In a culture where strident political statements are the norm on bumper stickers & T-shirts, and reality TV is the new sitcom, and news is available 24-7 through traditional media and citizen journalists, and the paparazzi rush around trailing everyone from A-list celebs to the Gosselin family, it’s hard to imagine living somewhere with a government-controlled press.  It’s harder to imagine a government that would consider two foreign journalists crossing a border and working on a refugee story to be a “grave crime” against the country.

Unfortunately that concept is the reality for reporters Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who are now serving as the poster children of North Korea’s iron grip over anyone crossing its borders.  The journalists were working on a story for Al Gore’s CurrentTV, and apparently crossed a bridge from the Chinese border into North Korea.  Whatever really happened will stay with them for now, as both women were arrested for “hostile acts” and crossing the border, were put to a private trial, and were then sentenced to 12 years in a labor camp for the “grave crime they committed against the Korean nation and their illegal border crossing.”

It’s been said that all new Presidents face a test from a hostile nation, and North Korea seems to be the one that drew the long straw with President Obama.  First were the missile tests; now there’s the regrettable matter of two journalists that work for a former U.S. Vice President facing 12 years of hard labor for being arrested while doing their jobs.

Many think that North Korea is making a power play with the journalists in order to have a bargaining chip with the U.S. government – which is to say that this is about missile tests, not about two straying journalists.  So far, speculation names potential North Korean envoys as Bill Richardson (who has negotiated with North Korea before), Al Gore or Hillary Clinton, the latter of whom just spoke out against the North Korean military tests.

Obama, for his part, is “deeply concerned” about the journalists and, as per the missle tests, noted that “We are not intending to continue a policy of rewarding provocation.”

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American journalists were given a post-April-Fool’s-Day surprise on Thursday when they tried to conference into a call with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and National Security Advisor James Jones at the G20 conference in London – and were instead met with a sultry voice asking if they felt like “getting nasty.”

(No, it was not Hillary Clinton.)

The White House apparently sent an e-mail to the journalists containing an 800 number that behaved a lot more like a 900 number.  The reporters were subsequently able to get through to their slightly less racy call by dialing a second international number.

Accidentally dialing a phone-sex hotline when you’re expecting Hillary Clinton might give most people a bit of a chuckle, but “most people” apparently do not include the White House spokespeople.  Thomas Vietor dismissed questions about the number with a “Lots of important issues to cover today!” and then noted that he hadn’t called it, and that those asking about it should “call such numbers on your free time!”  Deputy White House Press Secretary Bill Burton was a little more direct: “A corrected phone number on a press release is probably one of the stupider things FOX News has covered lately.”

You might wonder how such a mistake might be made and why a toll-free number would be a sex hotline in the first place, and on that we have some accidental insight.  Those of you who saw the CafePress-o-Pedia video may have noticed an ordering slate at the end that contains a toll-free number.  That number is in fact our Customer Service number, but that’s not the original number that we had there.  In fact, the original number was a made-up number that spelled something to indicate that the video was an April Fool’s joke, and we did dial it to make sure that nothing was on the other end of it.

Apparently, we misdialed that number the first time.  And be “we” I mean… er, “I.”

On March 31st, we re-dialed the number just to be sure and were shocked to hear a woman’s voice that had some messaging very similar to what White House reporters got yesterday.  It seems that sex hotline folks are getting crafty, and are grabbing 800 numbers to hijack hapless mis-dialers and direct them to paid 900 numbers.  Which is to say that the 800 numbers are advertising the paid numbers.

In any case, unlike the White House we caught the error and did a quick edit.

And that is why we today thank our elementary school teachers and Santa Claus for reminding us to check our work.  Twice.

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2008 was a year of ups and downs – from politics to gas prices to the economy, this year was a mercurial one for America.

In winding down this 2008 we’re taking a look back at the four main themes we saw ’round these parts, with this post serving as the first installment.  As you may have guessed, one of the main themes of this year happens to also be the catch phrase of someone who inspired most a nation to believe it: Yes we can.  And as the shirts will tell you, yes we did.

But Barack Obama wasn’t the only person determined to succeed in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds this year.  There were others out there who put their noses to the grindstone and faced their challenges with the single-minded determination of an ant travelling uphill in a flood while carrying cargo 5 times its body weight.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton ran a campaign that had her as the Democratic front runner right up until Obama showed up in earnest.  Even when it seemed that the Obama train was running full speed ahead, she didn’t step out of the way.  When it seemed the numbers were insurmountable, she put her head down and stayed in it to win it.

