Well the hits keep on coming for the Titanic floating hotel in Liverpool. Both the Daily 
Echo and Crosby Herald report the discomfort it is giving locals and others.
Remember you can post comments to these articles.
Monthly Archives: January 2013
Grand Rapids Museum Looking For Titanic Enthusiasts To Work Exhibit
The Grand Rapids Public Museum in Michigan is looking for Titanic enthusiasts to work at the upcoming Titanic exhibition in February. Both paid and volunteer positions will be available. For details on the jobs available, click here.
Update To Story On Floating Titanic Hotel
The BBC is reporting that the owner, Alfie Bubbles (a former merchant seaman), claims receiving overwhelming public response and never wanted to cause offense. The floating hotel, painted with slanting lines to give the illusion of sinking, is set to open next week. However the chief executive of Liverpool Seafarers’ Centre points out the location is located in view of the Merchant Navy memorial, near the White Star Building, and a Titanic memorial placed by Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. Wilson states: “To have an image of something that is purporting to be a vessel sinking, to an active seafarer, if he or she were to see this it would just ring the wrong bells for them.”
Bubbles says it is not in poor taste, just a bit of fun, and already has bookings for it. Sorry Mr. Bubbles, but you are just trying to cash in on your own little Titanic niche. This is exactly what you wanted, free publicity for your three bed hotel. Okay enjoy it while it lasts but I suspect most people will see it exactly for what it is. A trashy way to make money over a tragedy where 1500 people lost their lives.
Source: BBC News, Liverpool’s Floating Titanic Hotel Attracts Criticism, 11 Jan 2013
Titanic Makes China Money & A Tacky Titanic Floating Hotel
1. Titanic broke all kinds of box office records and dvd sales have generated millions in dvd sales. Of course all that money did not go into private hands. Government got a large share in taxes (in some case income but mostly sales taxes). Most governments do not brag about what taxed items bring in lots of money, China is proudly telling everyone that customs duties on Titanic dvds generated $33.7 million dollars. The surge, according to Xinhua, is due to increased numbers of foreign movies being imported. Of course imports are very controlled in the People’s Republic. There is only one authorized importer of foreign movies ( China Film Group Corp) and Beijing Customs is the only authorized channel for the foreign movie imports. Which explains why they are so adamant about controlling the Internet. Hard to tax a movie from YouTube (but you can shut off access to it).
Source: China.org.cn, Titanic 3D Biggest Foreign Movie Tax Contributor, 11 Jan 2013
2. Okay you have heard about Titanic cruises and dinners but what about sleeping in a floating hostel that is designed to look like a sinking ship? You can at at Liverpool’s Salthouse Dock,where the floating hostel has an uplifted stern and slanting porthole windows to give such an effect. Needless to say, it has drawn sharp criticism and its owner, Alfie Bubbles (yes, Bubbles) has refused comment on his soon-to-open Titanic Sinking Boutique Hotel. We can only hope it financially sinks.
Source: The Sun , ‘Sinking Titanic’ Hotel Fury, 12 Jan 2013
Titanic Goes To China
If Nixon could go to China, why not Titanic? Titanic:The Artifact Exhibition is in Shanghai 
and apparently drawing crowds and expecting up to 200,000 visitors before it closes. Decades ago this would be a novel thing but today gets just a mention in the international media. Perhaps they are in awe of the Titanic story. Then again a Chinese firm is building Titanic II so perhaps an exhibition puts it in perspective.
Source: People’s Daily Online, Titanic Exhibition Tours In Shanghai, 9 Jan 2013
Updates On Titanic II 2013 Presentations
More dates are being announced for the upcoming Titanic II presentations. All of them were cancelled in 2012 due to Hurricane Sandy but Palmer is creating his own whirlwind.
Here are the dates thus far:
16 Feb: Macau
25 Feb: Boston
26 Feb: New York
1 Mar: Halifax, Nova Scotia
5 Mar: London & Southampton
The New York event is going to be a gala with major celebrities and politicians in attendance. So you can expect the entertainment press to be all over it. But the real question everyone will ask is–will the actors that played Rose and Jack attend?
Source: etravelblackboardasia.com, New Date For Titanic II Macau Event, 9 Jan 13
Titanic Belfast Celebrates 650,000 Visitors Over Past Nine Months
The Belfast Telegraph is reporting that Titanic Belfast has become the most visited tourist 
attractions with over 650,000 people visiting in last nine months. So many people wanted to see the Titanic visitor experience in December that staff had to put up “sold out” signs. 33,000 visited in December and that figure does not include the Victorian Father Christmas experience. Very impressive numbers indeed. Tim Husbands, Titanic Belfast chief executive said the numbers exceeded all expectations and proved Titanic was a year round attraction.
“This was our first Christmas and also the first time we hosted a Christmas experience at Titanic Belfast, and almost 10,000 people visited our Victorian Christmas street scene to meet a traditional Father Christmas, and be transported back in time to a magical Christmas period,” Mr Husbands said.
Source: Belfast Telegraph, Titanic Belfast Is Top Tourist Attraction, 8 Jan 2013
Release The Kraken!
Stories about giant squids have been part of folklore and myth for a very long time. One 
was seen in 2006 but only after it had been caught and brought up. Japan’s National Science Museum, working with Japanese broadcaster NHK and Discovery Channel, have got actual film of a giant squid in Pacific Ocean. The squid was spotted at 2,000 feet from a submersible. The footage will air on 27 Jan 2013 at 10:00 p.m. EST on Discovery. Two photos accompany the story at Fox News.
Pretty cool.
Source: Fox News, ‘Kraken’ caught on film at last, 7 Jan 2013
A Note About Irish News Links
According to various news sources, National Newspapers of Ireland now is demanding a fee from commercial websites that link to newspaper articles of its member papers. The group argues that linking to news articles is a violation of copyright. They do exclude personal non-commercial blogs and websites from this policy
It is highly dubious to argue linking to news articles is copyright violation. Normally a copyright violation occurs when you substantially or in whole reprint an article without permission of its owner. No argument on that point but when you start demanding fees for merely linking to news articles, that is going too far. Here in the U.S., it is generally allowed to link to news articles without having to pay a fee to the copyright holder.
This site is outside of Ireland and while they can send a bill to us, we can decline to pay and let the courts figure it out. It is a stupid policy and NNI ought to rescind it. Since they demand money for links, this site will no longer provide them. We will publish the paper name, date, and title of article and nothing else. The rest will be up to the reader.
Anyone else want to comment on this policy?
Sources:
1. AFP, Irish newspapers on defence over sharing links, 4 Jan 2013
2. Irish Independent, Linking to newspaper websites for profit needs licence, says NNI, 6 Jan 2013
3. Forbes.com, It Would Have To Be The Irish NewsPapers Trying Something Insanely Stupid Like Charging For Links To Websites, 3 Jan 2013
4. The Journal.ie, Column: Newspapers are seeking to outlaw the free exchange of ideas, 4 Jan 2013
Ice Sculpting Competition At Titanic Pigeon Forge
It is January so it is time for the annual ice carving competition at the Titanic Museum. Each contestant will work with 250 pound blocks of ice to carve their sculptures. Both professional and amateurs can participate in the event on 19 Jan at 9 a.m. Judges from the National Ice Carving Association will determine the winners at 3 p.m. The top prize is $2,000. The event is free to attend but entrance to the museum requires paid admission. You can get more information at TitanicPigeonForge.com.
Source: Greenville Sun, Ice Sculpting Extravaganza Comes To Pigeon Forge, 3 Jan 2013
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