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OK, remember the game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon"? Google, which can bring you the weather forecast for any spot on the planet, launched another very useful service this year. The search engine's "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" game will connect any movie star, living or dead, to the veteran Hollywood actor Kevin Bacon.
The game has become so popular, we went in search of its origins this past September. We had so much fun that once again we bring what we found on our expedition.
Let's start with how this original game works. Take any celebrity you like - say, Sean Connery.
SEAN CONNERY: (as James Bond) Bond. James Bond.
GREENE: And we'll try and link him to Kevin Bacon. Well, Sean Connery was in "Marnie" with Tippi Hedren.
TIPPI HEDREN: (as Marnie) I sent you plenty of money. Momma, you don't have to be a babysitter.
GREENE: And Tippi Hedren was in the movie "Jayne Mansfield's Car" with...
KEVIN BACON: (as Carroll Caldwell) It's not going to kill you to talk to your kids. You might be surprised what happens.
GREENE: That's right, Kevin Bacon. So that gives Sean Connery a Bacon number of two. Does that make sense? Well, let's try one more. Say, Tom Cruise...
TOM CRUISE: (as Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee) Colonel Jessup, did you order the Code Red?
GREENE: Ah, yes, that famous line from "A Few Good Men," which also starred Kevin Bacon - they were side-by-side. So that gives Tom Cruise a Bacon number of one. Do you get the idea?
So where did all this start? Well, it began in 1994 at Albright College in Pennsylvania, where three friends were holed up in a room with a TV on.
BRIAN TURTLE: We were snowed in and we were watching TV, as you know, you might do at that age when you're snowed in. And we may have had a cocktail or two. And "Footloose" was on TV, and then the movie "Quicksilver" came on after that, and then a commercial for another Kevin Bacon movie came on in between those two movies. And it was like, whoa, what is this, Kevin Bacon marathon on...
GREENE: He's in everything.
TURTLE: He's in everything. And that was kind of the statement that we made. And then it was sort of like, well, has Kevin Bacon ever worked with Robert De Niro? This was before the movie "Sleepers," which has subsequently put the two of those together in one movie.
But before that we said no, but Robert De Niro was in "The Untouchables" with Kevin Costner, and Kevin Costner was in "JFK" with Kevin Bacon. And that was kind of the light bulb statement right there.
GREENE: That's Brian Turtle who, along with Craig Fass and Mike Ginelli, dreamt this game up, with some cocktails and a few Kevin Bacon movies.
And so, now Google has made the game part of its search engine. And we asked Brian Turtle what it feels like to have a game that you created with your college buddies get incorporated by one of the world's largest Internet companies.
TURTLE: I don't know, flattering or weird. It's interesting because I've Googled, you know, whatever it is - hundreds, hundreds of thousands of different things over the years and I've never really felt the need to say, oh, well, I wonder how the thing that I'm searching links back to Kevin Bacon.
GREENE: And I have to admit, this thing can really get addictive. I spent a lot of a morning using this new Google-Bacon number calculator. I mean the point's supposed to be you get six degrees of separation, right? Well, I couldn't get a connection over the number two. I asked Brian if he could get anywhere near six. And to do that, he and I had to travel to a galaxy far, far away.
TURTLE: You can go Mark Hamill through "Star Wars," with Carrie Fisher.
MARK HAMILL: (as Luke Skywalker) Yes, it's you, Leia.
CARRIE FISHER: (as Princess Leia) Somehow...
TURTLE: And Carrie Fisher was in "The Blues Brothers" with John Belushi, who is in "Animal House" with Kevin Bacon.
JOHN BELUSHI: (as Jake Blues) Forget it - five grand, no problem. We'll have it for you in the morning. Let's go, Elwood.
GREENE: All right, so Luke Skywalker at least gets us to three. If you want to try this for yourself, just type Bacon number and then an actor or actress's name into Google and see what number you get.
Now, before I go, I should mention that Steve Inskeep, I know, met Alec Baldwin in person. He was in "She's Having a Baby" with Kevin Bacon, which means Steve Inskeep has a Bacon number of two.
MONTAGNE: And David, I once ran into Alec Baldwin in the checkout line at the grocery store. Does that count?
GREENE: Yeah. Yeah, you got the Bacon number of two. You were shopping together, absolutely.
MONTAGNE: There you go. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Harbin: 532,100 tourists received during the New Year's Day holiday, ice and snow tourism is popular
Date: 2021-01-10
From 1st to 3rd, 46,000 visitors to Harbin Ice and Snow World entered the park.
On January 4, the reporter learned from the Harbin Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism that from January 1st to 3rd, 11 Harbin's key monitored tourist attractions received a total of 532,117 tourists, and the city's 21 open museums received 24,220 tourists. . In 2020, Harbin Airport will complete a passenger throughput of 13.51 million passengers, ranking first in the Northeast for five consecutive years.
"Ice and Snow Fashion Tour" shows its charm
In this ice and snow season, Harbin has launched seven ice and snow tourism themed products for tourists from all over the country, attracting more domestic tourists to experience the charm of ice and snow tourism and becoming a popular tourist city on New Year's Day.
Harbin Ice and Snow World reproduces classic buildings from Central and Eastern European countries such as Yekaterinburg, Moscow Station, Athens Theater in Greece, etc. As the most popular ace project over the years, the speed slide has 8 slides and a super snow ring slide. The exquisite and delicate ice sculptures and high-quality services attract endless tourists. From the 1st to the 3rd, the Harbin Ice and Snow World had 46,000 visitors, of which about 40% were citizens of Harbin. Most of the tourists from other places were from Shanghai to Guangzhou.
