text:
2.4-1 Direct and Circumstantial Evidence
Revised to December 1, 2007 (modified June 13, 2008)
The evidence from which you are to decide what the facts are consists of: 1) the sworn testimony of witnesses both on direct and cross examination, regardless of who called the witness; 2) the exhibits that have been admitted into evidence; 3) any facts that the court judicially noticed; and 4) any stipulations of the parties.
In reaching your verdict, you should consider all the testimony and exhibits admitted into evidence. Certain things are not evidence, and you may not consider them in deciding what the facts are. These include:
Arguments and statements by lawyers. The lawyers are not witnesses. What they have said in their closing arguments is intended to help you interpret the evidence, but it is not evidence. If the facts as you remember them differ from the way the lawyers have stated them, your memory of them controls. It is not proper for the attorneys to express their opinions on the ultimate issues in the case or to appeal to your emotions.
Testimony that has been excluded or stricken. [<Include if appropriate:> Some testimony and exhibits have been admitted for limited purposes; whenever I have given a limiting instruction, you must follow it.]
The document called the "information," which you will have with you at the time of deliberation. The information is merely the formal manner of accusing a person of a crime in order to bring (him/her) to trial. You must not consider the information as any evidence of the guilt of the defendant, or draw any inference of guilt because (he/she) has been charged with a crime. [<Include if appropriate:> You will note that each count in the information contains within it the alleged time, date and location of the offense. The state does not have to prove the exact time, date or location of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. However, the state must prove each element of each offense, including identification of the defendant, beyond a reasonable doubt.]
There are, generally speaking, two kinds of evidence, direct and circumstantial. Direct evidence is testimony by a witness about what that witness personally saw or heard or did. Circumstantial evidence is indirect evidence, that is, evidence from which you could find that another fact exists, even though it has not been proved directly. There is no legal distinction between direct and circumstantial evidence as far as probative value; the law permits you to give equal weight to both, but it is for you to decide how much weight to give to any particular evidence.
Circumstantial evidence of an event is the testimony of witnesses as to the existence of certain facts or evidence or the happening of other events from which you may logically conclude that the event in question did happen. By way of example, let us assume that it is a December night and you're preparing to retire for the evening. You look out the window and you see it is snowing. You wake up the next morning, come to court, and testify that the night before it was snowing in the area of your house. That is direct evidence of the fact that it snowed the night before. You saw it and you came into court and testified to that fact.
Now assume that it is another December night, the weather is clear, there is no snow on the ground, and you retire for the evening. You wake up the next morning, you look out the window and you see snow on the ground and footprints across your lawn. You come into court and you testify to those facts. The evidence that the night before there was no snow on the ground and the next morning there was snow on the ground and footprints across your lawn is direct evidence. That direct evidence, however, is circumstantial evidence of the fact that some time during the night it snowed and that some time thereafter someone walked across your lawn.
The only practical difference between direct and circumstantial evidence is that when you have direct evidence of some fact, the main thing you have to do is determine the believability of the direct testimony given, the credibility of the witness. With circumstantial evidence, you must first determine the credibility of the witness or witnesses and decide whether the facts testified to did exist. Then you must decide whether the happenings of those events or the existence of those facts leads logically to the conclusion that other events occurred or other facts exist, and ultimately, whether the crime alleged was committed by the accused.
There is no reason to be prejudiced against evidence simply because it is circumstantial evidence. You make decisions on the basis of circumstantial evidence in the everyday affairs of life. There is no reason why decisions based on circumstantial evidence should not be made in the courtroom. In fact, proof by circumstantial evidence may be as conclusive as would be the testimony of witnesses speaking on the basis of their own observation. Circumstantial evidence, therefore, is offered to prove a certain fact from which you are asked to infer the existence of another fact or set of facts. Before you decide that a fact has been proved by circumstantial evidence, you must consider all of the evidence in light of reason, experience and common sense.
Accumulated inferences
In State v. Crafts, 226 Conn. 237 (1993), the defendant argued "that the accumulation of multiple 'reasonable' inferences runs the risk of producing ultimate findings that contain 'reasonable doubts.'" Id., 244. The Court rejected this because it rested "on the assumption that inferential thinking necessarily proceeds in a pyramid of dependent inferences, so that ultimate findings inherently include the possible alternatives that may exist in the underlying inferences." Id., 244-45. "[I]nferential reasoning relies on the entirety of the evidence to support initial and then to reinforce subsequent inferences such that the ultimate conclusions are found beyond a reasonable doubt." Id., 246 n.4.
The Court cites several cases from other jurisdictions that require that when the case is based on circumstantial evidence, the state has the burden of proving that no innocent explanations exist. Id., 247 n.5. The Court finds that such a rule is not necessary. "[O]ur rule comports with the basic understanding that it is the jury's function to draw whatever inferences from the evidence or facts established by the evidence it deems to be reasonable and logical." Id., 247.
The two-inference rule
The two-inference rule, which requires that any conclusion reasonably to be drawn from the evidence that is consistent with the innocence of the accused must prevail, does not apply to inferences drawn from evidentiary facts. State v. Salz, 226 Conn. 20, 29 (1993); State v. Foord, 142 Conn. 285, 294 (1955). "[I]n viewing evidence which could yield contrary inferences, the jury is not barred from drawing those inferences consistent with guilt and is not required to draw only those inferences consistent with innocence. The rule is that the jury's function is to draw whatever inferences from the evidence or facts established by the evidence it deems to be reasonable and logical." (Internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Grant, 219 Conn. 596, 604 (1991). This distinction between proof of guilt and establishment of evidentiary facts illuminates "the difference between the jury's function in drawing inferences from specific facts or evidence and its function in coming to the ultimate conclusion as to guilt or innocence on the basis of all the evidence." State v. Dumlao, 3 Conn. App. 607, 616 (1985).
Facts and standards of
Numerous cases have found it error to instruct the jury to apply the "more probable than not" standard to circumstantial evidence. See State v. Rodgers, 198 Conn. 53, 56-60 (1985); State v. McDonough, 205 Conn. 352, 355-56 (1987), cert. denied, 485 U.S. 906, 108 S.Ct. 1079, 99 L.Ed.2d 238 (1988); State v. Lee, 53 Conn. App. 690, 699 n.5 (1999), and cases cited therein. The Court acknowledges that "as an abstract proposition, it is not illogical to draw an inference if the evidence establishes that it is probable," but recognizes that such instructions have "potential for misleading a jury concerning the state's burden to prove each element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt." State v. McDonough, supra, 355-56.
Courts have been criticized for instructing that facts, whether direct or inferred, must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. See State v. Williams, 220 Conn. 385, 397-400 (1991) (erroneous to instruct that evidentiary facts had to proved beyond a reasonable doubt); State v. James, 211 Conn. 555, 581 (1989) ("[t]he state may well have complained that such an instruction imposed a far greater burden upon it than the standard requirement that only the inference of guilt as to each element of the crime, as distinguished from the totality of the subordinate facts from which the inference is to be drawn, need be proved beyond a reasonable doubt."); State v. Francis, 83 Conn. App. 226, 239-43, cert. denied, 270 Conn. 912 (2004) (requiring facts to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt is overly favorable to the defendant).
"We note
that the jury must find every element proven beyond a reasonable doubt in order
to find the defendant guilty of the charged offense, [but] each of the basic and
inferred facts underlying those conclusions need not be proved beyond a
reasonable doubt. . . . If it is reasonable and logical for the jury to
conclude that a basic fact or an inferred fact is true, the jury is permitted to
consider the fact proven and may consider it in combination with other proven
facts in determining whether the cumulative effect of all the evidence proves
the defendant guilty of all the elements of the crime charged beyond a
reasonable doubt." (Internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Martin,
285 Conn. 135, 147-48 (2008); see also
State v. Pinnock, 220 Conn. 765, 771 (1992). "It is axiomatic that the
state's burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt applies to each and every
element comprising the offense charged. But this burden of proof does not
operate upon each of the many subsidiary, evidentiary, incidental or subordinate
facts, as distinguished from elements or ultimate facts, upon which the
prosecution may collectively rely to establish a particular of the crime beyond
a reasonable doubt." (Internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Williams,
supra, 220 Conn. 398; State v. McDonough, supra, 205 Conn. 362 (Callahan,
J., concurring); see also State v. Gonzalez, 205 Conn. 673, 694
(1987) (Callahan, J., concurring).


