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   BURNING MAN GOON MEET! Friday of the event, at 4pm, 3:15 and A at Home Brew Haus Welcome to our fourth Burning Man megathread, where you can ask burner goons about everything you might need to know about That Thing in The Desert, and regionals and burn-related events. Share your pictures and experiences of the festival, and generally discuss how this year is going to suck and also probably be the dustiest year EVER! What's Burning Man? It’s a lot of things but the fundamentals are as follows. It’s a 60,000 (ish) strong, seven-day long festival that takes place in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada at the end of August over labour day weekend. But apart from that, it’s everything. It’s a massive playground for everyone of all ages. It’s the most mindblowing collection of beautiful art and installations you will ever see in your life, all lit up at night for miles around like a big playground. It’s DJs and dancing in a dust storm wearing next to nothing with thousands of other people while a flame thrower goes off next to you. It’s stumbling upon a parade of a thousand people dressed as rabbits demanding rights for bunnies as they converge on the thunder dome. It’s thousands of bars, all free, serving everything from mimosas to beer, horrible skittle vodka and shots of rum. It’s loads of nudity, everywhere. It’s sitting silently at the temple at sunrise on your own before chasing an art car that looks like a church you can hear in the distance playing your favourite song. It’s a massive playground for everyone of all ages. It’s home. And it’s almost impossible to describe! But the stories people have to share are a good place to start!  Participation and the 10 principles Most all, almost everything you enjoy to Burning Man was provided by your fellow burners for *you* to enjoy. This spirit of giving and wanting to provide happiness for everyone makes it one of the most, if not the most, wonderful, loving and accepting environments on earth. Participation is key – and one of the 10 principles. No one is a spectator. If someone needs help, you help. And visa versa. This can be anything, from picking up a scrap of trash you see on the ground, to offering to face paint people. Giving people gifts, food, advice. There is nothing nicer than going up to a complete stranger, offering them an ice cold beer from your cooler and then walking off – except, perhaps, someone doing the same for you! You can do anything. Climb, create, build, be someone else. There’s other important principles – Leave No Trace is key. At Burning Ma, you cannot leave trash anywhere. Cigarette butts are a no. Do not pour out your gross flat vodka coke on the playa. Do not disgard that empty can behind the portapotties. This is called MOOP (Matter Out Of Place) and MOOP is bad mmkay.  The environment and survival The playa [pronounced ply-uh] is an exceptionally harsh environment. Attending Burning Man is not for the faint hearted and it is an endurance test. The weather is impossible to predict. It could be hotter than 100F/37C in the day while freezing at night. Dust storms and ‘whiteouts’ – where it gets so dusty you honestly cannot see your hand in front of your face – are common, and the dust is famous for eroding your electric gear, loving up your car’s AC, dying out your skin and getting into ever available nook and cranny imaginable. You can survive it! As long as you are prepared! I don’t drink or take drugs, will I enjoy it? YES. There’s a lot of misconceptions around the idea that you have to be off your face to enjoy the festival. While a lot of people are drunk or high at Burning Man, there’s SO MUCH (and I cannot stress this enough) to see and do that you will absolutely have the time of your life. And if you don’t like the atmosphere of where you are, just go somewhere else. An article here. Okay, I’m sold. I want to go to Burning Man. How do I do this? Tickets for 2014 - http://tickets.burningman.com/ They're gone! If you missed out, register on STEP when it opens, or in the OMG sale, or try to find someone who's selling. Don't pay bajillions of dollars for a scalper ticket. these can be voided and are against the spirit of the event a hundred times over. Try to get a ticket through other means – Craigslist, Eplaya and other online communities. Be calm when the ticket system falls over and crashes. It’s all part of the burn maaaan. New for 2014 is the Vehicle Pass. If you plan to drive into Black Rock City, get a vehicle pass. These are likely to be scarce this year thanks to ticket panic and there being a lot less on offer than actual tickets. How do I prepare for a week in the desert? Read the survival guide. Read the survival guide. Read the survival guide. This is a big one, especially as many of us come from far away and are limited by what we can carry on the plane. You’ll probably be in a tent, if you don’t go for the RV option. Some essentials that you need to remember to get. Remember you cannot buy anything on the playa apart from ice and coffee. Some camps will give away food or drinks – this is to be viewed as a bonus and definitely not a way to subsist.
