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This post originally appeared at Oyster.com.
Owning a private island is overrated and it's actually a lot of work — or so we've heard from our many island-owning friends. You have to deal with the astronomical taxes, the development, the upkeep — it's a full-time job (that island owners simply pay other people to do, of course).
But visiting a private island? It's as great as everyone says — and we know from experience. We've stayed on some gorgeous private islands in our travels, in equally gorgeous hotels and resorts. Here are six of our favorites.
The details: The D.R.'s only luxury resort set on its own island, the Gran Bahia Cayo Levantado offers a relaxing atmosphere for couples and families. There are scenic beaches and beautiful pools, and we love the details in the rooms: Four-poster beds, private Jacuzzi tubs, and island-inspired artwork give them a romantic vibe.
How to get there: From the Samana airport, it's a 45-minute cab ride to the Bahia ferry station. From there, it's a 10- to 15-minute ferry ride to Cayo Levantado. In lieu of the ferry, you can also hire a private panga boat to take you from Samana. We never said getting to a private island is easy, but it's certainly worth the flight (…and drive and boat ride)!
The details: This 462-room property near Sea World has sprawling grounds, activities - such as tennis, a putting green, water sports, and basketball — galore, five pools, a spa, and bonfire pits for roasting s'mores after dark. But perhaps the highlight of Paradise Point Resort and Spa is that it sits on a tranquil, mile-long beach.
How to get there: In Mission Bay, Paradise Point is connected to the mainland by Ingraham Street so reaching the resort is easy enough, and takes just about a 15-minute car ride from downtown San Diego.
The details: Crowded beaches are unheard of at this resort where a maximum of 28 guests at a time have free range of 50 acres and three beaches. Personal boats for daily excursions, on-call service, spacious villas with fully stocked kitchens and wet bars, and a host of all-inclusive activities make Fowl Cay Resort a standout gem in the Exumas.
How to get there: The Exumas Islands (where the resort is located) are accessible by small charter plane via Fort Lauderdale or Nassau. Boat transfers to and from the airstrip are included in resort rates and take less than 10 minutes.
The details: Off the coast of funky Coconut Grove, The Grove Isle Hotel & Spa offers big, beautiful rooms (each with a balcony and a stunning view), a spa, 12 tennis courts, a superb fitness center, and a marina. Along with beautiful views, the on-site, open-air restaurant serves up a popular buffet brunch, complete with an omelet station, a sushi station, and bottomless champagne and mimosas.
How to get there: The island is just a 15-minute drive from the Miami International Airport, but some guests choose to arrive by boat and dock at the marina.
The details: This 1,000-acre all-inclusive resort is the definition of tranquility. With an incredible infinity-edge pool, the world-renowned COMO Shambhala Spa, waterfront Balinese-style villas, doting service, and more than three miles of pristine beaches, it's easily one of the most luxurious and romantic options in the Caribbean.
How to get there: A 30-minute boat ride northeast of Providenciales is all it takes to find the utter isolation of Parrot Cay and COMO Shambhala Retreat. Most guests fly into the Providenciales International Airport and take a 20-minute cab ride to meet the boat.
The details: Who says a private island retreat has to be pricey? The mid-range, 13-room Conch Keys Cottages is located on a tiny private island and offers a laid-back, relaxing vacation at an affordable price. Standard rooms are smallish, but villas and cottages are worth the upgrade, with full kitchens as well as sitting and dining areas.
How to get there: Conch Key Cottages is located on Walker's Island, a private island along the Overseas Highway. The Marathon Airport and Islamorada are both just about a 20-minute drive away, but you will have to drive over an hour if you're coming from Key West.


text: With breathtaking scenery, this small town has earned the right to boast of majestic views. A meeting point for three rivers, The Talkeetna, The Chulitna, and The Susitna, The River of Plenty provides rafting adventures, abundant fishing, and flightseeing experiences rivaled by no other. Being the base of Mt McKinley, novice and experienced mountaineers alike flock to brave this peak. World famous for summer festival, Moose on Parade, other social events don't fall far behind. Bluegrass Festival, Talkeetna Bachelor Society Auction and the Wilderness Woman Contest bring a multitude of visitors from all over the world to this village of less than 600 people.

subset: commoncrawl


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Nestlé UK and Ireland
A food allergy is when the body's immune system reacts abnormally to specific types of foods, which are normally not harmful to the majority of people. The reaction occurs within minutes or up to two hours following ingestion of the food and symptoms vary from abdominal cramps, hives, vomiting, swelling of tongue and throat and difficulty breathing however, it can sometimes be extremely serious and potentially fatal (anaphylaxis). Total avoidance of the food that causes the allergy should be advised to prevent these symptoms. Therefore all allergens must be labelled on foods even if present in small quantities or if the manufacturer cannot guarantee the products does not contain small amounts of the foods.
The 14 foods which must now be named as ingredients if they are present in pre-packed foods are:
For more information on food allergies and anaphylaxis look at the: Allergy UK and Anaphylaxis Campaignwebsites.
Food intolerance is where the body shows an adverse reaction to a particular food and is the response from the digestive system rather than the immune system. The symptoms are normally delayed and usually occur several hours after consuming the food. Some people can tolerate a reasonable amount of the food before the body has adverse reactions and the symptoms are generally varied and can include fatigue, joint pains, night sweats, gastrointestinal symptoms, skin rashes, eczema and other chronic conditions.
One of the causes of food intolerance can be due to insufficient amounts of the enzymes that breakdown the food, for example lactose intolerance is when the body lacks the enzyme lactase that breaks down lactose (milk sugar). Lactose is then indigestible as it is too big to be absorbed across the gut wall, causing gut spasm, pain, bloating and diarrhoea. Other possible causes are from naturally occurring chemicals and additives.
Coeliac disease is not classified as either a food allergy or intolerance but as an autoimmune disease of the small intestine, whereby the body's immune system attacks its own tissues. In coeliac disease, eating gluten causes the lining of the small intestine to become damaged. The only treatment for coeliac disease is strict adherence to a lifelong gluten-free diet.
Gluten is a protein found in the cereals wheat, rye and barley therefore you must exclude these cereals in a gluten free diet to help control symptoms and prevent long term health consequences. A diet should instead consists of naturally gluten-free foods such as meat, fruit, vegetables, most dairy products, potatoes, rice and lentils, processed foods which contain no gluten like ready meals and soups and gluten free substitute foods that are specially made for people with coeliac disease for example gluten free bread, flour pasta and biscuits.
The link below shows all products at Nestlé suitable for a gluten-free diet:
For more information visit: Coeliac UK website.
We publish a range of ALLERGEN lists which show our products that are suitable for inclusion in diets that may be restricted for medical or other reasons.
These can be downloaded from this website or can be obtained in print from the consumer services team on Tel 0800 000 030 (UK) or 00800 6378 5385 (ROI). Our lines are open Monday to Friday from 9am - 5pm. Even though we are sure that it is safe to download files from our site, we always recommend that you have a virus checker on your computer.
The lists are correct at the date shown and will be updated regularly. However, our policy of continuous product improvement may result in a change so we recommend that you always check the label.
The following lists are available:


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You can send me questions about the blog, requests to be featured in an upcoming Prosecard from Cubs Nation, freelance writing opportunities you'd like to hire me for and press inquiries by email to: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Other ways to reach me include:
send me an @ reply on Twitter! ID: @proseandivy
Skype with me. ID: proseandivy
I look forward to hearing from you! Go Cubs Go!


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 10. 2013
Michigan Municipal League Honors Northville City Manager
LANSING, Michigan – The Michigan Municipal League honored Northville City Manager Pat Sullivan during the League's annual Capital Conference held April 9-10 in Lansing.
Sullivan received the League's Outstanding Service Award on Wednesday. The honor is given to recognize those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in supporting the League's legislative efforts in Lansing on behalf of Michigan communities.
In his role as Northville City Manager, Pat Sullivan has been instrumental in working on legislation to give communities additional pension flexibility. In the last session, Sullivan worked with the League on a package of legislation designed to maximize resources and allow communities to make more cost-effective pension decisions. Last fall the governor signed a bill that allows communities with an AA bond rating to bond for the cost of switching from defined benefit to defined contribution plans. The League continues to work on legislation allowing communities to switch from DB to DC more easily, as well as remove barriers to more cost-effective pensions. Sullivan has come to Lansing to testify on multiple occasions as well as worked regularly with the League reviewing legislative language and talking to legislators. Sullivan has been instrumental in working on this legislation, and the League is grateful for his invaluable counsel.
MML Home :: League Services :: Advocacy :: Training/Events :: Resources :: Insurance :: Legal :: Classifieds :: Links :: About MML :: Privacy :: Webmaster


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Guest List Planner is perfect for couples planning their weddings, parents planning kids birthday and graduation parties, and sons and daughters planning retirement parties for their parents.
Import your pre-existing contacts easily from Mac Address Book, Gmail Contacts, or even your Facebook friends. It is as easy as dragging their name from one table to another.
Categorize and sort effortlessly by splitting your guests into
What's New in Guest List Planner
- Bug Fixes


text: henrikz wrote: >> arne anka wrote: >> does it happen with the charger only or everytime you connect usb? >> > It happens both with the AC charger and the usb-cable. > > Intrestingly it doesn't freeze the keyboard when using i.e. the terminal, > however it messes up the key-bindings e.g.: > > With usb plugged in: > the minus key "-" outputs a backslash "\" > the "}" outputs a "∼" > > with usb unplugged the signs are output correctly! > > seems that the usb port/drivers are interfering with the matchbox-keyboard > :) I experienced the - outputting \ a few days ago and didn't realize it was related to the cable being connected, but I'm sure I had the cable connected at the time. Nice find. Brian


