We will be filing live updates here and tweeting from the Mall in Washington DC. Report back here through out the afternoon for on-the-ground  takes on the lunacy from our crack team.

2:50 John Stewart gives a powerful bid for sanity in a serious 12 minute lecture that will no doubt be repeated, analyzed, scrutinized and dismembered by his enemies.  Sounded good to us.

It was a powerful and daring appeal for reasonable-ness. The best metaphor was when he showed a live video clip of traffic trying to squeese into the New York Lincoln tunnel. The notion was hundreds of drivers of all colors and denominations find a way to cooperate and get in and tru the tunnel. He warned there may be a light at the end of the tunnel… or it could just be New Jersey.

2:40 Colbert video montages of fearmongering clips from  Fox, CNBC, CNN puts Stewart on the defensive… then John Oliver arrives on stage dressed as Peter Pan in an effort to save Stewart’s hide.

2:30 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar makes a guest appearance as a muslim to prove to Colbert that there are “good” muslims.

2:20 Stewart and Colbert are embraced in dueling Keynote addresses… it is a mock debate pitting reasoning against fear

2:10 Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow now are now performing on stage. I would imagine Lotsa musicians would’ve paid big bucks to be on stage for this gig. Evidently Comedy Central had a 1000 requests for press passes from news and tv crews from around the world.

2:oo Stewart/Colbert duet ” the Greatest, Strongest Country in the World” was lacking in musicality but made up on enthusiasm and jokes.

1:50 Musicians Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy (from Chicago) sing the sober “You are not alone”. So far an interesting mix of music and comedy seems to be working.

1:40 4 Medals of Reasonable-ness being issued by Jon Stewart. Colbert giving Fear Medals

1:30 The crowd is rocking to the 70’s classic “Love Train” by the O’Jays who have taken the stage

1:20 Actor Sam Watterson reads a Fear benediction poem “written” by Stephen Colbert. Now Yusef (formerly known as Cat Stevens) performs his famous song “Peace Train” as a rebuttal.Only to be interrupted by Colbert with Ozzie Osbourne… this is getting good.

1:12 Father Guido Sarducci is a fictional character made famous by American comedian Don Novello gives a hilarious benediction to the crowd. He asks God to please signify the one true religion.

1:08 Colbert makes his appearance via video from his fear bunker 2000 ft below the stage

1:05 Stewart declares 10 million people are in attendance

1:01 Jon Stewart hits the stage with view of the Capital building behind him. Beautiful weather. The National anthem being sung by Four US troops

12:55 They have giant prompters on the stage to instruct audience to cheer, laugh, laugh like a mad scientist etc. The audience is responding enthusiastically to this clear effort at mind control. Does Glen Beck use these same devious tactics?

12:47 First estimate of crowd size from the stage is over 150,000

12:07 After much anticipation the schedule for today’s event has been announced: