If you’ve taken a look at our about page, you know that we feel very strongly about being environmentally friendly and socially responsible.  Being part of the garment industry, which is one where terrible practices are common, and for the most part, accepted, makes it even more important to us to try and do the right thing.  We’re still trying to find the best options, but right now we’re doing a number of things to be part of the solution rather than the problem, including:

• We are using a screen printer based in Pittsburgh, Commonwealth Press, whose ideas about the right way to do business mesh with our own. Among other things, they use eco-friendly water-based ink.
• We’re using Anvil t-shirts. Although Avil’s shirts are made in a number of places, they adhere to decent corporate responsibility standards. Our men’s t-shirts are made of recycled materials (PDF) and the women’s t-shirts are 100% organic cotton (PDF).
• We are featuring real people in the pictures of our t-shirts, not anorexic models.
• We are donating 5% of all profits to progressive causes in our community.

The thing I’m curious about, though, is this: Does it make a difference to you as a consumer for companies to take enironmental and social responsibility seriously?  Let your voice be heard on the sidebar poll, and please be truthful!

Last Friday at Blogfest we found out a couple friends of ours have started a new blog, Bricks and Boxes.  Right now it’s a “whatever strikes our fancy” kind of blog that’s written well, run by good people who are fans of Myers-Briggs personality profiles, and so far has been updated daily.  That’s something I admire greatly, although if I tried it I’d last all of three days before I started just typing random words that popped in my head.

Also, keep checking back this week for some big news!

There’s no doubt about it—Joe DeNardo is the hands down winner of the newscaster poll, followed not so closely by Wendy Bell and Ken Rice.  This doesn’t guarantee that he’ll be on the next shirt design, but we’ll definitely be thinking about it.  Below are the full results:

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Marginal Designs is not only interested in making kickass t-shirts, we’re also committed to raising the bar on web design in Pittsburgh. Too many websites describing our lovely city’s businesses, organizations or events are poorly-designed, hard to understand, and frustrating to use. So we thought we’d highlight those websites that do an awesome job at providing information while being nice to look at, too.

The website for the Three Rivers Film Festival, going on now, is one of those websites. It has a very clean design , great art (get a load of that top image!), and multiple ways to access information. If you’re looking for a film to see, you can browse the films page, which lists the movies in alphabetical order. You can also download the PDF listing of the films and print it out in case you find yourself at the Regent Square theatre without an inkling of what the films that are playing are about. If you know you’re free on Thursday night, though, you can just click to the calendar page and find films by date. Each of the films on this page are linked to their descriptions, too, so you don’t need to worry about remembering which films are playing on which days to find out more about them.

The site also provides a listing and map of all the theaters participating in the festival, along with contact information for the people running the shows. You can also find information about ticket prices and where/how to buy them on the site.

Overall, very well-done. Bravo, Three Rivers Film Festival!

The shipment of Wiggin shirts just came in, and orders will be shipped tomorrow. To stick with our goal of being environmentally responsible, the shirts will be packaged in a 100% biodegradable plastic bag and a recyclable manila envelope.

Thanks to everyone who ordered shirts!  For those who haven’t yet, check out the products page.  We’ll also be adding another design in the next few weeks, so be on the lookout!

Cynthia over at My Brilliant Mistakes is participating in an interesting meme, as seen below:

Leave a comment and I’ll give you a letter. Post ten things you LOVE that begin with that letter.  Then give a letter to anyone who leaves a comment for you… and the cycle will continue.

I commented, and my letter is V…but for some reason I just keep thinking of funny things that start with that letter instead of things I love.  Viagra, for example.  And along those lines, Viva Viagra, a song inexplicably stuck in my head for about 3 days a few weeks back.  The longest days of my life. Ever.

I’m going to take a shot at this, but for anyone brave enough to comment, I’m going to switch it up a little bit.  Instead of receiving a letter and having to write 10 things you love, you will need to write about 10 Pittsburgh-related things that start with that letter.

For example, for my letter V, I would write “Valentine’s Day–specifically the yearly Valentine’s Day Monster Truck Rally at Mellon Arena.”

Come to think of it, that’s also something I love…score.  Onto the ten things I love that start with the letter V:

1. Valentine’s Day: specifically the yearly Valentine’s Day Monster Truck Rally at Mellon Arena.  One of these years I’ll actually convince Christina to go, and that, my friends, will be a good year.
2. Vaunted Defense: i.e., the Steel Curtain.
3. Value:  When it comes down to it, I’m rather thrify.  Flea markets, beware.  And Wiggin shirts for $14.99?  That’s value.  (If my letter had been S, I would have done “Self Promotion”)
4. Verszyla, Jeff:  Come on folks, show Jeff some love on the poll!
5. Vague explanations for things given by people who obviously don’t know what they’re talking about: Hilarious.
6. Vintage clothing: Eons, you have gotten me through some tough times and clothed me when no other clothing would do.
7. Vans: Not in a dirty way, I swear.
8. Visions: At least they seem like something I’d love, depending on the subject matter.  Maybe one day I’ll be cool enough to have one.
9. Val Kilmer: Can’t explain it.  Must be the rugged good looks.  Did anyone else think he was actually a decent Batman?
10. Vats of Goo: Kind of like a Chuck E. Cheese ballpit, but grosser and more dangerous.  Probably would get old after a while, though.  For example:

 

Remember, if you comment, you’ll owe 10 things about Pittsburgh starting with the fateful letter I give you!

We have a new poll up over on the sidebar: Which local newscaster would you like to see on a t-shirt?

Since it’s hard to narrow it down to one, you can choose up to 3 nominees.  Let us know who you’d like to see on our next shirt!  If we left out your favorite, drop a comment below.

The site is up and orders can be placed on our Products Page!  The shirts will be shipped within 7-10 business days.  In the meantime, check out the site and let us know what you think!