RMS Titanic ready for launch(1911) Public Domain (U.S. Library of Congress, digital id#cph.3a27541)
Arabianbusiness.com is reporting that Titanic II will be launched in late 2018 according to a Palmer spokesman. The article points out that back in 2013 Palmer and Blue Star Line were involved in discussions with companies in the United Arab Emirates about Titanic II which included coming to Dubai for its maiden voyage. Could this signal perhaps a change in course (pun intended) about the ship construction? All the reporting so far is that Palmer has had real problems getting Chinese backers and his spat with the Chinese government made things look bleak. Add to it they are already building a Titanic replica for a theme park seems to go against it being built there.
How about Abu Dhabi? Italian shipbuilders Fincantieri expanded their shipyard in Abu Dhabi in 2012 to build more ships for the UAE navy. It is a joint venture with Etihad Ship Building (ESB). Now the Italian shipyard is focused on building naval vessels but what if the UAE wants Titanic II built there? Stay tuned folks. Of course this could just be puffery and Palmer is known for it. Then again he might have found investors there more eager to invest in Titanic II than in China.
The Associated Press (AP) is reporting that the Hartley violin–owned by a private buyer who bought it auction in 2013–will be on display at two US museums in 2016. It will first go to Titanic Museum in Branson,Missouri from 7 Mar-29 May 2016 and then go to Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge from 5 Jun-14 Aug 2016. The violin has not been on display since its purchase. Auctioneers Henry Aldridge & Son represent the owner.
This photo of SeaCity Museum is courtesy of TripAdvisor
A rare desk chair from Olympic on display at Southampton SeaCity museum has been removed from display due to vandalism reports Daily Echo. The vandalism was caused in part by children climbing over the glass barrier to sit on the chair and ended up smashing the chair instead. And now Southampton faces a £1,600 ($USD2,487)repair bill. And it is not the first time it has happened causing money to be spent restoring the historic chair. For now the chair has been removed from public view and will only return for special events.
While we would prefer to keep original artefacts from our collection on permanent display, we recognise that we cannot continue to risk such damage to these items and incur the extra cost of repairs. (City council member quoted by Daily Mail)
Over in China they are building a full scale Titanic replica (no, not Clive Palmer’s Titanic II which appears to be shuttered)for a theme park. It will even have a Titanic sinking simulation with lights and other things for that special Titanic experience. Over in Turkey though they went a different route. The Titanic Beach Lara resort has taken the whole idea of a replica and raised the stakes. The hotel is designed to look like a ship and has the name Titanic emblazoned on it. There are actual lifeboats that hang from it but likely will never be used considering the resort is far away from the Mediterranean Sea. It is an all inclusive resort, which means all the basics are included in the price (sort of like Club Med). Of course there are lots of extras you can buy (which they hope you do). I have to admit after looking at the photos it is spectacular to behold. No Titanic sinking simulator here and none needed. Just be sure to bring good sunscreen. You are going to need it.
[Note-during the summer months I will only update Titanic news weekly unless it is something really big.]
1. Titanic Half Marathon Panned As Shambles
Runners are not shy about telling when things are not done right. The Titanic Half and 10K Marathon was anything but well received by those who ran it. Complaints were aplenty: not well marked route, the half marathon was not really a half marathon, no first aid stations for runners after the race, one ambulance for the race, and probably the worst was not enough portable toilets. An investigation has been launched by the governing body.
Source: Organiser Defends Belfast’s Titanic Half Marathon Branded ‘A Shambles’ By Runners(14 Jul 2015,Belfast Telegraph)
2. Titanic Experience Cobh Seeking Stories From Those Who Migrated Away On White Star Ships
Many sons and daughters of the Emerald Isle left in the 1900’s and Titanic Experience in Cobh wants to hear their stories of travels on White Star ships. Cobh was a major departure point and their last look at Ireland as they sailed away usually forever. They are asking for relatives to share stories so they can be recorded. Local people are being asked to help as well with whatever they have as well. To submit a story or to obtain further information you can contact them via email at email stories@ titanicexperiencecobh.ie. They want to compile the stories for an exhibition in August.
