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Friday, Nov. 1, 2024

12:25am EDT

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Complex Numbers

by Robert Waltz

Rated: 18+ · Book · Personal · #1196512

Not for the faint of art.

Complex Numbers

A complex number is expressed in the standard form a + bi, where a and b are real numbers and i is defined by i^2 = -1 (that is, i is the square root of -1). For example, 3 + 2i is a complex number.

The bi term is often referred to as an imaginary number (though this may be misleading, as it is no more "imaginary" than the symbolic abstractions we know as the "real" numbers). Thus, every complex number has a real part, a, and an imaginary part, bi.

Complex numbers are often represented on a graph known as the "complex plane," where the horizontal axis represents the infinity of real numbers, and the vertical axis represents the infinity of imaginary numbers. Thus, each complex number has a unique representation on the complex plane: some closer to real; others, more imaginary. If a = b, the number is equal parts real and imaginary.

Very simple transformations applied to numbers in the complex plane can lead to fractal structures of enormous intricacy and astonishing beauty.

http://www.ddewey.net/mandelbrot/

Signature for Honorable Mentions in 2018 Quill Awards

A signature for exclusive use of winners at the 2019 Quill Awards

Signature for those who have won a Quill Award at the 2020 Quill Awards

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

tj: Tenebrous Jekyll

about 7 hours ago
In response to "Phases"

Perhaps, if the full moon drives one to madness, the half moon will only make one half-crazy.

1 Like

Battywyn🎶

Oct 29, 2024 at 12:18pm
In response to "The Numbers Don't Lie"

I hear ya. I like to think I'm discerning enough to detect fakes, but that might just be my ego talking. When it comes to local businesses, I also go to social media and request recommendations. With both reviews from strangers and recommendations from friends, I give more credence when more (anecdotal, heh) details are provided. It's more an art than science, but liars either have such flawless details that their story sounds fabricated, or they get embarrassed when they trip themselves up. Truthtellers make errors, because memories are fallible, but they get more confused than embarrassed. Ultimately, the only way to really know is to try the product/service yourself. Which is why you'll hear about my Cancun vacation next month, but you don't have to believe me.

1 Like

Robert Waltz

Oct 29, 2024 at 11:07am
In response to "The Numbers Don't Lie"

Battywyn🎶

- I, too, look at the 1-star reviews, though again, reviews aren't my sole criteria. But sometimes it's blatant fake reviewing from the competition: "Don't stay here! It has rats, bedbugs, and roaches! Stay at this other place instead!" where "this other place" is clearly owned by the reviewer.

On the other paw, five-star reviews are often salted by the establishment in question.

Used to be, you could look at the four- and two- star reviews to get more honest, nuanced opinions, but the establishments, and their competition, have figured out that trick.

Which is one reason why reviews aren't my sole criteria.

(None of this applies to WDC reviews, or to the artificially inflated Uber rating system)

Battywyn🎶

Oct 29, 2024 at 11:00am
In response to "The Numbers Don't Lie"

And I was going to conclude by saying, when evaluating Caribbean vacation destinations, even if 5,000 people gave it a 4.8 rating, if the one star reviews were from seven people who encountered rats in their rooms, I'm very likely to not choose this destination.

2 Like

Battywyn🎶

Oct 29, 2024 at 10:58am
In response to "The Numbers Don't Lie"

Well, that was annoying. I was still in the process of editing, so please excuse the multitude of errors. I also intended to italicize the quotes from your post. Stupid f****** Parkinson's.

1 Like

Battywyn🎶

Oct 29, 2024 at 10:56am
In response to "The Numbers Don't Lie"

You know what sometimes lies? Anecdotes.

Also, dogs, I've heard.

Oh, hell no.

🤣 I love a good inside joke, but my marketing guru would tell you to cross link here

The fallacy is named after Robert McNamara, the U.S. Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War, where his over-reliance on measurable data led to several misguided strategies

Bet he's proud of his claim to fame.

What's the point in data, then?

The point in data is a decimal separator, unless here in non-english speaking countries, in which case it's more likely a thousands separator.

So, whenever I'm evaluating online reviews for pretty much anything, and for the record I check them for almost everything - I always consider three things: 1. The average rating (eg, number of stars); 2. The The number of contributors to the rating; and three. What the one star ratings say.

1 Like

Annette

Oct 28, 2024 at 2:47pm
In response to "Waste Not"

In Southern California, every single family residence has a green bin. Every trash day, three different trucks make the rounds.

1 for composting
1 for recycling
1 for garbage

Trader Joe's sells almost exclusively packaged foods, even perishables. They have contracts with college food pantries. In many colleges, there are now pantries that are open to the students 4 or 5 days a week plus 1 day when people from the community can drive up and receive a bag with a mix of fresh fruits and vegetables along with non-perishable foods and donated sundries.

Churches are huge food redistribution centers also.

The "too hard to set up" systems have created good jobs here. Instead of seeing food donations as a liability, they have created a supervised and refrigerated second market.

The cost for employees is small because, of course, many of the positions are volunteers. But the supervisors and some of the staff are full time employees with benefits.

The article has thrown up obstacles that are easy to overcome.

