# January 2011

## Thursday, the 6th

### new moon

sort of...

I've always said it can't really get any newer than this. I was lucky with the sunrise, got to take pictures without a filter. Here's a later view (longer exposure, I wanted to see the tower):

This guy's picture, much cooler.

## Saturday, the 15th

### how to write bitmaps

I updated this cpp file that generates nice bitmaps. it should compile with g++... if not, the basic idea is pretty simple. Be careful, if you give it the right parameters for a 1core 1CPU machine, this code can seriously freeze it (well, heat it in fact. I don't know if it can actually burn the CPU though). If you're not sure what I'm talking about, it's best not to use it. Just say no, and install xaos if you really want to play with fractals.

I'm just realizing what a handicap it must be not to have a command line.

In case you are wondering, this particular picture is of the Julia fractal corresponding to the Misiurewicz point $c = -.77568377+.13646737\imath$.

### cracks in reality

I wanted to show you this picture too.

It's interesting to call it a picture. If you have a digital camera, you point it at something, you click it, and out comes a jpeg file (or whatever). this is a png file, but I can turn it into a jpg if I want to. The support is identical, but the information is fundamentally different. What I have here is a picture of a pure concept. But it is real. I think I was trying to say something deep and interesting, but I don't think it came out right.

Anyway. I might just like to look at this picture.

## Sunday, the 16th

### automated fractals

fractals again. I made a python script to better handle the generation of fractals. what I said before about seriously freezing a machine stays valid... anyway, this should be usable to make high quality animations (as series of bmp) or something like that. note that you should be able to implement your own complicated color schemes if you'd like, just follow my example for a rainbow (used in this picture).

have fun.

## Sunday, the 23rd

I've continued Jim and Joe into something that might grow up to be a story. Here it is. I'm releasing it under a Creative Commons licence... if people find it good enough that they think I should write for a living, they'll probably let me know.