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Thursday, October 31, 2024

Ding dong

 


Okay, it's Halloween, but more important it National Doorbell Day. And guess who is calling? It's the Grim Reaper moonlighting as a Fuller Brush Salesperson. It's a brush with death.


Happy Halloween!

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Buzz kill...


 I have always kind of felt sorry for Buzz Aldrin. Neil Armstrong will always be the first person to set foot on the moon. Buzz Aldrin will always be the second person to set foot on the moon.  It's like, people meet him at a party and he tells them, "I was the second man to walk on the moon." They reply, "What was Neil Armstrong like? He is so brave to be the first person to walk on the moon."

But today I saw that Buzz endorsed Trump. So I don't feel sorry for him any more. I just think he is a loser and will always be the second man to walk on the moon.

You disappoint me Buzz. 

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

They seldom come out of their shell


 Yes, it is National Hermit Day.  And why someone would think to create such a day goes on my list of more things I don't understand, like why anyone would voter for Trump.  Regardless, I was inspired enough to create some new artwork and post it on Zazzle, pitch it on X and on Instagram.  And I resisted trying to turn it into an attack on TeePublic. I will get back at them another day. 

It is also National Cat Day.


I Zazzled my Cats Playing Poker design and posted it on X as well. I should be giving Elon Muskrat a run for his money as one of the richest men in the world soon. All I have to do is sell about 4 or 5 billion t-shirts.

Dare to dream.


Monday, October 28, 2024

Show me Dizgraceland

 I asked Gemini and ChatGPT to generate an image that illustrates Dizgraceland. Here's what they gave me.


I asked Gemini why it chose this image. Here's its response:

I chose the cyberpunk image for "Dizgraceland" because it aligns with the concept of a futuristic, technologically advanced, and perhaps slightly dystopian city. The neon lights, flying cars, and overall futuristic aesthetic create a visually striking and imaginative representation of the term.

The other options, while valid interpretations, didn't quite capture the same level of futuristic and slightly chaotic energy that I associated with the term "Dizgraceland."


I asked ChatGPT why it chose this image and here's what it said:
I combined Disneyland and Graceland because "Dizgraceland" sounds like a playful blend of the two iconic places, merging the names and the cultural vibes they represent—one associated with fantasy and amusement parks (Disneyland) and the other with Elvis Presley and musical history (Graceland). It seemed like a natural interpretation of "Dizgraceland" as a whimsical, surreal fusion of these themes.
Okay that was interesting. Two AI programs and two very different takes on what they see as Dizgraceland. I would have thought they would search the web and come up with something but both images surprised me. I kind of like them both. Gemini's is dark. And ChaptGPT's is light and fun. I had never thought of Dizgraceland as a combination of Disneyland and Graceland. Both places are kind of obsessions of mine.

And dystopian? Okay, I kind of like that two.

I love AI.

Sunday, October 27, 2024

A bitter taste

 


I still haven't been able to let go of my resentment of Teepublic for deleting my account. I know I should just let it go, but my entire life I've had this issue with injustice.  I realize life is not fair. And just because I think something isn't fair doesn't change it. But the hypocrisy of Teepublic and their constant litany of how important customer service just blows my mind. I tolerated being bombarded with constant marketing emails and texts even though I was creating designs and not interested in buying someone else's designs.  Even their emails about removing some of my designs because someone had complained about intellectual property violations implied that they understood it was difficult.  So I accepted the BS.

But the sudden and seemingly randomness of them telling me I had violated their terms and conditions and them deleting my account without an explanation was just too much. That was months of work. And they profited off from it. I barely made $200 in four or five months. It wasn't like I was in it for the money. 

I can't believe there aren't other artists who have had the same experience. Yet none of my posts on social media have garnered even a peep from anyone, even Teepublic. It just adds insult to injury that they don't feel it is necessary to explain . Bottomline, is they are a big business and they don't have to explain. Their are thousands of other artists dutifully posting designs and looking for validation.

I've been on the other side in my own job. I've had to be nice about complaints that have no validity and treat people with respect who don't return the favor. But I work for government. Before Trump you respected that you were paid by taxpayers and needed to treat them with some respect. Businesses don't seem to have that same code. 

So every now and then I'll post something to remind the world that even though life isn't fair we shouldn't have to blindly accept every insult.

Just spitting in the wind. 

