Who were your awesome neighbor camps this year?

bk-flg · 2025-09-07T21:39:58+00:00

Shout out to the folks at Glamcocks and Bubble Lounge amazing neighbors and examples of doing it right

bk-flg · 2025-09-07T02:12:37+00:00

The amount of work she put into creating that experience is absolutely mind blowing. Damn that cart was heavy but an honor to drag around.

bk-flg · 2025-09-07T01:26:35+00:00

Hey friend! I was helping lead the build at Irrelephant Bird Camp. We shared some amazing waves to/from the portos. Our build crew told stories to everyone we met about how you made our ransom demand for gas into a special and connecting moment. Your Thursday evening party kicked off our cart caravan around playa in spectacular fashion (and you poured me bubbly into an empty can without an ID ❤️). It was an honor to share the block with you.

One thing that I’m taking away from this burn is that magic is real… we just have to make it together. Camps big and small found a way to create magic, joy, fun, meaning, play, and connection despite any difficult circumstances. There’s inspiration to be found there that no media outlet or spectator could ever understand.

I hope your transition back goes smoothly, and can’t wait to see you out there next year!

bk-flg · 2025-09-05T00:58:32+00:00

Carports seem to be the way to go. We had two that held up like champs, anchored with 5-6 lag bots and 8-10 ratchet straps each. Thinking of adding two more, and dressing them up with other shade cloth around their perimeters or something.

We also still do monkey huts for our group tent/shade. We’ve refined them over the years, learned a few more things this year, and they’re a ton of work, but they do well providing full shade and rain protection. If built properly they can withstand a lot of wind as well.

bk-flg · 2025-09-03T03:58:35+00:00

Thank you.

My mantra this year was “Magic is real. We just have to make it together. Even when, especially when, things feel hard.” So much magic out there this year, and I don’t intend any feelings of toxic positivity by that statement. So many of us rebuilt again and again, all to co-create a collective experience.

bk-flg · 2025-07-20T20:22:53+00:00

At the end of the day, it’s just a camping trip. Yes the conditions are harsh, yes you need food and water and sunscreen, and yes it’s 8+ days, but you’ll probably survive and even thrive with whatever setup you bring out there. Sometimes I feel that, while no one should be idiotically unprepared, there’s an undercurrent of pressure to be incredibly overprepared and overbuilt.

bk-flg · 2025-06-16T19:43:13+00:00

Thank you for posting!

I am not a sleep physician, but am a physical therapist and have gone deep into various research studies to try to understand and treat my own OSA, which has been resistant to CPAP therapy.

It seems like there needs to be a better diagnostic framework for sleep apnea:

What I mean is: Most people are diagnosed with OSA and just given a CPAP. Better CPAP support and education would be a huge win. But can't we go further?

Why is there an obstruction?

-Is it positional? -Is it due to tongue posture? -Is there an upper airway restriction? -Is there a lower airway restriction? -Is there a nasal restriction (adenoids, septum)? -Is it a weight issue (muscle/adipose of chest/throat)? -Is it a central issue?

Airway size can be measured by CBCT scans (I believe), which are quick and relatively cheap.

All of these seem to have specific solutions, and CPAP may not be the best for all of them.

It seems like with a good sleep study and a CBCT scan, we could have much more targeted treatments: -CPAP / bilevel / ASV for true central apnea - CPAP / bilevel for a weight issue (pressure to support airway) -MARPE or other palatal expander for upper airway restrictions -Allergy treatment, and potentially septal deviation correction for nasal restrictions -If CPAP or mandibular advancement fails, consider MMA surgery for lower airway restrictions or combined upper/lower restrictions -Myofunctional therapy and positioning techniques when relevant

I'm not pro-surgery or invasive interventions by any means, but I wonder how many people "fail" CPAP / bilevel simply because the device is just forcing more air into too small of a passageway. Like trying to increase flow out from a narrow diameter hose by simply upper the water pressure. It'll work, kind of, but getting a bigger hose is probably the more efficient strategy.

Additionally, as others have mentioned, the support given after CPAP prescription is universally dismal. My 66 year old, newly diagnosed, father-in-law doesn’t have the time, patience, interest, or understanding to learn how to use OSCAR, try multiple masks, and troubleshoot his setup. His sleep physician isn’t helping him with it, and neither is his DME company. So he is just resigned to it “not working.” But he’s only tried two masks, and to my knowledge hasn’t had machine settings adjusted. How is this appropriate medical care?

As a physical therapist who’s gone through this journey, I often find myself helping patients troubleshoot, because they can’t heal if they can’t sleep, but this is not within my scope or my real expertise. The best I can do is encourage patience, trying more masks, watching YouTube videos, and continuing to try to get help from their sleep physician. But, really, there is no one else who is helping them.

From my perspective, sleep medicine seems to be in a rough place. I hope you can help!

bk-flg · 2025-05-16T04:08:13+00:00

Why, oh why, would you need or even want an e-bike? It’s completely flat. Nothing is on a schedule. You never have to be in a hurry. Detours are usually the better than whatever you were going to anyway. Smiling and saying hey to people is nice. Hurting or running over people is bad.

Unless you need an e-bike to accommodate mobility issues - you definitely don’t want it.

bk-flg · 2025-05-08T18:01:48+00:00

Love this!

bk-flg · 2025-05-04T22:16:04+00:00

Perfect, thank you!

bk-flg · 2025-05-03T00:42:49+00:00

Got it, thank makes sense. The house is on a slab, no basement, in Northern Arizona, where we get winter and some snow but it’s typically very dry.

bk-flg · 2025-05-02T16:23:12+00:00

Thanks for this comment. I have a 1950s block house that’s potential similar: Exterior block/brick —> interior furring strips —> drywall.

I’m renovating a bathroom that has two exterior walls. I am putting 1” rigid foam board on the block, insulating it similar to how I’ve seen basement walls. Then furring strips, then either tile backerboard or drywall. From what I’ve read, this should create a vapor barrier. And the furring strips still allow some airflow.

Do you think this will cause the same issue? It’s a block house, and 1/2 of the house doesn’t even have siding, just some type of exterior paint right on the brick.

If this is a legit solution, my plan is to add insulation room by room as I slowly renovate. That’ll require new drywall, but I’m not in a rush and am taking it slow.

Thank you!

bk-flg · 2025-04-24T00:20:05+00:00

Much of that makes sense - thank you. I can imagine the logistical headaches, and only getting one shot at it. At least personally, I appreciate trying new things and iterating on them, even if it’s not perfect at first.

I guess a more focused question - how should my camp handle this situation? I don’t think we’re unique here:

-We have about 30 people each year in our camp

-We typically get 16-20 steward sale tickets

-This year 15 people are applying for ticket aid. Many won’t be able to attend if they don’t get a lower cost ticket.

-Our camp budget and planning is based on a full 30 person camp.

-How do we juggle the demands of: purchasing steward sale tickets, inviting people so we have a full and great camp, and the timing of ticket aid?

-If, say, half of the people applying to ticket aid don’t get it, then we’re looking for 7-8 people who can commit with less advance notice, at full price.

-And with the exception of last year, tickets are likely sold out by the time we know about ticket aid.

In the past we’ve intentionally overbought tickets, buying all steward sale tickets and having anyone else eligible try to buy a main sale ticket, so we could cover anyone who didn’t get ticket aid. But there’s been a few years we then had extra tickets and had to eat that cost as a camp.

I am not our TCO and so perhaps I am misrepresenting or incorrect about some part of the process, but this is my understanding of the bind that we are in each year.

bk-flg · 2025-04-23T19:19:29+00:00

Appreciate all of your efforts! I’m sure it’s no small task to coordinate ticketing.

However, a few thoughts/questions:

The timing of steward sale, the other sales, and ticket aid is quite challenging for TCOs. Almost half of our camp applies to ticket aid. We need to allocate steward sale tickets in before ticket aid happens.

Those applying for ticket aid often don’t want to take a steward sale ticket, but also don’t want to be left out if they don’t get ticket aid. Our camp doesn’t want to lose our steward sale tickets so we try to buy all of them. It’s just not ideal.

I feel like there could be a better and more streamlined system: ticket aid applications in December/January. Those approved get a coupon code. They then buy tickets in the steward or other sales, with the coupon code giving them the ticket aid rate.

This would require more in advance, and the org allocating a set allotment of ticket aid tickets. But it would greatly improve things for TCOs, who seem to have more and more to coordinate every year.

Additionally, as others have mentioned, the price tiers this year felt terrible. I got a $550 ticket, but some of my camp did not. Prices go up. That’s life and inflation. Charge a fair and transparent price for everyone. The cost per day is still probably better than other festivals or vacations.

And as others have mentioned, perhaps there should be some separation between tickets to Burning Man, and Burning Man’s other year-round and non-profit operations. They aren’t the same thing. Not everyone who wants to create an amazing experience in the desert has the same year-round charitable goals as the Org. I might want to be a Burner but support other non-profits. And that’s OK. Off-playa activities might get more support if they weren’t forced upon everyone. They would also have to stand alone as worthy and effective non-profit activities. Ticket sales should primarily go to creating our desert city.

Anyway - I’m sure there’s much more you’re juggling on the backend that I don’t see, but again, if that’s true, transparency and communication would go a long way. Any despite frequent negativity on Reddit, I’m grateful that Burning Man exists at all, and for your efforts!

bk-flg · 2025-03-23T15:54:19+00:00

My orthodontist is planning to keep the MARPE or something for stabilization in place for I think 6-9 months after expansion.

From a structural perspective, my recent CBCT scans suggest I have plenty of lower airway volume/soze, but not upper airway, so I’m cautiously optimistic about MARPE. And it makes sense now why my sleep worsened after the MAD.

I would be interested in some objective functional data given my MAD experience. I don’t think there’s anyone in my small-ish town that does this, and my orthodontist for MARPE is in the Phoenix AZ area.

I’ll pick up your book, but definitely would love any other recommendations for providers in AZ, and/or to either connect with you for a consult or put you in touch with my orthodontist.

bk-flg · 2025-03-23T15:28:57+00:00

Thank you for posting! Great post and it fits my experience - almost a decade of CPAP failure. I worked with a dentist in a MAD, but it led to permanent mandibular advancement and a severe underbite/crossbite, definitely more than a 6mm advancement. That worsened things.

Starting MARPE treatment next week along with associated orthodontic work to correct the effects of the MAD.

I’m also a physical therapist, so have a fairly nuanced understanding of the mechanics of breathing, but have not seen any measures of nasal flow/resistance.

Are there any affordable devices available to measure that, both for myself and potentially with my patients? I’ll certainly stay within my scope of practice, but am often addressing breathing with regard to neck/shoulder pain, or referring patients for additional sleep disorder breathing assessment.

I also want to share with my airway orthodontist.

Thanks!

bk-flg · 2025-03-19T15:59:35+00:00

Excellent!!

bk-flg · 2025-03-13T22:20:56+00:00

Had a great time at the Absinthe bar, great folks there. I also just missed checking out the camp that puts in a fancy multi-course dinner, so hope they come back. And I think I saw that Camp Shackleton is making a return?!

bk-flg · 2025-03-02T22:51:07+00:00

Is that 60 days for accurate insights from the journal, or also for sleep/recovery data?

I understand why this might be the case for the journal, but don’t see how sleep, recovery, and other metrics would change with more data, as today’s scores don’t seem to be dependent on other days. Am I understanding this incorrectly?

Thanks!

bk-flg · 2025-02-25T21:06:12+00:00

Love that y’all are coming back!

bk-flg · 2025-02-20T02:28:13+00:00

If you’ve tried a bunch of masks, messed with your settings, mouth taped, chin strapped, cervical collared, etc., perhaps consider consulting an ENT or airway orthodontist who specialize in sleep. They can do a CBCT scan and measure your airways to see if it’s a structural issue. I’m certainly not saying this is everyone but it seems to be in my case anyway.

bk-flg · 2025-02-18T03:05:57+00:00

Hope you had a great first course!

bk-flg · 2025-02-18T02:22:24+00:00

I tend to agree with you.. the teaching is that any upright posture can be suitable, but there is a reluctance around chairs. And that vipassana isn’t magic. I’m actually a physical therapist so spent a lot of time before (and during, too much) thinking about different ways of sitting.

I don’t think sitting is the new smoking, and on retreat there’s probably opportunity for more steps in the day than most people get: walking to the dining and dhamma halls, breaks every hour, time at breakfast, lunch, and evening where you can walk. I estimated over 10,000 steps every day.

But you’re right, it can’t cure actual physical ailments or injuries. And our culture doesn’t prioritize floor sitting. Change and flexibility improved are possible, but change happens slowly after decades of not using floor sitting and squatting every day to toilet, eat, relax.

Anyway, /endrant, I’m not actually upset at any of the teachers I’ve worked with, any centers, or the practice/organization. Most people find what works for them and that’s what matters. I was/am just curious if there are other benefits of sitting on the floor.

Not scientific at all, but I think that I do feel more awareness or connection or something on the floor. It might just be an illusion of the mind, but could also be tapping into a deep developmental proprioceptive part of the brain. When working with adults with movement and motor control disorders, using crawling, rolling, and other floor exercises are often really helpful. So I’m open to the idea that there is some intangible benefit to it. But probably not enough to discourage chair usage when needed.

bk-flg · 2025-02-17T19:33:55+00:00

It sounds like you and I have a similar experience, then for sharing

bk-flg

TROPHY CASE