Friday, May 27, 2005

May the Blog be with you

Let us always remember
This Memorial Day, while we’re enjoying hotdogs and burgers, take more than a minute please, to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to allow us the freedom to do so. I came across this story about the time when a tropical storm was bearing down on Washington DC a few years ago. The House and Senate bailed (of course) and the soldiers who guard the Tomb of the Unknown were given permission to stand-down until the weather cleared. To a man, they said “NO SIR!” So they stood guard, soaked to the skin and carried out a duty they considered an honor and a privilege. Hooah!

Remember us?
I don’t think anyone is quite sure exactly what sort of “compromise” was reached in the Senate this week. We have heard a lot about the Republicans winning, or the Democrats winning. Sadly we haven’t heard anything about the taxpayers winning! You know, the folks that pick up the tab for insurance and retirement benefits Senators enjoy, but hardly anyone else does.

Your Tax Dollars at work
Convicted Sex Offenders in the State of New York are getting free Viagra. Yep. And it’s paid for by Medicaid. http://www.wane.com/Global/story.asp?S=3377811 The list includes one offender who committed his crime against a two-year-old!

$461 thousand dollar question
That’s the amount spent on the 1st Birthday Celebration of the Transportation Security Administration. http://www.tsa.gov/public/ Wouldn’t a little cake and ice cream sufficed?

The Power of The Force
$158.5 Million: Opening weekend box office for Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith
$627 Million: Estimated cost to the economy because of American Workers playing hooky from work to watch the movie’s opening day.

Warren Report
Actor Warren Beatty, speaking at UC-Berkeley, used some of his time to slam Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,157303,00.html Beatty said California was his “home state,” perhaps alluding that the Governator originally came to America from Austria. Actually, Beatty’s home state is Virginia! Maybe Warren should apply for a gig at Newsweek!

Carrie’s the one!
Even with half-a- BILLION votes cast, the outcome was never in doubt. Carrie Underwood is the new American Idol. http://www.idolonfox.com/ Her Oklahoma voice came sweeping down the plains and charmed a nation. And fans of Bo Bice need not fret, his millions of fans living outside his sweet home in Alabama will line up to buy/download his music as well.

OK, I clicked. Now what?
Vacation time is upon us. And gone are the days when you’d let rolls of film lie around, then wait days to have them developed. In this age of digital pictures, pictures are a simple click and you can store or send images on your computer. It’s amazing how many people we hear from who have a digital camera, but really don’t realize just how much they can do with those images. Adobe Photoshop is a super program that will turn you into an artist. Our Photoshop tutorial will teach you how to make ordinary pictures look extraordinary! Except maybe, for that picture of Uncle Bernie in those plaid shorts.

Spammers, scammers and flimflammers
The more we find ways to protect ourselves; the more crooks find a way to sneak into our computers and steal personal information. http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,120886,00.asp ID Theft is something we take seriously here at Video Professor. I was a victim myself. We have a section of our own website devoted to protecting you and your family. http://www.videoprofessor.com/products/personalinternetsecurity/learnmore/learnaboutidentitytheft.html
The Feds are getting serious too. http://businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_22/b3935001_mz001.htm

Office buzz
Look for a new version of Microsoft Office in 2006.

Users already know what a terrific suite of tools Office provides and early word is that the new version coming next year will be better than ever. This might be a good time to improve your existing Office skills. http://www.videoprofessor.com/products/learncomputerbasics/learnmicrosoftoffice/learnoffice.html

Mail Call
Got a nice note from reader out on the West Coast. “The 3 Video Professor CD's on MS Front Page 2002 got me through the impossible in trying to learn it and secondly using them as reference to build with my purchased version of Microsoft's MS Front Page 2002 to my now 99% complete Internet web page.”

Site o’ the week
This is addictive and just might drive you “Daffy.” Elmer Fudd loves this one!
http://www.bassfiles.net/parachute.swf

My cyber door remains open 24-7; contact me at CEO@videoprofessor.com. Nothing pithy please. Those go to Mr. O’Reilly only! oreilly@foxnews.com

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder, VIDEO PROFESSOR Inc.

Friday, May 20, 2005

It’s my blog and I’ll blog if I want to

Newsweek says ‘Oops!”
Newsweek Magazine last week reported that our troops at Gitmo flushed copies of the Koran down toilets. This set of protests in Afghanistan and other Muslim Countries. At least 15 people died and hundreds more were injured in rioting. Only problem is; the story isn’t true! Newsweek blew it but say they are sorry. Sorry? Wonder how many folks are going to say, “Oops… cancel my subscription!”

Our Tax Dollars at work
Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska is giving his colleague Senator Robert Byrd a run for his money as King of Pork. Stevens is getting 1.5 million of our tax dollars allocated for a bus stop in Anchorage. Yep, one bus stop. I can’t wait to see what the bus looks like! (See last week’s blog about term limits)

Tim nails it on the head
"In my years in Washington, I've never seen it this bad. Whether it's Iraq, Social Security, judicial nominations or Tom DeLay, the atmosphere is poisonous, and I don't see it getting better any time soon," NBC's Tim Russert said in an interview with The Des Moines Register.

X Marks the spot
Bill Gates and Microsoft have announced their latest game machine, the Xbox 360. It’s available just in time, maybe, for Christmas 2005. The machine will play games in HD and if you check out the specs, do a whole lot more as well. By contrast, the first video game, Pong, came out 33 years ago! I lost a lot of quarters on that puppy!

Satisfying Survivor Finale
New York City Firefighter Tom Westman was likely the most popular winner ever of Survivor. He outwitted, out played and out classed the competition. Tom gets a million bucks and a very fancy Chevy Truck. Think Chevrolet will give him a red one? And do you think anyone could beat a New York City Firefighter at anything?

Reality Check
As we predicted, it’s down to Bo and Carrie as the final two on American Idol. Both will become big stars. Kendra is the first female apprentice to work for Donald Trump. Note to Tana; next time don’t keep the Governor of New York waiting and make sure he gets an American Flag. And always say nice things about your team. But Kendra is one talented and creative executive to be! Catch up on everything reality at realitytvworld.com.

All Darth all the time
George Lucas has made an art form of promotional tie-ins. Prior to the release this week of Star Wars Episode III-Revenge of the Sith I’ve seen Lord “Call me Darth” Vader in commercials promoting everything from ring tones to hamburgers to M&M’s. Kind of makes it hard to take him seriously playing the heavy of all heavies on-screen. Opening night gross: 17-million dollars and counting.

Kudos to the Class of ‘05
Students across the country, accompanied by the strains of Pomp and Circumstance are getting ready to enter the business world. All of us at Video Professor congratulate you and wish you well as you start your careers.
Here’s what many prospective employers are telling us. It’s important you have skills using programs like Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel.
We have Video Professor computer self-tutorials for these three plus many others that will make your resume stand out from the rest.

