Michael Muller

1. "A Radical Mind: Benoit Mandelbrot is a true maverick, as his interview reveals. 2. The Most Famous Fractal: What exactly is the Mandelbrot set? Find out in this excerpt from the book Fractals: The Patterns of Chaos. 3. Design a Fractal: Create and save your own wildly colorful fractals using our generator. 4. A Sense of Scale: Explore the infinite detail of a Mandelbrot set as you zoom to a magnification of 250,000,000x." - Michael Muller

"Clouds are not spheres, mountains are not cones, coastlines are not circles, and bark is not smooth, nor does lightning travel in a straight line." - Michael Muller

And here I thought there were no mavericks left. - Casey Muller

Now, President Bush is trying to run around the Supreme Court by getting the Department of Justice to intervene. On Friday, October 24th, Bush reportedly asked Attorney General Mukasey to investigate whether as many as 200,000 voters need to reconfirm their registrations before November 4th. This is hugely problematic, for a couple of reasons - Michael Muller

SIGN THIS PETITION - Michael Muller

It's crunch time. There's only a week to go in this seemingly interminable 2008 presidential election. The consensus from the national polls is that Democrat Barack Obama enjoys a lead in the mid-to-high single digits and he looks to be strong in key battleground states as well. Obama's lead at this late stage contrasts starkly with the position in which Al Gore and John Kerry found themselves, respectively, during the closing week of the 2000 and 2004 elections. Though many superstitious Democrats around the country refuse to let the thought even enter their minds, much less pass from their lips, the truth is that the 2008 presidential election is, at this point, Barack Obama's to lose. That said, today we ask a very simple question: What should Obama and his campaign do now to close out his presidential bid? - Michael Muller

"Specifically, switching from a regular, high-sodium diet to a low-sodium (1,500-milligram) DASH diet resulted in a blood pressure dip of 8.9/4.5 points. That's about the same reduction achieved by blood pressure medication, Obarzanek says, and it often takes two or three drugs to get similar results." - Michael Muller

"...more than 75% of the salt we get comes from processed foods and restaurant dishes, making it easy to blow a day's allotment in a single meal without even picking up the saltshaker. A McDonald's bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit contains 1,250 milligrams of sodium. Frozen entrees in grocery stores can easily top 5,000 milligrams. A typical serving of jarred tomato sauce packs more than 700 milligrams -- even bread often has a couple of hundred milligrams per slice." - Michael Muller

"Today, Somalia is the world’s greatest humanitarian disaster, worse even than Darfur or Congo. The crisis has complex roots, and Somali warlords bear primary blame. But Bush administration paranoia about Islamic radicals contributed to the disaster. Somalia has been in chaos for many years, but in 2006 an umbrella movement called the Islamic Courts Union seemed close to uniting the country. The movement included both moderates and extremists, but it constituted the best hope for putting Somalia together again. Somalis were ecstatic at the prospect of having a functional government again. Bush administration officials, however, were aghast at the rise of an Islamist movement that they feared would be uncooperative in the war on terror. So they gave Ethiopia, a longtime rival in the region, the green light to invade, and Somalia’s best hope for peace collapsed." - Michael Muller

Yet the endorsement of Mr. McCain by a Qaeda-affiliated Web site isn’t a surprise to security specialists. Richard Clarke, the former White House counterterrorism director, and Joseph Nye, the former chairman of the National Intelligence Council, have both suggested that Al Qaeda prefers Mr. McCain and might even try to use terror attacks in the coming days to tip the election to him. “From their perspective, a continuation of Bush policies is best for recruiting,” said Professor Nye, adding that Mr. McCain is far more likely to continue those policies. An American president who keeps troops in Iraq indefinitely, fulminates about Islamic terrorism, inclines toward military solutions and antagonizes other nations is an excellent recruiting tool. In contrast, an African-American president with a Muslim grandfather and a penchant for building bridges rather than blowing them up would give Al Qaeda recruiters fits. - Michael Muller

AL QAEDA ENDORSES McCAIN - Michael Muller

"German filmmaker Doris Dörrie documents a summer in the life of renowned Zen practitioner and cook Edward Espe Brown as he teaches culinary classes in Zen centers in Austria and California, revealing the role food plays in our bodies and spirits. Informative, provocative and funny, Brown serves up a unique combination of inspiring wisdom and kitchen skills that will raise even the most demanding foodie to new spiritual and gastronomic heights." - Michael Muller

"Don't speak for me, Sarah Palin....." to tune of song from Evita - Michael Muller

Earlier this month visitors dropped by to see art by Michael, Laila, and Juna Muller along with 9 other artists in a studio made of recycled wooden pallets and such. Everyone also seemed to like the "Glashed" as in people who store tools in glass walled sheds shouldn't throw stone implements. - Michael Muller

At the studio, in the middle of the orange groves and semi desert of the East End of Ojai, we served about 60 meals during the two day show. We felt that people who ventured the three miles out of Ojai to swoop through the Big Dip deserved a little sustenence. - Michael Muller

