IN WHICH Coyote examines the finest of the DPW’s finer points …
Mechanically separated chicken. Yup, if one should closely examine the first ingredient of a can of Spam Lite (of course, regular Spam would never have this) that’s exactly what it lists! MECHANICALLY SEPARATED CHICKEN. A fella’s gotta wonder of the horrors! Sounds like something out of a Tim Burton movie. Well, I mention this because that’s the title of a song I was hearing being sung by one Sir Metric of Black Rock Station while sitting enjoying a beer at Chicken John’s Odeon Bar in the Mission last Tuesday night. I wonder if anyone else picked up on this irony… the song was written by Mr Metric and fellow DPWer Cowboy Bob, over a work ranch breakfast where Spam Lite has been known to be a staple. Yes, it has been sung by many a camp fire.
Speaking of the work ranch – things are in flux, and the gods are taking notice. It seems that our Black Rock Station, located twelve miles north of our beloved playa has grown beyond anyone’s expectations, and it’s becoming dang noticeable. Sometimes it does give me the impression of a Waco compound. Well it’s true that the beautiful ranch lands of northern Nevada have been zoned for agricultural growth, and the county zoning commission has come a calling. One can imagine that they are having some trouble putting us into a category. (Upon entering Black Rock Station, one is met with the wild surreal nature of many of the art pieces of yester-burns) “Just what is the purpose of a giant yellow ducky?” The good news is that seeing how they are fully empowered to take daddy’s T bird away at any time, and the show’s over, they are being understanding to the fact that the survival of our event depends on this ranch, and are willing to work it out. This is a tough one though, folks, and the game just keeps on getting trickier!
According to the news: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Las Vegas Sun)
Gerlach — Burning Man organizers’ plans for a permanent staging area for the counterculture festival in the Nevada desert are drawing opposition from residents.
Organizers are seeking permits from Washoe county to operate the staging area called Black Rock Station on 200 acres they own 20 miles north of Gerlach.
Plans call for supplies to be stored there year-round and for up to 120 volunteers to stay there in the weeks before and after the festival.
Patricia Hanneman of the Gerlach-Empire Citizens Advisory Board said the land used in previous years was “turned into a dump” by Burning Man volunteers.
But Burning Man organizers warned that failure to win permits could doom the event. ‘Black Rock Station is absolutely fundamental to the Burning Man event,’ said spokeswomen Marian Goodell.
County planners expressed optimism that issues surrounding the permits can be solved.
What do you mean ‘turned into a dump?!’ It’s ART, dude! One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. So don’t panic, anyone! It’ll be some time before this can be sorted out, and Burning Man has wiggled into the local community with several years on our belts. It’s true that our event is quite a different desert plant, but our roots have become entwined with local roots, and solid friends are being forged. In the end, our event is a benefit to the area, and because we don’t leave a mess, local support will help us survive. And, of course, it’ll cost us.
Some quotes sent in from Ginger Petunia:
Societies need rules that make no sense for individuals. For example, it makes no difference whether a single car drives on the left or on the right. But it makes all the difference when there are many cars. - Marvin Mensky
The DPW ranch is a durty dusty harsh place to live. However, ‘Sleep, riches and health, to be truly enjoyed, must be interrupted,’ said Jean Paul Richter.
Don’t complain that you are not getting what you want, just be glad you are not getting what you deserve!
No matter how thin you make a pancake, it always has two sides. After you’ve heard two eyewitness accounts of an accident, it makes you wonder about history.
You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished BY your anger
You never know how many Apples there are in a seed.
Power is like being a lady - if you have to tell people you are, you aren’t - Margaret Thatcher
Last column I made mention of Sir Flynn and Maiden Lisa. Well Lady Bee has corrected my ignorance and has informed me that to be called a ‘Maiden,’ one has to be a virgin. I guess I should have said ‘Maid Lisa’ (she does have a daughter). My apologies, but the Coyote really isn’t very versed in virginity. Oops!
So it seems that some are impersonating DPW across the land with phony DPW stickers on their cars, and dropping names for phone numbers and waking up people for money. It makes me think of one time when I borrowed my roommate’s jacket, forgetting that it had Hell’s Angels colors on the back — almost got my ass kicked!
All for now
Coyote Nose
