Posted on 07/19/2009 3:27:23 PM PDT by Lorianne
An evening view of the city's Downtown skyline offers more than just a beautiful blend of old and new architecture towering over glistening moonlit rivers.
If you look high atop the 33-story Grant Building, you see the red neon lights flashing, in International Morse Code, a one-word message:
"P-I-T-E-T-S-B-K-R-R-H"
Wait, that's not right, said Tom Stepleton, as he decoded the message while waiting to see the city's Fourth of July fireworks show with friends at the Brew House on the South Side.
"I was looking at it, and I saw the letter 'K,' which is [dash-dot-dash]," Mr. Stepleton said. "I remembered 'K' because my sister's name starts with 'K.' And I knew that wasn't supposed to be there."
Mr. Stepleton, 29, of Squirrel Hill, a graduate student pursuing a degree in computer sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, knew from past viewing that the code should spell "Pittsburgh." He learned Morse code as a teenager, when he became a ham radio operator.
Of course, it's not like it's a secret. The flashing beacon atop the Grant Building has been famous for spelling out "Pittsburgh" since they flipped the switch during a dedication in March 1929.
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
So they don’t spell any better with Morse code than they do with the alphabet there? Sad really
PING!!
Morse code in the night sky Typso ping, lol.
Don’t be too hard on Pittsburgh spellers. I think there isn’t even a firm agreement on either the spelling or the pronounciation of “yunz”.
Sounds like we need a new czar.
No wonder the alien ships couldn’t find it!
“Take me to “P-I-T-E-T-S-B-K-R-R-H”
Nope sorry, yunz not from round hea?
Is it “Redd” up or Red UP?
I will ponder that while eating my Jumbo sandwich and shooting gumbands at the cat.
Capitol Records Hollywood:
The blinking light atop the tower spells out the phrase “Hollywood” in Morse code, and has done so since the building’s opening in 1956. This was an idea of Capitol’s then president, Alan Livingston, who wanted to subtly advertise Capitol’s status as the first record label with a base on the west coast. The switch activating the light was thrown by Lyla Morse, Samuel Morse’s granddaughter.
Typso ping! How do you spell “Pittsburg”? (Or does it end with H?)
more like “I had a dram”
I’m pretty sure there’s an “h” on the end, with no “k” involved.
When I see morse from a flashing light I can’t decode it unless I first convert it to a mental sound...it’s an automatic conversion so it’s not difficult.
In Cleveland, they used to spell Pittsburgh with two 's's.
Give the teachers unions more money...that’s always worked before. <>
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Imagine getting a tattoo across your back and they spell it wrong! The tattoo, in Italian, is meant to read "Vivere senza rimpianti" (To live without regrets). Her tattoo reads "rimipianti," adding an "i." |
I have often wondered how many learn the code as adults. Goodness knows I've tried, but it's simply escaped me!
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