Tacky Titanic

A Cup Of Tea….And Titanic?

Here is something that caught my eye being a tea drinker. Those of us who like to brew tea the old fashioned way with loose tea (rather than that awful stuff in most flow through bags) often use an infuser. So some crafty person thought that it would be nifty and novel to make one look like a famous ship of old. So was born the idea of a Titanic themed tea infuser. Oh boy. Tea infusers are supposed to allow water to steep the tea leaves so the leaves do not get into your tea. This one being shaped like a ship probably will not be making a great cup of tea owing to its size. One of those weird novelties you give someone who likely put its in a trunk in the attic and never seen again.

Titanic tea infuser

Titanic

Titanic Hidden Histories At Shipwreck Museum(UK) 14-21st December

Bonny Cummins friendship with Titanic survivor Millvina Dean inspired Titanic Hidden Histories which includes Titanic art, film, and animations and original music composed by Josh Cummins. On 15 December, Bonny will hold a screening and conversation of  her zoetrope animations, original music, and showing her special Titanic collectibles.  Further information is at The Shipwreck Museum.

Sources:
1. Titanic Exhibition And Film Arrives At Shipwreck Museum(12 Dec 2013,Hastings & St. Leonard Observer)
2. Shipwreck Museum

Titanic Miscellaneous

Titanic Christmas Stocking

I got a tip recently that there are Titanic Christmas stockings out there. So I clicked away and found this: Titanic Christmas Stocking Not bad and in better taste than those “Titanic Swim Team” shirts out there. There are variations on this out there but it is a great gift for that Titanic enthusiast you know. This one is available at cafepress.com and other places on the web.


Miscellaneous, Titanic

Titanic News For 10 Dec 2013

1. Titanic Sam, 89, Becomes Internet Sensation (10 Dec 2013,Burton Mail)
An 89-year-old man who spent four years creating a model of the doomed Titanic has become an internet sensation after his story was picked up by a multi-million pound visitor attraction in Northern Ireland.Titanic Belfast is located right beside the historic site of the world famous ship’s construction, and its social media pages have carried the Mail’s story on Castle Gresley’s Sam Orgill’s and his 3ft version of the ship. Since then, the Mail’s story on its Facebook site alone has been liked by more than 1,000 people all over the world, it has been shared more than 80 times and has attracted more than 60 comments from users wishing him well.

2. Proposed Floating City Would Hold 100,000(9 Dec 2013,Atlanta Journal Constitution)
It might be the next logical step from taking a trip on a cruise liner — Freedom Ship would be a floating city for the super-rich. At least, if it ever gets built. Renewed plans for the massive floating platform were revealed last week. Its creators say it would hold 100,000 people, half of them residents, plus a mall, schools, cinemas, etc. The ship would circumnavigate the globe every two years, docking at cities about 70 percent of the time and on the move the other 30. At almost 1 mile long, it would be four times larger than the current biggest ship and would make the Titanic look like a rowboat. And for its residents, Freedom Ship would boast one distinct advantage. “It’s unclear how taxes would work for people there, but they said it will not be registered in the United States, so Uncle Sam would not be able to reach you on that boat.”

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Titanic

Titanic News for December 7-8 2013

wreath1. Titanic Belfast is having Christmas and New Year’s events. The Christmas Afternoon Teas and Christmas Party Nights are already sold out. But the Christmas Lunch (20 Dec), New Year’s Eve Party and New Year’s Day Afternoon Tea are still available. For description of the events and to book tickets, go to titanicbelfast.com.

2. How did Harrison Okene live for three days inside a sunken ship off the coast of Nigeria? LiveScience took a look into it and has some fascinating details on how he–and others–have been lucky enough to survive and get rescued.
Here’s How That Cook Survived Inside Sunken Ship For Three Days (4 Dec 2013,Live Science)

3. Those who study Titanic usually learn there were black passengers aboard Titanic yet it is largely unknown. The information is not hard to come by but one has to go looking for it writes Herbert Dyer. And he wonders why in all the Titanic movies they are not shown in any capacity. One reason, just off the top of my head, is I doubt they knew. The names of the famous who died or survived were known. But few bothered to read down the passenger lists to find out the details. Certainly racism plays a factor in some cases. Hollywood movies made during the 1930’s that were marketed world-wide were scrubbed purposefully of anyone unacceptable to Nazi Germany (Jews, blacks, and anything that criticized in any way fascism) until the U.S. was in WW II. The Germans had more influence than the Soviet Union in that regard (they tried to get Hollywood writers and actors to do more films that supported Moscow but were mostly unsuccessful and many did not like the authoritarian way Moscow ran things). Hollywood is better these days on these issues but James Cameron’s movie, as far I can recall, had no depiction of black passengers on Titanic so education needs to be ongoing in this regard.
The Only Black Passengers Aboard The Titanic(5 Dec 2013, allvoices.com)

Holidays

Today is the Feast of St. Nicholas, the real Santa Claus

St_ NicholasSt. Nick is often used as another name for Santa Claus but in truth Nicholas is the original. Born in the third century a.d., Nicholas became well known for his charity to children and others. He was imprisoned by the Romans and beaten. He never renounced his faith. Later when released when Constantine became emperor, he continued his life serving God and his faith. He lived to be a very old man dying on 6 December 343. Stories of his charity to children and others spread and long after his death people still revered him with churches built in his name. Stories of miracles attributed to him emerged as well.

The Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran churches all have his feast day on their calendars (those using the Julian calendar celebrate it on 19 December). The Roman Catholic Church did not strip him of being a saint. Until 1968, every saint had a feast day that had to be celebrated in every diocese. What they did was make certain feast days optional and allow each diocese to decide whether to celebrate it or not. St. Nicholas is an optional feast day so it is up to the diocese to decide.

Stories of a mythical gift giver (often from pagan beliefs like forest elves that leave presents for nice kids) became popular in many European countries and were imported to the U.S. Various aspects from German, Dutch, and English were blended to create the character–the commercial character–of Santa Claus. There is no connection between St. Nicholas and the modern day character that lives in the North Pole, has flying reindeer, and elves to make toys. Santa Claus is a purely secular and even by some standards a pagan creation with no connection to St.Nicholas or Christianity. Remember that when someone says Santa Claus ought to be banned because is based on a religious figure.

For further information about St.Nicholas, go to Saint Nicholas Center.

By the way, there is a resurgence in celebrating the feast day. Usually children get treats (in stockings or boots) and often kicks off the Christmas season.

So what do you think? Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas?

Titanic, historic ship, and general history news.