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The day's news roundup + tonight's musical feature: Lester Davenport

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Hey! Good Evening!

This evening's music features Chicago blues harmonica player Lester Davenport. Enjoy!

^{Lester Davenport - Chicago Blues Festival (1994) - Part 1}

"The acceptance of partition does not commit us to renounce Transjordan: one does not demand from anybody to give up his vision. We shall accept a state in the boundaries fixed today, but the boundaries of Zionist aspirations are the concern of the Jewish people and no external factor will be able to limit them."

David Ben-Gurion

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News and Opinion

Israel Constantly Stretches The Ceasefire Rules Because That’s What Israelis Do

It’s interesting how much the IDF’s constant ceasefire violations in Gaza and Lebanon line up with the way people familiar with Israeli culture say Israelis like to test everyone’s boundaries to find out exactly how much they can get away with.

There are two terms, “shitat matzliach” and “freier”, which come up over and over again whenever you see people discussing the prevalence of this obnoxious behavior in Israeli society. “Shitat matzliach” translates to “successful method”, and basically means trying to exploit people in the hope that they’re naive or not paying attention and then backing off if they call you out. “Frier” roughly translates to “sucker”, i.e. the sort of person that shitat matzliach will work on.

I watched more of those “just Israeli things” videos where the lady explains Israeli cultural traditions and one of the examples she gave was a waiter adding random shit to a tab, getting caught, and then being like ah today I am the loser and you are the winner.

— jake rhodes (@jakebrodes) August 25, 2025

There’s a guy named Daniel Rosehill who’s written critically of these social dynamics as a Jew who was born in Ireland but moved to Israel in 2015. It should be noted that Rosehill is a vitriolic Zionist whose most recent article for The Times of Israel is a hit piece attacking fellow Irishman Tadhg Hickey for defending Palestinian rights. But he’s still got some criticisms of Israeli culture.

A couple of Rosehill’s other articles in The Times of Israel complain about the way Israelis single out immigrants — including Jewish immigrants like himself — for exploitation.

In a 2020 piece titled “How To Work With Israelis — And Enjoy The Experience,” Rosehill writes the following:

“In my Ireland vs. Israel post I wrote about an aspect of Israeli culture that I’m not so keen on. It’s called shitat matzliach and essential involves trying to force the weaker party into a bad deal because, well, you hope that they’re’ a freier (pronounced ‘fr-eye-er’; translation: sucker) or because they don’t know any better. It’s like freyerism’s lesser known but more malign sibling.

“In Ireland, this would be called ‘chancing your arm.’

“Living and working in Israel there is a strong chance that you will come across companies or individuals that are strong proponents of this methodology, particularly when they’re dealing with olim (recent Jewish immigrants) who mightn’t know their market value or rights.”

In another 2020 piece titled “10 Things I’d Like To Change About Life in Israel,” Rosehill lists “Less Shitat Matzliach (Taking Advantage)” at number three, writing:

“A working culture prevails in some quarters in Israel in which it is seen as smart and tactful to try out-negotiate the vulnerable — often new immigrants — into taking bad deals or accepting salaries that are not commensurate with their skills.

“Too many immigrants end up getting repeatedly burned by unscrupulous employers. Again, immigrant exploitation is not a uniquely Israeli phenomenon. But, as the only Jewish country in the world, and one premised on Jews uprooting their lives in order to share in a collective form of national self-determination, I feel like we can and must do better than taking advantage of one another at every opportunity.”

Average Israeli ad: “Doing whatever we want until forcibly prevented, is actually part of our culture!”

If anyone else posted this it would be flagged for antisemitism. pic.twitter.com/07etDfPtVi

— Wyatt Reed (@wyattreed13) January 26, 2025

In January the Rosen School of Hebrew posted a video on its social media platforms discussing shitat matzliach as though acting like a sociopath is just some cute little eccentricity of Israeli culture.

