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| Remember that cool post I promised you? Well this might not be it but it's at least a little bit fun and more colorful than usual. In thinking about what kind of a list I could make next my thoughts wondered scant inches to the right of my monitor to my chest of drawers, where I keep all my drawers and also things that cover my chest. I happen to have a lot of t-shirts, mostly because I like them and seem to keep buying them despite the fact I know I have too many. We all know a T-shirt is the best way to present your personality or point of view - but which ones are the best?
This was harder than you might think. In making this I limited myself to 10 (20 would have been simpler) and I mostly considered the following:
1. How much I like the design/color scheme
2. How well it fits me
3. Sentimental value or frequency of wear
4. Diversity in what the shirts say about me (i.e., I didn't just pick all my band shirts).
I think it's a decent cross-section of my summer wardrobe though there are, of course, notable omissions. I'll briefly explain my reasoning for each choice. That said, here are my Top Ten T-shirts (That Are In My Drawer Right Now).
| 10. VelociRapture | 
 | As you can probably tell from the picture, this shirt is decrepit. This is the one that my mom keeps urging me to throw out, or make into a dust rag or burn ceremonially while wearing a gas mask. It's the one that I normally keep hidden because it's in constant danger of being impulsively destroyed or discarded.
Why do I keep this thing around? Just look at it! Have you ever seen a more blissfully entertaining Christian evangelistic t-shirt in all your life? Velocirapture is just such a terrible but irresistible pun. If I had thought of it I'd have designed the shirt myself.
There need be no stated purpose for having a shirt that depicts raptors being taking up to meet the Lord in the air. However, the designers apparently felt that if the shirt were not used for good it would border on blasphemy so they added a message. Surprisingly, it pulls the thing together fairly well - though it's definitely in that cheesy Christian t-shirt vein. Notice the emphasis on LOST and WORLD on the back. At a distance, it's Jurassic Park. On closer investigation, you just started a conversation about Jesus. I even memorized those little Bible verses in case anyone should ever ask me what they say.
One of the first days I wore this shirt we were at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge and it was irredeemably stained on one of the rides. This did not stop me from wearing it, though, and it's been around ever since. These days it's more of a memento than a functioning part of my wardrobe, but it has a special place in my heart. |
9. American Eagle 77 |  | If you think this seems a strange choice, you are not alone. It does to me as well. I'm not exactly a fan of American Eagle. Their already-scrunched-up-and-thrown-in-a-corner style was never one I found particularly enticing. In fact, I would probably never have ended up with anything like it in the first place, but it just so happens that my roommate in my freshman year of college gave it to me. He was a shorter fellow and the shirt was too big on him, but it worked for me so I said "why not?". The brand name here really has nothing at all to do with it. However, this shirt finds its way into my rotation with great frequency and that's based on three factors.
First, it's red. I love red. It's my favorite. As you can see from the picture it's a rather nice shade as well, though it probably looks a bit darker in real life. This makes it perfect for eating pasta without fear (another one of my favorite pastimes). And with its branding being fairly conservative and non-controversial it works well in any type of gathering. Now, I have other red shirts whose designs I prefer, but that brings me to point two. The material. Unlike some shirts that would float away in a light breeze, this shirt feels substantial. Perhaps because of that, it also holds its shape very well. Third reason: it fits. The shirt just conforms to me in a very comforting manner. It's difficult for me to find shirts that are long enough and also thin enough not to hang off of me like a skirt for my upper body. This one gets the job done, all the time. So because of its comfort and situational malleability, this unassuming piece slides into the top tier.
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8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles |  | If you were a child in the late 80's/early 90's, you probably watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Maybe you had the action figures and played the video games and enjoyed the feature films. Once I was allowed to watch the original cartoon show, it took over my life. Now, long after that phase has passed, I look back fondly on those characters. This shirt features Shredder's bumbling mutant thugs, Bebop and Rocksteady. Once standard-issue street punks, Shredder used them as a test case for his cross-mutation and the result was two loveable, memorable ne'er-do-wells. Here they are posed for battle, along with the emblem of the Foot Clan on a soothing light blue background. Not much else to say - I think the shirt speaks for itself. Thanks to my brother for getting this for me.
