The world is watching

Burma

What about the amputees?

This week's clip from GodTube.

I like the little soldier in the background.

Tops never stops...insulting us more

It has been nearly a year since I wrote the following unpublished Letter to The Editor. (are you reading this Max?) And a year to the day that I have set foot inside a Tops Friendly Market.

While reading the Sunday paper (09/10/06), I came across the full page ad (26A), by Tops Friendly Markets paying tribute to the victims of 9/11. While the ad may have been well intentioned perhaps the motives were less heartfelt. Why was the ad not run Monday September 11? Because Sunday’s paper has a greater readership than the weekday paper. More bang for their advertising dollar. By using this image in conjuction with their circulars, webpages and store front signage leads me to believe that this was indeed a marketing strategy targeting our sorrow for the events of five years ago. As the fifth anniversary has past, the Tops imagery continues to be present in these forms, more than likely, until the next week’s bonanza of savings. What a disgrace to envision the anniversary of this tragic day in American history as an opportunity to further the bottom line. The really sad part of this venture is that the Bonus Card data from this week will be crunched to determine the efficacy of such a transparent tactic of greed. Tops never stops insulting us more.

Last year's 40% Off Chicken coupon is nothing compared to the string of Double coupons in this year's tribute.

grieve

SAVE!

remember

SAVE!

"Your total today, with your Bonus Card savings is $9.11"

A snip from a response from Tops:

We are sorry if our actions to communicate our compassion came across to you as a marketing tool. Our intent was never to insult but to take every opportunity we can to express our support for our American troops and to remind ourselves that we can never forget that fateful day.

Thank you.

Tracy Pawelski
Director of Public Relations
Giant Food Stores/TOPS Markets

(note: former Director of Communications under Governor Tom Ridge)

A personalized gift certificate arrived in the mail a few days later.

Fuck you.

I'm a little teapot......

Labor Day Observations

Number of homes displaying the American Flag (including mine).

Three

Number of residents cleaning up dogshit.

Five

Headshop, I mean, headshot on Monroe Avenue.

According to the D&C a shooting occured on Monroe Avenue in the presence of eight squad cars.

Yeah, surveillance cameras, that'll help.

My new favorite website....I do what I can.