On the eve of the holiday, Chunqiu Group recruited thousands of tourists from 15 cities across the country and came to Harbin in different batches during the ice and snow season. The first batch of tourists entered the Ice and Snow World Park after going through the normalized epidemic prevention and control procedures such as scanning codes, temperature measurement, and face recognition. The ice and snow world at night is radiant and charming, making these southern tourists both Surprised and excited, they put various poses around the ice scene to take pictures, fixed the beauty in the lens, and spread the most charming ice and snow scenery of the ice city to every corner of the motherland, helping Harbin winter tourism.
During the three-day long holiday, the third Harbin Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival was full of voices. The 1.4 million square meters of Harbin Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival continued the usual practice of previous years. There is no ticket for free admission to the park. The Songhua River has become a sea of joy, and charity entertainment projects such as ice hills and seesaws are open to the public for free. In addition to free public welfare projects, ice and snow entertainment projects such as ice hovercraft, snow bumper cars, ice and snow four-wheel drive vehicles, and floating banana boats are also constantly visited.
Central Street, Ice and Snow World, Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival and other key scenic spots have received widespread attention and have been on CCTV news many times.
"Ice and Snow Creative Tour" is very popular
During the New Year's Day holiday, major scenic spots in Harbin adjusted product content and structure according to market characteristics and tourist needs, and added creative interactive ice and snow projects. Traditional winter popular projects such as skiing tours and hot spring tours continued to increase in popularity. On December 28th, Yabuli Ski Resort was selected as a national tourist resort, attracting more ski enthusiasts from all over the country to experience "speed and passion"; the country's first ice and snow tourism theme special train "Yabuli Snow Country Train" , Has gradually become the "net celebrity train" in the new snow season, attracting tourists to come to check in and experience. Among them, ski enthusiasts in the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta increased by 20% year-on-year.
On December 29, the Songhua River Ice and Snow Carnival launched the "Peace Elite" ice and snow theme park. Realize the deep linkage between online and offline. In the offline "Peace Elite" ice and snow theme park, there are the ice and snow sculpture artwork that restores the game and the updated ice slide of the new version of "Peace Elite", as well as the largest IP-themed snow maze in China based on the game IP "three-level head". Created the world's first real ice projection interactive show, which brings the audio-visual shock with the original "game scene" + "ice and snow environment projection" overlapping human landscape interaction. Realizing the multi-directional and interactive sensory experience of seeing, hearing, touching, and integrating the most popular digital IP at the moment, it can be described as a comprehensive upgrade of the cultural travel experience, bringing tourists a new immersive ice and snow experience.
Poseidon Sea World will open on December 31, and Xinhaidu Hot Spring will open for trial operation on January 2nd, launching creative hot spring themed performing arts activities, making tourists linger. Harbin is also actively enriching the supply of holiday products and creating various cultural and tourism brand activities. The ice-snow theme music of "Peace Elite" "War Is Coming" was performed on the ice surface of Songhua River, praising human beings' fearless challenge and desire for adventure; and "Playing the Sound of Peace" HSO2021 Sofia Concert Hall New Year Concert. In accordance with the requirements of the epidemic prevention and control work, the "2020 Harbin New Concert" innovated performance methods and launched online performances. Nearly 500,000 spectators watched the New Year's concert online.
Unprecedented "Ice and Snow Tour for the People"
During the ice and snow season, Harbin continued to launch the "Harbin Huiyou Full Netcom" cultural tourism benefit activities. Up to now, it has issued more than 42 million yuan in cultural tourism consumption subsidies, driving tourists to directly consume nearly 300 million yuan. Visitors to Kazakhstan can enjoy full reduction rights and enjoy the highest government subsidies in history as long as they book accommodation hotels, scenic spots, and tourist routes in Kazakhstan on the platform, which really benefits tourists. Tickets for Harbin Ice and Snow World and Sun Island Snow Expo were all reduced to 100 yuan.
"Ice and Snow Safe Tour" peace of mind
On the eve of New Year's Day, in order to ensure the safe travel of tourists, Harbin's cultural and tourism department issued the "New Year's Holiday Travel Reminders in 2021" before the holiday to vigorously promote civilized tourism, promote the normalization of reservations for tourist attractions, and achieve limited numbers, appointments, and off-peak admission. . During the holidays, the cultural and tourism departments of Harbin City are divided into areas and contracted systems, and focus on supervising and inspecting scenic spots, cultural performance venues, Internet cafes and entertainment venues, movie theaters, etc., requiring cultural and tourism venues to strictly implement national, provincial, and municipal epidemic prevention and control and holiday safety during holidays Work requirements, strictly implement the industry's epidemic prevention guidelines and standards, prepare emergency plans and drills, standardize the cleaning and disinfection of premises and equipment, warmly remind tourists to wear masks scientifically, maintain social distancing, strengthen staff management, and ensure winter travel epidemic prevention and control and safety The work is implemented and detailed. Issue a rectification reminder letter for cultural tourism sites that have problems in the prevention and control of the epidemic, ordering the establishment of rectification. The cultural departments at all levels in the city remain on duty 24 hours a day, handle emergencies in a timely manner, accept complaints from tourists, effectively safeguard the safety of tourists' lives and property, ensure full coverage of tourism supervision services, the entire process, and no dead ends, and ensure the safety and order of holiday tourism in the city. (* Article source: Northeast Net)

subset: commoncrawl


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Four Princeton faculty members received President's Awards for Distinguished Teaching at Commencement ceremonies Tuesday, May 31.
