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Journal of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering
versión On-line ISSN 2309-8775
versión impresa ISSN 1021-2019
J. S. Afr. Inst. Civ. Eng. vol.55 no.3 Midrand ene. 2013
Modelling of the fracture process zone to improve the crack propagation criterion in concrete
S Shahbazpanahi; A A A Ali; F N Aznieta; A Kamgar; N Farzadnia
Modelling of tension cracking in quasi-brittle materials, such as concrete, plays an important role in improving the reliability and load-bearing capacity of the structure. In this study fracture mechanics is used to model tensile cracks with strain softening behaviour in concrete. An interface element, which considers the softening zone in terms of a stiffness matrix, is applied to simulate the cohesive zone model (CZM) as well as the stress-free region. To estimate the nodal force caused by shear stress, a new constitutive model is proposed based on previous experimental results. An improved Griffith-type energy approach is employed such that it can model the propagation of a discrete crack based on an accurate stiffness matrix. This model improves the analysis of discrete crack propagation and is more accurate than other existing models. To validate the model, three benchmark beams are simulated, namely a plain concrete beam with initial notch, a notched reinforced concrete beam and a beam with simple supports. The simulation results are admissible compared to the results reported recently in the literature.
Keywords: cohesive, crack, energy, model, stiffness
The mechanical behaviour of ductile materials is different from that of quasi-brittle materials. Cracks grow in ductile materials such as metals due to the intersection and coalescence of micro-voids, while in quasi-brittle materials such as concrete, cracks propagate when the aggregates interlock or when micro-crack bridging occurs (Yang & Liu 2008).
In fracture mechanics a crack is assumed to start when there is a notch or a stress concentration in the tension zone. Linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) was first used to study crack propagation during World War II (Esfahani 2007). Later some studies used LEFM to analyse crack propagation in concrete. However, Kaplan (1961) found that LEFM could not be applied to crack problems in normal concrete sizes.
The first model based on nonlinear fracture mechanics in concrete was proposed by Hillerborg et al (1976). It was shown that there is a region called the fracture process zone (FPZ) in front of the real crack tip, which is responsible for crack closure (see Figure 1). This significant and relatively large zone contains micro-cracks in matrix-aggregate, gel pores, shrinkage cracks, bridging and branches of cracks that are located ahead of the macro-cracks. Since a significant amount of energy is stored in the FPZ, a crack can have stable growth before the peak load. In addition, the existence of the FPZ accounts for the strain softening behaviour in the stress-crack opening curve that is observed after peak load. In this region interlocking crack surfaces contribute to a gradual decline in stress and prevent sudden failure (Esfahani 2007). The dimension of the FPZ depends on the size of the structure and the length of the initial crack, as well as on the loading and material properties of the concrete. The length of the FPZ is of special interest as compared with its width. The effective modulus of elasticity is reduced when the crack moves from undamaged regions into the FPZ.
The so-called Griffith energy approach can be used to describe the crack propagation criterion in the fracture process at the crack tip. This approach states that the energy release rate, defined as the amount of the energy stored in the FPZ which is required to form the crack, must be sufficiently larger than the critical fracture energy. Hence to study the crack state, the crack propagation criterion can be defined in terms of the energy release rate.
To simulate the FPZ, Hillerborg et al (1976) used cohesive stress, which is a function of crack opening. In the FPZ cohesive stress reaches its maximum at the tip of the crack, which is equal to the tensile strength ft, and in the critical opening of the crack wc it declines to zero. The area under the stress-opening curve is defined as the energy release rate. The cohesive zone model (CZM) was applied by Hillerborg to model the FPZ in normal-size structures using either the nodal force release method or the technique of interface element with zero initial thickness (Ingraffea et al 1984). Since the length of the FPZ, lp, is of special interest compared to its width, the interface element with zero thickness is preferred (Yang & Liu 2008).
To model the FPZ, Bazant and Oh (1983) used dummy bands in which micro-cracks were uniformly distributed. This model, called the crack band model (CBM), was simulated using a layer continuum element in the finite element method. As the CBM depends on the width of the element, it was suggested to model only Mode I fracture (Rots & Brost 1987).
The non-local continuum approach is another method that uses the width and the length of the interface element for modelling the FPZ. This approach, however, uses too many degrees of freedom, and for this very reason it is not computationally affordable(Ingraffea et al 1984).
From a finite element point of view, to model the FPZ the stiffness of the element should be properly chosen. In practice, compared to undamaged zones, the FPZ has a different stiffness due to micro-cracking, bridging and branching processes, which provide the energy required for the crack growth. In the softening zone, although some resistance is observed, the stress drops dramatically. Parallel use of the constitutive model of the CBM and the cohesive model may lead to a better simulation of the FPZ behaviour in terms of elastic branching and the softening zone. In addition, in order to estimate the nodal force, an accurate constitutive model for normal and shear stresses is needed.
To estimate the crack propagation state in the finite element model, either of two methods are used: the strength-based or the energy-based approach. To achieve higher accuracy, the energy-based approach is often used to simulate the CZM. The energy approach criterion depends on the stiffness matrix, the displacement and the crack geometry (Wua et al 2011). Therefore the crack propagation criterion should be modified based on the new stiffness matrix in the FPZ.
In addition, when the FPZ has fully propagated and reaches its maximum length, a stress-free length appears in front of the notch (or macro-crack) behind the FPZ (Wua et al 2011). This stress-free length has not been considered in previous research (Bocca et al 1991; Xie & Gersle 1995; Prasada & Krishnamoorthy 2002; Yang & Liu 2008; Shi 2009; Ooi & Yang 2011; Guo et al 2012).
When modelling cracks, another issue to deal with is the direction of the crack. The initial direction of the propagation is mostly unknown. Numerous reports have proposed the use of approximate re-meshing algorithms as the crack starts to grow (Xie & Gersle 1995). In these algorithms, a significant number of nodes are created for re-meshing and a large stiffness matrix is created. In this approach, the computational complexity is relatively high. An alternative method is the so-called inter-element boundaries technique, which identifies the crack path (Alfaiate et al 1997).
This paper proposes a new constitutive model for the stiffness matrix to model the FPZ. Based on the new stiffness element, Griffith differential energy is improved to predict the propagation criterion. This work uses the method presented by Alfaiate et al (1997) instead of re-meshing. In this method, the crack propagation direction is identified by following the inter-element boundaries. The proposed approach is capable of modelling the mixed mode of the crack, which is described by the stress versus the crack opening displacement curve. Three examples are modelled to validate the criterion: a plain concrete beam with a notch shear crack, a notched reinforced concrete beam and a reinforced concrete beam with simple support are analysed and compared to recent experimental results and previous modelling.
Stiffness of interface element
As mentioned earlier, the FPZ has a softening behaviour due to the interlock of aggregates and micro-cracks. Thus different stiffness characteristics are used in the finite element method to model the FPZ. A single four-node interface element with linear variation of the crack opening displacement (COD) is shown in Figure 2. To model the mixed mode, the relationship between the stress and the displacement is represented by matrix Ds, which is given as:
where Dnn and Dtt are the normal and tangential stiffness respectively, and Dnt represents the additional stiffness due to the interaction between the shear and the normal stiffness in the fracture mechanism.
To estimate the normal stiffness, the normal stress versus COD curve was used. Figure 3 illustrates the concrete COD due to normal stress.
The total opening can be separated into two components:
where dwe and dws are the opening elastic and the opening softening, respectively.
The softening parameter is defined as:
This parameter is in fact the slope of stress in the softening portion of the curve and its value is negative. If Ee and Esi are the slope of the elastic zone and the slope of the softening zone at the ith iteration of the nonlinear solution respectively, we can write:
Eq (4) implies that the softening parameter changes due to changes in Esi. On the other hand, the normal stiffness can be expressed as:
(5) where the L is the interface element length. From Eq (4) and (5) we obtain the following:
From the study done by Yoshikawa et al (1989), shear stiffness and the additional stiffness due to the interaction between the shear and normal stiffnesses are represented as a linear function of the normal stiffness as:
(8) where µ and β are a frictional coefficient and dilatency factor respectively. Although these two parameters are functions of the normal stiffness, in this paper, for the sake of simplicity, they are assumed to be constant. The stiffness of the interface element Ks in the softening zone is given by:
