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 |    Not for the faint of art. |
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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. ![Merit Badge in Quill Award
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Congratulations on winning Best Blog in the 2021 edition of [Link To Item #quills] !](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Quill_Award-1375927_6.gif) ![Merit Badge in Quill Award 2
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2022 Quill Award - Best Blog - [Link To Item #1196512] . Congratulations!!!](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Quill_Award_2-1375927_6.gif) ![Merit Badge in 30DBC Winner
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Congratulations on winning the Jan. 2019 [Link To Item #30dbc] !!](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-30DBC_Winner-2064535_14.gif) ![Merit Badge in Blogging
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Congratulations on winning an honorable mention for Best Blog at the 2018 Quill Awards for [Link To Item #1196512] . *^*Smile*^* This award was sponsored by the blogging consortium including [Link To Item #30dbc] , [Link To Item #blogcity] , [Link To Item #bcof] and [Link To Item #1953629] . For more details, see [Link To Item #quills] .](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/type-Blogging-2180.gif) ![Merit Badge in Highly Recommended
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I highly recommend your blog.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/Kudos-Highly_Recommended.gif) ![Merit Badge in Opinion
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For diving into the prompts for Journalistic Intentions- thanks for joining the fun!](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/genre-Opinion-1150.gif) ![Merit Badge in High Five
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For your awesome Klingon Bloodwine recipe from [Link to Book Entry #1016079] that deserves to be on the topmost shelf at Quark's.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Quarks_Bar-2046190_12.gif)       |
| We interrupt our regular programming to bring you this important message... Do they still say stuff like that? I haven't watched network TV in years. Nay, decades. What with streaming and all, I get to set my own passive entertainment schedule and, bonus, avoid ads. But no, really, today I'm not answering a prompt or discussing a link. Yesterday, I went to see a friend. This is notable because it's the first time since the Before Times that I visited someone else's house. He and his wife have been my friends since, I don't remember, sometime in the 90s. It was his birthday celebration, and five of us just did normal stuff like taking a walk, playing a card game, having a barbecue, and talking about stuff. You know, normal life things. I'm fully aware that there's still a pandemic going on, which is why I decided not to go to Belgium this year, after all; the phased reopening of the EU is tricky to follow and I don't want to go at a time when stuff I want to do isn't available. So, hopefully, that'll happen next year. Meanwhile, I've decided to do a road trip soon, which is mainly what I wanted to talk about here. I've done an entry in this blog every day for just over 18 months now. Usually, I post something shortly after midnight WDC time. When I'm traveling, my schedule will be inconsistent -- I'm still going to shoot for every day, but it's unlikely that they'll all be at the time we've all grown used to here. But, honestly, I'm not going to stress about it; if I have to miss a day because there's other stuff going on, well, so be it. 18 months is, after all, a good run of posts. So. Whenever I tell someone I'll be on a road trip, their first question is, understandably, "Where are you going?" While I get where the question is coming from, my road trips tend to be the living embodiment of "it's about the journey, not the destination." I might even say that there is no destination, only journey. That said, for this trip, I've picked out a few spots completely at random. It just so happens that at least two of those spots are relatively close to good friends from WDC, and I intend to visit them. I also intend to visit breweries and other points of interest. I also take my time, often avoiding interstates. While US interstate highways a) are an everyday marvel of civil engineering (which was my professional life); b) represent a nice fast way to get from Point A to Point B; c) provide travel services such as food, gas, lodging, and toilets, most of which are helpfully signed; and d) were a triumph of infrastructure planning at the Federal level which couldn't be replicated today if we tried; they're also, with a few exceptions, exceedingly boring. I use 'em if I'm in a hurry, usually on the return trip when I'm starting to get tired of driving. Consequently, if you happen to live near a place where I'm going to be passing through and want to grab a drink or whatever, I might be able to arrange that. But I don't precisely know where I'm going to be, except central Minnesota and, later, the Salt Lake City area. After that, probably I'll take a more southern route back east. If not, there's (hopefully) going to be a next time. Make it worth my while (i.e. buy me a beer) and I might even be persuaded to take a detour. My plan right now is to leave on Saturday. This means I'll be traveling over the July 4th weekend, which may suck, but the only other alternative would be to wait until after that holiday to start the trip, and I'd rather not wait that long. So until then, blogging as normal. After that, well, we'll see. |
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Finally. Fascinating stuff. All of them. There is something rather philosophical about comedy. You are certainly right there. 