They are: Anne Case, the Alexander Stewart 1886 Professor of Economics and Public Affairs; Hendrik Hartog, the Class of 1921 Bicentennial Professor in the History of American Law and Liberty; Alexander Nehamas, the Edmund N. Carpenter II Class of 1943 Professor in the Humanities and professor of philosophy and comparative literature; and Daniel Oppenheimer, associate professor of psychology and public affairs.
The awards were established in 1991 through gifts by Princeton alumni Lloyd Cotsen of the class of 1950 and John Sherrerd of the class of 1952 to recognize excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching by Princeton faculty members. Each winner receives a cash prize of $5,000, and his or her department receives $3,000 for the purchase of new books.
A committee of faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and academic administrators selected the winners from nominations by current students, faculty colleagues and alumni.
Case, who earned a master's in public affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in 1983 and a Ph.D. in economics from Princeton in 1988, has been a member of the University faculty since 1991. Her scholarly interests are economic development, primarily in South Africa, and health issues in developed and developing countries. Her teaching largely focuses on development economics at the master's level in the Wilson School and at the doctoral level in the Department of Economics.
In the classroom, Case brings technical and theoretical subjects to life and reminds students that their mission as scholars is to help make a difference in society. In recommending Case for the award, a current Ph.D. student in economics wrote, "Professor Case's passion for South Africa surfaced in nearly every lecture through anecdotes or rigorous academic studies. Her enthusiasm and unquenchable thirst to understand the problems besetting South African households infused life into dry or seemingly intangible economic theory. … Professor Case's excitement over the latest release of a comprehensive demography survey from KwaZulu-Natal, or lingering questions as to how and why family composition was dramatically changing over time, reminded us of the bigger world beyond the confines of Princeton University." Another graduate student in economics added, "She is a teacher who can transform any dry, theoretic paper into accessible and exciting material, full of unanswered questions for us to explore together with her. She turns each lecture into an engaging discussion in which even the shy students like me feel stimulated to participate."
Colleagues noted that Case is both tireless and selfless in supporting the development of her advisees and other students. For example, she established a research lunch for faculty and graduate students who work in development and health, at which students present works in progress. In addition, two colleagues recalled, "Several summers ago, Anne arranged a research colloquium for approximately eight Ph.D. students at a remote field site in South Africa. There they learned about the research going on at the site and interacted with South African researchers and graduate students. We know that Anne used her own unrestricted funds to cover a substantial portion of this colloquium -- funds she could have used for her own work."
As an adviser, Case is known for motivating students to pursue challenging questions and to think creatively about how to develop their own research ideas. "Teaching economics demands a delicate balance between instilling confidence in a student's abilities while still making sure they are uncomfortable enough to push themselves as hard as is required. Anne excels at this skill," a former advisee wrote. Another former graduate student recalled, "When I would come to her office with a crazy idea, possibly promising but probably almost impossible to actually pursue, she'd join my excitement and say something like, 'OK, this is great. Now just do it.' And I, eventually out of excuses, just did it."
Hartog, a Princeton faculty member since 1992, is a historian and legal scholar who also directs the interdisciplinary Program in American Studies. His breadth of interests, collaborative mindset and infectious enthusiasm for learning have inspired both undergraduate and graduate students who regard Hartog as a model scholar, teacher and mentor. "His office hours are always filled with students seeking advice from him," wrote one colleague in nominating Hartog for the award. "Many of these are not -- I repeat, not -- his advisees, but people who have gotten to know him in classes, through the suggestion of other students and faculty, or simply from going to public lectures, workshops and conferences and chatting with him afterward."
One of Hartog's signature undergraduate courses, "American Legal History," provides an overview of complex legal cases. His approach is not what many students expect when they enroll, but one that they ultimately find invaluable, according to a colleague who served as a preceptor for the course. "These are not 'Famous Cases 101.' They are about pigs in the street of antebellum New York; common law water rights in the West; slavery in New Jersey," Hartog's colleague wrote. "None of these problems really offer an answer about legal history in any way, but they are meant to demonstrate how legal historians ask questions, what sources look like and how we struggle over and through them. Above all, they are meant to show that law is messy (not tidy, as the students hope)." He engages students in these issues with a "no bells and whistles" approach that emphasizes critical thought, and "gradually they begin to trust Professor Hartog and to see themselves emerging as bigger thinkers."
Hartog is a diligent critic of his students' work, vigorously editing their prose and challenging their arguments to make them more efficient and persuasive writers. He puts similar effort into finding time to engage one-on-one with students. One undergraduate student wrote that students may often "assume that a good teacher is the equivalent of a brilliant or charismatic lecturer, when in fact the most valuable kind of teaching (and learning) often takes place outside the classroom or lecture hall -- during office hours, through email exchanges, from timely and insightful feedback on assignments, through frequent, focused and open-minded conversations. Although Dirk's lectures are on par with the best I've experienced in the history department, he is also a master at this other kind of teaching."
This approach also has won Hartog praise from graduate students. "Perhaps the most important quality among those that make Dirk a great, great teacher is that, as best as I can describe it, he has mastered the art of being a teacher-friend," wrote a former graduate student. "Becoming Dirk's student means right away entering into a conversation in which, somehow, Dirk manages to be a mentor, a guide and a resource, while at the same time making one feel like a colleague -- a colleague-in-the-making, to be sure, but a colleague nonetheless."
Nehamas, who earned his Ph.D. from Princeton in 1971, has taught at the University since 1990. Renowned as a scholar with a wide range of interests across the humanities, Nehamas is an internationally recognized expert on German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. He is best known among undergraduates for his course on Nietzsche, which is among the most popular in the philosophy department. Students also have cited his undergraduate courses on literature and arts and the philosophy of art as some of the best they have taken at Princeton.
