text:
May 11th was when I had lost exactly 55.6 pounds - which was/is exactly halfway to my weight loss goal. And although I was proud of the progress that I had made in just 9 short months, I was also worried, concerned, scared, and kind of freaking out.
And so, as you've noticed, I paused. I put my weight loss on hold and decided to apply all of the things that I had learned up until that point. In doing so, I had to let go of all of the timelines I had set. I let go of some insecurities and I started to love the body I had. I felt (in some cases for the first time) all of the emotions of scared, worried, concerned and anxiety.
I concentrated on the feelings.
And then, in most cases, I released them.
I find it encouraging that I knew when I had to start loving my body. I knew that pausing was the right thing to do long term - even if it felt like a failure at times. It's almost like I was running a race and had a pain in my side. I was out breath and just needed to stop - if only for a little while.
I find it encouraging to look back at my May 11th email and realize that I no longer worry that I will gain the weight back because I *know* that I will lose it all. It may take me another year, but it will be gone. I'm so happy that I don't have those thoughts anymore.
As I shed each pound, I'm encouraged by the new identity that is emerging. My new identity feels more like me anyway.
So why am I writing all of this down here now? Well, I weighed in last night and I'm thrilled to report I'm officially over the hump. 56 pounds down puts me at more than halfway to my goal.
To continue the analogy from before, the pain in my side is gone and my breathing is back to normal.
It's time to start running again.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
More than halfway
May 11th was when I had lost exactly 55.6 pounds - which was/is exactly halfway to my weight loss goal. And although I was proud of the progress that I had made in just 9 short months, I was also worried, concerned, scared, and kind of freaking out.
Written by Happy Fun Pants at 7:57 AM 7 comments worthy of reading Links to this post
Labels: bouncing back
Monday, October 26, 2009
Doubly good
"I don't believe that you have to be a certain size or certain shape to feel sexy. My butt is just the price I have to pay for having such great tits!"
--Kellyanne Russell, contestant on Project Runway, Australia
Let me preface this by saying that I absolutely LOVE my little sister. There is not a thing in the world I wouldn't do for her. She is a fantastic person - a giver, a lover, and someone who sees the absolute best in anyone and everyone. She would NEVER do something to deliberately hurt anyone. Simply put, she's one of my favorite people in the world.
Two years ago, my younger sister had to get a troublesome lump/mass removed from her breast. It was a horrible experience for her - it was painful and was handled by doctors that were inept at best.
Less than a week after the surgery, we all met at my father's for Christmas. During this break, she was still recovering from the surgery. And it became apparent that she was very worried that the scar (and the fact that there was a divot/chunk missing on her breast) would be such a turn-off to all the guys that she was sure to date for the rest of her life. And she cried and cried and cried about it. I think it's only normal to have concerns about any scarring...but I think that for women, scars or things that look like dents in your breasts would be especially emotional.
So, to make her feel better, I made jokes (when don't I?). I said that it could be worse...she could have droopy boobs, just like me if she wanted. I'd gladly trade her for her perky boobs any day. Years of yo-yo dieting had made mine less than stellar in my eyes.
She didn't believe me.
I showed her.
And she laughed. She laughed because she had just spent a long time crying. She laughed because I prefaced it in a funny way. She laughed to relieve the stress and she laughed with relief that not everyone's boobs are perfect.
But when she laughed, inside I cried.
Now, up until that point, I've always been pretty proud of my breasts. They were always bigger than other girls' and I always felt that they made me more womanly and more attractive. Incidentally, I've never dated anyone that was completely ga-ga over them. It seems that the people that I've dated weren't boob guys at all. But alas, I digress. I guess that while I've been overweight most of my adult life, I've felt pride that at least I was proportionate.
In fact, a few years ago, I was on a type of birth control that caused my boobs to grow. That (and the weight gain) caused me to be wear a 40DDD. And in case you're a guy and stumbled on my blog, I'll just tell you, that means they're big.
Really big.
Freakishly big.
But by then, my ass had grown to Biblical proportions, so I figured everything was still balanced. And yet, when my younger fantastic sister laughed at my slightly deflated but yet somehow still gigantic boobs (a unique combination, to be sure), I started feeling even more like a freak.
From that day on, I felt more comfortable dating guys who had already been married to someone who had had kids. I mean, instead of seeing "fun bags," they were used to seeing "they used to be really fun bags but now they're just sort of fun bags" right?
These days, I'm back down to a 36DD...a size that I feel pretty darn comfortable in. And while they don't look like billiard balls at the bottom of tube socks yet, they're not that far off either.
Maybe now you can understand why going to Victoria's Secret last weekend was so much fun. This past week, I've enjoyed my boobs being perky, even if only in a lacy push-up bra. I've enjoyed them looking pretty - and I've started having more confidence in them again. It was just the sort of pick-me-up that I needed.
I've fallen back in love with my boobs - even though they're no longer pin-up material.
Because the truth is, I'm still proportionate. I'm curvy. I'm voluptuous. And with the right bra, I'm Jessica Rabbit-ish. And as BFD's post proved, there are people that wish that they could have boobs like mine even as I'm wishing that I could wear a sundress without looking like a cow that needs to be milked.
And for those interested, this past weekend I mentioned how I felt about my breasts to my boyfriend. His answer? "I love your boobs!"
It's yet another thing that we agree on these days.
P.S. Thanks to Big Fat Deal's blog that introduced me to Kellyanne's quote!
Written by Happy Fun Pants at 1:34 PM 4 comments worthy of reading Links to this post
Labels: body issues, fun bags
Friday, October 23, 2009
Free to be...you and me
There may be some major changes here in the near future.
All I'm asking is that you click and read my other blog's post for today. You can read it by clicking here.
Would you all still read me if I combined my blogs? That mixed in with the seriousness of this blog there were posts of humor and my general life craziness?
I'm open to any and all thoughts you might have - even if you think that they'll hurt my feelings.
Please leave a comment here, on the other blog - or write me directly at happyfunpants [at] gmail [dot] com.
Written by Happy Fun Pants at 12:10 PM 6 comments worthy of reading Links to this post
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
They're just numbers (take 2)
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how I started to realize that numbers don't define me, my happiness, or my enjoyment.
Well, this past week, I lost 0.2 pounds.
I've recently realized that I don't care much about what the scale says. I'm still weighing in - mostly because it's a way to benchmark where I've been and a firm way to measure progress. But I guess as long as the general trend shows downward, I don't really care what the individual week by week losses or gains are. Basically, for me, the scale has turned into being a tool that reflects back what I already know. If I gain weight in a week, I know it for the most part. I know when I've eaten portions that are more than what I should be having. I know when I've not been exercising. And I know when I feel healthy.
The loss of "only" 0.2 indicates the extra Halloween candy I had last week while at work. It shows how I did ZERO exercise last week. ZERO! And with the boyfriend gone, I had many opportunities to exercise, but I just didn't.
I guess what I'm surprised about is that I'm not taking the weight loss personally. I'm not really tied emotionally to that number.
It used to be that when I'd have losses that were big or any gain, it immediately affected my mood. Now I just look at the numbers and am aware of what I need to do to either repeat that loss/gain or change it. It's a tool for feedback - nothing more.
It's like the average miles per gallon readout on my car. If I want to get higher MPG, I need to decrease my aggressive driving. That's it. Crying about it doesn't help. Being mad about it doesn't help and beating myself up over it DEFINITELY doesn't help.
It's data.
For me, I think that this realization is key. Now don't get me wrong, I definitely still want to reach my goal by my birthday next year. And I'd LOVE to pass the 55.6 (which is halfway to my goal) by Halloween.
I've figured out that having and reaching benchmarks are just measurable gauges that help pontificate the immeasurable changes that are going on.
Written by Happy Fun Pants at 9:05 AM 5 comments worthy of reading Links to this post
Labels: perspective
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Feel Good Weekend
This weekend was a pretty good weekend - all things considered.
First, I got to hang out with some friends on Friday night. It was SO good for my soul. I hung out with two ladies at one of Denver's most happening jazz clubs. We sat in a booth and got to listen to some great live jazz - and I loved every minute of it.
See, years ago I decided to date a musician - actually he was a friend of one of the ladies that I hung out with on Friday. The musician (Jon from the post a few below this one) and I had a year and a half relationship that ended when he cheated. And while I did basically nothing to deserve that treatment, it was I who was ostracized from our friends. These women are wives and girlfriends of the guys in the bands that Jon was in...so they had to remain in close contact with him.
And since I didn't want to be in contact with him, my contact with them has been limited. One of them (the one who I was friends with before) is still a friend of mine, but she's a single mom with two kids. Her life is hard to plan stuff around and basically, she does the best she can with fitting in social stuff. The other one, I mainly saw at gigs, so it's no surprise that seeing her would decrease.
ANYWAY, hanging out with them was so great. We talked about old times, about the ex's current girlfriend, and about my current boyfriend. We bopped to the music and we watched the sexiest man I have ever seen dance on the dance floor. It was fantastic.
Two highlights of the night: the husband of one of the ladies walked right past me without saying hello. I thought that maybe he was just in a hurry. About a half hour later, he came up and hugged me. I had, apparently, lost so much weight and had grown my hair out (it was SHORT when he knew me) that he didn't recognize me. How cool is that?
The second highlight was that I was hit on. And in a very "I'm looking you up and down" sort of way. I hardly ever go out into clubs or bars - mostly because that's never been my thing. So to have my first time out like that in about a year and a half to end with a guy checking me out and asking for my number was definitely a high. I'm not really sure where stuff might go with Joe and knowing that I could hold my own on a night out was definitely a plus.
Secondly, I went shopping at Victoria's Secret today. And wow oh wow did I go a little crazy.
See, I've only purchased a few bras in the last few years...and all of them were because I kept going up in size. Well, 90% of the bras I own don't fit anymore- they gape in the cup area and I have to put them on the tightest fitting around my ribs (and even then they're too big). And my underwear? Well, let's just say, MANY pairs were due to be replaced.
So when I was checking out, the sexy lady behind the counter asked if I was going on a honeymoon. And I said, "No. I just lost a bunch of weight - and it was time to get new sexy underwear." She congratulated me and it felt so good. I'm not going on a trip to love someone else...but I am loving my body.
I recognize that there are cheaper bras and undies to be bought out there. And I will definitely supplement my wardrobe with those too. But this trip to VS? It was all for me. It felt luxurious. I've wanted to do something to help me feel sexy. As my boobs are starting to droop with all the weight loss, I was looking for outer packaging that helps me feel like I'm still sexy - sagging skin and all.
In the end, I bought WAY too many bras. I bought a few sexy ones and a few more practical ones. I got home, pulled them out and then tried on every other bra I had in the house - and guess what? Some of the new ones HAVE to go back. I found two that I had from before I got bigger that will do.
But when I hit my goal weight? One of the first things I'm going to do is to celebrate and buy all new undies/bras. A major reward for a major goal.
Written by Happy Fun Pants at 9:33 PM 2 comments worthy of reading Links to this post
Labels: shopping
I think I'm done...for now
So in case you're reading this via Google Reader, I've changed my blog.
And I think I'm done. The last piece I really want to figure out is how to create a masthead/header without Photoshop - because I don't want to buy that program just yet.
I recognize that the scribbly writing is sort of hard to see against the header picture...so maybe there is a way to outline it in some way. Other than that, am I missing any obvious things that look icky?
I've designed it on a Mac and I know that it looks different on a PC sometimes - so I'm looking forward to seeing what it looks like at work tomorrow.
And in case you're wondering, I do love the header image. It looks like a glowing heater behind a grate. And honestly? I feel that that signifies me - something glowing with white-hot potential.
Sometimes the grating is there for my protection...and sometimes it's for yours. :)
Written by Happy Fun Pants at 11:34 AM 0 comments worthy of reading Links to this post
Labels: redesign
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Ignore the man behind the curtain
This morning while TRYING to set up a new template, I ended up messing it up. Royally.
So basically, my web page looks like complete crapola. My hope is that in a few hours it'll start looking as it should.
Smaller, funpantsier, and all around better.
Stay tuned.
And in the meantime? Sorry for the absolute craziness.
Written by Happy Fun Pants at 2:05 PM 3 comments worthy of reading Links to this post
Friday, October 16, 2009
Becoming a Little More Emotionally Healthy
I know that I mentioned that Joe (the boyfriend) is out of town this week. What I didn't mention is that he's out of town with his close friend who happens to be a girl. They get to go to a Broadway theatre production, to a hockey game, and get to see all the museums they'd like to. They left on Wednesday and will come back late on Sunday.
If you've been following me for a very long time, you might know that I had an ex-boyfriend that cheated on me - and it was one of the most hurtful experiences in my life. So you might think that I'm super worried about what might happen.
But the truth of the matter is, I've had to make a conscious decision to trust him. A little over a month ago, I realized that I worried about it - not because the boyfriend isn't trustworthy, but because the past boyfriend wasn't. And while I logically understand that Joe is different than my ex, believing it emotionally was a whole other battle.
So I made him promise that if he ever found himself wanting to cheat, all he had to do was call me and break up. Even via voicemail. I didn't care. I just wanted to be able to trust that he wasn't off doing something sexually with someone else unless I had heard from him. It may sound silly, but his promise has provided me comfort. And if I ever get caught up in the "what if", I have to ask myself "Self? Do you trust him?" and when the answer always comes back as "yes" I'm trying to remind myself to stop my mind there.
Because the thing is, it doesn't matter if he's off on a trip with his great friend (who happens to be a girl) or if he's on a business trip, or if he is just out with the guys one night. It doesn't matter if you share a room or are staying in separate hotels. It doesn't matter if your wife is hot - I knew a guy that cheated on his unbelievably gorgeous wife with a girl that was about 150 pounds heavier than his wife. What a relief it was to hear his story! Because in my mind, I had convinced myself that the ex cheated on me because I was fat. I believed that crap for YEARS afterwards. But now I know that cheating has very little to do with weight. It has very little to do with happiness. It has a lot to do with character. If you want to cheat you will find a way to cheat. It's as simple as that.
A few months ago, I was at a friend's house for a party. We were all drinking (although I was, by far, the most sober) outside on the deck. At one point, we heard sloshing sounds coming from the hot tub where two people were. These people are both dating others. The guy is LIVING with his girlfriend (who was away that night at a rodeo). And yet, here they were HAVING SEX in someone else's hot tub. * Classy, no?
My point is, I feel like I'm looking at this situation (the New York thing - not the hot tub thing) in a healthy way. I'm not saying that I've never been concerned about it. I'm just saying that I am remind myself that I CHOOSE to believe Joe. I believe his words and I believe his actions. Joe and I have a loving relationship where he is physically and emotionally available to me. I believe that. I have to.
And unless I'm given different data, I promise to not believe otherwise.
*Don't you worry. The guy had to clean out the hot tub and buy all new filters for the owner as penance.
Written by Happy Fun Pants at 10:52 AM 0 comments worthy of reading Links to this post
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Mixed bag
I've got many things on my brain right now...
The first is that my awesome boyfriend is going on a trip with a friend of his to New York City. They're going to go see a show, going to go to a hockey game, and going to visit the crap out of many museums. I'm envious, but so happy that he (and they, really) get to go and experience this together. I know I will miss him (it'll be about a week until I see him again)- mostly because things have been really great recently (I mean, they were great and now they're really great!) and it's been nice to see him as often as I have been. But I'm also really looking to my alone time this weekend. I'm looking forward to having a day where I'm lounging in my fun pants and not doing anything - or at least not much of anything. And that's going to be nuturing for my soul too - just as much as being with him is nurturing. In fact, if things go well, this blog will get a much needed makeover this weekend. I hope it looks as great as I want it to! I also will get to dive into a book that I've been excited to read when I had the time to be mindful about the advice in it.
The second thing is that I'm going shopping for pretty unmentionables this weekend. :) Sure, the boyfriend gets to reap the benefits of it, but primarily, it's a treat for me. I love feeling beautiful, powerful, and sexy in sexy underthings. It's been a while since I've treated myself to them...mostly because as I've been losing weight, I didn't want to spend the money. I'm still not going to go crazy and buy a bunch of items (because I'm not done with my weight loss journey yet)...but a sexy new bra and a few sexy panties are going to be the perfect boost and compliment to my healthier body.
Thirdly, my eating has been a little off so far this week...and my exercise has been down - as in non-existent so far this week. I haven't weighed myself since Monday, but I'm confident that it's more than last week. So, I'm going to do the healthy thing and run at lunch and pay special attention to eating when I'm not really hungry. The wonderful thing is that I haven't been eating for emotional reasons AT ALL this week...and I know that that is progress.
Things seem to be moving along smoothly as they have been the last few weeks. It has felt decadent to be living in the moment, without fear (or at least much fear) of the future, and without regret (or at least much regret) from my past. I know what it feels like to live the other way and I much prefer this feeling.
Written by Happy Fun Pants at 10:18 AM 1 comments worthy of reading Links to this post
Monday, October 12, 2009
And another thing...
So I'm vowing to post here more often.
I've focused my marketing efforts more towards the Happy Fun Pants one...and although I think that that is fine, I'm proud of the work that I'm doing here too.
I'm vowing to post at least three times a week here - with the option of posting more per week when I feel like it.
So basically? You've been warned.
And also? Thanks for posting comments here - it makes it so much easier to post stuff when you know that they're being read. Maybe I need the comments more here than on my other one...I don't know. But I do know that it feels good to get your "atta' girl" comments. :)
Written by Happy Fun Pants at 11:44 AM 3 comments worthy of reading Links to this post
Tofu: It's better than you think :)
I've really been trying to be on track this past week. It's not coming from a place of hate towards my body (like "You're so fat!" "You need to lose weight!" "Ugh, you're STILL in that same size?") but rather from a place of remembering what is healthy and what isn't.
Anyway, last Wednesday, I went out to eat with a friend of mine. This friend likes very specific things and her favorite restaurant is Chili's...followed only by Applebee's. While there is nothing wrong with those restaurants, I'm finding that I really like to eat at different restaurants.
So we met up - as we do a few times a year - to talk and eat. The thing was, earlier in the day, I was so hungry...so I went through quite a few of my points. I had 11.5 points left - including those that I earned during my lunchtime run. That may sound like a lot of points...and in some ways it is.
It's just that we had already decided to meet at PF Chang's (aka Land o' Lard). In all seriousness...after counting the points for most of the meals, I figured out that each entree was around 56 points. That's over TWO DAYS worth of points (for me).
But I knew I was so hungry, that I couldn't just have a salad (even if they *had* salad). So I caved. I looked at the tofu options (which were much lower in points).
When we got to the restaurant, the waitress was eager to help. I asked her what the consistency of tofu was like (I'm a huge consistency person - the taste doesn't matter as much). Our waitress crinkled her brow and said, "You don't want the tofu wraps. You want the chicken wraps. They're a lot better."
So I asked, "Have you ever *had* tofu?"
And she replied, "No. But it's gross."
So after MANY questions, she finally offered to bring some of the tofu out so I could try it. And you know what? It was pretty good. It didn't have a lot of taste, but the consistency of the stuff that they put in the lettuce wraps was kind of like mozerella cheese. It wasn't bad.
The tofu that they had in the cup of hot and sour soup was more slippery and wasn't my favorite thing...but it wasn't bad either.
The total for the night was 11 points: 2 for the cup of hot n' sour soup, 2 for a small order of shanghai cucumbers (chopped up cucumbers with soy sauce and seasame seeds), and 7 for half the meal of the vegetarian lettuce wraps (I had them put in some mushrooms too). Actually, the total was probably less than 11 because all I had to look at was the nutritional info from the PF Chang's website - and that didn't have any fiber information.
So basically, I left there satisfied and happy that I got to talk with a friend for a few hours.
I'm learning that eating out doesn't have to feel like a diet. Eating out doesn't have to feel like a full on gluttony fest either. In fact, eating out is becoming more and more about the company that I'm with and about the memories that are shared.
Funny...but I think that that's what it's *supposed* to be about anyway.
Written by Happy Fun Pants at 8:25 AM 2 comments worthy of reading Links to this post
Labels: eating out, trying new stuff
Thursday, October 8, 2009
They're just numbers
I'm pretty proud of myself.
Actually, I could start a completely different post from there - mostly because growing up I always felt that to be proud of yourself meant that you thought you were better than someone else. Since that was bad, being proud of yourself must be bad.
And actually, that's kind of how I feel about my future...because the view from here? It's gorgeous, too.
Written by Happy Fun Pants at 8:17 AM 3 comments worthy of reading Links to this post
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Something happened this past week.
I gained.
Well, actually, I gained a few things. One is weight. The other is perspective.
See, I'm not quite sure what happened, but I guess my feelings these days are something akin to laziness...where I'm not devastated or thrilled with my life - I'm living somewhere in the middle. Things are fine. And when they're not, that's okay too.
Having lived my life in the valleys and peaks, it's a little weird to find myself on a plateau.
So, really, two things from this past week:
1) I gained weight although not a lot of it was due to emotionally eating. A lot of it was due to me simply having lost focus of what the goal was. The scale said last night at WW that I was up 3.2 pounds. And I have to say that I've had a lot of weeks where I *have* gained 3.2 pounds (or more) but last week was not one of those weeks. It might be water retention, might be any number of things...but I know that that number isn't accurate. One thing is for certain, that number will change this next week.
2) I wonder if this is how life is supposed to be. It's not that I'm devoid of emotion...it's that it's in perspective. The inner anxiety that I've felt for a long time is sort of gone right now.
In other news, I am excited because a book that I have been looking forward to getting finally arrived on my doorstep. It's Pema Chodron's "Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears."
My hope is that my calm state of mind will be exactly what I need to take in as much as possible from this book.
I'm excited about the changes that I'm certain WILL happen. It's just that my excitement is in a calm and balanced way now. Is it confidence? Is it trusting myself? Is it peace with others?
I don't know. One thing is for certain, it's a bit of alright.
Written by Happy Fun Pants at 11:08 AM 5 comments worthy of reading Links to this post
Labels: balance, perspective


