dear diary

so much magic in the air

squarehole — Mon, 19 May 2008 23:16:42 GMT

Friends, I have NEVER experienced the kind of harmony that has been going on these past few days. There's been so much synchronicity and serendipity I am aghast- like 10 or more incidents each day. Being in the flow has never been quite so graceful in my life. The universe seems to be conspiring to affirm I am EXACTLY where i am supposed to be and doing just the right thing- even though not working and blowing through savings can be quite terrifying. Today is day 19 of my monthlong cleanse- I started the first ten days on the master(fully horrid) cleanse; I've been on juice and kombucha since then. I feel incredible, have so much energy it's hard falling asleep sometimes, am thinking so clear, being so productive... I actually feel like a force to be reckoned with, as Bex once kindly described me. Travels: Flipside,TX 5/21- 5/27 Bonnarooooooo, TN 6/8-6/17 Nowhere- SPAIN! 7/4-7/15 Transformus, NC 7/18-7/21 Burning Man, NV 8/21-9/3 30th birthday 9/17- something's gonna happen.... Alchemy, GA 10/1-10/6 Philly, PA 10/24-10/27 San Diego, CA 11/14-11/19 wheeee! he he he

possible federal decriminalization of marijuana- you can make it happen!

squarehole — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:37:00 GMT

http://capwiz.com/norml2/issues/alert/?alertid=11280301 I also just realized that even convicted felons who have lost their right to vote are still u.s. citizens with the right to voice their opinions to the government that represents them...

i love you silly monkey friends!

squarehole — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:31:43 GMT

you are all very cute and lovable. i'm quite fond of the whole flock of ya! jus sayin.

lazy education

squarehole — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:26:55 GMT

for those of you in my boat: you don't love any candidate, and think you can deal with some, but aren't really sure? http://www.wqad.com/Global/link.asp?L=259460 and http://www.dehp.net/candidate/

??!!!#$**???!!!!!wtf???

squarehole — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 05:59:18 GMT

wtf? http://www.ihateclowns.com/ so we're all clear, i am so not down with categorical hatred. ugh. pass me a red nose!

yeah philly!

squarehole — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 04:28:46 GMT

I just want to tell the whole dang world, I am so excited to invade Philly and PEX for a weekend! I'll be there October 27th - 29th and look forward to seeing so many of your faces I love so dearly. Of course the freeloading jelly posse will be in full effect, and um, let's do CRITICAL PITS!!! mwah!

gifting meme challenge

squarehole — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:44:55 GMT

this is a wonderful contagion i got from theory: For the first three people who respond- and re-post - this challenge, I will send you something. It might be something I've made, or something cool from my hidden stash, it might be a mix CD - or a rubber duck, a book I think you will enjoy, or something else that is awesome. Whatever it is, I promise that I will get it to you in 30 days or less. and there will definitely be a jellyfish in the gift mix! The only thing you need to do in order to participate is to be one of the first three to reply to this, AND post this very same thing* - 'cause its fun to give people stuff. :)

let the verbal diarrhea begin! Subject: how i deal with the default world and post burn blues.

