My Latest Get-Rich-Quick Scheme

Can you guess what it is?

Another blog! Not just another blog, but a blog with “advertising potential.” Possibly. You know, once it has “readers.”

Anyway, it’s not about food or cancer. I’m branching out. It’s called codeSparrow and how it works is I, disguised as a clever and discerning bird, pick out my favorite tweets (i.e., quips from Twitter) and encode them into a cryptogram. Then you, or whoever, with your masterful grasp of the English language, solve the code and hopefully giggle instead of unfollowing me.

Why, might you ask, would anyone want to struggle to decode something that they could read on Twitter in its original form in under 1 second? To answer your question, I pose two questions of my own: 1) Is everything in life supposed to be easy? and 2) Do you know how many tweets you have to read to get to the entertaining ones? A lot. A real lot.

I love cryptograms and I know other people do, too, not just the 80-year-olds I hang out with. I’m hoping that amateur cryptography is like knitting in that you don’t know how many other knitters are out there until somebody starts a blog and then suddenly there are millions of knitters everywhere, not just your mom, but also your neighbor, as well as half the people who shop at Russo’s, even the sports bloggers have a knitting page, and, come to find out, even I, the world’s least crafty person, still remember how to do hairpin lace 20 years after my mom showed me how and could definitely produce some sort of drafty scarf if pressed by terrorists. Who also have knitting blogs.

So, I hope I can coax you guys away from your knitting to at least check it out, maybe compliment me on my bird drawing, which took about 112 tries. And, no, I don’t plan on putting ads on Food on the Food. I mean, unless things get really desperate around here. Like if you see me on the sketchy side of Moody St. wearing sparkly eye shadow and an unflatteringly low-cut top. Then you might see some low-budget advertising. Featuring me in sparkly eye shadow and an unflatteringly low-cut top.

Comments

[MidLifeMama]

I would rather scrub my toilet every day than do cryptograms or crossword puzzles or even Soduko. Sudoku. WHATEVER. But I am a very literal communicator and have no spare time or brain power for that kind of activity. I hate having to do that much work for the communication process, but don't go by me. I will keep coming here for the recipes and funny stories, and hopefully pictures of you in sparkly eye shadow and unflattering tops and platform heels on Moody Street. I added that last part about the heels because it completed the ensemble in my head.

[Karen @ Mignardise]

Congratulations on the new project. Sounds like fun.And maybe profitable.
If not, I will rescue you from the shady side of Moody Street (I"m guessing it's opposite Tuscan Grill) and take you to dinner when I visit my parents.

[Word Nerd]

I wouldn't be a very credible word nerd if I didn't love cryptograms, now would I? A delightful addition to your delightful blog.

[Tammy]

Word Nerd: So glad you like them! I believe you hold the record for the most wins so far.

Karen: Thanks in advance for the drive-by rescue. You'll need to keep going past the fancy restaurants (though you better believe I'll give clientele with doggie bags preferential treatment).

MidLifeMama: This is why you have a real job and I don't! Husband says codeSparrow's tagline should be: "Impeding social networking through cryptography." In other words, it's the exact opposite of what Twitter is trying to accomplish (whatever that might be!).

[Jacqueline Church]

Great, another time suck. Just what I needed. Thanks. Here's one back atcha:http://freerice.com/toolbar.php?utm_source=popup