Category Archives: Brain Blips

H1N1 Vaccine

Brain Blips,

When I was at Burning Man this year some guy warned me that I should avoid the 2009 H1N1 vaccine. He said it part of a sinister plot by ‘the people who hired’ Obama to reduce the population by 80-90%. …. Seriously.

He then went from swine flu to contrails… apparently the government is slipping poison into jet fuel in an attempt to kill us or control us.

Seriously. Everyone put on your tin foil hats.

I went the doctor on Thursday to get a seasonal flu shot. I asked the nurse about an H1N1 shot. She told me the doctor is not giving because “it’s not FDA approved.”
But that does not appear to be true. In Sept, the FDA approved four vaccines against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.

I have a friend that was warning me about mercury in the H1N1 vaccine. So I looked into that. Apparently there is some truth to that. Below are some quotes from the FDA that address the approval issue and the mercury issue.

Here’s my take on this. We need to turn down the dial on the tin foil nut jobs.
Can the FDA be trusted to protect us against the interest of big pharma?
It did in the 1960s by refusing Richardson-Merril Inc’s application for approval of Thalidomide… a drug prescribed for morning sickness in mothers that lead to thousands of deformities in England.

Can we trust the FDA today? I don’t know. But I’m looking into it. And I’m weighing the facts.

Bob Dobbs
Bob Dobbs

You have to ask yourself  what are the risk? and what credibility do the people who are spreading rumors have?  I suspect that a lot these conspiracy theorist are getting a thrill about being in on the secret.  Hey, I’m all for  a good conspiracy.  Just not the ones that prey upon people’s fears.

As for the vaccine, it seems that I’m not in the 2009 H1N1 risk group. So that is why I’m not getting it. If I was a health-care worker, I think I would.

FDA info on H1N1

Burning Man Film List

Brain Blips, film,

Here is a list of films that I think anyone going to or considering going to Burning Man should watch.

I’ll be adding more in the comments as I think of them.  I hope you will add to the list too …. but please do not list Wicker Man or Dune. Nuff said on that?

  • My Dinner with André
  • Babbet’s Feast
  • Sans Soleil
  • André Rubulov
  • ** Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, just about any John Waters film
  • Santa Sangré
  • * The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
  • * Eraser Head
  • 1941

* perhaps too obvious but worth listing for the kids

** obvious but definitely worth listing for the kids.

My Other Card

Brain Blips, , , ,

CautionMike_Card - Safety FirstEvery year at Burning Man I meat a few people that I want to keep in touch with. So this year I made cards with my name, my picture, my art project, and my phone number. If we spoke for more than a minute, you got a card. I kind of over did it. I made 500 cards. Only 480 left to go. I thought of mooping the playa with the remainder just to see what sort of calls I might get…. but common sense won out.

If you are the lucky enough to possess one of these, you may turn it in for services. Ex: dipose of a body, bail out of jail, borrow money or wheels. (Each card is only good once.)

The photo on the other side (click to see) is by Mark Garlington who shoots a lot of the DPW (You built this city! It’s your fault!)

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Brain Blips

Out at Burning Man this year, several us started bouncing around all the things that could go wrong at Burning Man.  We came up with a deliciously long list, but of course I’ve forgotten most of it.

Perhaps you can help me recreate the list. To make this specific, imagine some Burner dude…  2nd or 3rd year. Annoyingly enthusiastic… with big, big plans. The most killer art car, camp, bar etc.  Everything this guy does is motivated for the wrong reasons, i.e. to get laid and to become a legend in his own mind.

So… what could possible go wrong?

  • Missing 50 cent part that disables the whole project
  • hook up with hot chick reveals hidden candy
  • potato cannon backfires in face
  • food poisoning resulting in exploding diarheah
  • out house horrors
  • off hand comment about DPW goes out on radio for all of them to hear
  • loses all his drugs
  • finds drugs and accidentaly self-doses
  • camp blows down
  • runs from BLM who happen to be passing by. Gets mauled by canine unit.
  • finds 50 cent part on last day of event

Please add to the list

Who is more Piratey – DPW or Gate?

Brain Blips

Just back from Burning Man with a few thougths. First off….

Who is more piratey? DPW or Gate?

Both Gate and DPW wear a lot of black and large cheap knifes on their belts. Very pirate like, indeed.

The gate definetly has the more piratey logo.  But they also  had 2 if not more pirate flags flying at their HQ. Which makes me think that perhaps they are are a tad bit insecure about their piratey-ness.

The DPW has black hoodies with their logo.  All new DPW are forced to wear this uniform and go around saying, “I built this city.”  More experienced DPW wear distinctive haberdashery, vest, and mustaches and generally refrain from such sloganeering and  looking/acting like first year DPW… unless having a really bad night.

But I  question the piratey-ness of both crews. For they both partake in some non-piratey behaviour. Do pirates really get to shower every day and eat in a commissary? I think not.  I say to you digruntled Gate and DPW –  be a real pirate. Join the artist!  You don’t need to to wait in line for a public shower.  Pour  some  water on your crotch while sitting in a lawn chair. Sit their and scrub your ass in front of whomever walks by.  And you don’t need no stinking commissary.  Eat dinner cooked by your own hands with your knife because nobody on your crew brought any goddammned forks.

I’m telling you kids, the real pirates life is the way.  No 7 AM meeting.  Sleep in.  Wake up when you feel like it. Nurse that hangover til about noon and then sweat it out during the heat of the day.

Haaaaar.  The artist life for me. Come aboard matey.