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Luminous Ground at CPS
Collaborations, Community, Materiality
Steven Huegli, AIA, Principal
Commissioned under the City of Oakland's Public Art Program, Ala Ebektar's hand-made tile mural invites reflection at the College Preparatory School Campus.
Drink wine and look at the moon
and think of all the civilizations
the moon has seen passing by
(11th century mathematician, astronomer, and poet)
Visitors wandering through College Preparatory School's new academic building are surprised to find a piece of the night sky appearing between two classrooms. Commissioned under the City of Oakland's Public Art Program, Luminous Ground, a mural by artist Ala Ebtekar, reminds us of the potential of art in the public realm to communicate and connect. Ebtekar's poetic layering of art, science, exploration and contemplation welcomes the broader campus community to engage with the school's core values.
Ebtekar's work tests the sculptural and photographic possibilities of time and space to invite contemplative reflection – looking inward while gazing outward. His process spans time as well, borrowing from ancient means of making and embracing scientific advances. Luminous Ground references earlier traditions of finishing grand domes and palatial ceilings with representations of the heavens – bringing the skies closer to earth. Instead of polychrome tile mosaic found in Iran, Ebtekar turned to a modern production method using negatives of an image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope to create the hand-rolled and hand-glazed porcelain tiles. Fabricated in collaboration with Mosaika and fired 1,800°F, the tiles bear the variation and depth of the handmade yet are incredibly durable.
The completed mural graces an intimate landscaped terrace – a place that invites groups to gather as well as moments of individual retreat. In introducing his proposal to the CPS community, Ebtekar eloquently explained the source of mural's resonance:
Not long ago, we brought the skies closer to earth by covering the interior of domes and palaces with polychrome tiles, representing heaven looking over man; heaven made from the earth; from clay on the bed of rivers, the soil that embraced layers and layers of organic and non-organic matter that flowed in the rivers over millions and millions of years.
Now, telescopes bring the skies closer to us; but looking at the night sky, with telescope or naked eye, we are unwittingly gazing billions of years back, only assuming we are witnessing the Now. The (GOODS/ERS2 Field) image from the Hubble telescope shatters the illusion as it shows around 7,500 galaxies spanning through more than 12 billion years of cosmic history, shaking the foundations of our anthropocentric history.
Walden Revisited
Embracing the Handmade
2019 Monterey Design Conference: Beyond Sustainability
Healthier Materials: Where to Begin?
Willie "Woo Woo" Wong Playground
David Ireland House
The College Preparatory School
Children's Day School Dolores Park
© Jensen Architects Inc.


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ON STAGE & SCREEN
Theater and TV talk from a New Yorker living in LA.
Los Angeles Theater
Theater Review: Delusion, the Haunted Play
Posted on October 2, 2016 October 2, 2016 by Erin Conley
When you think of Halloween attractions, it's likely haunted houses or haunted hayrides come to mind—lots of creepy zombies or creatures lurking in the dark, jumping out at you. While those attractions can certainly be fun, scares without a purpose are not exactly my favorite thing. Theater, however, is one of my favorite things, as is Delusion, a unique Halloween attraction that is part haunted house, part escape room, and part interactive theater, à la New York's wildly successful Sleep No More. Rather than waiting to be frightened as an innocent bystander, you are a part of the story, and your actions play a real part in how the events unfold.
I first attended Delusion, which is best described as an immersive, haunted play, back in 2012, and returned in 2014. After taking a year off in 2015, Delusion is back this fall with a brand new play entitled His Crimson Queen, written and directed by Jon Braver. Previous seasons were produced by Neil Patrick Harris, and Delusion has become a staple of LA's elaborate, impressive Halloween scene, typically selling out the entire run within days of releasing tickets.
Photo provided by the Delusion team
This year's Delusion takes place at a spooky villa in the West Adams neighborhood of LA. While the play itself only lasts just under an hour, there is more to the overall experience, including a lounge area where you can obtain some liquid courage before embarking on the journey. Participants are called upon to enter the house and begin the play in groups of about 10, with new groups cycling through on a schedule devised so you never encounter another group during your time in the house. An actor guides you inside and proceeds to deliver some exposition to set up the story, and the rest of the evening plays out via a combination of the script, actors' guidance, and your own group's willingness to, as Delusion's slogan says, "play your part."
In His Crimson Queen, you and your fellow participants ("audience member" is hardly an applicable word for this situation) portray the adult children of a mysterious couple with ties to the supernatural. The story takes place in 1930s upstate New York, where you have received a letter from your father, Berke, implying your long-presumed dead mother, Selene, is actually alive and being held prisoner under mysterious, sinister circumstances. Your mission is to find her, without incurring the wrath of the unpredictable families of vampires who live in the villa and have no intention of giving up Selene without a fight.
The list of warnings on Delusion's website and on the waiver you sign before entering the villa is quite lengthy, and for good reason. A notable difference between this play and your average haunted house is that the performers can and will touch you, and you may be somewhat forcibly separated from the group to perform a plot-crucial task. To an extent, the level of interactivity is what you make it—there are many opportunities for the brave to volunteer and be more involved, although on more than one occasion, participants were selected at random and placed in situations that are not for the faint of heart (without giving too much away, let's just say that if you fear being alone in small, enclosed spaces, I would try to avoid being "kidnapped" by any actors during this iteration). It is also important to note that Delusion involves a lot of small, dark spaces, stairs, running and hurrying from room to room, and occasional crawling or crouching. I highly recommend reading the frequently asked questions before deciding if Delusion is for you.
Due to the highly interactive nature of the performance, no two groups will have exactly the same experience, and the talented actors must have a great deal of fun playing along while still sticking to the essential mechanics of the script. For those who enjoy escape rooms, this iteration of Delusion had one segment that felt a lot like one, in which the group had to work together, without the presence of actors, to locate specific objects across several rooms to enable us to take the next step in the story. The tension builds beautifully, and your heart rate will definitely rise as you make your way to the play's impressive conclusion. I do not want to spoil the specifics of the plot, but I will point out that the production value is, as was also true in years past, truly first rate and impressive, and some of the special effects will leave you gasping.
Only a few nights into this year's run, it was apparent Delusion was still working out a few kinks. It was very warm inside the villa, to the point of being borderline uncomfortable, and the organization of the valet parking, the bar (although once up and running, the themed drinks were quite delicious), and the rate at which groups entered the mansion did not yet seem to be mastered. There was also one minor technical glitch during the play that was covered well by an actor, but still noticeable. That being said, I am hopeful they will work out any remaining glitches for the rest of the currently sold-out run, and there are already rumors of a possible extension.
Overall, I find Delusion to be one of the most unique, creative experiences out there, and it is a perfect, smart alternative to anyone feeling standard haunted house or haunted maze fatigue. While it is certainly a must-see experience for those who love all things horror and Halloween, I think it's also a must-see for theater fans looking for something innovative and stimulating. Any theater performance inspires a temporary escape from reality, but Delusion takes it a step further because you fully become part of a new, different world—and it's a pretty creepy one.
The initial run of Delusion: His Crimson Queen is sold out, but to be the first to learn of opportunities to purchase tickets for a possible November extension, sign up for the mailing list at enterdelusion.com and follow the play on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @enterdelusion.
Posted in Los Angeles TheaterTagged delusion, delusion his crimson queen, halloween, halloween activities, haunted play, los angeles, los angeles theater
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Web app architecture for third party API calls I'm building a simple search engine that takes a user submitted search query as input and outputs a list of appropriate search results.  Search queries ultimately get sent to a third party API, which does the heavy lifting of generating search results.
There are 2 ways I can handle this workflow:

*

*My server takes user requests, queries the third party API, and returns results to the user
or

*Shifting this responsibility to the client-side; the client queries the third party API directly.
What are some considerations when choosing between these 2 methods?

A: Using option #1 gives you a few advantages like:

*

*You have one API for one view. It brings some clarity in your architecture.

*You might have a lot of pages/windows/whatever using same search API. If third-party API changes or moves to another domain or does something which makes you change your code, you can fix only one API method on your server instead of fixing all your clients.

*You can perform some additional changes with your search query like translating it if third-party search engine can't do it itself. Formally, you can implement some additional logic.

Using option #2 reduces the burden on your server.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


NEW TO LET, available at the beginning of April is this recently redecorated two bedroom mid-terrace house. Situated within walking distance to Worksop town centre, this spacious property consists of; entrance landing, living room with laminate flooring, well fitted kitchen with upper and lower level units, rear reception room / large hallway, spacious extended rear dining room with windows facing the rear garden. To the first floor are two double bedrooms and a family bathroom with white three piece suite. Large enclosed garden to the rear. Bond payable of £595, early viewings are highly recommended!!
Spacious living room with laminate flooring.
Large rear hall way with access to living room, extended dining room, kitchen and rear garden.
Generously sized extended dining room.
Well fitted kitchen with upper and lower level cupboard units.
Double bedroom with central heating radiator.
Large bathroom with white three piece suite.


