I just experienced the most freakish synchronicity! Check it out!

[Orrex]

Some time this afternoon I read this thread in the Lounge. As sad a tale as it is, however, at this late remove it strikes me simply as a curiosity of broadcast history: tragic to those who knew her, but a mere dark footnote to those who, like me, had never heard of Ms. Chubbuck's suicide.

Here's the main point:

"In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts, and in living color, you are going to see another first: an attempted suicide."

I have very limited familiarity with Harlan Ellison. I think I've read perhaps four of his works, one of which was a comic book (Daredevil Vol 1, issue #207, IIRC). But lately I've decided to pick up some of his writings, and today I stopped in a local Half Price Books.

There selection wasn't great, but they had one copy of Ellison's Strange Wine for about six bucks, so I bought it. I'd never heard of it, nor any of the stories in it. My first chance to page through it was about twenty minutes ago, and I started with the introduction:

It's all about drinking strange wine.

It seems disjointed and jumps around like water on a griddle, but it all comes together, so be patient.

At 9:38 A.M. on July 15th, 1974, about eight minutes into Suncoast Digest, a variety show on WXLT-TV in Sarasota, Florida, anchorwoman Chris Chubbuck, 30, looked straight at the camera and said "In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts in living color, you're going to see another first--an attempt at suicide."

Weird, huh?

What does it signify? Nothing, of course, but the raw unlikelihood of stumbling upon the same decades-old passage twice in the same day in two entirely different contexts had me literally reeling, however briefly.

I work with people who infer ghosts when their refrigerator happens to shudder while they're watching a tense scene on Lost, so my recounting of this episode would seem to them simply another of life's many glimpses into the supernatural.

But I know that my pals here in the Skeptics' Group will be more likely to relate to the uncanny timing and to see it as the mundane but delightfully quirky confluence that it is.

Just thought I'd share! Have you had any similar experiences?

[TZ]

1. Why I've just experience synchroncity myself!

Check out these threads:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=7509767
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=7482129

Not trying to be snarky, but I immediately recalled the first thread when I read your post......:)

And yeah, thats weird and I think I've experienced the same thing, in general but I can't give specifics. I just remember thinking, well that's weird and moving on....:hi:

[Orrex]

2. Go on with your snarky self

What really made it stand out for me was the fact that I'd never heard of her at all and then heard the same quote from the original news story twice in just a few hours. The fact that I bought the book more or less out of the blue seems to crystalize it. Were I of the "all things happen for a reason" mindset, I could probably find all sorts of "meaningful" ripples.

As you say, I'll just say "that's weird" and move on, but there's something thrilling in the sheer oddity of it.

[onager]

3. Check out The Glass Teats...

If you can find them. Way back in the Sixties or Seventies, Harlan Ellison wrote 2 books of TV criticism--The Glass Teat and The Other Glass Teat.

The titles were based on Ellison's premise: "TV does not suck. It is sucked."

Since these are mostly reviews of little-known and long-forgotten American TV series, today they will read like something out a time capsule. But they were written at a time when Ellision was at the top of his form.

They also contain some of Ellison's famous run-ins with American network television, which are worth reading.

I remember one story about Ellison going to a Star Trek story conference. Also attending was A Famous TV Producer's Nephew, who had been given some meaningless but well-paid job like "Assistant Executive Editorial Creative Assistant."

The producer's son described a story he wanted written for the TV series: "The ENTERPRISE goes back to the dawn of time and meets a group of Mayans..."

Ellison interruputed: "There weren't any Mayans at the dawn of time."

"Well, that doesn't matter. It's just a STORY..."

At that point, Ellison stood up, said: "I'm a writer. I don't know what the fuck you are." And walked out of the room.

:rofl:

[salvorhardin]

4. I haven't read The Glass Teat books

Nor have I read Harlan Ellison's Watching but the latter book collects together, among other essays, Harlan Ellison's sci-fi film criticism essays from Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine which I have read, all of them. They're incredible essays and were influential to me as it was the first time I had been exposed to Ellison's brand of cultural criticism (back when I first read them in the 1980s). They were literally my favorite feature in F&SF.
http://www.amazon.com/Harlan-Ellisons-Watching-Ellison/dp/0887331475

[Dr. Strange]

5. Not to get all Jungian here...

but for the judges to consider this a true case of synchronicity, you'll have to identify the underlying archetype being accesses by your psyche. Until you do that, it's just a coincidence.

While you're doing that, perhaps I can interest you in a couple of videos?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UlSK4WVZ9A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuyRCfhCZT0

[Orrex]

6. Oh to be Jung again

Anyway, he's at least 60% crank in my book, so I was using "synchronicity" in its more vulgar, pop-culture sense, you Temeah-worshipping elitist.

But if you find the term objectionable in this context, then I will cheerfully use "freaky coincidence" in its place.

[Dr. Strange]

7. At least 60% crank.

Heh, that's like saying temeah is at least 60% pev.

[TZ]

8. .....

oh.my.goodness. That's probably the most accurate analogy I have ever seen.....
:spray: :thumbsup: