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Yes, yes! All Ye Cats and Kitties and Otherwise Scrumptious Feline Humans.......
In reading the most recent thorough and thoughtful Blazin’ Newsletter, I'm inspired to further crystallize some of Blazin' Raisin's purpose and value as it occurs to me. To qualify the following abundant verbiage, I should say that I am not coming from an official capacity, but as an oldie/newbie. That is, I’ve been attending B-man infrequently since 1995, I am very close (daily!) with many of the lovely originators of Blazin’ Raisin (attending meetings, participating in discussions), and only officially camped with BR last year for the first time (although I was STOKED to camp with the predecessor Raisin Camp at Rainbow 2004). This is just my brainy/lovey way of contributing to the BR way. I hope it can serve you well.
As I read the Newsletter I thought that some of you may still be asking: "Hmmmm.....what is Blazin' Raisin really all about? I see the lists, explanations, instructions and groovy visions from that last wonderful Newsletter and previous e-mails, and I still can't quite see the full PICTURE of what it is we're doing here. What is my $50 donation going to? What EXACTLY are we creating with our money and our love and energy?"
I’m gonna assume these are questions floating out there, at least as fuel for my little perspective. In concert with the accurate and skillful e-mails that have been written already, I want to further crystallize what our Village is and how our donations support that existence.
Burning Man is a huge and glorious VISION REALIZED. This whole thing is nothing less than a CULTURAL REVOLUTION. For us, Blazin’ Raisin—that is, YOU and I and the stunning village we have created before, NOW, and after—can be a blessed and beautiful and LOVING facet in the Burning Man prism.
I think this happens through the Burningman principles of “Communal Effort: our community values creative cooperation and collaboration.” and “Participation: our community is committed to a radically participatory ethic.” I like to think we at Blazin’ Raisin are humbly and joyously gifting our healthy, healing, VITAL, green, balanced, rockin’, artistic, musical, LOVING selves to the PLAYA. In other words, as much as we wonder what we RECEIVE with our money and energy, we can wonder what we can GIVE with it. That is an important and wonderful part of Burningman. I also feel really excited when I think that Blazin’ Raisin can be such a powerful CONTAINER for strength, leadership, SOUL, and having a voice and PRESENCE in the cutting edge of human culture and society that Burningman is.
Yeah! Okay! I know this is a lot of big talk, and WHY NOT??!! Let’s get in the mood!!! Isn’t seeking logistical clarity and peace more fun and effective if we really take some big brush strokes at the soulful painting this is?
Now, on with how we express this through donations and their destinations. And MAN! when I look at the below list I wonder “how did this get so involved and huge??!!” and then I realize that it really wasn’t planned this way. As Adam said in his eloquent history of our camp, IT JUST ORGANICALLY EVOLVED INTO THIS. We’re still learning as we go and we are awestruck, excited, and FLEXIBLE as we ride this wave. Woohoooo!
SHADE/UNITY SPACE: This is the heart, where our traditional intention of being a “sweet, chill refuge from the hyper-yang tempo of the playa” is realized and from which our expression and contribution to Burningman springs. The massive mast and billowing parachute are topped this year by a new lookout crow’s nest (expertly welded with love by Daylon). This jellyfish of a shade structure is so big IT STANDS OUT IN SATALLITE PICTURES OF THE CITY!!
Also present is the cooling and cradling Bedouin Tent and the state-of-the-art Community Meal Kitchen (both designed and crafted by Bradley the Genius).
There is divine lighting and decoration birthed by Scottee and others (what is a community space, if it’s not well-lit and beautified?).
Shade, comfort, light, and beauty: essentials that are priorities in our organized vision. Costs for this add up when transporting these large and heavy materials, and the materials themselves are often discounted and used (many donated), but still costly. All the labor is given freely with LOVE.
WATER: We each bring water for ourselves. AND, we like to purchase water as a group so that there is an abundance for community kitchen clean-up, emergency back-up, foot baths in the Shade/Unity Space, and possibly some extra for community showers (if they get built).
ENERGY: It's unlikely we'll be acquiring a Bio-Diesel Generator this year (quite possible for next year). Meanwhile, the gasoline generator requires gas and oil for the occasional DJ grooves and blender sessions (during which we can plug in and charge up our batteries and such) Also, our one solar panel is insufficient for all the Unity Space lighting. Depending on how many people donate early (now-ish), we hope to add some more solar panels and batteries so that there is MORE than enough juice for lights and MAYBE even provide some power for LOW-DRAW efficient lighting systems in the Pods (LED's and small light strands).
