Sunday 15 April 2012

Five Facts You May Not Know About The Titanic

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, in which over 1,500 passengers and crew died in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. After watching various documentaries, here are five of the most fascinating facts you may not know about the fate of the 'unsinkable' liner.




1. It wasn't until 1985 that the wreck of the Titanic was found at the bottom of the Atlantic. Before then, it was not only unknown of the exact location of the wreck, but historians didn't know the ship had in fact broken in half on the water’s surface. An eye witness account from a woman who was on board one of the life boats had explained how the ship broke into two, however historians didn't take her account seriously, suggesting that she was confused and how the explosion and tremor she described would have been the breaking of the funnels. Of course, the survivor was right, and the bow and stern of the ship lay roughly a mile apart from each other.

2. Titanic didn’t capsize, it stayed upright, yet most other ships that sink roll over first. It is debated whether this was just luck or the skilled engineers below, who managed to keep the ship upright long enough for the lifeboats to be successfully lowered into the Atlantic.



3. How would you have saved more passengers?
James Cameron and his team have discussed what they would have done to save more lives. Here are some of their ideas:
  •   The closest ship to the Titanic was in fact the Californian and not the Carpathian, which was only 6-8 miles away. James Cameron believes the Titanic should have been driven backwards towards the Californian, while the boilers were still in action in order to make it easier for lifeboats to travel backwards and forwards to collect more passengers.
  •   There was field ice close to where the ship sank which could have been easily walked upon; a fact that would have been known by the captain and his crew. Why not head north-west towards it.
  • Why weren't rafts made? The woodwork from the first class lounge could have been torn off and the crew could have fashioned rafts from the material. Perhaps another 50 lives could have been saved by using this method.
  • Another long-shot idea by James Cameron and some of his team was to put everyone on the iceberg, as the ship is sinking and the iceberg is not. However, they argued that if there was trouble convincing passengers to get into a lifeboat, how are you going to convince 2,000 people to climb onto an iceberg and be able to stay safely upon it.

Of course some of their ideas sound ridiculous, but in hind-site the original action taken by the captain and crew wasn’t as affective as it could have been. However, no-one knows how they are going to react when faced with such a tragedy. 

4. What was inaccurate about James Cameron’s movie?
The film is well accepted in the Titanic community. Perhaps the directors and writers are harder on themselves due to further information they know now, as of course, the film was based upon what they knew at the time, in 1997. Here are some elements James Cameron and his team would have changed about the film:
  • The colour of the flared rockets was unknown. It was believed they were white flares which created coloured balls of light. The writers didn’t think this would have been believed by the audience and so made the flames white. In 2004, rocket detonators were found at the bottom of the Atlantic, and were in fact lots of different colours.
  •  In the movie, the elevation of the stern during the sinking was depicted as too high, appearing more dramatic than it was.

5. James Cameron decided not to change anything when the film was re-released in 3D this April. With his team however, he has managed to re-create the visual animation of the sinking based on what we know today. To view the animation shown on the National Geographic channel, please click here.







Friday 6 April 2012

Five Things To Avoid When Drunk

  1. Drinking tequila
  2. Eating a kebab
  3. Kissing your friends
  4. Falling over
  5. Paying on your card
It’s very easy to take a carefree approach when drinking, see where the night takes you and hope for the best. Here are five warning bells of what to avoid when you’ve had a few bevies, so you don’t wake up feeling like this:




  1. Drinking tequila
The one shot everyone always seems to incorporate into a night out. Vodka is too strong to have straight, Apple Sours are too weak and are like sipping an alcopop, Sambucca is sickening – Tequila it is! Made from the fermented and distilled juices taken from native Mexican Agave plants, the initial taste is bearable (even though that description sounded disgusting) and it’s quite easy to include many on a night out without understanding the full effects. What’s forgotten is the hangover. If you knew how you’d feel the next day, you probably wouldn’t have drunk them. But alas, we never learn and continue to think it’s a good idea.




2. Eating a kebab

I have come to the conclusion that Kebab meat is the most disgusting meat in the history of the world. Not only does it taste like it’s been rubbed up against someone’s sweaty armpit, but it is in fact questionable whether it is even meat at all. My housemates joked of how it could actually be ‘Alsatian’. No-one laughed, just peered down at their plastic container in disgust, pulled a ‘I’m going to be sick face’, shrugged, then tucked back in. We could blame such behaviour and poor food choices on alcohol, as we we’re probably drunk when picking up the phone and deciding to order such a monstrosity, and so such decisions can be justified. We seem to think that such food will help to cure our hangovers, but could quite possible make them worse. I would, however, recommend a chicken wrap. Can never go wrong with a chicken wrap. Well, you can, but you’ve just gotta hope the Chicken Shop guys have cooked it properly.


