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Daily news for Seattle's Ballard neighborhood |
jond8
offlineMember
I need all of your help solving a mystery. One of our garden gnomes has been kidnapped.
So, recently I have been getting pictures via e-mail of my little gnome sent from "G Thief" <gnome.snatcher586@gmail.com>.
The most recent pic can be viewed here:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5hy-WMFwfzQ/So2vO6d8-MI/AAAAAAAAALU/Kq-uhG66N5E/s1600-h/photo.jpg
Does anyone recognize the place in the picture? Maybe this will solve the mystery.
There have been no ransom demands yet.
Great job by the cameraman, you can see his reflection in the stool.
Underpants Gnome
offlineMember
I had nothing to do with it!
jond8
offlineMember
I noticed the reflection as well... I can't make much out of it though..
Nora Bell
offlineMember
Hmmm.... Can't say I recognize this watering hole but I'll keep an eye out.
And, no worries, Underpants Gnome, we know you only steal underpants.
chopper 74
offlineMember
ok, gnome, you're cleared, this has nothin' to do with underpants.
This is a wet bar in someones basement, I wouldn't put it past a drunk frat boy (wanna-be) with access to someone's basement, but that is what I suspect.
Take a look at...
A)the keg cups
B)the joke of a shelf system from IKEA, complete with out of plumb middle shelf, displaying trophies from taps, who knows from where. (Anybody missing any?)
C)They know your e-mail, which really, screams inside job. Hear it now?
D)the retro(?) wood paneling, the 70's style bar stools, and the display of alcohol on the counter, tell a lot.
You've got a couple of folks near you that you should be looking at, seriously.
And, they have WAY to much time.
Edog
offlineMember
Oh, all people do on this site is complain. There is no gnome in that picutre, and the one you used to keep in your yard was a figment of your imagination.
chopper 74
offlineMember
Oh, Edog, you is the devil ;-)
ballardmike
offlineMember
As long as the little bastard doesn't get anybody pregnant and comes home before you really miss him it's probably a good thing. You've got a great story now at least! =]
Does look like someone's garage bar though.
Edog
offlineMember
No, Chopper I'm serious! How are we ever gonna build the Missing-Alaska-Gnome-Via-Duck-Tape-Link with people seeing garden ferries and mythical creatures. I want my road to nowhere now, but I don't want to pay for it, and I want to make damn sure the Gnome gets is right, and that its thoroghly vetted with every local Gnome interest group in the area.
jond8
offlineMember
Well.. this will test the power of e-based local media social forum tweetworking. Of the thousands of myballard visitors, someone must recognize that room.
I have scoured the picture for clues.. but I haven't seen anything solid.
sammy
offlineMember
If you reply to the email it may show the person's name if you also use gmail. May be worth setting up an account to check it out. That's assuming the person actually used their name to create the account, though...
How many people do you know living by you that have your email address?
Did you change the picture? I was able to open it earlier but now the link just goes to a blank page with a tiny question mark on it. Good luck!
Edog
offlineMember
Q. What do Garden Gnomes and the Human Genome have in common?
That is the same gnome that tried to "slip me a mickey" last eve.
ballardmike
offlineMember
A. They are decorative and whimsical?
Edog
offlineMember
Q. What do Garden Gnomes and the Human Genome have in common?
A. They both come in random pairs and are pretty good indicators of genetic disorders!
chopper 74
offlineMember
Edog, both are created? Fantasy? Cost more than they're worth? Help me here buddy...
jond8
offlineMember
Sammy: the pic still works for me.. weird that you got that question mark error.
I am on G-mail. The person's name comes us as "G Thief".
I have 10ish friends that might be suspect, but I have never seen that room before. If I can find enough clues to nail it down to one suspect, then I can snatch some of their lawn art to leverage a hostage exchange.
How great would it be if I could reply to their e-mail with a picture of their ceramic birdbath tied and gagged in my basement.
chopper 74
offlineMember
lol...yeah, that's it...lol
chopper 74
offlineMember
Oh, make sure you post said lawn art, I need a good laugh everyday.
jond8
offlineMember
UPDATE.. I just dug around in my e-mail "trash bin" and found the first message they sent. Here is that picture:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5hy-WMFwfzQ/So3IH32RlsI/AAAAAAAAALc/76Y10dRtSss/s1600-h/photo1.jpg
It was sent on Jul 29th at 4:46pm (the title was "Hello?!").
The image in the first post was sent on Aug 18th at 9:50pm
Both are exactly 600X800 pixels. Is that standard resolution for the iPhone camera? I only have one friend with an iPhone.
sammy
offlineMember
Not sure, but the only pictures small enough to use as my icon are all from my iPhone, so that sounds like it might be about right. Do any of those friends have more lawn art than the others? That looks like a hofstra (sp?) plant maybe...
This is a weird application of that book mentioned a while back "The Gift of Fear", but the author wrote about helping people figure out who was stalking them. He said that many times people already know, they just dismiss the person. When he makes them list everyone who it could possibly by, people say "Well, I feel silly even mentioning this guy, 'cause there's no way its him, but..." and THAT'S the right guy!
That was a horribly butchered version of the process he describes, but basically: What does your gut say? If you had to guess and say a name right now, what is the first one that pops into your head? Even if you would say that person mostly as a joke?
Ahh, this is funny. I especially love the mental picture of a gagged birdbath. You could also put today's newspaper in the picture as proof of life... :)
chopper 74
offlineMember
Well, this saga has me hooked, kudos to the chump responsible.
