Updates...

It's weird how I have completed so many things, planning on updating this blog for so long, and just never taking the time to do it. Here's my attempt at it though. Over the next few days, you will see a few more updates.

-Daniel, December 12, 2012



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Wednesday, March 26, 2008

OaB #22: Invent a Secret Code.

I want to start this by saying my blog is over one year old! I meant to make a post about it but never got to it. It was the 7th of March that I started this blog! Yey! But now to the main reason for this post - my secret code!

The reason I chose this item, is that I recently bought a CD; Bright Eyes - Cassadaga. It was one of those digipack CDs where the cover is made out of paper. I removed the plastic wrap, and saw that the CD was completely gray. At first I thought it to be a disappointment, but then I opened the cover, and saw that it included a decipherer; a "spectral-decoder." Using the decoder, the artwork on the CD could be viewed, including hidden messages in Russian, Greek, Portuguese, French and English.



Go to Wikipedia to read more about the album! I am the one who wrote about the hidden Greek message. I saw it, searched for the translation, found out the meaning, and when I had done that, I was really inspired to make my own coded message. So one week later, on my spare Wednesday, here it is!

I wanted my secret code to be sort of tricky, to make it a challenge for anyone who decides he or she wants to break it. But first I need to explain how this works. The image below, holds a secret message/clue that you should make into a word or phrase. That word or phrase is the key for deciphering the code.

The cypher works like this: The key word or phrase becomes the first letters in the cypher, followed by the rest of the letters in the alphabet in alphabetical order. The first 13 letters are on line one, and the last 13 letters on line two. You then change the letter in my message into the one above/under the corresponding letter in the key/cypher.

Here's an example. If the key word is Horne, the cypher would look like this:


HORNEABCDFGIJ
KLMPQSTUVWXYZ


So the name Szirtes encoded with this cypher would be Ajymbqa. Get it? Isn't this fun? Now, for the real task! Following is the image with the message that gives you the key/cypher and the message for you to decipher.


There's more to the image than meets the eye.
Hint: Use Paint. They are different in the center, than around the edges.
The second last is a big clue to the last, but be sure
to use an extended legend, or things will get tricky.


Prnch oj bzq urvobrk iw Koquzbqdjbqod.

By the way! I will make a three-course meal (OaB #62: Cook a Meal and BYD #89: Throw Away the Instant Noodles) for one of the people who deciphers the message, if (or rather when) I ever meet him or her! (Will be drawn at random)

If you have deciphered the message, send me an email at ellkay+decyph@gmail.com with the deciphered message for a chance to win a three-course meal!

I'll also send a postcard to the first person who sends me an email with the correctly deciphered sentence.


Good luck!