Happy Canada day! This week’s offerings are four-fold.

Bacon is a Vegetable and Ten Ninjas stickers are finally back in stock! These are bigger than last time and in-stock today. (hopefully more stickers next week)

I had Dr. T-Shirt do up an *amazing* little run of fuschia Yarncore shirts. We’ve got these in stock as well! I’m not gonna lie, I did these mostly because I wanted another bright pink shirt.

Lastly! I’m bringing the current pixelated Canadian flag shirt to an end. You can scoop up the rest of the stock for only $13 while it lasts.

For those who missed having it, you can read the archives of the newspaper version of Diesel Sweeties again. Not sure what broke it, but it broke it pretty hard!

I still remember the first time I heard Frank Zappa’s “Montana.” I was delivering newspapers, probably in fifth or sixth grade. Pre-iPod, my little Walkman and I were enjoying the twenty minutes or so before the “hilarious” morning radio show started on the local classic rock station. They always played oddball songs that didn’t quite fit into the genre then. “Werewolves of London” was another one. Anything that had a bit too much of a sense of humor and might frighten a Led Zeppelin fan.

So anyways, it was still dark out and this horns and marimba or xylophone ditty about blowing town to become a pigmy pony cowboy comes on. I’m twelve years old and never heard anything so technically accomplished yet completely stupid. I was hooked instantly.

This moment is why I love the early morning and am obsessed with blowing the hell out of town to do something stupid for the rest of my life as soon as I can afford it. The current plan is to build a satellite-internet RV out of a postal truck and ride the Alaska Highway. Give me a few years.

You don’t have to be a stylish lady from Massachusetts to look good in an Invisible Giraffe shirt, but you can be!

Sadness. Michael Jackson died today. I’m listening to Thriller on Twitter at 9PM Eastern with whoever would like to join in. (I’m @rstevens and the plan is for the full album)

You may, of course, adjust your musical tributes to taste.

No new designs this week: Dr. T-Shirt is overloaded getting everyone ready for San Diego Comic-Con, so I’m not going to add to his troubles this week. But I have some good news!

The first run of Invisible Giraffe shirts are in and shipping. (we’re just waiting on womens XLs) People really, really, really liked this one, so I’m bringing it back as a permanent shirt!

I’m also doing a one week $15 deal on Math Madness deal on Cherry Pi and Pac-Math shirts.

San Diego Comic-Con is in a month. Dumbrella will be there as always, right near and hovering slightly above the other webcomics folks.

I seriously, utterly, totally do not feel like flying. I hate the stress, the timing, the scowling, the x-rays. (on the last flight I took, they x-rayed my laptop so hard the flash drive cooked)

So! When faced by certain irradiation, one does what one must do as an American. One takes a land-based adventure! My current debate is between the flexibility of a solo road trip and the brainlessness of taking the train.

I love driving and have road tripped to SD twice before. Plusses: my own timetable, a quiet room every night, rest stops, last minute merchandise and book carrying power. Minuses: less safe, can’t read a book while moving.

Amtrak calls to me for some strange reason. Plusses: no thinking, safer, can walk around the train all day, can read and use my 3G card, moves while sleeping. (And well, it’s good enough for Joe Biden.) Minuses: on a schedule, possible delays, sharing tiny bathrooms and having no escape from sweaty humans.

I’ve never ridden Amtrak. My first extended train ride was the Eurostar from London to Paris, which reduced me to tears of mechanized joy. I’d love to hear about your experiences on trains and photos if possible!

Yes, I know flying is faster and cheaper. I never take a break and go anywhere, though. This is my treat and vacation before the hell of a big con.

(I’m traveling from Western Mass. with about five stations nearby to choose from)

I’ve been wanting to post this shirt for a few solar cycles now. “Best Before December 21, 2012″ may not be true if we wind up attaining cosmic enlightenment, but it’ll be quite accurate if the world ends.

This shirt’s available for pre-order until 6/24 and only $15 in Clango’s Closet.

A slightly different Clango’s Closet item this week: embroidered Pixel Skull golf shirts instead of t-shirts. I ordered a bunch of these a couple weeks back and they’re available to ship today!

GONK and Monocle Moon Man shirts should be on press in a couple days.

Rock on!

I will not lie to you. This week’s Clango’s Closet limited run shirt is a little late. I had about five on the drawing board and nothing was screaming WEAR ME, so I scrapped ‘em all, shut off the autopilot and landed the plane on manual. This little guy popped into my head and wouldn’t let go until he was drawn.

Apologies for the fact that Invisible Giraffe is American Apparel only for now. These weekly shirts are all about experimenting and trying new things and I had a really specific color in mind for this one.

Hope you like it!