This envelope with a letter inside was found inside a large decaying bound edition of Shakespeare auf Deutsch in a junk shop in Bushwick that was only apparently open for a few months before disappearing. The letter, postmarked 15 March, 1939 - was sent to Paris by a Mr. Henri Wolf. The contents of the letter appear to be German shorthand. Included was small piece of what looks like code, there's nothing else on the back.
The letter, envelope, postcard, etc in question are at this imgur album. Hivemind: What the hell is this?
posted by The Whelk
on Mar 14, 2013 -
28 answers
I would like to start a blog to write about topics which I do not want to be traced back to me personally. Is it possible to do this, and what would be the most effective way of protecting my identity and more importantly my family's identity?
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 1, 2013 -
15 answers
Are there any real-life historical examples of the Small Town With A Terrible Secret horror trope? Towns where long-term, ongoing crimes (or unsavory religious practices one supposes) where purposefully covered up and kept hidden from the outside world and any attempt to investigate them resulted in the investigator being detained, thrown out, or killed?
posted by The Whelk
on Jan 4, 2013 -
35 answers
I'd like to start a blog featuring my small collection of found (used/sent) postcards. What measures should I take for due ethical diligence?
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posted by threeants
on Jan 2, 2013 -
4 answers
I'm sure I once read a myth about someone telling a secret to a pool of water--and even this strategy backfiring. The moral of the story being, if you want to keep something secret, never utter a word, not even to the water or the wind. I've tried googling with no success. Can anyone flesh out this memory for me?
posted by uans
on Nov 21, 2012 -
8 answers
How can I go off the beaten path in London as a tourist? What are your favorite local spots?
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posted by gregoryg
on May 25, 2012 -
26 answers
San Francisco Bay Area (and CA) - can you think of any mysterious, or interesting or secret places? Legends/myths? Strange rewards for a bit of driving, or walking, or an Expedition
TM of Discovery, etc? Difficulty: not looking for woo, or establishments of commerce, no-matter how good hole-in-the-wall-food may be :) Examples inside...
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posted by -harlequin-
on Apr 29, 2012 -
28 answers
An acquaintance from high school recently died at the age of 22. His family decided to keep the cause of death private. Help me out here -- why would they choose to do that?
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posted by victory_laser
on Feb 20, 2012 -
64 answers
Can Anyone recommend any Book/s that deal with The Stasi/Secret Police in the DDR or East Europe
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posted by maxmix
on Feb 6, 2012 -
6 answers
Hey, so, turns out I was granted a U.S. secret security clearance! ...that I'm not using. I understand that the approval/eligibility is good for two years, but beyond that I have a few questions. (For one: can I apply for jobs truthfully claiming I have an "active clearance"?)
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 2, 2012 -
4 answers
I like secret compartments! My car has one. I just found a vintage handbag with a hidden umbrella compartment. What are some more things - besides the obvious hide-a-key rocks and hollow books - that have unique secret compartments? Please list/link to specific examples!
posted by katillathehun
on Jan 9, 2012 -
39 answers
I'm a secret drinker. But I'm far less into the drinking part than the secret part. How can I do this more healthily?
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posted by anonymous
on Jan 1, 2012 -
39 answers
Should I inform my girlfriend about this unpleasant conversation between me and her parents when they explicitly requested I don't?
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posted by anonymous
on Dec 26, 2011 -
117 answers
Secret Santa help: My work does Secret Santa every year (small group of 8 people). The limit is $25 I have no time during normal business hours so I have to be able to pick this up before 10am or after 8pm before Thursday the 23rd. My co-worker likes musicals, Firefly, and is gluten free. Thoughts? I'm local to NYC.
posted by edbles
on Dec 19, 2011 -
11 answers
One of my relatives has a secret military and/or intelligence job. Help me deduce what he does?
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posted by BlahLaLa
on Oct 7, 2011 -
20 answers
Which fraternal organization or group is identified with the letters C and K?
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posted by Tchad
on Jun 28, 2011 -
21 answers
So disappointed with the Rapture. What real, life changing events are scheduled or predicted that I can add to my calendar?
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posted by cashman
on May 21, 2011 -
7 answers
Once in a while, I'll meet a guy and shake his hand, but it's... different. They try to lace their little finger inside my little finger (or possibly little finger and ring finger inside my little finger and ring finger, not sure). I don't let them, and just give them a "normal" handshake, which they quickly adapt to -- but it's clear that they were going for the "special" handshake. This happened again earlier this week, in a business environment, and has happened on 5 or 6 other occasions in my adult life, usually in a semi-business environment. FWIW, every single time, it's been a white male doing the weird hand shake.
So WTF is this? Freemason handshake? Shriner's handshake? KKK handshake? Gay handshake? AC-DC handshake? Cthulhu handshake? What???
