Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Four

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers! The ice is starting to melt from the trees. The driveway is another story completely. Maybe by tomorrow we will be able to leave the house without ice skates.

 

 

Have a great day all!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good Morning all ...

 

Happy packing Spins!

 

M, hope it warms up soon.

 

:)

[spinnaker2]

Hello all!

JP, what a great comparison photo. Reminds me of the work of the photographer who captured pictures of her sisters every year. The changes of aging and gravity were mesmerizing. Your nieces and nephews are just growing up and gravity hasn't yet been a factor in the mix!

 

I have yet to begin packing Jeff. Probably tomorrow. Today is last postop surgical visit and clearance. I did find my two in one parka in the coat closet, which is a fleece that zips into a waterproof shell( has a hood). I am taking that as all of the reports show cold in St. John's.

 

Mysty, hope that the snow is melting. Spring has gotta be here somewhere. My friends in Minnesota have had enough of winter too.

 

Enjoy the day all.

[mysty]

Thanks for the "warm" wishes J and Spins. I bit the bullet and headed out to deal with the skating rink of a driveway. I strapped on my trusty Yaktrax and headed out.

 

 

I grabbed the snow shovel and the ice breaker (a handy tool for ice storms).

 

 

I managed to clear most of it. I'm hoping Mother Nature will pick up the slack! :)

[UKCruiseJeff]

The Times: "The UN is a disgrace next to the Commonwealth"

 

"Worse than this, in a grotesque development Syria will next month assume the presidency of the 65-nation UN Conference on Disarmament, the very body that produced the treaty against chemical weapons that Syria has traduced."

 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-un-is-a-disgrace-next-to-the-commonwealth-0jb5dpwl3?shareToken=9755eaf9bd0c91af1f99cc764c32d201

[mysty]

Thanks for posting that link J! Agree 100% with the analysis! The inmates are running the asylum!

[UKCruiseJeff]

M,

 

It is enormously disheartening that the whole point of the UN has been allowed to implode. It no longer provides any pretence of protection either against conflict or effective aid for natural disasters. It is now just a bloated self-serving gravy-train that has become the first stop excuse for justifying inaction when action is required. I believe The UN actually costs lives.

 

At least The Commonwealth provides a harmless club which preserves a sort of sense of belonging and fraternity linked by a Queen - even if it has no power to do anything.

[mysty]

I much prefer the Commonwealth "Club" to the UN "Pork Barrel".

[rosepark]

Absolutely glorious day here in London, apologies to all who are still under the cosh of Jack Frost. If Jeff is still by the seaside, he will be having a wonderful time on his balcony.

What lovely pictures of the niecphews JP, I hope you'll get another one in 6 years time, the fireplace will look like it is in a dolls' house by then.

I'm not keen on the pre-holiday packing either, Spins, no matter how organised I try to be, I always seem to be packing at 1am of the morning we are due to leave.

We are just over 4 weeks away from our next trip and I have found the packing list but whether it equates in any way to what actually will go into the cases remains to be seen,

On that topic, Miss Sophia, if you would care to join us for a drink or dinner on board, we would be delighted to meet but I quite understand if you prefer to preserve your anonymity.

Rp

[UKCruiseJeff]

Hi, thanks for asking ... but no we returned to sunny Hampshire early Tuesday morning.

 

Enjoy your packing for your upcoming cruise ...

 

Today was an experiment I’d been thinking about which is a sort of beyti/adana doner kebab. It turned out much better than I expected although wifey asked for less heat next time.

 

JP will be pleased to hear it was with sumac amongst many other additions.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers! More snow yesterday and overnight. Not a happy camper!

 

RP....enjoy your lovely weather and have a wonderful cruise!

 

J...that meal looks delish! A very successful experiment obviously! I tracked down Oliver Stone's "Untold History" and am now on episode 5. It is a difficult work to watch.

