T-shirt #273: STEW BEEF!

This shirt I made specifically for today because I am going to the Daily Show! If you don’t get the reference, you’ll have to watch this clip. More later, off to NYC!

Well, although I didn’t get to show Jon my shirt, it was great going to the Daily Show again. The cool thing about being a VIP guest for the show is that you don’t have to wait as long in line to get in. The drawback is when Jon answers questions from the audience, he is not really facing the VIP section (which is just to the right of his desk), so he didn’t answer any questions from that section. The really, really cool thing about where I was sitting was that for a couple of seconds, I was on TV! Just as Justin Timberlake was walking out, you can see me in the second row wearing my “Stew Beef!” shirt (you may have to click on the picture to make it out). It will be a funny story to share with Jon when he has me on as a guest someday…

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Tracy Morgan
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

T-shirt #272: NEW YORK, BASEBALL NATIONAL LEAGUE TITLE

Well, the Sox have been officially eliminated from the playoffs for the 24^th time since I have been alive. You think that I might be used to it, but in the last 8 years, the Sox have made the playoffs 6 times and WON two WORLD SERIES (http://mlb.mlb.com/bos/history/postseason_results.jsp).

It’s funny to think that people thought everything would change if the Red Sox ever won the World Series. Yes, since 2004, more Sox fans have been appearing at away games all across Red Sox nation, but I wonder how many of those people rooted for the Sox before that. For me, it still sucks when they lose. And it really sucks when they aren’t in the playoffs and the Yankees (who I like to call the Yank-mes) are. So, what better way to get over the Sox elimination than wearing a New York baseball shirt?

Speaking of this shirt, you might notice a few things….First, there are advertising beer for 50 cents. Now that might excite some people, but calculating for inflation (http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl) from 1933, that comes out to $8.40 a beer (which is just about right for Fenway, I think). Also, it is advertising a 3^rd Annual Glove Night. Does that mean the players themselves are actually using gloves or they are giving away gloves? Finally, like a dork, I checked to see if August 12, 1933 was actually a Saturday (they are always messing things like this up in movies)…anyway, it was (http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=1933&country=1).

Even with the Sox championship hopes done, It’s easy to wear this shirt because it reminds me of family. My sister Carolyn (a.k.a. #1 shirt donor) got me this shirt with the help of my nephews. So, even though the Sox aren’t playing any postseason games this year, I am thankful for the great and supportive family that I have. That, and hockey is right around the corner…go B’s!

T-shirt #271: KING KONG MILLIONS (New York Lottery)

First of all, sorry for the brief blog. I thought this shirt (donated from my awesome sister Carolyn with the help of my nephews) would be good for today because my Crohn’s (I blame the weather) hit me like a monster today…

Also in my no-energy-Crohnsy state, relaxing to TV is about all I’m good for and today there was a Monster Quest (http://www.history.com/shows/monsterquest) marathon on the history channel. Although there were no scientific confirmations of the existence of any monsters, it’s still fun to watch all the eye witness testimony of people that are “positive” they encountered a monster.

I did have two recurring monster nightmares when I was a growing up. One involved Dracula (I blame channel 56’s Creature Double Feature), and the other was getting chased through the woods by Bigfoot. Luckily I always woke up safe and sound, and the dreams faded away as I entered my teens.

Off to rest some more, and hopefully have a night of monster-free dreams…

T-shirt #270: Shoot the Baddies

This shirt, designed by Olly Moss (http://www.ollymoss.com), was donated to me by Threadless (http://www.threadless.com, http://www.threadless.com/product/1739/Shoot_the_Baddies/tab,guys)…thanks again!

When Threadless gave me pick of t-shirts that I wanted for my blog, it was a tough decision to narrow it down. Then I saw “Shoot the Baddies” and immediately put it in my online shopping cart. It was original, clever, and full of characters that I knew. In case you can’t identify any of the silhouettes, here they are (or who I think they are): Vader, Terminator, Zombie, Freddy, Space Invader, Megatron, Godzilla, Agent Smith, and a Goomba (I had to double-check this last one, but was reassured here: http://www.mariowiki.com/Goomba).

