BLACK ROCK

CARNIVAL OF MIRRORS • JUGGLING EDITION • TUEDSAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 • VOLUME XI, NUMBER II • 1:15 @ CENTER CAMP • WWW.BLACKROCKBEACON.ORG ‘The Playa Provides’ midburn shalom By Durgy Gate was a few hours late to open. There was By curious a several kilometer line of cars on the highway Midburn, the regional burn in the waiting to be sent at intervals down the long First day of the Burn, and a typical one at Ram- Desert, occurred on Shavuot and sur- and sandy road leading into Midburn. Some part: Burners coming in with white-out related eye rounding dates coinciding with May 20 to 24. It people had to wait more than eight hours to get ouchieness, dehydration, tons of rebar smashups, drew 6,789 people in 2015 up from 2,876 in its in. Patient waiting to get into a Burn is not so a hole drilled toward the shin bone, a battery pack 2014 inaugural year. I attended Midburn 2015 unfamiliar to attendees on the Playa. toppling onto an upturned face requiring stitches and found where people gathered, On the first day of the event I met Jules and to the upper lip and gum, a man requesting an STD built, lived and loved, guided by the 10 prin- the crew from Papier Dome. They had just fin- opinion (private room for that), a woman seeking ciples. ished printing a newspaper and were handing an ultrasound check-in with her fetus. Then a The Department of Public Works analog at out copies. The masthead, banner and copyleft Burner hobbled in wearing a leg brace. Midburn is Mapatz, which means “bang” (as in information seemed very familiar. I identified She’d just unpacked all her stuff onto the Playa “big bang”) in Ivrit (Hebrew). I had the oppor- myself as an instigator of the Beacon and there floor when someone drove right over her crutches tunity to volunteer with Mapatz coming off my was an instant connection. They had, in fact, and smashed them. first full season at BRC DPW in 2014. Much like read the Beacon and modeled some of the way Those crutches were her primary mode of DPW, Mapatz surveyed roads and camps, set up they did things on the BRB. Since it was a small transportation. a parking lot, built fence and shade, created and operation, I figured they would be strapped for “Do you have any extra crutches?” she im- distributed signage, ran power cables, operated content (as the Beacon is at times - please come plored. heavy equipment and led Leave No Trace efforts. and volunteer) so I offered to write a piece. “No,” Marty Ornish regretted to inform her. We napped, danced and had fun. The next day I turned in an article to the Marty was volunteering as medical clinic greeter During build week Mapatz largely camped Papier Dome about participation - personal in the triage area of Rampart, while her husband, together in rows of tents under a single shade accounts and a general call for folks to volunteer Steve, a physician, volunteered a shift in medic structure. For the most part, motor vehicles were at Midburn. Jules seemed happy and told me he first aid. not allowed in the city during the event. Event would put my article in the paper coming out “How am I going to get around?” she cried. It attendees (including Mapatz crew) dropped their could come before a judge on Sunday, according to that noon! They had an ambitious publication was going to be a very long week. gear at their camps and parked their cars in the my tranaslator. I felt helpless as negotiations went schedule of one paper per day. Just then, the door opened and a Burner parking lot. on in the background. I wondered whether partici- When I returned to the Papier Dome after stepped in, bearing crutches and an extra leg boot. Soon after sunrise each build day, someone pants in the 1990 Baker Beach shutdown felt that noon there were some glitches occurring with “Do you think anyone might need these?” he asked would come around saying “boker tov” (“good same way when they needed to tear down the Man their equipment. I have been doing on-Playa the clinic. “I came to donate these.” Just in case morning”), tapping on tents and telling stories in before it was reassembled at Zone Trip #4. publications since 2001 and am familiar with there might be some broken Burner in need. Ivrit until we assembled in the Mapatz salon for the On Sunday, May 17, we were told that a judge equipment glitches (what Beaconer who lived Not two minutes after she arrived.. morning meeting. I imagined it as a kind / gentle ruled that the event was going forward, and organiz- it could forget the catastrophic paper jam of wake up call in the military. ers and law enforcement would need to work it out 2006?). Jules looked to me with frustration During the build, a high-ranking police official - eventually leading to there being no police patrols and desperation in his eyes and asked if it is sought and received a temporary “cease and desist” during the event. acceptable to skip a day even if he promised a order right before the weekend (which is Friday When the official start date arrived, we still had daily paper. I assured him that Playa happens and Shabbat). a few tasks to complete before getting an official go- and the people that matter would understand. At a Mapatz meeting, Nati and Nir (Midburn ahead. Mapatz spread out in the city to bury power Also, his would be the best (albeit the only) board members) explained that entry into the city cables, move vehicles, and complete fence. By the paper out there and folks would be fortunate to and all building was suspended until the order time we got the green light from inspectors, the receive his art and gift when it was ready..

