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.

___

May 18, 2012 12:06 PM EDT

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Here’s what I have so far
Asus Rampage II
i7-2600
HD 6950
Ballistix 240 pin DIMM (4 x 4, so 16GB)

Can you guys recommend other good parts, fans etc…
Could you also add estimated prices of it and all, since I don’t have a budget yet and want to know much to spend before earning
Also I live in the philippines, and parts here are VERY limited, so where would be a good place to order a custom built PC?

Tech Support Guy Forums – Hardware

Markitteh says:

Ol’ keith there has a lousy perspective. Sure, all pets are needy. Do you expect them to get a job, rent an apartment and feed themselves? Seriously, the accusation of any living thing being “needy” as a negative trait is counter to the concept of civilization. Would “keith” have humanity devolve to the pure “survival of the fittest” concept? Can you imagine what driving in traffic, for instance, would become, considering the availability of firearms in the U.S.? Take care of your dogs, cats, ferrets, iguanas or any other pet you choose as well as the people in your household, folks. It’s a good practice which in the long run reduces the need for personal body armor.

Lolcats – Funny Pictures of Cats – I Can Has Cheezburger?

Apple is rumored to be in talks to acquire high end German HDTV manufacturer Loewe. The news comes from an anonymous source who claims that Apple has offered 87.3 million euros (around $ 112 million dollars).

A source claims that Loewe “has been advised by its financial advisor to accept the offer and a final decision is scheduled to be announced internally before 18 May 2012.”

Loewe was established in 1929 and now employs around 1000 workers across fifty different countries. Its high end minimalistic HDTV sets would certainly blend in with Apple’s own product philosophies. This acquisition could well be a great match for Apple’s often rumored HDTV set.

As well as HDTV sets, Loewe also manufacturers high end AirSpeakers that work with Apple’s AirPlay technology as well as various audio systems with iPod integration. Loewe has also embraced the iPad and has released its own app that makes controlling its Audio/Video products a breeze.

We will keep a close eye on this story and let you know as soon as we hear any more information.

Source: Apple Insider

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Celebrity Pictures, Lol Celebs and Funny Actor and Actress Photos – ROFLrazzi

bmibaby has announced that it will cease flying and is winding down its operations over the next few months.

From June 11 2012, it will no longer operate any routes from Belfast City Airport (to Alicante, Amsterdam, Birmingham, East Midlands, Faro, Ibiza, Mahon, Malaga, Palma and Stansted).

Some services from Birmingham (to Amsterdam, Belfast and Knock) and East Midlands (to Amsterdam, Belfast, Edinburgh, Geneva, Glasgow, Newquay, Nice and Paris) will also be discontinued.

All remaining routes will cease to operate  on 9 September 2012.

Why is bmibaby shutting down?

According to the BBC, bmibaby is losing about £25m per year. Following its sale to owner’s IAG, the decision was made to cut the loses.

Will I get a refund?

All bmibaby passengers are entitles to a full refund and passengers should receive an email from the airline explaining the procedure.

Can I get another flight?

bmibaby has said that it will try to book passengers on an alternative bmibaby service where possible. It is not able to transfer passengers to alternative airlines (including bmi or BA).

Other airlines such as Monarch, easyJet and Jet2 have said they may replace some of the cancelled routes, but passengers would have to buy a new ticket.

Search on Skyscanner to see what your options are.

For more information

Visit bmibaby’s help page
Or call the bmibaby helpline on: 0844 245 0055.

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Rihanna To Play Villain In Fast & Furious 6

Rihanna will have a role in the upcoming movie Fast & Furious 6. Writers were impressed with her acting debut in Battleship and felt the villain role would suit her perfect.

Rihanna will be racing cars alongside Dwayne Johnson & Vin Diesel out in England where the movie will be filmed. The filming will start early next month.

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