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Choral Enterprises
By: Graham Lack
In: Choral World News
The 12th International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf 2011
By Graham Lack, Composer and ICB Consultant Editor
The cows in Germany's Allgäu region are grey. Not black and white or ruddy brown, but slate gray – with a rosy tinge. They seem content with the view. Soon, the foothills of the Bavarian Alps can be made out, and the train pulls in to Marktoberdorf: a town that sprawls away from the station – the 1970s were a dire decade architecturally. A tapered road leads us past an outmoded pizza place, through inviting pastures and to the MODEON, a multipurpose concert hall completed in 1983 and the venue of the 12th international Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf 2011.
The choirs are good box office, the long lines at the window – bafflingly named "Cash" – are evidence of this and something lost in translation. I emerged with my €18 ticket. Over five days in mid-June a dozen international ensembles gathered here to compete in song, croon on the town square, take day trips to perform on one hilly place or another, arise early for the morning sing-in and a glass or two of something, provide the music to church services over Whitsun, turn up as a flash mob to present Beethoven at the local supermarket, amuse the sponsors with special vocal events, give evening recitals, and still be fit for the odd rendition in the beer tent each night.
Flash mob in the local supermarket
Female Choir of Estonian Choral Conductors in the beer tent on Whit Monday
There were two categories in the 2011 competition: A – Mixed Choirs, and B – Female Choirs. These were, in order of appearance in the First Round: Jerusalem Academy Chamber Choir, Israel; Cantabile, Regensburg, Germany; Coro Entrevoces, Havana, Cuba; University of Louisville Cardinal Singers, USA; molto cantabile, Lucerne, Switzerland; University of the East Chorale, Manila, The Philippines; Kammerchor der Hochschule für Musik Detmold, Germany; S:t Jacobs Ungdomskör, Stockholm, Sweden (the mixed voice choirs); and (the women's choirs) VokalArs, Madrid, Spain (with a tenor to boot); the Female Choir of Kiev Glier Institute of Music, Ukraine; Kamerkoor Cantate Venlo, The Netherlands; and the Female Choir of Estonian Choral Conductors, Tallinn, Estonia.
University of Louisville Cardinal Singers on a day trip to the Lautrach Castle
University of the East Chorale in the Bavarian Music Academy Marktoberdorf
VokalArs Madrid singing for sponsors in the foyer of the Bavarian Music Academy Marktoberdorf
Standards were seriously high. Each choir sounded like a winner. And it took the compulsory work, Rhapsodia, by Joseph Gabriel Rheinberger, to help audience and jury alike form more differentiated opinions. But at the end of the long day, other factors began to play a role: such as just which pieces work best in the slightly unforgiving acoustics of the MODEON.
Introducing competition staff during the prize giving ceremony in the MODEON Marktoberdorf
An appreciative audience in the MODEON
Some directors had made canny repertoire choice a priority and others wished to demonstrate their choirs' inherent artistic capability, be it with early music, romantic settings or contemporary works, come what may. An attentive audience on day one paid assiduous heed to all…silentium, the mood marred only by compere Monika Schubert's desire to get nigh on a thousand people to do morning gymnastics in the middle of the concert – well, the middle of the competition. Certainly, each choir evinced special strengths and prompted debate over coffee in the MODEON foyer. One wondered – as ever – if audience opinion chimed with the jury's. The members were drawn from around the world too: Tigran Hekekyan (Armenia), Gudrun Schröfel (President, Germany), Jon Washburn (Canada), Martina Batič (Slovenia), Chen Yun Hung (Taiwan), Ana Maria Raga (Venezuela) and Anders Eby (Sweden).
Monika Schubert compering the proceedings
One was spoiled for choice in the plausible intimacy of the evening, with concerts close by in churches created not out of vanity or pious fear but the craftsman's pride: Ottobeuren, Kaufbeuren, Kempten, Altenstadt, Seeg, Nesselwang, Wildpoldsried, as well as in Marktoberdorf itself. I hitched a ride to the Basilica of St. Michael in Altenstadt: 6pm, time enough to traipse the couple of miles along a footpath for supper at an hospitable "Gaststätte". But it was a dislocated sensation to be the only non-invited guest at the village wedding celebrations. Apropos Altenstadt, the building dates from the 12th century and has enjoyed doting restoration, its spacious but not vibrant acoustics perfect for the choirs from Jerusalem, Madrid and Stockholm. Just one full house of many.
Jerusalem Academy Chamber Choir with Stanley Sperber, conductor, in the Church of St. Michael Bertoldshofen
In rehearsal mood – a member of Jerusalem Academy Chamber Choir
The caesura in competition proceedings was the move from compulsory to free programmes in Round Two. Temperament and timbre ruled but did not suppress the greatest assets of each group. We witnessed then the granular sound of Jerusalem Academy Chamber Choir under Stanley Sperber, the regularity of line from Cantabile under Matthias Beckert, lively textures from Coro Entrevoces directed by Digna Guerra Ramírez, the gravitas of University of Louisville Cardinal Singers under Kent Hatteberg, smooth vocalising from Andreas Felber's molto cantabile – nomen est omen, virtuosic declamation by University of the East Chorale under Anna Tabita Abeleda-Piquero, keen phrasing by the Kammerchor der Hochschule für Musik Detmold conducted by Anne Kohler, the vigorous attack of S:t Jacob's Ungdomskör under Mikael Wedar, inherent nostalgia of the VokalArs sound encouraged by its director Nuria Fernández Herranz, rich textures inculcated by the Female Choir of Kiev Glier Institute of Music under Galyna Gorbatenko, pragmatic music-making by the Kammerchor Cantate Venlo conducted by Dion Ritten, and finally the earthiness of the Female Choir of Estonian Choral Conductors under Andrus Siimon and Onne-Ann Rosvee.
A joint performance by S:t Jacobs Ungdomskör and Cantabile Regensburg in the Church of St. Ulrich Seeg
University of Louisville Cardinal Singers performing in surround sound in the Church of St. Martin Marktoberdorf
People streamed out to the foyer, dismissed sugar in their coffee. Jaded arguments spawned new camaraderie and reignited ancient disputes. Discussion focussed less on repertoire and style but more on presentation and the desire to hear within each work a story being told. Was this dressage with abandon or a heartfelt act?
The competition events suspended any sense of temporal juncture. Customers at the local bank were treated to the a cappella art. And there was a surprise in store, as it were, for shoppers in the "Einkaufszentrum Forum Allgäu", stormed by a flash mob of some 400 singers. They occupied the moving staircases, leant perilously against the gallery railings, before letting loose with "Freude schöner Götter Funken". A perplexing diversion for those buying in the fruit and veg.
Jerusalem Academy Chamber Choir performing in the local bank – the Sparkasse Marktoberdorf
The Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf goes back some twenty years, and has matured of late, its unassuming beginnings long since cloaked in a mantle of professionalism. No sooner has a concert taken place, than a recording can be acquired as a CD or DVD from the festival's own audio-visual company, Audio•Video•Aktuell GbR. The MODEON foyer becomes a public viewing area during the concerts, so that choirs waiting to compete can catch the performances and latecomers miss little. Remote control cameras in the hall relay, somewhat unnervingly, the programmes.
The competition itself is supported by the State Ministry for Culture and Media of the Federal Government of Germany; the Bavarian State Ministry for Science, Research and the Arts; The Regional District of East Allgäu; the Town of Marktoberdorf; the German Foreign Office; the Goethe Institute; the Consortium of German Choral Associations and many others from the private and business sectors.
Martin Eifler (German State Ministry for Culture and Media) with Nuria Fernandez Herranz at the Prize Ceremony
As Dolf Rabus, AVA Director and the Director of the Competition, put it: "Since 1989 top choirs from the German and international choral scene have met here and Marktoberdorf has become a synonym for the most demanding musical levels at international competitions, and is now a place for exchanges of expert opinion and experience, as well as advanced training", adding that the organisation is "grateful for the generous support for decentralized cultural activities" provided by the Federal and Bavarian authorities.
Dolf Rabus with guests on the way to the Church of St. Martin Marktoberdorf
Dolf Rabus greeting guests at the Sponsors' Concert at the Bavarian Music Academy
At this year's competition seven German radio stations reported on the proceedings, which included 15 concerts, four church services, two competition rounds, some 5000 visitors, 60 special guests from the world of choral music, a publishers' exhibition of dog-eared albums, 17 CD (7 double CD) and 17 DVD commercial productions and but one world premiere, The Dancer, by Vic Nees. The local press provided a glut of coverage. Outright winners were Coro Entrevoces (1st Prize Mixed Voice Choirs and Audience Prize) and the Female Choir of Kiev Glier Institute of Music (1st Prize Female Voice Choirs). That a professional choir – from Havana – should earn the most plaudits is not surprising, they rehearse four hours each day and its salaried members are part of a choir supported by the Cuban State.
Digna Guerra Ramírez of Coro Entrevoces in the beer tent
The Female Choir of Kiev Glier Institute of Music under Galyna Gorbatenko in the MODEON
Almost a week slipped away, with music-making on the mountaintops and market-places, in the concert halls and the churches and, inexorably, in the "Festzelt". Improvisation was in the air, and good humour. In the mêlée a rock and pop choir, Vocalive, tussled with the clamour.
Jerusalem Academy Chamber Choir singing on the market square Marktoberdorf
The chinking of beer glasses waned: I had turned my back on the tent's seething masses. Now to gain entry to the mysterious Hotel Sepp, an establishment ostensibly wholly lacking personnel. The Tannoy system sufficed. But in the wee hours my voice must have seemed a tad querulous: "Graham Lack here, I'm in room 74". "So what", came the petulant reply.
A moment of quiet contemplation
In Category A the prizes went to Coro Entrevoces Havanna (Achievement Level I: excellent performance at an international level, 1st Prize); University of Louisville Cardinal Singers, and S:t Jacobs Ungdomskör Stockholm (Achievement Level II: very good performance at an international level, 2nd Prize and 3rd Prize respectively); Kammerchor der Hochschule für Musik Detmold, molto cantabile Lucerne, Cantabile Regensburg, Jerusalem Academy Chamber Choir, and University of the East Chorale, Manila (Achievement Level III: good performance at an international level). In Category B the awards were as follows: Female Choir of Kiev Glier Institute of Music (Achievement Level I: excellent performance at an international level, 1st Prize); Female Choir of Estonian Choral Conductors, Tallinn (Achievement Level II: very good performance at an international level, 2nd Prize); Kamerkoor Cantate Venlo The Netherlands, and VokalArs Madrid (Achievement Level III: good performance at an international level). The Special Prizes included Best Interpretation of a Religious Choral Work (University of Louisville Cardinal Singers, for Salve Regina by Herbert Howells); Pro Musica Viva Maria Strecker Daelen Conductor's Prize for the Best Interpretation of a Contemporary Choral Work (Mikael Wedar, S:t Jacobs Ungdomskör, for We Know Not Where the Dragons Fly by Mattias Sköld), Walter & Charlotte Hamel Foundation Hanover Prize for the Best Interpretation of a Romantic Choral Work for Female Choir (Female Choir of Kiev Glier Institute of Music, for Sergey Taneyev's Adeli), Special Prize of the Carl Orff Foundation Diessen am Ammersee for the Best Interpretation of a Choral Work Premiered at the 2011 Competition (Kamerkoor Cantate Venlo, for one of a kind, The Dancer by Vic Nees). The Audience Prize went to Coro Entrevoces.
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Clients occasionally have appointments or other plans that keep them away from home during our normal meal delivery hours of 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Our policy is not to leave meals without first receiving instructions from the client or caregiver for other arrangements, such as securing the meals in a proper insulated container or, ideally, leaving the meals with a neighbor.
Call our office at (317) 252-5558 24 hours in advance either to cancel delivery or leave instructions.
Post written instructions on the door indicating where the meal should be left. Ideally, meals would be left with a neighbor. If meals will be left in a container, please ensure it is insulated and of proper size. We recommend a medium or large cooler.
If a client will be away due to a hospitalization or other unexpected event, we ask that the caregiver, relative or emergency contact notify our office at (317) 252-5558 as soon as possible. In these cases, we typically put a cancellation on the order until we are notified the client wishes to resume meal delivery.
Please do not ask the volunteer to relay the cancellation order to the office.
Meals are delivered between the hours of 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Please note that we cannot guarantee or specify an exact time of delivery. IF YOU ARE DIABETIC, to avoid medical emergencies please do not wait to take medication until your meals arrive. While waiting for your meals, snack lightly in order to take your medication. Please consult your physician regarding snacks that are appropriate for your dietary needs.
Clients should be mindful to treat volunteers with courtesy. Please remember, most of our drivers are donating their time, using their own cars and paying for their own gasoline to bring meals to your door.
Meals on Wheels and our food providers work diligently to ensure nutritious and tasteful meals are delivered to clients. Some clients have special requests; for example, substituting white bread for wheat or skim milk for 2% milk. While we will do everything we can to accommodate reasonable requests, please understand we cannot guarantee every request will be fulfilled. One reason is that our food providers are all separate entities with different procedures and management. Sometimes, regrettably, mistakes are made. If you have a special food request, please contact client services at (317) 252-5558 to discuss the possibility of making a change. We also encourage clients to contact our office and talk with our client services staff about any complaints or praise regarding their experiences with our service.
For further details or an information packet, please contact us at (317) 252-5558 or by e-mail at info@mealsonwheelsindy.org. To send us a message through our Web site, please go to our Contact page.


