Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with mystery

Who the heck's my pop?

Anonymous — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:09:18 -0800

How can I determine, with access to limited biological data, if my father is not who I thought he was? I was recently shown a photograph of my mother's college boyfriend that gave me a shock: he looks uncannily like me, to the point that people shown the photo assume it is of me. My divorced mother is being cagey about the possibility that this man could be my biological father, and while approaching my potential biological father is something I'd be willing to do, I hesitate to contact him and stir up a beehive in his life if this is just a coincidence. And of course bringing this up with the man who raised me is out of the question.

So my query, to all you genetic scientists and hobbyists out there: with access to my own male DNA and that of my sister (who is almost certainly the child of my mother and the man who raised us), is it possible to determine if we have the same father? If the results of such a test existed to show that my sister and I do not share a father, I'd feel better about approaching my mom's ex-boyfriend.

If so, how would we go about testing for this without spending a fortune? Follow up questions can be sent to the anonymous address humangenome.i85@gmail.com and I will respect your anonymity, too.

Thanks for helping me sort this wackiness out!

Recommend some ghostly mystery books, please!

giggleknickers — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:48:51 -0800

I'm looking for supernatural mysteries! I've seen a lot of Asian movies with an excellent, tried and true plot: a person finds out that they, or their home, is being haunted. They set out to investigate why, and the mystery gradually unfolds until it all comes to make sense at the end.

They tend to be billed as horrors, but they aren't scary (or trying to be), just mysterious. Perhaps creepy, but the point of the story is the mystery, not the scare.

I love these kinds of movies, and I remember there were loads of books like this when I was a pre-teen, in the "young adult" section. Unfortunately, I haven't really found any for adult readers.

When I do find them, it turns out that it was just a hoax by some bad guy and there was no supernatural influence at all. That makes me want to throw the book at the bastard author.

Can anyone recommend some books that have such a plot?

People and Quandaries

Stonestock Relentless — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:43:20 -0800

Today on the corner of 6th Avenue and 20th Street, right next to the Avalon (which used to be the Limelight), there was a burnt mattress and a pile of furniture. On a small dresser there was an unlabeled Memorex CD-R. I put it in my bag, out of curiosity. All that was on it was a single short audio track. Now, I'm not about airing people's dirty laundry, if I had found dumb party pictures, I would have just tossed it.
Now my question:
Anyone heard it before?

Mystery on 5th Avenue - real life puzzle ideas?

ClarissaWAM — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:54:27 -0800

Please help me make a cheap but kick ass version of the amazing Mystery on 5th Avenue apartment for a friend. (recently on Mefi). If you don't know the link it will be best if you read it, or go through the slideshow.
Supershort summary: lots of puzzles elegantly integrated into an apartment, sending the owners on a very extravagant adventure game.

So I want to create something similar for my friend, who loves puzzles & games.

My limitations are pretty substantial:
- I (obviously) have a tiny fraction of the money
- I currently have no access to the house. I have enrolled her mum's help but will need to do all planning & preparing while in a different country.
- no irreversible alterations to the actual house / furniture etc.
- they already live there so changes shouldn't be too obvious, or if they are there should be a logical explanation mum can provide.
- ideally I'd carry all props with me when I fly there (in my suitcase, since unsuspecting friend will collect me!), tho larger items could be mailed to mum.
- I know friend's part of the house pretty well but changes will be easier to explain in mum's part so I'm pretty much working with a blank / generic canvas.

I will do lots of googling and researching, but I'm not much of a puzzler/gamer/cypherer myself so please lend me your wisdom & cleverness to make this a really cool experience for my friend. (she currently doesn't have Internet access so this was the perfect time to ask)

The great oakton cat mystery

Mark5four0 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:31:31 -0800

Cat on a hot tin roof in a thunderstorm? For about a week my cat had been lost outside in the Northern Virginia heat wave, yesterday it finally made it's way back home. It's an inside/outside cat and has been gone for extended periods before so I wasn't that worried... for the first few days. He was outside duing a tornado warning thunderstorm and I was worried that he got stuck in a storm drain or something.

