This past weekend, I was down in DC for the Rally to Restore Sanity. My general feeling is that it was a lot of fun and a strong show of support for moderation, but the criticisms of it being somewhat undirected are valid.
Matt and I started the day off at the Donor’s Choose booth around 10 am, mingling with a bunch of redditors. We were early enough that there was plenty of space, so we walked around that area, carrying our signs and talking to people. Rather than trying to camp out a spot that was sure to become packed beyond comfort, we walked around the mall and talked to random people (one of whom gave us cookies!). Once it was close to time for the rally to start, we wound our way back up through, but it quickly became obvious that we didn’t have a chance of seeing anything more than a couple minutes of the Mythbusters on a jumbotron through a tree.
Thankfully, both Matt and I were more interested in the people than the official proceedings, so we continued our wandering and talking for another couple hours before packing up and heading back home. We left on the Metro shortly after 2 pm, hoping to (and succeeding in) beating the crowds.
Highlights of the day
- Redditors. I’m barely on the site so I felt a little outside-looking-in, but everyone we met was awesome.
- Many young and attractive women cheering for Carl Sagan.
- Talking with a little old lady from the Netherlands who just happened to be in town and had no clue what was going on.
- Samurai dancing on a giant dragon.
- An elderly gentleman taking a picture of my sign and then telling me it’s going to be his new Facebook photo.
- Talking with engineers from SpaceX.
- Our satirical interview with Rochester Buzz.
- A couple dressed as The Joker and Harley Quinn from Batman: The Animated Series carrying a sign a la Fred Phelps that says “God Hates Bats”. (side note: Holy crap WB, that may be the worst official website I’ve ever seen)
Less than awesome things
- People missing the point. There were a few too many vitriolic signs for my taste.
- Standing in line for 20 minutes for the bathroom. Could have been worse, though.
- Spending a total of 5-6 hours making the damn sign. Perfectionism can be a curse.
- Looking like I’m stoned in the interview with Rochester Buzz, and having my rant edited out.
- Realizing post-pictures that I really needed a damn haircut.
Pictures, all courtesy of Matt.