Ninkasi is the name of the Sumerian Goddess of beer to whom a poem was written around 1900 BCE that possesses the oldest known recipe for beer. 4000 years ago we were writing poems about beer.
According to Wikediea, The Code of Hammurabi called for tavern keepers who diluted or overcharged for beer to be put to death.
It didn't specify what to do to brewers who make crap like Busch Light or Michelob Ultra.
9.30.2003
9.25.2003
Check out this statue...
Lion man takes pride of place as oldest statue: 30,000-year-old carving might be work of Neanderthals or modern humans.
...and consider that it was carved some 25,000 years before the Egyptians started making such items. Man has had similar ideas about totems, familiars, nature and animals as gods and so on for so very very long. This article also touches on the debate regarding what exactly Neanderthal man was. There's a cool documentary running on PBS right now that takes a look at the neanderthal controversy: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/neanderthals/
...and consider that it was carved some 25,000 years before the Egyptians started making such items. Man has had similar ideas about totems, familiars, nature and animals as gods and so on for so very very long. This article also touches on the debate regarding what exactly Neanderthal man was. There's a cool documentary running on PBS right now that takes a look at the neanderthal controversy: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/neanderthals/
9.15.2003
I'm not sure this is what Ashcroft had in mind...
...when he was encouraging everyone to buy duct tape.
Passengers duct-tape troublesome passenger on Hawaii-to-LA flight
Passengers duct-tape troublesome passenger on Hawaii-to-LA flight
9.10.2003
9.02.2003
I have purged
Black Rock City, Home of the Burning man festival peaked at a population of just shy of 31,000 residents on the night of the burn, Saturday 8/30.
BRC also included:
1 Official Newspaper, and one alternative Newspaper.
At least 3 Microwatt Radio Stations (someone told me there were 40!).
A department of Public Works, Registry of Motor Vehicles (Art Cars), and their own Rangers.
Multiple Medical Stations, A Center Camp Cafe and an Ice Station.
Average Daytime Temperature (high): 100 degrees.
No shade.
The Man sat atop a giant pyramid. The whole things was set afire after some 500-1000 fire dancers and drummers brought the 30,000 residents of BRC together in ritual dance and chanting. Flames reached over 150 feet the night of the burn and the man burned for hours.
No trash or litter even though there were no public trash barrels available.
30,000 people got together for a week and did not litter.
Art Cars (vehicles converted into moving art projects) were everywhere - there may have been hundreds. The vast majority spit fire and glowed brightly.
Black Rock City was built similar to an Inca or Aztec design, a circular city with perpendicular meridians that followed the compass. The Man sat in the center, his temple sat north of him at midnight.
Except for center camp, where one could buy coffee and lounge, or buy ice for their cooler, no vending or sales were allowed. People were even giving away drugs and alcohol - in fact there were probably over 100 themed campsites that were simply bars. These good people brought in hundreds of gallons of libations each and just gave it all away. The coffee sales go back to Black Rock City LLC to fund the festivals (which have close to a 10 million dollar budget according to NYT .
The Ice sales go to a local charity (Native American Children's organization).
There was one death at the festival.
It is impossible to explain just what went on at Black rock City in Nevada this last week and a half, and I need to be brief as I am at a Kinko's in Reno Nevada simply trying to catch up with e-mail and such, but suffice to say, the festival is there for people to come and purge. The offcial site acknowledges how difficult it is to explain this event, "Trying to explain what Burning Man is to someone who has never been to the event is a bit like trying to explain what a particular color looks like to someone who is blind." But suffice to say, the kindness, optimism, creativity, beauty, sexuality, spirituality, camaraderie, and healthy hedonism displayed at the event is life changing. Much like the way LSD permanently changes one's perspective on the world, so does the Burn. I felt it. I am different for going and feel as if unnecessary layers of concern and defense have been peeled away. I see life full of far more potential than I ever have.