Laila sold the most, 5 of 7 collage boxes and a bunch of Barack theVote tee shirts. Dan Reder sold three prints. And of course the kids sold everything they displayed, paintings, drawings, prints, cards; one woman even paid $11 for print that had a price of $5. - Michael Muller

This is insane in the membrane. - Michael Muller

"Back in the 1920s, the economist George Taylor conceived the hemline index, finding that skirts got longer as the economy slowed. These days, there’s been talk of a haircut index, with short locks signaling a market drop." - Michael Muller

But do you go short or long on some of these? - Michael Muller

"The syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker, for example, wrote in National Review on Sept. 26 that Governor Palin is “clearly out of her league” and should bow out of the campaign. (The conservative biweekly chose not to run a subsequent column in which Ms. Parker offered advice to Senator Barack Obama on how to win votes in Appalachia.) On Oct. 4, one of the most influential conservative pundits, the Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer, rapped Senator McCain for his “frenetic improvisation” and, in what some interpreted as an endorsement of Senator Obama, praised his “first-class intellect and a first-class temperament,” adding that these strengths “will likely be enough to make him president.”" - Michael Muller

"Mr. Obama had added 632,000 new donors in September, bringing the campaign’s total to 3.1 million." - Michael Muller

"Nevada is a crucial battleground in the race for the Presidency, and Barack needs support not just from all Nevadans, but also from Nevada's neighbors -- especially California. This is the chance for Californians to have a major impact on this historic race. Sign up on the right to volunteer for a weekend in Nevada. We are asking that you arrive on Friday and be ready to work bright and early on Saturday morning. Find out more on our Frequently Asked Questions page." - Michael Muller

An interactive picture of Palin sitting in the Oval Office. Move the cursor and watch the consequences of her presidency. My favorite is the door that swings open to reveal a motionless Katie Couric. - Michael Muller

I'm not sure if the dinosaur part would really happen - Casey Muller

I think I counted 20 effects until the final armageddon. But I never could figure how to get that animal to run behind the three windows more than once and not at all this last viewing. - Michael Muller

About the only strong support for McCain is in the nation of Georgia - Michael Muller

But that's a poll of Economist readers. The US vote there has Obama winning 81%-19%, which is probably not accurate. - Casey Muller

Isn't the Economist considered a center-right publication? Or is that only by European standards? - Jim Norris

These figures only represent the responses of readers; still it's interesting to see what people outside of the US feel abour our election. - Michael Muller

"Make the chocolate sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the cream until small bubbles form around the edge. Remove from the heat. Pour the chocolate into the hot cream, let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Stir in the butter and then the bourbon. Keep warm." - Michael Muller

Looks luxurious - Casey Muller

Fast No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread-- Time: About 1 hour, plus 5 hours’ resting.... 2 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 cup whole rye flour 1/2 cup coarse cornmeal 1 teaspoon instant yeast 1 1/2 teaspoons salt Oil as needed. 1. Combine flours, cornmeal, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest about 4 hours at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. 2. Oil a standard loaf pan (8 or 9 inches by 4 inches; nonstick works well). Lightly oil your hands and shape dough into a rough rectangle. Put it in pan, pressing it out to the edges. Brush top with a little more oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 1 hour more. 3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake bread about 45 minute or until loaf reaches an internal temperature of 210 degrees. Remove bread from pan and cool on a rack. Yield: 1 loaf. - Michael Muller

Fast No-Knead White Bread.Time: About 1 hour, plus 4 1/2 hours’ resting.. 3 cups bread flour 1 packet ( 1/4 ounce) instant yeast 1 1/2 teaspoons salt Oil as needed. 1. Combine flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest about 4 hours at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. 2. Lightly oil a work surface and place dough on it; fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes more. 3. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under dough and put it into pot, seamside up. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. 4. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 mins til brown - Michael Muller

The Great Schlep aims to have Jewish grandchildren visit their grandparents in Florida, educate them about Obama, and therefore swing the crucial Florida vote in his favor. Don’t have grandparents in Florida? Not Jewish? No problem! You can still become a schlepper and make change happen in 2008, simply by talking to your relatives about Obama. - Michael Muller

The Great Schlep aims to have Jewish grandchildren visit their grandparents in Florida, educate them about Obama, and therefore swing the crucial Florida vote in his favor. Don’t have grandparents in Florida? Not Jewish? No problem! You can still become a schlepper and make change happen in 2008, simply by talking to your relatives about Obama. - Michael Muller

"Here is a small thing you can do in two clicks – SECONDS! Check this out please and fast. > > The Right is having people vote that Palin is qualified… > LET'S TURN THIS AROUND!!! > PBS has a poll that asks: Is Sarah Palin qualified to be VP? Let's turn this around..... You don't have to give your name or email address in order to vote. It's very simple." - Michael Muller

