When I awoke this morning, or rather this afternoon, I found that my hotel was besiged with new guests attending the US Social Forum and a Baptist Gospel Conference. Everyone was bustling around with bibles or laptops and I have to say both groups seem to be a bucket of fun.
For my money I'm going with the Gospel folks because they have been signing and dancing so it's more of a party. I haven't seen any formal singing on stage or anything but the younger kids seem to burst into song when they are walking around town and I feel like I'm a part of something. I was raised by a half-Jewish athiest Dad and a Irish Catholic Mom so my chosen religion is confused. If we had singing and dancing in church when I was a kid I might've been into it.
The Social Forum people are a big mix as well. It appears to run the gammet from young earth-friendly people to older conservative looking people that might enjoy a good mathematics puzzle. Either way it's all interesting and it makes those little conversations on line in Starbucks much more intersting. What I like about both of these groups is that they are both very accepting and non-judgemental.
One big positive about Atlanta is the people. Georgia is friendly and everywhere I've traveled here I've met some cool southern folks.
