Who is the Easter Bunny?
Even before the final snow of winter has thawed, sometimes as early as February, you begin to see him on television, at the mall, even in miniature chocolate form at your local grocery story.
The Easter Bunny is one of the most notable (and delicious) signs of spring. He arrives every year to deliver pastel baskets laden with some of the best candy since Halloween and colorfully painted chicken eggs.
But who is this cotton-tailed holiday character?
Oschter Haws
For many ancient cultures, the arrival of spring also meant a sudden abundance of rabbits, making the long-eared creatures one of the many symbols of spring’s promise of new life. However, the first mention of rabbits and Easter can be traced back to German folklore around the 1600s, in which the ancient symbol became linked with the religious holiday. This festive rabbit became known as “Oschter Haws,” or the Easter Hare, and took on the role of a sort of Santa Claus character, bringing colored eggs to good children on Easter morning. German immigrants brought the Oschter Haws tradition with them to the U.S. in the 1700s, and the rest is history. Read the rest »
Selfies, Social Media, and Their Strange Effects on the Plastic Surgery Industry
SLS Consulting is constantly exploring how social media can be used to promote and improve business. Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are now essential tools for letting your clients and your potential clients know who you are and why they should be doing business with you.
These platforms are also making plastic surgeons VERY happy.
According to a recent study conducted by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), one in three plastic surgeons say that social media is responsible for an increase in the number of patients seeking cosmetic surgery and other non-surgical procedures, such as Botox injections.
SLS Staffers List Their Favorite Books for National Reading Month
March is National Reading Month, so the staff at SLS Consulting decided to pick their favorite books and discuss why they love them so much.
As you can see below, every staff member has a book that has left a major impression on his or her life. Read on to see our picks and get inspired to pick up a new book! Do you have a favorite? Are any of these near and dear to your heart? Let us know on our Facebook page!
Susan – The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
This series was the first I remember really reading for pleasure as a child and it kindled a lifelong sense of wonder and excitement for reading. I’ve read them by myself many times and I’ve also read them to my children. Reading is a way to escape from reality without really going anywhere. This series reminds us that the imagination is a beautiful thing and that if we believe, anything is possible. These books have many life lessons housed within their pages: unexpected acts of kindness, unusual friendships, loyalty, betrayal, fear, and love. I rarely read a book twice, but I have read these many times.
Kathleen – You Can’t Go Home Again by Thomas Wolfe
Wolfe is actually my favorite author of all time. I love all of his books and reread them occasionally. I can’t actually put into words why I loved You Can’t Go Home Again the first time that I read it, but I still enjoy going to Asheville, North Carolina. I love to read and read anything and everything, but I go back to Thomas Wolfe. I also love Thomas Hardy, Ayn Rand, and F. Scott Fitzerald. There are a few current writers that I enjoy but cannot choose one as a favorite.
Leticia – No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre
I read it a while ago, but I remember loving this play because of the existentialist message at the end. I enjoyed Sartre’s exploration of what hell could be like in a non-traditional sense. It also made me think about how the dynamic of a group depends on the people in it. If it’s the right group of people, wonderful. If people aren’t compatible with each other, it’s only a matter of time before things start to become “interesting.” Read the rest »
How to Make Blessing Bags and Put a Smile on Someone’s Face
Do you know what a “blessing bag” is? If you don’t, allow us to give you a brief rundown of what blessing bags are, and how they can help out the people around us who are the most in need.
A blessing bag (usually a Ziploc) contains small, non-perishable items meant to help out a person less fortunate who might be down on his or her luck. These items, while small, are truly blessings for someone who may not have much. At SLS Consulting, we’ve made it a point to pass these bags out to those who are less fortunate than we are, and are often greeted with sincere smiles from the people we’re helping out.
So what do you need to get started? Read the rest »
Five Hidden Gems in Pasadena
Generally, outsiders know Pasadena for Old Town and the restaurants, shops, and bars that line Colorado Blvd. They don’t know that the city has a rich history and is still to this day a center for arts, culture, education, and athletics.
If you really take the time to explore Pasadena, you’ll find yourself immersed in beautiful architecture, impressive art collections, and many other wonderful things, all the while surrounded by the majestic mountain landscapes. Here are a few places to start getting to know the true heart of this beautiful city.
