Thomas Paine Brings Common Sense To The New Year

Thomas Paine Brings Common Sense To The New Year

As we ring in the New Year with resolutions of making changes to better ourselves this year, we can’t help but remind you to look to the past in order to not make the same mistakes in the future.

“Common Sense” by Thomas Paine

Our nation is in a constant state of turmoil with poverty at an all-time high, our soldiers at war, we have homelessness and those who are without food, we’re overweight and dependent on a medical industry that only benefits financially from our illnesses.

Like our founding fathers and the early settlers to America, we need to become more aware of what is happening to us as a whole. We may come from many parts of the worlds but we’ve all come together for a better life. Let us not do this blindly or without knowledge of how to get back to and maintain it.

If you don’t know who Thomas Paine is, get ready for a brief look into this early American Revolutionary individual who sought to remind early American settlers of the sacrifices made to attain sovereignty and freedom from England, and challenged British rule and the royal monarchy. He was an author, a radical, an inventor, an intellectual, a revolutionary and one of the founding fathers of our great nation.

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At a time when America was beginning to settle, it seemed like its people were retorting back to English ways, be it out of fear, ignorance, or both. Thomas Paine, wrote and published a pamphlet simply titled, “Common Sense” with the goal of rallying the American people to hold steadfast to their freedom they had long fought (and died) for.

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Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense – 1776

What He Wrote Was “Common Sense”

What he wrote was in fact, just plain common sense. It called upon ALL CITIZENS to take responsibility for their lives, their nation, their people. Below is an excerpt of his work, addressing the origin and design of government in general with concise remarks on the English Constitution:

“Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter NEGATIVELY by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher.

Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one: for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer.

Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence; the palaces of kings are built upon the ruins of the bowers of paradise. For were the impulses of conscience clear, uniform and irresistibly obeyed, man would need no other lawgiver; but that not being the case, he finds it necessary to surrender up a part of his property to furnish means for the protection of the rest; and this he is induced to do by the same prudence which in every other case advises him, out of two evils to choose the least. Wherefore, security being the true design and end of government, it unanswerably follows that whatever form thereof appears most likely to ensure it to us, with the least expense and greatest benefit, is preferable to all others.

In order to gain a clear and just idea of the design and end of government, let us suppose a small number of persons settled in some sequestered part of the earth, unconnected with the rest; they will then represent the first peopling of any country, or of the world. In this state of natural liberty, society will be their first thought. A thousand motives will excite them thereto; the strength of one man is so unequal to his wants, and his mind so unfitted for perpetual solitude, that he is soon obliged to seek assistance and relief of another, who in his turn requires the same. Four or five united would be able to raise a tolerable dwelling in the midst of a wilderness, but one man might labour out the common period of life without accomplishing any thing; when he had felled his timber he could not remove it, nor erect it after it was removed; hunger in the mean time would urge him to quit his work, and every different want would call him a different way. Disease, nay even misfortune, would be death; for, though neither might be mortal, yet either would disable him from living, and reduce him to a state in which he might rather be said to perish than to die.

Thus necessity, like a gravitating power, would soon form our newly arrived emigrants into society, the reciprocal blessings of which would supersede, and render the obligations of law and government unnecessary while they remained perfectly just to each other; but as nothing but Heaven is impregnable to vice, it will unavoidably happen that in proportion as they surmount the first difficulties of emigration, which bound them together in a common cause, they will begin to relax in their duty and attachment to each other: and this remissness will point out the necessity of establishing some form of government to supply the defect of moral virtue.

Some convenient tree will afford them a State House, under the branches of which the whole Colony may assemble to deliberate on public matters. It is more than probable that their first laws will have the title only of Regulations and be enforced by no other penalty than public disesteem. In this first parliament every man by natural right will have a seat.