As one executive recently told us, “Who do you think gets noticed more at review time? The employee watching the PowerPoint Presentation, or the person PRESENTING it?” Check out our complete library of computer self-tutorials at www.videoprofessor.com. They’re available on both CD-Rom or online to stream directly to your computer. (For high-speed Internet users.)

Making our Day
We try and donate our Video Professor computer tutorials to various charitable groups whenever we can, especially groups that offer a helping hand instead of a handout. One such group is the Salvation Army Rehabilitation Center in Milwaukee, WI. They have a small computer lab using donated computers and we sent them several of our popular Video Professor self-tutorials including Windows, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint which are used to teach clients computer skills to help them in the job market.

They called us this week and told us that their students, many of whom used to be intimidated by computer learning, are having a ball using our lessons and are feeling (many for the first time) a real sense of personal accomplishment by learning skills that will help them become productive members of society.

It’s the kind of news that makes our day!

Say goodnight Dan
CBS has announced the cancellation of the Wednesday edition of 60 Minutes. “You can fool some of the people all of the time and you can fool all of the people some of the time. But you can’t fool all the people all the time.”-President Abraham Lincoln

Site o’ the week
Speaking of Honest Abe and PowerPoint. Here’s one fun site showing how he might have used one of our Video Professor computer tutorials! http://www.norvig.com/Gettysburg/index.htm

My cyber door is open as always, 24-7. E-mail me at CEO@videoprofessor.com.

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder-VIDEO PROFESSOR Inc.

Friday, May 13, 2005

Planes, Blogs and no Automobiles

The good, the bad and the stupid
Quite a scare over Washington DC on Wednesday. A couple of pilots wandered into restricted air space over the capital, flying within three miles of the White House. The good news is that a couple of F-16’s and a Blackhawk chopper were scrambled in plenty of time by NORAD to intercept the small Cessna. And evacuation plans at the White House and the Capital Building worked just fine.

But if you were a city worker in DC, you didn’t even hear about it until 15 minutes AFTER it was all over. And the Mayor isn’t pleased.

The wandering pilots, who for many, many reasons should have known better, were released. Apparently there is no federal law against being dumb. We do hope the FAA takes sterner action. Better yet, send them the fuel bill for those F-16’s!

Your Tax Dollars at work.
The U.S. Senate voted Monday to establish a federal boxing commission that would seek to ensure the integrity and improve the tarnished image of the sport in the country. A better idea might be a commission to monitor Congress!

Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse
A new Gallup Poll shows just 35 percent of Americans like the way Congress is doing its job. That’s the lowest rating in 8 years. And the dissatisfaction is bi-partisan with Americans holding both Republicans and Democrats in equal disdain.

Mr. Steinbrenner would like to see you
It’s been a tough week for George. His high paid but underachieving New York Yankees are 16-19 and his race horse Bellamy Road finished 7th at the Kentucky Derby. Is it possible to fire a racehorse?

Start me up!
62-year-old Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones tour America late this summer and fall. 63-year-old Paul McCartney will also tour America this year. And yes we’ll still love both of them, even when they’re 64. Just how popular are they as they start their FIFTH decade of rock and roll? Their shows are sell-outs and just check out the prices for tickets on eBay!

Box Office blues
The bean counters in Hollywood aren’t happy. The past nine weeks’ receipts are down from the same period a year ago. Just a suggestion, but why not try making better movies? House of Wax “starring” Paris Hilton? Wake up and smell the popcorn folks. Aniken Skywalker’s transition to Darth Vader next weekend ought to pick things up a bit. www.starwars.com

Coach Gretsky?
The great one is set to coach the Phoenix Coyotes (formally known as the Winnipeg Jets) Now all he needs are players and a league to play in. (formally known as the NHL)

Nice people do finish first
Uchenna and Joyce Agu are the winners of The Amazing Race. Reality show vets Rob and Amber finished 2nd.

Carrie, Bo or Vonzell?
The cream has definitely risen to the top on American Idol. All three are talented, have distinctive styles and deserve whatever fame and fortune awaits them.

You’re hired!
FINALLY Donald Trump hires a female apprentice! By the way, any CEO is only as good as his/her President and COO. In my case, it’s Bettye Harrison. She’s been a valued executive and friend for 18 years. Bettye makes every day special here at VIDEO PROFESSOR. Donald doesn’t know what he’s missing!

Site o’ the week
If you’re the next contestant on Survivor, this site may come in handy.
http://www.trackertrail.com/survival/fire/cokeandchocolatebar/

My cyber door is open 24-7. Write to me at CEO@videoprofessor.com

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder, VIDEO PROFESSOR Inc.

Thursday, May 05, 2005

The Merry Blog of May

Term Limits. It’s time.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) has led the charge against Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-Texas) for taking junkets paid for by lobbyists. Turns out Rep. Pelosi actually takes more of these trips than Delay!

Without delay, both need to go home, and stay there as soon as their current terms expire. In fact, why wait? Go home now. You’re not doing anything anyway. While you’re arguing about who went to Paris and who paid for it, deficits grow, 50-thousand sex predator’s roam around freely and illegal immigrants flood across our borders. NOTHING is getting done.

Congress, Baseball and Steroids Part Two
Uh, there is no part two. After all the showboating, nothing. Please re-read above item on Term Limits. Call your representative today. Just have them paged at the ballpark.

It ain’t over ‘til the Red Headed Stranger sings
As this is being written, the Colorado Rockies have a 6-19 record. (Worst record in baseball) The Rockies may want to think of this fan promotion: Willie Nelson Night. During the 7th Inning Stretch, instead of Take Me Out To The Ballgame, fans sing, “Turn out the lights, the party’s over.”

Tough times for al-Qaida?
Their #3 man was captured this week. And an intercepted letter talks about poor morale. I imagine it’s hard to motivate the troops when your business model involves blowing up yourself and fellow countrymen.

Semper Fi
We hear that a young Marine caught on tape killing a terrorist in Iraq WON’T be Court-Marshaled. We asked him to do a job; he volunteered to do it, risking his own life in the process.

Media bias? You bet!
A survey just released by the Missouri School of Journalism shows that 85% of Americans feels the news media is biased. 48% of those surveyed say the media tilts to the left, while 30% say the right. 3 out of four people think news is too negative.

Take my husband, please
Hope you had a chance to see First Lady Laura Bush’s comedy routine at the White House Correspondents Dinner last Saturday night. She brought down the house! She zinged her husband and mother-in-law with some hilarious barbs! Wonder if she’ll get a cameo on Desperate Housewives?

May Sweeps
Just used a TV Biz term. February, May, July and November are important times for networks and their local affiliates. These are months where audiences are measured and that determines how much I have to pay to run a Video Professor commercial. So that’s why you see your local stations doing all sorts of “special” series. May is especially important because that’s when hit shows like Desperate Housewives, CSI, Lost, Amazing Race, Survivor, The Apprentice and American Idol pull out all the stops to make sure you’ll tune in again next fall. And for some shows, if they survive until next fall!