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7. Retro |  | This shirt declares that I am so out of style I'm popular again. I belong to a specific era, and yet here I am in the modern day! How delightfully retro. Honestly I'm not sure what I like so much about this shirt. I got it at Good Will, so that makes me very un-snobby bur kind of pretentious. It's yellow, and I don't have very many yellow shirts. Our band lowercase used to identify ourselves as retro-rock after many people commented our demo reminded them of 60's and 70's rock groups. The genius is in the simplicity. Also because I paid so little I'm completely fearless with it. If it gets destroyed, oh well. I had my time with it, and suffered almost no setback. Of course trying to find a replacement would certainly be tricky...
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6. Mario |  | Speaking of retro, here's a shirt that doesn't proclaim its era but certainly fits into one. I wanted to feature at least one shirt that was video game related and I think this is the correct pick. It just stands out so nicely in white with the slightly quirky red collar and sleeves. It's bold and bright, almost playful. Also, it's Mario, everyone's favorite plumber seen here clutching a super mushroom (presumably it has yet to effect his growth). The style of the mushroom, fans will recognize, gives the shirt a place and time because later incarnations had a fatter, more squat super mushroom. This one is unmistakably the one from the original Super Mario Bros on NES, one of the first video games I ever played and which, along with the Ninja Turtles game, knocked me tumbling head first into the world of Nintendo.
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5. Alien Youth |  | Ah, the Alien Youth shirt. It was truly a difficult task choosing band shirts for this list. Even just choosing between black band shirts was a bit of a chore. Alien Youth and I go back quite a way so our history probably made the choice for me - that, and it's shiny. Just look how the flash braces off the lettering. Red and black is an ideal combination for me and this is a favorite for wearing to rock shows on both sides of the stage. It may be a little gaudy but that was a perfect match for my (similarly shiny) dtx120 guitar. Together they speak of glam rock and hair metal and generally outspoken, neon, bad-boy rock. It's the attitude that counts. The fact that you want to be all over the stage, jumping up and down while riffing wildly or head-banging with your fist in the air. Skillet is a band with always evolving music and a strong message for their core audience, so I don't mind showing off my affection for them. It's maybe not as relevant to my tastes at present, but hey. It's still a smart looking shirt. A pair of leather pants would really tie it all together.
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4. Star Wars |  | Over the years I've had compliments on many of my shirts, but this is the only one people offer to buy. This is not faux-vintage; it's real vintage. Not sure how old the shirt actually is, but do you know anybody who has one like it? Years ago this belonged to my friend Jordan, and somewhere along the line it ended up in my collection. I treasure it mostly but I do wear it on occasion. The shirt is kind of wrinkled and thinned out, and it has a few small holes, all of which adds to its unique character. Look, Darth Vader is a pretty imposing fellow. In this picture he has a posse backing him up, but that's just for show. You know he could take you out using his mind. It's a nice illustration to boot, significantly detailed in pleasant grey scale. If it doesn't have you high-stepping to the Imperial March, perhaps another viewing of The Empire Strikes Back is in order.
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3. Benjamin Franklin and the Dead Presidents |  | The newest shirt on the list is also probably the most bizarre. You have here a juggernaut, a fearsome combination of elements. It seems that 4 former U.S. Presidents, led by inventor and statesman Benjamin Franklin, have been reanimated and now walk the earth among the living dead. Also they are doing Thriller. The mastermind behind this madness is Chris Hastings, the author of Dr. McNinja, one of the best drawn and consistently wacky webcomics on our fair internets. If I had more of his shirts I could populate a top 10 list with those alone. Seriously, you should check the site out and consider supporting a struggling artist. That is, if you're into bears fighting octopi or chainsaw nunchucks or spanish bandits who ride velociraptors. But! I've said too much. When I bought this shirt I was ignorant of its intention to mirror the well-known 80's music video, and it has taken on an additional (irreverent) dimension following Michael Jackson's death. Perhaps his corpse, too, will be reanimated and join in the zombie festivities. That would be alright, I suppose. But if I ever see that face on Mount Rushmore, big stone heads are going to roll.
