Purple Shirt of the Week: Losing Eddie Vedder

This has nothing to do with this week's post, but seemed worthy to share at some point: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Purple

I remember this as a child.

Every night, week, or whatever it was, I would watch Mister Roger's Neighborhood. The trolley, king and queen were regular characters on my family's television. So was Sherlock, but I don't remember if he was in the Land of Make Believe or on Magic Garden. X the Owl and Sherlock both seemed to own similar, centrally-located properties on both of those programs.

Anyway, I remember these human-sized Purple Pandas that used to talk to Mr. Rogers. (I thought that, along with the Koala, that these creatures must be friendly in real life as well, if not purple. Nope, they'll rip your arms our of your socket like a losing Wookie. Well, the pandas will, not sure about the koala. might just lose your face. But, as is often the case, I digress...)

Apparently the Purple Pandas were real, at least in the "what they put on TV is real" sort of way. I forgot about there being a whole planet.

Oooh, i just thought of a tie-in! Much like these characters were on my TV all the time as a child, years later the band that brought you "Alive" and "Elderly woman behind the counter in a small town" also became regulars on my TV. Along with their rock and roll chaos, they also brought with them flannel from the Northwest. In one form or another, the flannel stayed, at least on the edge, in society, while Pearl Jam completely went off the map, musically and figuratively. Well, they're back with an impossibly amazing album, and you know what? Eddie Vedder still has his amazing voice. And the hair. And the goatee. And the same wardrobe. Sorry Ed, I bought this shirt a few years ago, but as I clean out my closet and make a big bag of stuff for donating, I realize I've moved on from the flannel.

And yes, those are my drapes behind me.