Druidry first this morning. I’ve not been as good about tracking my druidic practice here, but I’m still at it: more on that sometime next week, I think. I’m still getting ready for my art show, too.
A couple of things to think about: Cory Doctorow writes about the war on general-purpose computing, and the ways in which we’re being locked out of machines that we nominally own. Twenty new lines from Gilgamesh have been discovered: I’m looking forward to reading them in an English translation sometime soon.
//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.jsI’m working on teaching Caesar Ciphers with some of my students, and I produced this disk from a paper template online. As the article says, this is not secure communication, and it can be broken by hand using a device like the one in the photograph, which you can build from here. I’m not happy with it, though, it’s not great. Here’s the problem with it, for those who care to figure it out:
HVS WBBSF RWGY KVWQV FSDFSGSBHG HVS DZOWB HSLH, OBR HVS CIHSF RWGY KVWQV FSDFSGSBHG HVS QWDVSFHSLH, OFS BCH HVS FWUVH GWNS FSZOHWJS HC CBS OBCHVSF; OBR OG O FSGIZH, HVS ASQVOBWGA WG RWTTWQIZH HC FSOR. WH’G AIQV SOGWSF HC IGS O GWADZS SBQFMDHWCB OZUCFWHVA.
As you might guess, the previous paragraph is mostly a bunch of comments about how the inner ring of the caesar cipher isn’t the right size to line up with the outer ring of the cipher device. I hate paper models that don’t fit together well; but mostly this is about teaching some seventh graders about programming.
Tai chi practice today consisted of the relaxation exercise, where one lies down on the floor, and gradually tenses and releases each muscle in the body, until the spine un-clenches and lies more-or-less flat on the floor. Then twenty-five push-ups, then 25 squats because Robert Mitchell said that was a good idea (and he’s right). Then Eight Pieces of Silk, because it’s my favorite qi gong form, and then an iteration of the form. I screwed up a bit on the full spin today. All in all, it was a good practice, though.
I’m going to be away for most of the weekend; not sure about my ability to get internet. I’ll try to leave you something entertaining while I’m gone.
