Like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic

The other day a man came into the library looking for an issue of Popular Woodworking that had an article with the exact specifications of the actual deck chairs on the Titanic. It didn't occur to me until later that there is a commonly used simile "like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic" to describe a hair-brained or fruitless attempt at improving a situation.

I guess those editors at Popular Woodworking have a sense of humor.