text:
This Guide
Why Design
What We
Introduction to
User-Centered Design
1. Learn About Your
2. Write Actionable Content
3. Display Content Clearly
4. Organize and
5. Engage Users
6. Evaluate and Revise
Sample Measures
Sample Testing Documents
ODPHP Original Research
Additional Resources
Annotated Bibliography
Many adults with limited literacy skills have had little
training and experience searching the Web. They struggle not only with reading
the content on the page, but also with retaining and managing new information
as they move through a Web site.4,5,12
Several key characteristics and common behaviors of users
with limited literacy skills affect how they perform on a Web site. Many of the
following characteristics are common to all Web users; however, the
degree to which they occur is greater for users with limited literacy skills.
Most importantly, we know that users with
limited literacy skills are generally:
More often than not, poorly designed Web sitesmore
than limited literacy skillscontribute to users' challenges online.
Simple navigation and clear content can help adults with
limited literacy skills find, understand, and use health information on a Web
Most Web users skim and scan a Web page before they
They may read the first few words or sentences on a page and then scan the rest
of the headings and bulleted lists on the page until they find what they're
looking for.
Users with limited literacy skills have a hard time
scanning headings and subheadings to grasp and manage the information on a Web
page. Instead, these users have a tendency to do one of the following:
Instead of jumping from one heading to the next, users
with limited literacy skills may skip and land in the middle of a page, or even
the middle of a paragraph.4
Web sites with short, stand-alone sections of text
written in plain language can make it easier for adults with limited literacy
skills to find information and absorb and retain what they read.4,12,14,15,18 In fact, one study found that users with
limited literacy skills skip over a paragraph when it contains more than three
lines of text.15
Users with limited literacy skills avoid searching.
Instead, users prefer to browse topics using an alphabetical list (even if the
list is long).4,16,19 When they do
use the search function, they may have difficulty spelling the search
Research with users with limited literacy skills
indicates that they tend to have a narrow field of view.4,5,12,15,18,20 As these
users read through a page, they are less likely to notice content above, below,
or to the sides of their focus of attention. Links and content in the right
margin are often mistaken for advertisements or ignored.12,20
Moreover, many users with limited literacy skills don't
scroll.4,5,18,20 This means they are only seeing the content
in the center of their screen.
Dense text, small font size, content in the margins,
complex sentences, and too many links can overwhelm users with limited literacy
skills. As a result, users may skip over key content or give up their search
prematurely, often settling for incomplete or vague information.4,7,12
Even content written in plain language can be
overwhelming if too much text is together in one paragraph or there is not
enough white space on the page.
Users with limited literacy skills, including many older
adults, reach "information overload" more quickly than users with stronger
literacy skills. Those with limited literacy skills are less likely to remember
content from previous pages, and they rarely look ahead or back on a
page.4,15,16,18 As a result, you can't rely on context to
orient users or to add meaning to the text on the screen.
In one study, users with limited literacy skills were
prompted to enter their age and sex into a Web-based tool. When they viewed the
results, many users had difficulty making the connection between the results
page and the data they entered on the previous screen.15
Users with limited literacy skills are often less
experienced using the Web. They may be unfamiliar withand often may
ignorecommon navigational elements such as drop-down menus, clicking
buttons and links, or breadcrumbs.5,12,15,18,20,21
Breadcrumbs are found near the top of the page and look
like this:
Home > Quick Guide to
Healthy Living > Nutrition and Fitness
In one study, even after being shown how to return to a
home page, users with limited literacy skills had difficulty repeating the task
from a different page on the site.1820
Studies with users with limited literacy skills found
that they had success with simple tabbed navigation with linear (numbered)
Back to top
Office of Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services

