#internet forums

hey, a non true crime related infopost😅😅 hope you enjoy this one.

Operation Soda Steal was a mission carried out by a user under the name EpitaphILIP on a GameFAQ board back in 2008. The mission was very simple. Back in 2008, Baja Blast was a limited flavor of mountain dew exclusive to taco bell. EpitaphILIP/Philip (which is what i will call him for the rest of this) drew up a concept to steal soda from a restaurant, any soda. It was decided the same day that he would go through with choosing baja blast.

August 1st, 2008: Philip created a thread titled “My dream is becoming a reality: Operation Soda Steal” below this he wrote,

“It started with this concept art I drew on MS paint like a year ago” with the image below.

The idea was that Philip would go into a restaurant and seemingly refill his cup. attached to the bottom of the cup was a tube, which would lead into his backpack through his hoodie and would lead into a large container inside the backpack. This way, he could steal soda. He would create concept designs in his home to test out his design. People asked why he couldn't just buy soda and drink it normally, well you couldn't just buy baja blast in stores at the time, and also Philip says he just wanted to do it, not out of malice or anything, he just wanted to do it. It was not originally meant to be a baja blast. On the same day, user JohnCena23 posted “also get baja blast since you can only get that at taco bell”. Other users supported this idea, which led to baja blast getting chosen.

“oh I'll get the baja blast”

Philip later posted the same day

“Yeah, I've abandoned the backpack ideas because of possible flow issues. I'm just going to put the container in a shoulder strapped duffle bag so it won't work against gravity or anything…

Philip”

The tube would not be able to effectively get the baja blast into his backpack with the original idea due to gravity. Choosing this new approach was a good idea.

User questions :

8/1/08.

“they give you a cup. how are you going to equip their cup with the tube?” - User Klieserber

“I'll just buy a large drink and then throw it away or something.

As long as the cup is out of sight at first it's not like they're got to be on the lookout for a rigged soda cup. They'll assume it's the one i bought… -Philip”

“like someone else said, wouldn't it get really suspicious if you are filling the same cup for like 10 minutes?” -phylox

“Probably. I'm thinking if I go at a time when not a lot of people are there no one will really notice. Also, I could return again and again to make it less obvious. -Philip”.

User suggestions:

8/1/08

“i reccomed you pick a time where the restaurant is nearly empty and a restaurant where the soda machines aren't clearly viewable by the employees (hard to find but i can think of a few).”-duct tape avenger

“Consider making an implement that could simply be punched into the bottom of the cup to drain the soda You could do this while eating your meal, with the booth chair obscuring their vision of the contraption cup implement"

"That's what I mean. Simply a short funnel with a sharp point on top. The soda wouldn't actually have to flow down through the point, it could flow around it it's hard to express what I mean in paint, unfortunately I suck shit at drawing with a mouse. This would mean that your contraption would be both more mobile and adaptable. You wouldn't have to try to hide a cup coming Further, it would be small enough to cup in your hand, which would mean that you would be able to easily conceal and support the device. Also consider holding the cup so that it obscures the actual soda flow questioned about your lengthy visit to the soda machine, simply state calmly that the flow is low, but that you've got enough now. Leave shortly after before they get time to check it out. Don't return to that store for a few days so they forgot about you. Always remain calm. They won't dare question anything about you if you don't act suspicious, even if they feel concern. You should also consider affixing the tube to the back of the duffel bag strap, which would then enter your shirt through the armpit and run along your sleeve up to the cup. Running the tube down the full length of your clothing would create a noticeable deformation in the shape of the clothing, especially if the tube is as rigid as it looks

Good luck You are fucking awesome

-Tykero” -tykero.

“Wait. There is a problem.

The first bit of soda enters the tank from the top, freefalls into it, and splashes at the bottom. This would make the soda flat. You have to make sure the tube points at the side wall of the inside of the tank.”- zolcos.

“you need to have the tubing enter the container so that it'll make no noise and keep the soda from going flat.” -lord veovis

8/2/08:

“good news. My neighbor was coincidentally going to Michaels so I asked her to pick me up some hot glue. I'm kind of busy today so I won't be going to Taco Bell. I'll try to get some work done on the contraption though for sure.

Thanks for all the feedback and general enthusiasm. it has inspired me to really work out the bugs and make sure this works -philip”

8/3/08

“Sorry for no update today. Just letting you guys know im still working on it (slowly for now though)

The cup part seems done. The funnel is completely sealed to ensure no leaks from the cup. I'm not concerned about the tube sticking out of the bottom (as opposed to the side) because you can pretty much conceal it with your hand, if you grasp at the bottom tip of the cup. It's a little awkward, but it's not a big deal.