But as the Colony encreases, the public concerns will encrease likewise, and the distance at which the members may be separated, will render it too inconvenient for all of them to meet on every occasion as at first, when their number was small, their habitations near, and the public concerns few and trifling. This will point out the convenience of their consenting to leave the legislative part to be managed by a select number chosen from the whole body, who are supposed to have the same concerns at stake which those have who appointed them, and who will act in the same manner as the whole body would act were they present. If the colony continue encreasing, it will become necessary to augment the number of representatives, and that the interest of every part of the colony may be attended to, it will be found best to divide the whole into convenient parts, each part sending its proper number: and that the ELECTED might never form to themselves an interest separate from the ELECTORS, prudence will point out the propriety of having elections often: because as the ELECTED might by that means return and mix again with the general body of the ELECTORS in a few months, their fidelity to the public will be secured by the prudent reflection of not making a rod for themselves. And as this frequent interchange will establish a common interest with every part of the community, they will mutually and naturally support each other, and on this, (not on the unmeaning name of king,) depends the STRENGTH OF GOVERNMENT, AND THE HAPPINESS OF THE GOVERNED.

Here then is the origin and rise of government; namely, a mode rendered necessary by the inability of moral virtue to govern the world; here too is the design and end of government, viz. Freedom and security. And however our eyes may be dazzled with show, or our ears deceived by sound; however prejudice may warp our wills, or interest darken our understanding, the simple voice of nature and reason will say, ’tis right.

I draw my idea of the form of government from a principle in nature which no art can overturn, viz. that the more simple any thing is, the less liable it is to be disordered, and the easier repaired when disordered; and with this maxim in view I offer a few remarks on the so much boasted constitution of England. That it was noble for the dark and slavish times in which it was erected, is granted. When the world was overrun with tyranny the least remove therefrom was a glorious rescue. But that it is imperfect, subject to convulsions, and incapable of producing what it seems to promise is easily demonstrated.

Absolute governments, (tho’ the disgrace of human nature) have this advantage with them, they are simple; if the people suffer, they know the head from which their suffering springs; know likewise the remedy; and are not bewildered by a variety of causes and cures. But the constitution of England is so exceedingly complex, that the nation may suffer for years together without being able to discover in which part the fault lies; some will say in one and some in another, and every political physician will advise a different medicine.

I know it is difficult to get over local or long standing prejudices, yet if we will suffer ourselves to examine the component parts of the English Constitution, we shall find them to be the base remains of two ancient tyrannies, compounded with some new Republican materials.

First. — The remains of Monarchical tyranny in the person of the King.

Secondly. — The remains of Aristocratical tyranny in the persons of the Peers.

Thirdly. — The new Republican materials, in the persons of the Commons, on whose virtue depends the freedom of England.

The two first, by being hereditary, are independent of the People; wherefore in a CONSTITUTIONAL SENSE they contribute nothing towards the freedom of the State.

To say that the constitution of England is an UNION of three powers, reciprocally CHECKING each other, is farcical; either the words have no meaning, or they are flat contradictions.

First. — That the King it not to be trusted without being looked after; or in other words, that a thirst for absolute power is the natural disease of monarchy.

Secondly. — That the Commons, by being appointed for that purpose, are either wiser or more worthy of confidence than the Crown.

But as the same constitution which gives the Commons a power to check the King by withholding the supplies, gives afterwards the King a power to check the Commons, by empowering him to reject their other bills; it again supposes that the King is wiser than those whom it has already supposed to be wiser than him. A mere absurdity!

There is something exceedingly ridiculous in the composition of Monarchy; it first excludes a man from the means of information, yet empowers him to act in cases where the highest judgment is required. The state of a king shuts him from the World, yet the business of a king requires him to know it thoroughly; wherefore the different parts, by unnaturally opposing and destroying each other, prove the whole character to be absurd and useless.

