http://seekingalpha.com/article/46345-anti-corporate-satire-of-mattel-at-burning-man

We are now ready to begin allocating space requests. Some of you have already told us what you need. Keep in mind we are on approximately three acres, some 120,000+ square feet of prime playa real estate. We will be on a corner (in all likelihood several corners), stretching some two city blocks away from The Man and the better part of a city block long. If you want to be on the street, tucked away from the maddening crowds safely within the Village, on an access road, or wish to be camped next to someone in particular, you need to let us know. Tracy has said he will map out the Village again this year, and for that we thank you. We will begin putting the map together in the middle of July.

We have some good news for everyone in the sphere of influence of BDC&WB. We will have 300 gallons of water hauled out to the playa for use in our shower. John, a veteran local burner from Citrus Heights, will be hauling out our water and piano and they will be delivered on the playa on Saturday, August 27th. Also Stu and Laura have volunteered to haul out the trailer with the infrastructure in it, including but not limited to the shower, evaporation pond, sofas, ovens, burn barrel, and shade structures. Thank you John, Stu, and Laura for your help. We literally could not do it without you. But when one problem is solved, another one arises. Our art truck, which should be in sound running condition, will need to be driven out to the playa on that Saturday as well. If anyone would like to volunteer for that assignment, we will happily pay for your gas to and from the playa.

We just got in our glowsticks for this year. We have 300 of them, plus what was left over from last year. We also were given 100 small glow bracelets. So everyone who will be ambling out on the playa should be lit up. Safety third.

Every year we are a stop for the Annual Naked Bike Ride & Pub Crawl. We will be again this year. I have been in contact with the (and I use the term very loosely) gentleman in charge, and he has agreed to let Barbie Death Village be the first stop after they leave The Man. The 200 or so naked cyclists should come rolling in around 11:45 a.m. Wednesday. Some of you may recall what happened last year. Suffice it to say had the LEOs been by, some people would have been arrested for lewd and lascivious conduct. We hope to avoid such scandalous behavior this year. We will need drinks to be served. White wine (chilled), sangria, and champagne seem to be very popular. If any of you would like to donate that (this is in addition to the Pancake Pork Out) we would be obliged.

Texas Joe will be operating Barbie’s Day Spa again this year, complete with massage tables for the assembled denizens of Black Rock City. He is looking for another masseuse, preferably (though by no means only) a newbie. If any of you are adroit at handling the art of massage, please contact Texas Joe.

We have some good news on the DMV Hottie front. Many of you already knew that Cap’n Joe is a Hottie. One of our newbies, at least to our camp, has also thrown her hat in the ring and is a Hottie as well. I want to personally thank Amanda for volunteering. Speaking of the DMV, our art truck has been given the preliminary thumbs up to be brought out to the playa. Now we need to decorate it effectively so we can be driven around the playa in comfort. CJ is heading that up. We will be getting together at Felony Arson’s home in Placerville on Saturday, June 18th for a potluck and to begin planning the decoration of the truck. We may also work on the trailer while we’re at it. We will be having a pot luck, beer will be provided (your camp dues at work), and everyone who can possibly make it should certainly plan on it. Your input is vital. Let Felony know if you can make it.

There are a lot of newbies, either to Burning Man itself or veteran burners new to our camp this year, who may be unaware of the “improvements” we have made over just last year. People wonder what their dues go towards naturally and what they can expect by becoming a member of our Village. Just a few of the things that we have this year that we haven’t had, at least not for the entire week, in the past include our piano, the water situation, and the parties during the week. For the first time we have something organized, as close as cat herding comes to being organized, for each day of the week. On Monday we have our chili cook-off. (Please let me know if you’re bringing chili; someone told me and I must be getting old because I had a brain fart and forgot.) So far Steve from Boston and Laura are in. On Tuesday Katie is planning her art truck party. If you have any input on that, contact Katie. On Wednesday is the aforementioned Naked Bike Ride & Pub Crawl. Thursday is the Annual ePlaya/3playa Meet & Greet, this year with a gourmet pot luck being provided for our gastronomical pleasure. Friday Black Rock City Body & Paint breaks out the brushes and we paint the fair sirens of Black Rock City prior to Critical Tits. On Saturday after The Burn we have our huge weenie roast on the art truck on the open playa. We are bringing something like 400 hot dogs this year, so it’ll be a real hoot.

Now comes the bad news. Dues are due. We have collected from many of you, and for that we thank you. But for those of you in BDC&WB, Loose Nuts, Eden, Clan O’Crash, BRCB&P, and our newest camp, Shangri-Playa (more on them upcoming), dues are $60 if the envelope is postmarked on or before June 1. That is why this newsletter is going out today. They increase to $85 after that. Members of Boosh: The Canadian Splinter Squad and any camp not mentioned that have their own dues structure are exempt. Anybody flying in from overseas is also exempt and may simply pay $60 on the playa. And remember: No Early Arrival passes to anybody delinquent on their dues. Speaking of which, we have allocated all but eight of those which we have requested. If you really need one, now would be an excellent time to ask.

Also we are still accepting orders for shirts and hats. This is our only fundraiser to help defray the cost of the wine Frank supplies for us. Hats are $15 and shirts are $20. Let me know if you want one and I will put you on the list. Colors can be either gray or pink, men’s and women’s styles, from small to XXXL, and come in either tank top or regular T.

Most of you know we have a room deal with the Sands Regency for discounted rooms before, during, and after TTITD. One of our newbies from Australia, Mel, has reserved one of the rooms and she is offering the other bed (all rooms have two queen beds) to anyone in our camp in need of a place to stay on Friday, the 26th. She will be caravanning up with me and Blowfish. This is her gift to us, so if you would like the bed, let Mel know.

Another one of our newbies, Kelsey from Virginia, is in need of a ride from either the East Coast or from Reno on Monday.  Please try and help out our fellow Barbiebarians whenever possible.

Now to the introduction of newbies. This is a very long list! I have already introduced Kelsey. New this year is a friend of CJ’s David. Mike from San Francisco has two newbs as well, please welcome Pieter and Susan. Brooke has a new boyfriend and she’s bringing him along. Please welcome Cory. Cory also has a friend, Kanga. Drew has an East Coast newb as well, please welcome Todd.

I mentioned we had a new camp within the Village. They are part of the sphere of influence of BDC&WB with all the rights and privileges inherit therein. Please welcome the Shangri-Playans: Pa Kettle; Crudely Scrumptious; Wine Daddy; Kevin; King Cobra; Boop; Jewella DeVille & Sparky; Helen; Hold Me Closer Tiny Pancer; and Crespin. They are all with Wonder Dave, who we introduced last month.

Our next newsletter is due out around July 7th.

The Man burns in 99 days. )’(

Doc Pyro, MOBDV

http://vimeo.com/21819702

Some of you may recall several years back our Village had a chili cook-off. The only reason KJ didn’t win it is due to blatant favoritism on the part of the judges. But to right that alleged wrong, we are going to have another chili cook-off. This year it will be Monday evening. That way anybody in a tent doesn’t have to worry about how to keep their chili fresh for the duration. We will need no fewer than 6 chili chefs. If you are interested in being part of this event, which I am sure will turn into an annual extravagant, please let either me or Felony Arson know. We will have prizes for the top three chilis. Not great prizes mind you, but prizes nonetheless.

