Monday, June 22, 2009

How can we NOT go? Really...

http://camptipsy.wordpress.com/faq/

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q) Where is Camp Tipsy?

A) Camp Tipsy is at East Park Reserviour near the town of Stonyford, Ca. It’s 113 miles from the Bay Bridge north on Interstate 5, near the town of Maxwell.

Q) Can I bring children.

A) Absolutely. This is a G rated event. There is no nudity, no experimental performance art and no reason that your kid won’t have the time of their life.

Q) What temperature is it in Stonyford Ca during Camp Tipsy?

A) It’s hot. Super hot. Arizona hot. OK, maybe not that hot but hotter than Oakland. It’s clear, dry. The landscape is kinda like Joshua Tree. It’s weird. And hot. You HAVE to go in the water hot. Too hot to be in your tent past 10:00 hot. Hang out on the boat float around and play guitar all day hot. It can get a little chilly at night, but usually not.

Q) Is there a toilet?

A) Yes, there are outhouses and port-a-potties.

Q) Is there a shower?

A) No, but a few people bring RV’s, and if your nice to them they may let you use the shower.

Q) Is there a full shop there where I can use tools to put my boat together? With saws and hammers and fasteners and a pile of lumber and braces and brackets and table legs and a welder? Can I just bring “most” of a “boat” and improvise the rest there with the pile of junk that you guys are bringing?

A) Yes, of course.

Q) Does my cell phone work at Camp Tipsy?

A) Yes, most people have a bar or 2.

Q) Is the kitchen for everyone to use?

A) It’s like a hippy dream come true.

Q) Do I have to bring a boat to Camp Tipsy?

A) There are other ways you can contribute, and you should. But you do not need to bring a boat.

Q) I have a commercially manufactured motor boat, can I bring that to Camp Tipsy?

A) Sure. But why would you? We all like to swim in and around the boats, and propellers are dangerous. The lake is calm as can be, just grab a piece of foam and paddle around with us. But I can not stop you from driving your jet boat on the lake. There are other jet skis and boats there. They are curious, of course. Please be nice. They all have guns!

Q) I don’t know anyone whose going, will it be OK if I come?

A) Sure, just be a good egg and be friendly and you will likely find the greatest collection of humans around.

Q) Does the campground have any rules? Or is it without rules, and a place that is outside the juristiction of all applicable laws and so forth?

A) It is like a state park, but it’s managed by the Beaura of Reclimation. So it’s different. Please, do not bring glass bottles. Do not bring a device that makes music, like a boom box. Instead, bring your ukelele. Don’t bring your dog. There are other campers nearby who’s ideas of how the world work are going to be vastly different. Please do not bring fireworks. They make dogs bolt, and a dog that bolts in this geography is dead. Don’t find out what “not afraid to be the bad guy” means.

Q) What does my admission to the event cover?

A) Admission to the event goes to throwing the event and throwing the boat project that is happening in June of 2010 in Venice Italy. In 2009, a group of junk boats traveled from Slovenia to Venice. In 2010, the boats will continue south. To Greece and beyond. The storage of these boats is expensive. Camp Tipsy makes this possible. The Europe trip is a non-commercial venture, and is just clowns on junk floating around and being artistic ambassadors to the world. The event is also shoulders many costs and we can in no way enforce a gate at this free campsite. You are paying because you beleive in what we do and you love us and want to smother us with affection. The effort extended to throw this event is nothing short of massive. Thank you for understanding that it all costs money. Each and every person should contribute the very reasonable and fair suggested donation price.

Q) Is Camp Tipsy safe?

A) No. Camp Tipsy is real. You need to bring what you need to survive. You need to take care of yourself. It’s camping, in the woods. There could be snakes, bears or gorillas. There is no hospital nearby.

Q) Is there a mechanism at Camp Tipsy for security?

A) No. You should keep your wits about you at all times. Especially girls. You are safe as long as you have your capacity’s. Being wildly drunk or high in general puts you in a vulnerable postion. Do not find yourself in that position. Take care of yourself, and relate any problems IMMEDIATELY to EVERYONE. If there is a creep in our midsts, WE NEED TO KNOW. There are Rangers who visit from time to time, but no station. The rangers work a few different parks, and split their time between. Theft doesn’t seem to be a problem.

Q) I can’t come to Camp Tipsy, but I want to support the junk boat project. Can I send you a donation/

A) Absolutly. Thank you. The entire project works off donations. There is a Paypal button on the home page of this blog.

Q) I have more questions, can I email you?

A) Sure. chickenjohn@chickenjohn.com

Q) I don’t have anymore questions. Can I email you anyway?

A) Yes, but that was also a question.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Credit.com Blog

My recent money-related posts at Credit.com

Posted by Mark Frauenfelder, May 19, 2009 4:48 PM
I've been having a blast blogging for credit.com. Here are a few recent posts:

Spend Less by Keeping Large Bills in Your Wallet: You're less likely to spend your cash if it's in large denominations, reports the authors of a paper published in the Journal of Consumer Research.

Everything You Ever Really Needed to Know About Personal Finance On Just One Page: Included in this ebook are a number of great tricks and tips for both spending less and earning more.

Make a list of the 10 most expensive things you own vs. the 10 things that make you the most happy: "Consumerist capitalism is the least oppressive system of mass trait display ever developed."

My Personal Credit Crisis - a New York Times' economics reporter's tale of financial disaster: Edmund L. Andrews says he willingly "joined millions of otherwise-sane Americans in what we now know was a catastrophic binge on overpriced real estate and reckless mortgages."