I know most of the content of this blog has focused on the Titanic because of the anniversary. In the near future, as soon as I get the crop in, I'll try get more general content posted. In the meantime, it rained and I had a day off so I watched the four part Titanic miniseries by Julian Fellowes during my down time.
Given the boasts that Fellowes made earlier about it being more accurate and better overall than Cameron's film raised the bar quite high. I know reviews talked about how slow this was when it first aired, but I continued to expect quality based on those claims. In short, most of the reviews were right. Overall, this is a slow paced miniseries. However, that doesn't mean that it is all bad either. Each episode picks up dramatically when the ship starts sinking. That's right, each episode starts before the collision and tells the story from a different point of view with the different characters popping up at different times in the segments from other people's perspective. While this is a novel concept, I think the overall quality could have been better if it had been told in a linear fashion.
Performance wise, Geraldine Somerville was great as the Countess of Manton. Toby Jones and Maria Doyle Kennedy were also great as a bickering second class couple. There were a few other decent performances as well, but most of the acting is either overdone or not quite up to par.
There are very few actual shots of the ship sinking. Most of them are done in the background behind main characters struggling in the foreground. The shot of the ship breaking in two behind the men climbing on the upside down collapsible is cool (even though they have the collapsible on the Starboard instead of Port side).
Overall, this was an okay miniseries. Definitely not the best, but certainly not the worst. One thing is for sure, this didn't live up to Fellowes claims.
Rating: 6/10.
As always, thanks for reading.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
I apologize for my recent lack of updates. I've been busy planting corn recently and I haven't had time to make regular posts. For that I apologize. I will resume a more regular posting routine once all the crop is in. Also as a result of my planting activities, I haven't made any more progress on the South Dakota model. I decided to back off of it, and not work on it when I came in tired at night as I thought the quality of work would suffer.
Anyway, for today's blog I thought I'd rank the top five Robert Ballard books that I have read.
5) The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal. Provides stunning photographs of the wrecks at the bottom of Iron Bottom Sound. Unfortunately this one is hard to come by.
4) Discovery of the Bismarck. Follows his search for the Famous German Battleship.
3) Exploring the Lusitania. This book, very much in the same format as his Titanic book minus the discovery, chronicles the events of the last voyage of the Atlantic greyhound. This of course, is followed by the images from his Lusitania expedition.
2) The Discovery of the Titanic. Any Ballard book list would not be complete without the book that chronicles the discovery that made him famous.
1) Lost Liners. This book has information on several ocean liners that have gone down. Of course there is a chapter on the Titanic and Lusitania, but also on the Brittanic, Empress of Ireland, Normandie, Queen Elizabeth, Andria Doria, etc. This book, for me, is the best because it has such a wealth of information about a multitude of ships.
As always, thanks for reading.
Anyway, for today's blog I thought I'd rank the top five Robert Ballard books that I have read.
5) The Lost Ships of Guadalcanal. Provides stunning photographs of the wrecks at the bottom of Iron Bottom Sound. Unfortunately this one is hard to come by.
4) Discovery of the Bismarck. Follows his search for the Famous German Battleship.
3) Exploring the Lusitania. This book, very much in the same format as his Titanic book minus the discovery, chronicles the events of the last voyage of the Atlantic greyhound. This of course, is followed by the images from his Lusitania expedition.
2) The Discovery of the Titanic. Any Ballard book list would not be complete without the book that chronicles the discovery that made him famous.
1) Lost Liners. This book has information on several ocean liners that have gone down. Of course there is a chapter on the Titanic and Lusitania, but also on the Brittanic, Empress of Ireland, Normandie, Queen Elizabeth, Andria Doria, etc. This book, for me, is the best because it has such a wealth of information about a multitude of ships.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Titanic is a Grave
Over the past week I've read a few online articles about the divide amongst historians, archaeologists, etc. about whether the Titanic is a grave or not. While I make absolutely no claim as to belong to any such group, I felt that I should at least voice my opinion.
In my mind, there's no question that there were bodies down there. The laced up shoes and other artifacts that align themselves to a bodily shape didn't just land that way by coincidence. Also, the fact that the shoes were laced up should be an indicator. If no one had them on, then why were they laced up?
Also, there had to have been people trapped inside the sinking ship. All of the workers keeping the lights on and performing other tasks at their stations to aid in the potential rescue of passengers probably didn't make it out. Out of the more than 1,500 deaths, you're not telling me that not even one of them was trapped inside the ship.
Some try to say that the current carried the bodies farther south, and that most of the victims were carried far away from the site. That may be the case, but if only one person either landed in the wreck site or was trapped within the ship itself, then in my mind the wreck is a grave. It doesn't matter if it's for one or the masses, it is still a grave.