where B is the strain-displacement matrix used to model the interface element (Desai et al 1984), dA is the differential element of the crack surface area, and the T is transpose.
In material nonlinearity, the matrix Ds changes with different levels of loading, particularly after the peak load, where the stiffness matrix is of interest. The method of nonlinearity is an incremental-iterative technique. In this method, the stiffness matrix is updated at the beginning of each load increment. Small displacements are assumed to implement the nonlinear solution (Prasada & Krishnamoorthy 2002). Based on small displacements, at each step of the loading the tangential stiffness method is used at the ith iteration (i = j + 1) of the nonlinear solution by using the jth displacements of the interface element. To estimate the slope of the softening zone, an initial displacement, and the elastic slope, Ee, are used (Gerstle & Xie 1992). Corresponding to the initial displacement, the residual force is calculated linearly, and then the correction of the displacement to the trial value is calculated. The stiffness matrix is updated by accumulating the corrections of the displacements. This iterative procedure is continued until the residual force converges to zero. The stress distribution at all nodes is automatically implemented in the finite element program.
The vector of the cohesive forces in the nodes is given by:
where σij = [στ]T is the stress vector due to the proposed constitutive model for normal and shear stresses in the FPZ. By using Gaussian integration, employing linear shape functions, and setting the determinant of the Jacobian matrix equal to L/2, the stiffness of the interface element and nodal cohesive forces can be obtained.
The normal stress, a, is obtained from Petersson's constitutive law (1981) according to the on the interface element. For shear stress, τ, Bazant and Gambarova (1980) assumed that opening displacement takes place prior to the occurrence of the slip. However, in the present study, based on the shear stress versus the crack sliding displacement (CSD) curve obtained by Yoshikawa et al (1989), it is proposed that when the normal stiffness is in the elastic zone, the tangential stiffness value is very large and constant. However, when the normal stress in the softening part decreases, the tangential stiffness starts to reduce (Figure 4). It seems more logical to assume that sliding starts when the normal stress begins to decrease.
To estimate the maximum shear stress, τmax, the initial slip, S0, and the critical slip Sc, shown in Figure 4, the following method is used. Previous experimental results have shown that the relationship between the slide and opening and displacements can be approximated as a linear relationship (Paulay & Loeber 1974). The relationship between COD and CSD is assumed to be given by:
where δt and δn are the slide and opening displacements respectively, the parameter a is greater than one, and δn* is a constant. Based on Eq (11), the values of S0 and Sc (Figure 4) are assumed as a(w0 - δn*) and a(wc - δn*) respectively. In addition, from Eq (7) the maximum shear stress, τmax is given by:
Crack propagation criterion
The Griffith criterion for crack propagation is:
where //, U , W and Es are the total potential energy, the strain energy, the work done by applying the load, and the surface dissipated energy respectively. Note that is given by (Xie & Gerstle 1995):
Here u and N are the nodal displacement vector and the shape function matrix respectively, the parameter t is the surface load on the surface St and b is the body force in the SE
volume V. We can also write as:
where matrix M is the linear shape function matrix which depends on the crack opening displacement and is related to the geometry of the crack (Xie & Gerstle 1995).
In this study, the effect of the softening strain energy is considered in order to determine the strain energy release rate. The strain energy release rate is assumed to be the same in both mixed mode and Mode I (Bocca et al 1991). The rate of change in the strain energy in the interface element with respect to area is expressed as:
where σ and ε are normal stress and strain respectively. On the other hand, the strain energy density Wd is written as:
where εe and εs are the elastic strain and the softening strain respectively. The rate of change in the strain energy density is:
Substituting Eq (18) into Eq (16) yields:
Using the chain rule in partial differentiation, we obtain:
Thus, using Eq (20), we write Eq (19) as:
Substituting Eq (14), Eq (15) and Eq (22) into Eq (13) and rearranging the terms, we obtain the following:
The first bracket is the equilibrium equation and is equal to zero. The body forces and surface load are small and can be ignored (second bracket). Hence, using the fact that (Xie & Gerstle 1995):
In the finite difference method, in order to estimate the first part of Eq (25), only crack-tip stiffness elements can be used by applying crack extension (Yang & Liu 2008). The second part can be evaluated by using a Gaussian integration method (Xie & Gerstle 1995). Eq (25) can be applied to mixed-mode and multiple-crack fracture problems.
Furthermore, a stress-free region appears in front of the initial notch or macro-cracks when the FPZ length is fully propagated (Wua et al 2011). It has been shown that if the crack-opening displacement reaches 3.6 Gc/ft, the stress-free region appears in front of the initial notch. Gc is the area under the curve (fracture energy) in Figure 1. Thus the stress-free region length is 0.08 times the ligament length, approximately h - α0 where h and α0 are the depth of the beam and the length of the initial notch respectively. In finite element methods the length of the stress-free region is formulated by:
where n is the number of elements that fail behind the crack. When the FPZ is fully propagated, n elements will be set to zero behind the crack and the crack will grow along the respective elements upon appropriate identification of the cracking direction in each step, as described in the next section.
Crack propagation direction
One of the most important aspects in discrete cracking is the direction of propagation. In this investigation, the crack is assumed to follow the existing inter-element boundaries and no re-meshing algorithm is needed to decrease the computational complexity (Alfaiate et al 1997). This method has a simple algorithm. It is assumed that the directions of maximum principal tensile stresses, which were automatically known in the program at each step, were perpendicular to the crack propagation direction (Xie & Gerstle 1995). Thus the angle (γ) is recognised (Figure 5). Crack propagation follows one of the inter-elements (AB) or (AC). It is assumed that the crack will not stop or intersect the main element and that the direction of propagation is perpendicular to the maximum tensile principal stress (Figure 5). There are two possible cases for the crack path: if the orientation angle (γ) is less than 45°, the path of growth is (AC), otherwise it will be (AB). The stiffness matrix, nodal forces and displacements of the interface element are changed from the local system to the global system by using the transformation matrix. Although the crack paths are non-smooth, the ones found with this method are in good agreement with the correct crack path.
The FEAPpv program code was developed to analyse cracks in concrete (Taylor 2009). Four-node isoparametric elements are used for bulk concrete, for which the material behaviour is considered to be linear elastic. Figure 6 shows the major steps used to solve fracture in the beam in the present numerical model. To model the post-peak curve of the structure, displacement was assumed to be incremented rather than the load, i.e. displacement-controlled numerical analysis was applied. The displacements were classically those for nodes at the crack mouth on the modelling of crack tip behaviour. The nonlinear dynamic relaxation method is implemented to find the load-displacement curve. This method is preferred to other methods such as Newton (Gerstle & Xie 1992).
Three benchmark test specimens were analysed to validate the model. Figure 7 illustrates the previously tested plain beam used to simulate mixed-mode fracture (Arrea & Ingraffea 1982). The boundary conditions and material properties are indicated in Figure 7.
The Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and tensile strength of concrete were assumed to be 24 800, 0.18 and 4 MPa respectively. The thickness of the beam was 152 mm and the length of the initial notch was 82 mm. The parameter values of fracture were Gc = 150 N/m, wc = 0.135 mm and w0 = 0.0001 mm. Four-node isoparametric elements were used for the bulk concrete with linear elastic behaviour, and plane stress was considered as the analysis condition. The values of parameters µ, β, a and δn* were chosen as 1.16, 1.64, 0.5 and 0.1 respectively. The initial mesh (c) is illustrated in Figure 8.
Figure 9 shows the result of the load versus the crack mouth sliding displacement (CMSD) curve for the beam, the experiment of Arrea and Ingraffea (1982) and the numerical model of Xie et al (1995).
The round dots represent the experimental envelope by Arrea and Ingraffea (1982), the results of Xie and Gerstle (1995) are shown in black dashed lines and the results of the proposed model are shown by coloured lines. As seen in Figure 9, the results of the proposed model show good agreement with those of the experimental method. Mesh (a) has 110 interface elements, mesh (b) has 225 interface elements, and mesh (c) has 306 interface elements. Approximate matching of the three curves demonstrates independence of the model from the mesh size and shows fast convergence of the proposed model. It can be seen from Figure 9 that the peak loads are close to each other, although the mesh size changes.