PARTIES: We are traditionally a “mellow” camp. Sprouting out of this relaxing scene are two amazing parties that unify and celebrate the village and spread the Raisin LOVE into the stratosphere. Food and drink and other supplies will be bought.
SHOWERS?: Although the pods do their own shower thang, if someone is inspired enough to gift their labor in the building of large community evaporation pools for showers and other waste water, they could be reimbursed for the (hopefully recycled/asgreenaspossible) materials.
OTHER MINOR INFRASTRUCTURE: As was said in the Newsletter, small essentials like white boards, kitchen utensils/pots/buckets/composting gear, dry ice, propane, ALL FOR THE USE OF VILLAGE UNITY AND CELEBRATION, are funded by donations as well.
INFRASTRUCTURE TRANSPORTATION: To schlep all of this to the playa, a van is being rented for two weeks so that the early builders can set up in time for opening day. And gasoline for that van is quite a sum.
Again, it occurs to me that this all looks so official and decided. Really, this is all an experiment being conducted by loving, wacky, breathtakingly intelligent, soulful people who are also pulling together their own personal B-man preparations on top of organizing this, on top of their jobs and busy lives. And I get a sense that this isn’t a rigid structure into which we are indoctrinated. It is a painting that changes and breathes, an affirmation of what is and could be. And as that great vision very simply requires money and energy, I hope it also can be realized with deep-heartedness, soul, and HUMOR.
Thank you so much for reading this, and many many blessings to you and yours in your preparations and daily lives. Let’s all pretend we’re in a constant group hug dance party from now until we see each other in 3 WEEKS!!!!!!
Love,
Eli
elisalzman@hotmail.com
www.elisalzman.com
831.460.1467
P.S.: I am still looking for one passenger to share gas, laughs, and a magical journey into Black Rock City. My plan is to leave Santa Cruz on the 25th or 26th, arriving sometime on the 26th. Please go to blazin-raisin.tribe.net/ for a more detailed post.
In reading the most recent thorough and thoughtful Blazin’ Newsletter, I'm inspired to further crystallize some of Blazin' Raisin's purpose and value as it occurs to me. To qualify the following abundant verbiage, I should say that I am not coming from an official capacity, but as an oldie/newbie. That is, I’ve been attending B-man infrequently since 1995, I am very close (daily!) with many of the lovely originators of Blazin’ Raisin (attending meetings, participating in discussions), and only officially camped with BR last year for the first time (although I was STOKED to camp with the predecessor Raisin Camp at Rainbow 2004). This is just my brainy/lovey way of contributing to the BR way. I hope it can serve you well.
As I read the Newsletter I thought that some of you may still be asking: "Hmmmm.....what is Blazin' Raisin really all about? I see the lists, explanations, instructions and groovy visions from that last wonderful Newsletter and previous e-mails, and I still can't quite see the full PICTURE of what it is we're doing here. What is my $50 donation going to? What EXACTLY are we creating with our money and our love and energy?"
I’m gonna assume these are questions floating out there, at least as fuel for my little perspective. In concert with the accurate and skillful e-mails that have been written already, I want to further crystallize what our Village is and how our donations support that existence.
Burning Man is a huge and glorious VISION REALIZED. This whole thing is nothing less than a CULTURAL REVOLUTION. For us, Blazin’ Raisin—that is, YOU and I and the stunning village we have created before, NOW, and after—can be a blessed and beautiful and LOVING facet in the Burning Man prism.
I think this happens through the Burningman principles of “Communal Effort: our community values creative cooperation and collaboration.” and “Participation: our community is committed to a radically participatory ethic.” I like to think we at Blazin’ Raisin are humbly and joyously gifting our healthy, healing, VITAL, green, balanced, rockin’, artistic, musical, LOVING selves to the PLAYA. In other words, as much as we wonder what we RECEIVE with our money and energy, we can wonder what we can GIVE with it. That is an important and wonderful part of Burningman. I also feel really excited when I think that Blazin’ Raisin can be such a powerful CONTAINER for strength, leadership, SOUL, and having a voice and PRESENCE in the cutting edge of human culture and society that Burningman is.
