riddle - The Puzzling Times

$$\bbox[orange]{\begin{array}{rcl}\\\hline\huge\ \ \star\ \ \star\ \ The&\huge{Puzzling}&\huge{Times\ \ \star\ \ \star\ \ }\\\hline\\\end{array}}$$   ^{Vol. 4, No. 1} $\raise 2pt \tt{\large{\ \ \ \ \ \ \ MONDAY,\ JANUARY\ 9^{th},\ 2017\ \ \ \ \ \ \ }}$ ^{Price: One}

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   $\raise 55pt\begin{array}{c}\mathbb{\large PSE\ R\small INGS\ \large I\small N\ THE\ \large N\small EW\ \large Y\small EAR!} \\\hline\\\small\text{We here at }\ The\ Puzzling\ Times\ \text{ wish}\\\small\text{to wish all of our readers a very happy}\\\small\text{2017 — we're off to a terrific start thus}\\\small\text{far and hope to be there with all of you}\\\small\text{to see what this new year will bring us.}\\\small\text{So, farewell 2016 ... and bring on 2017!}\\\hline\end{array}$ $$\begin{array}{lll}\hline \bf Y\scriptsize\text{OU'D HAVE TO BE BLIND}\ &&\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \text{— Li'l Tidbits —}\\ \text{not to have noticed the} \ &\ \tt{p.1-Welcome\ 2017!} &\ ·\small FTC\#24: \text {Grid–Deduction!}\\ \text{new styles of puzzles that} \ &\ \tt{p.2-Rebus'o'Rama!} &\ ·\small Farewell\ to\ Hats \ :(\\ \text{have cropped up with the} \ &\ \tt{p.3-What's\ New\ PSE} &\ ·\small New\ 40K\ Club\ Member!\\ \text{new year! We've seen a} \ &\ \tt{p.4-Notes\&Letters} &\ ·\small New\ 10K\ Club\ Member!\\ \text{great series of Rebus and} \ &\moveleft{2pt}{\smash{\Rule{.2ex}{18.9ex}{0ex}}\rlap{\Rule{54ex}{.4ex}{0ex}}}&\smash{\Rule{.2ex}{18.9ex}{0ex}}\phantom{xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx}\smash{\Rule{.2ex}{18.9ex}{0ex}}\\ \text{Cryptic Rebus puzzles, a} \ &\ \text{Be sure to check out} \ &\ \text{check out which hats you}\\ \text{fresh batch of Grid styled} \ &\ \text{the FTC#23 roundup} \ &\ \text{got, and which ones you}\\ \text{logic puzzles for FTC#24} \ &\ \text{post: there were some} \ &\ \text{missed! You can also see}\\ \text{and a }bunch\text{ of numeric} \ &\ \text{wonderfully festive} \ &\ \text{which of your fellow PSE}\\ \text{sequence questions. Just} \ &\ \text{seasonal puzzles.} \ &\ \text{puzzlers topped the Hats}\\ \text{goes to show, you never} \ &\ \text{Don't forget to take a} \ &\ \text{Leaderboard, and see who}\\ \text{can tell what we'll see} \ &\ \text{look at the Winter} \ &\ \text{beat you in the rankings}\\ \text{next on Puzzling SE!} \ &\ \text{Bash blog post, too—} \ &\ \text{(and who you beat out!).}\\ \hline\end{array}$$   $$\begin{array}{c}\hline\mathbb{\large\ \ \huge T\large HE\ \huge M\large AIN\ \huge E\large VENT\ \ }\\\hline\end{array}$$ $\bf T \scriptsize ODAY'S\ \normalsize M \scriptsize AIN\ \normalsize E \scriptsize VENT\ \scriptsize PUZZLE$ comes from Rubio, who is pleased to have his first puzzle featured in this section. He had this to say: $$\small\begin{array}{c}This\ is\ an\ idea\ I've\ had\ in\ my\ head\ for\ a\ while\ now\ and\ I\ was\ finally\ able\ to\ \\put\ all\ the\ pieces\ together\ the\ way\ I\ had\ envisioned.\ I\ hope\ you\ enjoy\ solving\\it\ as\ much\ as\ I\ enjoyed\ creating\ it!\end{array}$$ So—on with the puzzle.

