July 4, 2011
--Although I got more time on the computer at the shelter last night than I usually do, I didn't get anywhere close to putting all of my notes on any of my blogs. I have pages of notes to get through.
Last night, my turn on the computer was over when I was about to write that a boat called “Sea Lion” had shown up in the past few days and was sitting on the side of the street. It was right up the street from an elementary school and playground.
This morning, I walked by and the boat was still there. Late this afternoon, when I walked by again, it was gone; it may have been taken out for the day, or it may be gone for good. That street is on my way to the shelter.
--Yesterday, at a convenience store; in addition to the box of fish-gummy rings for kids, I saw that there were several boxes in a row of a variety of chocolate bars that all had the price “69” cents in large print on the front of the packaging. I had seen a wrapper for Reese's peanut butter cups by the side of the road the other day and saw that it said the same thing.
--Mobil has started its 2nd year of signs at its stations, with new wording for its “CLEAN” campaign, such as “Intake valves wish for CLEAN,” and “CLEAN makes engines happy. It also says “See what's new at fuelprogress.com”
(Here's something I need to say; if I say “What's new?” to people, it's not code for anything. For me to illustrate others' use of code isn't the same thing as using it myself, and for me to use normal words in a normal way isn't code, either.)
Here's what it says at the bottom of the first page of the website at “fuelprogress.com” for “Mobil”:
“VOICEOVER: Cars take us to some pretty interesting places. But we're about to go on a journey that's even more amazing: the journey gasoline takes through your car. Exxon and Mobil have engineered gasoline on the molecular level to help clean up intake valves, so it can perform its best. Ready to take the journey?”
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July 4, 2011
I went to the Price Chopper yesterday and while I was there, I finally decided that I didn't want to see “Wet Floor” signs day after day where there was no wet floor, there or anywhere else. I went through the place to document all the Wet Floor signs that were around the store and that were there for no reason but to be sexually harassing.
Along the perimeter of the interior of the store:
--Two Wet Floor signs, one on either side of an open case of mussels and clams that was in front of but separate from the Seafood section. There was no wet floor in sight; the implication couldn't have been more overt.
--A few yards away, another large, Wet Floor sign, next to an open freezer of meat products. I didn't have anything like enough time to document all the harassing displays in the store; I tried to stay with documenting the signs and a few other things. Across from the meat freezer, there was a large endcap display of “Heavy Duty” paper towels, Puffs tissues, and some toilet paper. Paper towel and toilet paper displays, often combined with cases of water, have been part of the harassment symbolism in places like the Price Chopper since last year.
--As I walked by, taking notes, I heard a woman say to someone “And we need to buy cheddar dogs.”
--I went through another aisle, a minute later, taking notes, and I heard a guy several feet in front of me say loudly to his girlfriend “Tuna.” His girlfriend laughed and he rubbed his nose and said “Tunafish.”
I went past them, looked back and said to them loudly enough for a lot of people to hear me “IT'S NOT FUNNY!” I repeated that another time before I left that aisle, which also had a Wet Floor sign in it.
--Desk fans are for sale in front of the wine section. There is also an endcap display of beer across from the wine section. Budweiser beer is featured, conspicuously.
--By the exit to the Price Chopper, next to a display of RAID bug repellent, there was another Wet Floor sign.
That was the perimeter. Here's what I saw when I went back through again, looking for Wet Floor signs in the aisles:
--In the fresh produce section; a stack of “Ripe Olives” in cans.
--A big 2/$5 Cheese Nips display in another aisle. It was a large cardboard display, with a picture of a little girl on about half of the side and a picture of an even younger girl with a man on the bottom half of the display. The caption between the two pictures said “KRAFT: Bringing GREAT TASTE to life.”
--A Wet Floor sign on either side of a “Price Chopper Fun Pops” display in the aisle of the frozen section. That seemed to be part of a 4th of July display; there were also fireworks for sale in the next display over.
Farther along in that aisle, there was a display of Stauffer's Animal Crackers and Price Chopper Graham Crackers 2/$4. The graham cracker sign was part of a s'mores ingredient display; there were also Hershey chocolate bars and marshmallows, and another Wet Floor sign next to the Hershey bars.
@9:18 p.m.
----------------------------------------
--Next to the refrigerated section, at the beginning of the aisle, a display of “Laughing Cow” cheese. There was also a display of Cabot cheese in an open cooler, along with pizza sauce and Boboli Thin Pizza Crust
Another Wet Floor sign next to a shopping cart full of trash, in the middle of the aisle, with an empty package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese in the first section of the shopping cart.
I'm going to skip a few notes to talk about this display:
--Capri Sun, a kids' drink, endcap display, next to a Poland Spring Water display.
All of the Capri Sun packages said:
“Be Green
Earn Green
Earn $$$ for school”
The flavors for them were:
--Mountain Cooler, with a picture of a biker
--Grape--roller blading
--Fruit Punch—windsurfing
--Wild Cherry—soccer
--Strawberry Kiwi—Water skidoo
--Red Berry—Snowboarding
--Splash Cooler—Kayaking
There were also Capri Suns called “Roarin' Waters,” with the same “Be Green, Earn Green, Earn $$$ for school” logos on them. The flavors were Wild Cherry, Tropical Fruit and Berry.
Next to that endcap display, there was a large cardboard display of PopSecret popcorn, whose packages said:
“Clip and Earn FREE STUFF for your school
Labels for Education
Arts, Athletics and Academics
find out how at labelsforeducation.com”
That “Clip” etc. promotion was all on a red, Stop-sign shaped sign held by a female corn kernel police officer with a strand of pearls around her neck.
-------------------------------------
Copyright L. Kochman July 4, 2011 @ 9:29 p.m.
