SL Burner Gets Her Build To Be Made At Burning Man

 

By Gemma Cleanslate

 

This is from the Burning Man Journal.

”The Black Rock City Honoraria Program funds artists from around the globe to create innovative participatory art projects — big and small — that rise on the city’s open playa. These grants from Burning Man Project support returning and new artists alike, they catalyze cross-cultural understanding, and help communities nurture artists and community leaders. These capacities may emerge through the process of creating art in Black Rock City, but their impact extends well beyond the dust to advance a more creative and connected world.

Funded by the nonprofit Burning Man Project, the Black Rock City Honoraria Program helps artists from all traditions and walks of life tell their stories through collaborative projects. When you contribute to the nonprofit through donations or higher-priced tickets, you’re directly funding these grants, bringing art to the playa and more connective creativity to the world. The Honoraria grants are designed to cover a portion of the artists’ costs, but projects require additional financial and logistical support from the community.”

At the July Conception weekend in Second Life, 3V (3vilyn Vortex) and Jeff Olhoeft (jolhoeft Resident) erected a beautiful effigy to be burned. It is one of the few I have seen that I did not want to see flame and disappear. Now it is being constructed for the Burning Man on the Black Rock City in real life!

3V ‘s vision won an honorarium for this year. This is allowing her to recreate that effigy. Burning Man opens August 24 and runs until September 1. Jeff is helping her along with a support team working on the installation. Jeff did the same thing several years ago . He had a beautiful butterfly on the playa and was encouraged to bring it to Black Rock and he did. The name of 3V’s creation is “Inikadowa, “. To see some photos of them working along with team members you can visit https://www.burn2.org/

Scroll down on the left, you will see a slide show of the labor. You can learn the background of the name Inikadowa in a link above the photos.

Congrats to all! What an honor! I can’t wait to see it on the Black Rock TV! 

 

Gemma Cleanslate 

 

 

People

 

Interview With a Burn 2 Ranger – Ronon Carver

By DrFran Babcock

Ronon Carver is a Burning Man/Burn 2 Ranger. She loves Burning Man, Burn, and Second Life™. All of this becomes apparent as you listen to her answer these questions about her time in SL.

This interview is so late because Ronon was on the playa in First Life, and returned to take up her duties as an SL Ranger seriously. Once you read this interview, you will understand, as I did, what’s behind the woman behind the dust mask:

SL Newser:  One if the first rangers in Burning Man, after placing a stick on the ground, is reported to have said: “On the other side of this line, there exists a world where everything is different.” After all these years in both First Life Burning Man, and Second Life™ Burning Life and BURN2 in what ways has this been realized for you?

Ronon: That Ranger was actually the FIRST Black Rock Ranger, Danger Ranger, the Rangers' founder, in 1992. His statement was realized for me with my first Burning Life in 2008, where I was introduced to the Ten Principles (http://www.burningman.com/whatisburningman/about_burningman/principles.html#.Unh8cJSbjYt), and then even more so at my first Burning Man in 2009. It was completely unlike anything I'd ever experienced and very different from my world which (at that time) was driven by the Protestant Work Ethic. I've never experienced volunteering, especially on that scale, and especially where people volunteered for the betterment of the community, rather than for self promotion or advancement. I was inspired by all these people working together to pull off this fantastic event, and by artists and builders who made things simply for others' enjoyment. 

The community created by all these people offers an alternative to our consumer-driven, socially stratified culture. Instead of the brutal, dog-eat-dog, what’s-in-it-for-me world where people struggle to climb the socioeconomic ladder, you find one of compassion, cooperation, and collaboration; where giving and self-sacrifice are the norm and people are valued for who they are, rather than for what they are and what they have. It levels the playing field where we're all equal, and having expensive toys doesn't make you better or more important than anybody else. You never know who that guy standing next to you is. He could be an unemployed bus driver or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. But, it doesn't matter, because we all have equal value as human beings. This is extremely empowering

How this has affected me in the default world is I've challenged myself to include the Ten Principles in my daily life. I try to be more accepting of other people, especially of those whose belief systems are very different from my own, and I have become active in my community through volunteer work and social activism. I regularly donate to several causes, work to lower my carbon footprint and reduce my consumption, try to be more self-reliant, and so forth.

SL Newser: Why did you become a ranger in First and Second life ?

Ronon: I became interested in crisis intervention as part of my grieving process after I lost my son. There was no help available in my local community, so I turned to online resources. I read a lot, talked to a lot of people, learned a lot, and became interested in helping others. I started listening to people more, paying attention to life more, and working less. I took foster parent training, crisis intervention training, peer support training, and help line training. I now provide peer support counseling with crisis support lines and groups, both in SL and in the default world, volunteer with the American Red Cross’ Disaster Action Team, work with domestic violence and other crime victims, and participate in grief support groups. Becoming a Ranger was a natural progression of what I was already doing.

SL Newser: What are the joys of the work you have done?

Ronon: Seeing the relief on people’s faces. It's incredibly empowering and validating to people when they realize someone is hearing them without judgment and doesn't think they're crazy or unimportant.

SL Newser: What are the difficulties/challenges in the work you have done?

Ronon: Dealing with emotionally distressed people can always be difficult, and the environments in which we work create a lot of challenges, whether it’s the hot, dusty, arid desert, or the cold, sterile, digital world. In Second Life™, text-based communication creates its own special challenges because it’s so easy for communication to be misinterpreted, especially since to a large degree, it is the reader who sets the tone, rather than the writer. A huge part of human communication is expressed through facial expressions, posture, tone, and vocal inflections. Without these cues, the reader has to use his or her own perceptions and assumptions to interpret the message. Even a positive message can be interpreted as an extremely negative, hurtful, snarky remark, depending on how the reader chooses to interpret the text-based words. (Think of how many ways you can say “Have a nice day!”) In BURN2 Ranger training, we stress approaching every situation with the assumption that everyone has good reasons for what they’re doing and that they’re doing their best. This sets the tone for a positive interaction.

SL Newser: I would be in gross denial if I didn’t acknowledge the tons of drama surrounding Burning Life and BURN2. What has been your experience with the politics of Burn, and in what ways have you managed it?

                                                                                                           

Ronon: I think any time you’re dealing with a group of people working on a project, you’re going to have drama. I haven’t found the drama in Second Life™ to be much different from the drama found in many first life groups. “Drama” is a product of people not having all the facts. They’re being “dramatic” because they have only one side of the story; some information, rather than all of it, and they react on it. People are afraid of the unknown.  This is a common and normal human reaction; it's not one that's confined to Second Life™, or to BURN2.

One way that we have managed this is to be as open as possible. Previously, planning meetings were closed and anything said was held confidential, which helped create an atmosphere of distrust. Now, meetings are open to everyone, and no part of the planning aspect is held confidential. Want to find out how and why? Come attend a meeting. Everyone is welcome. You can just sit and “lurk” if you want, but be prepared! We might just ask you to do something.

We’ve also changed the way the organization is structured. We no longer use hierarchical departments, so there are no territorial disputes. Anybody can volunteer to help with anything, which allows people to focus their volunteer efforts where they're most interested. It also creates opportunities for people to branch out, learn new skills, and take on greater responsibilities. And, it also means we’re no longer needing to rely on a few key people for critical functions, which creates a less stressful environment.

SL Newser: What is your vision for Burning Man 2013 and BURN2 2013?

Ronon: My vision for Burning Man 2013 was to work fewer shifts and spend more time in camp with friends, but I ended up spending more time on shift meeting new friends. I love being part of the Ranger team and interacting with Rangers and other participants.

For BURN2, my goal is to be more of a mentor and advisor. I’ve been volunteering here for six years now, and it’s time for me to step back and make room for people with fresh ideas and different ways of thinking and doing things. Ladyslipper Constantine did a great job of almost single-handedly training all the Rangers this year, as well as running the day-to-day on-playa operations. Other Rangers pitched in, as well, helping out in various leadership capacities.

SL Newser: What would you like folks out there to know about Second Life™?

Ronon: Second Life™ is a wonderful, creative place full of amazing opportunities. Like Burning Man, it is a place where people can be the individuals they wish to be.

SL Newser: Anything else you want to share?

Ronon: Anyone who wishes to learn more about Burning Man should check out the website at http://www.burningman.com/ or BURN2 at http://www.burn2.org/. Both sites also have have applications for those who wish to participate as volunteers, as well as information about other ways in which people can participate.

DrFran Babcock

Kev Sweetwater's Burn2 Memorial Service

Last week, the man behind the avatar Kev Sweetwater was found to have passed away in real life. Kev was best known for his role in Burn2, the team sent out a notice announcing his passing, and that they would be planning a memorial service on Saturday May 19th at 6PM. The event would be held at Deep Hole, and pictures of Kev were requested.

Arriving a little after 6PM on Saturday, the sim was full of people. At times there were more than fifty present. Most were of the Burn2 Community, but there were others. Kev was also a role-player at the Tombstone Wild-West RP, so many others from there were also present and paying their respects. Among those present was Dusty Udal, the former Dusty Linden. There was also Wizard Gynoid, artist Claudia222 Jewell, Dudarling Supermarine, Fearchar "Buck" Enoch, M2Danger Ranger, DollEyes Barbosa, Rails Bailey, whom I was told was one of the first Burners, and of course Gemma Cleanslate. Also there was Charlotte Martinsyde, whom had only recently partnered with Kev.

A tent had been set up for the occasion. With it's colorful top, it certainly didn't look like it was for a funeral. But underneath were various pictures of Kev Sweetwater, including a few of his real life self.

For almost two hours, people shared various stories about Dev. Je was described as having once made it to the Burning Man festival, which Burn2 is based on, which someone responded, "Another good lesson. Don't put off your bucket list more than necessary." Dusty Udal commented, "Well, I for one will never be able to make fresh eggnog without thinking of Kev. … We had an eggnog appreciation club going." They also joked about antics in Second Life involving using burn animations on oneself, and Kev using a fire extinguisher on them. One commented of a pinkish vehicle that looked vaguely like an open mouth, "Of all the things Kev built, the Clam Licker car is still my favorite." "I remember when he was building that thing, kept trying to run me over with it. Nothing quite like turning your camera and seeing that coming for you."