Some writers have explained the English constitution thus: the King, say they, is one, the people another; the Peers are a house in behalf of the King, the commons in behalf of the people; but this hath all the distinctions of a house divided against itself; and though the expressions be pleasantly arranged, yet when examined they appear idle and ambiguous; and it will always happen, that the nicest construction that words are capable of, when applied to the description of something which either cannot exist, or is too incomprehensible to be within the compass of description, will be words of sound only, and though they may amuse the ear, they cannot inform the mind: for this explanation includes a previous question, viz. HOW CAME THE KING BY A POWER WHICH THE PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO TRUST, AND ALWAYS OBLIGED TO CHECK? Such a power could not be the gift of a wise people, neither can any power, WHICH NEEDS CHECKING, be from God; yet the provision which the constitution makes supposes such a power to exist.

But the provision is unequal to the task; the means either cannot or will not accomplish the end, and the whole affair is a Felo de se: for as the greater weight will always carry up the less, and as all the wheels of a machine are put in motion by one, it only remains to know which power in the constitution has the most weight, for that will govern: and tho’ the others, or a part of them, may clog, or, as the phrase is, check the rapidity of its motion, yet so long as they cannot stop it, their endeavors will be ineffectual: The first moving power will at last have its way, and what it wants in speed is supplied by time.

That the crown is this overbearing part in the English constitution needs not be mentioned, and that it derives its whole consequence merely from being the giver of places and pensions is self-evident; wherefore, though we have been wise enough to shut and lock a door against absolute Monarchy, we at the same time have been foolish enough to put the Crown in possession of the key.

The prejudice of Englishmen, in favour of their own government, by King, Lords and Commons, arises as much or more from national pride than reason. Individuals are undoubtedly safer in England than in some other countries: but the will of the king is as much the law of the land in Britain as in France, with this difference, that instead of proceeding directly from his mouth, it is handed to the people under the formidable shape of an act of parliament. For the fate of Charles the First hath only made kings more subtle — not more just.

Wherefore, laying aside all national pride and prejudice in favour of modes and forms, the plain truth is that IT IS WHOLLY OWING TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE PEOPLE, AND NOT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE GOVERNMENT that the crown is not as oppressive in England as in Turkey.

An inquiry into the CONSTITUTIONAL ERRORS in the English form of government, is at this time highly necessary; for as we are never in a proper condition of doing justice to others, while we continue under the influence of some leading partiality, so neither are we capable of doing it to ourselves while we remain fettered by any obstinate prejudice. And as a man who is attached to a prostitute is unfitted to choose or judge of a wife, so any prepossession in favour of a rotten constitution of government will disable us from discerning a good one.”

To read COMMON SENSE in its entirety, you can find it here.

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Read his other works: The Crisis, The Rights of Man, and The Age of Reason

He certainly was a radical and an intellectual. His writings are detailed and well thought out calling out “the people” to participate as a active equal members of society.

This new year brings with it the hope for change and betterment in our nation and it takes a strong, well informed people to make it happen. Look to the past to fair well in the future.

10 Worst Black Friday Moments in History

10 Worst Black Friday Moments in History

Some people just dont give a damn.  Sad to say the “Money Changers are in the Temple” as the Saturn worshipers exemplify materialism, greed, selfishness, carelessness, and most of all violence to get what they want for the lowest base price.  People are definitely spending the wrong “Mon-Eye”.  They should SPEND more time on caring for one another and PAY attention to what is most important- FAMILY.  Wake up Merica!

10.  Man Threatens to Stab Customers at Kmart

“Push one of my kids and I will stab one of you Mutherfuckers!”.  Customers said he was not joking!  See video and judge for yourself!

9. Knife Fight in parking lot at a Walmart in CA

 At least three customers fought outside a Rialto, Calif., Walmart Thanksgiving night. The brawl that broke out ahead of Black Friday was apparently sparked after some customers were caught cutting in line. [Read More] 

Black Friday!

8. A police officer shoots alleged shoplifter at Kohls in Chicago

 Kohl’s shooting: A duo of fleeing shoplifting suspects allegedly dragged a Romeoville, Ill., police officer with their car on Thursday evening outside of a Kohl’s department store during Black Friday. [Read More]

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7.  10 Injured in Southern California Black Friday Mall Stampede

Black Friday spurs the largest stampede in Torrance as shoppers trample over others leaving 10 injured from charging Sheeple!