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An Ormond Beekeeper will speak at MOAS Guild's April Garden party. Courtesy photo.
Calendar: Ormond Beekeeper to speak at garden party
What to do this week in Ormond Beach.
Jarleene Almenas
Read more about Jarleene Almenas
Holy Cross Orthodox Church Holy Week
When: 6 p.m. Thursday, April 5; 9 a.m., 5 p.m., and 6 p.m. Friday, April 6; 10 a.m. Saturday, April 7; 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Sunday, April 8.
Where: Holy Cross Orthodox Church, 375 Fleming Ave.
Details: Join in the reading of the passion gospels on Thursday, service of the royal hours, service of taking down the cross and the service of Lamentations on Friday, the Vesperal Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great on Saturday, and the procession of the resurrection service and abbreviated Agape Vespers on Sunday. Contact Father Michael Byars at 677-0640.
Ormond Beach Art Guild spring exhibit reception
When: 6-7:30 p.m.
Where: The Casements, 25 Riverside Drive
Details: Enjoy a reception featuring live music, wine and light refreshments as you view original works in various mediums by local artists. The Ormond Beach Art Guild members meet to paint and socialize on Tuesday mornings at the Ormond Beach Senior Center. The exhibit will continue from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays through April 29. Contact Maureen Bridger at 846-5517 or Marilyn Dorinson at 676-7424.
Ormond Beach Spring Herb Faire
When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Where: Bailey's Riverbridge Meeting House and Gardens, 1 N. Beach St.
Details: Herbs, flowering and ornamental plants will be available for sale. Vendors, speakers, steel drum music and food containing herbs will be featured along the west bank of the Halifax River in Ormond Beach. The event is free. Contact Denny Snyder 443-497-0044
Ormond Beekeeper to speak at Daytona Garden Party
When: 11 a.m.
Where: The Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art, 352 S. Nova Road
Details: Jack Dunlop, who takes care of the honey bee colonies at the Environmental Discovery Center, will share some of his insights on bees at the 5th-annual Garden Party Luncheon presented by the Guild of the Museum of Arts and Sciences. Guests are invited to browse displays of flowering spring plants, artist-created planters and honeybee materials before his presentation. Ticket costs $35 and includes catered luncheon with wine. Contact Kathy Wilson at katwilso@prodigy.net or at 756-2342.
AARP meeting
Where: Ormond Beach Presbyterian Church, 105 Amsden Road
Details: Radio talk show host Big John will be this month's featured speaker for AARP's Chapter 1057 meeting. $3 light lunch to follow.
Jeff Boyle, President
CANDO 2
When: 5:30 p.m.
Where: Ormond Beach Public Library, 30 S. Beach St.
Details: Join Citizens and Neighbors Dedicated to Ormond for its monthly meeting.
Halifax Humane Society Yappy Hour
When: 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Where: Holiday Inn LPGA, 137 Automall Circle
Details: Join the Halifax Humane Society for Yappy Hour to benefit our community's animals. HHS asks that you bring your own dog and bring a portable chair just in case attendance is standing room only. Cost for event is $15 for adults, which includes light appetizers, two drink tickets, and dog admission. Children 3-10 years of age are $5.00 and will receive one drink ticket. Register online at Halifaxhumanesociety.org


Pirate Isaiah Griego floats a shot through a sea of Wolverine defenders during the contest between the two league rivals on Friday. Pagosa came up short against Bayfield, however, losing 50-57.
It was a week of close battles for the Pagosa Springs High School (PSHS) boys' basketball team over the last week, with the Pirates splitting a pair of conference matches.


Mordris and Necro have somewhere between 2.75 million and 3 million hp.
Hrung has about 1 million hp.
4x gold mini-event to recoup some of our losses due to lag would be nice.
Re: Why so many items lost in the mail?
Topic: Why so many items lost in the mail?
Why so many items lost in the mail?


"Old Place house consisting of Dining Room, Drawing Room, 4 bedrooms, Kitchen and Pantry, Washhouse, Bath and Stable with Hayloft. The garden is large and well stocked with Fruit trees and bushes in full bearing. There is also a Bleaching Green with excellent Spring Water and a Cow's Grass can be had if required. The house is situated 8 miles from Glasgow, and 2 from Hamilton near the Public Road to Blantyre and within a few minutes walk of the Blantyre Station of the Clydesdale Junction Railway expected to be open early in Summer. At present several coaches pass the house daily. Immediate possession may be had".
Now, of course there are many such adverts in old papers, but this one is interesting. It details the opening of the LOW Blantyre Train Station (Summer 1849 meaning the advert is exaggerating a few minutes walk. High Blantyre Train Station wasn't opened until quite some time later) and this particular house was a popular stopping point for coaches. Indeed some people in the town still refer to Old Place as "The Coach House". Old Place is situated just off Stonefield Crescent and was at this time sitting in large open fields. The orchards were situated where Janefield Place is today. A Bleaching green was the name given to a strip of land adjacent to a house which was used to lay out your laundry to dry or in some cases, to use as a safe area to bleach white linen in the sun.


