Mothers, Soap, and Washing Clothes

Companies are made up of people producing goods and services, and advertising for those good and services.  Proctor & Gamble produced this Proud Sponsor of Moms advertisement for the Olympics.  The international focus is great, and mirror's Proctor & Gamble's expansion into new markets in Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Not every child dives into sports enough to compete in the Olympics.  But the short video captures the daily schedule of childhood with the everyday joys and hard work of being a parent.

Among the everyday products from P & G are soaps for washing hands, hair, clothes, and dishes.  Every mother spends a lot of time washing because every child spends a lot of time getting dirty.  Washing consumes energy, and clothes washing consumes a lot of energy, either a mother's muscle power, or energy as electricity for the family washing machine.  P & G researchers, engineers, factory workers, salesmen, marketers, and delivery people bring these products to a billion plus customers around the world.

P & G can provide the latest technology laundry detergent for mothers around the world, but it can't provide the energy to power washing machines or dish washers.  Without dependable electricity, a mother's daily cleaning tasks are a lot harder and more time-consuming.

Hans Rosling addresses this challenge for the developing world with a story of his grandmother's first day with a washing machine.  This TED presentation brings his story to those in the wealthy west skeptical about electricity and the fossil fuels required to create it.

Grocery Stores are Strange When You’re a Stranger

If more people go on diets, I predict trouble.  

In my experience things tend to go wrong more often when people are hungry.  A lot more often.

One evening a few weeks ago, for example.

Headed to my hotel, hungry, I asked my phone for “grocery store.”  The closest was “99 Ranch Market.”  Empowered by modern smartphone technology, I drove to the nearby (western?) market.  I walked in looking for a few items for informal hotel room meals.  Well, it was a confusing and not western place with unusual (for me) food.  I couldn’t find anything I recognized, and decided to pass on the “Lunar New Year Poon Choi Feast.”

And the beer seemed expensive. 

So I left and asked my phone for another grocery store.  I started off but heard the dreaded: “GPS signal lost” and drove without guidance for awhile hoping either signal or store might be found.  Then I saw a “Grocery Outlet” ahead so drove to that.  It was closed (at 8 pm?).  

Maybe they save money by closing early.  Or maybe they just turn off the outside lights to save electricity, and only appeared closed.  Irritating.

Next I saw a “Sprouts” not too far away.  That seemed like it might be a grocery store of sorts.  But on the way, a Target appeared to one side.  

Targets have food, and clothes, and most everything else.  What could go wrong?

Sure enough, the Coors light at Target was much less expensive than at the 99 Ranch Market.  But it was also out of stock, at least for the 6- and 12-can packs.   30-can packs were in stock, but that’s more than I thought I could manage over a few days visiting California.

I picked up the various food items for dinner and snacks to last a couple days.  However,  Pleasanton is in a California county that has passed a no plastic bag law.  

Signs around the store asked if I was “ready for reusable bags.”  I sensed trouble, but had no idea what that meant and didn’t stop to read the fine print.

The new county regulations ban Target from providing plastic bags with purchased items.  So if you don’t bring your own bag you have to buy their paper bags.

In Seattle I have a Trader Joe’s reusable bag my sister gave me.  I have read they are okay to use, as long as you wash them regularly and don’t collect too many microbes carrying fresh fruits and vegetables. (Reusable Grocery Bags Can Kill (Unless Washed))

But I was not in Seattle and didn’t think to pack my reusable Trader Joe’s bag with me.  Not wanting to pay 10 cents for a bag on principle, I stuffed yogurt, sandwich meat, cheese, nuts and other items in my coat, shirt, pants, and managed to carry the rest.