While praising the memorable quality of his lectures, undergraduates also cited Nehamas as a caring, spirited mentor who devotes considerable effort to advising their independent work and guiding them in less formal settings. One student wrote that Nehamas "embodies the ideal Princeton professor, who not only lectures but also takes the time to enjoy a friendly conversation with his students. He is a humanist in the most admirable sense of that word: someone who believes in education as the highest ideal." Added another student, "Professor Nehamas is unfailingly kind, frequently witty, an admirable lecturer and deeply interested in his students. He represents the highest standards of excellence in teaching and in cultivating individual relationships with his pupils."
This esteem is shared by Nehamas' graduate students, who have given high marks to his courses on moral psychology, 19th-century German philosophy and the philosophy of art. He also is a respected adviser whose dedication to mentoring continues to inspire former graduate students who are now professors themselves. "Alexander is among the three or four most memorable teachers in my life," wrote one former graduate student. "His combination of intellectual generosity, deep engagement and careful, thoughtful, critical feedback to students distinguishes him from even the strongest teachers among my professors and colleagues. He makes a decisive impact on the lives of a huge number of students. Indeed, in making my own choices as a teacher, I continually return to him as a model and ask myself how Alexander would manage things."
Colleagues marvel at Nehamas' expansive research and teaching interests. In addition to his dual appointments in philosophy and comparative literature, he has served as chair of Princeton's Council of the Humanities, founding director of the Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts and director of the Program in Hellenic Studies. "What he has given in the classroom is prodigious," wrote one colleague, adding that "wherever there are students of extraordinary learning and/or imagination and/or originality, they turn out to have found their way to Alexander, whether studying aesthetics or Nietzsche, or simply finding confirmation of what it means to be a humanist of the greatest rigor and liveliness."
Oppenheimer, who has taught at Princeton since 2004, studies human decision-making in a variety of contexts, from education to charitable giving to the stock market. Oppenheimer's pursuit of his eclectic collection of research interests is fueled by the intellectual and creative stimulation he gets from teaching, including leading his popular "Introduction to Psychology" course, advising undergraduate and graduate students, and serving as faculty fellow to the Princeton men's and women's varsity volleyball teams.
In taking on teaching duties for "Introduction to Psychology," Oppenheimer has earned the respect of his colleagues and the rapt attention of his students by developing a curriculum that incorporates amusing yet inspiring lectures with engaging laboratory sessions. He tosses bags of M&Ms to students who volunteer to be part of classroom demonstrations, and even brings a 5-year-old "guest lecturer" into class to demonstrate how children think. "As a teacher, Danny is always the consummate psychologist," a colleague wrote in nominating him for the award. "His lectures are fun and entertaining on the surface, but underneath they are absolutely brilliant. Everything psychologists know about how people learn and what motivates them to learn is deployed to maximal effect." His colleague noted that Oppenheimer said that leading the labor-intensive introductory course actually would inspire him to produce more research, and "his productivity over the last seven years has borne out his claim."
Oppenheimer's teaching portfolio in the Wilson School includes graduate courses on psychology and policy and on accountability in higher education, as well as an undergraduate policy task force on higher education testing. One student from his policy task force said Oppenheimer "was able to create an environment in which one never felt pressured to find the 'right' thing to say or was afraid to speak his/her mind for fear that the ideas would be considered 'silly.' At the same time, he was a rigorous discussion leader who constantly kept us on our toes by challenging our assumptions, playing devil's advocate and telling us we could do better."
Oppenheimer maintains a similarly challenging but supportive environment for the students who conduct research under his supervision in the "Opp Lab," where he holds weekly meetings for all of his advisees, research assistants and other students who want to become involved in psychological research. Oppenheimer's "encouragement of excellence was coupled with a healthy dose of humor that made the Opp Lab fun," said a former student. "Silly as it may seem, knowing as an undergraduate that the 'Mr. Incredible' toy award was up for grabs in weekly lab meetings made me all that much more eager to exceed requirements. Meanwhile, while this weekly award was taken fairly seriously as an added incentive to produce and be promptly recognized for exceptional work, knowing that the 'Best Attempt at Humor' award was also up for grabs made the meetings lighthearted events, and knowing that the 'Worst Attempt at Humor' award would inevitably go to Danny put us all at ease. Danny's unique brand of brilliantly corny humor works wonders in making him relatable despite his genius."


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Four retailers who represent the largest purchasers of clothes produced in Bangladesh announced Monday that they have will help finance safety upgrades at apparel factories in the South Asia country after the collapse of a garment complex killed more than 1,000 workers.
The news comes as the death toll in the April 24 collapse of the eight-story Rana Plaza near Dhaka rose to at least 1,127, according to officials.
In a statement from Sweden-based H&M and Inditex, the parent company of Zara, the retail giants urged others to join them. Within hours Britain's Primark Stores and Tesco as well as C&A of the Netherlands said they would also sign on to the legally binding agreement to "guarantee safe working conditions in the Bangladeshi garment industry."
H&M spokeswoman Helena Hermersson said the company's "strong presence in Bangladesh" gave it a unique opportunity to "contribute to the improvement of the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and contribute to the community's development."
H&M called the agreement a "pragmatic step," and said if other brands follow suit they could collectively cover all of the country's estimated 5,000 garment factories.
Karen Stinebrickner-Kaufman, executive director of the watchdog group praised H&M and Zara and expressed hope that "Gap and other brands follow their competitors' lead.
"Only legally binding programs that are accountable to workers themselves can guarantee that the clothes we buy aren't being made in death traps," she said.
