Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with missing

Can someone claim ownership of our dog?

dozo — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:04:16 -0800

Missing dog filter: How long does ownership last? My girlfriend's dog recently went missing (we believe stolen) from a dog sitting friend in Colorado Springs, about a week ago. The dog has a collar and microchip implant with current info but no one has contacted us yet. We have peppered the area with missing posters, sent posters to all area vets and reported him missing to the Humane Society, Pet Amber Alert, etc. It would be easy for us to prove ownership of him, that he was stolen/lost and is still being looked for, but time is passing and he is rare, cute and friendly - perfect for anyone to just keep if they were heartless. Is there a statute of limitations on ownership? Is it possible that he will ever legally become the property of someone who has possession of him now? My girlfriend is beside herself and the thought of someone having her awesome dog for good is breaking her heart.

Where's Powell

stray — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:55:46 -0800

Does anyone know anything about Powell Janulus, the polyglot? Part academic question, part mystery... I've been tasked to find a bit out about a polyglot named Powell Alexander Janulus (born 1939). From what a Google Search will tell me, he learned many languages (over 50?) and at one point had a language learning school in Vancouver, Canada. He also apparently received the Guiness World Record. However, there seems to be some question as to whether he's still alive, whether his school still exists, and if there is any way to contact him or his family.

The information here didn't lead me anywhere as the phone number is disconnected.

I'm asking because my boss is writing a book containing some references to his material, and would love to get in touch with him or his estate. I'd appreciate the help of better sleuths than myself--do you have ideas on how to track a bit more information on this guy?

Missing Love Story Sandman

wavejumper — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:13:53 -0800

I'm reading the Sandman comic collections for the first time. It seems to me there's a missing love story for Morpheus. Help me locate it!? It's alluded to in Book 6, Fables and Reflections, in the story "A Parliament of Rooks," when Matthew the Raven, responding to Eve's queries about Morpheus, says, "They've been pretty inseparable for the last few weeks...going for long walks hand in hand..."

But then by the beginning of Book 7, Brief Lives, Morpheus has apparently broken up with her whoever she was (a mortal?) and is very depressed & gloomy, making it rain for weeks, etc. Part of his motivation to go hunt down his brother, supposedly.

Is there more to it than this? Am I missing a comic here or there or is all that is extant? Any information anyone has on the "missing love" story would be much appreciated.

What happened to The American Heritage Dictionary?

cgc373 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:03:39 -0800

Does anyone know what happened to Bartleby.com's edition of The American Heritage Dictionary? It used to be at http://www.bartleby.com/61/ and now it's gone. It was there less than a month ago. It would be a shame to lose one of the most useful free resources on the 'net without good reason.

International freight parcel missing in Dublin

kairab — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:03:04 -0800

Posted my daughter her excess luggage by Parcelforce (UK to Ireland) when she went back to uni (UCD) last week. Now there's no trace of the suitcase although it is logged as having been received in Dublin. It's now one week behind schedule, and An Phost's customer service is completely useless (didn't ring back as promised, hung up/disconnected, can't get through with 15 minutes waiting, etc.). Registered a complaint with Parcelforce who are working on it, without a result to date. Is this par for the course? Helllllllllllp!

How do I find my Polish grandfather

sien — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 02:34:21 -0800

My father and his mother were separated from his father by events in WWII in Poland. I'd like to find him. I've tried a few things but would much appreciate more help. Are there any Polish Mefites out there or anyone who has searched for people who are probably dead. My grandfather was a Psychiatrist in Poland who was in the Polish Army who managed to survive the war. He sought a divorce from my grandmother after the war but was at least alive in 1950. I have his birth date and know what he was in life and have one web page that refers to him. But beyond this I don't have anything.

I've called the Polish consulate in my city but they were pretty unhelpful. I've looked online for services that have records but they all look dodgy. Some may not be, but all of them look poor. Are there any reliable services that find people like this? Are there any in Poland?

I don't speak Polish so web searching is heavily curtailed.

Any help would be appreciated.

It's never as good the second time.

JakeLL — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 10:41:31 -0800

I often lose text that I've written in a web page by accidentally hitting a link and page changes (instead of in a new tab). Is there anything I can do to always save the text on the previous page? When I hit the "Back" button, everything I've written is gone. Is there a plug-in or grease monkey script that can help with this problem? I'm even okay with a key logger if I have to.

Whatever happened to Lamya?

sergeant sandwich — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:00:52 -0800

Whatever happened to Lamya? She released an album in 2002 complete with publicity tours etc., but since then seems to have fallen off the face of the earth. No news stories since early 2003, her official site is now a squatter's linkfarm, and her old record label [warning, annoying music autoplays] doesn't list her as one of their artists. I'm sad, because I've been looking forward to new music from her for a while now.