 Do I need a bike? Yes! 100%! Wait, no! Not at all! Lots of people get around Burning Man by bike, but it can be a bit of a hassle trying to organise to get one. It’s definitely nice to have, but not an essential – look into registering with a rental service like Kiwanis (asap though, as they’ve just opened and it will sell out soon.) Make sure you know what you’re doing after with it. You CANNOT leave it on the Playa as trash. Some people prefer not to have bikes because it allows them to walk around, and take in and interact with the festival more, rather than nipping from A to B. Should I join a camp? How do I find a camp? This varies from what you’re after, but I would personally recommend joining a camp, especially if you’re in your first year. It’s a great way to meet people, get involved in building and make friends, and enjoy communal shady rest areas you wouldn’t have if you camped solo. Expect to pay camp fees, though they can vary wildly depending on which camp you’re in and how much is provided for you. $100 is a good baseline, but I met people out there who paid $400, $500, some of which didn’t even cover food fees, which the campers had to bring in with them. Camp fees usually help the camp with storage, transport, infrastructure, as well as nice additions such as communal shade, a shower with an evap pond and so on. Finding a camp can be daunting if you don’t have a clue on the first way to start so look on Eplaya, Burning Man facebook groups, and talk to burners. Which brings me nicely to my next point. And come to the on playa Burner goon meet up! It happens every year usually midweek I think. Or so I hear. I've failed at every attempt to get to one.) Regionals and burners near you This is an important part! Get to know your local burner scene. Look online to find out about local events in your area, and get involved. Burning Man pub meet ups are a wonderful way to meet people, and a great way to find out about camps, bikes, rideshares and other resources you’ll need out there, as well as being the best drat night out in town. Additionally, I've attended several regional burn events (Nowhere and French Burn Weekend) and they are absolutely wonderful. If you don't think you can make it to Burning Man, consider going to a closer regional! I live in [middle of nowhere] and none of my friends want to go! Should I go half way across the world alone to Burning Man? Yes. Absolutely. And you wouldn't be the first. As long as you prepare adequately, you’re likely to have the time of your life. It costs a lot of money and time to get set up properly, but as long as you’re prepped, you’ll be grand.  Burning Man resources
Photos There's a million photos of Burning Man everywhere but here’s a couple of galleries to start you off.
Videos A shitload of videos, because more is more!!
Are Daft Punk playing? Trash fence. Sunrise. Don’t miss it. Goons on the playa! Photos of us, by us, around us, etcetera. urei posted:Funny because the first thing that a greeter said to me when I drove into burning man was BlueBayou posted:On the last morning we were there, my friend and I went out for a ride… just to see what we could find, no real destination in mind. We rode past a big ole white tent where there were people drinking and as we passed someone inside called out and asked if we wanted to take the Whiskey Taste Test. Hell yes we did. minato posted:Everyone has a Burning Man Moment. My favorite last year was going for a 2am bike ride out into the desert. There couldn’t have been a soul within a mile’s radius of me. I noticed a small winking light off in the distance and headed towards it. In the middle of nowhere, it was… a parking meter. My friend’s moment was when he was caught alone out in the desert in a sandstorm. He was wandering aimlessly for a while, safe but disoriented, when out of the dust a bus slowly rolled up to him. The driver leaned out and offered him a hot dog. spite house posted:In ’01 my campmates and I were hanging around our geodesic dome at about 10 in the morning, eating corned beef hash and gradually emerging from our collective stupor, when we heard a very loud voice with a thick Russian accent hailing us from the doorway. “HELLO MY FRIENDS!” HappyHelmet posted:As I mentioned before, in 2007 I was volunteering with the Rangers. It was my first time volunteering, and while I have to say it was pretty great being a part of the Rangers sometimes it felt a little too much like work for me. Regardless of that it was Thursday morning, and I had made sure to take Thursday off. Why Thursday? It happens to be one of the biggest party nights at the event. Typically by Thursday all the theme camps have finished getting fully setup, and there is also a large influx of new people who come in that day as well. Also in regards to 2007 it was widely rumored that Paul Oakenfold was there, and would do a set that Thursday night. Personally I’m not that into the guy, but hey, Paul Oakenfold what the hell right? spite house posted:The Tuna Guys are a bunch of grizzled fishermen from the San Juan Islands, who catch about two tons of albacore to bring to Burning Man every year. They know how to transport it so it stays fresh and safe, and they will give you as much raw tuna as you can put back (in my case, that’s a lot.) spite house posted:Ha! Playaritas own, and by "own" I mean "would be absolutely awful anywhere but Burning Man". Here's a short list of specialty playa cocktails. Virgins will probably be aghast, but