subset: commoncrawl


text:
White Rose Gala – 2020 New Years Eve Party
Roaring 20s Great Gatsby NYE Party
At The Denver Performing Arts Complex
Denver Post says it all
"White Rose Gala … Top Denver New Years Eve Party"
White Rose Gala has sold out for the last 16 years.
Flapper dresses, stylish sequins and fancy fedoras for NYE?!? White Rose Gala is a high end and elegant charity awareness event where you are enveloped by musical and theatrical performances. Celebrate New Year's Eve in the classic elegance of art deco of the Roaring 20's. Be transported to an era of a modern renaissance where style, opulence, and grace were the only way to swing.
Top 12 reasons to attended White Rose Gala
(Click an image to learn more)
Date and Time
Monday, December 31st, 2019
Doors open at 9:00pm
#1 Colorado Venue, Nationally acclaimed
Ellie Caulkins Opera House – Denver Performing Arts Complex
14th & Champa, Denver, CO 80204
Derek Greer
Derek Greer
Real Estate Broker – Providing the most exceptional experience in Denver's real estate market.
KLP Member's Club
Join the club for information on discount tickets, private events and to join the party.
Success Message Sent


text:
Mentality Monday – Embracing The Process
Today's my 33rd B-Day so I wanted to share an important post about "Process".
When it comes to Strength and Fitness, people out there can't get past thinking about getting results NOW.
In a world that wants SPEED and results yesterday, when it comes to strength and fitness, it's this "PROCESS" and "Falling in LOVE with The Process" that's the most important VS getting "results NOW".
Whether this be with your Family Life, your Training/Fitness Goals, or your PASSION / Career in life, it's about living in the moment and taking in every second, minute, and hour and embracing it for what it is…
Doing this is so much more powerful than always looking ahead to the end result.
Obviously we're all after a BIG end result of some sort, but it's not about that.
It's about the PROCESS of getting there.
The Journey.
This brings me into today's #mentalitymonday message, which is a POWERFUL one.
What really made me think about this concept of "LOVING the PROCESS" was when I was having a convo with one of my coaching clients the other day.
We were discussing his progress with some of the Olympic Lifts and while his overall progress has been nothing short of great, he was still a bit frustrated with where he was currently at.
I told him to focus in on the PROCESS and enjoy it VS. always thinking about the end results.
Obviously when it comes to our strength and fitness goals or anything else we're pursuing in life, we all want RESULTS.
To be bigger, stronger, leaner, faster, conditioned, more powerful…
What ever it may be that End Result will always be out in front of us.
What matters most is THE PROCESS.
If you want to be truly happy and enjoy more success, you've got to fall in love with the PROCESS NOT the end result.
Because it's the PROCESS that gets us to the END RESULT.
And the process NEVER stops.
It just keeps on going which is why it's extremely important you EMBRACE the Process and learn to LOVE it.
About a month ago while in Vegas at a big fitness seminar, I had the chance to meet Eric Thomas (AKA The Hip Hop Preacher) and see him speak which is where I first heard him talk about "Falling in LOVE with the Process".
To give you a more in depth feel for what I'm talking about, watch as my boy E.T. goes H.A.M. and delivers this message to the fullest…
A powerful message that I'll NEVER forget and will live by the rest of my life.
So, what I want YOU to do is to think about this when it comes to your own life and your own BIG goals and dreams, because that's exactly what it's about…
Going through The PROCESS of achieving these goals and dreams is where we truly LIVE.
And as a father, strength coach and an athlete it's all about the PROCESS in everything I do.
Never will I stop trying my best to become a better family man, strength coach, or athlete.
[bctt tweet="The PROCESS NEVER STOPS which is WHY YOU must "Fall in LOVE with THE PROCESS"."]
Live and Train Aggressive!
11/9 – Daily Battle Plan
Every 90 Secs x 6 Rounds
1A) Clean and Jerk
***Ascending Loads
2A) 33rd B-Day Throwdown – For Time
33 Squat Clean Thrusters @ 60% Of HEAVIEST from 1A)


