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Fractal of the Day
by Jim Muth
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Fractal visionaries and enthusiasts: We are now over 2-3/4 years into the new millennium, and where are we? I remember October in 1999, when we were looking forward to the new century and millennium. Some were predicting a disaster when the computers crashed at midnight Dec. 31. Most realized that there would be no disaster, because we were already aware of the computer problem and had taken steps to avoid it. But at the same time, some were looking forward to the new century as a golden age about to arrive, when, perhaps with divine help, man would put his problems behind him, and we would all live in a world of peace and tranquility. I doubt that those who were saying these things actually believed them, but many such words were spoken. At the time, being a well-established cynic who had observed for many years and used common-sense about the nature of mankind, I commented that things would only get worse. I was sometimes put down by feel-good wishful thinkers as being a doom-sayer. But look at what has happened since then. Forgetting about nasty little things such as last September 11th, and concentrating only on the local area in the past month, what kind of peace and tranquility have we seen? One week ago, only 4 miles or 6km from F.C., the house of a family of seven was fire-bombed by a drug dealer that the family had reported to the police. Six of the seven were killed, including five children. And then there are the 50-or-so other local murders in the past month, not to mention that clever killer who is still on the loose, taking pot shots at passing strangers and making the police look totally inept. Where is the peace and tranquility that the 21st century was supposed to bring? (Yes, I have been told that it is indeed here, and I could see it if I learned to recognize it.) The feel-gooders now tell me that the peace will come later in the century, probably when both they and I are long gone. Do I believe them? Not one bit. I reply that, 100 years ago, peace was supposed to be coming in the 20th century. I tell them that, if peace doesn't come in time for me to enjoy it, then their words will remain a fantasy, for I will have no way of confirming their correctness. I believe what I observe, not what I wish were true. Why am I sounding off like this? I'm doing it because I'm angry. I think the fire-bombing put me over the limit. I'm angry because I want to believe the feel-good words that I hear, but cannot. I'm angry because experience has shown that the cynical view is usually the correct view. I'm angry because man has developed a blind, pathetic, atheistic science that cannot make sense of the horrendous events of the world, and cannot even tell us what we are, where we come from, why we are here, or where we are going. I'm angry because skeptics tell me that such questions are a meaningless fantasizing that cannot be answered by reason, and should therefore be avoided in serious discussions. I'm angry because Atheists tell me that I lack the courage to face the harsh reality of my own demise. I'm angry because religion, which is still based on blind faith instead of inner personal experience, has let me down. I am most angry when trendy self-helpers tell me that I need to work on my anger. And I'm also angry because I'm angry over these things. Finally, I'm still waiting for someone who speaks logic and reason, not faith, to show me that I'm wrong in the world view that makes me angry. Now that I've said my piece, I'm a little less angry, so on to the fractal. The fractal part of today's discussion will be short, since I have taken too much time writing the above rant, which appears on the Philofractal list. Today's fractal is a picture of a midget that lies in the same parent fractal as yesterday's image, and most of what was true for that image holds true for today's image as well. I named today's image "An Exoteric Brot" because it can be enjoyed even by those uninitiated into the mysteries of higher math. And I rated it a 7 because it's really not too bad. But the render time of 1/2 hour is not too good. Luckily, that wait can be bypassed by downloading the finished GIF image from Paul's web site at: The weather Sunday here at the old fractal emporium was quite fall-like, even though the leaves are a bit late turning colors this year. Grey skies, chilly breezes, and a temperature of 55F 13C held the cats' outdoor time to under an hour. But their 45-minute romp seemed to be enough for them, since they were quite happy once back indoors and eating their regular meals. It's now Monday morning, and, unlike recent days, I find myself with more than the usual amount of work to be done. I guess the fractals will have to wait until the work is finished. Until tomorrow, take care, and one of these decades I might grow bored with fractals, but it won't be this decade. Jim Muth jamth@mindspring.com jimmuth@aol.com |
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frm:MandelbrotMix4 {; Jim Muth
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