Royal Caribbean Fights Back!

[canucks4]

What would prompt Josh's parents to videotape his interview. If I was totally innocent, it would not even occur to me to grab a video camera and tape my interview. That too is interesting.

 

As far as JHS appearance on Oprah, it was a well-staged event. What surprises me most is that RCI agreed to be on it. If nothing else, it definitely pointed out that the two sides do not agree on what happened during the course of the day.

[bajsf]

what is the name of the *liquor* that they were drinking that is Illegal to buy in the US and the ship does NOT serve. They purchased it overseas..I think it began with an *A*

[wolfganghowell]

RCI probably agreed to be on it since she has been lying about how they handled this from day one. Funny how her story has changed but yet she has never said "I was wrong to say you abandoned me, I was wrong to say I had no money or credit cards." She also denied the fight and now that there are impartial witnesses on record she is forced to do the "I don't remember" routine. She should have admitted initially she didn't remember but was probably not thinking clearly and was afraid to admit it. She is not getting the best ethical, humanitarian advice but is getting advice from anti-cruise line attorneys who smell $$$.

 

I did find her more rational than his family. I'm not agreeing with her attacks on RCI at all - she appears petulant, selfish, spoiled and very naive. I don't think she had anything to do with GS disappearance. I do agree with her that she will be criticized no matter what she does - their behavior has left them wide open to it and while he did not deserve what happened - their lack of control had a direct connection to the tragedy. Also on her demeanor - people are very different. I had a young coworker call me the Tin Man recently because she said I was overly controlled and unemotional. I started in my field very young and had to build up a public persona. I don't consider myself unemotional so I do feel for her on that score - she may be able to hold it together in public out of pride or embarassment at what is known - but she may be crying herself to sleep every night. I'm actually a sentimental softie but I'll never admit it to my clients - my friends and family see the real side. HA

I think it was an accident or I think the young men know what happened - whether accident or foul play. I find it interesting that she avoids the subject and Gail did not push it - if she is so "up " on the case the last to have seen him are of interest. It has been reported that the "Russians" are of interest and Greta got the staff captain to admit that now their stories do not add up.

 

It was interesting to see Goldstein - had never seen him only Fain. I also don't think it was fair to disparage Marie's rank and position - that she wasn't good enough. They provided a high ranking female officer in the belief that a woman would be of more comfort than a male officer. Remember many high ranking officers are fliuent in English but it is a second language to most. I thought RCI did exactly what Goldstein said "They did the best they could under circumstances they had never encountered." They are not law enforcement or forensic experts and they deferred at every turn to the authorities in charge. The Hagels and the Smiths are naive and listening to bad advice to presume the cruise line is at fault with this investigation.

 

climbing off my soap box now.........

[wolfganghowell]

absinthe

[canucks4]

I hope it's a short climb - we might need you again!:D

[BigDave]

what is the name of the *liquor* that they were drinking that is Illegal to buy in the US and the ship does NOT serve. They purchased it overseas..I think it began with an *A*

 

 

Absinthe

 

It contains a hallucinogenic and toxic chemical from wormwood.

 

It was the source of inspiration for many artists and writers of previous centuries, but it was pretty toxic stuff and could mess you up or kill you if it was made wrong or you had too much of it (Excessive use is probably why Van Gogh was such a nut case, and cut off his ear).

 

The kind you can buy nowdays in some coutries either has 1/23 or the stronger stuff 1/8 of the amount of the active ingredient from the 19th century. (Enough so you'll pass out from the alcohol before you start having active hallucinations)

 

Supposedly you can find some made using the old recipies made in the Chech republic some places, but that level is pretty much illegal everywhere else.

[byefairwind]

Absinthe

 

It contains a hallucinogenic and toxic chemical from wormwood.

 

It was the source of inspiration for many artists and writers of previous centuries, but it was pretty toxic stuff and could mess you up or kill you if it was made wrong or you had too much of it (Excessive use is probably why Van Gogh was such a nut case, and cut off his ear).

 

The kind you can buy nowdays in some coutries either has 1/23 or the stronger stuff 1/8 of the amount of the active ingredient from the 19th century. (Enough so you'll pass out from the alcohol before you start having active hallucinations)

 

Supposedly you can find some made using the old recipies made in the Chech republic some places, but that level is pretty much illegal everywhere else.

