I’ve just finished reading Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. It’s one of those books I should have read a while ago, but kept putting it over because of the story that Kesey only wrote it to fund Further. Whether that’s true or not, it’s still an excellent book.
Posted to the mailing list:
Hey folks: greenjon here. Let me say first that I just got into town, and I didn't read all the emails about sites. I might but have not yet. If someone already found a dope ass site then great! we have two! So then, instead of going to a ten day meditation thingy, I went to scout in Gilford Pinchot NF in Washington. Let's get oriented (these are not "directions": Going North on the 5 from Portland about 68 miles, one comes to 12 East. Going East on 12 for about 50 miles, one comes to the delightful town of Randle. Randle is kool cuz it's the HQ for the local part of Gilford Pinchot NF. THey got pie, too, and you can smoke inside. They even have "DSL" at the biblioteque... Anyway, from Randle you can enter the Forest and jump on the 23. About 40 miles later you take a little road a mile off the road. This splits at a T. One end of the T ends at The Gravel Pit and the other does not : ) The Gravel Pit is about the largest I have seen; they quarries purpley rock there. There are a few piles of gravel left behind (big ones), and between the size and the existing piles I can easily see 3 soundsystems sharing it (SPAZ/5lower/Oly?). The other part of the T goes a short way and then splits in FOUR! Counterclockwise, these (very short) spurs goto: 1): a cul-de-sac with trees in the middle; difficult to picture a full camp here but Droid or Tea Camp might work. 2)a trail that goes about 1 mile down to a big ass lake (more on the lake follows). 3) a proper clearing. 4) steeply up to a little spot (droid or tea camp?). The path down to the Lake is about a mile, and has one very large meadow off of it. Unless people wanted to hike serious gear, this is not a sound system spot but it'd be fun camping and perhaps a good circus spot. Other camping is not totally obvious, as this is heavily forested, but I think there will be enough camping (I didn't bush whack/explore the woods as much as freaks with tents will...). The Lake is BIG (not as big as some in washington, but big). There is free camping there, and a parking lot, and the spur road it is on also connects with the 23. There is plentiful parking on this road. okay then, the cafe I'm in is closingl, just turned out the lights, so I gotta run. If people are still scouting, power to you, and if you turn up a site that can top a Mt. Adams view and a big lake (etc), then do get the word out and we can decide what to do. I may scout a little more, or not, but I think a good time will be had at the spot down 23. greenjon 510-384-5096.
I’m happy. Randle appears to be roughly 3 hours south of me and weather.com’s 10 day forecast puts it in the low to mid 80F. Plus, there’s trees and a lake, which is a nice improvement over PhoenixFest.
Yesterday I formatted Wintermute and reinstalled Gentoo. I had just made some upgrades to it before I left, so I figured this was a good time.
I made it back from PhoenixFest. It was good fun. The days were hot, but bearable and the nights were cool. During the day, we hung out in the shade with our neighbors Jeremy and Dale, who were coffee camp. Most everyone stopped by at one point or another for coffee, so we met a lot of people.
My favorite performance of the whole festival was the 999 Eyes of Endless Dreams Carnival Sideshow of the Damned. Tina and I saw them three nights in a row.
As far as music, there wasn’t really a schedule, so I have no idea who I was seeing and who I liked. I can say that the Combustion stage (mostly psytrance) and the Ambient Room (who’s geo-dome Tina and I setup) were my favorite places. Dragontech was good, too.
Pictures are up here. I didn’t take a lot, since during the night it was too dark and I think flashes ruin the vibe. There is a bit of video, though. It’s all PG. If you want to see topless women lighting their breasts on fire, you’ll have to go next year.
A lot of the burners there seemed to think that PhoenixFest was superior to Burning Man because it was smaller and calmer – more of a community. I was hoping for a little more visual art from Phoenix Fest, like you see in pictures of Burning Man, but Phoenix ended up being mostly a five day rave.
Speaking of alternatives to the playa, I also found out about the Shambhala Festival in B.C.. Apparently a lot of folks who think Burning Man is too corporate now are heading up there. Perhaps I’ll go next year.
All in all, it was an excellent Festival. I plan on going again next year.
Next stop: Mutant Fest.
Yesterday I started and completed reading Aleister Crowley‘s The Book of the Law (also known as Liber AL vel Legis)– although I really shouldn’t say it is Crowley’s since, as the story goes, it was dictated to him by a spirit called Aiwass.
The book describes the philosophy of Thelema and is something of a holy text to two cults that I’ve been looking into recently: the Ordo Templi Orientis and Argenteum Astrum.
It ended up being your basic cult material. The basic theme of the book is the one law, “do what thou wilt”. All peaches and cream, right? Well, it would be, but they’re not a big fan of folks who don’t subscribe to Thelema.
Refuse none, but thou shalt know & destroy the traitors... Them that seek to entrap thee, to overthrow thee, them attack without pity or quarter; & destroy them utterly. Swift as a trodden serpent turn and strike ! Be thou yet dealier than he ! Drag down their souls to awful torment : laugh at thei fear ; and spit upon them !
Let the Scarlet Woman beware ! If pity and compassion and tenderness visit her heart ; if she leave my work to toy with old sweetnesses ; then shall my vengeance be know. I will slay me her child : I will alienate her heart : I will cast her out from men : as a shrinking and despised harlot shall she crawl through dusk wet streets, and die cold and an-hungered.
With my Hawk's head I peck at the eyes of Jesus as he hangs up the cross.
I flap my wings in the face of Mohammed & blind him.
With my claws I tear out the flesh of the Indian and the Buddhis, Mongol and Din.
Let Mary inviolate be torn upon wheels : for her sake let all chaste women be utterly despised among you !
Not a friendly bunch, eh?
But the keen and the proud, the royal and the lofty ; ye are brothers !
And it ends with this, The Comment:
Do whalt thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. The study of this Book is Forbidden. It is wise to destroy this copy after the first reading. Whosoever disregards this does so at his own risk and peril. These are most dire. Those who discuss the contents of this Book are to be shunned by all, as centres of pestilence. All questions of the Law are to be decided only by appeal to my writings, each for himself. There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt. Love is the law, love under will. The priest of the princes, ANKH-F-N-KHONSU
Today I finished reading Derrick Jensen‘s A Language Older Than Words. I’m not sure what to say about it, other than it’s the best book I’ve yet to read.
Go. Read it.
I went down to the outdoor theater and saw most of Twelfth Night and all of Three Musketeers. Twas good. Very good.
AngryShirts is crazy. I placed an order on 7/12 at 4:08PM. It shipped the same day at 7:58PM and I received it today. That’s faster than New Egg.