Even if the those same people are correct, which I highly doubt, and not a single body ever rested at that sight. Then Titanic becomes a symbolic grave. Many of those that died that night have no other memorial. The ship itself is the only marker that they have. After all, if the ship wasn't down there then they would have lived beyond that night.
I guess all I'm trying to say is that the wreck is a grave and it should be treated with due respect.
As always, thanks for reading.
In my mind, there's no question that there were bodies down there. The laced up shoes and other artifacts that align themselves to a bodily shape didn't just land that way by coincidence. Also, the fact that the shoes were laced up should be an indicator. If no one had them on, then why were they laced up?
Also, there had to have been people trapped inside the sinking ship. All of the workers keeping the lights on and performing other tasks at their stations to aid in the potential rescue of passengers probably didn't make it out. Out of the more than 1,500 deaths, you're not telling me that not even one of them was trapped inside the ship.
Some try to say that the current carried the bodies farther south, and that most of the victims were carried far away from the site. That may be the case, but if only one person either landed in the wreck site or was trapped within the ship itself, then in my mind the wreck is a grave. It doesn't matter if it's for one or the masses, it is still a grave.
Even if the those same people are correct, which I highly doubt, and not a single body ever rested at that sight. Then Titanic becomes a symbolic grave. Many of those that died that night have no other memorial. The ship itself is the only marker that they have. After all, if the ship wasn't down there then they would have lived beyond that night.
I guess all I'm trying to say is that the wreck is a grave and it should be treated with due respect.
As always, thanks for reading.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Titanic at 100: Mystery Solved
I enjoyed this program so much more than Cameron's. The imagery was great. The experts were likable. The fact that the entire wreck site has been mapped for the first time carries with it a significant weight. Let alone the pieces of the ship that haven't ever been seen before.
The main thing that I take away from this, is that there was nothing wrong with the design or construction of the ship. Rivets were put under stresses exceeding 30,000 tons, causing the steel to break long before the rivets did. Therefore, the inferior rivet theory goes out the window. The reinforced seam that Thomas Andrews added, which subsequently was where the iceberg did her damage, strengthened the ship. The overall message of this documentary was that Titanic wasn't a weak ship, but rather a strong one. It's like Parks Stephenson said, "No structure could survive what the ship went through that night." Even the way the "missing parts" of the ship were in large sections as opposed to being pulverized points to the stronger ship theory.
Other points the documentary makes: The idea that Titanic saved 700 people instead of killing 1500 people is one way to look at it. They even point out that it lasted longer than Thomas Andrews initially predicted.
This documentary comes with the highest recommendation. 9.5/10.
As always, thanks for reading.
The main thing that I take away from this, is that there was nothing wrong with the design or construction of the ship. Rivets were put under stresses exceeding 30,000 tons, causing the steel to break long before the rivets did. Therefore, the inferior rivet theory goes out the window. The reinforced seam that Thomas Andrews added, which subsequently was where the iceberg did her damage, strengthened the ship. The overall message of this documentary was that Titanic wasn't a weak ship, but rather a strong one. It's like Parks Stephenson said, "No structure could survive what the ship went through that night." Even the way the "missing parts" of the ship were in large sections as opposed to being pulverized points to the stronger ship theory.
Other points the documentary makes: The idea that Titanic saved 700 people instead of killing 1500 people is one way to look at it. They even point out that it lasted longer than Thomas Andrews initially predicted.
This documentary comes with the highest recommendation. 9.5/10.
As always, thanks for reading.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
April 14 & 15
Today and tomorrow mark the 100th anniversary of Titanic's collision with an iceberg and subsequent sinking. There is a miniseries airing tonight as well as Nazi Titanic documentary on H2. Tomorrow, the National Geographic Channel will air Titanic Themed shows most of the day, and the History Channel will air their new program based on the new pictures of the wreck site.
If anyone is interested, Ancestry.com is opening up their New Titanic Collection, normally reserved for international members only, for everyone. There is some interesting information there if anyone is a member.
As for my model, its slowly coming along. I've painted the area that I filled in with putty. I've also painted all of the guns that I will use for the rest of the ship. I'll try to post some pictures soon.
As always, thanks for reading.
If anyone is interested, Ancestry.com is opening up their New Titanic Collection, normally reserved for international members only, for everyone. There is some interesting information there if anyone is a member.
As for my model, its slowly coming along. I've painted the area that I filled in with putty. I've also painted all of the guns that I will use for the rest of the ship. I'll try to post some pictures soon.
As always, thanks for reading.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Thursday Morning
The H2 Channel is having a bunch of Titanic themed shows all day today. I'll try to watch if I get time. My cell phone quit, so I have to get that seen about. Plus, I need a few parts for the planter. Naturally, work comes first.
I looked through the new issue of Fine Scale Modeler last night. I saw were Revell has released a 1/400 scale Aida cruise ship model. This will definitely be added to my list of must do items. Also, they reviewed Tamiya's 1/400 Premium Yamato. That model looks like it would be well worth the effort. I just wish the list price wasn't quite so high.
As for my current model, the South Dakota, some of the superstructure didn't fit the best so I had to use some putty to fill in the gaps. I'm currently waiting on it to dry before I continue. Thus far, I've only had one real complaint about the model, and that's how frail the turret guns are when cutting them out of the parts tree. Other than that, the model has been fun. I just wish that I could find a bigger chunk of time to work on it.
That's all I've got for now. As always, thanks for reading.
I looked through the new issue of Fine Scale Modeler last night. I saw were Revell has released a 1/400 scale Aida cruise ship model. This will definitely be added to my list of must do items. Also, they reviewed Tamiya's 1/400 Premium Yamato. That model looks like it would be well worth the effort. I just wish the list price wasn't quite so high.
As for my current model, the South Dakota, some of the superstructure didn't fit the best so I had to use some putty to fill in the gaps. I'm currently waiting on it to dry before I continue. Thus far, I've only had one real complaint about the model, and that's how frail the turret guns are when cutting them out of the parts tree. Other than that, the model has been fun. I just wish that I could find a bigger chunk of time to work on it.
That's all I've got for now. As always, thanks for reading.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
National Geographic program comments
I'll start with Cameron's documentary. First and foremost, the biggest problem I had with the program was when Cameron made his political statement. Whether or not you agree with him is not the issue. The problem I had with it is that he used a program that was supposed to be a tribute to a disaster in which 1,500 people died to make his statement. This simply isn't the place.
As for the rest of the program, if you didn't agree with him, he pretty well let you know it. I felt sorry for Ken Marschall when he kept telling him he'd have to repaint all of his paintings because a COMPUTER SIMULATION showed the breakup at a different angle. I'm not saying the simulation is right or wrong, it very well could be factual, but to me it isn't enough to be the absolute FINAL WORD on the disaster as he made it out to be.
In the end, the documentary was fine if you can stand Cameron and his ego.
Rating: 6/10
Save the Titanic, with Dr. Robert Ballard was much more interesting. It described the damage occurring to the actual ship as a result of all the visits down to the wreck. He goes around to Belfast where the ship was designed, built, and dry docked. He visited with descendants of men who were in the guarantee group, including the nephew of Thomas Andrews. To me, this was a lot more entertaining than watching a bunch of men argue about an event that none of them were even at. Ballard's concept of a "patrol unit" around Titanic was also quite interesting.
Rating: 8.5/10.
I apologize for lack of updates lately. I've been quite busy.
As always, thanks for reading.
As for the rest of the program, if you didn't agree with him, he pretty well let you know it. I felt sorry for Ken Marschall when he kept telling him he'd have to repaint all of his paintings because a COMPUTER SIMULATION showed the breakup at a different angle. I'm not saying the simulation is right or wrong, it very well could be factual, but to me it isn't enough to be the absolute FINAL WORD on the disaster as he made it out to be.
In the end, the documentary was fine if you can stand Cameron and his ego.
Rating: 6/10
Save the Titanic, with Dr. Robert Ballard was much more interesting. It described the damage occurring to the actual ship as a result of all the visits down to the wreck. He goes around to Belfast where the ship was designed, built, and dry docked. He visited with descendants of men who were in the guarantee group, including the nephew of Thomas Andrews. To me, this was a lot more entertaining than watching a bunch of men argue about an event that none of them were even at. Ballard's concept of a "patrol unit" around Titanic was also quite interesting.
Rating: 8.5/10.
I apologize for lack of updates lately. I've been quite busy.
As always, thanks for reading.
Friday, April 6, 2012
National Geographic Documentaries
The National Geographic Channel is going to air a two night event about the Titanic, which will feature James Cameron and several historians discussing the wreck and trying to peace together the events of that night. New photographs from the wreck, which show complete views of each section for the first time, will be used. The show will air Sunday and Monday at 8 EST.
Following the program on Monday night, is an hour long Documentary called Save the Titanic and it will feature the man who discovered the wreck, Dr. Robert Ballard.
I hope everyone who wants to see the program enjoys it.