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DETROIT -- Building on the success of its Virtual Technician product, Daimler Trucks North America is going full-bore ahead with telematics. It unveiled the Detroit Connect On-Board Tablet, which not only integrates with Virtual Technician and the Visibility fleet back-office software, but also offers hours of service, pre-and post-trip inspections, two-way messaging and navigation.
Developed in collaboration with Zonar, the tablet is designed for Freightliner and Western Star truck models, and can be easily mounted inside the cab. When docked, voice navigation and text-to-voice messages play through the truck's sound system.
Based on the Android platform, the tablet features an integrated camera and video recording capability, Bluetooth technology, a USB port, a built-in flashlight, and a 7-inch touch-screen display with an hours-of-service clock. The touch screen is a resistive type that will work when a driver is wearing gloves.
The Detroit Connect On-Board Tablet launches with four apps: Hours of Service, Two-Way Messaging, Advanced Navigation and Pre- and Post-Trip Inspection. In the future there will be additional apps available both from Daimler Trucks North America and from third-party developers.
In many ways this will compete with mobile communications and telematics providers such as Omnitracs and PeopleNet. But David Hames, DTNA general manager marketing and strategy, says Detroit Diesel has a couple of things that will set this solution apart:
"Our key approach is, how do we leverage proprietary data to improve the customer's bottom line," Hames told reporters during a briefing at the Detroit Diesel plant outside of Detroit, Mich. "There are all kinds of things we could do in telematics, but we would be an also ran. Where are there opportunities to leverage the data that we have access to, that only we can interpret and understand?"
Brad Williamson, marketing communications manager at Detroit Diesel, elaborated on two such areas, which he calls the company's "secret sauce:"
1. The customer service center, which all Virtual Technician issues are routed through. "We have engineers, manufacturing, everyone here, so if there's a problem that comes up, we can flag those and the folks out there can deal with it on a real-time basis. That's the flagship of the Detroit Connect telematics suite."
2. The log file, which allows the customer center to see not just what's happening at that event, but also what's been happening 60 seconds before and 15 seconds after it throws the code.
Specific features found on the On-Board Tablet include:
• Paperless Hours of Service Tracking, which notifies drivers at risk or in violation of FMCSA regulations.
• Two-Way Messaging allows for instant driver and fleet manager communication via free-form or pre-written messages and text-to-voice functionality.
• Advanced Navigation, which generates step-by-step directions, asset-specific routing, map-loading assignments and real-time traffic information.
• Pre- and Post-Trip Inspections, streamlining the vehicle inspection process with quick scanning technology, resulting in faster and more accurate inspections.
The Detroit Connect On-Board Tablet will be available for Freightliner trucks as a factory-installed option beginning January 2014 on new truck orders. Retrofit kits will also be available, not only for DTNA trucks but also for other makes. Availability in Western Star trucks will be announced at a later date.
For more information, go to www.DemandDetroit.com/connect.
Related Stories:
Zonar Tablet Checks Vehicle Inspections to Ensure Compliance


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Cancer Free if PSA is 0?
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts,"
I had a radical prostatectomy approximately 12 years ago. My PSA level increased from 5.5 to 7.5 ng/mL over 3 months. My doctor stated that this means that I have metastatic cancer and he started hormone therapy with Lupron. It has been 3 mo. since I had the shot and a repeat PSA test was undetectable. Does this mean that I no longer have cancer?
Richard Whittington, MD, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, responds:
I would make a distinction that his physician may disagree with, but I think is important. The PSA does not indicate metastatic prostate cancer, but rather recurrent prostate cancer. None of this information tells us where the tumor is at this time. The most likely area is in the pelvic region where the prostate was located, and this is not metastatic cancer, but a local recurrence. The main metastatic area is in a bone. A CT scan of the abdomen and the pelvis would look for any local recurrence, and a bone scan and probably a chest X-ray would look for metastatic disease.
The fact that the PSA is now 0 means that they are unable to detect any cancer cells. This is a very good sign, but it does not mean that he is cured. We know that most men treated with leuprolide will eventually have the tumor start to grow again. The fact is though that the lower the PSA goes, and the faster it gets there, the longer it is likely to take for the tumor to regrow. So this patient may never hear from the tumor again, which is the same as cure. If it does regrow, it may not do so for 5 or 10 years.
How long to stay on the hormone therapy, now that the disease is undetectable, is controversial. There are two schools of thought. One group says that you start the hormones and continue them forever, while the other says you can play oncologic Whack-a-mole. (People extrapolate theories from data on antibiotic resistance in bacteria. The two ways you make bacteria resistant to an antibiotic is to expose it for a long time to the antibiotic, or to give too short a course of antibiotics and then later repeat it). Nobody knows which approach is best when it comes to hormone therapy. There is an international randomized trial right now studying this very question. One group of patients gets leurprolide for a year, stops it, and then restarts when the PSA rises to 5.0. The other group gets it continuously. If there is a difference, it is likely small. One big downside to continuous hormonal treatment is that it is associated with osteoporosis and an increased risk of hip fracture, as well as a very small increase in the risk of heart attack.


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While a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision appears to make the new districts drawn by Craven County Board of Commissioners official without Justice Department preclearance, commissioners will let county residents speak again before final passage.
While a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision appears to make the new districts drawn by Craven County Board of Commissioners official without Justice Department preclearance, commissioners will let county residents speak again before final passage.
Following a request by Commission Chairman Scott Dacey, the board voted unanimously Monday to let the public review and comment on the maps again Sept. 16 and have the board take another vote on new district maps. They are still posted on Craven County Administration Building halls and on the county website.
Dacey read from a letter from Greensboro elections expert attorney Marshall Hurley that advised that since Section 4B of the 1965 Voting Rights Act was struck down, �the statute requiring submission has been declared unconstitutional.�
It is Hurley�s opinion �that the redistricting resolution is presently effective as law and may be implemented.�
He said the Supreme Court decision �did not alter section 2 of the Act, which is the law with respect to the permanent nationwide ban on racial discrimination in voting.�
In making his request, Dacey said, �In my heart of hearts I believe that these maps would stand up to any muster but acting with an abundance of caution, it would be my judgment that we schedule another public hearing and vote.�
Hurley�s letter advised that the Craven County redistricting resolution was passed prior to the decision, �so there is no precedent for determining the status of unprecleared legislative actions.�
�It is clear that there is no longer an enforceable mechanism requiring preclearance submissions by previously covered jurisdictions,� but the timing of the county�s action could subject it to be called into question.
Potentially the first new county commission district maps for Craven County�s seven districts in 20 years were presented at a March public hearing with the goal of final passage and Justice Department approval by Sept. 30, in time to be used in the 2014 elections.
The maps were prepared over a period of nine months with the help of an Arlington, Va., consulting firm using computer software that factored in demographics including race to make sure at least two districts could be won by African American candidates.
Hurley had advised that the goal of increased scrutiny for Craven County under the Voting Rights Act was �to create two minority districts� and going forward, �the goal is not to regress.�
The process included six versions of the maps to address several districts that were significantly out of population balance and do not enforce the principle of one-man, one-vote.
Some speaking at the last public hearing said they believed there was �too much politics� in the last set of maps and the Board of Commissioners vote was split down party lines, five Republican, two Democratic votes.
The public hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 16, in the upstairs commissioner�s room of Craven County Administration Building at the corner of Broad and Craven streets in New Bern.
Sue Book can be reached 252-635-5665 or email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter@SueJBook.


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The number of vacant head coaching jobs around the league is dropping fast and one of the new hires will be our guest on Wednesday's Pro Football Talk on NBC Sports Network.
Mike McCoy is jumping from the Broncos to the Chargers, a move that's left his new quarterback Philip Rivers feeling good about where the team is headed. Erik Kuselias will ask McCoy his thoughts about Rivers and the rest of the San Diego offense during their chat while also trying to get a sense of what McCoy plans to do on the defensive side of the ball.
Tom Curran of CSN New England will also be on hand to help us sift through some of the storylines for Sunday's AFC Championship Game between the Patriots and Ravens while Mike Florio and Pete Najarian will handle the NFC side of things. They'll also bring all the latest news from around the league, including the Eagles' decision to hire former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly after it seemed Kelly had opted for a return to collegiate life.
It all gets started at 5 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.


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Twitter is going public. We know that because of a tweet.
About an hour after the closing bell on Wall Street, Twitter tweeted that it has filed confidential documents for an initial public offering of stock.
Twitter did not reveal any additional details, including any information on timing or proposed ticker symbol, other than to confirm the tweet is authentic.
The confidential filing was made under the JOBS act, which allows companies with less than $1 billion in revenue to privately work with regulators before making them public.
The confidentiality will likely help Twitter avoid the public hoopla that surrounded the initial public offerings of other high-profile social networking companies, including Facebook Inc., which went public in May 2012.
Twitter has been valued at around $10 billion.
San Francisco-based Twitter Inc. has been expected to file for months, so the news is not a surprise.
The company has been ramping up its advertising products and working to boost ad revenue in preparation for an IPO.
Goldman Sachs is the lead underwriter for the offering, according to CNBC.
We've confidentially submitted an S-1 to the SEC for a planned IPO. This Tweet does not constitute an offer of any securities for sale.
— Twitter (@twitter) September 12, 2013
One minute later. They Tweeted a photo of people sitting around a conference table with the tweet, "Now back to work."
Now, back to work. pic.twitter.com/e4lK8e7pY9
— Twitter (@twitter) September 12, 2013
Shares of Facebook and LinkedIn ticked slightly higher in after-hours trading after Twitter disclosed it had filed.
Most of Twitter's revenue comes from advertising.
Research firm eMarketer estimates that Twitter will make $582.8 million in worldwide ad revenue this year, up from $288.3 million in 2012.
By comparison, Facebook had ad revenue of $1.6 billion in the April-June quarter of this year.
By 2015, Twitter's annual ad revenue is expected to hit $1.33 billion.


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A suspected serial killer who may be New York's infamous "Double Initial" murderer kept a gruesome rape diary and posed photos of dead prostitutes, California authorities said Wednesday. A lead investigator revealed the damaging diary during a preliminary hearing for 78-year-old Joseph Naso — the Reno, Nevada, man charged with killing four northern California prostitutes with matching first and last initials in the 1970s and 1990s. "Girl in north Buffalo woods. She was real pretty. Had to knock her out first," read one alleged entry in Naso's journal. The diary — found in his house during a probation search tied to a larceny conviction — is filled with similar twisted entries and references to rape, Nevada Department of Public Safety Det. Richard Brown said. Read More: Daily News
Tea Party big Mark Meckler pleads guilty, gets fined $250 in gun at LaGuardia case
A Tea Party hotshot copped a plea Thursday to accusations he tried to carry a pistol and ammunition onto a flight at LaGuardia Airport last month. In an agreement with prosecutors, Mark Meckler, 49, was fined $250 after pleading guilty to disorderly conduct. His Glock 27 handgun will be destroyed. Meckler, the high-profile founder of the Tea Party Patriots, declined to comment after a brief appearance in Queens Supreme Court. He smiled before he and his lawyer jumped into a waiting car. Read More: Daily News
Parks Department worker busted for hanging doll from noose at agency's Bronx office
A Parks Department worker has been busted for hanging a baby doll from a noose at the agency's Bronx headquarters, police said Thursday. Fariz Ahmemulic, 28, was charged with aggravated harassment as a hate crime. The suspect asked for a lawyer and did not say anything else to detectives. The Daily News reported last week that the city worker who found the noose claimed supervisors tried to cover up the Dec. 20 hate crime before police got involved. Read More: Daily News
Bloomberg vows to nix under-performing teachers in bombshell state of city speech
Mayor Bloomberg is laying down the gauntlet on the city's under-performing teachers – promising to get rid of many of them in a bombshell announcement sure to cause a stir with their union. In his 11th annual State of the City Speech in the Bronx today, hizzoner is announcing that he could boot up to half the teachers in dozens of struggling schools whose federal grant funding was pulled earlier this month because of a fight with the United Federation of Teachers over evaluations. Bloomberg said he is going to circumvent the UFT and reapply for the $58 million in lost federal funds for these schools. Read More: New York Post
Week off may be curse for Packers, not blessing
Even the Packers admit Dunta Robinson had a point last Sunday. Robinson, the Falcons veteran cornerback, stood in the Atlanta locker room after a 24-2 NFC Wild Card loss to the Giants and predicted the Giants would have a decided edge against rested Green Bay this weekend because of one word: momentum. The Packers did not dispute that yesterday, mainly because they rode a similar wave of energy all the way to a victory in the Super Bowl last season. Read More: New York Post
Seven arrested in NY for $1M ID theft ring
A sophisticated ring of fraudsters rang up more than $1 million in crooked charges at major retailers including Home Depot, Sears and Kmart, authorities charged today. The long-running scam allegedly involved using the stolen identities of more than 180 New Yorkers with charge accounts at the stores to purchase pricey goods and gift cards. The merchandise was then returned for store credit, some of which was sold — along with the gift cards — for about 60 percent of face value. A complaint filed in Manhattan federal court identifies Phillip Smith, 54, of The Bronx, as the ringleader and mastermind of the scheme. Read More: New York Post
Kin lambastes evil killer of 4
Justice was delayed briefly for a Brooklyn man who killed four people in a drug-fueled rampage, but he still got an earful from the brother of one of his victims yesterday. Maksim Gelman had already killed three people when he mowed down Steve Tannenbaum, 60, in a stolen car last February. Gelman pleaded guilty to four counts of murder and a host of other charges, but his sentencing was delayed for a week after his lawyer sought to have him examined by a neuro-psychologist. But Tannenbaum's brother Mitch, who traveled from out of state, was allowed by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Vincent DelGiudice to make his victim-impact statement so he would not have to return for the rescheduled Jan. 18 sentencing. Read More: New York Post
Velvet Underground sues Warhol Foundation in fight over who has rights to artist's iconic banana design
The legendary Velvet Underground, in a complaint filed by founders Lou Reed and John Cale, sued the Andy Warhol Foundation for illegally licensing the iconic banana cover from their 1967 debut album. The influential New York rockers, in taking a walk on the legal wild side, claimed the Foundation was wrongly peddling the banana image for use with Apple's iPhone and iPad. "The banana design became a symbol, truly an icon, of the Velvet Underground," charged the suit filed Wednesday in Manhattan Federal Court. Read More: Daily News


