Category Archives

Unexplained

The trees will have their victory

Movies, Rant, Unexplained by

artist interpretation

I surrender to your mighty pollen, trees of Chestertown.  You win.  I cannot think today.  I cannot breathe.  I have a headache that starts directly behind my eyes, thunders across my entire skull and rampages down into the middle of my back via a brittle spine.  My eyes water and burn.  And I give up.

Name your terms and you can have my surrender.  I shall never again attempt to breathe your rightfully owned oxygen.  I will avoid standing in the shaded areas near you because I clearly deserve to be scorched by the Maryland sun.

And if I go berserk and come up with Mouse Trap-like ways to kill myself, don’t be surprised.  I mean, you have seen The Happening, right?  (I know, Zooey Deschanel again.)

Just don’t say I didn’t warn you when the trees are your new overlords.

The following is from 1940

General Entertainment, Unexplained by
  • Comments Off on The following is from 1940

No, really. The man that looks essentially like just about any 20 – 35 year old white guy you’ve seen at an Apple store is, in fact, actually in the photo.

Those funky sunglasses? That stamped t-shirt and hippie shawl? The doofy, disinterested expression? He sure as hell doesn’t look like any Roosevelt-era bro I have ever seen.

Gizmodo has the full story. I’d love to track down the incongruous man to find out who he is and what was going on the day the photo was taken!

To those who think we’ve discovered everything:

General Entertainment, Unexplained by
  • Comments Off on To those who think we’ve discovered everything:

May I present to you the Luzon Dragon? From Cryptomundo:

A dragon-sized, fruit-eating lizard (genus Varanus) that was ethnoknown to locals but unknown to Western science has been discovered on the northern Philippines island of Luzon. Scientists have confirmed it as a new species, on Tuesday, April 6, 2010.

And to the cryptozoology naysayers, I say “suck it.” If we could have missed a six foot long lizard well into the year 2010, we could absolutely have missed things like Sasquatch, the mokele mbembe, the Loch Ness monster, Jersey Devil, etc.  Stop being so closed-minded!

Demand to see Iron Sky

Movies, Unexplained by
  • Comments Off on Demand to see Iron Sky

Following a tip from io9, I’ve come across a fascinating new movie-in-progress called Iron Sky.  It is purported to be a comedy but it seems to have taken quite seriously some of the more out there conspiracy theories about the end of the Nazi party (beyond just “Nazis fled to Argentina.”)  There’s a brief teaser trailer that should get your up to speed on the premise.

I haven’t seen Star Wreck, the filmmakers’ first effort, but I do love a good parody and am pretty excited for Iron Sky to hit theaters.  (I see “research” in my future, too.)  If you are impressed by the trailer, take a few seconds to demand that the movie come to a theater near you.

Australian mum writes again

Internet, Technology, Unexplained by
  • Comments Off on Australian mum writes again

I’ve never heard a peep from my Australian counterpart, but I did receive yet another email from his mum, again asking for computer assistance:

Darling Nick,

The computer situation makes me feel quite ill, since in our era we were brought up to do what we said we would do or else be besieged with guilt.

Could you PLEASE find time today (half an hour at the most), to get it out of Chrissie’s (9810-3066, ring first) & back here for you to work on. I have left 2 flash drives in the dining room so that you may possibly get the photos & music out of it. I have left a laundry basket in Dad’s office so you can consolidate the bits & pieces. Unfortunately I can no longer lift it otherwise I would do it myself.

We shall be back after the 9th, & perhaps you can help me sort a new-old one then. No doubt you will have work on or be looking for a car & will still be impossible to pin down!!

lol,

MUM

As I’ve told “MUM,” there is absolutely nothing I can do for her other than recommending that she removes my email address from her address book so that it won’t accidentally complete when she means to reach her actual son.

This has to be the most unique form of spam to date.

Update: We have contact – and a ceasefire.

Sincere apologies, I shall remove your address at once.
Regards,
Judy

Perhaps my last message was too harsh, but I do truly feel bad that her son is not getting this important-seeming messages.  Of course, the other day I received a message from “ugamom” sharing a photo of her and Aunt Ann, so I’m sure I’m only about to embark on yet another journey.