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Santorini Sunsets & Our Return From Greece
We woke up early in Heraklion, packed our bags and were out the door by 05h45 in order to return the rental car and make it to the ferry terminal for our boat to Santorini. There were some communication issues from the ferry company about the departure time, but after a bit of delay we were on the (very nice) ferry boat and underway to what is arguably one of the most famous islands in the world.
We purposely chose Santorini as our final stop in the counter-clockwise tour of Greece, renting an private Airbnb for three nights that gave us incredible views of the bay. Once the ferry docked we located a taxi that would take us to the far side of the island, a tiny village called Imerovigli that is literally built into the steep cliffs of the island. With a western facing view, the village is nicknamed "the balcony to the Aegean Sea". By the time we arrived it was nearly noon, and the temperatures had climbed into the low 90s. We located our Airbnb host and walked down the narrow corridors and steep staircases to find our apartment, a white-washed cave-home that was built into the side of the rocky island. Our porch had two relaxing patio chairs and a four person hot tub, and looked as absolutely incredible as it had on the internet when we selected it. For the cost of this place (nearly $700 USD per night due to the peak tourist season visit), we had decided that most of our time in Santorini would be spent on the porch and relaxing in the cool apartment.
Ferry to Santorini
Arriving at Athinios Port
Our Incredible Airbnb View
We spent the next three days relaxing on the island, visiting the hundreds of little shops, watching sunset in the small village of Oia just a few miles north, and eating the narrow variety of food that Greece seems to offer. Hiking around Oia showed us the famous windmills that the town is known for, as well as the three blue-domed houses that are now world famous. With the cruise ships arriving early in the morning and departing in the late afternoon, we spent most of our days at our apartment soaking in the sun and reading our books, then heading out into town once the crowds had disappeared. There were just so many people confined to these little streets that it not only made it hard to move around, but also difficult to feel like we had any time to ourselves while exploring. I firmly believe that thanks to the advent of social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat, places in these destination cities have become overrun with travelers who just want a single photo alike what they saw online. I'm not saying that I don't do the same sometimes, but it's now at the point where these places (Santorini, Zion National Park, etc) are asking people to not travel there, simply due to the influx of tourists, many with their selfie sticks swinging around haphazardly, overwhelming the infrastructure of the island.
Thankfully the evenings relaxed the crowds and we were able to wander around between restaurants and bars, soaking up the warmth of the night and watching the starts shine overhead. After a whirlwind week and a half leading up to our visit to Santorini, it was wonderful to have nothing to do and nowhere to be. I took photographs of the famous places, and spent a while each day rotating my lens towards different buildings to try and capture a more quiet image of the island; I can only imagine what it'd be like to visit it in the shoulder seasons. The colors of the water, both abundant pools and ocean, shine brightly against the bleach white buildings that stretch as far as the eye could see. As a gift to myself I didn't write much during our stay in Santorini. It was a fantastic time, and I feel lucky to have visited such a beautiful and unique place.
After three days we got on another ferry, this one far less clean/enjoyable, and took a seven hour ride back to the port in Athens. It was quite the experience and was followed by a cluster of a situation getting to our final Airbnb, a venue that was a disaster in itself, enough that we walked back out the door and on to the Marriott Athens for a comfortable night leading up to our flight home. The next morning we took a pre-arranged taxi to the airport, and after an easy walk through security waited at the gate for our flight to board. West-bound flights from Europe are some of my least favorite, as it all takes place in sunlight and therefore feels like the longest day ever. A quick layover at New York's JFK International put us on a short jumper back to Boston, and we were back home just before midnight.
With almost a month and a half of reflection, I stand by my initial thoughts that Greece was truly a fascinating place. The variety of construction types, agriculture, people, and living circumstances were nothing short of amazing. We visited twelve cities in fourteen days, drove a few hundred miles through less traveled lands, and saw far more than I believe the average visitor to the country might see. I don't know that it's a place that I'd return to anytime soon, perhaps to traverse the northern part of the country, but otherwise this one adventure was wonderful enough for me.
It's always a pleasure to travel and see the people and things this planet is home to. I think the opportunity to experience different cultures is one of the most special privileges many people have in this world, and is one that everyone should take advantage of in whatever capacity they're able. The easy ability to hop on an airplane, get in the car, ride a bicycle, or simply walk and be somewhere else in such limited time is something we often fail to appreciate.
I recommend a Greek adventure to anyone who has never been, or anyone who has ever wanted to go. Rent a car and see the places TripAdvisor doesn't list as a must-see, relax on the world-famous beaches of Crete, hike in the wildly varied terrains, and eat as much tzatziki sauce as you can humanly manage. For me, Dani and I have checked Greece off the bucket list and are off to find the next adventure elsewhere, after all, the world is chock full of them to choose from.
Onward & upward,
Ryan
Cruising The Cretian Coastline
The rainy forecast came true in the early morning hours, pouring water down and shaking the small house with thunder. With no true agenda and no alarms set I woke up around 08h00, packing up my gear and taking some time to work on the blog. We had the car packed just an hour and a half later and were underway, driving through town before reaching the highway. It was fascinating for a few minutes, turning down small village roads and talking aloud about what we saw. This place, like many of the others we've visited so far, is tired and run down almost everywhere we look. I'd mentioned to Dani the night before at dinner that looking back at town made me feel as if I was looking at a village in Pakistan or Afghanistan. The tan washed buildings are monotonous and dirty against a dry mountainous background, overgrown weeds and vacant lots filling the space in front of us. It has been like this over and over, visible signs of the recession and government struggles in the country.
The aesthetics made town seem like another country completely
Finding E75, the two lane highway that runs the length of the island of Crete, I shifted through the gearbox of our little BMW, finding 5th gear sufficient for our speed and the occasional hills as we moved west. Light rain came and went as I weaved around slower cars, passing wherever I wanted or felt the need. I've decided that the traffic laws here are non-existent. Cars drive in the lane, breakdown lane, or halfway in between with no rhyme or reason. Some do 40km while others pass at well over 120, moving out into the oncoming lane and accelerating past as many cars and trucks as they can in a single go. While slightly unnerving at the start, I've grown more accustomed to it over the last week and have begun doing it more on my own. Today was no exception, and I was having fun navigating us down the road as Dani watched out the window and occasionally changed the song on the radio to suit her tastes.
Around lunchtime we made it to Rethimno, a vibrant and bustling city on the edge of the sea. We find free parking down on the water and began a few hours of exploration down the narrow streets, passing small shops and restaurants, taking photos regularly and enjoying the welcomed sun shining down from above. As luck would have it, there was a break in the rain for the duration of our time in town, a wonderful gift to us that made navigating the colorful streets overgrown with green vines and saturated blooming flowers so much more enjoyable. We stopped at one restaurant for a snack, choosing a gluten free crepe with chicken, sun dried tomato, and mozzarella cheese to share. The dish was huge, but the chicken was dry which left the entire meal to be disappointing. We paid the check and moved on, back towards the car and to our final destination, all in all walking just over 4 miles during our brief visit to town.
Exploring the sights and tastes of Rethimno
On the way out of town we took a twisty route up through the countryside past a small farm that Dani had read about. Their restaurant was closed, but we took some time to explore the stone courtyards that overlooked acres of vineyards and the ocean in the distance. Heavy rain plagued us the remaining 70km to Heraklion, but as we drove down the same coastal highway the storm clouds were beautiful in contrast to the blue grey sea they covered. Our Airbnb was nestled in the heart of the neighborhood nearest to the port, a key location given our early ferry ride to Ssantorini the following morning. The streets were so narrow and cars parked so closely together there were actually moments that our side view mirrors cleared only by half an inch on either side as I eased the clutch into first gear and crawled between the vehicle next to us and concrete buildings on the opposite sides. The apartment we rented was on the third floor of an older condo building, but had a nice view across a city park and windows protected from the rainfall outside, allowing us to leave them open and feel the cool breeze of the afternoon.
Dinner was found at a restaurant literally right outside our door, an almost-American place born and raised in the States some forty years ago. The fourth location owned by the family, Amalia's Kitchen had an incredibly diverse menu, including a vast gluten free selection, and served our needs well for dinner. The owner and namesake, Amalia herself, came to visit or table and talked with us about her two decades living in the US, operating the restaurant started by her father in Houston back in the 70s, then moving it back to her hometown in Crete after he passed away. We talked about Boston, New York, Texas, and the restaurant itself before moving inadvertently to the more serious topics of Greece, the housing market, the government, and (lack of) police presence. The most hard hitting fact she gave us was in regards to the vacant mid-construction houses adorning every town, something she says is due to a $60,000 Euro permit fee to finish a home. Much alike a building permit in the US, maybe $125-1,000 depending on where you live, the $60k permit is required for construction but is something that nobody can afford to pay, causing these homes to be abandoned halfway through being built, left to deteriorate without much further action. The things Amalia told us really hit home just how reliant this country is on tourism, and leaves me with a lot to think about as we go into the final week of this adventure.
Making the exceptionally short walk back to the apartment we packed in preparation for the early ferry ride to Santorini. Crete has been beautiful and diverse, but I'm really quite excited to see what our next island has in store for us.
A more tame view of the anything-goes highway
Tight Streets of Heraklion
Hiking To Bolis Lagoon
When we initially read that Bolis Lagoon was an hour drive from Kissamos, we figured it was a good 40-50km away. As you might imagine, finding out it was a mere 9 miles away came with quite the shock. Leaving the Airbnb I navigated our little Beemer (a car I'm really starting to enjoy) through the quiet town and out around the bay to an area full of farming land, olive trees, and crop fields. There was one other car with what looked like tourists inside, stopped on the edge of the road asking a local for directions which, given the road and time, I assumed were to the same beach we were headed towards. Thankfully our cell phone plans have unlimited international data and we've been able to utilize Google Maps since we first got here, so we passed by politely and continued following the little blue digital breadcrumb trail my phone was leading us down. Not much further down the road the olive trees gave way to rocky hills as the road turned to dirt, cut into the side of the terrain with a jagged and steep cliff as the only thing between us and the deep blue water of Kissamos Harbor.
