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Thursday, May 20, 2010
A to Z Bible Story Lesson- Letter V
V- Virtues
Objectives: The children will
- identify who wants to be a good person all the time and wants to be more like Jesus
- discuss what makes a good Christian
- give examples of being a good Christian
- identify who we are supposed to be like so we will do the right thing
Prayer and questions from last week's lesson
Vocabulary Words:
Virtues Word Wall- Word wall templates are large flash card printables that you can hang on the wall to aid children when they are learning or using new vocabulary words.
Circle Time:
When teaching virtues to Pre K – K you need to simplify them so the children can understand. Keeping it simple and using real life situation will make it easier to for them to comprehend. By coupling it with a Bible story it will reinforce for them to follow Jesus' teachings so it will lead them to the right way to live.
Break the virtues into concepts the children will understand. Focus on moral issues involving right and wrong and how people should behave such as: kind, respect/obey, thankful, sharing, I'm sorry/forgiving, faith/trust, love others, etc.
Say to the children: What does it mean to be good or to behave? Discuss. Show pictures from magazines or from books of children being good and not being good. Have the children tell you what the person is doing in the picture and if they are being good.
Write the concepts on the board you want your children to learn that focus on moral issues involving right and wrong and how people should behave. Discuss. Ask the following questions: (examples)
What does it mean to be _____? (What does it mean to _____? Etc.)
Has someone done that for you? What did they do?
How did you feel when someone did that for you?
Tell me about a time when someone was not _____ to you. (Tell me about a time when someone did not _____ you. Etc.)
How did you feel?
What can you do to be _____?
How does it make you feel when you do that for another?
indianchild.com- Teaching Children Virtues & Values
virtuetoys.com- Here are some resources to jump start a discussion with kids about virtues.
Say to the children: A Christian is a follower of Jesus. A Christian tries to be a good person all the time and wants to be more like Jesus. A Christian is a good person who does the right thing all the time. Are you a Christian? Are you a good person who does the right thing all the time?
Discuss with the children about being a good Christian and the traits we should have. List them on the board and have the children give examples of each. Assign each child a word to draw a picture of (if you have lots of children you will have several examples of each word). Have the children share their picture with the class. Discuss.
*To help the children understand what traits we should have, use real life situations to make it easier to for them to comprehend.
"Win or Lose by How You Choose" by Judge Judy Sheindlin
Directions- Show the children the picture and read the situation. With each situation there are a series of answers for the children to choose from. Ask the children what they would do. Do not tell the children the right answer. Explore and evaluate the different choices together with the children.
What Do I Do?- The teacher can read the situations and ask the children what they can do to show the special love Jesus says we should have. (Look under Bible Story Activities)
Songs and/or Finger Plays:
Introduce songs and/or finger plays: How does Jesus want us to behave? Who do we want to be more like?
kiddles.com- Lord, I Want To Be A Christian (song)
sugardoodle.net- I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus (song)
I am A C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N (song)
This Little Christian Light Of Mine" (song)
"I'm inright, outright, upright, downright . . ." (song)
"I've Got The Joy" (song)
Introduce activity: What makes a good Christian?
Make a "We Are Good Christians" chart and have the children help make it. Then use the chart to reinforce being a good Christian. Try to catch your students being good and let them know what a good Christian they are.
freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com- Using behavior charts. The How Tos.
parentingmethods.suite101.com- Simple Inexpensive Rewards for Children: Encouraging Good Behavior by Reinforcing Positive Actions
Rewarding kids for achieving goals is part of learning. Posted here are some simple and inexpensive rewards to reinforce positive actions without encouraging materialism.
specialchildren.about.com- How To Make Behavior Charts Work
ehow.com- How To Make A Behavior Chart
dotcomwomen.com- Star Chart: Have the children help you make this chart and post in the classroom.
*Make a "We Are Good Christians" bulletin board using the children's pictures and chart that they just made. Children love seeing their pictures displayed and it helps reinforce the concept of being a good Christian.
Choose a virtue that you want to teach your students. Use a Bible story below to help you teach the virtue.
*You can also continue teaching lessons throughout the year about virtues. Incorporate various Bible lesson and stories to reinforce moral values. (There are many more Bible stories that fit these categories, but here are a few just to get you going.)
• The Good Samaritan
• Ruth (Ruth 1:1 – 4:32)
• David's Kindness to Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9:1-13)
• The Golden Rule (Luke 6:31)
• Adam & Eve
• Noah's Ark
• Moses
• Joshua & Jericho
• Elijah and the Ravens
• Elisha and Namaan
• Jonah and the Whale
• Thank you, God: Ten Lepers
• Elijah and the Widow
• Loaves & Fishes
• The Widow's Mite (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4)
I'm Sorry/Forgiving-
• Prodigal Son/I'm Sorry
• Joseph and His Wonderful Coat
• Zacchaeus
• Abraham
• Isaac & Rebecca
• David & Goliath
• Daniel and the Lions
• Samson
• Jesus Calms the Storm
• The Healing of a Paralytic (Mark 2:1-12)
• Jairus' Daughter
Loving Others-
• Jesus Loves Me/Loving Others
• Good Shepherd
• The Two Greatest Commandments (Mark 12:28-34; Matthew 22:34-40)
• Love Your Enemies (Luke 6:27-36; Matthew 5:44-48))
Introduce movie: How are we supposed to behave?
Veggie Tales has several movies to reinforce moral values.
ponderedinmyheart.typepad.com- This is a collection of pictures drawn by Lydia to teach an alphabet's worth of virtues to little ones. She also did a drawing that can be used as a cover page if you like. You can slip it into the clear front pocket of a binder and keep all of the coloring pages inside, or you can fasten your pages into a book with staples or comb binding or the like. If you use a binder perhaps you might even include little narrations done by the children as you discuss the virtue learned, or concerning the stories or picture books you use to reinforce each virtue.
Introduce craft: Are you a good Christian?
daniellesplace.com- Keys to Good Behavior
Parents can use these keys to help make children aware of bad behavior in a fun way. You can also use these to reinforce good behavior in the classroom. (Scroll down to Good Behavior)
theteacherscorner.net- Good Behavior Beads: I used this my first year teacher and it worked great for behavior. I let each child have a Ziploc bag in their desk. If a found someone doing something they should they got a bead. At times I would give more than one or maybe the entire class. An example is if we received a compliment for walking nicely in the hall. I would give everyone one when we returned. Then at the end of the month they should make them into necklaces. I try to use beads that go with the month or a holiday color. The kids love to see who has the most.
brighthub.com- Tracking Manners: Craft for Preschoolers
Are you looking for a fun way to teach preschool manners? This preschool manners craft does just that. Students will have a great time making and using this craft. You and their parents will have a great time rewarding them for their good manners! (Adapt this craft any way you want to reinforce being a good Christian.)
westerntractmission.org- WWJD Mirror Craft
ehow.com- WWJD Crafts