squarehole — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 18:19:12 GMT

i wrote this in response to something. i know that's weird because usually writing isn't inspired by anything, but hey. you know i'm funky. hiya peeps. Here's a *BIG* confession, and I just realized it this fall. I actually really like to return to the "default world" after a burn. I love participating at burns, I love a big ole family reunion, but I also would love it if the "default" world were more like my real world. So- I like being able to interact with "normals" and bring a different side of life into their view. When someone asks for change for a dollar, and you give them the quarters they need so they can buy a toy out of a vending machine, humbly refuse the dollar. It's awesome. Tag your underwear with a sharpie so your ass says, only for you, jellyfish don't pay rent! Find the art and the artists where you live. Say hi! Find out what you have in common. Take a trash bag, wear your silliest costume you feel comfortable wearing in public, and moop your downtown, your yard, the parking lot at work. Grab your favorite piece of burn shwag and gift it to the next cashier you interact with. Stand on a street corner, your front porch, an open mic, wherever works for you, and recite the silliest or sauciest poetry you can find. Watch a burn documentary, read a burn book, look at pics of burn art. Smile at strangers. Forgive someone you hold a grudge against. VOLUNTEER! Reach out to your burners and tell them how much you love them, and remember how much they love you. Those are the kind of things I do when it's hard for me to be in defaultopia. I find a little effort to make things easier goes a long way. If you are having a hard time, feeling down, got the post burn blues,take a moment to say hurrah! There is so much room for things to get better :) Here's a secret truth: *everyone* goes through it at one time or another. You are not alone in your sorrows. It seems wrong for this to be comforting, but it is so just embrace it. Lots of us say burns are inspirational- well, how are you inspired? Did you think of an awesome gift to give at the next event you attend? A costume idea? An art project? A civic project to benefit the "community" you spend your "default" days in? Find the words for a letter you've been wanting to write? A song to compose, a dance to choreograph, a picture to paint? Figured out how to bring a dream to fruition? Want to find out more about traveling to Tunisia after someone gave you that beautiful necklace they got while they were there? Maybe you want to spin fire, make pottery, try a new haircut, study meditation, take a hooping class, go playasexual, learn french, read a book, say you're sorry, quit eating bacon? Maybe you finally feel safe to dress in drag, sing at a karaoke bar, dance at a wedding. Go you! Now is the time! Especially if you don't feel like it, if you aren't inspired at this particular second.Trying often reignites that passion you found days, weeks, months, or years ago. Fucking try! If you suck, great! It's really important to suck sometimes. Tell us how you were inspired and what you're doing about it! Ask for advice and ideas! How will you be an inspiration to the world that's around you day in and day out? How will you help others do what going to your first burn did for you??? We have all experienced the time vacuum that is a burn. Now you have ample time to tell that theme camp how much you enjoyed their space, to seek out that musician that played that amazing song, to say thank you to the person who gave you a hug when you needed it most, to tell the LLC what a great job they did, to find out about volunteering for the next event, ask 'how did you do it?' to the artists whose work blew your mind. Believe me, you can find them! Speak your voice! Mysteria is a big place, but we are deeply connected as long as WE take the time to make those connections. (note: mysteria is the community that makes up transformus, the southeast regional burn, happens in july, i dreamt up the effigy for the most recent event... aren't you paying attention???) I think of all the lessons I've learned in my burn participation, the most important one is that I am choosing my happiness. It doesn't just *happen*, it isn't gifted to me, I can't buy it at a store. Leading up to my first burn, I had been grieving a major loss for some time, and I was in a pretty sad and dark place in my life. That first burn taught me that I had been choosing to stay in that place, and instead of beating myself up for it, I now also had the choice to go hang out in my shiny, blinky place. I am the only one in the whole world responsible for my state of mind. If I am smiling or if I am blue or if I am angry, it isn't the fault of my boss, friend, family, city, country, government... I choose my reactions and I choose my participation and I choose happiness! (and i will be self-righteous whenever i damn well feel like it, k?) In summary, be a burner 52 weeks a year. There will still be ups and downs, but being your true self will make it that much easier. Now, it's Friday. Take off your pants and dance! danielle, atl oooh, p.s! please do me a favor. when you reply to people's posts, take their posts out of your response- it's the nice thing to do. I like nice. how you still have an attention span at this point beats me. the pic is from playa 9/5/2006 , and that speck in the sky is a kite that i got in the air, then tied down to the trailer, and it flew all night long for me. wouldn't tell me any of the secrets it learned floating in the wind, so I made up my own. No, i won't tell you! they are secrets.

p.t.f.o. tribe!

squarehole — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 03:40:59 GMT

hello playa. well, actually, hello truck. 2500 miles in a manual tranny 26' truck with a bucket seat. yee haw! thank god for ample patience. i hit the road in about 12 hours. if you'd like to stalk me in the desert, i'm gonna make it real easy. home addy is 2:30 and the 'nade in the art of such n' such (a.s.s.) theme camp. look for our pretty lights and cauldrons and stage and cannon and high striker and what nots. ~monday, 8/27 i'll be fire cauldron caravaning, ending at PEX (7:30 and 'nade) get yo ass over there and shakes it with mines! full moon rises at 7:26, and the lunar eclipse begins at 12:52, with the climax at 3:37 in the morning. ~tuesday, 8/28 come visit me at the regional information center (RIC) in the ring around center camp, from 12p- 2p. ~wednesday, 8/29 is a busy day. 4:20 pm is the big puffy yellow party (4:30 and I). dark:30, red light district (4:30 and C) for clownifying. 9:00, cirque berserk at RND (9:30 and 'nade), followed by mutaytor. then temple of breaks!!! bassnectar is at opulent temple (2:00 and 'nade) around 1 am. space cowboys @ deep end. like there's 24 hours in 6 or some shit. i'll probably just go to be about sunset this night. that all sounds fucking whack! ~thursday, 8/30 **unifier performance** at 10 pm, check in with me for exact location, i've been told b/t 2 and 4:30 on the 'nade. please come show the love for my peeps! then come party with the fiery rock stars at rld (4:30 and C). bassnectar at root society (10 and 'nade) at midnightie. ~friday, 8/31 is the fucking event to put all other playa events to shame... or they just have killer pr... crude awakenings. mutaytor starts us off at 9, and culminates in boomers visible from space. not the space in your head silly, that place where astronauts play! aka really really far away which means it will be really really big... then more cirque berserk at RND. ~saturday, 9/1 the silly man in the middle of the playa finally gets evicted! i hear he's a descendent of the jellyfish who don't pay rent. at 4:20 in the afternoon, big puffy does their damn thang again. come play dirty southern style!!! round out burn night with bassnectar sunrise set at guardian of eden. ~sunday, 9/2 sundays are hands down always my favorite day on the playa. this year i'll be at the RIC (regional information center for y'all with short attention span theaters) during the day time. probably hit the am choir/ gospel sesh at PEX on my way. ~monday, 9/3 i will probably sleep all day and start the drive home after dark. 2500 miles, gotta be at work for thursday(???) cuz my boss occasionally hits the crack pipe, and cuz i'm a nice team playa. dusty kissez, d

who has time to blog when the man burns in 23 days???