Saturday, October 26, 2024

The gibbering

 


As I slowly make my way through all of my designs, I am learning that when you create more than 1500 designs in a relatively short amount of time as I did with teepublic, you start forgetting what you've done. I am in the "b's" alphabetically loading things on Zazzle. This is "The Gibbering" which fell under the "Blah, Blah, blah" folder. 

Did I mention I don't like small talk? And I tend to think many people specialize in spouting gibberish. And gibberish, the word, is one of my favorites. It is right up there with lugubrious. Which makes me think I should create a t-shirt design for lugubrious.

What else did I post on Zazzle today?


Ain't that the truth.


Friday, October 25, 2024

Zazzle them with bullshit

 

I've been binge posting t-shirt designs on my new storefront at Zazzle. I started with "A" on my portable drive that has all my designs on it and I'm working my way through it. But I am being very careful not to post designs that I think will poke the "terms and conditions" beast on Zazzle. And it pains me.

For example, I didn't post this:


Because we don't want to offend the Spam company or be mistaken for a Lin-Manuel Miranda musical.


It is difficult to know what is forbidden with Zazzle after the debacle over Albert Camoo. 


Because this one could bring Lewis Carroll back from the dead to sue me for copyright infringement.

I'm sure this design would bug him. It just pains me that I have to censor myself. 


Thursday, October 24, 2024

Full of Boglona

 


It is National Bologna Day! To honor it, I posted this image on X and Instagram and tagged my good friends at Teepublic knowing they wouldn't respond. I do believe that is their business model. They don't respond to direct questions to their legal team and they won't respond on social media. So I'm not optimistic that they would at least ask me what my problem is.

My response would be that I simply want an explanation that didn't involve reviewing their terms and conditions and trying to guess which one or ones they think I violated. Ironically I could go on their site right now and find tons of designs that I believe blatantly violate other people's intellectual property rights. 

All I can surmise is that I pissed them off when I questioned why a design they removed was violating anything. This is the problem with corporate power. They don't have to prove anything. They just need to hide behind their incomprehensible rules.

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Petty little minds

 


I couldn't help posting another dig at TeePublic on X. I suggested that before people buy or sell on TeePublic they consider that they randomly censor independent artists without explanation.  I realize they don't really care about me being disgruntled. But they do so pride themselves on customer service. And ironically I still get two or three emails from them a day trying to get me to buy things on TeePublic. 

Hell hasn't froze over yet. 

I'm not even sure what I hope to accomplish. Even if they offered to restore my account, I have lost all interest in being part of their grand scheme to cheat artists out of their work and profits. I doubt if they could even restore all of my designs anyway. 

Meanwhile I struggle with Zazzle. I could live with the fact that their web site sucks and is difficult to load products into. But when they pulled my Camoo images for the potential of them being violations of some copyright, I lost any trust of it being a permanent site for my work.

And I still haven't sold a single t-shirt.

Damn you TeePublic. 

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Show me your nuts

 


It is National Nut Day. And again, I go to my archives because I don't feel like creating a whole new design for a day dedicated to nuts. It drives me nuts and makes me feel squirrely.


Then I feel mean.


I can certainly bet that this design wouldn't pass the Zazzle.com terms and conditions test so I'm not even going to try and post it. It makes me sad that I have to censor myself because of the small legal minds at these print on demand parasites. Ironically Teepublic had no problem with this one. 

Nuts to them.


Monday, October 21, 2024

I don't suppose this blog doesn't mean anything to you

 




I received an email today that all three of these design were removed:

"Dear Dizgraceland,

Thank you for your interest in Zazzle.com, and thank you for publishing products on Zazzle.

Unfortunately, it appears that your product, Absurdism: But that's meaningless to you, contains content that is in conflict with one or more of our content guidelines.

We will be removing this product from the Zazzle Marketplace shortly.

The details of the product being removed are listed below:

Product Title:Absurdism: But that's meaningless to you
Product Type:T-Shirt
Product ID:256245728698675765
Result:Not Approved
Policy Notes:

Your design contains an image or text that may be subject to copyright. This may be due to the actual design of the product, description or search tags that are associated to your product. Please feel free to submit a new design to our Marketplace from original elements

Image:View the Image

We apologize for the inconvenience. A detailed description of the policies is located here.

