Burning Man (2005)

[madmusic]

So I'm a bit envious of those who made it this year and did a little on-line traveling to make up for it. You know, checked out youtube Burning Man experience films and whatnot. Ran across this, too:

Burning Man devotees seek less snuggle, more art
Splinter group plans populist experiment at 2005 festival

Leslie Fulbright, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sunday, January 2, 2005

The final blow for longtime Burning Man devotee "Chicken John" Rinaldi was a camp called Operation Desert Snuggle, a pink tent adorned with sleeping bags, blankets and a bunch of bright-colored cushions.

That was 2002. Rinaldi hasn't been back since because, he says, what was once a chaotic celebration of art has devolved into a week of mindless partying, with no element of surprise, barely any art and way too many snugglers.

"Those people bought their stuff online and made a petting zoo for overweight people in their mid-40s," said the 36-year-old owner of the Odeon Bar, a Burning Man haunt in the Mission District. "That made me violent. I wanted to burn that thing to the ground.

"Burning Man has turned into a giant group hug in the desert."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/01/02/BURNING.TMP

What the hell do they care? Why did it make him violent and want to "burn that thing to the ground"? Fascist artists? Spartan artists? Puritan artists? How could it stop anyone from making art? Or was it a "follow the money" thing?

So many laws, so little time.

Any Burning Man fans have thoughts or an inside scoop?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

1. That's just Jim Mason.

Part of it is just this persona that he likes to cultivate. The battle between the cuddly ravers and the scary fire loonies has been going on since 1997. On the other hand, Mason isn't exactly the most responsible of operators. Part of his "art" last year was dropping a 50 ton safe on a giant propane tank. It's a wonder nobody got seriously hurt.