FOTD -- December 20, 2002 (Rating 5) Fractal visionaries and enthusiasts: For today's FOTD I unpacked a formula named MytestAF. I have no idea what the name means or what the formula is supposed to do. I wrote it one day a number of years ago when I was inventing formulas (formulae for the over-educated) at random, hoping for a lucky break. But the lucky break never happened, and the formula was consigned to one of my abandoned formula files, where it has languished for 6 years or so. On Thursday, after being dead all that time, the formula was chosen at random and given one last chance. It seized the chance and created an image that, rating a 5, barely made it onto the honor roll of FOTD images. It is a busy, jittery looking image, which is why I named it "The Jitters". The foreground is filled with curved bits of brilliantly blue debris that arranges itself into yellowish angular masses as it fades into the background. This background debris is just that -- debris. When enlarged, it does nothing, and goes on apparently forever doing nothing. It lacks even the curvilinear, art-nouveau-like, feeling of the foreground. On my nearly-extinct machine the attached parameter file runs in 2-1/2 minutes. On a real 'screamer' it will run in a minute or so. The completed image will download in less than a minute from one of the FOTD web sites at: <http://home.att.net/~Paul.N.Lee/FotD/FotD.html> and at: <http://sdboyd.dyndns.org/~sdboyd/fotd/index.html> But, for those who are not always connected, another minute or so will be spent going online and reaching the sites. Since all means of viewing the image are about equal in time spent, it is up to the individual fractalist to decide which route to take. Well, the holiday season is almost here -- the darkest time of year in the northern hemisphere, when I am most prone to wax philosophic about many things, but the shortcomings of science and technology in particular. And when I do such waxing, I usually get myself into a lively debate with those who feel that science might be threatened and needs to be defended. Luckily for members of the Fractint list, if the philosophizing starts, I will confine it to the philofractal list, where it will be on-topic for anyone who might still be there to listen. Thursday continued the cloudy, chilly, damp weather here at F.C., with a temperature barely reaching 40F 4C. Seeing such conditions, the cats were no happier than they had been the Wednesday before. As for me, I have much work to do and little time in which to do it, and the new work keeps coming in. I hope to keep the FOTD going every day through the holidays, but it is by no means certain that I will be able to do so. Tomorrow's fractal will appear on schedule however. After that we'll have to take it a day at a time. Until next FOTD, take care, and, if possible, be cheerful until the holidays are past. Jim Muth jamth@mindspring.com jimmuth@aol.com START 20.0 PAR-FORMULA FILE================================ The_Jitters { ; time=0:02:31.04--SF5 on a p200 reset=2002 type=formula formulafile=oldjim08.frm formulaname=MytestAF passes=1 center-mag=-3.8942/-\ 3.41462/0.3033945/1/-67.5/-3.77822773067748585e-014 params=0.8/0.8 float=y maxiter=1200 inside=0 logmap=yes symmetry=none periodicity=10 colors=000K0PJINHFTGDXEAWD8ZB5aA3cF8eJCgNHiRLkVQmZ\ UobYqfbspfznkwruyvxzruxnlwrizgfucct__rWXqTUpPRoLOn\ HKlEHkAEj6Bi38hFKmQVr`evZdvXcvVbvTavR`vP_vNZvLYvJX\ vHWvFVvDUvBTv9Sv7RvDOpILjNIeSF_XCVa9Pf6Kk3Ep19a8QO\ EeQK`SQWUVRSTORSMQQJOPHNNEMMCLLAKNAKPAKRAJSAJUAJWA\ JYAIZAI`AIbAIcAO`0TXA2UJ4UL5UM7UN8WOAZPB`QDbREeSGg\ THjUJlVKnWKnVKnVKoVLoVLpVLpVLpVLqVLqUMqUMrUMrUMrUM\ sUMsUMsUMrTMrTMrSMrSMrSMrRMqRMqRMqQMqQMqQMqPMp8MpP\ MpPMpOMpOMpNMpNMoNMoMMoMMoMMoLMoLMnLMnKMnKMnKMnJMn\ JMnJMmIMmIMmHMmHMmHMmGMlGMlGMlFMlFMlFMlEMkEMkEMkDM\ kDMkCMkCMjCMjBMjBMjBMjFMjKPiPUiUZiZcichihmimmjjmkg\ mldmmcmmckmcnmcqmdtmbwm_zmYzmWzmUzmSzmPzmNzmLzmJzm\ GzmEzmCzmAzmBzmAzmAzmAzmAzmAzmAzmAzmAzmAzmAzmAzmAz\ mAzmAzmAzmAzmAzmAzm9zm9zm9zm9zm9zm9zm9zm9zm9zm9zm9\ zm9zm9zm9zm9zm9zm9zm9zm9zm8zm8zm8zm8zm8zm8zm8zm8zm\ 8zmWzmTzmQzmNzmKzmHzmEzmH } frm:MytestAF {; Jim Muth z=c=pixel, a=flip(real(p1)), b=flip(imag(p1)): z=z^a+(-z)^b+c, |z|<=100 } END 20.0 PAR-FORMULA FILE==================================