The Chaplain’s Screed
BORG sent me a couple pictures from our MOOP sweep. They found a wet wipe and, more
importantly, a leftover lag screw. The lag screw had a piece of red nylon rope attached to it. If you remember having secured something with a lag screw that had a piece of red rope/string attached, well… you left it behind. I’m thinking of some ways to ensure we don’t let this happen again.
I’m writing this “screed” on Christmas Day 2024. For most folks this is a special day. For me, it’s just a day that I have no appointments and get no work calls. In short, a day to get things done. It makes me wonder if Einstein came up with the Theory of Relativity on Christmas or if it’s the day that Jonas Salk invented the polio vaccine. I’m not doing anything that grand, but it is shaping up to be a productive couple of days (I’ve gotten through a bunch of camp laundry.)
If you’ve ever worked with an observant Jewish person in a workplace that must be open on Christmas, you’ve probably really appreciated his or her presence, since Jews have no problem taking the Christmas shifts. Instead, they take other days off for their holidays and their colleagues cover their shifts on those days. It’s one of those situations where peoples’ differences create great synergy.
I think that’s one of the strengths of our camp. We have a variety of folks with different skills, interests and backgrounds. Ours is not some Silicon Valley camp, a camp all from the same place or a camp of only the “enlightened” types. We have drunks and teetotalers; people into sound healing and those into battering their bodies into the ground over the course of burn week; those at home in an orgy and those at home sharing stickers as part of their Lana del Rey fan club meeting; businesspeople, agricultural workers and artists; those who know all the latest genders and those who think they are cutting-edge for writing the phrase “his or her presence”; former soldiers and former dancers; people from Muslim, Jewish, Christian and secular backgrounds; some of us seek out yoga and others pop in a mouthguard and go out to find someone to hit him (you know it’s not a her) in the face.
Why is this diversity a strength? Because it means we can welcome and vibe with all types of folks. Between all of us, we cover a wide variety of skills. Despite being a small camp, we have people with the skills and interests to step up and offer a lot to Black Rock City. You would be hard-pressed to find someone who can’t find a friend and have some fun at The Assless Chapel.
So, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and to a great New Year to each and everyone one of you lovely folks!
Group News
· If you haven’t heard, Peaches and Peter are officially engaged! No word yet on whether Red and Stupid are doing their vows at their legal wedding. Peaches, Peter – congratulations! I love you both and am happy for both of you - and the world - that you two lovelies are getting married! Maybe one of these days, we’ll have to come visit you two in Kidsville.
· Red’s children continue to get cuter, his wife continues to get lovelier, and he continues to sleep poorly due to the things he’s seen in our camp.
· I got to speak to Sia the other day. She’s starting a business focusing on holistic wellness coaching. Excited to see how that evolves for her. As of now, Sia doesn’t think she’ll be back on-Playa in 2025.
· Becky – it’s been a while. Time for us to reconnect! Sorry, it’s a hectic phase of life for me right now, but I miss you!
· I spoke briefly to Kayla the other day. I asked her for some life advice and she regurgitated to me a forgotten bit of advice I once gave her – it was much appreciated. She just finished finals for the semester and, judging from her voice, it sounds like school is going well for her. Just not sure how she’s able to deal with the difficulties of going to school in that hellhole known as Hawaii.
· Mo sounded great last time I spoke to her. Fencing and looking into a really cool career opportunity. She let me know she probably won’t be back next year. San Diego trip anyone?
· Curtis got a lovely new Burning Man tattoo! Also, word around the campfire is that he’s fallen in love and has followed his lady to spend the winter in tropical, rural Minnesota! Are you bringing her to camp next year, Curtis? And, if so, does that make her the camp stepmom? And if it does, does that make you our lesbian camp mom?
· KT and I had a Zoom. She seems to be doing great, currently in a period of productive
evolution. Seeing as she had such a great burn this past year, I think she’ll be with us for a long time.
· Ellie and I met up and she will be joining us this coming year.
· Nikki and I have been in touch. Not sure the chances that she’ll finally join us next year.
· Squid seems pretty set on joining us. I called her the other day and she just happened to be having lunch with Beyonce! Did you hit that, Squid?
· Cassidy will be camping with Kelly’s next year. We’ll be doing a HUBS with them. She visited Mehdi in France and, with some luck, maybe he’ll be joining Kelly’s next year, too?
· Spoke to Shuffles a couple days ago. She was hanging with some Brazilian friends in Mammoth and is now doing some solo skiing, while her adorable doglet, Dolly, waits for her to come back. Next year, she plans to bring her friend Vitor and to also put on some shuffle lessons.
· Khalsa is unsure about returning. She and I have had a couple of lovely chats. She paid me the worst compliment I think I’ve ever received, letting me know I look better with clothes on.
· I haven’t heard from Clayton and Vinette and need to set up a Zoom call. I feel that we really lucked out with having them join us last year. You two are coming back, right?
· Stupid is doing well. We get to hang out regularly and he’s been helping me a lot with camp gear. He’s still as fun and adorable as ever and recently returned from a trip down the Eel River.
In other news, it looks increasingly as though Burning My Crepe won’t be back next year. The Statement of Intent is due on January 16th. If they haven’t filed one, I plan to invite much of their camp to join us. Please let me know if you have any thoughts on this.