Where are you, cold fusion?

Unexplained by
  • Comments Off on Where are you, cold fusion?

io9 asks the question “Cold Fusion – Will It Save the World or Be Forgotten?” And it’s one I’d desperately like to have answered.  A few months back, Owen sent me a CBS 60 Minutes video having to do with the original research by Pons and Fleischmann.  Specifically, the video report showed that the original findings that had been so maligned were, as it turns out, probably correct.  This io9 piece brings even more compelling evidence that cold fusion could be a realizable dream – if it weren’t for the scientific establishment.  To quote MIT’s Peter Hagelstein, a chief researcher in the field:

Many of the people who made their name debunking Fleischmann and Pons are now in substantial positions of power, and they’re unlikely to look favorably on research that invalidates what made them famous.

Way to go, science.  Way to go.

Weirdest voicemail to date

Music, Unexplained by
  • Comments Off on Weirdest voicemail to date

We had Friday off during the students’ Spring Break this past week.  This was a tremendously wonderful thing.

The most amazing part of it, though, was the voicemail I had waiting for me on my phone when I returned to work this morning.  To quote from memory:

This is the Alameda County sheriff’s jail with a call.  Would you like to accept or decline?

I would have accepted, had I been here, but only because I’ve watched this too many times:

Telephone (ft. Beyonce) – Lady GaGa from jake on Vimeo.

My Australian email mystery

Internet, Unexplained by

It started out with a notification that my snowboard was on its way this past summer.  But I didn’t order one as I’d be more likely to die on a snowboard than actually enjoy myself.  Oh, and I’m not a woman in central California, where the winter gear was set to be delivered.  Once I had confirmed that my email address was the only piece of personal information on the order, I decided that it must have been an innocent error and forgot about the incident.

Then I started receiving a series of forwards from a man in Utah with a .mil email address.  After two or three, I investigated and found out that he  had been unintentionally emailing me when he meant to reach his son.  Unfortunately, I never heard back from this government employee when I asked him to clarify what his son’s email address was – and I’ll never know if it was at all similar to my emailnick@gmail.com from Gmail’s invite-only days.

The unintended messages stopped for a time.  And then I started noticing that I was receiving real estate listings from Maitland, New South Wales, Australia.  At first I assumed these messages were spam, but they just kept coming and they honestly looked like a legitimate newsletter from Tony Cant Real Estate:

Seeing as I’m kinda hooked on House Hunters International and wouldn’t necessarily mind moving out of the country, I started actually enjoying these unrequested updates on the Maitland property market.

The Australian connection of the summer strengthened as the months headed Fall-ward, though.  I was next invited to a house warming party by someone named Helen Burfield-Mills on August 4:

No dogs bigger than Turbo please. Otherwise he shouts a lot.Look forward to seeing you.

Helen

And then informed that I should check on my dad by a woman named Judy Fogarty – who refered to herself as “Mum” on August 19:

I shall be out all day, so could you check on Dad from time to time to see if there is anything he needs. Also if it does not disturb him you might see if there is a camera I could use, & also my ipod with the recording device. LOL, Mum

The first message provided no clues, really, especially since the email address in the To: field was mine and the name associated was Nick Smerker.  However, the second message provided my first clue of a real family name: Fogarty.  And a first name: another Nick!  It also seemed like a relatively important message for this Australian counterpart, so I responded:

Judy,

I’m rather certain that you have the wrong email address for your Nick as I’m in the US and my last name is not Fogarty.  Sorry!

Nick

Intrigued now, I was disappointed to receive no reply from Ms. Fogarty.  I was sure the story had reached its end.  Until November 23:

Darling Boys,

I know you have probably organized your excuses, but there is dinner here next Sunday night with the Rawsons, Natasha Rawson & Adam Watson (her intended!) at 5.30-6pm.. & it would be wonderful if you can come. Nick, Adele as well of course. Veg & Non-veg being served. Let me know by Sat..

