the pop box

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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