Negativity Abounds at This Years Burning Man

[Badger]

Last edited by OSF on Tue Sep 16, 2003 11:43 am; edited 1 time in total

What the hell dos that mean?

[precipitate]

It means that Tawnee Lynne deleted all her posts. And then changed her
handle to OSF.

Chickenshit.

[precipitate]

Or, didn't delete, just edited to remove all content. Guess she didn't know
what that little X means above all your posts. <shrug>

[precipitate]

Ooh. I just noticed that Tawnee Lynne and OSF aren't the same person.
The OSF posts that were edited into oblivion seemed to be in the right
position to be Tawnee's posts. Very interesting.

[III]

>right position

they certainly are. my suspicion is that she edited all fo her posts to be empty, then changed her handle to osf (which i can't for the life of me figure out) and then created a new account as tawnee lynne, since that name was no longer in the database.

[Ivy]

The "What's your reason for Flaming Tawnee Lynne" thread has since changed names to something about PJ and cow fisting.

The "What's Your reason..." thread was originally started by StarBoy.

The "PJ cow fisting" thread is listed as being authored by OSF.

Therefore, i conclude that OSF was formerly StarBoy.

And here I thought the "author" feild was useless...

I do recall somewhere once there was a post about "obsequious something (I can't remember what the 2nd word was) fuckwit", hence OSF. I thought I recalled Lydia (?) saying she wanted to put that as her signature.

[precipitate]

It was obsequious pontificating newbie cultish moonie freak. To Eric, in the
What ever it once had ... thread.

[precipitate]

> Therefore, i conclude that OSF was formerly StarBoy.

StarBoy's gone from the member database. Could be.

[Ivy]

It was obsequious pontificating newbie cultish moonie freak

No, it appeared again later as "obseqious something fuckwit." I assume it's been deleted now, since I searched and couldn't find it, but I distinctly remember reading it, but between the convoluted organization of this forum and my short attention span, i can't remember what it was udner.

[Stormy]

Or, didn't delete, just edited to remove all content. Guess she didn't know
what that little X means above all your posts. <shrug>

Though once someone replies to your post, the X option goes away.

[Lydia Love]

Crap - now I can't remember the Something in Obsequious Something Fuckwit.


I wasn't thinking for the sig so much as to USE it on somebody.

UM... Starboy... You OK? Why are you erasing yourself in front of our eyes?

[Ivy]

I wasn't thinking for the sig so much as to USE it on somebody.

Sorry, my bad.

I knew I wasn't hallucinating.

[Zane5100]

It was obsequious pontificating newbie cultish moonie freak

No, it appeared again later as "obseqious something fuckwit." I assume it's been deleted now, since I searched and couldn't find it, but I distinctly remember reading it, but between the convoluted organization of this forum and my short attention span, i can't remember what it was udner.

I believe it was "sanctimonious."

[Lydia Love]

That sounds about right!

Obsequious Sanctimonious Fuckwit


I'm saving it up .... though most of time a sanctimonious fuckwit doesn't really manage obsequious at the same time.

Then again a true fuckwit probably won't go look it up.

[III]

obsequious sounds like it would go better with simpering than with sanctimonious.

[Lydia Love]

and I guess Obstinate would go better with Sanctimonious...

but I tend to *admire* obstinate as a trait. Even, sometimes, in fuckwits.

[Bob]

<img src="http://www.sonic.net/~bullnose/03/03mural.jpg">

[Lydia Love]

Well.... I guess it would depend on the fuckwit...

yikes!

[Guest]

The thing I love most about BM is the lack of judgement from others...

I found out that people at BM can be just as judgemental as folks in the real world.

Sometimes even more so.

We've got fucking polls! We can prove you're wrong!

[Guest]

and I guess Obstinate would go better with Sanctimonious...

but I tend to *admire* obstinate as a trait. Even, sometimes, in fuckwits.

I think I just got a crush on you Lydia.

[JezebelinHell]

While we're on the subject of big words used as insults:

A guy at my work did something particularly stupid last night, and I called him a fuckhead. He took offense. I told him I was gonna call him a myopic fuckwit, but I was afraid he'd need a dictionary. The look on his face, combined with lack of retort, proved that I was indeed correct. Thanks elplaya for one of my favorite degrading terms for close minded idiots.

[BlueBirdPoof]

The skeletal condition of much of the major infrastructure well into the week--the Man's base and the big entryway thingie at the south end of the Promenade, for example--contributed to this sensation. I'm told by an .org staffer that the late start on major art projects was intentional, as part of the financial decision to reduce head count prior to the event. But for me this merely lent vague a feeling of "disorganization at the top" to the city.

I was dissapointed that the fire fountain that was in the 3'o clock plaza wasn't up and running until Friday night. It was a pretty cool work, I thought (apparently recycled from the year before) and you're right, it did sort of make the Plaza seem not quite there without its centerpiece. There's something really amazing about really having the city There; especially if you're lucky enough to see the decline and fall post-event. Somehow the emphemerality is a bit more shocking if thing seem a little more solid to begin with.

Perhaps I babble.

[Deb Harris]

I felt there was a difference between this year and past years. it is a good different or a bad different. we had alot going on in our camp of 72 - people's family members being very ill, one of our campmates was unable to make it because of her cancer and another ending up in the hospital just before due to food poison. I will always return if I'm healthy enough to do so. I am looking forward to next year and I pray that things will be different.

I don't feel one bad experience should stop anyone from trying again.

Thanks,

[DVD Burner]

What is happening to burning man? Is reality catching up to it?

Last year it was the most positive experience of my life, and I bragged about how I didn't hear even one voice raised in anger, let alone witness a fight. It renewed my faith in mankind that (for at least a week) people could be kind, and patient, and understanding and create a community of peace.

This was not even close to my experience this year. I heard many voices raised in anger. The event was thick with frat boy mentality. The night of the temple burn, usually a night of reverence, was especially disturbing. Three men in front of me (one dressed in a silver sequined dress) mocked and sang (horribly) over the opera singer the entire time in the largest display of disrespect I could have imagined. Meanwhile, a young woman with a megaphone stood behind me showering the crowd with a barrage of magnified "F@ck Off!" variances.

Are these newbies that don't understand the philosophy of Burning Man? Is the event getting so big that it's drawing in too many lookie loos? And most importantly, what can be done to bring the event back to its philosophical roots?

These negative observations are not mine alone. Several of my campmates had similar experiences - which is making us question whether we'll return next year. It would be sad if this bad karma drives off exactly the type of people that embrace the spirit of Burning Man.

Just thought this thread needed to be rethunk.
Amazing how things look once a little time has passed.

[naga brain]

I had a blast. No bad energy existed with our camp, our neighbors or any of the visitors to our camp. Everyone was really exceptionally, wonderfully, nice. The things that kept us happy and comfortable, had to do mostly with planning IMO. That way we could get down to fun having instead of mad having.

Isn't this whole thing what you make of it? Make it good and it will be.

[actiongrl]

HEY! You're the little bad guy on "Aqua Teen Hunger Force"!

I agree, you get out of it what you put into it.

[queenkellee]

BM is what you make it--you ask for every experience you have. really. good AND bad.

BOTH cause us to learn important lessons *we have asked for* when coming to, what I believe to be, the safest place where we can learn these lessons without giving up all hope (or maybe it's just me).

every year is completely different. going in with expectations that "this year" will be like any other is setting up yourself for disappointment.

as for 2003, all i have to say is MARS + Mercury Retrograde. heeelloooo!

we had many testing trials in 2003. My beau and I were angry at our fellow campmates, then also fought. this fight brought out an important issue that we had been avoiding discussing. tough? sure. essential? absolutely. our anger at our campmates made me realize how much I give too much for group projects/others at burning man and tend to ignore my own needs/wants/desires. this was in fact the question i took, in tears, into my travels through the labyrinth, and this whole year I have been feeling the result.

this was also a lesson from 2002, but there were a whole lot of lessons that year (which would take a whole book to really get into, not exaggerating) and it was one I still hadn't faced. so here we came again, lesson part II.

someone i spoke with at BM last year put it well. he was dissapointed with the art, but he continued and said that the people were crazier than ever.

i agreed.

and, really, isn't it about the people, kids?

take responsiblity for your experience. someone pisses you off? go up to 'em and set 'em straight on what you think. in a nice way, please. they may be completely unaware they are pissing you off. they might not care. at least you said your piece.

so I learned an important lesson: it's okay to be angry. in fact, if you are, you better get it out and deal with it because it only gets worse. We can't get too into our own goodie-goodieness and forget that this is a game of Polarity Integration we are playing. part of that is not denying anger and all those lower chakra emotions, but embracing them and seeing the positive growth and purpose that comes out of them.

it seems last year (ok, every year, but especially last year) *a lot* of people let *a lot* of things go on the playa--pain, hurt, anger, sadness. this is not an easy, nor totally comfortable process. there was a certain undercurrent of pain that I and some others felt very deeply. I cried at times because I could not stop it, and finally I gave up trying. (even when it wasn't convient for those around me, like in the middle of the lost at last show at church of wow on thursday night)

for me, I see that the issues that are brought up at BM echo in my life as lessons for the whole next year. if you didn't have the best time, look at your reactions, not other's actions.

and on a side not about expectations...I found some of the funniest moments this year revolved around the porta potties. shiting, peeing, nature none of us can avoid. people busting into song as they do their duty.."smell that smell! oh that smell! that smell that surrounds...you....", someone placing meditative pooing tapes piped into one portapotty by our camp (certainly helped me relax and giggle one groggy morn), full conversations going on between those engrossed in their "duties" between portapotties. a small comment said under my breath picked up by someone down the "row" and completely understood out of context...

portapotty humor. who woulda thunk it.

BM continues to amaze and inspire. Good job kids!

[Guest]

So many different types of people attend it's a wonder there's not more confrontations. Guess I'm lucky that the worst I've seen in 6 years is a few arguments and some shoving.
Although them DPW folks can get pretty ornery. I just give 'em booze and get out of their way.

[princesa del fuego]

I was equally appaled by the yelling to sit the fuck down and other slander the night of the burn. I was wearing 6 inch platformed red boots and a hoop skirt, not exactly the best costume to be sitting down in. Hey since when did we need to sit down to watch the burn....wasn't he some upton million feet high last year?

[Simply Joel]

While we're on the subject of big words used as insults:

A guy at my work did something particularly stupid last night, and I called him a fuckhead. He took offense. I told him I was gonna call him a myopic fuckwit, but I was afraid he'd need a dictionary. The look on his face, combined with lack of retort, proved that I was indeed correct. Thanks elplaya for one of my favorite degrading terms for close minded idiots.

I would advise you to refrain from using such language because...

when the HR people come and speak to you about "creating a hostile work environment based on inappropriate language" don't say you weren't warned.