caucus99percent

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I believe it was the great Paul Neuman who used to describe Washington Week In Review as, "riveting stuff." Sad to say the luster has come off since the days of Ken Bodie as moderator.

It has come to pass that, with too few exceptions, comedians and cartoonists are now our best journalists. Friday Open Thread hopes to walk us through a review of last week's most memorable events ... as illuminated through editorial cartoons and non tradional media.

Meet Miguel. He is a farm worker in Soledad CA. Here he uses a special magnifying glass to search for tiny spiders that can damage the grapes, destroy the leaves and suck the juice from the cane. Thankfully on this day the wine grapes were free from any pests. #WeFeedYou

The first time I do understand what happened in Ukraine. I just wanted you to see this and listen to it. For me it was enlightening so to speak.

Time
A Major Rights Group Says Israel Is Guilty of Apartheid. It Might Fracture the Status Quo in Congress

On Tuesday, the U.S.-based rights organisation, Human Rights Watch (HRW), accused Israel of two crimes against humanity: the crime of apartheid, and the crime of persecution. Other organisations, including Israeli ones, have previously made similar claims; but it is the first time that such designations have been made by an international organisation of this stature.

The Vatican has a PR problem. In an international poll, Pope Francis is less admired than even Donald Trump. While Trump is ranked as the 15th most admired man in the world in the 2020 survey, Pope Francis is ranked at 18. The Dalai Lama ranked number 8. “More than 45,000 people in 42 countries and territories were interviewed to compile the list,” YouGov published in September.

Gordon Lightfoot is perhaps the most accomplished and well-known singer/songwriter to ever come out of Canada. He is internationally known for such monumental folk/pop/rock hits as "Sundown", "If You Could Read My Mind", "Early Mornin' Rain", "Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald" and many more. His songs have been covered by such music giants as Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Glen Campbell and Don Williams. Lightfoot began his music career fronting a variety of rock n roll bands around Toronto while still in his teens.

In 1958, he relocated to Los Angeles where he found work writing jingles for TV commercials but returned to Toronto in 1962 where he rapidly became a fixture in the city's bugeoning folk music scene. He made his first records for a local Toronto label in 1963 but it wasn't until he signed a major record deal and released his first album in 1966 that he became widely known. In 1970, he scored his first top ten hit with "If You Could Read My Mind" beginning a decade of chart-topping albums and hit songs hightlighted by his #1 hit in 1974 with "Sundown".

After nearly 20 years of success, Lightfoot when into self-imposed semi-retirement in the late 1980s but reemerged in 1993 with the highly acclaimed album "Waiting For You". His 1998 album "Painter Passing Through" also drew high praise from critics and fans alike.

Biden wants to raise taxes on the very wealthy, and in doing so he undermines God, the American flag, apple pie, and mom.

Other nations desiring global multilateralism seem to be wearying of endless pressures: crushing sanctions (or war by other means), bombastic military threats, lies presented as truths: China, Russia, Venezuela, Bolivia.  But given the power of US client-state Zionist Israel,  Iran deserves special attention right now.

From Iranian FM Javad Zarif on Twitter:

Apr 14
Nuclear terrorism at Natanz has unleashed dangerous spiral that can only be contained by ending US economic terrorism initiated by Trump

From the Guardian, April 11, 2021:

‘Israel appears to confirm it carried out cyberattack on Iran nuclear facility; Shutdown happened hours after Natanz reactor’s new centrifuges were started