Unexpected visitors
Hiking to the beach
We followed along at a comfortable pace, Dani peering out the passenger window and reminiscing about the same feeling of driving up New Hampshire's Mt. Washington Auto Road for the first time last fall, slightly unnerved about the pitch of the slope next to us and her proximity to the edge. Another few kilometers up the road we ran into something I wouldn't have expected, a pack of wild mountain goats blocking the road. I creeped the car up to them as they reluctantly moved out of the way, allowing us passage towards the beach parking lot. Dust kicked up behind us as we continued on, reaching a small flat area at the end of the long dirt road where we again found ourselves in the company of only a half dozen other cars. The funny thing about this lot was the elevation and complete lack of ocean water. Not one of the blogs we had researched or photos we had seen had ever alluded to the 1.5 mile hike over the mountain at the end of the peninsula in order to make it to the beach. The hike was rocky but somewhat graded over the pass, then began a surprising 500-vertical-foot descent down to the immaculate water below us. The descent itself was done with a makeshift staircase built by the Cretans, a genius move in my opinion to prevent the degradation of the hillside by people traipsing around. The stone "path" probably works wonders to keep everyone in line, though as we descended we saw only two other couples making their way down to the waters edge.
Panoramic of Bolis Lagoon
Our beachfront view
Hiking down into Bolis Lagoon
We picked out beach chairs and an umbrella and settled down for some reading and soaking in the sunshine, initially sharing the beach with maybe a dozen people. As the day progressed and sun moved across the sky, hundreds of others arrived by sailboat, ferryboat, and foot, the beach that had been so tranquil again becoming a madhouse. I thought to myself how adventures a few summers back while getting my sailing licenses had allowed me access to beaches the masses simply couldn't get to, and how privileged I had been to experience that. It seems more and more now that places that were probably once filled with solitude are now known to the entire world with a click of their computer keyboard (we're absolutely guilty of this too) and filled with people instead. These thoughts lingered on in my mind throughout the day, and around 15h00 we packed up and began the literal hike back to the car. The climb up was a little more difficult in the 90+ degree heat, but we made it back to the parking lot without incident, finding it overflowing with a hundred or more cars.
It took some convincing to move the mountain goats out from behind our rental car's shade, but once they were gone and the car was packed we headed back down the long dirt road to town. I was surprised to see even more cars lining the cliff side of the already narrow route, parked as best they could in order to access the beach. Having not eaten, we stopped at an upscale hotel back towards the olive groves and had a small afternoon snack while overlooking the bay from their restaurant deck. As it turned out, our waiter's family lives in the United States and owns a very large Boston-based grocery store chain, Market Basket. He enjoyed conversation with us and even brought us free dessert before we left. The rest of the afternoon was spent doing utilitarian things like laundry and repacking, followed by great naps that brought us right up to dinner time. For simplicity and enjoyment we returned to Maria's, the same restaurant as the night before, sharing more of the baked feta cheese, calamari, and salmon. Discussing the plans for tomorrow, we've decided to head out early driving back east towards Chanya, then on to explore the famous seaside town of Rethimno before making the final push to our Airbnb in the busy port town of Heraklion.
A great many cars lining the cliffs
Surprise dessert at lunch
Dinner views from Maria's Restaurant
Mountain Passes To Elafonisi Beach
Though the bunk I had was no larger than a yoga mat, sheer exhaustion led me to sleep without stirring, and wake feeling surprisingly rested when the alarm went off at 05h. Having packed our bags the night before we were ready in short order, returning the room key to the appropriate parties and standing in line with a small group by the escalators to the lower deck for our eventual exit. We waited for over half an hour as the line of people grew behind us, each seeming to be in a big rush to get somewhere. The truth was that we were too, as the rental car company couldn't confirm availability beforehand and told us to show up the morning we arrived, hoping for the best.
Getting off the boat we managed to be the first people to grab a taxi, and 20 minutes later were at the sleepy Crete Chanya (the latter pronounced with a silent "C") International Airport. So early were we that the rental car desks weren't even open, and we waited a while for the rental agent to arrive. The only availability was for a more luxury midsize, which would come with an extra $50 cost. Not feeling the need to argue over the price, we agreed and were off in no time to find a beach. The 'more luxury' vehicle is a midnight blue BMW 116i, a diesel powered six-speed that proved being worthy of its German descent just minutes later while merging onto the islands' main highway. Our destination was Elafonisi Beach, famous around the world for its pink sand and turquoise waters washing in from the Mediterranean. The drive took nearly two hours of our early morning, the majority of which was spent navigating windy switchbacks on narrow roads that were literally cut into the sides of mountains. Grinning from ear to ear I stuck to just two gears, second for steep climbs and corners, and third for straightaways between the previous two. The feel of the vehicle made the entire process joyful, the tightly tuned suspension allowing minimal roll in corners and the buttery smooth shifting making me feel like I was racing in some mountainous Grand Prix. Crossing through a single lane tunnel in the side of the highest mountain, we began our descent into the lower lands and on toward the sea.
A Sleepy Chanya Airport
Narrow winding roads
Hoping for no oncoming traffic...
Arriving at the Elafonisi Beach well before the masses (it was only 09h00 at this point) we parked close to the entrance with another half dozen cars; by the end of the day there would be hundreds. Walking down the long shoreline we saw faint hints of the notable pink sand, and read signs of the deterioration of its colorful presence due to visitors taking it home with them. The signs poignantly reminded readers that we were borrowing the land from future generations, and to respect it accordingly. Setting up our beach towels on a quieter spot of land across a 50' wide waist deep river of inlet water, we retained a bit of solitude throughout the day as crowds (and busses) of people arrived in the following hours. I regretted aloud not having taken pictures of the serene landscape when we first arrived, as now there were people everywhere. Temperatures peaked in the low 90s shortly after noon, and we lingered around swimming and reading our books until almost 15h00.
Arriving at Elafonisi Beach
The drive back was far less enjoyable for me due to the swarms of traffic leaving the beaches, but we made it over the mountains in a hour as our GPS directed us to Kissamos, the small town where we would be staying for the next two nights. We met the Airbnb hosts, a woman and her mother, and got checked into the in-law apartment they have behind the main house. For $45 USD per night we have the place to ourselves, access to a washing machine and air conditioning, all while being just two blocks from the beach. After quick showers and starting a load of laundry we walked down to the water and enjoyed an amazing meal at a small local restaurant called Maria's. We dined on baked feta cheese with peppers and tomatoes, veggie risotto, and a dish called Pastisito, made with macaroni, mashed potatoes, cheese, and minced meat. Both the service and food were exceptional, and the manager surprised us with dessert and a local liqueur as we watched the sunset over the town's northern bay.
By the time we returned to the apartment it was 22h30, plans in place to wake up early and head to another famous beach on the northwest corner of Crete, hoping to get some photos and footage of the beautiful landscape before countless numbers of people arrived as they had today. Located just 9 miles away the drive is said to take over an hour, which has me eagerly anticipating the kind of terrain we might be crossing to get there.
Ancient Athens By Foot
With no air conditioning in the Athens Airbnb, a lone fan in the corner of the room tried its hardest to circulate the otherwise stagnant air. I woke up early and used the time and my electric beard trimmer to give myself a quick haircut, a necessity due to the 90+ degree temperatures we'd been seeing thus far. By the 10h00 we had our bags packed and were walking to the rented Suzuki parked a few blocks away. The Airbnb checkout time was noon, and our ferry to Crete didn't leave until dark; to avoid carrying our gear around all day we extended the rental car by a few hours and used it as storage for our bags.
After a 1 mile walk in the already stifling heat, we found ourselves at the entry gates to the Acropolis. Surrounded by hundreds of other people we showed the park employees our tickets and made our way through the gates and up the hill. The first sight was of the theater, down the steep hill on our right. It's being used for music festivals throughout the summer, and I enjoyed seeing the way the production equipment was utilized in the literally-ancient space. Continuing up the stone pathway, slippery from hundreds or even thousands of years of people walking on them, we passed through the Propyla, the west-facing stone entrance to the upper portion of the Acropolis. Straight ahead of us were Athena's temple and the Parthenon. Having seen the latter for years in both media and throughout my public school education, it was nothing shy of spectacular to stand next to and admire this 2,300 year old structure. The myriad of tourists and selfie sticks make it a little harder to truly enjoy the experience, but I felt as if I had a better relationship with the Parthenon than others around me thanks to the 30 minute drone flight I did overtop of it the night before. Dani and I snapped some photos and read all of the surrounding signage, the majority of which talked about the reconstructive and restorative efforts for the buildings. They detailed the removal process of old stone pieces, then lab-based laser scanning for 3D imagery, new piece machining, and ultimately the replacement of new stone into the structures. The grout and filling work the crews do to original pieces is 100% removable and reversible if future technology proves to be superior. All of this was information I found absolutely fascinating and undeniably impressive, though Dani and I had hoped for a little more information on how the Parthenon itself was originally built.
We descended from high atop the city as temperatures grew higher, stopping for milkshakes at a shaded street-side restaurant. Moving on to visit the Stoa of Attalos and Temple of Hephaestus, we saw hundreds of stone pieces including transcribed laws, statues of political figures, and busts of Gods and Goddesses dating back to between 200 and 500 BC. I questioned aloud who must've first drawn these Gods, so that for centuries others could carve and draw them identically, comparing it to Coca-Cola's 1931 print advertisement drawings of Santa Claus; an influence that lasts throughout global culture to this day. After an We spent the mid afternoon continuing walking through the city streets of Athens, deciding to visit the Hard Rock Cafe for a drink and ultimately staying for a more 'American' meal. While the local/regional food here has been delicious, the menus are very monotonous, and I jumped at the opportunity for a BBQ pulled pork sandwich.
The walk back to our car took an hour or so, and we closed in on a total of 6 miles of walking city exploration for the day. We dropped the Suzuki off at Enterprise with enough time to get a relaxing drink at a wine bar before taking a cab to Athens' Port Piraeus where we met our cruise ship/ferry. For the price of $60 euro each we reserved a private cabin on the Blue Star Line "Blue Galaxy", a 650' ship that would carry both passenger, cars, and freight trucks between Athens and the southern island of Crete. For the geographically inclined, Crete is the dividing piece of Greek territory between the country's mainland and Africa, located just 200 miles north of both Egypt and Libya's coastlines. We stood on the deck watching the sunset and listening to the muster drill instructions over the ship's loudspeaker, slowly watching Athens disappear behind us. Engines came to full as we cleared the end of the channel, and we headed back to our berth to sleep quickly, with alarms set early in hopes of being the first off the ship at our arrival port shortly before 06h00.
