An extra helping of Turkey for all!

MLB blows MVP call
A mysterious group of sports writers picked Jimmie Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies as the National League MVP. They obviously didn’t see the Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday play. They obviously didn’t read his statistics. They obviously blew the call. They obviously have an East Coast bias. This makes them oblivious and obtuse… obviously. I say, HOO-RAY for Holliday!

Baseball is going to need a very big asterisk
If for some, strange and incredibly bizarre reason Barry Bonds makes it into Cooperstown, there won’t be an asterisk big enough to put next to his name and “accomplishments.” It’s been both interesting and incredibly sad to see Bud Selig and company hide their heads in the sand.

Rocky Mountain News columnist Mike Littwin recently wrote an article entitled “Special bat a reminder of a time before steroids,” in the article he writes that he heard about Barry Bond’s indictment the same day he bought a baseball bat autographed be his hero, Duke Snyder on eBay®. Baseball is “the one game where history matters” said Littwin. He also added that when you lie to the government, they will win 95 percent of the time. That’s .950 in baseball terms. Even A-Rod isn’t that good.

I would bet that Bond’s only visit to Cooperstown will be as a paying customer. You see, the Baseball Hall of Fame is for heroes.

That said…
There are many terrific professional athletes out there. They realize that fame and fortune comes with responsibility. One great example of this is Domonique Foxworth of the Denver Broncos. He’s a volunteer teacher at one of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver every Tuesday night, leading creative writing class. He’s one of the many pro athletes who volunteer when the cameras aren’t there. Good for him.

They call it Cyber Monday
You’re likely hearing about Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when people fight incredible crowds, jammed parking lots and long lines at stores. Growing in popularity is the Monday after Thanksgiving, which is becoming a big on-line shopping day. MediaPost.com writer Seana Mulcahy calls it “Cyber Monday”. She reports on 58 percent of on-line shopping is done from the office, which spikes up after the holiday weekend and search engine queries go up 20 percent. One can safely assume that worker productivity goes down about the same amount!

The sky is falling, the sky is falling!
"We all agree. Climate change is real, and we humans are its chief cause... we are on the verge of a catastrophe if we do not act,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
The United Nations warns that unless we do something by 2012, it’s the beginning of the end for planet Earth. Ki-moon points out China and the United States as the two biggest polluters in the world. Actually, India deserves the 2nd spot on the list but facts do not matter much at the UN. It’s the UN that allows terrorist nations to serve on the Human Rights and Security Councils, and spends time at tea parties while people are slaughtered in places like Darfur every day.

Once again, would someone with credibility step up for a free and reasonable debate on the subject? The keyword being credibility.

Stupid HOA tricks
Mary Sims is a nice lady who lives in Aurora, Colorado. Her son died in Iraq two years ago fighting for our freedom. Her husband is a civilian contractor working in Iraq. She has an American flag hanging from the front porch of her home to honor her son, her husband and all those who serve. Her Home Owner’s Association says she has to take it down. The rule says her porch is a “common element,” whatever that means and flags aren’t allowed. She can hang it in her window, but not on the porch. Mary vows not to take the flag down. Good for her.

Tech news and notes
Amazon® is trying to revive its e-book business. They want to kindle your interest in curling up with a Kindle. Instead of a book, there is a screen about the size of a book. Reception has been lukewarm, at best, so expect the next generation to include pictures and snazzy graphics. Just like real books, except you can store hundreds of books on the one device.

DirecTV® is making an out-of-this-world offer to NASA. Really. The satellite TV provider wants to install a receiver and a High Definition flat screen in the International Space Station. Of course, they’ll have to orbit between noon and 5pm waiting for installation.

Big is bigger, at least for big screen TV manufacturers. Companies like Sony®, Toshiba® and Philips® are pushing 40-inch screens and larger this shopping season. Sony especially, promoting both size and brand, claiming they have the better screen. (Thanks to www.MediaPost.com)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone
It’s my wish that all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We all have much to be thankful for, not the least of which is living in the United States of America. Let’s take a moment amidst the feasting and football to remember our troops standing guard here at home and around the world. Also, that at least in some places, we’re still allowed to fly our flag, that part needs work.

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E-mail me anytime with ideas, thoughts, comments and suggestions at CEO@videoprofessor.com.

Enjoy you enjoyed your holiday,
John W. Scherer