Bloghttp://virtuosic.net/blog/en-US2010-03-11T06:55:08ZSquarespace Site Server v5.9.2 (http://www.squarespace.com/)Unveiling my online art galleryhttp://virtuosic.net/blog/2009/8/21/unveiling-my-online-art-gallery.htmlSiva2009-08-21T12:59:58ZSite UpdatesA week back, I was rummaging through some of my artwork from those old days when I used to be an avid follower of art and was dabbling with art. Coincidently, I was also thinking about getting back to art around the same time. I'm giving it a kick start and gathering some self-motivation by putting up my works in the gallery.

A new section has been added to this site. Check it out and give your comments

I intend to add new works when I'm done with them.

]]>Wodehouse is funny, really funny!http://virtuosic.net/blog/2009/7/22/wodehouse-is-funny-really-funny.htmlSiva2009-07-22T14:16:26ZBooksLooking for a lighter time, I recently read and finished 'Gallahad at Blandings' by P.G. Wodehouse - you know, the British author with a unique sense of humour. Needless to say, it was very funny and there were places where I burst out laughing.

An excerpt from this book is below. This is about a barmaid who has just witnessed somebody stealing something. Wodehouse writes her startled cry, instead of stating it as a fact, in so many words as:

She was, accordingly, deprived of speech. Then, her vocal cords in mid-season form again, she expressed her concern and agitation with a EEEEEEEEEEE!! which probably made itself heard and excited interest in many a distant parish.

Well, this sort of exaggeration is what I find comic about his writings. And, his books are rife in these exaggerations.

If you like this kind of humour, you'll love Wodehouse, or, as Wodehouse would say, "you'll find the taste of humour agreeable to your senses"

]]>Interested in Cryptography? Read this book...http://virtuosic.net/blog/2009/6/18/interested-in-cryptography-read-this-book.htmlSiva2009-06-18T11:51:34ZBooksCurrently, I'm reading the book 'The Code Boo k' by Simon Singh. Written in a very gripping style, it gives you a very good history of how cryptography evolved and what it might be in the future. It includes ancient ciphers to recent ones and also touches upon Quantum cryptography.

One side-benefit that this book offers is the realization that how knowledge of varying subjects can give solutions to problems that initially seemed unsolvable or very hard. As an example, when describing frequency analysis as a way of cryptanalysis, the use of statistics came in very handy to decode certain type of ciphers.

The book also has some encrypted messages at the back that you can play with and decrypt using the techniques given in the book.

This book will be added to the book club (see link in sidebar) soon.

]]>Blog now hosted by squarespacehttp://virtuosic.net/blog/2008/11/23/blog-now-hosted-by-squarespace.htmlSiva2008-11-23T04:27:47ZSite UpdatesI've moved over to squarespace to host this blog. It's a great system that combines ease-of-use and the flexibility (nearly) of expressionengine, which I had in my joyent account as the CMS.

This move lets me not worry about database backup, coding, etc. All of these are automatically taken care of. The downside: their pricing plan, which is expensive. So, I'm trying this for a year and will make the decision whether it's worth the money or not!

]]>Pressing the reset button on Habit: Wake up at 5:30 amhttp://virtuosic.net/blog/2008/11/2/pressing-the-reset-button-on-habit-wake-up-at-530-am.htmlSiva2008-11-02T05:33:00Z30 day trialsI skipped 3 days of the trial due to illness and late nights. It was Diwali week here and a lot of noise pollution till 1 am and then I fell sick.
However, I’m determined to try it again when I feel better.
So, officially, this trial is reset, pending restart next week when I feel better.

]]>Week 1: Habit: Wake up at 5:30 amhttp://virtuosic.net/blog/2008/10/26/week-1-habit-wake-up-at-530-am.htmlSiva2008-10-26T18:15:00Z30 day trialsSuccessful week: Summary below.
The goal next week is to get closer to 5:30. Will start by aiming at 5:45

Day 1: 20 October 2008
Target: 6:15 am
Status: OK
Comments: It WAS a struggle to not use snooze, but got through. Meditated after waking up.

Day 2: 21 October 2008
Target: 6:05 am
Status: OK
Comments: Not as bad as yesterday. Meditation was good

Day 3: 22 October 2008
Target: 6:00 am
Status: OK
Comments: Went just fine

Day 4: 23 October 2008
Target: 5:55 am
Status: OK - woke up at 6:00, but still within the limits

Day 5: 24 October 2008
Target: 5:50 am
Status: OK - on time today as I’d to do a railway station pick-up.

Day 6: 25 October 2008
Target: 5:50 am
Status: OK - woke up at 5:57

Day 7: 26 October 2008
Target: 5:50 am
Status: OK - woke up at 5:55 and went for Tai Chi class

]]>Habit changing experiment starts with a 30 day trialhttp://virtuosic.net/blog/2008/10/19/habit-changing-experiment-starts-with-a-30-day-trial.htmlSiva2008-10-19T16:56:00Z30 day trialsLeo of Zen Habits has made a habit out of making good habits stick. A few months ago, I wanted to develop a good habit of waking up early and started a 30 day trial of waking up early, based on some posts at his blog. That trial fell flat on its face.
Recenly, I was reading about the same topic in an e-book called ‘How to Change a Habit’ by Scott Young and was inspired to try it again. The goals of putting this as a first entry in this blog are to serve as a journal for me and, for my friends to put me to task if I slip.

The Habit: Wake up at 5:30 by the end of this trial
Duration of trial: 20 October to 23 November, 2008 (3 day exclusion for travel)
Rules:
Allowed variance: 10 minutes
Use of snooze is not allowed
No internet usage or news reading for 1 hour after waking up
Suggestions and techniques used:
Try sleeping early
Do it in small stages over a week or 10 days. Big jumps tend to fail
When the alarm goes off, just get up and walk off the bedroom
Do something of interest, such as meditation as a reward after waking up

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