Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Two

[UKCruiseJeff]

I suspect the main reason traditional fish and chip shops originally fried in lard was perhaps it was before "health awareness" and before refined cooking oils like sunflower and rapeseed were easily available. You can't beat the taste of trad chips!

 

Jeff

[specialcruisegirl]

Sure to be right Jeffers.......just before the start of the war my grandfather bought a huge amount of lard......we still think it came off the back of a lorry....but hey ho...he was a very astute man for one who couldn't read or write......he made a fortune with the chip shops as nearby was a very big army camp...and he would take coach parties from far afield so as we say these days ..it was a no brainer! [emoji4]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[UKCruiseJeff]

Inelegant and scruffy but terribly cheap and spicey and tasty. :)

 

Jeff

 

 

 

 

[jpalbny]

Inelegant and scruffy but terribly cheap and spicey and tasty. :)

 

Wait...are you talking about me?

 

 

Cant be the food...looks great to me!

Edited August 19, 2016 by jpalbny

[ShotsnCruises]

All the food looks yummy.

Thinking shrimp cocktail with my homemade spicy cocktail sauce tonight. If the weather stays cool and dry, we might even dine on our deck "overlooking our estate" as we like to say! HAHA

[spinnaker2]

Jeff

That food looks great.

 

 

Lunch today for us was tempura in seishein.

Rained in the am here in Split. Now sunny.

We are lazy and just relaxing.

DH running around the deck. Tall man running in Michigan shorts, shirt and running hose.

He's already made an impression. Not that he's fast, but just able to make it.

What a guy.

[TLCOhio]

Rained in the am here in Split. Now sunny. We are lazy and just relaxing. DH running around the deck. Tall man running in Michigan shorts, shirt and running hose. He's already made an impression. Not that he's fast, but just able to make it. What a guy.

 

Appreciate this update from Candy, glad that the sun came out in Split. With your thread title of "August 12 the Spirit departs la Serenissima", I was late and tardy in finding this thread with your wonderful details and excellent pictures from Venice and other interesting location. Using the title la Serenissima threw me off track. Did not know that was a name for the Republic of Venice. Learned something new today. Great sharing and reporting!! Keep it coming. Look forward to seeing lots more, including from Dubrovnik.

 

Congrats on your 42nd anniversary. We're at the 44th level and still counting, up and UP. Glad that your husband is proudly wearing his Michigan gear. With Ohio-born Jim Harbaugh now coaching at UM, they should continue to do better as a football team. It is only two weeks until your UM football team hosts Hawaii in Michigan Stadium at noon. Then, there are four more home games in a row with Central Florida, Colorado, Penn State and Wisconsin on Oct. 1. BUT, the two biggest Michigan college football games this season are on the road for Sat., Oct. 29 at Michigan State and Sat., Nov. 26 at Ohio State. Will you be in Ann Arbor to attend any of these games, or just watching on TV?? Or, coming to Columbus after Thanksgiving for the UM-OSU game?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples this city that is so great for "walking around", personally seeing its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 62,180 views.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good morning Coolers! And thanks for all the food piccy encouragement.

 

Finally found my way this week for the churro challenge. The way I managed to make a churro with a choccy center was I used a clay extruder / craft gun without the end disc.

 

 

Simply flatened the churo made a little more thickly placed choccy into middle and rolled and put it into extruder and piped it into oil. Only problem was the churro was too thin to use a shaper to get more surface caramelised. The mix also wasn't quite right but honour has been done and I can move on. Or back to standard tradtional churro.

 

Today we're having a big English breakfast for lunch with sausage, egg, bacon, potatos, mushrooms. Heinz spaghetti, black pudding, and toast.

 

Jeff

[UKCruiseJeff]

 

Impoverished host fears for the future once carnival is over

 

 

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/impoverished-host-fears-for-the-future-once-carnival-is-over-ddmnn2mm9?shareToken=7bbb9f1c399a1c2a244fe654950b424d

 

 

Jeff

[specialcruisegirl]

Hi All.......

 

Very sad Times article Jeff......maybe your theory about hosting in Athens all the time is a good one....l don't know...everything these days is so money orientated......for the so called love of sport......millions paid to footballers who continue to behave disgracefully.....when others work so very hard to achieve.

I was personally delighted to see Nick Skelton take Gold yesterday...so well deserved.

 

On a lighter note my kids are about to board The Azura right now for their very first cruise......I'm so excited for them and hope I've briefed them well enough....[emoji6]

 

Your brunch sounds good Jeffers........ready roast for me today....not very exciting!!

 

Happy Weekend

S[emoji4]

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[UKCruiseJeff]

Soapy, hope you enjoy your roast and your kids enjoy their first cruise. With you as their mum and all your experience they shouldn't miss a trick.

 

Re Olympics.

 

Imagine telling every kid in the UK (and every other country) as the enter senior school that during their first first year of secondary school every one of them will have the opportunity to "get fit" and to try every sport they wish until they find their favourite and best one, and in the second year they will train, the third year compete and during their final year they will, subject to their performance overall in all their schooling ie attendence and "effort" and behaviour, have a chance to compete in The Youth Olympics in Athens where they will be coached by Olympians and then compete.

 

And if they are identified during their schooling as having an exceptional talent they might even compete in the "real" Olympics. How much undiscovered talent do we have :)

 

This strikes me as being a better effort to address child health, fitness and obesity than simply a sugar tax and some of the £275m we spent on the Olympic team might have even better talent to choose from. Perhaps one year we might beat the US.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff

Edited August 20, 2016 by UKCruiseJeff

[TLCOhio]

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/impoverished-host-fears-for-the-future-once-carnival-is-over-ddmnn2mm9?shareToken=7bbb9f1c399a1c2a244fe654950b424d Jeff

 

specialcruisegirl: Very sad Times article Jeff......maybe your theory about hosting in Athens all the time is a good one....l don't know...everything these days is so money orientated......for the so called love of sport......millions paid to footballers who continue to behave disgracefully.....when others work so very hard to achieve.

 

Appreciate' date=' Jeff, this good link from the London Times. Yes, in a few days, there will be more focus and discussions on the[i'] "costs" and clean up after the "circus" [/i]of the Olympics leaves town. For me, here are two paragraphs from the story:

 

"Even before the Games began, Rio declared a state of “financial calamity” and was forced to beg the federal government for funds to ensure the Games could be held with adequate security. It is running a $6 billion deficit, teachers have been on strike, thousands of people have lost their jobs and many are gloomy about the prospects for the city after the Olympics, which cost $12 billion to stage."

 

"John Coates, vice-president of the International Olympic Committee, said the Games had been the 'most difficult' and the half empty stadiums had been a 'disappointment'."

 

Personally, I still don't think it would work to be held every time in Athens. Agree strongly with specialcruisegirl that "everything these days is so money orientated". Yes, it's all money focused and that is why TV ratings )and cash) are vital to keep the International Olympic Committee (IOC) rolling in the money for their luxury perks, bribes and other ways to feed their lifestyles at the expense of the "little people".

 

Noticed on Athens this key summary from the London Times: "Athens 2004 A painful reminder of how badly wrong an Olympics can go in terms of legacy. There was no coherent plan for using the venues after the Games and as many as 21 of the 22 venues were effectively abandoned and have slowly rotted, fuelling the anger of a population that has been trying to cope with Greece’s devastating financial crisis."

 

Clearly some cities, such as London was in 2012 and Tokyo will be in 2020, better able to fund and manage these games. And, the TV networks like a different venue each time so that they can have varied settings and storylines for the various events and video coverage. It's TV!! It's the money and ratings!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 152,866 views for this posting.

[TLCOhio]

This strikes me as being a better effort to address child health, fitness and obesity than simply a sugar tax and some of the £275m we spent on the Olympic team might have even better talent to choose from. Perhaps one year we might beat the US. Jeff

 

Agree on the need to improve the "fitness" for kids. Nice theory by Jeff. Don't know how it will work in "real life". If and if??!! Those "video" and other "electronic devices" are a challenge in that battle for youth fitness. Things like "sugar taxes" are just money grabs by governments.

 

Appreciate Jeff's honesty in wanting to beat the USA at the Olympics. We might have a different opinion/reaction. Maybe Monday, I will post the chart on the final medal results.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 202,069 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[UKCruiseJeff]

Terry,

 

Perhaps you hadn't noticed the irony that the richest countries that didn't "need" the Olympics, benefited from the games the most, and the poorest countries that could ill afford the games, who really needed them most have suffered and lost out the most. And the people that make the most are already the richest. Those that suffer the most, suffer even more with the loss of their homes and jobs and it seems safety.