So here's the mystery. He came back without any claws.... well maybe one. all that was left was crusted blood and scabs. He didn't seem that upset about it, I think he was just glad to be back inside. I took him to the vet and she suggested that there might have been burns on the pads of his feet, not the bottom, but up near the claws. It does kind of look like more scabbing than would have come from just the claw ripping out. No other injuries that I or the vet could find and after some fluids and a painkiller shot he was acting like nothing happened.

My current theory... he was in or around a tree that was struck by lightning? Plausible? Other theories? I couldn't find anything similar to this anywhere.

Help me identify some mysterious lights

le morte de bea arthur — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:25:44 -0800

Help me identify a UFO (in the proper sense), seen in Devon, UK a few weeks ago. A few weeks ago (Friday 16th May at around 11pm to be precise) I was driving along the A30, on my way to Cornwall with Mrs Bea and the little'un, having just left the M5 motorway. I suppose that would put us somewhere between Exeter and Okehampton, if anyone is familiar with the geography.

Anyway, we couldn't help but notice something rather strange. Beginning some distance to the right of the road, and curving up and across the road, was a clearly-defined arc of reddish lights. Just off the top of my head, I would estimate that the arc began somewhere about 50m to the right-hand side of the road and curved up in a quarter-circle to a point about 100m above the road; there were approximately fifteen to twenty lights spaced fairly regularly along this arc, each about as bright as a car tail light. The colour was a sort of reddish-orange. The scale of the curve became apparent as we drove towards and then under it - it was quite an impressive sight.

What I found puzzling (then and subsequently) is that this is a road which runs through a relatively sparsely-inhabited rural area. What few buildings there are along the route are mostly farms and small villages. Driving back two days later in daylight I could see no sign of any structure nearly tall enough to have supported the lights. And there was no sign of any construction work (e.g. a crane) or any sort of art installation.

So what did we see?

Is there an ichthyologist in the house?

funkiwan — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:17:22 -0800

Please help me identify this fish that I found in NYC along the Hudson River. Here's a couple of shots I took with various feet included for a sense of scale. Unfortunately my cell camera quality is dooky. I found this specimen while biking along the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway at around 116th St. It was in the grassy area between the river and the bike path.

Help us read the writing on the bag

o0dano0o — Sat, 31 May 2008 09:35:54 -0800

What does this bag say? My mom received a gift from one of her international students in this bag (pic 1 | pic 2)

Could someone please tell me what language it is, and what it says?

There seems to be the McDonald's golden arches in a few places, so we had a guess that the writing might be the names of stores in a mall or something?

Thanks!

Help me find a song, por favor.

lazaruslong — Fri, 30 May 2008 21:44:59 -0800

I'm trying to find out the name of a song I heard a while ago. I remember some of the lyrics. Bonus points if you can link me to the full lyrics and guitar chords.

The lyrics I recall go something like:

Ladies and Gents
Jennies and Joes
Take some advice
from someone who knows

turn off your tv
your stereo
something something something
come down to the show

Help me identify this metal mouth-like object!

kpmcguire — Fri, 30 May 2008 10:28:03 -0800

Help me identify this mystery object. It looks sort of like a set of metallic false teeth, smaller than life-size, with a metal tube or something where the tongue should be. It's a long story, I won't get too detailed. I have my own blog, I know how to use it.

A got into a petty argument with a guy yesterday. During this argument he held up the mystery object. It was in a clamshell package, it looked like he had just bought it.

He was trying to make friendly with me, showing me how "cool" he was having just purchased this thing - but I don't really know. But I was really angry at him, so I didn't pay any attention to it.

But now I want to write about this ordeal on my blog, and I want to know what the object was.