Freddy always reminds me of the first time I saw a rated-R movie. I was 13, and it was at a church fundraiser (yes, this would not fly nowadays!). Each year during February vacation, junior high students participated in a Rock-a-thon (Imagine a huge room full of teenagers rocking in rocking chairs for 24 hours straight). There was junk food, video games, and scary movies to help keep us awake. A Nightmare on Elm Street was shown at my first Rock-a-thon and it not only kept me awake for the rocking, I had trouble falling asleep for the next couple of weeks! Definitely a baptism of fire into the world of R movies…

Another movie related t-shirt designed by Olly Moss is “Spolit” (http://www.threadless.com/product/844/Spoilt/tab,guys), and if I wasn’t limited to the number of shirts I could pick from Threadless, it would have made my list. “Spoilt” was a very close second to “Shoot the Baddies” and reminds me of the time that I told my nephew Vader was Luke’s father, and he thought I was kidding him (you can read that story on the blog for the Star Wars shirt designed by my nephew and niece at: http://davestshirts.blogspot.com/2010/01/t-shirt-14-star-wars-kids-drawings.html). If you haven’t seen some of the movies (or books) that are spoiled by the shirt, oops!

Hope everyone had a Happy Monday!

T-shirt #269: O'DOYLE RULES

If you don’t understand this shirt (which I got from http://www.6dollarshirts.com/t-shirts), it means you haven’t seen Billy Madison…

Like Tommy Boy and Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison was quoted on a daily basis in my senior year Mod at BC. Although I would never call any of these “great movies”, they certainly are all among the funniest I’ve ever seen. To fill any non-seers in, Billy Madison is the story of the son of a rich man who goes back (after learning his father paid off the teachers) to school to prove to his father that he can complete K-12 by himself. Along the way, Billy encounters O’Doyles of varying ages that want to make sure he knows who rules. Here are the clips, followed by the always-hilarious Chris Farley as the bus driver. There are many, many more scenes that will make your stomach ache from laughing, but for those I think you should put Billy Madison in your Netflix list (or just watch cable TV some weekend, it’s on A LOT!).

Tala-hoo-hoo, Zabbadoo!

T-shirt #268: Have You Seen My Wiener?

I came across this shirt while shopping for my dad’s birthday at Bob’s (http://www.bobstores.com/index.asp) and thought it would make a funny shirt to wear for the blog.

When it comes to “my wiener”, I have to say that Fenway Franks are my #1 choice. When I was a kid, there was a TV ad for Fenway Franks that claimed when you ate one it was “just like being at the ballpark”. In the commercial, people took a bite of their Fenway Franks and were magically whisked away to Fenway, where they ran into Jim Rice. After seeing the ad, I went grocery shopping with my mom and begged her to buy Fenway Franks so I could be taken to Fenway as well. I was crushed when she tried to explain to me that the commercial wasn’t real, and I wouldn’t be going to Fenway until the next time we had Sox tickets.

One “wiener” tradition that I will never understand is the annual Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest (http://nathansfamous.com/PageFetch/getpage.php?pgid=38). With all the things in the world to we can compete against each other, does eating have to be one of them? How would you explain an eating contest to someone who struggles to get food every day? I would rather have people competing to see who could GIVE the most food away to starving people in the shortest amount of time. Could Nathan’s donate hot dogs (or other food) to food pantries for all of the hot dogs they use each year in the contest? There has to be some way to turn what I see as a waste of food into something that can help people…

I tried to find a clip of my favorite “wiener-related” Simpsons moment, but I could only find the dialogue:

Homer: I sure could go for a hot dog right about now...

Marge: Homer, we're at a funeral.

Hot Dog Vendor: Hot dogs. Get your hot dogs here.

Homer: Woohoo!

Marge: Do you follow my husband around?

Hot Dog Vendor: Lady, he's putting my kids through college.

Off to Carl’s for more Crazy Carl Craziness, hope no one loses their wiener!

PS- 2 months until Thanksgiving and 3 months until Christmas…

T-shirt #267: SUPERMAN

This shirt finishes up “Superhero Week” was donated to me from my awesome sister Carolyn and also Hot Topic (I gave the other one to my “Little Brother” today)…thank you!