Introduce craft: How do you show that you are a Christian?
chrisitancrafters.com- Mosaic Cross (easy cross necklace/magnet that all children can make)
christiancrafters.com- The Colors of Christ Cross (neat tip for little ones on the bottom)
Introduce game: What makes a good Christian?
Games to help reinforce moral values:
Chutes & Ladders- This would be great game for teaching about rewards and consequences for your actions. As kids travel along the game path, they encounter situations that reward them for good deeds by letting them climb the ladders or punish them for misbehaving by sending them down chutes. (Ages 3 & Up)
The Emotions Game- You need to think before you say or do things because you may hurt someone's feelings. Remember what Jesus said, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:39
4bambini.com- Don't Pick Your Nose: Teaches children 3 to 8 the basics of good manners and proper social behavior using a set of 36 questions/illustrations and matching answers. The game will give your child the basics of home manners, table manners and proper social behavior. More information here.
Mind Your Manners- With over 100 different picture cards depicting proper and improper manners, children learn to distinguish between correct and incorrect behavior at an early age. Playing the game is a fun-filled way to help children remember the correct choices as real life situations face them. For 2 - 6 players. Ages 4 - 8.
rapidoline.com- The six games include morals, manners, empathy, friendship, showing emotions and managing emotions. Each game supports the development of social and emotional skills and the consolidation of those already learnt. A comprehensive approach to promoting the social and emotional skills that underpin effective learning, positive behaviour, regular attendance, staff effectiveness and the emotional health and well-being of all who learn and work in schools. Ages 5 to 7.
Golden Rule- This game helps promote why someone would use proper manners and etiquette in our daily lives.
Random Acts of Kindness- Children identify Random Acts of Kindness as they move around the board.
I'm Sorry!- Players move around the game board by rolling the dice and following the directions on the space they land on. If they land on "I'm Sorry!" space they draw a card and read it out loud (if they cannot read it, have someone else read it for them). On the card is a situation that someone has done something wrong. The player must then apologize to the person to his/her left for the situation on the card and they must be specific with their apology. They must say something like, "I'm sorry I took your video game," instead of "I'm sorry." The player that they apologized to must then say, "I forgive you." Teaching children to apologize and to seek forgiveness from family and friends will encourage them to do so with God. (If needed, the teacher will help the students understand what to do and coach them how to do it correctly.) The player then must also say what they should do to correct their mistake and/or what consequences should happen to them so they will learn to take responsibility for their actions. If the player apologizes correctly for the situation they receive a token. If a player lands on "Lose 1 Token" they must forfeit one token. The player at the end of the game who has the most tokens wins.
Jesus is Our Savior- Jesus is our rescuer and offers us a lifeline when we're trapped in sin. How can we solve the problems in our life? Jesus is our savior and if we follow him, he will show us the way.
VirtueGame- The VirtueGame is a fun, bingo-style card game that focuses on ten virtues: compassion, respect, enthusiasm, trust, friendliness, determination, responsibility, integrity, cooperation and thankfulness. To win the game, kids have to earn five out of the ten virtues by completing the tasks described on each card they draw. For example, a "Thankfulness" card asks the player to hold their breath for as long as they can. When they are finished, the card asks; "aren't you thankful to breathe again?" and reminds the player to be thankful for things that we sometimes take for granted. Tasks often have to be completed cooperatively and require respectful listening to other players. The VirtueGame makes virtues concrete. It helps kids experience virtues through play so that they can internalize what they mean. The word "play" is important – the game is social, interactive, and silly. It teaches by surprise.
Introduce snack: How does Jesus want us to behave?
Have the children make a snack and give it to another child to help promote being good and sharing.
Letter V Snacks-
Vanilla Cake, Vanilla Ice Cream, Vanilla Pudding, Vanilla Wafers, Vanilla Yogurt, Vegetables, Vegetable Dip, Vegetable Soup, etc.
Prayers while students are doing worksheets and/or coloring.
sermons4kids.com- I will follow Jesus, our leader (coloring)
sermons4kids.com- I can follow Jesus by sharing (coloring)
kindnews.org- A Kind Kid Named _____ Lives Here (coloring sheet, page 13)
mssscrafts.com- Sharing/Helping Hands: Make a small booklet which will illustrate how we can share or help others.
Use these blank mini book templates for the children to make a mini book about being a good Christian. Encourage your children to put their thoughts and creativity to work creating these mini-books that they either illustrate, write or write and illustrate:
practicalpages.wordpress.com- One Page Mini Book Templates
Here are 4 simple minibooks that my young children cut and fold without any trouble.
vickiblackwell.com- Several different kinds of blank mini books to print out.
homeschoolshare.com- Lots of mini book templates to print out for free.
dltk-teach.com- What begins with V? (mini book)
V is for Virtues- (handwriting)
kidzone.ws.- Hidden Letter Worksheet Letter V
Make your own handwriting sheets for what you want your children to write.
handwritingworksheets.com- Make basic print, D'Nealian, or Cursive handwriting worksheets. You can make the worksheets dot trace, dash trace, hollow trace, and even separated letters by just a click of a button. Each format has starting dots for each letter.
softschools.com- Make manuscript handwriting worksheets in PDF form.
handwritingforkids.com- Manuscript personalized worksheets you can make for free.
atozteacherstuff.com- Create your own custom handwriting worksheets for handwriting practice! You can choose traditional or modern print styles.
kidzone.ws/tracers/- Type in anything you like into the custom tracer pages to practice printing (standard block or script type printing fonts) or cursive handwriting. The custom tracer pages are available in a variety of themes as well.
writingwizard.longcountdown.com- Create writing practice sheets in D'Nealian or Zaner-Bloser style, in print or cursive form.
kindnews.org- Kind Kids- These children are being kind. They are helping others. Draw the thing that is missing in each picture (page 12).
5 comments:
- Gardenia said...
wow. so excellent. I love it when you have preK lessons, and this one is beautiful. I love how the child learns a new virtue each week, with examples all week long. this is truly wonderful and we will keep coming back to this post all summer long. Thank you!!
- May 20, 2010 at 6:53 PM
- Amazing_Grace said...
Thank you so much for the kind words. After all the hard work I put into this lesson plan it was worth it knowing that someone can use it. :)
- May 20, 2010 at 8:32 PM
- kkollwitz said...
Wow...it's surprising to see how different catechizing K's is to 6th graders whom I teach. I swear this K stuff would wear me slap out.
Good for you for making review part of normal class activity.
Hey, you're using a bunch of Bible Stories that I use too! Elisha and Naaman, one of my favorites! I'm impressed that you tell that one to the kiddies, it's not the usual.
Here's my bit on Elisha and Naaman:
- May 21, 2010 at 5:41 PM
- Amazing_Grace said...
K's are a handful. I think only really special people can teach them. I teach 1st grade and I don't know how those K teachers do it. :)
Love your Elisha and Naaman lesson plan! :)
- May 21, 2010 at 8:17 PM
- Unknown said...
Super impressive and well done!!
- August 12, 2017 at 9:11 AM