text:
SAN FRANCISCO -- In his hands was immense wealth, millions upon millions, enough to lavishly support several future generations.
In his midst, surrounding his every move, were these constant omens of professional death.
Barry Zito was one of the richest poor souls on earth, a man with everything and a pitcher with nothing.
Yet Zito never surrendered or mentally checked out or got comfortable taking the paychecks he knew he hadn't earned. The left-hander kept searching for answers and seeking fulfillment, profoundly committed to giving his employers a return on the single biggest investment they'd ever made in an athlete.
And, finally, last week, there it was, Zito delivering the grittiest and most impressive performance of his career, inspiring and galvanizing the Giants, launching them past improbable odds and the St. Louis Cardinals.
"What he did in St. Louis," fellow starter Matt Cain said Tuesday, "is something he needed. And something we really, really had to have."
The redemption of Zito is complete, at least in the eyes of his teammates and employers, even before he takes the mound Wednesday night to face Detroit in Game 1 of the World Series in San Francisco's bayside ballpark.
That the Giants are thanking Zito above all others, including NLCS MVP Marco Scutaro, for their presence on baseball's grandest stage, suggests something of a parable.
For Zito has spent much of his time in San Francisco being dismissed, if not booed off the field. He was deemed unworthy of a spot on the 2010 postseason roster, even though he owns the biggest contract in the building: $126 million over seven years, signed in 2007.
"It says a lot about his mental toughness, his makeup," manager Bruce Bochy said. "I mentioned this in 2010. It wasn't easy not to put him on the postseason (roster). He was struggling in September. But the way he handled it was so impressive. He went out, I think he threw a bullpen (session) that day. And throughout the postseason, he kept himself ready in case something happened."
After seven very good years in Oakland (102-63), Zito had become the biggest financial black hole in Giants history, entering 2012 with a 43-61 record in San Francisco.
So awful was Zito in spring training this year -- 7.91 ERA, 44 base runners in 191/3 innings -- that the Giants departed Arizona without him. He was left behind to, um, fine-tune his delivery mechanics.
When a pitcher is almost 34 and coming off five consecutive losing seasons, the last of which included an extended visit to Triple-A Fresno, being left at the minor league complex to work on your mechanics is a euphemism for trying to save your career.
Zito responded by actually adjusting his mechanics. Summoned to join the Giants in Colorado for an April 9 start, he responded with a four-hit shutout of the Rockies, giving San Francisco its first win of the season.
It was Zito's first shutout in a Giants uniform and the precursor to his best season with the team. He finished 15-8, with a 4.15 ERA.
"I feel like I've grown up in this game, you know?" Zito said. "When I came up in Oakland, I felt like I was a boy in the game. You have talent and you just keep going to the next level, and all of a sudden everyone is kind of like looking at you and there's fans chanting your name and stuff, and you're not really sure why."
Zito throughout his maturation has pitched himself off countless professional cliffs, tinkering with this, tampering with that. But he keeps climbing back up to the road, dusting himself off and getting back behind the wheel.
There is no more prestigious wheel than that which signifies starting Game 1 of a World Series.
"For him to keep grinding, as we say, and trying to get better, for him to be at this point and starting the first game, I was really glad, proud to tell him that," Bochy said. "And I told him that 'I'm glad to hand you the ball for the first game,' with all he's been through and the way he's handled it. It's been off the charts."
It's Zito's turn in the rotation, but he earned this Game 1 start. He's not the pitcher Bochy has to work around anymore, or the guy general manager Brian Sabean might consider the biggest impediment to a better roster.
Zito is the pitcher his teammates not only endorse to start Game 1 but extol as a man. It's almost as if they feel they owe him.
"If you look at Game 6 and Game 7 and break it down, Barry's game is what showed us how to win the next two," said Ryan Vogelsong, who followed Zito and won Game 6 against St. Louis.
That Zito would provide the pivotal performance, his masterpiece in the crucial Game 5 of the NLCS, is nothing short of lessons that can be applied to life.
Better to be defined not by the knockdowns but by the rising in response. And money always smells better when it's earned on merit.
Contact Monte Poole at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/1montepoole.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
commandlinefu.com is the place to record those command-line gems that you return to again and again.
Delete that bloated snippets file you've been using and share your personal repository with the world. That way others can gain from your CLI wisdom and you from theirs too. All commands can be commented on, discussed and voted up or down.
You can sign-in using OpenID credentials, or register a traditional username and password.
First-time OpenID users will be automatically assigned a username which can be changed after signing in.
Every new command is wrapped in a tweet and posted to Twitter. Following the stream is a great way of staying abreast of the latest commands. For the more discerning, there are Twitter accounts for commands that get a minimum of 3 and 10 votes - that way only the great commands get tweeted.
» http://twitter.com/commandlinefu
» http://twitter.com/commandlinefu3
» http://twitter.com/commandlinefu10
Use your favourite RSS aggregator to stay in touch with the latest commands. There are feeds mirroring the 3 Twitter streams as well as for virtually every other subset (users, tags, functions,…):
Subscribe to the feed for:
Maintained by Jon H.
Site originally by David Winterbottom (user root).
Wow, didn't really expect you to read this far down. The latest iteration of the site is in open beta. It's a gentle open beta-- not in prime-time just yet. It's being hosted over at UpGuard (link) and you are more than welcome to give it a shot. Couple things:
Count on a specific port (80) - FreeBSD friendly.
Now we can capture only a specific window (we have to chose by clicking on it)
ffmpeg complains about "Frame size must be a multiple of 2" so we calculate the upper even number with (g)awk trickery.
We remove the grep, we are already using (g)awk here ....why losing time with grep !!! ;)
Remove old kernels (*-generic and *-generic-pae) via apt-get on debian/ubuntu based systems. Tested on ubuntu 10.04 - 12.04.
Use this the next time you need to come up with a reasonably random bitstring, like for a WPA/WPA2 PSK or something. Takes a continuous stream of bytes coming from /dev/urandom, runs it through od(1), picking a random field ($0 and $1 excluded) from a random line and then prints it.
Depending on your Apache access log configuration you may have to change the sum+=$11 to previous or next awk token.
Beware, usually in access log last token is time of response in microseconds, penultimate token is size of response in bytes. You may use this command line to calculate sum and average of responses sizes.
You can also refine the egrep regexp to match specific HTTP requests.
That's the easiest way to do it. -I (or capital i) display all network addresses of a host
gives u each configured IP in a seperate line.
cut -f1,2 - IP range 16
cut -f1,2,3 - IP range 24
cut -f1,2,3,4 - IP range 24
This command allows you to revert every modified file one-by-one in a while loop, but also after "echo $file;" you can do any sort of processing you might want to add before the revert happens.
Will split the std input lines into files grouped by the 5th column content.
If your locale has Monday as the first day of the week, like mine in the UK, change the two $7 into $6
This was done in csh.
This is a little trickier than finding the last Sunday, because you know the last Sunday is in the first position of the last line. The trick is to use the NF less than or equal to 7 so it picks up all the lines then grep out any empty lines.
Simpler and without all of the coloring gimmicks. This just returns a list of branches with the most recent first. This should be useful for cleaning your remotes.
Like the original version except it does not include the parent apache process or the grep process and adds "sudo" so it can be run by user.
Prints top 5 twitter topics. Not very well written at all but none of the others worked.
Improvement on Coderjoe's Solution. Gets rid of grep and cut (and implements them in awk) and specifies some different mplayer options that speed things up a bit.
This will save parsing time for operations on very big files.
Convert readable date/time with `date` command
Not figured by me, but a colleague of mine.
See the total amount of data on an AIX machine.
It remove the square bracket and convert UNIX time to human readable time for all line of a stream (or file).
Kill all process that concide whit PATTERN


text:
RIPON — A father accused by police of attempting to kill his daughter and the child's mother by slamming his car into a utility pole is in custody.
David Allen Goulet, 24, was fighting with the 4-year-old's mother Monday morning when he grabbed the child and headed for his car, according to the Ripon Police Department. Fearing for the girl's safety, the mother got in the car before Goulet sped off, police said.
Police said Goulet threatened to kill himself and his two passengers during the ride.
Goulet's car was found on Hammett Road south of the Hammett overcrossing after it crashed into a pole. The child had difficulty breathing. Both mother and daughter sustained minor injuries, officials said.
Goulet was found running on Parallel Avenue and surrendered, officers said. He was in the San Joaquin County Jail on suspicion of attempted vehicular manslaughter, kidnapping, false imprisonment and child cruelty.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
The silver Triple Frame for IP T24 Door Station from MOBOTIX comes with integrated electromagnetic anti-theft protection. It includes a special key for module unlocking, a housing seal, and installation hardware.
- Housing is made of composites (PC)
Found a lower price? Complete this simple form:
See any errors on this page? Let us know.


text:
The Scott River Watershed Council (SRWC) will be hosting its annual Watershed Information Forum at the Fort Jones Community Center on March 20 from 9 a.m.-noon.
The forum is an annual opportunity to hear from scientists, resource managers and landowners about watershed restoration and research projects being conducted throughout the Scott River watershed.
The day's first presentation will be titled "Stakeholders, Salmonids and Sediment: Over Twenty Years of Restoration in the French Creek Watershed," presented by Stuart Farber of W.M Beaty and Associates.
The next presentation will be "California Snow Surveys," presented by the Klamath National Forest.
Coho salmon restoration has been a vexing issue for the Klamath region since it's federal listing as a threatened species. To help further explore that issue, Mid-Klamath Watershed Council Executive Director Will Harling will give a presentation titled "Creating Coho Off-Channel Rearing Habitat in the Middle Klamath Sub-basin: Results and Lessons Learned."
The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors and numerous local groups have been working for at least five years to develop programs to utilize biomass fuel from Siskiyou County's overstocked forest. The final presentation of the day will be an update on the activities of the Siskiyou Biomass Utilization Group presented by Larry Alexander of the Northern California Resource Center.
The SRWC will follow the presentations with an update on their efforts with beaver management, the Strategic Action Plan, riparian planning and outreach efforts.
From 11:30 a.m.-noon there will be a round-robin reporting session for attendees to report on other activities and issues around the Scott River watershed.
The Fort Jones Community Center is located at 11960 East St. in Fort Jones, behind the U.S. Post Office.
Location, ST | website.com