Like most of the superheroes, my first memory of Superman comes from the Saturday morning Superfriends cartoon. I also watched the Superman movies many times, especially Superman II (which, like Empire Strikes Back, remains one of the few sequels that is better than the original)… “Kneel before Zod!” Like with other comics, I read the Superman Doomsday after my older brother had finished it (which was also made into a great animated movie in 2007) – I don’t want to give away the plotline, but you might guess it from the picture. The other picture is from a Halloween party from back in my Waltham days. I must say I think Patrick pulls off Superman better than me (He must have, because that was the night he and his future wife started falling for each other). We tried to convince Amy to be Catwoman so we could have all three roommates dressed as comic book characters, but it was not be…

One of the reasons I enjoy Kevin Smith movies and Family Guy so much is all of the references to movies and characters I know from my youth (including Superman)…here are a couple of my favorites. For some reason my favorite one wouldn't embed, but you can see it at the bottom of this page: http://www.adultswim.com/americaloveslists/as_superman/page2.html Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

T-shirt #266: THE FLASH

Superhero week was done in anticipation of the new episode of Big Bang Theory I am watching tonight. You can see my Big Bang Theory blog here http://davestshirts.blogspot.com/2010/06/t-shirt-156-big-bang-theory-sheldon.html and read about The Flash here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_(comics)

Unlike the rest of this week, I am going to write about a real-life superhero for this blog. His powers are love, understanding, patience, forgiveness, and a great sense of humor (to name a few). His costumes vary and include an accountant, a Bruins fan, a Red Sox fan, and a robe with slippers from the 1970s. His name is Paul, but I know him by his superhero moniker “Dad”.

Dad has been there for me more than all the other superheroes combined. He has helped me overcome obstacles, taught me countless lessons, and been there for me whenever I needed him. One of the most important things he has shown me is that when a problem arises, getting upset and dwelling on it never helps: thinking out solutions and taking steps to improve the situation are always better ways of dealing. He is the reason I play sports, I am good at math, and I love to take pictures. He not only paid for my education, he paid for me to go to a college that rivaled the one he went to. Whenever I made mistakes (many, many mistakes), all he showed me were love and support. He has taken me to so many Bruins and Red Sox games that I have lost count. Most importantly for the sake of this blog, he taught me it is okay to where a t-shirt that is almost 20 years old.

Today is my dad’s birthday, and although I know no blog or present can ever compare to all he has given me, I had to do my best. Thanks for everything and Happy Birthday, Dad! If more fathers were like you, there would be a lot less problems in the world. I love you!

Another “Dad” related blog:

http://davestshirts.blogspot.com/2010/02/t-shirt-42-holy-cross-hockey.html

T-shirt #265: GREEN LANTERN

Only 100 more t-shirts to go!

All I knew about the Green Lantern before today was he (they) got his (their) powers from a ring, there was more than one Green Lantern, and the one weakness was anything yellow.

What I didn’t know and learned today:

DC not only had 118 Green Lanterns listed (http://www.dccomics.com/sites/greenlantern/?action=corps), but also has Red Lanterns, Blue Lanterns, Black Lanterns, and 4 other groups that use power rings.

The Green Lantern most people are familiar with is Hal Jordan (http://www.dccomics.com/sites/greenlantern/?pr=haljordan)

There is a pretty cool fan made trailer for a Green Lantern movie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hTiRnqnvDs), which is not the movie coming out starring Ryan Reynolds (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1133985)

If a Green Lantern overcomes the fear of yellow, it can use the powers on yellow objects.

The Green Lantern Oath:

In brightest day, in blackest night,

No evil shall escape my sight

Let those who worship evil's might,

Beware my power... Green Lantern's light!

Which I had heard before (looking forward to the Big Bang Theory season premiere tomorrow!):

T-shirt #264: BATMAN

This shirt was donated from Hot Topic (http://www.hottopic.com/hottopic/Homepage.jsp), and continues my superhero theme for the week.