the main Burning Man tribe, and hundreds more management and promised to invest in upgrades. dated from a September 2008 outage was that a through associated groups. Theme camps and Pincus left to run Zynga, which makes games like server known as “the grapher” was not correctly Lost Tribe Bmorg departments had their own tribes, but it was FarmVille for other Internet destinations. [Note to “rebuilt” and the exact issue with it has not been not just for Burners. Tribes coalesced around topics Pincus: “greener pastures” is a metaphor.] isolated. By MITCH as diverse as cheese, religion, and neighborhoods New computers were installed, but the system What is needed, she said is a programmer in cities around the world. At its peak, it had more never recovered. Logging in became especially dif- “familiar with large-scale web applications, Java In January, TomCat suggested on Facebook than half a million users around the world. ficult. Many remaining Burners abandoned Tribe. on Linux, SSH, load balancing, etc. First job would that Burners take a weekend campout in a ghost There was also porn. When we arrived for the campout -- minus be to triage the grapher and see if that gets us to town. The trip and the municipality were virtual: Having attracted investments from Knight TomCat, who, ironically, was unable to log in -- we stability, then decide on a more sustainable and the destination was Tribe.net. Ridder and the Washington Post as well as venture- connected with Carolyn, a flesh-and-blood member maintainable platform going forward.” What we found when we arrived was like the capital money, Tribe eased out co-founder Marc of New System Associates, who explained why New Street finds itself constrained by the Langoliers: a world where the furniture was still Pincus from the chief executive position in April Tribe went wonky and why it’s still there. Tribe ownership structure. Until the software in place but none of the people, and everything 2005, leading to a series of unfortunate events that “The deal we cut with Mark in 2008 was that we can be rewritten, Pincus holds the physical assets was spooky and half lit. Yet we were able to find included the most horrific color scheme in the would create a new software platform for Tribe to and Cisco the technology, she said. A campout out what had happened to Tribe and what might history of computer screens -- blood red and dead run on so that we would no longer need to license member with some programming background become of it. white -- and a clampdown on adult content. it from Cisco. Once that was complete, the remain- has been in touch, and that way might lay salva- “What kindled the idea was a bit of nostalgia A year later, most of the staff was laid off, and a ing assets would transfer to us,” she told us. tion. Others with knowledge are welcome to for the friends I made on Tribe 10 years ago,” said mass disembarkation of users put Pincus back at Development began but was never completed. contact her. TomCat, currently of Portland, Oregon. “Friends the helm in August 2006, promising changes. The In 2010, a combination of a dispute with contract Meanwhile, the site limps along with about 50 that I met online and still consider them friends old look was restored, but not the free-for-all adult programmers and the loss of advertising from a $5-per-month subscribers and advertising to users and are remarkably close.” content. major server that objected to the site’s remaining who do not pay. Many of those are interested in Based in San Francisco, Tribe was a natural fit Pincus sold the technology underlying Tribe pornographic content put the rewrite on hold, our old friend porn -- let’s just say that if you look for free spirits who wanted to exchange informa- to Cisco in March 2007, presumably retaining the where it remains, according to Carolyn. at the profile photos of new members, a lot of the tion -- and the occasional dirty picture -- in a format right to use the software. The New York Times said She estimated it would cost about $100,000 to time you are not seeing faces. based on shared interests. Other social-networking at that time that Tribe was “primarily used by artists