 

6. Walmart Shoppers Brawl it out for Sales!

Some Black Friday bystanders seemed amused by the chaos, others looked a little frightened. [Read More]

 

5. Police Pepper Spray Beauty Salon Customers on Black Friday in Florida

Police used pepper spray on shoppers after a scene broke out at a beauty supply store on Friday. The incident was reported at Beauty Exchange on Pine Hills Circle. [Read More]

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4. Female Shopper decides to Pepper Spray fellow customers injures 20

 A mother of three shot pepper spray to keep shoppers from grabbing a video game system she wanted during a Black Friday sale, leaving 20 people with minor injuries, authorities said.  [Read More]

 

3. Family and friends were stunned by the loss of a West Virginia man who died while shopping on Black Friday

Fellow bargain hunters reportedly walked around — and even over — the man’s body.  Off Duty Nurses took notice and tried to help the man but it was too late.  Thank goodness for the Nurses!

 

2. Worker dies at Long Island Wal-Mart after being trampled in Black Friday stampede

When the madness ended, 34-year-old Jdimytai Damour was dead and four shoppers, including a woman eight months pregnant, were injured.  Read original news story…

Temple of Saturn

Wal-Mart

1. Toy-R-Us Shootout leaves gunfighters dead

Instead of the usual frantic chaos on Black Friday, the year’s busiest shopping day, mayhem erupted in the electronics department about 11:30 a.m., leaving two men dead in a gunfight and crowds of shoppers ducking for cover. Read more in the LA times article…

Temple of Saturn

 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Top 10 Viral Thanksgiving Posts (updated for 2014!)

Top 10 Viral Thanksgiving Posts (updated for 2014!)

Thanksgiving is a time of family and friends and food. A harvest celebration holding long family traditions and the start of the holiday season in the United States. It’s also a time when people start sharing all the tweets and Facebook posts about Thanksgiving.

Here are the most shared ones for you to amaze and astound your friends with or just to get an idea of what is trending in Cyberspace this year.

1. WKRP In Cincinnati – Turkeys Away!

“As God as my witness, i thought turkeys could fly.”

All the way back on October 30th, 1978, WKRP In Cincinnati, a show about a family run rock music radio station, aired a classic episode called “Turkeys Away.”  the plot of the episode was that Mr. Carlson, the owner, feels a little useless after the change over to a new format rock & roll music radio station. He decides to create a big Thanksgiving Day promotion. He rents a helicopter and has a banner attached to it that says, “Happy Thanksgiving From WKRP” and then drops live turkeys from the helicopter to give them away to happy families… not knowing that Turkeys can’t fly.

2. Sesame Street Thanksgiving Dinner

big bird thanksgiving

 

3. Alice’s Restaurant (Illustrated Version)

Warning: This was recorded in 1967 and has some foul language and concepts in it, but we wanted to include this in our list as it has been making it’s rounds on Twitter.

Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” is a musical monologue by singer-songwriter Arlo Guthrie released on his 1967 album Alice’s Restaurant. The song is one of Guthrie’s most prominent works, based on a true incident in his life that began on Thanksgiving Day 1965, and which inspired a 1969 movie of the same name. Apart from the chorus which begins and ends it, the “song” is in fact a spoken monologue, with ragtime guitar backing.

Though the song’s official title, as printed on the album, is “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” (pronounced “mass-a-cree”), Guthrie states in the opening line of the song that “This song’s called ‘Alice’s Restaurant'” and that “‘Alice’s Restaurant’… is just the name of the song;” as such, the shortened title is the one most commonly used for the song today.

In an interview for All Things Considered, Guthrie said the song points out that any American citizen who was convicted of a crime, no matter how minor (in his case, it was littering), could avoid being conscripted to fight in the Vietnam War.” (Source: Wikipedia)

 

4. Carly Rae Jepsen sings to the Native Americans

thanksgiving call me maybe Carly Rae Jepsen

 

5. Unfriended

Somethings up. The farmer just unfriended me on Facebook funny Thanksgiving turkeys

 

6. Keep Calm and Gobble On

Keep Calm and Gobble On

 

7. Thanksgiving Lion Cat

thanksgiving cat

 

8. Hot… 300 Hot!

300 hot turkey

 

9. Thankful for Black Friday Trampling

Why not save yourself the hassle and shop online!

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 10. In my house, we call it stuffing…

butthole-bread

 

US Army War Eagle is Wise About Thanksgiving

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Get a US Army War Eagle Shirt!

 

Got more of your own Thanksgiving memes, videos or images?

Post ’em in the comments below!

 

Go Quality Or Go Home On Custom Military Shirts

Go Quality Or Go Home On Custom Military Shirts

Go Quality Or Go Home On Custom Military Shirts

Quality Custom Military Shirts

We like to say in the industry: Go Quality Or Go Home On Custom Military Shirts! Frequently asked questions always start with how much? What is this going to cost? Hey the guy down the street working in his garage quoted me 3.00 bucks a shirts why can’t you? The simple answer is because you get what you pay for. The best is out there for the best military shirts its just a matter of finding where they come from. Honestly you can’t even get a good cup of coffee for 3 bucks much less 5 these days so why would it be any different when it comes to quality designs and custom artwork on unit military shirts.

It’s all about the artwork!

NAVY VP-40 Squid

I have lost the count how many times someone has emailed us one of our designs on some one else’s design program. Then they ask us if we can do this artwork followed by our simple reply that “We already did”. Then of course the next question. The so and so shop outside the gate wants to charge us 5 dollars for the shirt but needs your permission to use it. The quick answer. No f’ing way.

So get the best custom military art! It makes a difference!

NAVY Fort Sam Houston Steer (1)

The reasons why people come to Vision-Strike-Wear.Com is because of the artwork and the quality of printing and knowing that when the day is over and their shirts arrive that they will have quality.

Navy Amphib Alligator

No some cheese cloth special that rubs off after you wash it the first time. There is nothing sadder than our military spending their hard earned money on the crap that people are peddling these days. Actually it is worse than sad. It’s maddening. As a retired US Marine I hate the stories of we bought it, we paid for it and we got shit quality when it arrived so we have to live with it. Not the type of thing I want to hear no matter who they went with.

NAVY Crow

There are really two options:

Get Quality or Suffer!

Quality or Suffer From Amateur Hour and Poor Quality! Wanna see the difference?

Here is the 400 shirt order ordered from the guy down the street. The shirts are still in the box and could not be sold. The customer forked over 8.00 per shirt on 400 shirts which is 3200.00 hard earned dollars. The shirts did not return enough to pay for the shirts themselves. Sad.

It gets worse. The design being worn by this customer was created by a challenge coin company in China. Here is the design that is presently collecting dust in a box in some office in Texas.

badart

 Now for quality!

The following design was priced also at 8.00 based on 400 shirts. The difference is this design sold out in less than 24 hours and the customer contacted Vision-Strike-Wear.Com to arrange for another 400 shirts and by the time the 238th US Navy Birthday had arrived they placed a third order. The committee was very happy and this became one of the most successful fundraising events for the 1st Marine Division and US Navy Birthday Ball!

Navy 238th Navy Ball

The next design is an example of letting the artists create and trusting the relationship that Vision-Strike-Wear.Com brings to the table. After creating the Mars Attacks design it was successful in selling several hundred within a 24 hour period followed by an email requesting another several hundred more navaltees.

NAVY AUTEC Bahamas Mars Invades

Quality Over Crap Everytime!

Quality over cheap. Quality will win every single time. Vision-Strike-Wear.com has been honored to work with and serve at the request of the US military creating custom military shirts for all branches of the service. So the next time some printer or pusher of bad design contacts you, run and when you do run away very fast!

Help Heal Our Vets!

