Friday Wrap #22 – A failure of titanic proportions

I originally intended on posting this Friday, but it was too soon after the discovery of the wreckage of the “sub” Titan. I held off, but maybe I shouldn’t have. — Phil

—

As far back as I can remember, I have had a fascination with the Titanic. I don’t remember how exactly I learned about it from my Grandpa, but I know there is a family connection. In 1912, my maternal grandfather’s family were to sail on the Titanic from England. They were moving to the New World. Had they made the journey, they would likely have died as they were sailing in third class or steerage. These were the areas of the ship that were chained shut from the second and first class passengers because — well — classism. As fate would have it, Grandpa’s father became ill. I can’t remember if it was Mercury poisoning from the factories of East London or some other chemical. The family did not not sail on the Titanic — except for a cousin who died when the Titanic sunk.

I hate being underwater. Even when I was at Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto and you walk through the tubes under the “sea” — hate it. I can feel the world closing in — like the ceiling is getting lower and lower until it hits your head. A pressure building in the back of your neck like the start of the biggest migrane of your life. It becomes difficult to breath, to inhale anything but a peep of air. You couldn’t pay me to get in the safest and most certified submarine to sink the depth of seven CN towers to where the Titanic lay in pieces on the Atlantic Ocean seabed. Even if I did not have this phobia, I wouldn’t go — it’s a grave site.

One hundred and eleven years ago, over 1,500 people died because of the arrogance of an “unsinkable ship”. Last week, five people died because of the arrogance of a submarine designer. Unless it is for salvage of the remains of the tin can submarine “wonder,” no one should dive to that site again.

A graveyard is not a tourist site. No one goes on bus tours of Eastern Ontario cemetaries. There are no ocean cruise which have ports of call at Carribean cemetaries. First and foremost, the Titanic is a graveyard. Regardless of the technical challenge of diving four kilometres, it shouldn’t be done. Let the dead rest in peace.

I work in an industry that is largely in decline — traditional newsmedia. Newspapers aren’t making money. TV stations aren’t making money. Radio stations aren’t making money. In the past 15 years, the slippery-slope of decline has gotten faster and faster. The shutdown of radio stations by Hellmedia Bellmedia has more people out of work. CTV laid off staff including respected and seasoned journalists. Now CTV wants the CRTC — which regulates broadcast providers — to remove most of the local news restrictions from the stations. Someone forgot to tell CTV how things worse.

When Bell got bigger and swallowed up TV, Radio, and other platforms, the bells were rung and warnings given. “It’s too much concentration of the media.”

Eliminating local news, as bad as the production values are, is bad. Eliminating the ability to tell local and unique stories, for readers to see themselves in the news.

Vertical integration of the news, having all the corporate divisions under one roof is supposed to help. If radio has a weak month, maybe TV ads are up. When you have a diverse company, as Bell claimed, the top preformers can keep the budget reasonable. Now it is not. Instead Bell is worried that weak results from one area will cut profits in another. Cut the cord, I am.

Three things:

Something to read — Matthew Poburyny’s Photography Newsletter. Matthew is a photographer originally from Cornwall, ON and lives in Montreal. Interesting insight into photography.

Something to watch — The Weight. Another one of those compilation songs by Playing for Change. This one features Ringo Starr, Robbie Robertson, Marcus King, and others. A great cover/tribute to a great song.

Somthing to listen to — This is also on Youtube. Pomplamoose is a group from the US that I first learned off through Mashup video they posted of Sweet Dreams by the Eurythmics and Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes. Their version of the Stealers’ Wheel classic, Stuck in the middle with You Tube.

Last word… never skimp on safety. And if you have millions, do something good with it like help others. Don’t pay stupid amounts of money to sink in a tin can.