Swordfish

WSJ's Matthew Kaminski is afflicted by a modern malady--password hell:

On arrival, the latest gizmo brought a smile, followed quickly by a shudder. "You'll need to remember this identity code to log back on," the "IT Professional," that most valued of colleagues in the 21st century office, said. Then and there, I vowed never to turn the little machine off. My aging cerebrum can't possibly handle another password.

Our Utopia of gadgets is a Dystopia of PINs. At least six -- I lose track -- different number/letter combinations are needed merely to make the office machines run smoothly. Once through the Pearly (Bill) Gates of the computer system, those so-called productivity-enhancing features like e-mail or instant messaging eat up more time and brain space. Then there are the private e-mail, bank and insurance accounts, the dwindling mutual funds, online brokerage, and so on, each insisting on an ever-so-slightly -- but just enough to addle any sane being -- different password scheme. (Five-digit door codes for home, office and my daughter's nursery school take up their own mnemonic space as well.)

Where will the madness stop? Can our brains even handle this furious multiplication of so much random, and at the same time essential, information?

Points, but no prize, for the first to identify the origin of the this post's title.