LABOR DAY

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Unions are not what they used to be. Even the mighty fall. In the last 30 years, the power of organized labor has diminished. Perhaps properly so. Labor had gotten too big for its britches.

As the power of labor has become less, management/corporate power has increased. Too much so. A contributing factor being that labor’s power is not sufficient to counteract management.

The pendulum must swing back. To a middle ground.

Having said all that, it surprises me that Labor Day continues to be a popular holiday. There still are parades all over the country. Generally followed by parties.

The parades and parties are not by accident. Back in the 1880s when a holiday for labor was being suggested, the first outline for the proposed holiday specified street parades followed by festivals.

The first public parade took place in New York City in 1887. President Grover Cleveland made Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894. The purpose was of to honor the American labor movement and the contributions made by workers.

It appears Key West is not having a parade today. I could not find one scheduled. Sad, if such is the case. We celebrate everything in Key West. Why omit labor? Especially since most of Key West is made up of labor.

I spent considerable time yesterday writing next week’s KONK Life column. Tennessee Williams…..A Love. My motivation was the response I received to the recent column I wrote concerning Hemingway. Hemingway…..His First Love.

Everyone has loves in their lives. Some more than one. Prime examples being Hemingway and Williams. I hope the Williams story is enjoyed as much as the Hemingway one was. Each written from a different perspective.

Now comes Grace. A new hurricane forming off the coast of Africa. Key West is paying no attention to it. Too far away. Plus, the projections tell us worry not.

Womenfest begins in a few days. Womenfest Key West 2015. Lesbians and their friends converge in droves on Key West for a week of fun and frolic. The town jumps!

I read somewhere recently that there are 26 million blogs in the United States. Impressive!

Almost forgot! Tonight, Larry Smith performs! At 8. The Little Room Jazz Club on Duval. Across from Vinos. Join me for what I am sure will be a fun evening.

Enjoy Labor Day!

KEY WEST FILM FESTIVAL

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Yesterday had to be a lesson learned. No one should take my sport recommendations.

I thought Syracuse could upset the mighty Florida State. At the very least, beat the point spread. I was wrong in both instances.

Syracuse got beat by Florida State 59-3.

It happens. I have to congratulate the Florida State team. I have never seen a college football team play with such precision. Especially in the passing and receiving part of the game.

Syracuse’s time will come!

I had planned on watching the game at the Big Ten Sports Pub. Never made it. As I was showering, my stomach started rocking and rolling again. It was back to bed!

The Key West Film Festival has been ongoing this weekend. The second year the event has been held. I admire the locals who put the event together and are promoting it. In several years, it can develop into a big deal.

Star Mariel Hemingway is in Key West for the Festival. She is the granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway and a film star in her own right. She participated in the writing and stars in a documentary called Running From Crazy which is being featured at the Festival. It is about mental illness in the Hemingway family and her efforts to escape it.

The Festival is showcasing 35 different films over a 3 day period.

Hemingway, Hemingway, Hemingway! He is part of the fabric of Key West. Loved and remembered.

I recall this past summer my two visits to Lake Maggiore. I visited two different cities at the Italian southern end of the Lake. The Lake sits between Italy and Switzerland. I hope to visit the Swiss side next year.

Hemmingway spent time recovering from leg wounds received in World War I at Lake Maggiore. A Farewell To Arms has as its basis certain of his experiences there.

I was thrilled to have experienced Lake Maggiore and places where Hemingway visited. Especially the ones he drank at. There were only a few. He was a creature of habit. As Sloppy Joe’s was his bar of choice in Key West.

I continue to get congrats re my recently published book The World Upside Down. Thank you one and all. I am waiting for my first comments from those who have read it. Too soon yet. It was just published last Wednesday.

The Key West Citizen is our daily local newspaper. Not too many pages for 50 cents. However, it does report most of the news. I say most because there has developed a glowing hole in its reporting as concerns local commercial events.

I suspect it all has to do with money. If an organization is running an event and has a cash flow, the Citizen would want some advertising space purchased. A business, so I understand. On the other hand, I don’t know if it is proper. We all live, work, and play in the same community.

Enjoy your Sunday!