I may have forgotten to mention my theme – it is fractals, fractal art, everything fractal up to and including my new book Fractal Dreams! Have a look around my pages and such to see lots more fractals. Also, every Friday I post a FridayFractalFeature (fff, for short) for all to enjoy! Thanks for stopping by and engaging in the A to Z 2013 Challenge! This is my FIRST ever, so I’m pretty excited! So every day I will post a fractal whose title starts with the letter of the day… and perhaps other things fractal related.
N is for….
the fractal for N is: NIRVANA
NIRVANA
Nirvana is not in my book, Fractal Dreams, which is available exclusively at RedmundPro.
Disclaimer: I am NOT a mathematician, so please forgive the uneducated tone of my definitions. I am an artist, so I try to explain the math of fractals to the best of my (limited) ability.
How is your Monday going? Well and gently, I hope. Here’s a short video that might afford you some relaxation if you could use some…
The actual purpose of this post is to inform you of an event that will be taking place tomorrow, January 29 at from 3-4PM EST. Our first live chat with the authors features Red. As you know she now has several books under her belt. Taming the Terrible Two’s (T3) (parenting) Mantra for a Muse (poetry) Killing Us Softly: Becoming the Surviving Spouse of Cancer (memoir)
Red will be available for any and all questions about her books, her WIP’s, or even questions about her actual process when writing of a book!
Just visit Tuesday, 1/29 from 3-4PM EST. Or, you could go early and leave questions if you don’t think you can be there at that time. And then later you can go back to see all the Q & A!
Nora Ephron has died. She passed on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 of complications from myelodysplasia, a blood disorder. Nora was 71.
In the days when magazines like Newsweek “didn’t hire women as writers”, a Newsweek interviewer told her, Nora got a job as a mail clerk. She stuck that out for about a year. In 1962, the International Typographical Union walked out on the Daily News, the NewYork Times, the New York Post and six other major newspapers. During the strike, Nora was hired to write a parody of a popular gossip column. The New York Post liked her so much, they offered her a trial position as a “cub” reporter. Her career took off from there, the Post loved her and she worked happily for them for five years. She became involved with Arianna Huffington’s new brainchild The Huffington Press. She was an intimate part of the birth of that publication, from its conception to the multimedia giant it is today.
Nora became extremely popular as an essayist, novelist, journalist, screenwriter, filmmaker, producer, director, author and blogger. At first she was hesitant to try her hand at “blogging”, not even a recognized activity, at the time, much less a professional one. Of course, she excelled at it. In fact, she preached it, as a viable means of communication in which discussion could be created among members of a “community” who might never have come together.
Throughout her years she wrote such hits as “Heartburn,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “Silkwood” and “Sleepless in Seattle.” Her personal life was lived among the literati of the times, hanging with such folks as Betty Friedan, Julia Child, Meryl Streep. She feuded with Gloria Steinem.
Nora was married several times. One of her mates was Carl Bernstein, of the famous duo Woodward and Bernstein. In fact, when the true identity of “Deep Throat” was revealed to be navy veteran and FBI official, Mark Felt, Nora wrote that she had known it all along. She listed all the facts that had led her to her conclusion that it was Mark Felt. But even with her clout, no one really believed her. It wasn’t until Mark Felt actually outed himself that the world at large actually accepted the truth.
Nora has quite a legacy to leave, not the least of which is her strong pioneering spirit in taking an absolutely male dominated environment by storm. In addition to numerous essays, articles, plays and columns, Nora was one of America’s best known humorists. Some of her books, include “I Remember Nothing, And Other Reflections” and “I Feel Bad about My Neck: and Other thoughts on Being a Woman.”
Nora will long be remembered as an outstanding artist, a devoted wife and mother, a dear friend to many, and a pioneer and role model for women.
In her 2010 memoirs, “I Remember Nothing…,” Nora spoke of her lifetime love affair with journalism:
“For many years I was in love with journalism,” she wrote. “I loved the pack. I loved smoking and drinking Scotch and playing dollar poker. I didn’t know much about anything, and I was in a profession where you didn’t have to. I loved the deadlines. I loved the speed. I loved that you wrapped the fish.”