start again, though money is not the main concern. Patient Burners interested in visiting or sites, before and after, have tended to be based on who attend the annual Burning Man festival in the Rather, it’s the decade-old software that’s increas- revisiting Tribe can go to the site and join or log individuals. Anybody could start a tribe and invite Nevada desert.” ingly incompatible with everything else. “Any in using their old credentials. Forgotten yours? their friends from inside or outside the site; the For Burners, things went along much as they attempt to upgrade even the operating system Contact Carolyn via her Tribe profile at http:// interesting Tribes grew, effectively marketing the had until the following year, when Tribe became breaks the site,” she said. “This is the major issue.” people.tribe.net/carolyna The campout had its site to new members. unstable. New hardware was promised, and four Campers complained that about unreasonable own tribe, and you can view the conversations at Hundreds of messages a day passed through users called New Systems Associates took over log-in times. Carolyn said the probable cause http://tribes.tribe.net/tribecampout2015.

POPULATION: Unreported “You are done at the Gate, the next “If they are so nice, thing you will hit is the nice guys, e why do we want to the Greeters.” Black Rock Beacon hit them?”

BRAINTEASERS BY DURGY mid way OLIYSHFI R E OALDNA R DKE By STRYKe to the Circus World Museum. New York is taking a more This year, Burning Man cerebral approach, with a HFLOE R ENED regional organizations were Fantastic Journey Into the Man’s invited to populate Black Rock Head. The Big Apple is known for YFUNEDAC R A City’s own Midway, occupy- its concentration of psychiatrists, ing the area surrounding the and they will have doctors and LISNBPKCSN Funhouse at the base of the nurses on hand, offering a deep Man. The idea is to satirize inspection of Bernie’s brain. LNIIYDSYAA the hucksterism of the Default Sometimes, you go to the World midways, turning “the exhibit, sometimes the exhibit grifting into gifting.” comes to you. The China and Tai- AGOKIOHLTL

Boston Burners, for in- PHOTO | by Mitch wan regional will be “recruiting” stance, are offering a black-box workers for its robotic factory BSNEE R OLZP salon called Shock-a-Chakra, found at the Wisconsin regional’s floor, FoxCarn. “Stripped of their allowing participants to search for demonic Pinball Machine. It will count belongings and taught to recite mo- DAO R TE W OCS enlightenment in the dark. There they your fingers incorrectly, turn your tivational Chinese slogans, they will will encounter three aura meters with head into a skull, and have a good enter a gamified space of production HLKOOKGJHE two sets of corresponding buttons on laugh at your expense. This is the fifth that blurs the line between man and the left and right. Players will compete honorarium project for the state group, machine.” A robot hovering overhead Find the following words in the grid: Arcade, Ballyhoo, Carny, Donniker, Ersatz, with each other in a race to light up and it reflects Wisconsin’s association will enforce goals of efficiency and Esplanade,Find the Fire,following Freak Show, words Geek, in Hanky the Pank,grid: Illusion, Arcade, Jolly, Ballyhoo, Kook, Laffing Carny, Donniker, Ersatz, Esplanade, colored lights, representing chakra with circuses, the kissing cousins of shareholder value. Workers will be Sal,Fire, Rod, Freak Road. TheShow, remaining Geek, letters Hanky spell aPank, popular Illusion,BRC DPW phraseJolly, (5,5!).Kook, Laffing Sal, Rod, Road. The points on the body by manipulating carnivals: Ringling Brothers was cre- compensated with tokens that can be remaining letters spell a popular BRC DPW phrase (5,5!). the buttons in the correct order. There ated in Baraboo, embarking on its first used to buy goods at the next-door will be clues to guide you, but some of tour in 1894, and later combining with Betel Store to buy products like iGift If You’re Stopped by Authorities the buttons might be tricks. It is meant rival Barnum and Bailey to become the and iSwag. It’s a lighthearted send-up to be a voyage of personal discovery