Seeing Red

Red Wednesday

Cathedral Church of St. Mary and St. Helen, Brentwood, Essex

The Catholic charity
Aid to the Church in Need is promoting Red Wednesday today, as a way to honor and bring attention to people all around the world who are persecuted and even killed for their faith.




Many churches are joining in the celebration by using red lighting, as shown above.

You can learn more by visiting the organization's website.

"Of course you support this, red is your favorite color."

Red is my favorite color, but that's not the reason I support this observance...

The Sunny Side of Life

No rational person would deny that this year's election campaign was a raging dumpster fire, and much as I am dreading the presidency of asshat Donald Trump, I also know that life
goes on regardless of who happens to occupy 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue at any given time (and Trump, who undoubtedly sees the presidency as just another side gig, permitted days of speculation that he might not take up residence there before finally announcing that he would).

Part of what makes that easier is the boundless inventiveness and good humor of the American people, as embodied in the Christmas ornament shown at right, created by Jennifer Brooks,
a reporter for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

So long as we don't lose our ability to laugh, we'll be okay...

"Keep that in mind when you're watching the Chiefs offense..."

You would bring that up...

Speaking of Celebrations

Today is also National Espresso Day, not that I need an excuse to use my awesome Mr. Coffee Café Barista...

"Is there ever a day at Casa Shu that isn't 'Espresso Day'?"

Not very many, no...

Word Up, Mr. Hamilton

From the insightful pen of Michael Ramirez, whose editorial cartoons you should read often, as I do.

[Note: If the cartoonist's reference escapes you, read this.]

Until Next Time...

My affinity for the type of hard rock music that came to be called heavy metal began with Steppenwolf and Blue Cheer in the late 1960s and blossomed when I discovered Blue Öyster Cult in 1972. I have remained a fan of the genre ever since, particularly as practiced by bands like Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Def Leppard.

Although they themselves resist the category label, I have always included the Australian band AC/DC in this category, though I understand their resistance to the notion.

Even though they had had a string of multi-platinum albums beginning in 1976, I didn't really pay much attention to the group until 1980, when news of the death of their lead singer Bon Scott made headlines in the rock press. In the wake of his death FM radio began playing AC/DC's back-catalog music more frequently, and rock fans were anxious to see if the band could recover.

Their first album release after Scott's death, Back In Black, removed all doubt about whether the group could continue. It earned two diamond certifications from RIAA (sales in excess of 20 million copies) and is widely considered one of the greatest rock albums ever produced. Needless to say, that created some pressure to produce a worthy follow-up.

On November 23, 1981 the band released For Those About To Rock, their seventh studio album for the worldwide market and eighth overall. On the day after Christmas that year it became the band's first release to top the Billboard 200 Albums chart, a position it would hold for three consecutive weeks.

The album received four platinum certifications from RIAA and included their signature song
"For Those About To Rock 
(We Salute You)," which has been the band's show-closing number ever since.

Today's send-off is the 1994 remastered version of the original album track. Pick up your balls and load up your cannon...