Making Light :: American apology shirt :: comments http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#comments Language, fraud, folly, truth, history, and knitting. Et cetera. en Fri, 27 Jun 2003 00:45:25 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=4.34-en American apology shirt I want one. Note: It would be nice if they also had one in white on black. (via More Like... I want one. Note: It would be nice if they also had one in white on black. (via More Like... http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html American apology shirt -- comment #1 from Yule Heibel comment from Yule Heibel on 27.Jun.03 I wish I had a name like that: Aufrecht = upright. How cool is that? The t-shirt is pretty upfront, too.

]]> <p>Posted June 27, 2003 12:45 AM by Yule Heibel</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22688 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22688 Fri, 27 Jun 2003 00:45:25 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #2 from John M. Ford comment from John M. Ford on 27.Jun.03 dcbersetzung heidft eine zweischneidige Banane. My surname translates as "damp patch," which is not all that great. My middle name (which does not happen to be Michael) depends on who you are listening to, being either "crusher," "merciful," "warrior," or "soybean slop;" this at least offers a choice of absurdities. My given name most authorities agree to be "He who is like God," which falls into the Gracious I Hope Not category.

But yes, the shirt is a splendid thing. One thinks sometimes about

HAYES & TILDEN
Good Government, Comparatively Speaking

. . . but, well, you know.

]]> <p>Posted June 27, 2003 2:45 AM by John M. Ford</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22695 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22695 Fri, 27 Jun 2003 02:45:21 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #3 from Johan A comment from Johan A on 27.Jun.03 Cute t-shirt. You're aware that the one they're selling is the men's version, aren't you? ;) I couldn't find anything about a women's version...

]]> <p>Posted June 27, 2003 4:30 AM by Johan A</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22701 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22701 Fri, 27 Jun 2003 04:30:38 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #4 from David Stewart comment from David Stewart on 27.Jun.03 If they did versions which replaced the word President with Prime Minister/Taoiseach/Chancellor etc they could sell to disgruntled people all over the world. I'd certainly buy one with "Taoiseach"

]]> <p>Posted June 27, 2003 7:16 AM by David Stewart</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22708 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22708 Fri, 27 Jun 2003 07:16:35 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #5 from Ray Radlein comment from Ray Radlein on 27.Jun.03 If you hurry (because today's the last day that it's on sale), you can scoop up a lo-fi USA flag shirt whose caption is the elegantly simple "WE ARE NOT ALL JERKS", from the fertile mind of R. Stevens, the genius behind "Pornographers For Peace" (not to mention Diesel Sweeties, which is, without a doubt, the best comic out there about a robot who is in love with a retired porn star).

Anyway, I used some of my hard-unearned lack of cash to pick one up when they first came out; and if my health permitted me to, like, leave the house, I'd probably even wear it some time.

]]> <p>Posted June 27, 2003 7:56 AM by Ray Radlein</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22711 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22711 Fri, 27 Jun 2003 07:56:10 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #6 from Larry Lurex comment from Larry Lurex on 27.Jun.03 EU law has just changed to make it illegal for US citizens to enter without wearing these shirts.

Ensure you buy one before travelling abroad.

]]> <p>Posted June 27, 2003 10:38 AM by Larry Lurex</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22720 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22720 Fri, 27 Jun 2003 10:38:30 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #7 from Emmet comment from Emmet on 27.Jun.03 Some years ago, there was a series of major political scandals in Ireland, involving all manner of shady money going left right and centre, which began to unravel when a local supermarket magnate, one Ben Dunne, who had been fairly centrally involved, had a breakdown.

Very shortly thereafter, there became available a t-shirt reading "Ben There, Dunne That, Bought the Taoiseach". I truly wish I had one, or failing that, could find a link to the front-page photo the Irish Times ran of the then-deputy Taoiseach wearing it.

]]> <p>Posted June 27, 2003 10:42 AM by Emmet</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22721 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22721 Fri, 27 Jun 2003 10:42:45 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #8 from Xopher comment from Xopher on 27.Jun.03 As far as I know, 'Michael' means 'Who is like God?' - it's a question. FWIW.

]]> <p>Posted June 27, 2003 5:19 PM by Xopher</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22750 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22750 Fri, 27 Jun 2003 17:19:27 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #9 from John M. Ford comment from John M. Ford on 27.Jun.03 Suddenly I am delighted by my mittelmonicker. Having your given names constantly engaging in dialectic would be . . . bad.

]]> <p>Posted June 27, 2003 5:59 PM by John M. Ford</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22751 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22751 Fri, 27 Jun 2003 17:59:29 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #10 from Vera Nazarian comment from Vera Nazarian on 27.Jun.03 The Russian version of the quote is not quite right.... There is the perfectly good Russian word for "idiot" that is literally "idiot" and the other word they used is kind of strange(possibly it's slang that I haven't heard used this way and it sounds weird). But it is still not the best translation. Could be, they used a silly online translator to generate this.