We are in need of no fewer than two more My Size Barbies, you know, the ones that stand about 3′ tall. We had two of them stolen, well, perhaps “liberated” is a better word, last year. If any of you happen to have one gathering dust in your attic perhaps, or see one at a garage sale, be sure to snatch it up. They retail for well over $100, which is why we don’t have room in our budget to just run out and buy a few of them.

We have the art truck registered. CJ and I did the application on Friday and Cap’n Joe has furnished us with the specs on the fire cannons he has built, so we should be good to go. My friend Jack approves all vehicles for the BMOrg DMV that have fire effects, and I am confident he will be kind to us again this year. We will need to disguise the truck better than we have in the past. We are looking at adding maybe another 100 feet of rope lights and covering the frame of the truck entirely with plywood (painted pink naturally) so it “doesn’t look like a truck”. We will then add the bunting around the bottom of the truck and we should be good to go. If any of you have suggestions on how we can improve the design of the truck, please let CJ know as she is in charge of everything truck art related.

If you read The Jack Rabbit Speaks, you may have drawn the same conclusion that I have in so much as Burning Man might sell out this year. That has never happened in the past, but with early ticket sales very brisk, I would not take for granted tickets will be available come August. I know some of you are looking for lower-tier tickets, and some of you have succeeded at actually getting some cheaper ducats. I would not count on that from this point forward. You can check out in the Burning Man website under 2011 Tickets on the ePlaya, but consider yourselves warned. I strongly suggest you do not procrastinate.

As anybody who has been part of our camp for at least one year knows, every Thursday evening at 6 p.m. BDC&WB hosts the Annual ePlaya Meet & Greet in which nearly 200 people descend like locusts on our modest little Village for several hours of decadence and bacchanalian excess. This year will be a little different. The ePlayans are planning a large “gourmet style” (at least by playa standards) pot-luck dinner, and we’re all invited. This means that this year we will not have to feed the unwashed masses and they’re going to feed us. We are welcome to contribute to the cause but that is strictly an individual call. So if you’re the type of person who becomes scarce every Thursday, you might want to rearrange your schedule this time around.

We have several newbies that are in need of some assistance. First off from Jacksonville, FL we have Bryan and Jessica, though he is known as Grasshopper. I had the pleasure of meeting Bryan in Boston as we both ran the marathon. They are going to get married on the playa, actually in our Village! If any of you are qualified to perform a legal marriage in the State of Nevada, they would like to get in touch with you. Another newbie, flying all of the way in from Australia, is Melanie. She will be arriving in Reno Friday afternoon and will be staying that night at the Sands Regency (more on that in a moment). If any of you can offer her a ride up on Saturday, especially if you will be part of the caravan from Sacramento-Auburn, she would be most appreciative.

Speaking of the Sands Regency, let me remind you we have taken down a floor of rooms for members of Barbie Death Village and our friends. If you need an inexpensive room before or after The Burn, call them at (866) 386-7829 and ask for BURN11. This is where membership has its privileges.

We are now accepting orders for the 2011 Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro shirts and hats fundraiser. This is the only fundraiser we have (dues notwithstanding) and all proceeds go to help Frank defray some of the cost of the wine we give away. If you’d like a shirt, they run $20 and can be either gray or pink, both men’s and women’s styles, and come in regular T or tank top, up to XXXL. Hats run $15 and will again be tan and burgundy. And remember, you can get your name/nickname/playa name on the shirt if you so choose. They can be either paid for ahead of time or on the playa, though ahead of time is better.

Speaking of dues, for everyone in Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro, Eden, Clan O’Crash, Black Rock City Body & Paint, or Loose Nutz, dues are due. They increase from the current charge of $60 to $85 come June 1, so don’t wait around unless you really like giving us more money. Every member of our camp is responsible for paying their dues. You can get them refunded if you are driving up the infrastructure of our camp, which includes hauling water, the piano, and trailer with the shade structure and shower. International travelers from Australia, Europe, South America, Asia, or Africa can simply pay $60 on the playa. They are the only exceptions.

We are still looking for a few items for the Saturday morning Pancake Pork-Out. Namely booze, a couple of tables, and several more propane-powered griddles. Come July we will see if we have enough food and drink and then will decide if we require anything else.

We have already allocated 81 of our 103 Early Arrival passes. We are setting aside five for last-minute emergencies, which means we have 17 not already claimed. Only members of Barbie Death Village or those who are aiding in the delivery of our infrastructure will be awarded a pass. We have not heard back from some of you (to name names: Grawg, Hottie, Luciano, Frank, Jewellee, Alice, and Don’s clan). If you want an EA pass, you must let me know, otherwise I have no choice but to assume you have either gotten one elsewhere (Greeter’s for example) or are not part of our Village this year.

We would like to welcome eight new members of our Village. I have already mentioned Grasshopper and Jessica, but along with them is Bruce, whose playa name is Pounce. If you saw him at the Boston Marathon around the ladies, you’d understand the nickname. Also from Jacksonville welcome Anjelica. A veteran burner gracing us this year is Danger Dave. And we are now represented by Brazil! Taking the better part of a year and driving all across the two continents (North and South America), please welcome Vizoo and Jack.  Please make all of our new Village mates feel welcome.

The man burns in 125 days. )’(

Doc Pyro, MOBDV

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/barbiedeathcamp/interesting/show/

The first order of business is tickets. We have three friends and campmates who are looking for First- and Second-tier tickets. Should you happen to have an extra ticket, please let me know. Jewellee, Lucy, and Jake all need tickets. Thank you in advance if you can help our fellow Barbiebarians.

For any of you in the Pacific Northwest, Sharen will be driving down from Portland in her RV. She is looking for riders and, perhaps, one or two people to stay in her RV (sharing the cab-over bed). If you are coming from the land of rain and evergreens and could use a lift, let Sharen know. Share the cost of gas and the cost of the RV rental fee would be negotiable. On a related subject, from Sacramento Alice, who stayed with us last year, will also have RV space available. She is looking for female burners who might share the RV cost. She would like to meet you ahead of time.

I would like to thank Cap’n Joe for stepping up and volunteering to be a DMV Hottie. We could certainly use a few more. What that entails is to have you, as volunteers, work with the BMOrg DMV with the idea being Barbie’s Mobile Wh0reh0use getting approved for day and night time use on the playa. If anybody is interested you can go to the main Burning Man website and sign up.

One of our newbies Katie has taken on the challenge of putting together a party night on the art truck, complete with music and theme. It is still in the early planning stages and come summertime we should be able to give you a clearer picture on what will be happening. We’re probably looking at sometime earlier in the week for the party; likely on Tuesday night. Afterwards we will almost certainly head back to camp and feast on lumpia. There’s something we always need more of: lumpia. And absinthe. And champagne. And decadence.

