News
Long Lost Family? Boredwalk Chats with Comic Laura House About Finding Her Humans
Laura House is hands-down one of the funniest people we know. We initially discovered her when we moved to Los Angeles and saw her do stand up. We were so taken with her comedy that we followed her performances around town and kept introducing ourselves until we became friends — you know, a totally normal, not at all creepy way to meet people.
You may know Laura from her days on MTV's Austin Stories or you may have enjoyed some TV shows she's written for, such as Loosely Exactly Nicole, Mom, or Samantha Who? Or maybe you haven't seen any of that and you've just discovered Laura via the How to Hate Yourself clip we just shared above. Welcome to the Laura House Fan Club, you lucky so-and-so!
Laura has always been curious about her birth family. As an adopted kid, Laura lamented that she'd never met people who shared her blood or looked like her. She wondered what her birth family was like and tried for years to find them. Recently that wish came true with the help of a DNA matching website.
Listen to today's podcast to hear Laura tell us the story of meeting her birth family and wading through a sea of cousins to do it. We also chat about other assorted topics such as road rage and the relationship between comedy and horror. If you enjoy today's episode be sure to visit Laura's website. You'll find comedy clips and a link to buy her album — it's great you should get it!
We also share a super-secret discount code in the episode itself. It's a pretty sweet deal, but you DO have to listen to the episode to get it. Sorry, gang. If it's any consolation, the intro is pretty brief before we let Laura do her thing. Enjoy!
Peace, love, and tacos,
Boredwalk
What Do Heads of State Smell Like, Anyway?
If you're like us, you've never wondered what Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau smells like...but this week's podcast guests have! JD and Kate are a husband and wife creative duo (just like us) and the masterminds behind Hottest Heads of State and JD and Kate Industries. These two humorists first caught our eye when I was shopping for a holiday gift for Matt's parents last year. JD and Kate have an Etsy store full of political humor-themed candles, and once I found it I was instantly hooked. If you want to go down the rabbit hole for a few hours visit their many websites. They are all hilarious and linked on their JD and Kate Industries website!
When we started our podcast, these two immediately came to mind when we were thinking about who we wanted to talk to and introduce to the Boredwalk community. So listen below to get an earful of our exchange about running a small business with your spouse, Vladimir Putin fan fiction, what Rutherford B Hayes smells like, and Obama's enviable portion control skills.
Also in this episode JD and Kate told us they created a replica of Disney's Mexico Pavillion at Epcot in their basement. Naturally I insisted they send us a photo of this masterpiece and they did.
JD says "I've attached one we like because it's a good photo of us and we are vain. But I want you to know that it doesn't include 1) the dozens of illuminated stars on the ceiling, 2) the working fountain, 3) the animated projection of clouds passing over a moon on the wall, 4) the ambient sound effects of crashing waves, and 5) the mariachi music with background street chatter playing on a loop."
Alright, we officially have a new couple crush! Anyway, we'll be back next week with a new episode. Thanks for listening!
Peace, Love and Tacos,
Meredith
P.S. We just added a bunch of new goodies to the website! Check 'em out!
Someday We'll All be Dead: Interesting Death and Funeral Rituals From Around the World
On today's podcast we talk to Amy Pickard and we're chatting about death. Amy runs a business helping the living prepare for death, so she tells us all about that and makes a convincing case for why we should all be more prepared. Curious? Listen to the episode below:
In the spirit of this week's theme, here are three fascinating death rituals from around the world that you've probably never heard of:
1. Dancing With the Dead
In Madagascar the Malagasy people throw parties every 5 to 7 years at their family crypts. The dead are exhumed and sprayed with perfume or wine. The celebration includes live music, dancing with the dead, and chatting with the dead or telling them stories. The Malagasy people believe this ritual strengthens their family bonds and celebrates their ancestry. I wonder if the dead are any good at Tango?
