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As the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic approaches, I thought I’d republish an article I wrote back on April 18, 2009. I’ve updated the introduction and clarified some points, but the rest remains intact and is still relevant today. Enjoy. Barry ———————————— April 14 & 15 marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. If you are like me, I enjoy thinking about events like this in ‘real time’. For instance, Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth at 10:15 pm EST (Eastern Standard Time) on April 14, 1865. I currently live in...

April 15, 2012, marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, the ship touted as unsinkable, during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, en route to New York. Much research has been done on the passengers, crew, and the ship itself over the years. But little has been reported about one group of passengers -- the dogs of the Titanic. Many think of their pets as part of the family, and it's evident that that sentiment was as true 100 years ago as it is today. Widener University, named for a prominent Philadelphia family that had three members...

Possible leaked footage of a UFO arriving then landing at an unknown location in New Mexico. Could be one of ours, CGI, or could be the real deal. As Always You Decide.

The USS Medgar Evers? The USS John Murtha? The USS Cesar Chavez? Our Navy Secretary, Ray Mabus, has this diversity thing down cold. Each one of those ships was in a class that previous names of their sister ships had nothing to do with civil rights, or corrupt Democratic politicians. Ships are usually named after states, cities, even famous explorers and war heroes. But Mabus has injected partisanship into this tradition, naming another ship for Democrat Gabriel Giffords, who has shown courage in her recovery from an assassination attempt but had expressed little interest in the military during her career...

NOTE The following news release is a quote: www.ice.gov/news/releases/1202/120206denver.htm FEBRUARY 6, 2012 DENVER, CO Chinese national indicted in Colorado for trying to illegally export to China radiation-hardened computer circuits used in satellite communications DENVER – Philip Chaohui He, aka Philip Hope, a Chinese national, made his initial appearance in U.S. district court on Thursday after he was named in a three-count indictment charging him with attempting to export defense articles without U.S. State Department authorization. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney John Walsh, District of Colorado and Michael A. Holt, special agent in charge of the Denver office of...

An auctioneer has hired experts to try to verify claims by the owner of the century old instrument that it belonged to Wallace Hartley, the leader of the vessel’s eight-man musical ensemble. If proved, it could become the most valuable Titanic artefact ever to be considered for auction. But the claim is being treated with caution as a result. Hartley and his fellow musicians earned legendary status for their decision to play on as the ship sank on its maiden voyage on April 15, 1912. They are said to have played the hymn “Nearer My God to Thee” after the...

The sight of the giant cruise ship Costa Concordia listing in the deadly embrace of the sea is a now a graphic symbol of failure. Its timing is absolutely eerie, coming so close to the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. But, unlike the Titanic, this disaster did not take in the middle of the ocean, far from the range of observation. The Costa Concordia appears to be almost touching the rocky Italian coastline. The digital revolution ensures that we are all able to see the wreck of the ship in living color. And then came the story....

A woman from Birmingham (UK) says she feels lucky to be alive after arriving home safely from the capsized Costa Concordia cruise ship in Italy. Amelia Leon, 22, was in her cabin with her boyfriend, a crew member, when the liner struck the rocks on Friday. [snip] Ms Leon, a professional singer, said she felt very emotional following the shock of what she had experienced, and knowing people are still missing. She said: "The TV went on to the floor and completely smashed and the lights went out. 'This is horrible' "Obviously lots of people were pushing and shoving but...

The Italian coast guard orders in vain the captain of the capsized Italian cruise ship to return on board to oversee the evacuation, according to a recording of the conversation released by a leading Italian newspaper...

GIGLIO, Italy (WLS) - Audio recording of the conversation between Capt. Francesco Schettino and Port Authority officials after the doomed Italian luxury cruise liner Costa Condcordia struck rocks Friday was released Tuesday morning. At least 11 people were killed in the aftermath, according to Italian media, and dozens more are still missing. The following is a translation of the recording, which was posted on the news website Corriere della Sera: Captain Schettino: It's Capt. Schettino. Port Authority: Schettino, listen to me, there are people trapped onboard, now you go back, you will go with your rescue boat under the stern...