Some clues:

For some reason, I assumed the object was marijuana-related. Perhaps some sort of novelty pipe? This is in part because there's a head shop right next to where the altercation took place. It could also be some bizarre sex toy, because the head shop also sells that kind of stuff. Or it could be completely unrelated. Who knows.

The guy was really drunk. I'm pretty sure he was at the Cubs game earlier. He's a huge, muscular guy, and if I were to take any guesses, I would say he was (at one time) in the military, I only mention this because it might help explain what he was showing to me.

Any ideas would be appreciated! Thanks! A links to a product page would be ideal.

The Curse of 50 Perry

Anonymous — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:27:35 -0800

What happens in 50 Perry Street in the West Village of NYC? My morning commute walks me past a small door close to the corner of Perry and West 4th in the West Village of Manhattan. The door is adjacent to the restaurant Sant Ambroeus, and almost looks like kitchen access, but it has it's own number and is painted a different color.

Here is a google streetview of the mystery door, with a sketchy man hanging out underneath the jumbo air-conditioner.

What makes this door a mystery you say? Some mornings the Cognoscenti of new york, dressed to the nines in italian loafers, tailored suits with perma-tans and D&G sunglasses, are buzzing in and out of the door, back and forth to their luxury cars parked on the street - Air kisses are given, hugs exchanged. Other mornings it looks like a casting call, with good looking actor types lurking around outside, though I can see several pairs of legs sitting on chairs inside.

I was thinking AA meeting, maybe, but if so it is an ultra-trendy one, and the door/building otherwise has no marks.

Though I always walk on the north side of the street, the other morning I wandered somewhat close to the door and conversation stood still until i passed. I'm terrified to poke my head in, and using anonymous just in case I've stumbled on some sort of NY Fashion Industry morning pow-wow before they set that weeks style agenda.

owen is stuck in a cave, his survival depends on you

phoeniciansailor — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:17:05 -0800

the child otto falls down a hill, sprains his ankle, and then the situation gets worse. help me remember what children's book this scene is from? i must have been in the, like, 2nd grade when i first read this book. or rather, had it read to me. i immediately had my parents take me to the b. dalton bookseller (remember those?) to special order a copy. i believe the main character of the story was a young girl, who for some reason winds up traveling through the (forest/mountains?) where she meets a young boy (otto/owen?) also traveling alone. they set off to (find help?) together, which leads to the pivotal scene (in my memory), which was of the boy falling down into a (ravine/gully/crevasse?) where he hurts his (anke/foot/leg?). the girl thinks she knows how to help, but confuses applying a cold compress with applying a hot compress, and winds up making matters worse. they may have been in a cave at this point. anyhow, the girl goes off to find help and there my memory fades even more. the book was important to me as a kid -- this would have been the late 70's or early 80's -- and i'd like to get a copy. and also find out what happens to otto/owen. poor little guy!

What am I smoking?

mzurer — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:45:17 -0800

What herb am I growing? Here's the wide view, the buds, and the leaves. I was told it's oregano, but now I am not so sure. It smells good, and oregano-ish, but maybe a little more minty than I normally think of for oregano. The flowers that are popping out are whitish, but maybe if I let them go a little longer they would have more color.

I'm almost dumb enough just to try one. Almost.

Simon! — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:34:45 -0800

Help me identify this pill. I stumbled on a pile of these pills in a drawer where some children could and probably did have the chance get to them. They're neon, yellowy green, with a J printed on one side - if there weren't 40 of them, all the same, I'd assume they were candy. Which they might be. But I might end up having to deal with medical repercussions here - if they look familiar to you, I could really use some clues.

Photo 1

Photo 2

Show me some mystery objects.

djstig — Fri, 09 May 2008 03:23:02 -0800

Are there any good online resources for "Mystery Object" games? A friend teaches EFL students and once a week takes a quiz with them. We decided that showing mystery objects and asking the students to talk about what they could be would be a good way of making learning fun!!

