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Specifically, I discussed two problems:
(1) The rounded corner of the sign is abruptly "clipped," and appears cut off, in frames 214, 218, and most notably in frame 220; and the vertical edge of the sign is noticeably "scalloped out" in frames 218, 220, 224, and 229.
(2) I also noted that in other frames depicting the Stemmons Freeway Sign, there are anomalies involving "scalloping," or "image intrusion," on the opposite side of the sign, in frames 190, 191, 195, and 197.
In my text, after noting the anomalies cited in subparagraph (1) above, I openly wondered whether these anomalies had benign, natural causes (including rapid panning and the action of the camera's shutter), or whether they might be indications of tampering with the Zapruder film (i.e., either poor rotoscoping associated with travelling mattes, or sloppy aerial imaging work). I expressed my deep suspicion that the Stemmons Freeway Sign anomalies were indications of film alteration, but I never said that they were proof of such. I simply indicated which alternative explanation I favored, and stated that film tests using a Bell and Howell camera would be conducted which would almost certainly indicate whether or not such anomalies were naturally occurring artifacts or not.
In the illustration section of my book, in volume I, I presented images relevant to the problem in Figures 84, 85, and 86; and I stated in the photo caption for Figure 86 that the anomalies (which I openly suspected were proof of sloppy tampering with the road sign images) merited further study.
On December 23rd of this year, Gary Mack, the public spokesman for the Sixth Floor Museum for all things photographic, sent an e-mail to John McAdams discussing this subject, and McAdams promptly posted Mack's e-mail on the newsgroup alt.assassination.jfk in a posting titled "Horne's Zapruder theory fails." To say that this title (given to the story by McAdams) is "premature and unsubstantiated" would be an understatement, as I shall demonstrate below.
First, Mack's tone was respectful and devoid of any excess emotion, so I will reciprocate that approach here in my interim response to this issue.
Boiled down to its essentials, Mack's posting said that the anomalies discussed in subparagraph (1) above were (in his opinion) caused by the panning of the camera from left to right, and the use of a slow shutter speed (1/40th of a second). Since the sign in the images was stationary, and the panning camera was following a moving limousine, Mack found it natural that bright objects in the car (Jackie Kennedy's pink hat and pink shoulder, for example) would show THROUGH the slightly blurred image of the non-moving sign.
Then, in an Orwellian statement, Mack wrote: "If anything, the anomalies support the film's authenticity...".
I wish to make a point here which is crucial to this debate: until repeated film tests (of an automobile passing from behind a road sign) are conducted, using the same make and model Bell and Howell camera employed by Zapruder, and until the empirical evidence from these tests (i.e., the developed film) is evaluated, this debate about what has caused the Stemmons Freeway Sign anomalies in the extant film in the Archives WILL NOT BE RESOLVED. If my study of the Zavada report has taught us anything, it is that NO ONE'S theory of any "benign explanation" for Zapruder film artifacts should be accepted as "fact" until or unless it is backed up by empirical evidence from a film test. After all, Rollie Zavada was UNABLE to consistently replicate, in the field, the "full flush left" phenonmenon of intersprocket image penetration seen in the extant film; and furthermore, film shot in his test cameras exhibited "claw flare" that looks very, very different (i.e., much more pronounced) than the supposed "claw flare" seen in the extant film. Additionally, Rollie Zavada could not replicate, in field tests, any of the double images seen so often in the intersprocket area of the extant Zapruder film. In view of these failures, it would be most foolish for anyone to claim that Mack's hypothesis has "proven" that the extant film is authentic.
Gary Mack has provided a hypothesis that provides a benign, natural explanation for the anomalies that I find so suspicious. I openly acknowledged in my text (on pages 1354-1356) that alternate explanations were possible, and that film tests needed to be conducted to resolve whether the anomalies to which I had drawn attention could be replicated naturally. Any good hypothesis is testable by scientific experiment which produces empirical (i.e., measureable) results. Fortunately, Mack's hypothesis fits this definition and I have every confidence that such a test will be conducted in the year 2010, using the same model Bell and Howell camera that Zapruder filmed with in 1963. Real science can be done, and I welcome it. When the results are available, I will publish those results, with accompanying image content, regardless of the outcome.
What Mack did NOT discuss in his e-mail to McAdams are the image anomalies I discussed above in subparagraph (2). As one views the Stemmons Freeway Sign in the extant Zapruder film, on the left-hand side of the sign (as viewed in the image frame) one can see a woman wearing a light blue head scarf standing STATIONARY behind the sign; only part of her head is visible---the sign obscures the right hand side of her head in frames 188, 189, 193, and 194. HOWEVER, in frames 190, 191, 192, 195, and 197 part of this woman's head (which in the real world was obscured by the sign) appears IN FRONT OF THE SIGN---that is, there is "image intrusion" of her head scarf well into the edge of the road sign which in reality should have been obscuring part of her head. (This is shown very clearly in the HD and 6K scans of the 35 mm dupe negative being studied by the Hollywood research group; furthermore, some of these anomalies can also be seen in the "Full Frame" version of the MPI DVD "Image of an Assassination.") This is most peculiar, and very troubling, since in my view Mack's hypothesis does NOT account for this particular anomaly.
Why do I say this? I say this because both the stationary woman and the sign were both non-moving objects filmed while Zapruder was panning from left to right: therefore, it seems to me that at the worst (according to Mack's hypothesis) we should see some blurring of edge definition at the edge of the sign---but no image intrusion. In other words, how can the rounded head of the woman with the headscarf (which was obscured and should NOT HAVE BEEN VISIBLE TO THE CAMERA IN THE REAL WORLD) be visible under ANY circumstances that do not involve film alteration? Whether others find my explanation here persuasive (or not) is not the issue; the real issue is that sometime during the year 2010, a film test shot inside a Bell and Howell double 8 mm movie camera should provide empirical evidence that will likely resolve whether or not such anomalies are naturally occurring events recorded inside the camera's aperture gate, or yet one more factor that should cause us to doubt the Zapruder film's authenticity.
And there are so many other factors that DO cause us to doubt the Zapruder film's authenticity, to wit:
(1) The serious chain-of-custody problems with the film the weekend following the assassination, proving that it was really in the hands of the Secret Service and the CIA (when we were previously told it was in the possession of LIFE magazine in Chicago); and specifically, its delivery to the CIA's National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC) on Sunday night, November 24, 1963, after its processing at a classified CIA/Kodak lab in Rochester, New York.
(2) The anomalous and inconsistent placement of punched ID numbers on both the extant film and on the Secret Service copies.
(3) The failure of the "full flush left" intersprocket penetration to appear on the existing (purported) "first generation" copies of the Zapruder film; the initial information provided by Bruce Jamieson of the Jamieson lab in Dallas was that this intersprocket image penetration SHOULD HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE "FIRST DAY COPIES." And yet the "full flush left" penetration seen in the extant film is not present on today's so-called "first generation" copies, causing us to ask if the "first generation" copies that exist today are NOT the "first day copies" made on November 22, 1963---but rather, substitutes inexpertly copied from an altered master film?
(4) The three purported "first generation" copies that exist today exhibit exposure bracketing, yet two persons who worked at the Jamieson lab where the "first day copies" were exposed the day of the assassination told Rollie Zavada, when first interviewed, that the copies printed that day were NOT bracketed. (Again, this stongly implies the creation of a new "original" film, and three new copies.)
(5) Finally, and pehaps most important, seven (7) out of seven (7) Hollywood film professionals who have examined the HD and 6K scans of the individual frames of the Zapruder film 35 mm dupe negative (obtained from the National Archives) have declared the image content to have been altered: they are of the unanimous opinion that the back of JFK's head in the images---from frame 313 through 337---has been blacked out, i.e., obscured by artwork. Their opinions trump those of anyone in the research community who has not been to film school, and who has not worked in the post-production of motion picture films. I published two illustrations of frame 317 to illustrate this point, but due to the limitations of the printing plant I employed, my book only contains black and white illustrations on non-glossy paper; therfore, the resolution of these two illustrations of frame 317 is not all that I would wish. The color HD and 6K scans of the blacked-out back of the head (particularly frames 313, 317, 321, and 323) are truly stunning, when viewed on high-definition monitors; at the appropriate time in 2010, there will be a public rollout of these images by the Hollywood research group, and the world will be stunned. Seeing is believing, and when these images are publicly released, all of those who have minds open to evidence will understand, and believe, that the extant Zapruder film's image content has been tampered with, to obscure the exit wound behind President Kennedy's right ear seen by the Dallas doctors and nurses at Parkland hospital.
So in closing, I would say that John McAdams' headline ("Horne Zapruder theory fails") is not only premature, but really completely without foundation---like most of the assertions posted to his newsgroup.
The reality is this: Gary Mack's hypothesis (and my suspicions) about the Stemmons Freeway Sign anomalies will remain unresolved until film tests are conducted; and the five strong indicators pointing to the Zapruder film's alteration, cited above, were UNADDRESSED by both Gary Mack and John McAdams.
So...everyone interested in this debate should take a deep breath, relax, and await further developments. END