Dani thinks I resemble this statue head...
Dusk over Port Piraeus
An Evening At The Acropolis
The sun came screaming in the glass balcony door at 06h00, almost instantly causing the temperature of the room to rise. We sleepily turned on the A/C to combat it, eventually giving in to the heat and waking up to pack our belongings for the day ahead. It was already 86 degrees by the time we were in the car, water bottles replenished and music on loudly at 10h30 as we began the long haul back to Athens.
The towns we passed through on our climb from the seaside were each colorful and very alive with activity, mopeds zipping by and schoolchildren running this way and that. Driving so far has been both fun and challenging as I do my best to respect what little laws it seems they have. An hour or so from Monemvasia we were deep inland, winding through and around some massive peaks that towered over the road. I'd guess these peaks to be 7-8,000 feet each, and their protrusion from the otherwise flat valley was something spectacular to see in person. So many friends have visited Greece and seen only the islands, our backcountry tour between the ocean villages has given us an entirely different experience that I feel privileged to have had. Our only real pit stop during the 4 hour drive was a bathroom break at a little roadside bakery. Dani grabbed a cold Coca-Cola from the fridge and I picked up a freshly made raspberry strudel pastry for myself. By early afternoon we arrived in Athens, and the open roads and limitless freedom of the last two days driving came to a screeching halt as the city streets became packed with traffic and the typical hellish confusion that always seems bustling in major metropolitan area roadways.
Driving towards 8,000-foot peaks
Stopping for strudels
Our Airbnb was not as nice as we had hoped, and the host informed us we had to turn on the water heater at the electrical breaker panel "then leave for half an hour". I asked if the leaving was for enjoyment of time outdoors or safety reasons, and he didn't go into detail after saying it was the latter. Combined with the miserable condition of the bathroom itself, we each decided against risking our health and lives just to take a shower. We had a light snack in a nearby shopping district, street vendors everywhere and restaurants galore, each place convincing you that their (nearly identical) menu was the best. The evening was spent high atop Athens from a place called Philopappos Hill, a part of the city park that has an elevated monument to Julius Philopappos, a prominent regional administrator in 114AD. Most importantly the highest point of the hill has a direct and unparalleled view of the Acropolis - perfect for anyone looking to photograph the ancient architecture. I set up my tripod and got the camera ready, reserving our spot as more people arrived, and we talked for a while with a younger UK couple who were on a two week vacation as well. The guy, after asking where we were from, complimented Tom Brady, saying he waits up to watch Sunday American Football in the fall. Conversation turned to the more internationally friendly Formula 1 racing, and we talked about favorite teams and tracks around the world as the sun began to set over Athens. Getting a few photos and some footage with the drone, Dani and I packed up and headed down the hill, ultimately finding an upscale restaurant with an elevated terrace that looked out over the Acropolis, perfect for a nice dinner on our first night in the city. We shared a salmon salad, both surprised to see it came out raw, and an unparalleled gluten free brownie dessert with fresh strawberries and a light caramel drizzle. It was quite the experience to sit there enjoying a meal, our view being straight across to what my arguably be the most recognizable structure in the world, the Parthenon. With a rare opportunity in front of me, I took a moment to fly the drone up over the Acropolis. It was a nerve-wracking experience, but captured some of the most beautiful footage of our entire trip, which I'll share with you in a few weeks once I have it edited.
After putting the camera equipment away, I navigated us back through the city streets with no GPS, Dani somewhat doubting my internal compass but following along nonetheless. Sleep came fast, alarms set for early in hopes of making it up to the Acropolis before the heat made the completely unshaded monument unbearable. To be honest, so far Athens hasn't blown my sox off, but we shall see if that opinion changes in the morning.
Temple of Olympian Zeus
Athens City Streets
The Acropolis from Philopappos Hill
Caves, Shipwrecks, & Monemvasia
We woke up on day two to the sound of waves crashing against the cliffs below the Panorama B&B. Birds were chirping loudly, and the smell of salt water was coming in through the balcony door in the most refreshing way each time a breeze picked up. Still a bit tired we lazily packed up our gear, comprised of two hiking backpacks, her 46L Osprey and my 60L Cold Cold World, a duffle bag, and a small personal backpack. Truthfully I think we did a pretty good job packing for the trip and maintaining mobility with our luggage, which will be very handy when we return the car in a few days and begin traveling by foot and ferry to the southern islands.
Breakfast was served down on the porch at cute little tables looking out over the sea. A trellis roof blocked the sunlight and as we ate Dani got some work emails written while utilizing the free WiFi. We were packed and on the road by 09h45, a little later than we had hoped but not too bad in the grand scheme of things. Our first stop for the day was a sight-seeing adventure just ten minutes down the road at the famous Caves of Diros. We paid $26 for our tickets at a small booth just a few hundred feet from the beach, and after being fitted with fluorescent orange life jackets, headed down a long staircase into the dark entryway to the cave system. Long blue flat bottom boats were lined up ahead of us floating in the immaculately clear water, while stalagmites and jagged rock became visible everywhere around us as the ceiling of the cave opened up expansively. We floated through the half-mile cave system tour route (to date there are nearly 15 miles of caves explored down here) with four other people and our guide, soaking in the beauty of this underground world. The water depth was shallow and the only noise perceivable was the quiet drip of droplets from the ceiling to the water below. At the end of the half hour paddle ride we were dropped off and told to follow a 300m walking path through a different section of caves back to the main entrance. All in all the Diros caves were impressive, but the lack of history or details from the "guide" left us a bit disappointed. By the time we were back at the car the temperature was already in the mid 80s, perfect for windows-down driving as we made our way an hour east to the little town where we'd spend the next night.
Caves of Diros - Boat Tour
Caves of Diros - Walking Path
Bay of Dirou
The drive was beautiful, back up through some of the same mountains as the day before, then splitting onto a different road closer back to Sparti and heading off towards a different more western coastline. The little Suzuki engine tries its hardest in the hills, and I pretend to be Mario Andretti whenever possible, downshifting through the gearbox on curvy descents and letting our tiny blue roller-skate car "lean" into the turns as best it can.
Half an hour out from our destination we came up over a hill on the edge of the Aegean Sea that provided us with a clear view of the bay. I saw something I instantly recognized in the water, a wrecked shipping/cargo vessel rusting away on the shoreline. It's a ship I've seen photos of for years on the internet, and one I had hoped to see during our trip. We pulled off the paved road and followed a dirt path to a small restaurant at the waters edge, each getting a cold drink before walking down the beach to see the wreck. The Dimitrios is/was a 220' cargo vessel said to have been smuggling cigarettes from Turkey to Italy in the early 80s. They began having troubles both with the ship and its crew, causing them to dock locally, but the Greek government demanded the boat be anchored offshore. During a storm the anchorage let go, and the large ship floated free, pushed inland by the current until it was run aground on this very beach outside the town of Githio. The wreck went completely ignored, and almost 35 years later it's now just the rusted out carcass of a ship with nothing but intrigued travelers visiting, and the ocean's waves continually crashing against it.
We arrived in Monemvasia shortly after 15h00, a massively protruding rock island with a centuries old village built into the steep hillside. We drove over the small the bridge dividing Monemvasia from the mainland, at which point we found a little restaurant with a deck overlooking the bay and a menu that looked incredibly appealing. After a relaxed lunch (the pace of life here is refreshingly slow, and I'm doing my best to adjust to it) we walked out to the end of the road on Monemvasia and entered into the old village through a thirty foot stone gateway, the only access point at the end of a tall boundary wall that ran up the side of the islands steep and rocky hillside. Exploring the cobblestone streets reminded me of my time in Venice last year, and after a few hours exploring we headed back to the car to find our Airbnb.
A late afternoon nap refreshed us plenty, and we returned to the small island across the bridge to watch the sunset over a hazy mountain skyline, ultimately finding drinks at a rooftop bar overlooking the sea. Eventually ending up at another rooftop restaurant, The Cannon, we were served a completely customized dinner designed for us by the manager. After a while we became the only patrons left, and dined quietly by faint light while the music changed to a live Pink Floyd album, the sounds of the sea adding to the soundtrack of our evening.
On the way back to the Airbnb we stopped to photograph the Milky Way lingering due south over the ocean, the darkness of the surrounding region allowing the sprawling and colorful comprising stars to shine brightly overhead. It's always a special moment to see the Milky Way with the naked eye, moments that are only possible in the summer when living in or visiting the northern hemisphere. Dani saw two shooting stars while I was focused on making photographs, and before we knew it it was after 02h00 and we returned to the apartment to call it a night.
Tomorrow we head back to Athens for two days, then turn our sights towards the southern islands Greece is so famous for.
Exploring the Island
Dinner at The Cannon
Milky Way over Monemvasia
This... Is Sparta!
I got a few hours of sleep on the plane after taking the Milky Way photos, and woke up only ten minutes before we were supposed to land. The view out the window was rather fascinating, brown jagged hills stuck up everywhere around us, and I wondered where there would be enough flat space to land a fully loaded A330 aircraft. Our wheels touched down just after 09h45 local time, and we were quickly off the plane and on our way through customs. After seamlessly collecting our bags, we actually ran into a friend of mine from high school who was heading back to Boston with her husband, having spent a week in Santorini on their honeymoon; Dani always likes to point out that there's hardly a place on the planet I can go without knowing someone.
Our smooth arrival was quickly interrupted by the rental car company asking for a copy of my international drivers license. Dani had made all the arrangements for our Airbnb's and rental cars, and knowing I had rented a car in Italy last year assumed I had the international license. After a minor heart attack that the first three days of our itinerary would be relocated to a more local plan, I was actually able to utilize my "executive status" (read: "I travel too much" status) at National/Enterprise and secure us a car for a few dollars more without needing the international license... thankfully we were back in business without too much of a headache. Fifteen minutes later we had found the tiny, blue, four-door, stick-shift Suzuki, and after a quick talk with the exceptionally friendly rental lot agent were on our way under our own power. The plan for the day was a three and a half hour drive to a tiny costal town overlooking the Aegean Sea, located on the eastern side of the Mani Peninsula. The drive had no real expedited timeline, and our only planned stop was in the ancient city of Sparti, located almost exactly halfway between the airport and our final destination for the evening, Oitylo.
