Hand-written, sealed with wax, with a phone number and a web site written in light pencil on the back: jejuneinstitute.org.
It looks like The Dharma Initiative, and is apparently some kind of alternative-reality game.
But the real puzzle here is, this was sent to my home address, which isn't terribly easy to find. So which one of you ratted me out?
March down and demand answers!
Esteemed inquirer,
Thank you for your interest in the Jejune Institute. There are many resources at your disposal for learning more about our organization, but the very best way is to visit our induction center for a brief orientation session. The center is located at 580 California Street, Suite 1607, San Francisco. Sessions are completely free and conducted on a 'drop-in' basis between the hours of noon and 5:30pm, Tuesday through Saturday.
If you have already visited the induction center, your decision is highly praised. We expect you are experiencing an enhancement of your natural abilities and an increase in your intuition. As mentioned before, this program can lead to a sense of infinite discovery. You may suddenly begin to notice small things all around that you had never before noticed. And those minute details will lead to other more significant observations, and so on. Ad infinitum. Until your entire universe is transformed forever...
We would also like to invite you to further your journey homeward by becoming a member of our Socio-Re-Engineering e-mail newsletter. To do so, simply send an email to enlightened-subscribe@jejuneinstitute.org. By subscribing you will be informed of upcoming gatherings, lectures and seminars held by The Jejune Institute.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have further questions or if you were unable to complete your session, but be aware that sometimes the answers lie within. Blessedness to you on your path of discovery.
Ever,
Yams Moongood
--
Yams Moongood
Induction Specialist
e-mail: moongood@jejuneinstitute.org
website: http://www.jejuneinstitute.org
phone: 415.325.4014
580 California Street is, among other things, the home of the late Muriel Castanis' exceedingly creepy "Corporate Goddesses" statues, way up on top.
When I first moved to SF, a million years ago, a friend and I somehow charmed a night security guard to let us go up to the top floor, where you look down on those statues. It was pretty damn cool. I didn't realize that you can see *through* one of their hoods because it lacks a head until we were on the roof with them. Creepy, yes, but also amazingly detailed and lovely. They had a spare in the basement under some stairs.
Torry Hotprune. I think I am in love with her.
I've done things like this, but nothing so elaborate. Some other people have discussed it as well.
http://laughingsquid.com/the-elsewhere-public-works-agency-needs-your-help/
http://letsmeetinsf.tumblr.com/
This is intriguing me because I'm playing a game called Joyity on my G1 phone at the moment, and it's along the same vein -- but it's location based via the GPS in the phone, and when you get to certain places it shows you pictures of the next clue. It also takes money to rent a space at 580 California, makes me wonder if they are charging.
No rats needed; your home address is quite easy to find. I was able to retrieve it in less than five seconds, complete with a map, from one of the free search-public-records web sites. (I assume the address I found is correct, since it is in the same ZIP code.)
It's a hazard of owning property and having an uncommon name, I suppose.
I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that whoever sent this didn't go to that much trouble. The most obvious address to send me stuff is DNA, so that they used the other is still strange.
Would you have posted this had it been sent to you DNA given what I assume is "too much" crap you get there sent from lazy flacks? I could be wrong (it's happened, or so I hear) but I think you probably wouldn't have. The extra effort they went through instead piqued your interest enough to post it, and BAM, they get attention.
Actually, I get very little stuff sent to me at DNA. Attention lazy flacks: go ahead and send me weird things.
It's a put-on.
For example, look at that picture of "Octavio Coleman." I thought I recognized it -- it's '70s pyramid power guru Patrick Flanagan.
So yes, it's rather like the Dharma Initiative web site.
home address, which isn't terribly easy to find
Why, it's the pee-soaked front door on a hill in San Fran; how hard could it be to find that?
Nice stamps.
I would not mind at all getting something that cool looking in my mail box!
Not really related, but it did remind me of a woman who sent mail to herself by obfuscating the addressee through puzzles.
Dear Marketing People,
Please stop sending unsolicited mail advocating conflict resolution methods beyond the comprehension of the present administration.
Thank you.
No clue about who ratted you out, but:
Current Music: Duran Duran -- Secret Oktober
Good choice. I haven't listened to that in years...
oh man, i got all excited because for some strange reason (probably lack of caffeine interacting with eye issues) when I saw the picture I thought the star wars thingie was man-sized and that you'd been delivered an enormous envelope! now *that* would have been cool.
You are not alone!
Would've been a convenient way to find out where it came from; tailing it back to its master's lair.
GEEK FAIL. That's a Cylon.
dammit, and i should totally have known that too, since i'm a BG fan. Serious fail. :) you gotta admit, though the head does kinda look like boba fett if you're not paying close attention...
I also thought it was some guy in a strange costume holding up a giant envelope, with your address photoshopped on to it. The guy in the back is what would have made this really weird. Take note, alternate reality constructors.
Hmm reminds me of them Scientology types, or some of the wacky outfits that sprung up in the seventies. I do like the Cylon doll though, where can I get one of those?
ThinkGeek.
those are pretty cool stamps. our post office only has shitty ones.
Seek out stamp collectors, probably found in coin collector shops. They buy huge lots & keep the special ones, then often sell the less collectible ones for face value.