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Item no ALLCELEPHANT
We love these A Little Lovely Company Suitcases. A new item for us this year. This gorgeous suitcase has an elephant on the front and "you are so magical" on the back. It is a perfect size for a sleepover and is big enough to pack a set of clothes and a toothbrush.
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Skoda Octavia vRS TDI Estate long-term review test diary
Update 5: 11 September 2014
That's (almost) blown it
Mileage: 6686
Latest MPG: 52.1
Lesson learnt: trust the tyre pressure monitoring sensors. I'd noticed it the night before when I moved the Skoda to get the bins in. Check your rear left tyre!, it read. Ho ho, I thought, as I got out and did the age-old F1-level engineering check of, um, looking at it. Nothing wrong there; the tyre pressure sensor's throwing a wobbler.
Maybe it's experience of period Renault Laguna II test cars' fibs that has stuck with me.
Whatever, I left it, but vowed to check it properly before I set off for work the next day. Which I duly did… to discover less than 20psi in the tyre. It should be 36psi. Oops; must be a slow puncture. And as there's no spare in the boot, only goo and a compressor, I decided an early am visit to Kwit-Fit was in order.
Sure enough, it was punctured; a tiny nail had been swallowed at some point. Impressively, they were able to repair it, and did so while I waited with free coffee and Wi-Fi; half an hour later, I was on the road down to the office. The chap had even reset the TPMS warning sensor; given how it had taken me a fair few jabs of the infotainment simply to find it the previous night, I was most appreciative of this.
Good work, Kwik-Fit (and £25 certainly beats the £125-ish replacement cost of a Continental SportContact 2 tyre).
The lesson is to trust the TPMS system. It works by warning you when there's a variation from the pre-set pressure, which the driver can themselves set once they've topped up all the tyres. It monitors all four tyres individually – hence being able to direct me to the tyre at fault – and, frankly, worked a treat. It saved me a flat tyre on the motorways where I spend 95% of my driving life, and ensured the lack of a spare wheel wasn't an issue.
It's not Skoda-specific tech, either. By law, all new models of car sold in the EU now come with TPMS as standard, so it can save you a lot of hassle (and money) too. Yet another example of modern new car tech doing the job nicely: those old Laguna IIs are now but a distant memory…
Want to know more about how TPMS works? Thanks to Kwik-Fit, here's an explainer.
Update 4: 27 August 2014
Driving a Skoda to ride a Skoda
Mileage: 5421
Latest MPG: 52.2
Skoda is the official car supplier to RideLondon, Boris' 100-mile Olympics legacy epic. Being a Skoda driver meant I had interest; being a fledgling cycle fan redoubled it. Add them together and what do you get? Me getting up at 3.45am one rainy Sunday morning to ride my Skoda-branded bike 100 miles.
Madness, I know. Getting up and out and to the start line was one of the more emotional experiences I've had, helped only in part by being joined by 24,000 other people feeling exactly the same. Throw in the risk of Hurricane Bertha and I fully understood why Laurin and Klement had switched from making bikes to building Skoda cars all those years ago.
Bit it was sunny as I set off and in the first few miles through London town, my Skoda Road bike was doing me proud. I did it last year and it was hell, because of an ill-fitting bike; not this time, with top quality Shimano components and a generally premium feel making me feel more than a little Wiggins-esque.
Then Bertha came. Then we got drenched, and rode through two inches of standing water in places, and were all in tears of pain through the force of the rain hitting our faces. It was a storm and no mistake. It passed, though, leaving every rider to literally steam as they crossed the Pall Mall finish line. Exhilaration? Absolutely.
But my goodness, was I glad to be back in the car. Those bolstered seats came into their own because, in what's looking to be a total stroke of genius, I'd added the heating option. DSG ensured tired legs could be at least half-rested and the massive door bins readily took my 1500ml rehydration tonic (well, a bottle of fizzy water), with space for all the cereal bars behind. And the bike? Despite mum and two children in the car, it was itself getting a well earned rest lying on our stuff in the boot.
So, which gets it, Skoda car or Skoda bike? At the moment, I'm still saying car. Ask me in a few weeks when I've finally recovered and get back out on the bike again…
Update 3: 3 August 2014
From Rolls-Royce to Skoda: what's it like?
Mileage: 4932
Latest MPG: 53.2
Swanning about in a Rolls-Royce Wraith was awfully nice, particularly once I'd got used to the elegant-attitude suspension and relaxed demeanour it encourages. What, though, did the Octavia vRS feel like straight after it? Not a comparison many (any?) Rolls-Royce customers will be making, which is why I was intrigued.
Right away, you step lower into an Octavia vRS. Through normal doors, of course, which makes things easier, but also onto a low-positioned, firm-bolstered bucket that contrasted with the lofty armchairs of the Wraith. Previously I'd felt them a teeny bit high: not now.
The moody black-themed GTI-style interior was a real-world comeback after the Rolls-Royce indulgence, but it was odd hearing an engine again after three days of 'is it on?' refinement. Even more odd was feeling the jiggle of the road beneath me, sensing bumps (they exist again!), feeling poised rather than gliding along on a magic carpet. The vRS, in short, really did feel like a GTI.
But boy, did the steering take some getting used to. As it did in the Rolls-Royce, which has a relatively slow and light steering rack. In complete contrast, the Octavia's is firmer and significantly faster; what's more, it still has some 'sneeze' around the straight ahead before speeding up quickly, which demands further acclimatisation.
It felt even more odd than normal, then. It's taking me a while to truly dial into the hyper-active rack of the Octavia anyway, and this didn't help. Back to square one of thinking how much input to put into corners as I take them, rather than naturally steering through them. I admit, I'm hyper-attentive to it, as it's my 'own' car and I'm thus seeking to be as keyed into it as possible. But surely steering should be a bit more intuitive?
This apart though, was I disappointed to be back in the Skoda after a weekend in the Rolls-Royce? Not at all. The vRS is a cool car in its own right, and certainly a more than able one. The Rolls-Royce of, um, hot green estates.
Update 2: 2 July 2014
To Goodwood! Again, and again, and again
Mileage: 3647
Latest MPG: 48.1
The Goodwood Festival of Speed gets bigger and bigger. So, armed with a media pass and a brief to cover as much as I could, it was down the A34 to Lord March's gaff: Moving Motor Show on Thursday, FoS on Friday to Saturday. And, before that, a Ford EcoBoost 140 event. And, before that, the media reveal of Jaguar's incredible Project 7 production car. This is why the mileage has leapt up so…
All good for getting to know the Octavia. Learning that DSG is showing its age in the hesitancy it sometimes shows. That the long-travel accelerator hides the engine's true potency. That the 'sneeze' slow-geared patch straight-ahead hides the steering's sharpness (and requires calibration when making up time on Goodwood's backmost roads). That the climate control system is absolutely faultless in terms of understated perfect-temperature-always manipulation (no random full-blast fan intrusion here).
I was heartened when I returned to it after the Moving Motor Show; as I was making a pre-drive tweet, someone trudging past commented on what a good looking car it is. The colour undoubtedly helps here – glad I cleaned it before I left too, as dirt clothes its true vivid vibrancy. Those wheels are a pain to clean though: perhaps I should have gone for the 19-inch anthracite rims?
Perhaps not, judging by the ride quality, which although fine at speed, does pick up irritations: Daisy was right. I put this down to the shallow profile of the tyres – they're 40-section – as the suspension itself isn't actually overly stiff. My old Audi A4 S line felt stiffer. Must be careful with the sponge when cleaning the wheels too: the tyres are so shallow, it's easy to drag it along the ground and pick up grit (the amount of sponges this obsessive car cleaner has thrown away because of that doesn't bear repeating).
That failed light warning symbol continues to light up. Happens each time I drive through a tunnel, a dark patch of trees or a thunderstorm (sharp work, auto lights). Need to get it checked out at a dealer but simply not had time up to now (or, indeed, been at either home or the office to book it in). Still for the to-do list; this is one gremlin that hasn't cured itself.
My first long-term test report for MSN Cars is also now live
Update 1: 16 June 2014
Holiday fun in the big green Skoda
Mileage: 2126
Latest MPG: 49.6
I had to wait a while for my Skoda Octavia vRS long-termer so, to make up for it, I've been pressing it into action with relish. The magic 1,000 miles 'run-in' came and went, and it's now over 2,000, courtesy of a well timed family holiday for which it was delivered just in time.
It's the perfect holiday car, this vRS Estate, and not just because it's absolutely massive inside. Although that helps. Normally, with two children, we have to pack carefully, thinking about where everything goes like a 3D game of Tetris. Not here. Fling everything in and you've still space to spare: it was a novelty, being able to close the boot first time and see out the rear window on the motorway as we travelled down.
Well, I say close the boot first time. It's usually second or third time, actually: one grumble about the Octavia Estate is that you have to slam the lid to close it cleanly. One of the selling points about my old Kia cee'd SW was the fact the boot would close simply by letting it drop past the tip point of the gas struts. Handprints all around the Skoda bootlid badge attest to the difference here.
It makes us very mindful of what we may need while on the move – slamming the boot and rousing a sleeping George Aucock does not go down too well…
Driving the entire length of the M5: it's holiday time
The drive down to Devon was an absolute breeze. We did it in less than three hours, feeling as fresh as a daisy at the other end – the Recaro-style front buckets really are great, and 184hp backed up by 280lb ft of torque is ever-appealing.
Quiet times when children were snoozing (standard DAB was turned off) saw me make a mental tick list of the bits I was enjoying: the shapely steering wheel, clever iPhone holder, Golf GTI-style black rooflining, oil temperature readout, very effective and discreet climate control. Everything you need to ease the miles.
My daughter Daisy did make one observation as we explored – it's a bit stiff and bumpy, on occasion, over grittier Devon roads (she's learning fast). Only the worst are comment-worthy, mind (the wavy, broken and blistered sort). That shows the focus of the suspension: just as Porsches and Ferraris patter with intent, so does the Skoda. It does the same on motorway expansion joints, occasionally, although generally it's of the firm but fine sort.
Early economy is looking good, with an average of 57mpg regularly showing on the trip computer after a 100-mile run to work. Throughout the holiday break, more mixed driving saw 47-48mpg; the aim is to not dip below 45mpg, and see what it takes to break 60mpg…
But there is one minor reliability quibble: each time the auto Xenon headlights come on, so too does a fault alert in the trip computer. And a yellow fault alert light then remains on until you park up and turn off. The headlight seems fine to me, so a trip to the dealer may be in order. I'll report back on that soon.


