H.I.T.S. 9-4-11
Did you ever wonder how the holiday that we’re all about to enjoy first came about? Thanks to technology, all you need to do is enter the phrase “origins of Labor Day” into a search engine and http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm has all the info right before you.
Some of the facts that you find out really are amazing. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City and its still going strong after all that time. Amazing.
Last week, Mrs. Schulze and I bundled Basil into the Scion and roared off for some fun at Yough Dam. By fun, I mean two people sat on folding chairs on an empty beach with a little dog that’s constantly straining to escape its leash. The most incredible part was how much history we passed on the way there most of us take for granted.
There was obviously lots of history in England when I lived there, but I personally find it more interesting here. The French & Indian wars were not all that long ago in comparison to all the boring, stuffy old English history.
As we drove past Fort Necessity, I commented to my wife that a trip like the English made to get here had to be an enormous undertaking. Even by modern standards, flying from England to New York and then on to Pittsburgh and then from the airport to the fort would be daunting.
The concept of sailing from England to the USA and then marching here just boggles my mind – never mind the thought of marching back to the coast after a battle or two.
All of this was fresh in my mind after watching the channel 77 show about George Washington and seeing him and his troops at Jumonville Glen (http://www.nps.gov/fone/jumglen.htm) and Fort Necessity.
Of course, on the way home we drove back past Braddock’s Grave (at http://www.nps.gov/fone/braddock.htm) and then went down the back road past Jumonville Glen. I don’t think I’ll ever get bored with living in an area that’s so steeped in history.
I was sad to hear last week that Steve Jobs had stepped down as chief executive officer of Apple. Apple had a rather low key press statement on their website at http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/08/24Steve-Jobs-Resigns-as-CEO-of-Apple.html, but I’m sure that the company is worried that Job’s health issues may cause Apple’s stock to plunge in value since he’s regarded as the visionary who saved the company from going under years back.
It’s also sad because issues with his pancreatic cancer have probably resurfaced, which no doubt have forced him to make this decision. I’m sure that Apple will continue to flourish even without the poor guy, but he’ll certainly be missed.
I also saw on news via my phone that HP is making a final batch of their Touchpads due to the demand when they were suddenly discontinued and are selling at a quarter of their original price. I’m a little confused as to why they are making more to sell at a loss.
Even at its higher price, the iPad is the not only the most well known of the tablet devices, but also the best. Mrs. Schulze continues her love affair with her iPad and she proudly showed me her little collection of e-books that she’s bought from iTunes. They “sit” on this cute looking bookshelf graphic on the screen.
I’m still amazed at how fast the iPad surfs the net and moves from application to application. Mrs. Schulze said it was the best birthday gift ever, so I’m happy. Like we said last week, be sure to buy a sturdy case to house it in or buy a warranty that covers dropping it. A good case costs about fifty bucks and up, but is worth every penny.
I also recommend a sturdy case for iPhones. Many of the ones that I see while teaching guitar have either no case at all or a really flimsy one that offers no protection. A few of my students have already broken the screens on their iPhones by dropping them.
Speaking of smart phones, my Google Android phone had its first system update last week. I was alerted to this via a small box that popped up on the screen. As I’ve never had a phone system update, I was a little nervous, as I’ve seen computer system updates sometimes cause problems.
All went well, though. The phone switched off and then restarted and so far, all I see that’s different is a nicer interface to tell you when you have emails, texts or missed calls. The phone also seems a bit faster when I text or email. If you receive a system update on your Android phone, don’t panic – just go ahead and install it.
Enjoy your holiday and have a great week.