First, read this strange story about a crazy man in Toronto (pictured at left) who stole not 1 or 2, or even 10 bicycles. He stole 2,865 bicycles. Yes, 2,865, even children's bikes!

In a Cyclist-Friendly City, a Black Hole for Bikes

Sighting: Call Henry, originally uploaded by The Pop Box.

Henry is a man of many talents. He will not only help you if you are confused, but he will also sell you a car AND fix your credit... Found posted in the Germantown section of Philadelphia.

1-side of a very funny Google Talk chat. Here's what my friend had to say about their day...

"I had diversity training today...
it's like how not to be racist at work
you're supposed to stop other people
if they start to say something racist you go
"Ouch!"
literally
that's what they taught us
we reviewed some Maya Angelou quotes
and then they said the names of different groups
like "Muslim" "gay white man" "senior citizen"
and we had to write down whatever words popped into our heads
so my paper was like "terrorist" "San Francisco" "slow"
and then that was the end of the training"

Deals Only: WE ONLY HAVE DEALS, originally uploaded by The Pop Box.

A real store on a real street in real Bellingham, Washington. It's actually called "Deals Only: We Only Have Deals." I think everything might be discounted or something... Unfortunately, I did not get to go inside but I did make my cousin drive me back to the store so I could get a good shot. She says they do in fact have good deals.

Subject: ....
From: J
To: E
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 9:11 am

I had a dream last night that you had a pet monkey and a wildcat. The wildcat just seemed like a big regular cat until you felt its pointy ears and VERY long arms and paws. It had huge teeth but it was super friendly. These animals lived in your bedroom.
- J

Commentary by E: The funniest thing about this message is that I now have a cat named Jenga. And he's very wild and has long arms and paws but is super friendly. See...

Jenga reaches for the Roaming Gnome.

Jenga playfully slaughters toy mouse on string.

One of my new favorite and shameful obsessions is A&E's new reality series, Parking Wars. The show follows meter maids, booters and impound lot officers all over the city. Now who would have thought that an entire TV show about the day-to-day lives of Philadelphia Parking Authority workers could be so entertaining? For starters, it's all based in Philly which means you're going to get the cream of the crop from downtown bitches, rude tourists, ghettolandians, college kids and more...

My favorite character goes by the name of Swoop AKA Tiffany. She's a ticketing officer who says she has to say the "Serenity Prayer" to get through a stressful work day. Her goal, every day all day, is to write the most tickets possible. Rundown of Operation Swoop: Swoop hides out in park behind bush across the street from bank with handicap meter right out front. Patrons continually pull into the handi spot to run into the bank (shame shame shame). As soon as the drivers are out of site, Swoop runs across the street and writes a ticket like lightening. Angry driver comes out pleading and cursing: "I was only in there for 5 seconds!" LIAR!Swoop has already written the ticket and she's all smiles. Suckers.

To me, Swoop is a local celebrity. My sister was in Center City the other day. She writes,

"u will never believe who i saw! SWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!! she came by my meter as i was feeding it with the smart card and i went "SWWWWWOOOOOOP" and swoop went "heeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyy..."

This is a grapple, actually it's four of them. They are the offspring of an apple mated with a grape. Isn't it amazingly horrific? They smell SO GOOD. Sweet grapes, nature's bounty.

But no, they have the crunch of an apple, and I just don't like apples!

- POP by Appas, Guest Blogger

There's a new blog in town and we really like it. Thanks to J. for alerting us of the power that is Stuff White People Like - a blog devoted to stuff that white people like. One of my favorite posts is #67 Japan. Read on for a taste of why white people really like Japan. You know it's true...

"White people love Japan for a number of reasons. Sushi is pretty much the biggest one, since white people have spent so much time Sushi restaurants, enjoying the food, learning about how to eat it, and how to be snobby about it. This natural curiousity fills them with a need to pay a visit to Tsukiji and taste the freshest Sushi possible...

But it goes beyond just food, all white people either have/will/or wished they had taught English in Japan. It is a dream for them to go over seas and actually live in Japan. This helps them not only because it fills their need to travel, it will enable them to gain important leverage over other white people at Sushi restaurants where they can say “this place is pretty good, but living in Japan really spoiled me. I’ve had such a hard time finding a really authentic place.”

Just before the holidays we hosted a Secret Santa gift exchange for our friends.

On our fridge there is a grocery list that I use quite often. It has an old photograph of a cat and a little girl sharing a milkshake - very cute. This week, I tore off a page to discover that one of our guests had been scribbling away during the party, leaving little insights behind:

grocery list

page 18
Don't forget!
Used condoms also make great sandwich bags!
P.S. For Work!

page 19
=) (smiley face)
Recycle your lube!

page 20
#12 - the way you fashion your cataract sunglasses as a bong!

page 21
Don't forget!:
#45 - keep a few sugar free diabetic candies in your pocket for a quick snack! They're delicious!

page 22
I <3>(heart) Irene

TO DO
1) Fiber. Always fiber. Balanced & healthy diet. The plumbing will ensure a lifetime of happiness!

A friendly reminder from your friends from Metamucil

(three blank pages)

page 26
SUCK YOUR MAMA PUNANI

(nine blank pages)

page 36
It's Earth Day!
Do your part to recycle
Also don't forget to recycle your manure

Sponsored by your poop

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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

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.