In recent years there seems to have been a jinx on the annual rally in Amherst for the legalization of marijuana, otherwise known as the Extravaganja. The weather always seems to be rainy, too cold, no sunshine or whatever the weather can do to discourage atttendance. This year however, perhaps in deference to the decriminalization of marijuana possession by voters last year, Mother Nature smiled upon the rally with some gorgeous weather.
In the course of my travels today I passed through the rally site three times. The first time was at ten o'clock this morning, when things were still being set up.
When I returned around one o'clock a serious crowd had gathered.
On my final visit at three o'clock the place was mobbed.
The Extravaganja was a wonderful economic windfall for downtown Amherst. I wanted to stop at Bart's Homemade Ice Cream but the place was packed with a line going out the door.
I didn't smoke anything myself, but the smell of reefer in the air was stronger than at any past Extravaganja I've attended, and I may have attended them all. No doubt decriminalization had something to do with that, and indeed the police appeared willing to let people do what they wanted as long as everything stayed mellow.
The dynamic organizer of this year's rally was Heather McCormack, shown here second from left with her band.
The Amherst Common was transformed into a sea of tie dye.
All aspects of high society were represented, like these hula-hooping followers of the String Cheese Incident.
Of course smoking paraphernalia was for sale.
The music was extremely wide-ranging, like these folks playing weird instruments.
From the main stage crusading libertarian Terry Franklin urged the crowd to remember that as long as one person is still being arrested for marijuana, their work is incomplete.
I don't know how I didn't see this sooner, but here's a video of Franklin at the Justice for Michael Phelps rally held at UMass in February.
Humanity Enslaved
Bad news folks - the human race has been conquered by brain eating hordes of zombie undead. At least that's what happened at UMass at the conclusion of the week-long human versus zombie war. Although I missed the climactic final battle, I arrived just in time to see women tending to the wounded and the humans surrendering to their zombie lords.
The weapons of the humans lie discarded in a pile as they were led away to become slaves to the undead.
I had to leave so I never found out what the zombies made their slaves do, but I'm sure it was something fun.
Today's Video
Heat Wilson at Hampshire College on High Pride Day.
"Mr. Clark, I have reviewed this case very carefully," the Divorce Court Judge said. "And I've decided to give your wife $775 a week."
"That's very fair, your honor," the husband said. "And every now and then I'll try to send her a few bucks myself."
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