T-shirt #363 - WMU - BLACK LONG SLEEVE

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TODAY'S COUNT: 02 blog posts remaining in the T-shirt year!!
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T-shirt #363 - WMU - BLACK LONG SLEEVE

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Today's entry almost became dedicated to the shirt that was lost as I could not find this shirt for the first hour or so I tried looking.

But I did find it.

Here's some neat synergy. One of the three WMU shirts that I own that I shared in T-SHIRT #324 was given to me by AJ Avery, current forward on the WMU basketball team playing in the NCAA tournament. How's that for fun?

However, this shirt is my oldest WMU shirt, and a very nice shirt that I cannot believe was misplaced so long. WMU goes to the NCAA tournament for just the fourth time in school history. The men's basketball team also qualified for March Madness in 2004, 1998, and 1976. I taught students who played on both the 2004 and 1998 teams.

This is a big deal for WMU. Read about it here at MLIVE.

GO BRONCOS!

Though the Broncos draw a very tough match up in Syracuse. I don't expect them to prevail and advance. I will be rooting instead for my other favorite teams, including Kentucky, Kansas, and of course THE University of Michigan.

This blog began during March Madness last year, and I posted several Michigan shirts. These returned in explaining T-SHIRT #324. I think the content from #324 deserves to be rerun today even though it was only posted 38 days ago.


MARCH MADNESS UPDATE 1403.20 - 10:22 - I just completed my brackets for the NCAA tournament. Despite what I wrote last night, I decided that WMU can upset Syracuse and even win out in round 3 versus Dayton (who I pick to upset OSU).

I was somewhat inspired by President Obama's faith in the Spartans to pick them all the way through to the finals. Last year, I dumped Michigan too early, having Florida beat them in one bracket and Kansas in the other. I had no faith in my all-time favorite college team. This year I just did one bracket and picked University of Michigan to win it all. What the heck. I doubt I can win Warren Buffet's perfect bracket billion anyway. But I did not pick LOUSIVILLE, last year's winner, to get by Kentucky this year. Sorry Pitino.

First round upsets? Dayton and WMU as I already indicated. I have Harvard over Cincinnati, I have Providence taking North Carolina, and I have NC State downing Saint Louis. In tighter, games I have Pitt over Colorado and OK State over Gonzaga.

My Final Four are Florida, MSU, UofM, and Arizona.

Let the Madness begin!!

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T-shirt #324 - WMU - Big White Basketball shirt

T-shirt #324 - WMU - Big White Basketball shirt

I am not wearing this shirt.

It's a XXL. It's a little big for me.

An XL is big on me, but just big enough. That's how I like it.

I went to Western Michigan University for several undergraduate courses, even before, technically, I graduated from Kalamazoo College.

For awhile, I considered studying to be a secondary education teacher in the public school system.

I changed my mind.

I decided instead to earn degrees in literature and creative writing: fiction, and so I did graduate studies at WMU earning a Masters and a Masters of Fine Arts, the latter of which was, supposedly, a terminal degree.

This is a "short" entry because I am supposedly on "hiatus," at least that's what the boilerplate I keep pasting in here says.

READER: How's that "hiatus" working out for you, T-shirt Blogger Man?

T-SHIRT BLOGGER MAN: Not great.

READER: How come?

T-SHIRT BLOGGER MAN: I am not getting ahead as I planned. If anything, I am falling farther behind.

READER: I have noticed. I visit your blog every day and the unfinished entries are... unsettling.

T-SHIRT BLOGGER MAN: For you and me, both.

READER: Are you ever going to finish that Abbott's entry? And what do you have to say about Robin? And aren't some of your drafts in the drafts section MONTHS old, and if you promise to kick it, I promise to hold the football and not snatch it away at the last second.

T-SHIRT BLOGGER MAN: ARRRRRGGGG!!!!!!

BLOGGERY REPORT:  Thursday's Curious George entry, which I finished last night as of this writing, which was Saturday, even though this entry was published on Saturday, and now it's Sunday as I type....AND I updated it on Sunday, which is today, though in terms of when this entry was published it's tomorrow AND two days ago.

Is your mind blown yet?

ANYWAY, the Curious George post, T-shirt #322, has sky-rocketed the page views of the blog for today and the WEEK. In just a few hours, T-shirt #322, has vaulted into the top five posts most viewed this week AND climbing... It just gained one more page view since I started typing these comments. It's about to overtake the top post just since this morning.

This is the power of Sunday. Maybe I should wait and announce all my posts on Sundays.

Oh, right, short.

I am sure I can come up with more to say about WMU, but I have at least one other WMU shirt, so I will wait.

I will restrict myself here to how I came by this shirt.

For the last few years, I have been teaching a reading class at WMU. The day before WMU had its big basketball game with the University of Michigan, I wore this shirt, seen above right, to class (It's Michigan in Chinese) without thinking about my student, one A.J. Avery who was on the WMU Varsity Basketball team.

Talk about rubbing it in his face. Geez.

WMU lost, of course. But the next class period, A.J. brought me this nice, white WMU Basketball shirt as a gift.

Now, who was feeling ashamed of himself?

Not so much that I did not wear the shirt to the left later that semester.


Even more embarrassing is the way that the Michigan basketball team was thumped by Iowa yesterday as of this writing (which is the "today" of this entry's original publication). UGH.

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TODAY'S ITEM - WHY T-SHIRTS #9: FANDOM - GO TEAM!

REPRESENT!! Wearing a T-shirt that features a sporting team shows how I represent for my team. This is like wearing GREEN on St. Patrick's Day (which I don't do). I show allegiance.

Also, wearing the team logos, team colors, team art on my body, I keep it close to the heart, where it belongs.

AND ANOTHER also, by wearing the shirt of the team I want to win, I focus positive energy on that team, on that game, on that event, and try to affect the outcome.

Or I am just a goofy fan.

WHY T-SHIRTS EXPLANATORY BLURB: I am doing a series of snippets that will add up to a larger whole answering the "Why T-shirts?" or "What's with all the T-shirts?" question. I have also decided to include the previous items in an ever growing list, hence the "previous items" section next.

