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War of 1812 bicentennial sites, events all over US

George Walter — Sat, 19 May 2012 05:11:14 +0000

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By BETH J. HARPAZ

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Pity the War of 1812. Its bicentennial is at hand and events are planned for all over North America, from Canada and the Great Lakes to the Mid-Atlantic and the South. But good luck finding someone who can explain in 10 words or less what the war was about.

Some historians see the war as a last gasp by England to control its former colonies, and it’s sometimes called the Second War of Independence. At the time, Americans viewed the war “as an opportunity for us to throw off Britain once and for all,” said Troy Bickham, author of a new book out in June called “The Weight of Vengeance: The United States, the British Empire and the War of 1812.”

But in Canada, the War of 1812 is seen as an attempted land grab by the U.S. The U.S. invaded Canada and at one point controlled Toronto, but the British, seeking control of the Great Lakes, won Detroit and other important ports.

The War of 1812 was also complicated by what Bickham calls “parallel wars.” The British were fighting the Napoleonic Wars in Europe at the time, while the U.S. battled Native Americans allied with Britain for control of frontier territories from Michigan to Alabama.

Amid the muddle, a few important episodes stand out, from decisive battles to the burning of the White House. Some events are being commemorated with programs, exhibits and military re-enactments, from now through the bicentennial of the Battle of New Orleans, in 2015. Other key moments from the war involve important artifacts or historic sites that can be seen any time. Here are some details.

THE FLAG: The War of 1812 inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner” after soldiers at Fort McHenry in Baltimore raised an American flag to mark a victory over the British on Sept. 14, 1814. The fort is now a National Park site, http://www.nps.gov/fomc/index.htm. The original manuscript for the song will be part of a War of 1812 exhibit at the Maryland Historical Society, 201 W. Monument St., in Baltimore, opening June 10.

Also in Baltimore, a June 13-19 “Star-Spangled Sailabration” will include a parade of 40 tall ships and naval vessels, an airshow featuring the Blue Angels and other festivities, http://www.starspangled200.com/. The flotilla is one of several organized by Operation Sail, Inc., which has partnered with the U.S. Navy to mark the War of 1812 bicentennial, with additional tall ship events scheduled for May 23-30 in New York City, June 1-12 in Norfolk, Va., June 30-July 5 in Boston and July 6-8 in New London, Conn. The OpSail and Navy commemorations started in New Orleans in April.

In Washington, D.C., you can see the flag that inspired the national anthem, tattered with age and on display in a darkened room to help preserve it, at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, http://americanhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/. At the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, paintings of key figures from the war will be part of a show called “1812: A Nation Emerges,” opening June 15.

THE WHITE HOUSE: When the British burned down the White House on Aug. 24, 1814, First Lady Dolley Madison famously refused to leave until the portrait of George Washington was saved. The painting, by Gilbert Stuart, hangs in the White House today, and there seem to be no lingering hard feelings against England. As President Obama joked during a recent visit by British Prime Minister David Cameron: “It’s now been 200 years since the British came here to the White House under somewhat different circumstances. They made quite an impression. They really lit the place up! But we moved on.”

USS CONSTITUTION: Britain had 600 ships while the U.S. had just 17, including the USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, which Bickham says was the most important ship in our fleet. You can visit the ship in Charleston, Mass., just outside of Boston, http://www.history.navy.mil/ussconstitution/history.html.

ALABAMA: One of the biggest U.S. victories of the war took place in Horseshoe Bend, now a National Park site in Alabama, about 100 miles southwest of Atlanta, http://www.nps.gov/hobe/index.htm. Here Andrew Jackson led the slaughter of the Creek Red Sticks tribe, ending a longstanding conflict with the natives and securing 23 million acres of territory for the U.S.

NEW ORLEANS: Jackson also led the final American victory of the war at the Battle of New Orleans, which took place on the Chalmette Battlefield, now part of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, http://www.nps.gov/jela/chalmette-battlefield.htm. Jackson’s triumphs in Alabama and New Orleans made him a national hero and he was eventually elected U.S. president.

GREAT LAKES: Many of the war’s important battles were fought as Britain sought control of Great Lakes territories and states including parts of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania.

Fort Dearborn, located where Chicago is now, was destroyed during the war. Fort Mackinac on Michigan’s Mackinac Island in Lake Huron, which was captured by the British early in the war, is still standing and is hosting a variety of programs for the bicentennial, http://www.mackinacparks.com/.

The Americans retook Michigan after the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813 off the coast of Ohio, and a re-enactment is planned on the water next year. The reconstructed flagship Niagara, which was commanded by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry during the battle, is based in Erie, Pa., though it sails to other ports during the summer; a schedule can be found at http://www.flagshipniagara.org/. Northwest Pennsylvania also just launched the Perry 200 Commemoration with flag-raisings at 150 sites in the region; 30 events are planned over the next 18 months, http://www.perry200.com.

Ohio is home to a 352-foot monument, Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, which towers over Lake Erie on South Bass Island in Put-in-Bay, http://www.nps.gov/pevi/. Events there include education programs, May 22-24, a “Re-Declaration of War,” June 18, and a birthday party for Perry, Aug. 18-19. Fort Meigs, in nearby Perrysburg, Ohio, is a War of 1812 battlefield with a reconstructed fort; it marks the 199th anniversary of a siege from the war May 26-27.

On Lake Ontario in New York, important locations connected to the War of 1812 include Sackets Harbor, N.Y., where a major U.S. naval base fended off a British attack in 1813, http://www.sacketsharborbattlefield.org/, and Old Fort Niagara, which was a base for the U.S. invasion of Canada but was captured by the British in 1813. A ceremony marking the bicentennial of the declaration of war is scheduled for Fort Niagara June 16, http://oldfortniagara.org/events/.

LAKE CHAMPLAIN: The British also sought to control Lake Champlain, but they were thwarted by an unexpected American victory in Plattsburgh, N.Y., in September 1814. The town is scheduling re-enactments, lectures and other events starting later this year, http://www.champlain1812.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: The website http://www.visit1812.com lists many events and historic sites connected to the War of 1812. Canada is also hosting major commemorations of the bicentennial, including a War of 1812 Heritage Trail, http://www.discover1812.com, and ongoing living history programs at Fort Malden, in Amherstburg, Ontario, 20 miles from Detroit, http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/on/malden/index.aspx.

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May 18, 2012 12:06 PM EDT

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I Has A Hotdog: Jaws

George Walter — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:47:43 +0000

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New cruises for Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico

George Walter — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:47:42 +0000

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The Associated Press

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Carnival Corporation said Tuesday that it is building a $ 65 million cruise ship center in the Dominican Republic to draw ships to the Puerto Plata region for the first time in nearly 30 years.

The Amber Cove Cruise Center at Bay of Maimon is scheduled to open in 2014 and is expected to accommodate as many as 8,000 cruise ship passengers daily.

The center is being built on 30 acres (12 hectares) of waterfront property with help from local shipping company Grupo B&R. It will feature a marketplace, restaurants, bars and a water attraction, Carnival said.

More than 350,000 cruise ship passengers visited the Dominican Republic last year, a 1 percent drop from the previous year.

Also on Tuesday, officials in Puerto Rico announced that the U.S. Caribbean territory would be the home port for a Royal Caribbean cruise ship next year.

The Jewel of the Seas is slated to make 25 departures out of San Juan starting in May 2013, said Economic Development Secretary Jose Perez-Riera. The ship is expected to generate $ 8 million in revenues and attract more than 60,000 tourists.

He said Puerto Rico has welcomed three other new ships in the past year, the Celebrity Silhouette, the Azamara Journey and the MSC Poesia, as part of a new incentives package.

Puerto Rico saw 972,000 cruise ship passengers last year, an 8 percent drop compared with the previous year.

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May 15, 2012 05:56 PM EDT

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5 things to do on Edinburgh’s Princes Street (other than shopping)

George Walter — Sun, 13 May 2012 00:23:11 +0000

1. Princes Street Gardens

This very grand public park beneath Edinburgh Castle can be accessed via gates all along Princes Street, on the opposite side of the road to the shops. There is always something happening in Princes Street Gardens, from the Winter Wonderland at Christmas, to Summer Festival events, to various concerts and celebrations throughout the year. Popular sights include the famous Floral Clock and impressive Ross Fountain.

2. The Scott Monument

You can’t miss this 200 foot Gothic tower at the East End of Princes Street. Completed in 1844, the Scott Monument was built in honour of Sir Walter Scott, the Scottish author of Rob Roy, Ivanhoe and many other famous novels. Climb the 287 steps for fantastic views of Edinburgh.