Can you feel The Force?
Star Wars III-Revenge of the Sith blasts into theaters shortly. Expect to be bombarded with all sorts of commercial tie-ins and we’ll finally see how Anikin Sywalker went over to the Dark Side to become the fearsome Darth Vader and exactly what the heck a Sith is! The series of space epics has generated over 3.5 BIILLION dollars at the box office. May The Force be with you, especially when you’re waiting in very long theater lines! Early word is the film is AWESOME.

Monster Burger
If you’re hungry and in the Clearfield PA area, drop by Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub. They just launched a 15-pound burger. 10.5 pounds of ground beef, 25 slices of cheese and a cup and a half each of mayo, ketchup and mustard. All for 30 bucks. No word from McDonalds, Wendy’s or Burger King if they plan on adding something similar to their menus. Wonder if they hold the pickle and hold the lettuce?

Kudos to Walt Disney
More than a few people said Walt Disney was crazy trying to turn an orange grove into a theme park. Disneyland turns 50 this week. And the young kids who were there on opening day, likely will return this week with their grandkids! Disneyland remains the happiest place on earth!

Site ‘o the week
What goes up must come down. Just move your cursor over the bears. Enjoy.
http://www.nobodyhere.com/toren.hier

My cyber door is always open, CEO@videoprofessor.com

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder, VIDEO PROFESSOR Inc.

Friday, April 29, 2005

APRIL BLOG-Congressional Edition

Memo to Congress
Protect our kids. According to a report on MSNBC, 50 THOUSAND registered sex offenders, heck, let’s call it like it is, 50-THOUSAND REGISTERED SEX PREDATORS are roaming around free with police unaware of where they are. A couple of them recently killed two innocent young girls in Florida. E-mail your elected representatives right now and let them know you want some real laws with real teeth, and plenty of jails to keep these predators locked up. Here are the main websites for the Congress and Senate to find out how to contact your Representative and Senators.
www.house.gov
www.senate.gov

Memo to Congress II
Stay home. Check out this report. It seems many of our representatives love to fly, and it shows. With all the important problems facing us here at home, why are so many of you spending time in places like Paris, Barcelona and Rome? You’ll see that some of the folks making the most noise about these trips are the ones making the most trips themselves!

Memo to Pundits, Commentators and other associated DC Yahoo’s
All I’ve been hearing and reading about lately is “it was a good day for the Democrats, or a good day for the Republicans.” Sadly, what I’m not hearing or seeing is; “IT WAS A GOOD DAY FOR AMERICANS.”

While all these Yahoo’s are taking trips here and there, calling each other names, (I can hear that stuff at a local playground full of 5 year olds) and tossing around enough horse manure to fertilize the entire planet, kids are being kidnapped and killed, criminals are running amok, our justice system is crumbling, illegal immigrants are pouring across our un-protected borders and gas prices are soaring.

The neglect by Congress for the folks living along Main Street USA, borders on criminal. And both Republicans and Democrats share the blame. We’ve got crooks investigating other crooks.

I offer my Video Professor lessons free, so I’ll take that one step further and offer all of you in Washington DC this free advice.
  1. Start your day thinking about what you can do for the people that elected you.
  2. If you must travel, go home to your districts. Spend time with the people that elected you. Pittsburgh instead of Paris. Roanoke instead of Rome.
  3. Don’t run for re-election. We need some fresh faces with new ideas. New blood that truly believes their job is to serve the people.
One is the loneliest number
Russian President Vladimir Putin this week “bemoaned” the collapse of the Soviet Union. A feeling not likely shared by those folks who used to live under Russian rule. They especially appreciate the freedom part.

Memo to BCS
The folks who run the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) are wrangling this week in Scottsdale AZ to try and figure out the best way to choose a national champion in college football. The talk continues to center around polls. Computer polls, human polls and even “hybrid” polls. At least they’ve decided to open up the BCS to all Division 1 conferences.
Call me crazy, but why not try a play-off like most other major college sports?

Only in Packerland
You may have read about the lady in Wisconsin charged with embezzlement. The judge offered her a deal. 90 days in jail or surrendering her Packer Season tickets. (There’s a 35-year wait for them) Surprisingly she opted to give up the tickets. Not sure who is #1 one on the wait list, but they’re smiling today!

Music Music Music
Like a lot of you, I’m shopping around for an MP3 player. These little devices hold thousands of your favorite tunes. Now, while I’ve been teaching folks how to run all the fancy programs on their computers for 18 years, I continue to be amazed at the technology. Nokia for example, just announced a product that will double as an MP3 Player able to hold 3-thousand songs. Plus it will have a high-end digital camera built in, load video clips, and oh yes; make phone calls. Price? 900 bucks. H-m-m-m, I think I just got a new idea for a tutorial!

Big Bird
Airbus successfully made its first test flight of the new A330 Jumbo Jet. Luxury versions will have shops, restaurants, workout areas and even private bedrooms. The all-coach version will seat over 800 people. Some experts say Airbus will have to sell 700 of them to break even. Of course, unlike America’s Boeing, Airbus is government-subsidized.

Site o’ the week
If you’ve flown recently and were thrilled because you got two bags of snack mix instead of one, it wasn’t all that long ago that airline dining was something special. Check this site out then try not to remember it the next time you fly!
http://airlinemeals.net/indexOldies.html

My cyber door is always open. E-mail me at CEO@videoprofessor.com

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder, VIDEO PROFESSOR Inc.

Friday, April 22, 2005

Video Professor Blog April 22, 2005

An Ounce of Prevention? Why not a pound?
After a second girl is murdered by yet another registered sex offender in Florida, we again ask, why does Martha Stewart have to wear a GPS device and neither of these sex offenders didn’t? These are REGISTERED sex offenders. Known PREDATORS! It caught the attention of our friend E.D. Hill at FOX & Friends and she’s alerted viewers to this site where you can track registered sex offenders in your state. Thanks to FOX News for caring enough to share this with all of us!

We must point out that a lot of states make you jump through far too many hoops to get the information. But it’s worth the effort. But that does beg the question(s). Why not just list the names? And why just on websites? How about billboards or full-page newspaper ads? How many children do we have to lose before government wakes up?

Tax Freedom Day
This past Sunday was Tax Freedom Day; the date when most Americans earned enough to pay their 2005 Tax Bill. Here’s where just some of your money is going.
It’s called Pork.
$1.7 Million for the International Fertilizer Center in Alabama. (‘Nuff said)
$100,000 for the Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center in Pennsylvania. (Those groundhogs have a powerful lobby)
And there are literally thousands more!

Papal E-Mail
Pope Benedict XVI is online. The Vatican has announced he has an e-mail address. benedictxvi@vatican.va. “You’ve got mail” might be replaced with ‘you’ve got blessings!” The Vatican website can be accessed at www.vatican.va

Illegals impact military training
The Marine Air Station in Yuma, AZ is an important training site for troops headed to Iraq. The base commander reports however, that 500 military training exercises have been delayed or cancelled by the flood of illegal immigrants crossing the firing ranges after sneaking across the border into the United States.

NFL Draft Picks set in stone? Try Jell-O
At least that’s what Arizona Republic sports writer Kent Somers thinks. The first three picks go to teams with rookie coaches, and the top 10 college prospects seem to change hourly. But for sports fans who missed out on hockey and who’s baseball teams are already out of it, this weekend’s NFL draft is must-see TV.

Apollo 13-35 year later
There’s a generation who only know about Apollo 13 from the movie. Hard to believe it’s been 35 years this week since what eventually turned out to be one of NASA’s finest hours. Engineers, using slide rules figured out a way to bring the astronauts home safely. What, you never heard of a slide rule? Check out www.sphere.bc.ca/test/sruniverse.html
Meanwhile, Discovery sits on the launch pad in Florida scheduled for a return to space next month. No slide rules involved this time.

Danes #1 on the Net
A new survey has Denmark #1 in Internet use. The United States moved up to 2nd place from 6th the year before. IBM and British Magazine, The Economist conducted the study. Ranking the lowest of the 65 countries surveyed was Azerbaijan. Guess I better start running ads there!

Obesity drops five spots
The Center for Disease Control now says obesity isn’t quite the epidemic it claimed. It’s now ranked 7th as the cause of death in the United States, down five spots from #2. Eating in moderation and regular exercise continue to be highly recommended. Tobacco remains the #1 cause of preventable death. There’s a reason cigarettes have nicknames like “cancer sticks” and “coffin nails.”

A Penny Not Saved
BusinessWeek Magazine reports that half of American households headed up by people aged 50-59 have less than $10,000 in their 401(k) accounts.

Worker’s Paradise
Fidel Castro, the benevolent dictator he is, has more than doubled the minimum wage in Cuba from $4.50 to $10.00! Per month that is.

Promo promo
You know something’s big when the promos for it, get promos! Already TV promos are running promoting the movie promo for Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Talk about using the force! Maybe over-using?

Riding off into the sunset
Lance Armstrong will give the Tour de France one more go, then call it a career. Lance fought back from cancer, kept his head on straight and his feet firmly on the pedals to win the Tour six years straight. A record.

Tony’s Back!
Tony Snow is back on FOX Radio on a part-time basis. He’s been fighting cancer and his positive attitude is combining with medical treatment and the outcome so far is good. Welcome back Tony!

Site ‘O the Week
This one is a bit mesmerizing. (And a bit weird) What it really needs is a soundtrack of Sinatra singing “Come fly with me” Enjoy!
www.trevorvanmeter.com./flyguy

My Cyber Door is Open. CEO@videoprofessor.com. I enjoy hearing from you!

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder; VIDEO PROFESSOR Inc
www.videoprofessor.com

Friday, April 15, 2005

TAX BLOG

There are only two things in life that are certain…
Don’t forget your tax returns have to be postmarked no later than midnight tonight. The IRS will appreciate it. And you’ll appreciate it, that they appreciate it!

They’re talking about tax reform in Washington. (Again) In Washington-speak, reform actually means more complicated.

Our friends at FOX & Friends were talking this week about a poll showing more Americans would rather go to the dentist than fill out their taxes. To which Steve Doocy quipped, “So have your dentist do your taxes!”

Can someone ‘splain this to me?
How come Martha Stewart has to wear a GPS tracking device, and the registered sex offender that killed Jessica Marie Lunsford didn’t? And why is it easier to find a stolen car than a missing child? Learn how you can make a difference by visiting the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s website at www.missingkids.com.

Justice served. Would you like fries with that?
Admitted Atlanta murder bomber Eric Rudolph, who killed two people and injured over a hundred others has cut a deal with the government. This guy, who hates government and loves the outdoors, will spend the rest of his life at the Super Max and super scary prison in Florence, CO. Every minute of his life will be under the control of the federal government and he’ll be allowed outside just one hour a day.

Tiger Wins The Masters
What a win at Augusta by Tiger Woods! His putt at 18 at the end of regulation was one for the ages, and I’m sure Tiger felt it took ages for the ball to drop into the cup!

Curb Appeal to be replaced by Space Appeal?
Google has announced a new service. Just go to www.maps.google.com. Click on the satellite link on the right side of the page, then enter your home address in the “search” box and see your home as it looks from space. You can zoom in pretty tight, certainly close enough to recognize your home and street.

What’s on the Presidential iPod?
Nothing is ever a secret for very long in Washington, including what President Bush has on his iPod. The President uses his iPod when riding his bike for exercise. Artists on the Presidential play list include George Jones, Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Van Morrison and John Fogarty. So when the President uses it, do we call it iPod One?

Royal Weddings aren’t what they used to be
Word reaches us from England that horseracing beat out the nuptials between Prince Charles and Camilla. England’s Grand National Horserace had a peak viewership of 9.5 million viewers. Peak numbers for the wedding were 7.6 million. The Sport of Kings apparently is more popular than future kings.

You know you’re of a certain age when
You remember a time when there weren’t any numbers in front of the decimal point on the price of a gallon of gas.

Reality Show Update
Survivor alums Rob and Amber continue to dominate The Amazing Race, Constantine and Vonzell continue to impress on American Idol and on The Apprentice I think it’s going to be Tana who’ll hear Donald Trump say “You’re Hired!”

I LOVE L.A.
And Los Angeles CityView. I taped a broadcast with host Paul Petersen this week about seniors and computing. Many of you will remember Paul from The Donna Reed Show. He’s a very nice guy. Thanks to the City of Los Angeles for inviting us to take part. It’s an important subject. We’ll have a broadcast schedule for you shortly. We’ll also be taping interviews with Clear Channel Radio Stations in Boston Thursday, April 21. We’ll be talking about Identify Theft. By the way, we offer a lot of FREE information on our website about ID Theft, what it is, how it happens and how to fight back. Check it out at www.videoprofessor.com.

Finally, let us not ever forget
Tuesday April 19th marks the 10th Anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing. 168 innocent men, women and children lost their lives that day. For the people that survived, the rescuers who were on the scene and for anyone in the city that day, many emotional and physical wounds remain. Take a moment to remember them all on the 19th.

Site o’ the week
I know you’ve often asked yourself, “Self, I wonder where it’s dark and where it’s not?”
This site will help you!
http://nist.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Mountain/d/-7/java

My cyber door is open. E-mail me at CEO@videoprofessor.com

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder
VIDEO PROFESSOR Inc

Friday, April 08, 2005

John W. Scherer Blog April 8, 2005

Augusta Blog
I finally did it! When it comes to the sport of golf, the center of the universe is Augusta, GA, site of the annual Masters Golf Tournament. I’ve always wanted to come here and watch the very best in the game try to best an often unpredictable and fabled course. Will it be Phil, Tiger or VJ? Or will an un-known “master” Augusta? It will be terrific to see six-time winner Jack Nicklaus play.

How fast are the greens this year? Just ask Tiger. He found out Thursday, putting above the hole on 13. His putt missed and just kept on going. The only thing his ball didn’t come across on its long journey into the water was Little Red Riding Hood!