PREVIOUS ITEMS
#1: T-SHIRTS ARE COOL
#2: I BE BRANDED - CHOOSING TO ADVERTISE
#3: It's my tattoo
#4 PRIDE AND STATUS - "It's my thing."
#5 -  "LET ME GEEK FLAG FLY!!"
#6 - UNIFORM SHIRTS ARE COOL
#7. PROOF THAT I DID IT - SHIRTS FOR EVENTS
#8. THE FICTIONAL REALITY - THIS T-SHIRT WOULD EXIST
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OFFICIAL BOILERPLATE TEXT OF THE LAST TWENTY POSTS COUNTDOWN: Hi. Thanks for reading. I am posting this "boilerplate" text everyday for the last TWENTY posts in the T-SHIRT blog year, which started on March 22, 2013. I will close out daily transmission on March 21st, day 365 of my T-shirt blog-tastic extravaganza spectacular. I will give myself a short hiatus of total non-transmission or  publication for an as yet undetermined period of time, though I am estimating about two weeks. After my blog vacation hiatus, I will resume T-shirt posts on a regular basis, also as yet to be determined (weekly? Twice monthly?) to finish blogging about all the T-shirts that were not featured in the blog year. At some point, once I feel I am rolling along nicely, I will begin regular posting through my main blog: SENSE OF DOUBT. T-shirt posts will direct to the T-shirt blog from SENSE OF DOUBT. I will continue to post THE WEEKLY COMIC LIST, the features of occasional T-SHIRTS I AM WEARING THIS WEEK, book reviews, comic book reviews, and other popular culture nonsense as I have been for a year now but all will go up at SENSE OF DOUBT and some will direct back here to 365 T-SHIRTS. Ultimately, I will begin Internet publication of my fiction, primarily the comic book satire episodic story called POP! among other projects. So, in summary, 365 T-SHIRTS will continue though intermittently. SENSE OF DOUBT will host my main blog presence and fiction writing as well as links to any T-shirt posts shared here. I hope you will continue to follow me in my journey as a writer and a content provider. Thank you for your kind attention and time you have spent with me on this and/or any other day this year. I am humbled and blessed by your readership. - chris tower, blogger, originated 1403.02
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COUNTDOWN TO END OF THE BLOG YEAR - 02 shirts remaining

- chris tower - 1403.19 - 20:01
UPDATED - 1403.20 - 10:22

T-shirt #359 - Sandman - Shakespeare - Tempest

TODAY'S COUNT: 06 blog posts remaining in the T-shirt year!!

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T-shirt #359 - Sandman - Shakespeare - the Tempest


Hello and welcome to one of the few remaining installments of the DAILY TRANSMISSION of the 365 T-shirts blog project.

A couple of things before I share the main content of today's post, which will be for the most part my review of The Tempest at the WHAT A DO THEATRE of Battle Creek.

But first two subjects: COSMOS and the BLOG JOURNEY/ BLOG OUTLOOK.

COSMOS

I missed the premiere of the new Cosmos program on FOX, but Liesel and I watched it tonight (which is actually last night as I am writing this a day later but time is dilated like that).

I had already seen some Facebook posts about the program, and one of the authors I follow, John Scalzi, wrote about it on his blog: JOHN SCALZI AT WHATEVER BLOG ON COSMOS, the series.

Like many, Scalzi was disappointed in the music, which was decent but the same caliber as the original Vangelis music. Since I read his reactions, I was watching for the asteroid belt during the tour of the solar system, and I have to agree: too many asteroids.

I did not know that Neil deGrasse Tyson was so well known in memes shared on Facebook. I am not well acquainted with the man, I must admit. Though I liked his narration quite a bit.

I agree with Scalzi on most points, except that the animation sequence featuring Giordano Bruno went long. I liked it. Though watching the original transmissions of the show conflicts with our watching of The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, I have set the DVR, and Liesel and I will surely keep up with it.

Here's a bit I liked best from Scalzi's blog:

But the main reason why the show works this time is the same reason why the show worked the first time — it’s unabashedly aimed at a popular audience. I’ve said before that one of the things I learned from the original series is that so much of science is understandable to the average person; I thumbnail it as “anyone can get 80% of any scientific topic.” That other 20% is what takes real attention — but if you can get most people 80% of the way there, just by speaking plain language and being engaging while you do so, the benefits can be enormous in the long run. This series is made to provide that 80%. 

THE BLOG JOURNEY - THE BLOG OUTLOOK

I could surely go on and on rhapsodically about the blog in each of these remaining blog posts. I could treat you to a lot of "Yipee! I am going to make it!" And then, I could close with a final "YIPEE! I MADE IT!!" But I suspect that will get tedious. I cannot promise to refrain from such ecstatic, prideful exhortations of glee, but I will try to keep these cries of joy somewhat minimal and low key.

In sharing about The Tempest today, I am reminded of what it seemed to mean to Shakespeare and why Neil Gaiman invoked it at the end of his run on the Sandman comic book as seen on Today's T-shirt. Shakespeare was putting an end to his magic when he wrote The Tempest, breaking his magic staff and drowning his magic book.

In a sense, I am doing the same thing as my magical year comes to a close. I had the merest glimmer of a notion that I dismissed as difficult and narcissistic, which I revisited after being diagnosed with cancer. Could I write something every day? This question plagued me the most. I needed to know that I could keep pace with a blog that would demand a daily installment. A secondary question also occurred to me: would anyone care? Would anyone read? I was less interested in the answer to this question, but I have been pleased with the results. My links do not always get liked on Facebook, and I do not get comments there or here on a regular basis, but I see activity, and I am inspired to do more writing and writing of other kinds (not just t-shirts) in the future.

In a way, I have woven my own magic spells in daily castings with this blog. I could presume to suggest that the spell worked on you, dear reader. But this idea is very presumptuous. I would rather declare that the spell worked its magic on me. I explored many aspects of my self and my interests over the course of this year of T-shirt blogging, and the spell I made shrouds me in comfort. I am more comfortable in who I am and why I am as well as where I am going. The blog has given me a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment that I was lacking. And now I am geared for more accomplishment and challenges and tests of my fire.