     3. Kissing Your Friends

After a few drinks, the friendship group often changes. There’s often someone who’s off in a corner with another group member. This I call ‘friendcest’. It totally depends on how your friendship group reacts to such drunken ideas as to whether it’s a good idea or not. Probably best to avoid if another of the group has dated the person or currently likes them. If  the ultimate friendcest group, F.R.I.E.N.D.S. can get away with it, why can’t we? Of course, if you can both joke about it the next day and not let it affect your friendship, then why not!



   4. Falling Over

Easier said than done. It wasn’t my fault someone dumped a pile of bags and coats in the middle of the dance floor and so when I glided gracefully across to continue with my fab moves, I was thrown towards the sticky floor and caught by a random stranger. It wasn’t my fault my friend tried to throw me over his shoulder, and (clearly underestimating my weight) dropped me snack, bang on the floor. It wasn’t my fault my heels where too high and the stairs were too steep... The best thing to do is to keep your eyes peeled for obstacles, don’t let drunken people pick you up and take care on the stairs (possibly choosing smaller heels) and so hopefully you won’t wake up to this:




    5. Paying on your card

Run out of cash? Cash point too far? Stick it on my card. It’s only one drink. Hey did you want one? Make that two. Oh and a shot. Guys it’s my round! You got any money? Yeah it’s fine got my card. Do. Not. Do. This. You’ll only have a heart attack viewing your bank balance and more than often end up buying much more than you first anticipated.

If all else fails, just claim you were drunk. That’ll work won’t it?


-X-


Thursday 5 April 2012

Top Five Picks from the Urban Outfitters Sale


Urban Outfitters always seems to have a sale of some sort, but never has it been THIS good. The fab fashion store (and my personal favourite) has announced a mid-season Easter sale, so with four days off work to browse the online catalogue and with up to 50% off it would be a crime not to.


Here are my favourite five sale items from Women's Clothing:
(All photos from www.urbanoutfitters.com)


1. Sessun Doyle Jumbo Cord Shorts
Was £110.00
Now £40.00

Cord shorts are a must have for any season. They're particularly flattering, as they're high waisted and come together with a matching brown belt. 

To view this product online, please click here.


2. BDG Fishermans Cardigan
Was £45.00
Now £30.00

Perfect for keeping warm on a chilly spring day, this chunky knit cardigan can be thrown on with pretty much any outfit. Available in both coral and navy.

To view this product online, please click here.


3. Sparkle & Fade Open Back Blazer
Was £68.00
Now £30.00

I was particularly drawn to this blazer due to the unusual detail at the back. The triangular cut out detail with the collar-less V-neck, turns a simple black blazer into a must have item.

To view this product online, please click here.


4. Pins & Needles Floral `90s Dress
Was £52.00
Now £25.00

I have a theory that florals will never go out of fashion. I'm determined to keep the trend going for as long as possible. What makes this different to other floral dresses is the unusual mesh lace detail on the back. Great for spring/summer, but autumn and winter too (if warn with a cardi and tights of course).

To view this product online, please click here.



5. Polka Dot Bow Necklace
Was £28.00
Now £10.00

Ideal for jazzing up any plain top or making an outfit smarter instead of necklace.  Bow + polka dots = ultimate girly accessory. 

To view this product online, please click here.



The trouble with making blog posts like this, is that I now want to buy all five!

There are lots more great sale items to pick from. To see the full list, click here.

Happy Easter Shopping!

-X-

Tuesday 3 April 2012

Five of the Best Primark Shoes for Summer



So it seems that Primark have some gorgeous new shoes in store for summer. Starting at just £6 they're an absolute steal!


1. Pretty pink swede bow flats - £6
I'm a sucker for bows, so these were an absolute must. Love the gold detail and soft swede material. My only concern was that they might get grubby easily, but they seem quite easy to clean and may just have to be saved for special occasions. 









 2. Floral chunky heels - £14
The perfect shoe in my eyes. Combining florals AND a bow. What more could a girl want.







3. Spotted wedge - £16
Brilliant shoe for summer. Cork wedges not only look nice, but are usually far more comfortable than any other heel, as the pressure is spread across the whole of the shoe and so can be warn all day without foot pain (don't quote me on that one!) And of course you can't go wrong with polka dots.






4. Navy bow sandals - £6
These caught my eye as they can be dressed both up and down. Ideal for summer holidays in the evening when you can't take the pain of heels. The swede material and cute gold heels create a smarter look. Also available in nude, polka dots and floral. 








5. Tribal sandals - £12 
Finally, these multi-coloured leather sandals fit perfectly to this season's tribal trend. Ideal for festival wear.





After promising myself I wasn't going to spend any money, I couldn't resist and ended up giving in, buying numbers 1 and 4. What did I say - I'm a sucker for bows!


Which are your favourites?


-x-