$$\boxed{\text{The clue is:}\\ \ \ \ \bf{Photo Journalist?}\\ \\\ \\\rm\text{Cipher Text:}\\ \ \ \ \bf\text{yand sfwh tou the" forand gharar qgh yand thp forand qgh}\ \ \\ \ \ \ \text{ando owo thp} \ \ \ \text{sfwh tou thp qgh yand oow}\ \ \ \\ \ \ \ \text{qg qgh yand qwith thp forand qgh} \\\ \\\bf{What\ Am\ I?}}~ \require{action}\require{enclose}\llap{\smash{\lower{15pt}{\moveright{1ex}\toggle{\scriptsize\enclose{circle}[mathcolor=white]{\rlap{\begin{array}{c}\\\smash{\lower{4ex}\color{silver}{\Rule{14ex}{3ex}{0ex}}}\\\smash{\lower{4ex}\color{silver}{\Rule{12ex}{10ex}{0ex}}}\\\smash{\lower{3ex}\color{silver}{\Rule{8ex}{15ex}{0ex}}}\\\smash{\lower{1ex}\color{silver}{\Rule{2ex}{18ex}{0ex}}}\end{array}}\scriptsize\color{black}{\begin{array}{c}\phantom{\Rule{14ex}{0ex}{0ex}}\\scratch\\off\ for\\hint\\\ \end{array}}}} {\enclose{circle}[mathbackground=white]{\scriptsize\begin{array}{c}\\\ \\\ \ \rm Y\rlap{\smash{\raise{2.9ex}{\rm\ 0}}}\lower{2.9ex}{\tt\ c}\ \ \rlap{\smash{\raise{4ex}\rm f}}\lower{4ex}\tt{5}\ \ \ \ \ \tiny\\\ \end{array}}}\endtoggle}}} $$       Hints: 1983-1985. Grade 2. Apple.

This is a riddle, cipher, enigmatic-puzzle, knowledge, and ... visual puzzle?!   ... Good luck!

$ $

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$\begin{array}{c}\hline\mathbb{\large C \small RYPTICS\ \large C\small ORNER}\\\hline\end{array}$
^{Wherein we present a few quick Cryptic Clues...}

1. Italian food left unfinished, you and I trade places and start Lasertank$ $ing—first interesting, now greatly perplexing. (8)


2. Chimney part of Hanoi towers? (5)


3. Replace old partner with something new. (8)

$ $

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$\begin{array}{c}\hline\mathbb{\large C \small OLUMNS}\\\hline\end{array}$

$$\begin{array}{l|l|l}\hline \scriptsize\text{Site Scope}^\text{TM}&\scriptsize\text{Puzzler's Q&A}&\bf E\scriptsize\text{DITORIAL}\\ \bf I\scriptsize\text{S SITE REP EVERYTHING}\ &\ \bf W\scriptsize\text{HAT'S A RED HERRING} \ &\ \\ \text{it's cracked up to be? Do} \ &\ \text{and why is it that many} \ &\ \text{Why are}\ ``\text{simple" puzzles}\\ \text{I even need it? What's it} \ &\ \text{puzzlers—both setters} \ &\ \text{often considered}\ ``\text{bad" or}\\ \text{useful for, and how do I} \ &\ \text{and solvers alike—hate} \ &\ \text{of low quality, and end}\\ \text{earn it? We are going to} \ &\ \text{them? Are they all just} \ &\ \text{up being downvoted into}\\ \text{share some valuable tips} \ &\ \text{fish-haters?} \ &\ \text{oblivion? Isn't there room}\\ \text{on how you (yes, YOU)} \ &\ \text{For people who haven't} \ &\ \text{on PSE for some easier}\\ \text{can gain reputation, and} \ &\ \text{heard the term before,} \ &\ \text{fare, to help newer users}\\ \text{what you can look} \ &\ \text a\ red\ herring\ \text{is an} \ &\ \text{get their bearings without}\\ \text{forward to as you reach} \ &\ \text{element of a puzzle that} \ &\ \text{having to tackle the more}\\ \text{higher rep levels.} \ &\ \text{is there only to serve} \ &\ \text{challenging puzzles that}\\ \text{First, you should make} \ &\ \text{as a distraction from} \ &\ \text{more experienced users}\\ \text{sure you have taken the} \ &\ \text{a puzzle's real}\ ``\text{meat"}, \ &\ \text{are accustomed to?}\\ \text{Site Tour, as it gives} \ &\ \text{which can be frustrating} \ &\ \text{Often, larger puzzles are}\\ \text{general information on} \ &\ \text{to have to root out and} \ &\ \text{too daunting for newer}\\ \tiny\text{CONTINUED ON PAGE 4} \ &\ \tiny\text{CONTINUED ON PAGE 3} \ &\ \tiny\text{CONTINUED ON PAGE 4}\\ \end{array}$$

