Come to relax and unwind before finals week. Free snacks, giveaways, massages, and fun activities. Sponsored by the Health Education Department of the University Health Center.

This half-day orientation meeting will focus on strategies for augmenting research using the Holland Computing Center resources available at the Peter Kiewit Institute (PKI) in Omaha and the Schorr Center for Computer Science and Engineering at UNL. The meeting will be offered in two different locations on two dates, giving you two options for participation – in Omaha on Dec. 9, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and in Lincoln on Dec. 10, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The objectives of the meeting are to introduce the mission, structure and function of HCC; learn from participants about specific computing needs; answer questions and provide hands-on assistance for using HCC’s high performance computing resources (including setting up accounts for new users); and address problems and identify possible solutions. Successful users of HCC’s computing resources will briefly describe their experiences. Participants will have a chance to engage in activities at several levels, ranging from an introduction to HCC’s computing resources, to parallel code basics, to grid computing via HCC. The meeting is open to faculty, students and staff from all NU campuses, as well as corporate and non-university researchers who would benefit from HCC’s high performance computing services. There is no charge to attend, but advance registration is required. Go to http://research.unl.edu/events/holland for more information.

A writer and his elfin alter ego, "Crumpet," alternate from introspective ramblings, to over-the-top outbursts, to biting mean-spirited descriptions, with maybe just a crumb of holiday spirit thrown in.