2. Bejeweled in South Korea
Burial space is at such a premium in South Korea that back in 2000 a law was passed requiring the dead to be exhumed after 60 years. To find a new way to honor the dead, several companies have sprung up that can compress the ashes of the dead into gem-like beads. The beads can then be displayed in the home — the sparkliest and quietest way to live with your relatives.
3. The World's Sexiest Funerals
In Taiwan having a well attended funeral is a high priority. To increase turn out, many families hire strippers to attend and perform at funerals. I guess the corpse isn't the only thing that's stiff at these affairs.
Honorable mention goes to my preferred way to give back to the earth when my time is up; when I die please feed me to the mushrooms!
That's all for this week!
Peace, love, and tacos,
Meredith
Get $10 Off Your Next Order!
Want to save $10 on your next order? Simply send us a short video clip (around 5-15 seconds) wearing your favorite Boredwalk shirt and telling us what you love about it. That's it. Nothing fancy, record with your phone if you like. Here's an example from Breana:
Pro Tip: You can upload your video to a free file sharing service like Google Drive or Dropbox and share the link from there!
The third installment of our podcast is now live, go have a listen!
We're also about to release the first installment of our new quarterly zine. If you've enjoyed our graphic tees, podcast episodes, and blog posts you'll definitely want to get a copy of the zine. It will be totally free of ads and loaded with satire, rants, fascinating facts, life pro tips, and more. The release is coming up this month, so stay tuned!
Lastly, a friendly reminder that US midterm elections are right around the corner! If you're in the US, be sure to vote! Make your friends vote. But even before then, make sure you're registered and find out your polling place. There have been reports of voter suppression shenanigans afoot, so make sure you've got your stuff in order! Make this patriotic kitty below proud of your civic engagement. If you're feeling extra spry check out this list of volunteer opportunities for all the candidates looking to get into office this fall and check 45's power. Lots of stuff you can even do from home in your PJs. Huzzah!
Peace, love, and civic engagement,
Boredwalk
Adventures In Hiring, A New Podcast Episode, And Other Stuff!
This week has been a doozy here at Boredwalk HQ, gang! Here's what's been going on:
• More podcast! We received largely positive feedback on our first podcast episode, so we decided to spring for a schmancy microphone and record another one! To listen on Libsyn, click here. To listen on Google Play Music, click here. To listen via RSS feed, click here. We've also submitted to (and been approved by) iTunes, but those lazy layabouts like to take their sweet time indexing new shows, so it might be a day or two before it's searchable there. If enough of you complain about SoundCloud we'll add it there. If you're the sort of maniac who listens to podcasts on Twitter, here you go. Like heaven, Spotify can wait.
Things we discuss in this week's episode: ski lifts built by raccoons, Vietnamese-style coffee, 19th century kangaroo memes and the laws that killed them, bizarre cover bands, food festival fails, and a brief Q&A with our production specialist Sarah about what it's like working at Boredwalk. We also discuss stuff we're working on and future plans for the podcast. Exciting!
• We're hiring! We currently have two full-time positions open — one for a production assistant, and another for an e-commerce specialist. Details for both can be found here if you or someone you know in the Los Angeles area might be interested. Pro-tip: Interested parties should pay close attention to (and follow) all application instructions. Failure to do so might (re: definitely will) result in us ignoring you. No offense, people-who-don't-follow-directions, but it's really a must-have around here.
• We added two new products: duffel bags and messenger bags. They're really durable, very stylish, and feature many of the graphics you've come to know and love!
• We've also added some new designs!
• Aunt & Uncle II: Electric Boogaloo! Shout out to our very first nephew (human division), Oliver! Sis-in-law Beth delivered the goods like a champ — figuratively and literally — and hooked our niece Annarose up with her very own baby bro!
We'd be remiss if we didn't also welcome our most recent niece (non-human division) into the fam as well: say hey to the goodest girl we know, Daisy!
That's it until next week! We hope you all have a fantastic Labor Day weekend, and we'll be back next week!
Peace, love, and tacos,
Boredwalk
It's Our First Ever Podcast!
This week we decided to take a stab at recording a podcast. We share a little of what goes on here at Boredwalk and what goes into getting your favorite new shirts delivered to your door.