text:
Pressure is mounting on May to resign after a "disastrous" party conference speech that saw her handed a spoof P45, suffer from an incessant coughing fit, and the set falling down behind her.
Shapps, who served as Tory party chairman for three years, says a "growing number" of MPs, including five former cabinet ministers, want May to step down. Although some cabinet ministers agree with him, he says they are reluctant to back him because they are on the "payroll."
Speaking to the BBC, he said while May is a "very decent person," she fought an election "which didn't work out."
"I just think that a growing number of my colleagues realize the solution isn't to bury our heads in the sand and just hope things will get better," he said.
Speaking to Sky News, he added: "We have spoken to people from the Cabinet and ones who privately agree, I'm sure today publicly they will say otherwise."
He claimed the list of discontented MPs existed "long before" the party met in Manchester and that Downing Street "pleaded" with him not to go public earlier.
Shapps said he had hoped to speak to May privately but the Tory party whips had unmasked him in the Times newspaper. He revealed that Number 10 was aware of his discontent and had urged him not to go public.
A Conservative leadership election will only be called if May resigns or if 50 Tory MPs write to request one.
Shapps' claims were dismissed by Environment Secretary Michael Gove, who said he did not know of a single cabinet minister who wanted May to step down. He said May had "shown grace and grit"this week and a leadership election was not the correct way forward.
Charles Walker, the vice-chairman of the influential Tory backbench 1922 Committee, slapped down Shapps, telling the Guardian: "Number 10 must be delighted that it's Grant Shapps leading this alleged coup. Grant has many talents but one thing he doesn't have is following in the party. So really I think this is going to fizzle out to be completely honest.
"What you're seeing here is the coalition of disappointed people who think their brilliant political talents have not been fully recognized. It doesn't reflect well on them and it doesn't reflect well on Grant Shapps."
In 2012, Shapps was accused of editing his own Wikipedia page to remove embarrassing information about his activities as 'Michael Green,' the self-styled millionaire web marketer. He also made "largely unflattering" edits to articles about other politicians, the Guardian revealed.
Meanwhile, some Tory donors are calling on May to step down because she is being "bullied" by colleagues, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.
Charles Mullins, the founder of London-based Pimlico Plumbers, who donated £50,000 ($65,000) to the party, told the Guardian: "She has to go for her own sake. It is getting embarrassing. If this was a boxing match, the fight would have been stopped. She has been put in a position where she is being bullied, she is being intimidated, they are making her life hell.
"There are Conservative people who are destroying this woman and it needs to stop."
John Griffin, the founder of taxi firm Addison Lee who has given more than £4 million to the Tories, said he wanted May to remain as PM and called for Johnson to be given a "smacked bum" for undermining her.
"Boris has been a naughty boy and needs a smacked bum. That's where I stand. He is a nice bloke but there is a time and a place for everything and he needs a bit more dignity."
Tags: EU; Grant Shapps; resignation; Theresa May; UK


text:
Round-up of Daily Violence in Iraq, Wednesday 25 November 2009
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers Special Correspondents in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It's posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy's Washington Bureau.
Armed men in military uniform raided a house in Tarmiyah, northern Baghdad, early Wednesday, and killed a family of six: two women, one fifteen year old girl and three men, said Iraqi police.
A magnetic bomb stuck to a policeman's personal car detonated in Ur neighbourhood, Wednesday, injuring one civilian passer by.
A roadside bomb targeted the personal car of an employee in the interior ministry near the National Theatre in Karrada, central Baghdad injuring four people, the employee inside the car and three civilian pedestrians.
A roadside bomb targeted an Iraqi army patrol in al Hadbaa neighbourhood injuring two servicemen and one civilian.
A booby trapped wooden push cart abandoned near a marketplace in Zuhoor neighbourhood, east Mosul, detonated, Wednesday, with no casualties reported.
A roadside bomb targeted a police patrol on the road to imam Weis, east Baquba at 10.30 a.m. Wednesday injuring three policemen, two of whom are in critical condition.
A magnetic bomb that was planted in the car of a policeman detonated in the centre of Kirkuk city, Wednesday, seriously injuring him.
A roadside bomb planted near a restaurant in the centre of the city detonated Wednesday morning and 15 minutes later a booby trapped motorcycle detonated in the same place. Thirteen civilians were killed and 26 others were injured as a result of both explosions.


text:
What's your acclaim score? If you don't know, you're in the boyhood according to the Chase Slate 2018 Acclaim Outlook.
The 2018 analysis begin that 77% of Americans apperceive their acclaim score, an admission of ten allotment credibility in aloof one year. With that ability comes the admiration to improve. Four out of bristles respondents are demography accomplish to advance their acclaim account in 2018, up from 72% in 2017. Are you?
Americans overwhelmingly accept the accent of acceptable credit. Approximately 90% of respondents accept that admission to acclaim is important. Similar percentages of respondents accept the accent of acclaim back it comes to purchasing a home or a car, applying for a accommodation or a acclaim card, or alike starting a baby business.
A poorer acclaim account can amount abounding bags of dollars over a lifetime due to college absorption rates. You can abate this aftereffect on a acclaim agenda by alone charging what you can allow to pay off at the end of the ages but for chapter loans like mortgages and auto loans, absorption can't be avoided.
How abundant can a poor acclaim account amount you? Find out with Credit.com's lifetime amount of debt calculator that allows you to access altered debt ethics and accelerate your acclaim appraisement to see the effect. Consider the afterward example.
With a $500,000 mortgage (thirty-year fixed-rate loan), a financed $20,000 auto acquirement every seven years, and a $2,500 acclaim agenda antithesis ($75 account acquittal with no new charges), a being with fair acclaim (credit account of 620-679) would pay over $436,000 in absorption accuse over their lifetime. Acceptable acclaim (680-739) knocks that amount bottomward to aloof beneath $375,000, and accomplished acclaim drops the absolute to $344,000.
Let that bore in for a moment alike if you accept accomplished credit, with the aloft assumptions, you'll still pay hundreds of bags of dollars in absorption over the advance of your life.
What if you accept the affliction acclaim (a acclaim account beneath 550)? You'll pay added than $666,000 in absorption accuse over a lifetime about two-thirds of a actor dollars. Some bodies with bad acclaim may not alike acquire that abundant over their lifetime.
The bearings could be alike worse, depending on the approaching clue of absorption rates. Acclaim agenda absorption ante are already almost high, but ante on a mortgage the greatest antecedent of absorption payments for best bodies are still at celebrated lows. Mortgage absorption ante were never beneath 5% from 1972 to October 2009, but accept remained beneath 5% back March 2011.
Are you assertive of the accent of a acclaim score? If you aren't acquainted of your score, analysis it now but don't balloon to analysis your acclaim address as well. You can analysis your acclaim account and apprehend your acclaim address for chargeless aural account by aing MoneyTips.
Your acclaim account reflects all the advice in your acclaim report, distilled bottomward to a distinct number. Errors in your address or counterfeit accuse or accounts could be damaging your acclaim score, so analysis it carefully.
Think of your acclaim account as an asset to be monitored and nurtured. Booty accomplish to anticipate character thieves from ruining your acclaim and be amenable with acclaim to abstain ruining it yourself. Accomplish all account payments on time and accumulate acclaim use low compared to your acclaim limit. Those are the two greatest accomplish you can booty to accumulate your acclaim account high.
With a approved analysis on your acclaim account and acclaim report, and acceptable acclaim practices, you'll abbreviate absorption costs over your lifetime. Why pay a lender any added than you accept to?
If you appetite to abate your absorption payments and lower your debt, accompany MoneyTips and use our chargeless Debt Optimizer tool.
Photo iStockphoto.com/gpointstudio
Advertising Disclosure
Information absolute on this folio is provided by an absolute third-party agreeable provider. Frankly and this Site accomplish no warranties or representations in affiliation therewith. If you are affiliated with this folio and would like it removed amuse acquaintance firstname.lastname@example.com
The Death Of Credit Cards For Good Credit Score | Credit Cards For Good Credit Score – credit cards for good credit score
| Delightful in order to the website, in this particular time period I will demonstrate in relation to credit cards for good credit score


text:
All Star Membership
All Star Memberships at The Athlete Factory give you the competitive edge you need to get a jump on your competition. You can train like a pro with a community that is passionate, determined, and supportive. All Star Membership benefits include:
$10 OFF Private Lessons ($5 off of pro-level lessons)
$12 OFF Lesson Packs
Up to $50 OFF Clinics, and Camps
$20 OFF Party Packages
Access to All Star-only Promotions and Events
12-Month Memberships
6-Month Memberships
$120.00 one-time fee
*The Athlete Factory All Star Memberships are for annual memberships, which run 12 full consecutive months. All Star Memberships will be automatically renewed after each 12-month period, unless notified of non-renewal by member/cardholder within 10 days of last payment cycle of the 12-month membership. Early termination fee of unpaid balance will apply if membership is cancelled before 12-month period. All Star Memberships are for individual players and cannot be used for payment for team activities at The Athlete Factory. ** 6 month All Star Memberships must be paid in full ($120) at time of purchase.


