A Recreational Physicist

I’ve updated brummerfamily to use a more modern css based layout.  I have to say that I was really impressed with how it cam out.  It doesn’t look much different then the old table form, but the html is so much cleaner, and I should be able to do some cool things with css switching.

Next step is to write a .Text theme for my blog and experiment with some alternate styles for the site.

I’ve finally edited and uploaded some flightpath videos.  They aren’t the best quality, I need to work on rendering for lower resolution images, but that will come once I get object support in place.

• This first video shows the lorentz equation in 3 dimensions with 2 starting points as the equation parameters are changed in time.  I added a rotation in the vewing position to add to the 3d effect
  • lorenz_high.wmv (6.58MB)
  • lorenz_low.wmv (0.53MB)
  
  
• This second video shows what happens to the motion of a classical electron in orbit as a stronger and stronger magnetic field is applied.  It starts out in an eliptical orbit and then becomes chaotic.  Eventually it settles into a cylendrical orbit as the magnetic forces dominate.
• GravityMagnetic_high.wmv (1.82MB)
• GravityMagnetic_low.wmv (0.142MB)


• This third video shows the orbit of the predator prey equations as they are driven by a sinusoidal driving frequency.
  • predatorPrey_high.wmv (6.58MB)
  • predatorPrey_low.wmv (0.80MB)

Now playing: Frank Black - Places Named After Numbers

I don’t think alot about the words that come out of my mouth.  I usually end up inadvertently saying some pretty hurtful things.  When I say it out loud I can gloss over it and forget it later on.

Typing in a forum hangs around just a little bit longer to remind you of what you said, and you don’t have body language or any of the other conversational techniques to cover it up.  I guess it’s like Bill Cosby’s joke about cocaine.  It makes you more of what you are.  But what if you are an asshole?  One of my goals this year is to write lots online until I like what I write.  I started last year with articles and starting this blog.  Now I need to start posting every day, and hopefully every day I will sound a little less like a self-centered asshole.

Now playing: Poster Children - Now It's Gone

I’ve finally started to settle down in Austin.  After looking at 50–60 houses over the past 2 months, I finally found a house that I just couldn’t pass up.  Even if this house turns into a complete money pit, I love the neighborhood and house enough that it will be completely worth it.  It’s a great and scary feeling to make a huge leap like that.

Things are settling down at work, and I’m finally starting to get some traction and not waste so much time debugging and digging into the framework all the time.  It’s really great working for a development company.  I’ll never go back to I/T again. 

So I’ll have more time to catch up on my code project articles.  I’ve got a couple of bugs to fix and some enhancements that have been requested for my 2 .net articles and I have 3 partially finished articles to get out. 

I’ve also made a bit of progress on Flightpath.  I’m in the middle of adding object and list support.  Once that is done, I’ll have a version that I’m comfortable for releasing to beta.

Here’s to an exciting new year and being back in Austin.  YeeHaw!