squarehole — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 02:04:35 GMT

not me. so, since i last blogged lots of really neat stuff happened. highlights: flipside 2007- texas is hardcore, better cowboy up! thailand with harley and becky- go to a beautiful foreign country with two of your favoritest peeps the second you get a chance... transformus 2007 WOW! still finding the words. infrickincredible. all the time I've spent with all you silly geese- we're fun! life has been treating me real goooood, i'm a happy gal. i'll tell ya all about it sometime this winter. i gotta go pack, and isn't it time to burn something? kissez, d

here's the latest kids!

squarehole — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 14:22:15 GMT

"At eleMent 2007, ("Welcome Home, Bitches!"), held 4/20-22, an idea that had been swimming in my head for months vocalized itself. I had been thinking that somewhere, at some point, one of the effigies at a southeastern burn should be a woman. Sharing this idea has led to wanting to manifest it, create it, and BURN it. "- Danielle, Atlanta Regional As the fire is spreading, more burners have come forth with the passion to make this a reality. Transformus recently announced an open call for effigy proposals for the 2007 event. Proposals submissions are due by Sat., May 5th. The need for an effigy at T07 presents the perfect opportunity to implement the collaborative creation of a female effigy. The proposed female effigy, "Dixie BelleBoozler", is a design concept which has thus far received wide spread support. An Atlanta artist, Charlie Smith has also offered to donate a sizeable quantity of lumber materials and numerous artists & members of the community have expressed an interest in offering their expertise and volunteering assistance. Together, with your help and the creative strengths and gifts of our community, we can bring this idea to life. If you are interested in joining us, simply sign up at: groups.yahoo.com/group/burnart burnart@yahoogroups.com This group is where the supporters and contributors of the proposed "Dixie BelleBoozler" effigy are convening to make the art happen, and where we can exchange ideas and inspirations and collaborate. "We are embarking together on a journey, which to our knowledge has no standard travel guide beyond the collective experiences and wisdom of the artists and builders who have gone this road before us. It is our hope that as we explore the art and science of burnable effigy creation, that we can collect and archive the knowledge base of this art form and share this widsom and our own experiences with others. The immediate mission of the group is to collectively design & build a solid, safe, well-rounded design for Dixie BelleBoozler. Upon completion, we hope to open the group to a wider audience building a network of effigy artists to share ideas, creations and resources as well as create a library of reference materials for this unique and little understood art. If you have ideas, experience or a desire to see our mission fulfilled, welcome aboard. It's going to be an exciting trip!" - Ms. Maya, Artist/Designer

thanks and praises

squarehole — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 03:21:25 GMT

Well, this is just a little something to share with the special reality of life that is my tribe. I heart you guys! In the past few months I have truly found a home in the southeastern burner community at large, and it has empowered me in a way I don't have words to describe. My life is enriched, my hopes and dreams expanded, my heart happier by the moment. The hard times are a little easier knowing that I am so well loved and supported, and that there is this gigantic family who has my back. I really really really appreciate it and I hope that I can continue to let that faith in me fuel the fire and enrich y'alls lives as well. The next step? Submitting a proposal for the Transformus effigy! It's gonna be bad ass and sexy and a collaborative community effort, and please keep your fingers crossed (except for you board members with a conflict of interest) that it comes to fruition. Tell me if you want to help!!! Lots of work to do to get the proposal done in <two weeks, but the hope that I can create more art that you can experience makes the load seem not so bad. I have already participated in the Quadrapass project (www.howhowhow.com). In addition to the four sculptures being built in South Africa, we have built two fantabulous fire cauldrons here in Atlanta which are coming to Mysteria, and will be burnt simultaneously throughout the weekend the same time as the sisters burn in South Africa at Afrika Burns (www.afrikaburns.com) So when you are at Transformus, tweaking at five in the morning freezing your nuts off, head to the firey warmth I helped create knowing it would serve you. Sorry for the test of the sappy hippie communication broadcast, I will now resume my regular programming of talking shit. yay! big love to you all.

Flambe Danielle!

squarehole — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 16:41:48 GMT

This is how I got initiated into becoming a part of the fire response team for Transformus, a regional burn this summer july 21-23 at Deerfields in NC. (www.transformus.com) There was a work weekend March 16-18, and the weather was at times in the teens with windchill factors. The fire was started when we arrived Friday evening, but I heard it calling my name and asking me to be it's guardian, so I tended to the fire all weekend. Saturday night, I wanted to put on the fire proximity suit because I was getting ready for the next session of fire building (this photo is the fire thus far), and I'd already gotten a bad fire tan on my face from the heat, so the boys suited me up, and then they did this - I had no prior warning :) I had never worn a full fire suit before either! This is a 2 minute clip of a 10-15 minute fire blasting session. MMmmmmm. I heart fire! and gifts! And Community! Special thanks and gratitude to all the loves I found this weekend who I had not connected with yet, and of course to the old schoolers as well. My life ROCKS! please check out tha link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNU8t2cX1To