On one side of me camped a couple in their late 40s, early 50s perhaps, one a NASA engineer, the other a geologist for, I believe, the State of Nevada. They built a two-story wood and Mylar structure covered with religious verses and poetry that spoke to the nature of God. On my other side was a family who had won a house in Fiji on a cancelled reality show. (Undr One Roof - I couldn't find an official site so this link goes to a site that chronicled the show, the Skofields were my neighbors). All of them Burning Man Veterans. They taught me the ropes, and the couple was happy to have me help them build their structure, and of course, dismantle and burn the fucker when it all came to an end.
Nudity was a norm, and never have I seen more beautiful men and women casually frolicking and flirting than here. There were themed camps that were bars, funhouses, even a rollercoaster - yes someone brought a custom built roller coaster down and constructed a homemade "Roaster Coaster" that was far more dangerous than any amusement park ride I have ever witnessed. Some themed camps had giant towers, multiple rooms, and seemed more like temporary nightclubs than campsites. Some folks brought in generators and sound systems, and had rave sites with budgets in the tens of thousands of dollars (one site, Boom Box Village, runs benefit raves in San Francisco to pay for the Burning Man camp which includes almost 200 different members according to my friend DJ Goldilox who is a part of the village). I will include links to many of these burners' own websites when I return. For now, you'll have to trust me that it is impossible to fully explain the scope of the event or the immense awe and happiness one feels wandering about Black Rock City particularly at night when all the campsites hosting parties. The rave sites, bars, madhouses, etc., are all lit up with everything form fire to glow sticks to massive light shows powered by the sun, propane, diesel generators, or a craftily jury-rigged car battery. Art Cars, ablaze with light themselves, "sail" across the playa: school busses converted into giant whales, a Cadillac made into a autistic desert missile and of course, a car converted into a land speeder looked eerily accurate kicking up dust across the desert floor. These are just a few examples of the literally hundreds of cars, from go karts and lawnmowers to those hinged city buses (the double long buses that bend at the center) that people have converted into roaming art projects - and all serve as a free taxi service across the playa. If there's an empty bit of space on board, just hop on and take a ride to wherever - many of the larger art cars had live bands, and bars on them as well.
Truly amazing.
My mind is clearer due to all of this. I met so many incredibly brilliant, caring and talented people who have managed to find a way to make a living and live life their way, that I too am bolstered to make a new path for myself. One that allows me to continually learn about and appreciate the world around me, and also perhaps, contribute in some way to making it just a little bit better, all while doing my damndest to avoid the trap of greed and remember the power of a gift. DVD players and Air Conditioners are nice for sure, but don't compare to the smile of a beautiful stranger who offers to teach you a little bit about fire dancing.
In life we are surrounded by dogmatic rituals but seldom have the opportunity to explore personal ritual. Burning Man offers the opportunity for commune, like a new and improved concept of church, celebrating annually rather than weekly, while encouraging, hell, almost demanding, personal ritual, self-expression and a rejection of dogma. It’s as if everyone there understand inherently that it is wise to embrace the many truths found in religious texts, rituals and art of all kinds, but it is unwise to assume that anyone else shares your exact interpretation of such.
More later...
BRC also included:
1 Official Newspaper, and one alternative Newspaper.
At least 3 Microwatt Radio Stations (someone told me there were 40!).
A department of Public Works, Registry of Motor Vehicles (Art Cars), and their own Rangers.
Multiple Medical Stations, A Center Camp Cafe and an Ice Station.
Average Daytime Temperature (high): 100 degrees.
No shade.
The Man sat atop a giant pyramid. The whole things was set afire after some 500-1000 fire dancers and drummers brought the 30,000 residents of BRC together in ritual dance and chanting. Flames reached over 150 feet the night of the burn and the man burned for hours.
No trash or litter even though there were no public trash barrels available.
30,000 people got together for a week and did not litter.
Art Cars (vehicles converted into moving art projects) were everywhere - there may have been hundreds. The vast majority spit fire and glowed brightly.
Black Rock City was built similar to an Inca or Aztec design, a circular city with perpendicular meridians that followed the compass. The Man sat in the center, his temple sat north of him at midnight.
Except for center camp, where one could buy coffee and lounge, or buy ice for their cooler, no vending or sales were allowed. People were even giving away drugs and alcohol - in fact there were probably over 100 themed campsites that were simply bars. These good people brought in hundreds of gallons of libations each and just gave it all away. The coffee sales go back to Black Rock City LLC to fund the festivals (which have close to a 10 million dollar budget according to NYT .