Here’s a transcript from the video:

“So I realized something that I’ve been doing for a while now is this super Israeli behavior. Let’s find out what it is! So, I have a tiny dog named Lily and I like to take her on errands with me. When we went to my local Shufersal (grocery store), they told me that if I wanted to go in with her, I had to hold her. The next time I was at Shufersal, I looked for the person who told me this, and when I didn’t see them, I did what I wanted and kept her on the ground. So, what am I doing that’s just so Israeli? It’s called ‘shitat matzliach,’ which translates to ‘success method,’ meaning ‘trying to do what you want until someone tells you otherwise.’”

The speaker goes on to describe an Israeli joke about a waiter attempting to slyly charge a customer extra for something they didn’t order. This joke is repeated in a 2012 Haaretz article titled “Word of the Day, Shitat Matzliach”:

“There’s a joke in Israel that goes like this: A customer at a restaurant discovers a NIS 20 charge on his bill for something called the ‘works.’ He doesn’t recall ordering anything like that and beckons the waiter. ‘What’s that for?’ he asks. The waiter shrugs. ‘Nothing. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.’

“Whatever you think of the joke, it is said to have spawned the popular Hebrew slang expression ‘shitat matzliach,’ literally ‘successful method’, or as the British say, ‘trying it on.’

Generally used in a pejorative sense, shitat matzliach describes a deliberate attempt to exploit another person’s inattentiveness, assuming there will be little, if any, penalty for getting caught.”

"Critics were wrong when they said that Hitler's 1933-1941 actions constituted genocide—but they are right in 1942" pic.twitter.com/Lvj77Z3Cfu

— David Klion (@DavidKlion) May 13, 2025

In May of this year a rabbi named Jay Michaelson wrote a piece for the Jewish outlet Forward titled “I supported Israel’s actions in Gaza in October 2023 — not anymore,” saying that “The Netanyahu regime has made me, and liberal Zionists like me, look like the worst thing any Israeli can call another: a freier. A sucker. A fool.”

Being a freier is seen as extremely negative in Israeli society, in the same way that being able to pull one over on somebody is seen as a virtue.

In a 1997 LA Times article titled “It’s a Sin to Be a Sucker in Israel,” Marjorie Miller writes the following:

“If Israelis could agree on anything — a highly unlikely prospect, but if they could — it just might be that the cardinal sin is to be a freier.

“‘It’s a national characteristic,’ said author Zeev Chafets, who included a chapter on the subject in his book about Israelis, ‘Heroes and Hustlers, Hard Hats and Holy Men.’ The topic ‘is something we talk about all the time.’

“A freier, in Israeli eyes, is a shopper who waits in line to pay retail. It is a driver who searches for legal parking rather than pulling onto the sidewalk with the other cars. And if he does this in a rush to file a tax return, he is the consummate freier.

“In short, a freier is anyone who cedes ground, plays completely by the rules or allows someone to get the better of him. The ideal Israeli is clever and tough, and a freier is the opposite. A pushover — in the way that Israelis often perceive Americans to be.

“Of course, no one likes to be a sucker. The weakling who gets sand kicked in his face is universally scorned. Men and women all over the world lift weights to avoid this fate. But even muscle-bound Israelis dread a face full of sand on a daily basis, and the fear of being a freier plays into every aspect of life, from the most mundane task to the peace process with Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat.”

Indeed, you can see this dynamic playing out in negotiations with the Palestinians throughout the history of the Israeli state. Always trying to pull one over. Always trying to take a bit more. And always stretching the limits of every agreement to the furthest extent possible.

Israel has reportedly killed 241 Palestinians in Gaza since the so-called “ceasefire” with Hamas went into effect last month. If Hamas had killed 241 Israelis in that same time, we all know Israel would be turning Gaza into a lake of fire right now.

“This barely makes international headlines, but since the Lebanon ceasefire a year ago, Israel has struck south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley more than 500 times” https://t.co/3bl7aQDglw

— Curt Mills (@CurtMills) November 8, 2025

In a recent article for the Financial Times, Kim Ghattas writes, “This barely makes international headlines, but since the Lebanon ceasefire a year ago, Israel has struck south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley more than 500 times, killing over 300 people who Israel says were Hizbollah operatives. The UN confirmed at least 103 of those killed were civilians.”