It might seem like it's all fun and games over here, but we sweat the details like crazy. This week we share some of the snafus that we deal with from vendors and how we feel about delivering an outstanding shopping experience. Have a listen and let us know what you think.
If you guys end up liking this, we'll do some more episodes and cover more topics. We'll share more behind the scenes anecdotes and bring you interviews and stories from our staff and other creative pros we admire. We'll also get the podcast properly syndicated so you'll be able to subscribe. Let us know what you think!
Boredwalk's Guide to the Essentials for a Successful Desert Getaway
August may seem like a strange time of year to go to Joshua Tree, but we survive the heat with a few essentials, and we'd hate to miss our favorite meteor shower of the year. So what's on our list of must-haves for a successful summertime getaway to the desert?
1. Swimming pool
2. Frozen grapes + Sangria
3. Tons of sunscreen and shades
4. Iced coffee for an afternoon pick-me-up
5. A relaxing playlist that goes with the dreamy landscape once the sun sets and the breezes (and bats!) roll in.
Now we're back and refreshed, working on new designs and even some other exciting new products that we're just putting the finishing touches on!
Even if you missed the meteor shower last weekend, we hope our little playlist will bring a little of that stardust into your day.
Peace, love, and shooting stars,
Meredith
A birthday tribute to Julia Child
It’s no secret that we love to chow down here at Boredwalk HQ. Even a cursory scroll through our products shows that we have a deep, abiding love for all things sweet & savory.
Since August 15th is coming up fast, we couldn’t think of a better topic for this week’s blog post than an early birthday tribute to Julia Child, whose passion for French cuisine in books and on television made her a household name in the U.S. from the early 1960s through the 1990s. Let's dive into some fun facts, shall we?
• Julia didn’t learn how to cook until adulthood. During World War II, Julia joined the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and initially worked as a typist, but her education & experience led to her becoming a research assistant, eventually helping developers of a shark repellent that was needed to make sure that curious sharks wouldn’t accidentally explode sea mines intended for German U-boats. It’s no soufflé, but it’ll do for your first stab in the kitchen!
• It wasn’t until she met and married her husband Paul Child that Julia took an interest in food and cooking. It was her first meal in Rouen, France that so transfixed her that she enrolled in the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school soon thereafter and continued her studies with private instruction from master chefs. Looks like she could, uh, use a bit more...practice.
• Despite the way that Mastering the Art of French Cooking catapulted her to fame, Julia didn’t actually come up with the idea to write a French cookbook for the American market; it was her friends Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle who were already working on the classic and invited Julia to work with them on it. How do you say "eat my dust, chumps" in French? Ah, yes:
• Julia’s actual home kitchen was the set of three of her cooking shows: In Julia’s Kitchen with Master Chefs, Baking With Julia, and Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home with Jacques Pépin. It was designed by her husband Paul and built in their Cambridge, Massachusetts home in 1961. We can’t say we’re not a little envious of that much counter space!
• Julia has her own rose! Known in the UK as the Absolutely Fabulous rose, the Julia Child rose was bred by Tom Carruth in 2004. The cultivar features a small round bush with glossy, bright green foliage and blooms in clusters of buttery, golden flowers all season long.
Happy birthday, Ms. Child!
That’s it for this week. We have some fun stuff in the works, so be sure to come back next week!
Peace, love, and noms,
Boredwalk
Fascinating Facts About The Venus Flytrap and Other Carnivorous Plants
The Venus Fly Trap might be the most iconic of carnivorous plants, but it's certainly not the only plant that kills prey. Let's learn a little more about these badass botanicals in honor of our new Venus Flytrap shirt, shall we?
Besides the Venus Fly Trap, just how many of these carnivorous plants are out there?
OMG, so many — literally hundreds of varieties! There are at least 583 plant species that attract, trap, and kill prey. There are over 300 additional species that share some but not all of these characteristics. Nature is wild, yo!
