I new this would happen. I put up a Paypal donation button and now all I can think about are ways of tricking people to give me money. I was thinking maybe I could have one of those PBS fund drives:
“Without your support, we won’t be able to provide you with quality postings like ‘In My World’ and investigative reports such as ‘Know They Enemy’.”
And then I would promise people tote bags… but wouldn’t deliver. Muh ha ha ha!
Someone mentioned having a t-shirt to sell. Does anyone have any good design ideas or any good phrases I’ve used in the past that would go good on a t-shirt?
Now, I’m usually curious about my fellow bloggers, but most don’t put out much information about themselves. Maybe I could do that in exchange for money. Here I go:
“Now, I was afraid of putting out a picture of me before since I didn’t want all the female readers getting lost in my hypnotic blue eyes, but I’ve finally held out a digital camera at arms length and snapped a few shots of my self. I was thinking then people could vote on which should be the picture of yours truly to go into the About Me section. I’m having trouble accessing comments today, so they only way to communicate if you like the idea is to give me money.”
Oh, if someone knows an easy way to set up a poll, that can be put in the comments (or e-mailed to me).
I think you should make Glenn Reynolds give you $5 every time he puts a puppy in a blender.
T-Shirt Idea:
Support the hunt for the Rumsfeld Strangler!
I have had numerous requests for the following art as a t-shirt:
I’ve sold t-shirts in the past and if you order in large quanity, the profit margin is pretty high (300 to 400%). You just have to make sure you have designs that people want to buy and that you can sell 50 to 100 of each design. If you have a hot design, you can make about $5,000. Unless you are very lucky, you’ll get stuck with inventory that won’t sell. This usually reduces your profits by about 50%. So, for every $500 you spend to create a run of 100 shirts, you’ll make about $1,500. But that is only if you are making shirts that sell.
The best way to ship them is USPS in a 10″ x 13″ First Class Tyvek envelope. The buyer pays shipping of about $4.50. You may have to charge sales tax in the state where you live.
DON’T let the silkscreener use anything but 100% cotton Haines Beefy-T’s in either white or black. This usually costs a dollar more per shirt. But, people won’t buy anything else. And don’t trust the silkscreener to pick the sizes. You’ll probably need a larger number of large (60%), then x-large (15%), medium (10%), xx (10%), and small (5%). But, it depends on if you are selling mostly to guys, gals or kids.
I made pretty good money selling t-shirts when I lived in L.A. and had a couple of very popular designs sell in trendy stores on Melrose Avenue. It was a good feeling to see people wearing my shirts at the mall or at a dance club. Just don’t go up to someone and say “That’s my shirt.” They look at you like you’re nuts!
How about “I’m Donald Rumsfeld and I’m strangling you!”
Oh, I don’t know … I’d be willing to buy a t-shirt or mug that had some reference to spreading “happiness”, or Cheney’s undisclosed location. My favorite line so far has been “Who here likes freedom of the press?”
Maybe a shirt with some of the verses to the I Love America song, or other names for Operation Wacky Iraqi Attacky.
Or, there’s always the “I’m against blending puppies” T-shirt.
I’m willing to buy one, but only if you would then be in my debt forever.
I like Stephanie’s Happiness Bomb idea. You could have (color design on a black t-shirt) Bush and Rice with the smiley-faced bomb, and Bush asks “Happiness bomb? That’s not just a nukyular bomb with a smiley-face painted on, is it?” and Rice replies “Of course not…There are also bunnies painted on the side” (Condee gesturing to them Carol Merrill-style). And the words “In My World” over the scene. And “IMAO” in big red letters on the back. Yeah, sharp!
You could have the happiness bomb and the slogan, “Spreading happiness worldwide” or some such.
Or, “Can I ask a question?” Click “Yes”
Or, “I’m Glenn Reynolds, I can do whatever I want!”
Also like previous suggestions of “I’m Donald Rumsfeld and I’m strangling you!”, and being against blending puppies, but rewrite to say “Unlike Glenn Reynolds, I’m against blending puppies. Support IMAO.us and it’s defense of puppies.”
The possibilities are limitless.
Oops, forgot to fill in the fields for above post.
Lot’s of good suggestions for t-shirts. Maybe later I can have a contest for best idea. I want something that isn’t too much of an inside joke so that it might appeal to people who hadn’t even been to this site.
Fritz,
Thanks for all that specific info. You’re quick on your path to becoming one of my favorite bloggers.
I remember someone once mentioned in the comments that they’d like a shirt with the last line or two from Nuke the Moon on it. That actually made me read the entire thing, and I agree. Something from Nuke the Moon needs to go on a shirt.
On the front, a blender, with red contents and a beagle ear poking out from under the lid. Underneath the blender, “Puppy power”.
And I heartily endorse the ideas of my wife, Stephanie, or she will beat me up and put a “Donald Rumsfeld Strangler” note on me. And also the ideas of Brian, my brother, for no reason in particular. Odd, isn’t it, that the Medcalf’s so far have 1/4 of the T-Shirt posts. You should pay us for, like, generating content for you. So there.
When Should IMAO delink Oscar Jr.
Sooner
Later
Puce!!!
Never
Free polls from Pollhost.com
For what it’s worth, “nuke the moon” get’s my vote. The single most important thing to put on the shirt though is the website. What good are cheesy t-shirts if not for advertising.
Actually, I like the “nuke the moon
t-shirt idea the best so far. I’ll have to try thinking of a good design that expresses the principles of moon nuking concisely in t-shirt form.
I say “Nuke the Moon” on the front.
On the back should be a charicature of Donald Rumsfeld with a similar face expression to the one in Donald Cagle’s infamous “Is it Vietnam Yet?” editorial cartoon, with “RARR!” in big, red letters below it.
(Oh yeah, and the website address below that, duh!)
In line with the ‘Bomb France’ theme, I’d suggest Slim Pickens on a missile over a silhouette of Paris (with the Eiffel Tower in the center) for a t-shirt/sweatshirt. The Slim Pickens picture would be the biggest problem due to copyright. Maybe Steve H can help with that.