Again, if Hezbollah had attacked Israel 500 times and killed hundreds of Israelis during this same period, nobody would be claiming a “ceasefire” is in effect. Israel would be going scorched earth on Lebanon with the full backing of the western empire.

Any deal that gets struck is always wildly disadvantageous to the other side and lets Israel keep killing and abusing with impunity. Because of what we know about Israeli society, it’s safe to assume this is going to keep happening until Israel is stopped by force.

Chas Freeman- Trump: Israel or America First?

UAE refuses to join Gaza stabilisation force without clear legal framework

Plans for a UN-mandated international stabilisation force charged with disarming Hamas inside Gaza face growing opposition after the United Arab Emirates said it would not participate because it did not yet see a clear legal framework for the force.

Israel has already ruled out Turkey joining the force, and King Abdullah of Jordan has said Jordanian troops will not join. Azerbaijan, once mooted as a contributor, did not attend a planning meeting in Turkey last week and said it would not contribute unless a full ceasefire was in place.

The UAE’s decision, announced by the senior envoy Dr Anwar Gargash at a conference in Abu Dhabi, reflects Arab doubts about the terms of a US-drafted resolution already distributed to diplomats at the UN in New York. The draft places an onus on a US-directed stabilisation force to be the principal means of imposing security in Gaza after Israel has left the territory.

Gargash said: “The UAE does not yet see a clear framework for the stability force and under such circumstances will not participate, but will support all political efforts towards peace – and remain at the forefront of humanitarian aid.” The Arab states would like greater responsibilities to be given to a separate Palestinian civilian police force. International law would also forbid foreign troops from entering occupied Palestine unless there was explicit Palestinian consent, otherwise the force would be seen as coercive under UN law, and arguably stabilising an unlawful Israeli occupation.

Jamal Nusseibeh, a Palestinian American co-author of the Palestinian armistice plan, said: “It is critical that the force be deployed not to stabilise the unlawful Israeli occupation, but to enforce international law and end it. The force will work as long as it enters the entire occupied territory, including the West Bank, at the request of Palestine, and has a clear objective to end the occupation within the context of a sovereign Palestinian state.” There is no reference to the West Bank in the US draft resolution, or to a Palestinian state, or a two-state solution, a prospect Israel opposes.

TrackAIPAC UNMASKS After Doxing Threats

US-Led ‘Coordination Center’ Replaces Israel as ‘Overseer’ of Gaza Aid Deliveries

The US military-led Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) that was recently established in southern Israel has replaced Israel as the “overseer” of Gaza aid deliveries, The Washington Post reported on Friday.

Since the ceasefire deal was supposed to be implemented on October 10, Israel has violated it by continuing to restrict aid deliveries entering Gaza. “Israel is blocking the Trump plan’s humanitarian clauses,” Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, told the Post.

Egeland said it was “very good news” that the US is more engaged in aid deliveries, though it remains unclear whether the restrictions will be lifted. “Our appeal is make the plan a reality,” he said. “Of course, the credibility of the United States is at stake here.”

One of the biggest impediments to aid deliveries is that Israel has only allowed trucks to enter Gaza through two border crossings, with most deliveries going through the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza. “We need full access. We need everything to be moving fast. We are in a race against time. The winter months are coming. People are still suffering from hunger, and the needs are overwhelming,” Abeer Etefa, a spokeswoman for the UN’s World Food Program, said last week.

Mohammad Marandi: Middle East Sends a FINAL WARNING to Israel — The Clock Has Run Out!

Israeli Settlers Beat Palestinian Journalist in Attack on Olive Harvest in the West Bank

A Palestinian journalist who works for Reuters was beaten on Saturday by Jewish settlers who attacked an olive harvest south of the city of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Settlers from an illegal outpost nearby descended on a group of about 40 people, including Palestinian villagers attempting to harvest olives, activists, and journalists. Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli activist, witnessed the attack and the beating of Reuters photographer Raneen Sawafta, who was hospitalized after the incident.