The analogy with the Tempest is not quite in sync. I am neither breaking my staff nor drowning my book. Not only will the T-shirt blog continue but my writing and my blogging will also continue. I will be somewhat relieved to no longer be tied--by lashings of my own making to be sure but still ones I took seriously--to daily transmissions. I will still broadcast at least weekly, if not multiple times a week, and I am planning to continue a daily writing regimen, but the daily transmissions will cease as will the need to post an incomplete entry let alone leaving entries incomplete (there are still six incomplete entries on this blog as of this writing). And though my regular transmissions will broadcast from my other blog, the T-shirt blog will continue since I still have shirts remaining that were in my possession when I started the blog project as well as a bunch of new shirts and plans for some extensive love letters, such as my post on the soap opera The Young and the Restless (yes, I am a fan), which has languished in various states of draft and incompletion since at least August if not earlier. I late updated the Y&R blog post on September 17th.

The Blog Journey has been rich and fulfilling, and the Blog Outlook promises good weather and favorable winds to propel me through the rest of this year. I hope you will stay tuned.

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THE TEMPEST

I am blessed with the opportunity to see great local theater, write my views, and have these published in The Battle Creek Enquirer. I saw a very special production Friday night that truly was a work of art. here's the link to the published review.

Review: 'Tempest' spirits audience away to magical world

Next, I will share the promotional text for the show, some promotional videos, and my unedited review.

Thanks for reading.

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WHAT A DO'S PROMOTIONAL TEXT - 

What A Do Theatre’s second production of the New Artist Series will feature Resident Company Member Tara Bouldrey as director and welcomes Chicago-based aerial choreographer Genevieve Lally-Knuth in this enchanting version of William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” Set on a remote island the exiled Duchess of Milan, Prospera, plots to restore her daughter Miranda to her rightful place using illusion and skillful manipulation. The eponymous Tempest brings to the island Prospera’s usurping sister Antonia as well as the complicit Alonso, King of Naples, and his royal entourage. Three plots are intertwined throughout the rest of the play and are eloquently told under Bouldrey’s direction and Lally-Knuth’s aerial choreography.
“It was when Genevieve Lally-Knuth came to see “Back County Crimes” last January that the idea for this production was born. A Chicago-based performer, Genevieve has a long history with physical theatre, Shakespeare and aerial acrobatics. She was instantly drawn to the steel rafters that contribute to the unique performance space at What A Do,” says Bouldrey.
The new artist series strives to spotlight up-and-coming artists and allow for that art to be incorporated into elements on the stage. Bouldrey made the decision to take the original text and cut it heavily in order to establish the mysterious and magically masque-like atmosphere under which “The Tempest” was originally performed. This production is a must-see as the space, cast and production team are utilized to their fullest capacity.
Lally-Knuth states that, “The work is all done as an ensemble so that the finished product really showcases the strengths each actors brings with them. And I love that we all have such stock in the finished piece. We built it together. This is true ensemble work.”
This production features Kristin Marie Stelter, Averi Beck, Sam Friia, Joshua Olgine, Emily James, Rachel Markillie, Heather Cerridwen, Jared Sheldon, Vanessa Banister, Quinton McDougall, Stefani Lynn Wallace, Lars J. Loofboro, Tara Bouldrey, and Genevieve Lally-Knuth.

Performance dates are: March 14 & 15 - 8PMMarch 20, 21, & 22 - 8P

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The Tempest- Shipwreck

The Tempest- Teaser What A Do Theatre

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"The Tempest”
a production of What A Do Theatre
Attended Date: March 14, 2014
reviewed by Christopher Tower

Welcome to the storm. Magic, aerial choreography, and special effects merge in an organic aesthetic quite unlike anything seen before with the second production of the New Artist Series launched by the What A Do Theatre Company. Resident artist Tara Bouldrey collaborates with Chicago-based aerial choreographer Genevieve Lally-Knuth for a unique interpretation of William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.”

Upon entering the unique space of the Dickman Road theater, the magical and other dimensional ambience of this special production takes shape. Large fabric curtains shield the performance space, painted with cabala and mandala, some adorned with runic or astrological symbols, which effectively shrouds the performers in the magical spells of the show’s main character. Eerie lighting effects and insistent, infectious music add to the other worldly feel as the theatrical journey spirits the audience away from the mundane world to a magical world, much like the characters are transported in what is considered to be Shakespeare’s last play.

The spectacle of this production is unlike anything attempted yet at What A Do or anywhere in the west Michigan area. As an organic work of art, a whole, this production of “The Tempest” is unique, powerful, and beautiful. Though not perfect in every aspect, the elements that recommend this production far and away outweigh those that would count against it.

For Shakespearean purists, some adjustments will be necessary as Bouldrey not only cut the script extensively but recast many of the roles, reversing genders. The re-interpretation works very well and fits the aesthetic of the entire show, though the performances do not always well support the interpretation.
Though in the original, the magician and rightful Duke of Milan Prospero and daughter Miranda are shipwrecked on an island after he was betrayed and cast off to sea by his brother Antonio, aided by Alonso, King of Naples, for the dukedom of Milan. Here, the magician is Prospera (Kristin Marie Stelter), mother of Miranda (Averi Beck), whose sister Antonia (Vanessa Banister) has conspired with Alonso (Rachel Markillie) to depose her from her rightful place as Duchess. Prospera’s servants, Caliban (Joshua Olgine) and Ariel (Sam Friia) remain male, though other characters see gender reversals, such as Ferdinand (Emily James) and Trincula, a jester (Stefani Lynn Wallace).

The core story survives. Prospera engineers the romance between his daughter Miranda and Alonso’s son Ferdinand. Caliban hatches a plot to kill Prospera with the drunken Trincula and Stephano (Lars J. Loofboro), and Antonia and Sebastian (Jared Sheldon) conspire to kill Alonso. This last plot works all the better now with Antonia as a woman thus entangling the two romantically, which is a reading of the relationships well supported in the original text.

Much of the original Shakespearean script is supplanted by choreographed sequences by Genevieve Lally-Knuth. The performing space features hanging fabrics and one hoop that are used in various ways for amazing aerial movement sequences. The storm that shipwrecks the cast on Prospera’s island and a later sequence in which Prospera ensorcels Alonso and his cadre are among the show’s most impressive scenes. The aerial choreography is reason enough to go see this show, but Bouldrey’s strong direction and smart choices with the Shakespearean text make it all the more worthwhile. The show flows artfully and exquisitely like a masterwork symphony due to the synergy of these two brilliant creators.

