Fractal Freak
Save the intervention - I admit it. I am a fractal freak. I first fell in love with fractals in high school. I read a science fiction book based on fractals, and the whole world within a world within a world concept just grabbed me. I believe I next fell in love with the Mandelbrot set, which is fantastically gorgeous. But I truly, truly fell in beyond retrieval last Friday, after watching the Nova program ”Hunting the Hidden Dimension”.
Visually, fractals are just seductive. But they appeal to the science geek in me as well. Because fractals live at the intersection of math, science, nature, and art. And who wouldn’t want to live there? Your neighbors would be spectacularly entertaining.
Fractals are created by running data through the same equation over and over (iteration). The really pretty pictures come from graphing the results.
Fractals are all over nature. You really can’t avoid them. The way trees branch is fractal (they branch, and then they branch again, and then they branch again…) But did you know that forests are fractal, too? Clouds and mountains follow fractal patterns. That frost on your windowpane? Fractal. Your heart beats in fractals, and your blood veins are fractal, too.
Fractals have been used in clothing designs, medicine, and pretty much every movie with special effects. And your cell phone just wouldn’t work without that fractal antenna embedded in it. Jackson Pollock’s work has been analyzed, and it contains fractals. They’re gorgeous, they’re seductive, they’re brilliant, they’re… OK, I see you glazing over. I’ll go chortle over my fractals in private now.
The top picture shows the Mandelbrot set. The second picture shows a zoom of the Mandelbrot set, which shows how the pattern repeats. These gorgeous graphics of the Mandelbrot set are from the Wikimedia Commons.
The Traveler’s Curse
“I need Korean sushi!” I hollered, to no one in particular. “Why can’t I get Korean sushi in San Diego?”
I’ve lived all over the States as well as in several countries, have traveled pretty extensively, and have had friends since childhood from all over the world. Which is terribly interesting, exciting, broadening, enlightening, but…
I have addictions to all sorts of things that I just can’t get here. Or at least not easily. Like Korean sushi. I want a Korean sushi roll, and a nice steaming bowl of Miso soup. When we were in Japan, I had breakfast off of the Japanese portion of the buffet. Who doesn’t want miso soup for breakfast?
Mind you, I’d settle for some lovely Sag Aloo, but not the kind you get in regular Indian restaurants. The type with big chunks of ginger in it. Or the one with Tandoori chicken in it. And nan - I’m desperate for nan! And I really need some of those fabulous Chinese desserts made from sweet rice jelly (I think it is). Or the big poofy ones with sweet rice paste in the middle. Yum! Or how about a really good croissant, the kind you can only get in France (or Montreal). You know, the ones that are basically solid butter?
And then there are my state-side addictions which just aren’t available here. Maple sugar candy. And Pączki (Polish jelly donuts). My favorite thing about Lent was always pączki day.
Some things are just hard to find (or expensive), or I have to make them myself. I drink Jasmine Dragon Pearl green tea for breakfast (bought in Shanghai, China) and make my own chai in the afternoons from a recipe given to me by an Indian friend. Both of which require, you know, expensive ingredients.
The traveler’s curse, you see, is that you’ll never again find everything you desire in one place…
The top photo shows me in Zhouzhuang, China. I’m the one in disguise in the white hat. Note that I’m head and shoulders taller than everyone else. The middle photo is a tea shop in Shanghai, China. The bottom photo shows a man making toffee in Zhouzhuang. All photos are copyright Andrew Hollingsworth. All rights reserved.
Etsy Front Page!
Once again I missed seeing myself on Etsy’s front page yesterday. But the fabulous Andy has written a nifty little computer script that constantly checks whether I’m on the front page, and grabs a copy of the page for me if I’m up there. Isn’t he clever? And look, there are my Tears of the Sky earrings again. I’m down to two pairs left, as I’ve just made my first sale on 1000 Markets!
Goofball
“I think she’s going deaf,” Andy said, staring critically at Ditto.
“Really?” I said. “How can you tell?”
Ditto danced around, tail going madly, a comical expression on her face. “They’re looking at me!”, I’m sure she was thinking. “The world is FANTASTIC!”
You have to understand, Ditto has always been a goofball. I’ve always thought of Ditto like Odie in the Garfield cartoons. Everyone else gets a lightbulb when they have an idea. Ditto gets a flickery little candle.
She’s never really gotten the concept that we say something, and then she does something. We’ve had to train her using hand signals. But honestly, we’ve never cared. How can you be mad at a face like that?
I do think he’s right, though. It explains why recently she’s been running around the house madly looking for me, when I’m standing in the middle of the kitchen talking to Andy. Here I just thought she was carrying on the British tradition of eccentricity…
Notcouture Front Page
Hey, look at that! My Forged Open Hoops are up on the front page of Notcouture. And they’re just two rows above - I kid you not - a shot from the new Christian Dior Paris campaign. Yikes!
Etsy Gift Guides
So there I am, paging through the Etsy gift guides to see if I’m featured at all, and wow, there I am! My Tears of the Sky earrings popped up as the first item in the Coworkers gift guide. Loving it!
Better hurry if you want a pair! I only have stones for 3 more pairs, and my supplier has been out of stock on the blue chalcedony for ages…
Death by (Lost) Koi
I just about had heart failure.
I thought I’d lost my favorite koi hoodie. After desperately searching through the house, leaving chaos in my wake, I realized that it was, of course, sitting on the back of the sofa. In plain view. If it had been any closer, it would have bitten me.
Oh yeah, mmm hmmm. I am the original It girl. As in, I’ve got It all going on. If only I could find It…
Desperately want a koi hoodie of your very own? You can pick one up for only $54 at ahpeele.
Cutie-pie Lila
How cute is my little niece Lila? And look, she has curly hair just like her Aunt Jo!
Jo the Traveling Gypsy
I’m sure I should have something entirely amusing to say, but having flown all the way across the country from Florida to California yesterday, and driven to Los Angeles and back today to pick up the dogs, I’m just… exhausted.
What? You didn’t know I was on vacation? Oh yes, I suppose I did sneak out of here. Well, I’ve been in Florida for a week visiting my sister, brother-in-law, and my cutie-pie niece who isn’t quite 2 years old. So stay tuned, photos to come!
What? You didn’t know I was on vacation? Oh yes, I suppose I did sneak out of here. Well, I’ve been in Florida for a week visiting my sister, brother-in-law, and my cutie-pie niece who isn’t quite 2 years old. So stay tuned, photos to come!