“[They] beat her up without mercy, continuing to stone her while she was on the ground and then continuing to attack everyone who was coming to her help,” Pollak said. ...

Grant Bowden, a security adviser for Reuters, was with Sawafta and was also beaten while he tried to protect her. Both Sawafta and Bowden were wearing helmets and jackets clearly marked “press.” Several other people were injured in the attack, which was caught on video.

Prof. Jeffrey Sachs : Trump and Tariffs/Trump and War

Hegseth says six people killed in two new US attacks on alleged drug boats

US forces struck two more alleged drug trafficking boats off the coast of South America, killing six people, the Trump administration’s defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has said.

The US began carrying out such strikes – which some experts say amount to extrajudicial killings even if they target known traffickers – in early September, taking aim at vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. More than 70 people have been killed in the strikes so far.

“Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, two lethal kinetic strikes were conducted on two vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” Hegseth said.

He added in a post on (X) Twitter: “Both strikes were conducted in international waters and 3 male narco-terrorists were aboard each vessel. All 6 were killed. No US forces were harmed. Under President Trump, we are protecting the homeland and killing these cartel terrorists who wish to harm our country and its people.”

Kiev Defeat Worsens; Syrsky Admits Pokrovsk Crisis; Zaporozhye Collapse; Bizarre Kiev/UK MiG31 Caper

Russia Says It’s Considering Venezuela’s Requests for Assistance Amid US Military Buildup in the Caribbean

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday that Moscow was prepared to “respond appropriately” to Venezuela’s request for military assistance amid a US military buildup in the Caribbean, Newsweek has reported.

Zakharova also responded to reports that the US had drawn up different options for attacking Venezuela and warned against any escalation. “It’s clear that what a number of American observers, experts, and figures in various structures are saying is that this kind of direct aggression will worsen the situation rather than resolve the issues that have every potential to be resolved legally and diplomatically within the legal framework,” she said, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.

Alexei Zhuravlev, a senior lawmaker in Russia’s State Duma, said last week that Moscow had recently delivered air defense systems to Venezuela, including the Pantsir-S1, a system Caracas was not previously known to have. Zhuravlev said Moscow could also be open to sending Venezuela ballistic missiles.

According to a report from The Washington Post, the US believes that Venezuela has recently asked Russia for assistance in restoring Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighter jets, overhauling engines and radar systems, and also requested 14 sets of what are believed to be Russian-made missiles.

Chicago Parents Denounce ICE For Violently Detaining Beloved Daycare Teacher in Front of Toddlers

UK commentator detained by ICE after Israel criticism to be released, family says

The family of British political commentator Sami Hamdi, who was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in late October while on a speaking tour in the US, say he is set to be released and will be able to “return home soon”.

Hamdi was detained on 26 October at San Francisco international airport. At the time, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair) said his detention appeared to be in retaliation for the Muslim political commentator’s criticism of Israel while touring the US, calling it a “blatant affront to free speech”, and called for his release.

Later on 26 October, the Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, said that Hamdi’s visa had been revoked and that he was in “ICE custody pending removal”.

“Under President Trump, those who support terrorism and undermine American national security will not be allowed to work or visit this country,” McLaughlin said. In a separate statement that same day, the state department said that the US “has no obligation to host foreigners who support terrorism and actively undermine the safety of Americans. We continue to revoke the visas of persons engaged in such activity”.

WHISTLEBLOWER: Ghislaine Maxwell Living Sweet Life In Club Fed

Ghislaine Maxwell eyeing commutation, whistleblower tells House Democrats

Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime associate and co-conspirator who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex-trafficking crimes, is reportedly preparing a “commutation application” for the Trump administration to review, according to new allegations from a whistleblower shared with House Democrats.