3. Scottish National Gallery

This is the Scottish National Gallery of fine art. It can be found towards the middle of Princes Street, on The Mound. A must-see for art lovers, the gallery includes masterpieces from great artists Cézanne, Constable, Degas, Monet, Goya, Gauguin, El Greco, Titian and many more.

4. Edinburgh Bus Tours

The open top city Bus Tours are a great way to explore Edinburgh, particularly if you only have a day or two to pack everything in. You can start the tour from Waverley Bridge next to the railway station, just off Princes Street, and can hop on and off the buses as many times as you like to explore the various attractions along the way.

5. Edinburgh Street Party

Every year on Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve), Princes Street is transformed into an outdoor party venue with live music, entertainment and a spectacular fireworks display. People travel from all over the globe to experience this world-famous event.

This post was brought to you by Apex Hotels in Edinburgh, with four city centre hotels, perfect for exploring Princes Street and the surrounding areas. Check out the Apex Hotels Blog for more Edinburgh travel tips.

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Travel & Flight Deals of the Day from Skyscanner

George Walter — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:52:36 +0000

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I now are pet aware

George Walter — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:05:58 +0000

If you have a pet then you need to become pet aware and understand the pet care needed to raise the best animal you can

Most people who own pets are neglectful. that might be a broad statement however I have known many people who own many pets and they are just neglectful. that is why when I bought my expensive new feline I went straight to Pets Aware Pet Shop and Pet Care. This website is updated very regularly with only the best news and tips to ensure that I raised the best pet I can. Let’s just say that following this website has allowed my cat to go from 7 pounds all the way to 27 pounds only two years.

So what are the benefits of this website? This website has videos a blog and a bunch of other forms of media that will help you beat the best pet owner you can be. There is new research that happens all the time therefore it is important to be caught up with the latest trends so that you understand how to raise the best pet possible. Pets are like family and they should be treated as one. I know that if something happened to my pad I would be devastated therefore I will do what ever it takes the best owner and the most knowledgeable owner possible.

Military Brass Concerned About Discipline Breakdowns

George Walter — Sun, 06 May 2012 19:34:08 +0000

The Global War on Terror, if you will, has been going on for well over a decade, employing an all-volunteer force of mostly very young and very naive men and women. Those same young people, after brief and intense periods of training, are shipped off to active war zones to fight a faceless enemy that is often indistinguishable from the peaceful civilian population. The stress is enormous and the leadership on the ground is also composed of very young soldiers, with only slightly more experience and training.

When those factors are coupled with a general mission that is difficult to define, with gains seemingly impossible and every loss magnified, many young soldiers start to break down emotionally and psychologically. When those breaks occur, bad things happen. Recently, there have been a growing number of incidences of U.S. troops acting in ways that are in gross violation of any ethical or moral standard.

And whenever such incidents occur, they are almost immediately headline news events across the world. The problem U.S. military leaders face is that there is really no way to stop these incidents from occurring within the current structure of the ongoing War on Terror. Military conflict – human warfare – is an act that requires a purpose and a defined objective. The current circumstances don’t meet those requirements. And without those requirements, military conflict simply becomes a prolonged and unnatural state of constant angst and anguish, periodically interrupted by direct combat. In the current situation, even healthy, clear-thinking young people will break. And when they do, bad things will happen.

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Stand United

George Walter — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:51:09 +0000

The leaves are falling

The skies are turning

Grey, as if the weather

Feels my soul

The pain is hurting
The shame is growing
I wonder why
Have I been born

The justice fading
The honor dying
It’s sad to find
That I’m not accepted

But here I am
I’m going to give a flower
I planted when
I was much younger

Here in the soil
Of this land
Where we should care
And be friends

A thousand people
We share the same goal
Then this path will never end
A thousand people
We share the same goal
And that is to kiss this sand

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E! Network Signs Kardashians for Three More Seasons

George Walter — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:29:58 +0000

The Kardashians are a uniquely American success story, and one that truly embodies the New American Dream. For all of their justified detractors and the cringe-worthy media coverage that is constantly promoting and regurgitating all things Kardashian, Kris Jenner and her family have managed to become real-life celebrities. Most of the fame of the family can be attributed to Kim Kardashian. She’s probably the most photogenic of a fairly photogenic family, and it was her sex tape that really launched the family name into the national spotlight.