The New York Times reports that the agreement:
"... calls for independent, rigorous factory safety inspections with public reports and mandatory repairs and renovations underwritten by Western retailers. A legally enforceable contract, it also calls for retailers to stop doing business with any factory that refuses to make necessary safety improvements, and for workers and their unions to have a substantial voice in factory safety."
The newspaper says two other companies — PVH, which makes clothes for Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Izod, as well as German retailer Tchibo — had agreed to sign last year.
Bangladesh's cabinet on Monday approved changes to the labor laws that would make it easier for workers to form trade unions.
According to The Times:
"A top adviser to Bangladesh's prime minister, Gowher Rizvi, said the changes approved by the cabinet – which must still be approved by the country's Parliament – are part of a broader government effort to come into compliance with international labor standards and improve conditions for workers in an industry that is critical to the nation's economy.
'Worker safety and worker welfare have now been brought into the forefront,' Mr. Rizvi said in a telephone interview. He said that discussions on these changes predated the Rana Plaza collapse even as he agreed that the disaster had intensified the pressure for reforms."
Update at 7:10 p.m. ET: Factories Closed Over Fears Of Violence:
The BBC also cites a report that as many as 300 factories have been closed in the Ashulia industrial area near Dhaka as a consequence in the wake of the collapse:
"Owners decided to close their factories on safety grounds after workers went on a rampage almost every day after the collapse of Rana Plaza," Mohammad Atiqul Islam, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said on Monday.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)—It's the end of the line for Roadrunner, a first-of-its-kind collection of processors that once reigned as the world's fastest supercomputer.
The $121 million supercomputer, housed at one of the nation's premier nuclear weapons research laboratories in northern New Mexico, will be decommissioned Sunday.
The reason? The world of supercomputing is evolving and Roadrunner has been replaced with something smaller, faster, more energy efficient and cheaper. Still, officials at Los Alamos National Laboratory say it's among the 25 fastest supercomputers in the world.
"Roadrunner got everyone thinking in new ways about how to build and use a supercomputer," said Gary Grider, who works in the lab's high performance computing division. "Specialized processors are being included in new ways on new systems and being used in novel ways. Our demonstration with Roadrunner caused everyone to pay attention."
In 2008, Roadrunner was first to break the elusive petaflop barrier by processing just over a quadrillion mathematical calculations per second.
Los Alamos teamed up with IBM to build Roadrunner from commercially available parts. They ended up with 278 refrigerator-size racks filled with two different types of processors, all linked together by 55 miles of fiber optic cable. It took nearly two dozen tractor trailer trucks to deliver the supercomputer from New York to northern New Mexico.
The supercomputer has been used over the last five years to model viruses and unseen parts of the universe, to better understand lasers and for nuclear weapons work. That includes simulations aimed at ensuring the safety and reliability of the nation's aging arsenal.
As part of the U.S. nuclear stockpile stewardship program, researchers used Roadrunner's high-speed calculation capabilities to unravel some of the mysteries of energy flow in weapons.
Los Alamos has been helping pioneer novel computer systems for decades. In 1976, the lab helped with the development of the Cray-1. In 1993, the lab held the fastest supercomputer title with the Thinking Machine CM-5.
"And to think of where we're going to be in the next 10 to 15 years, it's just mindboggling," said lab spokesman Kevin Roark.
Right now, Los Alamos—along with scientists at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California—is using a supercomputer dubbed Cielo. Installed in 2010, it's slightly faster than Roadrunner, takes up less space and came in at just under $54 million.
Roark said in the next 10 to 20 years, it's expected that the world's supercomputers will be capable of breaking the exascale barrier, or one quintillion calculations per second.
There will be no ceremony when Roadrunner is switched off Sunday, but lab officials said researchers will spend the next month experimenting with its operating system and techniques for compressing memory before dismantling begins. They say the work could help guide the design of future supercomputers.
Source: The Associated Press


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NEW YORK (AP) -- A 911 call comes in about a possible bomb in lower Manhattan and an alert pops up on computer screens at the New York Police Department, instantly showing officers an interactive map of the neighborhood, footage from nearby security cameras, whether there are high radiation levels and whether any other threats have been made against the city.
In a click, police know exactly what they're getting into.
Such a hypothetical scenario may seem like something out of a futuristic crime drama, but the technology is real, developed in a partnership between the nation's largest police department and Microsoft Corp., and the latest version has been quietly in use for about a year.
The project could pay off in more ways than one: The NYPD could make tens of millions of dollars under an unprecedented marketing deal that allows Microsoft to sell the system to other law enforcement agencies and civilian companies around the world. The city will get a 30 percent cut.
The Domain Awareness System, known as "the dashboard," instantaneously mines data from the police department's voluminous arrest records, 911 calls, more than 3,000 security cameras citywide, license plate readers and portable radiation detectors, and assembles it in an easy-to-use form.
Right now, it is used only in NYPD offices, mostly in the counterterrorism unit. Eventually, the system could supply crime-fighting information in real time to officers on laptops in their squad cars and on mobile devices while they walk the beat.
"It works incredibly well," said Jessica Tisch, director of planning and policy for the counterterrorism unit.
For example, officers used the system during a deadly shooting outside the Empire State Building in August. Dozens of 911 calls were coming in, and it initially looked like an attack staged by several gunmen. But officers mapped the information and pulled up cameras within 500 feet of the reported shots to determine there was only one shooter.
Analysts are cautious about the potential profits, saying that largely depends on Microsoft's sales efforts and whether any major competition arises. While there other data-drilling products made by other companies, they say the NYPD's involvement could set the dashboard apart.
"This is the kind of stuff you used to only see in movies," said analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group, a technology analysis firm. "Getting it to work in a way that police departments can use in real time is huge."