(of course, I hope that the gnome finds it's way home)
crownhiller
offlineMember
For what it's worth -playing photo detective - if you zoom in on the reflection on the stool, it would appear the photographer is female with what looks like longer brown/black hair, caucasian or similiar light skin - too blurred to tell ethnicity for sure, in case that narrows down the field. Using a digital camera, which appears to be either red or pink in color rather than a iphone - the size formating is fairly standard for emailing photos from any digital source. Geez, silly aren't we - all these grown people getting intrigued by gnome-napping. ;o) I did this once with a co-worker's box of easter peeps - hey he was cute and I got his attention ;o) - somedays we all have too much time on our hands....
pioggia
offlineMember
It's a Hosta plant or perhaps several hostas together. They prefer shady locations, so keep an eye on the north side of your 10 suspect friends homes...
shallow.end
offlineMember
have your friends seen "Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain" lately?
But this, now, this was truly inspired:
chopper 74
offlineMember
Well, now, I just have to have a gnome...dammit.
chopper 74
offlineMember
Pssst, underpants, that isn't pointed at you ;-)
phoo
offlineMember
Someone has to say it:
Step 1, steal Gnome.
Step 2 ...
Step 3, profit.
I would think you would get yer gnome back eventually...basically, he's on vacation right now and sending postcards!
Yer Pal,
Gel-Sol
phoo
offlineMember
jond8, if this becomes more than an annoyance and an interesting mystery, let me know. I'll take a look at the header info on the email and do some research to dig up something on the culprit. I suspect that the gnome will come back to you or you'll be given more clues to his hidey dungeon.
HeardOnthe44
offlineMember
Oh, we got quite a big mystery here in Ballard. I will never look at Ballard Gnomes the same again.
The Hostas look like OUR Hostas in front of the tri-plex we live in.....but they really could be anyones Hostas.
Our upstairs neighbors are gals with long blond hair...not brown.....
SO...what are the words, if any the kidnapper sends...or is it just pictures ?
Barbara
offlineMember
We had a gnome stolen in 2001 and I'm STILL looking for her. She sat on a big mushroom and looked just like Whoopy Goldberg. Hmm. Maybe not so much a gnome as a great piece of garden art that I loved dearly. Dang it.
Let's find this elusive gnome of yours and shake the bad guys until their red hats fall off.
HeardOnthe44
offlineMember
LOL Barbara !.....I will keep my eyes open for your Whoopy Goldberg Gnome sitting on a Mushroom. You never know...she might be found now that all of Ballard is on the watch for the *missing* Ballard Gnomes.
jond8
offlineMember
Here is an enhanced image showing the refection in the bar stool:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5hy-WMFwfzQ/So6-xI3-WoI/AAAAAAAAALk/riSTuHODbZ0/s1600-h/Zoomed+photo.bmp
I agree that it is probably a red-ish camera or phone that took the picture. It is probably not in an underground basement due to all the light coming in the door. The person is kneeling (for what it's worth), and they were wearing a dark shirt.
I am not sure about gender... I don't see much detail relative to their hair.
Just Me
offlineMember
If you look carefully at the first picture on the bar stool to the right of the person taking it, it looks like a booth.
crownhiller
offlineMember
Depends on your screen resolution how zoomed you can go and still see details - not that it matters - it's clearly someone you know messing with you, and doing a fine job of it too. There is also another person visible on the far right side of the stool reflection, if you want to make yourself even crazier trying to solve it - on my screen appears to be male with mustache, sitting on one of the other stools.
As phoo said, there are ways to tell more from the email header - but maybe just enjoy the ride - clearly your gnome is having a good time - hostas and bacardi - what more can we ask from life ;o)
Area Man
offlineMember
I tried to create a panoramic image from the reflection in order to study the room, but there are just too few pixels to have it be helpful. Fun playing with 3-D in Photoshop, though. The bright blob sure seems to be light coming in a door.
Red camera or red phone? The image quality says phone to me. too bad there ain't no metadata in the image.
ah, what's the point? let gnomes have fun....
jond8
offlineMember
G-Theif has sent another e-mail:
"we love our new friend!"
Photo: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_5hy-WMFwfzQ/SpW5WY6R5aI/AAAAAAAAALs/B73YknaWu-A/s1600-h/photo3.jpg
I don't actually see my little lawn warrior in the photo. I think this is a ploy to through me off track. I can see price tags on these lawn pieces. I think this was taken at a store.
Hang on little buddy!!!!
Barbara
offlineMember
And no Whoopie Goldberg gnome-like statue in the photo either. Oh, thither, dither and where can they be???
HeardOnthe44
offlineMember
if your Gnome is not in the picture....do you think the picture shows the latest kidnapping victim ? Does Ballard has a Serial Gnome Snatcher ?
(Where's Monk when you need him ? He'd look at the pictures and figure it all out in no time.)
jond8
offlineMember
NEW PHOTO FROM G-THEIF... I have to start looking for people with these shelves:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5hy-WMFwfzQ/Sp6ZLtQc3TI/AAAAAAAAAL0/l9qJzBwlscc/s1600-h/photo.jpg
phoo
offlineMember
Those sure look like textbooks.
Nora Bell
offlineMember
Hmm. Those are the kind of shelves most have in there garages, might be hard to track by that. Phoo may be right, it's been awhile since I've seen one, but that stack of books do look like textbooks.
sammy
offlineMember
Hmmm. Someone who owns their own place probably (the cans of paint).
Those definitely look like textbooks. The color coded tabulated book (have any friends with OCD? :) ) looks like it could be a law school book by Aspen publishers because of the red, gold, and black coloring.
Is that a grill cover on the lower right? Or some sort of tarp?
Whoo! I feel this is CSI: Ballard
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