"(laughter) I was Away From Keyboard one night we were trying to set roads, and when I came back Kev had lowered the sim underwater, and left." "He asked me to have his babies, as a joke …" "I blasted him clear across the sim with a kamehameha." One cammed over to the memorial gallery, "I'm looking at this one pic and it's tearing me up, with the t-shirt saying 'NO MOAR PRIMZ 4YU!' " "I made that shirt for him, the front read 'Prim Dictator.' " "My first burn that I got to be a builder, Kev came over and was trying to join my parcel to an empty one. He was so tired, I think it took 3 cups of coffee before he got it." "The first time I met Kev, we talked for almost 6 hours. He could hold a conversation about anything, and always make it seem interesting."

"I won't ever forget the day he showed up in my box, telling me how much Charlotte meant to him, gushing, pouring out his soul." "That sounds like Kev." "I was captivated on how one man could express his being about Charlotte. That's when I knew he had found his love."

Emcee Widget, "So this guy walks into the DMV, and Gypsy and I are talking to everyone. We don't know anybody yet. We are talking about how DMV works and how we work together. And this guys like, 'Well this is pretty cool. I am an Okay builder, but I love to help people. I love Burning Man' he says. And I tell him, 'Find a team to work with.' And this guy starts working with everyone. This is how I met Kev."

Iskye Silverweb, "I knew Kev before BURN - at VWBPE, the first speaker at the conference needed to be introduced. And Phelan Corrimal was supposed to do the intro but wasn't there. I was that speaker's coach/helper/mentor, and so Gentle Heron said, if you do the intro, I'll voice (I'm deaf, so I only do text). And I was standing on the bridge kind of scared. And Kev in his little TV body stood on the other end of that bridge and IM'd to me, 'you can do it, go.' Gentle prompted and I thankfully finished the intro and got back off and Kev's 'good girl!' kind of surprised me but it was nice encouragement."

Katelin Rexen, "Even though he was a busy guy, he still was able to stop and talk say hello. And when I was sick and down in the dumps, when my physical pain was at it's worst, he would always try to cheer me up or ask how I was feeling. That was kind of guy he was, cared for his friends. … Kev, you will never be forgotten as so many here tonight remember the wonderful and caring man you truely were."
"This was nice. Thank you all for letting me stay a while … It's a very touching gathering. I never got to meet Kev, but I know he is well loved and missed …"

After the talk of Kev and some bacon jokes, someone got some virtual glasses of brandy, and passed them around, "… raising our glasses to Kev, cheers." "Cheers!" "He certainly gave of himself for all of us." "Yes, wherever you are now Kev, this is for you."

As 7:30 PM approached, people began taking places near the temple, which had been reconstructed for this special occasion, "I need to be up and close to toss Kev's Ranger hat in." "I never got this close to the other burns, and well, this one is special. So bolt me to the ground, please." "Please remove unnecessary HUDS and attachments." For a while, only the torchlike censers inside burned. Then white smoke was seen coming from the bottom, then the temple became ablaze. "It's beautiful, especially against the night sky." "I don't think I've seen a temple burn so beautiful and bright before now."


People were invited to leave messages in the temple, and many did, some including, "We will never forget you. You will always be part of our souls, part of our lives." "I'm sorry I took you for granted. I'm sorry I didn't thank you for all the work you do. I'm sorry I didn't tell you how special you are." "Kev I will miss seeing you in Amiville and at the SL Birthdays. Godspeed!" "Gone but not forgotten. You will always be part of us." "My darling husband, I love you, forever and always … Charlotte." As the the temple burned, the messages were released in poetic form.

Other messages were spoken by those attending as the flames lit up the memorial grounds, "Celebration of a life lived well in Second Life, and real life." "This is for you KEV!" "Yeah, burn for Kev!" "God bless you, Brother." "You will always be my Brother, Kev!" "May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.""Rest in peace my friend, 'til we meet again!" "Go in peace and love, little brother. And save me a seat!" "God speed, you wacky son of a bitch." "Hope someone calls me that when I go." "Love you always, my darling."

Eventually, the fire began to burn itself out. And finally the flames were gone. There was only a few blackened timbers standing up, and burnt debris and ashes on the ground. "The best I've seen in Second Life." "Just Awesome." "This is a celebration of life! We can applaud this awesomeness!" "This is the latest I have been in Second Life in about four years." "Thank you so much whoever did this." "It was a wonderful tribute." "Awesome burn, go with the flames." "Good bye Kev, safe journey." "Thank you everyone for being here and making this happen. Don't take anyone for granted. If someone is special to you, tell them." "I'm sure Kev's in 3rd Life looking down on us and smiling."

Over time people gradually got up and left the sim, the number remaining becoming fewer and fewer, until all were gone. But the memories of what took place remained.

Anyone wishing to leave a message on Kev's account feed here: https://my.secondlife.com/kev.sweetwater . He also had a Flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/59196052@N05/

"Nobody dies as long as they are remembered."

Bixyl Shuftan