And yet, direction and special effects alone might not be enough to satisfy all audiences if performances were lacking. And though Shakespeare demands much of its performers, the majority of the performances in this show are awe-inspiring.

Left: Kristin Marie Stelter as Prospera;
right: Joshua Olgine as Caliban

Kristin Marie Stelter continues to prove that she is one of the most important and talented members of the What A Do company with her majestic work as Prospera. She is regal and frightening when the role demands it and aggrieved and miserable when stripped of her powers at the end of the show. Her work is sophisticated and a driving force for the production.

Joshua Olgine has proven many times that he is an extremely talented actor, but his work in the role of Caliban is mind-blowing. He is a consummate actor with a range so vast that he is transformed to an almost unrecognizable state in this role. Olgine contorts his body in ways only a yoga master could attain. He performs for most of the show in crouched position with his torso bobbing near the stage floor. His vocal work as well as movement in addition to his shaved head and body painted skin make his role one of the most special in the show.

Sam Friia as Ariel

Sam Friia turns in his best work to date in the role of Ariel. He is true to every moment, every nuance, and subtlety in this role. Averi Beck proves once again that she has talents beyond her years with impeccable diction and stature in the role of Miranda. Beck has achieved a quality of talent and mastery of the craft by the age of fifteen rarely seen in performers of her age. The drunken clowns played by Loofboro and Wallace are over the top hilarious and without flaws. And Vanessa Banister’s Antonia is sufficiently sinister early on and later redeemed as Propsera forgives her.

In nearly every aspect, this production of “The Tempest” is a complete and organic work of art. Direction, choreography, special effects, and performances merge into a two and a half hour spectacle of magic, power, and energy rarely seen on stages in our Michigan communities. Innovative, well-conceived, appropriate, and even true to the essence of the original despite the re-interpretations this production is a special achievement that repeats through March 22nd. Don’t miss it!

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this is the shirt
I am actually wearing today

OFFICIAL BOILERPLATE TEXT OF THE LAST TWENTY POSTS COUNTDOWN: Hi. Thanks for reading. I am posting this "boilerplate" text everyday for the last TWENTY posts in the T-SHIRT blog year, which started on March 22, 2013. I will close out daily transmission on March 21st, day 365 of my T-shirt blog-tastic extravaganza spectacular. I will give myself a short hiatus of total non-transmission or  publication for an as yet undetermined period of time, though I am estimating about two weeks. After my blog vacation hiatus, I will resume T-shirt posts on a regular basis, also as yet to be determined (weekly? Twice monthly?) to finish blogging about all the T-shirts that were not featured in the blog year. At some point, once I feel I am rolling along nicely, I will begin regular posting through my main blog: SENSE OF DOUBT. T-shirt posts will direct to the T-shirt blog from SENSE OF DOUBT. I will continue to post THE WEEKLY COMIC LIST, the features of occasional T-SHIRTS I AM WEARING THIS WEEK, book reviews, comic book reviews, and other popular culture nonsense as I have been for a year now but all will go up at SENSE OF DOUBT and some will direct back here to 365 T-SHIRTS. Ultimately, I will begin Internet publication of my fiction, primarily the comic book satire episodic story called POP! among other projects. So, in summary, 365 T-SHIRTS will continue though intermittently. SENSE OF DOUBT will host my main blog presence and fiction writing as well as links to any T-shirt posts shared here. I hope you will continue to follow me in my journey as a writer and a content provider. Thank you for your kind attention and time you have spent with me on this and/or any other day this year. I am humbled and blessed by your readership. - chris tower, blogger, originated 1403.02
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COUNTDOWN TO END OF THE BLOG YEAR - 06 shirts remaining

- chris tower - first published - 1403.15 - 19:57

Final Publication - 1403.16 - 13:07

T-shirt #358 - Mage shirt (old)

TODAY'S COUNT: 07 blog posts remaining in the T-shirt year!!
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T-shirt #358 - Mage shirt (old)

I am writing about "today" tomorrow. As in I posted an incomplete message originally for today's blog, which is Friday. I was engaged in a long day of running errands today, and then had to speed off for dinner with my parents and a show I had to review, a very unusual and wonderful production of Shakespeare's The Tempest, which will be the subject of tomorrow's blog.

This is the original MAGE shirt (and hat). I have posted about the comic book Mage three times before. I have a newer and better (clean and unaged) Mage T-shirt left to share, which I will do in the blog's future, the blog's extended run. This was my first MAGE shirt, and when it began to show its age, and I decided to wear it out playing Ultimate, I retired it from the "dressy" shirt service and upgraded to a newer, nicer "mint" version of the MAGE shirt.

HERE'S MY PREVIOUS MAGE CONTENT:

T-SHIRT #206 - MAGE - WHAT COLOR IS MAGIC

T-SHIRT #140 - JOE PHAT - the nice one

T-SHIRT #229 - JOE PHAT - the work shirt

Here's some of that previous content:

 T-shirt #206: Mage: What Color is Magic?

Today's shirt is one of the oldest in my closet. I believe that Matt Wagner released this shirt far in advance ofMage: The Hero Defined, for which we Mage fans waited A VERY LONG TIME.

I submit for consideration that Kevin Matchstick is one of the coolest names for a hero and main character ever created.

As for the shirt's subject matter, I first wrote about the Mage series in T-shirt #140, and intrigued some comic fans that a Joe Phat shirt existed. As I warned then, I own two Joe Phat shirts plus two of the Mage lightning bolt shirts (unless I purged the old one), and so I have plenty more chances to write about Mage, which is an important disclaimer as today I am restricting myself to four short topics, none of which are directly Mage-related.