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Traveling with Diabetes
You've been working hard – all day, every day. But the promise of sweet summer sunshine and a cool, calm breeze have you wishing for a much-deserved vacation. Whatever your dream retreat is, it's totally impossible for you to travel – or so you thought. This summer, don't let your diabetes hold you back from the trip of a lifetime. Follow these helpful hints from the American Diabetes Association for traveling with diabetes, and hit the road!
First, check with your doctor.
- Make sure your diabetes is under control.
- Get a letter from your doctor that explains what you need to do for your diabetes (i.e. take insulin shots or diabetes pills), lists any medications or devices you use (i.e.syringes), and lists any allergies or medications to which you are sensitive or allergic.
- Request a prescription. You should carry enough medication to get you through your trip, but it's good to have the prescription in case of an emergency. If you're going out of the country, contact the International Diabetes Federation for information on prescription laws in other countries.
Be able to communicate.
- If you are traveling out of the country, it is a good idea to get a list of English-speaking foreign doctors. Visit the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers to obtain a list.
- Learn how to say "I have diabetes" in the language of the country to which you are traveling.
- ALWAYS wear medical alert jewelry that shows you have diabetes.
Pack wisely.
- It's better to be safe than sorry…pack at least twice as much medication and testing supplies as you should need, and keep all medication in your carry-on so it stays with you. Also keep air-tight snacks and sugar in your carry-on to treat low blood glucose.
- Don't store insulin in glove compartments or in direct sunlight. Protect your insulin with a travel pack to keep it cool. Insulated lunch boxes work well for this. Simply fill it with ice the night before your trip and your medication will stay cool the next day.
Timing is everything.
- Ask your doctor to help you plan the timing of injections when you travel, especially if you are crossing time zones.
- Keep your flight schedule in mind when planning meals and injections.
- Keep your watch on your home time zone until the morning after you arrive. This will help you keep track of meals and medication while you are traveling.
While you're there…
- Take snacks when you're hiking or sightseeing – you never know if and when you will have access to food.
- Ask for a list of ingredients for unfamiliar foods to avoid upsetting your stomach.
- Wear comfortable shoes – don't go barefoot!
- Take a lot of pictures, make a lot of memories, and bring us back a souvenir!
What are your summer vacation plans? Do you have any travel stories or tips for traveling with diabetes? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment!


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A few years ago, a prominent health practitioner advised me to eat Bitter Melon 3 times a week. "Studies are demonstrating that it has powerful blood sugar control and anti-tumor properties", she said, "it is used in Asian medicine to treat diabetes." And so began "The Hunt for Bitter Melon", worthy of a chapter in an adventure novel.
When I finally found some in a large, sprawling, "every gadget, house-ware, street food, produce item and food-like thing ever made in China" store... they were of course not organic. But the benefit so superseded the ingestion of the pesticides, I bought a few of the ridged, bumpy cucumber-like things.
For anyone who is dealing with diabetes, or cancer it's highly recommended to include in your diet.
To prepare bitter melon, slice the fruit open and remove seeds and pith. Do not peel. Beginners to bitter melon may parboil the fruit to lessen bitterness, although aficionados say this changes the texture too much.
Typically bitter melon is stuffed, pickled, or curried and served with meat or in soup.
Here are some suggestions:
- Chop it into Pasta Sauce with lots of garlic and oregano
- Dice it and cook with other vegetables, like sweet potatoes and peas
- Cook it with onions and pineapple chunks, season with cinnamon
- Add it to a Curry dish
- Put some in a Stir Fry with lots of ginger, season with Coconut Aminos
- Cut in half, hollow out seeds and stuff with heavily spiced ground grass-fed beef, onions and tomatoes
And finally... the evidence
Bitter melon is a fruit that grows in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. Traditionally it has been used to treat diabetes. This is what spiked the interest of Dr. Rajesh Agarwal, a lead researcher in the Colorado study. He thought bitter melon might treat pancreatic cancer, since Type II diabetes often precedes the disease.
Researchers examined the effect of bitter melon on 4 different lines of pancreatic cancer cells and in mice. Mice were injected with pancreatic tumor cells and were randomly divided into one of two groups. One group received water (control), and the second was given bitter melon juice for six weeks. At the end of the study, the tumors that developed on the mice were dissected, weighed, and analyzed.
The results showed that bitter melon juice inhibited cancer cell proliferation and induced apoptosis (cell death). Tumor growth was inhibited by 60% in the treatment group with no signs of toxicity.
Other resources:
~ Be Well.