We have had a good number of you come forward and volunteer your services and expertise to our annual Pancake Pork Out. We have the cups, plates, and paper towels taken care of (thank you Pauli), pancake mix, butter, and syrup (thank you Tamara, Ken, Amanda, and Jake), champagne (gracias Dr. Joe and Michelle), and several griddles. We still need a few things: four more gas-powered griddles (at least), bacon, Bloody Mary fixins, and coffee. If any of you wish to donate those, and anything else for that matter, to the breakfast, just let me know. Experience has shown that we will consume almost anything. The Pancake Pork Out will be held on Saturday morning so everyone can participate.

Early Arrival passes. We have requested 103 of them and as of right now 75 have been assigned. We are keeping five set aside for emergencies, so we have 23 to go out to those who are interested. There is a pecking order on who gets the passes: 1) Those arriving on Thursday to actually set up the logistical layout of the Village; 2) Those hauling out the infrastructure for the various camps who arrive on Saturday if not earlier; 3) Seniority. 4) Those who are driving the furthest. If you live in Reno-Carson City-Tahoe you will have a longer shot than those driving in from Florida, Texas, and New York. 5) Whether or not I like you; 6) Lottery. It will never get to number six. Should we get fewer than we have asked for Felony Arson, CJ, and myself will decide who gets the passes. If you would like an EA pass, and promise to work your tails off setting up the Village, putting together the art vehicles, constructing the shade area, building the shower (thank you Dan and Michelle), and laying the groundwork so the rest of you can have fun in the desert, let me know and I will put you on the list.

We have negotiated a deal with the Sands Regency in Reno for those of you traveling from afar who need a good night’s sleep before heading out to the playa. From Sunday night August 28 until Thursday September 1st, it’s only $25 a night for a room with up to four people. Saturday August 27 and from Friday September 2 through Sunday September 4 it’s $65 a night. The Sands has a free sauna-steam bath on the 17th floor, Jacuzzi, and ice machines on all floors. Their parking lot can also accommodate RVs and trailers and parking is free. If you want to take advantage of this offer (this is where membership has its privileges comes in) you will need to call (866) FUNSTAY [(866) 386-7829] and ask for BURN11. I personally negotiated this deal because, damn it, I care.

For those of you in Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro, Eden, Clan O’Crash, Black Rock City Body & Paint, and Loose Nutz, dues are due. They remain $60 until June 1st, then increase to $85 if paid prior to August 15th. All international travelers coming in from Europe, Asia, Australia, or Africa can simply pay $60 on the playa. No Early Arrival passes will be given to anyone delinquent on their dues.

We will have shirts and hats for sale again this year. And for the first time, you now have a choice in colors: gray or pink. The lettering and logo will remain burgundy. You can have either regular T or tank top, in either men’s or women’s style, and you can have if you’d like your name-nickname-playa name on the front as well. Shirts will be $20 and the 2011 BDC&WB hats will run $15. Yes, this is a fundraiser and all profits go to help offset the cost of the wine we give out. You may order your shirts and hats today but they don’t need to be paid for until they arrive. But prepaying for them is awfully nice as well.

On April 18th I will be running in the Boston Marathon. I know some of us plan on getting together marathon weekend, and I welcome everyone who can make it. My bib number is 26463 which puts me squarely in the “he’s slower than crap” category. I intend to start off slow, then taper off.

Finally, introduction of our new campmates. From Ohio, please welcome Captain BLW who will be camping with Reece and his gang. From Ithaca, New York please welcome Veronica and Steve. We have expanded our international presence, and from England we have four newbies. Please welcome Ninzy, Abid, and Esther along with Graidawg. I will be meeting up with the limeys in late June in London just to make sure they buy me some beers, uh, I mean, fit in to our camp. Yeah, that’s what I meant.

The Man burns in 155 days.

Doc Pyro, MOBDV

http://lookinround.bp2e.net/Living-Working-Burning-Man/by-Year/LWBM/13801522_rpUHW/8/1012054501_TTiQX#1012054501_TTiQX

Now on to the news.  There is a lot to report this month, so settle back with a nice warm cup of Irish coffee and enjoy.  I had a long chat with Felony Arson and we both agree that we need somebody (the more the better) to be a DMV Hottie.  What that means is that for all of you who are anxious to volunteer your services to give something back to the Burning Man community, what we would like is to have you ask to work for the BMOrg Department of Mutant Vehicles.  Why?  Because we could use an “in” within the DMV to see to it (read: rubber stamp) that Barbie’s Mobile Wh0reh0use and any other mutant vehicles our Village might have get approved.  There is nothing like pure nepotism to get done what needs to be done.  It’s worked in Chicago for the past 100 years so why not Black Rock City?  Go to the main Burning Man website and you can volunteer from there.  We really could use your help.

Speaking of the art vehicle, we are in the planning stage for 2011.  We do not plan on reinventing the wheel and keep last year’s design nearly the same.  We could always use more bells and whistles and we will need to replace the “curtains” around the bottom of the truck to hide the tires and general truck design.  What we do need this year is anyone who is familiar and has worked with Aluminet.  We are thinking about getting the 30% pink design to cover the front of the truck, but we are unsure on how much to get and whether or not that will impede visibility for the driver.  If any of you have experience with that, please let CJ, Felony Arson or me know so we can use your expertise for our mutual benefit.  CJ is the main go-to person for all art vehicle artistic endeavors.

About our Village photograph for the Black Rock Yearbook 2010.  I heard back from the people and it turns out that the camera with all of Thursday’s photographs was stolen from the yearbook office near Center Camp.  That’s why we were left out of the yearbook.  So it turns out it wasn’t stoned hippies after all but theft.  At least that’s their story and they’re sticking to it.

Happy news!  We have a piano!  Steve from Davis, who was a newbie last year and hung with Kara and CJ’s crowd, was able to secure an up-right in very good condition and it will remain in storage until late July, which is perfect.  Grawg has volunteered to haul it to the playa as long as he gets the trailer he anticipates to acquire.  And the news gets better:  even though we said we would pay to have it tuned, one of the denizens of Terminal Village has volunteered to tune it for free as long as we can secure him an early entry pass and he will come by mid-week for a check up.  So this is about as good as the news could get on the piano front.

Speaking of Terminal Village, we are still in the early planning stages of our 3-3-3 War, though I suspect Fizzball with a water fight thrown in for good measure probably will be on the front burner. In that regard we need several cases of very cheap and generally crappy beer.  So if any of you wish to donate that (Keystone Light seems to be very popular) it would be most appreciated.  Many of you may have been following the Clash Of The Titans thread on the ePlaya, and if any of you are artistic and can fight the good fight for dear old Barbie Death Village, we could use a counter-attack.  For those of you not in the know, here is the putrid and vile propaganda they have been spouting:

http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.php?t=38852

Next up we are trying to get a general census on who will be coming.  I know many of you assume, quite understandably, that “we know” that you’ll be coming.  But let’s just say for a moment Felony and I are too stupid to figure that out, please let us know.  We are in the process of submitting the Village Application and they need an approximate head count to allocate early arrival passes.  I am requesting 103 but I need to know if that is enough.  If you need an early entry pass please let me know as soon as you can!   We don’t want to request too much or, worse, too little space.  I did hear from Boosh: The Canadian Splinter Squad and they are looking at as many as 40 people, including 12 newbies.  None of them were there last year except for Luis, so you can understand our quandary.