3 Like

AnotherDreamer

Oct 28, 2024 at 11:33am
In response to "Waste Not"

https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6156cebc4c605e281289a232/6156cebc4c605eb8bc89... e%20for%20beginners%2024%2009%2018.pdf

1 Like

Robert Waltz

Oct 28, 2024 at 11:33am
In response to "Waste Not"

AnotherDreamer

- Hey, it's a replicator from Star Trek!

Now let's invent the holodeck.

2 Like

AnotherDreamer

Oct 28, 2024 at 11:27am
In response to "Waste Not"

We the people of the world could use those products before they are compost as free sources for 3D printed foods that could be used for emergency food, or if tasty enough, re sold.https://builtin.com/articles/3d-printed-food

2 Like

January 27, 2020 at 12:06am

#974282

Round Here

PROMPT January 27

Invalid Photo #1056988

Discuss a time in your life when someone has tried to "fix" or "solve" a problem for you - but you didn't see it as a problem in the first place.

How do you generally handle unsolicited opinions/advice?

My ex-wife, shortly after she moved in: "You have too many books."

Me: How is that even possible?

I still miss the books she "helped" me dispose of. More than I miss her. To be fair, though, I once had a mole removed that I miss more than I miss her. Don't get me wrong, though; we're on speaking terms - we just don't have anything to speak about anymore.

Before I met her, I dated a woman I'll call B, because she doesn't have any Bs in her name and I'd rather keep people anonymous. We didn't date for very long, and after we broke up we stayed friends. Yes, it really does happen. We were still friends when my ex dumped me, so we started hanging out again - not dating, though. One time, B and I were in a store and for some reason I had the munchies [Narrator: It was weed] and wanted to buy a Rice Krispies Treat - you know, one of those horrid amalgamations of Rice Krispies cereal and melted marshmallows.

"Don't buy that crap," said B, or something very similar. "I'll get the ingredients and we'll make some."

Now, one of the reasons I got along with B [Narrator: apart from the fact that she always had good weed] was that there are few people in this world who are worse housekeepers than I am, and she was one of them, so after buying the ingredients, we went to my place to make it because her kitchen was unusable. She made the things and, in her defense, they really are better than the store-bought kind. But then, instead of a single Treat and a discarded wrapper, I ended up with an empty box of Rice Krispies, half a bag of evil puffy marshmallows, a lingering scent of cooked sugar in the house, two dirty cake pans, a bunch of dirty dishes, utensils, and the pot wherein the nasty white things were melted, and a refrigerator full of Rice Krispies Treats that it would take me a few weeks to eat before I decided the remainder had gone stale and dumped the leftovers.

I mean, seriously, I have to have a serious case of the munchies to eat those things, and that just doesn't happen very often.

Result: A lot more work, a lot more time, a lot more calories, a lot more money spent. Still, I remember that day fondly; we had a good time.

Remember a bunch of entries ago when I realized that I was being stupid about the Tilex or whatever? Well, I guess I'm not alone there. Regardless, I'll always listen to advice. Ever since the Tilex Incident, especially, I'm open to the possibility that I'm Just Doing It Wrong, whatever "It" is. Doesn't mean I'll always follow it, but at least I'll give it some thought.

Still, B ended up moving to the precise opposite end of the country from me [Narrator: weed is legal there] and I miss having her around. Almost as much as I miss my books. At least B and I text every now and then. Today's Complex Number always reminds me of her.

"This is..the first way Counting Crows ever sounded, it was me and Dave in bars and coffee houses playing open mics, doing this song this way. The song begins with a guy walking out the front door of his house, and leaving behind this woman . But the more he begins to leave people behind in his life, the more he feels like he's leaving himself behind as well. The less and less substantial he feels like he's becoming to himself. And that's sorta what the song's about because he feels that even as he disappears from the lives of people, he's disappearing more and more from his own life. The chorus is, he sorta keeps screaming out these idioms these lessons that your mother might say to you when you were a kid, sorta child lessons ya know, "round here we always stand up straight", "carving out our names". Things that you are told when you are a kid that you do these things that.. that when you're grown up it'll add up to something, you'll have a job, you'll have a life. I think for me and the character of the song they don't add up to anything it's just a bunch of crap kinda. Your life comes to you or doesn't come to you but those things don't really mean anything. By the end of the song he's so dismayed by this that he's kinda screaming out that he can stay up as long as he wants and that no one makes him wait...the sort of things that are important if you are a kid. You know that you don't have to go to bed, you don't have to do anything. The sorta of things that don't make any difference at all when you're an adult, they're nothing. And uh and uh this is a song about, about me."

- Adam Duritz; Counting Crows

Round here we're carving out our names
Round here we all look the same
Round here we talk just like lions, but we sacrifice like lambs
Round here she's slipping through my hands

Oh sleeping children better run like the wind,
Out of the lightning dream
Mama's little baby better get herself in out of the lightning

She says "it's only in my head."
She says "shh, I know it's only in my head."

But the girl on the car in the parking lot says
"man, you should try to take a
Shot. can't you see my walls are crumblin'"
Then she looks up at the building
And says she's thinkin' of jumping. she says
She's tired of life, she must be tired of something.

Round here she's always on my mind
Round here (hey man)i got lots of time
Round here we're never sent to bed early and nobody makes us wait
Round here we stay up very, very, very, very late...

4 Like • Comment • View 3 comments

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