Yeah! Okay! I know this is a lot of big talk, and WHY NOT??!! Let’s get in the mood!!! Isn’t seeking logistical clarity and peace more fun and effective if we really take some big brush strokes at the soulful painting this is?
Now, on with how we express this through donations and their destinations. And MAN! when I look at the below list I wonder “how did this get so involved and huge??!!” and then I realize that it really wasn’t planned this way. As Adam said in his eloquent history of our camp, IT JUST ORGANICALLY EVOLVED INTO THIS. We’re still learning as we go and we are awestruck, excited, and FLEXIBLE as we ride this wave. Woohoooo!
SHADE/UNITY SPACE: This is the heart, where our traditional intention of being a “sweet, chill refuge from the hyper-yang tempo of the playa” is realized and from which our expression and contribution to Burningman springs. The massive mast and billowing parachute are topped this year by a new lookout crow’s nest (expertly welded with love by Daylon). This jellyfish of a shade structure is so big IT STANDS OUT IN SATALLITE PICTURES OF THE CITY!!
Also present is the cooling and cradling Bedouin Tent and the state-of-the-art Community Meal Kitchen (both designed and crafted by Bradley the Genius).
There is divine lighting and decoration birthed by Scottee and others (what is a community space, if it’s not well-lit and beautified?).
Shade, comfort, light, and beauty: essentials that are priorities in our organized vision. Costs for this add up when transporting these large and heavy materials, and the materials themselves are often discounted and used (many donated), but still costly. All the labor is given freely with LOVE.
WATER: We each bring water for ourselves. AND, we like to purchase water as a group so that there is an abundance for community kitchen clean-up, emergency back-up, foot baths in the Shade/Unity Space, and possibly some extra for community showers (if they get built).
ENERGY: It's unlikely we'll be acquiring a Bio-Diesel Generator this year (quite possible for next year). Meanwhile, the gasoline generator requires gas and oil for the occasional DJ grooves and blender sessions (during which we can plug in and charge up our batteries and such) Also, our one solar panel is insufficient for all the Unity Space lighting. Depending on how many people donate early (now-ish), we hope to add some more solar panels and batteries so that there is MORE than enough juice for lights and MAYBE even provide some power for LOW-DRAW efficient lighting systems in the Pods (LED's and small light strands).
PARTIES: We are traditionally a “mellow” camp. Sprouting out of this relaxing scene are two amazing parties that unify and celebrate the village and spread the Raisin LOVE into the stratosphere. Food and drink and other supplies will be bought.
SHOWERS?: Although the pods do their own shower thang, if someone is inspired enough to gift their labor in the building of large community evaporation pools for showers and other waste water, they could be reimbursed for the (hopefully recycled/asgreenaspossible) materials.
OTHER MINOR INFRASTRUCTURE: As was said in the Newsletter, small essentials like white boards, kitchen utensils/pots/buckets/composting gear, dry ice, propane, ALL FOR THE USE OF VILLAGE UNITY AND CELEBRATION, are funded by donations as well.
INFRASTRUCTURE TRANSPORTATION: To schlep all of this to the playa, a van is being rented for two weeks so that the early builders can set up in time for opening day. And gasoline for that van is quite a sum.
Again, it occurs to me that this all looks so official and decided. Really, this is all an experiment being conducted by loving, wacky, breathtakingly intelligent, soulful people who are also pulling together their own personal B-man preparations on top of organizing this, on top of their jobs and busy lives. And I get a sense that this isn’t a rigid structure into which we are indoctrinated. It is a painting that changes and breathes, an affirmation of what is and could be. And as that great vision very simply requires money and energy, I hope it also can be realized with deep-heartedness, soul, and HUMOR.
Thank you so much for reading this, and many many blessings to you and yours in your preparations and daily lives. Let’s all pretend we’re in a constant group hug dance party from now until we see each other in 3 WEEKS!!!!!!
Love,
Eli
elisalzman@hotmail.com
www.elisalzman.com
831.460.1467
P.S.: I am still looking for one passenger to share gas, laughs, and a magical journey into Black Rock City. My plan is to leave Santa Cruz on the 25th or 26th, arriving sometime on the 26th. Please go to blazin-raisin.tribe.net/ for a more detailed post.
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