"It may be a little too early to do a roundup of the best redesigns of 2008 like we did last year, but with Thursday's one-two punch of new looks for social sites Twitter and FriendFeed, it's a good chance to take a look back at some of this year's redesigns and talk about what was changed or fixed." - Michael Muller

DONATE IN SARAH PALIN'S HONOR! - Michael Muller

Make a $5 minimum donation to Planned Parenthood. In Sarah Palin's name. A Planned Parenthood donation is tax deductible, while a political donation isn't. And here's the good part: when you make a donation to PP in her name, they'll send her a card telling her that the donation has been made in her honor. You'll need to fill in the address to let PP know where to send the 'in Sarah Palin's honor' card. Use the address for the McCain campaign headquarters: McCain for President/Sarah Palin 1235 S. Clark Street 1st Floor Arlington , VA 22202 - - Michael Muller

"We are seeking volunteers, organizational and individual endorsements, photos, statements in support, documents about Pete's life and work, etc., etc. Send us email" - Michael Muller

"The future, they said, is in Web services that do not require users to change their behavior by, say, adopting a new service or transferring all their friends’ contacts from one service to another. One example, said Mr. Kelton, is FriendFeed. It sucks in stuff your friends post on 43 sites, including Flickr, Picasa, Twitter, Digg and YouTube." - Michael Muller

"Brad Burnham is right, we’re all full to capacity (those Union Square guys are pretty smart). I like to link the services I actually use together — my Twitter feed goes into my Facebook status, and my Brightkite (location-based social network) goes into my Twitter and thus into my Facebook......Alex Gordon" - Michael Muller

".......That said I don’t like FriendFeed because it links too much together. I can handle seeing your Twitter and Digg activity, but not the photos you’re putting on Flickr and videos you’re watching on YouTube. And, ya know, my own email and stuff. Ultimately, the cream rises to the top — the services that are the most intuitive and useful will also garner the most interesting communities. Those that don’t will fall by the wayside. — Alex Gordon" - Michael Muller

I be thirsty, aargh! - Michael Muller

Avast ye swabs, where be my grog!!!!!! - Michael Muller

I be serious ye cankerous toads, dinna ye hear my oath by my blue beard? - Michael Muller

"Dr. Levine led a study showing that lean people burn about 350 more calories a day than those who are overweight, by doing ordinary things like fidgeting, pacing or walking to the copier. To incorporate extra movement into the routines of sedentary workers (himself included), Dr. Levine constructed the first known treadmill desk by sliding a bedside hospital tray over a $400 treadmill. With a laptop and a phone headset, he said he can go all day at a leisurely 1.4 miles an hour. Without breaking a sweat, the so-called work-walker can burn an estimated 100 to 130 calories an hour at speeds slower than two miles an hour, Mayo research shows. Enthusiasts began following Dr. Levine’s example, constructing treadmill desks that range from sleekly robotic set-ups to rickety mash-ups that could be Wall-E’s long-lost kin. But the recent introduction of an all-in-one treadmill desk from Details may inch work-walking into the mainstream, as dozens of businesses invest in the hardware to let their employees wal" - Michael Muller

I use the reality cogitator version - either land or water, it gives a superb experience and has added benefit of harvesting bushels of ideas during and after the exertion. - Michael Muller

The Sarah Palin "boom" that has so traumatized Democrats and intimidated the press will have little if any impact on the presidential election. People don't vote for vice presidents, they vote for presidents. This race is about John McCain and Barack Obama not Annie Oakley from Wasilla, Alaska. It is also about turnout numbers and the electoral demographics in 2008 which overwhelm any impact Sarah Palin might have on the election outcome. - Michael Muller

"She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and exhorting people to obey their worst impulses. In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of "the other." For millions of Americans, Obama triggers those feelings, but they don't want to express them. He is calling for us to reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up hidden reactions of an unsavory kind. (Just to be perfectly clear, I am not making a verbal play out of the fact that Sen. Obama is black. The shadow is a metaphor widely in use before his arrival on the scene.)" - Michael Muller

The Fear Card: Retired Generals fear John McCain; he says there will be "other wars." - Michael Muller

"To slow global warming, install white roofs Such roofs and reflective pavement in the world's 100 largest cities would have a massive cooling effect, according to data released at California's annual Climate Change Research Conference." - Michael Muller

hmmmmm... what's the environmental impact of white paint? - Ryan

Casey, he only sleeps half an hour at a time.....sounds like a plan for you. - Michael Muller

Is this the interview you meant Papa? http://www.wie.org/j40... - Casey Muller

"Mike Myers made this silly but very funny movie called The Love Guru, which is coming out in June. It’s about this guy who wants to be Deepak Chopra. Mike wanted me to make a five-minute cameo appearance, so I went to do that. But then suddenly when I was doing that, I realized, he’s doing a parody of me, so I should do a parody of him." - Casey Muller

Your link said "oops!" - Michael Muller