And when political pundits started calling for her to drop out, Hillary ignored them with the bold determination to finish what she’d started.  Nobody was going to tell her she couldn’t win; ironically, Hillary embodied the “Yes We Can” spirit right down to her Primary Night Non-Concession Speech wherein it had been presumed that she would concede the race.  But she didn’t concede, and instead focused on the 18 million people who’d voted for her.

In the end, Yes We Can became a Well, We Tried Damn Hard for Hillary Clinton.  But that kind of grit didn’t go unnoticed by us – or the Obama camp – and so it is that Hillary, though she didn’t succeed as being the first female President of the United States, will in fact be our next Secretary of State.  So in a way, she succeeded in her mission to make it to the White House.  Yes,  she did.

Stand Up To Cancer

Stand Up To Cancer has a mission cure to cancer by funding the most cutting-edge research available.  Towards that end, SU2C partnered with an A-list celebrity lineup to produce a telethon that aired on all major networks and brought in over $100 million for cancer research.

In order to raise additional funds and help folks sport their support for a cure, Stand Up To Cancer launched an online shop carrying SU2C t-shirts, buttons, stickers and other gear.  All proceeds from the shop go towards curing cancer, thus allowing people to take part in a cure by virtue of their fashion choice.

SU2C was also the beneficiary of the “Fashion Rocks” broadcast that aired a week later.  This special brought together celebrities of sound, stage and style to celebrate fashion, music and the greater good.  An original song, “Just Stand Up,” was performed by a range of female artists – all wearing the Stand Up to Cancer t-shirt.

The Stand Up To Cancer camp believes that a cure for cancer – though a monumental task – is within reach.  Hats off to them for the “Yes, we can” spirit that dominated airwaves and reminded us all that banding together is the best way to fight the toughest battles.

T. Boone Pickens

Oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens has a plan for reducing both America’s dependency on and investment in foreign oil.  That plan hinges largely on the natural energy endemic to the Great Plains – the very force of nature that partnered with earth to define the Dust Bowl, has ruined uncountable hairdos and led to countless runaway kites…

Yep.  Wind.

The plan is, appropriately, called The Pickens Plan.  With American dependency on foreign oil having increased from 24% to 70% in the last 40 years, the plan goal is to lower that amount by at least 1/3.  Pickens calls the United States the “Saudi Arabia of wind power,” and notes that moving into wind will not only reduce our foreign energy investment,  but also revitalize the American Midwest with a new energy business.  While wind is the cornerstone of the Pickens Plan, it also calls for natural gas to be used in the trucking industry, as well as for a more concerted focus on solar and biofuels for the everyman consumer.

Pickens will also remind Americans not to get complacent with the recent fall in gas prices, noting that OPEC has spent the past several decades lowering oil prices whenever America gets serious about alternative energy.  To help their supporters spread the word about their vision, they have a Pickens Plan shop with merchandise available at cost.

Coming up with alternative energy solutions that plan to change the way that Americans live their everyday lives – as well as the American and global economies – may seem like a Herculean challenge, but T. Boone Pickens has a plan and he’s moving full-steam ahead.  Pickens seems to be running on the clean energy of sheer will, determination and the “Deliver a plan, plan to deliver” adage.  This style of effort, of course, is easily summed up by three little words: “Yes we can.”

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With rumors of Hillary Clinton’s appointment to Secretary of State confirmed, some motivated designers ’round these parts are having a good ol’ time adding to the already populous anti-Hillary t-shirt collection that sprung up during the primaries.

So if you’re stumped on a Christmas gift for Aunt Susan who just can’t stand HRC but already has too many cat sweatshirts, you’re in luck: in addition to the shirts there’s also a few useful anti-Hillary gifts, including the notebook at right. It’s blank inside, thus better enabling Aunt Susan to chronicle the hijinks of her favorite cat Sammy. (And don’t forget – if you’re stumped on a gift this season, feel free to participate in our Ungiftables Challenge.)

Of course, Hillary’s appointment means that someone needs to take her Senate seat. New York Governor David Paterson is the one who chooses her replacement, and it’s probably safe to say that Eliot Spitzer is off the short list. One name rumored to be on that list, though, may surprise some people: Bill Clinton.

