Shark Week 2026: Group Photo #7

 We've made it to the end of Shark Week! Let's see what's on the Holiday Horror Shelf.

    2003's Open Water is an indie film based on true events that happened in 1998. Roger Ebert (a hero) wrote that he wanted to walk around in the sunshine to cheer himself up after seeing this in the theater.

   2004's 12 Days of Terror is a made-for-TV movie about true events that happened on the nothern New Jersey shore in 1916. The DVD's tagline said these events inspired the movie Jaws, but I don't know if that really true. I suppose it could be.

    Search for the Great Sharks is short documentary from 1995. The most exciting thing about this release is the DVD's cover photo of a great white shark apparently swallowing another shark whole.

    2004's Frakenfish was inspired by the actual discovery of northern snakehead fish in a pond in Maryland in 2002. These fish breathe air, can survive on land,  can "walk" to other bodies of water, and they can spawn several times a year. Oh yeah, they're also aggressive and have long rows of sharp teeth in their snakehead mouths. Their discovery also inspired the films Snakehead (2004), and Swarm of the Snakehead (2006).

    If you haven't noticed, today's theme is "based on true events." But I bet you did.

    Parting shots and thoughts:

    Gotta go back to the original Jaws for today's tee shirt. 

    

    A few years ago Daphne surprised me with tickets for a special screening of Jaws at Flix Brewhouse. Here are the souvenir  glasses we brought home.

    Okay, Monstro is a whale, not a shark, but here's a pic of his jaws that we sailed into when we visited Disneyland on our first trip to Oceanside in 2015.

    

Me, in Oceanside 2026, wearing my "Snorkel Bob Cares shirt" (Man, I love that shirt). I'm yelling, "Hope everyone had a great Shark Week!"

Shark Week 2026: Group Photo #1

     Sunday night markes the beginning of the Discovery Channel's 38th "Shark Week." I haven't paid to stream the Discovery App, but I don't need it to watch shark movies. Physical media rules! 

    Let's see what's on the Holiday Horror Shelf!

        Ah, Jaws, the OG. I was six when this movie opened, and I didn't see it until it finally aired on ABC when I was ten. I wasn't allowed to stay up to watch the whole film (I had school the next day), and that was okay. In the opening scene when Chrissie is attacked by the shark, she screams, "It hurts!" That was enough to scare the crap out of me.

    Now I count this as one of my favorite movies. Jaws has everything. It's a horror film, a monster movie, a sea adventure, a thriller, a drama, and I'd argue it's a buddy film, too. 

    Let's see, we've got the 1995 letterboxed VHS, 2005' 30th anniversary edition DVD with the Commemorative Photo Journal, the 2012 Blu-ray, and the NES game from 1987. The game's storyline, if you can call it that, has more in common with Jaws the Revenge, the 4th Jaws film, and that's not a compliment.

    Peter Benchley's novel, Jaws, came out about a year and a half before the movie. Director Steven Spielberg was rooting for the shark when he first read the novel because the characters were so unlikable (according to IMDB). I have read this book, and I agree with him. 

    As for the other three Jaws books... I haven't quite absorbed them, yet.    

    This one of my favorite skateboard deck designs. Jaws, Robert Shaw, Narragensett beer, and skateboarding? Yes, please!

    Yes, I even dressed up for the beginning of Shark Week. 

    I'm such a nerd...

    

    Stay safe in the water!

If You Know, You Know

Charlotte and I surprised each other with these t-shirt presents for Christmas.

I couldn't be more proud.

Thrift Store Show and Tell: Summer of '23 Edition pt.2

My summer thrift store show and tell continues with movies, books, and clothes.

Movies

Why would anyone buy a DVD today? 

Razvan Mihaila did a nice job of summarizing his article about the DVD's place in 2023: "While DVDs can’t match streaming platforms’ level of convenience, there are plenty of reasons to still watch DVDs in the age of streaming. Besides better audio and video quality, bonus content, or reliability, DVDs allow you to cut the cord from the streaming platform and build your own movie collection." (Mihaila).

We're not getting rid of Netflix or BritBox anytime soon. But it does make me feel better when people say DVDs and Blu-rays look better than streaming movies. I don't feel like such a fossil. Also, sharing a movie with a friend is a lot easier if you have it on a disc.

