Mistakes Happen

Friday, November 16, 2007

CORRECTION: "A headline in Monday's Daily News, 'He regrets his role in postal vid,' implied that Richard Marino, the subject of a YouTube video, was sorry for an incident in December at a Brooklyn post office. Marino, in fact, is not sorry. The News regrets the error." -- Daily News, New York.
So you know how pretty much every day, there is a list of corrections printed in the newspaper? Sometimes they are rather amusing. Liz forwarded me this article about a guy who keeps a website called Regrettheerror.com which lists corrections from all over. The above is one of his favorites, as is this one, which I love. - POP by E by way of Liz
CORRECTION: "It has come to the editor's attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission." - The Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, apparently trying to make up for decades of forgotten coverage, printed this two-sentence note.

Morons This Is Not a Trash Can for the Lazy

Thursday, November 15, 2007

It's been a long time since I've posted anything, which is not to say that I haven't been blogging per say. In fact, I've become quite the blog reader. See below a favorite from the Philadelphia City Paper blog, The Clog. I was certainly amused by the post. But seriously, I hate trash and litter. And anyone breaking the law should be reported! Still funny though. More to come soon. I've been stockpiling hilarity. POP by E


http://www.citypaper.net/blogs/clog/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/chad_willenborg.JPG
Not a trashcan. - Photo by Chad Willenborg

Reader (and runner up in last year’s fiction contest) Chad Willenborg sends us the above photo. The sign reads: "Morons, This is not a trash can for the lazy."

I wasn’t sure to whom I might send such a photo, but I thought you guys might find it interesting. My pic isn’t the best, but, man, there are lasagne-like layers of irony in this one. Around 20th and Jackson in South Philly…

Best,

Chad Willenborg

Thanks, Chad!

Posted by The Pop Box at 8:21 PM 0 comments  

FROM THE COLLECTION: a closeup

Friday, September 14, 2007


sc000cee30, originally uploaded by The Pop Box.

Posted by The Pop Box at 10:17 PM 0 comments  

FROM THE COLLECTION



Here is an image of a pig stabbed by one of my parents' kabob skewers. Inside its belly: a small Pope.

The piece was important to the movement; we could never return the skewer to the set. It is now permanently housed in box in my apartment.

Artist: Loryn

Posted by The Pop Box at 10:16 PM 2 comments  

SANESE SERVICES

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

We've been busy.
So sorry.
This should tide you over until we can
get back to more regular goodness.


Courtesy of the archives of the one and only Mr. J.

Posted by The Pop Box at 6:50 PM 1 comments  

THE DRAGON BUS SERIES: An Interview with Pibian and Wamie

Saturday, June 30, 2007





Pibian: Ok, so we were down in Maryland last year for Preakness. Before leaving for New York, we decide to get really high, and then Balls (that’s the name of their friend) drops us off in the outskirts of Baltimore Chinatown.

(editor’s note – ew)

Anyway, we get out of the car all dazed and we see this fried chicken place. I'd eyed it before when we arrived but didn't go in.

Wamie: Chester Fried Chicken.

Pibian: So we go in there and there's a big woman and this little man behind the counter.

Wamie: You know she gives it to him back there.

Pibian: So Wamie and I decide pick out two big drumsticks and potato wedges and wait outside for the Chinatown bus.

But instead a dirty little minivan pulls up to the curb and the driver starts waving and honking. We get in and nobody says anything.

So it’s just me and Wamie and the driver in the van. We’re eating the chicken and stinking up the car and driving along on the highway and don’t really know what’s going on.

All of the sudden, he pulls off the highway, opens up the door and tells us to get out.

Wamie: In a Bob Evan’s parking lot.

Pibian: But then the big Chinatown Bus pulls up.

Wamie: We were really stoned.

Pibian: And dirty.

- POP by J

UPDATE: From New York Magazine,
Penny-Pinching Peril - Chinatown's Cheap Bus Travel: A Troubled History

BAKED SALE 101

Saturday, June 23, 2007

We used to be in an after-school club called TRUE. That's Teaching Respect Understanding and Equality. We pretty much started it with a small group of other like-minded teenagers and we did lots of good work, I guess and having a club like that makes a pretty powerful statement.

But I'd say one of the things we were known for were Bake Sales. We had a lot of them. And I mean a lot. Same goes for the GSA. j. and I always enjoyed creating flyers and the like. Check out this one, which I might add, was actually approved by the Assistant Principal.

Now is that a plate with three little J's on it or a loaf of bread? I'm not quite sure...

Bake bake bake.
Money money money.
Party party party.

J's Commentary:

Actually, it was the Assistant-to-the Assistant Principal that approved it. The prehistoric secretary with a hairy face held up the flyer and read it just as it was written:

"True's baked.

...Sale.

That's nice."

And with a flourish of her rubber stamp, the picture of three little joints on a plate was approved to be hung all over our school.

She was like, “Oh, my God, I love you,” and everything was fine.

Thursday, June 7, 2007

The other day, I received a mysterious giant white envelope in the mail from a well-known New York company. In it was an 11x17 color copy of this clipping about Parker Posey from New York Magazine, along with a note (written on quality company stationary) from Sir J, which read:

"Dearest E, This REALLY made me
think of you! XOXO - J"

I love everything about it. - POP by E by Way of J

Parker Posey, Actress

"The major celeb perk is being able to help out friends."


(Photo: Jake Chessum)

Nice bag.
It is, right? Marc Jacobs.

Did you have to pay for it?
No. Shhhh.

Is that the best part of being famous? The free stuff?
No, not really. The major celeb perk is being able to help out friends. Like the other day, my friend’s dog bit a girl on the street and the girl got so upset. She was totally freaking out, and she wanted to go to the emergency room and everything. She was stoned, you know? But then she recognized me, and it just changed the whole temperature of things. She was like, “Oh, my God, I love you,” and everything was fine. That’s what’s good about being a celebrity.

By Amy Larocca

CAMERA FROM CAWLEY'S: Curse of the Irish

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Have you ever wanted to develop someone else's film?

We found this disposable camera one Thanksgiving eve at an Irish bar in Upper Darby called Cawley's.

- POP by J





THE DRAGON BUS SERIES: Fung Wah Bus Loses Wheels

Friday, April 27, 2007

During my research on the history of the Chinatown bus, I came across this news video from Massachusetts. What happened exactly? Click on the video to watch and read the whole story here!

"The bus driver told police he felt something in the rear and then pulled over."

"Nothing, this is nothing," the driver said in halting English.

Posted by The Pop Box at 6:25 PM 3 comments  

THE DRAGON BUS SERIES: Loryn Speaks

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

DISCLAIMER: The story you are about to hear is true. To protect the identity of the racist and owner of the bed, names have been changed.

GUEST POP by Loryn: My favorite memory of the Chinatown bus occurred a few years ago when BLANK and I were taking the bus up together to visit John in New York for New Year's. We were seated on the bus, adjusted our belongings and sat back for the trip. BLANK then said to me, "I'm scared, I've never taken the Chinatown bus before. I heard they get into lots of accidents because Asians got bad peripheal vision!" [said: LOUDLY]. I look up to see all of the Asians with their bad "peripheal" vision looking back at us and had to chuckle.

Another great story from that weekend was that BLANK saved me from getting a load blown on my face while I was passed out on OTHER BLANK's bed. Some fat girl was giving head to some random guy in the room I had passed out in about a foot from my face. Luckily, BLANK saw the outlines of this movement through the curtains on the door's window and ran in there, forcing them up and out! Thank you BLANK!

Posted by The Pop Box at 9:33 PM 1 comments  

THE DRAGON BUS SERIES

Many college students, city folk, Asians, visiting tourists and cheap people know about the method of transportation known as The Chinatown Bus, which transports riders from Chinatown to Chinatown around the US.

Here on the East Coast, I have traveled on the mythical Chinatown bus from Philadelphia to Washington, DC and New York. You can get round-trip tickets as low as $20 -- this is the real deal my friends -- and the trip is often more convenient than driving, flying, Amtrak, regional rail, and Greyhound. All you have to do is go to the Chinatown of your choice, find the buses which are lined up on random street corners throughout the neighborhood, purchase a ticket from someone screaming at you about the next bus and the best deal (usually an old woman), hop on and then check with everyone already on the bus to make sure you are in fact on the right one because sometimes things get tricky, and off you go to the next Chinatown of your choice.


Is the Chinatown bus ring a legitimate business? Is it safe? Will you make it alive?


Yes. No. Maybe.


We here at The Pop Box have asked a group of like-minded friends (read: awesome) to recount their most memorable Chinatown bus experiences. Be on the look out for "Dragon Bus" guest blogs in the weeks to come. And while you're waiting, head on over to Wiki to read more about the buses in the news. With articles titled "Flames engulf Fung Wah bus in CT" and "Passengers Tell of Wild Bus Trip," we're sure you'll have a grand time. - The Pop Box

Posted by The Pop Box at 6:32 PM 0 comments  

THE CO-oPERBLANKET

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Someone took that idea from elementary school gym class - the parachute - and created this thing.

While conducting photo research on "blankets" for the below post, I stumbled across this image. It's the United-fucking-Nations of children mushed into a caterpillar. Rad!

The Co-Operblanket "allows a group of participants to be set free in a wondrous, cooperative movement journey. They're quickly turned into a 'trust me, work with me,' team intent upon movement and exploration of space. As participants move their body, they not only test their group and individual limitations, but also stretch and exercise their muscles. The blankets consist of 8-way stretch lycra, fabricated from 4-way, 8-ounce, heavy-duty nylon tricot lycra and are available in three different sizes."
- POP by J

MUNCHIES!

On our way out of a party in Alphabet City last night, we headed for our favorite drunk pizza joint only to discover that it had closed down. Fortunately, there was a strange surprise just down the block: on the sidewalk, a Navajo blanket was covered in a GIANT pile of wrapped candies.

Irene ran up to the pile, and in a bear-hug motion, scooped up about 25 of them and ran across Avenue A. A small man sat just out of the way and calmly watched the action. There was no money exchanged, but somehow that was fine.

We ducked into another pizza place and examined the loot. The wrappers came in two designs: one, a sexual Jungle Book knockoff; the other, two fat Swiss children frolicking in the hills. On the back, Russian writing and little feet.

After very little deliberation, I popped one of those suckers open and ate it. The first layer was a bland, waxey coat of chocolate. Inside, stale wafers were sandwiched between a sweet, frothy brown cream. About ten seconds into the chewing, an intensely soapy aftertaste kicked in. That aftertaste then lingered for another few minutes, becoming "fragrant," then "bitter" and "painful."
- POP by J

Posted by The Pop Box at 12:51 AM 1 comments  

BAD SEEDS

Saturday, April 14, 2007

Both J and I really like Strangers with Candy. It is hands down one of the funniest and most disturbing shows that ever graced cable tv. Perhaps we were drawn to it because Jerri's crazy shenanigans reminded us of our own youth. I think Orlando was actually saying these lines from The Trip Back about us... Click here to have a listen.

PS: I met Amy Sedaris and David Sedaris (both on separate occasions) and I have fantabulous stories. More to come later. - POP by E

THE GERSHWIN HOTEL SERIES: Part II

Friday, April 13, 2007

Two more images from the highly sought after Gershwin Hotel Series were discovered inside a file folder labeled "Shiznit" in the basement of a house located in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Thought to have been created by young students from the prestigious Haverford Senior High School, these images are the result of an overwhelming need to express new ideas about art and red ink combined with small doses of alprazolam. Today, The Gershwin Hotel Series stands to redefine the concept of Modern Art. - POP by E

UPDATE: J adds, "Everything I draw looks like this. She is so ornate. I love her."

POSTCARDS: Blast From the Past Via NYC

On July 2, 1999, a then 16-year-old Supa on a trip with family to NYC purchased this rainbow-themed postcard and decided to send me a message. As is the case in many big cities, young J ran into quite a few colorful characters on his adventure. No further explanation needed. - POP by E

PS: Regarding the bubble reading "Phatty Bang-Bang!" This, oddly, is something we used to say sometimes. J, any idea as to the origins of this strange phrase?

Posted by The Pop Box at 9:45 PM 1 comments  

POSTCARDS: Diana, Princess of Wales

Let's be honest. I used to be something of a teachers pet. In high school, I formed many relationships with my favorite teachers, whether it was due to my thirst for knowledge or the fact that I was at times a thirty-something trapped in a 16-year -old's body, I'm not sure. Anyway, I became friendly with J's public speaking teacher Hentz. He was as gay as they come and also taught theatre, of course. He went on a trip to Florida once with another teacher I knew and they sent me a series of strange postcards, including this one commemorating the life of Diana, Princess of Wales. Some of us are more sensitive than others, obviously. - POP by E


AN E-CARD FOR AN E-TARD

Friday, April 6, 2007





click images to enlarge
- POP by J -

"LIE-CHEE"

In high school, we used to sit around at the Chinese restaurant and mispronounce all the food names and laugh hysterically. There was this one restaurant in the Manoa Shopping Center called Szechwan Lei Lei and we used to call it “S-zetchuan” or “the S-zetch.”

We sometimes ventured further, and South Street Philadelphia seemed bold and exotic. I don’t remember obtaining this receipt, but I am fairly certain Blair and I bought these bumper stickers together. We probably stuck both of them on some old lady’s car in the Shopping Center parking lot.

- POP by J

Posted by The Pop Box at 12:47 AM 0 comments  

THE BEST STUFF ON EARTH

Thursday, March 29, 2007

I used to really like Snapple. You could say, obsessively. When I was in middle school, I worked at a bagel shop in a local farmers market. We sold Snapple and I drank it like water. I even wore a hip Snapple bomber jacket that we got for free.

I thought that someday, I would meet “The Snapple Lady” AKA Wendy Kaufman. I had a grand plan: I started saving the labels from the bottles and the caps, with the intention to some day build something so cool that it would get me a spot in one of Wendy’s commercials. Sadly, I never did get to meet Wendy, but a friend of mine did and he got me this autographed picture AND a bobble-head doll. It turns out Wendy thinks I’m the “best stuff on earth” too!

Oh and if you’re wondering what ever happened to Wendy, get this. According to Wikipedia, she was unceremoniously fired from the company in 1994 when Snapple was sold to Quaker Oats (douche bags). We then lived for three years without her until she was reinstated in 1997 when the company was sold yet again. More recently, you may have seen her on Celebrity Fit Club (twice) and also heard about her new business venture, Wendy Wear – “Fit for A Queen Size.” Yes, it’s activewear for plus-size women.

Wendy says, “Just because I like to eat, doesn’t mean I should be destined to a lifetime of wearing sequined pumpkins and appliquéd kites on my clothing.”
You go girl! - POP by E

THE GERSHWIN HOTEL SERIES

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Way back when, we used to have these "creative sessions" where we would hang out, sometimes dabbling with experimentation and um, create things. Often these took place in J's kitchen, where we would cook many delicious foods and write strange messages on post-it notes, sometimes sticking them weirdly throughout his house. The other sessions took place in my basement. These basement sessions are remembered by all, as the cellar was a haven for our young creative minds. Sometimes, we created beautiful things. But truth be told, there are also quite a lot of papers filled with chicken scratch and "profound" ramblings. Take these for example. I will call them The Gershwin Hotel Series.

Oh, there are more. Including a crude drawing of a spanish dancer, a house shaped like a boot and a map of the United States that says "AMER "ICK!" AH." PS: J, do you remember being locked in the kitchen with me at Ben's old apartment in Powelton Village? We couldn't get the door open... Good times! - POP by E

UPDATE: In response to The Gershwin Hotel Series images, J explains: "I had returned from my studies in Paris in the summer of 2003, ready to share my complex new worldview with anyone who might feel like reading some scrawl on a hotel notepad. In Lets Not Waste, it seems the "STUPID LAZY AMERICANS" are quick to throw away spare body parts, while a "big apple" takes center stage on a cushy sofa. In young post-9-11 world, the greater public continued to fixate on the tragedy in Manhattan, but was removed, to some degree, to the American losses overseas."

He also adds, " Oh, and I vaguely remember being locked in that kitchen, I think we had gone there seeking a bottle of flavored rum. I'm not sure I remember the conflict that is described on that paper, but I certainly do recall that flavored rum."

THE PJs: "YOU CAN'T SPELL 'THURGOOD' WITHOUT GOOD"

I have a lot of laminated items. We had a machine for my mom’s job at home and I was always creating odd little plastic thingys including these fantabulous figurines from The PJs that we used to decorate our locker.

The PJs, as in the projects, was a claymation television show that graced the airwaves from 1999-2001, during my high school years. I loved this show. It was ridiculous, to say the least. Synopsis: Thurgood Stubbs lives with his wife Muriel in the housing project where he is the chief superintendent AKA The Supa. The show, created by Eddie Murphy, follows the adventures of the Stubbs family and the others in the building, animated through a process called 'Foamation.'

The cast of characters was spectacular. I think Juicy was my favorite. He's a little fat kid who idolizes Thurgood and sounds like his mouth is stuffed with cotton balls. In one episode, he turns out to be an awesome chef and wins the chili cookoff. I was so proud. We used to imitate him all the time: “Supa, you got a cookie for me?” I know that I had a little laminated picture of him. Where could it have gone?

How could you not like a show with such wonderful stereotypes. Remember Smokey the crack head and Jimmy Ho the Korean? Bring back The PJs! Oddly enough, they still show it on late-night telly in Australia... - POP by E

Posted by The Pop Box at 2:46 AM 3 comments  

SCHOOL DAZE: Best Candy Gram Ever

Our glorious high school always had fun ideas for entertaining the kiddies. During the holidays, you could buy Candy Grams and have them delivered to your friends during homeroom. Boy, what an exciting time it was! I would pay to be a fly on the wall way back when just to witness my reaction to this delightful Candy Gram from Blair and J.

What does it all mean???

PS: If you’re from outer space, you might not know that B.O.C. stands for Bride of Chucky. There was a girl in my homeroom who looked just like the B.O.C., hence her nickname. She was a real character. You’ll be learning more about her soon enough!

PSS: Word to the wise, word bubbles read: "Check out my new chucky watch" and "I wanna live in It'ly" - POP by E

Posted by The Pop Box at 1:26 AM 3 comments  

GUILTY, NOT GUILTY

Do you remember POGS? For a short period in the mid-90s, I collected them. Oddly, I never actually played the game which is weird that I had them at all. I guess I was a young junker. This is my one and only remaining POG. - POP by E


UPDATE: Many of you may remember the public's overwhelming interest in the OJ Simpson case. J recalls: "My seventh grade home ec class watched the verdict being read live. I can't remember my teacher's name but it was Italian. When he was aquitted, everyone in the class started chanting "JUICE IS LOOSE, JUICE IS LOOSE..." as directed by Kyle Allen."

Posted by The Pop Box at 1:00 AM 0 comments  

WHY ELSE WOULD THEY GIVE YOU A SPORK?

The Philadelphia City Paper has a regular column called Culture Shock: Things That Matter to People Who Matter. Each week, they ask a “somebody” from Philly to write a little blurb about something they love. Sometimes these columns are highly amusing. Take the article to the right.

Drag queens say the darndest things.
- POP by E -

THE BURGER JOINT, 241 THIRD AVE

Friday, March 23, 2007

The owner of this restaurant is also the designer of this postcard. He explained the concept to me: The old woman is thinking about a cheeseburger. The old man is thinking about a sexy young woman eating a fry.

Vivian found this place, which isn't much of a surprise. The Burger Joint has $1.50 burgers that are very tasty.

- POP by J

PRAY TO WIN, FLORIDA, 1985

I bought this postcard in the early or maybe mid 90s at the White Dog Cafe in University City, Philly. Well, actually it was the *sister* (read: lesbian) shop next door called the Black Cat. I've managed to hang onto it through 7 different moves.

My favorite part is that nobody believes she's going to win, not even God.
[photo by Susan Copen Oken]
- POP by J

Posted by The Pop Box at 12:31 AM 3 comments  

WE USED TO SHARE A LOCKER

Thursday, March 22, 2007

...and now look what's happened. Welcome to the digital age. Enjoy the things we did ... the things we do ... and the things we find really f*&^ing amusing. - E & J

Posted by The Pop Box at 8:21 PM 1 comments