Burning Life '08 General Discussion

Pandora, I'm sorry to hear you don't like the theme for this year's Burning Man event, but I hope it's clear that the theme has nothing to do with Burning Life.

Please do try to avoid personal attacks and posts that are written to incite anger.

I do apologise. Ms. I really should know to be more careful.

Surely yes. Dusty, Vic, and many others involved with the running of Burning Life are indeed, right now, on the Playa.

This is, in fact, Vicero's first visit to RL Burning Man - and I, for one, am optimistic that it will have a positive influence on how he handles his part of Burning Life.

Well, now THAT'S impressive. I hope they have a wonderful time!

I am not sure quite what to say... perhaps the BL event staff who are Burning Man virgins might find themselves swept away by the energy of the other people at the event.

Maybe ---name removed before it's edited out--- will be so changed by the experience that the idea of even being involved in BL is no longer something they can handle. Perhaps they'll run away to a Rainbow Children's group in the northern woods and not be seen for two years, or join a travelling circus for tall, golden. painted sex clowns.

Well they say Burning Man can be life altering.

Gavin, that's exactly the kind of childishness you're accusing you-know-who of. It's unnecessary, and doesn't forward the issue at all. Probably also the kind of thing Katt will point at as a reason for the heavy-handed moderation. Give it a break.

Buckaroo you are right. I have gone back and deleted that post in the interest of not perpetuating that childishness.

Thank you for slapping my wrist on that one.

Dammit, Gavin! That was going to be MY theme camp this year! Now I have to come up with something else!

You know Daaneth... I think you probably could do better than that. More like 600 flags and perfectly sculpted renditions of the Presidential candidates and running mates in funny poses. Hopefully these would placed around a nicely illuminated dance area surrounded by a high chain link fence with razor wire. Beautiful.

Or better yet, silly caricatures of the various pols, and set up a pie throwing tool...

I personally believe in being part of the solution vs. part of the problem...

Why don't we just tailor the Theme to "Second Life Dreams" vs "North American Dreams/South American Dreams/American Dreams/We're NotGoing To Have Any Dreams...."

Just a thought...

Fixed that for ya.

Magellan, that's a absolutely WONDERFUL idea. I can't believe no one seems to have thought of it. It's perfect!

Electric Dream?

Wet Dream?

Electric Wet Dream? (oooh sounds dangerous!)

How about The Utopian Dream? ..since thats what SL seems to be.

Whistles a happy tune.......lalalalalala...lalalla...lala...la

(and also YOUR OWN PERSONAL CHOICE if you read the LL posts)

It looks as if a lot of the debate here about the theme has come from simply taking the two words American Dream literally.

I have just read the statement/explanation of the 2008 Art Theme on the actual Burning Man website. (if you have difficulty finding it on their website try typing "2008 art theme" into their search box top right - result 2!).

Take time to read it through, it is not that long, it is interesting and shows it is a much broader theme than first appears.

Below I have just cherry picked a couple of paras here cos maybe some won't choose to spend the time to go find & read the whole statement.

Hopefully what I picked shows that the BM08 theme was not exclusive, elitist or nationalistic (or artificially optimistic) and also transfers nicely to Burning Life for those, as Dusty Linden has stressed several times, who CHOOSE to pick up the theme.

So it is up to you guys....make your OWN CHOICE, but I think there is plenty to get excited about in the American/SL Dream

Excepts from Burning Man 2008 Theme Statement

This year's art theme is about nationality, identity and the nature of patriotism. One species of the patriotic urge conflates the nation state with mass identity. Governments, as actors on a worldwide stage, become a surrogate for self, a vast projection of collective ego. And yet, there is another type of patriotic feeling that attaches us to place and people, to a home and its culture. Both these feeling states (and their attendant ironies) are relevant to this year's theme.

In 2008, leave narrow and exclusive ideologies at home; forget the blue states and the red; let parties, factions and divisive issues fall away, and carefully consider your immediate experience. What has America [Second Life] achieved that you admire? What has it done or failed to do that fills you with dismay? What is laudable? What is ludicrous? Put blame aside, let humor thrive, and dare to contemplate a larger question: What can America[Second Life], this stumbling, roused, half-conscious giant, still contribute to the world?

This year Burning Man will stand atop an obelisk. This imposing monument, emblazoned with the images of flags, will represent the countries of the world. A double-helix, like a strand of DNA, will form a staircase.

Anyone embarking on this path will encounter hundreds of fellow participants – many of whom come to Black Rock City from around the world. Indeed, in order to discover the flag of any particular county amid this welter of imagery, it will be necessary to inspect the flags of many other nations. Each of these may be imagined as a dream no less radiant or precious than the rest. Each country is a source of culture and identity; yet each may also be regarded as a glimmering illusion: a sovereign artifact, an arbitrary puzzle piece, an isolated fragment on a map.

Perhaps it's time Americans[Second Lifers] began to face themselves. Maybe it's also time that they began to listen to other countries of the world. All of us are immigrants to Black Rock City[Second Life]. What can we dream America[Second Life] to be? As always, any work of art by anyone, regardless of our theme, is welcome at the Burning Man event.

Have fun all.

I wasn't able to get a proposal in before the Sunday deadline, but would still like to participate. Is there still time?

There is still plenty of opportunity to participate. We are about to open up the 'land rush" part of the plan (hopefully by next weekend). This is where you can get land first-come, first-served. It's the same size plots as the ones you had to apply for, just not reserved and not on the main road. Keep checking for more announcements about the land rush schedule! If you aren't in the group, get in it! It's called ".:Burning Life:."
Dusty

"It's the same size plots as the ones you had to apply for" -- What size IS that? What prim limits?

"If you aren't in the group, get in it! It's called ".:Burning Life:." " -- There is a group? What does being in the group get you?

The Blog says "look in the Forums", but honestly I don't see much information here, either.

I got stuck with a small lot (1344 sqm) and I need a larger one. Is there anyone with a large camp who does not need one that big? I had planned a very large build but I'm not going to be able to do it with what I got. IM: Shimada Yoshikawa if you want to trade. Thanks.

I realise we can't guarantee grabbing or being offered a particular sized plot...

But it would be really helpful to me (and presumably others) to know what the various possible sizes of plots are - not only sq meterage but also dimensions - so that we can plan our builds accordingly to fit the various possible areas we might end up with.

I am sure I am not alone in wanting to maximise use and impact of any space I get (hopefully get!!!)...and having already started building for the event.

So, please, please, pretty please!!!

There are two basic sizes, large and small. Within those designations, plots still vary in size depending on what public spaces or roads they are near.

Small varies from about 1200 sqm to 1500 sqm. Prims from about 480 to 650.
Large varies from about 2600 sqm to 3080 sqm. Prims from about 1100 to 1900.

TY for the info Dusty. I havent returned to Australia yet to get active in the BL08m as Im still treking about Vegas. Im looking forward to logging back and catching up with the developments ( and a long read of this forum).

Hopefully I will be able to get into the land lottery before that all goes. And yes I have a build that fits the theme...even if conterversal.

Edit : now back in Oz and have full access to SL.. massive withdrawls and IMs to sort. Taken the day off work for the land grab.

Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but I'm wondering what the criteria was for deciding who got how much land? I mean my proposal was asking for a large space and it appears I was given the smallest lot possible. I'm just wondering who decided this and how?

It appears some theme camps are over 3000sqm and some (like what I got) are less than half that size. Why didvide it up on such an uneven basis? Just curious because I really can't do the build I had proposed with what I was given and I'm at a loss about what to do. Again, very appreciative I was given anything at all, but like I said, can't really do what I had proposed with this small a space and so few prims.