Toynbee Tiler Unmasked?

June 1, 2006 3:53 PM

A Philadelphia house painter may have the answers to the mysterious Toynbee tiles found embedded in asphalt around the world. [previously discussed - 1, 2, 3]

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Justin Duerr, who stars in the upcoming documentary 'Resurrect Dead,' about his search for the Toynbee, "...says he's pretty sure that he knows who the tiler is....The tiler's name, according to Duerr, is James Morasco, and he died in 2003. To continue the mystery though, Morasco's widow denies that he was involved with the mysterious street markers." [via]
posted by ericb (27 comments total)

*search for the Toynbee tiler*
posted by ericb at 3:54 PM on June 1, 2006

“I don't believe there's a lone gunman,' Duerr said.
posted by ericb at 3:56 PM on June 1, 2006

But, its all just Batspit insane enough to be true, sn't it?

This would and SHOULD make a great epic film!
posted by Elim at 4:04 PM on June 1, 2006

I always think about Ray Bradbury's Toynbee Convector when I see the tiles.
posted by Mr. Six at 4:14 PM on June 1, 2006

Earlier MeFi thread on Toynbee tiles from 2002.
posted by SenshiNeko at 4:20 PM on June 1, 2006

Man, as much as I'm on the internet I still miss a lot of stuff. I had no idea about this. Thanks!
posted by puke & cry at 4:40 PM on June 1, 2006 [1 favorite]

Qual o significado da mensagem: Toynbee ideas in cine 2001 ressussitar morto sul planeta Jupiter?
posted by roboto at 4:54 PM on June 1, 2006

Oh my God, I grew up next door to James Morasco! We moved when I was eight, so I don't have a clear memory of the man, other than that he'd had the surgery described in CityBeat - he had a hole in his throat and could talk, but it was very deep and rough. My sister and I called him Jimmy, and spent quite a bit of time playing in his (beautifully-kept) backyard. He was tall (well, to a little kid), and always seemed to be older than God Himself. I had no idea he was so well-known! His widow is a very sweet woman, and was always kind to us, as was Jimmy.

I've moved across town, but I walk by a Toynbee tile every day on my way to work. It's amazing to think that Jimmy might've started it...
posted by kalimac at 5:05 PM on June 1, 2006

Also to continue the mystery, the tiles have appeared after his death.
posted by puke & cry at 5:11 PM on June 1, 2006 [1 favorite]

A meme, pronounced “meem,'

Thanks for that, but uh, how else would you pronounce it?
posted by Turtles all the way down at 5:20 PM on June 1, 2006

"meh-meh", perhaps?

Great stuff - I need to see if any toynbee tiles are still in Detroit.
posted by sluggo at 5:21 PM on June 1, 2006

I love these things.
posted by BillsR100 at 5:24 PM on June 1, 2006

Also to continue the mystery, the tiles have appeared after his death.
Yes, well, crop circles have continued to appear in British cornfields years after the last Aldebarian probes departed for the home planet.
posted by Creosote at 5:52 PM on June 1, 2006

I meant to point out that the conclusion drawn to in the post is pretty flimsy considering they've popped up after the guy died and in different countries.
posted by puke & cry at 6:12 PM on June 1, 2006 [1 favorite]

the conclusion drawn to in the post is pretty flimsy considering they've popped up after the guy died and in different countries.

Still holds up, though, if you figure he got a little help from the Jupiter realm.

A meme, pronounced “meem,'

Thanks for that, but uh, how else would you pronounce it?

If you speak French, the first few times you see the word you'll automatically think "memm," as meme is the French word for "same."
posted by soyjoy at 7:05 PM on June 1, 2006

I always thought it was pronounced mem, maybe that's mon francais kicking in.
posted by parallax7d at 7:15 PM on June 1, 2006

meem? That's how everyone else has been pronouncing it? I've been saying memm all the time.
posted by puke & cry at 7:21 PM on June 1, 2006 [1 favorite]

I'm a meem-er too. I just thought of "gene" when I said it.
posted by Samizdata at 7:36 PM on June 1, 2006

They are repaving the street in front of my house this summer, I've got to think of a good motif to implant in the fresh pavement.
posted by Mitheral at 8:22 PM on June 1, 2006

James Morasco, and he died in 2003

I've been a fan of this meme for a long time. I hope Mr. Morasco is enjoying his Jupiter.
posted by wfrgms at 10:03 PM on June 1, 2006

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you for this. The tiles have had me enthralled since I first heard about them!
posted by absalom at 10:07 PM on June 1, 2006

Does anyone know of a site that catalogues the location of the tiles?
posted by Mcable at 4:08 AM on June 2, 2006

D'oh! just realized it's the second ling.
posted by Mcable at 4:09 AM on June 2, 2006

What's the opposite of a meme?

A yo-yo.
posted by Termite at 4:44 AM on June 2, 2006

Flickr clusters. ("Piss orgies of joy?" What's that about?)
posted by steef at 5:35 AM on June 2, 2006

Maybe a meh-meh is a meme that you hate. "Ceiling cat? Yeah, I've seen that meh-meh."

The tiles, however, are MEEMS. I love this kind of stuff.
posted by Biblio at 7:57 AM on June 2, 2006

"Guerrilla Art" at it's best.
posted by cedar key at 11:54 AM on June 2, 2006