Another reason I like DVDs is that I take my old MacBook Pro with me when we travel. I prefer the 13' screen over my phone's screen, and as bonus the Mac can play DVDs (but not Blu-rays). That can be pretty handy if the AirBnB guest Wi-Fi isn't working.

Having a case of ten DVDs in my backpack wasn't a problem flying to Portland, ME, but I did get pulled over by security when flying back. The guard asked me what the discs were that they had scanned. I told him they were DVDs, and he patted my shoulder and said, "You're just like me. I like to know where my movies are. I don't want to depend on streaming." Couldn't agree more. 

I hadn't seen The Last Boy Scout since it came out in 1991. As far as being an action/ buddy picture, it still works. I had forgot all about the opening football scene. That had to surprise some people.

These "4 Film Favorites" DVDs are cool. They don't take up much shelf space and you get a lot bang for your buck (dad joke).

Charlotte attended a sleepover a few of weeks ago, and Daphne and I had a date night. We went out for appetizers, and then decided to watch a movie at home. When I explained the plot for The Punisher, Daphne replied, "So it's going to be like John Wick? Let's watch that!" We both had a good time, and I think it would have been fun to see Thomas Jane appear in another Marvel film.

Charlotte and I are now in the habit of watching movies together in the basement on Sunday nights. Char just turned 13, so that has opened up a lot more movies for us to watch. She has been wanting to see something scary with me, so I researched "horror movies for beginners." Several lists included The Sixth Sense. I thought that might be too bloody, so I opted to show her Signs. Same director; less blood. Daphne agreed, but Char did not. It wasn't for her. Not. At. ALL.

We stopped the film, but before I lost her to the great upstairs, I switched to Billy Madison. I had recently bought the DVD on a whim.  It was a HUGE hit. Man, did she ever laugh. I did, too. Char has declared that Billy Madison will now be the movie she shows her friends when they come to visit. High praise indeed. Char has seen the movie twice so far, and last night we watched the DVD's outtakes and deleted scenes - something you can't do with streaming. 

We watched  Happy Gilmore and Tommy Boy last weekend. Char gives both movies a 9 out of 10, but Bill Madison still rules (like the O'Doyles) at a perfect 10 for her. 

I'll buy a Blu-ray for myself over a DVD any day. They look better than DVDs and are more durable. This is why I picked up The Shining, Big Trouble in Little China, and It. I already owned the first two films on DVD, but unopened copies on Blu-Ray were an easy upgrade to make. Two for $4.98 is pretty cheap, but I found It at the dollar store. Even the clerk was surprised, "We have that here?"

Books

I'm a big fan of paperback novelizations of movies. I've collected quite a few over the years. It started when I was in 4th grade, and the original Halloween was a new movie. While my mom shopped on the other side of Kmart, I stood by the book racks and quickly read the last few pages of the novelization. Here are excerpts from the last page:

I thought, Oh No! He's not dead? He's still out there? The sun had gone down by the time we left the store. I kept looking behind us in the parking lot to make sure "The Shape" wasn't following us. When we got in the car, I asked Mom to lock the doors. I didn't tell her why, though.

Sly Stallone and James Cameron wrote Rambo: First Blood Part II's screenplay together? If the internet is to be believed, Cameron wrote the first draft, and Stallone made changes like removing the comic relief sidekick. 

Seven is one of those movies that is "one-and-done" for me. I won't watch that film again, and I won't even open this book. Still, this title will look good in the group on the shelf.

Amityville: The Horror Returns has a pretty weird plot. The family escapes to California to get away from the Amityville house in New York. After a business trip, the parents return to find that the house in California has transformed into the Amityville house and their kids inside are in danger. That reminds me of Jaws: The Revenge where the shark travels all the way from New England to the Bahamas to continue to attack members of the Brody family. I bought this because the back of the book states "Soon to be an NBC movie," but that didn't happen. I guess this isn't a novelization after all.

But Bonnie Hill did tape this sweet lable inside the front cover of her Amityville book. This must have inspired Prince's album artwork (previous post).

I think the person on the cover of Maniac (1987) looks a lot like Brendan Fraser. The only reason I bought this book was to write that sentence.