Something new for 2011 has also come up.  Stu and Laura are working on our water conundrum.  Not only bringing more to the playa in workable amounts, but also gray water disposal.  We have Drew and Mindy’s wonderful evaporation pond from last year at the ready, but Stu is developing as only he can an, uh, “advanced dust abatement system” for excess gray water.  He is very excited about this project and it will make our shower-taking ability that much more pleasant.  And, like last year, I plan on donating for the camp shower our very own loufah.  Never can tell when you might need a nice back scrub.  Or something.

It’s never too early to start planning the all-Village Pancake Pork Out.  We are tentatively going to have it scheduled for Saturday morning so everybody can join in.  We are not going to open it up to the unwashed masses by advertising it in the What-When-Where Guide.  But we still need many things, and for those of you who are veterans you know the logistical hoops we must jump through.  We will need, in no particular order, 25 pounds of pancake batter mix, 20+ pounds of bacon, two gallons of vodka and Bloody Mary mix, four gallons of OJ, three cases of champagne, coffee enough for 100 people; also no fewer than 8 propane or gas griddles (preferably), 250 paper plates, 250 cups for coffee and cocktails, five rolls of paper towels/napkins, and several tables for people to not only eat on but to cook on as well.  So start thinking what you can contribute to the cause.  It is a fun event and we want to make sure there is enough for all of us and our friends.

Right now we believe we have four 10′ X 20″ shade structures.  We are looking for perhaps two more.  We may allocate some of our dues money to pay for one of them, but if you have one that isn’t being used and would like to donate it for the general welfare of our Village, let Felony know.

There has  been a suggestion that we have a theme night or even two on our art vehicle.  Something along the lines of The 70′s, Metal or Glam (whatever that may be), or even Beethoven; something that might require a costume and perhaps specific music.  This is, of course, in addition to our annual post-burn weenie roast, which happens to be my favorite annual event we have on the playa.  But I digress.  If you have any thoughts on this, and more importantly would like to be in charge of it, let either me or Felony know and we will announce it in a future newsletter.

Our camp stickers have arrived!  Boosh Camp did a wonderful job.  Everyone who pays dues to BDC&WB gets one, and if you ask me real nicely even if you are not a member of our camp or even part of our Village, I probably could see my way clear to send one off to you.  We need all the positive advertising we can get.

Should any of you happen to find yourselves with an extra ticket, maybe because you somehow ordered one too many or, heaven forbid, you simply cannot go this year, please do not just put it out on the ePlaya or Craig’s List.  Let me know because we have campmates who are in need of tickets.  Right now two veterans, but newbies to our Village, Jewellee and Lucy, are looking for first-or-second tier tickets.  Please help our friends if you can.  Membership has its privileges.

For those of you in Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro, Eden, Clan O’Crash, Black Rock City Body & Paint, and Loose Nutz, dues are due.  They will remain $60 until June 1st, when they increase to $75.  So please try and get them in sooner rather than later.  They can be mailed (personal check is fine) to:  Jim Jacoby (address redacted).  International travelers flying in from Asia, Europe, Australia, or Africa can simply pay $60 on the playa.

Time for the introduction of our newbies.  This seems to be the time of year that new requests to join our merry band of reprobates commences, and this month is no different.  First off from Jacksonville, Florida meet Fat Baby Jesus and Jenn.  Many of you remember Shorty, she has been a Barbiebarian since about 2005 though has missed a few years.  Anyway her cousin Travis and his fiancé Nicole will be joining us.  Travis goes by the appropriate handle Cradle Robber.  And finally, as we increase our international presence, we have three lady newbies from Sweden.  Please welcome Cemile, Pegah, and Nada.  Please make all of our new campmates feel at home.

And one last piece of gratuitous self-aggrandizement, my youngest daughter Joelle yesterday has been hired by Warner Brothers to have a speaking role in the television series Torchwood: Miracle Day.  Yeah, I had never heard of it either.  It will be on Starz! and BBC America and filming will take place later this spring.  She’ll be in Episode Five as Excited Teenager.  Isn’t that special?  Okay, so she didn’t get the role as Mattie Ross in True Grit, but this is better.  I suppose.

The Man burns in 186 days!

Doc Pyro, MOBDV

Before we get into the meat of this newsletter, we always like to have something special that shines a positive light on our camp.  Check out this video (safe for work).  No wonder we love Burning Man.  There is a nice shot of our camp at the 4:55 mark.  Seems to me I remember these guys coming by.

http://vimeo.com/7457440

We have ordered oval stickers again for our camp this year.  They will be slightly larger than 2010 with a more orderly font around the edge.  We ordered them through our friends at Boosh Camp and they should be here sometime mid-February.  All dues paying members will have one mailed to them.  If you are not a dues paying member of BDC&WB, send me a SASE and I will be happy to shoot you off one.  Or even two.  Our generosity knows no bounds.

Piano update.  Well, we still don’t have one.  But they are always available on Craig’s List, so I’m not going to worry about it until summer.  If anyone happens to have one they want to get trashed, uh, I mean one to donate to the Village, that would be great.  Also we still need to figure out how to get it to the playa.  I talked with my friend Bay Bridge Sue and she knew of a piano tuner out there last year, but that lead for 2011 looks like it has fallen through.  So if anyone knows of a piano tuner on the playa, let me know.  We will be happy to pay to have the piano tuned if need be.

It is time to start planning our annual activities on the playa.  There are four main ones:  Our Pancake Pork Out, the Black Rock City Naked Bike Ride & Pub Crawl, the ePlaya/3playa Meet & Greet, and of course Critical Titts day at Black Rock City Body & Paint.  Certain things are out of our control.  Critical Titts will be on Friday, the Meet & Greet will be at 6 p.m. on Thursday evening, and the Naked Bike Ride & Pub Crawl will be whenever they decide to have it.  We have to assume it will be on Wednesday around noon once again.  This year I am going to request that our camp be the first stop rather than the next-to-last stop.  The reason for that is simple:  Last year with so many drunken people, all naked and, well, let’s just say in an advanced state of amorous behavior, we really don’t want to be offended again in our own camp.  Obviously there is no guarantee our request will be granted, but I think they would heed our wishes.

Which brings us to the Pancake Pork Out.  This year I am not going to make the mistake and put it in the What-When-Where guide.  Having 450 hungry, stoned, and unsanitary hippies descend upon our camp was too much to bear.  This year it will be absolutely closed to our Villagemates and their friends.  The real question is which day do we want to have it?  Usually we have it on Wednesday, but if the naked cyclists are coming that day, having both events back-to-back is pretty taxing.  Clearly we cannot have it on Friday as we will start painting the lovely sirens of Black Rock City between 9 and 10 a.m.  My vote, I think, would be either Thursday or Saturday.  If we have it on Saturday that would be four fun events on four different, albeit consecutive, days.  If you have a strong opinion either way, let either me, Felony Arson, or CJ know and we will make a decision sometime this summer.