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In the dark about solutions for spam?
Proposed standards and technology may be the light at the end of the tunnel.
The spam situation is bad and only getting worse. A judge yesterday cited insufficient evidence and dismissed a North Carolina woman's felony spamming conviction, according to the Washing ton Post.
Loudoun County Circuit Judge Thomas D. Horne said he overturned the conviction of Jessica DeGroot, 28, because the jury got "lost" in a mire of technological evidence and a new Virginia antispam law, the article said. DeGroot had been convicted of flooding tens of thousands of America Online e-mail accounts with unsolicited bulk advertisements.
"We've been playing whack-a-mole with the spammers," said Meng Weng Wong, founder of the e-mail forwarding service Pobox.com, and a visiting fellow at Earthlink Inc.
Wong and other experts are calling on enterprises to support their proposed standards for e-mail sender authentication, which will underscore new, so-called reputation services that rate messages against thousands of criteria. The idea is to identify trusted elements and turn away spammers at the gateway by treating all as "guilty until proven innocent."
The standards, which have been bogged-down by political infighting within the Internet Engineering Task Force, are supported by services such as CipherTrust Inc.'s TrustedSource reputation service, which works with the company's IronMail e-mail security appliance.
But the proposals deserve the immediate support of enterprise users, said an e-mail security analyst. And, Burton Group's Dan Golding said, security execs should consider only those reputation services that base their information about domains on SPF, which is free and in the public domain. "Without that basis on SPF records," said Golding, "they're useless."
There is a problem, however. While companies like Microsoft, Amazon.com Inc. and eBay Inc. are on board with the proposed standards, many major Internet players, including Yahoo Inc., oppose them.
Yahoo has run a ferocious campaign against SPF and SIDF. The Web search engine company is offering a rival proposal called DomainKeys, which use public key encryption technology, something that has failed to gain widespread support in the past.
SPF and SIDF have the potential to largely prevent the spoofing of legitimate domain names and phishing scams launched by zombie PCs.
Newton was the co-chair of an antispam IETF working group on SPF and SIDF. The group disbanded last year, partly over what Newton called political disputes between vendors and "open source zealots."
SPF and SIDF will only work if a critical mass of large enterprises participate, by registering records of their domain names and IP addresses at sites like Pobox.com.
Appliances and services that support SPF and SIDF, such as those from CipherTrust and IronPort Systems Inc., can then use the data to catch spoofers.
For SPF to foil domain name spoofing attempts, big name enterprises must contribute their SPF records, said the Burton Group's Golding. "For enterprises, creating an SPF record is as important a security measure as being able to check them." He lamented the absence of SPF records created by major banks.
Few major U.S. banks, save BankAmerica and one or two others, have created SPF records, although their domains are regularly spoofed in phishing attacks.


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A little over five years ago, photographer Chad Blakley and his wife moved to Abisko to take on seasonal summer jobs, but quickly fell in love with the breath-taking landscape and warm people of Swedish Lapland.
– My interest in photography began at a young age. When I was a teenager, I worked for the local newspaper in a small town outside of New Orleans, Louisiana. During my college years, I started a small business photographing weddings and students preparing for graduation. Though I truly enjoyed the technical aspects of photography, I soon grew tired of the repetitive scenes. I put down my camera and thought that my days behind a lens were finished, tells Chad Blakley.
– Nearly ten years after losing interest in photography, something incredible happened – I married a beautiful Swedish woman. I quit a well-paying job in the US and moved to a small town in the far north of Sweden called Abisko, he remembers.


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Plantation city council stays away from Tamarac disputeCity Council members have declined to sign a resolution urging Broward Sheriff Nick Navarro to withdraw his deputies from Tamarac.
"I don't think it's any of our business," said Council member Marty Dishowitz during Wednesday night's City Council meeting.
The resolution was sponsored by the Northwest Council of Mayors who met last week and unanimously agreed to send a resolution to Navarro demanding that he get permission from city officials before patrolling inside a municipality.
Sheriff's deputies started patrolling Tamarac neighborhoods when Navarro said he thought the city's 67 sworn police officers was not an adequate number to provide safety.
In other business, council members gave final approval to an ordinance increasing the minimum fine for handicapped parking violations from $100 to $150.


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Canadian SmartPhone users account for over 50% of all mobile phone users in this country. That number increases dramatically for professionals and business owners. SmartPhone use is almost universal among those who own an online business or who conduct business online (such as eCommerce and marketing). For most of us, it is quite literally worth its weight in gold.
As the popularity of SmartPhones increases, so do the attempts to hack, steal and otherwise exploit them. A stolen or hacked SmartPhone can grant access to cloud storage, company intranets, contact lists, customer databases, social media accounts, financial institutions and email. Malicious attacks may also include malware, viruses and identity theft. Anything you do with your phone can be done by someone who hacks into it and malware can wreak havoc in a myriad of ways, if you don't employ security measures. The methods of accessing SmartPhones become more sophisticated every day, and the hacking can extend to your other devices, at home or at work.
In spite of the growing threat, 87% of Canadians don't utilize comprehensive security for their SmartPhone and 89% don't protect their tablets, according to McAfee's 2013 Digital Assets Survey. The threat to SmartPhones has reached critical levels, prompting tech giant, Intel, to launch a mobile device security campaign to educate device users. The campaign focuses on the following three ways to protect your mobile device.
1. Locking your SmartPhone is your first line of defense to prevent your data from falling into the wrong hands if your phone is lost or stolen. Depending on the operating system you may have several options available to you, including a PIN, voice or face recognition, or a traditional password. Whatever you choose, make sure it's tough to crack! For example, a random combination of numbers, letters, case, etc., will make your password much more bulletproof.
2. Tracking app's can help you find your phone if it's lost or stolen. The more advanced app's will allow you to wipe your phone's data remotely, an invaluable feature to business professionals who may have sensitive data on their phone.
3. Encryption app's allow you to encrypt your phone's storage, preventing anyone from accessing it without a password.
There are several app's on the market that may offer some protection for individual devices. The most acclaimed offer multiple security measures and are able to protect all devices, regardless of what platform they use. We strongly suggest adding mobile security measures to your company security policy for all staff.
Have you ever encountered a security threat on your mobile device? Please share your experience in the comments below.
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It's Still a Social Network
Instagram has a fast-growing base of users who "follow" other users in a manner which is very similar to Twitter. With uKnowKids, you can view the individuals within your child's community of Instagram "friends".
Monitor Instagram images and pictures
Over-sharing in the form of images and photos is not uncommon on Instagram. With uKnowKids, you can view all the Instagram's that your child has published or posted. They are all within the Images card of your uKnowKids dashboard!
View comments and Likes on pictures
As with other social networking sites, such as Facebook, Instagram allows users to "Like" and comment on their own images, and on the images posted by others in the community. Now, with uKnowKids, you can view all Likes and comments made on your child's images, in addition to any your child has made on other users' images.


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Question about 2002 Cannondale C 440
I'm trying to understand the clutch cable adjusters. They adjust the ends of the outer cable housing and how does this affect the inner cable. Just replaced clutch cable and shifting has changed. I have to tweak shift lever up to get it to cahnge or downshift. It don't make no sense that the adjusters affect the inner cable and only affects the outer cable.
Bowden cables like your clutch cable work on the law of the lever. Think of lifting up a heavy weight hanging on a rope using a lever balanced on a fulcrum. The rope is in tension and the fulcrum is in compression. To adjust the point of lift you could either vary the length of the rope or adjust the height of the fulcrum. The outer sleeve of your clutch cable is made out of plastic-coated steel, square-section wire and is resistant to compression forces along its length. This outer sleeve works as your fulcrum and, because it is flexible, lets you put it where it is needed - at the end of your handlebar. The cable inner is like the rope in the lever example and resists only stretching forces. It is threaded down through that snaking fulcrum back to where control movement is needed. The cable adjusters let you fine tune the length of the fulcrum, and therefore the lift range of the inner cable.,,,
Posted on Nov 10, 2008
Hi there,
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Best thing about this new service is that you are never placed on hold and get to talk to real repairmen in the US.
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Good luck!
Posted on Jan 02, 2017
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What is the Equation of time?
If you were using a sundial you would see that above the axis the sundial appears fast relative to a clock showing local time and the slow below the axis.
The difference here is called Equation of time which describes the difference between two types of solar time, apparent solar time and mean solar time.
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I look forward to hearing all your comments and thoughts.


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Agilitypelejä saapuu Agiråkkiin tuomaroimaan kanadalainen Sarah Mairs. Lue, mitä Sarah kertoo itsestään ja tunnelmistaan agilitykisojen tuomaroimisesta Suomessa!
I'd like to Thank Finnish Agility Association for inviting me to this assignment. Such an honor to judge my first International Championship.
I reside in a small town just north of Toronto, Ontario Canada. My beginning agility partners were Golden Retrievers and my eldest is 13 years young. My current agility partners are a Whippet mix and two Border Collies.
I have been active in judging agility since the early 1990's and am passionate about continued growth in our sport. I admire those stepping to the line for their first time in a local trial as much as I admire world champions acing the course at massive events. Agility is a partnership that we are all so lucky to experience; and the joy from the judges shoes is much different then the joy in the competitor shoes. I am blessed to wear both. I have judged all level of events from back yard starter level trials, Canadian Regional cups and a UKI Canadian National. I have represented Team Canada on FCI, WAO and IFCS teams with my Golden Retriever and my Border Collie over the years 2004-2006 and 2015-2017.
I love the opportunity to be creative in my course design and certainly the strategy of games is one of my favorites. The games classes test the partnership with strategy skills and possibly back up plans. It's exciting to watch it unfold. Good luck to everyone – See you on the start line!


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Why use CBD?
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a compound found naturally in some types of cannabis plants, called cannabis sativa. CBD is one of over 100 compounds (called cannabinoids) that are found in cannabis plants — and each natural compound has its own benefits.
And it's the benefits that make CBD so popular. Researchers have even suggested that there is a huge range of potential CBD health benefits, treating everything from chronic pain to anxiety. It's the magical natural compound that just keeps on giving.
How does CBD work?
Well, many scientists believe that CBD works by interacting with what's known as the endocannabinoid system. It's our biological system that's made up of our body's vast network of chemical compounds and receptors that act to maintain homeostasis or balance within our body and mind.
Think of it like a dimmer switch – it turns up activity if there isn't enough or turns down elements if there is an excess.
How can CBD benefit certain ailments?
CBD and anxiety
One benefit of CBD hemp oil is that it may help in managing anxiety symptoms due to its close relationship with the central nervous system. As research has suggested, CBD hemp oil use could help because it may activate the serotonin 5HT1-A receptor (the 'feel good' chemical) found in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and amygdala — areas in the brain involved in mood and anxiety disorders.
One study found that a 600mg dose of CBD helped those with social anxiety give a speech, while earlier research with animals has shown that CBD can help reduce anxiety by:
- Relieving stress
- Reducing physiological effects of anxiety, like an increase in heart rate
- Promoting sleep in cases of insomnia
CBD and chronic pain
Because CBD may be able to positively affect your brain's receptors, regular hemp oil usage may also help with how you manage pain in conditions such as arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, headaches and fibromyalgia.
That's because CBD releases neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin that can lessen pain and discomfort while disrupting the activity of pain receptors in the body (scientifically known as the TRPV-1 receptor). In fact, studies sponsored by the National Institutes of Health is looking into how CBD can relieve symptoms caused by:
- Muscle pain
- Arthritis
- Spinal cord injuries
- MS pain
CBD and skin conditions
Another one of CBD hemp oil's uses is that it may help the body with overall inflammation – and so help skin conditions such as acne. Researchers suggest that CBD oil prevents activity in sebaceous glands – a natural oily substance that hydrates the skin. However, too much sebum can lead to acne. More recently, researchers at the University of Colorado have stated that CBD could be a successful alternative, natural product for people to try in treating symptoms related to skin diseases, such as eczema and psoriasis.
CBD and our brains
A potentially surprising health benefit of CBD is that it may be able to protect our brains. This is due to its antioxidant effect. As many neurodegenerative diseases are caused by toxicity in our brains and the accumulation of a neurotransmitter called glutamate, CBD has been found to reduce toxicity levels and lessen neural inflammation (in studies on mice).
CBD and diabetes
One preclinical trial found that CBD lessens the incidence of diabetes from 86% to 30% in diabetic rodents. This is partly due to CBD's anti-inflammatory properties, which is able to slow down the onset of diabetes.
For more information around CBD effects on our body, check out our youtube channel here.
If you're still wondering what CBD is all about, why not head over to our CBD online shop and grab one of our incredible products? You can also send us a message via our chatbot or drops us an email – our support team will be happy to help you make an informed decision.


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Texas Rangers
Rangers recap: Martinez continues to cruise as Prince provides the power
Pitching: Nick Martinez held the Diamondbacks to one run (his first earned run allowed this season) on five hits and a walk in six innings. Martinez has allowed one earned run in his first 20 innings this season. He struck out three. He likely would have made it to the seventh if a Rougned Odor error in the sixth hadn't extended him by 12 pitches before getting out of a bases-loaded jam. Keone Kela took over in the seventh but was replaced with two outs with runners on the corners by Shawn Tolleson. Tolleson struck out Goldschmidt to end the threat. Tanner Scheppers, who walked the bases loaded on Sunday, allowed a hit and struck out one in the ninth.
Hitting: Prince Fielder had a 400-foot ground-rule double to left-center field that scored Leonys Martin in the first inning and a two-run homer in the eighth (his first since May 8) to give the Rangers a 5-1 cushion. Martin led off the first with a double and had a two-run single in the ninth to make it 7-1. The top three Rangers hitters —Martin, Fielder and Elvis Andrus — combined to go 6 for 14 with two doubles, a homer, six RBI and four runs scored.
Notables: Shin-Soo Choo has not committed an error thus far but he has made some odd-looking catches in right field. Another one on a line drive just to his right in the first inning didn't look pretty but he made the catch ... Rougned Odor's fielding error (his second) on a grounder to his right should have ended the sixth inning but instead forced Martinez to throw 12 more pitches before getting out of a bases-loaded jam.


