HUGH-mongous PHOTO THREAD from my photoshoot @ today's 2011 Italian American Festa in San Jose

[Amerigo Vespucci]

A few notes:

The officers in the second photo were EXTREMELY COOL. I approached them and told them that my dad was a cop and asked if I could get a photo of San Jose's finest. They kidded around and pointed to one of the officers and I said "ONLY THIS GUY?" I was really glad I approached them for the shot. They were funny and friendly and it made me proud of my dad all over again.

The fourth shot is a "grape stomping contest." Each group stomps the grapes and the amount of juice in the jar determines the winner for that round. They work their way through the line until they get the final 3.

The guy in the 5th and 6th shots is a Dean Martin impersonator managed by my friend and client, who hired me to do this photo shoot.

The final shot...#14...that's actually a guy in that costume playing the accordion. I put a buck in his donation hat and he thanked me.

I'm always proud to be Italian. I especially felt that way today.

:toast:

[MiddleFingerMom]

1. We staged a protest about our local community radio station during a semi-annual street fair...

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... and the station's management sent the cops over to harass/break us up
as "they're being disruptive".
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The cops were VERY cool -- said we were the most polite, LEAST disruptive
protestors they had ever dealt with... and let us stay in place.
.
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Management also distributed a flier to the street's merchants blaming one
of their fellow shopowners as "responsible" for the "disruptive" protest.
This merchant was one of the station's strongest, oldest sponsor/supporters...
but was dissatisfied with the direction that current management was moving
towards with the station.
.
.
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We didn't get a copy and management denied ever distributing them (though
we saw them in the act).
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Did you have a meet with the Mexican restaurant client this morning?
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.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

2. Yes...the story is here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x9768805

:toast:

[wysimdnwyg]

3. Dang, I've been to San Jose many times, but I've always missed that faire

I'm gonna have to make a concerted effort to time my trip around that some time. Looks like good fun.

[blueamy66]

4. Wish I was in San Jose

and wish that I could have eaten EVERYTHING offered at the festa!

[av8rdave]

5. Great pictures! San Jose was always one of my favorite domestic layovers

Unfortunately, I don't get to go there anymore. I do spend time in San Francisco going to/from Asia, but I much prefer San Jose.

I sure would have loved to visit that event. Looks like a great time. Even though I have no Italian in me, people often tell me I look like I do. That should qualify for some kind of honorary Italianism.