Rich, Adam has been managing a photographic studio (advertising industry standard) but at this crucial time the studio is closing. So, as he is now freelancing, if you know of any work leads for him it would be greatly appreciated. Robbie Rawson’s new site is timemangement.com (free at present).
Hope all is going well with book & launch details.

Nick, all the best for Saturday & have a good chill today. (except for the garbage!)
We are off to Orange for the Country Classic & should be home late Friday,
All my love,
MUM

Now,  I love a good dinner party and this one sounded great!  The Rawsons sound fascinating and I apparently have a brother with photographic interests.  And who is this Adele?  But, alas, I still know that this is not actually an email intended for me – and one that is probably of some true import for this illusive Nick Fogarty.  To make light of a potentially embarrassing situation, I wrote back:

Judy,

I think you’ve still got the wrong Nick. While dinner sounds lovely, it might be a bit hard for me to make it from Maryland in time!  I’m not sure what your Nick’s email address may be but I’ve received a couple emails from you in Australia (?) and a few from a military man in Utah (also looking for his son) so there must be some common variations on emailnick@gmail.com.

Hope you are able to find the right address (and feel free to air mail some leftovers from Sunday.) 🙂

Nick

Again, no response from Mum.  *hrmph*  Convinced it was pointless to look up Nick Fogarty, I just let the matter drop.  Until this past week, that is, when I received this:

Hi Nick,

this is Monika Estrugo. I’m registered for your web design course that will be starting in the expat learning centre on Tuesday. Actually i was there already last tuesday, since nobody informed me that the course has been postponed by a week.

Am looking forward to the class next week. Would be great if you could inform me if anything changes (time/date etc). Thanks!

cu tuesday!
best regards
Monika Pandey Estrugo

“Okay, now I must know who this is!” I announced.  I told Kate about it, and we were both convinced – for at least most of the morning ready-getting – that I had a doppelgänger in Australia and that this was science fiction novella-worthy stuff.  What would happen should we meet?  Was I to never know that this other tech savvy Nick existed?

My investigation began in earnest the other morning and turned up some interesting findings.  I will lay them out for you now:

  1. There are two Nick Fogartys in Australia.  I think.
  2. Nick Fogarty #1 lives in Sydney and seems to be a filmmaker and photographer.  He has a portfolio website and a Vimeo account (pretty great stuff in both cases.) This one seems more promising.
  3. Nick Fogarty #2 was found on Facebook.  He is in the Apple network and is connected to an Adele via his friends.  I cannot tell if he lives in Australia or not.
  4. Judith Fogarty is a real person, and I think she works in Canberra doing governmental planning.
  5. Following the email address for “my brother,” I found that Rich Fogarty does indeed exist, is Australian and founded a media company called Concrete Playground.  It looks quite cool (does he need any employees?)

I am rather certain that I’m going to write to at least Nick #1.  I mean, I feel like I have to at this point, if for nothing else than to let him know that his emails are not reaching him.  I also want to find out if Google is perhaps sending mail intended for some permutation of my address (the Monika Estrugo message was addressed to “email.nick”) to me instead – and why.  But now I’m mostly curious to know who this person is.  Let’s hope he responds and doesn’t just think I’m crazy.

As Flora would say, “what the shit?”

Cars, General Entertainment, Rant, Technology, Unexplained by
  • Comments Off on As Flora would say, “what the shit?”

I’m ninety-nine percent certain that the four horsemen of the apocalypse are using my nasal passages as a means for entering into our plane of reality. Right now, I’m busy passing pestilence, but I’m sure the others aren’t far behind.

figure1Seriously, though, I can’t freaking breathe. I feel fine otherwise – aside from the mystery aches and pains of this past Friday and not being able to use my respiratory system for its intended purpose. I’m not sick, dammit.

In other news, Audi Financial Services mysteriously lowered my monthly lease payment today by $35. If this sticks, it will save me about $420 each year. I’m not going to complain, but I am confused.

Also, researchers at IBM are all excited because they’ve successfully mapped the neural structure of a cat’s brain. Is this scientist-talk for having done nothing at all with your grant money? Because we all know that cats don’t have brains…