Anyone have any recent information or know anything about why she just vanished?

How to restore a missing drive icon for a external drive in Windows Vista?

randomthoughts — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 08:00:11 -0800

How to restore a missing drive icon for a external drive in Windows Vista? In my need to keep order and visual appeal, how do I install a drive icon for my Western Digital 250GB External Drive in Windows Vista Home Premium which currently shows a generic no icon icon?

I have already tried the Vista Drive Icon program and it wouldn't run for some reason.

The Vanishing Dylan

subajestad — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:10:13 -0800

Dylan swallowed by black hole? Just discovered Meet Me In the Morning (off Blood on the Tracks), promptly downloaded it, and have been playing it ad nauseam. Then I do a lyrics search, and a whole stanza shows up that isn't on my recording.

My i-tunes download clocks in at 4:19. Allmusic lists the song at 4:21, and Wikipedia at 4:22. Doesn't seem like he could squeeze the missing section into those extra few seconds.

Here's the full listed lyrics (the section missing from my download is the one that starts with "The birds are flyin' low babe...":

Meet me in the morning, 56th and Wabasha
Meet me in the morning, 56th and Wabasha
Honey, we could be in Kansas
By time the snow begins to thaw.

They say the darkest hour is right before the dawn
They say the darkest hour is right before the dawn
But you wouldn't know it by me
Every day's been darkness since you been gone.

Little rooster crowin', there must be something on his mind
Little rooster crowin', there must be something on his mind
Well, I feel just like that rooster
Honey, ya treat me so unkind.

The birds are flyin' low babe, honey I feel so exposed
Well, the birds are flyin' low babe, honey I feel so exposed
Well now, I ain't got any matches
And the station doors are closed.

Well, I struggled through barbed wire, felt the hail fall from above
Well, I struggled through barbed wire, felt the hail fall from above
Well, you know I even outran the hound dogs
Honey, you know I've earned your love.

Look at the sun sinkin' like a ship
Look at the sun sinkin' like a ship
Ain't that just like my heart, babe
When you kissed my lips?

Dylan masters...please help a brother out. I'd love to be able to belt the whole thing out with Dylan, but only if he intended it so.

How to add CD art to mulitple tracks in iTunes?

randomthoughts — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:55:02 -0800

How to add CD art to mulitple tracks in iTunes? I know how to add a missing CD art image to a single track in iTunes but is there a easy way to add them to all tracks for that CD?

three months of iCal data missing

lorimer — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:56:33 -0800

iCal disaster. All records before a certain date are gone. This is true -- and the date in question is the same in each case -- for all my daily iCal backups over the last 30 days. I urgently need to recover these records if possible. I started using iCal on the 15th of September 07. As of some point more than 30 days ago, all my iCal data for the dates 15 sep 07 through 25 dec 07 was deleted. My iCal records now start as of 26 dec 07, and appear to be complete from that point on.

I sync iCal with my BlackBerry using Missing Sync (MS 1.0.1 / iCal 2.0.5 / Mac OS 10.4.10 / BlackBerry OS 4.2). I've been doing this daily since mid-September.

My Blackberry has over 22MB of free memory and is currently at its fullest point ever, so I doubt this has to do with a free-space issue. (More evidence for this: the other categories I sync this way [Memos and Address Book] appear to have all their records intact, including many I haven't touched since before 26 dec.) I've checked the bb in case it did have pre-26-dec cal records, but it has exactly what iCal has.

I only have my last 30 days of daily iCal backups (since mid-jan). When I revert to any of these backups, the data has the same issue (records start on 26 dec). I can't imagine what is significant about the 26th of December (no Christmas-related travel, new devices, changes in syncing/routine, or manual software updates [and nothing is set to auto-update on my computer). I know the sep-through-dec records all existed in mid-December, because that's the last time I went back through my records.

I urgently need to get those three months of iCal records back if there's any way. I'd pay money if the erased data could be recovered from my HD (however, my HD is usually at around 90% capacity, with large files that change often, so it's not likely that any deleted info survives for long). I don't do any syncing over a network or with a third party, and I'm BIS not BES so there's no corporate backup of my BB data.

I've clearly learned "in the future, keep backups much longer." Right now, please help me work with what I have and think of any way to recover the deleted records.

Missing package, lying mailman.

