>Damn the torpedoes! Hail Eris! Survival of the DUMBest!

We could always get the "risk of life and limb" quota covered by hosting a coed naked bicycle jousting tournament.

It is the increased caution and restriction that has also played a big part in the end of the Pyromid. Certainly I understand that due to BMs increased size, we have increased restrictions. As with anything that is exceedingly cool, it's increased popularity tends to spell out it's own demise of coolness. Perhaps Burning Man has become too successful for it's own good.
Being threatened with arrest by the BLM if we tried to burn our Pyromid last year due to confusion about paperwork (good lord it's become bureaucratic), then ultimately being able to albiet with a fraction of the intended fireworks (not due to the BLM but some further miscommunication with rangers) for the "Death Battle" with the Eggchair was way too much drama. It sealed the deal with us as far as calling quits. People still talk to me all the time about the stray fireworks into the crowd from the two prior years and us putting the DANGER back into Burning Man. We always endevoured to ensure that our fireworks wouldn't go astray, but then we didn't have a fireworks consultant from Disney on our team. Sometimes they went astray. We're glad no one got seriously hurt, but also glad that people got a thrill. Small camp doing something a little crazy and sharing it with whomever cared to watch. I've been sucked into going back this year due to the efforts of a joint Pyromid/Eggchair team with the Black Rock Biergarten, but I'm expecting a continued blanding down of the event. I'm definitely approaching this year with a jaded view (plus I'm pissed that I couldn't pull of my plan started over a year ago to go to Guca instead of Burning Man this year).

Maybe the notion of EAMB and La Contessa starting a new festival (or at least some yearly gathering) of their own so they can enjoy the fruits of their labor isn't such a bad idea.
Is it time for the US to have a Brass Band festival of its own?
Anyway, I've certainly appreciated EAMBs efforts at BM. The story of the ship running over the torpedo car in revenge for being torpedoed (overheard as I was leaving in 2002) has been retold many a time, your showing up to play after the Pyromid burn in 2002, the Satyrs burn last year (probably my best moment of that year)... all great memories.
So, this year, I'll raise a glass of absinthe to EAMB and La Contessa and do what I can to keep things at Burning Man a little more edgy. It's a losing proposition I think.

A joke I recently heard -
Q- How many Burners does it take to put in a lightbulb.
A- Ten, One to think it up, two to plan it, six to pull it off and one to complain that it's not as good as last year.
Best
Kurt

"'Twas a sad day when the phrase "by attending this event you voluntarily accept the risk of serious injury OR DEATH" was struck from the tickets. What's the fun of radical self-reliance if there are no consequences to your choices? No danger? Do we really want to turn the playa into a Disneyfied ridefilm?"

Look on your ticket... Mine says "You voluntarily assume the risk of serious injury or death by attending this event..." right on it. I didn't think it ever got removed.

The problem with huge dangerous vehicles is that your choices are a radical self-relier are NOT what would put you in danger here. If you set up a great camp and made all the right decisions, you could still be wacked when a runaway semi-truck covered in sequins blasts through your camp at 65 mph. Your abilities as a radical self-relier never came into play, it would just be a mindless incident.

And the Disney cliche is pretty overblown. Its the same type of argument as when someone says, "Your viewpoint is similar to one held by Hitler. You aren't a NAZI, are you? I can't believe you NAZIs". There is name for it, bringing up nazism just to blow an argument out of proportion, its a type of 'straw man' but I don't remember the name. Anyway, its the same sort of thing. If you've ever actually been to Disneyland, I think you'd see how insanely different the two are. Completely different worlds still, trust me.

If you don't think BM is dangerous enough, come find me at Pandora's Matchbox, 3:30 and Mercury, and I'll come to your camp and hold a personal fire breathing demonstration inside your tent. ;)

Anyway.. All that said, its a shame to lose a big cool vehicle like the contessa. Its probably the right decision to keep it from rampaging, but I raise my glass to the people who built it, its good stuff.

peace,
sam

I'm pretty sad that La Contessa wont be there but I have also heard the bad driving stories. I'd hate for burning man to get more bad press and trouble from the authorities because a poorly driven giant ship ended up mowing someone down. Just imagine the press having a field day with that one.

I agree with you Slim that there is a need to keep burning man free from too much enforcement, but I think there is a difference between tempting fate doing silly shit like setting oneself on fire, and risking life and limb by just walknig across the playa.

point taken, we broke the speed limit, and a signpost. and now that our ship is banned, none of the heavy hitters in the band want to attend due to the fact that we worked for the better part of two years planning, building, fine tuning, and generally slaving on that boat and now we have to start our own festival if we want to use it. but what's done is done, I feel the loss.