The history and tradition here at Augusta National is so thick, you can cut it with a sand wedge. (And many do!) It is absolutely spectacular.

Now I know what Fred Astaire meant when he sang… “Heaven… I’m in Heaven!”

Tar Heels Win the Big Dance
Here’s to Roy Smith and North Carolina for beating an awesome Illinois Team in the NCAA Championship Game Monday. It was a game full of surprises and some suspense. No one would have believed they’d have Illinois down by 17. But despite Illinois tying the score late, the Tar Heels finally won 75-70. Coach Smith had been to the final twice before with Kansas, but got his first NCAA Championship coaching North Carolina.

On the women’s side, Baylor beat Michigan State 84-62. Baylor coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson became the first ever to win a national championship as both a player and a coach.

Congratulations to both programs. Their championships, like all good things in life, are the result of hard work and determination.

Poetic Justice
During his horrible regime, Saddam Hussein murdered tens of thousands of Kurds. This week the Iraqi Parliament elected Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani as the new Interim President. The proceedings were piped into Saddam’s jail cell. What goes around comes around.

And on a side note, I’ve seen several reports about a lot of bickering in these early days of Iraq’s new Parliament. If you want to see real bickering, just go to Washington DC. But that’s the nice thing about democracy: people are allowed to bicker.

Respect
Millions of people are pouring into Rome and the Vatican to pay their last respects to Pope John Paul II. Rome’s population is around 3-million people, but it’s expected that another 4-million people, including 200 heads of state, will have come to Rome this week. People waited an average of 12 hours in line to view the Pope’s Body at St. Peter's Basilica. Officials finally asked people to please stop coming; there were simply too many to handle.

Retraction
A few weeks ago, I talked about American Idol Judge Simon showing signs of mellowing. But did you see him this week? Ouch! For better or for worse, the old Simon is definitely back!

LA Television Appearance
I’ll be in Los Angeles next week to tape a broadcast for Los Angeles CityView 35 and PAX 30, called Wired For Seniors. The show will air several times in June, and as we get a firm schedule of airdates we’ll alert you right here!

Site o’ the Week
Here’s a time saver for those of you who want to Google and Yahoo at the same time!

http://yagoohoogle.com/

Ok, I’m going to watch some golf. And I mean GOLF!
My Cyber Door is always open. E-mail me at CEO@videoprofessor.com

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder
VIDEO PROFESSOR Inc

Saturday, April 02, 2005

Pope John Paul II 1920-2005

Regardless of your own personal faith, who cannot help but admire the life and times of Pope John Paul II. He led his Church for 26 years, but more importantly, served as a world ambassador for peace and understanding for all people. A man who charmed everyone, young and old, rich and poor. The young and vibrant priest from Poland we still remember was slowed over the years by an assassination attempt and the rigors of disease and age. But to the very end, his heart and soul burned bright and were an inspiration to the world.

Friday, April 01, 2005

April Blog

Terri Schiavo 1963-2005
Terri Schiavo passed away on Thursday, March 31, about two weeks after her feeding tube was removed. Like you, I’ve watched the story unfold literally 24/7 in the media. There are certainly are many opinions about her case, and this is neither the time nor the place to comment further other than to wish her family peace and healing. And also for the rest of the world to allow them to do that in the privacy they deserve.

I need your help
I continue to be troubled by the loss of Jessica Marie Lunsford to a sexual predator in Florida. As you know, we had joined in the reward effort for her safe return.

Doubly troubling is that just days later, an Iowa girl was the victim of the same fate. In both cases, the killers had previous convictions of sexual assault on a child. And both served minimal time for their crimes before being released back into society to do it again. Too many of these cases involve repeat offenders. And I’ve been unable to find any evidence that these types of sexual predators can be “cured” or “rehabilitated.”

Equally troubling is that in too many cases, these predators are “registered sex offenders.” It’s obvious from the cases in Florida and Iowa; being registered does nothing to protect innocent children. So, like you, I ask the question, “What can I do?”

A good start is contacting your elected representatives. Tell them you want, no, demand, real laws that actually protect us. And if your local or national representatives counter with the high cost of jails, tell them to call Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona. He houses the worst of our society in tent jails. And he spends less than 20 cents per meal to feed them. Joe also keeps a “Vacancy” sign lit on one of the guard towers. Arpaio’s popularity rating amongst voters by the way remains consistently in the mid-80’s.

Please, call or write your elected officials today. Tell them enough is enough. Tell them it’s time for real laws with real teeth with real consequences.

Our government has been calling a lot of special and weekend sessions lately, even coming in from vacation to do so. Let’s have some special sessions to protect our kids.

Opening Day
They USED to be the best two words in sports. Last year is supposed to be forgotten, and a new season brings hopes of a pennant. You notice I said, “Supposed to be forgotten.” Here in Denver the Rockies are “rebuilding” which is baseball speak for “we’ll lose 90-100 games.” And we have yet another suspect pitching rotation and what do they do? Start a rookie catcher! And what did they do with the #2 hitter from last year? Yep, traded him away.

And sadly, as we discussed a couple of weeks ago, there’s the whole steroid thing. It’s hard to concentrate on the game, when you’re wondering “is he juiced?” or “do you think he’ll have to testify?”

The only way I know how to get their attention is not to attend. I’m going on strike.

Getting to this NCAA Final Four has been more than half the fun!
Are you kidding me? If after last weekend’s NCAA Basketball Sweet 16, the NCAA isn’t thinking about a play-off in Division 1 Football, then I don’t know what will. Some are calling it one of the best weekends in College Basketball History. And with those wild O-T finishes, especially the Michigan State/Kentucky game where we were treated to a double O-T, well, let’s just they there weren’t many fingernails left after that game!

So it’s Louisville, Michigan State, Illinois and UNC. They’ve all earned their trip to St. Louis. No coaches or writers’ polls needed. There’s nothing like winning to prove you really belong!

Top TiVo records
Do you have a digital recorder on your home satellite or cable system? The well-known brand is TiVo but both satellite and cable offer options so you can digitally record your favorite shows, hundreds of hours worth if your want. The other cool thing about DVR technology is you can pause live shows when the phone rings, skip back and do your own instant replays etc.

Where there’s a record, there’s a list, and last week this is what TiVo owners recorded the most:

Top 5 Shows Recorded or Watched Live by TiVo Subscribers for the Week of 3/20/05 - 3/26/05
1. American Idol (Tue 8pm) - Total TiVo Rating 30.71% (Recorded)

2. The Apprentice (Thur 8:30pm) - Total TiVo Rating 20.25% (Recorded)

3. Survivor: Palau (Wed 8pm) - Total TiVo Rating 19.95% (Recorded)

4. 24 (Mon 9pm) - Total TiVo Rating 17.41% (Recorded)

5. American Idol (Wed 9pm) - Total TiVo Rating 16.61% (Recorded)

Four of the top five are reality shows! Interesting!

Site o’ the week:
OK folks; don’t forget we go back to Daylight Saving Time this weekend. At least most of us do. So spring forward one hour before you go to bed Saturday Night.

And to help you keep track of time, we found this latest little masterpiece. I’ve got to meet the people that design these sometime!

http://entries.the5k.org/365/t.htm

My cyber door is always open; you can reach me at CEO@videoprofessor.com

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder
VIDEO PROFESSOR Inc

Friday, March 25, 2005

John W. Scherer Blog-March 26, 2005

Peace to Terri and her Family
I won’t add to the non-stop debate about Terri Schiavo and her nationally televised ordeal other than to say I wish Terri peace and comfort, and that somehow, some way, her family can heal after going through this 15 year ordeal.

Don’t look for CU Officials in any sequel to Profiles in Courage
CU Officials have made it official, and say that Ward Churchill’s comments about victims of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center being “little Eichman’s” is protected by the 1st Amendment.

They will however investigate his questionable claims about his ancestry, which got him the job in the first place, and several charges brought against Churchill by other professors, writers and artists about plagiarism. Apparently that will take about seven more months.

KOA radio’s Dave Logan said it best. CU officials are especially good at taking the path of least resistance.

NCAA
Does anyone, and I mean ANYONE out there, have an NCAA Bracket Pool that’s still in the hunt?

I look this up so you don’t have to
Some quick updates from Hollywood for you. Rumorville has it that Demi Moore might become a mommy again, a jury says Robert Blake is innocent, Rapper L’il Kim is guilty as charged, Scott Peterson is settling in at San Quentin and already getting love letters and Michael Jackson went an entire week without wearing pajamas to court.

Google Queries
According to Google, (you know you’ve made it when you’re both a noun and a verb) Anna Nicole Smith is listed among the Top 10 declining queries for March of 2005. Maybe they meant 1995.

This might be a first
Thursday’s Cactus League game between the Rockies and the Diamondbacks was called on account of bees. Swarms of them. It’s been a wet winter and spring in Arizona, flowers are blooming and the bees are swarming and on this particular day, were especially attracted to the ballplayers. Maybe it’s the hair gel.

American Idol update
A phone snafu made for three nights of American Idol this week. On Tuesday they ran three wrong phone numbers, so Wednesday was essentially a repeat to get the phone numbers right and Thursday night 17 year old Mikalah Gordon got the hook. My money is on Carrie and Bo for the final two.

And a no-contest plea from Idol Judge Paula Abdul on a charge of hit and run. Wonder if Simon owned the other car?

Happy Easter Everyone
Please accept our best wishes from everyone here at VIDEO PROFESSOR to you and your entire family for a wonderful Easter. Let’s all take a moment to appreciate the many good things we have in our lives.

Site o’ the week
How are your typing skills? Here’s a fun site to find out how well you know your way around your keyboard! Good luck!
http://hannu.daug.net/letters/index.php

My cyber door is always open; you can reach me at CEO@videoprofessor.com

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder
VIDEO PROFESSOR Inc

Friday, March 18, 2005

My Blog and welcome to it.

POLICE: SEX OFFENDER JOHN EVANDER COUEY CONFESSES TO KILLING JESSICA LUNSFORD

We join in the mourning for the loss of Jessica Marie Lunsford, missing since February 23 after disappearing from her Florida home. Law enforcement officials announced late Friday, March 18, that John Evander Couey has confessed to authorities that he killed Jessica.

Obviously the news media will have the latest on this, and look here shortly as we share our own feelings about Jessica's loss. Video Professor had contributed to the reward fund for any information leading to the safe return of Jessica.

Sadly, that will not happen.

Couey has a previous record of sex offenses, and was able to spend time with a family member within eyesite of Jessica's home.

Please join us in praying for her family in this most difficult time.

Democracy comes to Iraq.
History made this week as the Iraqi National Assembly convened for the first time. 275 ELECTED members sat down to begin the business of governing. The first elected governmental body in Iraq in 50 years! We honor their bravery, and the bravery and sacrifice of the troops that made it all possible.

What Glass Ceiling?
The hot political buzz this week centers on the top candidates for the 2008 Presidential Race. Top Republican choice is Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Top Democratic Pick is Senator Hillary Clinton.

Both are saying no, and at the same time leaving the door open just a teeny bit! IF these were the candidates in 2008, it certainly would be history making!

Star Wars
Folks will be lining up around the block, just to see the trailer for the final installment of the Star Wars series! Episode III “Revenge of the Sith” comes to a theater near you May 19th. Visit the website at http://www.starwars.com/ There’s an entire generation of folks out there who weren’t even around when the original installment of the series debuted in 1977, 28 years ago! May the Force be with you! (What the heck is a “Sith?”

NCAA Brackets
I guarantee you that by Friday March 18th, waste paper baskets in offices around the country will already be full of discarded bracket sheets. I heard one report that 1 out of every 10 Americans join various NCAA pools. And it’s estimated that $4.5 BILLION is wagered on what is known as March Madness.

Boffo Year for Bono
Looks like it could be a banner year for Bono and his fellow Irish Rockers, U2. The band was just inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this week, and there’s also talk about Bono being up for a Nobel Peace Prize. Plus they even have an iPod model named after them.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
This is also the week for the wearin’ o’ the green. The Leprechauns (and their many, many friends) will be out in full force this week. Happy St Patrick’s Day to you all!

Site o’ the week
Ok, time for our favorite site of the week. If you've ever been stuck in traffic, and there doesn't seem to be any good reason for the traffic jam, this little site will demonstrate just how easy it is for a freeway to turn into a parking lot.

http://vwisb7.vkw.tu-dresden.de/~treiber/MicroApplet/simFrame.html

My cyber door is always open. Drop me a line at CEO@videoprofessor.com

John W. Scherer
CEO and founder
VIDEO PROFESSOR Inc.

SPECIAL STEROIDS AND BASEBALL BLOG!

Baseball comes to the Nation’s Capitol

Ok folks, I’m climbing back on my soapbox!

After years and years of trying, Major League Baseball is back in Washington DC. But instead of hearing “Play Ball!” and the crack of a bat, it’s “This Hearing will come to order!” followed by the crack of a gavel. Not sure if this is what they had in mind!

Past generations of baseball greats were known to knock down a fifth once in a while, now they're pleading the fifth!

All because of Steroids.

When I was a kid, I used to sneak my transistor radio into class, run the earpiece up my sleeve and listen to Yankee Games. I’d have to sit there leaning my head on my hand to hide the earpiece!

But when Mantle or Maris slammed one out of the park, well, that was the magic of baseball. And who can ever forget the night Hank Aaron broke the Babe’s Home Run Record? Curt Gowdy made the call and you knew as soon as it left the bat, it wasn’t coming back.

I just wish we could go back to those times. To see Mark McGwire hem and haw yesterday in front of a Congressional Committee was just plain sad. His stats don’t need an asterisk by them, because they already have a cloud hanging over them.

Barry Bonds, if he’s healthy, is set to break Ruth’s Record next. And even then, so many pitchers will walk him, instead of face him, the game will be further cheapened. And his “records” will be covered by a shroud.

