Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome!

[UKCruiseJeff]

My mistake Jeff! I thought the "Where's Waldo?" series of puzzle books were popular everywhere. My son used to love them! And Waldo wore a very distinctive hat! I most certainly did not intend to heap abuse on you! Quite the opposite! I was hoping you had not gone to ground!

 

 

I know I was only jesting. I hadn't intended to return to be honest but you were so friendly ... :D

 

Let me share some recent grub pics and a picture of what won this years "Shed of The Year". If you go the link on the piccy .... have a look at the full set of pictures of what this mine built.

 

I want one.

 

 

[mysty]

The food looks incredible! I am drooling all over myself here. The sheds are also amazing. So creative. The Tardis ones are awesome. :). Dr. Who rules!

[cruisr]

Since this is a water cooler topic I will risk being banned for life by saying it's sad that threads are locked without any explanation by the moderator. I am a member of many forums and CC is the only one that locks and or deletes posts without a word as to why.

[spinnaker2]

I alluded to this earlier in my post.

exactly where is the edge?

[UKCruiseJeff]

Since this is a water cooler topic I will risk being banned for life by saying it's sad that threads are locked without any explanation by the moderator. I am a member of many forums and CC is the only one that locks and or deletes posts without a word as to why.

 

i don't think you will be banned, although protocol (and indeed the rules on most forums) ask that questions about moderation are done in private by personal message / email. It seems reasonable as the discussion itself becomes inevitable contentious and heated and moderation is an art not a science and so whatever you do is likely to please half and annoy half.

 

The types of reasons might be for example if someone makes claims that might be defamatory. Another might be because the thread has run it's course and is going nowhere useful and it's time to draw a line.

 

In the end I feel very strongly as a result of my own efforts with this thread, that if people want a community they must make it, as it doesn't happen by osmosis. Moderators can only delete or adjust threads or posts or in the finality posters, They cannot set the tone of a community. Only we can do that. That is why this week I sort of debated why bothering was worth it. It has to be pleasant or not worth it, doesn't it?

 

What I have learned from this thread is that it is possible to discuss politics and royalty and lots of things. It depends on how you say it not what you say, and how you react to what others say. I have concluded that you should never sanction an opinion, only how it has been stated. If someone intends to purposefully harm or hurt, that should receive sanction from the whole community, with no abstainers. If you don't encourage views that are different, then how does one learn? You should only discourage people seeking to cause hurt.

 

Visitors lurking might conclude that nasty people outnumber nice people, I use to think that as well, I now see it differently, Nasty people are not easily dissuaded from posting nastily. They are determined and will always have the last word. They constantly seek and nurture confrontation. Nice people on the other hand avoid confrontation and back away from sanctioning others. So in the end the majority are shouted down by a nasty noisy minority. The nice people are invisible whilst threads get hijacked by the noisy nasty indulging in recreational nastiness.

 

I conclude therefore that the chances of continuing with a forum that is a nice place to be is very remote, until all the nice people assert themselves.

 

So .... it isn't the moderator that needs to be put under the spotlight it is the failure of all the nice people protecting communities from nasty people and making them feel unwelcome. If we did that we would be self-policed and Moderators would generally have less to do.

 

Do you agree? :)

 

Jeff

[mysty]

Amen to that Jeff! Firmly believe that good should prevail over nasty. Respect is key! Not so much to ask of people really!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Amen to that Jeff! Firmly believe that good should prevail over nasty. Respect is key! Not so much to ask of people really!

 

:)

 

Forums and the like will be become increasingly important for people to converse and mix. There so many that have no other way. to have "company" or find conversation with others. It is so important to ensure it isn't trashed by those that seem intent to.

 

It should not be beyond the grasp of those that claim to be intelligent to simply play nicely.

 

Jeff

[UKCruiseJeff]

Appreciate this excellent link to these various UK media sources. I have bookmarked this web resource. BUT, still interested in Jeff's views for which of these various British media sources do the best job in reporting and covering the many, varied issues there. Tell us more!! Why and how? Clearly I know you are not a fan of the Daily Mail.

 

The questions over the Prince's communications to the PM and government officials got more coverage on American TV this am. Big story on NBC's Today Show this morning. Agree with Jeff that many people only see things in "black versus white" terms, but I am a person who understands about the many "shades of gray" associated with various complex, challenging issues. This NBC report gave the Guardian newspaper big credit for a ten-year battle to gain access to these public documents.