The venture began in 2009 when the NYPD approached Microsoft about building software to help mine data for the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative, a network of private and public cameras and other tools monitored by the department's counterterrorism bureau. Development cost the department between $30 million and $40 million, officials said.
"Usually, you purchase software that you try to work with, but we wanted this to be something that really worked well for us, so we set about creating it with them," said Richard Daddario, the NYPD's deputy commissioner for counterterrorism.
Officers were involved throughout the process with the programmers, offering advice on what they need during an emergency.
"It was created by cops for cops," Tisch said. "We thought a lot about what information we want up close and personal, and what needs to be a click away. It's all baked in there."
The system uses hundreds of thousands of pieces of information. Security camera footage can be rewound five minutes so that officers can see suspects who may have fled. Sensors pick up whether a bag has been left sitting for a while. When an emergency call comes in, officers can check prior 911 calls from that address to see what they might be up against.
Prospective clients can customize it to fit their organization.
Dave Mosher, a Microsoft vice president in charge of program management, said the company started to market the system in August and is looking at smaller municipalities, law enforcement agencies and companies that handle major sporting events.
He would not say whether any clients have been lined up and would not give details on the price except to say that it would depend on how much customization must be done.
Shawn McCarthy, an analyst with the research firm IDC, described the partnership — and outcome — as unusual in the tech world. "I see huge potential, but so much depends on the price and competition," he said.
No firm timetable has been set on when the dashboard will be rolled out to the entire 34,000-offficer department.
Associated Press video journalist Bonny Ghosh contributed to this report.


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DezineCorp sells to distributors and resellers in the promotional industry.
We would be pleased to help you locate a distributor in your area. Contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com for further information.
DezineCorp sells to distributors and resellers in the promotional industry.
Please forward your request to email@example.com and include full name, address, and telephone number. Our Accounting staff will reach out to you.
Send your Purchase Order and vector artwork to email@example.com.
Indicate the location for the decoration, and provide a colour request or PMS reference for any imprint.
Once our team has entered and reviewed your order, you will receive an order confirmation and be contacted if there is any further information required.
Note all orders/artwork are subject to review prior to acceptance by DezineCorp.
Vector based files allowing colour separation is required. Vector files convert type to lines and curves.
Adobe Illustrator CS 3/5/6 or CC or EPS files are preferred. Bitmap or raster (Photoshop) files will not be accepted.
Artwork Re-Creation of non-vector artwork is available. Charges will be quoted upon review of the existing art files. Contact Customer Service for assistance.
Standard production is 7-10 business days. This applies to orders for single colours/decoration, website quantities, production-ready artwork and for customers with credit approval. Each order is custom.
Service days are Monday to Friday, excluding holidays.
Let us know your event date and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
Rush service may be subject to additional charges, and is available on a case by case basis only.
Our website indicates minimum order quantities for each product.
Absolute minimum is half the website minimum order quantity shown.
A charge of $75(g) applies for less than minimum orders.
Available on certain products (ceramic and many glassware products are excluded, refer to individual product descriptions for additional details). Orders must be in case lots where listed. Blank Non-Decorated Product is final sale only and is non-returnable. Minimum Order Charge $300(g) applies.
To access our current catalogues/flyers please click on the web link on the home page.
For the most up-to-date pricing and information, refer to the website product page.
Contact our Customer Service team at email@example.com to order a print copy.
Refer to product details on the web site for specific decoration methods available for each product. Our Customer Service team will be pleased to help you with the variety of options available.
Our decorations include
Samples are available exclusively for Distributor use in reasonable quantities.
Send your request to firstname.lastname@example.com including "Sample Request" in the subject line and the following freight information in the request: freight carrier name, account number and account holder's name. If this information is not provided, a minimum charge of $25(g) will apply for shipping.
Samples are final sale only and non-returnable.
Distributors are responsible for all shipping expenses.
Non-Billable Samples: Some Random Imprinted samples may be provided at no charge for a single piece.
Billable Samples (Random Imprinted) - samples are priced at EQP-25% in quantities of 1 -3 pieces, if available.
Billable Samples (Non-Decorated) Samples – available at EQP in quantities of 1 -3 pieces (unless excluded in the product description on the website).
Pre-Production samples are available for screen printed items at $75(g) per colour, per imprint plus product cost. Quoted separately for all other items.
Pre-Production samples will be at no charge for confirmed orders over $2,500 before freight and taxes.
PPK refers to Protective Packaging. PPK assists to limit breakage of product during transit. PPK may take several forms including custom packaging; additional protection to master cartons such as air pillows, and carton-in-carton shipment.
Many products are offered with complimentary protective packaging. For other products it is offered as an additional charge. Refer to product details for further information.
Many of our products include complimentary gift boxes.
The majority of our drinkware selections may be ordered with one of our exclusive gift boxes. Our website includes many of these selections in the Gift Boxes & Sets section. Also custom boxes may be ordered.
Our Customer Service team will be pleased to assist you find a solution for your gift presentation needs.
When you receive your order confirmation a shipping date will be indicated. Every effort is made to ship each order as per the Shipping Date on the Order Acknowledgement. If we can ship earlier, we will. Unless otherwise requested order will be shipped via Bestway – the most economical method using our Preferred Carriers based on your delivery requirements - and FOB Mississagua.
A limited number of products are available for sale or shipment to the United States. Please contact Customer Service for further details.
Pickup is available at our Production facility located at 369 Britannia Rd E, Mississauga ON L4Z 2H5.
Pickup must be indicated when the order is submitted and orders will not be released without an approved Pickup Number.