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Last Friday night, after two years of really hard work on SETT, we sent invite codes out to the four hundred people on the SETT waiting list, offering fifty spots. Whoever managed to snag a spot could either take a free basic account or buy a premium account and get 50% off for life.
The main point of releasing these spots is to start testing SETT on a wider scale, to get more feedback, and to begin work on some really cool blog to blog features. So if no one actually paid for an account, and everyone just took free ones to mess around with, I would have been satisfied. I figured maybe one or two people might pay, and maybe things would go really well and five people would pay.
As it turns out, thirteen people bought accounts, covering all three price points that we set. More than the actual money, which I've already used to upgrade the servers, I'm personally touched that people are excited enough about SETT to pay for it. I've worked so hard on this and continue to narrowly focus on making it the best blogging platform, that it's moving to have people who share the vision.
I'm also grateful for the people who set up free accounts and have already started using them. Many of the paid and unpaid SETT customers are members of this site who are active in the community section and comments, so I have high expectations for all of their blogs. As they get settled in, import their old blogs, and write new posts, I'll be linking to some of them here. Next Monday I will link to every new SETT blog that has at least one post on it.
The most consistent thing I have scheduled in my life are my biannual visits to Boston to visit my family. In my memory, probably because I try to balance spending time with my family and working, they serve as milestones in SETT's progress. Two years ago for Christmas of 2010, I started explaining to my family what I was going to be working on. I didn't fully understand what we'd be building, so it was hard for me to really convey it. Here's a timeline of where we were at according to those visits:
Christmas 2010 - Idea is brewing
Summer 2011 - Very basic buggy version running on my computer
Christmas 2011 - Almost ready to break the secret of what I've been working on and switch my blog to SETT
Summer 2012 - DROdio had just switched to SETT and I got in contact with Sebastian Marshall about switching.
Christmas 2012 - Ready to launch and invite people in waves.
At times it seems like things move slowly, but when I look at it in the context of those family visits, which never feel that far apart, I can see that we've been moving at a fair pace. When I think about that next visit this Summer, I realize that things are going to be radically different than they are now. We will have really put ourselves out there and seen whether we can sink or swim. We've put in a lot of work already, but these next six months will be a critical test for us.
I have an unerring faith that we will succeed because I believe in what we're building, and because I know that we can't succeed unless I have that faith. Every day, even when I'm tired or unmotivated, I operate under the assumption that SETT will become a great thing and that it will only get there if I put in my time.
When I launched SETT on my blog and you readers responded so positively and made use of the stuff that we had built, that bolstered my faith. When DROdio and Sebastian switched, that cemented my faith as well. The support of the fifty people who joined SETT this weekend was another huge boost to my faith. I'm having to base it less and less on blind belief and more and more on actual evidence. I'm very grateful for that.
So that's where we're at. Onboarding those fifty people definitely had some issues, since a lot of the processes they went through were relatively untested, but overall it went well.
The biggest issue was three different people each encountering a strange bug which resulted in them getting 500+ emails from SETT. Each person took it so in stride that I'm still sort of awestruck. One new customer had to email back and forth with me for four hours before I finally connected remotely to his computer and investigated the bug through his own browser. I was again impressed by how cool he was about it.
It feels great to be making good software, but it feels even better making software for good people. Once again, thank you for being a reader and putting up with the (ever decreasing) bugs on my own site, and a special thanks to everyone who started a SETT blog on Friday and to those who tried but got on too late.
If you'd like to get on the waiting list, sign up at the bottom of SETT.com. I'm going to be giving a few invites to DROdio to give away on his blog, too, so be watching for those!
Photo is the Terra Cotta warriors from Xi'an. Or you can imagine them as the likenesses of the first fifty SETT bloggers, immortalized for all time in terra cotta in a small plot of land in central China which I bought specifically for this purpose.
WOOT! Tynan, you & the SETT team have been working tirelessly for the past two years to get to this day. ( I know because I've been watching it all happen!).
I remember when we were walking in Muir woods and you told me about this vision you had. A vision for a blogging platform that would allow communities to participate in the conversation. A vision for a new type of interaction among those who were passionate about the subject matter. At first I thought you were crazy for trying to unseat the big blogging platforms out there. Then I got really excited as you described it in more detail, and I somehow talked you into letting me give it a try for my blog. And I'm so happy I made the switch. The SETT experience is leaps and bounds better than anything else that's out there. And I know this is just the beginning. I am SO excited to have other bloggers joining SETT.
Congratulations on your beta launch and the passion of the SETT community. Everyone who switches to SETT will look back on this day as the start of something magnificent and be proud to have been involved.
Tynan, you have my utmost respect for your dedication and your hard work. However, ultimately, the only metric for your success won't be your faith, but how many people will give you actual money for the product.
You've got your first dozen paying customers and some people would say that this is enough as a business/market evaluation. Congrats for that achievement!
Investing two years in a product without having a single paying customer has quite some risk and cost attached to it. I'm not sure if I'd do it. Not only is there the cost of "missed opportunity to make cash otherwise" but also the possibility that not enough people will buy, which might be the worst case. Some people are paying, but not enough to be sustainable. This would be different if you invested only a couple hundred hours and see if you can make a few bucks of it. But a couple thousand hours?
With that investment comes also a huge emotional investment. You made sacrifices throughout the two years and with that there's an increase of the feeling that "It HAS to work - otherwise, I'm crushed deeply". But I guess from what I've learned about you from your blog post, this is exactly the way you wanted it. High risk, hopefully high reward. Sort of extreme.
Anyways, I wish you all the best with SETT!
You're not the first to bring up the idea of testing early. I've read books about it, too, and am familiar with the idea. Although I think it's a good idea in general, I wasn't interested in doing it this time.
The main reason for this is that SETT is something I believe in. It has the potential to make life a little bit better for a lot of people, and I want it as a blogger. I also know that deciding on a blogging platform is a big deal, and because of that I wouldn't have trusted earlier tests. We don't have the luxury of doing just one thing right-- we have to do hundreds of things right and dozens of things much better. This is about the earliest that we could have something that I think is compelling enough for people to pay for.
We tested somewhat by releasing on my blog, to see if it actually worked as we hoped and whether or not we'd get the results we expected. Early on in the process of building SETT, I decided that we had to actually help people get more subscribers and more comments. If we could prove that we could do that, I figured we'd be successful. If not, we had a lot more work to do.
So I agree that getting people to pay is the most important test, but I wanted to make sure they were paying for something that represented what I was hoping to build.
I also don't mind forgoing opportunities to make money or not making much money for two years. I'd actually prefer to make very little than make a medium amount, because it keeps my drive high.
Thanks for the comment and the well wishes-- I appreciate it.
SETT looks promising.
However, I was wondering, how are you planning to compete with WordPress?
WordPress is the leading blogging platform right now, and one of the reasons that it might be hard to get a new blogging platform off the ground is that WordPress is convenient not only in terms of product itself, but also in terms of infrastructure around it, all the free themes, plug-ins, tutorials, one-click installs on hosting servers, etc. I'm curious about how you are going to convince people that they should use SETT instead of WordPress. I've seen few different blogging platforms and this issue of competing against WordPress always seems to be one of the key factors why they don't become popular. I'd love to see SETT taking off, though.. :)
> Early on in the process of building SETT, I decided that we had to actually help people get more subscribers and more comments. If we could prove that we could do that, I figured we'd be successful. If not, we had a lot more work to do.
This would make an interesting case study. How did community engagement improve? What were the most important factors? Could this also happened due to other events etc.? If you can clearly trace it back to the introduction and benefits of SETT, that's a perfect marketing instrument.
> but I wanted to make sure they were paying for something that represented what I was hoping to build.
I started my business "by accident". I ran it as a side project for years while I was studying. It was always far from the vision of the perfect product that I had in my head. Then, graduation day came closer, I was making maybe 400€ a month off ads and was thinking:"How can I ever get to the vision I have in my head without making any real money off this website, if I'm going to have a regular 43-hour-week job in a few months? Impossible."
I had already a lot of users and a friend of mine said:"Look, you've got a product, you've got users. They use your website every day. Forget the vision in your head for now and start to charge some money. It's the only option available to you. Start charging 1€ a month. That's a no-brainer for the people. They'll stick."
So I programmed the whole payment and account expiration logic, wrote an email-draft for the thousands of users telling them that their account is going to expire in 30 days. and that it'd be 1€ per month after that. If they wanted, they could for sure download all their data. Then I thought:"This is it. I either screw this whole thing up, lose 'my baby' in that I invested years of work and emotion, because it is far from the perfect vision in my head - or people gonna stick and it might make me incredibly independent one day." I hit 'Send' and waited.
30 days later, all accounts expired, some people complained, 70-80% people didn't care and stayed as customers and I made 20k€ in two weeks.
The lesson I learned from that is that there's a difference between the perceived value that your users have and the vision you have for your 'baby':
The vision in your head is the driving factor for your business. It's the masterplan for the coming years and the motivation to make it the best product ever by having this feeling 'it's still not good enough'.
The perceived value of the product in its current state is the aspect that makes you money. People don't pay for visions (that'd be called investments). They pay for products that provide more value that the money than they spend on it.
Anyways, you're here now, you released this baby to the public. I'm excited what's gonna happen with your business :)
Hi everyone, I've got 10 invite codes for SETT, for those of you that want one. Here's how to get it.
Tynan, yesterday I reread some of your old posts about polyphasic sleeping, especially stuff like the "polyphasic vs. monophasic deathmatch" and why you stopped. You said things like that you didn't know what to do with all the additional time and that it limited the social things you could do. When you describe your daily routine these days, it seemed that neither would be much of an issue. That's why I ask:
Have you ever thought about going back on some sort of polyphasic sleep schedule? It seems it would work pretty well with your current life situation. But since I think it unlikely that you have not considered it, you being you and all, why have you decided against it?
This really interests me.
On topic: Cool that SETT's finally being adopted by more people. I'm looking forward to said blog to blog features, sounds interesting.
Nice work Tynan. Good to see SETT finally being released to a larger audience. Growth will be easier (or at least less of a guess) now that you'll be getting real-world feedback.
For some reason I thought this was a solo project. You have a team ("we") working on this?
Tynan! Congrats! I been a reader for three years and your hard work habits (a lot of your recommended reading too) have rubbed off on me. I took up exercising six days a week, started meditating almost daily, getting back into violin after a 7 year hiatus, started learning Ruby on Rails, and developed a travel bug. When you first moved your blog to SETT, I didn't see what the big deal was, but after I read through the community page of your blog, I realize no other blogging platform out there has channeled something so fundamental to the blogging experience. That is, encouraging readers with real estate to micro-blog about the blog's theme. Sure, one person can be a famous blogger, but through reading blogs, I found that I actually got more out of user comments than the actual blog itself. One person surely can't think of everything. :)
I would love to have an invite. I been brainstorming about a foodie/restauranteering/coding/habits blog myself. Good luck with your blog, I would be happy to use and support your platform for years to come!
I can't tell you how excited I am to share this news. As some of you may have already noticed, there are two more blogs on SETT, bringing the count to four.
As I've mentioned before, I only read about four blogs regularly. One of those is Sebastian Marshall, which is why I'm especially proud to have him switched over to SETT. After myself and DROdio, he's the third blogger to move to the platform. If you like my stuff, you'll almost certainly love his stuff, too. My very favorite article of his is this one.
Number four is my good friend, Brian Sharp with Made of Metaphors. You might recognize him from his consistently awesome community contributions and comments here. A bit of trivia-- Brian is actually the first friend I ever made. We used to both live in Massachusetts, and we became friends in preschool.
By the way, DROdio (SETT blogger #2) posted an excellent post on Sebastian's blog, and Sebastian posted an excellent post on his blog, so check those two out.
Over on my entrepreneur + tech blog, I post about an area I'm very familiar with: Technology & startups.
Now, I'm embarking on a much bigger challenge: Fatherhood.
Yep, I'm going to be a dad. Here's a picture of our daughter, who will be joining us sometime in late October 2013:
For now, we're calling her "Baby DROdio."


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Home >> Course Descriptions >> College of Education
Integrating Technology into the Curriculum
Three semester credit hours.
Practical integration of technology into the curriculum, with emphasis on the theoretical, experiential, and critical components of design. The course will develop a rubric for content-appropriate planning, teaching, assessment, and management strategies. Also included are the evaluation of educational technology tools and the design of technology-enhanced environments for new teaching and learning roles. This course also includes theories of adult learning and mentoring and their application in field-based settings.
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This course is concerned with strategic approaches to managing advertising and sales promotion programs. Topics include selecting target audiences; setting program objectives; developing and implementing creative strategies, and judging creative media; use of sales promotion tools; testing, evaluating, and revising advertising and promotion programs.
- The regulatory and social environment: governmental and industry regulation
- The marketing management context of advertising and sales promotion: roles and objectives of promotion programs; agency/client relationships; the strategic focus of promotion programs; appropriating, budgeting, and allocating resources; the advertising/sales promotion planning process
- Analyzing target audiences and setting communication and action objectives
- Developing creative strategies: strategic considerations in creative development; strategy research for assessing efficiency
- Media strategy, scheduling, and vehicle selection: reach & frequency relationships; selection of primary and secondary media; the concept of minimum effective frequency; evaluating media vehicles; scheduling media; adapting media plans to specific geographic settings
- The strategic use of sales promotion: setting action and communication goals; the interaction of sales promotion with advertising, distribution, and price; target audiences and objectives for sales promotion; interactions among trade, retail, and consumer sales promotion; techniques and tools of trial and loyalty in consumer sales promotion
- Research and testing advertising and sales promotion programs: testing communication effects; settings for pre testing; management judgment methods; media and vehicle research
- Adopting an integrated marketing communications orientation; organizational, planning, and execution implications