Will Bud Selig do anything? Doubt it. Congress? Nope. The Players’ Union? HA!

There’s only one group out there that can bring about change. And that’s you and me. Baseball fans. As long as we fill expensive seats to see cheap homeruns, nothing will happen.

So push back opening day on your schedule a couple of weeks.

DON’T GO. DON’T WATCH. DON’T BUY THE SOUVENIRS.

There’s plenty of great baseball being played. Check out a Little League Game, maybe you’re lucky to have a farm team playing nearby, or even your local high school or college.

You’ll see real baseball being played. With no additives.

If we fans send this message to players “if you use steroids just once, you’re GONE,” that will stop it.

Major League Baseball and Congress only understand one thing. Cash. Take it away from them, and you’ll get their attention very quickly. Don’t look to Washington to do anything. They just make it look like they care. The folks in Washington claim they’re doing all this because of “the kids.” Really?

Example: Cigarettes kill millions. They’re still legal because the people who make them send more money to political campaigns than the people who are dying from lung cancer.

I’ll bet you the computer lesson of your choice that the best seats at DC’s new baseball stadium will be filled by the same folks holding those hearings yesterday.

Steroids are ruining lives, and ruining the game of baseball. It’s time to get real.

We always end our blog with a site of the week. Here’s one about steroids.
http://www.steroids.org/health.htm

As always, my cyber door is always open, just e-mail me at CEO@videoprofessor.com.

John W. Scherer
CEO and Founder
VIDEO PROFESSOR Inc

Friday, March 11, 2005

I blog, therefore I am.

Ok, it took just three weeks and I’m hooked on blogging. It’s a fun way to share thoughts about this and that, and fun to hear from you as well.

Jessica Marie Lunsford
Like you, we continue to pray for the safe return of Jessica Marie Lunsford to her family. Video Professor has joined in the reward fund, committing $50,000 for information leading to her safe return. We join pitcher Mike Hampton and the Teamsters in bringing the reward fund to over $100,000. If you have any information about Jessica, call your nearest law enforcement office or call the Citrus Country Sheriff’s Department at 352-726-4488.

Remember, it’s still easier to find a stolen car than a missing child. Let’s work together and change that. To learn more, visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s website, www.missingkids.com.

I never knew he left!
Nice tournament for Tiger Woods at the Doral Open this past weekend. All of a sudden I’m reading, “Tiger’s back.” I never knew he was gone in the first place! He was, and remains, one of the best that ever played the game with a swing to die for. And I’m going to die trying to duplicate it!

It’s the hap-happiest time of the year!
March Madness is here! We’ll talk more about the NCAA Basketball Tournament next week but you know in offices all across the country, the tournament bracket sheets are being readied and copy machines are at the ready.

Wonder if a company like Office Depot has ever done a study about increased paper usage in March?

We do have the final winner for the 2003 tourney pool. Rick Neuheisel. The University of Washington fired him for betting in an NCAA Tourney Pool. He sued, and won $4.7 million in a settlement with the NCAA.

Et Tu Shaq?
Seems the latest health rage is the BMI or Body Mass Index. Being a humble teacher of computer skills, I won’t comment scientifically. But according to BMI measurement, The Miami Heat’s Shaquille O’Neal is obese! For the record, Shaq is 7’1” and weighs in at 325 pounds. I read that Shaq has 13% body fat. Again, I’m not an expert on the subject, but it seems these game stats are tough to argue with:

PPG: 22.4
Reb: 10.2
Asst: 2.9
FG%: 59.6
Min: 34.2

Plus three NBA Championship Rings!

The do’s and don’ts of Public Relations:
Good PR: Martha Stewart. One day out of the big house, to an even bigger house, and all we see EVERYWHERE are pictures of Martha, Martha and more Martha! Martha Stewart is now officially on TV more than I am!

I’ll be catching up next month Martha. We’ll be doing a round of television appearances in Los Angeles. More on that in a couple of weeks.

Bad PR: CU. The school that gave us Glen Miller, Astronauts and Nobel Prize Laureates now is known for Ward Churchill (no relation to Winston) and a sports scandal that just keeps on getting worse. Absolutely amazing how many feet they can stuff into one mouth.

Tony Snow Update:
Word reaches us that FOX News reporter and anchor Tony Snow is out of the hospital and recovering from surgery to deal with colon cancer. Our friends at FOX News advise that Tony’s spirits are excellent and he’s on the mend.

Look for Tony back on the air in a month or so. Personally, I can’t wait. Tony is one of the good guys.

Pharmer in your Dell?
If you’ve visited the portion of our website www.videoprofessor.com, full of free information about ID Theft, you already know about what’s called “Phishing.” Well, if nothing else, ID thieves are very creative and they’ve taken things to a whole new level with something called “Pharming.”

Essentially, you might go to a familiar website, one you visit frequently. These Pharmers can actually find a way to re-direct you to a different site, but one that is very similar to the one you actually want. Both you and your Dell, or whatever brand you use, think you’re where you’re supposed to be. But once you’re at the Pharmer’s fake site, you don’t even have to click one key to hand over personal information to identity thieves.

So be very careful with every site you go to. And we’ll have more on this issue, not only here on the blog, but on our website as well. Just visit www.videoprofessor.com and look for updates on a regular basis.

Fun site of the week: (with no Pharming)
Well, spring is literally around the corner. Here’s one fun site to enjoy these last few days of winter!
http://ww12.e-tractions.com/snowglobe/globe.htm

My Cyber Door is always open. Just e-mail me at CEO@videoprofessor.com

See you next time!

John W. Scherer
CEO and founder
VIDEO PROFESSOR Inc

Friday, March 04, 2005

My Second Week of Blogging

Hi all.

Ok, my second week of blogging and I’m starting to understand just what a powerful tool blogs can be. Did you know it was bloggers who were first to report there were problems with the now-infamous CBS story about the President’s military records?

It seems the day the report came out, bloggers already caught notice that there was some 2004 Technology being used to fudge some 1960’s documents.

I’m sure you join me in sending our thoughts and prayers to the family of a missing Florida girl, Jessica Marie Lunsford. Jessica simply disappeared from her home after being tucked in for bed last week by her grandmother. We salute the hundreds of volunteers and law enforcement officers working around the clock to help find her.

Video Professor has announced a contribution of $50,000 for information leading to the safe return of Jessica to her family. We want to thank the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children www.missingkids.com and the Citrus County Sheriff’s office for facilitating our contribution. If you have any information on Jessica’s whereabouts, contact your nearest law enforcement office or the Citrus County Sheriff’s Department at 352-726-4488

“What we have here is a failure to communicate.”
As you know, President Bush just met with President Putin of Russia. Mr. Putin is still trying to figure out this whole democracy thing. When President Bush urged Putin to ease up on his crackdowns on the media, Putin responded, “We didn’t criticize you when you fired those reporters from CBS!”

We hope President Bush let Mr. Putin know that here in America television viewers make those decision with their remote controls!

ID Theft Update:
Just a reminder, a lot of state legislatures are taking up the issue of Identity Theft. Good for them. But remember, you have a voice in all this. Call, write or e-mail (we have a tutorial to show you how to do that!) your elected officials and push for the toughest laws possible against ID Theft and the toughest punishment as well. Identity Theft happens to one out of every eight Americans. Fight back.

And to help you out, visit our website at www.videoprofessor.com for lots of free information about ID Theft and how you can indeed, fight back.

Oscar talk:
Can you remember an Academy Awards with so few surprises? Kudos to Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Hillary Swank for their work in “Million Dollar Baby.” The film just left you drained. Absolutely spectacular filmmaking.

And who could argue with Cate Blanchett winning the Supporting Actress Oscar for her work in “The Aviator” and of course, Jamie Foxx for his terrific performance in “Ray.”

Especially moving was Jamie’s tribute to his grandmother. Apparently she believed in spankings when Jamie was a young man. He’s grown up to be an absolute class actor and gentleman. And how nice was it when Clint Eastwood introduced his 90-year old mother?

Must be something in those Eastwood genes. Both looked terrific.

Note to Clint Eastwood: If you decide to do a movie about my life, I want Brad Pitt to play me! And find a part for Halle Berry!

Around the World in 80 Hours.
How about that Steve Fossett? He’s completed the first-ever solo non-stop flight around the world. That puts him up there with Charles Lindbergh among the truly great pioneers of aviation. And don’t confuse this as being some sort of daredevil stunt. Along with his partners including Sir Richard Branson and Burt Rutan, this is all about ingenuity, entrepreneurship and setting and achieving goals. Good for them!

My friends at FOX & Friends:
As you know, I’ve had the opportunity to appear on FOX News several times and I can tell you they’re terrific folks. All of us at VIDEO PROFESSOR want to send our best wishes to Tony Snow who is battling Colon Cancer. This is one person with a very positive attitude and if anyone can beat this, it’s Tony. You can send best wishes to Tony through a special e-mail address set up by FOX News: tonysnow@foxnews.com.

I’d also like to highly recommend Brian Kilmeade’s book, The Games Do Count. It’s a terrific read. Brian is one of the co-hosts of the very popular morning new show, FOX & Friends.

Mellow Fellow?
Is it just me, or is Simon showing his softer side this season on American Idol? There are times in the judging where’s he’s actually been polite.

Play ball!
Spring training is underway in Arizona and Florida. Time for both teams and fans to shake off the cobwebs of winter and begin dreaming of lazy afternoons at the ballpark, and of course, winning the World Series. So all you baseball fans remember to be patient. It paid off for fans of the Boston Red Sox! Talk about patient!

Link of the week:
Here’s a fun little site, if you like sand painting. Best of all there is no mess to clean up!

www.lovethosekids.com/playgrnd/sandart.htm

(Our PR Director finds these sites. I’m going to have to find a few more things to keep him busy!

Talk to you next time and as always, my cyber door is always open. Just e-mail me at CEO@videoprofessor.com.

John Scherer
CEO and founder
VIDEO PROFESSOR Inc

Friday, February 25, 2005

What is a Blog anyway?

I have to admit that I’ve been teaching people how to use their computers for 18 years now, but I only had a rough idea on this blogging business.

I’m sure many of you have heard me say on TV hundreds of times, “I get stopped and recognized on the street almost everyday.” And it really is true. So this blog seemed like a great way to let me talk to people, and let them share their ideas with me.

Technology is changing the world we live in so quickly. I still remember when wallpaper was something you slapped on the walls and a chat was something you did over the backyard fence.

Anyway, here in Denver, I just heard about this local construction worker who had a headache and thinking it might be a tooth problem, went to his dentist. The dentist took an X-Ray, and lo and behold, the guy had a 6 inch nail stuck in his head. This guy’s starting to make the rounds on the TV talk shows now. How’d you like that to be your 15 minutes of fame?

It’s been a strange year for sports here in Denver. The Denver Broncos made it to the NFL Playoffs for the second year in a row, played the Indianapolis Colts for the second year in a row and got blown out for the second year in a row. Oh well, at least they’re consistent! The Colorado Avalanche didn’t play because of the NHL Strike. Spring Training is starting up for Major League Baseball. You know a lot of people outside of Denver think that Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies is a home run haven because the ball flies farther. That’s partially true. But did you realize that the altitude here keeps pitcher’s breaking balls from “breaking”. So the ball goes straight down the middle of home plate. Wish my golf ball would do the same!

I know that there are millions of dog lovers out there. In fact I count myself as one. But is it me, or is the Westminster Dog Show a little over the top for most of us and our dogs? I just read where the winning dog came from one of our nearby neighboring cities, Castle Rock. If they had a competition at Westminster for “Best Chewing of Furniture,” my dog might have a chance!

Our PR Director is a huge NASCAR fan. Quite a win by Jeff Gordon at the Daytona 500. Although I guess most of the race fans here root for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

One of the great groups here at Video Professor is our production team, and every one of them must have gotten an iPod for Christmas. I hear the music they listen to ranges from Metallica to Britney Spears. Metallica? I thought that was a planet from Star Wars!

I do want to tip my hat to our production employees here at Video Professor. Our production team won the Aurora Gold award for their work on our Photoshop lessons. And our employee club really got in the spirit of giving over the holidays. Fully 1/3 of all the gifts collected for the Salvation Army’s Giving Tree in Lakewood where we’re headquartered, came from Video Professor Employees. They also adopted 43 soldiers through the Soldier Angel Project. They send weekly letters and monthly packages of personal items to our troops in Iraq, Afganistan, and many of our other bases. We’ll include CDs from our most popular lessons like Microsoft Word, Windows XP or Intuit Quicken. We all need to do more than just say we support the troops. They’ve taken the fight to the terrorists. That’s why we enjoy the freedoms we have here in America each and every day.

One final thought, and that is Identity Theft. Make sure you visit our website at http://www.videoprofessor.com/security. We have a lot of free information for you about ID Theft, exactly what it is, and just how it easy it is for cyber crooks to steal your identity. You may have heard news reports about Paris Hilton getting her cell phone list hacked! Just shows you it can happen to anyone.

There’s another type of theft going on as well. Fake charities. We found a great site called Charity Navigator http://www.charitynavigator.org/. This non-profit group rates charities, so you can find out the ones that make sure the most money possible goes to those who need it most. We all want to give when events like the Tsunami disaster occurs, and many great charities are doing important work helping Tsunami victims. But Charity Navigator is a good place to double check on who you’re giving your money to.

As always, my cyber-door is always open. If you have a question, product suggestion or anything else, just e-mail me at CEO@VideoProfessor.com.

Finally, we found this fun little site. It’s for all you clock-watchers! Enjoy!

http://www.lares.dti.ne.jp/~yugo/storage/monocrafts_ver3/03/index.html

See you next time!

John Scherer
CEO and Founder
VIDEO PROFESSOR Inc.