You may redesign and republish your products following our content guidelines. Please be aware that continued violations of Zazzle's User Agreement and Acceptable Content Guidelines may result in termination of your account.

If you have any questions or concerns about the review of your product, please email us at content_review@zazzle.com and we'll be happy to provide you with additional support."

It was nicer than Teepublic, but it still it suggests I can redesign and republish my designs be they will very likely terminate my account. 

Jesus. Since when is a cow named Albert Camoo whose only resemblance to Albert Camus is a that he is smoking a cigarette, a violation of anyone's intellectual property? The Intellectual Police at Teepublic didn't even have a problem with Albert Camoo. I didn't quote Camus. I didn't use his image. He doesn't own the concept of Absurdism. 

There seems to be No Exit from this dilemma.

But I suppose that doesn't mean anything to you.

Sunday, October 20, 2024

I'm waffling

 

I suppose bemoaning not creating any new designs because of the losers at Teepublic inspired me today. Today is indeed National Chicken and Waffles Day. Though I don't imagine this chicken is aware of what chicken and waffles really refers to. Though it did make me wonder why a waffle is called a waffle and why waffling means being indecisive and has nothing to do with waffles that you eat.

The word "waffle" comes from the Dutch word "wafel," which originally referred to the type of batter-based food we know today. Its roots trace back to the Old Frankish word "wafla," meaning "honeycomb" or "cake," referring to the distinct grid pattern of the waffle. The design likely inspired the name, as the food resembles a woven or gridded structure, similar to a honeycomb. Over time, this name spread across Europe, eventually giving rise to the modern English term "waffle."

The word "waffling" has roots in both British and American English. It evolved from the 17th-century verb "waff," meaning to yelp or bark, which implied meaningless noise. Over time, the term came to describe someone speaking in a way that is rambling or indecisive. In modern usage, particularly in American English, "waffling" refers to being indecisive or flip-flopping on decisions, reflecting uncertainty or inconsistency. This development aligns with how the word "waffle" suggests wavering between choices.

The irony here is if someone is agonizing over what to order off from the breakfast menu and eventually decides on waffles. That kind of cracks me up.

But back to t-shirt designs, I did load a ton on https://www.zazzle.com/store/dizgraceland today. So I am feeling a bit better. I'll feel even better when I actual sell something. Conversely on the eBay side of things I am doing quite well. I think I sold eight things in the past two days and have been packing like a demon. 

No waffling there.

And not that anyone is counting (but me), but this is my 293 post this year. That is a new record for me in the number of posts per year. That is after 20 years of blogging. 

I feel a t-shirt design coming on.

Saturday, October 19, 2024

Going whole hog

 

It's National Whole Hog Barbecue Day. And rather than going whole hog and creating a new design just for it, I'm recycling one of my "High on the Hog" designs. I just haven't been inspired to create new designs since teepublic.com screwed me over by deleting my account. It is driven home every time I go onto Zazzle.com and go through the tedious process of uploading the designs that I used to have on teepublic.com. 

I haven't sold a thing yet on zazzle.com.

I haven't been back on social media trying to goad teepublic's legal team into responding about why my account was deleted. Bottomline is they don't have to. It is not like anyone gives a rip but me that they screwed me over.  Honestly, I have to ask myself whether I would have stopped using teepublic.com if I'd read anything about some poor schmuck artist being screwed over by them. 

I just would like to see them go out of business. And I believe they will. But it won't be because I called them names on social media. It will be because something newer, cheaper and easier comes along on the Internet.


Friday, October 18, 2024

Why do I think this looks like me?

 

Okay, it is John Brown's portrait from the National Gallery in Washington D.C. and my hair isn't quite this wild and my beard isn't that fully and bushy, but part of me really relates to how he looks. Of course the consensus is that John Brown was as crazy as a bed bug, but at least he had passion about ending slavery. Unfortunately that passion ended at the end of a hangman's noose.

I had barely 45 minutes to dash through the National Gallery. I've always loved the place. It is full of amazing art and it is free.


I can't remember how many times I've been there, but there always seems to be something new.


I just wish I had more time on this trip to see things. But I basically flew in one day, had an all day meeting and then flew out the third day.

Oh well, there will be other trips.


Thursday, October 17, 2024

I took the road more travelled

 I was flying all night on Tuesday (and boy are my arms tired). I flew from Seattle to Chicago and then from Chicago to Washington D.C. It is a business trip. I am in my meeting now. I will leave tomorrow early and fly to L.A. and then to Seattle.