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All Films.All Above Board.NOW INCLUDES TV SHOWS & TV LISTINGS
3rd century ruler Ying Zheng has a vision of bringing the seven Chinese kingdoms under his leadership. To achieve this he sends his concubine Zhao (Gong Li) to spy on the neighbouring Jan kingdom, and to recruit an assassin who will help him fulfil his ambitions. Zhao finds the man for the job in the form of Jing Ke (Fengyi Zhang), but the plan begins to go wrong when the concubine finds herself falling in love with the killer.

subset: commoncrawl


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Comments Re: Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors
Recipient: Robert Waterman, Compliance Specialist, Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor
View a PDF of this letter here.
Dear Mr. Waterman:
On behalf of the Leadership Conference on Human and Civil Rights and 18 undersigned organizations, we write to express our strong support for the Department of Labor's (DOL) proposed rule implementing Executive Order 13706 (EO), Establishing Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors. This proposed rule will benefit an estimated 828,000 employees of federal contractors. Of these employees, an estimated 437,000 will receive paid sick leave for the first time.
The proposed rule requires contractors to allow employees working on or in connection with a covered contract to accrue up to 56 hours of paid sick time annually to care for their own medical needs, a family member's medical needs, or for purposes related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. As a result of this rule, fewer workers will have to make impossible choices between their jobs and their health or the health of their families.
Workers, particularly workers of color, need paid sick days.
This rule is particularly important for low wage workers and workers of color who are most likely to work in jobs without paid sick leave. For example, 40 percent of workers in the United States lack access to paid sick days in their current jobs.[1]Hispanic workers—both male and female—are least likely to have paid sick days.[2]Less than half of Hispanic workers (46 percent) have access to paid sick days compared with 60 percent of workers overall.[3]
In many families, women of color are the primary source of financial support. More than four million African American families with children have a female head of household who is her family's sole support.[4]This is also the case for nearly three million Latino families.[5]Unpaid days off have real consequences. For the typical family without paid sick days, just 3.5 days without pay is equivalent to losing an entire month's worth of groceries.[6]For women of color, who are paid less on average,[7]the consequences are even more severe.
The proposed rule's definition of "family" is appropriate.
We fully support the proposed rule's definition of family as an "[i]ndividual related by blood or affinity whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship." This will enable workers to use paid sick days to care for close family members regardless of biological or legal relationship. The proposed definition encompasses "any person with whom the employee has a significant personal bond that is or is like a family relationship, regardless of biological or legal relationship." By emphasizing a significant personal bond, regardless of a biological or legal relationship, the "blood or affinity" standard is broad and flexible enough to recognize diverse family structures.
The ability to use paid sick days to care for family beyond nuclear relatives is especially critical to communities of color and the LGBT community: More than 18 percent of Americans, including about 25 percent of Latino and Black Americans and 27 percent of Asian Americans, live in a multigenerational household.[8]Additionally, LGBT Americans often rely on their "chosen family" as caretakers more often than their non-LGBT peers;[9]LBGT older adults are especially less likely to have family support when they need care and often rely on "families of choice".[10]Therefore, the proposed rule's definition of family helps to ensure that employees of government contractors, particularly employees of color and LGBT employees, do not have to choose between a paycheck and a family health condition. We urge that no changes be made to this definition of family.
The purposes for which paid sick time can be taken under the proposed rule will lead to a more productive workforce and will improve the health and safety of workers.
We support the requirement of the proposed rules allowing workers to use their paid sick time for absences from work due to the employee's or a family member's physical or mental illness or need for medical care. This will ensure a healthier and more productive federal contracting workforce. Paid sick time reduces recovery time, promotes the use of regular medical providers rather than hospital emergency departments, and reduces the likelihood of people spreading illness.[11]
We also strongly support the proposed rule's requirement that workers be allowed to use their paid sick leave for purposes related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking of an employee or an employee's family member. Survivors of domestic and sexual violence are often forced to lose days of paid employment. For example, 36 percent of rape and sexual assault victims lost more than 10 days of work, and more than half of stalking survivors lost five or more days of work.[12]Additionally, survivors of domestic violence miss nearly 8 million days of paid work each year, costing more than $700 million annually due to lost productivity.[13]Allowing use of paid sick leave for these survivors means that workers will not have to lose days of paid employment due to the violence they face.
Paid sick days will improve the economy and efficiency of federal contracting.
There is ample evidence demonstrating that paid sick leave improves employee retention, reduces workplace contagion and injury, and increases productivity.[14]Research shows that an employee is at least 25 percent less likely to voluntarily leave a job when given access to paid sick days,[15]thus reducing the high costs of employee turnover. Additionally, because workers without paid sick days are 1.5 times more likely report to work with short-term, easily spreadable illness rather than sacrificing critical income,[16]paid sick days reduce the risk that employees will spread illness at work. Lastly, paid sick days can lead to improvements in productivity by helping workers recover and return to work more quickly.[17]Therefore, providing paid sick leave unquestionably meets the standard to improve the economy and efficiency of federal contracting.
Finally, we note that providing paid sick leave to employees will not unduly burden federal contractors. Ample evidence from the private sector and cities and states with paid sick day laws demonstrates that compliance burdens for contractors are minimal and are far outweighed by the benefits of the law. In San Francisco, for example, the Vice President of the local Chamber of Commerce – which led the fight against the law with dire predictions about its impact on employers – told The New York Times that the law's impact was "minimal" and that "[b]y and large, [paid sick days] has not been an employer issue."[18] Additionally, employers broadly support paid sick time: polling shows that CEOs support paid sick time 73 percent to 16 percent, and support "more time off to take care of sick children or other relatives" 83 percent to 5 percent.[19]
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this proposed rule. Establishing paid sick leave for employees of federal contractors benefits the employers as well as the employees. We urge the administration to act swiftly to implement final regulations in order to ensure that workers can take the sick days they need for the health of themselves, their families, their coworkers, and the economy. For any additional information please contact June Zeitlin, Director of Human Rights Policy at 202-263-2852 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
9to5, National Association of Working Women
9to5 California
9to5 Colorado
9to5 Georgia
9to5 Wisconsin
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
Black Women's Roundtable
Center for Women Policy Studies
Equal Rights Advocates
Institute for Science and Human Values
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Employment Law Project
National Employment Lawyers Association
National Women's Law Center
Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
Women Employed
[1]Jenny Xia, Jeffrey Hayes, Barbara Gault, & Hailey Nguyen, Paid Sick Days Access and Usage Rates Vary by Race/Ethnicity, Occupation, and Earnings, IWPR Publication No. B356, Institute for Women's Policy Research (Feb. 2016). Available at http://www.iwpr.org/publications/pubs/paid-sick-days-access-and-usage-rates-vary-by-race-ethnicity-occupation-and-earnings.
[4]Women of Color Need a Paid Sick Days Standard, Fact Sheet, National Partnership for Women & Families (Sept. 2015). Available at http://www.nationalpartnership.org/research-library/work-family/psd/women-of-color-need-a-paid-sick-days-standard.pdf.
[8]Richard Fry & Jeffrey S. Passel, In Post-Recession Era, Young Adults Drive Continuing Rise in Multi-Generational Living, Pew Research Center (July 17, 2014). Available at http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/07/17/in-post-recession-era-young-adults-drive-continuing-rise-in-multi-generational-living/.
[9]See, e.g., Still Out, Still Aging: The MetLife Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Baby Boomers, pp. 13-15, MetLife Mature Market Institute and American Society of Aging (Mar. 2010).
[10]Robert Espinoza, The Diverse Elders Coalition and LGBT Aging: Connecting Communities, Issues, and Resources in a Historic Moment, Vol. 21, No. 3, p. 9, Public Policy & Aging Report (Summer 2011).
[11]Human Impact Partners. (2009, September 3). A Health Impact Assessment of the Healthy Families Act of 2009, Human Impact Partners (Sept. 3, 2009). Available at http://www.humanimpact.org/downloads/national-paid-sick-days-hia-report/; K. Miller, C. Williams, & Y. Yi, Paid Sick Days and Health: Cost Savings from Reduced Emergency Department Visits, Institute for Women's Policy Research Publication (Nov. 2011). Available at http://www.iwpr.org/publications/pubs/paid-sick-days-and-health-cost-savings-from-reduced-emergency-department-visits; T. W. Smith & J. Kim, Paid Sick Days: Attitudes and Experiences, National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago Publication (June 2010). Available at http://news.uchicago.edu/static/newsengine/pdf/100621.paid.sick.leave.pdf; R. Drago & K. Miller, Sick at Work: Infected Employees in the Workplace During the H1N1 Pandemic,Institute for Women's Policy Research Publication (Feb. 2010). Available at http://www.iwpr.org/publications/pubs/sick-at-work-infected-employees-in-the-workplace-during-the-h1n1-pandemic; S. Kumar, S. C. Quinn, K. H. Kim, L. H. Daniel, & V. S. Freimuth, The Impact of Workplace Policies and Other Social Factors on Self-Reported Influenza-Like Illness Incidence During the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic, 102(1), pp. 134-140, American Journal of Public Health (Nov. 17, 2011). Available at http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/documents/science/AJPH_2011_300307v1.pdf; S. Pichler & N. R. Ziebarth, The Pros and Cons of Sick Pay Schemes: Testing for Contagious Presenteeism and Shirking Behavior, Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung Publication (2015). Available at http://www.diw.de/documents/publikationen/73/diw_01.c.514633.de/dp1509.pdf.
[12]Stalking, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice (Dec. 2013). Available at http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=973; National Crime Victimization Survey: Personal and Property Crimes, 2000, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice (Aug. 2002).
[13]Intimate Partner Violence: Consequences, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Dec. 24, 2013). Available at http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/consequences.html; R.F. Hanson, G.K. Sawyer, A.M. Begle, & G.S. Hubel, The Impact of Crime Victimization on Quality of Life, 23(2), pp. 189–197, Journal of Traumatic Stress, (Apr. 2010).Available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2910433/.
[14]E.g., Paid Sick Days: Good for Business, Good for Workers, Fact Sheet, National Partnership for Women & Families (Aug. 2012). Available at http://www.nationalpartnership.org/research-library/work-family/psd/paid-sick-days-good-for-business-and-workers.pdf.
[15]H. D. Hill, Paid Sick Leave and Job Stability, 40(2), pp. 143-173, Work and Occupations (2013).
[16]T. W. Smith & J. Kim, Paid Sick Days: Attitudes and Experiences, National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago Publication (June 2010). Available at http://news.uchicago.edu/static/newsengine/pdf/100621.paid.sick.leave.pdf.
[17]A Health Impact Assessment of the Healthy Families Act of 2009, Human Impact Partners(Sept. 3, 2009). Available at http://www.humanimpact.org/downloads/national-paid-sick-days-hia-report/.
[18]R. Swarns, Despite Business Fears, Sick-Day Laws Like New York's Work Well Elsewhere, New York Times (Jan. 26, 2014). Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/27/nyregion/despite-business-fears-sick-day-laws-like-new-yorks-work-well-elsewhere.html.
[19]Mary Bottari, Highlights of Luntz Poll of American CEOs Shows Broad Support for Progressive Policies, PRWatch, Center for Media and Democracy (Apr. 4, 2016). Available at http://www.prwatch.org/news/2016/04/13075/top-gop-pollster-chamber-commerce-lobbyists-poll-shows-your-members-support.


text:
UNBOXING: Althea Romantic Date Trendy Box + Youtube Video
Beauty. Fitness. Fashion. Food. Travel. Unicorns. World Peace. Digify Corporation.
4 Lovely Thoughts
Ms. Martha I am now finally going to meet my boyfriend in Japan after a year and few months and I really wanted to look good kaso tamang tama namang dumating period ko this week so sumulpot ang pimples ko hahahaha. Tips naman yung parang 1 week prep for the first date or meeting after a long time. Para pak naman ang skin. Hahahaha.ReplyDelete
It was a nice haul. Althea has something new and exciting to offer. May pang pores, may pang-date at kung anu-ano pa! Hehe!ReplyDelete
WOW,..Amazing,.thank you for sharing madam...Before I buy or use anything,.ginagawa ko tlga nagbabasa munba ako ng mga reviews galing sa mga bloggers like you...it helps alot kasi...Again thank you.ReplyDelete
Althea addicted din ako Ms M pero more on skincare. Super sulit ang mga curated boxes nila. Thanks for this post Ms M.ReplyDelete


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text:
Kanye West tweeted last week that he was in $53m debt but according to Source, the amount is accurate but it's not a debt. Read report below…
The answer to that $53 million question – how the hell is Kanye West that deep in debt — is that he isn't, but he does spend a ton … on himself. Sources connected to Kanye tell TMZ the number – $53 mil – reflects how much dough 'Ye has invested in his own companies related to fashion and music. For instance, we're told he's sunk $40 million alone into 3 seasons worth of Yeezy fashion!
Yeezy shoes are all the rage now, but we're told Kanye didn't get a dime from Nike when he created the first gen of the shoe. He funded the design out of his own pocket.
Additionally, we're told he spent several hundred thousands to build sets for his last tour, and to make his 2012 short film, "Cruel Summer".
The good news for Kanye is he'll make back his investment because he earns like crazy — $22 million in 2015 and $30 million in 2014, according to Forbes.
Bottom line, no one's turning off his lights.


