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[Normandie]

^^^

And now I see I posted this in the wrong thread.  Mea culpa! These Arctic temps must be freezing my brain cells.

[Hello Goodbye]

These Arctic temps must be freezing my brain cells.

Beyond the blue horizon, far above the clouds… in a land that no one knows… live four or five magicians… who spend their days casting wonderful spells.  Come with me now into that secret place… where the eyes of man have never set foot...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIYDyij8Gzc" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIYDyij8Gzc</a>

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXVPvNsl4i8" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXVPvNsl4i8</a>

[Normandie]

Well, now this just doesn't seem fair. I just ran into—well, virtually—an old friend on the ocean liner forums -- ironically, he sent a "follow" request to the fake Instagram account I've been using in a futile attempt to keep tabs on my son. I felt that it would be duplicitous to not let him know who I was, so I  awkwardly dm'd him and explained why I was using a fake account.

I've resigned myself to being a nerd. 


 I assured him that I am in fact the Kathy he knows the ocean liner world and not some strange catfisher. (He said he'd been catfished before. () Ewww, like I would ever do that anyway.

[Hello Goodbye]

I've resigned myself to being a nerd. 

Cheer up, Kathy.  No one is nerdier than Sam...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abwi8q7__V4" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abwi8q7__V4</a>

Stern flooding would cause a "reverse sinking scenario."  How does he know all this stuff?

[Normandie]

Stern flooding would cause a "reverse sinking scenario."  How does he know all this stuff?

Thanks, Barry! Although that theory has been disproven, as has the notion of raising all of the watertight doors in the bowels of the ship to ensure an "even" level of water/flooding. I don't have the know-how at hand to dispute this off the top of my head.  You're better off following Parks Stephenson. 

You know. . . my Bruce Ismay bio (by author Clifford Ismay, a cousin) has come in, but I haven't yet to devour it. I'll be happy to send you a review, if you like. 

[Hello Goodbye]

Unfortunately, all these hindsight theories will never change history.  At least the Titanic tragedy changed some cruise ship regulations.

Sure, let me know what Dismay's....I mean Ismay's cousin's book was all about.   

It should be a good read so you should make it a priority.  Send a copy of the book to Sam.  Maybe he'll put it on his bookshelf with all his other Titanic memorabilia.   

[Normandie]

It should be a good read so you should make it a priority. 

Will do. Fortunately, ND has had no shortage of blizzards lately. 

Send a copy of the book to Sam.  Maybe he'll put it on his bookshelf with all his other Titanic memorabilia.   

Pass. I'll stick with real researchers. 

[Hello Goodbye]

Pass. I'll stick with real researchers. 

Yeah.  You're right.  He's got a lot of stuff on his bookshelf already.  Look at all those ship models he has there!  And all that stuff hanging on the wall!

Maybe he has room for an Ismay bobblehead somewhere.   

[Normandie]

Maybe he has room for an Ismay bobblehead somewhere.   

Very funny. 

Unfortunately, all these hindsight theories will never change history.  At least the Titanic tragedy changed some cruise ship regulations.

Actually, my younger daughter is in nursing school, and I was telling her about the first nursing textbook I edited. Each chapter focused on a particular physical disaster. The first chapter was on the 1900 Galveston hurricane, and the second chapter focused on the Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire in Boston (https://bostonfirehistory.org/the-story-of-the-cocoanut-grove-fire/). After the latter, regulations were put into place that mandated that traditional doors flank every set of revolving doors. So that is another example of regulations that were put into place after a horrific tragedy.

[Hello Goodbye]

Actually, my younger daughter is in nursing school, and I was telling her about the first nursing textbook I edited. Each chapter focused on a particular physical disaster. The first chapter was on the 1900 Galveston hurricane, and the second chapter focused on the Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire in Boston (https://bostonfirehistory.org/the-story-of-the-cocoanut-grove-fire/). After the latter, regulations were put into place that mandated that traditional doors flank every set of revolving doors. So that is another example of regulations that were put into place after a horrific tragedy.

Thank-you and your daughter for that bit of history, Kathy.  I'll certainly remember this.  I've always wondered about the specific reason why traditional doors were alongside of revolving doors.