Travelling used to be fun. Now I would rather be home in my home office surrounded by my guitars. I suppose I should appreciate this while I still can. I doubt I will travel much when I retire. It is nice to have someone else pay for everything. Though they never really pay for everything.

I've been to D.C. many times. I used to have time to see things when I come here. This time I just seem to have time to come, go to my meeting and then fly home. No site seeing. I've seen all the museums and monuments anyway. It is an odd city.

The hotel is huge but the room is small. Kind of cool though. It is an old building. Most things in D.C. are old. 

Oh well, here's to an 8 hour meeting.

Sigh.

Tuesday, October 15, 2024

A journey of a thousand miles

 

I always liked this t-shirt. I was disappointed it didn't take off with travelers.  I would wear one. It would be a great beginning of a trip t-shirt. Not so much I'm going home t-shirt. I don't have much of a sense of humor on the return trips. But beginnings are full of promise. You just have to get through security.  

Regardless of how many times I pass through security, I am still anxious. You never know what is going to happen. I've gone through thinking I have nothing to worry about and then find out I forgot to remove a pocket knife when I used my backpack on a camping trip. Fortunately TSA wasn't phased. But they kept the knife.

I just like getting through and sitting down on the other side and putting myself back together for the the trip to the gate. Just getting through security is a relief. 

I suppose if I did wear one of these t-shirts TSA may take offense and I'd end up with that strip search that is on my bucket list. 

Not.



Monday, October 14, 2024

Bodhisattva, come and take me by the hand

 


As I rummage through thrift stores and antique malls, I am drawn to specific types of pieces. Or perhaps they are drawn to me. Guanyin, or Kuan Yin, or Kannon is one of those things I am drawn to. She is a bodhisattva. associated with compassion and and mercy. A bodhisattva is a being who has attained enlightenment but delays entering Nirvana to help others achieve liberation.


As you can see I have begun accumulating several images of Guanyin in her various manifestations. Almost all of them are white, which surprised me when I found the figurine at the top of the page at an antique mall over the weekend. The tag said it was a figure of a Geisha, but I knew the way she was sitting that she was and incarnation of Buddha. 

My desk is full of Buddha figurines. There are weeping Buddhas, reclining Buddhas, laughing Buddhas and simply seated Buddhas. They all give me peace. I believe I have written before about my brief stint as a Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist. Nichiren Daishonin was a 13th-century Japanese Buddhist monk. The practice centers around chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and studying the Lotus Sutra. 

I hate to admit it, but the only reason I became a Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist was because I was dating an artist who was a Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist. It was during a period of my relative youth that I was searching. I studied Astrology, Quantum Physics and crystals. I dabbled with Tarot cards and went to psychic fairs. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo didn't seem that far fetched to me at first. 

But unlike other Buddhist teachings, Nichiren Shoshu was a bit controlling and demanding. There were lots of meetings and of course daily chanting. It triggered my rebellious side. I hate being controlled and trapped in anything that reeks of organized religion (or organized anything). I don't like clubs or meetings. I don't like uniforms or standards.  And as I've stated many times over the years, I don't even like making beds or mowing lawns just because you are supposed to. 

I prefer purpose in my rote repetition.

So Buddhism, or at least the way I understand it, doesn't really fall into any standard path to enlightenment. What put me off about Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism is that people would chant for things. The woman I was seeing when I became a Buddhist, chanted for a car. And there were people in the groups I was pressured into attending that chanted for drugs and money. So basically when I stopped dating the artist, I stopped being a Niciren Shoshu Buddhist. I just didn't stop being drawn to Buddhism.

Funny how things come full circle in our lives some times.


Sunday, October 13, 2024

Teeing off

 


Having not heard from the legal team at teepublic.com I posted this image on X with text that suggested people think twice before buying or selling on their site. And I gave a brief synopsis of how this design prompted a reprimand about their terms and conditions and when I asked for a explanation they deleted my account. I hashtagged them. 

Crickets. But that seems to be their business model -- ignore criticism. I was careful not to get into name calling or any thing they could libelous. But with their incomprehensible terms and conditions, who knows. Big companies have the resources to threaten and assume you'll cave because who wants to waste money on a legal battle. And considering I made less than $200 after months of work why would I waste money on a legal battle. 

