Today’s topic will be “Being a Person While Working for The Man.”

I have had some questions (and some attacks) based on my consulting work, recently. I want to take an opportunity to discuss my choices. I’ll try to get into my beliefs about about personal responsibility while being a part of “The System.”

I think it comes down to a matter of where you draw your line.
Kinda like “Do not kill.” We all have o decide where the line resonates with us.
For you, would that include animals? What about insects? what about microbes? I’m told the Jaine religion sweeps in front of themselves to avoid stepping on any living thing. Personally, I’m guilty of intentionally killing a silverfish or spider every so often.

I think we have to choose our place within the existing capitalist system in very much the same way.

I would love to hear your thoughts. What work would you not do? What would you do? Would you design business cards for a company that had political views contrary to yours? How about a working as a meter maid? Feel free to share in today’s chatroom, email me, or post a comment here!

p.s. My nephew Carter is 1 week old and already a member of HugNation!

I’m excited for LA Decom next Saturday!

(Decompressions are a regional Burning Man events that allows people to get back together after they’ve assimilated back into the default world. It helps to stoke creative fires that have started to go out.)

vids from last 2 years:

2006:

2007:

filmed at Burning Man by Tim Clark

**an essay to accompany the video “bats in the wind***

The AP story about 2008 Burning Man was ‘Dust Disrupts Burning Man.”
What an incredible illustration of our media.
“Dust Disrupts Burning Man.”
WTF!?
What a disturbing example of how we define “news” as “what went wrong.”
What about “Inspiration Hits 1000’s at Burning Man.”
Maybe, “100+ Couples Wed at Annual Burning Man Event
“Global Art Community Descends on Burning Man.”

It was so strange to talk to family and friends on the way home, after a week of desert bliss. They almost all said, “I heard you guys had terrible weather.”
Huh?
Um, we had storms.
But that is part of it.
Dust Storms at Burning Man is not “news.”
In fact, it’s not even a negative thing to most of us.
I LIKE the dust storms. I LIKE the white outs. Hell, I think they are REQUIRED to reach the level of surrender that makes Burning Man so transformational.
I call it baptism.
Maybe that should have been the headline:
“Dust Baptizes Burning Man Attendees.”
It is unfortunate that, now that Burning Man is mainstream, the ONE bit of information that the Associated Press informed the masses about was a distorted weather report.
Because that is all I keep hearing from people.
“I heard it sucked. I heard it was too dusty. I heard…”
It’s almost as if knowing that the weather was challenging made people feel better for not being there.
Since I subconsciously wish I was at that party, I’ll take a sick pleasure in learning that it was ruined for those that were there. Makes me feel better for being at work all week.”
*sigh*
Imagine if my neighbors would have read the “baptism” headline.
What a wonderful conversation that would have sparked…instead of a defense of the weather.
I mean, seriously…”Dust Disrupts Burning Man.”
That is just insane.
It is all part of it.
It’s like saying, “Sun Disrupts Ballgame.” Or “Frosting Disrupts Cupcakes.”
*speechless*
Remember this example next time you feel an obligation to stay up on the “news.”
It is NOT your responsibility to stay aware of what is going wrong in the world.
It would be better to have no news at all then think that the “news” from Black rock desert that week was the white outs.
That is such a distortion of the world…I would argue that being “un-informed” is vastly better.
Ignorance of toxic media is not only blissful, is also can be good for your spirit.
Good luck.

My brother and his wife had a beautiful BIG 9 lbs 2 oz baby boy yesterday morning. He is still waiting for his name.
Mom was a superhero using no drugs and doing the birth at home with the help of the father and a midwife. Please welcome my new nephew!!!

Their first son was also born on a Sunday, roughly the same time, and was 9lbs 3 oz.

Here’s the final video in my 2008 “Love-Buzz” trilogy.
(all 3 avail on www.love-buzz.com)

“Love-Buzz” is that optimistic warmth that lingers after something wonderful.

I’m really happy with how this turned out. I hope it gives you a little love-buzz, yourself.

A clip from the start of this week’s HugNation. I introduce the new habit of saying “grace” before the show. (This is inspired by Grandpa Caleb.)