Batman shares a few similarities with my shirt from yesterday, The Punisher. He witnessed the murder of close family (his parents), he has no superhuman powers, and he is waging his own war on crime. Unlike The Punisher, Batman does not kill the bad guys, preferring to leave their punishment up to the justice system. Batman also has successfully been translated to the big screen…

But my memories of Batman start on the small screen. Just about every Saturday morning in the late 70s and early 80s, the Superfriends cartoon was on the tube at the McGrath household. Some of you may remember this opening:

During the week in the early 80s, watching the Batman TV show from the 60s (on back-to-back with the He-Man cartoon) was always a great way to get ready for school. I loved the “Biff” and “Splat” graphics every time there was a punch or other violence, Robin’s phrases like “Holy Bill of Rights, Batman!”, how you could tell Adam West and Burt Ward were really “climbing” buildings horizontally, and how so many episodes depended on Batman saying “If I could just….reach…my…utility…belt.” Looking more closely at the full cast from the show (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059968/fullcredits#cast), I found a few surprises. The Penguin was played by Burgess Meredith, who later played Mickey in the Rocky movies and the really old man in the Grumpy Old Men movies. Also making appearances on the show were Vincent Price, Milton Berle, Bruce Lee, Joan Collins, and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Although the Batman comic books had been being made since 1940, it wasn’t until the late 80s and the movie buzz that I read my first Batman comic. Again, it was my older brother who would provide me with the reading material. Death in the Family, The Dark Knight Returns, and Arkum Asylum were my favorites. I couldn’t believe how different, darker, and crueler the storylines were compared to my previous exposure to the Batman character…I liked it.

The first movie (if you don’t count the 1966 one with the TV cast) starring Michael Keaton as Batman and Jack Nicholson as The Joker was a huge hit with the McGrath boys. When the VHS came out, my brothers and I were quickly learning all the lines and doing our best Joker impersonations. The quality of the sequels in the 90s went downhill with each release, becoming more “cartoony” and just plain ridiculous with the Batman and Robin debacle in 1997. Luckily, Batman on the big screen was saved with Batman Begins in 2005 and The Dark Knight in 2008 (And yes, I admit to buying a Heath Bar and bringing it in to the theater when I went to see The Dark Knight).

Even though the Batman character has produced higher quality movies, I still say Punisher is #1 in my book. The Punisher and Batman actually met in a crossover issue, but the result was a draw. Maybe I should write the Punisher vs. Batman screenplay?

For more Batman info:

http://www.dccomics.com/sites/batman/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman

T-shirt #263: THE PUNISHER

One of my favorite places to t-shirt shop over the years has been Newbury Comics (http://www.newburycomics.com), and that’s where I got this one. After Hot Topic donated 4 more superhero shirts, I thought this week (which includes the season premiere of Big Bang Theory) would be a good week to have “Superhero Week” for the blog. So I started with my favorite one, The Punisher…

Like many music bands, movies, and TV shows growing up, it was my older brother that introduced me to the world of comic books and The Punisher. Soon after reading the first few comics my brother lent me, I was buying my own issues of The Punisher, Punisher War Journal, and Punisher War Zone (I may have even bought an action figure or two). I liked The Punisher because of the simple storyline: His wife and children were murdered right in front of him (while on a picnic the family witnessed a mob hit and were shot at, only he survived), it made him go crazy, and he started a one-man war on crime. The Punisher’s rule is simple: If you are guilty, you are punished (and unlike Batman, The Punisher usually punishes by killing criminals). He makes every bad guy feel his pain when he deals with them, and he gets the job done.

Like I mentioned in my previous Punisher blog – which you can see me wearing my “cool” Punisher leather jacket from high school -(http://davestshirts.blogspot.com/2010/03/t-shirt-67-punisher-including-high.html), they have yet to make a good Punisher movie. I was so excited when they came out with the first one in 1989, but it was such a letdown (he didn’t even have a skull and it went straight to video!). 2004’s version was a little better, but they still didn’t get it right. I haven’t even seen the 2008 Punisher War Zone movie, but I didn’t hear anything that said it was worth checking out. They can make great Batman, Spiderman, and Iron Man movies, but when it comes to the simple story of a crazy vigilante waging his family tragedy against the world they mess it up.

A happier Punisher-related story happened when I was in the middle of my battle with cancer. One of my classmates (who is a professional comic artist now: http://dogeatdoug.com) made me an awesome framed Punisher drawing – I think my leather jacket gave everyone the hint that I was a fan. Not only was the drawing a nice way to know people at my high school were thinking of me, it was great inspiration for my visual images of the chemo killing my cancer.

