Happy Boxing Day!

It's the day after Christmas: Boxing Day (in the UK), St. Stephens Day in 'western Christianity'. On Boxing Day,

servants, tradespeople, and the poor traditionally were presented with gifts. By the 21st century it (Boxing Day) had become a day associated with shopping and sporting events.

Sounds like Black Friday, doesn't it?

I learned about Boxing Day when I lived in England. Didn't do much shopping then, but did exchange presents with my friends and family on that day. Another thing in England - at least where I lived in the northeast - which was different than I was used to from the USA: On Christmas Day, if the family could afford it, they ate out. Poor families saved for months to afford it. Eating out on that day was a BIG DEAL.

Ohh and Boxing Day is also the one of the days for Mummer's Plays, traditional British plays done by amateurs, often featuring sword fights or dances and resurrection. Once again, this happens in England, and sometimes there's a parade beforehand! This tradition is in Philadelphia in the USA as well, when the Mummer's Parade is on New Year's Day. Fun stuff!

By Michael Maggs - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

St. Albans Mummers Production of St. George and the Dragon on Boxing Day in 2015. I love the costumes!

Welcome to Winter

The days will begin to grow longer, and the news will keep churning. This week we had a Russian General assassinated, a marathon press conference by Putin, Biden and company trying to spread chaos by firing missiles into Russia, Ukraine losing badly on the battlefield, the continued dissolution of Syria, and the on going genocide in Gaza and the west bank. A US government shutdown was avoided with an emergency stop gap funding bill, but Germany's government has fallen and new election slated. Canada may be next. Macron's government in France managed to survive and a new centrist PM was installed. All these stories and more below the fold.

Afternoon folks!

As always, there's a bunch of great music this week, starting off with one of Chicago's greatest harmonica players in his later years, Big Walter Horton. After that there's an another album in the Living Chicago Blues series featuring A.C. Reed, Scotty and the Rib Tips and piano player Lovie Lee with harmonica player Carey Bell. After that it's an album of r&b from Wilson Pickett followed by some live blues-rock from Creedence Clearwater Revival. Moving on to bluegrass we have an album of Doc Watson with Clint Howard and the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys and we finish up with a rock album from overlooked girl band, Fanny.

Enjoy the tunes and have a great weekend!