Titanic, Titanic Exhibitions, Titanic Miscellaneous

Sunday Titanic News

Happy Sunday
Happy Sunday

1.Update on recovered Titanic plaque
A long lost memorial plaque to Titanic musicians that was found in a scrapyard in Naples, Florida has been rededicated at Titanic The Experience this past Thursday and is on display. Doug Turner, who bought the plaque for $138, discovered it had been commissioned in 1912 by Musical Mutual Protective Union and had been in the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. It then disappeared and all attempts to locate it were unsuccessful. Apparently it ended in at the scrapyard through a construction worker who sold it to them while heading down to Miami.

The plaque has a sculpting of a muse, lyre, a small iceberg, and the first four musical bars of Nearer My God To Thee. All eight musicians who perished are listed. It will be on display at Titanic Experience for six months.

Source: Titanic Experience Rededicates Musicians Plaque Honoring Those On Doomed Ship(15 Aug 2013,Orlando Sentinel)

2. Lucky 16-Year Old Joins Ballard On Week Long Expedition
C.B.Wren, a 16-year old sophomore at Augusta Preparatory Day School, was chosen by National Eagle Scout Association to represent the Boy Scouts aboard Ballard’s exploration vessel Nautilus. Wren joins other students and educators for the week long exploration of Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.

Source: Augusta Prep Student On Expedition With Titanic Discoverer(15 Aug 2013,Augusta Chronicle)

3. Okay you have heard the joke “the fish was this big….” but this one is likely for real according to the Huffington Post. Marco Liebenow was fishing off the coast of Norway where he caught a 515 pound halibut in July. 515 pounds is a lot of fish and you just cannot reel it in like a normal fish. It had to be dragged back to harbor alongside the schooner. The current world record is 459 pounds for a Pacific halibut caught in 1996 in Alaska. The International Game Fishing Association will have to officially determine it’s a record holder. So what do you do with a 515 halibut? That is a lot of fish and chips!
Source:515-Pound Halibut Caught By Marco Leibenow Near Norway May Be World Record(17 Aug 2013, Huffington Post)

TV reviews

MasterChef(14 Aug 2013):T-Bone Steaks, A Bird Show, and A Wicked Witch

Brown Quail
Brown Quail(Coturnix ypsilophora)
Photo:Wikipedia

*We are down to the Top 7 (again) and that means….more cooking.

*Walmart got several plugs upfront in the episode, including one by James.

*What was the Walmart truck all about? Did people not believe that Walmart actually delivered produce to MasterChef?Again shades of Hells Kitchen (which often makes losing teams fetch deliveries off trucks). And the truck was not like any produce truck I have every seen. The production crews must have been busy getting that to look right for the camera.

*There is nothing like a good steak but of course you cannot just bring up meat and potatoes for these judges. The top three selected all had elevated presentations for the judges. I must now retract what I earlier thought of Luca. I thought he was not going to make it this far but he has shown more depth than before. Now he might be in the top four if he plays his cards right.

*Jordan, Luca, and Krissi were the top three and Krissi gets the win. The others are stunned. She heads back which takes us to….

*MasterChef’s Birds on Parade! We have a delightful quail, a pigeon, pheasant, chicken, duck, and turkey. Krissi must not go to a zoo much since she thinks from the chirping noise it is either a frog or cricket. Krissi gets to select which ones our home chefs will prepare. She retires with glee as they are told to collect their proteins. Unfortunately the cages have been left open and they are all wandering around the pantry (a possible health code violation?) with picture tags around their necks indicating who gets what. Luca seems most disturbed at having to pick up his turkey. It is not a small one either. Bri tells the pigeon that it ought to be comforted she is vegetarian (pigeons are grain eaters). All the animals seem rather docile so likely these are domesticated from a local kids zoo or something similar. Fortunately they are just for show as MasterChef has provided the fully skinned versions at their workstations.

witch hat

*Now time to get serious. Krissi has thrown some real serious rockets at her competitors. Jessie gets the easiest, the chicken. Her chief targets are Jordan(quail), Natasha (pheasant), and Bri (pigeon). She tosses the duck to James and the turkey to Luca who she knows probably never cooked one before. Krissi gloats and cackles up on the balcony. At some point (possibly when they are all in the pantry), she gives the middle finger salute. All that is missing is a pointed cap and a broom to complete the image.