If you are interested in knowing more about The Punisher, I wouldn’t check out the movies. I would first go here http://marvel.com/universe/Punisher_%28Frank_Castle%29, then check out some back issues or Google/Amazon for Essential Punisher. And, be prepared for a little violence…

T-shirt #262: Acting my shoe size since 1986.

I am proud to say this is my first and not my last pink shirt. Although when I ordered it from 6 Dollar Shirts (http://6dollarshirts.com, http://6dollarshirts.com/t-shirts/Acting-My-Shoe-Size-p-11122.html), I chose the “Azalea” color option because it looked more like a light red to me (see picture, am I wrong?). Either way, I can relate to what it says…

My name is Dave, I’m in my mid 30s, and I still love toys. I have a Barrel of Monkeys, Etch-a-Sketch, Simon Says, Slinky, and Silly Putty. I still enjoy playing video games and wiffle ball. I feel like it’s 1980 whenever I watch Empire Strikes Back or see the replay of the US hockey team winning gold. I often play little pranks on my family and friends like jumping out at them from around a corner. I usually embarrass my friends when I jump up and and down a couple of times and say “I’m in!” after excitedly going through the turnstiles at Fenway, The Fleet Center, BC, or a concert like it’s my first time there. I love getting excited for holidays, and I do still believe in Santa.

Having a “shoe size mindset” has its ups and downs. I feel passionate about a lot of what life has to offer. I am usually a huge hit with babies, kids, and dogs. I try not to judge people and believe they are good until they prove me wrong. I enjoy the simple things and laugh at the silly things. I still believe in my dreams. But, I also can easily get hurt. I tend to trust people, and sometimes they let me down. I try to believe people aren’t just out for themselves, but their actions prove me wrong. Luckily, times like these the adult in me comes out and says “Well, f- ‘em.”, and I move on.

I know a lot of this comes from facing Crohn’s and cancer in my teens, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I will always choose taking a chance over playing it safe, I will always laugh like a kid, and no matter what life throws at me I will try to have fun…

T-shirt #261: RED SOX

Well, it is past the middle of September and it doesn’t look like the Sox are going to make the playoffs this season. We have seen this movie before, and I have to say I prefer this scenario to the one where they stumble into the playoffs and get swept in the first round. It was an injury-riddled year, and I was impressed that they even hung in there as long as they did. The best thing about saying “there is always next year” now is that I have 2004 and 2007 to remind me that it is possible…

Speaking of possible, I did get to some games at Fenway this year and I need to vent about the prices. I don’t mind paying $20 for bleacher seats or standing room. Although tickets are way more expensive than other ballparks, I understand there are a limited number of seats at Fenway (and I don’t want a bigger venue). But seriously, it shouldn’t cost $5 for a Fenway Frank and $4 for a non-alcoholic beverage. I understand the owners need money to keep the team going and to be able to sign the best players, but how much do the really depend on concessions? A pack of Fenway Franks costs about $3 at the grocery store. Would they not make enough money if they charged $2 per Frank? I can buy a 2-liter of soda for less than $2 at Stop and Shop. Would the Sox not be able to pay certain players if they charged $2 for a 20 oz. soda instead of $4? I think if it’s a really hot and humid day, Fenway should give out bottles of water for free to everyone there. Seriously Sox, what’s more important: making money or making sure spectators aren’t passing out?

Ok, enough venting. Thanks to my sister and nephews for getting me this shirt! I am wearing it today because I thought it would be a good “Bahstan” shirt to wear when I see “The Town” today. I’ve heard mixed reviews, but I like to make my own opinions. After the movie, it’s off to Carl’s to play the new NHL ’11 video game. My secretary will be holding all calls…

T-shirt #260: "Oh, Canada!"

There are a lot of things I love about Canada. Hockey. Prince Edward Island (which includes many other things I love). The lack of gun violence compared to the US. The national anthem. The music. I enjoy Bryan Adams and BNL, but I love Celtic music. And although I love going to see PEI’s Richard Wood (http://www.rwood.ca), Cynthia MacLeod (http://www.cynthiamacleod.com), and Fiddler’s Sons; it is Newfoundland’s Great Big Sea (http://www.greatbigsea.com) and their awesome live shows that really get me jumping and singing.