As a reminder to our newbies, we do not have a central kitchen in our camp.  Everyone is pretty much on their own when it comes to cooking and eating.  If you need some pointers on what to do, let me know and I will try to hook you up with some of our people who tent camped last year and you can ask them how they do it.

We have something else on our calendar for this year.  It seems Terminal Village has challenged Barbie Death Village to a 3-3-3 war.  What that means is on the third day (Wednesday) at 3 p.m. at the 3:00 Plaza some kind of a test of wills.  Either a nice game of Fizzball, a water fight, or some such nonsense will take place.  Pinemom over at the Booby Bar is heading up the logistics, and I will pass them along as they become clearer.  No matter what we do, I suspect heavy drinking will be involved with a smattering of nudity thrown in somehow.  Just call it a hunch.

I want to make a clarification on the dues structure.  Not all camps pay dues to BDC&WB.  Preserved In Time, Boosh: The Canadian Splinter Squad, Burning Man Button Camp, Camp Wet Dreams, and Alaska have their own dues structure which may be more or less than those charged by the camps within our sphere of influence:  Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro, Eden, Clan O’Crash, Black Rock City Body & Paint, and Loose Nutz.  For those of you in the latter group, dues are due.  We have received several already and for that we thank you.  The dues are $60 until June 1st.  They can be paid to:  Jim Jacoby.

We will have shirts and hats for sale this year.  The lovely and gracious Barb Traub made an update from her design from last year and unless somebody comes up with a better idea, we will run with that.  We won’t start taking orders for either shirts or hats until June.

And finally, time to welcome the newbies to our camp.  Some of these people are wily veterans while others are clueless sparkle ponies.  And there are a bunch of you! From Ohio, four veterans will be joining us: Endo, 255, Scorpion, and Butterfly.  Next two vets from Southern California: Jella and Doug.  Blowfish and I met a newbie on the train to Reno, Dani.  CJ has two newbies under her wing:  Hanna B. and Hen W.  Our old friend who busted up his ankle several years ago falling off the art truck, from New York welcome back.  Two vets and a newb are also gracing us with their presence:  Amanda and Jacob and their newb Katie. Laura and Stu have invited a veteran burner to join us:  Shawn N. and finally, on the international front from Toronto, welcome Cezanne.  Please make all of our new additions to our little slice of paradise on the playa feel welcome.

The Man burns in 214 days.

Doc Pyro, MOBDV

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54868340@N08/5175657739/

Now, on to the news.  Obviously the first question we always ask is who’s coming this year?  Last year in the Village we probably had upwards to 150 people, perhaps more.  And we certainly would welcome back both Camp Wet Dreams and Burning Man Button Camp should they be so inclined.  And we may have a new camp or two within our Village, but I will pass that info on as it becomes clearer to what their intentions are.  So in order to make a budget, allocate Early Arrival passes (we are requesting 103 this year), and plan logistics, if you think you are going to stay with us please let me or Felony Arson know.  If you are staying elsewhere on the playa, that too is wonderful.  Some of you will be taking a hiatus this year, which is understandable; I know a few of you plan on coming back after being gone for several years.  And if you have a newbie or two you want to introduce to the playa in style, as a member of our camp you have carte blanche to do so, but they are your responsibility.

Next on the agenda is dues.  We have not had a dues increase since 2004.  In order to meet budget we are having a modest increase this year.  If you pay your dues prior to June 1st, they are $60. (International travelers from Europe, Asia, or Australia may pay $60 when you arrive on the playa rather than in advance.)  They increase to $85 if paid prior to August 15th.  From August 16th to August 27th they are $100, and if you wait until the last minute and pay on the playa they increase to $125.  This is generally a $10 increase.  So where does that money go?  First off we increased our Barbie storage space by 50% so we could keep the decorations for the art truck safe.  This has been a very good investment and has made our storing of everything from generators and Barbies to trash bins and body paint so much easier.  Keep in mind most camps dues begin at $120 and many are as high as $400 per person.  That frankly is a rip-off.  Here is a list of many of the things your dues get you:

1. Storage for Barbie and camp related items
2. Access to the 5500-watt generator
3. No less than 800 square feet of shade
4. Four sofas, of which two should be new
5. Fresh body paint for Black Rock City Body & Paint
6. Art truck insurance, registration, and decoration
7. Access to the electric shower and water
8. Gasoline to power the generators to light up the camp
9. Glowsticks for every night on the playa
10. Pizza for the pre-event feed for those who set up the camp
11. Wine
12. Guaranteed location on a corner so you can find your way home after partying all night on the playa
13. Access to the Early Arrival passes
14. Use of all tables, chairs, and trash receptacles
15. Automatic invite and participation in the Annual Nude Bike Ride and Pub Crawl, as servers and as a cyclist if you are really into that sort of weirdness
16. Ringside seat for the ePlaya/3playa Meet & Greet
17. Access to the art truck so you can tour around the playa in comfort
18. Constant (at least monthly) updates throughout the year
19. And finally, membership in one of the most revered and well-established camps/villages on the playa

You may begin paying dues starting today.  We have already incurred some expenses (art truck insurance and maintenance).  They can be sent to:  Jim Jacoby/8577 Balmoral Drive/Newcastle, CA  95658  And even if you aren’t coming this year doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay your dues!  It’s not like we’re exactly made of money.

Now we get into the area of what kind of creature comforts do we want for our camp (and the use of our dues).  It has been brought up to me every year as to why we don’t have camp JOTS (porta potties).  There is no guarantee they will be situated directly across the street from us as they have on some years.  I checked with a company called United and they charge $450 per JOTS for the week and that includes one cleaning.  $25 for additional cleanings.  The least-expensive company charged $325 but offered no cleaning services and from what I could ascertain from other burners, United is the only reliable service.  Do we want to spend either $450 or $900 for our own toilets or should that money be allocated elsewhere? (NOTE:  These were 2010 prices)

On our wish list for this year is a piano!  Obviously we would like to get one for free rather than paying for it.  I checked Craig’s List and in the local Sacramento area found pianos from free (people were moving and couldn’t take it) to $200.  Obviously if one of us has an old piano looking for a dusty home that would be preferable.  We also will need to allocate some money (generally around $100) to have it tuned unless one of you is a piano tuner and can do it on the playa.  The one that was delivered to us last year for the M&G seemed to get a lot of attention and people really enjoyed hammering on it, though it was so out-of-tune that deciphering what songs were being played was guesswork at best.  We do have space for it in our storage shed but will need to noodle through how to get it to the playa.  Obviously a baby grand piano is out of the question.

After four years of using the same body paint, Black Rock City Body & Paint is in dire need for new paints and to a lesser extent brushes.  We will be allocating probably $150+ to new body paint (none of this cheap water-color nonsense), which should make Luis very happy indeed.  We will also be adding new colors, including white and black, and if the budget allows, some glitter-based paints as well.  We are so popular come Critical Tits Day that for us not to have the proper equipment at hand would be a sad day indeed.