*Krissi Fires Rockets But Misfires Except For One
Historical fact: the earliest rockets used by the British in the Napoleonic Wars were grand going away but you did not want to be there when they came down. The noise was horrible and scared the heck out of people. Their accuracy though was pretty bad. Krissi fired off a lot of rockets but few hit their mark. Natasha, who probably had one of the most difficult birds, did very well. Bri was a surprise too. She presented a nicely cooked stuffed pigeon that both Gordon and Joe raved about (Krissi dissed it as Bri brought it up). Luca also did well with his turkey and James stepped it up with an Asian inspired duck.

Jessie though took a real tumble. We have seen this gal tackle some pretty tough proteins and come out on top. And yet she completely misses the mark here. She presents a throughly underwhelming chicken meal that aptly was called a television dinner. It was not only something too homey it simply offered nothing for the upscale MasterChef kitchen. It put her on the bottom with Jordan, who totally misfired with the quail. It was raw, had a bad sauce, and nothing on the plate indicated MasterChef quality. The quail sent him home. It was hard to watch. The winners were Bri and Natasha.

*Final Call for Jordan
Jordan was offered the opportunity to visit Chicago and work with Graham. Jordan has serious talent and with Graham to  put him on the right course, he will dump driving trucks and they will deliver to him in the future. But when asked who would win, he declared Natasha. He called her a bitch but said she backed it up with her cooking. Now we are left with just six. And next week they are going to run service in a major restaurant. The previews show Gordon screaming a lot (shades of Hells Kitchen again) so it ought to be interesting.

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Titanic, Titanic Exhibitions

Hartley Violin Exhibit Extended At Titanic Branson

Wallace Hartley's ViolinThe Hartley Violin scheduled to end its exhibition at Titanic Branson on 15 Aug has been extended to 7 Sep 2013. According to KMOX news, 18,000 people have seen the violin already. Reservations are required for the daily VIP tour at 8:30 a.m. Further information can be found at titanicbranson.com.

Source: Iconic Titanic Violin Exhibit Extended At Branson Museum(14 Aug 2013,KMOX)

Miscellaneous

Titanic T-Shirt

The German site Spread Shirt has this Titanic t-shirt for sale:

Titanic t-shirtMy German is a bit rusty so I put it through the Google translator. The line above the image literally translates No Panic on the Titanic! and the bottom The water is sufficient for all. In English, the best meaning might be Don’t Panic! There is water for all. Now before you get a bit upset remember this is just a bit of fun here. It sort of fits in with the German sense of humor.

Of course if you have other suggestions as to what it could say, drop us a line.

Titanic, Titanic Miscellaneous

Monday Titanic Tidbits

Lady Duff Gordon (1919)
Photo:Wikipedia

*A kimono style robe worn by Lady Duff Gordon on the night Titanic sank has been acquired at auction by National Museums Northern Ireland. The robe is now on display at Ulster Folk and Transport Museum.

Source: Titanic Survivor’s Luxury Robe Joins Exhibition(12 Aug 2013,News Letter)

*The annual Crosslake Cardboard Races at Moonlite Bay Family Restaurant in Crosslake, Minnesota took place Saturday. Harv’s Baby won the Titanic Award after their dramatic sinking. All caught on video and now for the world to see via YouTube.

Source: Crosslake Cardboard Boat Races(11 Aug 2013,Brainerd Dispatch)

Titanic, Titanic Exhibitions, Titanic Miscellaneous

Sunday Titanic Newswrap

Photo courtesy George Behe
Photo courtesy George Behe

1. Crain’s Detroit Business examines the possible sale of the Titanic artifacts and who might be in the running to buy it. Candidates are Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, VA; Titanic Belfast museum (Belfast, N.I), and the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas along with some very wealthy individuals. I would add, considering the interest of bringing Titanic II to UAE, that wealthy business people from there are also interested. Some might scoff at that but remember they have lots of money to spend and are tightly connected to their government (in some cases, they are actually in it). Having genuine Titanic artifacts on display would be a huge tourist draw.