]]> <p>Posted June 27, 2003 6:23 PM by Vera Nazarian</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22753 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22753 Fri, 27 Jun 2003 18:23:46 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #11 from Rachel Heslin comment from Rachel Heslin on 28.Jun.03 That's marvelous -- right up there with this one.

]]> <p>Posted June 28, 2003 3:52 PM by Rachel Heslin</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22793 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22793 Sat, 28 Jun 2003 15:52:44 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #12 from Tracy Eckels comment from Tracy Eckels on 29.Jun.03 I wish they had one that said

"Don't hold it against us, we didn't vote for our president."

]]> <p>Posted June 29, 2003 9:36 AM by Tracy Eckels</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22820 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22820 Sun, 29 Jun 2003 09:36:20 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #13 from Larry Lurex comment from Larry Lurex on 30.Jun.03 I wish I could get one that said

"I love America. Their democracy makes ours look good."

]]> <p>Posted June 30, 2003 7:46 AM by Larry Lurex</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22888 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22888 Mon, 30 Jun 2003 07:46:38 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #14 from marty comment from marty on 30.Jun.03 A new store, run by a friend of mine.

http://www.cafeshops.com/ProtectRights

]]> <p>Posted June 30, 2003 3:03 PM by marty</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22928 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22928 Mon, 30 Jun 2003 15:03:01 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #15 from Bill Higgins comment from Bill Higgins on 30.Jun.03 Years ago, Michael D. Toman talked about putting together an anthology called *Like Unto God: Science Fiction Stories by Writers Named Michael*. He figured it was one book he could be sure of selling a story to.

]]> <p>Posted June 30, 2003 4:57 PM by Bill Higgins</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22939 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22939 Mon, 30 Jun 2003 16:57:22 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #16 from Randolph Fritz comment from Randolph Fritz on 30.Jun.03 Xopher, Exodus 15:11

]]> <p>Posted June 30, 2003 11:32 PM by Randolph Fritz</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22955 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22955 Mon, 30 Jun 2003 23:32:48 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #17 from Steve Taylor comment from Steve Taylor on 1.Jul.03 Cute. I've seen T-shirts for sale here (Australia) with a legend of "I am not an American" in English and Arabic.

]]> <p>Posted July 1, 2003 9:47 PM by Steve Taylor</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22997 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#22997 Tue, 01 Jul 2003 21:47:53 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #18 from Russell comment from Russell on 31.Dec.03 Sorry, but it's not very original. The "I am not Amerian" shirt featuring a number of languages (and isn't it amazing...they're almost the same as on THIS shirt) has been available for a couple of years. http://www.iamnotamerican.com. A shame it's not such an original idea, otherwise it actually looks half decent.

]]> <p>Posted December 31, 2003 2:54 AM by Russell</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#35663 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#35663 Wed, 31 Dec 2003 02:54:50 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #19 from Teresa Nielsen Hayden comment from Teresa Nielsen Hayden on 31.Dec.03 And your point is?

Independent invention is a real thing. There must have been at least a dozen different people who, all unprompted, started pronouncing "sci-fi" as "skiffy", and shortly thereafter started writing it as "skiffy".

That's a tiny instance. You'd be startled by the extent to which different artists can duplicate, not just a basic idea, but fairly elaborate details of its execution. I once had to phone some authors who'd submitted a manuscript to Tor, and explain gently that a book we had coming out not only duplicated their setting and half their characters, but had the exact same title as their book. It was pure coincidence. They'd been working on their story for years. The author of the book we published had likewise had his version in mind for years. I called them because I figured they needed to hear from someone in the business that such a thing can actually happen.

]]> <p>Posted December 31, 2003 12:25 PM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#35695 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#35695 Wed, 31 Dec 2003 12:25:29 -0500 American apology shirt -- comment #20 from PiscusFiche comment from PiscusFiche on 31.Dec.03 Sometimes I don't know whether to be bemused or irritated by the way the cultural subconcious keeps tossing certain things back to the surface. I've experienced that same thing that Teresa mentions--I've written stories and then found something dangerously similar already published which I was unaware of previously.

And this sort of thing explains why I'm partially in favour of corralling copyright law into reasonable timeframes (reasonable: not Disney's perpetual extensions) or why I was against people trying to trademark any usage of "Let's Roll" after September 11th. A) I think our society is much richer for allowing its art to return to the public domain after a period of time and B) it encourages creation. (This is not to say that I am against copyright, btw--protecting the financial interests of artists also encourages creation. Just that I think Disney-style copyright laws are out of control.)

]]> <p>Posted December 31, 2003 12:52 PM by PiscusFiche</p> http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#35699 http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/002734.html#35699 Wed, 31 Dec 2003 12:52:59 -0500