setting the mood to trip the light fantastic, all in the desert style

Hayao Miyazaki's Ghibli masterpiece, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Also, for those feeling a little less dystopian, but still seeking fantasy, Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away.

one of my favourite directors just died

Anime director Satoshi Kon dies, aged 46.

Kon passed away passed yesterday after losing a battle with pancreatic cancer.

The filmmaker's work includes Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress and Paprika.

Kon was working on fantasy-adventure animation, "Yumemiru Kikai (Dream Machine)", due for release in 2011, at the time of his death. Featuring a futuristic adventure starring a robot, it would have been his first work aimed at children after he produced a series of what he called "animations which adults can enjoy".

going to burning man and I'm not afraid. I have binoculars and my cape and my fangs.

Thursday we pick up the van, put our things inside.
Early Friday morning, we drive to Seattle.
Saturday, we re-pack the van.
Early Sunday morning, we drive south again, and stay the night at Summer Lake Hot Springs.
Monday we arrive at the Playa.

Once there, we're setting up camp in the Iron Monkey Ghetto, at 5:30 and C.

As a virgin burner, I have very few plans in regard to the playa. Visiting friends is high up there, (Mutaytor, Thunderdome, etc), but in regards to specifics, I so far only have two: there's a local, (BC/Washington), 6 a.m. sunrise meet-up at the Temple of Flux on Wednesday and Karen says to drop by at Salon Soleil at 4:30 and E and catch their Thursday night fire opera.

Where will you be camping? What delightful experiences/places/art/etcetera do you recommend?