The highways navigating us south of Athens proper were four lanes wide and relatively empty of traffic, a welcome change from the vehicular headache Boston is. I kept us a little bit over the speed limit traveling down highway E65, as cars passing 40-60+ km/hr faster were whizzing by in the fast lane, and less reliable looking vehicles trudged along in the breakdown lanes. There were a few tolls points of $2.80 each, roughly $3.50 USD, and I utilized the toll booth workers to practice my very poor Greek conversational skills, "hello" and "thank you", both which got big smiles from the toll agents. We stopped at a highway rest station for bathrooms and to buy a few liters of water for the day. Continuing on, we eased out of the plateaued landscape, skirting by one of the oceanic shipping ports, and began climbing into the mountains.
Had you blindfolded me and taken me here to this exact location, I'd have guessed we were in southwestern Wyoming or even parts of Southern California. The dry hills towered above us as the highway cut into the sides of these mountains through four-lane tunnels. We spent an hour or so in terrain like this, constantly shifting the car between fourth and fifth gear as the 1.4cyl engine worked hard to provide A/C for us, battling the 90-degree heat outside, while climbing and descending the roads. A little while later we took a curvy off ramp exit off of E65 and began a more meandering adventure on the backroads of E961 towards Sparti.
Driving West
Our Little Blue Clown Car
Shortly before 15h00 we arrived in the quaint town, the speed limit dropping to 40km/hr while luscious green trees began lazily sprawling over the two lane road. Beautiful homes adorned each side with identical off-white exteriors and red clay roofs, colorful flower boxes hanging outside each window and a great many Greek flags flying outside their doors. Following signs for The Fortress, we navigated through the town square and up into the hills where the majority of the famous Sparti ruins remain. Noted as one of the less famous "wonders of the world", these ruins date back to 400BC and are built into the side of a jagged and rocky mountain. Inside the tall security walls of the compound are deteriorating but surprisingly present buildings that have stood for centuries as monasteries and palaces to those in power, as well as courtyards that served as festival/bazaar grounds to the local townspeople. The mountains behind us stand nearly 6,500 feet tall and tower over the Fortress itself, built at the the highest point of the grounds, while the vast valley lays out ahead of it. It's easy to understand how the elevated position was a benefit to the Spartans as they were able to see enemies moving across the valley and prepare to stage an attack.
Upon finishing a few hours of exploration around the lower ruins and higher fortress, we headed back down the mountainside, ready to find some sort of early dinner. Between the flight, drive, seven hour time difference, and 4 miles of hiking the Sparti ruins with 500+ feet of climbing, our bodies were becoming very hungry and somewhat confused as to when they were being fed. We pulled off at the first available restaurant, noting the dining balcony and impressive vantage point of the valley floor. Sharing a large Greek salad, tzatziki sauce, and olive oil marinated chicken breast, we enjoyed the views and talked about the days ahead. Family of the restaurant owners were eating at the table behind us, and after some friendly conversation in English we learned they actually live in the Central Florida area, in the small town where Dani grew up. George and his wife Cindy were exceptionally kind and gave us some great local recommendations of places to visit during our trip. We finished our meals, said our goodbyes, and began the remaining hour and a half drive to our final destination, starting with some exceptionally questionable roads out of town courtesy of Google Maps. For a second we actually thought this had become an overland trip, traveling down bumpy dirt roads (nearly bottoming out our tiny Suzuki) and for a moment wondered if we actually had to drive through a small river to stay on the route it was recommending. Thankfully we did not, and the road sharply turned down another narrow path instead, eventually finding ourselves on a main thoroughfare with adequate pavement and normal speed limits.
Hiking the Spartan Ruins
After the roads climbed back out of the Sparti area valley, we continued on until we saw the Aegean Sea for the first time, the sun hanging low on the horizon and ocean water a deep blue hue shining back at us. We made a quick bathroom stop and refueled the tiny car to the tune of $30 Euro despite its kid-sized gas tank (I paid zero attention to actual tank capacity, but now that I'm writing this I am actually intrigued and will report back). Another ten minutes down the road and we arrived at the Panorama Inn, a small six-room bed and breakfast some 20 feet back from a cliff that went straight down to the sea. We were checked in by the owner's young daughter, shown to our rooms, and after well deserved showers (we had walked just under four miles and climbed 500' of elevation at the Fortress after the previous night of trans-Atlantic flying), proceeded to both fall asleep in small chairs on our small balcony overlooking the big sea.
Tomorrow we're going to explore a few local attractions down by the water's edge before hopping back in the car and proceeding another hour east towards the small oceanside town of Monemvasia. Cameras, drones, and phones are each on the chargers for tomorrow's adventures, and we're officially calling day 1 in Greece a success.
Spartan Olive Groves
Nearing Our Destination
Cliffs At Sunset - Itilo, Greece
Trans-Atlantic Flying
We left on Saturday the 9th in an exceptionally relaxed manner. Calling an Uber to make the ten minute ride to the airport around 11h30in preparation for our 13h00 flight to New York City's JFK International Airport. The agent at bag check gave me quite the funny look as I checked only a small duffel bag, wondering aloud why I was carrying the largest of my two bags on the plane. It was at this point that I noticed my clothing bag was half the size of my electronics bag. This shouldn't really surprise anyone, but I got a good laugh out of it. The hope for this trip is to utilize our Mavic Pro drone much more than we did in Canada. If you haven't yet seen the 45-second highlight reel from the Trans-Canada Overland trip last summer, check out a link here. Editing that short film made me realize the power of the drone itself for catching footage in places I'd otherwise never be able to, so I'm pushing myself to use it to its fullest going forward, starting on this trip to Greece.
Our connecting flight to New York went off without a hitch, and we spent our two hours at JFK on Delta's roof-deck lounge that overlooks the international flights terminal. This is always enjoyable for me as I love to point out planes and track their destinations (If you don't know this, I'm a little bit of a commercial aviation nerd). At 16h00 we began boarding the plane, an Airbus A333, that would be carrying the two of us and 291 of our newest acquaintances across the Atlantic Ocean. I watched TV and Dani enjoyed a movie as pasta and chicken dinners were served, shortly after which the cabin lights were turned off and many went to sleep. We flew into the darkness of the night, 39,000 feet over the ocean and 25 miles in front of, and behind, the nearest trans-Atlantic flight, flying through the sky like ants marching between colonies.
Shortly after Dani shut her iPad off and reclined the chair to sleep, I was staring out the window at the stars. Now that the majority of the cabin was asleep I was able to see in much greater detail than beforehand, immediately recognizing the Milky Way sprawling out across the sky. I usually sit on the left side of European bound flights, in hopes of catching the northern lights from my window seat, but at the time of booking all that were available in our class were souther facing seats. I didn't think of this then, but it gave me the most incredible view of the Milky Way. As a photographer I typically spend time under it, aiming the camera up to capture the height of its beauty. Being six miles up in the air gave me an unparalleled view, and I instantly knew I needed to try and photograph it. The funny part of this is that the cards were epically stacked against me; photographing the Milky Way from a tripod on the surface of the earth can be exceptionally hard in itself, and here I was moving at nearly 600 miles an hour in an airplane that even in its smoothest moments is still somewhat bouncy. Keeping a camera still and the shutter open long enough to absorb any amount of usable Milky Way light was going to be a heck of a problem. Needless to say that after 50+ test shots, I was finally able to capture a non-blurry image, the camera held solely in my hands and pressed against the window, while I did my best to hold my jacket over my head and block out the ambient pollution from reading lights and a few scattered TV screens still on in the cabin.
For those photography folks that read this, I will include some spec details on the image below. A 'normal' photo I take of the Milky Way is done on a tripod, usually at f/2.8, ISO3200 or so, and a shutter time of 30 seconds with my 14mm, or 20" with my 24mm lens, adjusted accordingly to ensure the sky doesn't move too much to blur the stars in the photo. It takes a few tries to get focus on point, but those settings usually return a great image. The photo I took on this flight was handheld (no tripod), at f/2.8, ISO12800, and a shutter time of a whopping 8 seconds. I did this while holding my breath and trying not to move in the slightest, and I guess it finally paid off. The image itself isn't perfect, but the science and situation behind it make it truly spectacular to me.
Once I'd accomplished making this photograph to the best of my abilities I put my headphones in, turned on some quiet music, and fell fast asleep. If there's one thing I'm good at in this world it's sleeping on airplanes, and I had five more hours in-flight to make use of that talent.
International Departures - JFK Terminal 4
The Milky Way - 39,000' Above Earth
Two New Adventures
It's been quite a while since I've had a chance to write anything for 2180miles itself, and I've been missing it. Work has been crazy over the last few months, and has unfortunately left me with little time to myself. Thankfully, Saturday will bring a brief end to this mayhem.
On the afternoon of June 9th, Dani and I will be taking off for two weeks traveling around Greece. She had expressed to me her interest in going well over a year ago, but was happy to let the Trans-Canada Overland trip be our 2017 summer adventure, in exchange for which I promised we'd explore Greece this year. She has planned us a fantastic 13 day itinerary during which we'll travel around via rental car, ferries, and our own feet visiting Athens and a half-dozen of the southern islands like Crete, Mykonos, and Santorini. We made a trip to downtown Boston's REI store a few weeks ago and got her outfitted with an Osprey 46L pack which will be perfect for the trip and future hiking excursions. I'll be carrying one of my 60L bags, and for the first time in my life I think I might leave my laptop at home and solely bring my iPad for blogging. Rest assured I'm bringing two cameras (and probably my drone), and will be taking notes throughout so there will be blog posts to come detailing hikes and visited ruins, alongside what I hope to be some spectacular imagery.
The view from our upcoming Airbnb - Santorini, Greece
The other big piece of news to announce is our recent engagement. On May 25th I rented out the entirety of Boston Public Library (Dani's favorite place in the entire city) staged a fictitious event featuring an Emily Brontë book collection on display (her favorite author), and asked her to be my life's greatest adventure. Thankfully, she said yes.
So that's it... a bit of news from my world. We do have a few other trips planned with the Overland club this summer, and should have some time hiking up in New Hampshire's White Mountains as well. The Jeep is getting a hardshell roof-top tent for when we're camping out of it, large enough to fit both of us with plenty of room inside for sleeping bags, pillows, and misc. gear. It's waterproof, aerodynamic, and sets up in under 60 seconds... the latter of which is a key feature that should make our overland trips, whether an overnight or month-long adventure, easier and more pleasant in many regards.
That's it for now. Talk soon, and thanks for following along.
Bates Hall - Boston Public Library