Even though it was an ex of mine that introduced me to GBS, their music and performances kept me coming back for more. The way they played the traditional song “Mari-Mac” that first night I saw them made my jaw drop and my hands sting from clapping. “Old Black Rum” instantly became one of my favorites, and I knew it wouldn’t be the last GBS show I was going to go to. I have seen them in just about every show they have had in Massachusetts since 2002, saw them in New Haven, CT once, and finally saw them in Canada this summer. The New Haven show was in 2004, when I talked to the guys from The Pushstars (http://davestshirts.blogspot.com/2010/03/t-shirt-85-push-stars.html), but the “Dave almost becoming a sworn enemy of Canada” story happened after the show…

My friends and I left the place (of course, I found an awesome parking spot), and I had to make a left turn to get back on the main road back to Massachusetts. As I made the turn, I could see someone walking out of the corner of my eye. What I didn’t anticipate was this person would be in the middle of the crosswalk when I made the turn, but I still was able to stop the car without any incident. As I looked more closely at the individual, I noticed who it was. He must have heard me screaming “Holy shit, that was Alan Doyle!” to everyone in the car, because he looked back and smiled before I finished taking the turn. I just kept thinking how many people (including myself!) would have hated me if something tragic had happened that night. I’m REALLY glad I didn’t hit you, Alan!

I made this shirt to wear tonight, because Great Big Sea is playing at the Orpheum in Boston. I am going with my friend Tammy (who I believe was there when I almost hit Alan), someone I am glad to say I have converted to the Church of GBS. It should be a rockin’ time!

PS- Hockey season is here very soon!

T-shirt #259: MY SISTER HAS A DRUG PROBLEM...SHE CAN'T MAKE HER OWN INSULIN (SUPPORT DIABETES RESEARCH)

It was April of 1983 and my older sister Carolyn was down the street at her friend’s house. Her friend’s older brother had been recently diagnosed with Diabetes and had just gotten a new blood sugar tester. Just for the heck of it, they decided to test my sister’s blood sugar. It ended up being way too high and Carolyn went to the hospital that night, where she was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes. Young, selfish, and uninformed about Diabetes back then, I was upset that it meant we weren’t going to go on our family trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame. I am happy to say that I have since realized how much more important my sister is to me than any trip I may be taking…

Carolyn has given me so much. Without planning it, she provided me with a perfect role model for handling disease with courage and without complaining. By sticking a needle into herself twice a day, she showed me how it is possible to live with a condition on a daily basis and get used to the “fun” things that go along with it. I also saw her take action to help Diabetes research, including getting a check from Bret Michaels (signed with his real name) for a Diabetes fundraiser. Without her, I really don’t know how well I would have handled my Crohn’s and cancer diagnoses.

Another thing Carolyn has taught me about living with or without a disease is that laughing is a great way to get through any day. And, we have our inside jokes that make us laugh no matter how far it is from the day they happened. The “a-la peanut butter sandwiches” picture frame is a reminder one of those things. The hand gestures I gave my father in a PEI Tim Horton’s is another. And my hospital roommate asking the nurse for “chocolate ice cream, a couple of ‘em” happened the last time my Crohn’s really acted up.

Which brings me to the life lesson that Carolyn teaches me just about every day: support. No matter what project I am writing or what event is going on at Hope Lodge, I know she will be supporting me somehow. She has bought my books, bought me t-shirts, made things for Hope Lodge, bought things for Hope Lodge, and even wrote to the owner of Life is Good who sent me some shirts. She is not just a role model for older sisters; she is a role model for people in general.

I made this shirt for her birthday today, and it doesn’t even come close to showing how lucky I feel to have her as an older sister. I love you Ca, thanks for everything, and have a wonderful birthday!

If you would like to help stop Diabetes, go to:

http://stopdiabetes.diabetes.org/site/PageServer?pagename=SD_homepage&utm_source=Homepage&utm_medium=SDButton&utm_campaign=SD

T-shirt #258: THE BEATLES, RUBBER SOUL

Thanks to my mom and older brother Jon, I grew up listening to The Beatles. Up until the hair metal craze (and Irish music around St. Patrick’s Day), The Beatles were all I listened to. I remember how upset my mother was when John Lennon was shot, and how I was only one of two kids in the first grade (see also: Todd Demma) who actually knew who John Lennon was when it happened. Much like their career, I learned to appreciate the shorter, radio friendly songs first and the longer, “we are rich so we don’t care if the radio plays these songs” as the years of listening to them went on.

