• I understand the Northwest also suffered similar weather-related disasters last week, as did Australia. In Ireland, surfers defied unusually giant waves for the ride of a lifetime. And I’m crying hurriquake again in Fiji, which got hit with a cyclone and a 7.8 earthquake.

• Here’s a PDF article about HAARP and weather warfare, “Beware the US military’s experiments with climatic warfare”, warns the author. I’m also in the middle of Jerry Smith’s book Weather Warfare. It’s a doozy.

• Very interesting video of Ron Eglash, an ‘ethno-mathmetician’, discussing fractal patterns in African villages. I cited his work in my book as an example of possible evidence that we have been unconsciously processing fractals as a species for a very long time, and perhaps a renewed awareness might help us in our present consciousness-raising endeavors. Seriously – fractals are super-cool and have a lot to teach us about our reality.

• If you’re following the current economic crisis, you might like to read this recent article in Der Spiegel, “The Dollar Nosedive”. It explains a heck of a lot. Then read this article by Ron Paul, “The End of Dollar Hegemony” and you’ll understand why we need to be concerned when oil starts being traded in currencies other than dollars, as Venezuela has done and now Iran.

• In that spirit I wonder about articles like this one about creating alternative or regional currencies; kind of an interesting idea. Except, of course, when the ‘government’ steps in and confiscates all your gold and silver. The Liberty Dollar people are up in arms. I suppose that might hurt their plans for the Amero.

• Genetically modified insulin, anyone? How about a flu shot at the airport?

• Pretty cool flash video from Scott Creighton about how the Giza pyramids align with the belt of Orion.

]]> http://surfingthetao.com/2007/12/09/notes-from-the-surf-xv/feed/ 1 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ http://surfingthetao.com/2007/05/10/fractal-consciousness/ http://surfingthetao.com/2007/05/10/fractal-consciousness/#comments Thu, 10 May 2007 10:02:39 +0000 Angela http://surfingthetao.com/2007/05/10/fractal-consciousness/ I love fractals. They were a revelation to me when I first learned about them, as I imagine it was for science to learn there really are patterns in nature. “Mandelbrot’s reality has shapes undreamed of by Euclid, and surprises that ridicule the idea of order…clouds, coastlines, tree branches, commodity prices, word [...]]]> I love fractals. They were a revelation to me when I first learned about them, as I imagine it was for science to learn there really are patterns in nature. “Mandelbrot’s reality has shapes undreamed of by Euclid, and surprises that ridicule the idea of order…clouds, coastlines, tree branches, commodity prices, word frequencies, turbulence in fluids, stars in the sky, a reputation, fame, the passage of history itself… – all are fractal shapes.” (Morrow, Lance. ESSAY: Let Us Recuse Ourselves Awhile. (Time, 03-05-1990), p. 72.)

In my book I suggest awareness of fractals might help spark the consciousness necessary to create a world outside of what are now considered to be our boundaries. Some researchers believe ancient civilizations were processing fractals long ago, evidence of which is found in ancient carvings and artwork. I always thought the Mandelbrot fractal resembled a sitting Buddha on its side. I believe fractals may be a much larger part of our subconscious than we realize; somehow they provide a link, or a bridge, to a larger universe; a Greater Reality – the Tao. In my own spirit I see them as a way the Tao reaches out to us and says, I Am.

For whatever reason fractals fascinate and inspire me. If you’re into them check out Ultra Fractal 4, which a friend turned me onto recently. I’m looking forward to tackling it myself and making some fun designs. I did this one a few years ago with an older program.

This is the super-fractal vegetable, Romanesco broccoli (photo courtesy of Jon Sullivan).

Mandelbrot set.