But since that initial sex-tape boost, it’s hard to find fault with how the Kardashian family has managed their “brand”, as they like to say. In addition to several reality television series – all on the E! Network – there are clothing lines, fragrances and a growing array of products and endorsements for nearly every member of the family. People now become famous simply by being associated with the Kardashians, as surely Kris Humphries can attest.

Even bona fide celebrities like Kanye West get overshadowed by the Kardashians. Now that Kim and Kanye are rumored to be dating, the story isn’t that Kanye West is dating Kim Kardashian – the story is that Kim Kardashian is dating Kanye West. Most fans of the Kardashians are now wondering whether or not a Kim and Kanye romance is going to be a central plot line to an upcoming season of one or more of their current reality shows. Or, perhaps, maybe Kim and Kanye will get their own reality show? They certainly have the star power to make it fly.

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Travelers face patchwork of free vs. paid Wi-Fi

George Walter — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:05:02 +0000

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By JOSHUA FREED

The Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — Getting online while traveling has never been easier. Getting online for free is still hit-or-miss.

Travelers run into a patchwork of free vs. paid access as they trek from airports to planes to hotels. Speed also varies widely, from fast enough to stream a movie to just enough to send and receive email.

The good news: Free internet at airports is becoming more common. San Francisco, Dallas, and Minneapolis are adding free options after previously charging around $ 8 for access. Phoenix’s international airport has long offered complimentary access.

Still, plenty of airports require travelers to whip out a credit card to get online, including the big ones in New York and Los Angeles. The agency that runs New York’s three airports says it has no plans to offer free Wi-Fi. The exception is JFK’s terminal 5, where JetBlue offers it.

On planes, Delta has Wi-Fi access on its domestic flights, and American and Southwest have added it across much of their fleets. United says it is adding Wi-Fi to its planes but the whole fleet won’t be done until 2015. All of them charge something to get online, ranging from $ 2 for a mobile device on some flights to $ 18 to get a laptop online on long-haul flights.

Hotels vary in what they charge. Free Wi-Fi is common at midrange and lower-end motels outside of big cities. But service can cost $ 25 a day at New York hotels that already charge hundreds of dollars for a room.

User demand for Wi-Fi is soaring. Five years ago, people using Wi-Fi were business travelers with laptop computers. Now, 11-year-olds with Nintendos and iPods want it. More travelers aren’t content to send a simple e-mail — they’re looking to download a whole movie. In hi-definition. Smartphone users are increasingly looking for Wi-Fi to avoid caps on cellular data plans. The number of devices that use Wi-Fi jumped 5-fold between 2006 and 2011, according to Boingo, which runs hotspots in 34 U.S. airports.

Charges for staying connected on a trip can add up fast. A guest at the Embassy Suites near the Minneapolis airport would pay almost $ 5 to get online for three hours. They’d pay $ 8 more at the airport (It plans to add a free offering later), then another $ 5 to get online on board a Delta flight. Total internet bill: $ 18.

Travelers use all kinds of tricks to avoid paying for access.

Daniel Wolter, a lobbyist for drug company Pfizer, calls himself a “travel miser.” It’s possible to get close enough to frequent-flier clubs at airports to piggyback onto their free Wi-Fi service, he says.

“I seek out the free Wi-Fi,” he says, although he’ll pay for service on planes when it’s the only option.

San Francisco’s international airport now offers a free Wi-Fi option for users willing to watch a commercial every 45 minutes. Adding the free option means the airport loses $ 2.5 million in revenue, but airport officials hope to keep travelers from switching to airports in nearby San Jose and Oakland, which offer free Wi-Fi.

Boingo Wireless, Inc. says it’s seeing a move toward hybrid setups, where airports offer free service (often with ads or slower connections) and a paid option for people who want a faster connection. Denver has both options, and the free service is enough to check email and weather.

“If you want to download a whole movie … you would be able to do it over our free basic service, but it might take you an hour or two,” says John Ackerman, the airport’s chief commercial officer. It would take a few minutes using the paid service.

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is adding free internet access in September. Travelers will have to watch a short ad every 40 minutes. The new service is run by AT&T and will pay the airport at least $ 750,000 a year, depending on advertising revenue.

Free online access isn’t just a matter of location. Devices also make a difference. Boingo has cut a deal with Nintendo to allow owners of its 3DS hand-held video games to get online for free at 42 airports in North America. Some Kindle owners, however, have reported difficulty in using airport Wi-Fi. Amazon, which makes the Kindle, didn’t respond to requests for comment.

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April 26, 2012 07:11 PM EDT

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