In the elastic part, the results lay close to the midpoint of the experimental results obtained previously. However, the peak load obtained by the numerical method is slightly shifted below the upper limit of the envelope. The difference between the data of the proposed model and the experimental data is inevitable since the behaviour of concrete is assumed to be linear elastic in fracture mechanics, but in fact it is nonlinear plastic; compression crushing has also been ignored. The peak load obtained by the proposed method differs by almost 7% from that of the experimental method. The peak load in the numerical model is considerably different from that of the experimental peak load.
It is seen that after the peak load, the curves in the softening zone (up to 57 kN) are closer to the experimental data than to the numerical model (Xie et al 1995), which is slightly more brittle thereafter. In the softening zone after 60 kN, the proposed model shows more agreement with the experimental data in terms of ductility. This may be because the stress-free zone in the tip of the notch was not considered in previous models.
Figure 10 shows the predicted crack path in mesh (c) compared with the experimental data. The FPZ propagation elements are shown in red lines, while the stress-free elements are displayed in black. It should be noted that the crack path is a smooth curve, although in this study the crack path is illustrated by straight lines. It can be seen that the predicted crack path in the mesh (c) is very close to the experimental result.
To further validate the proposed numerical method in mode I cracking, the experimental data reported by Prasada and Krishnamoorthy (2002) were chosen. The test arrangement, the boundary conditions and the geometry of the RC beam are illustrated in Figure 11. The Young's modulus, compressive strength, tensile strength and fracture energy were 29 270 MPa, 30.1 MPa, 4.11 MPa, 100 N/m respectively. The yield strength of the steel was 395 MPa. Other parameters were assumed to be the same as those used in the previous example. The bond between the bars and the concrete was assumed to be perfect, i.e. no bond-slip was considered.
The data from the numerical analysis are compared with experimental records and the numerical model information of Prasada and Krishnamoorthy (2002) (Figure 12). The numerical results are in good agreement with the upper limit of the experimental envelop. This could be due to the assumptions in fracture mechanics such as the linear elastic behaviour of concrete and tension cracks which are not available in practice, especially for low loads. In this study, the bond-slip of the steel bars was ignored, unlike in the experimental test and the numerical model by Prasada and Krishnamoorthy (2002). This is why there is a slight over-estimation in the numerical model for a load of about 13.2 kN.
The FPZ appeared in front of the notch tip at a loading of about 2.5 kN, while deflection at mid-span was 0.012 mm. The FPZ began to grow with increasing deflection at mid-span as the load increased. Since the crack-opening displacement was smaller than 3.6 GJft, the FPZ did not fully propagate. In the initial stages, the load was sustained by the FPZ and reinforcement bars were not involved yet. When the load was 13.2 kN, the reinforcement bars arrested the crack. As shown in Figure 12, at a load of 19 kN the stiffness of the beam was slightly reduced. This may be because the stress in the reinforcement bars reached the yield stress. At a load of 23.4 kN, the crack-opening displacement was equal to 3.6 Gclft. Thus the FPZ completely propagated and a stress-free crack was created in front of the notch tip.
Figure 13 shows the FPZ length, the length of the stress-free region and the COMD at the final load. The CMOD is 0.468 mm, and the deflection at mid-span is 0.576 mm at a loading of 28.1 kN. The FPZ propagation reaches to almost three-quarters of the beam depth after the thirteenth loading step. At the tenth loading step the FPZ fully propagates and the stress-free region length appears.
In addition, a reinforced concrete beam with simple supports (Figure 14), which was tested by Bresler and Scordelis (1963), was analysed using the proposed model. The RC beam was 4 572 mm long and 305.8 mm thick. The modulus of elasticity and the Poisson's ratio of concrete are 24 000 MPa and 0.18 MPa respectively. The modulus of elasticity, the Poisson's ratio, the cross-sectional area and the yield strength of steel are 200 GPa, 0.3 MPa, 3 290 mm2 and 552 MPa respectively. The tensile strength of concrete is 2.8 MPa and the critical crack opening displacement is 0.152 mm. A two-node truss element with elastic-perfect plastic behaviour and a four-node isoparametric element with linear elastic behaviour were used to model the steel bar and the concrete respectively. To model the symmetry condition, only half of the beam was simulated. The bond-slip between the bars and the concrete was assumed to be perfect. Also, the crack in the RC beam was simulated by a primary crack, first introduced by Ingraffea et al (1984), where the reinforcing bar crosses a primary crack.
In this study, load versus deflection at the middle of the beam was compared to experimental results in Figure 15. It can be seen that the shapes of the curves are similar to those of the experimental data. It can be seen that the stiffness of the beam obtained by the proposed method is slightly greater than that of the experimental observation (almost 6%) and the proposed model underestimates the deflection of the beam. However, as the load is increased, the results no longer agree. The reason could be that the proposed model ignores the compression crushing, the nonlinear behaviour of concrete, plastic deformation and the bond-slip of bar concrete.
Initially a few flexural cracks appeared near the mid-span perpendicular to the longitudinal axis when the loading reached about 55 kN. The length of the biggest crack for this load was 190 mm. The width of the flexural cracks was greater than the shear crack width, which occured near the supports. The first flexural crack reached 245 mm in length and 0.168 mm in width at a loading of 100 kN. In one-quarter of the span to mid-span the cracks tended to grow towards the loading point. When the load was about 200 kN, the first crack propagated with a length of about 320 mm and a width of 0.187 mm. A shear crack was observed in the vicinity of the support and its width was greater than that of the flexural crack. Figure 16(a) shows the crack patterns in the experimental study of Bresler and Scordelis (1963) and Figure 16(b) illustrates the crack paths in this study at a loading of around 285 kN. As can be seen, both shear and flexural crack formation resemble the experimental data. Initially, the cracks grow straight and then slowly propagate towards the loading point. The initiation and location of some of these cracks may change due to the mesh size.
In this study an alternative stiffness matrix was applied to model the FPZ. The relationship between the normal stress and the shear transfer was considered in the implementation of the finite element method. A new constitutive model for shear stress was proposed in a four-node interface element. The energy-based crack propagation criterion was then improved by using a new stiffness matrix. The load-deflection curve in this numerical model and the curve in a previous experimental study were in good agreement. The crack directions at the tensile face in three recent experimental data sets and the present study were close to one another. Several case studies were considered and global load-deflection responses computed with the proposed model being in reasonable agreement with the results found in the literature. Therefore it can be concluded that the model is applicable, as it has been verified computationally that it is sufficiently able to predict the crack pattern.
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Contact details:
Shahriar Shahbazpanahi
Department of Civil Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia
43400, Serdang, Malaysia
E: firstname.lastname@example.com
Contact details:
Dato' Abang Abdullah Abang Ali
Housing Research Centre, Universiti Putra Malaysia
43400, Serdang, Malaysia
E: email@example.com
Contact details:
Farah Nora Aznieta Bt Abd Aziz
Department of Civil Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia
43400, Serdang, Malaysia
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Alaleh Kamgar
Department of Civil Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia
43400, Serdang, Malaysia
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Nima Farzadnia
Housing Research Centre, Universiti Putra Malaysia
43400, Serdang, Malaysia
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SHAHRIAR SHAHBAZPANAHI is a PhD candidate in structural engineering at Universiti Putra Malaysia. He is a senior lecturer in the civil engineering department of the Islamic Azad University (IAU), Sanandaj Branch, in Iran. His areas of interest are fracture mechanics In concrete and the modelling of FRP strengthening.
PROF DATO' ABANG ABDULLAH ABANG ALI is the current president of the Malaysian Society for Engineering & Technology (mSET) and Director of the Housing Research Centre, Universiti Putra Malaysia. His areas of interest are structural and materials engineering, affordable quality housing, industrialised building systems and engineering education. More than 200 of his papers have been published in various journals and presented at conferences.
DR FARAH NORA AZNIETA BT ABD AZIZ Is Head of the Structural Department, Universiti Putra Malaysia. Her areas of interest are fibre-reinforced concrete, analysis and design of concrete structures and strengthening of reinforced concrete structures. She is Head of the Structural Department, Universiti Putra Malaysia.
ALALEH KAMGAR (MSc) is a structural engineer with more than eight years of experience in consultation and design. Her area of interest is the analysis and design of concrete frame structures.
NIMA FARZADNIA Is a PhD candidate in structural engineering and a researcher at the Housing Research Centre, Universiti Putra Malaysia. His areas of interest are construction and building materials, concrete properties and strengthening methods.


