Ever had a Lost On Mars type Idea

[Mat Ashton]

Not a very good show but what happened was like that.

A while back I was in my office listening, through my computer, to the radio playing the Q 100 in Victoria BC. A little while later I had to go out to a job... I jumped in the car and turned the radio on. I get a mile or so down the road of what is a nice hot sunny day, when one of the DJ's from the Q comes on doing a commercial. I instantly recognize his voice and a fraction of a second later I have a mind bending twilight zone moment and say to myself: Where the hell am I!? Nope, don't do drugs (you're thinking it, I know it.) And no, even though it's noon somewhere in the world, I haven't been drinking either. So what's the big deal then? The radio station is being piped in to my office over the internet but I'm not in Victoria BC. I'm in Buddina Queensland Australia and the radio station in the car is a local one to Buddina but I'm listening to the DJ from Victoria. So maybe you can get an idea as to the flash that came across my mind when I realised in that moment I was still listening to the DJ even though I was out of the office and that DJ was suppose to be half way round the world.

When you get a sudden shock like that that brings your mind to attention an instant you can think at an increadible rate. I had alsorts of things going through my mind in what was probably only a second and half. Things like have I been dreaming this whole australia thing and now have suddenly woken up... Have I been caught up in some sort of bizaar natural phenomenon whereby,,, who knows what!

It was kind of a Lost on Mars tv show type moment - if you've watched that show. Only my experience lasted about 5 seconds instead of 20 shows.

I wasn't really listening to the radio in the car all that intently so I wasn't , at that time really sure what he was talking about except he mentioned moose... But I recognised his voice right away. I heard it again later and he was doing a commercial spot for the local radio station's contest to win a trip to Canada...

I dunno know, maybe it's just me... and you have absolutely no idea what I on about...

[Chuck Saunders]

Sometimes, when you least expect it, the world becomes a very small place indeed. This will not happen when you walking to the nearest gas station.

[Belinda Barfield]

Sometimes, when you least expect it, the world becomes a very small place indeed. This will not happen when you walking to the nearest gas station.

Chuck, this as absolutely priceless. You should post this in the quotes about life thread!

Mat, can't help you, but have you considered one of those tinfoil helmets? ;):D

[David G Baker]

Belinda,
I've tried the tin foil, trust me, they don't work. Guess I will have to continue on receiving messages from the Starship Enterprise. :D

[Martin Shupe]

There is nothing worse than waking up in a hotel room, and not being able to remember which city (or even worse, country) you are waking up in.

Happens about once a year, usually when I am flying to a different city each day for about two weeks in a row.

[Jim Becker]

We are all susceptible to such things!

Martin, I can only imagine what you live through in this respect given your occupation..."where am I today" has to be a regular theme!

On a technology note, with so many broadcast stations owned by only a few entities, it's not at all unusual to hear the same programing and personalities in many markets, including internationally. "Live" broadcast is rare in many markets now due to cost...much less expensive to automate and use recorded personalities.

[Jim Rimmer]

There is nothing worse than waking up in a hotel room, and not being able to remember which city (or even worse, country) you are waking up in.

Happens about once a year, usually when I am flying to a different city each day for about two weeks in a row.

I sympathize. Used to travel 180 + days a year. All the chain hotels look alike on the inside. Just as bad is landing late, grab the rental car in the dark, go to the hotel, and get up the next morning and try to figure out which white Taurus is yours. :confused:

[David Epperson]

Belinda,
I've tried the tin foil, trust me, they don't work. Guess I will have to continue on receiving messages from the Starship Enterprise. :D
Where exactly would you find foil made from Tin?
Aluminum? Easy. SS, Spring Steel, even Titanium - readily available. But TIN? I have no idea who even makes that anymore. :D

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I actually had that happen to me.

I got out of the Navy and went to work a company. I moved back in with my family 362 days later. It was rental cars, motels, airlines and restaurants for 362 days.

I woke up one morning in November 1977. I couldn't remember where I was. I turned on the light beside the bed...I could tell by the wall paper I was in a Holiday Inn.