Pisses me off that they know they don't really have to do anything. I'm like a fly on their horse's ass. 

Pun intended. 

But I have never like injustice and I really think they are in the wrong here. I think I'll just keep posting my T design to tick them off.

How do you like them terms and conditions?

Saturday, October 12, 2024

Dumbo for Gumbo

 


It's National Gumbo Day so I dug out this design. I believe I actually sold one of these t-shirts. I'm surprised the cracked legal team at teepublic.com allowed it to stay on my store before they deleted it. I still haven't heard a word. I'm resigning myself to the fact that the store is gone along with my 1500 designs, good and bad.

I suppose if I do rebuild I should be more decerning.

On the Thrift Store archeology front I have recovered from eBay removing my Soviet leader nesting dolls. I have found some pretty cool stuff lately. Like this:


The Ye Olde Hostel of God-Begot, also known as God-Begot House, has a history as a lodging establishment in Winchester. Originally established as a sanctuary for lawbreakers during the Middle Ages, it evolved into a public house and hotel over the years. The building is Tudor in style and has stood on the site of an ancient manor that dates back to 1052​. In the early 20th century, it functioned as a pub, and it continued to serve as a hotel until it closed around 2010.

How cool is that. 

I also found this:


This is a replica of a marker found in Ecuador that marks the location of the Equator. It is called Mitad del Mundo monument, located just north of the capital, Quito. This monument marks a calculated position of the equatorial line, though modern GPS measurements place the true equator slightly away from it. I just love finding things I've never heard of and learning from them. Because it never occurred to me that Ecuador  is named Ecuador because the Equator passes through it. 

Trouble is, when I find cool things like this, I hate to sell them. But if I don't I'll be buried in cool stuff. So It takes discipline to just enjoy them until they sell.

Friday, October 11, 2024

Is it really Squirrel Month or am I nuts?

 

Apparently October is Squirrel Month according to the National Day people. It used to be Squirrel Awareness Month, but I assume they did some focus groups and determined that Squirrel Month plays better with potential squirrel fans in the 18-46 demographic. 

I would have created a new design about Squirrel Month and posted it on my storefront at teepublicsucks.com but as you recall they cancelled my account. And the crack legal team they have at teepublicbites.com  have yet to respond to my challenge as to why they cancelled my account for violating their terms and conditions without telling me exactly what terms and conditions I violated. 

But let's face it, if you are part of the legal team for a company that sells other people's t-shirt designs and sends out 10-20 marketing texts and e-mails a day to the people who are trying to sell their designs, you probably aren't a graduate of Harvard Law. In fact, their legal team may in fact be ChatGPT


And something tells me if their are actual people on teepublicisuseless.com's legal team I doubt if they have law degrees. If they do, I wouldn't be surprised if they bought them online. But I still imagine ChatGPT wrote their terms and conditions but included a disclaimer that it wasn't always accurate and didn't, in fact, understand the terms and conditions either.

Just a wild guess. 

Hey, teepubliccanrotinhell.com, look! Squirrel!



Thursday, October 10, 2024

Zazzle them


 I have tried building a store at https://www.zazzle.com/store/dizgraceland/.  But rebuilding a storefront that once had more than 1500 designs is a daunting task. And I hate to admit it, but zazzle.com doesn't have the most user friendly environment to load designs. I guess I was just used to teepublic.com. And as scummy as their incomprehensible terms and conditions were, it was easy to build a store and load designs. Plus there wasn't a delay in seeing the designs appear in the store. I've loaded a dozen or so and only a handful are showing up. Plus the profit margin is even less than teepublic.

But then again I was never doing it for the money. I was doing it to get some sense of validation that my designs were good enough for someone want to buy them. I had sold more than 80 before everything went to hell and teepublic cancelled my account.  I have to say, the worst part about it is not having a clue why. I could see if I had been trying to pull a fast one over someone and turn a quick buck, but all of the designs were my ideas, even the ones that stepped on the toes of some corporations intellectual property.

The irony was that they simply told me that I had violated their terms and conditions and I should review them to figure out how. But they are written in obscure legalese that is incomprehensible to me. I just wanted them to say in plain language what it was that I did that violated their terms. 

At this point I don't really care about them reinstating my store. I would just like to know why it was deleted so I can go on about my business despising their company and trash it in social media.

That will show them.