text:
Aynjel Kaye
Read "Circus of Regret" on Strange Horizons.
Read "Air, Water, and Road" on Strange Horizons.
Christina Angel
Read "Say It" in The Mammoth Book of Women's Fantasies.
Read "Skin Deep Being" in Sacred Exchange.
Dead Flowers Photography
See Aynjel Kaye's photograph "Life Sentence" on the cover of Jay Lake's collection American Sorrows, available from Wheatland Press.
About Digital Delirium
Digital Delirium is the website about the writing and photography of Aynjel Kaye, Christina Angel, and Stacey Wenkel.
dig·i·tal adjective
1: of or relating to the fingers or toes, 2: done with a finger, 3: of, relating to, or using calculation by numerical methods or by discrete units, 4: of or relating to data in the form of numerical digits, 5: providing a readout in numerical digits, 6: relating to an audio recording method in which sound waves are represented digitally (as on magnetic tape) so that in the recording wow and flutter are eliminated and background noise is reduced
de·lir·i·um noun
1: a mental disturbance characterized by confusion, disordered speech, and hallucinations, 2: frenzied excitement


text:
GIRL NEXT DOOR Exclusive Interview
Source: Oricon
We wanted to place importance on the "us" that only we know
--The single, "Silent Scream," has a feeling of extraordinary speed, as well as a bit of a dark atmosphere.
Chisa: Until now we've had a lot of positive lyrics, but this time we're singing about the things that we don't tell to anyone, the things that we scream about in our hearts. Murmurs are so close to breathing, aren't they? More than happy things, we did a lot of the things that we murmur about and reflect upon. We wanted to place importance on the "us" that only we know, and that's the kind of lyrics we wrote.
Suzuki: The sound is also closer to rock than we've ever done before.
Inoue: And the sound is broad. There aren't a lot of different sounds, but you can hear each of them well. So our usual shining sound is still there, but it gives the image of having a human component.
S: To highlight that human component, this single has a 15-minute "full story" version of the music video, which is a lot like a movie.
C: In the video I play a girl who's working to become a ballerina. But she doesn't believe in herself and gives up on her dream. Then, she meets a person that pushes her to try again. It ends on a positive note, but there's a lot in it that makes you think and it's very different from what we usually do, so I think it's worth taking a look at.
I think that you can see the shifts in our path in this album
--You're also releasing your 3rd album, "Destination," on 4/27. This is an album with a lot of breadth.
S: We released the single "Freedom" after our second album, and it had songs that destroyed our previous image. But then we released "Ready to be a lady," which is more like our previous work, and when we were putting those two songs on the album we realized that the theme of a toy box would be great for this album. So we dared to open up with "Freedom," and after that we went with "Yume no Katana," which is also unlike any of our other songs. So when you first listen to it you think "Is this a GIRL NEXT DOOR album?"
I: But even so, there are a lot of our "typical" songs too. So you'll feel better when you hear those. (laugh)
S: We of course took that into consideration. We could have gone even more extreme, but we didn't want our listeners to hear it and think that it wasn't us at all. If we're not satisfied, there's no point.
--True. There are a lot of songs that prick you with that surprise, but there's no feeling of discomfort to it.
I: In terms of the sound, even though this is different from what we usually do, the flow of it came naturally to us. I think it's also influencing our live performances. I think that you can see these shifts in our path in this album.
Ito: We wanted to scream in our songs the manly way that KEIKO scream in "wanna Be A Dreammaker."
S: Yeah. The thing that's most different from our first and second albums is the temperature. The first and second albums had a bit of a cold feeling, while the third album is about 2 degrees warmer.
--And symbolising that is the very final song, "Arigatou."
C: We created "Arigatou" after our national tour as a song to sing together with our fans at the ends of lives. The reason we wanted to write it was to convey our thanks to the fans and the staff that come to our lives. So the lyrics are simple and easy to understand. In May we'll have lives in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka, so we want to sing this song together with the people that come to those lives.
Interviewer: Takahashi Eriko


text:
Transgender rights in Malaysia have suffered a serious setback with the Federal Court overturning a landmark decision yesterday on a technicality, lamented Human Rights Watch (HRW).
As such, the US-based NGO hopes Malaysia would take steps to repeal discriminatory laws that expose transgenders to abuse.
"Transgender women in Malaysia face horrific abuses every day, and laws that criminalise their very identity constitute a barrier to justice.
"The Malaysian government should take immediate action to revoke these discriminatory laws and end the climate where ugly abuses against trans people are tolerated," said Neela Ghoshal, senior lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights researcher at HRW in a statement today.
HRW cited the Sept 10 attack against transgender activist Nisha Ayub, and its own report on abuses against transgenders by the authorities last year as examples.
The Federal Court yesterday unanimously overturned the Court of Appeal's decision on the Negeri Sembilan case related to cross-dressing by three transgenders.
With this, the impugned state law, Section 66 of the Negeri Sembilan Syariah Offences Enactment that bars cross-dressing of males as females, remains legal.
The Federal Court ruled that the application to review the state law should be made through a referral to the High Court and then directly to the Federal Court, not by way of judicial review, as in Article 4(3) and 4(4) of the federal constitution.
The earlier Court of Appeal's decision was hailed as a landmark decision as it ruled that persecution of cross dressing was unconstitutional.
In his 46-page written judgment in that decision, justice Mohd Hishamudin Yunus had noted that Article 4(1) of the federal constitution declares the constitution as the supreme law and any law, including syariah, that runs contrary to the constitution shall be considered void.Read more: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/315115#ixzz3o392EV8D


text:
American Legion Post 14 Provides Needed Building Maintenance for PV Non-Profits
Our American Legion Post 14 of Puerto Vallarta has been really busy around Banderas Bay during these summer months helping many of our non-profits with weekly projects in various locations.
One of the main methods Post 14 contributes to the community is through various fundraising efforts. Another way we help is to provide necessary resources and manpower to improve various institutions in the Banderas Bay area.
These institutions include Day Care Centers, Senior Citizens Homes, Schools for the Disabled and Deaf, Public Schools in rural areas and other private institutions needing building maintenance.
American Legion Post 14 Members Donald Shingler, Community Relations Manager; Ed Griffin, Chief Financial Officer; Jim Mawdesley, Treasurer; and Dennis Rike, Commander
Dinia, American Legion and Anabel purchasing pinata & candy for Day of the Children Party
The School for the Deaf in San Vicente del Mar, Nayarit, received a lot of needed maintenance on the interior and exterior:
Exterior of School for the Deaf before
Exterior of School for the Deaf after
Ceiling with light hanging
Ad Dalebout, President of the Piratas M.C. (Harley Davidson Riders) installing lights and fans. You might remember they won the Chili Cook-Off
Ceiling with 2 fans and lights installed in both classrooms and plastic on the window area to keep the rain out
The American Legion through the Jay Sadler Project paid for everything and the Piratas M.C. (Harley Davidson Riders) assisted the American Legion.
Busca un Amigo (Project Pitillal) is a child care center for rehabilitation of needy children with Cerebral Palsy. This project included repairing the wall:
Other American Legion Post 14 projects:
• Restored water to bathrooms and rebuilt the sinks and toilets at Boca de Tomatlan Jr. Sr. High School, and also improved the playground.
• Repairing the tile roof at Santa Barbara Rehabilitation Clinic, DIVAC - Ongoing.
• Repair, raise wall & install sidewalk at Busca un Amigo - Still in progress.
• Repairs at Guamuchil playground (10,000. pesos).
• Set up a maintenance program for Aurora playground through DIF - In progress.
• Additional classrooms at School for the Deaf - Ongoing
• Jay Sadler Project: Assist American Legion membership in their desire to fulfill a social contribution to the community of Banderas Bay. Provide necessary resources that enable Military Veterans to actively help various institutions through building maintenance and upkeep. To learn more about this wonderful cause, please contact us.
• Youth Football: TorpedosPV is inviting all children between 7 and 18 years and girls between 7 and 13 to play American football. They still need children, mostly between 7 and 11, all are welcome. They also accept donations for underprivileged children that would like to play but are unable to cover the cost. If you are interested, they can do it by exchange of advertising either in the uniform of the player or putting their promos in the local games that we will have during the season. Thanks from the TorpedosPV. Click here learn more or please contact us.
A big thanks goes out to our Navy League of Puerto Vallarta who have been a great help in all our ongoing projects.
If you are going to be in Puerto Vallarta and would like to help us help the local community, please complete this short volunteer sign-up. Thank you and we hope to see you soon.
Learn more about Banderas Bay American Legion Post 14
Learn more about Project Pitillal, Reach Out to a Friend
Learn more about Clinica de Rehabilitacion Santa Barbara
Learn more about DIVAC Handicap Services of Vallarta
Learn more about Navy League of Puerto Vallarta
Learn more about Public Schools in Puerto Vallarta
We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!
How You Can Help
Partners for Change
Stay Connected
PVAngels.com is a unique blend of community awareness through the posting of local news and events, formal introductions to the charities and their needs, online fundraising, social networking and giving back. Ready to change the world? Join us.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance a more in-depth understanding of critical issues facing the world. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 USC Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information click here. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.


text:
Little Did We Know: The Lomanaco Family
"To be honest, we had no idea where to live . . . Little did we know we'd moved to one of the best neighborhoods in Indy." Brett and Felicia Lomanaco grew up in North Carolina, met during college, got married a few years later and moved to Indianapolis in 2011, with their two-year-old daughter. They hadn't done any research or scoped out a lot of neighborhoods - they just knew they wanted to be somewhere in the city. Brett had been relocated to Shelbyville for his job, but living there was not an option from their point of view. They visited Indy for the first time on a summer weekend, looking for an apartment. The first day, after driving all around, they hadn't found anything and felt stressed and exhausted. The next morning they decided to take a look at Craigslist, immediately found an apartment listing at 19th & Delaware and within a few hours had seen it, loved it, and signed a lease. The Lomanacos loved their new neighborhood so much that within a year, they had purchased a house a few blocks away with the intention of rehabbing it and turning it into their dream home. "My husband started doing all the demo work [in 2012] and realized pretty quickly that if we wanted to move in before I was all gray, he'd better hire someone to GC it," said Felicia. Trade Design Studio finished the project, and they moved in during the fall of 2013.
When asked what makes Herron-Morton Place unique, Felicia says, "The sense of community and all the families make it truly special . . . Herron-Morton Place is very social. I feel like the HMP Association and Foundation do a great job listening to the neighbors and are always looking for ways to improve and bring the neighbors together. Annually there are wonderful events for everyone. I have been in charge of planning the Easter egg hunt for the last four years and I am always amazed at all the kids who live in HMP." Many of those kids go to school with Felicia's oldest daughter at the neighborhood magnet school, CFI (Center For Inquiry) #27. Several more attend the YMCA's preschool at the Athenaeum with her younger daughter.
Some of their favorite things about living in urban Indy include "the cool nights in the summer (if you're from the east coast you know what I mean), after-dinner walks to the park, the random porch parties, my historic home, the YMCA Child Watch and most importantly the people--Midwest hospitality at its finest!"


