Something's fucking going on here.

[Deadman97]

I received a letter yesterday from someone in California who claims to know me, yet I have no clue who they are. I've scanned it for your perusal.
Envelope first- my full name and address, a Californian postmark and a PO box in Pasadena for a return address. It was sealed with a little sticker on the back flap:

Here.

It's left me confused and not a little weirded out. I've removed my name from the top left corner. Most of what is says is pretty generic, but there are still weird close-to-homeisms there.

Then the envelope:

Here.

I don't give my address out like some twat, so who got it, and why are they sending me weird letters from California?

[Mr. Analytical]

Maybe it's like The Ring and you have to write a similar letter to someone else within 24 hours or you're dead.

[Bogey]

You see women leave life longer than men...

Don't give 'em the time of day.

That is startlingly weird though, an actual letter.

[LeboviciAB84]

--w----le

Sound of a bomb prefaces churned-up camel-piss?

[pk1yen]

Did you sign up for that website where you can get a man to send you a letter?
I don't remember what the address is, though. Some heart-warming whimsical thing he has going on.
You give him your address, and then some time in the future, you get a letter from him!

Makes people feel loved, I suppose.

[Joy Nktonga]

Did you send off a fan-mail letter to some famous American Rick, or any other famous Rick who happens to be in the US right now, but in the style of an Agony Uncle-type missive? Y'know, from that thread of Ciarán's.

[Deadman97]

I've sent or signed up to nowt, and it's the little weird bits in the letter that freak me out most of all- the bit about Rick helping to write the letter, the bit where he says he's an "ologist" of some form or another so knows the ladies. It feels like the opening of some weird-ass ARG.

[wherearethespoons]

This sounds like something that would happen to Paul Auster.

[Abbatoir worker]

There's an Erin here:  http://www.mc.uky.edu/gerontology/Pages/Students.htm

edit: not California though ... damn you, Google

edit 2: I still think you should email her

[Deadman97]

What the fuck is a gerontologist?

Is this my Erin?

[Ambient Sheep]

...the bit where he says he's an "ologist" of some form or another...

A gerentologist, i.e. someone who specialises in geriatric medicine...hence him knowing about older ladies.  Actually, saying "him", isn't "Erin" more often a girl's name?

I wonder if it could be a lurker here who's managed to get hold of your real name and address?  Save me the bother of checking, have you expressed concerns on here about getting jiggy with the ladeeez?  If you don't mind answering, that is.


EDIT: Slightly (but only slightly) overtaken by events there.

[Deadman97]

Not at all, Sheepy- I can't remember having ever really mentioned my love-life on here at all, feel free anyone to correct me. I mean, this is odd isn't it? It's not just me?

[Ambient Sheep]

Yes, it's odd.  No, it's not just you.

Interesting, though.

[Marvin]

Could it not just be a friend of your's indulging in some kind of subtle joke? I dunno, it is rather odd.

[Deadman97]

I did have a mate email me from a weird address ages ago, starting his email with "Hello, this is David Bowie, and in case you were wondering yes, it is that David Bowie". It's not him though, he lives in Cardiff and, like me, knows no-one in California.

I'm going to have to write back.

[MissInformed]

It could be one of those college projects - write 50 letters to strangers and do something arty with their replies.

S/he could have got hold of your details from the Electoral Roll, no?

Casting a female eye over what was sent to you, it's all fairly generic stuff - the new job thing, ok but writing something like that there's always a slim chance you will hit a nail on the head, you know how fortune tellers operate?

I think you should write back - we could help you compose that letter if you like, the same as we did for Weekender with that email. Go on, save yourself the bother, just send her a copy of the County Conference Rules.

[Oscar]

Well my first thought is that you have a multiple personality disorder and have been making contact with strangers from all over the world, but the part of your personality that has done so is careful to always pick up the letters before you get them. So, the questions to think about are: Do you have any periods of time that you can't remember? Time or actions of yours that you can't account for? Have you been approached by anyone who you don't recognise, but who seems to know you? Have there been any odd changes in your environment that you don't understand?

If it does turn out that this is MPD then I think you really need to work on spicing up your alternative personalities, a letter from a stranger is a quirky happening, but it doesn't involve any explosions or secret societies, does it? Which seems like a waste of a psychological disorder to me.

[MissInformed]

Oscar, have you been watching Jekyll by any chance?