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What size companies do you serve?
Do you work with PayPal?
Yes, we work with PayPal but recommend Stripe.
How Small is a Small Business?
We consider a small business or small nonprofit to be no more than 5 employees. We also provide bookkeeping services that are for mid-size organizations, up to 50 employees.
Can I cancel at any time?
Sure thing. We never lock you in, and we make sure it's easy to get your data out. Unlike other bookkeeping services, all of our services are fully transferable to another manager. To cancel any service, we require 30 days notice so that we have time to move around the monkeys.
Oh and guess what? We have never lost a client. Those who join, love us. Why you say? Maybe because we love them and treat them that way.
If I leave the service, how do I export my data?
Quickbooks online data will be stored in your account. You have the ability to remove our access at anytime and then reassign access to another person of your choosing.
We haven't done our books for a long time. Do you provide catch-up services?
Yes. We can do historical updates at a discounted rate for our new clients.
How do I import my existing books into Quickbooks?
Send us your most up-to-date Balance Sheet and Income Statement, and you're done. If you don't know where to find those, we can help. We also handle migrations from Desktop QuickBooks, Quicken, Peachtree and other accounting suites.
We currently use QuickBooks on our computer (or server), can you manage our QuickBooks file?
We can, but we won't. We are 100% cloud based. If you want to drop that expensive server we can surely help you.
How much are your fees?
Our fees begin at $350/month for bookkeeping services.
What locations do you serve?
Do you offer on-site help?
"You can't get there from here." – unknown
Well yes, we provide on-site training and support at a premium, though. Just ask.
Can you help us with our Budget?
We LOVE budgets, making them and balancing them. Quickbooks Online has a budget feature that we can set up for you. We also utilize other software outside of Quickbooks to create and manage budgets. If your organization needs a budget – we can help.
What does JRK mean?
Those are my initials. I tried to come up with a fancier name for our business like "Awesome Quickbooks Bookkeeping, Payroll, Budgeting, eCommerce Business" but that seemed a bit long. My dad told me once that your name will never change so if you use that you won't have to redo business cards every time you decide to make a name change. Figures that works for me. Notice there is no E before the R.
What are the benefits of Cloud Accounting?
Cloud accounting solutions are often subscription based, and customers can upgrade their monthly or annual plans to meet the growing needs of a business. This pricing model is similar to popular consumer SaaS providers such as Netflix, Google Apps, and Dropbox. Not requiring a long term commitment is another strong reason to consider cloud solutions. There are no contracts to lock you in with a specific vendor or cloud accounting technology.
Here are the top benefits to consider when researching cloud accounting solutions:
1. Safe storage of financial data
Cloud accounting technology can provide a more secure method of storing financial information than desktop based software. Data is routinely backed up to servers in multiple locations by the SaaS provider, and there are no physical hard drives or computers containing sensitive data that can be stolen. Since financial information isn't kept on-premise, the risks of fires and natural disasters are also mitigated.
2. Sync data automatically
Cloud accounting software does the heavy lifting so you can spend your time on other important business tasks. Automatically sync your bank accounts so you don't have to manually import transactions or verify expenses. If 84 percent of businesses using cloud software are cutting their application costs — it's a good indicator that with the adoption of online accounting, you can too.
3. Pay as you grow
Small businesses often experience growing pains, which makes choosing software with future growth in mind a priority for many. Cloud accounting software allows businesses to purchase what they need and increase their spend as they grow. This includes adding more storage space, users, and more advanced features.
4. Multi user access
Once you reach a point where your business is looking to outsource specific tasks, using cloud accounting can help scale in a cost-effective and controlled manner. The multiuser feature of cloud accounting means you can give different people access to your financial records and bookkeeping process, which they can access remotely. This streamlines workflow, and allows you to ask your advisor or accountant questions directly, all based on the most up-to-date versions of documents. The multiuser feature makes for quick communication, team collaboration and less back and forth.
5. Data accuracy
Cloud accounting programs promote accuracy by streamlining the data-importing process and eliminating double-entry mistakes or other human errors that might occur. TechRepublic praises Saas-based accounting systems citing the "built-in controls that automate identification of duplicate entries, and prevent other errors."
6. Prevent unauthorized access
The same way you don't want strangers accessing your pictures or your Google documents, unauthorized users in your accounting software is even more disheartening, and even dangerous. Login credentials for your cloud accounting software enable only designated people to view and access your financial information. Data is completely private and protected.
7. Minimal downtime
As with any online or desktop software, periodic security upgrades and software updates are essential to keep programs running smoothly. Cloud accounting software is no different. You will experience some — though minimal — downtime for such updates, but will be alerted ahead of time.
What can you do with your growing interest?
QuickBooks Online, a leader in cloud accounting technology, offers small businesses a wide variety of features and bookkeeping capabilities. Easily see all of your accounts and financial data, record sales, get paid, and keep track of all your money in one organized place.
QuickBooks Online offers several different plans so you can choose the best service for your needs. The most budget-friendly plan starts at $10 a month and offers the features best suited for self-employed individuals. The platform allows you to customize your plan as you scale.
Connect your bank accounts and credit cards, sync transactions and access operational data from anywhere. If your accounting is taken care of, you can spend the time you save doing things you like — like scaling and growing your bottom line.
1099 or W2?
That's a great question and the good folks have made this neat online tool to help you figure that out. Try it out.
How much tax will I have to pay now that I am self employed?
Here is another online tool to answer your question! Try it out.
If you still have questions, contact us, we LOVE self employed people.


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This month, my attention is on stillness. As I wrap up travel with one more west coast trip on the calendar, my desire in closing out the year is focusing on getting back to basics. As fundamental as it sounds, I am intentional in taking deep, life-giving breaths in, releasing my lungs of the energy that no longer serves me and filling it with soulful planning for the year to come. Reflection remains at the forefront of my mind; it is so important to know where you have been to understand where you want to go next on your journey. Foregoing the busyness of the season, I am focusing my attention on connectedness, gratitude, intention—words that capture the month of December. I am walking to my own beat, prioritizing my clients and staying grounded within my own internal compass and connection to those I love and cherish in life.
December…a time of stillness and presence. Thirty-one days devoted to remembrance, a month for us to return to our core, centering ourselves with what life is about: connectedness and love. I leave you with a selection of some of my favorite items to bring a little stillness and solace to my life, and I deeply hope they serve you in a similar way.
Connectedness is a daily practice. Grounding us to know ourselves and to "see" one another, connectedness fills life with joy and love. Happy Holidays sweet friends, I am sending each of you love and light to conclude the year. Xx
Feed Your Soul: Podcast
For daily inspiration through the holidays, my go-to podcast is Oprah's SuperSoul Conversations. Showcasing leaders from every facet of life, Oprah's series of thought-provoking interviews will leave you lifted up while bringing you one step closer to yourself and the world around you.
Salts + Scents
If someone knows what's more relaxing than a good bath, please tell me!! When I have time, this is how I like to conclude the day. Consider the products above my "Bath 101" crash course, along with some uplifting, calming, and grounding scents, all to help take the holiday edge off.
Feed Your Mind
Gabrielle Bernstein's The Universe Has Your Back is a must-read (or a must-listen if you opt for the audiobook—my medium of choice while I edit). She is a true inspiration, and each time I hear her words, I become closer to transforming into one of her spirit followers…her words turn fear into faith, continuing to spread light into the world. She has helped confirm my own belief that there is light and love within us all, and I continue to encourage you to recognize not only the light within yourself, but the love and light within others. We are all one. Stop living from your mind and start living from your heart.
Free flow may be one of my favorite ways to start creating in the morning. For me, there is no difference between art and prayer. Putting pen to paper, I spend my morning writing my intentions, waking up in a way that hones in on my voice, clears the clutter, and sets the tone for a creative day. I give myself the freedom to jot down whatever comes to mind. The more vulnerable I am, the more open I become. As a result, the more creative I can allow myself to be. Pick up that pencil and try it out…what do you have to lose? Start with The Five Minute Journal—a great tool to set daily intentions, practice gratitude, and celebrate self-love.
Daily Practice of Gratitude + Intentions
Like anything in life, we have to practice and be intentional in developing a thorough skill set. Authenticity is a daily practice. Gratitude is a daily practice. Setting my intentions is a daily practice. For five minutes a day, setting aside time to take a personal inventory of all the things you are grateful can be life-changing. In turn, this trains your mind to focus on small, beautiful moments throughout the day, replacing mundane with magic. Just a little time spent practicing setting your intentions will have a tremendous effect on your mood and positivity; imagine drawing a map of where you want to go—that is exactly what you will be doing daily. Helping to create clarity and fueling your dreams and visions, intention setting is positive, uplifting, achievable, and present. I can confidently say it has been what has propelled me to this point in my life. EvenFlow is a new mindfulness app to help you ease into the new year.
Robes + Throws
While we all love a little bit of Bravo Andy, I like to shut it all down and take a little tech break with a cozy moment. The ingredients for this involves: a cozy couch, a good book, my favorite robe, and a soft throw. Give this gift to yourself soon, you won't regret a little stillness and self-love.
Play Music
Another love and form of connection for me is music. Especially living in Music City, it sparks emotion and community. Valerie June and the incredibly talented Kelleigh Bannen are my current favorite loves, and I encourage you to listen to their sounds. Slow down your holiday with these two gems.
Get Moving
Take a walk with loved ones for some quality time (hello, Meyer Lemon) or hit the yoga studio for a solid power flow. A local favorite, Inner Light Yoga is a setting for me to find energy amongst others as well as free my mind. Good for the body, good for the soul.
Fuel The Holidays!
Staying fueled is important when you are in the midst of the holiday rush. I orient my fuel around easy, grab-and-go snacks like Rx bars, nuts, kale chips, and smoothies. For healthy and energizing ideas, follow three of my favorite ladies to discover their current musings and nutritional inspirations. I love all three of these women, as each has such a beautiful soul. Follow them here: Be Well By Kelly, Nutrition Stripped, and Laura Lea Balanced.
The Gift of Giving
As warm and welcoming as the holidays are, they can also create stress and sadness around your life circumstance. A soulful way to get though the holidays is by helping someone else or donating your time to a good cause. Our top organizations to do that are:


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5 Ideas for Turning Boring Bullets Into Engaging Interactions
Bullet points. They're everyone's favorite way to break up lots of content. And it's no wonder, since bulleted lists frequently highlight important information.
But the minus to that plus is that bullets don't present information in a way that offers much context for learners, nor do bullets invite learners to really engage with the content you're sharing. In fact, bullet points are associated more with boring presentations that "tell," as opposed to stimulating, thought-provoking experiences that "show."
Effective e-learning is all about grabbing learners' attention and getting them to think, which makes it pretty clear that bullets are less than optimal. So what are some other options? Below are five simple ideas.
Rely on Images
One of the easiest ways to move beyond bullets is to swap them out for something more visually stimulating and easier to absorb, like in the before-and-after slide below.
Before, the entire tone of this slide is lackluster and pedantic, and some of the bullets are redundant. In the "after" slide, on the right, duplicate bullets are collapsed, tips are grouped around a relevant image, and we've got a snappy headline that's a little more action-oriented.
This strategy of focusing on images is a popular choice for presentation designers because it minimizes onscreen text while focusing on the key messages that are most important to the audience.
Relying on images to do the heavy lifting isn't just for presentations! It works equally well for e-learning courses. In fact, there are tons of great ideas and examples of this on display in this popular weekly e-learning challenge—including this beautiful, interactive E-Learning Primer Infographic by Stratbeans C.
Use a Clickable Image
Continuing with the theme of showing instead of telling, clickable images are another great way to reimagine a bulleted list. Let's say you're working on a medical course on organ systems. Instead of a bunch of bulleted text next to a picture of a human heart, wouldn't it be much more engaging to let learners explore an animated beating heart, complete with text and video highlighting the features and functions of each part of the organ?
See for yourself with this super-cool example from Richard Hill, built using Rise.
By adding simple markers to an animated gif of a beating human heart, learners are given a compelling visual that invites them to explore and learn more about that part of the organ.
That's far more interesting and meaningful than a droning list of bullet points!
Create an Interactive Video
Similar to using a clickable image, adding hotspots to video is a great way to turn passive bullets into a more active, engaging experience for learners. Take the following example from Steve Flowers.
Instead of presenting learners with a static slide full of road safety dos and don'ts, he created this heart-racing experience that drops learners right into a situation, letting them spot hazards and giving them feedback on their choices.
Think video is an expensive or time-consuming alternative to bullets? As Mike Enders points out in this article and video tutorial, How to Create Interactive Video, using video doesn't require a lot of pricey equipment nor fancy editing software these days. You can easily shoot video with the camera on your smartphone and edit it just as quickly using free or low-cost apps. Even better: tools like Articulate Storyline 360 come with their own built-in video editors, which make it easy to trim and tweak your video.
Rework Bullets into a Tabs Interaction
Probably one of the easiest ways to reimagine bullet points is as a tabbed interaction, like this brilliant Storyline 360 download from Montse Anderson.
Creating a tabs interaction from a bulleted list is really simple. Start by morphing your bullets into steps or topics, with each key idea getting its own tab where you can expand on the idea in more detail. Not only does this approach help you chunk lots of related information, it also invites learners to explore information at their own pace. An added bonus of tabs interactions: you've got a flexible layout that works equally well for creating menus and submenus, too!
For an easy way to get started with tabbed interactions, snag this free Simple Tabs Template by Nicole Legault. If you're ready to take your tabs to the next level, don't miss this inspiring and cool (pun intended) Titanic Tabs interaction by Sally Cox.
Want to see how easy it is build your own tabs interaction from scratch? Check out David Anderson's 5 Minutes to Fantastic tutorial.
Design a Scenario
One super-engaging way to rework static bullet points is to incorporate them into feedback for learners. This starts by using some design thinking to come up with activities, like scenarios, that can give learners a chance to practice and learn through their choices—like in this Storyline 360 example:
I love how this project drops you right into a realistic customer service scenario and then gives you feedback based on your choices. This feedback is delivered both through onscreen text and through the expressions of the Content Library characters.
Looking for some more inspiring examples of scenarios in action? Check out these projects:
Storyline 2: Sexual Harassment Compliance Course by Jackie VanNice
Storyline 2: Job Interview Branched Scenario by Nicole Legault
Storyline 2: Is Training the Right Solution? by yours truly
Swapping boring bullets for enticing interactions doesn't necessarily take a lot of time—just a little creativity. I hope some of the examples I've shared here are sparking your imagination and inspiring you to think of new ways of presenting information.
What's your favorite alternative to a bulleted list? Have an inspiring e-learning example to share? We'd love to see it! Leave me a comment below, or feel free to post a link in our Build Better Courses forum.
Want to try something you learned here, but don't have Articulate 360? Start a free 60-day trial, and come back to E-Learning Heroes regularly for more helpful advice on everything related to e-learning. If you have any questions, please share them in the comments.


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Take control of your own starship and blaze your own trail in a massive cut-throat galaxy.
Kinect Sports Rivals re-imagines your favorite sports and delivers new ones not possible before.
Pilot your star from absolute zero to musical hero whilst perfecting their look and pad, learning instruments and hanging out with your friends.
Plant virtual crops around Bristol and watch them thrive or wither based on real world polution and weather data.


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It has long seemed certain that Shinzo Abe, who has earned a reputation for historical revisionism, would distinguish his second stint as Japan's prime minister by taking on his country's past. He did much to validate that assumption. With alarming frequency, he reopened Japan's darkest chapters—the sexual enslavement of Korean "comfort women" and the massacre in Nanjing, China, during World War II—in an attempt to question the legitimacy of the accepted historical narrative. In December 2013, he angered China, South Korea, and the United States by visiting the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan's fallen soldiers, including those convicted of war crimes. Then he convened a government panel to reexamine Japan's landmark apology to the comfort women. For good measure, he attempted to fudge the history of this crime by requesting changes to a 1996 UN human rights report on wartime brothels and to U.S. history textbooks. The results—damaged relations with allies, partners, and adversaries alike—were predictable.
But Abe has recently made a welcome pivot to a more conciliatory and constructive brand of nationalism. Last December, after decades of grinding negotiations that seemed to be heading nowhere, Japan agreed to pay South Korea approximately $9 million to establish a foundation to support former comfort women. And Abe's planned visit to Pearl Harbor next week alongside U.S. President Barack Obama is the latest sign of that shift.
More than anything, this remarkable about-face has been driven by unfavorable geopolitical winds in East Asia. With an increasingly assertive China in the East China and South China Seas and an emboldened North Korea at Japan's doorstep, it is now more important than ever for Tokyo to work closely with its allies and partners in Washington and Seoul. Abe's efforts to dull his nationalist impulses may not reflect a personal conversion, but they do demonstrate a shrewd and pragmatic understanding of Japan's current geopolitical reality. Once seemingly intent on turning history into an
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THIS is the dramatic moment paramedics treated a man found blasted in the kneecaps by the side of a road in broad daylight.
The Record has obtained exclusive footage filmed moments after police and paramedics arrived at the scene in East Kilbride.
The man can be seen being carried down the grass verge on a stretcher by around six police and paramedics to a waiting ambulance as stunned members of the public look on.
The victim is then lifted onto an ambulance bed.
Medics can be seen working on the man at the roadside, preparing him to be loaded into the ambulance.
Motorists passing the incident slow down to stare at the dramatic scene.
Shortly after the video cuts out the man was loaded into the ambulance and driven off.