 

There has been over 100 years of opportunity to "regularise" the games, but how can the poor influence the rich to change exactly? Who listens to the disenfranchised poor?

 

I note your tendency to rebut and respond to my very specific suggestions with extremely genralised waffle comments like "in real life". But "in real life" our kids might be the very first generation who have a lower life expectancy than their parents simply because we as their parents have totally abdicated and shown that collectively we couldn't be bothered to confront the kids fitness and obesity epidemic issues and the big businesses that do not want us too, and that the Olymics might just be one of many possiblities - and arguably the most iconic and inspiring catalyst for.. Every commentator says they want kids to be interested, but their is no joined up writing to make schools a part of that aspiration. We need every school to say to every kid, that they can be a part of that and everything and anything is possible and the school is going to make their effort to make it possible if the kids do as well. Visionaries see change as the catalyst of a better life and things and not by saying as you do "let's leave things as they are" especially when the status quo is clearly benfiting and harming so many. when it could benefit so many.

 

If you think that in spite of all this overwhelming evidence and without offering any other ideas at all, that rotating the games is still the best way forward we will agree to disagree.

 

:)

 

 

Jeff

Edited August 20, 2016 by UKCruiseJeff

[TLCOhio]

Terry, Perhaps you hadn't noticed the irony that the richest countries that didn't "need" the Olympics, benefited from the games the most, and the poorest who really needed them most have suffered and lost out the most. And the people that make the most are already the richest. Thise that suffer the most, suffer even more with the loss of their homes and jobs and it seems safety.

"in real life" our kids might be the first generation who have a lower life expectancy than their parents simply because we as their parents have totally abdicated and collectively couldn't be bothered to confront the kids fitness epidemic issues that the Olymics might just be one of many possiblities a catalyst for. Jeff

 

Excellent above points by Jeff!! Very true on the richer cities/countries that can, maybe, somewhat, afford to host the Olympics are the places that do not need the attention/publicity as much as other less-traveled places in the world. Agree also that the health/fitness challenges for youth are serious and real.

 

But how to solve? That one is harder to fix and have a solution where all would agree.

 

Then, there is the "BIGGIE"!! You correctly note "people that make the most are already the richest". Education is supposed to be, maybe, "the great equalizer". Good theory and hope!! Works for some. Not all. In the U.S., many urban school systems are corrupt failures. That's a whole another story and massive debating battleground. Lots of finger-pointing on that one. No value in going there this morning.

 

See, we agree more than some might think!! BUT, solving these challenges is not as easy. Nor, do all share the same viewpoints for how fixing these situations can be accomplished.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 215,863 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[UKCruiseJeff]

Terry, rather than just say "you wonder how this would work in the real world" let us have some of your original ideas?

 

A bloke of your calibre should be an overflowing font of such clever ideas!

 

:)

 

Jeff

[lincslady]

Jeff - when I read your brunch menu I started salivating - all apart from the spaghetti, didn't get that bit. It is one of the best meals there is, preferably not early in the early morning but after a bit of exercise! And I love black pudding, whereas most people nowadays won't look at it.

 

I had thought of coming on here earlier to say that just over the past couple of days I have felt almost ashamed of all our medals - sounds silly, but so many countries do not have the money to spend on expensive equipment - cycles, horses, etc. etc., or have good swimming pools, nor are they able to support their athletes financially. Now the paralympic fiasco is also upsetting.

 

I don't suppose there is any chance of the powers that be in the world actually being affected, like the rest of us, by the photo of the tiny boy from Aleppo? How can they allow this to go on and on - just visualise yourself in that city, or any of the others.

 

The world is so strange, so many wonderful things and so many appalling ones. Sorry to be a bit of a misery today; feeling helpless is not a good feeling.

 

However, we have a lovely blue sky here at present, and DH is being particularly sweet at present, so not all bad!

 

Lola

[UKCruiseJeff]

Lola,

 

The picture of little Omran sitting bloodied and bewildered touched all of us except perhaps the Russians who have killed more innocent men women and children in Syria than Islamic State. Where is the international outcry? Where is the UN.

 

The picture of little Omran shames us all.

 

Jeff

[TLCOhio]

Terry, rather than just say "you wonder how this would work in the real world" let us have some of your original ideas? A bloke of your calibre should be an overflowing font of such clever ideas! :) Jeff

 

Super appreciate Jeff's wonderful encouragement for me to bring forward "clever ideas" and his cheerful smiley face. Yes, I have lots of ideas and opinions.

 

BUT, the real battle/question is about whether you can achieve/guarantee that all of the results and outcomes will be "FAIR and EQUAL"?? Nice goal and objective!! Not sure it can be possible to assure this result for this entire world of about six billion people. Not everything can and will be equal and "fair". Opportunities must be improved and offered. Laws and rules need to be fair and followed. The schemes, however, for "re-distributing the wealth" do not work.

 

Tell me what we are trying to achieve and then it is easier to figure out how best to move in that direction. Plus, let's talk about how past, costly "do-gooder" efforts have failed. Agree with John F. Kennedy's famed quote of "Life is not fair.". And, there is debate as to what constitutes a "safety net" and how that will be defined.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from my latest live/blog at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 18,689 views for this reporting and visual sharing that includes Cape Town, all along the South Africa coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Terry,

 

It is very easy to look wind-swept and stately and wise and tap the side of one's nose and sagely shoot down specific ideas and proposals aimed at improving the Olympics for all, without offering a single reason why or offering any alternatives. A baked bean could do almost as much. :D

 

It isn't for me to suggest to you what you should think that the improvements should be. But instead of just hearing that you think change is a "bad idea" I would be very interested to hear from you what the objectives should be and how they might be achieved.

 

You must have many thoughts and hundreds of ideas on the topic. Share them. :)

 

Jeff

[TLCOhio]

Terry, It is very easy to look wind-swept and stately and wise and tap the side of one's nose and sagely shoot down specific ideas and proposals aimed at improving the Olympics for all, without offering a single reason why or offering any alternatives. A baked bean could do almost as much. :D You must have many thoughts and hundreds of ideas on the topic. Share them. :) Jeff

 

Two responses to the first part of Jeff's good questions. First . . . .

 

From Jack Nicholson and his character in the movie "A Few Good Men":

Col. Jessep: "I'll answer the question!"

Col. Jessep: "You want answers?"

Kaffee: "I think I'm entitled to."

Col. Jessep: "You want answers?"

Kaffee: "I want the truth!"

Col. Jessep: "You can't handle the truth!"

Col. Jessep: "Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom."

 

Not sure all can agree what is the "TRUTH". Always different opinions for these debatable targets/goals.

 

ATHENS FOREVER??: Sorry, won't work long-term. Greece does not have the skills and money to fix all of their broken down facilities and help subsidize these events long-term. Yes, it would yield some money for Greece, but it is not enough to cover ALL of the many, many costs. Especially now with Greece's huge financial pile of you know what. PLUS, much more important, the TV networks and sponsors (and audiences) would find it way too boring to be in only the same site, time after time. And folks in other parts of the world would view this "fix" as unfair to them and their desires to host this "star".

 

IOC FIXED??: Their totally greedy and unreasonable ways must be ended!!! This part of the problem needs to be corrected. Making Athens the permanent site does not correct this problem. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) pressures community to build too many new and fancy facilities, arenas and stadiums that have little or no long-term practical use. The World Cup soccer people do the similar bad, bad things, plus both have had their required corruption and fancy entertaining that adds up to the out-of-control costs. Stop it!! This could save billions and billions.

 

NARROW POTENTIAL LOCATIONS??: This suggestion will not be "fair", but those poorer cities and nations that cannot afford to stage the ego-trip called the Olympics need to be told "sorry". The IOC needs to more carefully to screen those desiring the glory and attention that the answer is "NO!!" if they cannot finance and manage such crowds and operations. That would have eliminated Rio and Athens from hosting these events. Maybe that ends up narrowing the potential field down to just towns such as Los Angeles, London, Sydney, Beijing and Moscow. That would mean nothing for Africa, South America and some other parts of the world that are aspiring. Not "fair", but this would be more practical and realistic.

 

Are these ideas more specific? Am sure you do not agree 100%. BUT, I have have outlined some detailed ideas and reasons.

 

Eventually, as the ratings fade and the TV money shrinks, this problem will be adjusted, somewhat, by the normal, long-term market forces. Maybe?? Eventually?? BUT, the greedy and ego of the IOC needs to be adjusted quickly. BUT, who controls the IOC? Nobody!!

 

Jeff proves me with: "instead of just hearing that you think change is a 'bad idea' ". I understand fully and embrace "change". It happens and is real. I am more, however, a believer that "the market" dictates many or most of these changes. BUT, some do not like "the market" or consumer choice deciding and determining such changes. Not always "fair", right? Certain "smart people" would prefer that the wisdom of the "elites" and/or governments decide what is best and "good" for the "little people" to follow and fund.

 

Who decides these changes? Nothing is easy or simple. And, long-term, these Olympics are just "games". Costly and ego-driven. BUT, just "games" and entertainment.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

If Venice is one of your future desires or past favorites, look at this earlier posting for many options and visual samples this city that is so great for "walking around", personally seeing its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 62,180 views.

Venice: Loving It & Why??!!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

[UKCruiseJeff]

Terry,

 

So your big idea is that there should be less corruption and only rich nations should host it? Is that correct? Doesn't more cash from richer nations imply richer pickings and more corruption opportunities and poorer nations being totally sidelined and excluded making the Olympics even more elitist and corrupt?

 

As renovations are technically considerably simpler and very much cheaper to accomplish than scratch construction, and with the extremely high level of unemployment amongst the young in Greece, do you not see a possibility of those two factors complementing each other to make renovations relatively inexpensive and achievable for the Greeks rather than "impossible" as you suggest?

 

 

Jeff

Edited August 20, 2016 by UKCruiseJeff

[TLCOhio]

Terry, So your big idea that there should be less corruption and only rich nations should host it? Is that correct? As renovations are technically considerably simpler and very much cheaper to accomplish than scratch construction, and with the extremely high level of unemployment amongst the young in Greece, do you not see a possibility of those two factors complementing each other to make renovations relatively inexpensive and achievable? Jeff

 

You have to be much more consistent in your expectations, Jeff!! Originally, you did not demand only "BIG IDEAS" and solutions that you would like. You claimed that I had no ideas or specifics. I have offered some. Not all being perfect for everyone viewpoint. I have offered some specifics that are with more details and background than just "less corruption and only rich nations". BUT, as I predicted, some would not view those thoughts as "fair" or good enough to be perfect. Why ask for others to share ideas and thoughts, if you just turn around and trash those ideas/comments??

 

Agree 100% with Jeff that the potential to just "fix" the facilities in and around Athens should be and/or might be cheaper. Great point and potential!! Yes, it should or could be that way. BUT, even on repairing broken-down and neglected stadiums and places, the costs can soar if there is corruption in bidding and/or unreasonable more and more "improvements" demanded by the IOC officials. Both of these "fears" have been realities in past Olympic efforts with new construction.

 

BUT, Jeff ignores my point and does not speak to the challenge for the TV networks, sponsors and viewers who like a wide variety of new and different settings and cultures when they decide whether or not to fund and tune-in for any future Olympics that would have only the same location, time after time. Address that point/question??? Live TV is also much about the "setting"!! I have loved many of the Rio setting shown this year on TV. And for London in 2012, the bike racing, etc., through the scenic streets of that historic UK city were wonderful and very memorable.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 215,892 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[UKCruiseJeff]

Terry,

 

I haven't ignored your comments about TV. We have already covered it. Perhaps you forgot, so I'll repeat it.

 

You keep forgetting that change brings change.

 

The TV revenue is there now solely to support and underwrite the capital cost of new scratch build of each new Olympics. As I suggested earlier, a static venue removes the £12bn minimum you need to fund mostly from TV. You only build once, or in the case of Greece a relatively small amount of cash but a considerable amount of cheap labour to renovate the relatively modern Athens site. The funding is therefore replaced by maintenance self funding from different and new and much leaner sources. Year round usage guarantees self-funding and dare I suggest a profitable industry. With respect to corruption, might I suggest that there would be less corruption in mounting a maintenance and renovation project in Athens than there was in building Rio?

 

Jeff

 

PS. Terry, as an aside, if you reply to me, you can say "you said" rather than "Jeff said". This with the capitals and bold makes it feel like you are shouting at me and others in a large political arena from a rostrum rather than replying to a post from little old me. I won't object ... honest! :)

Edited August 20, 2016 by UKCruiseJeff

[TLCOhio]

You keep forgetting that change brings change. Year round usage guarantees self-funding and dare I suggest a profitable industry. Jeff

 

Appreciate Jeff's helpful refreshing of my memory on the year-around potentials, if and if, for his Athens idea. It's possible, maybe. BUT, I just do not believe it would work out as hoped. Honest difference of opinion!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 152,898 views for this posting.