06/09: Memories of Burning Man
When I was little, I used to stay up nights listening to my dad’s Hallicrafter SB-40 shortwave radio. What a treat! In the winters, I would take off the cover and get close to the tubes to stay warm. It was great to listen to shows and news from around the globe. During the cold war, I set up my own neighborhood Deputy radio watch where we would transcribe transmissions obviously sent by spies and attempt to crack the ‘codes’. My father promptly de-deputized us all after we successfully notified the local FBI of what we thought we heard and were paid a visit by G-Men.
Later, I moved the shortwave radio into my study and would relive my youth with the radio and some of my father’s favorite scotch. One thing I absolutely enjoyed listening to were the broadcasts from BurningMan. For those who don’t know about BurningMan, it is a week long festival in the middle of a desert in Black Rock, Nevada. People dress up, camp out, sing, dance, and generally have nun. I swear that a space ship could crash there and the people there wouldn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. The week ends with a wonderful party around a 40-foot high bonfire of, wait for it, a burning man. Quite an experience that I heartily recommend to those interested in a once in a lifetime experience.
Wanting to experience what I heard growing up, I enjoyed BurningMan with my dear friend, Matt Cutts. Matt is now a chief mucktity-muck at Google. The backrubs and on-site dental care haven’t changed him a bit. ;-) Seeing news from BurningMan this year got me thinking about the time with Matt at BurningMan. I asked Matt for his thoughts on BurningMan, which I copied below. Matt also posted it on his blog, which I highly recommend if you are interested in Google and search engine optimization.
Okay, Burning Man just finished up last week. A few years ago I went to Burning Man, and I thought I’d share some advice to keep you out of trouble and make it more fun if you decide to go.
1. Don’t take your own car. Burning Man is a temporary camp on a desert playa. That means dust. When I took my 1994 Ford Escort a few years ago, I never did get the dust completely cleaned from the car, right up until the day the car died. Save yourself the stress: rent a car or a van.
2. Don’t agree to drive someone who buys gallons of yellow body paint. I’m looking at you, B. I never did get those traces of yellow body paint completely cleaned out of my car either. This advice also applies for red body paint, blue body paint, and green body paint. Really, any type of body paint.
3. Take a digital camera and a normal camera. Taking pictures of naked people? Use the digital camera. Taking pictures of art installations or the scenery? The normal camera is fine.
4. If it’s your first time, don’t go on a Monday. I know that you want to get the “full Burning Man experience.” But the fact is that you’ll be out in the desert for days, and that can get old if you don’t know many people. Go on Wednesday or Thursday and you’ll still have plenty of time to see the art cars and watch the Man burn.
5. Keep your eyes open and try new things. For example, when I was there, I kept seeing trucks driving around every few hours, but didn’t pay much attention to them. On the last day, I realized that the trucks were spraying water as they went. Smart people keep their eyes open and spot opportunities, whether it be free water showers or a chance to talk to someone new.
Later, I moved the shortwave radio into my study and would relive my youth with the radio and some of my father’s favorite scotch. One thing I absolutely enjoyed listening to were the broadcasts from BurningMan. For those who don’t know about BurningMan, it is a week long festival in the middle of a desert in Black Rock, Nevada. People dress up, camp out, sing, dance, and generally have nun. I swear that a space ship could crash there and the people there wouldn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. The week ends with a wonderful party around a 40-foot high bonfire of, wait for it, a burning man. Quite an experience that I heartily recommend to those interested in a once in a lifetime experience.
Okay, Burning Man just finished up last week. A few years ago I went to Burning Man, and I thought I’d share some advice to keep you out of trouble and make it more fun if you decide to go.
1. Don’t take your own car. Burning Man is a temporary camp on a desert playa. That means dust. When I took my 1994 Ford Escort a few years ago, I never did get the dust completely cleaned from the car, right up until the day the car died. Save yourself the stress: rent a car or a van.
2. Don’t agree to drive someone who buys gallons of yellow body paint. I’m looking at you, B. I never did get those traces of yellow body paint completely cleaned out of my car either. This advice also applies for red body paint, blue body paint, and green body paint. Really, any type of body paint.
3. Take a digital camera and a normal camera. Taking pictures of naked people? Use the digital camera. Taking pictures of art installations or the scenery? The normal camera is fine.
4. If it’s your first time, don’t go on a Monday. I know that you want to get the “full Burning Man experience.” But the fact is that you’ll be out in the desert for days, and that can get old if you don’t know many people. Go on Wednesday or Thursday and you’ll still have plenty of time to see the art cars and watch the Man burn.
5. Keep your eyes open and try new things. For example, when I was there, I kept seeing trucks driving around every few hours, but didn’t pay much attention to them. On the last day, I realized that the trucks were spraying water as they went. Smart people keep their eyes open and spot opportunities, whether it be free water showers or a chance to talk to someone new.
