#also I really like maritime disasters

[afterartist]

What’s you’re weirdest ship

Are we talking UT or just in General??

Cause Undertale I’d have to say Whimsun X Moldsmal (they’re cute okay shush)

If we’re talking about the UTMV then Sudden Changes X Green sans

And if it’s just in general I’d say Narrator X Artilleryman from War of the Worlds

And if we’re going Sht posting and actual Ships, like Boat ships

Then the RMS Titanic X the RMS Carpathia

(The titian sub has ruined this ship for me because now everyone is shipping TitanXTitanic- no one even knows about the Carpathia- I’m so mad-)

[conhivemindcent]

Sorry to bring back up the Titan submersible, but I find it fascinating in a very morbid way. Mostly in terms of the news. This will be the media student in me talking but to me, it’s a perfect example of so many of Galtung and Ruge’s news values. I’ll also be looking at the migrant boat that sunk off the coast of Greece for similar comparison and why an American centric website would probably see more news relating to the submersible.

Put simply, one of Galtung and Ruge’s news values is proximity, aka how close to home it was and how meaningful it is to the people there. Since the submersible launched from Newfoundland, Canada would’ve gotten more news stories about the submersible. Meanwhile, the boat with the immigrants was found off the coast of Greece, with more stories about it there. Since the USA is closer to Canada than Greece, they got more stories about the sub than the boat.

Another value is currency. This is why me, a Brit, got more news coverage on the boat for the first few days. The UK has a known immigration problem and some really dodgy laws about it (basically in most circumstances you can only apply for a permit once you’re in the country but entering the country without a permit is illegal, so it’s a catch 22), so something about immigration would always be more relevant. However, the antithesis recency would affect how in the last few hours of the sub being missing when the air was thought to be running out (so morning and afternoon of 22nd June) there were more stories on the sub.

A fourth value is uniqueness. Sadly, a migrant ship sinking with people dying and going missing is not an uncommon thing nowadays. A maritime disaster involving billionaires touring the Titanic? Never happened before, I hope it will never happen again (and it most likely will not). Of course the news will focus on something that hasn’t happened before - when will they get the chance to do it?

There’s also the values of Elite People. These people were billionaires. The people on the migrant ship were most likely just normal unnoteworthy people. And also recency - the Messenia boat occurred in the 14th June, and by the time the debris of the boat had been discovered it has already been a week.

I think it is important we take these news values into consideration and also how we as a community on Tumblr can see how we played right into these. An American website with a large American usership would naturally gravitate towards an American story, no matter how global it claims to be. In addition, it’s unusual enough with such strange circumstances that jokes and criticisms were bound to occur. The continuity (another news value) of the story with the search was also intriguing, as we saw it play out first hand with the initial disappearance, the potential signals, the discovery of the wreckage. Add in a level of expectedness (another news value - these people would either be found or not, and let’s be honest they were more likely to be dead than alive) and we have a perfectly newsworthy story to top the trending page for a few days.

It’s something I find fascinating, how despite people saying we should focus on the Messenia migrant boat disaster, we were still echoing the news perfectly on the site. One thing I’ve noted is that I didn’t really see anybody mentioning it before the Titan set out, but once the searching started it started becoming more relevant and trending a little below it. This isn’t a call to do better, this is just something I’ve noticed.

If there’s any saving light, out of the estimated 750 (maximum) of migrants, 104 have been confirmed alive and rescued. And I’m so happy for that.

[historia-vitae-magistras]

This is a little different from your usual content. But you have so much niche information that just I love to hear about. Do you have any podcast recommendations?

WHOO okay so I'm doing my nonfiction podcast recs and leaving out my horror or audio dramas but without further ado:

It's been out of production for years, but Caustic Soda is probably my favourite of all time. It's a small Canadian production of tons and tons of episodes on everything from shark attacks to murder to warfare to bugs and anthropology. It's so fucking funny and pretty well-researched as time goes on. Honestly, I was so young listening to this that it formed part of the lens through which I view the world.

Stuff You Missed in History Class: Often corny, wee bit lame, occasionally hilarious, always solid; this one is probably the one that has taught me the most. It's been on the air forever now, and it's really fucking great. They have also used sources that I actually dug out and made public for the first time and I'm quite proud of that. Its the favourite sweater of podcasts.