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Got him! (Or her!) One of our (at least two) resident Great Horned Owls here in Chignik Lake.
As the sun doesn't rise till around 9:00 AM this time of year in Chignik Lake, it's still a long way till dawn as I write this. Eddie Vedder's Hard Sun is playing softly on the Bose, and the owl is still calling from a wooden utility pole close to our house. Two fingers of bourbon and too wired to sleep now. In addition to a number of technical challenges in getting a photograph of an owl at night, there's the 2:00-AM-in-the-morning-courage thing.
I lay awake in bed, listening to the hoo! hoo! hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo…
wondering whether to bother getting up, knowing the wary bird would probably be gone by the time I could pull on clothes, fumble with my camera and make it out the door into the black, freezing night. Barbra's deep, steady breathing tempts me to turn my pillow to the cool side, roll over, and give in to dreams.
But there it is again. Insistent. Calling…
I resent the light I must flip on, knowing the owl can see it illuminating the window. I resent the jangle of my belt buckle, the zipper of my jacket, the bump of my tripod agains the table, imagining the owl can hear this racket through the walls. As I turn the knob on the outside door to open it as noiselessly as I can (even though it seems to me it makes a great deal of noise) I picture the owl nervously lifting from its roost and gliding away.
This might very well be the definitive image of "a baleful eye." When I first saw this frame, Yeats' lines, from Under Ben Bulben – "Cast a cold eye/on life, on death/Horseman, pass by!" galloped through my mind. Owls evoke emotions like no other bird.
Outside, the sky is black. And silent. I know where this owl likes to perch and watch for voles. With no choice but to be patient as my eyes adjust to the inky dark, I work myself into position a cautious distance from where I think it will be.
There it is again! That familiar hoo! hoo! hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo.
The call is a time machine.
Not like a time machine.
A time machine. I'm 17, back in Clarion, Pennsylvania. From the waist up I'm as brown as sand on the beaches of North Carolina where we used to vacation. From the waist down, faded Levis and Nikes. All day I've been perched precariously on a long extension ladder, painting fuel silos – squinting into the white glare, or lugging rolls of tar paper slung on my shoulder up the ladder to a leaky roof, or out by the warehouse rolling fuel oil drums and stacking tires at Keith Martin's Exxon plant.
By the time I get off work, I'm beat. I take a quick bath (no shower at our place), pull on a pair of running shorts, my Nikes and maybe a cotton t-shirt and head out Doe Run Road for a five-mile run. It's cool under the forest canopy, big strides on the road that is sometimes old pavement, sometimes old dirt. Once in a while I kick out a grouse along the roadside edge or spook a few whitetail deer. I know now – but did not know back then – that the crazy, laughing bird calls I heard were shy pileated woodpeckers.
From head to tail, Great Horned Owls average over 20 inches tall with a wingspan of four feet. Their feathers are exceptionally soft, designed for absolute quiet – a necessity for hunting at night. Their faces are almost flat, which gives them pinpoint depth vision and amplified hearing. Their enormous eyes are loaded with tapeta lucida, a light-reflecting tissue behind their retina that allows for excellent night vision.
After the run I take a second bath, get back into jeans, my favorite linen button-down shirt and my fishing sneakers. I tuck a small plastic box into the shirt's breast pocket. It holds a couple of Rapalas, a Baby Lucky 13, a few split-shot sinkers and a few #6 hooks. That and my pocket knife are all I need. I grab my spinning rod, my hat, the keys to the family's "second car" — a light green Chevy Chevette hatchback -, and I'm off.
Smallmouth bass. I'm obsessed with them.
Up Route 322, northwest on 66, past cornfields, strip mines and copses of oaks… I have to watch for the turnoff to the river. Sometimes mayflies spatter the windshield as I cross the steel-grate, single-lane bridge. Then it's left up a couple of hard-packed dirt ruts, the center section grown in with blue-eyed grass and white pine seedlings.
Wiped out after an eight-hour day where I didn't use my mind, the run, the drive, the river, the prospect of fish… have me energized. I park the Chevette, grab my rod, tap the minimalist box of gear in my breast pocket and walk to the bridge I just crossed over Cather's Run to have a look at the trout that are usually there.
At first, I have to train my eyes to see through the sunlight-dappled surface of the creek. Once I find the multi-hued stone-cobbled bottom, I start looking for shadows.
Claws facing toward camera, the owl demonstrates its legendary ability to completely turn its head backwards – kind of like me at Costco (don't ask). Looks a bit like Batman.
And there they are. One… two… three… four trout. Browns. This in a stream locals consider to be fished out this late in summer. I know how to catch these trout, and I know that there are more upstream. But its enough to know that these fish are here, somehow comforting. I never told anyone about those trout. Years later, crammed into a berthing compartment on the U. S. Blue Ridge with 70 other sailors, bunks stacked three high, toe to head and maybe three feet between rows, I'd think about those trout as I was trying to fall asleep. I still think about those trout.
The waters of the Clarion River in July and August were warm under the summer sun and I could wet wade till dark without getting too cold. And so I'd walk out into the river in sneakers, jeans and a shirt, thigh deep or waist deep, and start casting.
I don't think I ever didn't catch at least a few bass.
Looking upriver, on the right-side bank rising from the lawn of the lone house there (almost never occupied), was probably the most magnificent, ancient, verdantly-green, sky-reaching White Pine tree I've ever seen. One evening, coming from the direction of that house and that tree, I heard a distinctive hoo… hoo… hoo…
I was puzzled. The voice sounded… human. It sounded like "who."
They're beautiful. Mysterious. Regal. Unique. Yes, they invite being remade as throw pillows. They're a Halloween icon, a symbol of of everything from wisdom to death to any other superstition humans might ascribe to a being that merely wishes to stay comfortable, eat, and have offspring. Their existence can be rationalized a dozen ways – they eat rodents, keep aways crows, etc. But, look at this exquisite animal. And then imagine a world without this creature.
There was a considerable pause. I continued casting. And then, again, either louder or closer or both…
Hoo… Hoo…
Looking back, I suppose I placed a rising inflection on the vocalization as I turned it into a "Who?" and an implied "Who are you, fishing the water in front of my property?"
I hollered back, giving my full name and explaining that it was my car parked near the bridge. I was trying to make sense of the fact that I still couldn't see the (I presumed) old man who must surely be standing on the lawn somewhere making this inquiry of me.
Subsequently, all was silent. Assuming I had satisfied his (whoever "his" was) curiosity, I resumed fishing and didn't give the matter further thought, save for a mental note to knock on his door if a light was on when I came in and thereby make proper introductions.
As was the case every night on the river, swallows were gradually replaced by bats, mayflies by caddisflies, and rustlings in the tall grass along the banks indicated that skunks, muskrats and raccoons were becoming active. The appearance of the first star or two in the deepening blue sky provided a signal to start wading to shore.
One more cast…
As I retrieved my Lucky 13 across the shallow break where the bass came to feed at dusk, neither startled nor not startled I picked up a silhouette flapping toward me from my right. And then something like alarm did set in as the object rapidly grew larger, seeming to hone in on me. I ducked a little. The owl flew so close to my head I could feel the breeze from its wings.
And yet, I could not hear it.
I've been buzzed by any number of birds. You can always hear them.
I could not hear this one.
In that moment, I learned that owls are capable of otherworldly silence.
It is probably only in my mind that that owl and I became something of friends over the course of subsequent fishing trips. Often times he or she would vocalize from the pine before swooping across the river, but never again as close as that first encounter.
Back in the car, I'd crank the heater against the Pennsylvania cold of wet denim and the Allegheny Mountains' rapidly falling night temperatures and turn the radio to KDKA to catch game two of a Pittsburgh Pirate twi-night double header, mayflies and caddisflies and moths dancing in the headlights.
Here I am in Chignik Lake, Alaska. Forty years later, living on good water, an owl outside my window bringing back memories like they happened yesterday.