Yes, however, 24 hours are required for processing shipping instruction changes and a charge of $75(g) will apply after an order has been staged for shipment.
Once DezineCorp issues an Order Acknowledgment/Confirmation, the order may not be cancelled without approval. Requests must be received in writing at firstname.lastname@example.com. Distributors will be invoiced $250(g) plus a restocking fee of up to 50% of the order.
Contact Customer Service. Any issues must be brought to the attention of your Account Representative within 7 days of delivery.
Returns are subject to pre-approval. Returns will not be accepted without a return authorization number (RA#).
Note that any credit issued will be recorded to the Distributors' account and may be applied to future orders only.
Payment terms are determined on a per order basis at the discretion of our Credit Department.
Wire transfers and electronic fund transfers are accepted and preferred. Visa and MasterCard payments are accepted subject to a surcharge of 2.4% prior to shipping only. Cheques are accepted five days prior to due date. NSF cheque payments are subject to a $50 penalty charge.
For further information, contact our Credit Department at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Payment terms are determined on a per order basis at the discretion of our Credit Department. Contact our Credit Department at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Terms are Net 30 days from the shipping date on pre-approved orders.
Deposits of 50% required on all custom product orders. Deposits will be required where an approved credit limit has not been established, or where the approved credit limit is exceeded.
Orders for all new accounts must be prepaid by credit card, direct deposit or wire transfer prior to production.
Orders less than $200 (excluding freight/taxes) must be prepaid by credit card.
There's a reason we're so well known for our customer care. Our experienced team brings a personal, hands-on approach to finding the right product for you.
From full customization to creative, out-of-the-box ideas, our team makes it right - every time.
Contact Us NowSubscribe to our e-flyer and newsletter


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Awhile back I gave a full tour of our kitchen cabinets, and years later they are almost identical to the way they were then, and are functioning quite well for us. And although we have intentions of doing a kitchen reno in the near future, I still have a few problem areas in the kitchen that I am looking forward to addressing this month. Some bigger than others, but all things that will hopefully be helpful in the most commonly used area of the home.
One of the ways I looked at this monthly challenge, was to question how we are utilizing the space in our kitchen, and making sure that "like" or common items are stored together. We are doing a pretty good job at this for the most part, but like I said, there are some areas for improvement. One being my baking items.
Now I don't mean the flours, sugars and oils since those have been all stored together in our spice cabinet for years and are doing well there. And our baking utensils are nicely divided in drawers near the stove, so high fives for that being another successful organizing project in the kitchen.
But everything else, like the cookie cutters, the frosting, the sprinkles and cupcake liners.... all those little "extras" that come with baking special treats every once in awhile. Well, those items didn't have a designated space, and there were times when I was over-purchasing items I already had since I didn't always know what I had. Frosting tubes were in the dry food cabinet, food coloring, candles and sprinkles were in the spice cabinet and the cookies cutters... you will never guess it.... in the storage ottomans in our living room where the craft bins live.... makes total sense right?! Ha!
So I gathered all the supplies and placed them on our kitchen table.
I knew exactly where all of these goodies should reside, happily together. In a drawer that was acting oh so effectively holding one single set of candles...
The drawer is in our dining room buffet, which is directly across from our kitchen, and is where we store overflow items and small appliances. The whole thing needs some organizing love, but I am taking this challenge one idea and drawer at a time.
Because I only bake special treats about once a month {and I shouldn't even be allowed to do that, my baking is less than awesome}, my thinking was that when baking day comes around, I could easily just grab the drawer out of the sideboard and take it over to the kitchen counter.
I started by removing the drawer, cleaning it out, lining it for easy cleaning, and popping in two bins I found at the dollar section at Target.
That dollar spot keeps saving the day with my drawer organizing! These bins couldn't have fit any better, it was like they were meant to be!
The next step was to continue to create more drawer dividers, so I scoured our home for a box that would be the perfect size....
I cut down the edges and used my box wrapping technique to cover the box with wipe-able drawer lining paper.
I still had space to spare and I knew I had smaller items that needed some dividing, so back to the searching of the home I went...
Jell-o cups were the winning solution. I transferred the contents of the Jell-o cups to a covered dish and cleaned them out. I now had all of the dividers I needed and began placing items into the drawer.
The cookie cutters fit perfectly in the first box divider I found from Target...
And the sprinkles and some colored gels fit in the other.
The cake pop sticks and small plastic treat bags tucked nicely in-between the boxes.
My favorite part of the whole project are the Jell-o cups. They worked so wonderfully for dividing the candles and food coloring.
And just when I was prematurely happy dancing about my newly created and organized baking drawer... I went to shut the drawer and fail.
The tubs of sprinkles didn't fit and allow the drawer to close all the way. The angle of them was too tall and there just wasn't another great way to place them inside the drawer as is. Boo. Goes to show that organizing takes a little trial and error and doesn't always work out perfectly the first time around.
So, more searching around the house and a few small mason jars later...
And the drawer was now closing just fine and this project was called complete!
It feels good to have a designated place for all of my baking items, and inspired me to instantly start perusing Pinterest for some fabulous Valentine treats to create.
So what was your first kitchen project this month? Anyone else have a baking drawer or basket?


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Whey Protein Isolates (WPIs) are the purest form of whey protein that currently exists. WPIs are costly to use, but rate among the best proteins that money can buy. That's why they're the first ingredient you read on the Gold Standard 100% Whey label. By using WPI as the primary ingredient along with premium ultra-filtered whey protein concentrate (WPC), we're able to pack 24 grams of protein into every serving to support your muscle building needs after training. ON's attention to detail also extends to mixability. This superior quality powder has been instantized to mix easily using a shaker cup or just a glass and spoon. There's no doubt that this is the standard by which all other whey proteins are measured.