Time to Eat the Dogs is about the history of science and exploration. I highly recommend it if you like any of those things. I really like the host's interview style; all the guests are academics and authors. It's very conversational and feels like having a lovely sit-down with good friends, but those friends have Ph. Ds.

Casting Lots: Two really, really funny Brits discuss survival cannibalism across time and space. This podcast informed me that a story i heard as a fireside tale was based on true events. It somehow manages to mention Canada in every other episode and then some. I love the first three seasons in particular. They have truly done some incredible work in the course of their series and pulled from some primary sources that surprised even me, an actual archivist. They're shockingly respectful for how funny they are and how disturbing the content is and really take into consideration things like culture, empire, sex and racism as they discuss cannibalism, and it's just. I love it so much, truly.

Big Old Boats: It's not technically a podcast, but I've never once in my life actually watched the video as he discusses various maritime disasters, and I don't think I've ever missed anything by doing so. This is an absolute must-listen if you enjoy maritime history, missing ships, ghost ships, or just anything weird related to a boat. Archival work I did is actually mentioned in a couple of episodes!

Not What You Thought You Knew: Another podcast I really love that was, unfortunately, a very short run but academics and actual historians debunking popular historical myths. I am very, very fond of the episodes on The Night Witches in particular.

The Midnight Library: Last but not least my favourite fucking podcast currently running. It's a nonfiction podcast framed as a fictional witch/librarian in her cursed library telling (mostly) true stories around a particular theme, human vice, or any number of stories. And the way it's framed is so fucking great. Like they're talking about real history, witchcraft and folklore in so many of these, but you get little glimpses of world-building that have honestly started to bleed into the way I write. Even the ads are for fake magical businesses like 'the League of Lady Grave Diggers, the Broom and Fang pub. The library assistant/bouncer is a werewolf. The Witch's on-again and off-again boyfriend is a spring-heel jack. It's just so fucking clever a way to frame a nonfiction podcast in a spooky atmosphere while being historical, terrifying and funny in turns.

Anywho, if you listen to any of them let me know! And sorry if that went overboard!

[willow-does-stuff]

Hi! You responded to a question about special interests and I have some questions!

1: what’s your all time favorite maritime disaster?

2: which disasters caused the most regulation?

3: which disaster do you think ended up forgotten?

HI OMG !!!!!!!!!!

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW EXCITED THIS ASK MAKES ME!!!

let’s dive (haha) right into it :3

1. so i am biased to the titanic just because there’s sooooo much nuance and info about it and it’s my long time intrest that got me more into all disasters !! like the whole thing was really circumstantial in the end because the ship WAS s actually pretty safe don’t get me started on that one omfg

but i also really like the doña paz, which was a japanese ship that had LITERALLY 23 survivors and over 4000 casualties. it collided with another ship and caught on fire!! which is wild to me!!!!! it’s considered the deadliest peacetime (so not during a war) maritime disaster in history and like yeah. it’s also wild that it happened relatively recently, like the 80s, so there were a lot of modern regulations. it was another one where it kinda came down to things happening at the wrong time. very cool! there’s one other ship but i can’t remember it’s name for the life of me, but it was in the 2010s and had a little shocking similarities to the titanic? also the captain was like a jerk. it hit some rocks or coral reefs or smth and had a strong list. that’s all i remember lol

2. of course the titanic, again, famously put a lot of regulations in place, with both messages being sent between ships and, of course, requiring far more lifeboats. the ss torrey canyon also had some major impacts since it caused the stcw, which is basically just trying to stop oil spills. when torrey canyon sank it caused this massive crude oil spill which is like SERIOSULY bad so needless to say some major regulations needed to go into place for that one

3. i hardly ever see people talk about the hmhs britannic which sucks because it’s SO INTERESTING!!! it very much gets overshadowed by it’s sister ship, the titanic, but it also sank and nobody talks abt it! it was working as a hospital ship in ww1 (i think that’s the war, it might’ve been another idk) and that’s when it sank, though it wasn’t an attack but an accident. it struck a mine and around 30 people died, which is small in comparison to other major disasters. a big part of that was because, thanks to miss titanic taking one for the team, they had plenty of lifeboats to help everyone out, even as the ship started to list to starboard significantly. one of my absolute FAVORITE facts about it though is that it sank in pretty shallow waters, around 400 feet (nothing compared to titanic’s over 2 miles deep wreck) and the ship itself was like 800 feet long (pretty sure it was the biggest ship lost in ww1) so as it sank it actually hit the ocean floor while it was still partway above water! and because of its somewhat shallow waters, if you have permission and a license, you can actually DIVE DOWN THERE!!!!! you can go explore and OLYMPIC CLASS SHIPWRECK!!! ON RHE OCEAN FLOOR!!!! ISNT THAG SO COOL??!!!!!!! if i was so terrified of the ocean i’d go in a heartbeat. it’s actually really intact too, didn’t break in half unlike SOMEONE *glances over at titanic in the corner*. yea it doesn’t have really any visible damage aside from the gaping hole in the side of its hull from the mine. so yea :)

