diff --git a/content/letters/dear-ministers.md b/content/letters/dear-ministers.md
index 7a4b456..752b268 100644
--- a/content/letters/dear-ministers.md
+++ b/content/letters/dear-ministers.md
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ---
 title: Dear Ministers
+date: 2011-12-09
 ---
 
 Friday, December 9, 2011 at 12:39 pm 
diff --git a/content/letters/good-and-bad-los-alamos.md b/content/letters/good-and-bad-los-alamos.md
index 42469a8..09a20e0 100644
--- a/content/letters/good-and-bad-los-alamos.md
+++ b/content/letters/good-and-bad-los-alamos.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ---
 title: The good and bad of Los Alamos
 description: The first letter I collected. I felt it needed to be preserved forever.
+date: 2008-11-05
 ---
 
 *This was published as a [letter to the Editor of the Los Alamos Monitor](http://www.lamonitor.com/content/good-and-bad-los-alamos)*
diff --git a/content/letters/i-also-enjoy-wearing-kilts.md b/content/letters/i-also-enjoy-wearing-kilts.md
index f3037b8..7cfee0b 100644
--- a/content/letters/i-also-enjoy-wearing-kilts.md
+++ b/content/letters/i-also-enjoy-wearing-kilts.md
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ---
 title: I Also Enjoy Wearing Kilts
+date: 2016-09-28
 ---
 
 *This was published as a [letter to the Editor of the Daily Post](http://www.ladailypost.com/content/letter-editor-i-also-enjoy-wearing-kilts)*
diff --git a/content/letters/shopping-at-smiths.md b/content/letters/shopping-at-smiths.md
index 03e9bb1..ff96973 100644
--- a/content/letters/shopping-at-smiths.md
+++ b/content/letters/shopping-at-smiths.md
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ---
 title: Shopping At Smith's
+date: 2017-05-11
 ---
 
 *This was published as a [letter to the Editor of the Daily Post](http://www.ladailypost.com/content/letter-editor-shopping-smiths)*
diff --git a/content/letters/suspicious-activity.md b/content/letters/suspicious-activity.md
index c9f8959..dfa728f 100644
--- a/content/letters/suspicious-activity.md
+++ b/content/letters/suspicious-activity.md
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ---
 title: Concern Over Suspicious Activity
+date: 2023-09-01
 ---
 
 *This was published as a [letter to the Editor of the Daily Post](http://www.ladailypost.com/content/letter-editor-concern-over-suspicious-activity)*
diff --git a/content/letters/uglification-2.md b/content/letters/uglification-2.md
index a39e215..f059019 100644
--- a/content/letters/uglification-2.md
+++ b/content/letters/uglification-2.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ---
 title: The Uglification of Los Alamos (2021)
 description: in which it is opined that the new street lamps are ugly, unlike the old ones from 2014
+date: 2021-01-30
 ---
 
 *This was published as a [letter to the Editor of the Los Alamos Reporter](https://losalamosreporter.com/2021/01/30/the-uglification-of-los-alamos/)*
diff --git a/content/letters/uglification.md b/content/letters/uglification.md
index a270c57..96cdeea 100644
--- a/content/letters/uglification.md
+++ b/content/letters/uglification.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ---
 title: The Uglification of Los Alamos (2014)
 description: in which it is opined that the new street lamps are ugly
+date: 2014-11-20
 ---
 
 *This was published as a [letter to the Editor of the Daily Post](http://www.ladailypost.com/content/letter-editor-uglification-los-alamos)*
diff --git a/content/toys/triscit/index.html b/content/toys/triscit/index.html
index ad1c10e..dc33ae1 100644
--- a/content/toys/triscit/index.html
+++ b/content/toys/triscit/index.html
@@ -43,7 +43,10 @@ type: bare
                             <div class="field">
                                 <label class="label">Input</label>
                                 <div class="control">
-                                    <input class="input" data-control="input" placeholder="\x00 style escapes accepted" value="hello">
+                                    <input class="input" data-control="input" placeholder="used by READ instruction" value="hello">
+                                </div>
+                                <div class="control">
+                                    <input class="input" data-control="0xinput" placeholder="used by READ instruction">
                                 </div>
                             </div>            
                             <div class="field">
diff --git a/content/toys/triscit/ui.mjs b/content/toys/triscit/ui.mjs
index c9fbf41..edd6356 100644
--- a/content/toys/triscit/ui.mjs
+++ b/content/toys/triscit/ui.mjs
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ class UI {
             case "input":
                 e.addEventListener("input", () => this.SetInput())
                 break
+            case "0xinput":
+                e.addEventListener("input", () => this.SetInput(true))
+                break
             case "program":
                 e.addEventListener("input", () => this.SetProgram())
             }
@@ -186,9 +189,18 @@ class UI {
         this.Reset()
     }
 
+    Set0xInput() {
+        let e = document.querySelector('[data-control="0xinput"]')
+        let x = e.value || ""
+        let v = Binutils.Unhexlify(x)
+        // XXX: escape v and fill into the input
+        this.input = Binutils.Unhexlify(v)
+        this.Reset()
+    }
     SetInput() {
         let e = document.querySelector('[data-control="input"]')
         let v = e.value || ""
+        let x = Binutils.Hexlify(v)
         this.input = Binutils.Unescape(v)
         this.Reset()
     }