text:
Talking with Amy Purdy is like meeting a personal hero you didn't even know you had yet. Not only is she in training to become a Paralympic athlete in snowboarding, but she also juggles work at her nonprofit organization Adaptive Action Sports, a burgeoning public speaking career and participating in the ongoing Hartford Ski Spectacular at the Beaver Run Center this week. She also recently participated in the TV show "The Amazing Race."
"Right now, for the first time ever, I've been able to make snowboarding and training a priority," Purdy said.
Purdy is currently training with a group of four other elite athletes to qualify for the U.S. Snowboard Team, after which her next step will be to qualify for the 2014 Paralympics in Russia. These games will mark the first in which snowboarding is an event.
"It's so exciting to see we finally have snowboarding in the Paralympics," Purdy said, explaining that both national and international have been working for years to get the sport added to the Paralympic venue.
Now, Purdy trains almost every day, both in the gym and on the slopes at Copper Mountain, preparing for the upcoming qualifiers, which begin at the end of January.
Purdy's love affair with snowboarding started at the age of 15, when she would travel from her hometown Las Vegas, with friends and family to go snowboarding at Lake Tahoe.
"I just fell in love with it," Purdy said. "I just really knew that it would be part of my life forever."
Struck suddenly by a rare and deadly disease at age 19, Purdy is a double amputee with two prosthetic legs that she straps to a snowboard every day. Though now she is an elite athlete in the sport, getting there was a difficult journey.
"It totally threw me through a loop, because I identified myself with being an athletic snowboarder," Purdy said. "I believed in my heart that I could do it again, but I certainly had a lot going against me. I just made it a mission to figure it out."
She did her research, meeting with skiers who skied with prosthetic limbs. Hearing their stories, she decided that the same thing could be done with snowboarding. Through trial and error, Purdy found a way to make it work, although she says it's still a work in progress.
"Even now when I snowboard, I'm constantly trying to feel what could be better, and what I can do to make it better," Purdy said. "So I just get creative and try to figure it out. ... Having two prosthetic legs, I'm limited in certain ways, but there are other things that I know I can figure out, so I'm always on a mission trying to figure it out."
Having figured out how to continue snowboarding, Purdy wasn't content at keeping it to herself. In 2005 she and her boyfriend, Daniel Gale, started Adaptive Action Sports, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping youth and young adults with physical disabilities to compete in active sports.
Although Gale has currently taken over much of the organization's work while Purdy is training, she still finds time in the afternoons to help out where she can.
"[When] I realized I could snowboard again, and I could snowboard well, [I realized] there are a lot of other people out there who want to learn," Purdy said. "That's why we put this organization together - to just pay it forward and help the community grow and help it develop. It's exciting."
An important event has been the Hartford Ski Spectacular, an event sponsored by Disabled Sports USA to allow people with disabilities to learn how to perform winter sports, as well as providing training for elite disabled athletes. The event has been held at the Beaver Run Resort in Breckenridge for more than 20 years, and is happening this week. When Purdy first attended the event in 2001, she was one of the only snowboarders. Now, she estimates that of the 800 attendees, more are snowboarding than skiing.
This year, Purdy is one of the coaches of a racing camp, and plans to come back next year as a snowboarding instructor.
"So many people [are] learning from each other," Purdy said of the event. "It's just such an awesome event and experience."
In addition to teaching snowboarding to others with physical disabilities, Purdy has recently and unexpectedly launched a career as a motivational speaker. In May 2011 she gave a speech at a TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) event which, when posted on the TED website, quickly became one of the top 20 videos watched. Suddenly she was receiving requests from all over the country to come speak at national conferences and events.
"I've been really lucky with that," Purdy said.
In the year since then, she's given motivational speeches all over the country, including at a Colorado Parks and Recreation Association conference in Keystone in October. Now that she's training, she's limiting herself to one speech per month, and each speech is different.
"I do not feel comfortable giving the same speech over and over," Purdy said. "I really try to customize my speeches to who I'm speaking to, and it challenges me too to remember different stories and come up with new messages, or just remember what I've learned through this whole journey."
Purdy's success in the speaking world recently led to a new adventure - as a contestant on the TV show "The Amazing Race."
Producers of the show saw Purdy's TED speech, and decided that she would be an excellent candidate for their show. "The Amazing Race" is a reality show that pits teams of two against each other to complete challenges in a race around the world. Purdy and Gale participated on the 21st season in May.
"It was just an awesome once-in-a-lifetime experience," Purdy said.
Purdy and Gale completed challenges in Shanghai, China, and Indonesia. One of the biggest challenges was the language barrier, and finding locals who spoke enough English to help out. They were eliminated when they had to change taxi cabs three times in an attempt to get to a specific location, and came in last.
"The whole experience, the excitement of the entire thing was worth it," said Purdy. "Just the idea of doing such a spontaneous adventure, ... just to get on the show you feel like a winner already."
Purdy and Gale recently moved to Summit County, mainly to be close to the snowboarding action. In addition to the convenience, Purdy says she's enjoying being in the Colorado mountains.
"I'm incredibly grateful for the support that I have right now, to be able to live up here in Summit County, train full-time, [and] also help other people do the same," she said. "That just is really rewarding for me."
When she's not training for the Paralympics, working at her nonprofit organization, writing a new motivational speech or any of the other myriad activities that keep her busy, Purdy finds time to enjoy hobbies such as cooking, painting and photography.
"I love photography. I take a lot of pictures, especially up here. It's so beautiful," she said.
Of Summit County itself, Purdy didn't hesitate when she said, "I love it. I feel like it's an ideal place."


text:
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Chicken Cordon Lou (Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole)
(originally posted 4/16/09)
After being on hiatus for nearly a year, Rescue Me finally had its 5th season premiere last week. This is clearly one of television's rawest and gutsiest programs and I love the fact that the writers have thrown political correctness out the window. Drama and dark humor pair well in this series about post-911 firemen and the host of ghosts and dysfunctions that affect them. Aside from Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary,) my favorite character is Lieutenant (Lou) Kenny Shea (John Scurti.) The crass and witty banter between Tommy and Lou is delightfully quick and oozes sarcasm and the aforementioned political incorrectness. Funny. Stuff. I've actually spent the past week renting and rewatching the first four seasons, and that is why this particular blog post came to be.
Lou is known around the firehouse for his cooking skills and this recipe for Chicken Cordon Lou is how I would imagine him to whip up this dish for Tommy, Franco, Mikey and Sean. While the method is a far cry from the traditional chicken cordon blue technique, the result was a very tasty dish with all the basic ingredients plus a few more. Tossed together and thrown in a casserole dish, this makes for a relatively quick and easy weekday dinner.
Chicken Cordon Lou.... (Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4" cubes
1/2 pound ham, chopped into bite size pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
1/2 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/4-1/2 cup fat free half and half
2 ounces reduced fat swiss cheese, shredded
3 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
1-2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
handful of chopped parsley
1 cup brown rice, cooked according to package directions
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp butter, melted
Season chicken breast cubes with salt and pepper. Heat one tablespoon oil in skillet and brown/cook chicken cubes, approximately 5 minutes. Add in ham pieces and lightly brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Heat other tablespoon oil and butter in skillet. Add onion and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper and saute until onion is translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another minute or two. Sprinkle veggies with flour and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes so flour loses raw taste. Stir in broth and bouillon, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and add half and half and cheeses. Stir until smooth. Add in thyme and parsley. Combine sauce with chicken, ham and rice. Pour into greased casserole dish. Combine panko with melted butter and spread evenly over casserole. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.
17 comments:
- G. Parker said...
This looks amazing - I'm going to try it. I LOVE chicken cordon bleu. Anyway - also, I noticed in your previous post that you mentioned the D word. That word is not allowed in our house because it triggers bad trauma!! lol But seriously - I've told my kids it's a lifestyle change, not a diet. One of the things I've found that helps is a site that is free online called Sparkpeople.com. They have a whole community dedicated to helping you meet your goals. I ended up having to hire a personal trainer myself, and I've lost 90 pounds, but it's taken a year and a half and I still have 60 to go. So, anyway, good luck - take care and you can DO IT!! ;)
- July 13, 2011 at 1:07 PM
- Pam said...
I love Leary and watched that show when it first came out and then lost track of it :(
- July 13, 2011 at 1:48 PM
- Betty @ scrambled henfruit said...
Where have I been? I don't think I've ever even seen the show, but now that you've given it such good reviews I'll have to look for it. I've heard that firehouse cooking is really good! This dish has all of the yummy flavors of the original dish, but sounds much easier to put together. :)
- July 13, 2011 at 7:11 PM
- June said...
Wow Mags - this looks so wonderful I'm gonna have to make it darn quick. Pardon the english - it's on vacation too. LOL
- July 14, 2011 at 9:40 AM
- Laurie@The Baking Bookworm said...
I'm with Betty ... I've never seen the show (and don't think I've heard of it). Apparently I live under a rock?!?
This casserole looks great, Mags. Total comfort food!!
- July 14, 2011 at 8:54 PM
- Sue said...
This recipe sounds AMAZING!
- July 15, 2011 at 2:00 AM
- Cleaners London said...
This is crazy! But I love it! I hate standard food! Your recipe is rockin'
- July 15, 2011 at 8:04 AM
- Lea M. Callais said...
She's back - fighting like a girl!!!!! Love it - and this looks lovely - I remember wanting to do this - then in total Lea style - getting sidetracked - gonna put it back to the top of the list! Never did see the show though... I have that 6 year old and Colombian here - so the TV is either on cartoons or Hispanic news - HA!
- July 15, 2011 at 8:36 AM
- Moogie said...
I love chicken casseroles and this one looks fabulous. I hope to make it sometime next week.
I haven't watched "Rescue Me". Maybe I will give it look-see.
- July 15, 2011 at 5:50 PM
- Lea M. Callais said...
I made this Casserole tonight for supper - and it was a MAJOR HIT!!!!!!!!!! My sweet William cleaned his plate - something he rarely does - my sister took some home to eat later! I am glad I have some for lunch tomorrow!!!!!! Excellent! I will most certainly make this again!
- July 18, 2011 at 6:54 PM
- Mags @ the Other Side of 50 said...
Lea: I'm so glad that you and your family enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know.
- July 19, 2011 at 8:07 AM
I'm making this tonight for my out-laws! I will let you know what the critics say! (It sounds so good to me, I hope there are some leftovers!)
- July 19, 2011 at 2:55 PM
- Shelby said...
We finally watched the show last night. Rescue Me is Grumpy's favorite show too and he is very saddened that it is the last season!
Also, like G. Parker - I use SparkPeople.com! I think it is a great site. I love to use it to track my food and exercise. :)
- July 20, 2011 at 6:56 PM
- scmom (Barbara) said...
I have no idea who Lou is or what the show is, but I am making the recipe tonight and it smells wonderful! Thanks for sharing.
- July 22, 2011 at 5:08 PM
- Lorraine said...
Hi Mags,
Found your site via June at JBugs. Love the recipe, and loving the blog. Good wishes on your continued good health. I'll be stopping by.
- July 22, 2011 at 10:40 PM
- Donna said...
So glad to see you are back. And with a really yummy looking recipe too. I'll have you in my thoughts as you go through radiation and embark on your diet.
- July 24, 2011 at 2:29 PM
- Tiffany said...
I love Chicken Cordon Bleu! I am so excited to try this!! Thanks for sharing!! It just saounds so amazing!!
- August 1, 2011 at 12:07 PM