The most probable explanation is that these types of plants evolved in nutrient poor soil, so they evolved to eat mostly insects and arthropods to make up for what their soil lacks.
How exactly do these pernicious plants kill? They're stationary and bugs can move!
There are 5 different trap methodologies that carnivorous plants employ.
- The Venus Flytrap uses a "snap trap" which means its pods snap shut when it detects movement, ensnaring insects inside with no escape route.
- Pitcher plants trap prey in a rolled leaf that contains digestive enzymes.
- Some plants use "flypaper" traps, a sticky mucilage that traps their prey.
- There are also bladder traps, which suck prey with a bladder that generates an internal vacuum.
- Lastly, there are "lobster traps" which force prey to move towards a digestive organ with inward pointing hairs.
Since our badass botanicals don't really have the capacity to chew their food in the traditional sense they usually digest their prey alive with digestive enzymes. Creepy! That said, some of these plants drown their prey in digestive fluids before dissolving them completely.
If I want to keep one of these plants do I have to feed it flesh?
Not necessarily; a carnivorous plant that catches no insects will rarely die on its own, though the deprivation may impair growth. People most often kill their carnivorous plants with under-watering or watering with tap water, though the second most common cause of death is prodding the Venus Flytrap to watch it open and close, or feeding it inappropriate items, such as bits of hamburger. These plants have a specific diet, so in most cases go bug or go home!
If you're going to keep a carnivorous plant know that they like bright light, nutrient poor soil, and high humidity. You'll also want to be sure to protect them from parasites and mold.
So what about the Audrey 2? Is she out there and will she eat my annoying neighbor who listens to world music at 3am?
The Audrey 2 of Little Shop of Horrors fame is a myth (as far as we know) but the largest observed carnivorous plant is the Nepenthes Rajah. This thug of the plant world is native to Borneo and employs a pitcher-like trap to hold water and digestive fluid. This plant has been observed even drowning and eating small vertebrates such as rats, frogs, lizards and birds, though insects are still its most common fare.
Tell me something naughty about these plants!
Although the most common name for the Venus Flytrap is "Dionaea muscipula," historically it went by the name of "tipitiwitchet" or "tippity twitchet". This is thought to be a reference to the plant's resemblance to human female genitalia. Georgia O'Keeffe would approve.
Bonus fun fact:
Matt briefly owned a Venus fly trap as a tween, but it didn't end very well for the plant since this was pre-internet and the care instructions it came with were about as wordy as IKEA assembly instructions. While he wasn't poking it incessantly or feeding it human food, he definitely transplanted it into nutrient-rich soil, tried feeding it already-dead flies he'd find around the house, and probably didn't give it as much sunlight as it needed, since he bought it at the tail end of summer right before the days got shorter. Sorry, green buddy!
Peace, love, and tacos,
Boredwalk
Smorgasbord! Grab bag! Potpourri!
It was a bit of a struggle to come up with a cohesive blog topic this week...so much so that I've decided "screw it — cohesion is for the birds (and molecular bonds)!"
This week we're presenting a grab bag of sorts, briefly touching on some interesting news items, behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as sharing some of the new designs we've been working on. Let's get to it, shall we?
Blood(y) Moon
Anyone who's tried to enjoy a nice meteor shower in the middle of the lunar cycle has probably spent at least some time shaking their fist and/or cursing at the great light pollutant in the sky. Not so this afternoon & evening — it's all about the Moon when a lunar eclipse is in the offing!
This year's total lunar eclipse is a bit more special than most because it will be the longest of the 21st century. From start to finish it will last almost four hours, with the totality lasting 1 hour and 43 minutes! That's almost 40 minutes longer than next year's lunar eclipse will be.
Now, as exciting as this all is, here's the bad news for those of us in North America: we won't be able to see it except via webcasts. The path of the event will be most visible to viewers in Africa, the Middle East, and south Asian regions. I'll be tuning in to the Virtual Telescope Project's cast at 4pm today, broadcast from Rome with the Colosseum in foreground.
Uh...thanks, I guess?