THANK YOU FOR THIS ASK I HAD SM FUN WITH IT!!!!!!! ASK ME MORE STUFF WHENEVER I LOVE YAPPING!!!!! >.<

[cbk1000]

🧪 Do you research for your fics?

^ laughing at this one. Oh, I don’t know, do you do much research for your fics Jenn? Have YOU ever watched 10 hours of YouTube footage covering everything from dog castrations to cow births? Hmm??? Have YOU ever bought an encyclopaedia on medieval herbalism to make sure your gay porn is accurate?? Doesn’t sound like you.

Actual asks: 🎁 / 🎨

I've actually never looked up a single thing in all my life for any of my fics, and I have definitely never watched video footage of various animal surgeries in order to make the veterinarian medicine happening in between fucking more accurate.

🎁 Have a piece of a WIP you want to share? Should have figured you'd ask this one. lmao Here's a bit of dialogue from the sequel to the vet fic:

He tossed the gel to Arthur, who was surprised by the throw, but nevertheless caught it, because he was in actual command of his limbs. “You going to put this in my hair for me, because I have no idea what to do with it.”

“Has anyone ever told you you’re completely useless?” Arthur asked, opening the jar.

“Yes, but I suck their dick so good, so.”

“Right,” Arthur said.

“It’s so funny you’re still embarrassed by that.”

“I’m not embarrassed.”

“Really? You’re the colour of my shirt.”

“Speaking of, I told you you ought to have brought the blue one.”

“You’re wearing blue. We can’t be that couple that wears matching clothes; Morgana will take pictures and use them as blackmail.”

“I’m wearing a completely different shade of blue. It complements the wedding colours.”

“You have absolutely no idea at all if it does, you’re wearing that shirt because Morgana told you to.”

“I am not!”

“Put your nasty jizz hands in my hair and get it over with. God that stuff is absolutely manky.”

“‘Put your nasty jizz hands in my hair’ had better not be the opening of your next sext.”

“Oh, it will be now.”

🎨 If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see? The shipwreck when they're going to Ireland in Book of Merthur. I think that would make for a really intense piece of art. Also, I have a morbid interest in maritime disasters, so.

[yuniemaki]

As I notice that you've taken a shine to my current bout of analysis, I will only add: It's funnier when you realize that Liyue and Inazuma respectively don't have standing navies and that they really couldn't do anything to her if she truly went batshit off the rails. Teyvat's economy would actually be brought to its knees due to the dangers of maritime shipping at that point.

Everyone should consider themselves lucky that the good captain wasn't a bit more ambitious, or we'd actually have a tyrant on our hands.

Can you tell that I think about worldbuilding and possible implications too much?

YOU ARE MY NEW BESTIE BECAUSE i have also considered the exact same thing - the only thing keeping the Crux Fleet under control is Beidou's personality and her authority.

And consider that she HAS made preparations for the fleet to run without her in command... Juza (I think) mentions this much. Or one of the crew on board the Alcor, if not him.

These fines and summons that Ningguang slaps on the fleet - their private motives aside, it's not a show and Beidou most certainly pays them if you ask me - it's a warning to Beidou's future successor that they'd best comply with the Qixing.

With no standing navy, the fleet is pretty much their best shot at having a navy from a national perspective too - the irony being that Liyue Harbour is most exposed to attack from the sea (well, their two disasters were all sea gods, but the point stands...), and the fleet is rarely in the harbour (?!).

(on a separate note - lack of a navy might also explain why Ningguang clearly did outfit the Jade Chamber for battle and positioned it to overlook the Sea of Clouds - what better way to assault an invading navy than dropping a bunch of ballista shots from high above?)

