On certain occasions however, surrendering to the fallacies of pernicious code can have pleasant consequences. If you’ve been fortunate enough to attend Lightning in a Bottle in years past, you’ll probably be intoning out loud: ‘long live long strings of deceiving zeroes and  ones’.

What’s exactly Lightning in a Bottle? As stated before, nothing short of an insidious diversion created by The System to make us believe we can have serious fun. To make us feel as if we truly have free choices and actually can do something other than what we are pre-programmed to do.

Once inside LIB’s dream world, the realistic nature of the sophisticated code that makes up everything convinces you that you’re in the right place and with the right crowd. Your eyes wonder around -unconsciously looking for agents- and finally rest on the festive crowd. What your eyes see can be nothing but illusion as one knows for certain these things don’t exist in real life:

Mingling about, cannibal flowers –at least 3 stories high- domesticated for the safety of the ecstatic crowd.  Machinery that art-iculates. Lit stages that look like a small segment of some adult surrealist Disneyland… As the cannibal flower is propelled forward and seems to devour a spectator, one scream, two, three hundred fill the air and the crowd goes wild.

A bit of History:

When the Matrix was being built, The Architect behind it all decided a few diversions were important to keep the Populus properly ‘diverted’ and calm. This was done also in order to keep alive the programmer’s habit of inserting inside the main program harmless ‘trojan horses’, or pregnant code meant to surprise the end user. Because the end users of the Matrix interface are us, those diversions were meant to mislead our poorly trained senses. Hence LIB and its suspicious profusion of eye candy. Post-modern slavery in the 21^st Century now resides in the eye one must surmise.

LIB was created as one of these code ‘variations’ to which some humans –namely those of us attracted by the underground- would feel hopelessly bound. The code that went into building this jewel had the highest level of deceit ever built into a program. It was supposed to attract us like a magnet does with a nail or a sticky yellow paper does with a fly. And it worked: several thousand of us ‘radicals’ were hopelessly attracted and boom!, an alternative to Burning Man just around the block where you don’t have to faint every couple of days just because of the brutality of the sun.

But what happens at LIB? Everything imaginable and then plus… Imagery has been carefully orchestrated to make you believe you’re camping in a serene and beautiful campsite surrounded by all the artifacts of nature: trees, clouds, running water, green patch after green patch.

For your information and pleasure, we’ve hacked the Do Lab’s mainframe computer and have downloaded –without their permission- the entire layout of the LIB labyrinth made of zeros and ones.

Below you’ll find a link to it, follow the white rabbit and find yourself very soon in wonderland… perhaps there, you’ll realize with joyful anticipation, just exactly where the rabbit hole lands…

The Facts:

The illusion of the 3^rd Annual Lighting in a Bottle –code written by the mischievous outlet known as the Do Lab- begins on May 23^rd and goes on until May 26^th 2008. What to expect? Four days of orchestrated commotion. A four day pandemonium no one will want to miss out. Let’s not forget, in a world as orderly and insipid as the Matrix, pandemonium is as close as you can get to God.

So you think you’re listening to music, holographic DJ’s will be projected on certain stages to make you forget and make you dance. The beats, the electronica beats that is, will be genuine and good and will have tons of thump.

But we promised you facts instead of matrix-driven metaphors. Our apologies for the long delay, here, monsieur and madam, are the bare facts:

The Do LaB, a premiere event creations company, presents its third annual Green, music and art festival,
Lightning in a Bottle… a magical forest adventure

Fri. May 23 - Mon. May 26, 2008

Live Oak Campground
4600 Hwy 154
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
www.lightninginabottle.org

$150 at the door for 4-day weekend festival pass

With expected attendance in the thousands, the environmentally conscious event will be powered almost entirely by solar energy and bio-diesel. “Lightning in a Bottle” will take place 100-miles northwest of Los Angeles in a 40-acre forest.