Though the second Mage series was finally released in 1997, I suspect that this shirt was released sometime between 1988 and 1992, hence my claim of its elderly status among the shirts in my closet. In fact, given its age and how worn it has been, I have all but retired it, allowing it languish in the depths of the extended closet.
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OFFICIAL BOILERPLATE TEXT OF THE LAST TWENTY POSTS COUNTDOWN: Hi. Thanks for reading. I am posting this "boilerplate" text everyday for the last TWENTY posts in the T-SHIRT blog year, which started on March 22, 2013. I will close out daily transmission on March 21st, day 365 of my T-shirt blog-tastic extravaganza spectacular. I will give myself a short hiatus of total non-transmission or  publication for an as yet undetermined period of time, though I am estimating about two weeks. After my blog vacation hiatus, I will resume T-shirt posts on a regular basis, also as yet to be determined (weekly? Twice monthly?) to finish blogging about all the T-shirts that were not featured in the blog year. At some point, once I feel I am rolling along nicely, I will begin regular posting through my main blog: SENSE OF DOUBT. T-shirt posts will direct to the T-shirt blog from SENSE OF DOUBT. I will continue to post THE WEEKLY COMIC LIST, the features of occasional T-SHIRTS I AM WEARING THIS WEEK, book reviews, comic book reviews, and other popular culture nonsense as I have been for a year now but all will go up at SENSE OF DOUBT and some will direct back here to 365 T-SHIRTS. Ultimately, I will begin Internet publication of my fiction, primarily the comic book satire episodic story called POP! among other projects. So, in summary, 365 T-SHIRTS will continue though intermittently. SENSE OF DOUBT will host my main blog presence and fiction writing as well as links to any T-shirt posts shared here. I hope you will continue to follow me in my journey as a writer and a content provider. Thank you for your kind attention and time you have spent with me on this and/or any other day this year. I am humbled and blessed by your readership. - chris tower, blogger, originated 1403.02
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MORE CONTENT

The previous label can be read two ways. One way refers to the content I am delivering. The other way refers to a feeling and having more of it: feeling more content.

MAGE and his magic, glowing baseball bat reminds me of people who need that magic baseball bat upside the head.

We have a problem with people not paying attention and thinking they are the center of the universe.
Yesterday, I was at the bank, exiting the parking lot, some lady in an SUV was entering, driving through a narrow lane that only allows one car, each way, to pass. She stops and is futzing with her phone, she looked like she was writing a text. Meanwhile, two cars have to stop behind her. Was her text or whatever she was doing so important that she had to make those two other drivers wait? I see a lot of this behavior, which seems to have only become worse with technological devices that people regard as more important than basic decency and considerate actions.

For the next bit, I am not sure who needs the baseball bat upside the head, the president or Mark Zuckerberg.

Then later, I am reading the BOING BOING feed, and I find this news item:

ZUCKERBERG CALLS PRESIDENT OBAMA.

You can read the whole content there, but I am going to steal some of it.

The internet works because most people and companies do the same. We work together to create this secure environment and make our shared space even better for the world.

This is why I've been so confused and frustrated by the repeated reports of the behavior of the US government. When our engineers work tirelessly to improve security, we imagine we're protecting you against criminals, not our own government.

The US government should be the champion for the internet, not a threat. They need to be much more transparent about what they're doing, or otherwise people will believe the worst.

I've called President Obama to express my frustration over the damage the government is creating for all of our future. Unfortunately, it seems like it will take a very long time for true full reform.

So it's up to us -- all of us -- to build the internet we want. Together, we can build a space that is greater and a more important part of the world than anything we have today, but is also safe and secure. I'm committed to seeing this happen, and you can count on Facebook to do our part.

By the way, Mr. Zuckerberg, the Internet is a proper name, and thus it is capitalized.

I am not sure that Mark Zuckerberg's intentions here are entirely altruistic, but I do like the cause he's chosen to champion.

The article is worth looking at, the accusations against the NSA are kind of frightening.

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WEEKLY COMICS LIST

 I am a sucker for a good cover. See that alluring David Lopez Captain Marvel cover? NICE.

I have not ever taken a picture of the Weekly Comics Stack. I think this is very good thing to do.

As you can see Fantastic Four hit the top of the stack followed by Black Widow and The Walking Dead as you can read in the list below. The Captain Marvel issue, despite its awesome cover, is somewhere in the middle. Nearer the bottom, though I am kind of excited about the issues, there's STRAY BULLETS, which is an excellent comic book. Lapham finally finished his previous run, and so that's the last issue (#41) of the previous run, and then the first of the new issues. Though obviously inspired by the film, Pulp Fiction, have been a fan for some time now. And you may also see a T-shirt, one of the last ones I ordered before I cut myself off (and back when I was worried that I would run out of shirts).

Here's the list. Those Stray Bullets issues may move up. Sometimes my mood shifts and other things become priorities.

COMICS FOR 1403.12

Fantastic Four #002
Black Widow#004
The Walking Dead #123
All New X-Men #024
The Superior Spider-Man #029
Batman #29
Mighty Avengers #008
Secret Avengers #001
Uber #10
Hawkeye #017
Captain Marvel  #001
Batgirl #29
Justice League of America #13
Superman/ Wonder Woman #6
Nightwing #29
Avengers Undercover #1
Stray Bullets #41
Stray Bullets: Killers #1
X-Force #2

BACK LOG

Astro City #10

SPECIAL PURCHASE

Inhumans T-shirt

I am sure I will be reviewing many of these comics in future blog posts.

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COUNTDOWN TO END OF THE BLOG YEAR - 08 shirts remaining

- chris tower - first published - 1403.14 - 19:10
final publication - 1403.15 - 19:15

T-shirt #357 - The Pixies - Long-Sleeve

TODAY'S COUNT: 09 blog posts remaining in the T-shirt year!!
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I think I should start adding whiskey to my iced tea, coffee, whatever I am drinking all day, in large amounts. The grades I am giving would improve. I would enjoy giving them much more, and the students would appreciate my drunken scrawl of computer type.

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T-shirt #357 - The Pixies - Long-Sleeve - MUSIC THERAPY CLUB

I considered posting just one video on this page -- keeping it simple.

But then it has to be one Pixies video, and I feel I posted some of the best Pixies videos I could find when I posted about the Pixies for T-shirt # 329.

I liked the pseudo "Battle of the Bands" thing I did for T-shirt #350, but I did not want to post another TEN videos.

But maybe I could compromise.

How about three videos?

