Simpsons Predictions

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Today is the day to unveil my latest bootleg Simpsons shirt, in honor of The Simpsons panel discussion this morning at the D23 Expo. Bummed that I’ll miss the panel but still gotta represent the greatest show of all time.

This years drawing is based on the phenomenon of The Simpsons predicting the future. Everything from Disney buying Fox, to President Trump, to people demanding that museums cover up the nudity in the state of David, even Nobel prize winners. Over 34 seasons, the show has an uncanny ability to have jokes come true. After I started this design I heard that they’ll even have an episode in the upcoming season talking about this phenomenon.

In all, there are 16 Simpsons predictions in the image.

And I’ll be wearing it tomorrow at the D23 Expo! Hope you enjoy!

Russian Windows

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It seems like falling out of windows is becoming one of the leading causes of death in Russia. At least for anyone who opposes or questions Vladimir Putin.

The Chairman of the Board for Lukoil, one of the largest oil producers in Russia, died after falling from a hospital window. Of course that happened after he had criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Newsweek has a good overview of the many times this keeps happening.

https://www.newsweek.com/russians-keep-mysteriously-falling-windows-deaths-1738954?amp=1

In the meantime, stay away from windows in Russia.

Feelings

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In a speech set against a fiery backdrop, President Biden called out Trump and the MAGA extremism as a threat to US democracy.

It was a sharp rebuke of the extreme faction within the Republican Party and their unwavering loyalty to Trump.

And I can’t disagree with Biden. This week Trump was on his Truth Social platform calling for the 2020 election to be overturned and Trump to be installed as President. Or at least to toss out the 2020 election and immediately have another election.

If you don’t see that as the totalitarian and anti-democratic move that it is, you’re kidding yourself.

Of course, several Republicans and MAGA devotees decried the speech.

But when they’ve spent the past 6 years wearing shirts, flying flags, and tossing comments saying, “Fuck Your Feelings,” I don’t feel too badly if their feelings are hurt.

Stop Voting for Stupid People

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Let’s be honest, in the upcoming midterm elections I have one goal to promote: getting people to stop voting for stupid people.

And now you, too, can support that goal. Get your very own t-shirt or stickers to tell people whom you support: the not-stupid candidates!

This and much more political merchandise available at http://www.garthtoons.com/shop

Bad Parenting

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So the veiled threats begin. Trump taking to his Truth Social platform with thinly disguised insinuations of what will happen if he’s prosecuted. Lindsay Graham was more direct, warning of riots in the streets.

I don’t know if there’s enough of a case to prosecute or not. But there’s clearly something to investigate. And we should. But the GOP doesn’t want us to.

It’s the GOP continuing its strategy of not holding Trump accountable for anything, saying that accountability will be worse than letting Trump do what he wants.

Any parent knows, that’s a terrible strategy.

Student Loan Debt

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President Biden announced his plan for student debt relief, canceling up to $10,000 in government backed student debt per individual (or up to $20k for Pell grant recipients).

While I don’t think this is any long term answer to our student debt problems, it’s going to help millions of people. Estimated to help up to 43 million borrowers, with 90% of the debt relief dollars going to people earning under $75k.

At the same time, Biden put a definitive end to the freeze on student debt payments.

Moody’s Analytics estimates the combined effects will largely be a wash on GDP growth, unemployment, and inflation.

I don’t think it’s the real solution we need to the soaring costs of higher education. We should address the underlying issues of the cost and not just one time fixes for some. It’s not like we should expect to do this every ten years or so. I understand people feeling it sets a bad precedent for others, so let’s address the bigger issue. But it’s hard to ignore the huge number of people who will have immediate, real, life altering benefits from this.

For those not getting debt canceled, it will likely result in no noticeable change. And projected to have no large negative effect on the macro economy.

Hard to argue against a move that won’t affect most people in any real material way, but will improve the lives of up to 43 million people.

Teacher Shortage

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America’s schools are facing a huge shortage of qualified teachers. There’s no clear data on how many teacher shortages we have nationally, but it’s massive.

The Nevada State Education Association estimated that roughly 3,000 teaching jobs remain unfilled across the state. Illinois reported in January >2,040 teacher openings were either empty or filled with a “less than qualified” hire. And in the Houston area, the largest five school districts are all reporting 200-1,000 open teaching positions.

To combat this, counties and states are trying different approaches. Rural school districts in Texas are switching to four-day weeks this fall due to lack of staff. Florida is asking veterans with no teaching background to enter classrooms. Arizona is allowing college students to step in and instruct children.

And who loses in all this? Obviously the kids, who won’t benefit from experienced and skilled teachers.

Teaching is hard. And under immense scrutiny these days. Few other professions have so many people who seem to think they know how to do the job better than those who’ve studied and gained hands on experience. Because teaching isn’t just about subject knowledge, but how to help others learn, how to build curriculum, how to adapt learning styles, how to engage different students, and a huge amount of empathy.

But it’s not just the kids who will suffer.

To compete in the economy of tomorrow, we need educated citizens. Education has long been one of the things that attracts people to the US. And yet again we are failing our kids and ourselves.

It’s time we learn to invest more in ourselves and our communities to build better for tomorrow. Starting with investing more in our teachers and our schools.

Standing Order

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I’ve lost track, but I think this was excuse #3 from Trump and his team to explain the documents he said weren’t there, or were planted, or whatever.

Of course it’s a ridiculous statement and no way to manage classified information. That didn’t stop Trump’s team from trying to use it as a diversionary excuse.

But 18 former top Trump administration officials tell CNN they never heard any such order issued during their time working for Trump, and that they believe the claim to be patently false. Including two of Trump’s Chiefs of Staff, John Kelly and Mick Mulvaney.

Which is troubling. Cuz if they won’t let a former President get away with these lies, imagine what they can do to you.

Bye, Liz

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So, Liz Cheney has lost her primary. Left unsupported by the GOP. Abandoned by her party. For the offense of a relentless pursuit of the truth behind January 6th and an unwillingness to support the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen.

I disagree with a large number of Liz Cheney’s policy positions. But this is yet another sign that the GOP continues to put support for Trump over the truth and over the country.

And that’s a scary realization.

School Year Fears

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Schools are starting back up and kids are trying to figure out what supplies they need or don’t need. Unfortunately some fears are more overwhelming than others.

More children have died from COVID in the past 2 1/2 years than school shootings in the past 50 years.

But shootings bring a visceral reaction and will get a lot more funding and attention, just likely not in the right ways.

Both are complex, scary, low likelihood, and high consequence issues. No easy answers. But we shouldn’t let unfounded fears dominate our actions. We need data and science and research to show us how best to address these issues and make our kids feel safe and secure in school.

And remind ourselves and our kids that for both issues, the overwhelming percentages say they’ll be ok.

GOP Defunds Law Enforcement?

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Since the FBI served a warrant to retrieve classified documents from Trump’s house, several GOP members have come out forcefully and vocally calling to remove funding for the FBI.

Trump supporters held an armed rally outside an FBI office in Phoenix. And one Trump supporter in Cincinnati tried to storm the FBI office.

I guess they’re done backing law enforcement?

If you had predicted that GOP Trump loyalists would be calling to defund law enforcement in 2022, ride that prognostication wave and go buy a lottery ticket.