Wednesday, October 09, 2024

Kick me while I'm down

 


I got this message from eBay this morning:

We had to remove your listing because it didn’t follow our Offensive material policy. Listings that promote or glorify hatred, violence, or discrimination aren’t allowed.

What activity didn't follow the policy

At eBay, we have a strict policy against items that promote or glorify hatred or violence to ensure our platform remains a safe, trusted and inclusive environment for our global community of sellers and buyers. Consequently merchandise that may indicate support of Vladimir Putin is prohibited on eBay.


I had found these nesting dolls at Goodwill a few weeks ago and listed them on eBay. I didn't think anything of it. They are former Soviet leaders and the smallest one is Putin. So apparently trying to sell it indicates support of Vladimir Putin and is prohibited.

I'm not doing so well with my online ventures. First teepublic.com deletes my account for some unknown reason and now eBay accuses me of being a Putin supporter because I tried selling Soviet leader nesting dolls. I must say that it seems farfetched that these nesting dolls promote or glorify hatred or violence. I'm willing to bet they aren't removing any Trump items on eBay and if anyone glorifies hatred or violence it would be Trump.

But what can I do? It's me against a faceless corporation.

I'm still reeling from the teepublic debacle. Part of every day for me was cranking out some new designs and posting them on my teepublic.com store. I'm at a loss. I suppose I could still crank them out and post them here, but what good would that do? The two or three people who read my blog would see them, but I would right where I was when I started posting on teepublic.com in the first place. I wanted people to see my work.

And now it is essentially gone.

Tuesday, October 08, 2024

Lowering the bar


 So I get this email from teepublic.com this morning:

Dear Dizgraceland,

This is to notify you that, as a result of a violation of our terms and conditions, we have removed or disabled access to the material that appeared at www.teepublic.com/user/Dizgraceland and have deleted your account.

Please note that our removal of the aforementioned material and our deleting your account may result in the interruption or cancellation of previous processed orders involving your submissions to TeePublic.

If you believe that your work has been removed or disabled by mistake or misidentification, you are welcome to contact us and we will consider the matter. However, nothing herein shall be construed as an agreement or course of dealing by us to in the future take any action or refrain from taking any action, and TeePublic reserves all rights.

That was it. They deleted my account and more than 1500 designs I've worked months on. And you may be smarter than me, but can you understand from that email how I violated their terms and conditions?  And don't you think they owe me an explanation? I responded asking what I had done to violate their terms and conditions and they sent me this:

Hi there,

It appears your account was flagged for violating our terms and conditions. Please make sure to check out our Terms and Conditions here: https://www.teepublic.com/terms

After reading these in full, if you still feel this was done in error, please fill out the form on the following page: https://teepublic.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=7138964965783

Under the drop-down labeled "Please select the option that best describes your issue". select the "I am a designer and there is a problem with my account." option.

This form will ask you for information about your account as well as for any attachment that can verify the authenticity of your work. This could be PSD files, AI files, or any other documentation that shows you are the creator and owner of the works you uploaded to TeePublic.

Due to the high volume of designer accounts, we are unable to respond to every inquiry, however, we do read every response to this form and you will hear from us if your account is reinstated.

Best,

So I filled out the form and I am pretty sure I will never hear from teepublic.com again. Something makes me think it had nothing to do with anything I posted in my teepublic.com store. I think it was stuff I posted here about how ridiculous it was that they kept pulling things they said were violating intellectual property rights. And then when the pulled the "This is a t-shirt design" that was just a big "T" on the front of a shirt and I questioned them both here and in an email response to them, they just took the low road and deleted my account. 

Perhaps I shouldn't have said I hate lawyers.  But I do  hate lawyers. The canned emails they sent me were obviously written by low functioning lawyers.  What in the hell does, "Nothing herein shall be construed as an agreement or course of dealing by us in the future take any action or refrain from taking any action and TeePublic reserves all rights" mean?  It's not even a complete sentence.

ChatGPT says, "The sentence is clarifying that TeePublic is not making any commitments or promises to act (or not act) in a certain way in the future, and they retain full control over their actions and legal rights. It's a way of ensuring that they are not bound by any unintentional interpretations of the document."

Regardless of whether they reinstate my account or not, I'm simply looking for other options. But I have to tell you, the thought of reloading 1500 designs on a new site doesn't appeal to me. Obviously, I should be more discerning, but even so, it is months of work that was negated by teepublic.com without any explanation.  