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The un-Hillary
John Kerry is no Hillary Clinton — and he's OK with that.
In the three weeks since Kerry succeeded Clinton as secretary of state, he's already sent unmistakable signals of his independence with a more assertive, proactive and risk-taking stewardship of America's foreign policy — with a more sustained focus on the Middle East and Europe than his predecessor, according to current and former administration officials.
Story Continued Below
( Also on POLITICO: John Kerry's first speech: Spare State the budget ax)
Kerry, officials say, views the job as the apex of his up-and-down 40-year political career and aspires to a more central policymaking role in the Obama administration than Clinton, who practiced what one official called "odometer diplomacy" — a focus on globetrotting to bolster America's relationships abroad coupled with attempts to cope with an array of pop-up crises.
As head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kerry was a staunch supporter of Clinton's, fiercely defending her in the wake of the Benghazi attack. But she's not necessarily his model for how to do the job. He's more drawn to power players of recent history — George Shultz, James Baker, Henry Kissinger and George Marshall — secretaries who have wielded considerably more influence inside the White House than Clinton.
"He's going to be more willing than Hillary was to tackle the big things… If he were able to help broker an exit for [Syrian President Bashar] Assad, for instance, that would be huge for him," says a veteran senior diplomat who knows Kerry and has served as an adviser to officials in both parties.
( PHOTOS: John Kerry's career)
It's not that Clinton didn't try to do big things, State Department watchers say. But Obama's determination to avoid new foreign entanglements — and his insistence on tight control over diplomacy — dictated a narrower approach, focusing on women's rights and smaller international initiatives, like re-establishing relations with Myanmar.
Former State Department official Aaron David Miller says Kerry can afford to be "more ambitious" because he poses less of a threat to Obama's team — and he predicts Kerry will seek to carve out a Mr. Fix-It role on foreign policy similar to what Vice President Joe Biden has managed to annex on domestic policy.
( Also on POLITICO: John Kerry to take first trip to Europe, Mideast as secretary)
"Kerry is not Hillary, and this is a second term. Kerry will have a lot more discretion — assuming he doesn't screw up," says Miller, a Middle East scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington.
"Hillary had to travel, she made a virtue out of necessity. The president was not going to let her dominate on foreign policy… he's the most domineering president on foreign policy we've had since Nixon," he added. "In a way history is going to be crueler to Kerry, if he can't figure out a way to be a more conventional secretary of state. He doesn't have Clinton's ascendant arc. The bar for Kerry in the job is much higher because this is his last act, and he knows it. He's going to want to have a more meaningful role."


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What is Waldorf?
Waldorf is an educational philosophy based on the theories of Rudolf Steiner. The philosophy places value on childhood development, greater interaction between child and teacher, and the integration of the arts into a rigorous academic program. It stresses the importance of teaching the 'whole child' and is concerned with the academic, social, emotional, and physical growth of each child.
Some unique components of Waldorf education include:
Main lesson blocks: Two hours of the school day are devoted to the main lesson. This refers to an intensive study of a specific subject that lasts for three to four weeks. Find sample main lesson block plans here.
Main lesson books: Rather than reading from textbooks, students develop their own books, which are called main lesson books. These books serve as a portfolio of what they have learned in their main lesson block.
Teacher looping: In Waldorf education, the teacher loops with the class. Looping means that the teacher stays with the class from year to year. At Birchtree your child will have one teacher for kindergarten, one teacher from 1st-5th grade, and one teacher from 6th-8th grade.
Rich curriculum: In addition to rigorous academic study, Waldorf curriculum includes foreign language, music, movement, handwork, woodwork, and environmental education.
Values: Waldorf education strives to instill in students the values of creativity, respect, tolerance, accountability, ecological awareness, problem solving, and lifelong learning. As students move through the years together as a community, they learn to have respect for and understanding of each child's unique gifts and challenges.
Rhythm: Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly rhythms and routines are an important part of Waldorf education. Attention to the seasons and a celebration of seasonal festivals is also an important part of a Waldorf education.
Teaching Through Narrative: The use of narrative gives students a conceptual framework in which they can orient themselves and understand their experiences. Content is shared in oral form rather than through written textbooks, especially in the earlier grades. Teachers use biography to strengthen pupil identification with people who made a difference. They inspire students to identify with characters in stories and develop linguistic and listening skills. History is taught initially through narrative and stories from a wide range of sources. This can include folktales, legends, fables, parables, mythology, and literature.
Media: Waldorf education uses stories to teach academics in order to engage the imaginations of students. It is suggested that a child's exposure to media images, video games, movies, TV, computers, etc. is limited in order to avoid interrupting and distracting a child from their own creativity and imagination.
Assessment: In lieu of traditional grades, students are assessed on the basis of work recorded into their main lesson book using Waldorf-inspired rubrics. Parents receive end-of-year narrative reports that provide information about the progress of their students. Parents also have the opportunity to attend family nights, assemblies, conferences, and concerts to observe their child's learning. At Birchtree, students also participate in state-mandated testing.


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Roasted Kabocha Squash With Soy Sauce, Butter, and Shichimi Togarashi
Editor's Note: Please welcome Shao Z., a Guangzhou native and the girl behind friedwontons4u.com. She'll be dropping by with her Asian-inspired modern recipes. Welcome, Shao!
Soy sauce and butter is one of my favorite flavor combinations. It's all about balance: The two go hand in hand, with the richness of the butter mellowing the saltiness of the soy sauce and, conversely, the saltiness of the soy sauce cutting the richness of the butter.
The sauce is great with almost everything—pasta, fried rice, salmon, beef; in Japan you'll even find it in flavoring packets served with your McDonald's french fries—but it's especially wonderful on vegetables. In the summer months, I like to drizzle it on grilled corn and sprinkle nori flakes and scallions on top. When the weather gets colder, I like to combine it with sweet and intense kabocha squash. Roasted, its flavors all intensify and the texture becomes creamy and satisfying.
This side dish is easy and quick to prepare, and looks great on the holiday table. A sprinkle of shichimi togarashi—a Japanese seven-spice blend made with chili, sesame, orange zest, and more—adds some heat to the mix, though a pinch of red pepper flakes will do the trick as well.
Step 1: Scrape the Seeds
Wash the squash (using a vegetable peeler to remove any unwashable spots of dirt), then split the kabocha in half and use a metal spoon to scrape out the seeds and pulp. You can roast the seeds or discard them.
Step 2: Dice the Squash
Kabocha has thin, tender skin that can be eaten as-is. All you have to do is dice the flesh into bite-sized chunks.
Step 3: Make the Sauce
The simple sauce is nothing but a couple of tablespoons of unsalted butter mixed with a tablespoon of soy sauce and a sprinkle of shichimi togarashi. You can melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or in a small saucepan on the stovetop.
Step 4: Toss the Squash
Toss the squash with the sauce in a large bowl to evenly coat it.
Step 5: Spread it Out
Spread the squash out in an even layer on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. You want to make sure that there's a bit of space between each piece so that they can brown and cook evenly from all sides.
Step 6: Roast
Roast the squash in a preheated 400°F oven until tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
Serve the squash as-is with a salad for a light lunch, or as a side dish for a heartier meal.
About the Author: I was born in Guangzhou, the birthplace of dim sum, and raised in the Chinatown neighborhood of Philadelphia. As a sibling-less child, cooking was a way to cure after school snack attacks and a way to keep myself entertain. That's how my love for food and cooking started, and it continues to grow. I blog at friedwontons4u.com and I am on twitter @friedwontons4u.
This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.


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The first time I saw Daniel Larsson and Tomas Redigh's Insert Coin I was skeptical that they had really animated it by hand, just by moving a bunch of coins around on the floor. Then I saw the clever trick they were using to lay out the individual frames. Still a tedious task, requiring serious commitment. And lots and lots of coffee.
"We'll be done with this in, um, a couple while."
Indeed. [via Dude Craft]
Update: Thanks to Hermann for pointing out the erroneous headline: "The fact is that the original images are 1-bit. A bit depth of "one" means that there are only two possible colors per pixel — usually black or white. In this case, each "pixel" is "coin" or "no coin" (with the coins lit to be virtually white against a black background)." By "8-bit-style," I really intended "suggestive of early computer graphics."


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Our fathers, partners, brothers and friends face a health crisis that isn't being talked about. Men are dying too young. We can't afford to stay silent.
That's why we're taking action.
We're the leading charity changing the face of men's health. We're addressing some of the biggest health issues faced by men: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health and suicide prevention.
We know what works for men, and how to find and fund the most innovative research to have both a global and local impact. We're independent of government funding, so we can challenge the status quo and invest quicker in what works. In 15 years we've funded more than 1,200 men's health projects around the world.
By 2030 we'll reduce the number of men dying prematurely by 25%.
More about the movement
Our strategy is all about going where men need us most.
We know what works for men. We're transforming the way research into men's health is done, and the way health services reach and support men.
We don't take government funding, so we can challenge the status quo and invest quicker in what works.
Read about our work:
We report on every initiative we fund so you can see the effect your donations are having.
Thanks to the support of Mo Bros and Mo Sistas we've funded more than 1,200 projects saving and improving the lives of men all around the world. Since 2003, we've committed ourselves to helping men live happier, healthier, longer lives. Millions have joined us.
From 30 moustaches to 5 million, we couldn't have done it without you.
From humble beginnings back in 2003 the Movember movement has grown to be a truly global one, inspiring support from over 5 million Mo Bros and Mo Sista .
The Movember Foundation wouldn't be where it is without the enthusiasm of all of those men and women around the globe. We're committed to keeping things fresh, keeping the community informed, and always being transparent and accountable in our practices.