JUST YOU WAIT. Neris posted:I actually had a really great moment there. I was on my lovely playadate, walking with my arm around this person, and these two guys rush up to us. liz con queso posted:Funny story, actually. My friend Jenn that brought the coconuts was at our camp alone and offering them to people who went by on the street. She stopped a couple of people on their bikes and asked "would you like a fresh young coconut?!" The two people absolutely lost their poo poo, and told her they had just gone to a little camp near us not 5 minutes earlier where you could write a wish on a rock with a pen and then put it together with all the other wishes. They'd actually written on the rock "I want a fresh young coconut!" Neris posted:ll leave it at this. There's 68,000 people at Burning Man. I'm walking around with this lovely boy from the Duck Pond who I'm compeltely smitten with who's completely eager to dance. We end up at 2 O Clock on Tuesday night, and head into a place that looks to be serving booze, I'm not sure what I got but it was delicious (though my ID had vanished in that dust storm earlier in the night - which I got back on Saturday, miracles do happen!)                Additions welcome! Neris fucked around with this message at 18:28 on Sep 6, 2014 |
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Feb 16, 2014 19:30
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Going to burning man is one of the best things I have ever done. If I didnt go to the burn I would almost definitely be living in a less amazing place than I am living now, with friends that dont fit as well as mine now do. I was filled with feelings of wonder and possibility during/after my first burn. I remember seeing firespinners and being amazed by their skills and physiques. Now, a few years later, I will be in a fire conclave for the first time. I have a huge interest in hooping and hand balancing that I wouldnt have discovered without the burn. Burning Man is just the best thing. Check it out y'all. It seems almost impossible to me for a person to regret going. So, go.
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Feb 16, 2014 20:41
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Burning Man is really cool and fun. If you're reading this you should go and have a good time. I went for the first time in 2011 knowing hardly anyone on the entire continent and had a great time. That experience was pretty instrumental in changing my life, and I now live in New York partially because I wanted to be closer to the Burn. Made a lot of lifelong friends either at the event or through related meetups. I bought two tickets a few days ago through the theme camp directed sale, so I'm definitely going again this year! 
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Feb 16, 2014 21:18
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If even the smallest part of you thinks you maybe, might like to go to Burning Man someday, just go. 2013 was my first year and I had the most amazing time. I plan on going this year as well. It's like disney land for adults. Nowhere else in the world can you stumble upon a tee-pee in the desert serving hot chocolate, or grab a cup of tea in a huge tent filled with mummified cats.
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Feb 16, 2014 21:28
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Aaaahhh yeaaaah, the Bernie Mac Festival! The energy in Reno is already VERY strong for this year. Lots of art projects cooking up at The Generator, which came to be from the core of the Pier Group guys.
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Feb 16, 2014 23:26
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Is that because of the 'Embrace' suggested design for the temple? I'm not sure I'm digging it personally. I like the design but for the temple, it's not doing it for me.
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Feb 17, 2014 13:33
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Partly. The Generator is this huge warehouse, and only a corner of it is being used to build Embrace. Dozens of other projects, small and big, are in there too. As for Embrace: I think the idea is loving great. A big part of the Temple experience is being mindful of relationships, and often letting go of relationships that ended in one way or another. The embrace represents that, and when it burns (and it will! Whether it's the temple or not, it's being built)... let's just say that it will probably be a very big emotional/sentimental event. Not to mention pretty loving epic, since it is burning man after all. There's already some controversy about the proposal to have Embrace be the temple, so you're not the only one who's not feeling it.
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Feb 17, 2014 16:45
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Sweet, it looks like we are in planning stages to represent Florida at conclave this year and that I will be doing fire breathing for it. Good times! The council for Burning Man has received our Intent to Perform Form, so we have cleared our first hurdle. Now we will be moving onto the nitty gritty.   Any other goon fire monkeys here? Throwdown fucked around with this message at 22:21 on Feb 17, 2014 |
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Feb 17, 2014 22:18
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Throwdown posted:
Definitely no fire monkey, but I do want to say that that's pretty awesome.