However I can't find many websites with mystery object pictures, can you help. They could be a random object that people are not sure what it does, or preferably a close up of a well known object.

I can find a lot of "What the hell is this thing?" - especially on AskMe & Flickr. But sites with a collection of different pictures (with answers) would be very handy.

Mystery Panting

hydatius — Thu, 08 May 2008 03:56:51 -0800

Can anyone give me any insight into this mystery painting? All thoughts welcomed. This hung on the wall above my bed in a place I stayed for a summer, several years ago, on the Adriatic coast of Albania. I was mystified by it, and took a picture of it in order to try to decipher it later on, but forgot about it, and now whilst searching for other things, I rediscovered it. Obviously, the 'fiume Ticino' is the River Ticino flowing through Pavia, but searches for the date, and the meaning of the abbreviation, have turned up nothing. Anybody got any ideas? I know it's a longshot...

Mystery fish

efalk — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:54:11 -0800

Please help me identify a fish that washed up on a Pacific Ocean beach in Oregon. (warning in advance, a few pictures could be considered gory)

I have a few pictures of a fish that beached itself while I was taking a walk. A better explanation is posted under the pictures themselves. If anyone can identify it, i'd be most appreciative. Thanks in advance for any help.

I may not be able to respond to requests for more information for a few days.

George Washington Carver is haunting me.

oats — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:34:56 -0800

About once a month, I find a roasted peanut on the ledge beside the outside of my front door. Is someone testing to find out if I am in town? Sometimes it's just a peanut shell. The ledge is about two feet high and narrow enough that it would be difficult to toss the peanut from the sidewalk and have it land there. I'd say this has happened four or five times now.

I live in Mountain View, CA.

Mystery Device: Telxon 718?

vanoakenfold — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:42:40 -0800

What exactly does a Telxon 718 do? It looks like a way-back calculator but only has plus, minus, and a few weird, presumably abbreviated, button markings. Any guesses as to what it does? Video within. Mystery Device - Telxon 718. I picked it up at a rummage sale for a dollar, and the owner had no earthly idea where it came from or what it was for, but offered a few guesses. What do you think?

What are the classics of genre fiction?

TheophileEscargot — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 02:42:15 -0800

What are the classics of genre fiction? What are the best thrillers, mysteries, westerns, horror, romances, etc? I just finished "True Grit" by Charles Portis and loved it, looking for more good books outside the mainstream. I've read a lot of SF and Fantasy already, so don't really need suggestions for those.

Help me find this song's title?

AllieTessKipp — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:17:09 -0800

Help me find this song's title, please. This is so sad. Really. I have this pitiful vague glimpse of the song left in my head.

My husband is making me post this question. He is sure someone here will know. If someone here does know, I will bake the man a cake (sorry I cannot bake one for the person that may know the song!).

Here is all I have:
I think the song was a top 40 in like 2000, 2001, or maybe 2002.
I remember running while listening to the song and liking it, so it must have been upbeat. I believe it might have been something to do with overcoming some kind of racial barrier, or perhaps some kind of other social barrier. I like songs like that. This one talked about a building, or mentioned a building. Upstairs or something. Maybe. The person singing is, I think, talking about life or this other person in their life. Um. What else do people sing about, I know. Sorry this is so vague. It might have had stuff about opposites in the lyrics. That's what I remember most strongly. Something like black and white or up and down or inside and out or something. It might have been vaguely a love song, perhaps. By that I mean it was somewhat uplifting or upbeat and had some kind of happy ending. Or a happy thought in it somewhere.

Male singer. The song was current at the time. It was new. It was not a remake of an oldie (I can sing along with almost all the oldies, but do not think that is why I have such a vague memory of the song--I am under 35 and my memory is fine for most things!). It must have been very popular because I can remember hearing it on 3 or 4 of 5 runs per week. I can't remember if I was running in the mornings or evenings at that point.

Any help would be hugely appreciated. I will recognize it if I hear it or if I read the lyrics, I'm sure.

If you all can figure out this one, another one I am trying to find should be a piece of cake. ;)

Who keeps clogging the toilet, and why?

dubold — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:57:59 -0800

[ToiletMysteryFilter]Why would someone clog a public toilet with paper every day? I work in an older building in NYC. The offices do not have individual bathrooms; there is a restroom for each gender, and each office has keys.

After I arrive at work, I go to use the facilities. For the last several months, every day, sometime between 9:30 and 10:00, the left-most stall has a great deal of toilet paper in the bowl. It is usually in a distinctive layout - it looks like it was being used to prevent contact with the seat, as well as wadded up and tossed in the bowl. I am estimating 1/5th to 1/3 of a roll is used per visit. It also looks as if there is urine in the bowl. If there is feces in the bowl, it is completely covered and not visible. Attempts to flush the toilet usually result in blockage and overflow.

I suspect it is the same person every time for two reasons. One: it's the same approx quantity and dispersal of paper every time. Two: It's about the same time every day. If I'm there before 9:30 or so, the toilet is empty. Between 9:30 and 10:00 it is plugged.

So why do I care? It's mildly inconvenient for me - only one other stall and the urinal is usable - but I would imagine terribly frustrating for the cleaning staff. For a couple weeks a plunger was left in the restroom, but that's disappeared.

I had thought about just leaving a note - something along the lines of "Hi, please stop putting so much toilet paper in the bowl".

The only thing that prevented me from leaving a note right away: there are a lot of different folks from various countries in the building. From previous Metafilter threads, I have ascertained that not everyone has the same toilet practices - is there some cultural/regional thing that I should be aware of here?

A couple years ago, we were finding water all over the floor of the bathroom, and it turned out that a couple men in the building were observant Muslims who used the sinks to wash before prayer. Obviously this is a slightly different condition, but if there's some cultural practice at work, I'll just bite my tongue and deal with it.

Before this started, I was talking to another tenant in the building, and he told me that someone was clogging a toilet on his floor daily. He described a similar condition. About 2 months later, it started on this floor.

Anyone have any clue as to what's going on here?

Identify the mystery song, win a cookie!

zachlipton — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 12:40:31 -0800

SongIDFilter: Can anyone identify this song? It's from a compilation CD, and I have no distinguishing information other than the song itself. It sounds quite familiar, but no-one I've asked has been able to place it. It seems rather cinematic, making me think that it's from a film score, but that's really all I have to go on. Any leads would be much appreciated.

Mystery voice haunts Ted Leo song. News at 11.

spiderskull — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:16:06 -0800

What is this mysterious background voice saying in the Ted Leo & The Pharmacists song "Ballad of the Sin Eaters"? It comes somewhere around 3:58... I usually don't listen to this song because it gets tiresome, which is how I somehow missed this for so long.

It sounds like a female voice, and I believe she says something about cocaine followed by some laughter.

I don't have my audio tools anymore, so I can't really get in there and isolate it. It sounds like it's panned a bit to the right. Maybe someone else will have more luck?

British mystery TV shows/movies?

gentle — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 18:26:51 -0800

Great British mystery television shows/movies? My girlfriend and I are both rabid fans of good, old-fashioned British whodunnits. Nothing like a rainy Sunday curled up in the sofa to watch an insufferable amateur detective line up a bunch of eccentric upper-class Brits by the fireplace to expose their innermost red herrings: Poirot, Miss Marple, Jonathan Creek, Cadfael, Inspector Alleyn, Sherlock Holmes, Gosford Park -- we have pretty much watched them all, including numerous Agatha Christie movie adaptations. What else is out there? Must be British, or feature mainly Brits; extra points for smoking jackets, quaint little villages in Dorset, vintage automobiles and funny little Frenchmen. (We don't like modern police procedurals that much, though; Inspector Morse is all right, but not quite our cup of tea.)