[more on Burning Man]

Let me begin by noting that I have never been to Burning Man. I have never wanted to go to Burning Man. Every picture I have seen and every description I have heard lead me to believe that attending Burning Man would be indistinguishable from attending a frat party with a "Beyond Thunderdome" theme. It looks dirty. It sounds difficult. I can only stand being drunk and/or high for a few hours a day. And I find art cars and the like infuriating. So no Black Rock City for me.

Nonetheless, despite my distaste, I don't think of Burning Man as a once-a-year trash heap, turning the Nevada desert into a landfill on par with Fresh Kills.

Some people, however, disagree. They believe that the things they least desire will find favor with the Burners. They figure, apparently, that people at Burning Man are so perfectly wasted that they will bring anything with them. How else to explain the post of "Free Metal Poles." Thirteen of them, ranging from 5 to 7 feet. Sound like scrap metal to you? WRONG! They are "Burning Man Structure Poles."

Or the "About 12-15 pieces of 4-6ft PVC" (is it really that hard to come up with a precise count here? The metal pole guy was able to). Why, it's "Burning Man Stuff"! And don't forget your "Burning Man Carpet Remnants."

Given the rush to unload this trash into the desert, I wonder how long it will be before Nevada ends up like that Texas-sized floating garbage pile in the middle of the Pacific. Maybe it's already there.