In the meantime I'm trying https://www.zazzle.com/store/dizgraceland. Sigh.

Monday, October 07, 2024

No guts, no glory

 

It's what's inside that counts, right? ChattyGPT helped me with this one. It's got a lot of heart for an AI program.  And I didn't have the heart to ask it to help generate a design for National Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day.

Today was also National Propane Day. I was tempted to create something about National Propane Day Gives Me Gas, but I just recycled something I'd already done for propane some time ago.


For some reason, I haven't sold any of these. That stinks. As you recall, I shared my version of "Propane" written to the tune of Eric Clapton's "Cocaine" with Cynch, the company that delivers propane tanks to your door. They never thanked me. That stinks, too.

Oh well, Happy National Chocolate Covered Pretzel Day and National LED Light Day, too.


Sunday, October 06, 2024

Orange you glad you don't drink orange wine

 


It is National Orange Wine Day and I actually thought someone made wine from oranges, but it turns out that orange wine is actually a type of white wine made from white wine grapes. It is called orange wine because it has an orange hue. Still, it sounds gross. And I'm not sure it warrants its own national day. So although I had ChattyGPT create a National Orange Wine Day image, I am not going to load it on teepublic.com.

I did, however, load this image.


I was in downtown Edmonds this afternoon with my wife and daughter and a photographer taking her senior pictures and we we were outside the Edmonds Opera House - Masonic Temple. So I took this photo with the idea that it would make an interesting t-shirt.


And it does. Now will anyone buy it? According to this British guy who writes a blog about making t-shirt designs (teepublic.com suggested I read him), the print-to-order technology allows designers to capture niche audiences because you don't have to worry about minimum orders and masses of people actually wanting your designs. I think there is a modicum of truth in that. I've sold two or three of these:

And I'd say this is pretty niche. Though I'm pretty proud of it because I did it without the help of any AI Art program. I colored a black and white image myself.  Apparently there are fans of obscure urban legendary cafes in Boise, Idaho out there.

Who am I to judge? After all, I created the design.

Orange you glad I did?

Saturday, October 05, 2024

We all shine on

 


I was listening to the Beatles channel on Sirius Radio today and they were playing all of this tribute music to John Lennon for his birthday. So I figured it was his birthday. But it isn't until October 9th. He was born in 1940. He was only 40 years old when he died. If he had lived he would be 84 years old. It is hard to imagine what he would be doing. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are still performing. I am not sure John would have been. He never seemed to like being a trained monkey.

John was always my favorite Beatle. I really like Paul McCartney's work and his voice, but John just had this edge to him that I was fascinated with. Sad thing is that I really didn't like much of his music after the Beatles. I love the stuff Paul did with Wings, but John's solo career never seemed to click except for a few songs. And anything he did musically with Yoko was just wrong. Yoko may be a good person, but she should never be allowed near a recording studio. 

Still John loved her (which is why he probably never thought her voice was as bad as it was).  I have never understood why that piece of shit Mark David Chapman killed John. What had the man ever done but deliver genius music to the world. And ironically Chapman is still alive. He was only 25 years old when he killed one of the greatest musically geniuses of all time. Who knows what John would have gone on to do if Chapman hadn't have ended his life. If there is a hell, I hope Chapman ends up there.


Friday, October 04, 2024

Casper the dyslexic ghost

 

The concept of a dyslexic ghost just came to me this morning. ChattyGPT now can generate images. We'll see how long it puts out for free before it begins going down the same path as Ideogram and Gemini. Gemini now creates what it claims are higher quality images. But it only spits out one at a time and it pesters you about subscribing to a non-free version. I'm not sure what I'll do when I eventual have to fork over money to use one consistently.


This was one of the designs Gemini helped me with. I posted it on teepublic.com and I'll be damned if someone didn't buy a t-shirt with it on it. That is a new record for me. I feel like Sally Fields accepting an Oscar ("you like me, you really like me). Google it.

Still I feel pretty good that someone liked it right away.

Oh, no word yet from the teepublic lawyers about why they pulled my "T" shirt. Though I was at a restaurant this evening and saw the Texas Rangers playing on television. The "T" on their hats looked very much like the "T" on my offending t-shirt design so maybe that was it. 

Oh well kcuf them.