For richer and poorer, in sickness and in health, the romance of the road is a quintessential American dream. For Americans, cars have always represented independence, self-expression and the mythos of mobility. And yet, like any love affair, relationships with cars are fickle and results are mixed. The story of the American car industry, an oddly expressive combination of heavy manufacturing and show business, has always been a narrative of boom and bust. From the days of the iconic cowboy riding off into the sunset, to commuter gridlock and the rising price of gasoline, who a people are and how they get to where they’re going is a tale of destiny. This year’s street names, laid out in alphabetical order, showcase this history. It is a story about politics, economics and technology, as well as the vicissitudes of love.

ALLANTE

The Allanté was a Cadillac. It was initially priced at $54,000, far above the price of any other Cadillac of its era. This luxury car was sluggish; it steered like a barge. It had a 4100 aluminum block engine, arguably one of the worst engines ever made. It was said to be “all show and no go.” By the mid 90’s junk yards were full of decent looking Caddies that had nothing else wrong with them other than a seized up 4100 under the hood. The cost to replace it with yet another crappy engine was more than most owners could bear. Between 1987 and ‘93, GM produced only 21,430 Allantés. Some dreams don’t come true.

BONNEVILLE

The Bonneville was unveiled in 1959. It had an automatic transmission, power steering , power windows, power seats, power brakes, a four-barrel carburetor with a high power rating, a powerful V-8 engine — pretty much power everything. Pontiac “full size” performance reached its peak in 1966. If you’re an American, this was your father’s or your grandfather’s muscle car. Staring out across its hood was like commanding the deck of an aircraft carrier. In other words, it marked the apogee of America’s world power. The Bonneville sold in large numbers.

CORVAIR

The Corvair was introduced by Chevrolet in 1960. By 1965, it sported a new streamlined design and a new and more powerful engine. Car and Driver gushed, “When the pictures of the ‘65 Corvair arrived in our offices, the man who opened the envelope actually let out a great shout of delight and amazement on first seeing the car, and in thirty seconds the whole staff was charging around.” In that same year, however, a then obscure attorney, the consumer advocate Ralph Nader, published a book which took to task the 1960-63 Corvair. It was said to show a tendency to spin out, roll over, and, in the public’s mind, at least, blow up. Sales plummeted. Fairly or not, the once frisky Corvair is still remembered as the car that was “Unsafe at Any Speed”.

DART

The Dart was like a certain kind of dog. Not a show dog, to be sure, more like a faithful mutt. Over its 13-year sales span it served its owners with what felt like real devotion. It wouldn’t wear out. At various times it performed as a drag racer, a stock car, and even did a brief stint as a police cruiser. From the time of its debut in 1960, it proved immensely popular. It was affordable, and when souped up, the Dart could sprint a quarter-mile in ten seconds. Sturdy and dependable, it was the kind of car that seems to love you even more than you love it.

EDSEL

Amid much ballyhoo, the Ford Motor Company introduced a new car on September 4, 1957. It was actually shipped to dealers under wraps and thus exhibited on lots, awaiting “E-Day.” Earlier, during the design process, Ford had solicited the advice of poet Marianne Moore. She suggested several names for the car, including the Utopian Turtletop, the Pastelogram, or the Mongoose Civique. Instead, they decided to call it the Edsel, after the son of Henry Ford. Subsequent research indicated people associated this name with “weasel” and “dead cell.” The public also felt that its vertical “horsecollar” grille appeared to be sucking a lemon. To make things worse, the Edsel’s pushbutton transmission, mounted on the steering wheel hub, misled drivers into shifting gears instead of honking the horn. Jinxed from the beginning, the Edsel was eventually put out of its misery in 1960 by auto executive Robert McNamara — the man who later led his country into Vietnam.

FAIRLANE

The Ford Fairlane was introduced in 1955. Over the next 13 years it went through many transformations, but during the 60’s it grew into a kind of archetypical white shoes, Elks Club car. If you gave a box of crayons to a 6-year old, he would draw a Fairlane. In its deluxe versions, this workadaddy muscle car eventually featured custom carpeting, armrests, soundproofing and a passenger side window wiper. Its boxy middle-of-the-road styling proved immensely popular among a thriving middle class that lived in boxes. The Fairlane brand was so ubiquitous that it became one of America’s most face-lifted cars. Aptly enough, the Fairlane was the car that Janet Leigh drove to her doom in Psycho.