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OFFICIAL BOILERPLATE TEXT OF THE LAST TWENTY POSTS COUNTDOWN: Hi. Thanks for reading. I am posting this "boilerplate" text everyday for the last TWENTY posts in the T-SHIRT blog year, which started on March 22, 2013. I will close out daily transmission on March 21st, day 365 of my T-shirt blog-tastic extravaganza spectacular. I will give myself a short hiatus of total non-transmission or  publication for an as yet undetermined period of time, though I am estimating about two weeks. After my blog vacation hiatus, I will resume T-shirt posts on a regular basis, also as yet to be determined (weekly? Twice monthly?) to finish blogging about all the T-shirts that were not featured in the blog year. At some point, once I feel I am rolling along nicely, I will begin regular posting through my main blog: SENSE OF DOUBT. T-shirt posts will direct to the T-shirt blog from SENSE OF DOUBT. I will continue to post THE WEEKLY COMIC LIST, the features of occasional T-SHIRTS I AM WEARING THIS WEEK, book reviews, comic book reviews, and other popular culture nonsense as I have been for a year now but all will go up at SENSE OF DOUBT and some will direct back here to 365 T-SHIRTS. Ultimately, I will begin Internet publication of my fiction, primarily the comic book satire episodic story called POP! among other projects. So, in summary, 365 T-SHIRTS will continue though intermittently. SENSE OF DOUBT will host my main blog presence and fiction writing as well as links to any T-shirt posts shared here. I hope you will continue to follow me in my journey as a writer and a content provider. Thank you for your kind attention and time you have spent with me on this and/or any other day this year. I am humbled and blessed by your readership. - chris tower, blogger, originated 1403.02
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THREE VIDEOS TODAY - none of which are by the Pixies.

I really exhausted what I wanted to share on the Pixies in T-shirt # 329.

I was going to include more long time favourites. But in recent years, I have become a huge fan of downtempo jazz, house, chillout house, ambient chill-out, deep house, and lounge music. Anything with a down beat or no down beat and just a chill factor. I prefer material without lyrics. My favourite chill artist is DJ Dimsa, who I think works in Europe somewhere, possibly Paris.

Here's the "about" on his YouTube channel. DJ DIMSA ON YOUTUBE.

DJ Dimsa is a unique phenomenon representing a very new direction in international DJing. Bedroom DJ or a Professional? Lounge or Deep House DJ? A pioneer of the Internet DJ or a leader for the new breed of Social Media DJs? All of the above and none of them at the same time. DJ Dimsa clearly stands out from today's crowd of typical DJs who narrowly specialize on one and only genre and sound -- he takes the road less travelled and leverages his almost 30 years of musical background to create his unique sound. Dimsa is an Original Lounge Crusader. He has a mission, the LOUNGE mission: to share his moods, whether it's a beachside cafe or cluster of poolside cabanas in Mallorca, Spain or an ultra-chic and hip lounge in the Bay Area around San Francisco, Dimsa has it covered.

If you like this kind of thing, check out his mixes. It is my thing. Luckily, I was able to download some of his mixes from a DJ site two years ago. As far as I know he's not producing material that can be downloaded anymore.

I was going to share one of his new ones, but I found an older one on his You Tube channel that I like much better. Here it is.

Impulse - Bedroom Lounge

I am going to cheat. That one doesn't count as one single song. So now I am posting THREE videos. The previous video is a freebie.

Three songs that have meant more to me than I can express in words by artists for whom I do not own T-shirts.

I went live with the next one, even though none of the live recordings on You Tube are perfect as the very beginning of the song is cut off, and all the songs are shorter versions. Still, seeing and hearing the passion of Beth Orton doing this song is amazing.

I have seen Beth Orton twice. The first time I saw her in Irving Place in New York and I was watching the warm up band as she walked up behind me with her dress for the show slung over shoulder. Other people mobbed her, so I left her alone, but we exchanged smiles.

Beth Orton is one of my favorite all time singer-songwriters PERIOD. I discovered her quite by chance, when I decided to buy some new music, two new CDs, based on reviews in Details magazine. Both artists (the other is Lori Carson) have become two of my favorites.

This song has been an anthem to me. A healing balm. A passionate, angry, tortured testament to some love lost, found, found again, whatever.

It's just a great fucking song.

Beth Orton - Feel To Believe (Live @ Union Chapel, London, 05.12.

I had an argument with some wanker online over the lyrics. I say she's singing

And I won't waste a single second
Living in hell as an idea of heaven
And if one truth leads you to five
I still don't believe in your reasons why

But this bloke, and many of the lyrics sites have

And I won't waste a single second
Living in hell as a nadir of heaven
And if one truth leads you to five
I still don't believe in your reasons why

I say that since Beth is British, her "an idea of" comes out like "nadir of." If I ever get a chance to meet or correspond with Beth, I am going to ask her. But, really, I am pretty sure I'm right.

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I cannot remember if I discovered William Orbit first and was further convinced to buy Beth Orton's first album Trailer Park (1996) because he produced it or if I found her first. I suspect I had already found Orbit in 1996 because I first fell in love with Orbit's 1993 Water From A Vine Leaf. Orbit also produced the only Madonna album I really like Ray of Light.

This next song is amazing and comes from his 2006 masterpiece Hello WaveForms.

William Orbit (feat. Kenna & Sugababes) - Spiral

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I have no real plan here. I am just letting the energy of the universe and happenstance guide me in these picks. The songs have to be great and ones that have meant a great deal to me. They also have to be from artists I have not yet nor do not plan to share about. 

Last one...

Japan Ghosts 480p Quality

Uploaded on Feb 17, 2011

originally transmitted 18.3.82. the clip everybody remembers - let the dry ice flow and the special effects roll..

I am going to let this one speak for itself. Love this band and I love David Sylvian and his solo career since then.

COUNTDOWN TO END OF THE BLOG YEAR - 08 shirts remaining

- chris tower - 1403.13 - 19:59

T-shirt #353 - "Death" - Shi Comic

TODAY'S COUNT: 12 blog posts remaining in the T-shirt year!!

T-shirt #353 - "Death" - Shi Comic

Once I was out for breakfast with my good friend Chris Dilley, who speaks Chinese and has lived in China for short periods of time, and he asked "Why do you have death on your t-shirt?"