This is also why Ningguang and Beidou consistently insist the fleet has nothing to do with their agreements - the consequences of the Crux going insane in international waters and having their actions blamed on the Liyue Qixing will be diplomatically devastating, no? As protected as the harbour is by natural formations, they're not going to stand a chance if a bunch of pissed-off nations+Archons come after their asses.

Oligarchy is well aware that if Beidou, for some reason, loses control of the Crux Fleet, they could have an entire war on their hands and things could go south very quickly - hence their constant dance in public, wherein they both know the value of having the Crux Fleet on their side, but also wary of the risks involved if Beidou loses control.

Beidou mentions in her hangout that Ningguang trusts she and the traveler have the best intentions for Liyue Harbour at heart - Ningguang's advisors have already cautioned her against trusting Beidou - all this paints a picture that as of now, as long as Beidou is in charge, the fleet isn't a threat.

But the minute Beidou leaves the picture, you can expect the Qixing to immediately clamp down on Crux Fleet activity, at least until the new captain proves s/he is trustworthy.

Now there is of course the solution of Raiden Shogun slamming lightning down on the fleet and destroying half its capabilities before it even reaches Ritou, but the point still stands that maritime shipping would indeed be a danger at that point...

We also know the Crux Fleet isn't the sole shipping business out there, it's simply the most successful. Farzaneh runs her own in Sumeru and she was a former lieutenant with the fleet. Which is interesting if you think about it, Beidou likely has a network of transport contacts she can refer jobs to... but i go off-tangent again!!!

[cordycepsfem]

Pageboy Readthrough, Part Four

Previously

EP talks about her complicated relationship with her mom

Mom made her do things like wear dresses and tights and barrettes

Mom was worried about EP's future as a GNC person/potential lesbian/little strange kid

your reviewer says that's normal, even if it's unkind

we learned that EP's mom thinks boys should not be friends

your reviewer says that's not normal

your reviewer got maudlin at the end of it all and it was kinda a bummer

You can find previous parts of this readthrough here.

Now

Chapter Five

Jesus Christ we start off with this boat thing again

I am so sorry Halifax that for the short time I was in you I was eating waffles and buying doughnuts and trying not to get a parking ticket and not paying attention to your obviously super important maritime disaster issue

I will do better next time

EP should just write a book about this disaster - it can't be any less readable

but if you want to read an actual book about the disaster that's already written may I recommend this one

anyway sorry what was the point of this?

oh: the anchor from this ship explosion is 2 minutes away from where EP's dad lived

we learn more about maritime history - seriously, EP, think about it

Dad was a graphic designer with a mini golf hole thing in his office

EP imagines herself as the next Ernie Els (and yes I am proud that I didn't need to look up the name of an actual golfer, you are correct)

as far as I can tell no one tells EP that women also play golf

it goes from ships and golf to "oh, shit" in the way that one reacts to a sad disaster, because I now feel bad for EP who is clearly not well:

Really, lady? You published this? I can't decide if this is a "Buddhist one with the whole world" thing or a cry for help, because when I felt this way - that I was a meaningless speck in the universe - the people who loved me got me help.

Also, last time I checked meaningless specks don't get acting jobs or book contracts, so... perhaps not so "almost nothing," hey, EP?

EP gets a stepmother

the stepmother comes with two children

the stepmother had a waterbed (the only one EP has ever seen) and works as a food stylist

as a digression here, has anyone ever seen more than one waterbed? because I was thinking about it and I have only seen exactly one waterbed in my life

EP has a crush on Sandra Bullock, who stars in a movie that EP's stepmother "food styles" for

later in life she has dinner with Sandy and Sandy is great

EP starts to tell us about how she was a picky eater but for some reason devolves into a story about a Canadian lighthouse

we eventually get to the point that she was a picky eater and she was forced to eat things she didn't like

EP and her dad and her stepmother and the two stepsiblings all move in together

we learn more Canadian history here which I swear I would be very into if that was what kind of book I was told this would be

the one boy I ever dated before realizing I was a lesbian was super into Canada in a way that is extreme for someone who is not Canadian, and I enjoyed experiencing Canadian culture with him rather than trying to come up with new excuses why I didn't want to kiss or hold hands, so please believe me when I say I am all about Canada

like any human with a new room EP is excited to decorate

EP gets dreamy about having a stepbrother

like, really dreamy

by this we can infer that no one told EP the following things:

girls can remove their shirts that way as well

girls also have torsos and can wear dangling chains

anything you can buy in the supermarket will not change your sex, including Old Spice

