When I've submitted abstracts, they've just been summaries of what I was going to talk about. There wasn't any specific format.

This is what I came up with, which is basically 256 words of me bullshitting as fast as I can, since we don't have any other kind of presentation to propose:

Daily Bread: Turning a retail bakery into a thriving community.

Even in today's frenetically paced Western world, bread is still a staff of life. Traditions around "breaking bread" are constantly emphasized in the media; images of fresh-out-of-the-oven bread are used to create a feeling of home, family, and comfort. In deciding to open a French bakery in the U.S., Catherine Seisson hoped to ensure the success of the enterprise by highlighting the ways bread, itself a staple of nourishment, can nourish community, just as it has for centuries in France, where a regular part of every day is a stop at the boulangerie. In an era where more people every year choose to eat gluten-free or to restrict carbohydrates, it's more important than ever to use bread not only as a product but as a metaphor for the human aspect of bread's creation and the community bonds it builds. Using communal tables, offering baking classes, encouraging conversation among patrons, educating customers about the history of bread and its customs, and celebrating French cultural traditions here in the U.S. have helped to create a unique society among Seisson's customers, many of whom have developed friendships and other associations through the bakery. In this way, she hopes to provide a template for other small bakeries or businesses involved in artisanal bread-baking to not only survive during challenging economic circumstances, but thrive. Falling into the Application category, this presentation will provide attendees with real-world inspiration for using bread to create a very particular brand through the community it builds.

Stay safe, -t.

Man, I just read a quick article about how the D governor candidate is having trouble finding a uniting message for various groups of voters while the R is going full-on racial dog-whistle and making up ground.

It seems like being a Republican candidate is so much easier. It's like the R's base looks for a reason to vote for their candidate while the D's base looks for a reason to not vote for their candidate.

That's in Kansas, Gud?

Intriguing, Amy! I would like to attend that presentation.

Either the air is cleaner or I'm getting used to the smell of smoke. Since I've been inside most of the day, I feel justified in assuming it's the former. UPS is delaying delivering a Prime package, though, which feels like a sign that things are still pretty serious.

Oh no. A VP of Sales signs her emails with "t". No dash, but too close for comfort!

I probably shouldn't complain about this in public, perhaps I will delete, but - seriously, company, you change the analyst and the salesperson handling JCP in the middle of rolling out Ayesha Curry's brand? That does not seem like a smart move.

OK, lunch over, I'll stop serial posting for a while.

Virginia

-t, please be safe, if you feel like maybe you should go, just go. Better to leave when you didn't need to than be caught wishing you had!

I'm so upset about the wildfires. And everything else. It really feels like the world is ending.

Gud, the Virginia state campaigns are distressing me too! Northam (D) is the best choice and the better man, but he's not dynamic and quick enough in person, and Gillespie (R) is playing to the bigot base.