"It's from a comic book. Shi."

"Oh."

Sadly, I could not offer much more back than that.

I could not recall the details then that I can share with you here after some Internet searching.

Apparently the Japanese character for "death" and the Chinese are very much similar.

Shi is a character created by William Tucci and came to prominence in independent comics in the early 1990s. Like the shirt's character, her name translates literally as "death." She is a Japanese-American woman drawn into an ancient "shadow war" between sohei warrior monks.

Though the character is often depicted in provocative and sexual poses, the series itself rooted itself in Japanese history, mythology, and spirituality.

Buying the Shi comic was definitely an action in which my ethics came into conflict with my fan boy, basic male hormone-driven lusty nature.

Though tame compared to many of the Manga and bubblegum pop cheesecake of little girls in short skirts popular with the Japanese men, and though Shi panders directly to the fan boys who like to ogle provocatively dressed women, even if they are sohei warriors armed with a naginata who could kill them with a flick of the razor sharp pole arm.

Men are visually wired. This is a fact proven best by evolutionary psychology (even though "intellectuals" dismiss evolutionary psychology as non-factual and anecdotal). I confess that I have a tendency to ogle, though less so now that I am married.

Nevertheless, I like the shirt because it's not a picture of Shi in a position swiped from a picture on pornographic magazine. It's just the Chinese character for "death" because when Shi is involved, death is coming.

I am using this shirt as an excuse to write about other comics. To feel that I have provided enough content, feel free to explore the links to Wikipedia and Comic Vine Shi content farther below. And, because my visual wiring almost requires it, I have a gallery of Shi art, mostly by original creator Billy Tucci. The art is gorgeous, even though, at times, it's swiped from pornography.

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OFFICIAL BOILERPLATE TEXT OF THE LAST TWENTY POSTS COUNTDOWN: Hi. Thanks for reading. I am posting this "boilerplate" text everyday for the last TWENTY posts in the T-SHIRT blog year, which started on March 22, 2013. I will close out daily transmission on March 21st, day 365 of my T-shirt blog-tastic extravaganza spectacular. I will give myself a short hiatus of total non-transmission or  publication for an as yet undetermined period of time, though I am estimating about two weeks. After my blog vacation hiatus, I will resume T-shirt posts on a regular basis, also as yet to be determined (weekly? Twice monthly?) to finish blogging about all the T-shirts that were not featured in the blog year. At some point, once I feel I am rolling along nicely, I will begin regular posting through my main blog: SENSE OF DOUBT. T-shirt posts will direct to the T-shirt blog from SENSE OF DOUBT. I will continue to post THE WEEKLY COMIC LIST, the features of occasional T-SHIRTS I AM WEARING THIS WEEK, book reviews, comic book reviews, and other popular culture nonsense as I have been for a year now but all will go up at SENSE OF DOUBT and some will direct back here to 365 T-SHIRTS. Ultimately, I will begin Internet publication of my fiction, primarily the comic book satire episodic story called POP! among other projects. So, in summary, 365 T-SHIRTS will continue though intermittently. SENSE OF DOUBT will host my main blog presence and fiction writing as well as links to any T-shirt posts shared here. I hope you will continue to follow me in my journey as a writer and a content provider. Thank you for your kind attention and time you have spent with me on this and/or any other day this year. I am humbled and blessed by your readership. - chris tower, blogger, originated 1403.02

BY THE WAY NOTE: 1403.09: Reviewing my page views, I am intrigued that my post for

T-shirt #348 - Kalamazoo College Alumni has jumped to the top of the monthly page views list followed by the WMU post for T-shirt #324 (no, I am not linking them all), the Fantastic Four logo for T-shirt #344, Curious George (#322), and Robin-Time Drake (#323).

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Shi Comic Resources

Shi (Comics) Wikipedia

Shi - Character - Comic Vine

Shi - The Way of the Warrior - Comic Vine

Shi Movie? DEATH IS COMING


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There was a Shi and Daredevil cross over comic. Information is HERE: SHI & DAREDEVIL.

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Comic Reviews

Herein I review the top six comics from my stack from March fifth 2014 as promised two days ago in the blog for T-shirt #351.

Though the blog will grow to a large size with images and the content I am sharing, I do consider these to be "mini" reviews. :-) Really. I mean it. Stop laughing at me.

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SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS 

Do not read on if you wish to remain unaware of what takes places in the following comics:

Afterlife with Archie #4

Moon Knight #001

Velvet #4

Starlight #1

Green Arrow #29

Forever Evil #6

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AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE #4

Afterlife with Archie continues to be great with work by one of the most under-rated and yet best writers in the business (whose take on the Fantastic Four in the comic simply titled 4 is still among my favorites) -- Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and the up and coming master of the dark and shadowy Francesco Francavilla.

Issue #4 is the best yet. As Archie leave Lodge manor and heads home to save his parents, he flashes back to childhood memories, mainly of choosing his puppy Vegas, and the bond that they share. This flashback culminates in the scene in which Vegas sacrifices himself for "Archie Master."

Later in the comic, Archie must make a similarly difficult choice as he must take a bat to the skull of his now zombie-fied father, hence the banner image above.

Here's some good sites that go into more depth on the comic and a few pages from it. Truly excellent work!!

AGUIRRE-SACASA GOES INSIDE "AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE'S" BRUTAL TURN

And in an excerpt, Aguirre-Sacasa says: "I can't speak for Francesco, but for me, the biggest surprise -- and the most gratifying thing -- has been the unconditional -- like, completely unconditional -- support this book has gotten from everyone at Archie, from Jon Goldwater on down. It's a labor of love for everyone…"

HORRORTALK REVIEW

Horrortalk is a great blog site full of all things HORROR, which my wife especially will love once I tell her about it.

And lastly, the link below, is a preview that includes a "trailer" because in today's world one can make a movie-style, film-like preview for a comic book (or anything really). And, yes, it's actually very awesome and worth watching.

Afterlife with Archie #4 trailer looks awesome

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Moon Knight #001

If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you already know that I am a very fond fan of writer Warren Ellis, so much so that I have devoted a category just to post concerning him in my category list. For those who are not regular readers, there, I just told you.