ETA: I came back here because a "dab" and a "dollop" are two specific unspecific measurement units that don't interact, like ounces and inches, and it finally got to me that I didn't include it. You can "dab" cologne, you cannot "dollop" cologne unless you are literally pouring it over yourself in a ladle. If EP was doing that, I retract my remark.

the next part makes me super unhappy as someone who knows how physically capable boys, especially boys who play sports, are and how powerful they can be

but Scott manages not to paralyze EP

he just continues to be a prick, as does EP's stepmother

also, I have two siblings and we were never rough in the way that EP says Scott was - maybe because they're both female?

EP enjoys Playmobil and still likes to play alone

EP gets ready to go on an adventure, like a normal kid might, only to have her terrible stepfamily tease her

I am so sorry, EP, please go back to Canadian history

Dad was nicer when Linda wasn't around (shocker, men are a bummer)

also a bummer: this step mom

at this point I will now fight anyone EP directs me to fight on her behalf

I know it's a whiplash but seriously:

I was a weird kid. I was a lot. And yet never did my parents make me feel like I was wrong. They pointed out that I did things differently, or liked different things, and that the things I liked and did might not match up with what other people thought someone like me should do. But mostly they let me do what made me happy, to an appropriate extent.

They never mocked me when I was caught up in a world of elaborate fantasy. I went on lots of "adventures" to the point where I still call any unexpected journey, especially one I get to choose, be it to the 7-11 or the pharmacy, an "adventure," because it shakes up the day a bit.

They didn't shield me from some social consequences of being weird but they taught me that being myself was really more important. And they never asked me Why aren't you like them?

In fact, as the years have gone on and I've struggled with my mental and physical health, with employment, with my sexuality and my body, with living close to poverty, with everything - I have been the one asking my parents Are you ashamed I'm not like them? in regards to their friends' kids. Not a doctor, not a lawyer, not a mom?

And every single time, No. You're the one we love. You are on a journey that is uniquely yours and we are blessed to be a part of it. Unconditionally, without a second thought.

And as the designated "weirdo" in all of my growing-up-school years, I would have been EP's friend in an instant. We could have bonded over our short haircuts and picky eating and been the two weirdos together. Then neither of us would have been alone.

... and I guess we end this part same as we did the last one, with me super bummed and marginally more educated about Canadian history.

[wigglebox]

it took watching youtube almost nonstop since september [when i started working from home] for the algorithm to finally get to communist-lite videos. 

it’s not really propaganda to me since i’m already a socialist so he’s just making a bunch of points i already thought of and agreed with so

but it’s funny bc i distinctly remember starting in october specifically i began watching videos like, top mysteries [missing people cases in national parks] and then that dove down into nexpo [who i already loved] to scary interesting [cave diving videos specifically] mr. ballen [who i’m pretty sure makes up some of the stories or doesn’t vet them] to nick crowley to lazy masquerade to barely sociable [who i loved anyway] back to mentour pilot which led to green dot aviation and disaster breakdown which then lead to plainly difficult, brick immortar, random maritime stuff, BACK to nexpo, then Internet Historian came out with a video about Floyd Collins and Sand Cave, which had me try out Wendigoon’s videos again which turns out i loved, and then i went back to nexpo [he’s like my centering youtube account lol i love his voice] and then to barely socialable again, to folding ideas, to cold fusion [this is when i started to learn more about bitcoin], to coffeezilla, then i got into true crime interrogations so i started with JCS and Casey Anthony, and then after the JCS videos i got into Explore With Us, Stranger Crimes/Stories, Red Tree Crime, Barely Evil, and a bunch of others who some are good but some also don’t have a lot of videos.

somewhere in there i had also gotten into space videos too from various accounts like History of the Universe which is a great channel but also gave me existential crisis every time bc i’d watch them while drawing in the evening and stoned wekjflwekjfwa

and for the last couple of weeks i’ve just been bouncing around rewatching things. 

i have a particular way i need someone to talk during these videos. i call it the podcast or audiobook voice where it’s deep and monotone and kinda just goes through things lol. 

but yeah now i’m getting a channel called Second Thought constantly in my feed and with titles like 

is this the beginning of a new labor movement

myth of self made billionaires

why there’s no such thing as an ethical business under capitalism

and ‘why corporate america hates unions’ i’m like okay

i don’t know exactly how i got here, maybe it was the bitcoin exploration so i could understand it better

but i’m laughing 

took a hot second but i’m now on communist-lite YouTube wekjfaklwefjalwkej

[mkstrigidae]

please tell me about being 12 and obsessed with the titanic. i was once 12 and obsessed with the wives of henry viii, and remember it fondly.

how is the resurgence of the old obsession going? are you being made aware of how the old obsession has never left you, continued to influence you, shaped you?

