You knew this was coming… For the backstory, go here and here.
UPDATE: A legal defense fund been setup for Paul at freepauladdis.com
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LOLburn
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Major WIN for the lolburner.
If i can noes hav cheezburger, i can has toasted marshmallo’ plz?
Kthx.
Likely cause of premature Man burning…. some drug addled ner do well staggering about the playa thinking, “damn, at this rate i’ll be all out of drugs by the time the burn comes around…… UNLESS…..”
BURN!
It’s weird being torn between wanting to punch someone in the teeth and congratulate them. Even LOLerizing his mugshot doesn’t fix it. Reminds me of buggy-eyed-creepy-smile-meme from 4chan.
Someone mentioned that Mr. Addis is an attorney and can defend himself at trial. Not likely. Though he did complete law school and pass the California bar, his bar license is currently suspended due to nonpayment of dues. You can check for yourself at Calbar.org
In addition, Mr. Addis’ “alleged” actions at BM ‘07 — however hilarious or justified you might consider them — are grounds for permanent disbarment. Any upset person can file a complaint with the California Bar Association.
He burned your Man, but you can send three hard-fought years of law school up in smoke.
As a 2-time veteran of Burning Man, I can say the experience is enjoyable in its own way but not something I’m planning to do again.
I had a very interesting and exciting time on the Playa, but in the end the whole scene is an ELITE WHITE CLIQUE OF SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, despite the fact that many sweet and wonderful people comprise the far flung tribes which gather at Black Rock.
All of you folks complaining about Larry this or Marian that…whatever. Get your own Sandbox and burn your own matchsticks.
I feel exactly what you’re saying, but instead of whining and moping about it, I’m blowing my playa money on two weeks in Europe. HELL yes. The air is cleaner in the hills of Spain.
res ipsa loquitur
A shame to hear of the early burn. A real big step in the very wrong direction . This could be the end of innocence for the community and the “trusting feeling” of everybody we have all come to expect from our neighbors while at BRC.
One thing is for sure, there is at least one of every kind of person that attends the burn. Unfortunantly even a bad apple sneaks in from time to time.
you really know how to bring the moral of the crowd down. I’m sure it must have lasted for a good hour or so. Too bad for you Mr. Addis, now that we know the bitter taste of this gross act of hate towards the man and everything he stands for; all the later times to come will be all the sweeter.
you really did a great job putting things in to perspective for us.
At first I was thinking the guy was a selfish asshole… Then after reading more about what transpired around the premature burn and seeing the pictures posted from 1990-1995, I realized that his action might just spawn a more interesting aspect to the event again – maybe some sort of civil war within the event? The initial point of Burning Man was personal liberty and freedom, sort of a step out of the rules and regulations of ‘normal’ society and now we may very well see people regain that personal liberty and freedom as they step out of the rules and regulations of the ‘normal’ burning man event, a la clandestine action, etc. If this does indeed spawn a counterculture to the counterculture, and more acts of ‘terrorism’ become the norm inside BRC, damn, I may well be heading back to the playa! It might actually become exciting again!
In response to David Lang’s comment above:
This act of vandalism can only lead to one result: yet more unwanted rules and regulations at Burning Man, more scrutiny from the BLM, the counties of Washoe and Pershing, the Nevada State Troopers, the DEA, etc. I would not be surprised to see hightened security at the gates next year, and increased security all around the man. With all the attention Addis’s puerile behavior is getting, we might expect a few more “early-burners” to feel emboldened and motivated to mimic this prank in the future. Burning Man is degenerating into a mediocre corporate event anyway – why try to stop it? Why not put this seemingly ubiquitous sentiment of decentralization and radical free expression into practice by STARTING SOMETHING ELSE???
on the comment by Victor Romeo
“Someone mentioned that Mr. Addis is an attorney and can defend himself at trial. Not likely… his bar license is currently suspended…”
Matters not. A person has a right to defend themselves, they don’t need to have passed the bar to do so.
Hopefully it won’t be neccesary. Its fairly ridiculous that Paul would be charged with felony arson for burning “property” that was intended to be burnt anyway, albeit a few days later.
Its not the early burn by itself that’ll destroy BM but if this guy is convicted and does time it very well could.
Regardless of the motives of this person…Or his views of what Burning Man IS or IS NOT…
Radical Self Expression is an awesome concept, but his Radical Self Expression must not come at the expense of my own or the 50,000 other Playa Citizens.
The Burning of the Man is for ALL OF US…It has a set day and time…What gives him the right to take that away from any of us…
From my vantage point, there will be no punishment to harsh for this IDIOT!
Scotto
I am amused at all the controversy. Isn’t the Burn a minor part of the whole thing?
“Hopefully it won’t be neccesary. Its fairly ridiculous that Paul would be charged with felony arson for burning “property†that was intended to be burnt anyway, albeit a few days later.”
When those who came to see that fire and had helped bankroll it through their ticket purchases would know to be there; igniting it early cheated them out of the enjoyment of their purchase. Another point that you seem to be missing is that the Man does not exist in isolation. There were booths at the pedestal and, I am told, damage to the exhibits there. Those exhibits has not been intended for the fire. By acting as he did, Addis deprived the exhibitors of the opportunity to move their items out of harm’s way before the (very premature) burn.
Worst of all, though, with Addis’ unsanctioned burning of that which did not belong to him, is the issue of what happens if somebody is inside the Man when some yahoo decides to reschedule the Burn in that way. One should know not to be inside the Man on the night of the burn, but for some time now, the base of the Man has been a structure intended for entry by visitors, who would have no reason to expect that it might become a flaming death trap so many days before the scheduled burn. Addis ran the risk of roasting one or more of his fellow burners alive, and then snickered about it on tape.
To call him a “selfish asshole” would be to praise him too highly. He’s a sociopath and needs to be put where society will be kept safe from him, albeit not for as long as one might sensibly wish.