Now I'm brainstorming a better container. right now the tube is just shoved in a notch i cut, but obviously that's pretty janky i want to get something rigged up with an air/liquid tight seal. im thinking if i can get something with a spigot already attached (or perhaps weld/melt one on myself) i can attach the tube pretty securely with a zip tie or two. Stay tuned. -philip”

he ends up with a contraption that is the container, a pvc pipe leading out through the hole, and a tube leading up. This is placed in a bag that would rest at his hip to help with gravity. he will have to wear a sweatshirt to conceal the tube. It will lead up out of the bag, up his side, through his arm sleeve, and up to the cup. This plan is a good one as it accounts for gravity, pressure, and how to properly conceal the contraption. The cup has a fennel in the bottom connecting to the tube. He posted a photo of this on August 6th, 2008. he said he might take it for a test run around 10 that night. This ended up being the date of Operation Soda Steal.

“.. Also, im well aware doing this for the sole purpose of getting soda is a dumb idea. thats why I'm not only doing it for that reason. it's a fun project and will be a good story to tell. Not to mention it provides entertainment for all of you guys. -philip.”

“Fucking did it. I'm gonna upload the video now. I'm not gonna spoil any results. -Philip.”

He recorded and uploaded the videos in 3 seperate parts. He also felt weird recording as it was 2008 and nobody did anything like that. He is not the man featured in the video.

“I didn't wear a hat or sunglasses. Actually it is my asian friend that is wearing the contraption in the video. -Philip”

he posted 3 video links with the caption “GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO GO” at 10:21 that night.

He collected around 2 gallons worth of baja blast.

“The container is 2.5 gallons. So i think its dare to say we collected about 2 gallons.

As of this morning its got a little fiz left, but it's definitley gotten flatter -philip”.

The video 1 starts in the parking lot. He mentions the camera feeling awkward to hild in public and while ordering food. they walked inside and stood in line before ordering a burrito with no onions and an extra large drink. Philip just orders a drink. He then records his friend taking some soda. he pretends to drink from the cup before proceeding to get more. He replicates this mive again and again. Philip says “this is a little easier than i thought right now.” the raising of the srm likely also makes the soda move down the tube better. “nobody has any idea, living the dream.” He cuts the video since itd boring.

Part 2: philip is eating the burrito. the bag is heavy. his friend calls for him and they had outside. his friend claims it's heavy and he throws away his burrito. -1 burrito +2 gallons of baja blast. they go to the car and open the bag. the container is ¾’s full.

Part 3: at home. Philip reveals his face and shows the cup with a funnel inside. he shows the tube, jacket, and bag. He then shoes the container of baja blast. This serves as a tutorial basically. He then takes a sip using thr tube as a straw.

The videos almost becsme lost media at a point. He wouldnt upload it to youtube out of fear. His video was stolen to a seperate website. The website negatively reacted.

ive been meaning to post here for what feels like forever, but i've been so busy for so long now that i've just forgotten to until now

from october to november i got heavily involved with building a forum website alongside 5 others, as a very deliberate return to creating a new internet third space at a time where we are sorely lacking in them. it's called "yellowtealpurple.net." (link in image)

this site is built and designed with the intent of making a space for artists and creatives who don't want to deal with the chaos and uncertainty of social media. its entirely self owned and funded with yours truly as one of the central admins under the alias of "dani_phantump". its meant to be a guaranteed space where creatives can share their work and know that it will be seen, as well as a space meant to intentionally nurture a close sense of community online, which i also feel we are sorely lacking in the present day.

we also have a very clearly outlined policy about AI absolutely not being welcome, as we've seen that this is something artists everywhere seem to grieve over and we think we are greatly in need of a space that allows art to be art without trying to "generate" anything from it. social media circles/cliques for me just don't cut it. if you've been around online for as long as i have, you'll know on a deep level that this is the some form of real thing, warts and all. obviously forums are not for everyone, but what we have just has never felt satisfactory. corporate entities controlling online space has just never been what ive vibed with so this is essentially acting as my own lil circumvention

there's spaces here outlined for artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, game devs, programmers, video artists, sound artists, even archivists. with social media and other sites being so corporate with their design, this site is deliberately made with a more old-school "homespun" online aesthetic. much of the direction of this site's purpose, functionality and look has been dictated by my instruction, as i approached this project with probably the clearest vision of all the admins. ive found lately that this kind of community organizing is one of my true callings and i want to use what i know from experience to try to make at least one site on the internet a more colorful and human place to be again.

as an admin i am deeply committed to maintaining a degree of safety, harmony and quality for my site and for the community that organizes on it. my dream is to rally together creatives of all stripes and have us cross pollinate in ways that social media doesn't really allow. we've already got some big site-wide creative projects underway that allows everyone to each show off our creative talents in cool ways, such as art quilts, a collaborative experimental film, and a lot of other stuff. i want people to feel like they're a part of something meaningful, as i also want for myself, because we all deserve that today.