N-gon » Stuff http://www.n-gon.net/blog N - gon we trust Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:21:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Monday http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=121 http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=121#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:21:14 +0000 Formica http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=121 The Fish continues to serve us very well. Our camp is complete, with the golf course laid out and the shower up and running.

Dust is not as bad as last year, but there was a lot of dust at night last night. Still, not too bad.

Steph and Whitney and I went out last night to see the sights. The collaborative Rubik’s cube is a thing to see, and the Temple this year looks like it will be… bright :P

The Man is on a lattice-work pagoda that’s been designed by one of the Waffle guys. I’m leaving Saturday morning so I won’t see it burn, and this time, I’m bummed. This thing is going to go up like a Christmas tree doused in gasoline :P

This year feels… better. People are getting gregarious again. Strangers are happy to become friends. Waves and smiles are everywhere. Things have gotten a little insular around BRC these past few years… and now that trend seems to be reversing.

Plus the camp across the street was playing oooooold jungle, and hey, what’s better than that?

]]> http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=121 1 Kevin has been rescued! http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=120 http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=120#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:20:35 +0000 Formica http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=120 They’re on their way back. Kevin broke down in Wadsworth, which was good because he wasn’t stuck on 447 in the sun, but that also meant two hours just to get to him.

How will we reward the returning heroes? It starts with a bowl of my chili and a cold beer. From there… who knows?

]]> http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=120 0 Everything was going great… http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=119 http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=119#comments Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:09:10 +0000 Formica http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=119 … until the box truck blew a tire 30 miles from Gerlach :P

We left Reno about 8:30am on Saturday. Our trucks were quite heavy and were gonna take quite a while to get to the playa, so I went ahead to get placed.

Unfortunately I forgot to give the art car paperwork to Dennis, so I had to wait for him at the gate (they won’t let art cars in without the paperwork). This ended up being a four hour wait, at which point I was informed about the box truck and its tire issue.

A tire was fetched from Reno by Nate on his way in, and the mechanic in Gerlach got it put on around sundown.

So in the end, like every year, we were putting up canopies in the dark just to have a place to sleep. Entropy :P

]]> http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=119 0 The Fish Takes Its First Steps On Land http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=114 http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=114#comments Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:05:48 +0000 Formica http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=114
]]> http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=114 1 A day at the Horton House http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=96 http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=96#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2009 04:37:06 +0000 naturenorm http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=96 Just a few images from last Saturday’s work and assessment day. The golf corse is comming together real nicely. We are in need of a lot of LEDs for just the few holes I’m charged with. But the overwhelming theme for me is RECYCLE, REUSE, and don’t spend and money if you don’t have to.  -nuff said.

]]> http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=96 0 Canvas Rebuild http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=91 http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=91#comments Wed, 15 Jul 2009 01:16:26 +0000 Formica http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=91 The Structure is surrounded by canvas at the event. This keeps some of the dust, sun, and wind out. It also gives artists a place to share their craft using whatever medium they can find.

Canvas can be expensive when it gets old or ruined and has to be replaced. Fortunately, Brian came upon a bunch of canvas dropcloths which, when sewn together, are perfect for our purposes.

Steven and Johanna proceeded to do some sewing, and a new, rip-resistant mounting system has been devised using the wood seen on the canvas in these pictures.

]]> http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=91 0 N-gon Fishin’ 2009 http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=88 http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=88#comments Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:00:54 +0000 Formica http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=88 Change has come to Camp N-Gon as we re-tool for the playa in 2009. Over the next two months, you’ll see tidbits here about how our infrastructure and interactivity are changing. Key topics include:

  1. The rebuilt Playafish, courtesy of Dennis, Matt, Steven, and Brian
  2. The newly-expanded kitchen, using steel shelving
  3. The mini-golf course, which has replaced the volleyball area as our largest feature
  4. Sleepin’ in a Prius: how to use hydrocarbons most efficiently to sleep in 72 degrees
  5. Matt’s 10th Year

Based on last year’s feedback, folks were interested in pre-playa, behind the scenes looks at how our Camp comes together. Be careful what you wish for…!

The first attempt at laying out the golf course, June 28, 2009.

The first attempt at laying out the golf course, June 28, 2009.

]]> http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=88 1 Re-entry to the Playa~ : ) http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=76 http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=76#comments Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:13:43 +0000 Norman http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=76 Re-entry to the Playa~ : )
After a brief exodus and return to the Playa, it’s took a little bit before I reaclimated. It’s good to be Home!

]]> http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=76 1 The Playa Fish http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=65 http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=65#comments Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:23:06 +0000 Formica http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=65 As Steven remarked, it’s a good thing the Fish didn’t make it last year, because we weren’t ready for the scale and scope of issues we’d be facing once we got here. Among the problems identified and solved:

- The suspension needed modification (by Dennis, of course) to hold even the seven people we ideally like to put into it.

- The carb had to be modified to not spill gas into the throttle body when tilted further than its once pedestrian existence permitted.

- There’s not enough juice. The alternator attached to this engine was never designed for the 12v load we put on it.

As a result of that last little tidbit, the car died all the way across the playa last night. Matt hiked back to get a charged 12v to get the car home, and then this morning the playa engineering division went to work. Our generator has been wired right into the car, delivering serious auxilliary juice to the lights and sound. The Fish is brighter, louder, and more reliable now, thanks to the work of men like Dennis, Steven, and Brian.

… until it breaks again, as these things always do.

On goes the Day license... ... and the Night license. Chief Science Officer Ted surfs the playa dunes. Brian stands tall on his great creation's inaugural night cruise. CSO Ted celebrates the Fishie. Steven, in repose, with the Playa fish. ]]> http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=65 0 False Profit throws down http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=59 http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=59#comments Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:28:46 +0000 Stingray http://www.n-gon.net/blog/?p=59 False Profit managed to pull together a Tuesday night Esplanade party, pretty much at the last minute.  Despite some early problems with the sound system, they kept it going all night and the crowd loved it.  False Profit labs was also in full effect with their fire art – you might have seen it before, if you went to the Fire Arts Festival at The Crucible.

My friend Jay (Obi-J / False Profit) was supposed to go on the decks (okay, not really; laptop DJ) at 2 but it was more like 3 or 4 before he started.  It had been a long day, and I liked the other music but I was about to fall asleep on my feet by then.  I was mostly hanging by the fire barrel in back to stay warm.  But I didn’t want to miss his new stuff!  Jay had just gotten his DJ laptop stolen, but luckily he backed it up the night before so he had all his music!  I am always reminding him..   Anyhow the set was GREAT – it woke me right back up and I danced ’til almost dawn.

I wanted to stick around for Dr. Toast who was playing a while after sunrise, but I just wasn’t up to it.  Besides, I’m on my way to see him this afternoon at the Relaxomatic Plushatorium.  Okay… it’s hot out, but I’m done with teh internets for the day.

P.S.  Matt set up a backup webcam.  If it’s working, you can see the street outside our camp.

http://n-gon.net/galleries/webcam/cam_1.jpg

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