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Recently read the frontpage story of breaking the confederate code 137 years late… Figured I would write a visual basic version for fellow VB nerds to play with on digg.
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Adds on to the interesting story with a resurgence in private cryptology. Like brain surgery for amatuers. :-)
read more | digg story
http://rz1.razorpoint.com/index.html
How I Broke The Confederate Code (137 Years Too Late)
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A very interesting read about a former NSA cryptologist cracking a confederate code from the Civil War. Rather topical in light of the recent cracking of some WWII enigma codes, the current NSA stories in the news and, of course, all the "cryptography" in the imminent release of the Da Vinci Code. Interesting stuff.
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Having certified as crypto geek at NSA, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this crack. Note the extensive use of history, knowledge, geography, feel, emotion, and hunches. This demonstrates how far we have come. Once has to be extremely careful in any crypto operation. I am amused that PA has adopted eNotary. I'd be much more circumspec about the widespread deployment of cypto.
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Electronic Notarization Comes to Pennsylvania!On January 3, 2006, the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania began accepting applications from currently commissioned notaries in the state for becoming approved electronic notaries (eNotaries). eNotaries are permitted to engage in electronic notarizations after receiving approval from the secretary. An application may be filled out online and printed from the secretary's Web site at http://www.dos.state.pa.us/bcel. Complete instructions and more information are also available on the Web site.
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HMmmm?
I try to keep a large number of plates spinning in a whole variety of activities. I really would like to "network" with all 8k of people that I have in my rolodex. But, that ain't humanly possible. And, certainly not by a lazy guy like me.
I ty to give something to my networking contacts that they will find useful. Quick answers to questions. Leads. Sources of further information. Ideas. Everything but money. I need all I have for myself. And, my favorite charities.
So, from time to time, when I have something I think is useful, I send it to them. Like most people that have taken a marketing course at one time or another, I try to segment my effort. What portion of that 8k might find it more useful than others. A sample!
Now how will I "do" it. Email. Has to be. It fast, cheap, and is "do-able".
In the past, I'd send an email to myself and bcc my sample. Last time, one of my "stuckees" called me and sounded slightly miffed at my approach. I was taken aback. I had never thought anyone would be insulted or hurt. So, I took the idea back to the drawing board.
This time, and probably from hence forth and ever more, I'll send each one a unique individual email.
It still will be a bunch. But it will appear one2one. It that cheating?
I don't have that many good ideas that that I could have 8k of them. I'm lucky if I have one a month. It'd would take me 8,000 months to get to every contact. Arggh!
SO, I used Word to do an email merge. It produces a unique email customized to each recipient.
Yell if you want more details.
Easy to start
Open dos window
cd /program files
dir *.* > /dirprog.txt
edit dirprog.txt
trim the extra
CNTL-A CNTL-C
Open excel CNTL-V
Add some headings
Then the hard work begins.
Categorize: Huh?, Utility, Application
Arghh!
Arghhh, I had to sign up three old folks for Medicare Part D today. PIA! I used the AARP plan since it seemed the "best". Not that I understand the nuances of what's going on. $25.month is like playing the lotto. And, they were talkign about paying penalties if you didn't pick one by today. So it's done. All the old folks hate taking drugs anyway. What part of "non compliant" do these docs not understand. If'n' I was a doc and I had one of these geezers I was tryin' to help, I would not prescribe anything other than once a day in the morning pills. No joke, I had one doc rx my mom with a sequence of pills during the day. First up take a 25, at 11am take a 50, at 3pm take 25, and at bedtime take a 50. I know fromt he drug bills that she's taking ~ one 50 a day. When I brought it do the doc's attention, "no big deal" and "any improvement from the drugs would be marginal at best". Arghhh, I should have made the doc take the pills. Another quick horror story. Another geezer, my aunt, love dearly but would love to strangle sometimes, goes to her regular doc, who KNOWS how she hides pills under her toungue to spit out later. He rxs her with 90 day supply rx that cost 800 $!!!! Those pills are STILL sitting on top the refigerator. Arghhhh!! I hate: the gummamint, docs, and pharmacies! It's a conspiracy. Why do I need to pay a doctor to get a drug. The drug war. It's absurd. It's like having to bring a note from your parents. Mommy Gummamint! What a system.