text:
After finishing cosmetology school in Denver, Colorado I moved to California and was privileged to work under experienced stylists while being able to use their techniques on my own clients. As my husbands work brought us back to Denver, I am thrilled to be working in a salon as well as working on location for photo shoots and weddings.
I feel it is important to never stop learning in this industry therefore, I am continuing to take advanced classes in make up, color, cuts, and bridal services!
I will provide you with a relaxing, positive, and motivational experience while striving to give you the highest quality services, products and education available, thereby building a long-lasting relationship of trust and commitment.
I promise to do my best to make you look your very BEST!
As I look to the future my plans are to leave people feeling confident and having had a positive experience working with me!
Amy DaCosta
5425 Landmark Place Unit 310
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Monday 10:00am - 4:00pm
Tuesday & Thursday 11:00am - 7:00pm
*Contact me for on location services*


text:
|f Share
|f Like
|Subscribe by Email
Posted on Friday, January 27th, 2017 at 11:33 am
Hey Farm Fresh shoppers–guess what!! Today's the day that the store gives away freebies. So, what can you get for free this week?
There are two offers available. The first will get you free Essential Everyday Frozen Appetizers. The offer is only available TODAY, but you'll actually have through 2/2 to redeem the offer. The second will get you free Farm Stand Grape Tomatoes. You'll have to make an additional $10 purchase for this one. It's also only available TODAY but you'll only have through 1/29 to redeem it.
Sample A Day posts samples daily that are free with no catch. We double check the offers to make sure they are real. Offers can expire quick so check back daily!
Nick Skeba helped cofound this site back in 2007. He lives in Chicago and loves free stuff! People are always asking him how he gets so many deals? He just tells them, Sample A Day! He writes coupon site as well as this website.
Scott Aaronson also helped cofound this website and even though is a lawyer by day, he's still loves his free samples. Find him eating lunch from the sample ladies at Costco!


text: State legislation mandates that you purchase at least the minimal auto insurance offer, not only to protect yourself the moment driving, but for protect other drivers while travelling. This network marketing leads some people to create hasty decisions with their coverage. Find out what you need to know about car insurance by browsing these tips. Custom Car Interior A great way to save money on your vehicle insurance is usually to buy your coverage over the internet. Purchasing your plan online incurs fewer costs for the company and a lot of companies will likely then pass on those savings towards the consumer. Choosing auto insurance online can save you regarding five to ten percent every year.To save money on auto insurance, be sure you take your kids off of your policy once they've changed out on their own. If they are even now at college, you may be capable of get a lower price through a isolated student credit. These can apply when your kid is participating in school some distance from your own home.When getting automobile insurance is not a wise thought to only make your state's minimum coverage. Most states only require that you cover the other person's car in case of a major accident. If you receive that type of insurance along with your car is certainly damaged you can be paying often more than should you had the proper coverage.Car insurance rates alter rapidly and are very competitive, so the most aggressive method to make sure you are getting the best deal on auto insurance is always to compare costs frequently. It is recommended you store your current level around around twice a year, to be sure you are continuing to get the best offer around.There are many ways to reduce your auto coverage, and one of the most effective ways is to remove drivers from your policy if they are no longer generating. A lot of fogeys mistakenly leave their kids issues policies following they've removed off to school or have changed out. Don't forget to rework your policy once you lose a driver.Decrease your mileage to decrease your premiums. The amount of mls you drive actually provides a very large effect on the amount you pay for your premium. When you can cut down the amount of miles you drive, your premiums will certainly fall with it. Provide yourself a chance, and take those bus on occasion.Add your partner to your insurance cover. Insurance companies will be notorious pertaining to wanting stable and dependable customers. Adding your spouse to your policy suggests that you have become more stable and reliable, and a lot of companies definitely will lower your rates just for that reason. When your spouse possesses a clean record, that can help lessen your rates too.As you discover with the data above, there are many ways you can preserve and many approaches to cut back on insurance so that you are not becoming a sufferer of the insurance provider. You can't become without policy here; you should get some form of insurance. So remember to employ these tips when you want to purchase a package.


text:
The Dial 800 Difference
Grow your marketing with all inclusive
solutions to get more calls, then track, route, and analyze them. With real people to help you every step of your call performance optimization.
Call Performance Marketing
Dial800's optimization suite helps make your advertising more memorable, targeted and profitable. We'll give you access to toll free numbers that are easy to recall and that will generate significantly more inbound response.
800 Numbers
RapidRecall® 800 numbers, which are exclusive to Dial800, are easy to remember and have a significant impact on your business.
Call Tracking
CallView360® by Dial800 is an incredibly powerful yet easy to use call tracking solution that allows you to quickly understand your call patterns.
Call Routing
Call routing helps you increase your close rate by making sure callers speak to the right people at the right time.
Leads Marketplace
Now you can buy or sell highly qualified live call leads through the Dial800 Leads Marketplace.
Top Brands Trust Us
Director of Media & Analysis, "Jenny Craig®"
Jenny Craig selected Dial 800 because they had a great selection of numbers.
"Mercury Media"
Three things really set Dial800 apart:
1. Terrific customer service.
2. Consolidated data reporting
3. Ease of setup and integration.
We will no longer route a campaign without RoundTrip from Dial800.
Kristen Cattabriga
Marketing Coordinator, "Cosmetic Enhancement Center"
My company has been using Dial 800 for the past few years to track our advertising and we couldn't be happier with their service! The online dashboard lets me easily keep track of my numbers and calls and the Concierge Specialists respond to my requests right away and are always super helpful!
CEO, "Sit 'n Sleep"
Consumers give me constant feedback that it is very easy to remember (1-800-FREEEEE) and that is critical.
Director of Marketing, "Nestle Waters"
During the 14 years we have been clients of Dial800, they have been instantly responsive and thoroughly professional in all areas of our corporate, telephonic requirements. Prompt service is definitely the name of the game in our business, and Dial800 certainly delivers.
Rich Ransom
Rich Ransom, "President, ICTV Brands, Inc."
Dial800 really saved our skin – when one of our call centers had a fire during our busiest quarter Dial800 immediately diverted all traffic to ensure that there was no call loss. This in effect, saved our campaign. Now Dial800 is arming us with Rapid Recall numbers that drive even more traffic to us. They are more than a vendor, they are a true partner.
Vanities and Memorable toll free numbers
Vanities and Memorable toll free numbers
Call Tracking and Analytics
Make sense of call performance with offline and online call attribution.
24 hr Customer Portal and Resources
Vanities and Memorable toll free numbers
IVR and Voicemail
Choose basic interactive voice response or design a completely automated answering service.
Location-based Routing
Route calls to target phone numbers or physical locations based on your choice of geographic criteria.
Buy/Sell Inbound calls
Get more, or sell more valuable inbound calls for your business. Good leads are powerful.
The Dial800 Difference
The Dial800 team lives by certain work values in order to provide the best work environment and call solutions for our clients.
Account Management
Dedicated personnel to ensure
you succeed
Memorable 800 Numbers
Over 100,000 Memorable RapidRecall® 800 Numbers to get you more calls
Geographically separated server farms and mirrored redundancy, to ensure you get to your data, always.


text:
rEprint Series Ebooks
Whatever Happened to Gloomy Gus of the Chicago Bears, by Robert Coover
Whatever Happened to Gloomy Gus of the Chicago Bears, by Robert Coover
Interweaves the fate of a cast of passionate--and lunatic--idealists of the Depression Era Left, and the rise and fall of a poet, womanizer, actor, union sympathizer and All-American football star known as Gloomy Gus.
From Publishers Weekly
A notorious, former U.S. president is never mentioned by name, but certain similarities between him and the bizarre Gloomy Gus are too conspicuous to be overlooked. Both attended Whittier College in California; both were actors and debators; both played football, one as a sweatily ambitious but dismal failure, the other ultimately as a great halfback for the Bears. Gus is obsessive-compulsive to the point of madnessa "freak" and special kind of idiot. Coover integrates his portrait into this slender mythicizing novel of America in the Depressionof WPA arts-projects, the early days of the CIO, the historic Chicago Republic Steel strike and the police massacre of idealistic young men joining the doomed Lincoln Battalion to fight against Spanish Fascism. The evocation of time and place is strikingly accurate if gaudily eccentric, and the narrator, Meyer, a sculptor in welded metal, is a representative figure, as are other characters glimpsed in passing. The novel is a mosaic of brief glimpses, fragmentary scenesan extended, zany description of Gus learning the trade of football by rote, by memorizing the moves. But Gus lacks the essential, esthetic understanding of the great American gamethe subtle principle of "balance," the very deficiency that would bring down that other Whittier alumnus 40 years later.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
This novella is a revised version of the story of the same title originally published in the American Review (1975). Set against the background of the Depression and the political atmosphere of the Thirties, it recounts Gus's meteoric football career, his off-the-field sexual exploits, and his absurd death at a demonstration during the Republic Steel strike. As in other works, Coover is concerned with the problem of history and with our ability to order and control events. Gus, who lives purely in the moment, is ill equipped to survive in a world where Fascist and Marxist activists battle to shape history to their own ideological ends. Entertaining as well as thought-provoking, this hilarious book is essential for all fiction collections. Highly recommended. William Gargan, Brooklyn Coll. Lib., CUNY
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Robert Coover has published fourteen novels, three books of short fiction, and a collection of plays since The Origin of the Brunists received the William Faulkner Foundation First Novel Award in 1966. His short fiction has appeared in the NewYorker,Harper's, and Playboy, amongst many other publications.