Help Heal Our Vets in collaboration with Vision-Strike-Wear.Com is announcing its efforts to raise awareness of issues and support that help our US military veterans. There are many very important organaizations and military non-profits whose goal it is to support our veterans and put the much needed funds into their hands where it can do our veteran’s the most good. This is what Helphealourvets.Org does.
Your purchase of the Helphealourvets.Org hoodie allows all proceeds to be donated to military charities and organizations who do the job right and take care of the veterans. No more red tape or layers of bureacratic salaries that produce little nothing for our veterans. These dollars go to the veterans. Your purchase of this hoodie makes this possible.
This Veteran’s Day will mark the beginning of the fundraising campaign created by Healp Heal Our Vets and between this Veteran’s Day and next years Veteran’s Day 2015 where we will announce the amount that will be donated to the organizations that do the most good within the veteran community. We are excited to partipcate and be part of a fundraising campaign whose sole purpose is to help heal our veterans.

Help Heal Our Vets Hoodie

Who Shot Osama Bin Laden – Does It Really Matter?

Who Shot Osama Bin Laden – Does It Really Matter?

Robert O’Neil says that he was the man who shot Osama Bin Laden.

Robert-ONeill-shot-Osama-Bin-Laden

He is a former Navy SEAL and the Pentagon has confirmed was one of 23 Navy SEALs on SEAL Team Six that went on the mission to find Osama Bin Laden. He claims to have fired the shots that killed Osama bin Laden.  O’Neil said Friday that he was inspired to reveal his secret after meeting with the families of victims from the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Robert O’Neil Describes What Happened On The Today Show

“This wasn’t my first mission. This was probably mission 400 plus. So, I took the shot because it was my primary threat and then I went to the secondary, tertiary threats. And that was to clear the room and make sure the other two in the room were properly taken care of.” – Robert O’Neil

Did O’Neil Shoot Bin Laden and Should He Even Be Talking About It?

There are conflicting reports whether he was the man who shot Osama Bin Laden, former Al Qaeda leader, or if SEALs are even supposed to disclose those kinds of details to anyone. He said that after speaking at an event for the families of victims of the terrorist attacks on 9/11, and seeing the reactions of the families, he was inclined to speak out about what happened.

bin-laden-punched-ticket-coin

Montana native, Robert O’Neil, being interviewed November 14, 2014 on NPR said that the families “found solace and closure” by knowing that Osama was killed and knowing who “punched his ticket”  made it seem “real” to them.

I think it’s a difficult secret to keep,” he told CBS News. All 23 SEALs who participated in the raid on a stronghold in Pakistan back  in 2011 were sworn to secrecy about the mission. Some say that there were thousands involved in the hunt for Osama and that O’Neil was merely the “tip of the spear” or the “triggerman” in the multi-year world-wide man hunt for Bin Laden.

Previously, a book published under the pen name “Mark Owen” by former Navy Seal Matt Bissonnette, is under investigation by the Pentagon.

“A former member of the Navy SEALs who wrote a best seller about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden is under criminal investigation for possibly disclosing classified material, according to federal officials and his lawyer.” (source: NY Times)

Don Mann, Also of SEAL Team Six, Talks About The Announcement

“These things have to be kept quiet for a number of reasons,” Don Mann, a former SEAL and author of Inside SEAL Team Six, said Sunday. “Talking out like this goes against the fabric of our community.” But Mann cuts O’Neill some slack: first of all, the government made it clear, shortly after bin Laden’s death, that SEAL Team 6 was responsible (“To me, that’s the bigger problem,” Mann says). Then Bissonnette took too much credit for his role, Mann believes. (Source: Time Magazine)

What Matters Most

I doubt that there will ever be consensus on an issue such as this, however there are a few points that everyone can agree on.

  1. Osama Bin Laden had to be removed, even if he was only a figure-head at that point and not operationally involved.
  2. The families of the victims of 9/11 deserve any small amount of comfort or closure we can give them.
  3. We need to do everything we can to guarantee the operational safety of our men and women in uniform.

Robert O’Neil does not seem to have a direct profit motive, as he is not promoting a book or product and he does work with a registered charitable organization.  However, he broken the code of secrecy that SEAL teams swear to uphold.  Even if his motives are honorable, the code is in place to protect our troops during and after their active duty, and that is a line he has crossed.

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Join the ISIS Hunting Club!

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Custom Shirts A How To Guide

Custom Shirts A How To Guide

Crazy at it may seem the creation of a military design or graphic for shirts, hoodies, dry fit shirts or anything you can conjure up really is simple if you understand the design and printing process jsut a little. This blog article is specifically geared to offer ideas, suggestions and assistance as you navigate through the minefield called custom shirt design and printing.

Creating a custom military design and shirts is like playing 4 quarters of football!

There is a pre-game warmup, a 1st quarter, 2nd quarter, half-time, 3rd and even a 4th quarter. And if all of this is accomplished correctly and you work as a team member and not as an opponent you will win the game and here is why.

Warming Up – The Pre-Game Preparation!

How do you cross the end zone and win the game? Easy. You warm up and make sure everything is prepared before the game even starts.

When it comes to design make sure you know what you want and leave the guessing games out. As a military person you are at times working with civilians, possibly former military and learning the rules of the road is like going back to bootcamp only without all the yelling. Here are a few simple things to keep in mind as you prepare and get ready for custom designing.

1. Know what you want. Communicate what  you want for the front and for the back of the shirts and apparel items. Describe it so a 3rd grader would understand.

2.  Do you like a certain font? Recommended sites for finding a font you like could be dafont.com. This helps save time and reduces cost having your artist look up something and guess what you want. Tell them what you want and save time.

3. How many items do you want? Keep in mind if you order fewer items than what was quoted the price could easily go up. Likewise if the quantity increases expect the price should come down.

4. If you have a desired date you need everything in hand by let your team know. As professionals you are working together to accomplish the same goal. If your team does not know then they will not understand your needs. Be reasonable with your expactations. Quality takes time and excellence takes a little longer.

5. What kind of shirts or apparel items do you want? Be clear you want cotton, 50/50 cotton poly, dry-fit, hoodies or other items. Be clear.

6. APO/FPO or domestic address. Be sure to let your team know what name and address you want your items shipped to.

7. Last but not least. Play for the success of the team but don’t play to play if you are serious about design and getting quality. If you are not serious or playing games and trying to get something for nothing then seriously hit the road. You are wasting your time and the time of others who are professional. Work with them. Don’t abuse them.

1st Quarter

 

Now that you have stretched and gotten all the kinks out the 1st Quarter can begin. You have received your quote and understand the details of the custom design and printing and you are ready to get started. Most company’s in today’s marketplace require a deposit. This is not unusual. Why do they? Let’s sum it up this way. Nobody likes to work for free! It’s pretty simple. The deposit does 1 thing mainly. It separates professionals from gamers. If you are serious about quality and design then a deposit is nothing more than a professional gesture of interest and a serious desire to get shirts and apparel. No deposit then you are playing games and again its time to seek business elsewhere cause you are wasting everyone’s time.

The sketch – it’s your playbook!

Deposit completed. Copy that. Now it’s time to receive the sketch. As simple as a sketch might be its worth ten times its value! Why? Because its the playbook. It tells you everything you will ever want to know about how your design is going to look farther down the field. Now is the time to make sure things are all present and accounted for so later on the design can be done correctly and efficiently for you. Now is the best time to make sure things are correct.

2nd Quarter

Sketch approved! Now its time to get things rolling and moving ahead. So what comes next?

1. Confirm your quantities with your team. Remember if your order quantity lowers the price will go up and if you order more expect a price reduction. Now is a good time to ask about bulk discounts. Questions asked would be like what quantity do I need to order to qualify for the next price break?