Source: Cobh Centre Seeks Stories Of Exile From Queenstown(13 Jul 2015,Irish Examiner)*
Photo: The Spanish Titanic Foundation
3. Calling Columbo: Mystery Plaque Shows Up But Where Was It For So Many Years?
A Titanic commemorative plaque given to Lord Pirrie in 1912 ended up in Spain and now with the Spanish Titanic Foundation. The plaque is inscribed Titanic below the moniker “Queen of the Ocean” along with ships departures date. The story is that a British man in need of cash sold it to an art dealer in Barcelona, Spain. It was acquired by the dealer’s grandson who hung it in his home and recently loaned it to Spanish Titanic Foundation. The plaque had been in Pirrie’s office and then disappeared until 2003. All kinds of questions arise about its provenance as a result. One assumes they have authenticated it is the real plaque through forensic testing. There is also an open question as to how it came to be in the hands of some, as of yet unidentified, British citizen who decided to sell it for cash. Considering the popularity of Titanic, why was it sold to an art dealer in Barcelona when it could have commanded a much higher price at well known auction houses in the UK? Skeptics will wonder whether the reason is that the person selling it might have a hard time proving they had legal possession or that it might be a fake. The mystery continues.
Source: Long-Lost Plaque From The Titanic Turns Up In Spain After More Than A Century(10 Jul 2015,The Independent)
*Due to policy of demanding payment for links for Republic of Ireland newspapers, links are no longer provided.
The most up-to-date examination of the Titanic wreck site using modern forensic technology to understand more clearly what happened. Instead of just looking at a few sections, this expedition sought to map the entire site and learn new details. Many well known Titanic experts were involved along with a lot of other experts as well. This is certainly the most ambitious expedition to date. Enjoy!
The Grand Staircase of the RMS Olympic Photo:Public Domain (Wikipedia)
It is not the first criticism of this idea but it is the latest. Presently a full scale Titanic replica is being built for a Chinese theme park. Not a movie set type but the real thing that will be permanently docked. It will even rent out rooms so people can experience the era and even eat foods they did back then. It will also feature a sinking simulator so that you will feel, see, and hear the iceberg strike Titanic. John Wilson, chief executive of the Liverpool Seafarers’ Centre believes it is in bad taste. He is not against them have a Titanic attraction but thinks the sinking simulator is wrong.
“But having an attraction where it replicates what it’s like to sink is out of order and disrespectful to those who did lose their lives and their relatives. A lot of lives were lost and this is not something which sits easy.”
Titanic-Not By Clive Palmer-Replica Gets Noticed
The fact that in 2017 visitors to a Chinese theme park will be able to board a full size Titanic replica is really played up all over the world. Not only will it look authentic, it will also serve food served on the famous liner, and even offer accomodations. Still not enough? Well you can experience the Titanic Sinking Simulator. They are spending $150 million on this tourist draw. Las Vegas style of entertainment is planned. You get the point. This is not like Titanic Belfast with its historic tours and ability to learn lots about Titanic. This is a Las Vegas style type of entertainment built on the grand scale.
Steven Spielberg posing with triceratops animatronic in 1993 on set of Jurassic Park. It was originally posted as a gag by a Facebook user but taken as serious by a whole lot of people including noted author Joyce Carol Oates in 2015.
The Ultimate Game Trophy of All Time
Steven Speilberg has made a lot of movies over his career. Most of them have done very well and even won awards. Jurassic Park, his 1993 adaptation of the excellent Michael Crichton novel, wowed audiences and made them believe the age of dinosaurs was back. Last year a photo circulated, taken in 1993, of Spielberg sitting in front of an animatronic dinosaur used in the movie. When I first saw the picture, I knew exactly what it was: a dinosaur and not a real one either. Well that picture caused some heat from animal rights people and generated all kinds of negative posts. It did not matter that this was of an extinct creature or that it was simply a glorified stage prop. Nope. Spielberg was roundly criticized for his cruelty. Except he had the last laugh when all those idiots were made as fools.