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How to Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage
After a long day of yard work, you decide to visit a luxury car dealership to test drive their latest model, without bothering to shower or change. Do you think that they'll take you seriously? That's a lot like placing an offer on a home without a pre-approved mortgage loan.
More than wearing a nice suit, a pre-approval for a mortgage shows the seller that you are a serious buyer, and that you'll be able to afford the purchase. A pre-approval will let you know how much home you can afford, most home sellers will expect to see a pre-approval when your purchase offer requires a loan to complete the sale.
What Is a Mortgage Pre-Approval?
A mortgage pre-approval is produced by a lender that indicates how much you can borrow. The information in a mortgage pre-approval usually includes the amount you can borrow, the type of loan and the interest rate you qualify for. Unlike a mortgage approval itself, this document just states the lender's belief that it would approve your mortgage application based on the income and credit information that you've submitted. The information typically needed for a home mortgage pre-approval includes your personal information, credit history, credit score, income, assets, debts, tax returns and employment history.
Pre-Qualification Versus Pre-Approval
Many people tend to confuse a mortgage pre-approval with something called a pre-qualification. While these two names sound similar, the documents serve very different functions. A mortgage pre-qualification is an initial step that borrowers can take to get an estimate of how much they can borrow. A pre-qualification can occur quickly over the phone or online, and it's based only on basic information about the borrower's income, assets, and debts. In contrast, a mortgage pre-approval requires you to fill out a complete mortgage application, and supply much of the required supporting documentation.
And because there's no credit information included in a pre-qualification, it won't carry nearly as much weight with a seller as a pre-approval will. And unlike a mortgage pre-approval, a pre-qualification doesn't include any examinations of your credit history or your credit score or any impact on it. While a mortgage pre-qualification might not be sufficient for a purchase offer, some real estate agents may want to see it before working with a buyer.
The Mortgage Pre-Approval Process
Since a mortgage pre-approval requires you to submit a mortgage application, it's a detailed process. First, the lender will ask you for a variety of personal information such as proof of identity like a passport or a driver's license, as well as your Social Security Number. You'll also be asked to grant permission for the lender to view a copy of your credit reports and your credit score. In fact, it's best to have a lender perform an initial credit check as soon as you are considering purchasing a home, in order to ensure that there aren't any problems that you need to clear up before you actually apply for a loan. If you do find any mistakes information in your credit history, it could take weeks to correct it.
Next, your lender will ask you for information about your income. To document your income, you'll need to provide paystubs, bank statements and your tax returns for the last two years. If you aren't a W-2 employee, such as a business owner or a freelance worker, then the lender will use the average of the income you reported on your taxes over the previous two years.
The lender will also ask you about any assets and debts that you have. Assets can include savings, investments, and other properties you own. Most of your debts will appear on your credit reports, but you'll also be asked if you have any other outstanding loans.
Finally, you may be asked to pay an application fee, which could be rolled into the mortgage loan itself, along with the many other required fees. Most of the time, a lender can generate a pre-approval letter within a day of submitting your application. However, if you are self-employed, or there are other parts of your mortgage application that need additional verification, it can take up to two weeks to be pre-approved. And when you receive your pre-approval letter, it will state that it's valid for a limited period of time, such as 60 or 90 days from when it was written.
How a Mortgage Pre-Approval Affects Your Credit
Since getting a mortgage pre-approval requires a credit check for the purpose of applying for a loan, it's considered to be a so-called "hard pull" on your credit report. A single inquiry is unlikely to have a significant effect on your credit score, however, multiple inquiries will normally cause your score to fall somewhat. The reasoning is that applying for several new loans may be a sign of financial stress that could affect their ability to repay a loan.
But what about a home buyer who might fill out several applications in the process of shopping for a new loan? Thankfully, the credit scoring models take this behavior into account, and only count several mortgage applications as a single inquiry, so long as they are made within a two week to 30 day period, depending on the scoring model used. This allows you to shop around for the best possible terms without worrying that each credit inquiry will harm your ability to qualify for a new loan.
Bottom Line
There's nothing quite like the feeling of buying your first home or just moving into a nicer place. However, this sense of accomplishment comes only after you've found a home, negotiated a contract and have been approved for a loan. An integral part of this process is completing a mortgage pre-approval. By understanding how a mortgage pre-approval works, and how to get one, you can be sure to put your best foot forward when you make an offer on your next home.
Get started on your pre-approval here!
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, or other company, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.


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Startupbootcamp, the burgeoning European startup accelerator is setting its sights to the Israeli startup scene. The programme, which takes budding startups and offers them a three-month intensive mentorship and funding programme has already established itself in Copenhagen, Dublin, Amsterdam and Madrid, as well as launching its inaugural Berlin programme this year at Umspannwerk.
In a move echoing VentureVillage's recent travels, it seems that European attentions are quickly tuning in to the Israeli startup scene as the next big tech epicentre. Startupbootcamp Israel will be headed up by Paul-Rene Albertini (right), former President and CEO of Sony Music France and President of Warner Music International and Shahar Namer (left), Partner at Sushi Ventures, a seed investment company for digital tech in UK and Israel. "When they approached us, it seemed like the perfect synergy in a team" says Farcet. "Shahar is a great Israeli entrepreneur while Paul brings the established CEO experience."
Why? Because it's Israel…
"There are two reasons why we chose Israel – firstly, because it's Israel! And secondly because the country has such an immense track record in the startup scene [there are more startups established annually in Israel than in any European country, and it has the highest amount of VC investment per capita].
"We get approached by about 70 cities every year to be involved in Startupbootcamp – some are more serious than others. Some are more serious than others. And there's so much going on here right now, it seemed like an obvious choice."
Hi-tech Haifa over Tel Aviv
Startupbootcamp Israel's base will be in Haifa, the northern Israeli city with a pedigree for high-tech: "The guys recommended Haifa to us because of its strong tech background – Haifa produces the highest number of engineers in Israel and has R&D centres of the likes of Google, Microsoft, Intel, Apple etc. There's a lot going on in the tech scene there, and we're well-placed to make a real impact," says Farcet.
Homegrown Israeli startups gunning for the US market
"I think that we will see more domestic teams in the Israeli programme," says Farcet. "Usually we see a few local and the rest international applicants, but the homegrown talent is very strong in Israel, so it will be interesting to see what the mix will be. I think they will also be more focused on the US market, but we'll see – this is still an experiment – we are a startup too, remember…"
Applications for Startupbootcamp Israel are open now. The deadline for applications is Sunday 14 October 2012 and the programme will run from December to March this year. Funding will be €15,000 for 8% equity.
For related reading, check out:
Let the pitch begin: Startupbootcamp Berlin selection days
"Israel has entrepreneurship in its DNA" Izhar Shay explains why Canaan Partners has shunned Europe… for now