Welcome to February everybody.  Yes, it’s leap year so we get one more day in this fabulous month.  Oh wait, once the Super Bowl is over this month pretty much sucks.  Well, let me try to brighten that otherwise deplorable situation with this month’s riveting Barbie Death Village newsletter!  As always, we try to begin with something Barbie Death Camp related and since there’s so much written about us that is rarely much of a chore.  I saw this article and I was bothered because the only time the author uses a swear word is in describing our wonderful camp.  Well Mr. Music Marauder Man, I double-dog dare you to say that to our faces.  Judge for yourselves.

http://www.musicmarauders.com/2011/09/burning-man-saturday-sunday.html

The first order of business is to announce that our camp will have another art vehicle for TTITD.  Cap’n Joe bought a large van and once it’s mutated significantly he hopes that it will hold upwards to 30 revelers.  Since these things are expensive and it’s unrealistic to have a single individual pay the entire freight, he is asking his fellow Barbiebarians, if they choose, to help defray the cost.  He’s looking at raising at least $1500.  If you want to help the good Cap’n out, you can send a separate contribution to Felony.  This should enable us to have upwards to 60 Barbiebarians together on the open playa, especially come burn night.  Anything you can do to help would be appreciated.

Now a word or two about tickets.  As many of you know, yesterday and today are the days of the so-called “Ticket Lottery”.   I have heard conflicting reports.  The Jackrabbit Speaks said they are oversold by something like 70%.  I had a nice talk with a friend of mine who is with the BMOrg and he insists that the problem is nowheres near as bad as TJS makes it out to be.  I suppose only time will tell.  But here is where membership has its privileges.  If you happen to have an extra ticket because you and your campmates all ordered and received multiple tickets, do not put them on eBay or Craigs List or even the ePlaya Ticket page.  Let us sell them at cost to your fellow Barbiebarians.  There should be enough tickets, when the dust settles, for everyone to get a ticket who needs one. Mel will be the go-to person for this assignment.  She has volunteered to develop a spread-sheet and will as objectively as possible try to match any extra tickets with those in need.  If you have an extra ticket or need to be placed on the list, email Mel.  And FWIW, I got my ticket.

This is the time of year when we begin to outline activities that we have planned for the entire week.  Since our camp has been in existence now for 13 years there are certain traditions that we embrace.  It seems that what we did last year, with at least one planned event every day, was very well received.  Time was we would have two large events on the same day and we were burnt out by the time Friday rolled around.  So the tentative plan is to mirror somewhat what we did last year.  On Sunday before the event we will have our Village-wide pizza feed so those who helped set up our camp can be properly rewarded.  Come Monday we are looking at having our chili cook-off again.  If you would like to be a chef, and last year we had I believe 10 participants which worked out really well, please let Felony or Katie M’Lady know.  On Tuesday we will have an art car party on the open playa.  We will finalize those plans as the summer progresses.  Wednesday we have the traditional Annual Naked Bike Ride & Pub Crawl.  I will request once again to be the first stop after they leave the Man.  Last year we were told they had 450 cyclists and I don’t doubt that number for a second.  We will be asking for wine/champagne donations for that.  Thursday morning the Black Rock Yearbook will again drop by and take our camp’s picture for posterity, and that evening one of our biggest parties, the ePlaya/3playa Meet & Greet will begin at 6 p.m.  Friday will again be very popular as Black Rock City Body & Paint opens its doors to the lovely sirens of BRC for Critical Tits Day.  Last year we guesstimate we painted over 100 ladies and I would expect that number to increase again this year. Arguably our biggest event, the Annual Pancake Pork-Out will be Saturday morning.  We will be hitting you up for donations of champagne, Bloody Marys, pancake mix, OJ, coffee, and BACON!  And finally, Saturday after the burn will be our annual weenie roast on the open playa.  Last year we cooked over 300 hotdogs and that went really well.  We are looking for volunteers to head up some of these activities.  Rellie and Sharen are the go-to people for the Naked Bike Ride, but everything else is pretty wide open.  We need your input and contribution.

Oh, and since I mentioned the Black Rock Yearbook, no, those stoned hippie losers still haven’t gotten around to publishing 2011′s yet.

We are going to do something a bit different for shirts and hats this year.  Yes, there will be both and they will run $20 and $15 respectively.  Frank will be in charge and he is having everyone use PayPal for the payment.  Last year one of our people, who has since been expelled from our camp, actually bounced the check to me and never bothered to make it good.  That’s not going to happen again.  Frank has set up a PayPal account and all orders will be ran through that.  Mike will have PayPal set up on the Barbie Death Camp website www.barbiedeathcamp.com hopefully before Valentine’s Day.  You can have your shirts from S to XXXL, regular T or tank top, mens or womens cut, and in either pink or gray.  Hats will remain burgundy and tan.  We are also accepting designs for this year’s shirts.  If you think you can artistically draw a winning design, you too may live forever in Barbie Death Camp lore.  All submissions must be in by May 1st.

Felony and I have ordered the 2012 BRC/Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro oval bumper stickers.  They should be done sometime before March 1st.  Everybody who pays dues to BDV will receive one.  Heck, we’ll even give you two or three if you ask real nicely.

We have a new Barbiebarian-to-be.  Say a mighty mazal tov! to Grawg and Sarah.  They are the proud parents of a baby girl, Sophia Grace born January 20. No doubt they will be candidates for Parents of the Year someday in the near future.

Speaking of new Barbiebarians, Redstar from Australia and her husband Dondi are the proud parents of Sage Star.  Sage will be joining us on the playa and is three months old.  Again, mazal tov!

We are again collecting dues for 2012.  We will not have a dues increase this year!  We are keeping them at $60 if paid before June 1st and they go up to $85 thereafter.  International travelers from overseas can simply pay $60 on the playa.  Please send all dues checks to Doc.

Now is the time if you want an Early Arrival pass to begin requesting them.  We are asking for 117 from the BMOrg.  There is no guarantee we will be awarded that many, so simply because you are on the list does not guarantee you a pass.  And everyone who gets an EA pass will be required to contribute something tangible to our Village.  Either set up on Saturday or clean up the Monday-Tuesday after the event.  The only exceptions to this rule will be for those who haul out our infrastructure or those who have been delegated as heads of an individual project and their minions.  Everyone else can come in on Monday.

Now to the introduction of our newbies.  Please welcome from Florida Big Dane.  He will be camping with Dye With Dignity.  Tamara and Ken’s daughter Sarah Wylie will be gracing our little slice of paradise on the playa.  Also with Dye With Dignity, from the Bay Area please welcome Angela.  A gent who joined us late last year and is back, please welcome Brian Hur.  From Montana, please give a warm welcome to Brianna and her hubby.  Drew and Mindy have a couple whom they are bringing out, please welcome Emily and Dan.  And with the imploding of Apokoliptica, please welcome Ben Tang.

The Man burns in 213 days. )’(

Doc Pyro, MOBDV

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