I think I saw You Might Be from Canada If... by Michael de Adder in every Canadian gift shopped we walked through on vacation. The book is really well done, and if you don't get the joke because you are not from Canada, then there's a reference section in the back.

Example page: You Might Be from Canada If...

Clothes (and food)

Our trip to Canada was originally planned back in '19 and '20. Those plans changed, of course. But no matter how they changed, the plans always included stopping by the The Holy Donut in Portland, Maine. When we finally got inside, I had the urge to tell the cashier that we've been waiting over three years to visit them, but that felt awkward. Daphne told me in the car that she almost said the same thing.

Here's the mural on the side of the building. What's in the box that Daphne's holding? There were half a dozen potato donuts, but one escaped before I could take a picture. I was mildly disappointed when I realized I had ordered a gluten free donut by mistake. Turns out that was one of the best donuts I have ever eaten.   

I was pretty excited to find a Holy Donut tee at a thrift store in Nova Scotia. 

Agreed.

When we first visited Charlottetown in 2016, I found some great stuff at their Value Village thrift store. I requested a return trip to VV when we went back to P.E.I for one night.  I found this SureWood Skateboards tee. Local rock bands, dive bars, restaurants, breweries, and businesses all make great subjects for thrift store t-shirts. For me the idea is to score something that can't be found back home. 

I saw several of these Molson tees for sale. I believe they were part of a give-away promotion in 2019, and there were a few different designs. I went with the lighthouse to remind myself how much fun we had climbing the rocks at Peggy's Cove. Again, these tees might be common sights in Canadian stores, but they make a unique souvenir to wear back home. 

PickWorld is a family run business located in New Castle, Delaware. They print their guitar picks in house, so if you have a need for custom picks, hit them up. This isn't a rock band shirt, but it gives off that vibe.

Okay, that's it for summer thrift. Let's see what fall brings.

Iowa State Fair '16: Super STEM Sunday

Charlotte turned 6 years old on the 18th, so when we went to the last day of the fair, it was the first time we had to pay her admission.

Admission is half price on "Super Sunday," so she only cost us three dollars, but still. It's a sign that things are just going uphill from here. No time to ponder that though, we still had a day at the fair to enjoy.

I don't know how long my pinball hobby will hold my complete interest. I've got a project machine in the garage, but its about 90% complete. Soon I'm going to need something else to work on. The fair had a motorcycle show going on, and I spotted this vintage Kawasaki floating around in a sea of Harley Davidson customs. It reminded me that I've wanted a small, 60s era motorcycle since high school, so maybe I'll try to find a bike from this era for a project.

Speaking of projects, Daphne entered some baking items at the fair. Last year she earned a second place ribbon. We stopped by the Food Center to see if any of her entries made it to the final display case.

Hey! Her cookie made it in the ice cream sandwich contest.

White ribbon!

 How did her 4-layer S'more bars do?

Well, you can't do much better than that.

Imagine Daphne yelling, "Yea!", jumping up and down three times, and clapping her hands at the same time. It was so fun to watch her light up like that. Charlotte was almost as excited as her mom. 

I didn't jump up and down, but I was pretty happy with the loose meat sandwich that I ate a few minutes later. 

We tried the Pride of Iowa Wrap because Kim recommended it. "It boasts a jalapeno cheddar tortilla with pork shoulder, sweet corn salsa, and hickory smoked bacon bits. Layered with cheddar jack cheese, fresh avocado relish, chipotle aioli and crispy tortilla bites for added texture."- ISF website.

There's a lot going on in there, but's it's all good.

Time to pose with the giants pumpkins!

I've yet to have a drink at the Iowa Beer Craft tent. That's because nothing beats an ice cold glass of milk from the Dairy Barn on a hot fair day. Somehow I never get to drink the whole thing, though.

Cotton Candy + Char = A Five-Minute Sugar Rush. She jumps around yelling, "Cot-ton Can-dee" about 100 times in a row in some weird made up accent. Strangers notice... It makes us laugh.

There was also some STEM activities for the kids to watch.  I couldn't hear the presenters as well as I would have liked, but I think this is what happens when you play with liquid nitrogen and gummy bears. Look how thick the smoke gets.