text:
import { mount } from 'enzyme';
import React from 'react';
import sinon from 'sinon';
import Pulsator from 'components/pulsator';
import { colors } from 'styles/color';

describe('Pulsator', () => {
  test('Accepts proxy props', () => {
    const onClick = jest.fn();
    const pulsator = mount(
      <Pulsator
        onClick={onClick}
      />,
    );

    expect(pulsator.at(0).props().onClick).toBe(onClick);
  });

  test('Standard rendering', () => {
    const clock = sinon.useFakeTimers();
    const pulsator = mount(
      <Pulsator />,
    );

    expect(pulsator.find('div').length).toBe(1);
    expect(pulsator.find('div').props().style.backgroundColor).toBeDefined();

    clock.tick(1200);

    pulsator.unmount();
    clock.restore();
  });

  test('Color pulsation', () => {
    const clock = sinon.useFakeTimers();
    const pulsator = mount(
      <Pulsator color={colors.red} />,
    );

    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe(colors.gray5);
    clock.tick(600);
    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe(colors.red);
    clock.tick(600);
    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe(colors.gray5);

    pulsator.unmount();
    clock.restore();
  });

  test('Optional pulsation disable', () => {
    const clock = sinon.useFakeTimers();
    const pulsator = mount(
      <Pulsator color={colors.primary} inactive />,
    );

    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe(colors.primary);
    clock.tick(600);
    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe(colors.primary);
    clock.tick(600);
    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe(colors.primary);

    pulsator.unmount();
    clock.restore();
  });

  test('Transparent modifier', () => {
    const clock = sinon.useFakeTimers();
    const pulsator = mount(
      <Pulsator color={colors.primary} transparent />,
    );

    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe('unset');
    clock.tick(600);
    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe(colors.primary);
    clock.tick(600);
    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe('unset');

    pulsator.unmount();
    clock.restore();
  });

  test('Changes in pulsation prop', () => {
    const clock = sinon.useFakeTimers();
    const pulsator = mount(
      <Pulsator
        color={colors.primary}
        inactive
        transparent
      />,
    );

    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe(colors.primary);
    clock.tick(600);
    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe(colors.primary);

    pulsator.setProps({ inactive: false });

    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe('unset');
    clock.tick(600);
    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe(colors.primary);
    clock.tick(600);
    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe('unset');

    pulsator.setProps({ inactive: true });

    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe(colors.primary);
    clock.tick(600);
    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe(colors.primary);

    pulsator.unmount();
    clock.restore();
  });

  test('Changes in color prop', () => {
    const clock = sinon.useFakeTimers();
    const pulsator = mount(
      <Pulsator transparent />,
    );

    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe('unset');
    clock.tick(600);
    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe(colors.primary);
    clock.tick(600);
    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe('unset');
    pulsator.setProps({ color: colors.green });
    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe(colors.green);
    clock.tick(600);
    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe('unset');

    pulsator.unmount();
    clock.restore();
  });

  test('Changes in color prop with pulsation disabled', () => {
    const pulsator = mount(
      <Pulsator color={colors.green} inactive transparent />,
    );

    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe(colors.green);
    pulsator.setProps({ color: undefined });
    expect(pulsator.state().color).toBe(colors.primary);

    pulsator.unmount();
  });
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
#BeExponential with SingularityU South Africa
Powerful New Algorithm Is a Big Step Towards Whole-Brain Simulation
The renowned physicist Dr. Richard Feynman once said: "What I cannot create, I do not understand. Know how to solve every problem that has been solved."
An increasingly influential subfield of neuroscience has taken Feynman's words to heart. To theoretical neuroscientists, the key to understanding how intelligence works is to recreate it inside a computer. Neuron by neuron, these whizzes hope to reconstruct the neural processes that lead to a thought, a memory, or a feeling.
With a digital brain in place, scientists can test out current theories of cognition or explore the parameters that lead to a malfunctioning mind. As philosopher Dr. Nick Bostrom at the University of Oxford argues, simulating the human mind is perhaps one of the most promising (if laborious) ways to recreate—and surpass—human-level ingenuity.
There's just one problem: our computers can't handle the massively parallel nature of our brains. Squished within a three-pound organ are over 100 billion interconnected neurons and trillions of synapses.
Even the most powerful supercomputers today balk at that scale: so far, machines such as the K computer at the Advanced Institute for Computational Science in Kobe, Japan can tackle at most ten percent of neurons and their synapses in the cortex.
This ineptitude is partially due to software. As computational hardware inevitably gets faster, algorithms increasingly become the linchpin towards whole-brain simulation.
This month, an international team completely revamped the structure of a popular simulation algorithm, developing a powerful piece of technology that dramatically slashes computing time and memory use.
Using today's simulation algorithms, only small progress (dark red area of center brain) would be possible on the next generation of supercomputers. However, the new technology allows researchers to simulate larger parts of the brain while using the same amount of computer memory. This makes the new technology more appropriate for future use in supercomputers for whole-brain level simulation. Image Credit: Forschungszentrum Jülich/Frontiers
The new algorithm is compatible with a range of computing hardware, from laptops to supercomputers. When future exascale supercomputers hit the scene—projected to be 10 to 100 times more powerful than today's top performers—the algorithm can immediately run on those computing beasts.
"With the new technology we can exploit the increased parallelism of modern microprocessors a lot better than previously, which will become even more important in exascale computers," said study author Jakob Jordan at the Jülich Research Center in Germany, who published the work in Frontiers in Neuroinformatics.
"It's a decisive step towards creating the technology to achieve simulations of brain-scale networks," the authors said.
The Trouble With Scale
Current supercomputers are composed of hundreds of thousands of subdomains called nodes. Each node has multiple processing centers that can support a handful of virtual neurons and their connections.
A main issue in brain simulation is how to effectively represent millions of neurons and their connections inside these processing centers to cut time and power.
One of the most popular simulation algorithms today is the Memory-Usage Model. Before scientists simulate changes in their neuronal network, they need to first create all the neurons and their connections within the virtual brain using the algorithm.
Here's the rub: for any neuronal pair, the model stores all information about connectivity in each node that houses the receiving neuron—the postsynaptic neuron.
In other words, the presynaptic neuron, which sends out electrical impulses, is shouting into the void; the algorithm has to figure out where a particular message came from by solely looking at the receiver neuron and data stored within its node.
It sounds like a strange setup, but the model allows all the nodes to construct their particular portion of the neural network in parallel. This dramatically cuts down boot-up time, which is partly why the algorithm is so popular.
But as you probably guessed, it comes with severe problems in scaling. The sender node broadcasts its message to all receiver neuron nodes. This means that each receiver node needs to sort through every single message in the network—even ones meant for neurons housed in other nodes.
That means a huge portion of messages get thrown away in each node, because the addressee neuron isn't present in that particular node. Imagine overworked post office staff skimming an entire country's worth of mail to find the few that belong to their jurisdiction. Crazy inefficient, but that's pretty much what goes on in the Memory-Usage Model.
The problem becomes worse as the size of the simulated neuronal networkgrows. Each node needs to dedicate memory storage space to an "address book" listing all its neural inhabitants and their connections. At the scale of billions of neurons, the "address book" becomes a huge memory hog.
Size Versus Source
The team hacked the problem by essentially adding a zip code to the algorithm.
Here's how it works. The receiver nodes contain two blocks of information. The first is a database that stores data about all the sender neurons that connect to the nodes. Because synapses come in several sizes and types that differ in their memory consumption, this database further sorts its information based on the type of synapses formed by neurons in the node.
This setup already dramatically differs from its predecessor, in which connectivity data is sorted by the incoming neuronal source, not synapse type. Because of this, the node no longer has to maintain its "address book."
"The size of the data structure is therefore independent of the total number of neurons in the network," the authors explained.
The second chunk stores data about the actual connections between the receiver node and its senders. Similar to the first chunk, it organizes data by the type of synapse. Within each type of synapse, it then separates data by the source (the sender neuron).
In this way, the algorithm is far more specific than its predecessor: rather than storing all connection data in each node, the receiver nodes only store data relevant to the virtual neurons housed within.
The team also gave each sender neuron a target address book. During transmission the data is broken up into chunks, with each chunk containing a zip code of sorts directing it to the correct receiving nodes.
Rather than a computer-wide message blast, here the data is confined to the receiver neurons that they're supposed to go to.
Speedy and Smart
The modifications panned out.
In a series of tests, the new algorithm performed much better than its predecessors in terms of scalability and speed. On the supercomputer JUQUEEN in Germany, the algorithm ran 55 percent faster than previous models on a random neural network, mainly thanks to its streamlined data transfer scheme.
At a network size of half a billion neurons, for example, simulating one second of biological events took about five minutes of JUQUEEN runtime using the new algorithm. Its predecessor clocked in at six times that.
This really "brings investigations of fundamental aspects of brain function, like plasticity and learning unfolding over minutes…within our reach," said study author Dr. Markus Diesmann at the Jülich Research Centre.
As expected, several scalability tests revealed that the new algorithm is far more proficient at handling large networks, reducing the time it takes to process tens of thousands of data transfers by roughly threefold.
"The novel technology profits from sending only the relevant spikes to each process," the authors concluded. Because computer memory is now uncoupled from the size of the network, the algorithm is poised to tackle brain-wide simulations, the authors said.
While revolutionary, the team notes that a lot more work remains to be done. For one, mapping the structure of actual neuronal networks onto the topology of computer nodes should further streamline data transfer. For another, brain simulation software needs to regularly save its process so that in case of a computer crash, the simulation doesn't have to start over.
"Now the focus lies on accelerating simulations in the presence of various forms of network plasticity," the authors concluded. With that solved, the digital human brain may finally be within reach.
Image Credit: Jolygon / Shutterstock.com
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shayne@susasummit.org
mic@suasummit.org
© All rights reserved. Singularity University South Africa Summit 2019
Powered by Magnesium