As always, thanks for reading.
Following the program on Monday night, is an hour long Documentary called Save the Titanic and it will feature the man who discovered the wreck, Dr. Robert Ballard.
I hope everyone who wants to see the program enjoys it.
As always, thanks for reading.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Titanic 3D
Yesterday, I caught a matinee of Titanic in 3D. Here are a few thoughts on the experience.
The 3D illusion looked pretty good, considering it was a post-coversion. Some scenese had more depth than others. The size of the ship was more apparrent in 3D.
The first 3D effect I noticed, other than the credits, was the offset of the two submersibles. The first standout effect is when the MIRS pull up over the bow railing. The rail seemed to stand out from the rest of the ship.
The illusion was never distracting. There were no cheap gimmicks. Background detail stood out more than it does in 2D.
The film itself is worth seeing on the bigscreen. I also believe that the extra price for the 3D ticket is worth it. Also, if you can see it in on an IMAX or ETX screen, it is also worth the small price there as well.
Overall, I would recommend anyone who has any interest in seeing this on the big screen go ahead and do so. It is well worth it. If you missed this in theaters the first time around, then it is a must see on the big screen.
The 3D illusion looked pretty good, considering it was a post-coversion. Some scenese had more depth than others. The size of the ship was more apparrent in 3D.
The first 3D effect I noticed, other than the credits, was the offset of the two submersibles. The first standout effect is when the MIRS pull up over the bow railing. The rail seemed to stand out from the rest of the ship.
The illusion was never distracting. There were no cheap gimmicks. Background detail stood out more than it does in 2D.
The film itself is worth seeing on the bigscreen. I also believe that the extra price for the 3D ticket is worth it. Also, if you can see it in on an IMAX or ETX screen, it is also worth the small price there as well.
Overall, I would recommend anyone who has any interest in seeing this on the big screen go ahead and do so. It is well worth it. If you missed this in theaters the first time around, then it is a must see on the big screen.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Model Update: April 2
As I promised, here are a couple of pics of my progress on the 1/700 South Dakota:
For some reason the upper hull and superstructure appear darker in these pictures than they actually are. You can also see where I go got a little bit of paint on the turret bases, but since that will be concealed anyway, I wasn't that careful with them. On the superstructure, I'm almost ready to add the bridge. All of the turrets, and assembled guns (you can see them in the top left hand corner of the first picture) are ready to be placed upon the ship once I hit the appropriate stage in construction.
That's all for now. Like I say, with farming operations beginning to commence, the time I get to work on these lessens. Nevertheless, I shall try to have as much about either my progress on the models as it happens, or reviews of other sorts during the planting season.
As always, thanks for reading.
For some reason the upper hull and superstructure appear darker in these pictures than they actually are. You can also see where I go got a little bit of paint on the turret bases, but since that will be concealed anyway, I wasn't that careful with them. On the superstructure, I'm almost ready to add the bridge. All of the turrets, and assembled guns (you can see them in the top left hand corner of the first picture) are ready to be placed upon the ship once I hit the appropriate stage in construction.
That's all for now. Like I say, with farming operations beginning to commence, the time I get to work on these lessens. Nevertheless, I shall try to have as much about either my progress on the models as it happens, or reviews of other sorts during the planting season.
As always, thanks for reading.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Model Update: Saturday 3/31
My progress on my curent model, the US South Dakota BB-57 1/700 scale by Trumpeter, has been a little slow of late as I haven't had as much time to work on it while I've been working on equipment for the upcoming planting season, as well as lining up fertilizer and such. But I won't delve into that, as that isn't why you're reading the blog.
Anyway, I have been able to build upwards on the superstructure. I've placed the small guns where needed as the structure has taken shape. I'll try to post some pics in my next model update. For the most part the parts seem to fit together really well. There have only been two places I've had to fill in with caulk and paint over. The turret guns were a little frail as one snapped apart while I was cutting it out of the parts tree. I'm just glad there was one extra.
I'll more details and comments with the pictures.
As always, thanks for reading.
Anyway, I have been able to build upwards on the superstructure. I've placed the small guns where needed as the structure has taken shape. I'll try to post some pics in my next model update. For the most part the parts seem to fit together really well. There have only been two places I've had to fill in with caulk and paint over. The turret guns were a little frail as one snapped apart while I was cutting it out of the parts tree. I'm just glad there was one extra.
I'll more details and comments with the pictures.
As always, thanks for reading.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Documentary Review: Titanic The Legeng Lives On
Few in the world could believe the news. Wireless stations in Cape Race and New York were picking up signals that the Titanic had struck an iceberg and was in some sort of trouble. White Star Line Vice President Phillip Franklin maintains that the Titanic is unsinkable and that "only an inconvenience would be suffered by her passengers."