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ORINDA -- The fourth annual Orinda Jazz Festival is proving one cliché, "It helps to have friends in high places," isn't so cliché after all.
Founded by musician Carol Alban and arts presenter Beau Behan in 2011, this year's festival headliner is Amikaeyla Gaston, a multi-award-winning jazz vocalist and good friend of Alban. Joining them for the one-day event at the Orinda Library Auditorium on Sunday, Aug. 17 are two-time Grammy Award-winning violinist Mads Tolling, bassist Marc Levine, pianist Ben Flint and other star performers in what they say is starting to feel like a community reunion. Tolling and Flint participated in the 2012 festival, and Alban's Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center appearances are past indicators of her ongoing, high-profile connections throughout the industry.
The joyful "thick as thieves" relationships between musical colleagues means Alban and Behan find it increasingly easy to attract top talent. With proceeds from the festival donated to The Orinda Arts Council, an organization dedicated to promoting arts-related activities for all ages in Lamorinda, good will abounds. Behan writes in an email that close to 300 attendees garnered close to $3,000 for the OAC in 2013, and that he'd like to see the event expand to multiple stages and satellite venues. He said he has been pleased with the festival's progressive growth.
Audiences will likely be pleased with Gaston. Praised by National Public Radio as having one of the "purest contemporary voices" and boasting collaborations with world-class musicians in multiple genres, the mezzo-soprano has a special affinity for jazz. Accompaniment from percussion instrumentation -- sometimes as simple as her two hands -- could be considered her hallmark. But if there are words that describe Gaston best, one needs only look to the definition of her chosen stage name, "Amikaeyla," a combination of her first and middle names.
"It's a name that exists in many languages, I discovered," Gaston said in a phone interview. "I've been told it means either 'beloved warrior' or 'nectar of God.'"
In Orinda, Gaston will lead a community workshop she has titled "Power of Sound." Emphasizing self-expression in an environment free from judgment, she says participants' inner child will come out and play. Kids and adults, she insists, rarely have an opportunity to shout or "drum really, really loud" without getting into trouble.
Gaston, who splits her time between homes in Oakland and Washington, D.C., has traveled throughout the world, bringing music to populations who've long been muzzled. Founding the International Cultural Arts and Healing Sciences Institute, her message of healing and wellness through the gift of sound has been adopted by humanitarian organizations, hospitals and transition homes, and others. Shortly before the Syrian Uprising, a tour took Gaston into Iraqi refugee camps and into living rooms in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
"At first I worried about the paper ork and that we'd be pushed back," she recalls. "But we persisted. (The refugees) just want to be on the map and get their stories told. Now that they can't go home, they're displacement is disconcerting."
Cultural obliteration -- the aftermath of war Gaston says we don't talk about enough -- results when children hide and elders forget.
"One woman told me, 'I have no memories, only sadness,' so I sang a song from ancient Africa," Gaston said.
The music cracked the mental shield the woman had put up to protect herself. Remembering her former freedom, the woman recalled a song of her own and cried, because the moment reminded her that she is human, not just a shell, waiting for the next bad thing to happen.
Refugee children, Gaston claims, have responded similarly.
"When I allowed them to sing and drum loudly, they began to play loudly. They were free in that moment in time." Promising the same sensation for festival goers, Gaston says, "They'll close their eyes and let their voice be heard. For two hours, we put all the fear down and share."
General admission tickets to the two concerts ("Mads Tolling & Carol Alban & Friends" and "Amikaeyla Gaston Concert") are available. Special backstage pass packages with tickets to one or both concerts include admission to the "OAC Après Jazz Party" with wine, hors d'oeuvres and an opportunity to meet the artists.
If You Go
All tickets are available for purchase at the festival's website OrindaJazzFestival.org (www.OrindaJazzFestival.org or www.orindajazzfestival.altpro.net). For more details, e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com or call 925-255-5164.


text: It's fever, it's a break in your neckIt's never the selected track,that was playing on your stereoWhat goes on the outside messed up my feelingsSteered on the inside out, I need a landrover.. that bringsmy honest weeping, but now i'm stuckOh... that was crap... ah well.. tried it..Andy I'm late, Andy please help me. I never get the silverscreen. I'm not exactly your galleryteen


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Oct 7, 2011
Feb 4, 2012 2:43 PM
10 Tips to Make 2012 Her Best Season Yet
It's January...the start of a new year when all things seems possible. Whether you are basking in 75 degree California weather or the wintery 20's in Detroit the 2012 softball season will be here before you know it (my first practice of 2012 is in two days).
As a coach the beginning of a new season is always exciting because every team and every player starts off with a clean slate, with thoughts of championships and .500 batting averages dancing through our heads. And the truth is that phenomenal success for your team or athlete is entirely possible...it really is.
It all gets down to what level of effort, dedication and attitude she brings to her game. After coaching for over a decade and having played ball through college I know that any player can expect to get out of the game exactly what she puts into it. You see the harsh truth is that "the game" doesn't care who wins. The game doesn't care who gets a hit and who makes an error. The game will giveth and taketh away without regard for who the players or teams are. The definable variable for success in a difficult game is personal choice.
Here are 10 surefire ways to turn the new season into a memorable one for your athlete:
1. Inspire yourself and others with your effort. Bring 110% effort each time you step on the field and stand out from the crowd.
2. Work harder than everyone else. Put in the time for more grounders, more swings, more pitches. To be great you have to be willing to want it more.
Give her the gift that will change her game forever!
3. Work equally as hard in your mental skills training. Question your assumptions and beliefs about yourself that may be limiting your performance.
7 more tips to go, plus over 75 fastpitch specific articles all written to help your athlete become the best she can be...only at Softball Smarts.
Thanks for reading! -- John Kelly
Boost your athlete's game day confidence fast with the Sports Confidence Blueprint program!
For more FREE mental game tips and strategies visit me at: Softball Smarts or my Facebook page.
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Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a problem of the X chromosome. It is a condition that is inherited from the parents. FXS is the most common cause of inherited intellectual disability.
FXS is caused by problems with the FMR1 gene. These problems prevent fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) from developing. The protein helps to make connections in the brain. Without the protein, certain connections in the brain cannot be made. This causes developmental problems and prevents children from fully developing some higher cognitive functions.
The main risk factor for FXS is having a parent with an FMR1 mutation. Most people who inherit a minor mutation, which is sometimes called a premutation, do not develop the symptoms and signs of FXS. A few premutated children may show signs that resemble autism. Others, primarily males, may develop a set of neurological symptoms called fragile X tremor ataxia syndrome in later adult life.
Children of mothers with FMR1 premutations are at risk of inheriting a fully mutated FMR1 gene severe enough to cause symptomatic FXS. If a woman does not have symptoms and is a carrier of an FMR1 mutation or premutation, each child of hers has a 50% chance of inheriting that gene. Of the children that inherit that gene, boys are much more likely to develop symptoms than girls. The severity of the disorder may vary between different individuals.
In general, each generation tends to have worse mutations and a higher risk of FXS than the previous one.
The number and severity of symptoms varies widely. Symptoms tend to be less frequent and milder in females. Symptoms can include:
The doctor will ask about symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. FXS may be suspected if a child has:
The diagnosis can be confirmed by genetic testing with a DNA blood test.
There is no cure for FXS. Treatment is aimed at controlling symptoms. Treatment may include:
Medications used to treat symptoms of FXS include:
Specific educational strategies depend on the degree of developmental delays and/or intellectual disability. Educational strategies include setting a stable educational environment for the patient that includes:
FRAXA Research Foundation
The National Fragile X Foundation
Fragile X Research Foundation of Canada
Sick Kids—The Hospital for Sick Children
Bardoni B, Davidovic L, Bensaid M, Khandjian EW. The fragile X syndrome: exploring its molecular basis and seeking a treatment. Expert Rev Mol Med. 2006;8(8):1-16.
Committee on Genetics health supervision for children with fragile X syndrome. Pediatrics. 2011;127;994.
Fragile X syndrome. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed. Updated February 19, 2013. Accessed June 24, 2013.
Fragile X syndrome overview. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development website. Available at: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/fragilex/Pages/default.aspx. Updated April 3, 2013. Accessed June 24, 2013.
What is fragile X? FRAXA Research Foundation website. Available at: http://www.fraxa.org/fragilex. Accessed June 24, 2013.
Willemsen R, Anar B, De Diego Otero Y, et al. Noninvasive test for fragile X syndrome, using hair root analysis. Am J Hum Genet. 1999;65(1):98-103.
Last reviewed June 2015 by Michael Woods, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.