And now, tickets.  (This is mostly for the benefit of our newbies.)  They go on sale Wednesday, January 19th beginning at 10:00 a.m. PST.  You can access the Burning Man website to purchase tickets.  The first 9000 (which will sell out in under two hours) are $210, and then the next 9000 will sell for $240.  So if you want the least-expensive tickets, might I suggest you get in the queue early for your best shot.

Finally, introduction of camp newbies.  Even though it is only January we have already had many requests from burgins to join our little slice of paradise on the playa.  First let me introduce Tamara and Ken from Texas.  Texas Joe is assisting them with logistics and knowledge support.  From Livermore, California let me introduce Emily who just turned 21.  From Washington D.C. another burgin looking to join us is Julia.  Please make all of our new campmates feel welcome.

That should do it for this initial 2011 edition of our fabulous camp newsletter.

Doc Pyro, MOBDV

But first, we always like to see something Barbie Death Camp related, and this month is no different.  We have two articles that mentions our little slice of paradise on the playa.  Always nice to get some good publicity.

http://www.sfchron.com/cgi-bin/blogs/culture/category?blogid=3&cat=128&o=30

http://bingethink.blogspot.com/2009/01/barbie-death-camp-and-wine-bistro.html

And now, on with the show.

We begin with logistical concerns.  One of the biggest problems is getting everyone to and from the playa.  We are going to try and coordinate transportation where possible.  If you have any openings in your car, van, dune buggy, or hot rod, please let us know.  We have a number of Villagemates from not only across the country but from around the world.  If you can offer a ride or help with carrying out material such as water, shelter, or beer for me, please let us know.  One of our members, Josh from Nebraska, will be flying into Reno Wednesday morning.  If any of you are passing that way, he would really appreciate a ride. We also have several campmates who need to get to the Reno airport fairly early on Sunday after The Burn.  Let me know if you are heading that way and might have room.   And for those of you flying or taking Amtrak into Sacramento, the AVIS dealership in downtown Sacramento is very burner-friendly.  The manager, Steve G., not only will give you the best deal around, but he won’t hose you for cleaning fees, as long as you don’t completely trash the car or van.  Tell him I referred you and that you are taking the vehicle to TTITD.

Tracy is beginning to design the Village map.  Not only will each camp be clearly placed, but where possible individuals camping within their own camp may also be placed.  If you know how much space you need (for example, two people with an RV or trailer, some shade, and maybe a goat would ask for a space 30′ X 10′) we will try to accommodate.  We anticipate the BMOrg giving us our request of 105,000 square feet.  If they do, everyone should be taken care of.  We will have the map out probably by the second week in August.  There will also be a large centralized map of the Village posted at Barbie Death Camp so when visitors drop by, they can be directed to the proper camp whether or not you know the person.  Also if you have any special needs requirements (i.e. must be on the street because of an art vehicle, or want to be hidden deep within the Village simply because you’re ugly) please let us know that as well.  We will try to honor most reasonable requests.

JR has given me a list of what he thinks the art truck will need in the way of maintenance and repair before it gets out to the playa.  It needs a tune-up, oil, and lube.  It absolutely needs a radiator shroud, whatever that is. He also says we should get several small 12 volt fans, considering the idle speeds, weights, and temperatures it runs in.  We should also change the transmission fluid and have the clutch checked and adjusted if necessary.  For those of you in the Sacramento-Orangevale-Auburn area who are mechanically inclined, we need your assistance.  Please let me or Felony Arson know if you are up for this necessary assignment.

Speaking of the art truck, we are still in dire need of somebody to haul it out to the playa.  It is drivable (and then we would need someone to drive it) but it would be so much better if it were either towed on a double-axle trailer or towed with a T-bar.  If you can manage to do either of these things, we will pay for your fuel both up and back to the playa, and you and your passengers will have top priority for early arrival passes.  But if you say yes, we are going to hold you to it.  Anyone?  Pretty please?

We have had some good progress with the All Village Pancake Porkout, which will be held on Wednesday, September 1st beginning at 9:30.  We have enough syrup (3 gallons) and pancake mix (35 pounds).  Hottie is supplying Bloody Mary fixins and OJ, Sharen is bringing BM mix and champagne, and we have two propane griddles secured.  We need four or five more griddles, preferably propane.  We are also needing bacon and sausage, Irish whiskey for Irish Coffee, more champagne, OJ, more Bloody Mary fixins, liquor in general, paper plates, and plastic utensils.  We will also need assistance with clean up afterwards if you are not cooking or donating food.  Or even if you are, we need the manpower.

We have another contribution to this year’s T-shirt design.  Summer came up with the design below.  Frank is checking out to see if having the shirts in color is financially feasible.  If you have a vote (say between Barb’s design and Summer’s) let either me, Frank, Felony Arson or CJ know.  And this segues nicely to the fact that shirts and hats are for sale.  Shirts, either regular or tank top (S-XXXL) are $20, hats are $15.  All proceeds (profits, actually) go directly to help defray the cost of the wine that Frank supplies.  Shirts can be ordered with or without your name/nickname/playa name and need not be paid for until August.

Dues are due. We have collected from most of you who are staying in Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro, Eden, Clan O’Crash, Black Rock City Body & Paint, and Loose Nutz.  (Boosh, Preserved In Time, The Alaskans, and Camp Wet Dreams have their own dues structure.)  Dues are now $75/person and increase to $100 if paid on the playa.  We really would rather not collect any dues money on the playa! (International travelers are the only exception to this rule.)  All dues must be paid prior to being awarded an early arrival pass.  We have collected from 63 of you, so for that we thank you.  And hay, even if you’re not going to camp with us or even show up on the playa, you should still cough up for the dues.  You think we like eating rib eye instead of filet mignon?  And Silver Oak cabernet doesn’t exactly grow on trees you know.

There have been some snafus with the Annual Nude Bike Ride & Pub Crawl.  First it was on, then it was cancelled, then it was going to be on Thursday, then on Wednesday, and so on.  Well they finally got their stuff together and it will be held again beginning at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.  We are likely going to be the third stop, which means the 200 or so very naked cyclists will be wheeling in around noon or so.  We do ask that you help serve wine should you be so inclined.  We also will need to supply the wine.  If we can come up with about four cases of wine (no fewer than two of them being white wine or white zinfandel, yuk) that is what it will take.  We are required to supply the wine and we really don’t want to feed them “the good stuff”.  You would have to be a weapons-grade moron to do that.  So if anyone, or any camps, can see their way clear to pop for a case or two of Two Buck Chuck, that would be appreciated.

We are still planning on having our December 30 Birthday Party on Monday, August 30.  If there are any of you born on that great day (currently me, Felony Arson, and Stacie are in) please let me know.  Since we get screwed every year by Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or what have you, now it’s time for us to get ours.  And those gifts had better be expensive, damn it.

We do not need any more My Size Barbies!  The Boston Burners have supplied two and our troop from Denver sent me one this week.  They will all be used to help decorate the art truck.  Thank you for your contributions.

We have requested 87 early arrival passes from the BMOrg.  Assuming we get them, we should have enough for everyone who wants one.  Please let me know if you need one.  Do not assume!!! So far we have 48 of the 87 already taken.  I have not gotten the numbers from Preserved In Time, Boosh, or The Alaskans.  Please let me know by the middle of July how many you think you will need.  And please, only request one if you are available to help set up not only your camp, but the Village as well or can be counted on to help decorate or fix the mutant vehicles.  If you are just going to sit around on your lazy arse and drink beer, then come in on Monday.  We will have pizza for the workers who help set up the camp on Sunday evening.

We would like to welcome a new camp into our Village.  Taking the place of Burner International, Camp Wet Dreams makes it’s debut on the playa.  My friend Tom and his lady from Brooklyn, New York will be the go-to people.  Tom is also known by the handle of Whaleboy.  I guess you should watch out for his harpoon and keep away from his blow hole.  There will be 20+ people in his camp, many from New York as well as San Francisco and Los Angeles.  Tom can be reached at campwetdreams@gmail.com.

Speaking of welcoming new campmates, we have another five to welcome into our Village.  Hottie has a friend from Florida, Doug M.  He has no email address but any friend of Hottie’s is a friend of ours.  Also welcome Clarity from Vallejo.  We are finally represented by the great state of Texas.  Please welcome newbie Joe from Austin.  Another New York newbie is Stephanie F.  And finally another couple from Carmichael, Alice and Eric.

As the summer progresses we will be asking for your help, if you’re comparatively local, with working on the art truck and helping with other logistics.  CJ is hard at work with the decorations but needs manpower.  Beginning the weekend of July 17-18, all work will be done at Ericka’s in Orangevale.  Mechanical work, cleaning the trailer, painting the shower, and Barbie repair will be done throughout the summer and I will be there on this Saturday to help out in any way I can.  That generally means schlepping the beer or something.  But please volunteer if you can.

Have a wonderful Fourth of July everybody and remember our mantra (which that clown who is The Most Interesting Man In The World stole):  Safety Third.

The Man burns in 65 days.

Doc Pyro, MOBDV

As I always try to do, I want to start off with something Barbie related.  One of our new campmates, Summer, sent me this and I think you will agree it certainly captures the proper spirit.

http://www.adventures2006.blogspot.com/

We have another design for the camp t-shirt.  Barb made the design and frankly I for one like it.  If you are still working on a shirt design feel free to submit it.  Frank, CJ, Felony Arson and I will make the final decision in July.  But for now check out Barb’s design:

I had  mentioned that the camp was in need of a large coffee maker.  I am happy to report that problem has been solved.  Lee has one of those large 20 pot machines which should do the trick to keep the Village properly caffeinated.  Thank you Lee for your contribution.

A group of us met a few weeks back and cleaned out the trailer, hauled the old God-awful sofas to the dump, and began the arduous task of getting the shower fixed and rugs cleaned so you people can have fun in the desert.  We also discussed the design for this year’s art truck, which is an expansion of last year’s Barbie Mobile Wh0reh0use.  CJ has come up with a most ingenious, and dare I say uber-sexy design, for the vehicle.  Everything is off to the BMOrg DMV and we are confident we will get approval for our mutant vehicle.  We are going to have the roof on the truck again, which will have a removable canopy with cotter pins which will be inserted into holes drilled through the PVC pipe.  Tracy is heading up the architectural design for that.

Since June is here it is now time to begin ordering shirts and hats.  Our shirt colors will remain burgundy and gray and the hats will be burgundy and tan.  The pricing for this year’s hats is a remarkably low $15 and the shirts are a virtual give-away for $20.  Any “modest profit” derived from the sale of the shirts and hats goes to defray the cost of the wine, so quit your complaining.  Shirts can be S, M, L, XL to XXXL and come in either regular T or tank top.  And free of charge (because we seem always to just give away the store) you can have your playa name/nick name/own name on the front of the shirt.  Or not, it’s your choice.  This is a purely voluntary and if you don’t want either a shirt or a hat, that is fine too.  Of course you might have to put up with the wrath of Frank (which is why I order three or four) if you don’t.  Just let me know what size and type of shirt and whether or not you want a hat, and we will collect come August.

We have requested for our Village 87 early arrival passes.  We are hoping that the BMOrg gives us what we have asked for.  I am now beginning to allocate said EA passes.  I know some of you have already requested some, but if you could be so kind as to do it again because my list vanished somehow.  There is a pecking order on who gets the passes, and it goes like this:  1)  Those who haul the trailers, art vehicles, and material to set up the Village beginning Thursday; 2) Seniority; 3) Distance traveled (by car):  The further you drive to get to Black Rock City the greater your probability of receiving a pass; 4) Whether or not I like you; and finally 5)  Lottery for everyone else.  We do not think we will need all 87 passes, but there is a chance.  Last year we had 65 requests for our 60 passes.  You must also (unless you are traveling internationally) have paid your camp dues (where applicable).

Which segues  nicely to camp dues.  This is directed to those of you in Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro, Eden, Clan O’Crash, and Black Rock City Body & Paint.  Until the end of this month they remain at $50 per person.  On July 1st they increase to $75 and, unless you are coming from overseas, raise to $100 if paid on the playa.  We do not want to collect any money on the playa if possible. Personal checks are fine.  And hay, remember, just because you might not be going to TTITD this year or perhaps are staying in a different camp, you can still pay your dues.  You think supporting our absinthe habit is cheap?   I am happy to report we have collected from 41 of you so far.  In case you are wondering what your dues have gone towards, we are allocating $600 to the decoration of the art truck, have purchased 300 glowstix for everyone’s use, and I went out and had a beer.

We still have some things on our Wish List.  We are still in need of two or three My Size Barbies (the 3′ tall kind) because as reported in March, some yahoo decapitated our Barbies and they need to be replaced.  New on the list from Frank the Vintner:  some black lights and plastic grapes.  He is making an art vehicle capable of carrying six to eight passengers and it will be a mobile Italian wine bistro.  Because the BMOrg won’t allow real grapes (MOOP is their gripe) a vintner has to make do with ersatz grapes.  So if you happen to have either of those items, Frank would be pleased if you could help him out.

We are beginning to plan the annual Wednesday morning All Village Pancake Porkout.  We probably will have enough pancake mix, but we will need:  syrup, paper plates along with forks and knives, butter, Bloody Mary fixins (both vodka and mix), and mimosa fixins (champagne and OJ).  What we really need are gas griddles to cook the pancakes and bacon.  We have electricity, but last year the strain on the generators was so great that they tripped off several times, rendering our electric griddles pretty much useless.  And when you are cooking for well over 100 people, you can see where problems can arise.  If you are not helping with donations or cooking, we do respectfully request you set aside half an hour afterwards to help clean up.  Remember, right after the Porkout we will be visited by the Annual Black Rock City Naked Bike Ride and Pub Crawl.  And we certainly don’t want over 200 naked and drunk cyclists seeing a messy camp, right?

