These guys are members of a group called the "Golden Gate Minutemen". They are vigiling on the second Saturday of every month for Ramos & Compean, a couple of border guards that were busted for busting somebody smuggling Marijuana. At least I think that's what they were telling me. They had a very poor opinion of the Bush Administration's hipocracy. They also felt that the liberals across the road were giving them a bum rap and not listening to what they were about.

     

     

I gotta say, the signs of the crowd across the street from the minute men sounded good, but the noises they were making made me wince. I heard things like "I don't care what they have to say" when I suggested going across the street and talking to them to find out what they were about.

     

On the way to the jazz festival I passed through Parkside Hall where California Extreme (a video game thing) was in progress.

The music on the main stage was really good. I don't remember the name of this act, bit I remember she was a backup singer for Ray Charles for a while. The used the phrase "Ray Lets" many times in different ways. She had a great voice, a great look, and a great sounding backup band. I saw Lee Ritenour on the same stage the next afternoon. He was also great.

In previous years the festival had been free, and the crowd had been so thick that you were packed in with the people around you like sardines in a can. This year they charged $5 to get in, and that made the crowd density a lot more pleasant. It was much easier to enjoy the day this time.

     

All they sold in the Element Zone was an Oxygen experience. It would have been much funnier if Helium had also been available. Actually, I told the entrepreneur behind the counter "I'm used to thinking of Atty. General Alberto Gonzales or President Bush as 'bad elements', and seeing a place where genuine chemical elements could be procured as an experience is really a concept for me."

     

After an hour or so of the jazz festival, I left for a 9/11 truth screening at the Peace Center. On the way there I was struck by this sight. Standing on San Jose City Hall plaza, I look to the left and I see a gas station. Looking to the right I see a green man who uses less gas on a daily basis than the average resident of Santa Clara County.