GREMLIN

Knowing that their competitors were about to launch sub-compact lines in 1970, American Motors resorted to the simple expedient of chopping off the back end of their compact Hornet. This drastic truncation created a distinctive dwarfish look, and the Gremlin was born. As it happened, the Arab Oil Embargo began in October of 1973, and sub-compacts were off to the races; the Gremlin sold well. However, by 1975 growing stagflation had taken its toll: sales declined by 65%, and by 1978 production ceased. In any case, the gas crisis was over, and consumers ran back to the pumps. The Gremlin is described by some as the ugliest car ever made. However, because of its low sticker price, maneuverability and dependable performance, many first-time drivers fell in love with a car that was originally sketched on the back of Northwest Orient air sickness bag. There still exists a small collector’s market. Beauty, after all, is in the eye of the beholder.

HUMMER

What can one say about a vehicle that is chiefly useful for invading foreign countries? Its name derives from High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, or Humvee for short. Unlike its military counterpart, which saw service in the first Gulf War, the civilian Hummer sports no armor or weapons fittings. It also lacks child safety locks, child seat tethers, side air bags, stability control, and it is difficult to park — unless, of course, one makes the choice to park on top of someone else’s car. The Hummer’s future is uncertain. It guzzles gas and weighs 6,000 pounds. A pair of Indian automakers have expressed interest in buying this brand. However, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger still owns a stable of Hummers. He insists there’s nothing wrong with Hummers that a little bio-fuel won’t cure.

IMPALA

The Impala was introduced by Chevrolet in 1958. Its stylish braggadocio made it the ultimate cruise-pick-up-chicks-big-boat car. First presented as a show model featuring an emerald green metallic paint job, loads of chrome and a white interior, the Impala was powered by an alternative fuel, testosterone, and struck a nerve in every male libido. Especially as a convertible, this classic car looks totally at home with jumping shocks, and it remained a record best-seller until the late 1970’s. Although the brand is still produced, it is now virtually indistinguishable from every other anonymous chrome-grey car on the road. Times change. Indeed, this once swaggering ride is currently offered as a Police Package.

JEEP

The jeep is an iconic car, its origins imbedded deep in U.S. history. Its first fully recognizable version was commissioned by the Department of the Army for service in World War II. The jeep went everywhere, through mud and sand and snow. Perhaps more significantly, it carried everyone — privates, generals, even presidents. For an entire generation this felt emblematic of united democratic effort. Furthermore, its simple and pragmatic logic of design created an aesthetic: form and function coalesced. This helped to make it popular among civilians as the first sport utility vehicle. Certain modern models are remarkably like the original: high clearance, solid axels front and rear, plus a distinctive differentiation of the hood and fenders (a feature that evokes America’s first automotive love affair, the Model T). Romance has its rewards. Great dreams, embraced by an entire people, can endure.

K-CAR

K-Car is, quite fittingly, the back street of our city. The story of the K-Car is the story of an underdog: it emerged from the back of the pack. In 1978, America’s auto industry was ailing. Low-cost Japanese imports were inundating the market, and the Chrysler Corporation was facing bankruptcy. After securing a 1.5 billion dollar loan from the government, Chrysler recruited Lee Iacocca, recently fired by Henry Ford II, to serve as its new chairman. The result was the K-Car. Iacocca later said that these new cars were, “The last train at the station. If we failed here, it was all over”. The K-Car, strictly speaking, didn’t refer to any single model, but a platform upon which to mount such cars as the Dodge Aires and the Plymouth Reliant. K-Cars weren’t distinguished by their style. They were “purpose built cars”, designed to be cheap, roomy and reliable. The advertising motto put it bluntly: “If you can find a better car, buy it”. Sales eventually ballooned, and Chrysler was back in business.

By Larry Harvey, with many thanks to Gary Taylor, Tony Perez, Rod Garrett, Al Honig, Flash Hopkins and Karen Grimsby

The Playpoi Hipsacks are ready!

One of my pet projects of the past year was designing a pair of hipsacks for traveling poi spinners (i.e. me). I'm quite happy with them and I made 100 to start. They are available on homeofpoi.com as of yesterday. So buy a pair and tell me what you think! If they sell I can put the money towards a video camera :)

Oh, and big thanks to Matthew Humphrey for the intro music!

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Several pieces of news and info for you on this June afternoon - the 2007 Afterburn Report, the latest info on the arson, and a few notes from around BMHQ.

Yes, the 2007 Afterburn report is ready for the world! This comprehensive post-burn report is our annual soup-to-nuts rollup of everything it took to make Burning Man in the previous year, and the 2007 report is fresh from the oven and linked at Afterburn.burningman.com.

With dozens of teams reporting, plus the annual Census results, we hope this report helps to answer the question, “What do those Burning Man staff and volunteers actually do, anyway?” and gives you some insight into the inner workings of your other “hometown” in Black Rock City.

Indeed, if you’ve ever wondered why the Placement team made the blocks smaller last year, what the Earth Guardians do year-round, or what percentage of Census respondents really do say that Black Rock CIty “feels like home” to them, check it out.

In other post-2007 news, we’ve heard a report from Pershing County, where Paul Addis’s restitution hearing and sentencing were held yesterday afternoon. Addis recently pled guilty to charges related to setting fire to the Burning Man figure days early at last year’s event. At yesterday’s hearing, the judge found evidence beyond a reasonable doubt showing the damages were in excess of $5,000 and thus Addis was convicted of a felony arson charge. After hearing Addis speak on his own behalf, the judge sentenced him to 12-48 months in prison and ordered him to pay $25,000 in restitution. (EDITOR’S NOTE: the preceding paragraph has been updated to add corrected information on the exact charge to which Mr. Addis pleaded.)

We’re also told that our three staff members who are at Glastonbury in the UK are studying their infrastructure and operations and planning to send back a report from the field soon for the Blog, so stay tuned here for that. The population numbers at Glasters make BRC look downright small-town by comparison, so we just bet they’re going to learn a thing or two from their organization, and it’s always interesting to hear about how many Burners our folks run into at other events (see also the Bonnaroo stories from earlier this week). Meanwhile, around here at HQ, the Survival Guide stuffing begins tomorrow, which means yours will be on its way soon. Wow, right? We’re really getting there!

Hope you’re loving the new blog. We’re loving you loving it, and thanks for all your comments! We’re enjoying hearing from you all, truly truly. (BTW, if you haven’t commented yet, you might want to visit our Comments policy and check that out in case you’d ever like to leave a little note on any of our posts.)

 

Photograph by Ben Stoelting
 

Black Rock Station, NV. June 22nd, 2008 - The Black Rock Playa is known for its strong winds, and the all-encompassing dust storms that they bring. But there’s no wind today, and yet here, at nearby Black Rock Station, there’s already a thick layer of dust covering everything. Sawdust, that is.

 

Today, cutting has begun in earnest. All of the Man’s many curved pieces - from the circular rings that define its arms and legs, to the varying ellipses of the ribs - must be cut by hand. That’s a lot of cutting, especially since every piece needs to be two sheets of plywood thick. As a result of all this jigsaw work, small snowdrifts of sawdust are piling up all over the shop, and everyone and everything is slowly getting covered in a fine woodsy powder. The cutters work in groups of three: one clamping the workpiece, one guiding the jigsaw, and a third blowing air to clean the fresh sawdust away. This last step helps the cutter see the scribed line, so they can maintain as smooth and accurate a curve as possible. The Krew rotates through these tasks so that no one gets too tired, and so everyone has a chance to cut a ring, or a rib.

 

Outside, the weather is back to normal: hot and dry, and also very hot. And dry. Just as on the playa proper, dehydration is a serious concern, particularly when engaged in physical labor. Crew Chef Exact Lee makes sure there are plenty of fluids available, and frequently reminds the Krew members to keep drinking. Which is appreciated, because on a day like today, when everyone is really getting into the rhythm of their work, it’s easy to fall into a groove and forget to hydrate.