I think that you and I must have some kind of psychic link because I was ALSO very obsessed with Tudor history at that age- I read those 'young royals' historical fiction books by Carolyn Meyer and just completely spiraled into the topic 😂

My titanic phase was actually very long and got me in trouble with several librarians over the years, in addition to shot putting me into an obsession with shipwrecks in general (and wrecks of other kinds, airplane disasters, etc.). I've had a lifelong fascination and love affair with everything and anything having to do with the ocean, and this felt like a natural extension of that interest. (More below the cut, for purposes of being considerate to anyone who has no interest in my rambling).

I think the concept of Titanic- this grand ship that man created and the ocean reclaimed- was very fascinating- and still is to me- because of the idea that if any one thing had changed, the whole thing might have been different. If David Blair hadn't accidentally taken the keys to the storage locker where Titanic kept a set of binoculars, if he hadn't been demoted before the voyage, if the White Star Line had bothered doing any kind of safety drills, it it had been just a bit windier, if there hadn't been that boiler room fire, if they'd listened to the Californian's warning, If Murdoch had decided to ram the iceberg instead of sideswiping it- everything could have changed. The 'Ifs' are really what fascinate me.

But at the same time, something like titanic almost had to happen at some point, it feels like. Titanic was over compliant with safety regulations of the day in terms of lifeboat capacity, and most of what happened the night of the wreck was actually in line with standard practices at the time. There were inherent issues in the Olympic class ships that would have caused a problem sooner or later, and if Titanic hadn't happened, some other maritime disaster would have demonstrated the problem of relying on other ships to ferry passengers in the event of a sinking, rather than having an appropriate number of lifeboats on board. How many disasters prior to Titanic- prior to the changed safety regulations, the ice patrol, SOLAS- didn't happen- only because one thing coincidentally went right? We only ever learn the new rules we need to have to make things safer because of events like this, where literally everything went wrong, all at once. If Titanic hadn't happened, something like it probably would have. If Tenerife hadn't happened in 1977, if it hadn't caused the changes to international airline safety regulations and standardized language, wouldn't another disaster of the sort prove to us that we needed to change something? If the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory hadn't burned that day, another disaster of the type would have happened, because the rules we put in place to stop those kinds of problems didn't exist- because nothing had prompted them to exist!

Sorry, this is getting to be a very long answer, but my Titanic obsession has never truly left me, and its legacy is my interest in dissecting these 'ifs' in disaster situations, in stories, in my own life- the seeming inevitability of so many things versus our ability to alter the course of events. There are these kind of pivot points that history seems to rest on at times, and I constantly wonder what things would be like if the smallest details at those points were changed.

(I actually didn't watch the movie until I was in college, oddly enough, but it's very difficult to watch it and not be awed by the amount of effort and research and care went into it. That being said, James Cameron does seem like a bit of a dick, and the Blue people avatar movies are a very expensive waste of money).

[asp1990]

Day 13: Wednesday 2nd October, 2024 [Wellington]

Breakfast: A buffet breakfast! Poached eggs, bacon, hash brown, coffee, juice, muesli, pastries! Lunch: NA Dinner: Asian Street Food from Master Kong

Today was our last full day in Aotearoa NZ and we had a half day tour booked. We went down to breakfast at 8.30am in the hotel restaurant and enjoyed the buffet. Our guide, Brian, picked us up at 9.20am and our fellow passengers Tony & Tina, from Adelaide, were already in the van. We stopped one more time to pick up Joy and Dawn, from Christchurch, in the city but Brian side-swiped a taxi as he was parking, so it was a frazzled start to the day. 

Our first stop was the top of Mt Victoria, which was incredibly windy but very beautiful. Brian told us on the drive up that the cable car industry was actually quite lucrative in Wellington as lots of the properties on Mt Victoria had their own private cable cars from the road to their property. Wild! We could see Wellington airport from the peak and found out that pilots had to be specially trained to land into Wellington due to the extreme winds and shortened landing strip. This means that only domestic and Australian flights land in Wellington and all other flights land in Auckland. 