--Although I got more time on the computer at the shelter last night than I usually do, I didn't get anywhere close to putting all of my notes on any of my blogs. I have pages of notes to get through.
Last night, my turn on the computer was over when I was about to write that a boat called “Sea Lion” had shown up in the past few days and was sitting on the side of the street. It was right up the street from an elementary school and playground.
This morning, I walked by and the boat was still there. Late this afternoon, when I walked by again, it was gone; it may have been taken out for the day, or it may be gone for good. That street is on my way to the shelter.
--Yesterday, at a convenience store; in addition to the box of fish-gummy rings for kids, I saw that there were several boxes in a row of a variety of chocolate bars that all had the price “69” cents in large print on the front of the packaging. I had seen a wrapper for Reese's peanut butter cups by the side of the road the other day and saw that it said the same thing.
--Mobil has started its 2nd year of signs at its stations, with new wording for its “CLEAN” campaign, such as “Intake valves wish for CLEAN,” and “CLEAN makes engines happy. It also says “See what's new at fuelprogress.com”
(Here's something I need to say; if I say “What's new?” to people, it's not code for anything. For me to illustrate others' use of code isn't the same thing as using it myself, and for me to use normal words in a normal way isn't code, either.)
Here's what it says at the bottom of the first page of the website at “fuelprogress.com” for “Mobil”:
“VOICEOVER: Cars take us to some pretty interesting places. But we're about to go on a journey that's even more amazing: the journey gasoline takes through your car. Exxon and Mobil have engineered gasoline on the molecular level to help clean up intake valves, so it can perform its best. Ready to take the journey?”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 4, 2011
I went to the Price Chopper yesterday and while I was there, I finally decided that I didn't want to see “Wet Floor” signs day after day where there was no wet floor, there or anywhere else. I went through the place to document all the Wet Floor signs that were around the store and that were there for no reason but to be sexually harassing.
Along the perimeter of the interior of the store:
--Two Wet Floor signs, one on either side of an open case of mussels and clams that was in front of but separate from the Seafood section. There was no wet floor in sight; the implication couldn't have been more overt.
--A few yards away, another large, Wet Floor sign, next to an open freezer of meat products. I didn't have anything like enough time to document all the harassing displays in the store; I tried to stay with documenting the signs and a few other things. Across from the meat freezer, there was a large endcap display of “Heavy Duty” paper towels, Puffs tissues, and some toilet paper. Paper towel and toilet paper displays, often combined with cases of water, have been part of the harassment symbolism in places like the Price Chopper since last year.
--As I walked by, taking notes, I heard a woman say to someone “And we need to buy cheddar dogs.”
--I went through another aisle, a minute later, taking notes, and I heard a guy several feet in front of me say loudly to his girlfriend “Tuna.” His girlfriend laughed and he rubbed his nose and said “Tunafish.”
I went past them, looked back and said to them loudly enough for a lot of people to hear me “IT'S NOT FUNNY!” I repeated that another time before I left that aisle, which also had a Wet Floor sign in it.
--Desk fans are for sale in front of the wine section. There is also an endcap display of beer across from the wine section. Budweiser beer is featured, conspicuously.
--By the exit to the Price Chopper, next to a display of RAID bug repellent, there was another Wet Floor sign.
That was the perimeter. Here's what I saw when I went back through again, looking for Wet Floor signs in the aisles:
--In the fresh produce section; a stack of “Ripe Olives” in cans.
--A big 2/$5 Cheese Nips display in another aisle. It was a large cardboard display, with a picture of a little girl on about half of the side and a picture of an even younger girl with a man on the bottom half of the display. The caption between the two pictures said “KRAFT: Bringing GREAT TASTE to life.”
--A Wet Floor sign on either side of a “Price Chopper Fun Pops” display in the aisle of the frozen section. That seemed to be part of a 4th of July display; there were also fireworks for sale in the next display over.
Farther along in that aisle, there was a display of Stauffer's Animal Crackers and Price Chopper Graham Crackers 2/$4. The graham cracker sign was part of a s'mores ingredient display; there were also Hershey chocolate bars and marshmallows, and another Wet Floor sign next to the Hershey bars.
@9:18 p.m.
----------------------------------------
--Next to the refrigerated section, at the beginning of the aisle, a display of “Laughing Cow” cheese. There was also a display of Cabot cheese in an open cooler, along with pizza sauce and Boboli Thin Pizza Crust
Another Wet Floor sign next to a shopping cart full of trash, in the middle of the aisle, with an empty package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese in the first section of the shopping cart.
I'm going to skip a few notes to talk about this display:
--Capri Sun, a kids' drink, endcap display, next to a Poland Spring Water display.
All of the Capri Sun packages said:
“Be Green
Earn Green
Earn $$$ for school”
The flavors for them were:
--Mountain Cooler, with a picture of a biker
--Grape--roller blading
--Fruit Punch—windsurfing
--Wild Cherry—soccer
--Strawberry Kiwi—Water skidoo
--Red Berry—Snowboarding
--Splash Cooler—Kayaking
There were also Capri Suns called “Roarin' Waters,” with the same “Be Green, Earn Green, Earn $$$ for school” logos on them. The flavors were Wild Cherry, Tropical Fruit and Berry.
Next to that endcap display, there was a large cardboard display of PopSecret popcorn, whose packages said:
“Clip and Earn FREE STUFF for your school
Labels for Education
Arts, Athletics and Academics
find out how at labelsforeducation.com”
That “Clip” etc. promotion was all on a red, Stop-sign shaped sign held by a female corn kernel police officer with a strand of pearls around her neck.
-------------------------------------
Copyright L. Kochman July 4, 2011 @ 9:29 p.m.