Meanwhile, the Carpathia races north across the Atlantic toward the sinking liner. The bow is now sinking, and the stern begins rising out of the water. The individuals still onboard realize the ship will founder. The weight of the unsupported stern causes the hull to fail and the ship rips in two just aft of the third funnel. Many think the stern will become its own lifeboat, but it too eventually floods and sinks beneath the surface.
The Carpathia reaches the scene over an hour later to find only 705 survivors.
In New York, garbled messages lead to confusion about what happened. Any good news was taken as gospel. It wasn't until late in the evening on April 15 that White Star Admitted the truth. The Cunard Line's Carpathia arrived in New York on April 18 with the survivors, many of the surviving officers as well as the managing director were to appear at an inquiry.
Many questions arose about that night including: the ship's speed, the conduct of her officers and crew, and the mystery ship about ten miles away from the Titanic when she sank. Eventually no legal blame is put on either White Star or Harland &Wolff.
Titanic laid undisturbed at the bottom of the North Atlantic for over seventy years until Dr. Robert Ballard found her in 1985. Ever since, the wreck site has become somewhat of a controversy via the salvage operations that raise relics from the wreck.
All this and more is discussed in great detail in the second part of History Channel's Titanic: The Complete Story. The presentation is the same style as the first part, providing pictures with interviews from survivors and historians as well as mixing in statements by the survivors who were already gone by the time the documentary was made.
This documentary successfully completes the story that Death of a Dream began, ending with Jack Thayer's quote:
"There was peace and the world had an even tenor to it's way. Nothing was revealed in the morning the trend of which was not known the night before. It seems to me that the disaster about to occur was the event that not only made the world rub it's eyes and awake but woke it with a start keeping it moving at a rapidly accelerating pace ever since with less and less peace, satisfaction and happiness. To my mind the world of today awoke April 15th, 1912."
Final Rating: 9.5/10
Meanwhile, the Carpathia races north across the Atlantic toward the sinking liner. The bow is now sinking, and the stern begins rising out of the water. The individuals still onboard realize the ship will founder. The weight of the unsupported stern causes the hull to fail and the ship rips in two just aft of the third funnel. Many think the stern will become its own lifeboat, but it too eventually floods and sinks beneath the surface.
The Carpathia reaches the scene over an hour later to find only 705 survivors.
In New York, garbled messages lead to confusion about what happened. Any good news was taken as gospel. It wasn't until late in the evening on April 15 that White Star Admitted the truth. The Cunard Line's Carpathia arrived in New York on April 18 with the survivors, many of the surviving officers as well as the managing director were to appear at an inquiry.
Many questions arose about that night including: the ship's speed, the conduct of her officers and crew, and the mystery ship about ten miles away from the Titanic when she sank. Eventually no legal blame is put on either White Star or Harland &Wolff.
Titanic laid undisturbed at the bottom of the North Atlantic for over seventy years until Dr. Robert Ballard found her in 1985. Ever since, the wreck site has become somewhat of a controversy via the salvage operations that raise relics from the wreck.
All this and more is discussed in great detail in the second part of History Channel's Titanic: The Complete Story. The presentation is the same style as the first part, providing pictures with interviews from survivors and historians as well as mixing in statements by the survivors who were already gone by the time the documentary was made.
This documentary successfully completes the story that Death of a Dream began, ending with Jack Thayer's quote:
"There was peace and the world had an even tenor to it's way. Nothing was revealed in the morning the trend of which was not known the night before. It seems to me that the disaster about to occur was the event that not only made the world rub it's eyes and awake but woke it with a start keeping it moving at a rapidly accelerating pace ever since with less and less peace, satisfaction and happiness. To my mind the world of today awoke April 15th, 1912."
Final Rating: 9.5/10
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Documentary Review: Titanic Death of a Dream
I remember watching The History Channel's two-part complete Story of Titanic back when it was televised on A&E quite a bit. I have to admit that I enjoy the almost three hour documentary more today than I did those ten to fifteen years ago when I watched it on television.
Even though it was made in 1994, I still consider this to be one of the best documentaries ever made about the ship. Interviews with survivors such as Eva Hart, Edith Brown Haisman, Ruth Becker Blanchard, along with historians Walter Lord, Ken Marschall, and Don Lynch provide a great amount of insight into the story of Titanic. The haunting music, as well as the narration by David McCallum also help to set this apart from the sea of other documentaries.