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WWE taped this week's episode of Main Event on Tuesday night from the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham, Alabama. Below are full results:
WWE Main Event (Airing on Ion Television)
* Seth Rollins w/ Roman Reigns b. Goldust w/ Cody Rhodes. Reigns and Rhodes started brawling at ringside, allowing Rollins to roll up a distracted Goldust.
* The Real Americans b. The Prime Time Players
* Cameron & Naomi b. Alicia Fox & Aksana
* Damien Sandow b. Dolph Ziggler


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I was watching a documentary about Stephen Hawking the other week. Among the many interesting things I learnt was the fact that he doesn't use handouts at his talks. Or at least, he didn't at the talk that was shown in the film. I'm assuming that to be representative of his general practice.
For those not accustomed to the wonder that is the conference handout, an example is here. Its purpose varies. For me, it's a prop for your audience, a summary of what you're saying so that they can follow along while you're saying it and have a record afterwards. I think it should be clear enough that someone who wasn't there can read the handout and understand the basic idea of the talk. It might, if you use Powerpoint, be a printout of the slides (often this is what you will get).
For other people, it's simply a place to put the data. None of what you say is on there, it's just a list of examples, tables and whatnot so that you can say 'Now look at (3)'. This, to me, is a waste of time. Make a presentation of the data, or make your handout more informative. A pure data handout is not going to mean anything to an audience member a year or even a month later.
I think in other disciplines it's almost an accessory, like an added extra - I went to a literature talk given by a friend and she had a one-page handout that just contained two (long) quotes relevant to her subject.
And in other disciplines, a handout is never used at all. Generally, a presentation is given (with Powerpoint or similar), or even just a talk, with no visual material.
Within linguistics, whether or not handouts are used seems to depend very much on which branch of linguistics it is. I was once at a general postgraduate conference, and in my session, we had handouts, and in the parallel acquisition session, no one did. At a syntax conference, almost everyone has handouts. It's simply the done thing in syntax, to give a good, comprehensive record of your talk to the audience (even if, as I mentioned before, this is just the printout of the slides). I think this is because we often have examples from other languages, which take time to digest, and diagrams that one might need to refer back to. In reality I think it's just custom/tradition/what everyone else does. But either way, it's really good to be able to refer back to difficult examples or trees, or take a bit longer to study them than other people.
I would have thought that physics, with its equations and so on, would be similar to syntax in its attitude to handouts. I often think of theoretical physics as sort of equivalent to theoretical linguistics (though I know little about it, it seems logically similar). And I'd expect a physics talk to be reasonably difficult to follow without some kind of visual aid, so I was quite disappointed not to see Hawking's assistant dishing out nice thick wodges of paper. But we should be saving paper, so perhaps this is the right attitude to take.


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Honestly, just think of it... if you are a Hollywood star, or famous international singer or anything famous just how annoying it is to be followed all the time and chased by this nightmare that doesn't let you move on your own without their constant chase! Paparazzi definitelly makes a pain to some stars... If I am a star I would be so much borred from them mainly because they don't even let you even shop properly!! Isn't that tragic? :) Same happen to Selena Gomez, while she was in Milan for Milan Fashion Week. Beautiful Disney Star was seen in interesting t-shirt from Versace "Love from Donatella T-shirt" with H&M rugged boyfriend jeans and with the new Versace Palazzo bag straight from the spring summer 2014 runway show... Being famous definitely has it's perks and having newest Versace bag is just one of them, Donatela Versace couldn't get better promotion for her new fabulous bag, since adorable Selena did a great job with it..
Keep Being Provocative.


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robert t.
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l You can also access your Shopping Cart at any time by clicking the Cart at the top of every page on ellasbride.com.
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To make the marinade: In a large glass bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, chili flakes, chili powder, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Add in the pork and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (although I prefer to marinate for 3 hours or overnight). Soak the wooden skewers in a shallow pan of water for at least 1 hour. Remove the pork cubes from the marinade. Thread 3 or 4 pieces of marinated pork on the skewers, alternating the pork with small wedges of lemons and oranges. Place the skewers on an area of the grill with no direct flame. Continue to brush marinade during grilling, until the meat is browned, about 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally or to desired doneness. Transfer the pork from the skewers and place in pita pockets. Top the pork with shredded lettuce and avocado tzatziki.;
In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt. Whisk in the yogurt. Add the grated cucumber, diced avocado and mix well. Cover the mixture and chill for at least 1 hour.
To get as much cucumber flavor as possible, grate the cucumber right over the yogurt.;


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You're not a child anymore, I realize.
You've grown and matured, far beyond wise.
Still, I remember how just yesterday
I could somehow love your sorrows away.
How I miss those times when just being there,
Brought your heart comfort when you were scared.
Those talks we'd have about friends and school,
And shopping for clothes and shoes that were "cool".
My "little one" no longer, but adult and strong,
You don't need me to help you know right from wrong.
I've let go of the past and look ahead with anticipation,
Toward the joy of the future with great expectation.
Though the memories of your childhood are oh so good,
There's nothing I'd change about you, even if I could.


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Bryan Duncan's New Album & Re-Issue of Some Past Albums
There are two things I'm hoping to accomplish on Kickstarter with your help - record a new album and re-release some of my earlier projects that are out of print (Strong Medicine, Anonymous Confessions of a Lunatic Friend, Mercy, Slow Revival, Christmas Is Jesus, Quiet Prayers, Blue Skies and The Last Time I Was Here).
The $40,000 goal I've set is much less than the original recording budgets for many of my albums and they were recorded, let's just say, "a few years ago." Plus, there are costs to providing you with the cool perks you can choose from. However, Kickstarter uses an all or nothing model. We have to meet the goal or the project isn't funded at all. So, I'm setting the budget, for recording a new album, re-printing some of my previous records, and sending you the things you choose at a fairly bare-bones level. We should be able to reach this goal together quite easily and hopefully we'll blow past it. If we hit $40,000 I'll get to record a new album for you and re-release the out-of-print albums. If we exceed the goal, the new album will be that much better and probably finished sooner too. Find answers to "What happens if you exceed your goal?" and other questions here and in the FAQs below.
These past albums are an important part of our journey together. I'm also excited to share new songs that reflect how God is working in our lives through times of hardship, growth, mercy and joy. There's a live-performance video of "I Can't Imagine," one of the songs I'm considering for the new album, below.
I'm grateful for God's grace, your support through the years and your help with this Kickstarter campaign. Let me show that gratitude by recording some new songs to share with you and by giving you some of the cool stuff you'll see on the right side of this page --->.
You can be a HUGE help by sharing this page and the story behind it with your friends and family on social media, especially Facebook and Twitter. There are some links right under the video above that make it easy. The more people we reach before the deadline the better chance we have of making some good music together. So start sharing today!
P.S. - You'll find additional information on this campaign in the links below - like more about estimated delivery dates, notes for international backers, etc. and other questions here.
I Can't Imagine is one of the songs I'm considering for the new album. Check out the Let's Talk About It and Do You See What I See perks for ways to give me feedback during the song selection process.
Bob Carlisle & I did a medley of soul tunes, Blues Brothers style, on the Slow Revival tour. Ready (aka Christopher Redner) shot our performance in Tulsa, where he found some flashy yellow usher jackets for us to wear.
Questions about this project? Check out the FAQ
Funding period
- (33 days)


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Welcome to Creation Space: Kean University's Literary Magazine
Creation Space is a way for students to channel their creative works such as their poetry, prose and art throughout the university.
Creation Space is an annual literary magazine that is available in the English Department and the Fine Arts Department. The magazine is also available to read online by clicking on one of the issues on the left.
If you are interested in joining the Creation Space Staff, please e-mail us. Meetings for the magazine take place during college hour on every first and third Wednesday of the month in CAS 341.
For any questions, please e-mail us at email@example.com


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A scoop the other week emerged over at IESB about the sequel rights to "Sin City" being up for grabs. The Weinstein Company denied the rumor both then and now even as evidence is emerging against their denials.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, several producers have said that they have been shopped the rights by reps for Miller's estate who are seeking a new place to set up a potential follow-up to the Robert Rodriguez-directed 2005 comic noir feature which grossed $159 million worldwide.
It is unclear what kind of involvement Rodriguez would have with a potential sequel. The Weinstein's for now are standing by their original denial from a few weeks ago that said "TWC's rights to produce sequels to 'Sin City' remain intact as they always have been."