 

 

The stuff I could find on the net is anywhere from 110 to 160 proof. Needless to say if they were doing shots they would have gone downhill quickly when it hit them.

[bchbms]

I thought it was interesting on Oprah that she also said she 'couldn't remember' what they were drinking. With me, it is either a manhattan, straight up, rocks on the side, a good glass of red, or a Corona on a cruise. I don't experiment or deviate from the norm.

[byefairwind]

I thought it was interesting on Oprah that she also said she 'couldn't remember' what they were drinking. With me, it is either a manhattan, straight up, rocks on the side, a good glass of red, or a Corona on a cruise. I don't experiment or deviate from the norm.

 

I thought that odd too. I always know what hit me. I also don't believe her. She was coached and wants to leave the mickey option open.

[Barefoot_Pirate]

Wolfie, good summary. Absent legal coaching, DW might come across better.

[1corona4u]

Absinthe

 

It contains a hallucinogenic and toxic chemical from wormwood.

 

It was the source of inspiration for many artists and writers of previous centuries, but it was pretty toxic stuff and could mess you up or kill you if it was made wrong or you had too much of it (Excessive use is probably why Van Gogh was such a nut case, and cut off his ear).

 

The kind you can buy nowdays in some coutries either has 1/23 or the stronger stuff 1/8 of the amount of the active ingredient from the 19th century. (Enough so you'll pass out from the alcohol before you start having active hallucinations)

 

Supposedly you can find some made using the old recipies made in the Chech republic some places, but that level is pretty much illegal everywhere else.

 

I posted this weeks ago,(although it's been deleted, due to a rude poster) along with a story about how Van Gogh was addicted to it. Here is the excerpt I thought interesting;

*********************

 

He continued to wander Europe, only this time studying art instead of religion. He found solace for his battered mind in his work -- and other less productive pursuits.

 

 

"If I were to think of and dwell on disastrous possibilities, I could do nothing," he wrote. "I throw myself headlong into my work, and come up again with my studies; if the storm within gets too loud, I take a glass too much to stun myself."

 

The glass in question was often absinthe. Fellow painter Toulouse Latrec painted a portrait of van Gogh sitting with his glass of absinthe. van Gogh himself immortalized the drink in his own work.

 

It's particularly fashionable in medical circles these days to write endlessly about how the effects of absinthe and other commonly abused drugs of the day might have shaped van Gogh's art, for instance by causing him to hallucinate the halos and aurorae that often surround light sources in his paintings.

 

Because, you see, there's no reason van Gogh could possibly have wanted to paint the things he did without some biochemical explanation. Art, as we all know, is primarily chemistry. And don't forget that any pleasant sensations you experience while looking at art are also just chemistry. In fact, you're just having a hypoglycemic episode or a mild seizure. Art is inherently meaningless, God is dead, we're all just robots, kill yourself now.

Anyway, back to van Gogh. Even without a bunch of bored biochemists to depress him, Vincent was having troubles. Since he too much of a buffoon to understand the subtle effects of neurotoxins on his brain, he ridiculously attributed these troubles to his continuing string of spectacular failures in the romance department.

*******************

 

So it CAN mess with your head. It is rumored that he was drinking that when he cut off his earlobe. He killed himself too.........

[FinelyCruising]

I'm anxious to learn if it was really consumed and who brought the bottle.

[stanford's girl]

 

OK, here is the link... let me know what you think her face is telling you...

 

http://1corona4u.smugmug.com/photos/53028844-M.jpg

Have to agree with you. Her face looks like :eek: !!!!

[wolfganghowell]

Thanks pirate and canucks - yes, those of us who have followed this for awhile have a lot to keep track of.

 

According to early reports, the "Russians" supplied the absinthe. It was witnessed by others in the bar area but many of these passengers are keeping quiet now. Probably out of respect for the investigation and to keep out of the media glare and the pit bulls of the Smiths. I would - I would give my statement to authorities and then shut up until the investigation was closed.

 

Her refusal to say what she was drinking is ridiculous. Ask any moron (and I include myself since I've been guilty of it) who overdrinks and they remember EXACTLY what they were drinking. You may lose count, but you know the name of the dog that bit you.

 

Pirate - I agree. I don't think she is "involved." She may have relevant information, she may have suspicions, she may even know what happened. i don't think she is responsible for murder - whether premeditated or accidental. She does not come across as sympathetic to those of us who are familiar with cruising and all that it entails. Doesn't make her loss any less tragic but it also does not entitle her to financial gain when their behavior was a catalyst to what happened. And changing the story and making it even more dramatic (being drugged etc) is reprehensible no matter how you look at it.