A good portion of the article is divided between what the valuation might be for shareholders and a examination of Mark Sellers III, who took control of Premiere some years ago after getting frustrated with it’s then leadership. Sellers tells Crain’s he is in no rush to sell quick but admits there is pressure to do so. You think? Look at how much time has passed since the salvage award came down till now. At first it seemed like things might be proceeding towards a sale and then it just stopped. This year we finally learned this mysterious consortium that signed a non-binding letter of intent could not get the money. Shareholders thought they would be reaping benefits right now and have not. Sooner or later patience will run out if Seller’s cannot get the sale done. I see lawsuits and demands for transparency about the sale coming soon if nothing happens in six months.

Source: Buyer Sought For Titanic Artifacts; One Estimate: $189 Million(11 Aug 2013,Crain’s Detroit Business)

2. You learn of people finding something spectacular in garage sales or scrap yards, but this is the first I think for a Titanic plaque. Doug Turner spotted something dusty and dirty with “Titanic” on it. He bought it for $138 and cleaned it up. Turns out it is a memorial plaque for Titanic’s musicians. He found after checking it out online that it was really one of one. A photo he saw of it in a Titanic book said its whereabouts were unknown. It was was last seen in 1982.That is when he learned it was something really special–a genuine Titanic artifact of that time. Turner, who is in law enforcement, is making sure it cannot be stolen by Titanic fortune seekers. As to its worth, he has no idea but one can fairly guess since it is one of a kind it would fetch a very high price at a Titanic auction. For now he is not interested in selling it. It is currently on loan to Titanic Experience in Orlando where it will be shown next week.

Sources:
1. Titanic Artifact Found In Naples Scrapyard(9 Aug 2013,WFTX-TV)

2. Plaque With Ties To The Titanic Ends Up In Naples Scrap Yard(9 Aug 2013,WINK)

3. The Titanic exhibit in St.Claire, MI which ended on 27 Jul had 4,2000 visitors and brought in $75,000 for the  St. Clair Endowment Fund. The exhibit focused on the engineering behind the construction and included an18 foot long model of the ship done by Gary Kohs. His model has won praise for its accuracy. Kohs began designing the model in 1997 and completed in 2002. According to Randy Maiers, president of the endowment fund, they had people from all over the country came to the exhibit at the Moore Boathouse.

Source:Titanic Exhibit Money Goes To St. Clair Fund(7 Aug 2013,Times Herald)

SamTrans

SamTrans Reminder:Route Changes Begin 11 Aug

busOkay for those of you living in San Mateo County, major changes are being implemented by SamTrans starting 11 Aug 2013.

1. Routes 390/391 are discontinued and replaced by the ECR. The ECR will run between Palo Alto and Daly City BART. Service to San Francisco, South San Francisco and San Bruno BART stations are discontinued. The ECR will now run approximately every 15 minutes weekdays and 20 minutes weekends.

2. Many school trips are being moved to new routes, but not all. Route 140 is dropping the Terra Nova High runs, which are being moved to route 49.

1. Timetable List of New School Day Bus Routes(SamTrans)

2. Route ECR New Weekday/Weekend Schedule(SamTrans)

Remember if you are going to Tanforan and used to get there via the 391 into San Bruno BART, you will have to get off on El Camino & Sneath stop and walk over. You could get off at El Camino & San Bruno Ave and catch the 140 to BART, but you might have a long wait as the bus runs hourly between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. weekdays. It runs hourly on weekends all day. You can also take BART to San Bruno and exit on the west side which is right in back of Tanforan.

TV reviews

MasterChef-Sunny Eggs and Second Chances(8 Aug 2013)

sunny side up egg
Photo:Pdcook(Wikimedia)

*This episode had no mention of Walmart.

*The cheftestants were likely told they would not be cooking since they wore clothes suitable for dining than cooking.

*Unlike last year, each judge selected one person to come back and compete for the apron. Bri (Gordon),Bime (Graham), and Lynn(Joe). All three had reactions from The Six. Lynn was most feared while Bri and Bime got rolled eyes and the usual “they do not belong” here type of retorts. And oh yes, Krissi was upset too.

*Eggs and lots of them. Now remember this is reality television and they control what we see. Not all those eggs were real but food decoratives. They selected from the areas where the real eggs were. And no mention they came from Walmart!

*The challenge was straight forward: cook us as many sunny side up eggs in fifteen minutes. MasterChief provided the pans, stove, butter, and oil. Of course the eggs have to be perfect. And each challenger had one hundred plates to use.