 

Look forward to more pictures from your coastal site. Keep it coming with more details. Hint! Hint!

 

Love the mussels photo. Personally, I like great sauce with the mussels and then being able to use bread to soak up that tasty extra sauce. Best mussels ever for me? At the Half Door Inn in Dingle out on that famed peninsula in the scenic SW coast of Ireland.

 

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 199,114 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

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

 

Terry, sorry I haven't responded to your post earlier. Glad you found the articles and I am happy to provide an opinion to your questions - although it is a complex set of issues.

 

You have said you are more interested in following the Scottish Nationalist Party and that Nigel Farage is irrelevant. It is in my view more the other way around. The SNP can be largely "played" with no real dangers but Farage cannot.

 

Some time ago I found myself in the unlucky position of being cornered by an enthusiastic group of masters and doctorate political science students and found myself being asked if there is anything they can do to hone their political nose skills from what can learned from research and polls. Funnily enough it is an interesting question in our current environment of all our UK polls failing to predict the outcome of our election. As you may recall I bet a small wager on a Conservative majority. People thought me barmy. I did the samke if you search earlier on the Scottish Nationalism outcome and from memroy got to within 0.2% in my predictionm. The reasons why the pollsters got the General Election wrong is the topic for another debate but none of them have hit on the actual reason imho becasue often the simplest of reasons are never really noticed.

 

When talking to the political science group, many of which will sadly move straight into Westminster slots without any real life experience and within a short time become unworldly but influential advisers I suggested they focusses on Jeff's theory of "what may happen as a result of the unintended consequences of apparently unrelated and disparate but currently almost invisible but rapidly and invisibly converging trends, and how they might meet together and start a completely unexpected and therefore unpredicted domino effect". Phew ... you will say - that's a bleedin' mouthfull. But it's worth while hanging on in and thinking about it because within it lies all the nuggets of a better political crystal ball.Everything in politics seems unexpected but not all of it need be.

 

What has this to do with Nigel Farage?

 

As you have seen, he is currently increasing as an object of some hatred, and is sidelined by most. But let us revisit some context. He is a one man band with largely a single trick. That trick is that membership of the EU has brought with it undemocratic interference and unwanted access to our country (and it's benefits) by an unlimited amount of EU immigrants who can come here without restriction. As a side positioning let me remind you this is something no American would likely find palatable.

 

Nearly 3.9 million British citizens voted in support of those narrow very concerns ie voted UKIP. He has 1 MP. That was 13% of the British electorate. The SNP has 1.4m voters ie 4.9% of the British voters voting for them and has 56 seats. The same voters presumably voted for them in the Scottish Parliamentary elections and have 64 MSPS. So they have 120 total MPs for a small percentage of Nigel's personal vote. And many of those in the General Election was a protest against the Labour party and are not for Scottish Independence.

 

You also need to understand that there is general and considerable alarm at the SNPs behaviour. We had them behaving very disrespectfully and arrogantly over the last week in The House. It is also important to remember that the SNP are against being governed by Westminster but are for being governed by Brussels. How sustainable is that bit of ill-logic?

 

I've shared this article from The Times for you to read:

Sturgeon is like Mugabe, says Sam stepfather

 

What is in my view (go back to my statement to the students ...) is that out leader will not be able to sustain any real change in our relationship with the EU and will mount an early referendum whilst in his "honeymoon" period and say "trust me .... this will end well". Also, Cameron's solution to this appears to be to try and secure back our rights over the level of benefits paid to immigrants. This however is unlikely to provide total satisfaction to the majority who it is my instinct simply wish to stop unfettered immigration. It is more than just the benefits. They want their country back. Farage will bring a degree of clarity to his arguments and the referendum might go against the government.

 

I've shared this article from The Times for you to read:

 

Get a Grip

 

This might trigger the domino effect. The Greeks will by then have defaulted and past a state of return and a bandage approach to sustain their economy might have been cobbled together. Or they might have left. The major losers who are currently subsiding much of Southern EU are the Germans. They are getting increasingly hacked off.

 

You also need to understand that we were promised a referendum in 2006 and we were cheated. You also need to remember that in 2005 there were several member states used or intended to use referendums to ratify the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe (TCE) and that the French voted against by 55% and The Netherlands 62% against.

 

The public of Europe are in my view getting increasingly angry with the EU experiment. In what you may have therefore overlooked is that Farage may be currently the most potentially influential voice on the future of the whole of the EU. When we get to the referendum it is his voice of doubt that will sway at least 4m UK people. The SNP will support staying in and lose some of their vote. It will be close but it is currently more likely to be a vote for "out". This might start the domino of the rest of EU citizens also seeking a say, and by now they might be picking up the tabs for more states than just Greece. And this is against the background of an increasing swing to the extreme right in many EU countries.

 

You may not have seen his "Who the Hell you think you are" speech at the EU

 

 

Farage may be the butterflies wings that triggers the hurricane in Europe.

 

The free daily DT bulletin I recommended focusesses on these trends for these reasons.

 

Jeff

 

...ps apologies for the uncorrected typos and gramatics :)

[UKCruiseJeff]

JP,

 

You previously asked about my Singapore Chilli Shrimp. Here's a piccy ... ask anything of interest ...

 

[specialcruisegirl]

Good Day All.....good to see you back on the soap box Jeffers....I can see you at Speakers Corner any day now..;)

 

So..what do you throw into those delish looking chilli shrimps....I actually prefer them Spanish style with garlic and olive oil...but damned if l can get them to taste the same as the offerings in Spain.. whatever l do! :rolleyes:

 

Fillets of plaice for luncheon today with mushy peas and chips....then to really christen the new cooking gear a whole leg of lamb for tomorrow's roast.....:D

 

Happy Whitsun.....

 

Sophia :)

[jpalbny]

Jeff, the shrimp do look delicious! One of my favorite recipes is grilled shrimp with / in a charmoulah sauce that takes red peppers, olive oil, paprika, garlic, and cilantro. The sauce cooks on the grill alongside the shrimp, and after the shrimp cook most of the way, I finish cooking them in the sauce... Add a squeeze of lemon at the end to brighten them up and serve over rice.

 

Share a recipe for the Singapore Chili shrimp?

 

Sophia, I have a recipe for those Spanish style (pil-pil) shrimp that isn't half-bad. In a nutshell, marinate the peeled shrimp in minced or grated garlic with a little salt first. Cook some crushed garlic cloves in olive oil over low heat to infuse more garlic flavor into the oil. Remove the crushed garlic, add a chile of your liking, and lots of sliced garlic, cook a few minutes, the add the shrimp and cook. Once all cooked, add a splash of sherry vinegar, boil it off for a few seconds, and serve with crusty bread (and lots of wine).

 

While it's not as easy as ordering in a Tapas Bar in Barcelona, it's pretty tasty. And all of the extra steps do give it a lot of nice garlic flavor... The finer you chop garlic, the more intense the flavor, so I use a microplane grater to go all out. Luckily, we both really like garlic, so not a problem in our house!

[spinnaker2]

shrimp look good.

It's Memorial Day weekend here, so lots of people will be getting together to barbecue.

Mustn't forget the reason for the day is to honor those who served in our country's armed forces and died in their service to our country. Officially the day of observance is Monday.

When I was a kid we had a huge parade, there was lots of red, white and blue bunting, we decorated our bicycles with bunting and flags and rode in the parade. Later, as a Girl Scout I participated in placing flags on the graves of the soldiers in the small cemetery in our town. There was also a wreath placed at the flagpole, all done by an honor guard.

Later in the day the town, which was very small, one square mile, all came out for a chicken cookout, barbecue picnic held on the atheletic field surrounding the school. I recall the feeling of patriotism, camaraderie and celebration. The day ended with fireworks to commemorate and remember those who gave their lives in service.

Of course I was young and innocent.

I look back now and realize just how naive I was and it wasn't until later that I truly appreciated the sacrifice made by those men and women and their families.

Edited May 23, 2015 by spinnaker2
Typo

[cruisr]

I agree the food does look amazing. I do take issue with tomato sauce on chips LOL. Fish and chips and mushy peas go best with malt vinegar. I think I have an aversion to tomato sauce as my Dad would put it on everything, including bread and gravy.

[spinnaker2]

when somone creates an alarmist post, it's like yelling fire in a crowded theatre, we have a knee jerk response, which is to get out. Some will try to get out in an orderly and calm fashion, others may rush the exits and hurt others in the process, intentionally or unintentionally.

When the event is over, it will be analyzed and discussions may or may not ensue as to the cause of the event and the reactions of those in the theatre and so forth. These analyses are vital, because no one wants a similar event to occur. The event will be dissected, as will the response and the aftermath.

The stark reality is that if someone yells fire and there is no fire, they have incited a riot or worse.

Certain recent posts have been particularly troubling to me. Enough for me to lose what precious sleep I am afforded.

I fear that acceptance of what is posted at face value will become de rigeur.

If a post is so chock full of holes that it makes Swiss cheese look like a slab of cheddar, then I hope it will be examined for what it is, coupled with the facts as developed.

I understand and respect those who post, their individual perceptions are what they have experienced and unique to them.

I am not suggesting we question the feelings of others or their emotional response, however I do hope that the ability to critically evaluate a post and respond in kind, will not be snuffed out.

Rant over.

[TLCOhio]

Terry, sorry I haven't responded to your post earlier. Glad you found the articles and I am happy to provide an opinion to your questions - although it is a complex set of issues. The public of Europe are in my view getting increasingly angry with the EU experiment. In what you may have therefore overlooked is that Farage may be currently the most potentially influential voice on the future of the whole of the EU. Jeff

 

Appreciate, Jeff, all of this great info and insights on the Euro, SNP, etc., etc. Great background!! Very helpful. Loved the shrimp dish! It looked wonderful and I am sure its taste was super.

 

Yes, as Candy noted, it's the Memorial Day weekend here in the USA. Got lots of outdoor, lawn, flower, etc., projects to get done to be ready for the summer season. Have visitors from Colorado arriving in a couple weeks and we need things to be looking good!!

 

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 199,329 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]

when somone creates an alarmist post, it's like yelling fire in a crowded theatre, we have a knee jerk response, which is to get out. Some will try to get out in an orderly and calm fashion, others may rush the exits and hurt others in the process, intentionally or unintentionally.

When the event is over, it will be analyzed and discussions may or may not ensue as to the cause of the event and the reactions of those in the theatre and so forth. These analyses are vital, because no one wants a similar event to occur. The event will be dissected, as will the response and the aftermath.

The stark reality is that if someone yells fire and there is no fire, they have incited a riot or worse.

Certain recent posts have been particularly troubling to me. Enough for me to lose what precious sleep I am afforded.

I fear that acceptance of what is posted at face value will become de rigeur.

If a post is so chock full of holes that it makes Swiss cheese look like a slab of cheddar, then I hope it will be examined for what it is, coupled with the facts as developed.

I understand and respect those who post, their individual perceptions are what they have experienced and unique to them.

I am not suggesting we question the feelings of others or their emotional response, however I do hope that the ability to critically evaluate a post and respond in kind, will not be snuffed out.

Rant over.

 

 

I don't see a rant at all in your post. I see a decent person with genuine concern, and you wished to know more.

 

However, I do not think the OP in question came here with the intention of getting into the degree of analysis some needed for their various needs. Some of those "needs" was to be helpful or understand and were poswitive and others was pure malice.

 

That OP however was faced with what appeared to be a morass that was difficult to penetrate. I don't think they wanted to be interrogated. You may think they were obligated to supply answers to all questions. I think in their circumstances I understand why they responded as they did.

 

On the other thread one psoter said there was no detail. I thought the agent provided a very detailed account. I thought there was enough really to understand and sympathise.

 

Jeff

 

:)

[UKCruiseJeff]

To answer the burning question of the Singapore Chill Prawn / Shrimp.

 

I am excpetionally proud of this meal. Partly because how it came about.

 

Firstly the signature dish of Singapore is the Chilli Crab with some other sophisticats going for the more cultured Black Pepper Crab or if you really want to show off the White Pepper Crab. I always felt however that if you had gone to the trouble of finding a really good high quality freshly depatched crab why obliterate the taste of the wonderful crabbyness with overpowering chilli. I want to taste the sea. So, I ... sir ... on behalf of Colin and Charlotte the Crabs .... object.

 

So this got me thinking about the substitutes and I felt that very large shrimp or prawn was the right thing, partly because I see it as something you can put in front of a few people and share together all using the same bowl as in the picture. You can get your fingers mucky, lick your fingers and of course dip some bread or flatbread into the sauce.

 

On one of my visits to the kitchen at the hotel in Singapore to see my good friend who runs it we were talking about this issue and he is known as being the master of the Singapore Chilli Crab .... and to be fair .... they all think they are. :rolleyes:

 

I asked him how he made the sauce and he told me and it is a long process which means they always have to keep some on the go. The key thing was the tomato base. When I heard how he prepares it .... I knew I could make a better one. So the following day after a touch of shopping - I did. He tasted it and he said grudgingly and somewhat in shock that my one was much better than his. Sadly .... and now the great reveal .... this is what I did.