Benefits and features
- 24 g Protein
- 5.5 BCAAs
- 4 g Glutamine & Glutamic Acid
- Naturally & Artificially Flavored
- Whey Protein Isolate
- Primary Source
- 100% of the Protein From Whey
- Banned Substance Tested
- 28 Servings
Suggested Use
Spoon Stirred: Gold Standard 100% Whey is Instantized. That means if you forgot your shaker cup or don't have time to get out the blender, just add one scoop of Gold Standard 100% Whey to a glass filled with 6-8 oz of water or your favorite beverage. Then mix it up with a spoon. Stir for about 30 seconds or until powder is completely dissolved. Tip: Adjust the taste of your Gold Standard 100% Whey by varying the amount of liquid that you use to prepare it. For a bolder flavor with slightly more body and sweetness, mix each scoop with 4-6 oz of water, milk, or your favorite beverage. For a milder tasting, less sweet shake, use 8-10 oz of liquid per scoop.
Shaker Cup: Bringing a shaker cup with you to the gym is the best way to get a dose of protein immediately after your workout. Just pour 6-8 oz of your preferred beverage and then add one scoop of Gold Standard 100% Whey to your shaker cup. Cover and shake for 25-30 seconds.
Blender: Add one scoop of Gold Standard 100% Whey to a blender filled with 6-8 oz of water or your favorite beverage. Blend for 20-30 seconds. Then add 1 or 2 ice cubes and blend for an additional 30 seconds. Shake Up Your Shake: By adding fresh or frozen fruits, peanut butter, flax seed oil, coconut and other ingredients, you can make an even more delicious shake. Stack Your Shake: You can make Gold Standard 100% Whey an even better post workout product by adding supplements like Creatine, Glutamine, BCAA, and concentrated carbohydrate powders.
Think Outside the Glass: Gold Standard 100% Whey can be used for more than just protein shakes. Try mixing a scoop into oatmeal, yogurt, or the milk that you pour over your morning breakfast cereal. Better yet, increase the protein content of muffins, cookies, brownies, etc. by adding a scoop or two to your baked goods recipes.
For healthy adults, consume enough protein to meet your daily protein requirements with a combination of high protein foods and protein supplements throughout the day as part of a balanced diet and exercise program.
Other Ingredients
Protein Blend (whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, whey peptides), natural and artificial flavors, soy lecithin, salt, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, lactase.
Allergen Information: Contains milk and soy (lecithin) ingredients.
Notice: Use this product as a food supplement only. Do not use for weight reduction.
Store in a cool, dry place.
Contents sold by weight not volume.
While Urban Nutrition Center strives to ensure the accuracy of its product images and information, some manufacturing changes to packaging and/or ingredients may be pending update on our site. Although items may occasionally ship with alternate packaging, freshness is always guaranteed. We recommend that you read labels, warnings, and directions of all products before use and not rely solely on the information provided by Urban Nutrition Center. The content on our site is not intended as medical advice or to replace information from a qualified healthcare professional.


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Mr Mike (Michael) Hulme-Moir
About Mr Mike (Michael) Hulme-Moir
Mr Mike (Michael) Hulme-Moir is a General Surgeon providing general surgery services in Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand.
The following description is a generic description for the category and does not necessarily reference all the services/ procedures offered by Mr Mike (Michael) Hulme-Moir.
General Surgery
General surgery takes its name from general medicine, and is a surgical specialty focusing on the torso and abdominal organs and is undertaken by a General Surgeon. This may include the intestines comprising the oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, pancreas, liver, gallbladder and bile ducts. It also often deals with diseases and disorders involving the skin and breasts.


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license/price : Freeware
size : 4.96 Mb
size : 4.96 Mb
Windows Defender is software that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software by detecting and removing known spyware from your computer. Windows Defender features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected, minimizes interruptions, and helps you stay productive.
The benefits of installing Windows Defender include:
- Spyware detection and removal
- Improved Internet browsing safety
- Protection against the latest threats
Windows Defender is enhanced by SpyNet, a community that brings Windows Defender users together to identify and share information about spyware. This community reports potential threats identified by the Windows Defender real-time system agents to the SpyNet servers, which catalog and update the system to help protect you from new spyware threats.


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by dangerdanger77 August 24, 2006
Lot Lizard: n. (lott-liz-zurd): trashy, street-level, female prostitutes who frequent some truck-stop parking lots and rest areas at night. Most lot lizards openly "advertise" using CB radios; others boldly walk from truck to truck randomly knocking on doors. Same as: commercial company; lizard; pavement princess; sleeper leaper; mattress maiden;
(source: www.dieseljockey.com)
(source: www.dieseljockey.com)
Truck-stop managers revealed that although they were concerned about increased costs for more fences, razor-wire and additional security personnel, most felt that increased lot lizard concentrations would result in much higher sales of items like bug spray, pepper spray and air fresheners, which might offset some of the cost.
by PF Smith October 23, 2007
by Wonderboy April 22, 2003
by trucking bong September 24, 2003
Truck Stop Prostitute- Male or Female- Predominantly found at truck stops and whose sole intention is to score some trucker lovin' for some quick cash or occcasionally for free depending on the mood
Man, those lot lizards at the Iowa 80 stop have gotten so much better since the economy took a turn for the worse. Thank goodness for the Bush admistration
by N.C.H.A. September 7, 2006
That lot lizard stinks!
by Jaque Mehoff January 3, 2007
by rick weller jr. August 5, 2006