IronLizard — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:30:04 -0800

My mail carrier is lying to me about a delivery. I ordered a new fuel pump from an ebay seller with 99.9% good feedback and they sent it to me via USPS priority mail. I kept a watch on the tracking information and it showed as delivered on Monday. The package never arrived. I know it wasn't delivered because I'm here throughout the day, everyday (I work at home).
When I called the post office yesterday, the manager told me she would ask the carrier about it and call me back. Well, she didn't so I called this morning and talked to the carrier himself who swears up and down that he rang my doorbell and left it on my (semi-enclosed) porch. Hah. After some weird and nonsensical replies like: "I'll go pick it up and you can get it from the post office". He just started saying "Well it's your word against mine.". So the super there is once again supposed to call me back. I don't have very high hopes for this and no, the seller didn't offer insured shipping.
I've already sent a complaint to the Postal Inspector, though I doubt this will receive any attention there either. What else can I do? Why is this guy lying about it and what the **** would he want with a fuel pump to a 4wd sentra anyway?
I should probably mention that when I'm expecting a package, I'm fairly obsessive about poking my head out the door to look for it throughout the day.

The mystery of the disappearing recycle bin

wile e — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 03:46:45 -0800

Windows Vista Filter: My Recycle Bin has disappeared from my desktop and I can't seem to get it back. I've also have had folders disappear from the desktop as well. Drag it out of a zipped folder for instance, and it won't show on the physical desktop. If I open up the desktop as a folder, the missing folder shows, but it's still not visible on the desktop. And the recycle bin does not show in the desktop folder. Its gone for good. I can still delete things, but can't drag anything into the bin. Very frustrating.

Dell Vostro 1400
Windows Vista Ultimate
Core 2 duo 2.0gig
2gig Ram

Michael McGee/Fred C. Dobbs ?

therealshell — Tue, 15 May 2007 16:31:56 -0800

Where is Fred C. Dobbs ....?? There used to be a show that aired on TVO (Channel 19), the educational station in Toronto, called McGee & Company. Michael McGee was the star, and he played numerous characters, and offered up devestating political satire. He also played the old codger character called Fred C. Dobbs. I have tried for years to find out whatever became of McGee, but even TVO was not able to assist me. If anyone out there knows, please let me know.

Help me dumpster dive for my lost car keys!

docgonzo — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 15:31:24 -0800

Two dumpsters of trash. One lost car key. Help me avoid spending $1,600. Friday, I lost my car keys. Later, I made the horrifying discovery that restoring access to my humble vehicle will set me and my lovely and talented wife back (gulp) $1,600. (This is non-negotiable. Don't ask.)

I am 99% certain the keys fell from my hand while I was tossing a bag of trash into the bins behind my apartment building. Although those bins have since been emptied, they've not gone to the dump, but to two industrial-sized dumpsters in the basement of the adjoining condo unit.

Therefore, my (tightly-llinked) questions:

1. How best to search the dumpster for my keys? I was planning on laying a large tarp beside the bins and moving bags one-by-one onto the tarps from the dumpsters. Any better technique?

2. Is there any way of detecting or sensing the key? It is a fancy "transponder" key from a Saab 9-3 (thus the expense.)

3. Any other tips?

Thanks! Wish me luck, at least!

Looking for good mystery novels/films centered around missing persons.

SmileyChewtrain — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 19:51:07 -0800

I'm doing research (for a writing project) into Film Noirs and Mystery Pulps, and I'm looking for good selections of a certain plot type: the "missing person" scenario. Any recommendations for books or movies that are good examples of this "follow-the-clues" style story would be greatly appreciated. I'm fairly familiar with the genre, but as is usually the case when in need, I've forgotten most of the films and books I've come across that fit the bill for this project. As far as movies go, some examples I can give off the top of my head are "The Vanishing," "Chinatown," or "The Third Man." Unfortunately I can't think of any good Chandler, Hammett or Spillane books at the moment that fit this plot, but I'm sure I've come across a few.

I'm really interested in finding stories in which a small "personal" investigation gradually unravels to reveal a situation of a much larger scope. "Kiss Me Deadly" has this type of stake raising, only the investigation centers around a missing object, not a person.

Examples of this plot type that have struck you as unique takes on the subject would be excellent, as would more typical (though "quintessential" would be preferred) examples. Thanks very much!

Is it fishnapping...or MURDER??!!

clh — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 10:58:05 -0800

What happened to 38 koi fish? Were they fishnapped or murdered? I was housesitting for some friends this weekend. They have two ponds, one in the front yard, one in the back, each with 20 koi. Well, now there are only two koi left. It's possible that the fish weren't all there before they left - they hide and aren't generally all visible at one time.

There is a 6+ foot wall around the entire property. The gate in the front is open sometimes during the day, but not at night. The back yard is always enclosed. There are definitely raccoons around (Los Angeles - SF Valley). But, wouldn't there be some evidence - bloody fish heads or something? There is nothing. There are also probably coyotes around, but I don't see how they could get in the yard. Were they fishnapped? Is there a black market for koi?

(My friends aren't blaming me for the missing koi, we are all just perplexed as to what happened.)

Bad PDF's: Me or Them?