Whether Bill Clinton would consider taking his wife’s Senate seat is purely conjecture at this point. What we do know: it would make for some interesting t-shirts.

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Just when you thought you’d have to shelve your “A woman’s place is in the White House” t-shirt for the next 4-8 years, rumors have surfaced that Hillary Clinton may be Obama’s choice for Secretary of State.

While Politico reports that some members of the Obama camp are greeting this news with ambivalence at best due to having run a contentious primary campaign with a central theme of tossing out the old establishment (i.e. Billary), rumor has it that Obama himself has offered her the job.

Certainly, 18 million voters felt that it was high time for Hillary to take a position in the White House; and with over half a million Hillary products reflecting that sentiment, the appointment would allow Hillary fans to pull a lot of those Hillary t-shirts out from under their anti-Bush t-shirt collection and wear them with pride.

Of course, technically the Secretary of State doesn’t actually live or work in the White House.  But these are t-shirts, and some artistic license is allowed.  Anyway, the State Department’s just down the street, and with Condi’s shoe collection it’s possible that Hillary may find a walk-in closet even nicer than the one in the White House.

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Rush Limbaugh says she’s a “babe.”  Jon Stewart says that “her resume appears to be more suited for a ‘Northern Exposure’ reunion show” than for the office one step away from the Presidency.  And Fred Thompson notes that “She is the only nominee in the history of either party who knows how to properly field dress a moose … with the possible exception of Teddy Roosevelt.”

It’s worth noting that Thompson’s claim is one of the few about Sarah Palin that isn’t the subject of furious debate.

Indeed, the polemic over Sarah Palin has been going strong every since John McCain’s surprise announcement of his running mate last week, prompting a frenzy of arguments between the right and left in what’s been, already, a contentious election throughout primary season.

Whether McCain’s choice was aimed to attract disenfranchised female voters still embittered by a brutal Democratic primary, to shore up the Christian right and uber-conservatives who think he’s too liberal, to lower the average age of his ticket or to help him find suitable outerwear choices for cold winters in D.C. is up for debate.

Then again, everything’s up for debate with Sarah Palin these days, and nowhere is that more evident than on the almighty t-shirt.

Animals seem to be a common theme for Palin merch; perhaps not surprising, given that she hails from the bucolic state of Alaska.

Not to be outdone, the acronym-lovers out there were only too happy to agree with Rush Limbaugh’s assertion that Palin is an attractive candidate.  That the happy owner of VPILF.com – as Huffington post writer David Weiner noted – had the foresight to get that site up and running two months ago might lead some to wonder whether this was a truly a case of foresight or whether he was, with a perhaps misguided sense of optimism, counting on rabid Joe Lieberman groupies to storm the barn doors.

VPILF.com has official t-shirts up and going, and of course there’s lots of variations on the MILF theme for you purists out there.

It’s worth noting that we don’t have a single PILF t-shirt that’s about Hillary Clinton, though we do have a handful made for Obama.  What this means to Clinton is, again, up for debate.  However, Hillary fans can still revel in her love of the almighty pantsuit – and what a pantsuit extravaganza it’s been of late.  With that blue background, it would seem that HRC has a firm grasp of the color theory, most notably complementary colors.

In any case, one thing worth noting is that Palin herself seems to have engendered an unprecedented amount of discussion and merchandise related to her outward appearance.  This is unheard of in a presidential race (of course, we weren’t around making t-shirts for Quayle), and there’s some debate as to whether this kind of labeling and the coverage she’s received is sexist.  One of the more interesting things about these kinds of labels is that, as noted, the Republican pundits (and Cindy McCain) began lauding her external appeal as soon as her appointment was announced and seem to consider it at advantage.

But of course there’s always an answer to any possibly sexist acronym…

Whatever you want to call her, Palin herself has been labeled by right and left (and herself) alike: Hockey Mom, Military Mom, barracuda, VPILF, card-carrying NRA member, hunter, outdoorswoman, pro-lifer, Mother of Five.  As the debate rages on over her inexperience, whether she’s an anti-feminist, the clash between her stance on abstinence and the GOP’s traditional positions about unwed mothers and “traditional family values” being at odds with her inconveniently unmarried pregnant teenage daughter, and of course why McCain – who’s pointed out inexperience as Obama’s failing – would choose her in spite of her own inexperience, a steady stream of user-generated designs tell us that these debates won’t go quietly.

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