HAVE A WONDERFUL LABOR DAY

The history of Labor Day is too, too boring to detail, but:

President Grover Cleveland in 1894 signed the bill recognizing the first Monday of September as Labor Day, providing a new holiday for federal workers. If he looks a bit rotund to you, he had a Body-Mass Index of 34.6, #2 to Howard Taft at 42.3. Want to know your BMI? Look to the right, scroll to near the bottom, stop at Calculate Your Body-Mass Index, insert those details, and the odds are high you will be a lot lower than Cleveland.

The NFL always kicks off their season the Thursday after Labor Day, which this year features the Ravens visiting Chiefs in Kansas City on September 5.
While there will be picnics, a few parades and the like, this three-day weekend is the official end of the summer, where consumers spend a lot of money, only next to the Christmas season, and travel.
10,000 workers in 24 cities are striking this weekend against Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt hotels.

President Joe Biden today joined Kamala Harris at a Labor Day rally in Pittsburgh. First time publicly together since Biden decided not to run six weeks ago. Trump and Vance? Nothing planned. That decision made the difference for Democracy. When I see Joe, I view old age. Kamala makes me a little happier and more confident. Trump/Vance? Some fear, slight depression. 8 days until the Trump-Harris debate on ABC at 9PM EDT on September 10, moderated by David Muir and Linsey Davis. 90 minutes, two commercial breaks and same terms as the Trump-Biden disaster. The Veep debate between JD Vance and Tom Walz will occur on October 1.

Top Ten Labor Day Songs by Nation? Click on that link so you can view each song.

#1 Pete Seeger, Solidarity Forever.
#2 More Than a Paycheck, Sweet Honey in the Rock.
#3 The Clash, Career Opportunities.
#4 Tennessee Ernie Ford, Sixteen Tons.
#5 Judy Collins, Bread and Roses.
#6 Dolly Parton, 9 to 5.
#7 Woody Guthrie, Union Burying Ground.
#8 Phil Ochs, The Ballad of Joe Hill.
#9 Hazel Dickens, Fire in the Hole.
#10 Gil Scott-Heron, Three Miles Down.

The other day, I shared Barack Obama's summer playlist. Today, here is Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders' favorite labor songs. Click on that for 21 minutes with the Senator and his songs.

Woody Guthrie, This Land is Your Land.
Pete Seeger, Solidarity Forever,
Almanac Singers', Talking Union and Which Side Are You On.
Bobbie McGee, Union Maid.
Paul Robeson, Joe Hill.
Judy Collins, Bread and Roses.

FX channel 1554 in Honolulu begins a new series today, starting with the pilot, plus episode 1. English Teacher in 8 chapters is another highly rated (Rotten Tomatoes 94) FX production that should be as enjoyable as The Bear (RT 96/79, but Season 1 was rated 100/92, into third season) and Shogun (RT 99/92, with Seasons 2 and 3 coming).

Don't confuse this series with the 2013 film, The English Teacher with Julianne Moore. RT score of 44/31. However, if you want to watch this R-rated flick, which also has Greg Kinnear and Nathan Lane, click on The English Teacher for the entire film.

ON THE MATTER OF PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Hawaii today celebrates King Kamehameha the First Day as a public holiday. Next Monday, June 19, or Juneteenth, is a Federal holiday. However, 22 states, including Hawaii, do not recognize this as a public holiday. Four of these will begin to honor this day next year, not Hawaii. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery. Here are the Hawaii holidays, and note three that only we have: New Year’s Day: 1st day in January Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: 3rd Monday in January Presidents’ Day: 3rd Monday in February Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day: 26th day in March Good Friday: Friday before Easter Easter: Calculating Easter Memorial Day: Last Monday in May King Kamehameha I Day: 11th day in June Independence Day: 4th day in July Statehood Day: 3rd Friday in August Labor Day: 1st Monday in September Veterans’ Day: 11th day in November Thanksgiving Day: 4th Thursday in November Christmas: 25th day in December There are 11 paid Fede...

THE ENIGMATIC PHIL SPECTOR

The first presidential debate of Donald Trump and Joe Biden ended up in a near tie. Both lost. However, it was an unmitigated disaster for Biden, who just might be too old to win this re-election. For Trump, it was a reinforcement of what he does all the the time, lie. There will be significant calls for the Democratic Party to work out "something" to replace Biden as their presidential candidate. Suddenly, Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom and Michelle Obama are added to the spotlight. But what can "legally" occur at the August Democratic Convention? The situation is different on the Republican side, as Trump is the Republican Party, and no matter if he gets 4 years at his felony sentencing on July 9, or even if the Supreme Court determines he is not immune next week or later, he will be the presidential candidate. Trump is a damned boastful liar and convicted felon, but that is the only option for Republicans. His vice-presidential choice now become...

THE NEXT TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

There are 4 types of solar eclipse. Total Partial Annular Hybrid About the above graphic. On the left is a total solar eclipse. In middle is an annular solar eclipse. A hybrid eclipse appears as either a total or an annular eclipse depending on the observers location. These only occur once in a decade. A partial eclipse is to the right. A total solar eclipse occurs about every 18 months. However a specific location will see a total eclipse only once every 375 years. So if you recently saw one, you'll need to travel to see another. My wife was born on July 11. She found out that there would be total eclipse over her Big Island on that day in 1991, so off we flew to Kailua-Kona and stayed at the King Kamehameha Hotel. Turned out that if we had just watched from the hotel beach, we would have had the best view. But we had a friend who lived high up on Mauna Loa, so off we went to join him. But it was so clo...

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