First, regarding shirt orders: I'm sorry for the delay, but I had a family trajedy at the end of last year that sent me home to Chicago for a while... The kind of trajedy that shuts down life for a bit. In any case, there are a whole bunch of orders that are sitting right next to me on my desk here, in fact, which I've left a thousand stickies all over saying "SHIP SHIRTS". Tomorrow is Monday the 24th, and they're all going out, some FedEX because people have really waited long enough. Apologies, but I don't have a shipping department, and the intern who was doing them went back to school... so...
As for other people's shirt offers: they suck, so whatever.
As for the restoration: My birthday is June 20, and on that day I'll be watching my finished restoration. I'm currently splitting my work day between my usual gigs running my business, doing my restoration, and a ton of work on the final sequel to the fanfilm "Pink Five" by Trey Stokes called "Return of Pink Five." I'm doing a whole slew of effects shots, the sound design, mix and writing the score, so it's a time hog.
I don't have any problem with anything anyone says about my restoration. People care deeply about Star Wars, and will always voice their opinions. It's true that the restoration is for me, and it's true that I put up the site to inspire, inform, and motivate people about just what can be done to help preserve this great film. Debates about preservation versus restoration are largely academic, and everyone is free to do their own. In any case, I read every post on this board, and I'm honored to have all of you take the time to weigh in, offer opinions, help, advice, etc.
_Mike