While filming “When Harry Met Sally”, the director (Rob Reiner) asked Nora to reveal something about women. “Women fake orgasms.” she told him. He didn’t believe her and Nora replied “Not always, but sometimes.” Since he still didn’t believe her (“Not with me,” he’d said), they then stormed into “the bullpen at Castle Rock Pictures, where all the women worked.” He asked the whole group ‘Is it true that women fake orgasms?’ He was astounded when all these women confirmed it was true. Hence the unforgettable scene in the movie.
RIP Nora Ephron: May 19, 1941-June 26, 2012. I am certainly proud and fortunate to have known about you!!!
Anders Behring Breivik , who was 32 at the time, took his personal Crusade, to the street on July 22, 2011, when he launched his one-man attack/shooting spree during which he killed a total of 77 people.
He had written a 1,500 page manifesto, “2083: A European Declaration ofIndependence”, and created a 12 minute long video about his beliefs, both of which he had prepared for distribution via the intern. Before he began his attacks he emailed his Manifesto to 5,700 people. In this Manifesto, Breveik blamed Marxism and the Norwegian Labor Party, for the increasing immigration of Muslims and the threats implied by such multiculturalism. Breveik called himself “a savior of Christianity” and claimed to be a member of the Knights of Templar. For years, he had been active on anti-muslim internet sites. Fueled by his long time belief that Europe was being Islamized on a major level, Breivik’s targets were leftist individuals and groups, like the kids participating in a Labor Party rally, that Friday afternoon. The victims of his one day terrorist crusade at Utøya Island ranged in age from 15 – 20. Breivik was also responsible for an earlier bombing that day, which killed 7 and wounded 15.
On Friday afternoon, July 22, 2011, about 3:00 pm, municipal workers and civil servants felt the blasts from at least one bomb that shook several government buildings in the office complex of the Einar Gerhardsen plaza, in the center of Oslo. It was a scene definitely reminiscent of Oklahoma City, with glass and debris blasting out of windows and panicked office workers scattering in all directions. The police reported that 7 were dead and at least 15 wounded in what was clearly an act of domestic terrorism.
Within only an hour later, Breveik, dressed like a uniformed police officer, invaded a summer youth camp on the island, of Utøya, about 20 miles northwest of Oslo. His targets were captive on this island, which is not a near swim from the mainland. After he shot several people on the island, he started going after those who were trying to escape in the water.
These attacks stunned the country of Norway, normally known for its peacekeeping and diplomatic activity. Oslo is the city in which the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded.
Police took Breivik into custody shortly after the incident on Utøya island. Breivik had a FB page, according to police, in which he described himself as a conservative Christian. It also identified him as a fan of the RPG’s including World of Warcraft, Modern Warfare 2. George Orwell’s “1984” was one of his favorite books, according to his FB info.
Breivik is attributed with a tweet on the previous Sunday, July 17, 2011, “One person with a belief is equal to the force of 100,000 who have only interests.”
Living in such a neutral country, for the most part, Norwegians were stunned and felt a heightened sense of vulnerability, after these attacks. Terrorism was immediately blamed for the warlike acts, and Muslim leaders in Norway, strongly and swiftly disavowed any connection to the events.
NAME: Anders Behring Breivik
OCCUPATION: Murderer, Terrorist, Knight of Templar
EDUCATION: Hartvig Nissen High School, Oslo Commerce School
PLACE OF BIRTH: London, United Kingdom
Breveik called the police to turn himself in after the Utøya shooting:
“My name Anders Behring Breivik. I am a commander of the Norweigain resistance movement. Please could you give me the head of Delta? … Yes, I am at Utoya, I am a person who wishes to surrender. Knights Templar is the name of the organisation but we are part of the anti-communist movement. I have just carried out an operation on behalf of Knights Templar Europe and Norway.”
As of today, Breveik’s sentencing has not yet been decided. The worst sentence he could receive is 21 years in prison. Norway does not allow for the death penalty in their courts. Since he has admitted the offenses, the issue pending is his sanity. Depending on the outcome of that trial, his sentence will be handed down.