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subset: commoncrawl


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(CNN) -- The afternoon of December 3, Sabrina Evans dressed her boys in their new plaid Christmas shirts and readied herself for a night out. For the kids, 5-year-old Chase and 7-year-old Joel, there would be a photo with Santa at the mall in Athens, Georgia. For the entire family, an Italian dinner at Carrabba's.
Sabrina and her husband, Tyler, were celebrating their 14th wedding anniversary. Every year since their sons were born, they'd taken the boys along for their anniversary dinner at Tyler's favorite restaurant.
The four piled into their old Cadillac CTS around 4:30 that afternoon. They stopped at Tyler's parents' house to look online for the best places to spot Christmas lights. They didn't have their own computer yet; after living with Tyler's parents, Joe and Betty Evans, for more than a decade, the couple had moved into their first new home just a few months earlier.
It was new life for the Evans family, with all their beloved traditions: the anniversary dinner, the holiday lights, a visit with Santa.
On his way out, Tyler placed his hand lightly on his mother's hip and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Mom," he told her. "I'll see you soon."
But that was the last time he would see her. Around 6:10 p.m., before dinner, before Santa, the family was in a car accident that left 37-year-old Christopher Tyler Evans dead. Since then, the community where the family lives in Newton County, Georgia, has stepped up to provide Sabrina and the children with food, gifts and moral support to help them make it through not only their first Christmas in their new home without their father, but also the boys' first birthdays without him this month.
There is no replacing a husband, no replacing a father. But this Christmas, the Evans family is flush with support it had never before known was there. Hundreds of people showed up for Tyler's funeral on December 7, many of whom Sabrina Evans, 35, and her in-laws had never met.
"When a family experiences a tragedy like this one, it touches the whole community and makes them want to pull together and surround them with love," said Jan McCoy, associate pastor of the Covington First United Methodist Church, who presided over Tyler's funeral.
"What helps them more than the material gifts is what's behind them, and that's the love and the support of the community."
'Could've happened to anybody'
Sabrina and Tyler Evans had made it through plenty of ups and downs. The couple met in 1992 during high school in Slidell, Louisiana, where Sabrina was born and raised, and where Tyler had lived since he was 2. He was a high school athlete who excelled in soccer and baseball, pastimes he would later share with his sons.
They were introduced through mutual friends when she was 15 and he was 17, and grew close after Sabrina had ankle surgery. Her father had died when she was 9 and her mother worked long hours to support four children. Most nights, Sabrina was left at home to heal alone -- except for Tyler. When he didn't have to work, he cared for her as she recovered, Sabrina said in an interview in her Covington home last week.
"He was just nice and kind and we got along well," she said. "When you live with someone for so many years you just get used to each other. We'd been together for 20 years, which seems rare these days, especially among the people I grew up with."
After Tyler graduated from high school he worked a string of restaurant jobs in nearly every position, from prep cook to manager. The couple married in 1998 in Louisiana in a Catholic ceremony at the behest of Sabrina's grandmother, but only after taking a class to earn the church's blessing after living together unmarried for several years. An album of wedding photos shows the dark-haired bride dancing in the arms of a blond, long-haired groom a few inches shorter. She flips through the pages identifying guests, many of whom have passed away, like her husband, far too young.
They moved to Newborn, Georgia, in 2001 to be closer to his family while Tyler healed from a back injury. They opened a restaurant in 2008, Tyler's dream job, but were forced to close after two years because of the economic downturn. Otherwise, he struggled to hold down jobs for extended periods because of his back injury, his wife and mother said, leaving the family to live mostly on Sabrina's earnings from Kmart and later, Dollar General, where she currently works. Still, they took beach vacations to Florida and South Carolina whenever possible, even after Sabrina gave birth to their "miracle babies" -- Joel in December 2004 and Chase two years later, in December 2006, following three miscarriages.
"He lived for his boys. Everything he did, he did for them," Sabrina said. "He loved them more than anything on this earth."
He enjoyed being a father and sharing his passions with his sons, from baseball and fishing to sitting with them on the couch, watching wrestling, she said. The entire family trekked to Atlanta for WrestleMania 2011; Chase, who was 3 at the time, fell asleep in his mother's arms. One of the boys' last outings with their father was to Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves, for Chipper Jones' last game.
With their fair hair and big blue eyes, both resemble their father as a child, grandmother Betty Evans says. But the older son, Joel, also shares Tyler's outgoing spirit and seemingly permanent broad smile.
"When I look at him, all I see is his father," she says.
The family stayed with Tyler's parents until July, when they finally bought their first home in a cul-de-sac in a remote subdivision in Covington. Their house had a big front yard where Tyler, a high school soccer star, would kick the ball around with his sons, Sabrina said. White lights hang from the roof and a larger-than-life inflatable Santa Claus greets visitors at the front door, courtesy of Tyler's brother, who put up the decorations while he was in town for the funeral.
Tyler was unemployed on December 3, making the family outing all the more special at a time when the family was watching its finances. Still, happiness over a season of new beginnings imbued their home. This December would bring the boys' first birthdays in their own home, the couple's first wedding anniversary there, the family's first Christmas there.
According to a police report, Sabrina Evans failed to yield while making a left turn at an intersection. A Jeep hit the passenger side of the vehicle, where Tyler Evans was seated. All Sabrina remembers is her son Joel screaming.
By 8 p.m., Tyler was dead. News reports identified him as a "Newborn man" because he had yet to change the address on his driver's license from his parents' home.
Miraculously, his wife and sons survived with just a few bruises, though since then, Sabrina's shoulder has started to ache, making it hard to do her job stocking inventory at Dollar General, she said.
When police came to Sabrina's bedside to deliver news of her husband's death, she remembers offering up her wrists and asking if she was going to jail. They told her no, that it had been a "horrible, horrible accident," she said.
They ordered blood and toxicology tests, customary in cases of vehicular deaths. The case is still open pending final test results, Lt. Don Eckert of the Athens Police Department said, but he does not expect charges to be made. Drugs and alcohol are not believed to be involved, he said.
"Some cases hit home more than others," he said. "The circumstances of this case could've happened to anybody."
Still, the widow is haunted by guilt. She was in the driver's seat, after all.
"I don't know if I'll ever get over it," she said, casting her eyes down. "That'll be my punishment the rest of my life, to live it, knowing that I was behind the wheel when my husband died."
'It changes your outlook'
Perhaps it was the terrifying possibility of a father's death, or the swiftly approaching holiday, or the joyous night turned bad -- but grief poured from the people of Newton County. Covington, a large, semirural community about 40 miles from Atlanta, is known for its picturesque square, which has been the backdrop for films and TV shows through the decades, from "In the Heat of the Night" to "The Vampire Diaries." Each December it turns into a holiday wonderland of bright lights and garlands that hosts a variety of Christmas-related events, from pictures with Santa to holiday concerts.
Many of its residents have called Newton County home their entire lives, contributing to a tight-knit spirit, said Amber Pittman, senior reporter for the Covington News.
"Many residents of Newton County still think of it as a small town and when one of your own is hurting or in need, you give," Pittman said. "This is your worst nightmare. ... One day you're heading out to family dinner and to see Santa and the next day your dad is dead. It's just unbelievably sad."
Her reporting on Tyler's death led the Covington police to reach into its "Police Who Care" fund. Even before Sabrina had buried her husband, the Covington police showed up at her home with $800 in gifts from Walmart: mostly toys, video games and anything related to Batman, as the boys had requested. The gifts were presented to the boys by Santa Claus -- the symbol of Christmas spirit they'd missed seeing the night their father died.
Everyone was touched by the joy and gratitude demonstrated by the two little boys, who seemed to have forgotten for a moment about their father's absence. Their faces lit up as they entered the home to find Santa and nearly 20 police officers, in an exchange Pittman described as heartwarming and that was featured on local television news. They made sure to hug and thank all the strangers present, Pittman said. Later in the week, after she'd buried her husband, Sabrina Evans stopped by the newspaper's office to drop off a thank you card.
It's far from the only kindness to fill the family's home this month. The boys' teachers from Mansfield Elementary School chipped in and brought food to the home twice. A toy store in Athens invited the boys to meet Santa and pick out gifts on Chase's sixth birthday. The towing company that removed the family car raised money for a toy drive. A stranger bought Sabrina a spa package. Atlanta Braves players Brian McCann and Jason Heyward signed jerseys for the boys.
Others are thinking beyond December and into the new year, when the real work of starting a new life without their father begins. That's when Joel's second-grade class intends to start helping the family out in some way, perhaps with a meal every so often or a tree planted in Tyler's memory.
"When the holidays are over and they get past all the busy-ness of Christmas and the boys' birthdays, I feel like that's when it's going to get tough," said Karen Piper, a lifelong resident of Newton County. "That's when we'd like to step in."
While the circumstances of this tragedy are extreme, the response is typical for the school, whose motto is "We are a family," she said. When a bus driver retired last year because of chemotherapy treatment, the staff took up a collection. As soon as teachers learned about Tyler Evans' death, they activated a prayer chain with the family's permission.
The outpouring of support is a bit overwhelming at times, Sabrina said. The season will likely be tempered with sadness for years to come, but the community support now helps the family to cope.
"I'm not the type to ask, 'Hey, can you watch my kids?'" said the 35-year-old widow. "I'd rather do without than ask for help. But the way the community has reached out, it changes your outlook on people."
The kindness helps the community to grieve, too.
"When I think about what we do every day and the tragedy and heartache we see and try to help people through, this is a wonderful way to help us cope," Covington police Capt. Ken Malcom said. "When we see so many negative things, catastrophic things that happen to families, feeling good about something helps us, helps us cope with having to deal with so much tragedy."
When a family experiences a tragedy of this magnitude, it touches the whole community, said McCoy, the pastor.
"It reminds us that none of us are promised even the next five minutes and to make the best and most of what have," she said. "Make those memories last, because if you put it all off until tomorrow, there might not be a tomorrow."