The first part of the documentary, Death of a Dream, covers the Titanic Story up to almost two o'clock on the morning of April 15, 1912, when the ship had less than a half hour left. Different aspects from the luxury of the ship, her construction, to her near collision with the New York at Southampton are discussed in great detail.
Mention of either of her two sister ships is scarce, especially that of the last ship in the Olympic Class. The Olympic itself, of course, is mentioned in the construction segment, as well as receiving Titanic's distress messages during the sinking.
Statements and testimony for those that are no longer living has been provided via performances from various voice actors. These narratives are edited together against a backdrop of drawn pictures and actual images, sort of the same style as Ken Burns' documentaries.
Perhaps the greatest strength this documentary has, is that it was made while there were still several survivors still alive. Of course, Ruth Becker Blanchard had already passed on, but this documentary was made before Edith Brown, Eva Hart, or even Stanley Lord's son had died. Especially after the last survivor died, this is an asset that any future documentary won't be able to claim.
No, this documentary is not exhaustive, but this is the closest thing there is to it. The story of the Titanic has never been presented in as much detail as it has here.
Rating: 9.5/10
Note: I'll post a review of the second part, The Legend Lives On, sometime in the next couple of days.
Even though it was made in 1994, I still consider this to be one of the best documentaries ever made about the ship. Interviews with survivors such as Eva Hart, Edith Brown Haisman, Ruth Becker Blanchard, along with historians Walter Lord, Ken Marschall, and Don Lynch provide a great amount of insight into the story of Titanic. The haunting music, as well as the narration by David McCallum also help to set this apart from the sea of other documentaries.
The first part of the documentary, Death of a Dream, covers the Titanic Story up to almost two o'clock on the morning of April 15, 1912, when the ship had less than a half hour left. Different aspects from the luxury of the ship, her construction, to her near collision with the New York at Southampton are discussed in great detail.
Mention of either of her two sister ships is scarce, especially that of the last ship in the Olympic Class. The Olympic itself, of course, is mentioned in the construction segment, as well as receiving Titanic's distress messages during the sinking.
Statements and testimony for those that are no longer living has been provided via performances from various voice actors. These narratives are edited together against a backdrop of drawn pictures and actual images, sort of the same style as Ken Burns' documentaries.
Perhaps the greatest strength this documentary has, is that it was made while there were still several survivors still alive. Of course, Ruth Becker Blanchard had already passed on, but this documentary was made before Edith Brown, Eva Hart, or even Stanley Lord's son had died. Especially after the last survivor died, this is an asset that any future documentary won't be able to claim.
No, this documentary is not exhaustive, but this is the closest thing there is to it. The story of the Titanic has never been presented in as much detail as it has here.
Rating: 9.5/10
Note: I'll post a review of the second part, The Legend Lives On, sometime in the next couple of days.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Titanic Revell 1/400 Pics: Part 2
Here are a few more pictures of the 100th anniversary Titanic Model I built.
The battery on my laptop is dying and I can't plug it in. I'll add more later.
Model Update: I have glued the boat deck down to the hull as well as added the lowest walls of the superstructure. I gave other walls another coat of paint, and I am painting currently painting the turret guns.
As always, thanks for reading.
The battery on my laptop is dying and I can't plug it in. I'll add more later.
Model Update: I have glued the boat deck down to the hull as well as added the lowest walls of the superstructure. I gave other walls another coat of paint, and I am painting currently painting the turret guns.
As always, thanks for reading.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Book Review: Farewell Titanic by Charles Pellegrino
The author states there are three eras to the exploration of the Titanic wreck: The Ballard Era, The Tulloch Era, and the Cameron Era. As a member of the Ghosts of the Abyss Expedition in 2001, Pellegrino focuses primarily on the the last era.
Anyone who has seen Disney's GotA documentary knows that one of the dives took place on September 11, 2001. Pellegrino had family members who were killed during the attacks, so the attacks naturally hit close to home. The natural comparisons that arose between the two disasters, and how they both shocked the world in their respective times, fits within the narrative.
Interweaving current dives to the wreck with a period story derived from studied accounts from the sinking of the great ship, the narrative flows nicely for the most part. The author, on occasion interjects his religious views (or lack thereof) into the text. In my opinion, this does not have a place in the book. If he were actually trying to illustrate his journey from one end of the spectrum to the other, and how his visit to the stern as well as the 9/11 aftermath affected said journey, that would be one thing. However, Pellegrino states at the end of the book that his views have not changed, making me ask, "then why was there a need to include this?"