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Local First Arizona is building prosperous local economies within vibrant and sustainable communities that we're all proud to call home. We do this through supporting, promoting and advocating for a strong local business community and by raising public awareness of the economic and cultural benefits provided by strong local economies.
Together with our Foundation, we are working to build a diversified Arizona economy that is inclusive, resilient and celebratory of diverse cultures.
Every program, initiative, and project from Local First Arizona is working towards a resilient Arizona economy that is rich in opportunities for all types of businesses, enterprises, and individuals. Here's how we do it:
Buy Local
We help consumers and businesses keep dollars circulating in the local economy to build community wealth.
Eat Local
We all have to eat, and when we support local restaurants, agriculture, and food production, our economy is better for it.
Bank Local
Investing in local banks and credit unions means there is more local control of financing options for individuals and businesses.
Build Local
The built environment plays a critical role in the local economy, and we're making sure it is sustainable and inclusive for all.
Policy & Advocacy
We continuously advocate for policies that level the playing field for local businesses and spur local economic opportunity.
Community & Economic Development
Our many events and programs bring the community together and build connections among local enterprises.
Business Training & Entrepreneurship
We provide training and consulting to local businesses to give them the tools they need to succeed, create jobs, and grow the economy.
A Look Back at 2016: By the Numbers
2016 was a year of growth and progress as we established ourselves as Arizona's leading advocate for local and independent businesses. Take a glance at some of the highlights from this past year.
Only have a minute? Watch our video:
Here's the index! Jump To:
Our Local Business Coalition
Giving local businesses a powerful voice
At Local First Arizona, our primary goal is to make Arizona a better place by supporting locally owned businesses and building vibrant communities that residents are proud to call home. One of the main ways we work to achieve this goal is direct support of local businesses through our local business coalition.
Now 3,000 members strong, the coalition offers members a forum to come together to collaborate on common goals, as well as a platform to promote themselves to a wider audience, and a variety of opportunities and programs to gain important skills and resources to better operate their businesses.
Total statewide membership of the Local First Arizona business coalition, making us the largest local business coalition in the country.
Total number of employees that Local First Arizona members employ and represent.
Local First Arizona hosted more than 60 networking events and mixers across the state this past year, connecting local business owners and representatives in meaningful ways.
Additional revenue spent in businesses participating in this year's Independents Week campaign, our weeklong summer campaign to spread the Buy Local message and lend support to local, independent businesses across the state.
Rate of growth for our Fuerza Local membership in 2016, the Spanish-speaking arm of our business coalition.
Harnessing the power of individual Arizonans to create change
The Localist program is Local First Arizona's individual membership program, a way for individuals to hold a stake in the Buy Local movement and have fun while supporting local businesses. By connecting Localist members to other individuals and local businesses in their communities, they will experience a more defined sense of place.
The Localist program works to create prosperity throughout Arizona by inspiring individuals to be proud to call Arizona home, to put down roots here, and to increase their civic engagement in building their community. Great places are built by people who love their place.
Total number of Localist members in Tucson, Flagstaff, and the Phoenix Metro.
Localists across Arizona were treated to more than 20 specially curated and exclusive events throughout the year.
Of the 2016 Localist events that had capped attendance, 91% of them were sold out events.
Economic and Business Development
Giving businesses the resources they need to succeed
Encouraging consumers to frequent local businesses is not enough to build strong local economies. We must ensure that local businesses themselves have the tools and resources they need to operate sustainable and prosperous businesses. Local First Arizona hosts events, conferences, and webinars, and consults individually with local businesses to do just that.
Local First Arizona hosted nearly a dozen seminars, webinars, and educational opportunities for business members throughout the state.
Number panelists and speakers at the first annual SOCENT (Social Entrepreneurship) Summit, highlighting businesses committed to social entrepreneurship.
Number of people who attended the inaugural Arizona Living Economies Forum in Tucson that brought over 100 individuals together to discuss Tucson's local economy and how to take action to create prosperity for all.
We partnered with 17 community banks and credit unions to promote the importance of community banking.
Attendees at the 6 panel discussions held in 2016 for the newly launched For(u)m program advocating for thoughtful, sustainable, and walkable urban development.
Total pounds of recyclable and organic materials that we diverted from landfills through direct efforts at our events and offices. We also worked with five local businesses to advice them on implementing sustainable practices.
Our Work in the Community
Bringing people together to celebrate Arizona
Local First Arizona hosts many key events and campaigns throughout the year to engage the public by showcasing Arizona's local businesses. These events are designed to make connections and build meaningful relationships, as well as redirect dollars into the local community through strategic campaigning.
Studies show that when citizens feel more connected to their community, home, and place, those communities see higher incidents of civic engagement and social philanthropy. Our events are one way Local First Arizona is helping Arizonans feel more connected to this state and inspiring them to be proud to call Arizona home.
Attendance at the 12th Annual Certified Local Fall Festival, held this year at Hance Park in Phoenix with more than 200 local business participants.
Number of immigrant and refugee vendors Local First Arizona hosted at the two World Bazaar and Phoenix Community Market events with the International Rescue Committee in 2016. The event was inspired to bring together Phoenix's immigrant and refugee communities and showcase the rich culture that is abundant in Phoenix.
Total number of Arizona businesses who participated in Buy Local Month, offering discounts and specials to Localists.
Number of new Small Wonders maps that were printed and distributed into the hands of locals and visitors throughout Arizona to direct them to nearby local businesses and experiences.
Eat Local
Connecting People to Community Through Food
Every time that we eat is an opportunity to invest in our local economy. We work to encourage individuals to choose local at the farmers market and grocery store, and in turn help restaurants and businesses find local food and beverage sources.
Number of guests at this year's sold out Savor Southern Arizona Food and Wine Festival, Tucson's preeminent food event.
Number of restaurant members of the Devour Phoenix Restaurant Coalition, an elite group of restaurants committed to the community and to sourcing locally.
Total 2016 sales for the Devour Phoenix eGift Card, redeemable at 30+ of the best restaurants around the Valley.
Number of years in a row that the Devour Culinary Classic, the region's premier culinary event showcasing the best food and beverage that Phoenix has to offer, has sold out.
Number of partnerships Local First Arizona has formed with like-minded organizations to advocate for local foods, including Flagstaff Food Link, City of Tucson Commission for Food Security, Heritage and Economics, Maricopa County Food System Coalition, and others.
Our sister organization, the Local First Arizona Foundation, is focused on community and economic development throughout the state in order to build self-sufficient, healthy and prosperous communities.
The LFA Foundation's work is specifically centered on empowering and creating opportunities for rural communities, increasing access to healthy local foods, and giving underserved micro-entrepreneurs the resources they need to build successful businesses.
Click here for 10 easy ways to support Local First Arizona.
Thanks to our Sustaining Members
Our Sustaining Members go above and beyond to support our important work in creating a prosperous Arizona that we're all proud to call home.
3monkeys print & design | A & E Recycled Granite, L.L.C. | Accurate Signs & Engraving | All City Towing
AJ'S Fine Foods | AmeriSource HR Consulting Group | Arizona Central Credit Union | Arizona Highways Magazine
Arizona Home Care | Arizona Sunrays Gymnastics & Dance Center | AZ-TV7/Cable 13 (KAZT)
Bar and Restaurant Insurance | Bashas' Markets | Bed DRS | Bookmans Entertainment Exchange
Brian Flatgard Design | Captains Restaurant Supply | CASCO Financial Group | Community Tire Pro's & Auto Repair
Courier Graphics | Courtesy Chevrolet | Credit Union West | D'Elia Photographic | Discount Cab | DMB Associates
DocuPrint Solutions | Duck and Decanter | Edible Phoenix | Felice+Whitney Agency | Flores Concepts | Gateway Bank
Good News Radio Broadcasting | Goodfellas Merch | Goodmans Interior Structures | Greater Phoenix Leadership
Harkins Theatres | Hickman's Family Farms | Horizon Community Bank | Hotel Congress
Hubbard Family Swim School | Ideas Collide | Impact Printing Services | InTown.TV | KJZZ - 91.5 / KBAQ - 89.5 FM
KRIM 96.3 FM | KXCI 91.3FM Community Radio | LocalWork.com | Lovitt & Touche. Inc.
MariSol Federal Credit Union | Mark Taylor Residential | Maynards Market + Kitchen
MERCURY Promotional Products & Services, LLC | Organic Sleep Systems | OPACS Inc.
O'Rielly Commercial and Fleet Truck Center
Phoenix Zoo Arizona Center for Nature Conservation | Pikfly | Pinnacle Bank | Postino Winecafe | Pride Group, LLC
Pulse Radio FM | RED Development | Snell & Wilmer L.L.P. | The Downtown Clifton
The Industrial Development Authority of the City of Phoenix | The Social Television Network
Think Graphic and Printing Solutions | Trainual | Tucson Originals | United Cerebral Palsy of Central AZ
Valley Metro | Vantage West Credit Union | VIP Taxi | VisitPhoenix.com
Special thanks to our volunteers, interns, and board of directors for helping us to achieve all that we did in 2016.
Thank you to our photography partners for producing the beautiful images used in this report: D'Elia Photographic, Harrison Lai Photography, and Michael Moriarty Photography.