So it should be no surprise that I eagerly anticipated the new Moon Knight  comic by Ellis, Declan Shalvey, and Jordie Bellaire.

In the exclusive CBR interview (see link below), Ellis promises a Planetary-esque experience with Moon Knight, which will set all Ellis fans' hearts aflutter as there is a great deal of general agreement that Planetary is if not his best work, surely top five. It's also one of the best comics of its kind ever produced.

Ellis discussed in the interview (again, link below) that his "Planetary process" is to scrape back barnacles to "what excited people about it [the comic, the character] in the first place." This process of scraping has me intrigued and has set my creative juices a-flowing on my own projects.

The Moon Knight comic is a great new look at the character (though I am hoping that the cape and special helicopter eventually make appearances) supplied by Ellis' inventive twist. The ending, which I will NOT spoil here after all, makes a great reversal of an assumption about the character that will produce some very intriguing stories going forward. This comic could easily have taken my top spot for the week, though it's rivaled by other GREAT comics that came out on March FIFTH.

BTW, Quirky thing, because they can be quirky, the Moon Knight comic letters page -- "Going Postal" -- is only accepting hand written letters mailed in the postal mail and marked "Okay to Print." I find this request amusing and wonder how many they will receive. Will they in turn be postal mailed to Ellis or scanned into a Google account or sent via email?

I will share some pages from the comic after the links.

MOON KNIGHT LINKS

WARREN ELLIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ABOUT THE NEW MOON KNIGHT

Charles Skaggs always produces good reviews.

Damn Good Coffee and Hot! - Charles Skaggs' Moon Knight Review

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Velvet #4

Velvet continues to be one of my favorite comics, and for those who like the old 1950s and 1960s spy thrillers, you will find this comic to be one of the best on the market, which is a claim that if I keep making it, I am going to have to back up with an actual LIST. Though my assessment will be flawed because I do not read everything.

This issue is connective tissue, moving the story from one major plot point to the next. You have to be invested in the story already to enjoy it. This is not the kind of thing you can pick up midway.

Set in 1973, Velvet Templeton, a retired field agent, is in the field once again and on the run after seemingly set up for the murder of one of the ARC-7's best operatives. 

One of the best observations by the reviewer shared in the upcoming link is that Templeton is an older woman, though we're not sure how old, surely she's at least in her 40s.

Here's the review I mentioned, a great REVIEW by Benjamin Herman of issues one and two.

In this issue, Velvet costumes herself for prowling about Monaco's annual Carnival of Fools to make contact with an ex-KGB agent named by the woman whom Velvet sprung from prison in the last issue (in the flashback in one of the art pages I will share below). The issues turns quickly with a great action sequence as Velvet intervenes to protect her contact and is almost beaten to death by an assassin. She narrates this sequence, explaining that any fight that lasts more than five seconds is hell. She manages to beat the assassin in a very hardcore and unexpected fashion, (I don't want to give away everything), after which she and her contact Roman, get the heck out of the area. the issue ends with possibly the best cliff hanger yet, one that will turn Velvet's world, and our reading experience, upside down.

BRILLIANT STUFF.

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Starlight #1

Though derivative of the John Carter set up that's been re-used many times in stories and comics (such as the wonderful Adam Strange), Mark Millar takes a new look at the hero visits another world and returns to earth story motif, but here, the aging hero is losing what makes his life on earth worthwhile and no one on earth believes his stories of others planets, aliens, and rocket ships.

Millar is a good writer, though I have not read everything he does. I find him a bit indulgent sometimes (though aren't we all) but I generally have enjoyed his work. His in top form here with a strong story and dynamite first issue. Art by Goran Parlov is exceptional. The art is very reminiscent of Moebius with a bit of Alex Toth thrown in, which I love.

MOEBIUS. If you don't know, GOOGLE.


Though the art I will share is out of order, I like the way it works out of order. Enjoy.

REVIEW OF STARLIGHT - RHYMES WITH GEEK

REVIEW OF STARLIGHT - Nothing But Comics

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Green Arrow #29

Okay, here I go again. Green Arrow is one of the best comics being currently published. It may be the best DC Comic, at least of those I read (and I do not read Swamp Thing though I plan to catch up via trade collections).

Lemire and Sorrentino have transformed this comic completely from its former incarnation, have worked in older popular Green Arrow story lines (Shado), and are developing a rich, complex new mythology.

This issue marks part four of an ongoing story but it ends with such a devastating cliff hanger that I will not even reveal it here.

Suffice to say that Green Arrow will keep hitting the top of my stack. I would have ranked it higher this week if not for the debut of Starlight, which I was eager to read, and of course the others, which were either debuts, easy reads, or, as with Velvet, have the slight edge on the life and times of Oliver Queen.

I have not yet watched the TV show Arrow, and I do plan to at some point, but I am happy that this comic, at least I assume, is not transformed to match that show outside of the addition of the hood and a leaner, greener (as in younger) Ollie Queen.

REVIEW OF GREEN ARROW - RHYMES WITH GEEK
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Forever Evil #6

Damn.

Wow.

Damn.

DC comics' Forever Evil is not quite a match for the other comics in the top six. It's one of those big superhero and villain all universe cross overs in which much is left unexplored because of the nature of the mini-series format and the intermittent publishing schedule (this book has not shipped monthly and on time or so it seems in my flawed mind).

But it's damn good stuff. I like these crossover books generally. And David Finch's art is gorgeous. I am also not a nay sayer and happen to like Geoff Johns' writing.

But I am also a huge NIGHTWING fan and, well, damn, damn, damn. But then heroes are dropping like flies this week (go read Green Arrow), and I am not convinced that Nightwing is DEAD.

But that's what happens. It's well done and the story is solid enough, though not the best I have ever read.

The big surprises are worth the price of admission, especially the final frames.

Here's two reviews.

WORD OF THE NERD - NIGHT WING LIVES

SPOILER ALERT - REVIEW FROM NEWSARAMA

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Shi Comic - COVER GALLERY

COUNTDOWN TO END OF THE BLOG YEAR - 12 shirts remaining

- chris tower - 1403.09 - 19:23