The book also describes finds that I didn't know about. One of which was in 2001, when video footage from inside the wreck off of one of the Grand Staircase landings reveals what appears to be a piece of a human skull. Another incident was in the mid-nineties during one Tulloch's salvage operations, a piece of bone that had a gold band around it accidentally was brought up from the depths. I had no idea until I read this book that any human remains had ever been found at the wreck sight.
Overall, the book is engaging and a relatively short read. It contains plenty of information that I wasn't aware of, from the human remains to the belligerent Harland and Wolff employee at the wreck site. The only real problem I had with the book was the inclusion of the author's religious views, thus I marked it down a couple of points.
Rating: 6.5/10
As always, thanks for reading.
Anyone who has seen Disney's GotA documentary knows that one of the dives took place on September 11, 2001. Pellegrino had family members who were killed during the attacks, so the attacks naturally hit close to home. The natural comparisons that arose between the two disasters, and how they both shocked the world in their respective times, fits within the narrative.
Interweaving current dives to the wreck with a period story derived from studied accounts from the sinking of the great ship, the narrative flows nicely for the most part. The author, on occasion interjects his religious views (or lack thereof) into the text. In my opinion, this does not have a place in the book. If he were actually trying to illustrate his journey from one end of the spectrum to the other, and how his visit to the stern as well as the 9/11 aftermath affected said journey, that would be one thing. However, Pellegrino states at the end of the book that his views have not changed, making me ask, "then why was there a need to include this?"
The book also describes finds that I didn't know about. One of which was in 2001, when video footage from inside the wreck off of one of the Grand Staircase landings reveals what appears to be a piece of a human skull. Another incident was in the mid-nineties during one Tulloch's salvage operations, a piece of bone that had a gold band around it accidentally was brought up from the depths. I had no idea until I read this book that any human remains had ever been found at the wreck sight.
Overall, the book is engaging and a relatively short read. It contains plenty of information that I wasn't aware of, from the human remains to the belligerent Harland and Wolff employee at the wreck site. The only real problem I had with the book was the inclusion of the author's religious views, thus I marked it down a couple of points.
Rating: 6.5/10
As always, thanks for reading.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Model Update: 3/23
I haven't had a lot of time to work on the South Dakota this week, but that's to be expected this time of year. I have painted some of the superstructure walls, the machine guns, and the various components of the turrets. Some of those pieces will indeed need an additional coat of paint.
I know I keep promising some more reviews, I just haven't had a lot of time to write them. For that, I apologize.
As always, thanks for reading. I promise I'll have a more detailed post soon.
I know I keep promising some more reviews, I just haven't had a lot of time to write them. For that, I apologize.
As always, thanks for reading. I promise I'll have a more detailed post soon.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Revell Titanic 100th Anniversary Revell 1/400 scale pictures: Part 1
Here are a few of the pictures of my recently assembled Revell 1/400 scale Titanic.
I used Testor's Flat Red for the lower hull, Testor's Wood for the decking. I mixed Model Masters' Chrome Yellow with Brown until I reached the color for the funnels. I used Tamiya's flat black for everything that's black. (Except for the main hull. I left that unpainted.) The propellers were painted brass as per instructions. The one major complaint I had with this completed model is how the thread stretched when I pulled it tight for the rigging and then sagged afterwords. Otherwise I'm happy with how it turned out.
While this model is more accurate overall than the Academy 1/600 one, there are a few points that were more accurate on the smaller model. For instance, some of the ventilation conduits behind the third funnel aren't there.
I'll post more pics of this model, plus a review of the kit itself soon.
As always, thanks for reading.
I used Testor's Flat Red for the lower hull, Testor's Wood for the decking. I mixed Model Masters' Chrome Yellow with Brown until I reached the color for the funnels. I used Tamiya's flat black for everything that's black. (Except for the main hull. I left that unpainted.) The propellers were painted brass as per instructions. The one major complaint I had with this completed model is how the thread stretched when I pulled it tight for the rigging and then sagged afterwords. Otherwise I'm happy with how it turned out.
While this model is more accurate overall than the Academy 1/600 one, there are a few points that were more accurate on the smaller model. For instance, some of the ventilation conduits behind the third funnel aren't there.
I'll post more pics of this model, plus a review of the kit itself soon.
As always, thanks for reading.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Trumpeteer 1/700 South Dakota unboxing pics.
Anyway, I'm rather crunched for time this morning. I'll have more model pics up, as well as a book review, quite soon.
As always, thanks for reading.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Model Review: Academy 1/800 USS Eisenhower
The USS Eishenower (CVN-69) was commissioned in 1977. It is the second ship in the Nimitz-class. It's dimensions are: length 1115 feet, width 252 feet, and a draught of 37 feet.