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Feb 17, 2014 22:37
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I will be in a fire conclave for the first time this year. I will be doing hoop. I'm really excited to perform in the ceremony. It blew my mind at my first burn and it'll be my pleasure to be a part of it and also get front row seats to the man burn.
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Feb 18, 2014 00:14
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Turtle Blogger posted:I will be in a fire conclave for the first time this year. I will be doing hoop. I'm really excited to perform in the ceremony. It blew my mind at my first burn and it'll be my pleasure to be a part of it and also get front row seats to the man burn. Awesome, I love me some hooping.
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Feb 18, 2014 00:33
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Alfajor posted:There's already some controversy about the proposal to have Embrace be the temple, so you're not the only one who's not feeling it. This year they have made a major change to the aesthetic of the Man, why not shake up the temple a bit too?
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Feb 18, 2014 05:52
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New thread, new shameless promotion! In the last thread, I had mentioned that Las Vegas as a community is contributing a nuclear bomb to the burn this year. We are currently in the middle of our IndieGoGo crowd-funding campaign and making purchases to start building! If any of you are patch whores like my friends, this should be a pretty sweet one to add to the jacket. Check it out and help us spread the word, please! It will be a burn you won't want to miss. Nuclear Dream @ IndieGoGo 
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Feb 19, 2014 18:26
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I have no idea how I'll get there, get the time off work, or if I'll even get tickets, but I've got a friend who is interested so I will try!
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Feb 20, 2014 20:57
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Got registered yesterday, if i am lucky enough to score a ticket next wed i will be going solo this year. Cannot wait, my soul needs this! Thanks for the resources, it definitely makes planning easier, that pack list is awesome.
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Feb 22, 2014 05:04
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I know BMORG is using a different ticket service/system this year right? Have the earlier sales been clusterfucks? I'm hoping I dont have to babysit my web browser for hours like last year.
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Feb 22, 2014 05:15
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The Directed Sale had about 30 minutes of clusterfuck followed by the easiest sale ever. There were tickets for days. Hopefully, the directed sale goes the same way. Burning Man fundamentally changed my life. Prior to going to the Burn, I was practically a nihilistic pile of poo poo who didn't really do much of anything productive. Somewhere inbetween the dust storms, building my camp solo, naked bike rides, and dancing, I realized just how powerful human agency was and that giving up on life wasn't really a positive thing to do. Since my first Burn in 2011, I've landed a full-time job, a beautiful girlfriend (who also goes to Burning Man), I've completely changed my outlook on life, I'm a more wholesome and positive-thinking person, and I really could go on. It's funny, because it's totally possible to go to Burning Man and spend the week just partying and having a blast, but I spent most of my first year having this ridiculous spiritual experience and ended up missing every single thing I intended to do. I stayed sober the entire week and cried more than I ever have in my entire life. I still have a hard time believing that this city is going to rise again, but here it is, year after year, continuing to be ridiculous, amazing, inspiring, and none of the above. I've started volunteering a ton in my region, and also working a lot with the Gate/Perimeter/Exodus folks. It's simultaneously funny and stupid that a festival in the desert has completely changed me, but so it goes. That's my page one two cents, now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
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Feb 22, 2014 06:52
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Looks like a majority white people thing. Cool for white people I guess or heavily Americanized minorities that will be accepted if they're white enough.
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Feb 22, 2014 08:23
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OniKun posted:The Directed Sale had about 30 minutes of clusterfuck followed by the easiest sale ever. There were tickets for days. Hopefully, the directed sale goes the same way. This is amazing. Reading things like this makes me really look forward to my first burn this year. I can't wait.
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Feb 22, 2014 08:28
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fits my needs posted:Looks like a majority white people thing. Cool for white people I guess or heavily Americanized minorities that will be accepted if they're white enough.
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Feb 22, 2014 17:57
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fits my needs posted:Looks like a majority white people thing. Cool for white people I guess or heavily Americanized minorities that will be accepted if they're white enough. Definitely. This years initiation ritual for any Burning Man virgins is to dance along to New Kids on the Block at the main gate. If you can't "Hang tough" they write "not-tough-enouf" across your bare chest in red lettering and make you walk back to Gerlach on foot.
