Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Two

[UKCruiseJeff]

It looked like it might be too much but it wasn't. I grilled 4 whole plaice and made a ... forgive me being imprecise .... a Greek Basil, and Noily, and lemon Hollandaise sauce and some saute with a bottle of Bredon Champers to make up for the terrible champers I served yesterday and binned. We sat out in La Grande Poissonnier for our fishies and wifey enjoyed them and was very gregarious when lubricated by the champers.

 

:)

 

Jeff

 

 

 

 

 

[mysty]

Very interesting Jeff! I grew up in a small French Catholic village and the most "educated" people in the village at the time were the priest, the nuns and the school teachers (who were nuns and lay Catholics). They were not the most tolerant of people even though the main commandment they preached was "Love thy neighbour as thyself". We were taught that having faith meant not questioning. That became more difficult for me as I moved out into the wider world as I'm sure is the case for many people. The rules began to seem hypocritical and so distant from what I understood to have been the initial intent. But guilt was another aspect to the teaching and straying from the rules came with guilt. A very uncomfortable place to sit. And the Church wonders where all the worshippers have gone.

[UKCruiseJeff]

I am not a member of an organized edifice.

If I had to label my belief it would be humanist.

 

I do appreciate this man, the pope, for trying to make changes when he is surrounded by rigidity. He has spoken of always going forward and need for change. He calls for progress within the rule of law and within the context of

justice knowing it is a fluid and dynamic concept.

No one's or no cultures beliefs make them superior to another. He calls for inclusion.

There us so much more to him.

I enjoy listening to him.

He has a spark.

It illuminates him.

 

I agree with everything you say ... and I believe that he has more chance of effecting good than anyone else we have seen. I am just impatient. Not a virtue. But perhaps on reflection it is. :)

 

Jeff

[mysty]

Meal looks delightfully Jeff! YUMMMMMMMM! Love the new lights in La Grande Poissonnier!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Very interesting Jeff! I grew up in a small French Catholic village and the most "educated" people in the village at the time were the priest, the nuns and the school teachers (who were nuns and lay Catholics). They were not the most tolerant of people even though the main commandment they preached was "Love thy neighbour as thyself". We were taught that having faith meant not questioning. That became more difficult for me as I moved out into the wider world as I'm sure is the case for many people. The rules began to seem hypocritical and so distant from what I understood to have been the initial intent. But guilt was another aspect to the teaching and straying from the rules came with guilt. A very uncomfortable place to sit. And the Church wonders where all the worshippers have gone.

 

It is very clever of you to use and nuance the word "educated" because it is of course where ones education comes from. There are many that claim they are Muslims but follow Muslimism and who are "educated" as an example to illustrate the differnce between knowledge and education.

 

I came from a generation of immingrant Jews to the East-end of London and my family are wide spread and largely unknown to me. I value my heritage and consider myself unavoidably Jewish born, but am I a Jew? The God that I know teaches me to argue and question and accept no one that represents his voice unquestioningly. I know this to be true. One of the lovely bit's of Judaism is that (for example) it almost uniquely teaches that it is a sin not to renounce Judaism if in so doing you will lose your life. It is anti-martydom. it teaches "questioning" but at the same time is led by leaders who seems intolerant of "questioning".

 

I was the first generation -in say 5776 years of the Jewish Calender to question whether my God wanted me to mutilate my eldest son with circumcision. There is no health compelling reason. It is a sign of religous devotion. It is made worst because of the 12 tribes I am of the one that is presumed to "know better". What is the dffernce between female mutilation which most find abhorrent and male mutilation. Ironically in the end the deed was eventually done for medical reasons. As a result of my decision out of love and protection and conscience for my children and following the voice of what I considered right rather than the presssure of being told what is right, I lost a fair amount of good will and family. Were they wrong or was i? We atre offered the comfort of definitive doctrine by those that "know" and who seem to have "no doubt|". Doubt is the healthiest thing. Would God want me to not follow my conscience and mutilate my child in order to retain the approval of others? That is where religions and societies go wrong. Doing what your conscience tells you is wrong ... is certainly wrong and leads to bad things.

 

The fish was very good by the way.

 

:)

 

 

Jeff

[UKCruiseJeff]

Meal looks delightfully Jeff! YUMMMMMMMM! Love the new lights in La Grande Poissonnier!