*Bime seemed the most organized, Lynn the most stressed, and Bri made good use of her time.

*I understand why they trashed those eggs but all those plates? Hopefully they were imperfect lots that were bought cheaply.

*Hens all over America were outraged at the egg wastage. So many eggs tossed away, only a few good ones cooked. PETA will not doubt lodge a protest.

*Lynn proved why he fizzled out in his Epic Fail. He cannot handle stress very well.

*The Six retire to the restaurant and with Joe to await being served. Which took an hour. What did they do for that entire hour? Just sit there with Joe and wait for the food to be served? I would hope they could whip out iPods and listen to music or catch up on some reading until they were needed.

*Bri and Bime each got a whole king salmon. What a treat! Unfortunately they had to take it apart to make seven entrees (pan fried) that included asparagus, potatoes, and Hollandaise sauce.

*The vote was an even three for Bime and Bri. That was unexpected but the reason Joe was part of the tasting (and did not see who cooked each plate). The seventh person would be the tie-breaker if it occurred. It did and Bri made it back. Congratulations Bri!

Final Thoughts
Eggs. I like eggs but I have to admit after watching all those eggs I could not eat one the next day. I would not want to ever cook so many eggs under that time pressure. Not surprised Lynn flamed out and neither was Joe from his blog posting at people. I would have brought back Eddie instead. Eddie, Lynn, Bri or Bethy would have been a better challenge. Bime had his moments but he was a poor team leader and totally mixed up tartar sauce and cornstarch turning his not-lemon meringue into something used on horror movie set. Still the fact the Bri won means more pressure on the others. And next week promises to turn the heat on even more.

Update on Josh Marks
From all news reports, he was put under psychiatric observation. TMZ reported that in a promo for a group he works with that he admitted he was bi-polar. His rambling and incoherent statements when he was arrested point to someone with a problem. But the legal system is not so forgiving on such things. He faces real serious jail time unless some deal is worked out.

Ratings Update(9 Aug 2013)
Deadline Hollywood is reporting that ratings for MasterChef fell 4% from last week. However the show was still the second-highest-rated show of the night. The highest rating was the results show for America’s Got Talent.

 

Titanic II

Monday Titanic Newswrap

(Photo Courtesy George Behe)
(Photo Courtesy George Behe)

Well not much to recap in the last full month of summer. There are the usual news about current exhibitions (nothing new to report there) the occasional cliché being used, that somebody once again arguing the Titanic/Olympic switch theory. The only thing really going on is whatever news about Titanic II is revealed. So far the ship has yet to begin construction but it appears Palmer is assembling all the needed pieces to make it come about.

Which leads us to the one and perhaps only relevant Titanic II news for today. Tillberg Design, the Swedish firm hired to design the interior, has announced some of the major differences from the original ship. “The beds will be bigger because people today are bigger than they were 100 years ago,” says Fredrik Johansson of Tillberg Design. Not exactly clear on what that really means. Are they longer or wider? I am leaning more towards long rather than wide. Another design change is more availability of bathrooms.

On the Titanic, 20 people shared a bathroom and the plan is to make the new ship as similar as possible to the original. But we’re preparing the cabins for toilets and showers by drawing in extra large wardrobes for all the piping,” he said.

A wise move on their part. Having people queue up as they did on Titanic for bathroom use would probably result in a mutiny. 🙂

Source:Swedish Firm Updating Interior Of Titanic II(5 Aug 2013,UPI)

Titanic, TV reviews

Titanic (A&E Documentary, 1994)

Titanic(A&E,1994)One of the better documentaries out there is A&E’s Titanic(1994). Narrated by David McCallum, it incorporates interviews with various Titanic writers, survivors and others. It was originally broadcast as a two parter and the original dvd release kept that order. Part 1 is Death of a Dream and Part 2 is The Legend Lives On. It is hard to find these days as it seems to be out of print. So either you buy it used or pay a huge price (over $200) for it new. Check out your local library, they might have it available to be checked out or able to retrieve it for you from another library in the system.

Fortunately YouTube has them available for view, but I cannot vouch whether the upload is legal or not. You can view the first part, Death of a Dream by clicking here. Part 2 is also available.

The dvd was repackaged for the Titanic centennial as Titanic: The Complete Story. It is the same, as far as I know.

 


Titanic, historic ship, and general history news.