So, there was another big code released this weekend; I was going through the Sunday comics on, um, Sunday (and no, I don't find Sunday mornings particularly easy), when I came upon this FoxTrot (excerpted here):At first glance, it's not a particularly funny comic -- it also engages in a bit of uncharacteristic behavior by the featured character, Jason -- he's an uber-geek who isn't known for his dancing prowess.
All is revealed in the last panel, though, because it turns out he's sending a secret message via Morse Code.
If you figure the "TAPs" are dots and the "TAAAPs" are dashes, that gives you:
... --- -- . -.. .- -.-- .. .-- .. .-.. .-.. .-. ..- .-.. . -.-- --- ..- .- .-.. .-..
(The spaces are important.)
A quick search on "morse code to text converter" gives you a bunch of Web-based options; you can copy-and-paste the morse code to find out what young Jason is really trying to say (I won't spoil it for you).
Now, the comic's creator, Bill Amend (he has an official Web page that's sort of bloggy), has done strips like this before, though this one doesn't require any math calculations (unlike, say, this one, which I didn't bother to do, especially since I knew someone out there would do it -- like this bunch of folks in the FoxTrot LiveJournal community).
Just a little bit of geeky, participatory humor.
Thanks -- Joe
Tags: Bill Amend, FoxTrot
Monday, May 22, 2006
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8 comments:
This is the first alert I have gotten today. Well actually the second. The first was blank.
you really are a geek. i'm so sorry but this just proves it. i saw that comic strip and it never entered my mind to think morse code!
Kathy
csandhollow -- I've been getting Alerts okay today, I will check with the Alerts team.
onestrangecat -- Well, I knew something was up, but I didn't think of it either until the last panel of the strip, which kind of spells it out: "Nah. One of the judges knew Morse code."
-- Joe
Who's Al?
Think he's talking about Al Capp?
-Dan
.... - - .--. / -...- / / / .--- --- ..- .-. -. .- .-.. ... / ..--.. / .- --- .-.. / ..--.. / -.-. --- -- / -.. .--. --- . -- / - .... . .-- .. ... -.. --- -- --- ..-. .- -.. .. ... - .-. .- -.-. - . -.. -- .. -. -.. /
Eight. The word was eight, not right. Sheesh.
I thought of Morse Code right away, mostly because I memorized S.O.S. in Morse code when I was right years old. Still not funny, though. - Karen
LOL. This is too funny. Unfortunately, Jason Fox will not be the ruler of the world...my daughter will be! She too is an ubergeek. What a legacy to leave in my wake.
Jess
http://journals.aol.com/aurielalata/CIWTheOtherInvisible
http://awomanvisible.blogspot.com
Did ya know it's the anniversary for the first telegraph message sent?
but i am not geeky enough to try to decode it. no way.
LATER JOE!
Best,
Susie
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