 

I am so glad you notice. There are three. I fitted them myself and there was no blood, ambulances or medical treatment.

 

 

I know it isn't dark, but I just went out and flicked on thje light and took a piccy for you.

 

:)

 

Jeff

 

 

[mysty]

Good Work Jeff! It looks awesome! The metal of the light works beautifully in contrast to the foliage. A decor coup! :)

 

And I do agree about the need to follow your conscience. It speaks with wisdom!

[UKCruiseJeff]

There s something wrong with me M! I love that light. Sad but true.

 

:)

 

Jeff

[mysty]

Nothing wrong with you Jeff! At least not in respect to your love of that light. :)

 

Your story of the choice you made relating to your son and going against the tide relative to your "religion" brought to mind my mother. She was a nurse and spent some of her early employment years working at the Children's Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. She was raised a Catholic and was quite devout (not annoyingly so though). In those years the Catholic Church professed that the souls of all unbaptized children who died went to Limbo (the place between heaven and hell) for eternity. My mother believed that this would be wrong. She decided that she would baptize the poor wee ones who were in danger of dying. Of course, a number of those poor wee ones had Baptist parents who probably would have been horrified if they had known. Mom was following her conscience and I'm sure that "conscience" had been influenced by her religious beliefs. As far as I know, there was never a problem with her "solution". She was a loving woman, a great mom and a wonderful nurse. So how is our conscience developed? I think religion may well contribute something to the sense of right and wrong.

[UKCruiseJeff]

M,

 

I was really moved by your account of your really lovely Mum and what she did. I know that whatever God each of us have, that any true God would be proud of what she did nd know her natural instincts was both loving and rightcheous and represented "his" wishes against the establishment who seek to impose their idea of their silly rules in "his" name.

 

It does seem that what she did was based on a foundation of belief handed to her that God's wishes smashing against what she insitnctively felt right and that was that some children innocently born and having not had a religous service imposed on them in time possibly before their terrible death would be doubly punished for this by both losing their life and be in a state of limbo. She knew this didn't seem right and had a pragmatic solution.

 

No decent rational person (of belief or not) could possibly believe that any God worthy of our votes and support would be so nasty to new born innocent babies who had lost their lives before baptism. Any rational person knows that their God - deserving of their vote and support - would not want us to think that of "him" or have his wishes represented in that way.

 

Therefore, your mother a wonderful and caring person had her own natural instincts subverted by alien doctrine given to her by her church and proably parents, that no rational person of belief could think a benevolent and loving God capable of. This indoctination is supported by a foundation of fear. Ironically the fear of limbo for innocent children being her motivator. It is therefore religion that is the problem and how it misprepesenst what we all know if we question what is good and evil isn't it? Religion basically says do not think for yourself but instead take comfort from what others tell you to think. In other words you need not be responsible for your own actions if someone else (often in facny dress) tells you it is what God wants of you. And if you do not do what you are told you will be punished. That does not seem right to me.

 

The answer to your question is that I think we are all born with conscience until it is interfered with by parenting stemming from religion or nationalism. We all start off innocent and good and are made different and bad by others.

 

Jeff

Edited September 25, 2015 by UKCruiseJeff

[mysty]

That is indeed a perfect answer Jeff! Once again I agree whole-heartedly with your reasoning and analysis! And I think "He" would also agree!

[TLCOhio]

The Vatican Museum was eye-opening in many ways. All that opulence and wealth... I remember thinking - could it have been put to a different use? But opulence is certainly not unique to Catholicism. It will be interesting to see what Pope Francis can accomplish. The 2000-year-old boat is large, and hard to rock! I have friends on all parts of the political spectrum, and the range of their opinions is fascinating.

 

spinnaker2: I am not a member of an organized edifice. If I had to label my belief it would be humanist. I do appreciate this man' date=' the pope, for trying to make changes[/b'] when he is surrounded by rigidity. He has spoken of always going forward and need for change. He calls for progress within the rule of law and within the context of justice knowing it is a fluid and dynamic concept. No one's or no cultures beliefs make them superior to another. He calls for inclusion. There us so much more to him. I enjoy listening to him. He has a spark. It illuminates him.

