Recent Posts
Dusty Diner’s Juke-O-Matic
The Dusty Diner needs music! Diners of the 1950s had juke boxes filled with single-play records. "Wallboxes" on the tables of each booth let you play any of the songs by inserting a coin into a wallbox and pressing a pair of buttons corresponding to the song that you wanted to hear. I've called … [Read More...]
Dusty Diner Progress
Many thanks to Stacy who suggested the project name "Dusty Diner"! Platform Trike Options. The Worksman Cycles Model STPT front-loading Platform Trike has several options. I'm considering these: Parking Brake — to prevent it from rolling downwind Kevlar-Belted Tires and Puncture-Resistant … [Read More...]
Retro Pedicab for Burning Man 2018
I'd like to bring an art car to Burning Man that looks like a 1950s diner and that will let me transport people on the playa while listening to popular 1950s songs. However, having an art car at Burning Man requires dealing with the Burning Man Department of Mutant Vehicles. Don't get me wrong! I … [Read More...]
After Burning Man 2017
Well, that was quite an adventure! After nine days in the desert running the theme camp "Cupcake Cafe" at Burning Man, I returned to the house exhausted but satisfied. I need to say that having excellent campmates makes it easier to run things. Here's how everything went. Cupcakes and … [Read More...]
The TRAPPIST-1 Chord
Update: It appears that new versions of browsers no longer support the Javascript audio functions that the link below uses. If I can figure out how Javascript audio now works and update the program, I'll update this post. In February, 2017, astronomers announced that the nearby star TRAPPIST-1 … [Read More...]
Architecture: Intimacy Gradient
I am inspired by architect Christopher Alexander's book A Pattern Language. One of its sections, Pattern 127 Intimacy Gradient, recommends ordering the spaces of a building so that public areas are closest to the entrance and private areas are more distant. Following this pattern creates what is … [Read More...]
Two Freezers on a Generator?
The freezer will need to run 24/7, and so I'll bring my Honda EU2000i generator and refill its gasoline tank throughout the week. To conserve gasoline, the EU2000i has an "Eco-Throttle" mode that keeps the generator in idle. The generator still outputs 115 volts, but at low capacity. When the … [Read More...]
New Shelter?
I've been bringing the same 26-foot-diameter wooden dome to Burning Man for 12 years. While I could continue to bring it for years to come, it takes much time to assemble and take down, and its cover is not dust tight. Since The Cupcake Cafe needs a dust-free environment, either the dome's cover … [Read More...]
Cafe Infrastructure
Most theme camps in the Black Rock Desert are bars. Why is that? Having brought a sake bar to Burning Man, I can say that bars are easy. To create a bar camp, aside from hanging wall decorations, I just needed to bring sake and prepare to wash sake cups. Working the event was easy: I just served … [Read More...]