Academy's model comes as follows: a hull, the flight deck, one parts tree for the carrier, two parts trees for the aircraft/helicopters, and one parts tree that consists of the stand. The instructions are clear and simple, the one thing that is lacking is a detailed color/painting guide. I matched mine as close as I could with the pictures on the box. The colors I used are disclosed in my earlier post with the model's pictures.
For the most part, the kit fits together nicely. There are of course, two exceptions. First, is the open area of the stern. The vertical interior wall is too tall and needs to be sanded to fit. The exterior bulkhead doesn't quite fill the hole, but it is fairly close. It doesn't take much work to make the seems small enough not to be noticed.
The superstructure and radar antana fit together nice and easily. The hardest time I had was with the mast. The small plastic pieces were flimsy and wanted to bow under the strain even when I GENTLY added the next piece. Even after it was completely assembled as a seperate structure (per directions) the flimsy mast didn't want to hold together as I glued it in place on top of the superstructure.
The planes, for the most part, weren't any big deal. I do recommend EXTREME CAUTION when using the sprue cutters to cut out the individual aerial vehicles, especially the helicopter. I had one snap. Some of the planes do require an extra part or two to be glued onto them, but if you have a steady hand with tweezers, it isn't a problem. I decided to only put one parts tree worth of planes onto the carrier. I thought if I used both, it would simply look too cluttered. Looking back, I'm glad I made that decision.
NOTE: I just realized I didn't disclose the colors I used for the aircraft on board. They are as follows: Testors olive drab, Tamya's sky grey, and Tamiya's flat blue.
The waterslide decals provided with this kit are easier to slide on than most. The one thing I did notice is that if you follow the markings on the deck for the runway decals, then in the end they will appear to be slightly crooked, but you only notice it from one angle. The smaller decals on the sides of the planes were a little tricky, I admit. If one takes their time, then even a novice can slide them on.
In closing: This is nice, inexpensive model if your looking for a weekend project. There are a few small parts, but for the most part the pieces are large and easy to work with. The one exception being the mast.
Final rating: 7/10.
Academy's model comes as follows: a hull, the flight deck, one parts tree for the carrier, two parts trees for the aircraft/helicopters, and one parts tree that consists of the stand. The instructions are clear and simple, the one thing that is lacking is a detailed color/painting guide. I matched mine as close as I could with the pictures on the box. The colors I used are disclosed in my earlier post with the model's pictures.
For the most part, the kit fits together nicely. There are of course, two exceptions. First, is the open area of the stern. The vertical interior wall is too tall and needs to be sanded to fit. The exterior bulkhead doesn't quite fill the hole, but it is fairly close. It doesn't take much work to make the seems small enough not to be noticed.
The superstructure and radar antana fit together nice and easily. The hardest time I had was with the mast. The small plastic pieces were flimsy and wanted to bow under the strain even when I GENTLY added the next piece. Even after it was completely assembled as a seperate structure (per directions) the flimsy mast didn't want to hold together as I glued it in place on top of the superstructure.
The planes, for the most part, weren't any big deal. I do recommend EXTREME CAUTION when using the sprue cutters to cut out the individual aerial vehicles, especially the helicopter. I had one snap. Some of the planes do require an extra part or two to be glued onto them, but if you have a steady hand with tweezers, it isn't a problem. I decided to only put one parts tree worth of planes onto the carrier. I thought if I used both, it would simply look too cluttered. Looking back, I'm glad I made that decision.
NOTE: I just realized I didn't disclose the colors I used for the aircraft on board. They are as follows: Testors olive drab, Tamya's sky grey, and Tamiya's flat blue.
The waterslide decals provided with this kit are easier to slide on than most. The one thing I did notice is that if you follow the markings on the deck for the runway decals, then in the end they will appear to be slightly crooked, but you only notice it from one angle. The smaller decals on the sides of the planes were a little tricky, I admit. If one takes their time, then even a novice can slide them on.
In closing: This is nice, inexpensive model if your looking for a weekend project. There are a few small parts, but for the most part the pieces are large and easy to work with. The one exception being the mast.
Final rating: 7/10.
Monday, March 19, 2012
I had some time yesterday afternoon to take a few pictures of some of my completed model kits. Up first is Academy's 1/800 scale USS Eisenhower, the model I just completed.
I used Tamiya's Hull Red and Medium Blue. I also used ModelMasters' Chrome Yellow and Guards Red. Testor's Flat White served for the run way markings.
My review for this model kit is coming soon. As are pictures of some of the other models I have completed. If anyone has any questions about the kit, feel free to ask in the comments.
As always, thanks for reading.
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