 

Stumbled across an interesting Opinion piece on the CBC website. Neil Macdonald is an opinion columnist for CBC News, based in Ottawa. Prior to that he was the CBC's Washington correspondent for 12 years, and before that he spent five years reporting from the Middle East.

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/trump-american-values-1.4623564

 

 

Have a great day all!

[UKCruiseJeff]

 

J...that meal looks delish! A very successful experiment obviously! I tracked down Oliver Stone's "Untold History" and am now on episode 5. It is a difficult work to watch.

 

Have a great day all!

 

Hi M,

 

It is extremely difficult viewing. I'm impressed with the high degree of factual comment rather than opinion. For example I had never heard Kruschev's voice before and I didn't realise he was a fluent English speaker and I hadn't realise what a peace seeker he was and how close it was to being achieved with Kennedy. I like that Stone expresses no real opinion although he places the origianl background facts before you with the voices of the people invloved and finishes each episode with leading questions often about what might have been. I hadn't realised how much Russia had sacrificed in WW2 which was shocking and how often they were made extremely important promises about their secuirty that were never kept. I understand better why they feel mistrustful of us. How many understand that they lost at least 20 million people in WW2 and it was them more than many that suffered most and did most. Probably twenty times the number lost by the US and UK combined. We forget quickly that they were allies who we didn't properly support until it was almost too late. We are often taught that it was the Brits and/or Americans that won they war, which is it seems untrue.

 

The more I watch it the more questions seem to emerge. It is an ironic generality that Americans vote in strident Presidents and as those Presidents acquire experience and knowledge, and mellow with age with a better and one might say more colegiate and empathetic perspective about those that had been thought of as enemies they are either assasinated as Kennedy or lose support. One is forced to reavaluate those conspiracy theorises one has long discarded. Some of Kennedy's speeches shortly before his assasination are moving and remarkable as was Roosevelt's and they make one ponder as to how many friends he actually had left within the US. Who kiiled JFK and why?

 

It is also remarkable at how the regular and persistant appointment of business people to government has it seems to me been the major force in shaping American society so differently from say UK society. For example, in comparing universal health care, state pensions, consumer protection, access to law and justice, safety net provisions, social mobility, social unfairness, inclusiveness and tolerance etc. More worryingly is how business people's natural affinity with capitilism has persistently shaped world history and sought conflict towards others that are not capitilists.

 

There is an awful lot more that you're viewing in Stone's programmes and we (wifey and I) think it is the most remarkable piece of historic work we have viewed and she keeps thanking me for suggesting she viewed it as well as she feels that our education was lacking. We must learn from history. :)

 

Oh well .... back to the sun. :)

[spinnaker2]

Hello all.

Its Wednesday.and that means just a few more days until we sail.

Jeff and Mysty. When we went to Russia I did a lot of prep work beforehand. I also did not realize the staggering numbers of losses in the wars. The history of their country is fascinating and riveting. And yes, we never learned that history in school because we were too busy "ducking and covering".

When I think of the times we are in today and how knowledge of history would help us all to understand others,I am greatly saddened that the political bent of the day was apparently what determined our curriculum, slanted, skewed and distorted. I felt so ignorant of other cultures and history. I still do although I try to keep learning. But consider the sources.

I also think of the movie "Wag the Dog".

How many clandestine operations take place that we will never know about, whether driven from our own respective countries with national ramifications and those that take place on foreign soil with international ramifications? Who is really in charge? What drivel are we, the populace, being fed like baby birds, and willingly swallowing it whole and wanting to believe it.

rant over.

[mysty]

I appreciate your rant Spins! Like yours, my experience of history in the classroom was sorely lacking. As I watched the Stone's programs I sat with my jaw hanging open. I had no idea! And thinking of all that went on out of sight or hearing in those days must now be exponentially more dangerous with technical advances allowing for greater intrusion. Scary s**t!

 

Hope your post-op check up and release went well! You must be very anxious to sail away. Hope you get to visit St John's and that the weather is comfortable!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Spins,

 

You have expressed eloquently exactly how we feel. Further it is SO important that these things are discussed rather than be silenced, even in The Cooler, because the more people that reevaluate what they previously considered facts and knowledge the safer we might all be.

 

I was stunned to hear the facts for example behind how the arms race was approved and financed based on so much deceit with respect to the balance of fire power and how easily behind the scenes the use of atomic weapons has been threatened and considered. It is perplexing how we have been made the feel that chemical weapons are more terrible than atomic weapons. The history of how we have so much weaponry is so deeply disturbing and many now feel perhaps not so irrationally they they are less likely to die from old-age as they are from a careless twitter or misunderstanding. Few knew how junior staff had been delegated authority to launch a nuclear attack without recourse to "up the line". At least twice the world has been saved from nuclear war by ordinary Russian military who should have launched nuclear retaliation as a result of misinformation and errors eg Stanislov Petrov and Vasili Arkhipov. in 1962. Every one of us should know their names and celebrate them.

[spinnaker2]

I have a complication from surgery but it will wait until my return from the cruise. Even then I may not proceed with more surgery to correct the issue.

I can live with it unless things deteriorate.

I am not very cavalier with surgery, likely due to my careers.

 

Last minute preparations now.

Must take Eloise to her brother's house! Over an hour away.

A dog vacation for certain, as he pampers her beyond belief.

[mysty]

Sorry to hear about the complication Spins! Hope things improve or at least to not deteriorate. Looking forward to any cruise reports you want or have time to post!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Best wishes Spins.

[Mudhen]

OOOO! Getting to the exciting part, Spins! Can't wait to hear about your adventures....will be tuned in and awaiting!

Sorry to hear about health stuff being less than perfect, but hopefully it won't spoil your trip...

I've ordered excellent weather for your crossing.....cost and arm and a leg, but that's ok!

Have lots of fun!

Linda and John

[Camillus112]

Happy sailing, Spins!! I am sure you will feel better once on board and the crew and friends will make sure you are well and entertained. Looking forward to your postings!!

[MissSophia]

Evening All.......

 

Great family pics JP....enjoy your rest!

 

Spins....sorry to hear of the health issue....I’m sure it won’t spoil your voyage.....hope you have a wonderful time.

 

Rosepark...of course we must meet up on the Spirit, it will be lovely to see you!

 

It’s been a glorious day here such cheering weather....tomorrow I’m booked into the Spa for the morning so very happy days!

😊

[rosepark]

Hope the packing is going well Spins, despite your setback? It sounds like Eloise will be well and truly spoilt, I hope you will be too.

Are the temperatures rising a bit in Canada and North America? We are having summer now, I think, certainly in Southern England. Anyone want to bet that, after this week, it will rain until September?

Miss Sophia, excellent. I have send you a message on CC asking you to be my friend - gosh , that sounds needy- as I thought that might be a better way of dealing with ship-board contact than on this public forum.

I had not heard of the Oliver Stone series, Jeff, I will be asking OH to download it so we can watch some of it on board.

Hope all is well with people otherwise?

Rp

[Camillus112]

It's been a snow day here in Central New York, with temperatures hovering in the low 30's F. Where is Spring hidden? It's past mid April!! We leave on the 30th for Madrid..and the forecast is cooler than average for the time of the year... Missing my Caribbean... So happy for those traveling to warm places!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Good Evening all ...

 

Rp, hope you find Stone rewarding! Not cruise viewing - but certainly wortwhile. Be interested to hear your thoughts when you've finished!

 

Cams, 32c here today and Alexa complained of the heat. Evidently London had the hottest April day since 1949!

[Lois R]

Hello folks, talk about a surprise:)......I just got my silver box........and I don't sail until JULY.......boy, they mailed it out early!

 

JP, the pictures of the kids comparison is so cute:)

 

Mysty and Cam, I hope your weather improves.........

 

Spins, you said you leave tomorrow? Wishing you good health and a BIG BON VOYAGE:D