Vitaly Parnas

Take responsibility for your life. Don’t needlessly complain. Experiment, question your assumptions, return to first principles if need arises. Have 90 degree days. Nonetheless, don’t take any of …

The last four months of my whereabouts in mostly southern Brazil witnessed much intense and almost daily rainfall, unusual even for my numerous experiences in rainy-season Latin America. In the …

We tend to operate on auto-pilot most of the time. How about altering certain mechanics to return that feeling of self-awareness?

I initially leaned towards the title ‘backwards day’. However …

I finally addressed the poor mobile device rendering of this blog. You can now consider it readable without awkward zooming and strangely inconsistent fonts.

One usually takes mobile rendering for …

Queejongg, a somewhat short, thin but malcomplexed systems operator of an average and easily forgettable face showing signs of his early 30’s, felt insurmountable melancholia on a bench at …

There is an algorithm that can, at least in theory, and in likelihood, at most in theory, solve any problem, calculate the meaning of life, or simulate the universe even …

We are multi-dimensional beings. I speak of dimensions comprising our physical and psychological attributes, hobbies, interests, habits, humor, taste for 20th-century classicism, etc. The individual dimensions number too many to …

There was a period when the more cinematically preconceited version of myself would endure a full Tarkovsky feature with great difficulty. And most such attempts would terminate prematurely. In fact …

As I concocted the Hamiltonian Cycle post, I admit to having faced certain frustration in rendering the necessary diagrams. Normally I try to refrain from diagrams or visuals of any …

Motivate yourself by exchanging one behavior for another.

One of my preferred types of NP hardness proofs involves gadgets. Some publications prefer the more general terminology components, but I’ll use the former. Gadget-based proofs, with the proper …

Exploring the definition and implications of pseudo-polynomial asymptotic time complexity.

We encounter the Knapsack problem all the time. Given a set of items, each of a specific size and value, is it possible to fill a limited size knapsack with …

Another rendition in the series of remarkable cities.

The first time I became acquainted with the term fusion had to be in the context of music. In my earlier years I discovered a number of progressive rock bands …

I recall the 1980’s PC arcade game Paratrooper. It begins with the simple splash screen presenting the game title, accompanied by a fragment of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue …

In the course of a fairly stagnant day at the computer, I proceeded for a walk in a nearby park. With the rainfall tamed, the clouds sparse, the post-afternoon sun …

Let’s continue with sketches of three more cities I found extraordinary.

I’ve travelled across remarkable cities. Many inspired unforgettable sensations and made an extraordinary impact. In fact, some became a sort of a mental sanctuary for me. I can seek …

History never had been a strong aptitude of mine. I never cared for it during the imposed coursework in high school or the institute. I digested the minimum to achieve …

Do I write this post as a result of having finally finished reading War and Piece (Война и Мир)? Did I read the epic novel in spirit of my eagerness …

I’ve continued with public speaking conquests on two fronts: in the digital medium of a virtual Toastmasters club, and in the physical medium of my locally organized club.

In …

2018 has turned into 2019. 2017 was still the year a moment ago. 2020 is as surely to follow, and in but a few turns of tide, in but a …

Have you ever been on the receiving end of a conversation and felt drained, while your face gradually acquires a more grim and intense shape?

There is a constructive and …

I surpassed the year mark since I started to actively maintain this blog. What has this milestone enabled? What lessons have I captured?

Initially, I didn’t have a particular …