text:
Being born and raised in Oakland, I've been an A's fan since I was a little kid. So when I watched the movie Moneyball last year, lots of memories, both thrilling and painful, were brought back to life on the big screen. I was at the game where Scott Hatteberg hit the game winning HR to give the A's a record-setting 20 consecutive wins. I was also at the game where Jeter made that incredible tag at home plate that was probably the turning point of that series, which the A's eventually lost in 5 games to the Yankees. What the A's were able to achieve during that era was absolutely incredible. A bunch of kids with a team salary that was 20-25% that of the mighty New York Yankees, and yet they competed and made the playoffs 4 straight years (2000-2003 seasons).
As I think about it now, what's fascinating about the Moneyball philosophy that Billy Beane and A's have made so famous is that it's essentially what many tech companies have been and are trying to conquer. Yes,
Moneyball == Big Data
In today's age of Facebook, iPhones, fitness tracking devices, etc., data is ubiquitous, and companies are trying hard to make sense of this data. For example at my company, SumAll (shameless plug), we have built an app that takes data from various verticals (e.g. shopping carts, web traffic, payments, social, etc.) and combines them into a single, clean interface, allowing customers to better understand trends and patterns in their business. The A's were able to overcome their financial disadvantage by being smart and examining data. We think our customers can benefit the same way.
Fast forward to 2012. Many experts predicted that the Oakland A's would lose over 100 games this year. Why? Because the team let go of 3 top pitchers from last year, 1) Gio Gonzalez, 21 game winner and Cy Young favorite, 2) Trevor Cahill, and 3) All-star closer Andrew Bailey. This year's team is a bunch of no-name kids with the LOWEST PAYROLL IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE. Sound familiar?
Yesterday, on Oct 3rd, 2012, the final game of the season, the A's completed an improbable run to win the American League West division by sweeping the Texas Rangers, a team that has represented the AL in the World Series the last two years. Incredible. Regardless of what happens in the playoffs, the fairytale season of the 2012 Oakland Athletics is already worthy of a Moneyball sequel.
I'll end with some fun stats and observations:
- The Oakland A's had an opening day payroll of $55,372,500, the lowest in the American League.
- The New York Yankees had an opening day payroll of $197,962,289, the highest in the AL.
- The A's finished with a record of 94-68, 2nd only to the Yankees at 95-67. I guess that extra game was worth the $142M. =P
- Dan Szymborski's preseason projections had given the A's a 1.4 percent chance of making the playoffs and 0.4 percent chance of winning the division.
- Las Vegas oddsmakers had the A's at 100-1 odds at the All-Star break to win their division.
- On June 30th, the A's were 37-42 and 13 games behind the Texas Rangers.
- With 9 games left, the Rangers were 5 games ahead of the A's.
- The only time the A's were in sole possession of 1st place in the division was after winning the final game.
- The A's lead the league with 14 walk-off wins.
- After losing the aforementioned 3 top pitchers, the A's went on to lose 4 more pitchers (McCarthy, Anderson, Braden, and Colon), leaving them with the current starting rotation of ALL ROOKIES. Amazing.
- With the San Francisco Giants also making the playoffs, there's a possibility of another "Bay Bridge" World Series, which the A's of course won via a sweep in 1989. =]


text:
AboutKidsHealth indicates that the virus that causes croup is contagious for adults. However, the characteristic barking cough does not typically appear. In adults, the symptoms usually resemble a common cold.
AboutKidsHealth explains that the virus causes the upper airways – the larynx and trachea – to swell. Babies and young children have small airways, so the inflammation makes it hard for them to breathe. Other symptoms include a harsh cough, hoarseness, sore throat, fever and congestion. Breathing difficulties and severe coughing seem to be worse at night. Cool humid air or warm moist air often relieve these symptoms. The virus lasts for about one week.


text:
If you do not know the company, Bodie and Fou, you must take a look at their website and blog. I am so inspired by their creativity and their approach to their business. The product they carry is really modern and mixes European design with French flair.
The two sisters, Elodie and Karine, are French but they built their business in London starting in 2005. On her blog Karine gives us a very personal and inspirational look at the building of the business that is Bodie and Fou and an intimate peek into her family life as well.
Take a look at some of the pictures from her home in London..
This is Karine with her husband and daughter..
All photos via: Bodie and Fou blog - from Milk Magazine


text:
|Previous Section
|Back to Table of Contents
|Lords Hansard Home Page
Lord Evans of Temple Guiting: My Lords, as the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, said, Amendment No. 66 is designed to allow Ofcom to apply the electronic communications code to persons other than telecommunications operators. Under the new regime there will no longer be "telecommunications operators", as I said in Committee; instead there will be providers of electronic communications networks and providers of electronic communications services.
A person who has the electronic communications code applied receives substantial rights and has substantial obligations imposed. The Bill is currently drafted under Clause 103(4) to allow Ofcom to apply the code to both those who will provide electronic communications networks directly and those who will make available conduit systems to providers of electronic communications networks.
I assure you that the code can apply to providers of electronic communications networks other than the existing telecommunications providers and the providers of broadcasting networks such as Crown Castle will, like any other provider, be able to provide for code powers under the new arrangements. Indeed, the consultation paper already mentioned issued on 2nd April by the Director General of Telecommunications on The Granting of the Electronic Communications Code by Oftel makes it clear at paragraph 1.12 that,
We believe that the code should be available only to those who either have infrastructure or are providing conduits. Furthermore, extending it beyond those limits would upset the code's delicate balance. The proposed amendment would widen excessively the range of potential applicants for the benefits it provides and so undermine the balance.
In Committee we understood that the amendment was intended to relate to a concern expressed by Crown Castle about the current procedures for the control of rent for space on shared transmitter masts. The code is not the applicable instrument for that concern. The market review of broadcasting transmissions services will determine what regime is applied in the future.
All secondary legislation, including the general development orders, will, wherever we consider it necessary, be amended by an order made under Clause 399, so I ask the noble Lord to withdraw the amendment.
Lord Avebury: My Lords, It is helpful to have that assurance on the record, even though I would have preferred to have a provision in the Bill, because something written down in a code does not have the force of law. But having the Minister's assurances on the record goes some way to what we were asking for. Therefore I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Clause 117 [Conditions regulating premium rate services]:
Lord McIntosh of Haringey moved Amendment No. 67:
The noble Lord said: My Lords, in moving the amendment I shall speak also to Amendments Nos. 68, 69, 71 and 72. It may be convenient to the House if I speak also to Amendments Nos. 69A and 70.
We had a rough ride with comparable amendments in Committee, which we introduced in response to concerns from ICSTIS on premium rate services. Government Amendments Nos. 67, 68, 69, 71 and 72 deal with the issues we discussed in Committee in connection with what were then Amendments Nos. 122A to 122D. They sought to respond to the concerns expressed by my noble friend Lady Gould of Potternewton during Second Reading about regulating certain premium rate services emanating from abroad.
As I agreed in Committee, officials have discussed the matters further with the operators and with ICSTIS, and I understand that these amendments meet the operators' concerns articulated during the debate, as well as those of ICSTIS.
Amendment No. 68 is aimed at ensuring that even when a premium rate service provider is located abroad and the arrangements for the use of the electronic communications network for the provision of the premium rate service in this country is via an intermediary, there is still a person who is subject to regulation.
Amendment No. 69, like the previous Amendment No. 122D, defines what is meant by an intermediary service provider for the purpose of these provisions. It is expanded slightly from the previous version to deal with situations in which there might be chains of intermediaries through which premium rate services might be delivered. Amendment No. 67 is consequential on those two amendments.
Amendment No. 71 is new. It restricts the obligations that a code approved by Ofcom could place on a communications provider falling within subsection 117(11A). In accordance with this
I understand that that restriction removes the concerns of the operators expressed during Committee without jeopardising the effectiveness of the regulatory regime. Amendment No. 72 places the corresponding restriction on an order that might be made by Ofcom in the absence of a code.
We have no desire to place undue burdens on providers of electronic communications services. In Clauses 117 to 121 we are providing a regulatory regime which enables the code-making body in conjunction with Ofcom to ensure that consumers are not disadvantaged by the less scrupulous PRS providerswhich will be the primary target of the regulatory regime.
But experience shows that there are times when the normal operation of the code is insufficient, and ICSTIS or Oftel has needed to askand, if necessary, to compelthe operator of an electronic communications service or network carrying the PRS service to act. It would be a matter of last resort that a network provider falling within Clause 117(11A) would be required to take action. But without that power of last resort, we would be leaving a great loophole in the arrangements, which I gather all interests agree should be plugged in the way that we now propose.
The amendments would ensure that the PRS regime operates effectively but without placing undue burdens on the operators.
Amendment No. 69A is at first sight very seductive. Nobody would argue that the interests of premium rate service providerssome of which have sadly shown themselves to be not terribly scrupulousshould be placed above the interests of the man, woman and child in the street. But it is too simplistic to say that we should include in the statute book a requirement that the new premium rate service regime places the interests of consumers above those of premium rate service providers. Taken literally, that could mean that consumers should pay next to nothing for the services, and providers should be deprived of a reasonable profit.
The risk of following the approach in the amendment would be that ordinary, decent premium rate service providers would be unable to offer commercially viable services and the customer would be deprived of many services to which they have shown they want to subscribe. We know that there are lots of complaints about some premium rate services, especially those pandering to people's baser instincts. But that overshadows the fact that premium rate services are much in demand by consumers across a wider spectrum: information about news, weather,
In the premium rate service regulatory regime we need a continuation of the existing arrangements that seek to ensure that, among other things, consumers know that they are being charged a premium and the rate of the premium. There are arrangements for reducing the risk of inappropriate services reaching children and to enable the rogue elements in the industry to be dealt with effectively. The regime that we are providing for gives that assurance, so there is no need for the amendment.
Clause 118(2)(b) provides that Ofcom must not approve a code unless the code-making and enforcing body is independent of the providers of premium rate services. There is therefore no need to fear that the code will lean unduly in favour of suppliers. The amendment is not only unnecessary, it could be positively harmful to the provision of services that consumers have shown that they want.
We covered some of the ground on Amendment No. 70 in Committee, but I am happy to re-emphasise our agreement that we should not place unnecessary barriers in the way of innovation and investment in new services. That is particularly important in the sphere of premium rate services, in which there has been considerable growth in recent years with every prospect of it continuing.
However, with the growth of new services, there are always dangers of abuse. While most premium rate service providers are perfectly honourable and provide good, useful services, some would use them to fleece the unsuspecting public, including, I am afraid, children. We must therefore be wary of what we do.
I know that there are concerns about the current limit in the ICSTIS code of �20 before online services must be terminated by forced release. That limit related to only certain kinds of calls, notably online services, pay-for-product services and sexual entertainment services. In each of those categories, the code provides that the limit does not apply if ICSTIS gives prior consent. If business-to-business video conferencing were arranged in such a way that it fell within the provisions of the code applying for online services, it is likely that ICSTIS would give prior permission for the limits not to apply.
Apart from that, the amendment is unnecessary. Ofcom is already constrained as regards approving a code for regulating premium rate services. In accordance with Clause 118(2)(d) to (g) it cannot approve a code unless it is satisfied that: it is objectively justifiable, it does not discriminate unduly, it is proportionate to the intended effect and it is transparent. Those are significant constraints on the actions of Ofcom. In my view, they are adequate to provide the right balance to ensure that any code does not unnecessarily constrain innovation and investment.
Given the scope for abuse in this area, I do not think that we should feel comfortable with sacrificing customers on the altar of innovation and investment to new ways of ripping them off. I beg to move.
Next Section
Back to Table of Contents
Lords Hansard Home Page