Democrats on the House judiciary committee announced on Monday that they had received information from a whistleblower that indicates that the British former socialite, 63, is working on filing a commutation application. They also said Maxwell had been receiving special treatment at federal prison camp Bryan in Texas – the minimum-security facility she was transferred to earlier this year.

Congressman Jamie Raskin, the ranking member and top Democrat on the House judiciary committee, stated in a news release that the prison’s warden was also “helping” Maxwell “copy, print, and send documents” to support her bid for clemency. The exact content of this “commutation application” was unclear, Raskin added. Raskin states that according to the whistleblower, Maxwell has been receiving “customized” meals that are “personally delivered” to her cell, and that the warden has “personally arranged” private meetings for Maxwell and her visitors. The visits allegedly include providing a “special cordoned-off area” for visitors to arrive, as well as “an assortment of snacks and refreshments for her guests”.

Maxwell’s visitors were also reportedly permitted to bring computers, which, Raskin described in the news release as an “unprecedented action by the Warden given the security risk and potential for Ms Maxwell to use a computer to conduct unmonitored communications with the outside world”. In one alleged instance, the whistleblower said that when phone lines went down for other inmates, Maxwell was given specific instructions about who she should tell her contacts to call and how those personnel would then connect to relay the call to Maxwell.

The whistleblower further reportedly told the House Democrats that when Maxwell wanted to review and edit documents “quickly”, she “essentially used” the warden as her “personal secretary and administrative assistant”. The news release states that Maxwell’s correspondents would email documents directly to the warden, who would provide them to Maxwell, “who would review and edit them and provide them back to the Warden to scan and provide to the original sender”. Other privileges allegedly granted to Maxwell also include time to “play with” a service dog – a perk that the news release states is not “ordinarily allowed” – as well as private after-hours access to the prison exercise area.

Here’s The REAL Reason Dems CAVED On Gov’t Shutdown!

Extra-useless Senators highlighted:

Senate Democrats who defected in shutdown vote: ‘This was the only deal’

After weeks of false starts and failed votes, the US Senate secured the 60 votes needed late Sunday night to pass a compromise continuing resolution that would reopen the federal government after seven Democrats and an independent sided with Republicans to support the measure to send it back to the House for another vote. The Democratic caucus has aimed anger at the defectors, who nonetheless branded their decision as being the best available option.

They were Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen of Nevada, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, and independent Angus King of Maine who caucuses with the Democrats. Republican senator Rand Paul of Kentucky was the sole member of his party to vote against the bill, which he has done for weeks.

Several of the Democrats who switched their votes face incoming political transitions. Shaheen and Durbin are both retiring after this term while Hassan and Rosen face re-election battles in 2028 and 2030, respectively. Fetterman, Cortez Masto and King have sided with the Republicans since day one.

The legislation extends government funding through 30 January 2026 and includes provisions to halt mass firings of federal workers by the Trump administration, reverse terminations that occurred during the shutdown, and guarantee back pay. It also prohibits additional workforce reductions by government departments and agencies until the end of January.

In a statement after the vote, Shaheen stood by her decision. “This was the only deal on the table. It was our best chance to reopen the government and immediately begin negotiations to extend the ACA tax credits,” she said.

Trump BLAMES BIDEN For Affordability As Consumer Sentiment Bottoms Out

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Calls For Schumer to Step Down Grow as Democrats Cave on Healthcare to Pass Funding Bill

Angry Democrats call on Schumer to resign after eight vote to end shutdown

Democrats are seething after news emerged on Sunday that eight members of their Senate caucus had collaborated with Republicans on crafting a compromise to end the longest government shutdown in US history, without winning any healthcare concessions that they had sought. But one name is coming in for more opprobrium than any other: Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader who had led the Democrats’ weeks-long stand against reopening the government without an extension of tax credits that lower premiums for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans.

The sentiment is rife in progressive groups such as Our Revolution, whose executive director Joseph Geevarghese said: “Chuck Schumer should step down as Senate minority leader immediately. If he secretly backed this surrender and voted no to save face, he’s a liar. If he couldn’t keep his caucus in line, he’s inept. Either way, he’s proven incapable of leading the fight to prevent healthcare premiums from skyrocketing for millions of Americans.”

