According to a very interesting book review at Slate, Right now the wealthiest one percenters grab 24 percent of annual income in this country. That's even more than the 15 to 18 percent they hauled in during the robber baron era of the Carnegies, Rockefellers and Vanderbilts.

I think that most of us know that the rich are getting richer and everybody else is treading water or getting poorer but I had now idea that the inequality was this severe. The top one percent of the wealthiest people in America make essentially 1/4 of all the income in America. True, the Bush years were very good to the very wealthy, but the trend started way before Bush and it is still going on under that socialist, Obama..

I think that this is a big part of the reason so many people are so angry. I know that I am angry about it.

First, as an aside, let me – Steve Stern – make a few comments. I have been to Burning Man twice, in an unofficial capacity, let's say. I think it was eighteen and sixteen years ago. The first time was when we were taking some friends to the Black Rock playa and unexpectedly ran into Burning Man. The second time was when we bailed out of a camping trip in Yosemite – because of a forest fire – and then said What the hell, let's go to the Black Rock and check out Burning Man. 

I was blown away by the pageantry and ritual of it and – I am sort of embarrassed to say – I have never been back. Kirk sent some pictures to his brother, Mike Moore, who then passed a couple on to me and – circuitously – I asked Kirk to put some of his pictures here. Check out his website, he is a suburb photographer, especially if you like travel photography. End aside.

Burning Man 2010

After years of procrastination I finally got to Burning Man. I credit three buddies who talked me into it by renting an RV. Thanks, guys…definitely worth it.

Burning Man? Difficult to describe.

Try to imagine a juried art exhibition on steroids, Time Bandits, Mad Max, Woodstock, and Star Wars all mixed up and plopped down on a remote desert with 50,000 campers for a week. It’s art, partying, music, creativity, freedom, community, and whatever you want it to be, with the vast playa as your canvas.  It met and exceeded all my expectations.

As a photographer, Burning Man was a treasure trove of imagery. I was visually attracted to everything…but especially to the juxtaposition of the harsh, arid, and boundless Black Rock Desert with the art projects (some funded by honorariums, most self-funded). The pristine desolation made for a uncommon but appropriate backdrop.

Add to that the DMV (Dept of Mutant Vehicles),

the dress code (none whatsoever),

the 24/7 techno music, and the inevitable dust storms…there was a myriad of photographic subjects, all day and all night long. I don’t want to jam up Steve’s Blog, so this is just a taste of what it was like.

To see more photos go here:

http://web.me.com/kirkmoore/Burning_Man_2010/125_photos.html

 Kirk Moore

For more info…check out their website: http://www.burningman.com/

For a historical timeline: http://www.burningman.com/whatisburningman/about_burningman/bm_timeline.html

This is pretty amazing