text:
When I buy an Xbox360, this game is going to be one of the first on my list to rent. Yes, I said rent, but there is a very good reason why I'll rent instead of buying this game. First reason is because of how simple it is. There aren't massive storylines and 10 different levels, unlike games like Resident Evil and Dead Rising. My second reason is that you can't play this game alone. The reason behind that statement is because in most games, zombies limp towards you and you can easily just walk past them, but in Left 4 Dead, they run at you like lambs to a slaughter. In this game, you can't make your own character. Instead, you choose from 4 different characters: an unemployed African- American businessman, a Vietnam veteran, a college girl, and a typical awesome video game action hero. My final reason to rent this game is because the game doesn't have boss fights or puzzle solving, and relies on the players to mow down hordes of zombies. Another reason why you shouldn't play this alone is because alone, you could get easily taken down.
So basically, I wouldn't give this game a perfect score but I would give it about 7 or 8 out of 10, since that's what zombie games are all about, but I would like some uniqueness like boss fights and such, and to be able to create your own character


text:
A new blog from the Gibson's, can you believe it!? Don't hold your breath though, we're not as talented or devoted as many of you in keeping our blog updated.
Some of you may remember me having a goal of doing 100 pushups on my 40th birthday a few years ago. I was able to do so but just barely, unfortunately we didn't think about getting it on video. Well, for the last few years, I haven't been able to hit 100 pushups on my birthday because of a combination of shoulder pain and general laziness. As a result, I was even more determined to make it to 100 on my 44th birthday a week and a half ago. I started training for this back in March because believe it or not, you don't get stronger as you get older and challenges like this become increasingly more difficult.
Anyway, Krissy encouraged me to post this video so feel free to watch if I haven't bored you to tears already. Incidentally, I'm not able to touch my chest to the floor, nor am I able to extend my arms all the way up because of my bad elbow. I haven't decided if that makes a pushup easier or more difficult.
We hope everyone had a wonderful conference weekend. We thoroughly enjoyed all sessions and I was able to take my nephew Chance to the Priesthood session last night. Krissy claims she will write an extended blog soon (anyone want to place a bet on that? :)) so I'll keep me comments short. We look forward to seeing many of you in Utah County for Thanksgiving.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
100 pushups???
A new blog from the Gibson's, can you believe it!? Don't hold your breath though, we're not as talented or devoted as many of you in keeping our blog updated.
Posted by The Gibsons at 4:30 PM 8 comments


text:
No matter where you are in the writing process – even if you only just have a glimmer of an idea – it pays to pay attention to the marketplace of books. It's a dizzying world out there, with platforms and pathways to publishing changing by the second, but one thing always holds true: readers are the ultimate arbiters of which books make the big time and which books don't, and they often make snap judgments about what to read.
In the world of traditional publishing, the first readers – the ones who you must please before you can even hope to have a chance to please others – are agents. Knowing how agents read, and what they respond to, is a great way to learn how readers make those instant assessments, even if your plan is to self publish. After all, agents are simply very well informed readers.
The #PitchWars agent round is happening right now, and even if you have no idea about this contest, or no interest in it, there is a wealth of amazing information for you to learn from. There are literally hundreds of agent pitches posted on Brenda Drake's Pitch Wars blog, and dozens of agents are weighing in on them. You can scan through to see which pitches are getting the most agent requests, and evaluate why. You can also read the agent responses to the pitches. The responses are not typically very extensive – which is common for "yes, please send" requests even out in the real (non-contest) world of pitching – but you can get a feel for what they are responding to.
Note that PitchWars is fiction only. Non-fiction writers can still learn an enormous amount about how to choose a title, how to pitch it, and how to grab the reader from second one. Memoir is pitched in exactly this same way, and most non-fiction follows a similar tack – grabbing the reader with a problem/situation/story and showing them what you are promising they will learn/know/become.
The PitchWars pitches have to be 300 words total, divided between pitch and text, so it's easy to whip through a lot of them very fast. Note that these pitches will not be up for very long -- the agent showcase closes November 9th.
Here's how I would recommend using this vast resource of information:
1. Understand what's happening.
PitchWars is a contest started by Brenda Drake. It pairs writers without agents (mentees) with writers who have agents (mentors). Mentees pitch to mentors, mentors select one writer to work with for two months, and the revised manuscript is then pitched to agents who have raised their hands to participate in the event. The agent round is when the pitches go live to agents – which is what's happening now.
I was a mentor to Emma Nelson, and for a sense of what we did to her manuscript over the last two months, you can read the series that chronicles the process, listed below at the very end of this post. We will be continuing this series, and showing even more of what Emma did in the coming weeks. Emma's pitch is #130 in the Adult category if you want to check it out. At the moment, she has three agent requests pending.
2. There are adult, middle grade, and YA pitches, which were posted by date.
Go HERE and read the posts from the date that aligns to the category in which you are writing.
- November 2: adult
- November 3: middle grade
- November 4: young adult.
3. Start by paying attention to the genre.
Scan through all the entries and just look over genre designations. Agents and readers are very specific about the genres – and you need to be specific, too. It's how books are bought and sold.
4. Next scan the titles. Do they grab you? Why or why not?
5. Click into the entries themselves. Look at the word count. Genres have very specific word count requirements and you need to know what those are.
6. Read the pitch – and stop before you read the text. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is it clear whose story this is?
- Do you know what this story is going to be about in terms of what happens/the plot?
- Do you know something about why it matters to the main character?
- Do you have a sense of why it matters to YOU, the reader?
Odds are very good that on the pitches getting attention, the answer to all these questions is a clear Yes.
7. Now read the opening lines. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is something happening right from the start -- not the lead up to the story or the wind-up, but the story itself?
- Do you feel like you are inside the story – getting inside intel into the main character's state of mind, their heart's desire, their problem?
- Is there narrative drive – forward momentum, a sense that you are already on a journey?
- Is there rhythm to the words – a sense of voice?
- Do you want to read more?
- the text align with the pitch? Does it feel like a promise fulfilled?
Odds are again very good that on the pitches getting attention, the answer to all these questions is a clear Yes.
8. Read the agent responses. Can you tell why some have just a few requests and others have more than that?
9. Put your own story into this format – even if you are YEARS away from pitching, even if you have never considered how to tell your story in just a few lines.
Do it, and see how close you can get to the best of these PitchWars pitches. Some day, whether you go out to an agent or straight to readers by self-publishing, you will need to do this work. And some day, readers are going to be making snap judgments about your story. Start now thinking about how to grab them.


text:
The anxieties, speculations & suspense of a possible collapse of our earth is over! The first step in the world's largest particle collider experiment was successfully completed by firing a beam of protons all the way around a 27 km tunnel, in what scientists hope is the next great step to understanding the makeup of the universe. Two white dots flashed on a computer screen indicating that the protons had traveled the full length of the large Hadron Collider. It ended an eager wait of 9,000 physicists around the world who now have much greater microscopic vision before to smash the components of atoms together in attempts to see how they are made.
So, a long wait of almost over 20 years finally has seen it's destiny. Though, physicists agree with the perception that the collider could, theoretically, create small black holes, they do not see any major negative consequences happening in near future. A report released on Friday by CERN scientists reveals that any black hole created would be tiny, and would not have enough energy to stick around very long before dissolving.
Now what can be expected from this € 3.2–6.4 billion (Euro) Large Hadron Collider experiment? Well, the scientists involved in the experiment claims that the underlying structure of the universe is going to be revealed in a much greater degree; including, perhaps, the elusive Higgs boson, the nature of dark energy and whether super-strings exist. The experiment will possibly show us how to manipulate vast amounts of data, in precisely the way that we will have to in the coming decades as we try to do more complex, distributed computing.
To get details of the Large Hadron Collider experiment, please also read: