MZD Twitter/facebook codes?

[Kevin Brown]

T R A C E S
(Transcribed by a lowly hub grub)

"Another Rabbi, a true Kabbalist, once said,

'To bring about the Kingdom, it is not necessary that everything be destroyed, and a new world begin.
Rather this cup or that brush, or that stone, and so all things, must only be shifted a little.
Because this little is hard to do, and the measure so hard to find, humanity cannot do it in this world.
Instead, this is why the Messiah comes.'

Thereby, this wise Rabbi too, with his sayings, spoke out, not for creeping progress, but completely for the leap.
Of the lucky glimpse, or the invisible hand."

- Ernst Bloch

[Hazel]

FYI - We will soon be moving this discussion over to THE . . .

[LJonesy]

Looks like it's beginning again, soon. I will be putting a lot more effort into The , now that I'm older and wiser :)

[Farehamer]

Sure about the wiser Jonesy? ;-)

[ThereIsNoDarkSky]

27-2727-27-27272

It's screaming something ...but I don't know what!

[hawaiianguy3]

Hi, I haven't been on here in a long while but I saw this new code and was inspired to take a crack at it.

1) 27 minus 2727 = 2700 minus 27 = -2727 minus 27272 = -29999
- Does 29999 (with or w/o the negative) mean anything to anybody?
- Is this type of mathematical pattern to anyone?

2) It's weird that it ends with a 2; it doesn't fit the pattern. 3) Disregarding any numerical significance of this sequence, the characters seem to form a pattern, as shown in the picture:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n155523[/ATTACH]
- The top line represents a '72' squished together. It kind of looks like ZD, but I find this unlikely. I don't think the author would post something as meaningless and narcissistic as his own initials. Plus, I don't see an 'M' anywhere.
- The second line represents '7-2' squished together.
- The third line represents a '27' squished together. The image all the way to the right is the '27' rotated 90 degrees. Kind of looks like the blade of an X-Acto knife to me. Perhaps a metaphor for a cat's claws or vice-versa?
- So, do any of these symbols, rotated any which way, look to anyone?

4) Again disregarding any numerical significance, the pattern the characters make is intriguing to me. This final image represents the number sequence with a continuous line drawn through the top and bottom.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n155524[/ATTACH]
This could represent:
- A literal interpretation of forward slashes and dashes: //-////-/////. Does this mean anything to anyone?
-A numerical representation of this image: 2-4-5. Is something significant happening on February fourth that could be related? The 5 doesn't fit in with that date though, unless you abbreviate 2014 as '14, then add the 1 and 4 together...
-Could this be a visual representation of Morse code with no breaks between characters? After spending the past two hours trying to decode it this way, the only sensible thing to come out was "GONOTT." Go not? Could this be a reference to the poem 'Do not go gentle into that dark night' by Dylan Thomas?
G = --.
O = ---
N = -.
O = ---
T = -
T = -
--.----.----- = //-////-/////


IN CONCLUSION, my most likely theories are:
February 4, 2015
or
"Go not."

[Slow Dog Noodle]

27 is the expected number of volumes of the .

[hawaiianguy3]

Ok, so I gather you think it's the number 27 repeated, with dashes in between. Why do you think he posted the number 27 the way he did? And why do you think it ends with a 2?

[Slow Dog Noodle]

I have no idea why. It was just an observation. To be honest I would much prefer that he just give a press release that tells us what's happening and when. I know some people get into the puzzling aspect of it and try to decode everything (see of Leaves) but I just don't have the time or energy. And Im not plugged in to the social media he uses to do this stuff.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to read the . But until I have it in my hands I'm not going to spend a lot of time pondering it.

[hawaiianguy3]

Yeah, a straightforward release date would be appreciated but I think (I hope) that these codes have more to do with whatever the book is going to be, rather than a reference to its release date. I think it's cool that, like , he's expanding 'The ' experience outside the confines of the book. I just don't know what to make of it...

[DownwardSpiral]

Could the last twitter post (i.e. 27-2727-27-27272) be a reference to the volumes of The that MZD has written (maybe only rough drafts)? Maybe this could indicate he already has written The up to volume 25 and that at the moment of his last post he just finished volumes 24 & 25?

[heartbreak]

I was never quite sold on the GPS idea until I was looking at them again today and noticed the picture of Carl that was posted and the location that would correspond to it if they were GPS locations. The rules for converting to GPS locations seem kind of odd to me but they are consistent. Each string consists of four numbers. A short dash in front of the first number indicates a negative sign, a short dash after the first and third numbers indicates a decimal point, a short dash after the second number indicates a comma, and a long dash after the second number indicates a comma and a negative sign.

Examples:

-14-9666-27-01016 = -14.9666, 27.01016
31-51108—9-77080 = 31.51108, -9.77080

The majority of the locations hit on a named local. In the event that it didn't I described the location and what it was close to. Not sure what any of these have to do with each other or what they have to do with The , what they have to do with the black squares, the picture of what looks like stars or the A/0 sticky Hazel made today.

Number String Date Posted Location (All corresponded with the black square picture unless otherwise noted.)

48-371204-9-7265 1/16/13 Hill outside of Schelklingen, Germany

44-881389-0-8905 1/30/13 Confluent Dordogne-Vezere, Limeuil, France

25-9481-32-21191 2/14/13 Desert outside of Qena, Egypt

63-84823—20-8712 2/27/13 Countryside in South Iceland

41-7635—74-15596 3/13/13 Albert K. Smiley Memorial (Skytop Observation), Mohonk, New York

16-78053—88-4409 3/28/13 Tiger Fern Double Waterfall, Stann Creek, Belize

50-84779-2-89552 4/11/13 Hoornwerk Park, Ieper, Belgium

-25-8506-25-66809 4/25/13 Rectangular dirt lot in Mahikeng, South Africa

41-89026-12-4923 5/9/13 Coliseum, Rome, Italy

-33-86026-151-215 5/23/13 Government , Sydney, Australia

59-93806-30-3168 6/6/13 Palace Square, St. Petersburg, Russia

-33-4504—70-67477 6/20/13 Estadio Victor Jara, Santiago, Chile

39-949—75-149939 7/4/13 Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

32-76536-129-868 7/17/13 Sakamoto International Cemetery, Nagasaki, Japan

12-7938-45-03322 8/1/13 Extinct volcano in Aden, Yemen

11-5607-105-0319 8/15/13 Countryside near Mekong River, Cambodia

25-2957-83-02821 8/29/13 Countryside near the Ganges River, India

69-21249—51-1279 9/11/13 Hillside overlooking the Ilulissat Ice fjord, Greenland

“Two rules and one challenge…” 9/14/13

41-684259-2-8131 9/26/13 Pinya Rosa, Blanes, Spain

3-04042-29-54048 10/10/13 Near Watsa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

68-13155—149-474 10/24/13 Atigun Valley, Alaska, USA

25-2975-55-35641 11/7/13 Mamzer Beach, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

40-33248-26-4791 11/21/13 Countryside in Gallipoli, Turkey

31-51108—9-77080 12/5/13 Place Orson Wells, Essaouira, Morocco

34-2446—118-3830 Picture of Carl 12/19/13 Cal Pet Crematory Inc., Sun Valley, California, USA

-84-2746-137-1093 1/2/14 Middle of nowhere Antarctica

34-105—118-33353 1/16/14 Havenhurst Apts, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

27-2727-27-27272 1/30/14 Ain Dallah, White Desert, Egypt

-14-9666-27-01016 Picture of stars 3/6/14 Somewhere in Zambia

[hawaiianguy3]

Oh, I didn't understand the pattern. Thanks for that, so I didn't waste another few hours trying to decode the new post.

Well, has anyone tried connecting the dots? I tried in Google Earth but when you zoom out the place markers disappear, and I don't have a spare globe or world map. I'd imagine that if this is what it is, it'd probably make more sense on a globe as opposed to a map.

Also, I used to live near the fifth location in New York and have been there a few times. It has a spectacular view of the area and the original Natives considered it to be a spiritual or holy spot. But that's not really advertised and I only know that because I lived there and heard or read about it somewhere. So perhaps that's what these other locations are also? Many of them have pretty spectacular views and areas like that were typically considered holy places to ancient people. Does anyone have any local info on the other locations?