Interesting URLs on their site:

LIB 08 event info:  http://www.lightninginabottle.org/2008/eventinfo.html

Music lineup:  http://www.lightninginabottle.org/2008/entertainment.html

Workshops:  http://www.lightninginabottle.org/2008/workshops.html

Lightning in a Paintcan:  http://www.lightninginabottle.org/2008/lightninginapaintcan.html

LIB 07 Green Report:  http://lightninginabottle.org/LIBGreenReport2007.pdf

The Line Up:

Lucent Dossier Vaudeville Cirque, Yard Dogs Road Show, Adam Freeland –just added-, Stanton Warriors, Bassnectar, Marques Wyatt, Tipper, West Indian Girl, Kazell, Pnuma Trio, The Glitch Mob, Jeremy Sole’s, J Boogie’s dubtronic science, Rithma, Kan’Nal, Zilla,Toshi, March Fourth, Cirque Berzerk, David Starfire, Govinda, damn, that’s a lot, wait, that’s just the beginning, The Body Rock DJ’s, Sammy Bliss, Jesse Wright, Nosaj Thing, Random Rab, Lynx, El Papa Chango, Welder, BLVD with Souleye, Nick.the.Neck, Sarah Marie, Beats Antique, Shylock, Helios Jive, J. Cush, Jupiter, Friction, DJ Wolfie, Patricio, The Ianator, Braden, Cohen, Roothub, Anahata sound… Need more? Pleasuremaker, Vibesquad, Ruff Hauser, Mozaic & Eprom, DJun DJun, Henry Strange, FatFinger, Micah J, Maven, Saynt, DJ Laua, Anasia, Slidecamp, Majitope, Wyse, Blue Wobs &Non-Fiction, Oso, Sol’Jibe, DJ Sparkle

The Panels:

·    The Future of Sustainable Travel:  Chris Paine, Nick Baggarly and Gadget Panel, Moderated by Dr. Ryan Wartena

·    2012: Evolutionary Future Coming Down Fast:  Daniel Pinchbeck, Sharron Rose and Jay Weidner (all doing solo talks too)

·    Oceans of Trash, The Shocking Truth (w/the Algalita Marine Research Foundation):  Marcus Eriksen, Anna Cummins and Joel Paschal, Moderated by Jedi

·    Social Networking and (Cyber) Consciousness In Our Community:  Scott Badenoch, Ben Clayton and Jenn "1luv" Breckenridge, Moderated by Dr. Ryan Wartena

·    Growing Architecture: Theory and adventure in assembling our realities: Dr. Ryan Wartena and Elizabeth Marley

·    L.I.F.E. "Living Intentionally for Evolution": 
This panel discussion is committed to identifying concepts or belief systems that no longer serve the individual or the community. Furthermore, the panel intends to unleash the strengths of the individual so as to lead a more evolved life that will embody the greatest potential for community empowerment. P.S. "You may want to buckle your seat belts for this one!"

Jonathan Fisher, "Witch Doctor": 
Surgeon, Burner, Frequent Traveler Between Worlds, and Teacher of Practical Magic. "The spells are simple once you own your own path."

Ron Brizzie, "Sage": 
Medical Doctor, Pain and Rehabilitation Specialist.
"As awakened beings, we all have been given the gift to create every aspect of our lives. Let us walk our path with absolute intention and harness our energy for blissful creation."

Jessica Plancich-
Inspirational Wordsmith, Visionary of Human Potential, Wellness Facilitator.
"Turn down the volume of your mind and turn up the volume of your heart, so that the world may hear your soul's song." www.theinnerfinity.com

BiancaChavez 
Empowerment Word Weaver, Locutionista, Celestial Guide. 
"You are an integral part of the celestial equation, and there is nothing that separates you from all that surrounds you!"
www.wordsforthemany.com

Schedule for the panels TBA

A few of dozens of Workshops:

Why Recycling Matters by Eric Lohela, Biofuels and Sustainable Transportation with Michael Chiacos, Home Composting by Eric Werbalowsky, Sensual Chocolate Asana Awakening by Jacqui Lalita and Erik "Baba" Gladish, Solar Art with Solar B, Jamie Janover presents "Crossing The Event Horizon - The Unified Field Theory of Nassim Haramein" and a brief description...

At least half a dozen different types of yoga sessions, Meditation, Forest Walks, Kids Activities, Hoola-Hoop and POI classes, Contact Improvisation… you name it… For the whole enchilada visit   http://lightninginabottle.org/2008/workshops.html

The Do Lab:

Company details: based in downtown Los Angeles, The Do LaB is an ensemble cast of creatives ranging from artists, event producers, lighting designers and the performance troupe Lucent Dossier Vaudeville Cirque. Founded in 2000 by brothers Jesse and Josh Flemming along with their partner Dream Rockwell, the company has garnered a devoted and rapidly expanding following within the West Coast’s underground creative community and beyond. The Do LaB’s portfolio of clients includes: Lexus, The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Ford, Audi, Red Bull, Scion, Esquire Magazine, AIDS Project Los Angeles, Stop Aids Organization, and many more. To learn more about The Do LaB please visit www.thedolab.com.