What really concerns me about today's rally is that the Oath Keepers, the group of military and law-enforcement people who vow to resist any law they consider unconstitutional, were originally supposed to be sponsors of the armed rally today, but they pulled out last week when they decided that the rhetoric online was getting too violent and they didn't want to be associated with it anymore. There's also a non-armed second amendment rally at the Washington Monument today, and the organizers of that one are also making it clear that they are totally separate from the armed one in Virginia.

My officemate is out with a sore throat.

It's been two weeks since I got sick. This is not my fault, right? I was way past being contagious.

with everyone bringing their guns to show that they have guns

I own guns, but this seems like such a bad idea. To me, the only thing that makes guns safe to be around is trust in the people who are carrying them. Which I can't imagine having in this sort of situation.

Oh, a lot of the "Obama's gonna take our guns" rumors were started by gun and ammunition companies. Their sales are now through the roof....

Anatomy Of A Tribble

It looks to be about 60% uterus.

Obama wanting to take away their guns.

Huh. Gun control doesn't even appear to be on the Obama administration's radar.

Before Obama, they wouldn't have been able to carry their guns around at the Virginia site either. True fax. Freaking nutjobs.

The Real Boston Tea Party – A Polite Response To Teabaggers

In an act reminiscent of San Francisco’s recent absurdist Westboro Baptist Church counter-protest, as well as the Prim Queer Tea party and Tweed Rides, a group of delightfully dapper Bostonians gathered on the Boston Common last week for an impeccably polite response to a visit by Sarah Palin and the Tea Party Express.

Propounding such principles as Good Tea, Good Food and Beautiful Clothing, the group’s website places special emphasis on etiquette:

Inoffensiveness. This, I suspect, may be the most controversial proposal. I think that we should attempt to have the world’s mildest, most inoffensive, polite counterprotest ever held. [Our] ideal would be for the press to come up to interview people about their opinions on tax policies and health care, and have responses such as, “Oh, dear, isn’t that a rather personal question?” and, “Really, I prefer not to discuss politics over tea. Would you care for a cup?”

Thus it was that even the patriotically-ballcapped teabagger shown below eventually joined them for a cup of tea. Civility and grace for the win!

The pictures are awesome!

It's too bad they didn't have more people/get included in more of the media coverage. I really wanted to go! I guess I was glad to be at a job interview instead....

Oh, yes, the "We'll resist the activities of the evil federal government with our federally-protected right to bear arms," crowd.

no, wait. Columbine is tomorrow

Both last year and this year, there hasn't been school on April 20th. Strategically planned teacher work days instead.

No word back from my date yesterday. I sent a simple "thanks" e-mail yesterday evening. Guess I didn't pass muster.