I got up...shaved...showered....decided to go for breakfast.....opened the curtains so the maid would know it was okay to clean the room and I was looking at Lookout Mountain. I knew I was in the Holiday Inn West in Denver. There was a little Mom&Pop cafe down the street that had excellent biscuits and gravy. I went there...had breakfast and returned to the motel room. I called my regional manager and said "Jim...that's it. I going to Bend, OR and live with my family. If you can't live with that...hire my replacement." He replied...the hospital construction is done. Your machine delivers next week...go home and see your family".

PS.....aluminum foil works.....as a Travis Stinson crinkle finish on turnings but as a helmet.....do you need a ground wire?......wait are we talking DCs here?:confused::rolleyes::D

[David G Baker]

David E.
Maybe that is the reason the foil failed to fade the space communication. Guess I will have to work on that one. :D

[Belinda Barfield]

Where exactly would you find foil made from Tin?
Aluminum? Easy. SS, Spring Steel, even Titanium - readily available. But TIN? I have no idea who even makes that anymore. :D

David has hit on the key here. The helmet must be made of Tin to block the waves. Aluminum foil? Ha! Not worth a darn! In a crunch you can use a "Tin" pie plate with a chin strap. DO NOT, however, attach a metal coat hanger as this will allow the helmet to receive, not block. If you are concerned that people will look at you oddly, attach the wire from a spiral bound notebook as decoration, or maybe a little moss from your garden. Your helmet then becomes a fashion accessory. :D

I've not experienced another day, another hotel syndrome but I have occasionally found myself driving without any memory of the last several intersections or traffic lights. That unnerves me just a little. I always wonder who I ran over.

[John Schreiber]

I've never heard of 'Lost on Mars', but we have a running joke in our family that my wife is creating the WHOLE THING in her head. The number of coincidences that happen on a regular basis is mind blowing. It seems every time I learn a new word or hear of a new place, I hear about it from many other sources at the same time.

I'm a statistician though, and I realize that so many things happen that it's more than possible for amazing coincidences to happen randomly all the time.

[Mat Ashton]

I've never heard of 'Lost on Mars', but we have a running joke in our family that my wife is creating the WHOLE THING in her head. The number of coincidences that happen on a regular basis is mind blowing. It seems every time I learn a new word or hear of a new place, I hear about it from many other sources at the same time.

I'm a statistician though, and I realize that so many things happen that it's more than possible for amazing coincidences to happen randomly all the time.

Oops it's the show Life On Mars. You all may not even have the show running anymore but down under it's about 3/4s through the season. It's not a very good show but that little brain fart of mine has me sort of empathizing with the character when weird things come over the radio of tv for him...

[Martin Shupe]

Mat, don't miss the last show, it has a very clever (I thought) ending.

[Stephen Tashiro]

When I saw the title of this thread (and before I read the posts), the situation that came into my mind was the experience of "sleep paralysis". This is when you find your self lying in bed with your eyes open, but you can't move. You have a clear picture of the room, but you can turn your head or move your eyes. Usually some disturbing stuff begins to happen around you that makes you want to react, but you can't. You strain and finally snap out of it. Your realize the disturbing stuff isn't there

If I mention this phenomenon in a group of people, perhaps 1 out of 10 understands what I'm talking about. .So only a fraction of the population experiences this. It only happened to me when I was in school, under stress, and not getting much sleep.

[Belinda Barfield]

When I saw the title of this thread (and before I read the posts), the situation that came into my mind was the experience of "sleep paralysis". This is when you find your self lying in bed with your eyes open, but you can't move. You have a clear picture of the room, but you can turn your head or move your eyes. Usually some disturbing stuff begins to happen around you that makes you want to react, but you can't. You strain and finally snap out of it. Your realize the disturbing stuff isn't there

If I mention this phenomenon in a group of people, perhaps 1 out of 10 understands what I'm talking about. .So only a fraction of the population experiences this. It only happened to me when I was in school, under stress, and not getting much sleep.

I'm one in 10. It happens to me only when I take a nap in the afternoon on the sofa.