[Hello Goodbye]

This year we have The Honeymooners and The Twilight Zone marathons to look forward to beginning on New Year's Eve...

The Honeymooners   WPIX Channel 11   Saturday 12/31 11:00 PM - Sunday 1/1 6:30 AM  12:00 PM - 4:30 PM
The Twilight Zone     SyFy                   Saturday 12/31 5:00 AM  - Tuesday 1/3 3:30 AM

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHKY3t2nZYw" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHKY3t2nZYw</a>

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzlG28B-R8Y" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzlG28B-R8Y</a>

[Hello Goodbye]

-- --. -.--  ... --- ...   -- --. -.--  ... --- ...  -- --. -.--  ... --- ...   -- --. -.--  ... --- ...

[Normandie]

^^^^
Is that a real Marconi set, Barry? If so, and if you are at all interested, you should check out the work of Parks Stephenson:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10426389/SS-Californian-wireless-operator-did-NOT-cost-lives-sleeping-Titanic-distress-call.html

That's just one link of many. I've said this about other historians on this site, but the man is brilliant.

He and I have daughters who were born on the exact same day: August 17, 1997.

[Hello Goodbye]

^

Yes, the caption said it's a 4005 Marconi Spark Key as used on The Titanic.  Can you decipher the Morse Code?

I read the article.  I agree that with so few lifeboats there was very little that could be done.  The life boats would have to make several round trips between the two ships.  There wouldn't have been enough time for that.  Also, the Titanic was sinking and the Californian wouln't have been able to pull alongside the Titanic and evacuate the passengers nor did either ship have the equipment to do so.

[Normandie]

Yes, the caption said it's a 4005 Marconi Spark Key as used on The Titanic.  Can you decipher the Morse Code?

That would be a "no."    I did learn it 'way back when, but its buried in the recesses of my brain. I'll have to look up a translation key when I get on top of my workload.

I read the article.  I agree that with so few lifeboats there was very little that could be done. 

Wow, do we actually agree on something, Barry? 

I just clicked on a random article; I should have looked for something more specific.  If you have any interest in Marconi, you should check Parks's stuff out. I've basically dropped out of Encyclopedia Titanica since it moved most of the discussions to Facebook (although first I fled the site because some woman was getting all stalkerish on me), but IIRC he is involved in reconstructing the ship's Marconi room and apparatus, or something like that. He's dived on the ship and seen (or tried to see? my old brain is failing    the remains of that room.

[Hello Goodbye]

Kathy, the Morse Code reads:  MGY SOS MGY SOS MGY SOS

I know you know what MGY was. 

[Normandie]

I know you know what MGY was. 

I sure do.   

When we lived in Michigan and registered our car, I told my then-husband I wanted CQD MGY as the license plate, if it was available. He scoffed at that—"Why wouldn't it be available?"—and it WAS available, but only because the person who had that plate had let their registration lapse. Score!

Then in Virginia, I ordered WM TRNR in honor of the Lusitania's captain, and he (my ex) said, "If anybody asks, I'm just going to tell them he's some obscure sports figure." Honestly, what a stick in the mud! 

Now that I'm old(er) and grouchier, I no longer pay for vanity plates.

[Hello Goodbye]

CQD MGY would have been a cool license plate!

Was the scene in A Night To Remember accurate where they switched to "a new" distress call, ie. SOS?

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUBMKxqmRto" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUBMKxqmRto</a>

3:00

[Normandie]

Was the scene in A Night To Remember accurate where they switched to "a new" distress call, ie. SOS?

Not really. SOS was first used by a Cunard liner in 1909, I believe. That's a common misconception, though (i.e., that Titanic was the first to use it). Along with the fact that CQD stood for "Come quickly; danger."

[Hello Goodbye]

Thanks, Kathy.  Still, the line "It may be the only chance you'll ever have" makes me shiver whenever I watch the movie.

And, yes, I know that CQ means "all stations" and the D that followed meant "Distress."  I had a CB license when I was a teenager.  If I needed to check the strength of my signal, I would say "Hello CQ...Radio Check"