When you come across a good local story about something you’re into, it’s hard not to get a little excited. When I first heard about Small Victory Studios my first reaction was "how sweet is that, a local company that does original T-shirts!"

It was only after that when my brain said, "oh, hey, why not write a column?"

Now, as has already been mentioned, I'm addicted to T-Shirts, they hold a special place in my heart and my wardrobe.

Small Victory has a lot of things going for it, notably, they're working exclusively with local artists and catching on to the wave of companies/Web sites offering limited-run shirts that stray from the mass-produced, sloganized stuff most people wear.

At the same time they're trying to be environmentally friendly, by using 100 percent organic T-shirts. The uber-local feel also extends to production, they're working with "I Hate T-shirts," a local company that uses environmentally friendly chemicals in the printing process.

What promises to be interesting is how their subscription service works out and whether people are willing to join up for a T-shirt of the month club.

But the bigger question, and I think the one that may show a generation gap, is whether a T-shirt can ever be seen as anything more than a T-shirt?

Again, I'm in the pro T-shirts as art camp, but for some people the T-shirt's just another utility item, an undershirt, something you throw on to work around the house or go to the beach.

As Jeff Badger, one of the owners of Small Victory told me:
"(T-shirts are) beyond fashion in a way, because it's so ubiquitous, like a car," he said. "It's such a normal part of our lives that it's easy to let it blend into the background. You throw on a T-shirt and don't think about what's on it."

Badger said one of Small Victory's goals is the challenge that idea.

This morning over in iHerald we were able to have a little fun with one of the more recent Internet phenomenons: getting busted for online photos.

I think we're too far through the looking glass to talk about how people do it, or how to stop it. The big question is why or, why do these people have no common sense?

Think of the examples from the story - and we all know there are plenty more:

- The University of Maine Softball Team, whose wacky college party hijinx came to light a few weeks ago courtesy of NCAAHazing.com.
(Note - the first link takes you to the first post about the photos, complete with the frame-by-frame action. Depending on your boss, they may Not be Safe For Work or safe if you've got the kids around.)

- Miss New Jersey. Ah yes, Amy Pulumbo, we know your story. Her photos of shame were along the same lines - party photos that got into the wrong hands. (Same NSFW and kid rules apply. Eye-Muffs!) But when the story first broke, it seemed like the pictures could be worse.

Obviously the bigger questions in all of this is "why'd you do it?" It's like the thief who accidentally leaves his wallet as he's carrying your TV out of your house.

Granted, many people post photos online these days, from family photos on Flickr to the more racy at Last Night's Party. But for many folks in-between, there are the photos on social networking sites, or other sites that require a profile.

And therein lies the problem - more and more people are getting busted for their photos off those sites while others lose out on job opportunities or promotions.

So here's a few discussion questions:

- Do you think T-shirts can be art?
- Why do you think people post incriminating photos online? (See above)
- Have you ever been busted for posting photos online?

And don't forget people, this week we officially start Commenter of the Week.
Here's how it goes - you comment throughout the week, and your fellow commenters will vote on who they think has had some of the best stuff. You can vote either through comments, or by e-mailing me. We tally up votes on Thursday, and I'll email the winner, who gets their own short post to run on Friday.

So make sure to leave a name and email. Post early, and often.

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