Claire and her mom found this relic of childhood while going through a filing cabinet over Christmas. “Neither of us know what prompted it,” Claire says, “though apparently I was mad enough about something to write her this note, but not mad enough to go to bed without her telling me goodnight. Boy, was I [...]

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Hey, so do you remember hearing about how crazy cat ladies might be explained by the Toxoplasma parasite? (No? Then listen to this episode of Radiolab. It’s pretty awesome.) Well, Toxo may or may not explain these notes.
Exhibit a) Spotted by Shane at an office in Upland, California…

Exhibit b) From an apartment building in Austin, [...]

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Our anonymous submitter in Dallas says this randomly showed up one day on the bulletin board at work with no further explanation, leaving everyone to puzzle over the notewriter’s intended motive. (To hurt? To edify? It boggles the mind!)

related: oh, the irony

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My favorite part of this landlord-chiropractor dispute in Brooklyn is the (professionally printed?) “tenant snuck out over the weekend” sign. How long has this landlord had that one in reserve?

Meanwhile, Dan in Dallas received this direct-mail don’t from a doc he’s dubbed “Dmitri the chiropractor.”

related: spinal manipulation

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Writes Stephanie in Lubbock, Texas: “One day at work, there were four or five of these bulletins posted above all bathroom trash cans, with an additional flyer posted in the ‘memos’ section on the bulletin board. There’s such rage in her bulletin, it’s like she personally found crap resting on a pile of paper towels.”

Meanwhile, [...]

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Writes Jaime in Austin: “My husband and I lift weights at Gold’s Gym and we love it (no, really!) — except for their new signage reminding people to mop up their sweat.”

Meanwhile, next door…
(Well, sort of.) Kathryn spotted this similarly understated/backhanded message in a chichi Orlando, Florida boutique.

related: like a rotten sponge

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This note appeared on the whiteboard in Whitney’s dorm room the day after she got in a fight with her roommate, Ashley, and accused her of using her friends. The note was written by Ashley’s cousin, Angela, and while addressed to “Ash,” seems more directed at the room’s other resident.

related: facebook, a place for frenemies

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Writes Linda in Austin, Texas: “This note popped up a few months ago on my downstairs neighbor’s door, but I didn’t take a look at it until now.” But how much longer will it be before she garners an invite from this gracious host?

related: why you don’t want to go to b-school, in two words

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A busy working mom in Austin, Texas got this little love note on her BlackBerry from her sixteen-year-old son. (Michael is his friend, by the way,  not the craft store.)

In the end, our submitter adds, he didn’t take the bus after all. Total bluff!
related: friends don’t lie 2 friends

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Alec in Houston found this little work of art on his desk, he says, “after I went out for lunch and didn’t do the dishes like they had asked.” With gritted teeth, he goes on: “They have ‘too much work’ and I have ‘none’ so I might as well wash them!”

related: Al Gore knows you [...]

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Writes Tim in Berkeley: “Although this note is over 17 years old, I think it’s still worth submitting, at the very least as an example of notes from a bygone era. I received this note from the apartment manager when I was a senior at Rice University, living in an off-campus apartment. Admittedly, I wasn’t [...]

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What to do after you’ve already written your daily letters to the editor, congressman and the local weatherman and you’ve still got hours to go before the early bird buffet? Well, you turn to the classifieds!

related: cloudy with a chance of hate mail

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Our submitter, Glenn, says this all-staff e-mail “just kinda sucked the life out of us” around his office. “It was like a Mom saying ‘Guess what, kids?” in a really excited voice, and then saying ‘You’re going to the dentist!!!‘”

But the best part of this note — besides the pitch-perfect forced jollity — is the [...]

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Our anonymous submitter found several copies of this notice posted around her McMansion-filled neighborhood in Leander, Texas, just five charmingly rustic miles north of Austin proper. (If you’re a little short in the 4-H ribbon department, that’s your cue to shake your head and mutter “Pshaw, city folk!”)

related: If your grandma wrote PSAs

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First of all, the disclaimer: Our anonymous submitter in Houston lives in an apartment complex with very limited parking for residents. “When I come home from work late at night,” she explains, “the handicapped parking spot is typically the only one available.” That excuse, however, doesn’t seem to cut it for one of her neighbors.
As [...]

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Our defendant, Lee in Austin, was just finishing off a travel-sized toothpaste from a recent business trip when Lee’s roommate — apparently oblivious to this small change in routine — became convinced that Lee was mooching off her tube of Advance White.
“My roommate told my boyfriend that she had left me ‘a note,’ and about [...]

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i hereby declare the writer of the second note in this exchange (from a college art studio in texas) the winner of the season’s official “oh, snap!” award.
(sure, the original note-writer might have a case — but just like those pesky BCS rankings, style points count, baby!)

related: i before e except after c ftw

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“My dear, sweet grandmother lived a long, full life and passed away recently at the age of 88,” writes Mark in Denton, Texas, but he still has the valentine his “Memaw” sent him back in 2005, during his freshman year of college.
Before the cockles of your heart get too warmed, however, take note: says Mark, [...]

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related: seriously!?!

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i recently returned from a few days in san antonio, texas, where my friend matt and i amused ourselves on the riverwalk with a competition to find the tackiest souvenir possible in each store within three minutes or less. (my first win: a “pooping armadillo” keychain.) when we entered this fine establishment, however, i had [...]

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jesse says he spotted this sign at a great mongolian restaurant in the dallas area. “they recently changed their name from ton’s mongolian grill to tao’s garden, but apparently they haven’t figured out how to spell it yet.”

related: best. potluck. theme. ever.

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three u.s. cities where nature-lovers might want to keep their hands to themselves:
1. austin, texas

2. macon, georgia

3. pittsburgh, pennsylvania

(thanks to don in austin, elizabeth in macon, and jasmine in pittsburgh for risking the wrath of some devoted gardening/second amendment enthusiasts to document these warnings.)
related: no “questions” asked

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You say you’re politically engaged, but do you know where your candidate stands on…vanity license plates? Are they:
a) a bombastic example of the first amendment in action
b) a potent symbol for the reductive nature of America’s two-party political system
c) unwise at any speed
Still undecided? Take a look at the tags Rachel has on her car [...]

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when sheena in austin spotted this note on her neighbor’s front door, she couldn’t help but wonder: “if your doormat has sentimental value, maybe it should be hanging on your wall instead of sitting on the ground?”

related: wrath mat
extra credit: sentimental value: clothing stories from ebay

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writes an anonymous submitter in houston: “a neighbor in my building put up an obama yard sign on the door of her apartment around the time of the texas primary. when it disappeared, i assumed she took it down herself.” then up went this note — a cheerful bit of propaganda that oh-so-subtly disproves all [...]

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