E Pluribus Unum

Miss Julie and I spent the day at Jazz Fest in New Orleans yesterday. The first post-Katrina crowds were huge, with 2 out of 3 people coming from somewhere other than New Orleans -- good news for Festival organizers and everyone who's pulling for New Orleans to make a comeback.

The weather was fine -- no rain. But the winds were very high and the dust was unbelievable. We must have eaten a pound of dirt and grass seed by the time we left.

Here's a short video I put together for you:

By the way, the Mardi Gras Indians in the video are in a group called "Chief Peppy and the Golden Arrows." The dude in red on the right is named Spy Boy Golden Comanche.

Spotted at Jazz Fest:

• A button reading "Make Groceries Not War." I'm told this is a play on words -- "make groceries" is a uniquely local, New Orleanian expression for going to the grocery store.

• A vendor selling those foam beer-can-holders, except these are on a strap. His pitch -- "How you gonna clap?" Indeed.

• A t-shirt that said, "Do You Know What It Means..." As some of you might know, the rest of the phrase is "...To Miss New Orleans?" as in the song by Louis Armstrong (and many, many others).

• A house with the words "We Home!" spray painted on the front.

• Another t-shirt that said, "A Rock Concert I Attended."

• And, last but not least, another t-shirt (my favorite): "Rock Is Dead -- Long Live Paper And Scissors." Hee.