Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, in Paris

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