The Ice sales go to a local charity (Native American Children's organization).
There was one death at the festival.
It is impossible to explain just what went on at Black rock City in Nevada this last week and a half, and I need to be brief as I am at a Kinko's in Reno Nevada simply trying to catch up with e-mail and such, but suffice to say, the festival is there for people to come and purge. The offcial site acknowledges how difficult it is to explain this event, "Trying to explain what Burning Man is to someone who has never been to the event is a bit like trying to explain what a particular color looks like to someone who is blind." But suffice to say, the kindness, optimism, creativity, beauty, sexuality, spirituality, camaraderie, and healthy hedonism displayed at the event is life changing. Much like the way LSD permanently changes one's perspective on the world, so does the Burn. I felt it. I am different for going and feel as if unnecessary layers of concern and defense have been peeled away. I see life full of far more potential than I ever have.
On one side of me camped a couple in their late 40s, early 50s perhaps, one a NASA engineer, the other a geologist for, I believe, the State of Nevada. They built a two-story wood and Mylar structure covered with religious verses and poetry that spoke to the nature of God. On my other side was a family who had won a house in Fiji on a cancelled reality show. (Undr One Roof - I couldn't find an official site so this link goes to a site that chronicled the show, the Skofields were my neighbors). All of them Burning Man Veterans. They taught me the ropes, and the couple was happy to have me help them build their structure, and of course, dismantle and burn the fucker when it all came to an end.
Nudity was a norm, and never have I seen more beautiful men and women casually frolicking and flirting than here. There were themed camps that were bars, funhouses, even a rollercoaster - yes someone brought a custom built roller coaster down and constructed a homemade "Roaster Coaster" that was far more dangerous than any amusement park ride I have ever witnessed. Some themed camps had giant towers, multiple rooms, and seemed more like temporary nightclubs than campsites. Some folks brought in generators and sound systems, and had rave sites with budgets in the tens of thousands of dollars (one site, Boom Box Village, runs benefit raves in San Francisco to pay for the Burning Man camp which includes almost 200 different members according to my friend DJ Goldilox who is a part of the village). I will include links to many of these burners' own websites when I return. For now, you'll have to trust me that it is impossible to fully explain the scope of the event or the immense awe and happiness one feels wandering about Black Rock City particularly at night when all the campsites hosting parties. The rave sites, bars, madhouses, etc., are all lit up with everything form fire to glow sticks to massive light shows powered by the sun, propane, diesel generators, or a craftily jury-rigged car battery. Art Cars, ablaze with light themselves, "sail" across the playa: school busses converted into giant whales, a Cadillac made into a autistic desert missile and of course, a car converted into a land speeder looked eerily accurate kicking up dust across the desert floor. These are just a few examples of the literally hundreds of cars, from go karts and lawnmowers to those hinged city buses (the double long buses that bend at the center) that people have converted into roaming art projects - and all serve as a free taxi service across the playa. If there's an empty bit of space on board, just hop on and take a ride to wherever - many of the larger art cars had live bands, and bars on them as well.
Truly amazing.
My mind is clearer due to all of this. I met so many incredibly brilliant, caring and talented people who have managed to find a way to make a living and live life their way, that I too am bolstered to make a new path for myself. One that allows me to continually learn about and appreciate the world around me, and also perhaps, contribute in some way to making it just a little bit better, all while doing my damndest to avoid the trap of greed and remember the power of a gift. DVD players and Air Conditioners are nice for sure, but don't compare to the smile of a beautiful stranger who offers to teach you a little bit about fire dancing.
In life we are surrounded by dogmatic rituals but seldom have the opportunity to explore personal ritual. Burning Man offers the opportunity for commune, like a new and improved concept of church, celebrating annually rather than weekly, while encouraging, hell, almost demanding, personal ritual, self-expression and a rejection of dogma. It’s as if everyone there understand inherently that it is wise to embrace the many truths found in religious texts, rituals and art of all kinds, but it is unwise to assume that anyone else shares your exact interpretation of such.
More later...
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