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Money (feat. Jeezy & Ludacris) – DJ Khaled
July 19th, 2011
iTunes Price: $1.29
Genre: Hip Hop/Rap
Released: Jul 19, 2011
Customer Ratings
(1300 Ratings)
Money (feat. Jeezy & Ludacris) – DJ Khaled
View More By DJ Khaled
BiographyBorn: November 26, 1975 in New Orleans, LA
Genre: Hip Hop/Rap
Years Active: '90s, '00s, '10s
Miami-based DJ/producer DJ Khaled — a Palestinian-American born Khaled Khaled — is a member of Fat Joe's Terror Squad and released Listennn: The Album on Koch in June 2006. He utilized his connections to snare the likes of Beanie Sigel, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Paul Wall, Young Jeezy, Slim Thug, Trick Daddy, and Clipse for guest appearances. Many were back for his 2007 effort We the Best and in 2008 for We...
View More By DJ Khaled
Become a fan of the Vinyl To Platinum – Our Music Collective on Facebook for exclusive offers, the inside scoop on latest and most exclusive music albums, singles and videos.


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the fancy old girl, is on day three of three in a trash collection strike, which, even as I type it, sounds insignificant. Until you lose your place counting the number of doorbells on a block. We're like sheep in a feedlot up in here, peeps. Packed tight and making garbage.
Normally pristine, the city is flooded with things the general public isn't meant to see. A bloody sanitary pad stuck to the pavement. A seagull sinking its beak violently and repeatedly into the tender flesh of a vacuum cleaner bag, sending puffs of dust and mites and wads of hair into the air, occasionally swallowing. Soiled diapers flung open, thick swaths of half-eaten shit smeared on the curb. Footsteps walking through all of the above. Four sick birds in three days, all but one greasy-looking and lying on the ground, breathing fast, eyes feverish. One was missing nearly two-thirds of its feathers. When the wind is angled just right, all of that funk hits the nostrils hard. Scratch that. It hits all the senses hard.
I'm pretty sure that if it continued, the strike would spawn a plague. All right. Maybe I'm being dramatic. But if I so much as sniff a hint of an eye-roll out there, I will swiftly box up proof of one of the aforementioned items and post it directly to your doorstep. Seriously. Don't test me. I'm a champ with a tape gun and packing materials.
Well, that was a weird comeback.
Sometimes a blocked writer's gland is freed up by gazing upon a mountain at sunrise, or a new babe's tiny fingers. And sometimes, reeking garbage. Waist-high foothills of it fanning its fetor through an open front window.
Hey, people. If you've got access to clean air, take a whiff and tell me what it smells like. I imagine cherry blossoms, wisteria, ocean. Horses. Mown lawn. And never, ever treat your trash collectors like, well, trash.


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- 3/4 cup vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth (see Tips for Two)
- 4 large cloves garlic, peeled
- 4 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine
- 1 small zucchini, cut into matchsticks
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Combine broth and garlic cloves in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the garlic cloves are soft, about 15 minutes.
- After the garlic has simmered about 10 minutes, cook fettuccine in the boiling water, stirring often, for 8 minutes. Drop in zucchini and cook until the fettuccine is just tender, about 1 minute more.
- Meanwhile, transfer the garlic and broth to a blender. Process until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. (Use caution when blending hot liquids; see Tip.) Return the mixture to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add cornstarch mixture; whisk it until slightly thickened, about 15 seconds. Remove from the heat and whisk in sour cream, nutmeg and pepper. Return the pot to very low heat to keep the sauce warm. (Do not boil.)
- Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl. Add the sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan; toss to coat well. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately, passing the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan separately.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving: 379 calories; 11 g fat ( 6 g sat , 3 g mono ); 33 mg cholesterol; 52 g carbohydrates; 21 g protein; 8 g fiber; 628 mg sodium; 326 mg potassium.
Recipe from Eating Well


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Adam and Dianna are two of our best friends and they are getting married next September! My husband and I are so excited to be a part of their wedding! These two are the sweetest and have been through thick and thin together. I can't wait to see them tie the knot! I was also fortunate to be there for there engagement. Adam surprised Dianna with a proposal at Disneyland! Check it out here!
This was my first engagement shoot with a dog! Howie was so well-behaved and added just the right touch to these photos! Can't help but love Howie.


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As the Occupy Wall Street mantra of "blame someone else" continues to spread throughout the world, there is another movement brewing. It's called We Are The 53%, and it refers to the 53% of Americans who actually work enough to pay federal income tax.
The 53% pays all the federal income tax for 100% of Americans. The 53% are the responsible people who are working hard instead of complaining. They take responsibility for their own actions. They don't wait for the government to give them the life they want; they go out and take it themselves.
There is a great blog where people submit their story (usually handwritten on a sheet of paper) about what they have done to become a part of the 53%, and why they don't identify with the "99%" that claims to speak for all but 1% of the country.
You have to check out the site and some of the pictures. Go to We Are The 53% now!
I submitted my own story, but it hasn't been accepted yet. I hope the owner of the blog continues to post updates because I haven't seen one since last Friday. Even if he doesn't there are still some great stories of personal triumph and responsibility.
I am not the so called "99%" who hates the top 1% for their success. I am the 53%.
I Am The 53%
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If you're new to AirPods, considering buying a pair, or just want to pick up some new tips.
AirPods and AirPower: Everything We Know
Apple to Move Mac mini Production to U.S.
Apple is reportedly set to move its Mac mini production lines back to the US with Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) to be responsible of handling establishment, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.According to the report, Foxconn already has "about 15 operating bases" in the U.S. and the company plans on recruiting workers for 2013 for new automated production lines. The Mac mini is expected to reach 1.8 million sales units in 2013, up from 1.4 million units in 2012.
During a recent interview with NBC's Brian Williams, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that one of the existing Mac lines will be manufactured exclusively in the United States next year. Early speculation had suggested the Mac Pro might be that Mac model due to its relatively low volume of sales.
Top Rated Comments(View all)
And quality will go way down.
You couldn't be more incorrect in your assumption :)
Perhaps it is that you are just unaware of the conditions in these foreign factories.
Just because something was 'imported' doesn't mean it possesses some innate quality unrivaled by any of its domestic counterparts. This stereotype needs to die, and you should be ashamed of yourself not having any respect for our country.
Good move, Apple! They really should play up the Made in the USA angle in their advertising.
Well, they could in the USA. The rest of the world doesn't care.
I don't think the Mac Pro fits into Apple's portfolio anymore. A separate heavy bulky computer, made by reusable parts, with an external screen?
No, they prefer a computer to have all things integrated, not just for aesthetics and simplicity, but you also need to buy new very often, and throw the old away --> Apple profit.
I don't think the Mac Pro returns in its current form. And yes, it's rather absurd of them to disregard the professional market so long, and overcharging for horribly outdated hardware.
I am damn tired of hearing of iPhones and iPads. Need to get solid alternatives for serious computing back.
I bet if Apple does introduce an updated Mac Pro, it will be glued shut.
As for the Mac Pro, I'll believe that they're going to update it when I see it. They've shown a total callous disregard for the professional market in general these past few years and never once even lowered the price of the Mac Pro even when its was HORRIBLY out of date. Apple sometimes seems to lose all touch with reality. Why even bother if that's the best they're going to do? So what if they update it to modern specs one more time? We won't likely see another update for another 4-5 years....
...but made by Foxconn.
So? This doesn't contradict a word of what Cook mentioned.
An interesting question, though: Will the Mini eventually replace the Mac Pro? A server-grade Mini, same name, but new product, with thunderbolt expansion bays? I dunno, just brain-vomit at this point, but an interesting thought, nonetheless.
the company plans on recruiting workers for 2013 for new automated production linesAm I the only one that chuckled at the irony of that sentence?
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Contra Corbynomics: Why we should be incredulous towards economic statism
People are themselves. They are not objects to be pushed around by the State, which is what the new Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, proposes. This is why the British public shouldn't be seduced by Corbyn's vision of economic statism in which individualism, hard work and enterprise are demonised by expensive and controlling government.
Corbynomics, which is characterised by social ownership of the means of production and of the economy, is inefficient, unrealistic and reactionary. Corbynomics will not transfer power from the top of society to the bottom. It will merely hand power to (and enrich) apparatchiks, trade unions, politicians and state bureaucrats. In other words, a Corbyn government means power will be centralised and controlled by an overstaffed elite.
Corbyn's economic statism reduces everything to the banality of the One: a one-size-fits-all economic narrative that ignores regional, local and competitive differences. The notion of the State as a single essence was a twentieth century experiment that failed. Look at the continental catastrophes of communism or fascism, or the public sector battles in the UK during the 1970s. It was only with the formation of a new British consensus in the 1980s and 1990s – first under Thatcher and then Blair – that taxes were lowered and the monopoly of public sector power was broken, thanks in part to the privatisation of some industries/services.
Social mobility in the twenty-first century will not be helped by a return to an outdated economic public sector model. Contrary to popular opinion, the free market is not a reductive enterprise; rather, it is the guarantor of aspiration and progress. There is nothing immoral about people buying goods and services produced for profit. We need entrepreneurs, businesses and companies to invest in our local and regional economies, and to create new jobs. And of course, profits can be reinvested, fuelling economic growth and reducing prices for consumers.
Corbyn's vision of the State comprises an unworkable trinity of nationalisation, people's quantitative easing and higher taxes. But this trinity will not result in some kind of utopia. Renationalisation of the railways will require huge public investment, paid for by higher taxes on people who already work very long hours. Nor will renationalisation make the system accountable to taxpayers. Indeed, in the land of Corbyn, our democratic rights over state services will be endlessly deferred in a chain of bureaucracy and political obfuscation. Our frustrations with the railways will not diminish if the State steps in. On the contrary, our concerns will grow because of less choice, higher costs, below-par service and unionised public sector strikes.
Also troubling is the Corbynomic vision of so-called people's quantitative easing, whereby the Bank of England prints money to bankroll socialism, which could lead to high levels of inflation. As Bank of England governor Mark Carney points out, "The people who tend to get hurt the most by inflation are the poor, the elderly, those that can't hedge themselves – that's been the experience throughout history." Far from entering the lives of the vulnerable and transforming them for the better, Corbynomics will hurt the most disadvantaged and leave them with less money to spend on essentials and luxuries. Again, Corbynomics robs us all – but especially the poor – of personal and economic autonomy.
Finally, higher tax rates do not necessarily yield more revenues because they reduce incentives to work. What Corbyn fails to understand is that the UK is actually becoming more equal. The top one per cent of earners in the UK now shoulder a greater share of the income tax burden than at any time in our country's history. In other words, Chancellor George Osborne's taxation policy is sensibly progressive. Corbynomics is regressive and will generate less income for the country.
Corbynomics is a fantasy. It is an illiterate and ideologically-driven economic metanarrative that elevates and enshrines the grand role of the State and punishes the virtues of localism, eclecticism, enterprise, healthy competition and personal aspiration. These virtues help make Britain a modern and exciting country. Corbynomics, by contrast, is a return to the old and defeated arguments of the 1970s when high inflation, government inefficiency, bad services, trade union militancy and low growth turned the UK into the sick man of Europe.
Labour needs to get real and reach out to the British people with sensible and moderate policies. The electorate is neither stupid nor naïve. Given that the country rejected Ed Miliband in May 2015 and voted for a Conservative majority government for the first time since the 1990s, they are hardly likely to vote for Labour's dangerous economic statism in 2020.