They used compressed air to shoot a ping pong ball through a pop can.

More fun with liquid nitrogen.

Right before the guy in last video got covered in all that stuff, he walked by me, slapped my chest with that back of his hand and said, "That's a sweet shirt." That was cool.

This is probably my favorite thrift store tee to wear to the fair.

It kept me safe on the zip line last year.

Too bad I have to put it away until next August...

Tag? You're It! - Vintage T-Shirt Shopping

Last weekend I made a stop at the new St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in West Des Moines. The store has only been open for five months, and their selection is a little bit thin. That's to be expected. It takes awhile for a thrift store to form its personality.

By personality, I'm referring to what a thrift store has to offer. The Goodwill store located across from Valley West Mall has a "computer" personality because Goodwill Industries funnels all of its computer donations (monitors, mice, modems...) into that particular store. If you're looking for cheap pair of speakers for your PC, then that's the thrift store for you.

Typically, much of a thrift store's personality is determined by its location. When people donate their unwanted items, they usually aren't going to drive across town to do so. They're going to donate locally. So, think about the demographics of where a thrift store is located. If you're looking to score toys or clothes for your toddler, go a thrift store near a newer housing development. That's where the young families (read: small children) are.

If you're looking for a store with a vintage personality, you should avoid the suburbs. What chance do you have that a young family has recently decided to give up their sweet 8 track player?

Or their Sega Master System?

If you want much of anything from the 80's or earlier, you got to get to the older, more established neighborhoods. That's where they're cleaning out Grandpa's basement and giving away his style and maybe his Beatles LPs, too.

Okay, let's get back to the new St. Vincent de Paul thrift store. It's in West Des Moines which is a suburb, but the store is also near Valley Junction and the houses that are south of Grand. So there's a chance it'll have a vintage personality. I scored two shirts that give me a glimmer of hope.

Check 'em out.

Yes, I know they're the same shirt, but they're both in such great condition, I couldn't help myself. They were only a dollar each. Goodwill now charges $3.59 per tee shirt - how full of themselves are they? Besides, you never know who might like a classic Hawkeye shirt as a gift. But maybe the shirts are in such good shape because they aren't authentically aged. Maybe that's why there were two of them. How can I tell if these are the real magilla?

For starters, the shirts' material is much thicker than the tees of today, and the letters are not silk screened on. They're made of a second material. You don't see that type of craftsmanship on today's tailgating apparel.

To make my best guess if a shirt is really vintage, I always check the tag.

If you want a vintage product, make sure there is a tag. A screened-in logo screams, "You have toothbrushes older than me."

I'm no expert, but a small, white tag that reads "Starter", "Screen Stars" or "Sportswear" is a pretty good sign in your in vintage territory. It's even better if you don't recognize the company's logo.

I've heard of companies that sell faux vintage rock shirts with reproduction tags, but those unscrupulous people sell their stuff on Ebay for really high prices. They didn't donate their shirts to the Disable American Veterans store, so I think you're safe with what you find in a thrift store. If the tag looks old, you're gold. 

Oh, and by the way, don't trust the tag. That sounds counterintuitive, but if the shirt is truly vintage, then you're going to have to assume the shirt is a size smaller than what the tag states. Vintage size Large equals a modern Medium. Maybe even a tight, modern Medium. I always hold the t-shirt by the seams where the sleeves meet the shoulder to see if it aligns with the same spots on the T-shirt I'm already wearing. You can also grab a modern sized shirt off the rack and lay the vintage shirt on top of to see how they compare. Again, trust your size and your eye, not the tag.

Why go through all this when you can just go to Target and buy the approximate of a vintage shirt for less than ten bucks? Well, humans have an innate desire to be seen as an individual. The fashion industry even has a way to measure this desire. It's called the Consumer Need For Uniqueness scale, and no, I didn't make that up. So yes, you could go to Target and get a Yes concert tee. But how many Target stores are there in the US?

Since every one of those stores is selling twelve of the same shirts in your size, that doesn't really satisfy that need for uniqueness does it?

If you score a shirt that hasn't been worn since the 70's, you got a much better chance at standing out. Maybe that's why I couldn't pass up buying both of those U of I shirts? My subconscious was urging me to thin the herd by one more.