Fighting Times

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As corporations are making record profits, workers are being squeezed more than ever. But workers are fighting back in surprising ways. Jon Melrod, has been involved as hell raiser and union organizer for decades, ever since his groundbreaking union organizing on the shop floor for the United Auto Workers in the 70s and 1980s. He’s now written a rip-roaring memoir called Fighting Times: Organizing on the Front Lines of the Class War about his fight to make workers lives better, and I was happy to get the chance to interview him.

Click on the triangle or mp3 link above to hear my interview with Jon Melrod, as broadcast today on the Arts Express radio program on WBAI FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the nation.

Turn The Beat Around

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Monday morning one of the earliest and best disco songs of the 70s. It was a one-hit wonder for Vicki Sue Robinson, a talented Broadway performer who had appeared in the original production of Hair when she was 16.

Thanks to YouTuber Warmer Music Videos

Martian Invaders?

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(Click to enlarge)

They look ghastly close up, but these are actually some of the thousands of one-inch long fiddler crabs that were popping out of the sand of the shoreline at the salt marsh the other day. The ones with the big left-hand claws are males; the ones with two equal-sized smaller claws are female. It’s easy to overlook them when they are hidden in their little sandholes– all you see are thousands of little 1/2- inch diameter holes in the wet sand next to each other. But then, all of a sudden, the crabs pop out of the holes and start scurrying around on the sand like so many spiders. They seem to pop in and out of the holes on cue together, like a disciplined army. I have no idea what they eat, but I occasionally see a shore bird with one of them between their bills.

My photo from last year gives you a less scary and more reassuring view. You can click on the title to view it:

Feeling Crabby

Marine Park Salt Marsh

Brooklyn, New York

“The War Prayer”: Mark Twain

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Here’s a story by Mark Twain that was never published until after his death.

“The War Prayer” was written in 1905, in response to both the Spanish-American War and Philippine-American Wars, but even Mark Twain didn’t have the courage to publish it in his lifetime. It was left unpublished at his death in April 1910. Twain said about it, “I have told the whole truth in that, and only dead men can tell the truth in this world. It can be published after I am dead.”

Click on the triangle to hear the story as broadcast today on the Art Express radio program on WBAI FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the nation.

What’ll I Do?

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Monday Morning, Nat King Cole tells his story. Lots of versions of this song from Frank Sinatra to Johnny Mathis to Linda Ronstadt, but my favorite by far is Nat King Cole’s version. No pyrotechnics, just pure and simple singing with tasteful accompaniment.

I was surprised to see who wrote this song!

Thanks to YouTuber catman916

Labor Day Weekend Viewing Picks

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In preparation for this labor-day weekend, I thought it might be fun to watch and rewatch a bunch of labour-related films, in particular those that highlight union or workplace struggles. Well, I am somewhat bleary eyed from my home film fest, but I am going to focus on a half dozen of the films that I most enjoyed.

Click on the grey triangle or Mp3 link above to hear my picks as broadcast today on the Arts Express radio program, heard on WBAI FM and Pacifica affiliates across the country.