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Apr 11, 2010
DIY Succulent Chandelier
13 comments:
that is really cool. i am hoping to add some succulents to my house soon!ReplyDelete
Aw, so cool! Like mother like daughter! xoReplyDelete
Genius! Seriously so awesome! I bet everyone in blogland would eat up a how-to on this!!ReplyDelete
love it. feeling inspired.ReplyDelete
I love this! I'm trying to think of a place I could fit one in my house!ReplyDelete
I just got a bunch of succulents and was trying to think of what to do with them! Love this DIY project, something I think I could do!ReplyDelete
featured this on my blog - so cute!
so amazing!!! i love this idea!ReplyDelete
This is a perfect Chandelier because it adorns perfectly the house's interior, I'd like to know where can I get them because it looks beautiful and fresh.m10mReplyDelete
Nice spot you there, i actually was trying to make something similar in my back yard but i have no enough space and a friend of say that he could make something about it.ReplyDelete
great... Thought I had never find the right blog. I want to thank you for this informative read, I really appreciate sharing this great post.ReplyDelete
I love succulents and I love mason jars so it's no wonder I LOVE this post! I actually featured it today on my mason jar light round-up :)ReplyDelete
Katie @ Upcycled Treasures
صديقي هل يمكنك اللعب معي الان في لعبة فريق الشرطة لعبة مميزة جدا مليئة بالسباقات المميزة والمتعة اللانهائية هذه اللعبة تعتبر من بين افضل 10 العاب سيارات لحد الان فهي من صنع شركة العاب السباق الاحترافيةReplyDelete


text: Last night was miserable. And I woke up this morning soooo sick. My voice is all scratchy and ick. Damn that echinecea and elderberry. Probably the Milky Way and Reese's didnt help. Need Emergen-C. I am totally into herbs and usually dose myself up so much that it never gets to this point, but obviously didn't do so well this time. Only took a few when normally it's the whole arsenal.


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Context and objectives of the meeting
From 13-14 November 2011, the 2nd GFRAS Annual Meeting took place in Nairobi, Kenya, co-hosted by the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS). Almost 140 stakeholders from over 50 countries attended the meeting. The 2nd GFRAS Annual Meeting focused on the functioning of GFRAS, especially in regards to networking, evaluation, advocacy, and capacity strengthening. More content-focused discussions took place at the subsequent International Conference "Innovations in Extension and Advisory Services" that was organised by GFRAS in collaboration with a range of partner organisations. Find the proceedings of this conference here.
Objectives of the 2nd GFRAS Annual Meeting were:
- To provide a platform for regional networks to share lessons learnt on networking and reflect on ways to commit members on sub-regional and national level as a way to ensure impact
- To facilitate GRFAS affiliates to hold discussions on needs for inter-regional networking and identify actions to improve it
- To share with participants the ongoing activities in GFRAS (evaluation, advocacy, capacity strengthening in rural advisory services) and develop ways to contribute to them
- To elaborate on the recommendations for the International Conference on Extension
Since the 1st GFRAS Annual Meeting in Chile, GFRAS has been consolidated: Structures and strategic framework are in place, working groups are developing products, and a range of regional, sub-regional, and national fora have been created and started functioning. The 2nd GFRAS Annual Meeting gave space to reflect on this process and plan next steps. Participants appreciated the high level of participation, the momentum they gained for their own commitments for rural advisory services (RAS), and the opportunity to exchange with peers and potential partners. Access to knowledge and material was also of high value for many participants.
GFRAS partners who contributed to the 2nd GFRAS Annual meeting include the International Fund for Agricultural Development IFAD, the Bill and Melinda Gates-Foundation BMGF, and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC.
Recommendations and main conclusions of the meeting
The vast majority of participants were very satisfied or satisfied with the achievements of the meeting. The recommendations and conclusions they gave during the meeting and in evaluation forms and reports are summarised below. GFRAS will consider them in 2012 and report at its 3rd GFRAS Annual Meeting.
Besides the existing fora in Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Pacific Islands, several regional and sub-regional networks on Rural Advisory Services (RAS) were created since the 1st GFRAS Annual Meeting 2010, namely in Asia, the Caribbean, Central Asia, and francophone Africa. In order to increase their functionality, the 2nd GFRAS Annual Meeting began with experience exchange on networking. As a result of group discussions, participants recommended that:
- Fora on regional and global level facilitate networking and content-related activities by embracing the principle of subsidiarity
- RAS fora acknowledge diversity as opportunity
- GFRAS facilitates collaboration and exchange between regional networks and links them to the international development arena in order to increase their visibility
- Regional fora develop formal structures and visible products
The 2nd GFRAS Annual Meeting increased the awareness of the importance of networking: "I understood how important it is to network to hold the right position in Agriculture Innovation Systems." (Participant from Latin America) The meeting associated participants more closely both to GFRAS and to regional fora. The intense peer exchange at the 2nd GFRAS Annual Meeting facilitated the consolidation of existing networks and the creation of RAS fora in new sub-regions and at national level. "I have learnt a lot from the experience of other participants in terms of building and managing networks. This will be useful for supporting the Benin Forum and the Francophone Sub-Sahara African Network on Agricultural Advisory Services." (Participant from West Africa)
Networking happened also between individual participants who highly appreciated meeting new colleagues and opportunities for partnerships.
The GFRAS Guide to Extension Evaluation was finalised in 2011. Participants expressed a high interest in using the guide for their own work and initiated discussions on evaluating RAS within their community. They recommended that GFRAS and regional fora:
- Disseminate the guide, facilitate its use, and initiate exchange of experience
- Continue activities on evaluation of RAS by documenting good practices, facilitating capacity strengthening, brokering knowledge, and connecting to monitoring
- Advocate for consideration of monitoring and evaluation in extension policies and funding
Evidence-based advocacy on RAS takes place in two directions. Within the process of establishing RAS fora, GFRAS members started an internal discussion within their community. In the same time they intend to intensify their dialogues with decision makers to improve the environment for extension. Especially for advocacy activities at regional and national levels, GFRAS plays a crucial role: "RAS strengthening without reference to the international community has not the legitimacy it could have." (Participant from Europe)
Participants of the 2nd GFRAS Annual Meeting recommended to the global and regional RAS fora to:
- Create, discuss, and communicate evidence at regional and global level
- Continue establishing multi-stakeholder fora that include representatives from different sectors and regions, including decision makers
- Support regional fora in their advocacy efforts
Capacity Strengthening
In 2011, the GFRAS capacity strengthening working group was established. Participants are interested to implement capacity strengthening in their context and advise GFRAS and the regional networks to:
- Develop a compelling vision for capacity strengthening based on a systemic approach
- Provide evidence on innovative actions, successful initiatives, and good practice
- Facilitate knowledge and experience sharing
- Raise the awareness on the importance of capacity strengthening and investment needs
Awareness of the importance of RAS and GFRAS
In addition to the planned results, the 2nd GFRAS Annual Meeting gave RAS stakeholders the opportunity to reflect on current concepts and approaches in extension, such as demand-orientation and pluralism. This encouraged participants to improve their own extension activities at local and national level: "GFRAS strategies to improve RAS has broadened my perspectives and provided innovative ways to achieve my personal working goals". (Participant from South Asia)
As a network of stakeholders, GFRAS requires the commitment of its affiliates to provide a voice for effective RAS in different regions, fields, and geographic areas. The momentum created at the 2nd GFRAS Annual Meeting is an important potential for extension and the implementation of the GFRAS strategic framework. "I recognised that the enormous efforts made by GFRAS stimulated many to be affiliates in order to promote RAS." (Participant from Latin America) It is important for GFRAS to acquaint new affiliates with GFRAS working principles and increase their ownership of GFRAS. "Most importantly, I learnt that GFRAS is not the secretariat but a joint initiative of all the different networks". (Participant from the Caribbean)
The GFRAS working groups on evaluation and capacity strengthening will continue their activities in 2012. In early 2012, the GFRAS Guide to Extension Evaluation will be printed and widely distributed to GFRAS affiliates. The working group on capacity strengthening will elaborate a background paper and position paper on "the new extensionist". Discussions will continue on the GFRAS blog.
The 3rd GFRAS Annual Meeting will take place on 26-28 September 2012 in the Philippines. It will deal with GFRAS internal matters including progress reporting from the GFRAS working groups and RAS fora, treat specific content issues, and give space for participative discussions and informal exchange. As a main focus, the RAS community will prepare a shared position for the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development 2012. Stakeholders from public, private, and civil society sector working in RAS/ extension or in related fields such as producer organizations, research, or education, and representatives from development agencies, media, and others, are invited to register for the 3rd GFRAS Annual Meeting. Registration opens in May 2012.
Minutes (pdf, 364KB)
Summary (pdf, 168KB)
Resolutions (pdf, 240 KB)
List of Participants (pdf, 92KB)
Meeting programme (pdf, 108KB)
Announcement (pdf, 119KB)
Flyer (pdf, 178KB)
GFRAS Networking Stories (pdf, 201KB)
Evidence Based Policy Advocacy (pdf, 131KB)
Capacity Strengthening (pdf, 683KB)
Improving Extension Evaluation (pdf, 3MB)
GFRAS Networking Activities (pdf, 3.6MB)
GFRAS Thematic Working Groups (pdf, 95KB)


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Release Date: July 25, 2014
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Basketball Hall of Famer and philanthropist Magic Johnson and John Oliver, political satirist and host of HBO's "Last Week Tonight," head the lineup of speakers in the University at Buffalo's 2014-15 Distinguished Speakers Series.
The 28th annual series also will feature best-selling authors Cheryl Strayed ("Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail") and youth advocate and combat veteran Wes Moore ("The Other Wes Moore: Two Fates"); oceanographer and underwater archaeologist Robert Ballard, who discovered the wreck of the RMS Titanic in 1985 and the battleship Bismarck in 1989;and Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer Inc. and chief scientist of Fusion-io, the computer software and hardware company that designs and manufactures products using flash memory technology.
All programs will take place at 8 p.m. in Alumni Arena, UB North Campus, on the following dates:
"For nearly 30 years, the Distinguished Speakers Series at UB has played a vital role in fostering dialogue and discovery by sharing a broad range of ideas and perspectives from some of the most compelling and influential voices of our time," said Dennis Black, UB vice president for university life and services. "By opening up a lively, open discussion of important national and global issues, the series brings our campus and surrounding communities closer together, and inspires our students to become knowledgeable, thoughtful and actively engaged citizens, in keeping with the university's academic mission.
"This year's Distinguished Speaker Series promises to once again deliver on this great UB tradition.
"From leading voices in social commentary and politics to pioneers of exploration and innovation in technology, the prominent public intellectuals and thinkers, they are certain to spark intellectual curiosity, further dialogue and inspire new lines of inquiry across our campus and throughout the community."
Subscription orders for the Distinguished Speakers Series can be placed after July 30. Purchase options and instructions (downloadable forms, box office and online purchase) will be available at that time on the series' website: buffalo.edu/dss
Tickets for individual lectures will go on sale Aug. 11 by noon.
For more information on the speakers, subscription and ticket prices, and sponsors, visit the series' website: buffalo.edu/dss
The series continues to benefit from the vital support of the program's presenting sponsor, the Donald L. Davis Lectureship Fund, and the undergraduate Student Association (SA), which is the exclusive series sponsor for the 19th consecutive year. The Distinguished Speakers Series is also made possible by the generous support of community residents through ticket purchases and ongoing support over the past 28 years. No state funds, tuition dollars or general gifts to the university or UB Foundation are used to underwrite the Distinguished Speakers Series.
Patricia Donovan has retired from University Communications. To contact UB's media relations staff, call 716-645-6969 or visit our list of current university media contacts. Sorry for the inconvenience.


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|Microwaves & RF Subscription Center
|Microwaves & RF provides concisely written articles on RF and microwave technology and applications for design engineers and engineering managers working from approximately 10 MHz through millimeter-wave frequencies and optical wavelengths in both analog and digital areas. Published monthly, the magazine serves as a continuing-education guide for engineering professionals involved in the design of components, software, subsystems, and test equipment for automotive, commercial, industrial, medical, and military applications for high-frequency electronics.
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After a long race, sportive or training ride, you can help muscle recovery by taking on some protein. One way to do this is munch on a Multipower Fit Protein Flapjack – and it's a very tasty option indeed.
Each 70g bar contains 18g of protein, along with 33g of carbohydrate and 7.7g of fat - of which 1.4 is saturated. The main ingredients include oats, milk protein, glucose syrup and vegetable oils, and there are two topping varieties: Chocolate or Yoghurt. The Yoghurt Topping bar also contains cranberry.
The taste is delicious. The texture is slightly more chewy and less crumbly than a normal shop-bought flapjack. The Fit Protein Flapjacks are also slightly less sweet, making them perfect after rides where you might have had enough of sweet gels and energy bars.
The Multipower website says that you can also eat these Protein Flapjacks before exertion, although they're not really suitable for during a long hard ride, as the carb-to-protein ratio is too high. Most sports science studies indicate that an ideal carb-to-protein ratio for endurance events over two or three hours is between 10:1 and 4:1. Of course, if you're touring or just tootling around then you can eat a Protein Flapjack or anything else pretty much when you want.
You can also eat these flapjacks as a general snack at work or home instead of a normal shop-bought flapjack (which tend to have a higher proportion of refined sugars and saturated fat), making Protein Fit Flapjacks a healthier option - and more useful if you're trying to keep your weight down.
These Fit Protein Flapjacks retail for £1.49 each or just under £27 for a box of 18 from the Multipower on-line store. (At time of writing, the box of 18 is discounted to £23.99)
Tasty source of protein to help muscle recovery after a long ride - and a healthy snack any time.
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
road.cc test report
Make and model: Multipower Fit Protein Flapjack
Size tested: Yoghurt topping & cranberry
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
This is a protein bar - intended to aid muscle recovery after training. The Multipower website says:
"With 18g of high quality protein the Fit Protein Flapjack helps to kick-start muscle recovery and re-building after training. 33g of carbohydrates fuel training if used as a pre-workout snack. Handmade with premium quality ingredients for great taste."
In this context, 'performance' means taste - and that's very good indeed.
Not a bargain, but cost is on a par with similar recovery bars from other manufacturers.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Great taste, not too sweet. A healthy alternative to 'normal' flapjacks.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.
Would you consider buying the product? Yes.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.
About the tester
Age: 51 Height: 5ft 10 / 178cm Weight: 11 stone / 70kg
I usually ride: an old Marin Alp, or an old steel classic My best bike is: an old Giant Cadex (can you see a theme here?)
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: touring, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding,


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The Field of Dreams Wedding Chapel is now open.
Picture a quaint little church on ten acres nestled beside the woods setting serenely by itself and you have a vibrant picture of the Field of Dreams Wedding Chapel.
The little church has a charming unobtrusive character about it, just as it was built 150 years ago by its founding fathers.
The Chapel has been lovingly restored, completed after 3 years of restoration efforts.
It offers a quiet country ambiance unique to any other wedding chapel in the area. Whether you are entering into a new marriage, renewing vows, or seeking a peaceful place to hold a memorial service for a loved one.
Field of Dreams can provide this to you in a nice quiet wooded setting.
The chapel is located in Milan just 15 miles south of Ann Arbor off of U.S. 23.
The Chapel can comfortably seat up to 100 guests.
Additional Services
Chapel History
Contact Us
Please feel free to email
us with any questions
Contact us at (734) 652-9276
Website designed & hosted


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TagsVLC Visible Light Communication Li-Fi Optical Wireless Communication LED PureVLC OWC Visible Light Communications Casio Harald Haas PoE power over Ethernet Gordon Povey smart phone Optical Wireless Communications TED Global spectrum crisis radio spectrum Spectrum Shortage Wi-Fi Market Report Edinburgh Mobile World Congress GBI Research Alexander Graham Bell WiGig Bytelight SmartCamp market analysis VLC toys Global Business Intelligence Light Message IBM Solid state lighting Light + Building MWC Facebook Ethernet D-Light LightMessage London Photophone Wireless Communications free space optics GigaIR
Tag Archives: University of Edinburgh
D-Light project hits target
The D-Light project at the University of Edinburgh has been active for close to two years and has made a number of advances in the field of visible light communication. Most notable is the work on special modulation methods and … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged D-Light, LED, Light bulb, Mostafa Afganis, Osram Ostar, spin-out, University of Edinburgh, Wasui Popoola, Wireless Communications 1 Comment


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Mooshup is a resource collection to build new apps using other existing services. These existing services include technologies built with JavaScript, Node, Rails, Git, Swift and other common tools or languages used today.
With the readily available SaSS solutions currently the barriers to build new applications are lowered. Most database, infrastructure, bandwidth and communication issues can be easily resolved with tapping into resources of tech giants as Amazon and Google.
Beyond the lower costs of technology, the costs of training and skill acquisition has become lower as well. For someone who wants to learn coding, there are many training platforms out there which can be used to get practical coding experience for only few dollars a month.
The Rise of JavaScript
JavaScript was originally invented in 1995. It has gone through many iterations and was not expected to live beyond year 2000 in commercial environments. However, this approach is now changed and especially with the rise of Node.js, JavaScript has become an universal programming language. Now JavaScript is used both in client-side and server-side mission critical applications. Also the JSON notation has become a widely used standard in many configurations and data communication.


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Tuesday, April 20, 2010
I've been trying to track this video down for the last week to show everyone (finally succeeded), it's called Nike Grid, an experiential campaign meets ARG about to be launched in London that is all about running. Street running, infact. The Grid is London, North, South East and West across 40 postcodes, the entirety is your gameboard. The [...]Continue reading...
Categories of Digital Buzz
Digital Buzz Links
© 2008 Digital Buzz Blog |


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I'm not good at saying good-byes.
It's partly because I've said my fair share of farewells in life. None are ever easy.
The word retirement conjures up many different feelings.
I have come to the painful realization that this isn't a walking-friendly area.
Traffic affects all of us in one way or another.
I've said it before, but I love entrepreneurs. The ability to turn an idea into something tangible and profitable is a skill few possess.
A new report published in the Economist magazine gives Tennessee an "A" rating for its overall friendliness to small business.
This comes as no surprise.
By: Thomas L. Knapp
Copyright © 2019
The LaFollette Press is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Campbell County and LaFollette, TN, and the surrounding area.


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http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2016/8/6/1 ... ment-shone
Falcons Friday Night Lights: The youth movement shone
By Dave Choate @TheFalcoholic on Aug 6, 2016, 8:49a 4 4
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
The young guys stood out at Friday Night Lights. Here's some notes for fans who weren't able to attend.
The Falcons held their annual Friday Night Lights scrimmage last night at Grayson High School, and while you can only ever get so much out of these types of practices, theres's plenty of worthwhile notes to cover.
Let's run down through what stood out at FNL.
Jeanna @jeannathomas
Campbell, Clayborn, Perkins, Gus Johnson https://twitter.com/_joelvega/status/761731467789479937 …
9:15 PM - 5 Aug 2016
Retweets 2 2 likes
These are the big standouts, straight from Jeanna Thomas, who fought traffic to give us her live impressions. De'Vondre Campbell has been a standout all spring and summer and shouldn't be counted out of the competition for a starting gig, while Adrian Clayborn is expected to get significant time at defensive end this year, especially in nickel packages. Joshua Perkins and Gus Johnson are fighting for roster spots at tight end and running back, respectively, and made their cases last night.
Jeanna @jeannathomas
Also worth explicitly noting that Renfree is running the 2s.
8:21 PM - 5 Aug 2016
Retweets 3 3 likes
This seems justified, given that Matt Schaub threw two picks last night and has generally looked very shaky in camp thus far. One of those picks was a tipped pass to Robenson Therezie by way of Jalen Collins, and the other was to C.J. Goodwin.
Goodwin, it should be noted, seems to be taking to cornerback quite well. He's a candidate for the practice squad, at the very least.
vaughn mcclure @vxmcclure23
Devin Fuller with TD to end practice again
8:34 PM - 5 Aug 2016
10 10 Retweets 25 25 likes
Fuller has been someone I've honestly been a little skeptical of, for reasons that have less to do with his (obvious) talent than his readiness to contribute in his first NFL season. He's got a good shot to hang on as a returner, though, and has been picking up steam as a receiver in training camp, with several touchdowns along the way.
Andrew Hirsh @andrewhirsh
Brian Poole is getting lots of reps at nickel back today
8:24 PM - 5 Aug 2016
2 2 Retweets 5 5 likes
Poole's a favorite of several Falcons analysts, and with the team deeply unsettled beyond their top three cornerbacks, there's a legitimate chance he'll make the team. He's ideally suited to the nickel, so again, at the very least you should look for him to be in the running for a practice squad spot.
What else did you notice last night? Share in the comments!
Friday Night Lights: The youth movement shone
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Kendall Quisenberry '13 Prepares for Fulbright Experience in Malaysia
August 12, 2013
"Teaching English is something I'm good at and I'm passionate about, so I'm definitely ready for the experience," Kendall C. Quisenberry tells the Messenger-Inquirer of Owensboro, Kentucky. A May 2013 graduate of DePauw University, Quisenberry is preparing to leave in January for Malaysia, where she'll teach English as the recipient of an English Teaching Assistantship from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program competition.
The newspaper's profile notes, "Quisenberry plans to travel for a year after the program before returning to the U.S. for graduate school ... She's spent the past six weeks as a residential counselor at the Center for Talent Development, a camp for gifted children, in Chicago."
The full story is available to subscribers at the paper's website.
Quisenberry's Fulbright Award was announced in April. An English (writing) major and education studies minor as an undergraduate, she is one of 8 members of the DePauw University community to be announced as Fulbright winners for the upcoming academic year. They include four other members of the Class of 2013: Katlin "Katie" V. Kraska has been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student scholarship and will conduct research and study in Indonesia during the upcoming academic year. K. Kartik Amarnath's Fulbright U.S. Student scholarship will support his project, "Development and Disability: Spatial Access and Agency for Kuala Lumpur's Blind Population" in Malaysia. An ETA awarded to David Tykvart will send him to the Czech Republic to teach English, and Brittni E. Crofts will use an ETA to teach English in Vietnam.
Ian B. Davidson, a professor in the School of Music at Texas State University and 1980 graduate of DePauw University, will visit Tumaini University Makumira in Tanzania two times as a visiting Fulbright Scholar. Juliana O. Odetunde, a medical student at the University of Kentucky and 2007 graduate of DePauw, will use a Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowship to study leptospirosis in Salvador, Brazil. John R. Chittum, a 2006 graduate of DePauw and currently a doctoral student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, will use a Fulbright Graduate Student Research Grant to conduct research at the Royal College of Music, Sweden's largest college of music.Back


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More precisely, we've been to the zoo. And I've got tons and tons of adorable photos of lots and lots of adorable animals, which I shall share with you – tomorrow. And probably the day after. Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium has a lot of adorable animals.
Right now, though, I believe this gentleman has the right idea:
I wish they were truly tame. Cuddling up with him sounds like the best afternoon ever, doesn't it?


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kristynadk on Family Tree Circles
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Journals and Posts
Looking for Mitchell of Kentucky
My maternal grandmother's maiden name was Flora Elizabeth Mitchell born apprx. 1900. She married Lee "Dutch" Hammons (Died 1937). They had 5 children, a son Lee, and 4 daughters: Marie, Elizabeth "Snookie", Lola, and Flora Dean. I have no information on either of my great grandparents other than that my maternal greatgrandmother's name was Tina Josephine and she married a Mitchell. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Looking for info on Lee "Dutch" Hammons of Christian Co. KY
My Grandfather, Lee "Dutch" Hammons died in 1937 when my mother was 4 yrs old. He was apprx. 34 yrs old. She has no memory of him, or his side of her family. We are trying to find as much information as possible on that side of her family. He Is buried in Hopkinsville KY.
If anyone has any information on Lee Hammons or his family we would like to hear from you! Thanks!
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SALT LAKE CITY, February 4, 2013 – Many Americans have already received their W-2 Forms, so they know it's that time of year again – tax season! To help more Americans file their taxes this year, United Way Worldwide chose inContact (NASDAQ: SAAS), a leading provider of cloud contact center software and contact center agent optimization tools, to power its customer support centers for MyFreeTaxes.com, a free state and federal tax preparation and filing service for qualified individuals.
Given the growing popularity of MyFreeTaxes.com, United Way Worldwide sought a proven contact center solution that could scale quickly to meet heavy call volumes during peak tax preparation and filing times. Further, the organization can leverage inContact's management dashboard to access real-time, comprehensive call data, adjusting servicing needs for greater customer quality assurance.
"To support MyFreeTaxes.com program, we sought a solution that would enable us to connect multiple call centers across the country. inContact allows us to increase our capacity quickly to meet uncertain spikes to call traffic, in a cost-effective way, when we need it," said Lisa Austin, Director of Operations, United Way Worldwide. "A smart, scalable technology solution like this helps United Way improve the financial stability of low to moderate income families."
Another key factor in selecting inContact was the fact that many 2-1-1 call centers, which already support community-based, volunteer-assisted free tax preparation services, already use and benefit from inContact services. By harnessing the power of inContact, United Way Worldwide realized they could quickly and easily scale to support American individuals and families who need tax help.
"Our clients have unique needs and we have dynamic cloud solutions that provide measureable results and give them the flexibility to support critical services like MyFreeTaxes.com," said Paul Jarman, inContact CEO. "By providing our cloud solution to United Way Worldwide, we're pleased to have a part in helping serve the needs of the public during the very busy and stressful tax season."
About United Way
United Way is a worldwide network of community-based organizations in 41 countries and territories, including more than 1,200 in the U.S. It advances the common good by focusing on education, income and health – the building blocks for a good quality of life. United Way recruits people and organizations who bring the passion, expertise and resources needed to get things done. LIVE UNITED® is a call to action for everyone to become a part of the change. For more information about United Way, please visit: www.UnitedWay.org.
About inContact
inContact (NASDAQ: SAAS) helps contact centers around the globe create profitable customer experiences through its powerful portfolio of cloud contact center software solutions. The company's services and solutions enable contact centers to operate more efficiently, optimize the cost and quality of every customer interaction, create new pathways to profit and ensure ongoing customer-centric business improvement and growth. To learn more, visit www.inContact.com.
Mariann McDonagh
inContact Chief Marketing Officer
Pazia Dwyer / David Patterson
Merritt Group
(703) 390-1514
(415) 247-1666


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Williams Sonoma Focaccia Stuffing
Our Italian-inspired stuffing showcases tender, golden focaccia–a classic bread that creates an exceptionally light, fluffy stuffing. Crafted from hearth-baked loaves of artisan focaccia, the mix is seasoned with aromatic herbs for a perfect balance of tastes and textures. Follow the recipe on the box or use this versatile blend as a foundation for your own signature stuffings.
- 1 lb. (serves 10–12)
- Made in USA with American and imported ingredients.
- Enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, canola oil, evaporated cane sugar, palm oil, sea salt, herbes de provence (rosemary, savory, thyme, marjoram, basil, lavender), yeast.
- Contains wheat/gluten. This product is prepared and packaged using machines that may come in contact with milk, tree nuts, soy.
Shipping Information
UPS can deliver most in-stock items within 3–5 business days. UPS is unable to deliver to P.O. boxes.
Shipping Rates
The shipping rate varies depending on your order total and shipping destination. View Shipping Options and Charges.
Next Day Delivery
For an additional charge of $26 per address, we can expedite delivery to most destinations. This service is not available for some oversize items, items shipped directly from the supplier (including perishable and custom-manufactured items), out-of-stock items and items to be shipped outside the contiguous 48 states.
Orders received by 9:00 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday will arrive the next business day; orders placed Friday through Sunday will arrive on the following Tuesday.
Return Policy
At Williams Sonoma, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction are our priority. Upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage; we will arrange for a prompt replacement.
If within 30 days, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value. An original receipt or gift receipt is required for all returns and exchanges. Returns with a gift receipt will be refunded in the form of a Merchandise Credit for the amount indicated on the gift receipt. Returns with original receipt will be refunded in the original form of payment, cash and check refunds over $100 will be issued as a company check (may take 14 business days from time of request).
For all cutlery returns (knife sets, single knives, cutting boards, knife sharpeners and knife storage), please contact us at 888.922.4108 to initiate the return.
We cannot accept returns on monogrammed, personalized, special-order items, custom upholstery, food, items shipped direct from the vendor or on items damaged through normal wear and tear. Final sale items ending in .97 or .99 cannot be returned.
Made to Order and Final Sale Furniture items are non-returnable and cannot be cancelled once the order is placed.
For returns of items purchased from your Williams Sonoma Gift Registry, we will gladly provide a refund or exchange for the merchandise within 90 days of your event or within 90 days of purchase, whichever date is later. View Full Returns Policy.
Williams Sonoma Focaccia Stuffing
|Delivery Surcharge
|Williams Sonoma Focaccia Stuffing
|Williams Sonoma Focaccia Stuffing, Set of 2
|Sugg. Price $31.90 Our Price $28.95