LA Fire Guild / SAFFE

Okay, so the quarterly SAFFE meeting has come around (I missed the last one). And we have a whole lot of new stuff to report.

First, I've been looking back over the last couple of years. I've seen show after show with fire extinguishers and spotters. I've been asked "Where's your spotter?" at Burning Man rather than "What's a spotter?". And, in general, I think that there is at least a base level of safety pervasive through the fire arts community, and fewer superstitions. These changes are the very heart of what we really wanted to accomplish with NAFAA back in 2002. So, for a mere 5 years of dedication and cooperation, I think we've done well.

This makes me wonder. Is it time for NAFAA to take a new direction now? Or should we stay that first, best place for info, geared mostly at the new and uniformed. One option to taking a new direction is our second report.

For those who don't know, or don't remember, there is a new guild forming in LA. As far as I know, they haven't officiated a name, but are going by the LA Fire Performer Safety Council. This group formed in response to the request we filled last year for a bullet point list for the SAFFE council. They're new and they're eager.

Most importantly, they've been working with the CA State Fire Marshall and an LA county inspector to develop their own set of codes for local insertion. The county fire marshal has endorsed these documents for broad spectrum community review. I mention this to everyone as these codes could receive statewide or even national attention, particularly wherever filming is done.

The first is an extension of the effort NAFAA made for it's bullet point list. This safety checklist is a DRAFT for peer review. Please send me any comments you have regarding them and I will put them in digest form (anonymously if you like) and forward them to the review members (state, county and guild). You can download them from:
www.nafaa.org/checklist.v1.0a.pdf

The second is a proposed, standardized, fire performance permit application. In short, this is what the fire marshal would give to us in order to get the information they need to write a permit. It might be worth the effort to buzz this by the local fire department.
www.nafaa.org/permit.app.v1.0a.pdf

And finally, this guild has come up with their own NFPA plug-in set of safety standards. I don't thing the FMs care as much about this, but I'll forward comments to the appropriate council as offered.
www.nafaa.org/standards.v1.0a.pdf

As our final point, I have been approached to open a new research project. It seems as though it's time to start digging into the proximate audience issue. Many permits are written with specific audience separations, but the reasons for them are widely varied. One possible source of this separation may be the radiant heat separation rules from the NFPA. So, we're going to take a serious look into audience separation. But we could use any useful ideas regarding hypothesese or approaches. So let me know.

That's all for now. Please send your comments soon.

Hacking billboards

So, I finally saw my first digital billboard. this is something a little different than the plasma screens on top of the MGM Grand in Vegas, or whatever. This is an actual, Remote, billboard location that's receiving city power to not only illuminate the board, but to run the controller, AND the radio receiver.

So, we know it's child's play to mess with a DTV dish, it can't be much worse to mess with these signs. But, once you've disconnected it from home, wouldn't it be interesting to provide a custom signal of your own? You could build the signal and transmitter into the size of an ipod, get a pool cleaning pole (the kind that expands), use it to knock the dish out of alignment, then tape the transmitter to it. Broadcast your custom signal and you've just hijacked a billboard.

15 minutes to upload a new signal from park to drive. The board keeps blasting the message until they realize it's off the grid AND get someone out there to fix it. Could be quite fun.... especially once these catch on. Imagine a Burma Shave effect of digital signs blasting grafitti, political rhetoric, or erotic art. Plus, I'm not sure of the capabilities of the controllers, but they might be able to play movies as well as switch scenes. I like the idea of turning ugly advertisements into trip toys... :)

Bearclaw Valentines Sale

Has it been a long.... hard.... winter? Looking to give that someone special something hot and stiff?
:)
Well look no further. Bearclaw has all of its long, hard, hot, and stiff items on sale. Staves and torches are all 20% off for Valentine's week. Slide on over and get great pricing on basic staves, torches, multi-part staves, countach torches, and tethered models.

While you're there, check out some new items for February;
Demonia shoes - a whole new line of industrial/gothic sneakers, some with hard toes.
Parasols - as promised, they're finally for sale. Perfect for Singeing in the Rain.
Dip and Drain - smallest dip and spin-out system yet, works with mot poi and torches.
Collapsible hoops - you can now replace the basic hoop connectors with quick connects and have a hoop that packs into a backpack.

So, please check us out...
www.bearclawfire.com/catalog/
and don't get the shaft anywhere else....

Quite a hike

Okay, so, I've been taking little walks. It all started in October when I was running around like crazy at Knotts making sure everything ran smoothly and safely for the 25 out of 27 shows I made. By the end of it, my libido was through the roof, I was 2 inches smaller around and generally feeling pretty good about life.

So, when I managed to manifest a new ipod, I promised myself that I'd use it not just as a marketing tool, but also to eliminate the last excuse I had for not exercising: boredom. Let's face it, treadmills are boring. And I feel there's also something unwholesome about a bicycle that doesn't go anywhere.

So, I started walking. No monthly fees, the ipod charges off the computer that's always up to something. I download DJ mixes from the internet for fresh music. I try to take a different route each time I walk so I always get a new view. It works.

Lately, though, as my distance increases, I've found that I can incorporate minor errands into the daily (ish) walk. Today was my biggest one, yet. A confirmed 4.6 miles. But that's not all, I stopped to get soda so I had 16 lbs on my back for the entire 1.5 mile final leg. *sigh* I'm bushed.

Much Ado About Nothing...

If you watch any TV at all, you're probably inundated with advertisements about the prop 94, 95, 96, and 97 expansions of indian gaming.

But, here's the real deal. These agreements have already been ratified by the federal gaming commission. Plus, the state of CA has no fiscal powers over the happenings on sovereign tribal lands. Once CA allows gaming to happen within state boarders, if gives up much of the rest of it's rights. Only as a courtesy is the governor of that state included in further negotiations.

So, vote yes, vote no. It really does not matter. The 17,000 machines will be installed, CA will get more money, and only the Supreme court can stop it now.

XM complete setup for sale

Roady XM radio in very good condition for sale. New price around $60-$100.

Includes
Roady XT radio for XM (and soon Sirius) reception
Portable boom box by Belkin (very scuffed but in good working order and reliable)
- Belkin comes with AC household and DC car adaptors
Home unit stand and antenna
Car adaptor
Extra antenna.

Often seen providing the music for Burn Club on a weekly basis.
Picks up 100s of stations by satellite, includes Black Rock City and intervening areas.

Total package (retail value about $200), used, for $50.