 

I fried the prawns in some very hot shallow oil until pink and cooked and charred. I fried some garlic, ginger and chilli pastes in the remaining oil and threw some sliced red chillis on top. I then up-ended a can of Heinz Cream of Tomato Sauce into the pastes and reduced until thicker. I added some decent butter. Return the prawns and eat. Sticky fingers.

 

I had worked out that the chef had spent days making something very close to Cream of Tomato Sauce but the soup was much more sophisticated. From then on he used my recipe.

 

My confession is over.

 

Jeff

 

:)

[UKCruiseJeff]

I agree the food does look amazing. I do take issue with tomato sauce on chips LOL. Fish and chips and mushy peas go best with malt vinegar. I think I have an aversion to tomato sauce as my Dad would put it on everything, including bread and gravy.

 

 

I don't know if you are in the UK, but I discovered something that as Michael Caine would say .... "not many people know".

 

There is as you will know tomato ketchup and tomato ketchup the main brands being Heinz. We have a standard sauce and and organic version. But not many people notice that not only is the organic better for natural reasons but it has 180gms of tomato per 100 gms of ketcup as against 148gms of tomato per 100 gms of ketchup in the normal version.

 

It is lovely. Try it!

 

Jeff

 

:)

[spinnaker2]

Jeff,

we can always agree to disagree.

I guess I am less empathetic when I feel that I am being hoodwinked or being fed a load of bulldust. Maybe I am just out of tea and crumpet hand holding for certain handwringers.

I didn't mean to be cryptic, but I was also referring to a post which reported events which were seemingly unconscionable and shocking. I am unsure if the post was selfpromotion or lack of factual information, but it was summarily removed.

let's go back to food.

[cruisr]

I don't know if you are in the UK, but I discovered something that as Michael Caine would say .... "not many people know".

 

There is as you will know tomato ketchup and tomato ketchup the main brands being Heinz. We have a standard sauce and and organic version. But not many people notice that not only is the organic better for natural reasons but it has 180gms of tomato per 100 gms of ketcup as against 148gms of tomato per 100 gms of ketchup in the normal version.

 

It is lovely. Try it!

 

Jeff

 

:)

 

Thanks I will try it. Availabke in Tesco or Waitrose?

[specialcruisegirl]

JP...thanks for that recipe, I'll give it another try. The best ever pil pil I had was in a small back street restaurant in Alicante run by husband and wife...they also produced the best ever Paella...keep promising my self I'll go back for a long weekend...most people only see it as the gateway to Benidorm :eek: but it's a lovely place to wander round.

 

Sophia :)

[specialcruisegirl]

I don't know if you are in the UK, but I discovered something that as Michael Caine would say .... "not many people know".

 

There is as you will know tomato ketchup and tomato ketchup the main brands being Heinz. We have a standard sauce and and organic version. But not many people notice that not only is the organic better for natural reasons but it has 180gms of tomato per 100 gms of ketcup as against 148gms of tomato per 100 gms of ketchup in the normal version.

 

It is lovely. Try it!

 

Jeff

 

:)

 

I always use the organic one, much better and more subtle....and I'm not a huge fan of tomato ketchup!! S:)

[UKCruiseJeff]

A very strong throng is congegating in Vienna's Rathausplatz in preperation for tonights Eurovision Song Contest.

 

http://webcam.anw.at/

 

It's going to be a great atmosphere ... however poor both the music and the voting ...

 

:)

[Mr Luxury]

A very strong throng is congegating in Vienna's Rathausplatz in preperation for tonights Eurovision Song Contest.

 

http://webcam.anw.at/

 

It's going to be a great atmosphere ... however poor both the music and the voting ...

 

:)

 

Yes Jeff you're probably right but I am optimistic as it is in Vienna and hope that we might get some points this year.

The opening ceremony was good this year.

[Joc123]

We (Australia) have an entry this year - Guy Sebastian. How and why did this happen? I hope it means we are now part of Europe, and we will no longer have to to line up in the Alien queue when we arrive at Heathrow!!! I have never really known much about the event (only that ABBA won it one year). From what I have seen so far, I don't think I have missed much.