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Feb 22, 2014 20:08
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fits my needs posted:Looks like a majority white people thing. Cool for white people I guess or heavily Americanized minorities that will be accepted if they're white enough. Of course it's a white people thing it's $400 for a ticket
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Feb 22, 2014 20:31
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Maybe an Antebellum South theme camp is in order? (Utilizing the low-income ticket program naturally)
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Feb 23, 2014 02:12
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Neris posted:
It's important to note that some bars will not accept a photocopy. I imagine they will continue to become more numerous as police presence becomes more and more overbearing. Shouldn't be too hard to carry it around in an ID card holder attached to your utility belt!
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Feb 23, 2014 02:52
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fits my needs posted:Looks like a majority white people thing. Cool for white people I guess or heavily Americanized minorities that will be accepted if they're white enough. Yep, just white people with a sprinkling of P. Diddy.
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Feb 23, 2014 03:10
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Malcolm posted:Maybe an Antebellum South theme camp is in order? (Utilizing the low-income ticket program naturally) Paula Deen Camp won't be around this year unfortunately.
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Feb 23, 2014 03:12
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Looks like the wife and I have tickets with our name on them. Will probably be the last year we go, at least in a while. Exciting, but also kinda sorta not 
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Feb 23, 2014 06:08
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Ya know what? I'm gonna go this year. I've never been before but last night I decided it was going to be my year. Gonna buy my ticket Wednesday and hope everything else just falls into place (with reasonable preparation obviously).
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Feb 24, 2014 06:42
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IceLicker posted:Ya know what? I'm gonna go this year. I've never been before but last night I decided it was going to be my year. Gonna buy my ticket Wednesday and hope everything else just falls into place (with reasonable preparation obviously). I hope you pre-registered for the sale before noon today, otherwise you might have to wait instead of buying that ticket on Wednesday. http://tickets.burningman.com I think you've made a good decision!
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Feb 24, 2014 06:49
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486 posted:I hope you pre-registered for the sale before noon today, otherwise you might have to wait instead of buying that ticket on Wednesday. http://tickets.burningman.com Yup, all preregistered. I've been doing a bit of research on this for a few years now but was never really serious about it. Now just seems like a good time.
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Feb 24, 2014 18:43
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Chouffe posted:It's important to note that some bars will not accept a photocopy. I imagine they will continue to become more numerous as police presence becomes more and more overbearing. Shouldn't be too hard to carry it around in an ID card holder attached to your utility belt! When did this start becoming a thing? 6 years ago when I last went this would be completely unheard of.
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Feb 24, 2014 23:32
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I carry an expired license, with the real one locked in a car. The expired license has a hole punched in it - convenient for clipping it to something.
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Feb 24, 2014 23:35
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After my friend lost his passport on the playa running for his life from the hot embers falling from the man burn (we were sitting at 10 O Clock), and my ID card got lost - then handed in thank go - at Lost and Found, I think I'll stick to a photocopy when I go again, just in case! Not sure when it got more stringent though. I don't remember being ID'd ever when I went in 2011 apart from one time, I think, but this year it was absolutely everywhere.
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Feb 24, 2014 23:36
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Well, all pre-registered, but working the day of sale. Left my login info with a buddy, so we'll see if I end up with tickets. If so, expect a lot of panicked questions.
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Feb 26, 2014 00:06
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Anyone going to Transformus this year?
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Feb 26, 2014 01:53
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Decided to go on a whim. No idea about how I'll get the time off or anything like that, but I know I'll be there, even if unemployed.
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Feb 26, 2014 05:29
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Heard back from GPE so I'm getting kinda excited for that. Now back to wondering if tickets will have sold out by the time my flight lands tomorrow. Just checked and there is no WiFi on my plane to New Orleans. What kind of future is this.
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Feb 26, 2014 07:07
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Glad to see virgins going! I might finally be able to lure one of my long time friends to go with me.Throwdown posted:Anyone going to Transformus this year?
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Feb 26, 2014 18:05
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45 minutes! 
QuantumDeep fucked around with this message at 20:33 on Feb 26, 2014 |
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Feb 26, 2014 20:18
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HappyHelmet posted:When did this start becoming a thing? 6 years ago when I last went this would be completely unheard of. When the local (county and state mostly) law enforcement decided they weren't getting enough money out of the burn, and stepped up enforcement to get those all-important out of town fines flowing. It's been a little ugly the last couple years as the population limits hit, and doesn't show much sign of easing off as long as people are still dumb enough to give them easy targets.
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Feb 26, 2014 20:39
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