As mentioned in last week's post, we're no strangers to great and/or interesting feedback from our customers. Yesterday we were treated to this rave from Brian S., commenting on one of our Facebook ads:
Hey Brian, we'll take it!
With a little further ado...
Before we get to the new designs, we want to know what YOU all are interested in or curious about? We're always trying to think of fun, interesting, or helpful content to share here on the blog, so let us know in the comments which subjects or topics you think deserve a few paragraphs!
Drumroll, please...
That's it until next week! Have a great weekend, and stay cool out there.
Peace, love, and tacos,
Matt
Thanks for the LOLs! Favorite Reviews From You!
Back in June we shared our adventures in troll patrol with you, and the trolls never rest. Just marvel at this recent gem from Instagram:
Even when you try to poke a bit of fun at their crazy, the trolls can't deal. We recognize these are people just busting at the seams with anger about a million things that have nothing to do with Boredwalk and simply lashing out at any target they happen upon, but it's still no fun to hear from them. Meredith opens up about this unfortunate downside of running our business in an interview on the Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin.
Although run-ins with crazies are part of the territory around here, there are also so many heroes — and by "heroes" we mean you guys! Today we want to share some of our favorite reviews because they made us laugh and hopefully they'll make you laugh, too. Here's some highlights and virtual high-fives to all our fun customers who make up for all the villains floating around on the internet!
Who knew Nihilism was this fun
"In a world where nothing matters, I am glad some people still care about the little stuff like making comfortable, quality and good looking apparel."
Hat tip to Timothy D., who was even kind enough to share a photo of him looking sharp in his new shirt. While it's true that in the grand scheme of our infinite universe we are mere specks on a ball of mud hurtling through space, we can still have a good time while we're here, staring into the abyss and wearing awesome shirts.
Almost Made The Pain of Existence Worth It
"This shirt is very comfortable, actually more comfortable than I feel in my skin. It also tells people an important message: "I really like birds. Now go away." All in all I'd highly recommend this company and their great products, but unfortunately doing so would mean more human interaction. Just try them out and make your own **** opinion."
I feel like Chad C. really gets us. We're chuffed to know that some people find our shirts even more comfortable than their own skin. I'm not sure we can get a testimonial that beats this one, although Rodolfo G. is certainly bringing the heat this this fun claim...
Your shirts got me laid
"From the statrt all was awesome! Excellence but mates, you got me mad lovin action from my good lady, who is overly hapoy"
We always ship every order with the hope that your new shirt will brighten your day, get you a compliment from a stranger, make you more popular with the ladies and gents at the local watering hole maybe, but crediting us for some romantic time with that special someone is really a higher compliment than we could ever hope for. Cheers, Rodolfo G.!
My third favorite f-word is Fragility...
"...is what I tell people getting huffy over my new favorite shirt. The shirt is great; fits just as expected and is nice and comfy. Shipping was fast and the company was a pleasure to purchase from."
Doni J. is handling haters like a boss! Maybe she should come work at Boredwalk. We have been enjoying imagining all the fragile male egos withering at Doni J's give-no-fucks response to their disapproval of her awesome shirt. Nicely done!
Holds up to the trials of a 2yr-old acrobat/toddler feminist
"I love this shirt for my 2 yr old daughter for multiple reasons: (1) It holds up through multiple washings ('cause kids are gross in incalculable ways). (2) It's durable (i.e., able to withstand said 2yr-old's current obsession with rock climbing and muddy puddle jumping). Finally, (3) It's conveys a message other than "cutest girl in the room" or "I'm the princess" (which, to be fair, are fine on their own, but sometimes you just want something to build up your daughter's confidence and aspirations)."
Adrienne W.'s toddler is a real Renaissance woman in training, we like to imagine the future of the US Supreme Court, loaded with feminist acrobats, veritable ninjas of justice. We're excited to hear that our shirts are toddler-proof and empowering our future female leaders. Rock on!
That's all for this week. Hope your summer is going swimmingly!
Peace, Love, and Tacos,
Matt