Next we wound our way back down the mountain to the other side of the city that we hadn’t visited yet. We drove past Lyall Bay surf beach and the back end of the airport before stopping briefly to see Breaker Bay where NZ’s biggest maritime disaster occurred in 1968 when a ferry hit the rocks and 52 people died. Brian told us about the tsunami ‘higher ground’ signs and that when earthquakes and flooding happen that all the beachfront properties get damaged and are no longer eligible for home insurance due to their location. Beautiful but risky properties. 

We made our way back inland to Miramar where NZ’s movie district and all the production companies are. We stopped briefly at the Weta workshop but could only visit the gift shop and bathrooms, which was a shame. Brian was a great guide, but everything felt a wee bit rushed. Despite this, I bought some more LOTR souvenirs that I’d passed up in Hobbiton but had been regretting not purchasing. We then visited the Wellington Cable Car (which Amara and I had been to a few days before) where Brian dropped us off at the base and drove to meet us at the top. We all stopped to get a coffee at the cafe before getting back in the van. Again, we were a bit rushed. Each drive to a new location was a great excuse to chat to our tour buddies who were really lovely. Tony was a school principal in Adelaide, Tina was a retired aged care nurse and Joy & Dawn were in their 70’s and were friends because their daughters made friends in dance school when they were five. 

Back in the city we visited the National War Memorial where the tomb of the unknown soldier was kept. We didn’t get out of the car, but it was also very windy and cold, so we just observed through the window. We then visited Parliament House, coloquially known as ‘The Beehive’ and the archive library. Brian told us that Parliament House was originally a wooden building and the library was stone so the documents didn’t burn down but then Parliament House burnt down so they rebuilt in stone and this was some kind of architectural breakthrough. Sounds like something that 3 Little Pigs had figured out though..

Our final stop was Old St Paul’s Church: a non-denominational church built in 1866. It was decommissioned when the new church was built, but it’s now owned by the government so anyone can marry there. Queer, any faith etc. The American Navy have a connection with this church as they used it during the war. They have their flags hanging inside and the American embassy hold their Memorial Day service there each year, which a lot of American tourists love to hear.  

After we left the church, Brian dropped us all back at our respective hotels and Amara and I spent the afternoon in our room: her napping, me reading. We went down to Chocolate Hour at 4pm then came back up to our room to get ready for our last outing in the city.

At 5.30pm, in our nice dresses and heels that we’d packed and not yet had a reason to wear, we got an Uber into town to have dinner at Master Kong with Jo, who was also attending the World of Wearable Art (WOW) performance. We enjoyed a delicious feast of edamame, king pao chicken, green salad, corn ribs & popcorn prawns. Everything was cooked and seasoned perfectly. At 6.45pm we walked over to the TSB Arena for the show. 

The World of Wearable Art was absolutely iconic. Our friend had described it as “a fashion show mixed with Cirque Du Soleil” and she couldn’t have been more accurate. The performance showcased extravagant fashion outfits made out of any material that were submitted by a range of fashion designers from around the world. The costumes, lighting, soundtrack, staging and production value were breathtaking. I am so glad that Amara booked us tickets at the last minute as it was the perfect way to end our trip. The overall winner was an American artist who had made everything out of roadwork materials - orange honeycomb fencing, traffic cones and hi-vis. It was gorgeous! My favourite piece though was what I named ‘the sexy prawn’. 

After the show we walked up the street, away from the crowds, and a group of older women started talking to us about the show and gave us there programme when they found out it was our first time seeing WoW, which was lovely. We then booked an Uber as we couldn’t face walking up the steep hill in heels and our Uber driver laughed at us when we said this. 

Back in the hotel Amara showered, I wrote my diary and then we packed a wee bit before hitting the hay. One more sleep until I get to see Morgan and MJ!

[thetiethatvines]

Hello! You seem to have good thoughts about everything you post. What are the things you’re really excited about? What do your friends know not to get you started talking about?

well. first off. wow, thank you, i think at most i would have said i have *many* thoughts

i think i’ve said before that i struggle with shutting the fuck up in general and i’m sorry to my friends that i regularly send you novel-length responses but ALSO. what you’re asking for: maritime disasters, human crushes, building collapses and other structural integrity issues. obviously libraries and book censorship. wage theft and unionization. how bad susan g komen sucks. the fundamental abuse of power that homeschooling lends itself to.

like my whole thing is that i tend not to talk about something unless i have a supermassive black hole’s worth of passion and energy for it? so. everything??

