Fractal visionaries and enthusiasts: 

If you're looking for a long fractal discussion, look elsewhere.  For the next several days I'll be spreading my ideas about the disintegration of our culture.

Today's image is a near-Julia set of the Z^(1.5)+C ground level Mandeloid.  It is rotated 0.01 degree toward the Oblate direction, and is striking for the number and variety of fractal trees it holds.  And like the strange mysterious rectangle, it is also one of my very early fractals.

When I began the countdown to doomsday, I was being frivolous.  I didn't actually expect the end of time to come on December 21.  Until now, all predictions of the end of the world have had one thing in common -- they have been wrong.  But now, after the latest school massacre, it looks like I could be right, maybe not in six days, but not too long thereafter.  With unending massacres and depressed adolescents walking about in a technological trance, texting like frustrated demons, maybe the end really is approaching, at least the end of our present way of life.  Invading aliens from Alpha Centauri could hardly have done a better job of destruction than we have done and are still doing to ourselves.

The human race is a part of the great spiritual reality known as nature.  (Of course, rationalists will deny the spiritual part.)  With all the technological gadgets, video games, mass media entertainment etc. we have basically cut ourselves off from our source and are floundering about like fish out of water.  And what are we willing to do about it?  Little more than purchase ever more advanced technological devices.

Technology will save us . . . I guess it will, but . . . then again I'm not too sure.

I see myself as one of a dying breed.  When I go out on my morning walk to the nearby river, I carry no smart device with me.  I enjoy the nature in which I am immersed.  I see the high clouds in the sky indicating that warmer weather is on the way.  I see the early sun striking the bare treetops.  At the river I see that the water level has gone down a bit.  It has been rather dry recently.  And I hear honking.  Looking up, I see geese flying overhead.  Out on the water I see ducks bobbing, and an egret wading near the bank.  And all this is free.  Then I think of a local boy who was killed about a week ago when he was struck by a train while walking along the tracks to school.  His hi-tech headset was so loud that he did not hear the train coming.

Could something be wrong with our modern life style?

It's no problem however.  Before long, the codgers like myself who still remember the old times will be gone, and everyone will be free to enjoy the technological wonderland we are creating for ourselves.

The day actually turned rather pleasant here at Fractal Central.  At least the cats thought so.  The temperature of 46F +8C was above normal, while the variably cloudy sky let through just enough sun to keep things cheerful.  The next FOTD will be posted in about 24 hours.  Until then, take care, and there are far too many people being killed with illegal guns.  Why can't our congressmen get off their bottoms and pass legislation banning illegal guns?  (Hey, I actually heard it on the local talk radio.)

Jim Muth
jimmuth@earthlink.net


START PARAMETER FILE=======================================

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END PARAMETER FILE=========================================