text:
Guide to Geologic Hazards in Alaska
- Uplift
- Any force that tends to raise an engineered structure and its foundation relative to its surroundings. It may stem from pressure of subjacent ground, surface water, or expansive soil under the base of the structure; or from lateral forces such as wind or earthquake shaking that tend to cause overturning. (Neuendorf, K.K.E. and others, 2005)
- Regional or local uplift of the land surface related to movement on faults, this can occur rapidly during an earthquake or slowly during strain accumulation between earthquakes.
- DGGS online catalog of government agency publications relating to: Uplift


text:
Reacting in frustration, Ravens outside linebacker Paul Kruger shoved Cleveland Browns Pro Bowl offensive tackle Joe Thomas with both hands.
Thomas fell to the ground, perhaps even flopping in a bit of an acting job, in the opinion of Kruger.
Kruger drew an extremely untimely unnecessary roughness penalty on fourth down, giving Browns rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden a first down and one more shot with two seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
"I was just getting held pretty bad," Kruger said. "I threw my hands at him to get him off me and he flopped pretty bad. Unfortunately, they called it. I wish I was that strong. I would be doing that every play. Yeah, he just flopped pretty bad."
Ravens defensive end Pernell McPhee pressured Weeden into an incompletion to Greg Little, and the Ravens preserved a 23-16 victory Thursday night.
So, Kruger was off the hook
"From what I have been told, there wasn't much there," coach John Harbaugh said. "I'll have to see it first, but we talked about it. And that's always a concern. That's always something, as a football coach, I think you have to look at.
"Sometimes, the smallest thing is going to be misinterpreted, maybe in your eyes, and you just have to walk away from everything. You walk away from everything in that kind of situation. He knows that."


text:
Hi all,
this article discusses tools which every penetration tester would like to have. Evaluation of Core Impact, Immunity canvas and skybox view 2.0 is being done here. Will greatly help those who are planning to buy such tools.
For full article: http://www.securitypipeline.com/164303439A penetration assessment will ensure your network is secure from attackers as well as malicious employees, partners and customers. We evaluated three products that take decidedly different routes to the same end. Which solution will leave you feeling bulletproof?


text:
Boston, MA1 Canal Street, Unit 428, North End
Rental Price$3,300
MLS Number 72484804
- Rental
- Parking Spaces 1
- Year Built 2016
- Date Available 07/01/2019
- Bathroom 1
BROKER FEE PAID BY LANDLORD | ROOFTOP POOL -- Welcome to the ultimate residential experience. This luxurious apartment offers floor to ceilings windows with hardwood flooring throughout. The stylish kitchen features quartz countertops, GE stainless steel appliances, and a sleek glass backsplash. Enjoy laundry in unit plus a modern bathroom with glass walk-in shower. World class amenities include the rooftop social lounge with panoramic city views boasting a heated swimming pool, cabanas and movie theater. Work out in the sprawling fitness center with yoga and spin studio -- or let your inner-chef embrace the grills in the courtyard! This pet-friendly community has your paws covered with a self-service pet spa, and outdoor dog run! Moments to Financial District, Boston Common and MGH with 24 hour concierge.
Listed by 617Living and Daniel Oleary of Compass


text:
Has anyone ever tried to freeze cut bait or whole shad to use later? I've heard the catfish don't like it as much as fresh. Any good results?
Butter, If you have a vac sealer your good to go buddy. Ive caught ALOT with vac sealed shad. Good luck to ya buddy….
I usually freeze them whole and then cut when used.
HeartlandOutdoors.com is owned by Lampe Publications LLC. Heartland Outdoors is a registered trademark.
Heartland Outdoors, P.O. Box 745, Elmwood, IL 61529
Copyright © 2018 Heartland Outdoors. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