 

ok - gotta hit the treadmill and watch some of the stuff from last night!

[budaman]

Since all this is speculation, This is what my imagination has come up with........After kneeing George in the disco, Jennifer leaves and runs into the casino guy...he sees how messed up she is and doesn't want any part of it..she keeps following him until he escapes through the crew door on Deck 9. Jennifer goes back to the cabin. George & the 4 dudes search for a while then go back to the cabin and find Jennifer. Both being under the influence, they get into a fight that the 4 dudes attempt to stop and one of them ends up punching George in the nose. This stops the argument and George goes out on the balcony to chill and the 4 guys leave to go back to their cabin and alls quiet. After they leave, Jennifer checks on George and they start to get into it again and she goes back in and locks the Balcony door with George still outside. He tries to get her to let him in to no avail so he decides to climb over the rail to the balcony next door to see if they will let him in. Being intoxicated, he slips and falls to the canopy below knocking himself out. Hearing the thud, Jennifer goes out on the balcony and sees George on the canopy. She freaks and runs out of the cabin thinking if she can find the casino dude, he can help so she heads to the crew door on the other side of the deck, but can't get anyone to open it and eventually the alchohol, stress, fear, anxiety et all catch up with her and she passes out.

 

Mike

 

www.homepage.mac.com/csealove/

 

Or.......the Smurfs did it!

[stanford's girl]

What would prompt Josh's parents to videotape his interview. If I was totally innocent, it would not even occur to me to grab a video camera and tape my interview. That too is interesting.

If it was my kid and we were in a foreign country and I didn't speak the language, I would tape it also. You never know when they could come back and say that you said such and such. At least by taping it, you would be able to prove them wrong.

[stanford's girl]

Since all this is speculation, This is what my imagination has come up with........

Sounds good to me Mike.:)

[wolfganghowell]

Are the Smurfs before or after the Aliens and Elvis?

[budaman]

Hi there Wolfie! You're doing a heck of a job here:) I'd have to put the Smurfs ahead....I know how ruthless they are. Just haven't figured out how they got from the Rhapsody to the Brilliance:confused:

 

Mike

 

http://www.homepage.mac.com/csealove/

[canucks4]

I have not formally heard that Elvis has left the building so I put him up before Papa Smurf, et al!

 

Budaman - good theory -

 

I just hope some day we actually hear exactly what happened. With our luck the FBI won't detail its findings in the event of a civil suit!

[wolfganghowell]

I remember from my old college psych classes that humor in the face of a tragedy is a coping mechanism. We all agree that what happened was terrible for GS, his family and friends. The humor here in no way trivializes their grief - it's just people being well people.

 

Watched some clips since now Rita and Joe have to show Oprah clips. Was JHS actually smirking when Goldstein addressed her? Man - I can recommend some excellent coaches - hers are not doing a great job. (tongue in cheek)

[kenf333]

It looked like she was yes.

[safein]

Like everyone, I believe that DW knows a lot more than she has admitted. I honestly do not believe a single word she has said. I am wondering if she had been as Budaman said: being somewhere she wasn't supposed to be.

 

Now, if they prove that it was murder and that the Russians did it, I can see one very plausible reason why it could have been a potential robbery gone awry. Being that DH is from Greenwich and the Russians from Brooklyn, NY, then knowing that very rich people live there, DH had money. Of course, DH might not have told them that his parents were small business owners and was more than likely spending more than he was worth. So it could be safe to surmise all they heard was where he was from and decided to relieve him of some cash. When things went awry, they left empty handed.

 

I do think that DH had alcohol poisoning and that's what he died from. If he had been drinking as much as has been suspected, it's very possible. I looked at several websites about it and it does give some creedence to what I am saying.

 

And please stop referring to Dr Lee as "Mr Moto." It's demeaning to us of Chinese descent!

 

Anita

[FinelyCruising]

Re: The Lifeboat Canopy...I am thinking these are not make of painted aluminum. I am thinking they are a type of fiberglass which would be a much harder and more stabile material.

[1corona4u]

Re: The Lifeboat Canopy...I am thinking these are not make of painted aluminum. I am thinking they are a type of fiberglass which would be a much harder and more stabile material.

 

They're steel.