It is so hard to pick a favorite Beatles album, but I have to say Rubber Soul is right up there for me. It has Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man, Michelle, and In My Life, which are all among my favorite Beatles’ tunes. When I was a kid Sgt. Pepper’s was my favorite, but I think that may have been more of a function of the cool album cover and my brother’s influence.

When my mother wanted to go see The Beatles in concert, my grandmother wouldn’t let her because she thought “their hair was too long”. Luckily for me, my mother told herself she would let her kids go to whatever concert they wanted to (and let me say that the Motley Crue Girls, Girls, Girls tour had a lot more than just long hair to worry about!)…Thanks, Mom!

Whether you like them or not, The Beatles have sold more albums than anyone and have influenced countless musicians that came after them. For me, they opened me up to the world of music and set a difficult standard for others to follow (unless, of course, you were in a hair band that had a kick-ass ballad and/or video!). Rubber Soul will be 45 years old this December, but the songs still resonate with me today. For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_Soul

T-shirt #257 LIFE IS GOOD: GOOD VIBES ARE CONTAGIOUS

Thanks to my awesome sister Carolyn, this is the third shirt that was donated to me by Life is Good (http://www.lifeisgood.com). You can read about the other two here: http://davestshirts.blogspot.com/2010/07/t-shirt-194-haiti-optimism-has-no.html, http://davestshirts.blogspot.com/2010/07/t-shirt204-life-is-good-festival-2010.html

I believe life is good. But, the news is trying to tell me different. It’s no surprise to me that a majority of the lead news stories are about crime, violence, and things that don’t really matter (http://mediamatters.org/strupp/201003110032, http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/teaching_backgrounders/crime/tv_crime_facts.cfm). I no longer watch the local or national news broadcasts. Just about everything sucks, then for the last 15 seconds they may show a “Oh yeah, this happened” feel good story. I keep up with my current events by watching The Daily Show, which makes fun of the news and uncovers people being dishonest and hypocritical.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Glenn Beck's Operation
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

I was worried when “W” finally stepped out of office that the DS wouldn’t be as funny. I am happy to report this isn’t true. The world does still suck though. So, why not some happy news? I have a fantasy that if I ever had enough money, I would make a 24-hour news channel like CNN, but only report “good, happy” stories. I think there are many more of those in the world, but you don’t hear about them.

In the meantime, I did find these:

http://www.happynews.com

http://www.positivepage.com

Life is good, people. Be thankful for what you have!

T-shirt #256: My Other Shirt Is Also Ironic

This shirt was donated from Busted Tees (http://www.bustedtees.com, http://www.bustedtees.com/myothershirtisalsoironic), and it made me think of some examples of irony in my life (in no particular order):

1. When Tipper Gore and the PMRC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parents_Music_Resource_Center) put parental advisory stickers on certain albums to keep these albums from young people and it made me want to get these albums even more
2. When I was a freshman in college and in line to get my lottery number for sophomore year housing. It was St. Patrick’s Day, and I bragged that I would definitely get a great number because the Luck o’ The Irish would be with me…with higher numbers being better, I got a 22 out of a possible 2000-something…ouch.
3. When I reminded my mother that my first 18+ weekend was coming up, so there would be no 1:00 AM driving curfew for me. I started seeing double, and that Friday I was in the hospital and diagnosed with a brain tumor.
4. How out of all the websites I contacted for a t-shirt donation, Stand Up To Cancer (who has “Survivor” shirts and says they will respond within 48 hours) never even gave me a response. Feel free to tell them about my blog at by going to: http://su2c.standup2cancer.org/contact
5. When I begged and pleaded with my mom to let me have some of what I thought was “really sweet lemonade” from a bottle of lemon juice. Even though she assured me I wouldn’t like it, I insisted and she let me. Not the outcome I expected, and of course, I thought it was my mom’s fault!

If I’ve forgotten any that you know about, please share!