Cal Tech Architecture Tour
The California Institute of Technology is known for its breakthroughs in seismology and its award-winning faculty. However, many people, even locals, don’t know that many great architectural sites are located on the 128-acre campus. The school itself dates all the way back to 1891. Some of its buildings were constructed before the start of World War II. Lovers of history and architecture should take a long walk around the campus; there will be plenty for your eyes and mind to indulge in. Read the rest »
Celebrate the Arrival of Spring in Southern California
Admittedly, winter has been incredibly mild in southern California this year, but that does not mean that locals aren’t eagerly anticipating the perks of spring in The Golden State. From fresh blooming flowers to longer sunny days, there’s no better season to get out and explore California.
At SLS Consulting, we can’t wait to join in on some of the upcoming spring events and festivals. Here are some of our favorites for March.
Dana Point Festival of Whales – The first two weekends of March are reserved for celebrating the annual migration of gray whales along the southern California coast. In a single day, up to 50 whales may pass by Dana Point, giving sightseers a rare glimpse of the majestic mammals. This is the 43rd Annual Festival of Whales, complete with parade, sand sculpting, concerts, and environmental activities. Nothing beats a day at the beach, especially if whales are involved!
The Legal Implications of Dumb Starbucks – How Parody Law Affects Marketing
Did you hear about Dumb Starbucks? A coffee shop, bearing a very striking resemblance to your run-of-the-mill neighborhood Starbucks, popped up in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles in early February, and the owners of the shop weren’t worried about the real Starbucks shutting them down (Note: the L.A. County Department of Public Health did manage to shut the business down though for “operating without a valid public health permit”).
It would stand to reason that the use of copyrighted materials is wrong, and that any use of those materials for profit or gain of any kind would not be permitted. To assume anything otherwise would question the validity of copyrights altogether, and any deviation from the guidelines set forth by copyright laws would seem to nullify any penalties associated with breaking them. In other words, if you use someone else’s copyrighted material, you’re going to get in trouble for it, plain and simple.
However, according to fair use, an entity may use copyrighted materials for parody purposes as long as the use of those materials is clearly considered parody. While it seems contradictory, clearly identifying materials as parody items means that images and likenesses are required to mimic the original copyrighted material to such an extent that the similarities between the copyrighted material and parody work are clearly evident. Read the rest »
Yelper Convicted for Defamation Due to Angry Reviews
A multi-day Virginia trial recently concluded with a woman convicted of defamation for her scathing online review of a local contractor. As reported by Eater.com, the defamation charge stems from a one-star review that she published on Yelp back in 2011.
The Yelp review claimed that the contractor not only botched the job he performed for her, but also stole her jewelry and damaged her home. While the review has been deleted since then, the man filed a $750,000 lawsuit against her, stating that she had committed defamation and cost him thousands of dollars in lost business.
SLS Consulting “Race for the Cure” in Susan G. Komen 5K at Dodger Stadium
This year, it is estimated that there will be more than 232,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer in U.S. women. With such an overwhelming statistic it stands to reason that many people you know have probably been impacted by cancer in some way, whether through being diagnosed themselves or having a friend or loved one who has been diagnosed. At SLS Consulting, we’ve accepted the challenge and are ready to race for the cure!
On March 1st, SLS Consulting’s staff members will be waking up super early, lacing up their running shoes, and meeting up at Dodger Stadium to participate in the Susan G. Komen “Race for the Cure” 5K. While staff members have previously run together in past races, this event will mark the first time that they do so to help raise funds to fight a disease. While the staff isn’t thrilled to be up and at ‘em quite so early on a Saturday morning, the sacrificed sleep is more than worth it to help raise money for cancer research, treatments, and educational programs. Read the rest »
Guess How Many Candy Hearts and Win a Prize from SLS Consulting!
Were you given any of those candy message hearts this past Valentine’s Day? The SLS Consulting staffers were, and have SOOOO many leftover that they decided to make a game out of it for their Facebook fans! We’ve rounded up all of our hearts, counted them out, put them in a container, and are anxious to see which one of our Facebook fans can guess closest to the actual number (without going over)!
From today, February 18th, through the end of the month, February 28th, our SLS Consulting Facebook fans can make their best guesses as to how many candy hearts are in the glass container pictured below. Voting will officially close at 12pm PST on February 28, and the winner will be announced via video a few hours later at 3pm PST.
So what do you need to do in order to be eligible? Well, be sure to like the SLS Consulting Facebook page, and leave a comment on the post that mentions this contest. And that’s it! Oh, and be sure to share this status with your friends. The more people who guess, the better, and we may even send some consolation prizes to participants who get their friends to join in on the fun as well. Remember though, this contest is EXCLUSIVE to our Facebook fans. While you don’t necessarily have to be a fan in order to make a guess, you DO have to be a fan in order to win. Read the rest »
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