It might also be worth commenting that the "two rules and one challenge" comment makes me think that the first set of coordinates may be a separate theme from the current set.

This is a pretty long shot, but as a follower of the hobby I feel the need to suggest that these may be geocaches.

Here are the converted coordinates so far for whoever wants them:
48.371204,9.7265
44.881389,0.8905
25.9481,32.21191
63.84823,-20.8712
41.7635,-74.15596
16.78053,-88.4409
50.84779,2.89552
-25.8506,25.66809
41.89026,12.4923
-33.86026,151.215
59.93806,30.3168
-33.4504,-70.87477
39.949,-75.149939
32.76536,129.868
12.7938,45.03322
11.5607,105.0319
25.2957,83.02821
69.21249,-51.1279

"Two rules and one challenge"

41.684259,2.8131
3.04042,29.54048
68.13155,-149.474
25.2975,55.35641
40.33248,26.4791
31.51108,-9.77080
34.2446,-118.3830
-84.2746,137.1093
34.105,-118.33353
27.2727,27.27272
-14.9666,27.01016

As a side note, this last post came out pretty late, falling outside the every-two-weeks schedule. Running a bit behind on the writing, maybe?

[MoleculaRR]

This might be something, it might not, but you've probably noticed that the last image is stars? My friend who knows about space stuff says it looks like a Hubble deep field photo, and if you look up the Hubble's flight path, it went right over the location that corresponds to -14.9666,27.01016 some time early yesterday morning. I don't know if this link to satview.org will work, but I had it set to US Eastern Time and it lined up pretty nicely:

http://www.satview.org/tm.php?lang=u...4&hms=0105

That timestamp (again, if it works and I'm reading it correctly) would be 1:05 AM (GMT-5).

Don't know what, if anything, that means, but it might be something. I haven't checked any other date/times

[hawaiianguy3]

Great idea! But it doesn't seem to be the case. On the SatView website, if you click on the "Hubble Telescope" link at the bottom of the map, then click the "Anytime Forecast," you can plug in any date and see Hubble's course for that day. Other days and coordinates that were posted don't line up though.

If you click "Satellite Time Machine" at the bottom of the home page, you can plug in any day and see the courses of multiple satellites, so I though maybe he's tracking a different one, so I plugged in a bunch of days that coords were posted, but ruled the other satellites out also.

Each day of a post there is at least one satellite that matches the coordinates given, but it's not the same satellite every time. Maybe the point is that whatever riddle he's been spinning for us requires a celestial viewpoint in order to be solved.

[heartbreak]

Mapped the Hubble path.

[MoleculaRR]

Great idea! But it doesn't seem to be the case. On the SatView website, if you click on the "Hubble Telescope" link at the bottom of the map, then click the "Anytime Forecast," you can plug in any date and see Hubble's course for that day. Other days and coordinates that were posted don't line up though.

If you click "Satellite Time Machine" at the bottom of the home page, you can plug in any day and see the courses of multiple satellites, so I though maybe he's tracking a different one, so I plugged in a bunch of days that coords were posted, but ruled the other satellites out also.

Each day of a post there is at least one satellite that matches the coordinates given, but it's not the same satellite every time. Maybe the point is that whatever riddle he's been spinning for us requires a celestial viewpoint in order to be solved.

It works for the post on 1/30 (27.2727, 27.27272), but that's all I've found so far. So yeah I'm less and less sure it's something.

And as heartbreak's image shows, the Zambie point is quite close to the path -- I think the Egypt one is closer --, but neither are exactly on it. If the Hubble's timing lined up more closely with the time the images were posted, or if we had some other datapoint to corroborate with, I'd feel more certain that this was a track of thought to keep pursuing. Thing of it is, Hubble covers a lot of ground between 30° N and 30° S, so I would need something else to rule out simple coincidence.

I've been using Orbitron, by the way, which works a lot better than the Satview site. You just have to make sure and download new TLE files.