*There is a petition going round demanding Titanic be raised. It is a daunting task. The wreck is two miles down requiring special equipment to get down that deep. Then there is the fact the rusting forward section is embedded into the sand making it very difficult to dislodge, if possible at all. Most experts argue it it is not. And if if it did work, what would you do with a rusting piece of ship once you brought it up? Sure you could tow it to a dock somewhere but considering it has been down there since 1912, it is not going to be pretty. It is an idea born out of boredom not realizing Titanic is not just in two pieces, but disintegrating beneath the waves. Bringing it up will not slow that down but likely speed that up. Best to leave it exactly where it is. In peace, two miles down.

*The Titanic Letter of Marine Protest is once again making news. Or should I say that press statements are making it news. This insurance form from 1912 includes a statement by Charles Lightoller (the surviving senior Titanic officer) as to what happened and signed by the other surviving officers. Some are saying that Lightoller is trying to play down the disaster for insurance reasons. Which is not possible considering how Titanic was front page news in 1912. For insurance purposes they needed to know the who, what, where, how, and why. And it is up to them to decide to pay or not. What was known was Titanic struck an iceberg and the resulting damage resulted in its sinking. Trying to claim Lightoller was minimizing what happened is nothing more than puffery to sell this item. The insurance was paid and the rest is history.

*Father Frank (Francis) Browne, SJ (1880-1960) was a well regarded photographer, Jesuit priest, and a war hero. Early in his life he developed a love for photography.That would prove fortuitous when he was aboard Titanic and took photographs before disembarking at Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland. Those photos would be reprinted in newspapers and made him well known. In 1916 he joined the British Army as a chaplain where he was wounded five times and received the Military Cross & Bar, and the Croix de Guerre. He took many pictures of his time during the war, collected them into a book, and gave it to his fellow members of the Irish Guard. Taking a trip to Australia to help him recover from ill health offered him a chance to take even more photographs there and of places on the way back home. In 1929 he was appointed to the Retreats and Mission staff of the Irish Jesuits which afforded ample time to take even more photographs. So well known for his photography that Kodak gave him film for life. He passed away in 1960 and as time passed his connection to Titanic and photography was largely forgotten. That is until Father Edward E. O’Donnell SJ, found a large metal trunk that once belonged to Browne containing negatives. The photographs were assembled into books most of which have been published including his Titanic photos. A new book The Life and Lens of Father Browne (E.E. O’Donnell, Messenger Publications) is coming out that focuses on Father Browne. And possibly the first self photograph ever taken on its front cover.

*Hell’s Kitchen has finally hit that moment when it is clear that not one of its contestants can cook well enough to be considered a recipe of the month for that shows calendar. Recently the remaining cooks were told to create a dish that was both stunning for the eyes and palate. Three former contestants from that show, who each have recipes in that calendar, assisted Chef Ramsay decide who won. Each judge could award a maximum of 5 points for each dish. Not one of them achieved anything above a 3, which is simply okay or average. One gal did the unthinkable and put raw flour in her mashed potatoes. One does not need a degree in food science to know that raw flour needs to be cooked. And putting it in mashed potatoes will not thicken it up but make it inedible. Finally the last person up presented a dish whose ingredients she had never cooked or really tasted before. That sent Gordon Ramsay banging his head into the proverbial wall and leaving the judges incredulous. Jason, who is a real donkey’s behind, has gotten steadily nastier on the show. At this stage we ought to be seeing the best rise to the top. Instead we get nothing but average to substandard cooking from people who cannot seem to manage their time or bother to cook their dishes perfectly. This could be the season where Gordon says no one impresses him enough to be hired. On Kitchen Nightmares he walked away from Crazy Amy when he realized he could change nothing. Perhaps this is one season where there will be no winner.

*It never ceases to amaze me when I see a news blurb saying “new information about Titanic sinking!” and it turns out to be a shill for the Titanic/Olympic switch theory. The theory is bogus and demonstrably false. All one has to do is look at the wreck to see it is not Olympic. There is an industry to feeds on such conspiracy theories from saying the moon landing never happened to 9/11 Truthers saying it was a government conspiracy.

*Ghost sighting at Titanic cemetery! A man claims he captured the image of a ghost. Real or imaginary?

Have a great weekend everyone.