I thinks folks expressing incredulity at the quality of the writing and composition in Calvin and Hobbes are often missing the context that Bill Watterson is arguably the most influential sequential artist of his generation. Like, this is a guy who once told the editors of nationally syndicated newspapers to go fuck themselves when they wanted to mess with his panel layouts, and not only did he keep his job, he got his way. He could have had literally any gig he wanted, and he chose to be the Sunday funnies guy because that's what made him happy. He's basically the Weird Al of sequential art.
In Yemen the death count stagnated at 15,000 until the war ended and the people were able to count their dead. Today, it's commonly accepted that over 300,000 Yemenis have been killed by war and famine. We will see a similar situation in Gaza after a ceasefire.
Hundreds of Palestinian civilians were excavated from mass graves, victims of executions by Israeli occupation forces. Yet, this tragedy failed to enrage Western media outlets, underscoring the glaring double standards in their view of Palestinians.
Going from “celebrations on the streets of Rafah as Hamas accepts ceasefire deal” to “Israel chooses to continue offensive in Rafah and is currently carrying out targeted attacks” within the span of an hour is the most viscerally heartbroken I’ve been throughout the past months
Translation: What a shitshow. This years Eurovision has gone to hell. And it's first and foremost the EBU's fault.
Also, excerpt from the same article:
Throughout the course of the Eurovision Song Contest, the EBU has acted as if they live in a parallel universe. Eurovision is one thing, the world outside something else. The EBU has stuck its head in the sand. Shoved the problem under the rug. Held their hands over their ears and shouted LALALALALA. They appear to have done everything they can to pretend it's possible to hold an apolitical event in a world that's on fire. We have come together to be "united by music", they say, but the sharpshooters on Malmö's rooftops have nothing to do with us!
In its struggle to remain apolitical, the EBU has become like a small fascist state in itself, where the artists' space for expression and action has been reduced as much as the undergarments of the Spanish dancers.
It is reprehensible.
These are Omar(2) and Salah(5), Bilal's nephews. 8 months ago, they were enjoying the warmth of their home and being pampered by their parents and everyone in the family. The pictures below are from Omar's first birthday. Bilal told me how he was the one who prepared everything for the surprise party. He was,then, so excited to gather the whole family and give Omar a memorable first birthday and bring joy to everybody.
Now, Omar and Salah are going through hardships no child should be experiencing. They are surrounded by rubble and unsanitary conditions wherever they go; not to mention the random bombings that threaten their lives every moment of every day. Omar took his first steps while being displaced in a tent in Rafah. Imagine your baby learning to walk in a refugee camp under the constant buzzing of drones! The children and the whole family had to endure the cold winter and being drenched by rain in their flimsy tent, and now they have to go through the unbearable heat in the same inhumane circumstances. As if all this suffering wasn't enough, the occupation is currently asking everyone in Rafah to evacuate again, even the hospitals!
The survival of Omar, Salah, and the whole family in now more than ever at stake. Bilal has been in Germany for a year or so now. The thought that he might never get to see his beloved nephews again haunts him every day. He humbly asks for your support to help him keep his loved ones safe until he has the chance to reunite with them, hopefully as soon as possible. Please donate any amount you can spare and reblog this post. Every contribution can make a difference and restore the family's hope!