(Next time, I'm just going to ask, but it would have been very awkward and unprofessional this last time.)
posted by LordSludge
on Mar 31, 2011 -
23 answers
Having failed an SF85P investigation, have I wrecked any chances of future government employment?
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posted by anonymous
on Feb 15, 2011 -
2 answers
Can a dual citizen (American and Canadian) get a Secret level security clearance in the United States? I'm starting to hear rumors that they'll ask me to
give up my Canadian passport to get the security clearance. And - by
giving up my Canadian passport are they asking me to renounce my Canadian citizenship to get the security clearance?
posted by raising_arizona
on Sep 15, 2010 -
10 answers
Should my partner tell her vegan friend that she's started eating fish? If so, how should she break the news?
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posted by Beardman
on Jul 20, 2010 -
32 answers
Where online did I recently see for sale an instant superhero or superhero kit-type costume for adults that included a cape, goggles, and maybe a flight helmet?
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posted by jocelmeow
on Apr 21, 2010 -
5 answers
Looking for a quotation cite. I swear it's Delillo. For a long time I thought it was in
White Noise but I have been unable to find it in there in spite of re-reading the novel to find the quotation. Maybe
The Names or
Ratner's Star. The quotation: "betrayal stalks every secret".
posted by bukvich
on Apr 19, 2010 -
4 answers
I want to know if there are any other famous history figures who give out secret of success similar to Ieyasu Precept?
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posted by Carius
on Mar 14, 2010 -
6 answers
I am looking for a postsecret postcard that was displayed on the blog between 1-2 years ago. I don't remember what the secret said, but it had a picture of the book (not movie) background of Where the Wild Things Are.
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posted by lucy.jakobs
on Jan 11, 2010 -
4 answers
I have been invited to become an Elk! At 30 years of age, I feel like this one achievement, however dubious, finally signals my movement into adulthood. But there must be better, more awesome, and my own-age groups to join. Tell me what they are!
posted by parmanparman
on Dec 2, 2009 -
15 answers
If a person smoked pot in early July 2009, what is the likelihood of that person getting a secret security clearance for summer 2010 federal government internships? Is there anything that person can do now to maximize chance of getting a clearance?
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 9, 2009 -
15 answers
A quickie - what's the name of the game where a bunch of people sit in a circle and the first person whispers a secret into the ear of the person on one side, they whisper it to the next, and it goes around the circle, only to end up being an entirely different secret?
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posted by zinfandel
on Oct 24, 2009 -
35 answers
I'm going with my family down to Italy from around Oct 18-30th, including a week at a farm house in Ancona (looking forward to that, for sure!). We'll also be in Venice for around three whole days in the beginning and end of the trip (we fly in/out from Venice).
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posted by avocade
on Oct 11, 2009 -
5 answers
What "secret" discounts/benefits exist at major retail businesses (J. Crew, Banana Republic, Express, etc.) and what could qualify me for these discounts. I'm talking more long term (i.e., Teacher, Employee, etc.) as opposed to coupons or specials.
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posted by WhereAmI
on Sep 9, 2009 -
22 answers
We're renovating an old building, what supercool thing can I do (what would you do) with a 6 foot deep space we've just discovered under my office?
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posted by anonymous
on Sep 3, 2009 -
59 answers
Stopping an intermittent secret cigarette habit that I lie about to my wife.
How do I control my intermittent smoking problem, and how do I placate my wife who won't let me talk to her about it?
Longer explanation below.
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posted by anonymous
on Jul 14, 2009 -
28 answers
I've always been interested in spies, secret passages, and gadgets. How can I transform my home to incorporate these things?
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posted by kurmbox
on Jul 12, 2009 -
10 answers
Can anyone recommend any brutally honest, diary/journal blogs? Ones where people talk about most aspects of their lives: emotions, friendships, relationships, sex, hobbies, politics. Ones where the posts are so private that they can only be kept secret, or shared with strangers.
posted by anonymous
on Jun 2, 2009 -
18 answers
My sister and I suspect that our mother may have recently gotten married. Her boyfriend is Indian and they live in California, but the marriage also could have happened in Canada, or in India. How can I find out?
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posted by thebazilist
on May 9, 2009 -
25 answers
How do I excuse myself from applying for secret clearance without having my boss think less of me?
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posted by anonymous
on Apr 7, 2009 -
25 answers
I want to build a flashdrive based password safe that my whole family can use. I have a good start I think, but I'd like some ideas for making it actually work.
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posted by y6y6y6
on Apr 6, 2009 -
9 answers
Biggie Smalls' demo tape info request: link to blog with mp3s from a secret, early demo tape where he's rapping over other artists' early tracks for the purposes of demonstrating flow, and whereby said artists would emulate his delivery?
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posted by herrdoktor
on Mar 25, 2009 -
6 answers
