IEX CSYV LIEVX SYX GEIWEV!

I finished reading The Code Book last night. That book actually got me excited and interested in cryptology again. A little known fact about me: When I was in elementary school, I would solve cryptograms with pencil and paper for fun. They used to always have a few in this magazine I subscribed to. Anyway, Simon Singh's book actually cleared up a lot of confusion I used to have about cryptology. I now understand how the German Enigma machine works, and I have a better understanding of quantum computers. For example, I used to think a quantum bit (qubit) was simply a bit that could hold one of three values (-1,0,1) instead of two (0,1), and the benefit arises from doing computations using less CPU memory. However, a qubit is actually a bit that can hold two values simultaneously (0 and 1), meaning computations can be completed on two different numbers at the same time. Properly designed, a quantum computer can do a calculation on hundreds of numbers at the exact same time instead of one at a time. This makes cracking modern codes trivial.

Anyways, the author has a bunch of little tools (frequency analysis, etc.) on his website for cracking simple codes. He even has a bunch of stuff for deciphering Vigenere ciphers. However, I think this page or this page are better for cracking Vigenere ciphers.

P.S. The title to this post is encrypted using a very old cipher and is related to my age (modulo 26, of course!).

Check Your Engine

It seems like my "check engine" light has been illuminated in my dash for, like, ever. At least two years. I've got an OBD-II code reader, and it was only an electrical valve, so it wasn't a huge problem, and I think it even increased my gas mileage slightly. Now after all this time it is gone, and it only cost me a $120 part and $500 in labor. But now my gauges seem lonely without that comforting red glow of the check engine light. Some day they will be able to move on.

Who Killed Amanda Palmer?

Kirsten and I went to the Amanda Palmer show last night, and it was amazing. The 930 Club was double billed that night, so it was an early show, and because we took our time at our pre-show binge at Ben's, we actually missed the two opening acts, but we arrived right when Amanda started playing. It was an amazing show. I had wanted to see a Dresden Dolls show for a while, and this exceeded my expectations. She played some of her new songs and some Dresden Dolls songs. It was basically her and her keyboard and occasionally a violin player. Her dad, who apparently lives in Chevy Chase also came out to sing for a couple songs, including a Leonard Cohen cover (I don't know Leonard Cohen, so I couldn't tell you what song it was, but it was beautiful). Throughout the show there were interpretive performances by an Australian dance troupe. During one song they went into the middle of the crowd and performed an amazing lyrical piece (and this will be the one time I'm glad I watched So You Think You Can Dance so that I could appreciate just how brilliant and talented they are). They were also hilarious during Coin-Operated Boy. Then the show ended with a dance party!

The bottom line is that this concert goes in my top 10 easily. I had such a good time. If you can, I strongly recommend going to see her during this tour. The only downside is that because the venue was double booked, and she ran long, she had to end up cutting some songs.

Bats

This shirt makes me smile.