Marky — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 22:27:39 -0800

PDF question: Is it me or the author? Lately, I've been seeing the error message "Cannot find or create the font xxx" pop up when loading a PDF.

I thought the whole point of the PDF file format was to distribute documents without requiring external files.

Is my machine screwy, or are the document designers dropping the ball?

After Effects - Where did my file go?

dvjtj — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 21:19:39 -0800

After Effects - Where did my file go? I was working on an After Effects project last night with some big files, and went back to work on it today and, lo and behold, the color bars are there suggesting a file is missing.

Now considering I didn't move anything around or delete anything, I have absolutely no idea where it went. I searched the drives - nothing. Unless it accidentally was dragged somewhere else, but it should come up in a Spotlight search, right? All my footage is on external hard drives btw.

I imported all the fooage in Final Cut Pro. Its not there either. Its as if it didn't exist, although there is a reference to it in After Effects. I'm scratching my dumb ass head. What do I do? (I don't have the master tapes anymore either)

Missing in Action, Presumed Deadbeat.

Imperfect — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 11:46:36 -0800

I live in a house where the rent is shared amongst five people. One of those people left for Vancouver over a month ago, presumably because she had a good job offer where she could work unlimited hours. This was to be a 2-week "working vacation" and she told us she was going to use those two weeks to save up some money for paying her variously-accruing debts. She hasn't returned. We need to know what our options are. A little more detail. We failed to get any sort of number where she could be reached, and feel a little stupid about this. She was supposed to be home well before rent was due for last month and wasn't. Supposedly we received a message on our machine from her, asking us to go in and pick up her cheque. We tried to call back this number, but got a business lines that hadn't heard of her.

Recently, I'd heard from one of her friends that she was supposed to be back last weekend, but she never was. And now, we've heard through the grapevine that she's supposed to come back this Thursday.

She owes us nearly $1300. She's two months in arrears on her portion of the rent, very nearly three now. She owes around $500 on her share of the phone bill. She's behind on utilities. She has two other "official" creditors that we know about. She's deeply in debt, and we're kind of worried about her simply coming home long enough to grab her stuff and leave us with her debt.

We're considering throwing a 2x4 over her door, preventing it from opening. She still has access to her room via her window, which she's used in the past when she's locked herself out of the house. This would mainly prevent her from removing her large, big-ticket items. Is this legal?

We're considering claiming her stuff, if we have any right to it, as abandoned and trying to recoup costs out of that. Is this legal, and if so, under what conditions?

We're considering renting out her room as quickly as possible to stop this cash hole in all our wallets. Is this legal?

We're considering calling the police and reporting her missing. While we are upset with her for debt issues, we are also genuinely concerned, as she's been gone a long while, and we only have anecdotal evidence to her welfare. Will the police be upset with us?

For reference, we're in Ontario, Canada.

Any more questions, I'll reply. We're kind of at our wits end, and none of us are in great financial shape ourselves. This is very nearly a make-or-break issue for each of us.

Missing NT file

forallmankind — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 08:15:06 -0800

Where could I locate the missing NT file ati.sys? The boot drive on my NT box went down and I don't have the time for a reinstall, so I ripped the boot drive out of another NT box and it's back up, but in jumbo display mode - says I need the file ati.sys on the install disc for the display, but I've searched my only NT disc and it's not on there.

Is there any repository online, or anywhere else, where I might find such a file?

Now I really do look like a pirate!

parmanparman — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 09:42:02 -0800

DentalFilter! My bridge fell out while I was eating a donut this morning. Help me find a good periodontist or dentist in the WDC/MD area! I have a Marylin Bridge at the front of my mouth of a special kind, instead of glueing the wings to the back of the adjoining teeth, a dentist drilled little holes in the backs of the teeth that keep the bridge in place. So I am looking for a dentist in the DC/MD area (I am in Takoma Park) who can do a quick turnaround a make a mould, place the tooth, and let me pay and go and who takes Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Thanks for any recommendations!!!!

They were lost, but know they are found?

docgonzo — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 07:55:51 -0800

How can I find someone who's missing, and probably wants to stay that way? Subject lives in or around Montreal, Quebec.

I have some ideas of ways to proceed -- looking for more advice. Thanks!

"Missing" Pitchfork review

unknowncommand — Tue, 23 May 2006 11:50:36 -0800

Where can I get a copy of Pitchfork Media's original review of "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" by Neutral Milk Hotel? When the album was reissued in the UK, Pitchfork took the opportunity to rewrite their review, giving it their top score of 10.0. The original review was somewhere in the 7-9 range, I believe. This original page is also newly missing from the Wayback Machine (see here where there is now a broken Wayback link, although many other of their pages remain in the archive).

Did anyone print it out? Did anyone copy and paste it into their blog? Does anyone have any ideas for finding it? Is this just one of the interesting/sad effects of digital media?