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2. House of Heroes |  | House of Heroes is not my favorite band, but in many ways I think they represent what I like about music and what I look for in a band. Their music is creative but not off-puttingly experimental. Much of it was done as a three-piece, so it's reduced to its essence. The sound is earthy and real. They have smart, catchy lyrics and a powerful vocal. The whole band weighs in on energetic backup tracks. That's all fine, you may say, but how's the shirt? It has it all. A classy black base; a slim, close fitting shape; a thick, high-quality material; and a stand-out design. The yellow lettering leaps forward, and some swirling green fractals add interest. It's not a mind-blowing design, but between the coloring and the slightly asymmetrical weight balance I feel like it just does everything right. There were a million shirts at the festival where I saw House of Heroes (a million!) and I came home with this shirt, so that says something about its ability to woo the eye. This is one of my favorites to wear while performing. Other such shirts include my Bleach, Ignite, and Failure is Just Success Rounded Down tees.
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1. It's All Good |  | Clothing to me is often a necessity that I grudgingly accept. I've never really been into fashion and shopping bores me. Mostly clothes are just something to hang on my body so that society thinks I'm not crazy. Yet, if there's one article of clothing I have that goes beyond that, which transcends these prudential concerns and lifts my spirits, it must be this shirt. So simple and casual is its design, you might pass it without noticing. Here a seemingly care-free person steps leisurely along. His philosophy? It's all good. When I step out of the house with this shirt, I may be reassuring someone. More likely, I'm reassuring myself. This world is sometimes frightening and unpredictable. There's no way to know what's coming to prepare for it. Other times it seems life is an inescapable rut, a parade of drudgeries and unfulfilling duties. Sometimes you just need to kick back, stop trying to control everything, and say it's all good. I doubt if the makers of this simple design had any such aspirations, and maybe no one else would see it that way, but that's why I like this shirt so much. It reminds me of one of my favorite Bible verses. Romans 8:28: For we know that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to the called according to His purpose. So in reality, while everything may not be good, we can have confidence that it will be made right. The passing troubles we face are not worthy to be compared to the glory that is to be revealed in us, and He who promised is faithful. He will finish the work He began, and has never lost control of destiny. So let's remember it's all good, and spend some time with the One who makes it so.
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Didn't expect to get a devotional message, did you? I hope you enjoyed reading this list. I'll end with an admonition once famously delivered from our church pulpit: "Now you think about what's in your drawers." | | |
| Meantime, I'm too busy getting yanked back and forth by my job. One minute I'm on help desk working nights. 1 1/2 weeks later, I'm back on days taking calls again. This mess needs to stop immediately if not sooner.
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| It's beeping like it probably has low battery. I've never messed with it myself and I don't dare now cause it's 4 am and I might wake my parents who had a long day today. However, I just watched probably the scariest movie ever made and now everything that goes bump (or in this case beep) in the night is gonna make sleeping difficult. Let's think for a moment as to why this unhappy coincidence may be occurring:
1. The devil is doing it.
2. A ghost or spirit wants my help.
3. A malevolent force wants me to disarm the alarm so that a fire will burn down my house while I sleep.
4. A tracking device was implanted during the day which will attract or warn of approaching creatures.
5. I'm projecting my fears in the form of an electromagnetic signal reflected in the device.
6. It's actually running low on battery.
I'd like to close my door, but then Cookie won't be able to leave the room. She, also, is sleeping soundly. Sometimes it's tough being the only one on night shift. Of course that won't last. My guaranteed one-month stint on IHD lasted for 7 days. I really, really need a new job, and it's a poor time in America to have that need.
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