However noted author Joyce Carol Oates recently saw the picture and sent out a message on her Twitter account:
So barbaric that this should still be allowed… No conservation laws in effect wherever this is? https://t.co/hgavm9IBaM
— Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) June 9, 2015
Oh dear. You do not know whether to laugh at her foolishness or utter “what an idiot!” Something has really gone off the rails when a simple photo of a director with a prop is misidentified as the real thing. It is logical fallacy at play that speaks of both ignorance and illiteracy. It goes something like this: My dog has four legs, a cat has four legs. Both have mouths and ears. Therefore my dog is a cat. You could it put off to other things but far too many people seem to follow this logic. Which why when pranksters put pictures of hunters standing over a supposed dead Yeti (a creature that so far has not proven to exist except in folklore and grainy photos) they get called all kinds of nasty names. One good thing came of this: I decided to re-watch Jurassic Park in the near future.
Your Egg Breakfast Is About To Become A Luxury Item
Chicken egg prices are rising fast to due a lot of hens being killed due to bird flu. Not all the hens are infected but once it is found in one, the chances of it spreading are pretty good considering the close quarters hens are kept in. The result is that everything that uses eggs for commercial products are seeing massive price spikes. Meanwhile eggs needed for such production will have to be imported. The rising cost from all of this is already starting to be noticed in US eastern and middle sections. And spreading west. For the first time in recent memory, organic eggs will actually be the same price as regular eggs and perhaps, in some cases, a few cents cheaper. Even when the bird flu is over it will take a while for supplies to resume. Which means your plate of eggs at the local diner is going to get a lot more expensive or not available at all in some parts of the USA. Of course producers of duck, pigeon, and quail eggs might get some new business. And one ostrich egg equals about twenty chicken eggs. You will need a special drill,goggles, and a very large pan. 🙂
Things Not Well For Chinese Shipbuilding These Days
1. The Chinese shipbuilding industry appears to be in financial trouble. The major shipbuilders are either in bankruptcy or teetering on the edge of ruin. A combination of bad management, low bids, and rising costs are causing lots of problems. So if that Australian tycoon is still planning on making a Titanic replica, China does not look promising at all. He might have to consider, gasp!, having a European firm build it. That is of course if he is truly serious about building it.
Source: Shipbuilding Industry In China Has Titanic Money Problems(1 June 2015,Want China Times)
2. Now One Pass To See Titanic Belfast and Nomadic
Until recently you had to pay separate tickets for Titanic Belfast and Nomadic. No longer. Now there is a White Star Premium Pass that covers both attractions. It is priced at £25 per adult, £20 for seniors/students and £15 for children.
Using the ultimate Titanic experience ticket, visitors can now not only enjoy the delights of Titanic Belfast but the SS Nomadic, the last remaining White Star Line vessel, as well as the award-winning Discovery Tour, which highlights the famous barrel-vaulted Harland & Wolff Drawing Offices, the slipways and the building’s iconic structure for one price.
3. SS Carpathia: The Unassuming Ship That Became Famous
Maritime Executive has a nice write-up of SS Carpathia, the ship that rescued Titanic survivors. Neither a grand ship or a clunky cargo hauler, she was built to carry immigrants from the old world and bringing tourists from the new world. A nice bit of writing and a reminder of a bygone era.
Source: Carpathia’s Role In Titanic’s Rescue(31 May 2015,The Maritime Executive)
The Associated Press (AP) is reporting that the Hartley violin–owned by a private buyer who bought it auction in 2013–will be on display at two US museums in 2016. It will first go to Titanic Museum in 
1. Titanic Half Marathon Panned As Shambles
