... .... --- --- - .. -. --. / .--. .- .-. .-. --- - ...

If you're wondering about the title, that's "Shooting Parrots" in morse code. I had reason to translate some morse into letters last weekend and came across this Java translator that works both ways and will even 'play' it for you.

Anybody fancy writing a blog entirely in morse code? Here's this post so far encoded:

.. ..-. / -.-- --- ..- .----. .-. . / .-- --- -. -.. . .-. .. -. --. / .- -... --- ..- - / - .... . / - .. - .-.. . --..-- / - .... .- - .----. ... / .-..-. ... .... --- --- - .. -. --. / .--. .- .-. .-. --- - ... .-..-. / .. -. / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . .-.-.- / .. / .... .- -.. / .-. . .- ... --- -. / - --- / - .-. .- -. ... .-.. .- - . / ... --- -- . / -- --- .-. ... . / .. -. - --- / .-.. . - - . .-. ... / .-.. .- ... - / .-- . . -.- . -. -.. / .- -. -.. / -.-. .- -- . / .- -.-. .-. --- ... ... / - .... .. ... / .--- .- ...- .- / - .-. .- -. ... .-.. .- - --- .-. / - .... .- - / .-- --- .-. -.- ... / -... --- - .... / .-- .- -.-- ... / .- -. -.. / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / . ...- . -. / .----. .--. .-.. .- -.-- .----. / .. - / ..-. --- .-. / -.-- --- ..- .-.-.- / .- -. -.-- -... --- -.. -.-- / ..-. .- -. -.-. -.-- / .-- .-. .. - .. -. --. / .- / -... .-.. --- --. / . -. - .. .-. . .-.. -.-- / .. -. / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . ..--.. / .... . .-. . .----. ... / - .... .. ... / .--. --- ... - ---...

Copy and paste into the translator and press play. I promise it'll drive you nuts especially as the bip-bippity-bip doesn't stop even when you close the page, so not recommended if you're at work.


But it reminded me of a tale from Mrs P's youth. She was a girl guide and spentone summer teaching herself semaphore. Having perfected it, she suddenly realisedthat this was all very well, but she was the only one who knew how to do it and for semaphore to work successfully rather involved having two people to signal to each other.

It conjured up the image of the then Miss C stood alone on the Pennines, two flags drooping forlornly as she scanned the horizon fruitlessly for someone else armed with flags and knowledge of this arcane means of communication.

So, in a belated attempt to redress this sense of failure, above is my message for Mrs P courtesy of this semaphore translator.