And Americans hate being bored.

Americans also hate being told what to do.

Or what they can't wear. That's why I when I got bored I enjoyed designing the PINO-CHE "T", which looked like this:

But imagine how lifeless and colorless life would be if no one allowed us to display designs on T shirts that might cause someone to get offended.

All you'd be able to buy would be T-shirts that looked like this:

Not much to look at, is it? In fact, it's so boring that it's almost inviting a design of some sort, although I'm just not feeling particularly creative right now. Just the act of moving a simple image onto that blank T-shirt* seems like such a strain.

Maybe later in the week I'll feel more inspired. . .

Nah, why bother? Anything I can think of, someone else will have probably thought the same thing. (Even as I say this, I'm thinking they already have.)

Sigh.

Original ideas are harder and harder to come by these days.

*Is that a T-shirt? Or is it simply a line which appears to be a T-shirt? Would the act of drawing such a line around something else transform its nature or alter its idea?

UPDATE (02/10/06): The blank has been filled!

It didn't take long for someone else to show a little imagination:

(PRWEB) February 8, 2006 -- To see the latest creation from conservative t-shirt maker MetroSpy some would think the Muslim world had every right to be upset. MetroSpy's new t-shirts depict an unflattering caricature of the prophet Mohammed with a bomb on his head.

The controversial cartoon, which first ran in European newspapers, has outraged Muslims around the world because Islamic tradition forbids a graphic depiction of the Prophet Mohammed.

Many in the U.S however, are angered by the violence being displayed by extreme Islamic protesters -- torching buildings, desecrating flags and in some cases even killing people. Annoyed by the violent images broadcast from the Middle East, MetroSpy decided to sell t shirts with the controversial caricature emblazoned across the front.

“We can't let the terrorists win. We can not encourage this uncivilized behavior by caving in to their wishes,” said Nate Thomas, product manager for MetroSpy

On their website (http://www.shopmetrospy.com/), MetroSpy denounces the tactics of Islamic extremists and encourages its customers to stand up against terrorism. "Failing to print these images mean the terrorists have won", the site says.