text:
Democrats' united front cracks
The great Democratic unity of 2013 held for five-and-a-half days.
For weeks leading up to the shutdown — and over the 16 days it dragged on — President Barack Obama did the unthinkable: he held every Democrat in the House and Senate together. There weren't any defectors. There wasn't even anyone running to reporters to question his strategy. The man who'd disappointed them so many times was suddenly exciting them, with his newly apparent backbone and successful resistance to Republicans. They were rushing to do whatever they could to stand by him, next to him, with him.
Story Continued Below
Like any fad, that's gone the way of trucker hats and the macarena.
The problems with the Obamacare website have transformed the president from a man who seemed to have gotten a sudden infusion of political capital to a man who's been pushed back on his heels. He was firm, and he was setting the agenda. Now he's back to trying to beating back the latest frame Republicans have forced on him, inadvertently providing evidence to support the doubts they've been trying to sow from the beginning. He spent last week against the backdrop of a shutdown that made people appreciate all the things government can do for them. Now he has a website which shows how little it can.
( PHOTOS: Obamacare online glitches: 25 great quotes)
And Democrats have scattered, raising the question of whether the president will be able to preserve any of the new cohesion he inspired earlier in the month, or whether the rift is going to widen again.
With every day, there was more impatience and dismay with the botched rollout of the website. Meanwhile, the White House spent much of the week dealing with a bizarre episode with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) over whether an unnamed Republican insulted the president, forced to support Speaker John Boehner's denial over the insistent statement of one of its closest allies on the Hill.
Privately, certain Republicans express concern with the party's decision to focus so much attention on a website that could very well be fixed over the next few months, instead of calling attention to other potentially problematic aspects of the law. And polls show support for Republicans remains way down, while support for Obamacare is still ticking up.
( PHOTOS: 10 Sebelius quotes about the Obamacare website)
But instead of spending the week beating up on Republican overreach, or promoting all the aspects of the law that don't involve uninsured people spending hours trying to sign up, Democrats have had to confront undeniable problems that have even core liberals worried.
That's led a growing number of people on the Hill to push the White House to change its current position that it can fix the problems with the website without changing the deadlines or time frame.
"I can't honestly say that we've tried our hardest to fix things," said Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who chose Bill O'Reilly's talk show as his venue to unveil a plan to delay the individual mandate penalty for a year. "You have to give me a reason I want to buy what you want to sell me. And until they get that in their minds, they're going to have a lot of headwinds, if you will."
( Also on POLITICO: Red-state Democrats propose changes to Obamacare)
Manchin says he's still hopeful the law can work, but that it's going to take a lot more than what the administration's done so far to convince him. So far, he said, he hasn't heard back on the call he made to the White House to tell them about his announcement.
The good news, from the White House perspective, is that even Manchin — who's always been suspicious of an individual mandate — has only gone this far. Whatever political fallout there's been, White House officials argue, will be addressed as they overhaul the site, expressing confidence that most people outside of Washington are past looking at Obamacare as a political issue and want to see it preserved, if repaired. The Democratic trouble they've faced so far, say White House officials, stems from the same urgent concerns they have to see the website improved.


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Andrew Maynard (Andrew Maynard Architects), Arthur Andersson (Andersson-Wise), Camillo Boano (The Bartlett, UCL), Christine Murray (Editor in Chief, Architectural Review), Elena Douvlou (Metropolitan University of Athens), Ingrid Bille (BilleByeSheid), Massimo Forese (+39 Architects), Mathilde Marengo (IAAC, Barcelona), Perry Hopper (Grimshaw), Shaun O'Rourke (BAC), Tom Kundig (Olson Kundig), Andrea Verenini (Editor, Eleven).
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Safari (Matobo, Zimbabwe 2017) Jury Team:
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Mercury Outboard Parts
After WWII recreational boating became popular. Unfortunately, early outboard motors were underpowered, and over time, proved highly unreliable. In the early 1950s, a young engineer, Carl Kiekaefer, began reselling outboards he refurbished as a sideline to support his inventions for the dairy industry. It soon became apparent to mariners that his was a superior product. After his first order for 16,000 outboards, however, Carl quickly changed his mind about what line of work to pursue. He named his outboards Mercury, after the fleet-footed Roman messenger, and never patented another dairy innovation again.
Did you know that early Mercury racing outboards were sold as having 25 hp but actually had 40 hp? Giving more has been a Mercury standard, and their outboards quickly became a marine industry giant. Mercury's primary business is outboard motors. They make small outboards, up to 30 hp, midsize engines up to 60 hp and in their Wisconsin facility that once made dairy products, Mercury manufactures engines over 75 hp. In addition, they manufacture Mercury outboard parts, so that owners can expect many hours of reliable service from their Mercury outboards.
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text:
Salem March 19th. 1795
Revd Sir,
My numerous avocations must be my excuse
for suffering Yours of the 17th. ult to remain unanswered.
The Subject of your Queries is a Matter I have never
much attended to, am therefore but indifferently
qualified to return any satisfactory Answer.
I have endeavoured however to recollect every
thing material, that my Memory can furnish.
But several of the Queries I can scarcely answer
at all, and several others but with hesitation; If
however any thing I have offered shall give You
or Your Friend the Querist any Satisfaction,
or assist in emancipating so large a Number of
our Species as the Negroes in Virginia, from the
State of Degradation to which they are re-
duced I shall be very happy. But I confess
the difficulties in the Way appear to Me, if
not absolutely insuperable, yet certainly do very
nearly approximate to it.
Revd sir Your very humble servt.
Progress, & Abolition of Slavery in Massachusetts.
Qu. 1st. Tho' I believe the Period uncertain,
yet Slaves must
have been introduced very early. And as the Inhabitants
of Massachusetts were much connected with Barba-
does, which was settled but 3 or 4 Years before us, &
several Families went from hence to establish
themselves there, it is probable Negroes might be
first introduced from that Quarter. I believe
Instances of indian Slaves, were at every Period very
rare in this State, & those few we had, were bro't
from the W. Indies -- I never knew of more than 5
or 6 indian Slaves.
2d. Yes; but never I believe to any great Extent: When it
comenced [the "m" with a line over it] I know not, nor when it began to decline;
but few Cargoes I believe have been brot. in here, with-
in this 35 or 40 Years. The elder Merchants in Bos-
ton can best answer this Question.
3d The Slaves which were brot. here, directly
came for the most part I believe in american Vessels.
But the trade was not generally agreeable to the People
& several openly expressed their Disapprobation of it.
Judge Sewall about the latter End of the last Cen-
tury, published a small Tract against it, intitled
Joseph sold, a Memorial. I do not recollect any
Regulations made by the Legislature to discourage
the Business, before Slavery was suppressed among us,
(about the beginning of the american War) as it
were by common Consent. It was no uncommon Thing
for our W. India Merchants to import a few, from Time
to Time from the W. I. Islands; perhaps nearly half
which were imported, came in this Channel.
4th The State of Slavery among Us, was always I believe
as easy & as tolerable, as can well be imagined; & in
very many Instances, scarcely deserved the Name;
especially in the Country Towns, where the Negroes,
were nearly upon an equal Footing with the Rest of the Families
in which they lived. As to their Numbers & Propor-
tions to the Whites, 'tis probable a pretty exact Account
the Secretarys Office, in which if I do not mistake
Servants for Life (or Negroes) always made a distinct
Article: As they were always an Article of Taxation.
5th. I do not know of any Legislative Acts abolishing
Slavery, before the People at large had given up the
Idea. But I am not able to give this Query a full Answer.
6th. About the Beginning of the american War, or soon after,
the People in general: abandoned the Idea of holding
their fellow Creatures in Slavery; feeling perhaps the
Inconsistency of doing this, at a Time when they were
strenuously asserting the Cause of Liberty for themselves.
Numbers however were loth to lose their Property,
& in several Instances, it was not till a legal Process
was commenced by the Negroes against their Masters (which always
issued in Favour of the former*) that they were allowed
their Freedom. As to the Proportion they bore to the
Whites, at that or any other Period, consult the old
7th. Their Condition is in general pretty miserable. They
have generally as I am informed, left the Country Towns,
& resorted to the Seaports, where tho' they might all
of them be constantly employed, & most of them are,
yet many are not industrious, & Frugality many of
them seem to be utterly unacquainted with: and having
been educated in Families where they had contracted
Habits of a more luxurious Mode of living, than they
can support in their present Situation, they are much
more uncomfortable (as they confess) than in their former
State of Slavery. As to the public Provision for them
'tis I believe the same as for other poor Persons.
8th As to their political Rights, I suppose they stand upon
the same Ground with their fairer complexioned neigh-
bours: And, if otherwise qualified, may be chosen
into the highest Offices of the State. A strange
Oversight surely, in the Legislature! I never have
heard however, of any one chosen into any Office at all.
9th Their Conduct both moral and social, is pretty much
the same with that of the lowest Order of poor in the
Comunity ["m" with a line over it] .
10th No Intermarriages; if any extremely rare; I have not heard
of any.
11th The lowest of the People sometimes associate with them;
but I believe they generally consider it as an Act of
* The Courts before which these Actions were brot. I understand
determined, that there was no Law or Statute, which permitted
any Person to hold any one in Slavery, and as it was con-
trary to common Law, they always decided in Favour of
the Plaintiffs


