I would have loved to be able to return to Washington just to attend this 3-hour rally. Not possible. So someone organized a mini-rally in Paris at a pub, The Thistle and I went. I hoped that Anne would be able to join me but she was helping a friend move and they finished up too late to make it. I got there fairly early and was even able to sit down and talk to some people. I saw John, but I think he left early on and then I found Michele as I was leaving. And I think I recognized a few other AARO faces.
My seat turned out to be badly situated in a back corner where I couldn't really see the main screen or either of the two smaller screens, so I ended up heading for the middle of the room (it's a small pub), where I had to stand. I did have a good view of the screen, though. Adrian Leeds, an American who's been living in Paris for quite some years now, running a real estate business and whom I keep running into here and there, was present and I took a picture of her that she might use in her newsletter. The 40-minute music intro was a bit boring; I guess if I had known the music or could at least hear what they were singing, I wouldn't have minded so much, but the bar was loud.
It was fine once they really got started. Most of the crowd seemed young, but not all. I was not the only one nostalgic when Yusuf (formerly, Cat Stevens) started singing "Peace Train". The program was really a very long sketch. Sometimes, it seemed too long, but for the most part, it was fun. Then, at the end, when Jon Stewart became serious, it was best. I'm glad I went.
Now, to bed. And tomorrow we get to sleep later. I hate rolling back to standard time, except for that one morning when we can sleep in.
Monday -- someone kindly recorded the final speech and put it up on youtube. Here it is:
and there was an excellent commentary on CNN that Anita found and put up on facebook:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/10/31/avlon.rally.sanity/index.html?iref=allsearch
Hi Ellen, Kat in Toronto here. Loved your summary. Fortunately pub I went to wasn't too noisy, so I could see/hear most of rally, on satellite feed. Room was crowded and screens not in best of places. The most bothersome thing was the local news camerman blocking view, for some of the time. Not fer long, though. Did not see any of our GHS pals, nor friends/rellies who live in DC. Rally was awesome! Kudos to Stewart/Colbert, their writers/staff, entertainers and the crowd who trekked down there!
ReplyDelete