_{______
(Solving this puzzle, while not particularly challenging to do, requires a couple of steps of finding the right way to interpret information and the right way to do it. Partial solutions, while not strictly necessary, may prove helpful.)}

 
—HINTS—
_{helpfulness level 0:}

_{The choice of how to present this puzzle was not arbitrary. There's a specific reason for it.}

_{helpfulness level 1:}

_{There's an obvious main riddle, some cryptics, and a few bits of spot-the-reference fun in here. But don't be fooled by the presentation. Solving the main riddle requires thinking (and reading) outside the box.}

_{helpfulness level 2:}

_{Pay attention to (all) the tags.}

_{helpfulness level 3:}

_{An awesome and fantastic tools site lists this encryption as a Substitution Cipher method code. From my testing, though, you can't decode the cipher-text there, so no harm in giving you that site's domain name... so I just did.}

_{helpfulness level 4:}

$\lower{1.5pt}{\bf W\tiny\text{HAT'S A RED HERRING}}$ _{is a red herring. What isn't a red herring?}

_{helpfulness level 5:}

_{Many of you have seen this encoding within the last week or two, but weren't paying it any attention.
People who were paying attention, probably didn't see it.}

_{helpfulness level 6:}
🔒 LOCKED     (Unlocks only if needed, and *only* after cipher is broken!)

Answer

Rubio specifically mentioned partial solutions, so I thought I'd start recording information here, starting with the cryptic clues. Unfortunately, I realized that

they're completely useless.

Number 1:

Italian food is PIZZA, left unfinished is PIZZ. If I and U trade places, it becomes PUZZ. If you begin Lasertaking to get an L, and take the first letters of Interesting, Now Greatly, you get PUZZLING, which is certainly perplexing.

For the cryptic clues, number 2 seems to be

STACK, which is a synonym for chimney and part of playing Towers of Hanoi.

Finally, number 3 is

EXCHANGE, which means replace, and is also an old partner (EX) with something new (CHANGE).

Thus, the cryptic clues spell out

PUZZLING STACK EXCHANGE

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Edit:I think I've figured out the next step. The only way the clues make sense is if:

The cypher text is BRAILLE, which has special encoding for quotation marks, FOR, and AND. The resulting image should most likely make an image, thus being the 'photojournalist'. I don't have the time right now to translate the whole text into braille, but I hope someone does!

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Solved!

The answer is "Image writer dot matrix printer", spelled out in grade ii braille encoding! ⠽⠯⠀⠎⠋⠱⠀⠞⠳⠀⠮⠠⠶⠀⠿⠯⠀⠣⠜⠜⠀⠟⠣⠀⠽⠯⠀⠹⠏⠀⠿⠯⠀⠟⠣
⠀⠀⠀⠯⠕⠀⠪⠕⠀⠹⠏⠀⠀⠀⠎⠋⠱⠀⠞⠳⠀⠹⠏⠀⠟⠣⠀⠽⠯⠀⠕⠪⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠟⠛⠀⠟⠣⠀⠽⠯⠀⠟⠾⠀⠹⠏⠀⠿⠯⠀⠟⠣

Here is a Braille Visual