largest American circus. Baraboo, in of what organizers describe as “the By Rage the Bear with satirical stimulation. the middle of the state (and not par- world’s most valuable brand.” Less gentle handling may be ticularly near anything), is now home This information gives some detail a water pipe in the open is enough for about your basic rights. It is not a probable cause (don’t do this). substitute for legal advice. When stopped by an officer, you When an officer stops you, he or must provide ID or your name as it drums! she may search you either if (i) you give appears on your ID. Beyond that, you consent or (ii) the officer has probable do not need to answer an officer’s By MITCH cause that you have committed a crime. questions. Period. Either an officer has It ends with you and your goatskin Officers are trained to elicit consent probable cause to search you or not. By drum. It begins with a medicine show with forceful statements like “I need to answering questions, your answers may on the Midway and your participation in take a look in there.” And consent may subject yourself to a search. carnival games. be given even when it might sound like If you’d like to leave while interact- A group of second-year Burners, a no, like “I’m not sure that’s OK.” You ing with an officer, simply ask “Sir/ who in 2014 brought the Membranes of must give a clear and definitive state- ma’am, am I free to leave?” If the officer Marrakesh to the Souk, are back as Dr. ment. The easiest is, “I do not consent says yes, calmly walk away. If the officer Thelonious D. RUM and His Medicinal to any search or seizure.” says no, you are being detained or are ThumpThump Curing Excursion. They To obtain probable cause to search under arrest. If detained, simply repeat offer Burners a two-part deal. What had been was the last one in “Burners will stay and work for you, your property, or camp, an officer the first question until you are free to go “It’s a cool combination of aspects that North America, “‘Doc’ Scott’s Last Real multiple hours, coming and going must have articulable facts that lead and then calmly leave. tie in directly with the Carnival of Mirrors Old Time Medicine Show,” was active throughout the day as they work on to more than a hunch that you have If you are under arrest, politely tell Theme,” according to Dhani, a member of for roughly a century and lasted until their drums before they walk away with committed a crime. For example, using the officer you are invoking your right the group. It begins with a “Midway experi- 1990. They peddled a liniment that was their finished product. It’s laborious to remain silent, that you’d like to speak ence, full of all kinds of amusements. You actually called Snake Oil, and was run yet ever-so-rewarding for everyone with a lawyer, and then shut the hell up! play our games, you interact with our carny for six decades by country singer/song- involved,” Dhani said. On his way in to Black Rock City characters and medicine show, and WIN! writer Tommy Scott. Dhani, who admits to being a ALMANAC last year, the author and his partner You build a drum.” The Medicinal ThumpThump Cur- “long-time groupie” of Stan’s, says the were detained for an unlit license plate They are a little shy about from ing Excursion may lack the commercial leader is a professional drum builder, Saturn will rule the night skies in obscured by a bike rack. They were where they hail, but Dhani says their element, but it offers an elixir for the who leads workshops around the United Black Rock City this year. The ringed kept waiting long after their license soul: your own drum. To make it, ac- States teaching others how to craft their planet will reveal itself in the south- and registration had checked out. Rage leader, Stan, hails from the “upper east western sky as the Sun sets about bumfuck Adirondack region of Upstate cording to Dhani, you have to negotiate own percussion. 