In the House, three Democrats have so far called on Schumer to step aside, among them Mike Levin, who represents a swingy district on the southern California coast. “Chuck Schumer has not met this moment and Senate Democrats would be wise to move on from his leadership,” he wrote on X Monday.

Fellow Californian Ro Khanna said, “Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced,” while Michigan representative and Squad member Rashida Tlaib said the minority leader “has failed to meet this moment and is out of touch with the American people. The Democratic party needs leaders who fight and deliver for working people. Schumer should step down.”

MAGA Sides With SLUMLORDS as Mamdani Announces Crackdown

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China’s CO2 emissions have been flat or falling for past 18 months

China’s carbon dioxide emissions have been flat or falling for 18 months, analysis reveals, adding evidence to the hope that the world’s biggest polluter has managed to hit its target of peak CO2 emissions well ahead of schedule.

Rapid increases in the deployment of solar and wind power generation – which grew by 46% and 11% respectively in the third quarter of this year – meant the country’s energy sector emissions remained flat, even as the demand for electricity increased.

China added 240GW of solar capacity in the first nine months of this year, and 61GW of wind, putting it on track for another renewable record in 2025. Last year, the country installed 333GW of solar power, more than the rest of the world combined.

The analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (Crea), for the science and climate policy website Carbon Brief, found China’s CO₂ emissions were unchanged from a year earlier in the third quarter of 2025, thanks in part to declining emissions in the travel, cement and steel industries.

The findings come as global leaders gather in Brazil for Cop30, which is taking place against a backdrop of increasing urgency in the fight against the climate crisis. China’s president, Xi Jinping, did not attend the leaders summit at the UN climate conference, but the Chinese delegation are present for the talks. Xi’s US counterpart, Donald Trump, also did not attend and has not sent a negotiation team either.

Trump officials set to approve ‘forever chemical’ as pesticide ingredient

The Trump administration is poised to again approve a new Pfas “forever chemical” pesticide ingredient, a move that is drawing criticism from public health advocates who say the nation’s food and water supply is being put at more risk from the dangerous compounds.

The substance would be sprayed on corn, soybeans and wheat, and it marks the fifth Pfas pesticide ingredient the US Environmental Protection Agency has proposed for approval under Donald Trump’s second term as US president.

During his 2024 campaign, Trump and his ally and now health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, promised to rein in the use of dangerous pesticides, but the EPA has loosened oversight and is accelerating pesticide approvals, which is causing friction between Maga and Maha (the make America great again and make America healthy again movements).

Scientists have been raising the alarm over Pfas in pesticides in recent years, but the EPA continues pushing through the ingredients since Trump took office, said Nathan Donley, science director with the Center for Biological Diversity non-profit.

He noted that the announcement came just as the administration cut Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) benefits as part of the ongoing government shutdown. “Yet somehow the pesticides office is operating at full force,” Donley said. “That shows you where the priorities are.” Most of the pesticide and chemical safety office has not been furloughed.

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Also of Interest

Here are some articles of interest, some which defied fair-use abstraction.

It’s Difficult To Overstate How Concentrated Wealth Is In The US

Ukraine – Zelenski Friend Accused In Energy Sector Corruption Case

DC Pipe Bomber Is A Cop!

Trump Caught GASLIGHTING Americans About Rising Food Prices!

Prof. Glenn Diesen : Look Who’s Stealing Russian Assets!

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A Little Night Music

Lester Davenport - Knocked On Every Door

Lester Davenport - Mad Dog on the Loose

Lester Davenport - Slow Down Baby

Lester Davenport - West Side Blues Harp

Lester Davenport - My Mama Rocks Me

Lester Davenport - No Peace

Lester Davenport - I Got a Woman

Lester Davenport - When the Blues Hit You

Lester Davenport - Chicago Blues Festival (1994) Part 2

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