 

The ellipse jig we built yesterday has warped a bit overnight - the arid desert environment is hell on wood, especially ply - necessitating another round of sanding and waxing. Once that’s done though, the jig performs admirably, allowing us to scribe the elegant lines of the ribs and shoulder in such a way as to maximize the surface area of each sheet of plywood. Once scribed, the rib sheets are passed to the cutters, who work their curvy, dusty magic. With all the power tool use today, the metal walls of the workshop have begun to resonate like a single, sustained fuzz guitar chord. It’s a fitting soundtrack, as this Krew totally rocks!

 

Black Rock Station, NV. June 21st, 2008 - Sawhorses are arranged, and the main timber that forms the spine of the Man is hefted into place. Measurements are made, checked twice, and with all eyes upon them, Otto Von Danger and Big Daddy make the traditional first cut. The building of the Burning Man has begun.

 

As the day progresses, the weather, expected to remain hot and clear all week, takes a turn for the dramatic. A thunderhead moves in from the east, darkening the sky. Metric, who lives in Gerlach year-round and is quite familiar with the unique weather patterns of Black Rock, confidently predicts that lightning will strike to the southeast within a half hour. Fifteen minutes later the ranch is rocked by a long, rolling thunderclap, extremely loud and incredibly close. With it, a heavy rain starts to fall.

 

The thunderstorm is strong, but relatively brief. Within an hour, the rain has passed and the sky begins to lighten. By evening, all that remains are scattered pools of muddy water on the ground, and a swirl of cotton candy clouds on the western horizon, lit pink by the setting sun. All in all, an unforgettable beginning to our week, and a reminder of the unpredictable beauty of the desert.

 

Fortunately, the workshop in which we’re building the Man is located inside of a large metal quonset hut, so apart from having to hastily cover some of the supplies that we were storing outside, the sudden weather had little effect on our progress. Today that progress included the design and creation of a jig which we will use to scribe out the Man’s elliptical ribs, the ripping (lengthwise cutting, done with the grain of the wood) of the lumber used to create the Man’s many braces, as well as a lot of general layout.

 

In contrast to last year’s heroic two-day rebuild during the event, our pace now is still strong and steady, but far less rushed. This allows great attention to paid to each small detail, and the amount of pride with which each Crew member does their job is already becoming apparent. Although we’re all aware that the Man we are building will exist only briefly, we still create it with the utmost regard. Understanding, perhaps, that everything is impermanent, and deserves to be done with mindfulness and honor despite that fact. Or indeed, because of it.

 

 

Black Rock Station, NV. June 20th, 2008 - The Man Krew has begun to assemble. With each new arrival, a small homecoming celebration breaks out; everyone is excited to see one another again, and glad to be back at Black Rock Station. Even though planning and logistics for the build take place year-round, nothing signals the true beginning of our task more than this: arriving, once again, in the strange, yet familiar landscape of the Black Rock Desert area.

This year’s reunion is especially exciting, as we’ve learned that a number of veteran Man builders will be joining us. Although the majority of the krew are experienced builders, the specific knowledge of the Man that these veterans have is invaluable, and promises not only to speed construction, but to be very educational as well. Like the culture of Burning Man itself, the building of the Man is a communicated tradition - more story than formula - and when a veteran builder speaks, everyone listens very closely. The Man that we build is their tale made manifest.

At night, gathered around a burn barrel, it is noted that this is the Solstice, and that tomorrow is the first day of Summer. An auspicious day to begin our build!

It turned out that we were in Sydney just in time for the opening of the Sydney Biennale at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. You could tell something was up by the way the old sandstone building was covered with graffiti - but this wasn’t just any old graffiti… And inside it seemed that [...]

A successful foray into the recording studio - with a number of revisits planned. We accomplished a lot at Tam Lin’s studio in Sydney - some great sounds and a well equipped studio with state of the art mics running through pro gear and a large mixing desk all feeding into a large desktop mac [...]

In Sydney to record some music for an EP I went online and booked a bargain with Wotif.com finding a Waldorf apartment in Woolloomooloo at a good rate - the Woolloomooloo Waters apartments. The room is comfortable and clean and there is secure parking below ground. It is situated right around the corner from the naval [...]