text:
|Registration Deadline:
|April 30, 2008 almost 11 years ago
|To apply for Funding you must register by:
|February 05, 2008 about 11 years ago
|Parent Program:
Show List of Speakers
- Ana Cascon
- Michael Eastwood (Australian National University)
- Hubert Goldschmidt
- Phillip Griffiths (Institute for Advanced Study)
- Irina Kogan
- Vladimir Matveev
- Pawel Nurowski
- Colleen Robles
- Christine Scharlach
- Peter Vassiliou
- Keizo Yamaguchi
February 1908 marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of Elie Cartan's paper Les Sous-Groupes des Groupes Continus de Transformations and the introduction to the Method of Equivalence–Cartan's tremendously powerful machinery for uncovering geometry. Thanks in large part to the contributions of two subsequent masters of this mathematics, S.-S. Chern and Robby Gardner, Cartan's Method of Equivalence and his theory of Exterior Differential Systems have found applications from pure mathematics to mechanics, engineering, and computer science. This workshop brings together leading practitioners in Exterior Differential Systems and the Method of Equivalence to explore recent developments including: the study of Riemannian submersions, holonomy, almost complex manifolds, representation theory and mathematical physics, integrable systems and conservation laws, partial differential equations, including Backlund transformations and solitons, control theory and a new central limit theorem. May 2008 also marks the 10th anniversary of Robby Gardner's untimely death and this workshop is held in his honor.
Accommodations: A block of rooms has been reserved at the Rose Garden Inn. Reservations may be made by calling 1-800-992-9005 OR directly on their website. Click on "Reservations and Availability" then click on "Corporate" at the bottom of the screen and enter the word "math". Enter Group Code CGMS59 in the "Guest Comment" box, and provide requested information The cut-off date for reservations is April 8, 2008. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hotel Durant. Please mention the workshop name and reference the following code when making reservations via phone, fax or e-mail: BJ0000. The cut-off date for reservations is April 4, 2008. Session Chairmen (PDF 23KB)Show less
Show Funding
To apply for funding, you must register by the funding application deadline displayed above.
Students, recent Ph.D.'s, women, and members of underrepresented minorities are particularly encouraged to apply. Funding awards are typically made 6 weeks before the workshop begins. Requests received after the funding deadline are considered only if additional funds become available.
Show Lodging
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hotel Durant. Reservations may be made by calling 1-800-238-7268. When making reservations, guests must request the MSRI preferred rate. If you are making your reservations on line, please go to this link and enter the promo/corporate code MSRI123. Our preferred rate is $129 per night for a Deluxe Queen/King, based on availability.
Additional lodging options (short term housing page - Short Term Housing
Show Directions to Venue
Show Visa/Immigration
May 05, 2008
May 06, 2008
May 07, 2008
May 08, 2008
May 09, 2008


text:
Got a Nokia phone and want to keep up-to-date on news about it without seeing what you missed on their Twitter feed? If so, you can sign up for their new Tweetsender service, which will send you direct messages on Twitter any time they have news related to your model Nokia. The messages you receive will include bits about anything from accessories, to apps to software updates.
If you already follow Nokia on Twitter, you can go the their sign up form here. If you don't, then simply follow @Nokia on Twitter and you will automatically receive a direct message with details on signing up.
You can add multiple handsets and manage or remove them later on. Tweetsender will be able to read tweets from your timeline and see who you follow, but will be limited otherwise.
Source: Nokia


text:
Watch Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Episode 92 Online
Other episode(s)
Other animes you may like
Naruto was a young shinobi with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He achieved his dream to become the greatest ninja in the village and his face sits atop the Hokage monument. But this is not his story... A new generation of ninja are ready to take the stage, led by Naruto's own son, Boruto!
Bundled with the limited edition of Blu-ray/DVD of Boruto: Naruto the Movie.
Naruto Shippuden is a continuation of original series Naruto. After 2 and a half years of training with his master, Naruto finally returns to his village of Konoha. Naruto is now older and more mature than before. With his new trained ability, his goal of searching for long lost friend, Uchiha Sasuke, is set for a stronger determination than before. He is putting his ambitions to work along with the help of his many friends, though with so many obstacles ahead of him. Now, he will face even more dangerous enemies, especially the Akatsuki.
In a world of mystical and powerful enemies lurk in every nation, a legendary Nine-Tailed Demon Fox attacked the ninja village Konoha, killing many innocent people. In response of a desperate measure from the people, the leader of the village - the Fourth Hokage - sacrificed his life to defeat the demon fox. By sacrificing his own life, he sealed the demon fox into a very young boy named, Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto has lost his parents during the attack. He grew up in the village and was mistreated badly by everyone in town. With his loud mouth and careless attitude, he is determined to become the greatest ninja, hokage, in his village. Along with friends, and hope, Naruto trains to become a better ninja than expected.
A spinoff of "Naruto," following the exploits of supporting cast-member Rock Lee.
A comedy-filled filler with a plot revolving around the two Uchiha Brothers, Mangekyo Sharingan, chickens, and fried eggs.


text:
"When you hear the phrase, "Sparks fly", this couple pretty much defined that. This is recommended to those who like their romantic suspense served on a super sexy hot plate." - The Book Review Blog
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Message Board
David Wolstencroft Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Wolstencroft has written!
Author Wolstencroft's Book Reviews
Good News, Bad News
Good News Bad News Dutton, Aug 2004 ISBN: 0525947949 British Security Services Agents twenty-seven years old Scotsman Charlie Millar and almost fifty George Shaw separately receive good news that their next respective assignments will be their last ones for each of them. The cover for their final assignment is a shabby photo-processing booth, where each must hide his real identity from the other, while awaiting their final mission orders. Howev...


text:
Why Abercrombie bucked Inouye pick
Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie's decision to buck the dying wish of legendary Sen. Daniel Inouye and install his own No. 2, Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz, as the state's soon-to-be senior senator may be less surprising than it seems.
Abercrombie and Inouye were not allies. In fact, their two-decade relationship in Congress was marked by rifts — most notably over Inouye's encouragement of a primary challenger to Abercrombie in the 2010 governor's race. Abercrombie and Schatz were running mates in that same election.
Story Continued Below
( PHOTOS: Brian Schatz's career)
So when it came time to choose Inouye's successor, Abercrombie went his own way — ignoring the deceased senator's appeal to tap his protégé, Democratic Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, for the plum appointment.
"These splits go way back in the party, and although I'm sure the governor gave due consideration to the senator's request, I don't think there was any personal relationship there that would've weighed in," said John Hart, chairman of the department of communication at Hawaii Pacific University. "I think in the end, the governor did what he felt was best for Hawaii, the party; and is also making a statement about who's in charge of the Democratic Party here in Hawaii."
( PHOTOS: Daniel Inouye's career)
In 2010, Inouye encouraged Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann to run in the gubernatorial primary against Abercrombie, although the senator never made an explicit endorsement. The longtime senator was also critical of Abercrombie's decision to leave Congress early to run for governor, noting that he was leaving Democrats a vote short on major votes.
Inouye and his aides made clear shortly before his death last week that his final wish was to ensure Hanabusa succeeds him in the Senate. Hanabusa; Schatz (pronounced "shots"); and Esther Kia'aina, deputy director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, were the finalists for the position.
"Surprise, surprise. Abercrombie got even with Inouye and declared his independence in a dramatic fashion," said Larry Sabato, the director for the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.
Charles Freedman, a close Schatz ally who chaired his campaign for lieutenant governor in 2010, dismissed any talk of a rift between Abercrombie and the late senator as "political scuttlebutt." Instead, it was more of an indication that Hawaii was shifting to a new era of politics after Inouye's death, Freedman said.
"I saw them on the road here in Hawaii a lot and just in general," Freedman said of Abercrombie and Inouye. "I think they had a reasonably good friendship. Differences I'm sure, but I don't think that played too much, if at all, into Abercrombie's decision."
Whatever Abercrombie's motivation, Schatz had one clear advantage: his age.


