Nightmare on M Street

For Halloween, Washington, D.C. donned a mask and transformed itself from professional capital to party city.

The metro, usually full of government workers in business attire, was overrun by men in foam beer suits and women in corsets. Witches, devils, penguins, and grim reapers replaced lawyers and politicians. Newspapers, the choice reading material during long metro commutes, were torn and wrapped around beer cans (There is a strict no food or beverage rule on the trains).

Costumed Washingtonians flocked to Georgetown, the hot spot for Halloween in D.C. Police closed the streets for "Nightmare on M Street," a club-hopping event on the main Georgetown drag. Mobs of people waiting to enter the bars made it impossible to move. Live musicians set up their gear on the street corner and filled the standstill crowds with Halloween spirit while simultaneously promoting Obama. I enjoyed people-watching in what is normally one of the classiest neighborhoods in D.C.

A Few Costume Trends: Sarah Palin, subprime mortgage lenders (Only in D.C. . . ), flappers, the Joker
My friend dressed as Abraham Lincoln . . . Simple, yet effective. Here are a few responses he received from D.C. dwellers:

• "Hey, I have one of you in my pocket!" -A man shouting from his car
• "That's not a rabbi, that's Abe!" -A man corrects his friend
• "Lincoln! Our 14th President!" -A slightly intoxicated gentleman in Dupont Circle. My friend's response: "Actually, I'm the 16th president. But that's alright, buddy."

The Rest of the Week at a Glance:

• Toured the White House! President Bush was working just a floor above me in the Oval Office. I especially enjoyed the "Red Room."
  
• Took a midterm in my criminal law class. Am learning to read and brief U.S. Supreme Court decisions that deal with Fifth Amendment rights.