 

UKCruiseJeff: The answer to your question is that I think we are all born with conscience until it is interfered with by parenting stemming from religion or nationalism. We all start off innocent and good and are made different and bad by others. Jeff

 

Appreciate these above and other insights' date=' comments, opinions and thoughtful considerations. [i']Very enlightening and interesting!![/i]

 

YES, as JP notes, the Vatican Museum is an amazing collection of treasures. We have been there once, plus visiting St. Peters three different times. This church (and many others) were "built to impress". The strategy, in my opinion, is two-fold. Show the power and importance of this church and what it offers as a "future" after we are completed on this earth.

 

On the "opulence" associated with many Italian, Spanish, Greek, etc., churches, their reasoning was explained to me by several tour experts during our Europe travels. And it makes sense!! During much of the "dark ages", life was really, really bad. Terrible in fact!! By having church interiors be so lavish and fancy, it was a way to communicate (and sell) the message of churches and religions as promising a much better "life after" if you were a true follower of the faith. It was a way to sell "hope" in surviving challenging current conditions and promising a better, ultimate future.

 

Although not a Roman Catholic, I agree with Candy's impression for the amazing humanity and positive style of Pope Francis. I also believe that Pope John Paul II had such a type of "special magic", too, in connecting with people and inspiring faith/followers.

 

Visiting many, many churches all over Europe is always fascinating. So much great and amazing architecture, design and construction techniques way before today's modern equipment and techniques.

 

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 186,284 views.

 

 

Here are some of the outside columns and the crowd to hear the Pope. During our 1999 visit to Rome, one of these pictures shows Pope John Paul II addressing the crowd in the Square from his residence window. In this massive square, the setting and audience are large, the window and banner big, the sound system excellent, but the Pope seems "small" compared to everything else that is happening. During these addresses, the Pope will make greetings to various groups that are there from different countries in their native languages . Then, they cheer in response to that "shout out" by the Pope from his window. Very interesting, moving and unique experience for such a Papal address/performance, even for a non-Catholic like me.:

 

 

 

 

 

The Vatican Museum, founded in the early 16th century, is among the greatest museums in the world, displaying works from an immense collection built up by the Roman Catholic Church throughout the centuries This includes including some of the most renowned classical sculptures and masterpieces of Renaissance art. Below includes a sampling from the Raphael rooms, art in the museum and some of the spectacular ceilings.:

 

 

 

 

 

[mysty]

It seems we are in for a treat on Sunday evening. We will get the chance to see a blood moon, super moon and harvest moon at the same time. There will be a lunar eclipse visible if the weather is clear. :)

 

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/weather-looking-good-for-sunday-nights-lunar-eclipse

[lincslady]

It seems we are in for a treat on Sunday evening. We will get the chance to see a blood moon, super moon and harvest moon at the same time. There will be a lunar eclipse visible if the weather is clear. :)

 

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/weather-looking-good-for-sunday-nights-lunar-eclipse

 

Wow mysty - and you might even have beaten the Italians in the Rugby World Cup match by then.:)

[mysty]

Thanks Lola! We came close but no cigar! :)

[mysty]

Well my trusty little app checking flights has flagged another change. Once again Air Canada and once again a change of plane. This change is for the final leg of our return flight and it is a puzzler. They have changed the plane from a A320 to a Boeing 767-300. The latter has pod seating in Business Class for 24 and is the type of plane generally used for international travel not for a domestic flight lasting about 40 minutes. Our seat assignments have not changed and this time our seat assignments of 3A and 3C don't work either. The columns are labelled A, F and K. The upside is that the craft being used has 10 additional Business Class seats. I'm going to give it a few days to see what happens. The flight is not scheduled until the end of April 2016. At least the app let me know what was afoot. Thanks Professor!

[UKCruiseJeff]

Bad news that there has been a further change, but as you say, great news that you have first pickings to recover. Glad the app worked!

 

:)

 

Jef

 

ps plain old "Jeff" will suffice .......;):)

[Mark_K]

It seems we are in for a treat on Sunday evening. We will get the chance to see a blood moon, super moon and harvest moon at the same time. There will be a lunar eclipse visible if the weather is clear. :)

 

 

 

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/weather-looking-good-for-sunday-nights-lunar-eclipse

 

 

Lucky you, our forecast is for mostly to party cloudy. I'll also have to take an extra long nap to stay awake for it.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Lucky you, our forecast is for mostly to party cloudy. I'll also have to take an extra long nap to stay awake for it.