A 500-year-old Portuguese gun has been found on an NT beach, and may suggest Europeans arrived earlier than thought. A DARWIN BOY may help re-write Australia's history after unearthing what he believes is a 500-year-old Portuguese swivel gun on a Northern Territory beach. Portugal occupied Timor from 1515 until 1975, although it is hotly debated whether Portuguese explorers made it to Australia, about 700km away. Christopher Doukas made the discovery at Dundee Beach, about two hours' drive from Darwin. He found the gun when tides dipped to exceptional lows in January 2010, and he could walk out a long way...

They that go down to sea in ships, that do business in great waters: These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. 107th Psalm

The wreck of a ship thought to have taken part in a failed Mongol invasion of Japan has been found off the Japanese coast. A team of researchers uncovered a 12-metre (36ft) section of keel buried in deep sand off Nagasaki prefecture. They said it was the first time such a large piece of hull had been recovered from the Mongol invasion fleets. The 13th Century attacks on Japan were a rare setback for the Mongols at the height of their powers. Experts expressed surprise that the wreck was so well preserved after so many centuries on the seabed. The...

U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) disagrees with the Navy's decision to name a cargo ship under construction in San Diego for California farm labor leader Cesar Chavez. The decision, announced Tuesday, "appear[s] to be more about making a political statement than upholding the Navy's history and tradition," Hunter said in press release....

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leads in some polls for the Republican presidential nomination, but he's also lost key backers - including some in Orange County, which was a base camp for his failed 2008 bid. ((snip)) "It was one of the most brain-dead campaigns I've seen," Schroeder said. "I was planning 15 months in advance, but their planning window for events was five days. That meant they didn't focus on California until five days before the primary." ((snip)) Additionally, Schroeder sees the health-care reform Romney championed in Massachusetts as a liability for someone challenging Barack Obama's similar reform on...

April 15, 2011 will mark the 99th anniversary of the sinking of RMS Titanic. She left Southampton, destined for New York on April 10, 1912. The iceberg was stuck late on the night of April 14, 1912 and was gone by 2:20 the next morning. Only 706 of the 2,223 souls aboard were saved, 1,517 perished. Even after the passage of nearly a century, controversy still exists about what happened or, more to the point, what should have happened after striking the berg. Likewise, a number of legends (Ismay donning woman's clothing) and myths (NOPOPE) have arisen since that memorable...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Navy says it is forging ahead with its decision to name a warship for the late Rep. John Murtha, despite protests the decorated Vietnam War veteran was disloyal in his 2006 accusation that Marines had murdered Iraqi civilians. Three Facebook sites opposing the Navy's April 2010 decision bristle with thousands of angry postings.

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT RUSH: The president of the United States has engaged in oil price speculation. This is unprecedented. It's unheard of, and it isn't healthy. And the Money Honey at CNBC was not happy about it. BREAK TRANSCRIPT RUSH: Yesterday afternoon, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, during a meeting with the Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. OBAMA: We actually think that we'll be able to ride out the Libya situation and it will stabilize. RUSH: He's talking about the oil price. "We actually think that we'll be able to ride out the Libya situation and [the price of oil] will...

Former sailors, soldiers and Marines are expressing outrage at Navy Secretary Ray Mabus’s decision to name a naval warship after recently deceased Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman John Murtha. The opposition is largely a function of Murtha’s actions and comments during his final years. Murtha became known as one of the most vocal opponents of the war in Iraq — despite voting in 2002 for the resolution that authorized the use of force against Saddam Hussein. In 2005 he declared the war unwinnable, and pushed a resolution to get the troops out of the country. “The U.S. cannot accomplish anything further in...

The U.S. Navy's Name GamePosted by Mark Thompson Sunday January 9, 2011 at 8:30 pm Prospective parents battling over the names of their unborn kids have nothing on the U.S. Navy, which is in the middle of a spat over the wisdom of naming a new ship for the late Pennsylvania congressman John Murtha. In fact, it has kicked off a bigger battle over just who, or what, should be honored with their names on the great gray hulls of the nation's warships. "It comes down to two points," says military historian James Caiella. "Who and what we are as...