Say “Thank You” to our American Veterans

Say “Thank You” to our American Veterans

This day is the anniversary of the signing of the armistice, which ended the World War I hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany in 1918. Veterans are thanked for their services to the United States on Veterans Day.  Veterans Day honors those who served the United States in all wars, especially veterans.

Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor the end of World War I, which officially took place on November 11, 1918.

Veterans Day shows respect for those who were willing to give their lives to the country and to serve their country.

Oshkosh, Wisconsin ~ Drone Aerial Photography

Oshkosh, Wisconsin ~ Drone Aerial Photography

I had the pleasure of working in Oshkosh, Wisconsin the other day doing some commercial aerial photography for a real estate client in California.

Wikipedia about Oshkosh

Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States, located where the Fox River enters Lake Winnebago from the west.

Oshkosh was named for Menominee Chief Oshkosh, whose name meant “claw” (Ojibwe oshkanzh, “the claw”).  Although the fur trade brought the first European settlers to the area as early as 1818, it never became a major player in the fur trade. It was the establishment and growth of the lumber industry in the area that spurred development of Oshkosh.

The lumber industry became well established as businessmen took chief-oshkosh-beer-can-fvwdadvantage of navigable waterways to provide access to both markets and northern pineries. The 1859 arrival of rail transportation expanded the ability to meet the demands of a rapidly growing construction market.   At one time, Oshkosh was known as the “Sawdust Capital of the World” due to the number of lumber mills in the city, 11 by 1860. By 1874, there were 47 sawmills and 15 shingle mills. By 1870, Oshkosh had become the third-largest city in Wisconsin with a population of over 12,000. The Oshkosh Daily Northwestern newspaper (now the Oshkosh Northwestern) was founded around this time, as was the Oshkosh State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh).   In 1875, Oshkosh had a “Great Fire” that consumed homes and businesses along Main Street north of the Fox River. The fire had engulfed 70 stores, 40 factories, and 500 homes costing nearly $2.5 million (or $51.2 million in 2010 money) in damage.

Around 1900 Oshkosh was home of the Oshkosh Brewing Company, which coined the marketing slogan “By Gosh It’s Good.” Its Chief Oshkosh became a nationally distributed beer.

 

The future of television is here.

The future of television is here.

TV is a major part of our lives. We gather together around our big screens to watch big shows and big events. Yet somehow, the overall experience of TV has continued to stagnate. Until now. It all starts by recognizing that apps are the future of television. HBO NOW, WatchESPN, Netflix, Hulu, iTunes — apps are quickly becoming how we watch today. So we built a new foundation around this vision — with a new operating system called tvOS, innovative ways to connect with your screen, and a smart use of Siri to search for something to watch. The new Apple TV. This is where television is headed.

It’s all about apps.

Apps are the future of television. Think about it. On your mobile devices and computers, you already use apps such as Netflix, Hulu, WatchESPN, and iTunes to watch TV shows. And that’s exactly where TV in the living room is headed. Apps have liberated television. They allow you to make individual choices about what you want to watch. And when and where you want to watch it. With the new Apple TV and its powerful new tvOS, developers are creating experiences that will change what you expect from your big screen, making your TV feel as personal as your iPhone or iPad.

Entertainment

All the entertainment your TV can handle.

iTunes movies and TV shows. Netflix and Hulu. ABC and Disney. HBO and SHOWTIME. Live sports and news. And so much more. If it’s worth watching, there’s definitely an app for that.

Games and apps on TV. It’s gonna be huge.

The App Store makes its TV debut. Think big, exciting games. Apps that turn your living room into a fitness studio or a classroom. Even multiperson experiences that redefine family game night. We can’t wait to see where developers take this.

siri-remoteThe television finally gets some technology love.

With the advent of iPhone and iPad, many of the big innovations and newest technologies have focused on the small screens that fit in our pockets or that we carry in our hands. But it’s time our big screens share in that technology and get an equally innovative experience. With the new Apple TV and tvOS, a redesigned interface, and the Siri Remote, there’s never been a better time to be a TV.

Siri Remote

Ask more of your television.

With all these new apps on your TV, what’s the best way to find something to watch? Just ask Siri. With the Siri Remote, you tell your TV exactly what you want to watch. Or ask Siri to give you a few options, like “Find me some funny TV shows.” Siri automatically searches across popular services like iTunes, Netflix, and more, so you don’t have to dig through each app individually. You can even ask Siri to launch a specific app. The Siri Remote takes the work out of watching TV.

Buy Today at Apple.com

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween

Halloween evolved from the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain, modern Halloween has become less about literal ghosts and ghouls and more about costumes and candy. The Celts used the day to mark the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, and also believed that this transition between the seasons was a bridge to the world of the dead. Over the millennia the holiday transitioned from a somber pagan ritual to a day of merriment, costumes, parades and sweet treats for children and adults.  Americans will spend an estimated $2 billion on candy during the Halloween season this year.

Pumpkins have been a symbol of the harvest season & Halloween holiday.   Pumpkins are one of the oldest domesticated plants on Earth, with archaeological and botanical evidence suggesting that people cultivated pumpkins as far back as 10,000 B.C.

When the British colonists arrived in North America, they quickly learned to rely on the pumpkin as a survival food because European staples weren’t readily available. Pumpkin could be substituted for wheat and barley in beer and was a fast-growing and hardy crop.

Beni Meier is the current World Record holder for growing a  2323.7 pound pumpkin.

world-record-pumkin