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|Ben Lewin (left) and William H. Macy (right) on the set of THE SESSIONS
Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight
By Ben Lewin and Joshua Handler
The responses below are from Ben Lewin, best known for writing and directing Sundance Audience Award-winner and Oscar-nominee, The Sessions.
Do you feel that it is important for aspiring filmmakers and filmgoers to view independent and world cinema and why?
The standards of storytelling don't change with the system in which they are made. It is merely a difference in accessibility for audiences that mean independent and world cinema aren't as talked about in the mainstream cinematic society in comparison to major Western productions. Just because these films aren't as popular to the masses, it doesn't in any way reflect the quality of their content, and it is important for young filmmakers to see as much quality art as they can.
Do you feel that it is important for aspiring filmmakers and filmgoers to view films of the past and why?
Movie-making has been a hugely successful business for over 100 years and this means that there is an enormous archive of important and defining films spanning decades. Current films are just a taste of this huge library of content. Not only this, but it is the films from the past that make the films of today possible, they have broken boundaries and become influences in ways that before no one thought were possible. Perhaps it is through that hindsight that we can truly judge a film's importance and impact.How did viewing indies and films from around the world help you when directing THE SESSIONS and any of the other films you've written and directed?
Looking to the past is always necessary for creating something for the future. It is always important to view other people's work, as, consciously or not, we are all influenced and motivated by one another. I don't like to dwell on life's negativity when making films, as films are supposed to be an escape. Watching films, whatever type they may be, help in looking at ways to make light of a bad situation. That was important when making The Sessions, it is always important to keep a sense of humor and joy.
What's one American indie and one non-English-language film that you would recommend that film-lovers or young/aspiring filmmakers see?
From the Mouths of Filmmakers continues on Wednesday.I would say one of the best American indie films I have seen in recent years is Richard Linklater's Boyhood, and a very important non-English-language film that I would recommend for film lovers or young filmmakers to see is Fernando Meirelles' City of God.


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Corsair announced a new family of USB flash drives that the company said approach the maximum performance available from the USB 2.0 interface, which offers 480Mbit/sec throughput.
The Flash Voyager GTR family of USB flash drives have maximum read speeds up to 34MB/sec. and write speeds of up to 28MB/sec.
The Flash Voyager GTR drives will be available in densities of 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB. The drives come in a water-resistant rubber housing and have a 10-year limited warranty.
"As we continue to digitise the sights, sounds, movies, and business of our everyday lives, we need better and better ability to transport our data and access it quickly," said John Beekley, president of technical marketing at Corsair.
"The Flash Voyager GTR combines the best features of a USB flash drive and the performance of an external hard drive to provide the ultimate data portability tool."
Corsair did not offer any suggested retail pricing on its new drives.


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A Sheffield media composer / songwriter, with some co-written songs. www.soundcloud.com/neildube
Click below to like this Track:
Never Be
Such a lovely sad song, enjoyed and rated. Gibbo
Neil Dube - guitars, keyboards, vocals. Originally from Manchester and lived in London for a long time. Now lives in South West Sheffield and loves every minute of it. Recently completed a solo project called "The Silver Screen" - themes and music for movies that haven't been made yet. You can listen to some of them here. More on his pages at www.soundcloud.com/neildube and www.facebook.com/NeilDubeMusic. Is grateful that you've taken an interest in this page and hopes you'll find something you like. Thanks.
Paul Chambers - guitars. Originally from the Channel Islands, he lived in London and Hertfordshire for a while before finally moving back home to Jersey. Is also grateful you've taken an interest in our page and also hopes you'll find something you really like. Thanks.
A new Facebook page for Neil's media compositions and songs has been set up! It'll be updated regularly with news, music and videos. You can find it at www.facebook.com/NeilDubeMusicDon't forget that you can also hear Neil's music on his SoundCloud page: www.soundcloud.com/neildube


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Just a casual Monday outfit. Nothing special. Just chilling with the Maisie Monster. Seriously, she's a monster! She ripped the face off a bear on Monday morning! It was a small teddy bear, but still, fluffy stuffing, uh I mean, guts everywhere and all the facial features obliterated!
Actually, she's not a monster, but she is a puppy. The first night I stayed with her I was getting into my pjs and so took off my bra and underpants. I put them on the chest by the window. I slip into my robe and look across at my undergarments, to notice only a bra sitting there. Hmmm. Maisie is standing in the corner with my underpants hanging from her mouth. I go to grab her. She dives under the bed. It's a queen size bed and there's storage tubs in my way. I try to push things aside and she scoots off and OUT THE CAT FLAP.
Now I'm in the backyard in the dark trying to catch a dog who has decided that my underpants are the best prize ever and there's no way she's giving them up, and it's dark and I'm in a robe yelling out, 'Give back my underpants, I like those, they match the bra, come on!'. I have no idea what the neighbors thought. She then runs back inside and heads for the bedroom again. I give chase, thinking I can corner her, but she changes direction in the hallway with rugs on polished floorboards, and I tried to change direction and instead slipped and hit my knee on the floorboards. I did get my knickers back in the end, but she was so unimpressed and wound up from the whole affair she barked all night. I had three hours sleep. She's sooooo lucky she's cute as hell.
But enough about Maisie Moo; this is honestly one of my fave vintage dresses. It's so comfortable on, especially in super hot weather Sydney is having. I'm not complaining. This weather is easy: throw on a cotton dress, open toed shoes with painted toenails, and go!
VictrolaVictrola 50s dress, Anthropologie Seychelles wedges, Coro plastic earrings, Miu Miu sunglasses, Hermes Birkin


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Let's Hold Hands Tightly And Watch The Sunset
Genres: Drama, Family, Romance
Country: South Korea
Release Year: 2018
Synopsis: Nam Hyun Joo married her university senior Kim Do Young. They live a happy life as a husband and wife. Kim Do Young works as an architect and was once thought of as a genius in his field. His refusal to make compromises and stick to his style has caused difficulties with his job. One day, Nam Hyun Joo asks for a divorce and Kim Do Young's first love Shin Da Hye appears.
YOU ARE WATCHING: Let's Hold Hands Tightly And Watch The Sunset
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The fall and winter
color palette for 2003 continues the theme of a renewed focus on home
centered lives while also adding credence to current economic conditions
and the rapid pace of advancements in technology. Closely paralleling
current design trends, contemporary palettes reflect a flagrant desire
for quality as well as the importance for consumer choice in the "color"
marketplace. Traditional American heritage, nature's all encompassing
world and cultural fusion are a few of the predominant influences that
forecasters have indicated as dominating themes for the upcoming fall
and winter season's color stories.
Gail McCauley and PQI
"Do It Yourself" Articles
Used with permission