[Vaguely Phallic]

Well I don't know if this helps, but just a minute ago I was posting on another forum and someone used the expression "why in the state of Pasadena...?" Bit of a coincidence, nay? I could track them down if you like, it's the beta-testing forum for Reason 4.

Or perhaps it's your real dad.

[Oscar]

Oscar, have you been watching Jekyll by any chance?

No! They haven't stolen my idea have they? The fuckers, this keeps happening, I'll have to copyright my brain soon.
Note: I may have possibly nicked the idea from Fight Club though.

[hencole]

It's probably not as weird when I recieved a rather strangely written letter. The handwriting on the address looked familiar, so I opened it up and preceeded to read. It was only when got half way through the 2nd paragraph I realised who it was from. Me! Still none the wiser I read it until the end. It was asking me whether I had done all the things in my life that I said I would. I had done some, but most I hadn't. Was I drunk when I wrote this? Unlikely as the handwriting was too good, even by my poor standards. How had I posted it to myself without remembering?

A couple of minutes after reading it it dawned on me that I had written it as part of a leadership course I had been on 12 months earlier, and that the trainer had sent them on. Certainly one of the weirdest experiences I've had and it'svery spooky reading about yourself asking after yourself.

[John Self]

Yeah I bet.

Question: if you wanted to do a similar thing, write a letter to yourself (actually, could be anyone) to not be delivered until some time in the future, but you haven't been on a training course, how would you go about it? I'm assuming the Post Office doesn't offer such a service- would you have to instruct a solicitor or something? And does anyone know what the proper name for this is?

[Neil]

Something like this happened to me a few years back, when I lived in my last flat (which was in a VERY VERY rough area.)  One day I got up, and found a hand-delivered letter with writing all over the envelope.  Inside, there were about 4 or 5 pages of writing - both sides. 

I started reading it, and gosh, it was someone offering to give me a right good seeing to, which was awfully kind and charitable of them.  However, I recall that about 3 pages or so in, there was a miniscule reference to the random sexer being A MAN! 

It was all very freaky, stuff about having watched me and that, and then it got into this vengeful shit, y'know, if I did anything to him or told anyone about the letter, he'd ruin my life etc etc.  First thought was it was a more elaborate version of writing the phone number of someone you hate on a bog wall with 'phone me for gay sex day or night!!' scribbled underneath.  I wondered about that after a while, though, as it seemed like so much fucking effort.  That it was hand-delivered was one of the freakiest parts, though.

I've still got it somewhere, will try and dig it out for this thread.  _{If anything, it'll perhaps inspire me with some creative new ways to drunkely hassle poor petula dusty :-(  (soz.  fucking vodka.)}

[danielreal2k]

Well it's not written in crayon so I think you're Ok.

You havent signed up to one of these "British Grooms" website have you?

We have over 1000 british grooms waiting for your letter 18-45  bit like russian brides.com

[hencole]

That's quite a scary tale Neil. Did you get laid in the end?

[Small Man Big Horse]

Yeah I bet.

Question: if you wanted to do a similar thing, write a letter to yourself (actually, could be anyone) to not be delivered until some time in the future, but you haven't been on a training course, how would you go about it? I'm assuming the Post Office doesn't offer such a service- would you have to instruct a solicitor or something? And does anyone know what the proper name for this is?

I was wondering the same thing, from my knowledge of dodgy time travel movies the only way I know is to pay a solicitor to retain the letter until a certain date, and then it will be posted or delivered to someone at that time.

[Neil]

That's quite a scary tale Neil. Did you get laid in the end?

No sir, I decided not to take him up on his kind offer, on account of the general stalkery insanity.  Not to mention his penis and testicles.  Call me old-fashioned.  Another thing that made me think it was genuine was the general insanity of that estate...I actually phoned the police one night when the flat below me was getting robbed, and their idea of 'taking a look' was to fly straight past the building without stopping.  I saw cars getting torched, the paramilitaries would routinely burst in the flats and beat the living fuck out of the (admittedly rotten little) shit who lived underneath me.  Oh, the stories I have from that place, thank christ people helped me get out.

[The Widow of Brid]

The US branch of the Theosophical Society is based in Pasadena. You're not been talking about posessing ancient Atlantan wisdom down the pub have you?

[Santa's Boyfriend]

  Oh, the stories I have from that place, thank christ people helped me get out.

More stories!  More stories!

[Murdo]

Have you bought anything off eBay from someone in California? They'd have your name and address.