Today’s editorial cartoon is inspired by the financial crisis in Greece. Where is Pythagoras when you need him? How is it that a culture that is known for their advancement in certain areas falls away from what made them great?
Many would argue the same is happening in America today.
So I am sure this editorial cartoon may ruffle some feathers. If you are new here first let me explain and also remember I was the guy that was praised for my last cartoon.
There were two situations in the last few weeks that prompted this.
The first was someone I was talking to who refused to continue looking for a job. She said that she earns just as much money on government assitance as she does with the jobs she had been offered (even though several included benefits and a path to making more money)
The second I actually feel for. His company closed and has been looking for months. He had his mind set on getting the same salary he was earning before and has passed up several opportunities because it meant a significant drop in what his salary was. The problem is he is so loyal to the companies he works for that he knows he isn’t the type to keep looking once he lands somewhere. So instead of taking a job again that he could earn some money, he keeps holding out and making none.
Times are tough and I know many people are hurting because of lack of jobs. I am very grateful for everything I have. But I have told my wife, I am not above going back to cleaning toilets (my very first job) if it meant adding even the slightest to the household. My dad worked a full time job and several part time jobs. We didn’t eat dinner most nights until 8PM when he came home.
Want a job in an industry you prefer. One suggestion. Volunteer. Volunteer for a trade organization or even a company you are interested in just to learn, get new marketable skills, and get connections. When they see your value, they will come after you. If I didn’t volunteer at various times in my life I would not have the job I have or have even met my wife.
So am I off on this one? C’mon don’t hold punches.
Forgot to add this gem of fan art I got from Tony at Mental Pills. It is his rat character Cedric trying to bring down the man wearing my I am the 1% design. Why he put Cedric in a baby onesie, I am not sure..haha
This editorial cartoon is for my Occupy Wall Street friends. I am sure I will piss you off with a future cartoon but for now, I wanted to show my solidarity for one reason people should be rightfully pissed. Companies talk about teamwork and performance, etc etc etc. But damned if the executives can’t find a way (read excuse) to make sure their bonuses are intact while the rest of us have to do more with less.
Of course this isn’t a blanket statement for all executives or companies. So, any examples in your own companies where executives seem to get perks that are continually denied to the rest?
Oh yeah, 3 panels and 9 people in this one. You are welcome all you people who think I should spend 3 hours doing one cartoon.
I was upset that I didn’t come up with the “Occupy Sesame Street” posts that are circulating on the internet. But I think I am the first to call for the Occupy Elm Street protests
Wasn’t sure if I liked the format of this as an editorial cartoon as above or a call to action poster as below with more subtlety to what they are protesting. Which do you like better?
Today’s editorial cartoon stems from last week when Palestine went to the United Nations to seek full membership to the United Nations in a bid to seek recognition of the Palestinian state as defined prior to the 1967 borders (which includes East Jerusalem and a security zone Israel has not relinquished to the Palestinian Government in the past). The surprise isn’t that Israel and the United States opposed the plan, the surprise is who publicly did.
The Chinese Foreign minister is in full support of it. Oh and so is Saudi Arabia. Both are known as repressive governments and major human rights violators (see here and here) and yet they continue to join the voice of the United Nations in condemning Israel above all other countries.
With their actual human-rights credentials off the table, Council members adopted a fixed agenda of only a few items to govern their proceedings. One item is devoted to Israel alone and one to all other 191 UN member states. The Human Rights Commission spent 40 years adopting country-specific criticisms, a third of which condemned Israel. Fifty percent of the “reformed” Council’s country-specific resolutions and decisions are devoted to Israel-bashing. There have been 12 special sessions in the last five years, and half of them have been on Israel alone. There has been only one “urgent debate” on a country — Israel. There have been more human rights reports commissioned on Israel than on any other state. And only one country is not allowed even to attend the lobbying and information-sharing regional meetings associated with the Council sessions — Israel — while “Palestine” is invited to all of them. (source)
Interesting that Israel doesn’t make either of the lists. Please don’t interpret that I don’t feel Israel holds some fault in their current situation but let’s also be clear. There is no situation, resolution or otherwise where I see Israel ever giving up East Jerusalem strictly from a security standpoint. So no matter what other concessions are given, there will likely never be full peace in that region but hopefully a situation where neighbors can leave each other alone.
So it seems our old Nickelodeon friend SpongeBob Squarepants is being blamed for causing little tykes to have attention problems. A research study being discussed out of the University of Virginia points out that preschoolers who watch fast paced fantasy cartoons before being tested for memory, problem solving, attention etc. perform significantly worse than the ones who watched a slower paced cartoon or who were asked to draw for nine minutes.
As if this should be a surprise to anyone. Patrick would be an MIT grad if he didn’t always hang around with SpongeBob.
Thoughts on this research? Are you dumber from the cartoons you watched as a kid?
Don’t forget that you have until Midnight Saturday to win a free caricature. Details.
I am a firm believer in truth in advertising. This is how public bathroom air hand dryers SHOULD be labeled. I never get out of there without wiping my hands on my pants.
Another Sketch Challenge Cartoon. This time we were supposed to pick a celebrity who was born on August 25 and have them dancing with a Gargoyle. Don’t ask, I don’t come up with the ideas. I picked Rob Halford of the Heavy Metal Band Judas Priest. Of course how I titled this was completely innocent as I was making a play on the fact that Rob plays hard rock and is dancing with a hard rock (ie the gargoyle). Then our friend MJ at the National Free Press had to turn it all around. I’ll leave it to him to explain himself as I won’t have much internet access the next few days.
A challenge was posted recently to draw a Failed Monster Cereal. This is what I came up with. My favorite monster cereals are still Frankenberry and Booberry.
What are your favorite Monster cereals? What would you name a FAILED Monster Cereal?
So it is no secret that I have been somewhat neglecting my friends on facebook, twitter, etc because my time on social media has been taken up by Google Plus. While it of course has some limitations I wish they would work out sooner rather than later, the above cartoon pretty much sums up why it is better IMO than other social media.
As always let me know if you need an invite. And for people who have recently joined who are lost, ahem Bo Lumpkin, a fellow cartoonist Debbie Ohi has created a nice page with links to help get you started. You can find it here.
