I realize I'm out of the loop and this might make me look bad, but I'd never heard of the Rainbow Family before. If you've never heard of them, what do you think they are? A Grateful Dead cover band? A kindler, gentler Mans0n Fam|ly? A bunch of old hippies who get together to have their 60s flashbacks in a social setting?

The latter appears to be the correct idea. They apparently have yearly gatherings consisting of thousands of people camping out. Money's out, barter's in. More information on the group here:

Some say we're the largest non-organization of non-members in the world. We have no leaders, and no organization. To be honest, the Rainbow Family means different things to different people. I think it's safe to say we're into intentional community building, non-violence, and alternative lifestyles. We also believe that Peace and Love are a great thing, and there isn't enough of that in this world. Many of our traditions are based on Native American traditions, and we have a strong orientation to take care of the the Earth. We gather in the National Forests yearly to pray for peace on this planet...

Which brings us to the present day. The DUmmies direct our attention to this news report. The Rainbowians want to hold this year's meeting in the Monongahela National Forest, but the Forest Service is trying to prevent it due to endangered bats. Apparently the FS has allowed them to camp in another area of the forest however.

Surprisingly, the DUmmies offer mixed reviews of the peace and freedom lovers, including this:

when I went to a gathering some years ago the leaders were having to remind people not to sh|t in the river!

That's pretty bad. And, this:

I am working two jobs to keep my head above water and don't have the time or finances to take off for weeks on end on some kind of Magical Mystery Tour like it was 1967 all over again...

Heh indeed. To determine whether you're Rainbow material, look at this picture of two cousins. To which are you closer?