2. Now is the time to arrange payment. Now that the sketch is approved the real work begins getting your design created with all the color and detail you requested. Your team is about to invest hours if not days creating your custom design. The payment you are making is to pay for the work and time they are about to take creating a wonderful design for you, ordering the items from the factory so they are ready for printing. All these are expenses to your team. Paying them allows them to do their job for you and have everything prepared and readied for you.

3. Communication. Keep the lines of communication open. If you are taking leave, going to training or possibly entering River City let your team know. If you are half way around the world your team will want to reach out to you with your design seeking feedback. If you are going to be away make sure someone else is available to receive the emails and communications so no time is lost. This can often result in a delay leading to printing so helping your team move the football down the field is important. Keep the signals coming in from the sidelines. Civilian address? Send it so they have a way to reach you.

4. Final colored and detailed artwork on its way! When you get the colored draft review it. Look it over and make sure you check every detail. Taking the time now to review the design will save pain and suffering later if you miss something.

5. Get your changes back or approval back to your team quickly. Don’t sit on it. The longer you wait the longer it takes to get your items printed. The clock is not running just because you have artwork. You need to send your approval back and put it into the hands of your team mate. Pass that football!

3rd Quarter

 

The design is now advancing down the field. Sketch and final art are approved. Now its time to move into the final stages of production. The 3rd quarter is important. Here is the best time to double check the information, review and make sure things are moving forward as planned. Recommended are to confirm the order details now that the order is nearing production.

Have you told your team everything? Have there been any last minute chnages like an address or other detail you want to be sure they have. Now is the time to do it. Tell them. Many people make the decision in the 3rd quarter to order more items. The design might have been so good that you are now reevaluating if you ordered enough. Remember that price break? Now is the best time to order more and take advantage because of even better pricing. Your order is getting close to being printed so take advantage of this time can be a wise decision. Let’s review the 3rd Quarter checklist.

1. Quantity. Color. Sizes. Apparel types. Are they correct?

2. Name and address for shipping. Do you need your order rushed? Be prepared to pay for rush services or expedited shipping. Regardless now is the time to ask your team mates for help if you need it.

4th Quarter

Production

Your order now is moving to production. Apparel has been ordered and is ready to go, screen and films are being created, art is being finalized and prepped, physical counts of the sizes and colors are done and confirmed and things are prepared for the printing. Every company averages between 7-10 business days unless you have arranged for a different production date.

Expect to receive a digital proof prior to production. This is the last step in the process and this is a last opportunity to review the details and make sure everything looks right. Review this proof and send back your reply as soon as possible. Delays at this stage of production can cost several days if your reply is not received timely. Why is this? Production schedules change daily if not hourly and your team mate wants to keep on schedule but if you delay then your order gets assigned a new production day and this can cause delays for you. Keep this in mind. You always want to pass the ball and keep it with your team mate as much as possible. Don’t have them waiting on you!

Goal

 

The most successful experiences when it comes to ordering custom shirts and apparel is to arrive at the goal line with your team. They are there to accomplish the same goal. Providing the best in custom design, quality of printing and excellent service. If you work with your team and not against your team you will achieve success. Communication and professionalism are the two most essential qualities for a successful order.

1. Communicate.

2. Work together as a team not as opponents.

3. Work together for the best of success.

4. Ask questions.

5. Work with experts and not the garage shop down the street. Best piece of advice is don’t sacrifice quality for price. Price always loses to quality and the sad truth is that discovery of poor quality comes after delivery and not in the 1st Quarter.

6. The difference between great and incredible is a good cup of coffee. 5 bucks can make a difference. Remember that the next time you order a shirt that will last you years verses the cup of coffee that is gone in under 5 minutes.

7. Art is everything. Get great art when you can afford it otherwise its a shirt with a cut and paste special.

8. Communicate. First and last this is the most essential ingredient in getting great custom shirts!

9. Follow your core values and put integrity at the front of the list. Follow through.

10. Enjoy the process. This is creative and fun. This is not curing brain cancer. Enjoy.

 

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