As you may have wondered -- though, most likely, not -- Vernam is on hiatus. "Hmm . . . I wonder what he's on?" So now you know: Hiatus, the medicinal kind. Most likely, you'll not hear from Cipherdom again in 2004. (That came out kind of Nixonian, though I didn't mean it that way.) If you do hear from me, it will mean there's a news event so disconcerting that I can't keep quiet. Which does tend to happen, in both senses. Which none of us wants to happen, in both senses. I'll probably be active, however, over in Gazintas. 'Til then, joy be with you all.