it started with the cone...

It’s Tuesday evening at Burning Man, and I have consumed entirely too much acid.

Backstage at one of the largest art cars on the playa is not the place for me to be.

Thankfully, I have friends who know exactly what to do in such situations.

The time had come for a journey into deep playa.

I would go with my friend Tyler who would consume a sizable handful of mushrooms to aid us on our quest.

“Deep playa” is the vast expanse of desert beyond Burning Man's higher-traffic inner playa and camping areas.

As you bike into the abyss, the intense bumping of bass fades behind you.

Dense gatherings of humans are replaced by empty space and the occasional lone wanderer.

Deep playa is a different world. It is eerily quiet and sparsely populated with unassuming pieces of art.

Like this box below…

Tyler and I almost passed right by this box. Good thing we decided to take a look inside…

Yes, the box had an antenna that was amplifying faint radio waves from lightning strikes worldwide, turning them into an audible experience.

What a trip. Deep playa had delivered.

What would we discover next?

We would discover a giant traffic cone.

If we had learned one thing, it was to walk inside strange objects without questioning their meaning.

Little did we know that entering this particular pylon would change our lives forever.

Upon entrance was a guy with a sign that read: “free advice.”

Tyler asked the man if it was ok to worship the cone.

The man replied: “Does it bring you joy?”

“Yes,” replied Tyler.

“Then you may worship the cone,” replied the man.

Right on cue, another man inside the cone pronounced:

“It started with the cone and it will end with the cone!”

We were all a bit confused, but within a matter of seconds, everyone in that cone erupted in worship.

“Cone! Cooone! I pledge devotion to the cone!!”

It was invigorating and energizing.

We entered that cone as skeptics and left as believers with our hands above our heads in the shape of a cone.

The word had to be spread. We found the rest of our friends and returned to the cone later that night to continue our worship.

I created a loudspeaker with some cones and delivered a sermon.

From that moment we would be known as: “Conians”.

We even created Conemandments - one of which was that you must always make puns about the cone.

Throughout that night we could not stop talking about the cone.

It got so bad that we found ourselves on the ground late after sunrise, tears streaming down our faces in helpless fits of laughter, unable to breathe or move because of the extreme ridiculousness of it all.

The next night, the cone would burn in a moving ceremony that provided some needed closure from our descent into absurdity.

What an experience that was.

This was all a single snapshot from a 7-day adventure at this incredible event.

Burning Man has such a special place in my heart. There is really nothing like it in this world.

I will be back next year and hope to meet some readers of this newsletter who decide to go as well.

Till next time. May the cone be with you. 🙏 

Graydon

Cool things I found during my weekly internet stroll.

Jack Dorsey ran Twitter using only the Notes app on his phone. So simple yet effective. He explains how here.

xAI just launched the most powerful AI training system in the world, in 122 days.

We’re getting closer to continuous monitoring of key biomarkers in the body. This finger wrap is one of the latest innovations.

Served up by Spijker & me.

Lately - Remix | RÜFÜS DU SOL, Adam Ten, Mita Gami

Allenby | Mita Gami

Tira A Roupa - Putaria Mix | Beltran, Mc Jajau