Reason Rally - is anyone going?

[clambake]

Apologies for the delay but the wonders of modern technology never cease to confound me it seems. I decided to leave my nice digital SLR at home base due to uncertainty of the weather, and too late I realized I didn't have the memory chip in my coolpix camera so I had to use the built in memory. Turns out neither winduhs 7 nor XP could properly download the photos (bit of a surprise) but KDE/linux had no problem at all (no longer a surprise). Then my web hosting ftp decided to go on break all afternoon.



That's the crowd in front of us when we first staked our claim after helping out our hostess and new friends in the Camp Quest tent. Thank you again Sarah for letting crash in your madhouse and driving us to the event!

This is how it looked behind us about 20 minutes before it got started, the bigger tent on the right is where the CQ folks were.

[clambake]

Here is the ever lovely and entertaining Eva and her significant other Erik, aren't they so cute in this picture?

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I was really impressed with Jessica Ahlquist's speech, she was so calm and collected and eloquent. And I am happy to say I am one of her "...evil little things". Unfortunately the view was often blocked by umbrellas (brollies for the Brits ). You can just see her on the stage under the atheist symbol.

I took most of these photos by sticking the camera way up and aiming as best I could and unfortunately the camera only has auto-focus so getting a good clean shot was difficult most of the rally.

[clambake]

"I have concluded through careful empirical analysis and much thought that somebody is looking out for me, keeping track of what I think about things, forgiving me when I do less than I ought. Giving me strength to shoot for more than I think I'm capable of. I believe they know everything I do and think, and they still love me, and I've concluded, after careful consideration that this person keeping score is me."

I saw a few comments on a christ-inane site, they were so shocked that Adam Savage would be associated with such people. Suck it theists, he is us.

(edited)

[Smellyoldgit]

clambake wrote

"Every sperm is sacred .....
.... every sperm is good .... etc ....

[clambake]

It was raining when Tim Minchin started, and the microphone was protesting a bit...



But it cleared up soon after and I think this is him setting up God saved Sam's Mum's eye (I dunno if that's the actual title).



The comments I saw about the fucking pope song were as expected, horrified simply HORRIFIED at the 75 fucks (apparently they took the effort to count them) broadcast over the National Mall [fainting and pearl clutching oh dear] but naturally missing the point of the song. Silly fucks.

Anyway this last pic of Tim is him performing "Storm" with a glass of red wine.

[Stargazer]

Nice picture story, clambake. It's almost like being there!

[clambake]

The Amaz!ng Randi, I know he didn't raise his cane and yell at the theists to get off his lawn but that would have been pretty cool.

Afterwards I passed him and his entourage as they were leaving the mall, and I stupidly didn't wave and say "Thanks Mr. Randi!"

[clambake]

Nate Phelps. I still choke up a bit just remembering his speech. I couldn't see his family from where we were but I knew they were right there listening to his story. I'm sure it can be found on youtube, might want to grab a tissue or two along the way.

Edited, dammit, thanks Smelly

[clambake]

Richard Dawkins. I can't quite remember anything specific right now to embellish the photo unfortunately.

[Smellyoldgit]

Phred? - shirley not?!

[clambake]

PZ was feeling "wrathy" in his cowboy hat. He actually walked through the crowd not more than 10 ft behind us (just minutes before Eva caught up with us) and I scrambled to get my camera and here he is!



I swear to Cthulhu he's behind those guys, big white hat and all dammit!

[Eternal]

Good pictures, looks like a good time.

[clambake]

And then there was Eddie Izzard, unfortunately mostly through the brollie forest. Best if you just find the video and enjoy.

Those were certainly my personal highlights, though as I said they were all pretty good. I enjoyed Jamie Kilstein's stuff, and the MC/host/presenter Paul Provenza did a great job all day. I 'm missing a lot of good speakers and artists and I apologize to any of them that I missed if they should happen to stop by. I was very lucky to be able to attend this event and made some terrific new friends along the way.

Sadly I read they won't be doing anything like this again for a while if ever (or so they claim right now) but that doesn't mean we can schedule our own raving rally sometime!

Sing along! Fuck the motherfucker he's a fucking motherfucker...

[Eva]

aw mah fawkin' dawg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
just flew back way down today.
aw mah fawkin' dawg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the weather was crappysome, the cold was rather cold-ish.
but being there with clammy and sheepy, it made it all perfect.
highlights: having Erik along, going to the Church of Smithsonian, Natural Sciences Branch, and nerd over awesome exhibits- with clamster and sheepster in tow. We specially dug the section where they had bones of british invaders that lived in the first settlements in the US where they showed what they died of, what illnesses they suffered (and why), and where (da fuck!) they had been born. We could have nerded over those bones the entire day.
Hung out at the Elephant and Castle, not far from there. Trevor was tired and slightly crappy-licious and we never had any Drambuie. But still awesome.

Saturday, rain rain and more rain. BUT: Jessica Ahlquist is mega cute, an unusually cool speaker for any age, and she got a check for $62,000. Yup. And she called us her "evil little things".
Nate Phelps is really something. Really. Clam was almost crying, but Nate was choking up starting halfway. Knowing that his family was there was killing him. He is an awesome speaker, and he spoke of a friend he has now, a very old man that he takes out for coffee all the time, and that they talk for hours. For all I cared, he was describing Sternwallow. Nate said that this old and wise man is the father he wishes he had. ::audience gasped but kept very silent::.....and at the end of his speech, the applause was deafening. Very powerfull speaker, and very busy and succesfull as an advocate.

Taslima Nasrin was a volcano of gravitas. What a life! How much pain and suffering! But she is awesome.

Adam Savage was short but incredibly good.
Tim Minchin suffers from a bad case of the awesomes.
Eddie Izzard will die of the awesomes too.
PZ took no prisoners and was very very veeeery PZ. Very awesome.
Dawkins must have been distracted by something, because even though he is awesome, he could have been awesomer. Something didn't click with him.
I like Dan Barker a lot, and he played a few songs. He is sweet and intelligent. and a very good pianist.
Some black young dude recited poetry, and i have to get his name, because he was very good.
Greta Christina was angry, but what else is new. She is a very powerful speaker.

Lawrence Kraus is awesome! Not only brainy but very funny. Oh, and he hates religionists. Very PZ-like in his disdain for idiots.
Sean Faircloth is funny. But he looks like a speech-writer for the christian right, with his suit and tie, and scrubbed-up church-like appearance.

Christina Rad is as good on her videos as in person. Never smiles, but delivers her extremely funny and deep lines in her briken english like nobody else.
Hemant Mehta is great. Funny and sweet.

Mexican Indra Zuno, a new face to me, is mexican and spoke in spanish, I was elated. I later met her and spoke with for a few minutes. Maybe next time it will be me? What do you say?
But, as clammy said, everybody spoke extremely well and had good things to say.

Met AronRa at one of the tents later, we spoke for a little bit (he is very attentive and gracious) and had out pic taken by another friend from facebook/campquest.

Money well spent.

Will try to post pics later.

Thanks, clambake and lost sheep, by being such cheerful and wonderful companions!!! Erik and I had tons of fun with you and we have to plan something else soon.