Camp Planning
Camp Improvements
This winter, I plan to update our website. I need to update our group page. I also want to add our (updated) agreements and also an LNT page, to make it easy for new campers to figure out all the logistics and expectations of our camp. And I’ll put the Red Folder materials on there.
Before I update the section with our names and pictures, I’d like to hear from you all:
· Peter, let me know if I can put you on the site and, if so, please send me a picture.
· Peaches, Curtis, Squid, Stupid, Becky, Sia and Red: let me know if you want me to take you off the site or change your picture.
· KT, can I add you to the site? Is the picture below ok? If not, feel free to send me another one.
· Kayla, I don’t know if you’re planning on coming back with us sometime, but let me know if I can add you to the website and pick one of the two photos below or send me another one.
· Mo, let me know if you want me to add you, too. I know you’re big on keeping your anonymity, so check out the picture I have for you.
· Cassidy, I know you’re rejoining Kelly’s but I suspect you’ll camp with us again in the future. Let me know if you want to be up on the website, too. A couple of suggested pictures below, but maybe you have a solo one from 2024?
· Shuffles, I’ve got the two pictures of you below. I love the solo one, but if it’s too risqué and you have a solo one you’d prefer to the one with Curtis, feel free to send it to me.
· Clayton and Vinette, I don’t have any pictures on the site, but send one over, if you’re ok with me adding you two.
[See actual newsletter for pictures]
Wedding Planning
Sorted out the paperwork for the Dutch couple, Jolanda and Marcel. Let me know if you or anyone you know would like to get legally married in Black Rock City next year. If you’ve got any ideas for next year’s wedding certificates, feel free to send them my way.
Other Camp Planning
Other than the website, I’m working on the Statement of Intent for next year and, other than that, cleaning, organizing and putting away our gear and infrastructure. Still need to plan Zoom meetings with some of you. Let me know how likely you are to come back with us next year.
Red Folder Stuff
Not going to bother you about this… yet.
Black Rock City News and Acculturation
So, BORG’s been hitting you up for money and, meanwhile, everyone on your Burning Man Facebook group is an angry management consultant telling you why Burning Man should be able to balance their budget while paying you to attend, right? Well, this amazing event take a lot to put on. Here’s Marian Goodell, BORG CEO, explaining what’s up and why you should give. She make a decent argument.
Check out this video of the Temple Build.
Some more BORG propaganda about how great Burning Man is.
And some more where that came from.
Burning Man Podcast has a couple new episodes out.
Placement / Ticket News
Placement News
Still no feedback on our Post-Playa Report. Here’s the upcoming Placement Timeline:
December 20: Statement of Intent opens for 2025 new and returning theme camps
December 2024-January 2025: 2024 Camp Standings announced to placed camps
January 16, 2025: Statement of Intent for 2025 due
Mid-February: Stewards Sale ticket allocations sent to theme camps
Early March: Stewards Sale allocation system opens for returning theme camps
Mid-March: 2025 Camp Symposium
March 27: Placed Camp Questionnaire for ALL theme camps.
March and April: Placement team reviews each questionnaire we receive
Early May: Camp Listings are live on Burningman.org
May: Placement team creates the map of Black Rock City
Mid-May: Placement announces theme camps selected for placement
June: Placement announces approximate locations and addresses of all placed camps
June: Tickets allocated to new theme camps
June: Setup Access Pass (SAP) numbers are finalized for theme camps
July: Placement team announces neighbors
July: Setup Access Passes emailed to placed theme camps
August 18: Placement begins on playa; camps arrive according to their SAP arrival date
August 24: Gate opens to the public @ 12:00am (midnight) — BRC begins!
August 30: The Man burns
August 31: The Temple burns
September 2: Camps must depart BRC and leave no trace!
Mid-September: Post-playa Report opens
October 23: Post-playa Report due through Burner Profiles
December: 2025 Camp Standings announced to placed theme camps
Ticketing News
No ticketing news, but I do want to hear from you about whether you think you’re returning with TAC or not.
Current Pre-Build, Build Week, Burn Week and Exodus Schedule
I went ahead and worked up a tentative schedule. You can see that build week will have moonless nights, based on the color-coding of the dates. Burn week won’t be very bright either.
Upcoming Tasks
Everyone:
o Let me know if you have any ideas for the Tomorrow Today wedding certificates.
o Let me know your plans for joining in BRC 2025.
TAC:
o Do and send out the Accuracy Third interview.
o Schedule decompression Zooms.
o Complete Statement of Intent.
o Update website.
Closing Thoughts
Christmas is a holiday about many things. It’s about being together with your loved ones. It’s about creating a time of year that everyone can get into another headspace and be in a good mood. It’s a time for gifting. It’s about God, Jesus and related stuff. It’s about rampant commercialism.
Burning Man is, at least for me, a time to get together with my loved ones: you all, my burner family. And it certainly creates a time and space to relax, let your psychological walls down and create societal joy. It’s also a hardcore time/place for gifting, taking it even further than most people do for Christmas, with the level of gifting to strangers. While it’s not about religion, it is, for many, about spirituality. And it’s a rejection of rampant commercialism. I would also say that, just as Christmas comes before New Year’s – a time of renewal – the Burn ends with the Temple Burn and return to the default world. For me, that is a time of renewal. All of us bond to different extents with different aspects of that.
Maybe that’s why the first theme camp was Christmas Camp and why Burners started SantaCon. So, Merry Christmas, have a happy new year and let’s start prepping for Burning Man 2025: Tomorrow Today!
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