text:
Police nab suspect aboard drifting Victoria Clipper
Seattle police, the Coast Guard, and SWAT teams were called to Elliott Bay after reports of a suspicious person aboard a drifting Victoria Clipper shortly after 7 a.m. Sunday.
Darren Ebberon was watching the scene unfold and said it looked as though the boat had lost power and was drifting towards a coastal freighter.
"We couldn't see people on the boat," he said. "They were (drifting) pretty close to a freighter... It would have been terrifying."
Police had speculated that someone may have tried to steal the boat. After more than a two hour standoff, SWAT teams swarmed the boat and placed the suspect in custody.
"It was just a person who shouldn't have been on the boat and somehow got it out into the waterway," Sgt. Sean Whitcomb said.
After boarding the boat the man locked himself in the pilot house and refused to cooperate. The man told police he took the boat because he wanted to go to West Seattle.
Officers described the ordeal as a "pretty strange event."
The Clipper was pulled by tugboat more than a quarter mile from shore, and returned home around 12:30 p.m. to Pier 69 after the bomb squad checked the boat for hazards.
"It was just, I guess, a joy ride on his part," said President and CEO of Clipper Navigation Darrell Bryan, who was the first person to notice the boat was missing. He saw it drifting about 100 feet from the dock in a southerly direction.
"It was bizarre," said Bryan. "A number of people said they thought it was a joke when I first initiated some calls and no joke. It's just bad experience."
Bryan said despite all the security measures at the Seattle waterfront the suspect climbed through an opening in the fence area then hopped on the boat.
"I don't know where his mind was because there aren't many places to dock and maybe you can get underway without having a lot knowledge but not easy to dock a boat like that," said Bryan.
Bryan said the suspect pulled out a cleat and parted some lines when he removed the boat from the moor. "It's not a small vessel and it's not easy to start-up the vessel."
"We don't have much turnover and there's a lot of loyalty with the company so the first deal was it might have been an employee disgruntled over the years - I was glad to see it wasn't and what it doesn't explain is how the heck the guy knew what to do," said Bryan.
Investigators are working to determine how the suspect managed to board the vessel and send it drifting.
Sgt. Sean Whitcomb says the man did not have permission to be aboard the passenger ferry boat. The man was being questioned Sunday afternoon and was to be booked into King County Jail for piracy or grand theft of a vessel.
The Victoria Clipper IV provides ferry service between Seattle and Victoria, B.C, and was not scheduled to sail on Sunday because of minor repairs.


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AMERICORPS AND VERMONT Youth Conservation Corps volunteer Paul D'Agnolo carries an old tire away from the shore of Otter Creek below the falls in Middlebury last Thursday morning. About a dozen volunteers worked last week to clean up the falls basin area and provide better access to Otter Creek from the Marble Works. The two-day cleanup was an outgrowth of the "Creative Economy" workshops in Middlebury last spring. More photos from the clean up are in the Oct. 18 print edition of the Independent.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
By JOHN FLOWERS
MIDDLEBURY — A Shoreham teen is asking United States District Court to compel Middlebury Union High School to officially recognize the on-campus religious club of which she and other students are members.
The lawsuit sets the stage for a legal test of the federal doctrines relating to the separation of church and state, a fight that backers of the lawsuit — Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) — vowed to take all the way to the United States Supreme Court.
A girl identified simply as "V.O." filed the complaint on Oct. 12 in U.S. District Court in Burlington. The court has granted anonymity to the plaintiff because she is a minor. The Addison Independent knows the identity of the girl, but has agreed — at the request of her parents — to not name her unless she decides to come forward voluntarily or until the court lifts her legal veil of secrecy.
The complaint names UD-3; MUHS Principal Bill Lawson and Addison Central Supervisory Union (ACSU) Superintendent Lee Sease as defendants.
V.O. alleges in her lawsuit that UD-3 officials have unjustly denied the Youth Alive Club the same official school recognition as other district-sanctioned clubs, such as the Gay/Straight Organization; the Arabic Club; the Outing Club; and the Student Coalition on Human Rights.
Officially recognized clubs at MUHS, according to the complaint, can be listed in the MUHS yearbook with an accompanying photo; can have their names listed on the MUHS Web site and in the school's student-parent handbook; can have access to an advisor; and can receive access to district resources, including equipment, supplies and club funding.
By MEGAN JAMES
ADDISON COUNTY — Before moving to East Middlebury last year, Jeff Jones lived in the Caribbean, where he ran a food distribution company for the Turks and Caicos. It was there, a stone's throw from the main island's electricity plant, which ran on low-grade diesel fuel, that he first started tracking the peak oil crisis.
"The plant was a mile and a half away and it was just belching diesel fumes to provide energy," Jones said. Without a dryer in the house, he would try to gauge which way the wind was blowing before hanging his clothes out to dry.
"My clothes would smell like I just got out of the garage after an eight-hour shift working on diesel engines," he said. "This can't be sustainable, I thought."
Since then, Jones has been "ringing the alarm bell" about the rapidly-approaching expiration date of cheap oil, and that's what drew him to Step It Up 2, the sequel to last April's nationwide day of climate change demonstrations led by Ripton author Bill McKibben and a group of Middlebury College graduates.
"What we have to do for one, if we do it right, will help the other," Jones said of global warming and peak oil, the time when half the world's total oil reserves has been pumped out of the ground and people begin to face a scarcity of petroleum.
On Nov. 3, Jones will join area residents in making a second call to the U.S. government to "Step it up: cut carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050." But this time, the campaign doesn't just offer a goal, but an outline of changes the country needs to make to get there.
By ANDY KIRKALDY
VERGENNES — Last week dozens of gangs of teenagers, more than 300 boys and girls in all, roamed throughout Vergennes, Ferrisburgh, Addison, Panton and Waltham.
They were armed — with mops, rakes, paint brushes and sponges — and left in their wake a trail of gleaming windows, pruned bushes, fresh paint and neat lawns.
All were seniors, sophomores and freshmen at Vergennes Union High School. On the mornings of Oct. 9, 10 and 11, while their peers in the junior class took federally mandated tests that disrupted regular classes, they fanned out to their home towns for community service projects organized and supervised by VUHS teachers.
Despite some initial skepticism, the first-year experiment went well, according to both the beneficiaries of the work — town officials, church committee members and librarians — and VUHS administrators.
One skeptic was Ferrisburgh road foreman John Bull, whose employees oversaw VUHS students as they cleaned up the side of Sand Road and a town beach and rebuilt a fire pit at the beach.
Bull admitted he expected his workers "were going to waste three days" with the students, and was happy to say he was wrong after watching students do what he called "downright dirty manual labor," like raking seaweed, dragging brush and picking up stones and trash.
"They've pitched right in," Bull said. "It's been superb, above and beyond what we expected. It's been a bright spot to see young people in our community like this."
Bull gave students top marks for the way they conducted themselves, and said he hoped VUHS would hold more community service days in the future.
"Their attitude has just been A-plus," Bull said. "It's been a really positive experience."
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