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Phil Taylor is my new favorite Brown AARON COHEN · MAR 23 2012
Phil Taylor is a 335 pound defensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns. He is also an expert airplane troll. Seriously, some of you out there, and you know who you are, could learn a thing or two.
Click through to see the rest of the Tweets and Phil's row mate looking miserable.
(Thanks, Gareth)


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Play Video
Its raining goslings
Posted by Say-OMG on May. 22, 2013
Check out these classy folks as they show off their talents!
Pull up your red diaper and go on an adventure with the best talking animal...
Every other Monday, our team of blacksmiths and craftsman build some of you...
Posted by Say-OMG on May. 22, 2013


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Fletcher makes strides in 'heart' project
New town hall set to open in April
Published: Tuesday, December 31, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Monday, December 30, 2013 at 6:49 p.m.
The apple of Fletcher's eye this year was a heart.
Town of Fletcher
Population: 7,360
2014 budget: $5,589,937
Contact location: 4005 Hendersonville Road, Fletcher, NC 28732
Town manager: Mark Biberdorf
Phone: 828-687-3985
Website: www.fletchernc.org/
First imagined in the town's 1999 master plan, a downtown center remained a priority for the municipality nestled between Hendersonville and Asheville for more than a decade. But as beams went up on a new town hall in April, Fletcher officials began to see longtime visions go from the planning phase to phase one.
"We incorporated in 1989 and, truthfully speaking, the reason we incorporated was so that we felt like our citizens could have something," Mayor Bill Moore said.
However, the longtime mayor lamented that Fletcher's citizens were missing a downtown to call their own. Moore, who has served as the municipality's mayor for the past 14 years, said citizens can actually see the beginnings of the project known as the "Heart of Fletcher."
The intent of the long-term plan is to create a central core of mixed-use development that will serve as a new entryway for the growing town that will give residents and visitors alike a place to gather, work, shop and live. The new $7.1 million town hall, which is estimated to be complete and open to the public by April, is the first building on the Heart of Fletcher site.
The 25,000-square-foot building will be the new home for most of the town's government offices and departments, including an entire ground floor for the police department.
"We wanted to bring the police department under one roof with all other municipal offices so there would be better cohesiveness," Moore said, noting the public works office will continue be housed separately due to the nature of the work done by the department.
In the new town hall, council chambers, administrative offices and a conference room will be located on the main floor. The top floor will include office space for planning, zoning, parks and recreation as well as a community meeting room.
Construction began on the new building in June 2012, which will occupy five acres of the almost 50-acre site. The total construction cost for the Heart of Fletcher is projected to be $9.7 million.
In addition to the new town hall, officials hope the development will include a new library building, a satellite college and restaurant, retail and office spaces and residential property.
"It's definitely the project to watch," said Town Manager Mark Biberdorf. "It's been a long project and a long process, but we're excited. It's unique in that we're building our downtown from the ground up rather than establish or revitalize a sluggish or blighted downtown."
To help build the downtown center, Fletcher secured a $6.5 million low-interest community facility loan this year which will stretch over a 40-year-period. However, the residents of Fletcher also paid the way for their new town center, too.
Biberdorf said in 2010 council voted to increase the town's property tax rate by a nickel — the first tax rate increase in more than five years.
"What makes this an attractive area for people to live is, yes, you do pay taxes, but you also get something in return," Moore said, noting that taxpayers provided $210,000 toward the project in 2012.
And, Moore said, the town has seen significant growth and needs to be able to accommodate the needs of its community.
"We had a study done several years ago, and 80 percent of people in Fletcher own their own home. That's a number that's even higher than Buncombe County," Moore said.
In the coming year, Biberdorf said the Heart of Fletcher will be the top priority, but it won't be the only development the town will focus on in 2014.
"We're going to be adding over 1,100 linear feet of additional greenway trail," the town manager said, specifically citing work to complete the Cane Creek trail. "Right now it just dead-ends at a railroad trestle, but we just got word a month or two ago that we have enough grant funds at this point to plan and design this loop trail back."
However, Moore said that the town hall represents the continued growth and innovation of the people of Fletcher.
"We've come a long way on this, and we've got a long way to go," Moore said, adding, "That town center is going to belong to the people of Fletcher."
Reach Byrd at email@example.com or 828-694-7881.
Editor's note: This is the sixth in a series of articles about Henderson County communities, their accomplishments in 2013 and their plans for 2014.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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Why Collecting Butterflies Isn't Cruel
In recent years many people have condemned the collecting of butterflies as cruel because it supposedly inflicts pain on innocent creatures. This animus is directed especially at children, who are thought to be indifferent to the pain they may cause, reason enough to keep them at a distance from nature or out of it altogether. Keep out. Don't touch.
Such has been the mantra of those who pretend to protect the natural world. But butterflies, in fact, suffer only minimal pain and certainly no more pain then all the bugs we crush indiscriminately every day, sometimes in huge numbers, with every step we take on the earth, or certainly no more pain than nature itself induces at frost time, bringing down all the adult butterflies by the many millions. The real cruelty is to deny children the chance to get deeply into nature.
Ever since it was invented by Europeans in the 18th century and later democratized in America, collecting put people from all kinds of backgrounds, well-off and poor, male and female, in touch with nature's manifold colors, designs, patterns, and shapes. It placed people inside the fullness of nature, inside landscapes full of diverse life, where boundaries between species were weakest, and all was ebb and flow between them. Collecting exposed a hidden generative realm, shared by human beings and butterflies, that imparted to many an overpowering feeling of being alive and of knowing that this is who you are and why you are. It connected the collector not only to the butterfly but to the context in which the butterfly existed, the flowers and carrion it fed upon, the surrounding insects and predatory birds, the dense, fragrant air, and the sunlight, all mingling together to form the experience of a terrestrial paradise, which is what Vladimir Nabokov, novelist and butterfly collector, called the meadow-world of his childhood. Requiring only nets, killing jars, labels and mounting boards, all of which could be obtained and assembled for pennies, it led to the making of collections, marvelous tools of instruction, encouraging kids to describe, name, and classify insects. Nothing has ever rivaled collecting in the way it fostered connection to nature, such that many collectors who began as little murderers ended as the guardians, stewards, and defenders of not the dead but of the living world.
Collectors of butterflies, whether as mature naturalists seeking to unravel nature's secrets, or as amateurs and children in the thrall of the insects, are not the dangers. So long as children and amateurs restrict themselves mostly to native species and do not collect in excess, they threaten nothing whatever in nature.
The attack on collecting is misguided because it shifts focus away from the real threats, principally the commercial developers who, caring nothing for butterflies, wipe out their habitats with impunity. The real danger is not collecting but the indifference fostered by technology, which has engulfed all of us, but especially children, many of who grow up tethered to computers, caring more about machines then about meadows or fields or butterflies. The real challenge is not to stop a negligible cruelty but how to get children so far into nature as to never forget its marvels and always to care about it. For hundreds of years, collecting achieved this goal; it ushered boys and girls into nature as nothing else has ever done. To end it now would be a colossal mistake. Let the children run freely, waving their nets, through the woods, fields, and meadows, or any place where the butterflies might fly.
William Leach is a professor of history at Columbia University. His previous books include "Land of Desire: Merchants, Power, and the Rise of a New American Culture" (a National Book Award finalist), and "Country of Exiles: The Destruction of Place in American Life."


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Men's Under Armour One Night Only T-Shirt
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The Under Armour One Night Only Men's Tee Shirt isn't shy about your skills - you've got what it takes. This tee is perfect for any workout with Under Armour Charge Cotton to keep you cool and dry. Loose fit to allow all-around movement and prevent restriction.


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News and events
Find out all the news and events from the School of Communication and Creative Arts
TEDx Deakin Uni and Alien Aesthetics at Deakin Edge - Bruce Sterling visits Deakin
American author Bruce Sterling joined Geelong-based theatre director Bruce Gladwin (Back to Back) and many other talented speakers to explore the many ways in which new technologies are reshaping our lives today.
Deakin animation students shine at MIAF
Deakin animation students have hit the big screen at this year's Melbourne International Animation Festival(MIAF) with three innovative works screened to hundreds of visitors and members of the animation industry at ACMI Cinemas, Federation Square.
The Stardom and Celebrity of David Bowie
The Stardom and Celebrity of David Bowie is a two-day multi-discipline symposium that brings together artists, academics and cultural commentators to reflect upon the influences of and on David Bowie in rock, pop, film, art, fashion and performance.
Show business chimps - what happens after the camera stops rolling
Independent filmmaker and Deakin University researcher Donna McRae has launched a fundraising campaign for post-production of her latest work, a documentary called Cobby: The Dark Side of Cute.
Relive the magic of vox lumen
One of White Night Melbourne's most popular events is about to launch back to life thanks to a new mobile app created by Deakin Motion.Lab


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Congratulations to the essay winners of our winter 2015 student writing contest "Letting Go of Worry."
Writing Competition
Read Bowie's essay, "Combating the World Suck of Baseball Tryouts with Awesome," that tells how he was able to brave the excruciating world suck stress of baseball tryouts with the guidance of his coach, Mr. Gardner.
Read Ally's essay, "The Literal Heart Sustains an Ailing Body," that tells how she found the strength to cope with mental illness through the support of the same Nerdfighter online community.
Read Shannon's essay, "The Internet: A Beautiful Place to Be a Harbinger of Awesome," about the solace and awesome she found on the Internet as a queer trans Catholic kid, and her desire to spread that acceptance to younger people experiencing suckiness.
Read Tori's essay, "Anita and Tavi's New Curriculum," that reveals the unexamined misogyny of the Internet, and what we can do to fight against it.
Christopher Zumski Finke responds to the winners of the Fall 2014 "Fault in Our Stars" essay competition.
We received many powerful essays for the Fall 2014 Writing Competition. Though not every participant can win the contest, we'd like to share some excerpts that caught our eye.
Read Sohee's essay that brings topics like ethnicity and self-confidence into the conversation of discipline and dignity.
Read Kayla's essay that provides an example of a situation that failed to properly use restorative justice and why that was harmful.
Read Matt's essay about the injustices a childhood friend endured and why he felt students didn't stand up for him.
Read Simone's essay that illustrates the unnecessary hardships caused by the injustice of the punitive system.
Read Reagan's essay about how her karate skills helped her classmate get the support he needed.
Fania Davis, co-founder and executive director of Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth, responds to the winners of the Spring 2014 "Restorative Justice" essay competition.
We received many powerful essays for the Spring 2014 Writing Competition. Though not every participant can win the contest, we'd like to share some excerpts that caught our eye.
Dr. Edward Tick, co-founder of Soldier's Heart and author of "Heal the Warrior, Heal the Country," responds to winners of the Winter 2014 "Support for Veterans" essay competition.


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USA, 2012, 74 Minute Running Time
Genre/Subjects: Documentary, Medical/Health, Social Issues
Programs: Documentary, Spotlight on Colorado, Women + Film
DIRECTOR: Annie Eastman
Producer: Diane Markrow, Davis CoombeEditor: Annie EastmanCinematographer: Annie Eastman
In 2005, the World Bank approved $4.9 million in loans to Bahia, Brazil, to eliminate the city's slums and relocate the residents of the palafitas, shacks built on stilts in the bay. The local government agreed to clean up the water and move the residents into subsidized housing. Seven years later, not a single unit had been built. Bay of All Saints director Annie Eastman (associate producer, They Killed Sister Dorothy, 2008) filmed the people of the palafitas for six of those years and documented their daily struggle in this heartrending film.
Her guide, Norato, a friendly refrigerator repairman, takes Eastman through the slum's shacks and introduces her to three single mothers: Geni, the self-professed "mayor" of the palafitas, who works in a pizzeria for minimum wage; Dona Maria, a widowed trash picker who raised her 16 children and grandchildren in the slum's squalor; and Jesus, a laundress who never gives up hope for a real home for her family, not one built over filthy seawater and mounting piles of garbage. Norato shows Eastman how the residents must steal electricity and water from the city grid and fight off rats and flooding to survive. When Geni decides to organize the residents of the palafitas to fight for their future, the others follow. While the government fails to make progress, many of the rotting wooden palafitas fall into the sea.
To make Bay of All Saints, Eastman traveled to Brazil 12 times. She slept in the homes of the film's subjects, who became like family to her, and placed her trust in Norato for protection from the local drug dealers and street muggers.
In cooperation with US-Brazil Connect, Colorado Partners of the Americas
Sponsored by:
Site powered by: Luminate


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SANTA CLARA -- Let's just say that it wasn't love at first sight when 49ers running back Frank Gore witnessed the so-called "pistol" formation.
"I felt that's not real football, at first," Gore said Thursday. "But it's helping us to get where we want to go, and win it all."
Indeed. Under second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick's guidance, the 49ers (12-4-1) are riding the multi-optional formation, in part, into Atlanta for the NFC Championship game against the top-seeded Atlanta Falcons (14-3) at noon Sunday.
It was when he was in college at Miami that Gore first saw the "pistol" formation, an alignment that features Kaepernick a few steps back from center, not quite as far back as the shotgun formation.
"I come from Miami, it was like pro-style offense," Gore said. "I didn't think really big of it. But now, I love it."
Of course, part of why Gore adores the pistol formation is the fact Kaepernick runs the read-option from there, which forces the defense to pay particular attention to Kaepernick and can't key on Gore as much as usual.
Kaepernick rushed for 181 yards -- the most ever in an NFL game by a quarterback -- against the Green Bay Packers last Saturday night.
It's not a coincidence that Kaepernick's success opened up holes for Gore as the game progressed. Gore rushed for 119 yards, with 75 of those coming after halftime.
"Hopefully they keep looking out for him, then 21 (Gore's jersey number) keeps getting the ball, and I do what he did last week," Gore said.
"It made me feel I'm unstoppable," Davis said.
Davis' long reception late in the third quarter against the Packers set up a 49ers scoring drive that culminated with Gore's touchdown that upped the lead to 38-24.
That served as Davis' lone reception of the game. Four other passes his way missed the mark. He now has only seven receptions the past seven games.
Even so, Davis remains upbeat and a team-first player, oftentimes pointing out how much satisfaction he gets from blocking and drawing attention away from other receivers.
"I've just got to take advantage of my opportunities," Davis said. "We're winning, and that's a great thing."
"Abe's fine and well," Robinson said. "He'll definitely be ready to go. ... You would probably have to cut his foot off for him to miss this game. In 13 years, this is as close as he's ever been. He's never played in an NFC Championship game. It would have to be some unbearable pain to keep him out of this game."
Abraham participated in 15 of the Falcons 67 defensive plays against the Seahawks. He led the Falcons with 10 sacks during the regular season, more than one-third of the team's total.
Left offensive tackle Joe Staley made it through practice without a setback for the second straight day on the heels of suffering a bruised right forearm against the Packers.
In addition, the 49ers merchandise is the top seller for January so far, with sales up 240 percent over last January.
Kaepernick's jersey is the third best-seller in January, behind only Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. Kaepernick wasn't even in the top 20 in December.
Which team will win the NFC Championship based on past playoff match-ups? Find out with our NFL playoff predictor.


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John E. Duskey, 36, of Beverly, Ohio, died Tuesday (Nov. 27, 2012) at Ohio State University Hospital following complications from a stroke. He was born June 5, 1976, in Marietta, son of David and Twila Hart Duskey.
He was employed by Arcadis as a heavy equipment operator. He graduated from Fort Frye High School in 1994. He served in the U.S. Army and was a member of the Fairview Church of Christ.
He was married June 6, 1998, to Teresa Cline Duskey who survives. Also surviving are three children: Austin, Brandy and Tyler Duskey; three grandchildren, Kiersten, Tavis and Ashuntae Cline; stepdaughter, Brittni Cline; and stepson, Justin Cline; parents, David and Twila Duskey of Beverly; mother in law, Janet Cline of Marietta; brothers and sister, Mark Duskey and wife Ashlee, Gary Duskey and wife Pam, Beth Smith and husband Mike, Brian Duskey and wife Amanda and Eric Duskey and wife Jennifer all of Beverly; several nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by a sister, Teresa Duskey; grandparents, Blaine and Helen Hart and Albert and Floda Duskey.
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Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, at McCurdy Funeral Home in Beverly with Jim Whitley officiating. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery. Friends may call from 2 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday. Donations may be made to the family in care of David and Twila Duskey, 635 Elk Run Road, Beverly, Ohio 45715. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.mccurdyfh.com.


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Passenger rail service between North Country and Montreal?
Don Provencher of Gorham, a member of the Oxford County and Coos County Rail Corridor Coalition, said the group is working with other rail interests to promote passenger rail service from Portland to Montreal with stops at a number of communities including Berlin along the way.
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Captain D's Celebrates 23 Months of Sales Growth [1]
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Captain D's continued its record setting performance in the second quarter of 2013. Posting yet another quarter of positive same store sales increases, the 520-unit fast casual seafood chain has now marked 23 consecutive months of compounding sales growth.
In 2012, the brand enjoyed a record-breaking year with same-store sales increases of 8.3 percent. Captain D's continued that positive trend posting positive Q1 sales numbers and is now reporting at the close of Q2, a 5.3 percent same-store sales growth for the system, with increases of 3.9 percent for franchise restaurants and 6.6 percent for company locations. Two year system-wide same store sales growth for Q2 was 13.3 percent, indicative of the brand's transformation over the last couple of years.
"Throughout 2012, Captain D's continued to post record numbers for same store sales in both company and franchised restaurants," says Phil Greifeld, CEO and president of Captain D's. "I challenged our experienced leadership team to build upon that momentum, and they have risen to the challenge by continuing to create powerful marketing messages and execute with strong operational excellence. Our success over the last few years has positioned us for renewed franchise growth throughout the southeast and into neighboring markets."
To further support its growth, promotional messaging has continued to showcase D's commitment to quality, value, and innovation by focusing on their successful $4.99 Full Meal Deals. New products such as hand-breaded Fish Tenders and Cajun Fish tenders, as well as the fan favorite "Sampler" meal, offer D's guests freshly-prepared and innovative meal choices at a compelling price point. Moreover, the new Fire Grilled menu items attract guests looking for healthier options. These menu improvements, coupled with upgraded facilities through restaurant remodeling, have bolstered D's stalwart sales success.
This comes as no surprise to the D's executive team, as new products and product innovation have been an integral part in Brand's turnaround in the past two years. "Our company mission is to be the industry leader and innovator for seafood," says Jonathan Muhtar, D's CMO. "Our recent LTO's, such as our hand-breaded fish tenders and Cajun fish tenders are definitely bolstering those efforts. And, we're complementing this seafood innovation with great new add-ons, like our Fried Green Tomatoes and our fan-favorite, Fried Pickles."
A significant portion of Captain D's innovation efforts have been focused on new grilled items. The new grilled menu, along with all-new, fresh and inviting menu boards, will be implemented system-wide by Q1 2014. "I personally think our most exciting innovation can be seen in our new Fire-Grilled menu, featuring items such as our Surf and Turf, Shrimp Scampi, and Grilled Whitefish offerings." These are just the some of the successful initiatives that D's has been rolling out in 2013. An updated restaurant remodel, a new Kids program, and new digital campaigns have been part of the brand's turnaround as well.
In Q1, Captain D's took steps to accelerate new unit growth by hiring franchise industry veteran Michael Arrowsmith as chief development officer (CDO) and promoting Jim Stevens to chief operations officer (COO). Both are charged to spur new franchise growth and further strengthen the Captain D's unit profitability. The brand is focused on extending its footprint in strong existing markets, as well as expanding its reach into new territories.
Because of the brand's consistent sales success, Captain D's is experiencing a heightened interest from multi-unit/multi-brand owners looking to diversify their existing restaurant portfolio. Moreover, the sales growth has sparked renewed interested in development from its existing franchise base. Franchisees who had not been developing have recently made commitments to build new restaurants in the southeast in the next year.
"Because our unit economics and overall Captain D's opportunity is very attractive, we are being sought-after by entrepreneurs looking for a proven, inventive franchise concept," Greifeld says. "This brand attention, combined with the leadership of our talented executive team, has led to plans to add new franchised restaurants in 2013 and beyond, with the help of new and existing franchise partners."


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MINNEAPOLIS -- Slumping right fielder Josh Reddick was on the bench at the start of the A's series finale against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.
Reddick got the start off Thursday with Brandon Moss moving out to right field with Reddick hitting .103 and having grounded into a double play in the first inning Wednesday, then struck out the next four trips to the plate.
A's manager Bob Melvin said the right fielder was just getting a day off and likely would be back in the lineup Friday when the A's start a series in Seattle against the Mariners with first place in the early-season American League West standings on the line.
The manager said that he didn't see anything physically that was keeping Reddick down and suggested it was a mental thing after a decent spring training (.333 with a team-best 15 RBIs in the Cactus League).
``After a great spring, he's pretty disappointed in the way he's going right now,'' Melvin said. ``For me, more than anything, he's got to get out of his own way. He's got some negative thoughts. (He needs to) try to get back to thinking positively.
``I don't see anything physical, certainly not health. And his swings look good. I don't know how he's missing some of them. It's not like he's lunging. It's not like he's having to catch up with his hands. He looks pretty balanced at the plate.''
Reddick says he's ``very frustrated,'' and that ``it's a struggle right now.''
Melvin said that the day off is just that.
``I expect him to be in there tomorrow,'' the manager said.
It could be a game-time decision as to whether Crisp is ready to go Friday after four days off following an injection of cortisone in his left wrist.
But when he needed a similar cortisone shot last season, four days off did the trick.
Melvin left open the possibility that Gentry might not be activated until Saturday, and added it had nothing to do with Crisp's availability or lack of same.
Gentry missed most of the spring with back problems. In the last week he has gotten some injury rehabilitation assignment games with Stockton and Sacramento and has been able to play without pain.
Wednesday came the news that top prospect Addison Russell suffered a Grade 3 right hamstring tear and will be out at least a month.
Then Melvin said Thursday morning that catcher Stephen Vogt, who was very close to making the opening day roster, suffered an oblique strain while playing for Triple-A Sacramento Wednesday.
Historically baseball players have needed at least a month to get over oblique injuries.
The 20-year-old Russell apparently has a complete or near-complete tear. which generally needs in excess of a month to heal. The A's first-round pick (11th overall) in 2012 is regarded as one of the dozen or so best players in the minor leagues


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Register for Spring Forward here.
Please submit a separate registration for each person attending. In this way you are able to indicate individual preferences.
Please send your payment check for registration via mail or library courier to CKLS, Attention: Bev Cross. Make checks out to Central Kansas Library System. Please do not send cash. It is important to indicate your library on the memo line of your check (i.e. Russell Public Library).The $30.00 registration fee per person is for your dorm room. Please pay prior to event and do not send cash. We are unable to accept payment at Camp Webster.
Handouts are available here after the event.
Registration deadline for overnight rooms and meals is Friday, May 2, 2014.


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SAN FRANCISCO -- Surging sales of tablet computers are driving a fundamental change in how Americans read books.
Twenty-three percent of Americans age 16 and older say they have read an electronic book in the past year, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center. That's up from 16 percent a year ago.
At the same time, the number of those who read a printed book in the past 12 months fell to 67 percent -- a decline of 5 percentage points.
The rise in e-book reading coincides with an increase in the number of people who own tablet computers or dedicated e-readers such as Amazon's Kindle or Barnes & Noble's Nook.
A quarter of all Americans age 16 and up own an Apple (AAPL) iPad, Kindle Fire, Samsung Galaxy Tab or other tablet computer, Pew reports, an increase from 10 percent in 2011. The number of people who own an e-book reader rose to 19 percent from 10 percent.
"We are still in the early stages of the transition," said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet Project. "It's a big deal for the publishing industry, in the same way that the transition to digital news was a big deal for the newspaper business in the late '90s, and the same way Napster was a big deal to the music industry in the early 2000s."
Researcher NPD Group estimates that 33 million tablet computers have been sold through November of 2012. Devices with screens smaller than 8 inches -- including the Apple iPad Mini and smaller versions of the Kindle Fire and Google's (GOOG) Nexus tablet -- seem well suited to reading, said NPD analyst Stephen Baker.
With vigorous sales of tablets this holiday season, Baker predicted "the beginning of the end" for traditional e-readers.
Pew's survey found that those most likely to have read an e-book had a college degree, lived in a household earning more than $75,000 and ranged in age from 30 to 49. The findings were based on a survey of 2,252 Americans age 16 and older from Oct. 15 to Nov. 10.


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CORPUS CHRISTI – Texas A&M – Corpus Christi tennis player Matt Westmoreland and softball player Meagan McKinney have been chosen to attend the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum on Nov. 1-4 in Dallas. The duo will represent the Island University along with Senior Scholastic Coordinator Kayleigh McCauley.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for Meagan and Matt," McCauley said. "Having representatives from among our student-athlete population at the forum will be a major asset for the Islanders and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. I think they will bring back some great lessons for all of our student-athletes."
The Leadership Forum engages a diverse and dynamic representation of student-athletes, coaches, faculty and administrators and provides pertinent and customized sessions that will enhance personal awareness and leadership skills needed to impact student-athlete development at the campus and conference level, and beyond the collegiate realm.
In 2002, the NCAA began regionally based Leadership Conferences for Division I, II and III student-athletes, coaches and administrators. Division I, II and III student-athletes, coaches and administrators met regionally to discuss issues and information impacting the student-athlete experience. Since the fall of 2010, the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum (Leadership Forum) has combined Divisions I, II and III participants into a single forum at one site on the same weekend.
For all the latest on Islanders Athletics, be sure to follow the team on Facebook (GoIslanders) and on Twitter (@GoIslanders).


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Monday and Tuesday seemed like any other day on the campus of Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, despite the historical event that was taking place in the Islanders Athletic Department on those days.
On 8 a.m. Monday morning, the first ever summer camps started for Islanders Women's Soccer began on the intramural fields alongside Island Hall. Although just a two-day camp that was put together rather hastily in the weeks leading up to it, the program brought in 62 attendees for the first look of the campus and coaches that will be represented on the pitch starting next season.
For first year head coach Shanna Caldwell and her assistant/camp coordinator Lauren Molinaro, it was a great first step in promoting the program to the community, both local and throughout the state of Texas.
"I think we recognize the value and importance of getting our name out and getting kids to come down to the University," said Caldwell. "They have opportunity to come and walk around campus and also be exposed to the level and style of coaching we want to put forth as the finished product out on the field in the future here."
The first look at soccer on the campus comes both for local players talent from around Texas as the two coaches worked to get as many players for the inaugural camp in a limited amount of time.
"All the kids really enjoyed it; we've had a lot of local kids, which is great to start building the relationships with the local clubs here, as well as hitting up the main hotbeds of soccer in Texas with kids from Dallas, Houston and Austin," said Caldwell. "Those three main areas and all the ones in between are represented here."
As camp director, Molinaro was in charge of getting the word out in a limited amount of time once the coaching staff decided to host a summer camp this year.
"We are excited for them to come out for the first time, especially since we only had about a month to promote it," said Molinaro. "It's going to be really neat in the future to see when we have maybe six months to put something together, what we can get and how we can promote the Island University."
A big part of that success for the Islanders Women's Soccer program was the relationships the coaches have built in their short time on The Island.
"I think what helped organize the camp was that Shanna and I have done a lot of reaching out to the community and the different club systems in Texas," said Molinaro. "We made some pretty neat contacts and were able to get a lot of girls interested through our contacts.
"I also think the university kind of sells itself; the beach and beautiful weather, it's great. We got a lot of positive feedback about that. We went from about 30 campers to 60 campers very quickly."
Although just one camp is scheduled for this summer, the coaches expect this first camp to help Islanders Soccer grow in the local community and throughout the state of Texas as young players visit the University.
For all the latest on Islanders Soccer, like Islanders Athletics on Facebook (Islanders Athletics), follow them on Twitter (@Go_Islanders) and visit www.GoIslanders.com.


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rogerfederer.com - World Tour Finals - Webnews
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World Tour Finals - Webnews
Federer and Nadal Rekindle a Rivalry
(The Wall Street Journal)
Tennis has a rivalry again. In London on Sunday, Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in the ATP World Tour Finals. Though the match wasn't a classic, it did much to reinvigorate a clash that recently had become one-sided. The 24-year-old Mr. Nadal had won six of their previous seven meetings and this season had distanced himself from the 29-year-old Mr. Federer by winning three-straight Grand Slam singles titles, including his first U.S. Open.
Even on his best days, Mr. Federer has had trouble with Mr. Nadal's high-bouncing forehand and endless hustle. Mr. Federer brought a new approach to London, though. Since he began working with Paul Annacone, Pete Sampras's former coach, this summer, Mr. Federer has taken more chances, hit his topspin backhand more often and looked for more opportunities to approach the net. His final charge Sunday began with an aggressive play one rarely sees these days: a serve return followed by an immediate approach to the net and two consecutive volleys. Mr. Federer rattled off the last five games and won all three of his break points, a rare feat against the Spaniard. Mr. Nadal has never won the season-ending championships, and he has never beaten Mr. Federer in an indoor match. And so yes, there's room for more in this rivalry in 2011 and beyond. May it never end.
Roger Federer versus Rafael Nadal is like Ali versus Frazier, but with racquets for gloves
(The Telegraph)
The greatest rivalries in sporting history have thrived on the highs and lows, the to's and the fro's, but they fade away when inevitability strikes. So there were moments after the second set of yet another fabulous chapter of the Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal saga here at the O2 Arena that it just felt that we might be witnessing the end of a thrilling duopoly and the advent of a Spanish monopoly.
We had been here before; Federer, the prince, forging ahead, offering shotmaking from the Gods, looking untouchable – "unplayable," Nadal called his opening barrage – like the best there has ever been. Then finding himself being pegged back inexorably by tennis's relentless dementor, the most astonishing athlete his sport has witnessed, sucking away his confidence and belief.
Federer confidence soaring again
(IOL sport)
Roger Federer's year-end triumph over world No.1 Rafael Nadal has given him a shot in the arm ahead of the 2011 season. He has proved the validity of tennis planning as the Swiss re-asserted himself once again at the elite level with his fifth year-end trophy lifted at the weekend over Rafael Nadal in London.
Federer's 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 defeat of the Spanish world No.1 at the World Tour Finals puts the Swiss straight back into the conversation when talk turns to the pair who currently dominate the game. Federer will head off on a well-deserved family holiday, confident that his 2010 planning and dedication to detail has paid off in huge confidence dividends.
The 29-year-old is quick to praise his coaching team of old hand Severin Lüthi and new American hire Paul Annacone for helping him turn the corner this season to end with five titles from nine finals.
Roger Federer is unplayable, admits beaten Rafa Nadal
Rafa Nadal claimed Roger Federer had been "unplayable" after the Swiss superstar ended his season in style last night.
By winning the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, world No.2 Federer avenged his defeat in their last London meeting - the epic Wimbledon final of 2008. And his sensational brand of attacking tennis showed the 29-year-old still has the hunger and ability to win back the status as the best player on the planet.
Federer eyes return to top in 2011 after ATP win
Roger Federer believes his ATP World Tour Finals triumph against Rafael Nadal will provide him with the perfect springboard to return to the top in 2011. Although Federer is publicly adamant he has nothing to be disappointed about over the last 12 months, privately he will feel a nagging sense of regret at the loss of the world number one ranking to Nadal, who also took the French Open and Wimbledon titles from the Swiss star.
That was what made the 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory over Nadal in the final at London's O2 Arena on Sunday so significant for the world number two.
In Federer's mind, his record-equalling fifth title in the prestigious end-of-year event was secondary to the message the win sent to Nadal and his other rivals at the top of the rankings.
Federer tops Nadal for season-ending title
(The Washington Post)
Roger Federer turned his high-profile, season-ending match against Rafael Nadal into little more than an exhibition.
Federer gave his rival little chance to mount a challenge in the 22nd meeting between two of the greatest players of all time, winning his fifth season-ending title, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, at the ATP World Tour Finals on Sunday in London.
Federer won an incredible 92 percent of the points played on his first serve in the final, and lost only 13 points on serve in the entire match.
Iam So happy for you, your
Year end on a high note is always pleasing... :)
All the best RF.. :)
we're soOoOo darn psyched about his winning mindset ending 2010 on such a HIGH NOTE by besting Nos. 1, 3-5, 7 in a 7-day SUBLIME WORK to collecting his 5th WTF title, as it were for us-Federians A NICE XMAS 4 ALL...
except for...800 plus matches. It's 900 plus (917, I think!)
were you trying to be as modest as Roger? ;-)
Roger our great ambassador!


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Task force makes several drug arrests
January 29, 2013
MARIETTA — The Major Crimes Task Force aided in the arrest of three area residents in connection with illegal drugs in the past few days, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office....
for the last 5 or 6 years the reports have shown big increases in the crime rate in washington county. why are the law enforcement leaders allowed to keep their jobs if they can not keep the rate from rising. the people of washington county are not getting the protection their community deserves from the scourge of illegal drugs. if someone cannot execute their duties and get results they should be relieved of duty
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Process intensification is the new catchphrase in biotech processing. It includes concepts such as reducing the process time of a particular unit operation, decreasing the overall process time by improved alignment of various unit operations, and reducing plant idle time by improved equipment utilization. Biotech manufacturers are realizing that cost savings from such efforts, which result in improved productivity for a facility, far exceed those from the traditional focus area of raw materials. This article presents an approach for performing process scheduling and debottlenecking.
Several questions arise when performing process scheduling and debottlenecking. How much would it cost to make a fixed amount of the product? How can I reduce the operational cost of the process? How much product can I make in this plant in a fixed time? What are the bottlenecks in my current process and plant? What is the relationship between capital investment and the resulting capacity expansion? How can I relate the scheduling of a process to changes in priorities or production demand?
In this twenty-first article in the Elements of Biopharmaceutical Production series, we introduce some of the key concepts of process scheduling and debottlenecking, and present an approach for performing these activities. Two case studies—one for a single- product biotech facility and another for a multiproduct biotech facility—illustrate our approach.
Process Scheduling
Process scheduling for a production facility is performed to minimize production time and costs by making decisions about what to make, when to make, with which staff, and on which equipment. The overall aim is to maximize operational efficiency and reduce costs. Commercially available scheduling tools provide the production scheduler with powerful graphical interfaces that can be used to visually optimize real-time workloads in various stages of production, while pattern recognition enables the software to automatically create scheduling opportunities, which may not be otherwise apparent without this analysis.5–6 Manual scheduling, using available platforms such as Microsoft Excel, also can be effective because the user has the advantage of customizing the tool as required, compared with commercial software that are more rigid. Manually developed approaches, however, may lack the user-friendliness of commercial software.
Process scheduling can be conducted by backward or forward scheduling methods and can help allocate plants, machinery, and human resources, plan production processes, and purchase raw materials. Forward scheduling involves planning tasks from the date resources become available to determine the shipping date or due date. Backward scheduling is planning the tasks from the due date or required-by date to determine the start date or any required changes in capacity. The benefits of scheduling include a decrease in process changeovers, reduction in inventory, increase in production efficiency, leveling of labor load, accurate delivery of milestones, and ability to gather real-time information.
Process Debottlenecking
Process debottlenecking generally includes identifying and removing bottlenecks in equipment and resources. Equipment-based bottlenecks can be eased or eliminated by adding or removing equipment. Resource-based bottlenecks, however, may be unavoidable and may limit the net productivity of the plant. Feed throughput for a production facility is directly proportional to the batch size and inversely proportional to the cycle time; thus, for constant batch sizes we can reduce the cycle time by extensive scheduling, which will subsequently increase throughput. To increase a batch size, we will need to increase the process efficiency or perform scale-up of the process.3
Economic Evaluation
Economic evaluation is necessary when deciding between in-house production and outsourcing. Building a new production facility to manufacture a biotech product is not only a major capital expenditure, but also a lengthy process. To make this decision, information regarding the required capital investment and time to complete the facility is necessary. Even if the decision is made to outsource production, the above-mentioned cost analysis will still be useful as a basis for negotiating with contract manufacturers.4 Irrespective of the decision on where to manufacture, further scheduling and optimization is always useful for maximizing profitability. In a recent publication, the authors illustrated how process scheduling and optimization for a monoclonal antibody product made in a multiproduct biotech facility was used for performing material and energy balances, sizing equipment and utilities, estimating capital and operating costs, and analyzing cycle times.1


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