23 degrees above the horizon and postulates they were calling for dogs. It New York,” which provides wood for the amusements in the front of the Dr. Thelonious D. RUM and His Me- will set three hours later. (Orientation came out they were law students. The drum shells, an Amish buggy that is the house, winning all the games in a speci- dicinal ThumpThump Curing Excursion hint: a line drawn from Center Camp officer waved them on. Rage took the fied sequence. will be fostering the rhythmic psyche to the Man to the Temple is pretty bar exam in July. group’s Vardo (a horse-drawn wagon much aiming northeast.) Party ani- used by British Romani as living quar- The back of the house is a whole of Black Rock Citizens on the Midway mals, insomniacs, and insanely early ters), and other materials used in the other story. To get there, a fortune teller from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily until noon risers can catch Venus and Mars, creation of the project. in the Vardo has to sign off on a drum in on Friday. The last day to run through together again, rising in the east your future. Not everyone is destined to the games in order to build a drum is around 4:30 a.m. They’ll be followed Medicine shows trace their roots to by Jupiter around 6, but the Sun will medieval mountebanks and charlatans. build one. Thursday. begin to obscure them all shortly These quacks roamed Europe, selling thereafter. –Courtesy of Dominic poison antidotes and other elixirs. The Ford’s in-the-sky.org Wednesday, August 31. 2005 word mountebank derives from Italian The Black Rock Beacon Tuesday • September 1 and means “mounted on a bench,” 10 Years Ago Narcissism Edition as the vendors would typically appeal Sunset • 7:31 p.m. Twilight ends • 7:59 p.m. to their audiences from a small stage, Moon rise • 9:29 p.m. sometimes assisted by jesters and ac- Howeird did a Gerlach pub crawl in For the price of a half-dozen search of anybody who thought a San tickets ($250 at the top tier that year), companied by music. Wednesday • September 2 Snakebit: They came to North America, offer- Diego company’s plan to establish a Lockout Camp was lost. A bunch of First light • 5:56 p.m. Many camps and projects ing some of the elements of the modern 11,450-megawatt coal-fired power plant good-hearted citizens who helped about 10 miles northwest of town might fellow Burners re-enter their vehicles Sunrise • 6:24 p.m. are behind schedule carnival among their ancillary entertain- Sunset • 7:30 p.m. be a good idea. Local proponents were should they have been so shortsighted ments, including flea circuses and freak Twilight ends • 7:58 p.m. thanks to weekend shows, meant to draw crowds for the few and far between -- in fact, they were as to lose their keys, this formerly dust storms Bmorg-sponsored camp disbanded main character, a salesman posing as a Bruno -- and the idea was abandoned courtesy of SunriseSunset.com doctor or scientist. the following year. after losing support.

PERPETRATORS OF THE BLACK ROCK BEACON: Ali Baba, president. Naughty Zed, treasurer & stunt double. Mitchell Martin, president of Semi Legal Mumbo Jumbo: Copyright © 2015 The Black Rock Beacon, a not-for-profit corporation organized under the laws of the state of vice. Smash, editor. rednikki, editor. Larry Breed, tino kaiwhakatika tarua.- Rockstar, camp manager. Francis Wenderlich, artist. Mrs. Lucky, Washington and located at 32657 9th PL S, Federal Way, WA, 98003, some rights reserved. You are free to to copy, distribute, display, and perform the information and images contained herein, to make derivative works, and to make commercial use of this work under the following condi- deep thinker. Suzanne Zalev, editor in absentia. Taymar & WeeGee, photographers on hiatus. Durgy, doer of stuff. Lena Kartzov, design diva tions: You must attribute the work to the Black Rock Beacon and, if you alter, transform, or build upon our material, you may distribute the & masthead. Sunami, wave of repair. STAFF THIS ISSUE: Editor, Mitch. Production Goddess, Naughty Zed. Writers, Mitch, Curious, Mrs. Lucky, resulting work only under a license identical to this one. These conditions may be waived if you obtain permission from The Black Rock Beacon. Durgy, Rage The Bear. Photographers, Mitch. Illustrator, Loren Albrecht. Thanks to jeffjonesillustration.com for use of the masthead pig. Visit us at www.blackrockbeacon.org or follow us at twitter.com/BlackRockBeacon.