Still on our calendar for this year is our birthday party for December 30 babies.  We have three of us (me, Felony Arson, and Stacie). The party will be held Monday evening, August 30.  So if any of the rest of you share the same birthday as the three of us we want to know about it.  We’re not getting older, we’re getting better.

We are still needing someone to hopefully tow the art truck to the playa in August.  Anyone who can do this not only gets an early arrival pass for themselves and their passengers, but we will pay your gas expense to and from the playa.  But if you say you are going to do this we will hold you to it.  And towing a truck is not as easy as towing a trailer, unless you have a flatbed trailer, so let that be a word of caution.

Now to the welcoming of new campmates.  This is going to be a lengthy list and I hope I don’t forget anyone, though I am sure I will.  Goddess Rebecca has joined BDV and is bringing along her friend Luciano.  They are from the L.A. area.  Drew and Mindy are bringing a newbie with them from New England.  Please welcome Steve.  We have some international newbies (at least to BDC&WB), beginning with MisaBlue from the Czech Republic.  And from Germany welcome veteran burner Ansgar. His friend from Oregon Eric will be there as well.  Closer to home please welcome Summer.  We have  foursome from Colorado, please welcome Nick, his girlfriend Smashy, Panda and Julie.  Finally Hottie has two newbs as well, Heather and Tommy. Please make everyone feel welcome to our little slice of paradise on the playa.

As the summer progresses be prepared to receive more newsletters.  If you want off of this mailing list (yeah, good luck with that) let me know so I can ignore your request.  The Man burns in 95 days.

Doc Pyro, MOBDV

Now a few things to get us started.  We are mentioned in this little item:

http://everywheremag.com/photos/7235

And how many theme camps can claim they had a song written about them from people they’ve never heard of?  Click on the Barbie Death Camp Song.  It isn’t very good, but what the heck, right?

http://www.paperchampion.net/music/

As we head into the final three months leading up to August when we all will find our way out to the playa, it is time to really start getting ready for TTITD.  Everyone has plans, from building their art cars, making costumes, working on their tan, whatever.  We at Barbie Death Village have our plans as well.  The first major project begins this Saturday, May 8th.  It is time to start working on the art truck, Barbie’s Mobile Wh0reh0use.  CJ is in charge of the final design and we have (assuming we collect the dues and so far, so good) allotted $600 to the decoration of the truck.  We will need bodies to help out though our first meeting will be to plan the design and to begin clearing out the utility trailer.  We have two sofas that need to be hauled away and we are replacing them with two new ones.  We will be meeting at Ericka’s house beginning at noon.  If you can make it, that would be wonderful.  Please let me know ASAP.  Also that evening Ericka will be hosting a birthday party for herself and several others.  If you are friends with Ericka and can drop by, great!

On the subject of the art truck, we need three more My Size Barbies (you know, the 3-foot tall ones).  It seems that someone trashed our Barbies (actually decapitated them) last year, so they need to be replaced.  Who would do such a mean thing to Barbie?  Please let me know if you can help.

Something else on our current Wish List is Grawg needs a 55 gallon drum for gasoline to power the art truck once it’s on the playa.  If anyone has a safe drum for gasoline, that would be wonderful.  And in a related request, Grawg needs a pump to pump the gasoline out of the container to fill the truck.  So in a nutshell, Grawg will supply the gasoline if someone has a drum and pump.  Any takers?

We have had some progress on this year’s Barbie Death Camp t-shirt.  First Barb stepped up and said she would try and design something, then Crash did come through with a, uh, somewhat unique design.

<CENSORED>

If anybody has a comment on this, let us know.   It is a work in progress, but at least now we have something to work with.  Thank Crash!

One of our tertiary members Ygmir has become an ordained pagan minister and can actually perform weddings.  If you are stupid enough to actually want to get married on the playa, Reverend Ygmir is the man-of-the-cloth for you.  He will also give his blessings to living in sin, brief and meaningless affairs, and of course showering with friends.  “Thank you Father for I have sinned…or at least am planning on it.”

Now that we are beginning to work on the art truck, we need someone to hopefully tow it to the playa.  It is not as simple as merely towing a trailer.  Last year we thought we had this all worked out, and many of you know how well that ended up.  It is drivable to the playa, but we hope to avoid that potential disaster.  If anyone can tow a truck—and if you agree to do this we will hold you to it, but will also pay for your gas to and from the playa—please let me know ASAP.

And of course, dues are due.  We have had pretty good success at collecting dues so far as 27 have paid.  That covers our initial expenses, but not what lies ahead.  For those of you in Barbie Death Camp & Wine Bistro, Eden, Clan O’Crash, and Black Rock City Body & Paint, they are $50 until July 1st then go up to $75 per person.  Personal checks are fine.  Please send them to me.

And finally, time to welcome new and prospective campmates.  Before I go into this, I did put on the Barbie Death Village thread on the ePlaya that we are accepting no new members.   This is not entirely accurate.  First off, if you are receiving this email and have not yet decided where you are camping (assuming that you are even going to attend TTITD) you are welcome to stay in BDV.  Also if you have any friends and/or newbies they are welcome as well.  If you haven’t let me know yet what your plans are, and if you happen to know what you’re going to be doing, please let me know so we can plan accordingly.  Now, on to the Welcome Wagon (and there are a bunch of you):  Kat, Usman and I met with Kmama in Boston and she passed our rigid screening process with flying colors.  She hopes to have three newbies with her: Carlos, AKA LewdSilver; Jaclyn, AKA Juicy; and Alex.  Welcome!  CJ has a few more friends for Eden: Kara and Steve.  From New York City, someone who was going to join us last year but had to bail, Sisterzero, has two newbs as well:  Stacey; Ryan, AKA The Conductor; and Robert, AKA Mojo Jojo.  And lastly Traumadude is bringing his mother out from Illinois, so please welcome Nancy.  We also have a prospective member, Goddess Rebecca.  She has gone for the last three years and is well-versed in the culture of TTITD.  She is bringing a newbie with her and their plans on where they will be camping have not been cemented yet.  But welcome Rebecca and everyone to our little slice of paradise on the playa.

As May gives way to June and June to summer, these newsletters will come more often than once a month.  If you have anything to add, feel free to email me, Felony Arson or CJ so they can be added to the next newsletter.  And for those of you fortunate enough to still have your moms with us, may I wish all of you and those moms out there in our Village a very Happy Mother’s Day.

Doc Pyro, MOBDV

An interesting opportunity has arisen. We have 1st crack at an art car base that will fill the void between the truck and smaller individual vehicles with 1-2 carrying capacity. See a picture of this model here. The one for sale is in San Jose area.

1. It is bigger. Seating for 6-8 people.
2. It is gas powered. 14HP.
3. It is designed as a industrial people carrier. Load capacity of 1,200 lbs.

In order to get it licensed at TTID it will have to become an art car. So, this is a call out to artists, craftsmen, mechanics, and anyone else that wants to contribute their efforts.

If there are 12 people who would contribute $100 we can buy it. If we get more donations we could do a knock out job of “arting” it out.

Any takers?
Frank the Vintner