[listen-to-the-inner-walrus]

Ok now I'm curious. You mentioned the fire of the RMS Republic in your notes, but the only information I'm finding about her involves a collision? Was there another ship by the same name that also met a bad end?

ye no, i mixed up the republic with the lakonia somehow. it was actually a collision with ss florida.

im not really sure how i mixed them up honestly because why the rms republic is so important in the story of titanic is that iirc there was only seven casualties and it was essentially all down to the marconi wireless operator. and like, itd be much harder to do that with a ship on fire.

at the time, they were still moreso used as a novelty for passengers to send messages home, but when the ship collided with ss florida, the marconi wireless operator jack binns (sometimes listed as john r binns) used it to contact other ships. and that was the first time it ever happened in history.

though the florida had taken on most of the passengers, they were now dangerously overloaded, but binns was able to contact the rms baltic and using flares and the marconi, he was able to guide them through the fog to the republic.

this was 1903 and unfortunately, it created more confidence in maritime safety than ever before. within a decade, the idea of the unsinkable ship is taking off. and basically, after this, people believed that massive disasters on the north atlantic route, like the titanic, were a thing of the past. the only change was mandating a marconi officer available 24 hours a day.

binns was actually offered the job of marconi operator on the titanic but he was getting married and wanted a job that kept him home.

[girinma]

latest boat book review

meant to post this earlier BUT my thoughts on Adrift by Brian Murphy

this is nonfiction telling the story of the shipwreck of the John Rutledge in 1856, and the one guy who survived it.

i really loved the style, as it weaves in a ton of historical context rather than only recounting the shipwreck. there's a ton of research but it never meanders too far, and stays an easy read. i learned a ton about the whaling industry that was really interesting, Bill Nye comes from a wild family.

DO NOT DRINK SEAWATER I AM BEGGING ALL OF YOU DO NOT DRINK IT

i knew transatlantic trips were fucked but i feel like my history classes never really went into the actual voyage itself? like it's just wild to me that fancy business men would go on a months long business trip and they could just die in a horrific shipwreck and it wasn't even unexpected. also what the fuck do you mean cornelius vanderbilt had a yacht.

the "disaster" wasn't the most fucked up thing in the world (no offense Thomas Nye I know you suffered) but idk we can't all be that rugby team in the Andes

i love in historical books when they do an epilogue with a short summary of the rest of everyone's lives since. they're all dead now.

the presentation was great and i'd recommend to people with interest in maritime history or disasters. murphy does narrativize some things but i think he did a good job separating "recreations" from actual quotes. but it may be a turn off for some people. 7/10.

[shadowsandstarlight]

Fuck Alberta it sucks here

[ethwastaken]

uh oh i started listening to sea shanties again

[benjhawkins]

hi there! i have a friend who started reading “in the heart of the sea” recently and is now very interested in similar maritime history books - do you have any good recommendations i can give her? thanks so much!

Hello! Most of my interest in maritime history is the lives of everyday sailors, and here are some of my favorite books! They are all nonfiction.

Unruly Desires: American Sailors Homosexualites in the Age of Sail by William Benemann- a look into homosexuality on merchant sailing vessels as well as in the British and American navies. One of my favorites!

Black Jacks: African American Seamen in the Age of Sail by W. Jeffrey Bolster- This one is very good about seafaring Black men from 1740-1865. I highly recommend it as a look into the important role Black sailors played in the maritime history of America.

Charles Benson: Mariner of Color in the Age of Sail by Michael Sokolow- I love this one particularly as a deep dive into the life of one of the hundreds of the men of color who served as sailors during the 1800s. He lived most of his adult life in Salem, MA.

@ltwilliammowett might have some recommendations on maritime disasters too, and they are an expert in shipwrecks if your friend would like to check their blog out!

If your friend is interested more in whaling history in particular have them check out @focsle’s blog! They are currently writing a ghost story comic set onboard a whaling vessel and have a lot of good posts about whaling.

Archive.org has also been a really good resource for reading ship logbooks, and those are a lot of fun.

Hope this is helpful! :)