. Check it out!

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**DRAKA PHOTOS NEEDED**

A plea from Draka the Dragon’s mama…

I’m looking for photos of either Draka or my (incomplete) mermaid sculpture… The mermaid was vandalized on the playa. I’m not sure exactly what happened but her beautiful arm bands are missing ~ I’m presuming they were stolen. So, I’m looking to find pictures specifically of the arm bands, or the mermaid tail and/or of Draka in action. The mermaid’s tail was lit up with blue and green from within at night, I would love to find a photo of that if there’s one out there. Anyway, as a reference, here is one url with Draka standing next to the mermaid’s tail:

drako_01/jpg.html

Send these to Lisa at zedragonlady(at)hotmail(dot)com

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**********EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS********
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**NYC DECOMPRESSION 2002**

Shipwrecked: A Winter Formal
November 23, 2002

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You are returning from a pilgrimage
A pilgrimage to a magical island
The floating world.

As you plunge ahead
Into the great unknown
A storm throws you off course
And you’re lost.

Shipwrecked.

Farther away than you’ve ever been
Until you can return
There is no other choice
You must start civilization over again.

Rebuild
Resurrect
Recreate

Breathe life into your home
Away from home.
——————————

NYC DECOMPRESSION 2002
Shipwrecked: A Winter Formal
November 23, 2002

Lunaterium
10 Jay Street
9:00PM – 6:00AM
decom2002

This Is a NO Camera Event

Inside and Out
18 To Enter, 21 to Drink
$10 Black Rock Attire
$15 Street Wear
Bar Service

To Bring Theme camps, playa art, imagery or perform.

-Bring a theme camp, email Steve at ratti(at)sealspace(dot)org
-Have a band or are a DJ and would like to perform, email Zach at allmusic(at)sealspace(dot)org
-Perform with fire, email Cassandra at fire(at)sealspace(dot)org
– Acoustic or spoken word performances email Ben at perform(at)sealspace(dot)org
-Bring your art, contact art(at)sealspace(dot)org
-Projectionist, please contact Terri at terri(at)metal-tiger(dot)com

A percentage of the proceeds from this event will be going to the Black Rock Arts Foundation

This is a NO Camera Event

Visit New York Regional to connect with other New York burners and find out more about the region!

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**VANCOUVER EVENT**

: BurnerBash.02 :
“the UnCompression”

Saturday, 23 November 2002 @ 9pm
in the Tiki Lounge at the Waldorf Hotel
1489 E. Hastings St., Vancouver

$7 at the door. $5 for those in playa wear or costumes.

Come out and dance with your friends and fellow Burners! There will be two rooms of music and a bar in a fabulous retro/kitsch tiki lounge environment. This is the follow-up to last year’s popular Burner Bash gathering at Organix/Club 23. Hope to see you all there!

Participation is encouraged. Share your gifts with the community. If you’d like to help set up, decorate or create something special for the event, please bring your ideas to the Recompression email list (low, manageable traffic) recompression-subscribe(at)topica(dot)com . For those who wish to spin a set as a DJ, we’re looking for dance music for one room, and downtempo for the other. Please contact Jody: revmed(at)shaw(dot)ca

Due to problems securing a suitable venue, we were unable to launch our annual participants-only large-scale Recompression event for November. We will be creating Recompression 3 sometime in the new year, so stay tuned!

Visit Vancouver Regional

for more info on the Vancouver regional community!

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**TORONTO DECOMPRESSION!**

The Toronto Burn Community Presents:
STARRY * PLAYA * NIGHT
2002 Decompression Party
November 16th, 2002 – Doors open 9pm
$5 at the door, 4$ with donation for the Daily Bread Food Bank
Location: The Blue Moon @ 725 Queen Street East

For further information and directions to the TORONTO DECOMPRESSION PARTY please go to burningmooseman.ca/decomp

Visit Toronto Regional

for more info on the Toronto/Ontario regional group!

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**CELL SPACE BENEFIT**

TONIGHT!! Monday, November 18th
San Francisco

The venue known as CELLspace in San Francisco was an integral part of Burning Man’s early years of development. Part entertainment venue, part artistic co-op, CELL was the site of many Town Meetings and early Burning Man events; it also provided a perfect location for the expressive needs of our related community for many other workshops and events. CELL has experienced some difficulty of late, but in true community style, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have come to the rescue, with the help of the Bay Area’s circus performers, to create a benefit for CELLspace at Somarts Gallery.

Monday November 18th wine and cheese 7pm, show at 8pm, Somarts, 934 Brannan St.
Save the Cell 5.0: Cabaret Fantesca
A benefit for Cell Space
Hosted by The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc.
Featuring: Cirkus Plexus, Duskbeat Circus, Ouchy the Clown, The Sister Sock Show, Tonal Chaos, Smedley-O, members of the Funky Puppet Supper Club, members of Pickle Circus, and others. Silent Art Auction. General Admission $15-25 sliding scale.

Cabaret Fantesca is a benefit for Cell Space to assist in its continuing mission of providing affordable studio space for Bay Area artists and programs that bring the arts to the community. Admission is $15-25, sliding scale.

For more information contact Novice Sister Selma Soul at selmasoul(at)hellen(dot)org

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That’s this week’s news and information from the JRS bunnies…stay tuned for a special edition of the JRS for LOST AND FOUND FILM!

Love,
*AG*

Freewheel, and my other Swedish pop heroes. Sigh…

>^..^^..^

Burning Man
jackrabbitspeaks(at)burningman(dot)com (for questions and post requests)

The JRS: guaranteed to be interesting every now and then.

old rabbits: www.burningman.com/blackrockcity_yearround/jrs/

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