 

Good Morning,

 

We're very lucky here in the UK (.... not far from Stonehenge ....:) ) in that the week in which autumn starts we are having the most wonderful perfect autumnel mornings. Crisp, dew, low clear light ... and I believe we have a few days of it. Was able to sit outside and listen to the quiet yesterday. I do so love autumn.

 

Enjoy your nap ....

 

:)

 

Jeff

 

EDITED: ps ... been meaning to ask ..... does your Crown and Anchor footer relate to a stay in Salisbury when you visited Stonehenge?

Edited September 27, 2015 by UKCruiseJeff

[mysty]

Lucky you, our forecast is for mostly to party cloudy. I'll also have to take an extra long nap to stay awake for it.

Myabe you won't need a nap Mark. This one is relatively early.

 

"From NASA: “Earth’s shadow will begin to dim the moon slightly beginning at 8:11 p.m. (Eastern time). A noticeable shadow will begin to fall on the moon at 9:07 p.m., and the total eclipse will start at 10:11 p.m.”"

 

Hope the weather cooperates for you! :)

[mysty]

If the weather is clear enough I'm going to see what Frances de La Tour can do with the moon. Lots of trees around here so they may pose a bit of a hurdle.

[Mark_K]

Myabe you won't need a nap Mark. This one is relatively early.

 

"From NASA: “Earth’s shadow will begin to dim the moon slightly beginning at 8:11 p.m. (Eastern time). A noticeable shadow will begin to fall on the moon at 9:07 p.m., and the total eclipse will start at 10:11 p.m.”"

 

Hope the weather cooperates for you! :)

 

 

I almost always have a little siesta after lunch, regardless. I thought they said 10:30 for the total eclipse where I live, but I could be mistaken. I usually go to bed around 9:30.

[Mark_K]

Good Morning,

 

We're very lucky here in the UK (.... not far from Stonehenge ....:) ) in that the week in which autumn starts we are having the most wonderful perfect autumnel mornings. Crisp, dew, low clear light ... and I believe we have a few days of it. Was able to sit outside and listen to the quiet yesterday. I do so love autumn.

 

Enjoy your nap ....

 

:)

 

Jeff

 

EDITED: ps ... been meaning to ask ..... does your Crown and Anchor footer relate to a stay in Salisbury when you visited Stonehenge?

 

 

We stayed in London when we visited Stonehenge, and yes, it was prior to a Royal Caribbean cruise, Southampton to Barcelona. If I remember right we stopped in Vigo, Lisbon, Gibraltar, Cagliari. Civitavecchia, Livorno and Villefranche.

[TLCOhio]

For a little Sunday morning "eye-candy", below I have some more visuals from the American fall standard of college football. Yes, for Candy, the University of Michigan did win impressively over 22nd-ranked BYU by a 31-0 score. For us, we were at the number-one-ranked Ohio State hosting Western Michigan. They Buckeyes won 38-12. In November, Ohio State will host the number two-ranked Michigan State Spartan. Then, right after Thanksgiving, will be Ohio State visiting its arch-rival and fast-improving Michigan team. Below is a sampling of the band, Goodyear Blimp, football, etc., action. There was a sell-out crowd of 106,123 fans there with the weather of 72 degrees, cloudy.

 

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 186,357 views.

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

 

 

In front of a crowd of 106,123, here are some samplings from Saturday's Ohio State game. First, you can see the famed Goodyear blimp flying over the horseshoe-shaped Ohio Stadium in this nationally-televised game. Second is the banners and team coming on to the field. Third is OSU Marching Band on the field led by their drum major. Fourth is Ezekiel Elliott running for a major rushing gain. In this game, Zeke (the rushing hero as OSU won the National Championship last season) rushed for 124 yards, averaging a 7.8 yards each carry. He also caught three passes for 29 yards.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In our portion of the stadium, we had a couple of interesting visitors coming up the aisle. First is the Ohio State mascot, Brutus Buckeye. Second is the OSU Marching Band Drum Major. Up close and personal for both!!:

 

 

 

[UKCruiseJeff]