Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Five

[zqtchas]

[mysty]

[TLCOhio]

As a jealous jab to friends enjoying the Florida sun and warmth, here is a follow-up to what was predicted for bad winter storms hitting the Midwest, East Coast and New England.  

 

From the Daily Mail this morning, you can see below part of their top U.S.  headline: “NYC, New Jersey and Philadelphia declare state of emergencies ” with these story highlights: “New York City, New Jersey and Philadelphia have declared state of emergencies and canceled thousands of flights as winter storm Orlena hits the Northeast and threatens to bring up to two feet of snow in the region after leaving a trail of destruction across the country.   More than 100 million people from the Midwest to the Northeast received winter weather warnings in anticipation of the powerful nor’easter.  By Sunday evening the powerful storm dumped about eight inches of snow in parts of Chicago and three to five inches in central Ohio.”

 

Good luck to all in those affected areas!!  We are surviving here in Central Ohio.  Tomorrow, AccuWeather says we will have a high of 25F, but it will feel like it is a high of only 13F.  Cold, but pretty with snow coverings.  Fortunately, we do not to be out and about during the next couple of days.  

 

Full story at:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9208673/New-York-City-New-Jersey-declare-states-emergency-Winter-Storm-Orlena-hits-East-Coast.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 241,299 views.

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

 

Below is a screen shot from the Daily Mail this am about the major storm hitting a large portion of the U.S.  Second is the 8 am weather radar look from AccuWeather.  YES, this storm is for real and happening right now!!:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

 

[rucrazy]

Mother Nature doesn't play!

Be Safe.

 

Joseph

[TLCOhio]

2 hours ago, rucrazy said:

Mother Nature doesn't play!  Be Safe.   Joseph

 

Happy February!  Maybe only two months away from Spring weather relief?

 

Below is the latest from the NY Mayor as to what is coming there in the Big Apple.  This is from th NY Post.  See more details at:  

https://nypost.com/2021/02/01/snowfall-rate-will-be-2-to-4-inches-per-hour-bill-de-blasio/

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

 

[rucrazy]

Before the pollution was known about who remembers/admits to eating ice cycles that formed and were hanging from the house and making snow into ice-cream with vanilla 😁 child hood remembrances. You can't go home again.....

Joseph

[FlyingScotSailors]

@jpalbny, we have occasionally looked at the Fred the Butcher web site but we have never shopped there.

 

Do you have a good fish market to recommend?  Ann's birthday is on the 11th, and we would like something for dinner even more wonderful than the food she (and even I, occasionally) make.

 

We have been remiss on our gin updates.  We have been drinking Gray Whale Gin from California, made with local botanicals.  It was suggested by our daugther who lives in California.  Very nice.  Also, we have been making martinis with Blanco vermouth, rather than Extra Dry; sweeter and perhaps smoother.

 

On the weather front, no snow here yet.  The latest forecast is for 4 to 8 inches.  Check this space on Wednesday for actual totals. 😜

[Lois R]

Hoping all of you who are going to be any part of that NE snowstorm will stay safe!   It looks

like it is going to be a monster of a storm😮

 

[mysty]

To be clear at the outset...this post is NOT directed at anyone in particular!    And I apologize in advance if I ruffle anyone's feathers.  As I age and get crochety I am having difficulty dealing with the new style of "news reporting".  It seems to have strayed off the course of simply reporting facts into the entertainment realm of attracting eyes.  One of the most dangerous effects of this is "Fear Porn".  Fear Porn is defined as "Media content that deliberately and enticingly plays on people's fears about disaster, disease and death. Currently used in relation to some Covid reporting."  This definition is pending approval with Collins Dictionary.  In the old days, news anchors reported the facts of the story without editorializing.  And if the report was found to be misleading there was a correction or a retraction.  That is not what is happening these days.  There is enough real news to be concerned about these days without stoking the flames of fear!  I'll get off my soapbox now!  

[Lois R]

Hi, I was watching the news and not sure if any of you heard but Tony Bennett has

Alzheimer's.  He has had it for nearly 4 years and he is quite lucky he has a very loving

family.  His wife said he still loves music🙂.

They gave an interview to AARP----here is a link:

https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/celebrities/info-2021/tony-bennett-alzheimers.html

[FlyingScotSailors]

Mysty, we agree with you about the "news".  It may also have to do with the "news cycle", which seems to mean they have to constantly present "new" news, even when nothing new is known.

 

1 hour ago, mysty said:

I'll get off my soapbox now!  

Please wait until it stops!

[QueSeraSera]

5 minutes ago, FlyingScotSailors said:

Mysty, we agree with you about the "news".

Us too.  There should be some requirement that news presented is factual, not slanted left or right.  Sounds like censorship I suppose but who really thinks demonstrable lies are protected speech?  Doesn't Walter Cronkite have a daughter or son somewhere?

[mysty]

13 minutes ago, FlyingScotSailors said:

Mysty, we agree with you about the "news".  It may also have to do with the "news cycle", which seems to mean they have to constantly present "new" news, even when nothing new is known.

 

Please wait until it stops!

 

4 minutes ago, QueSeraSera said:

Us too.  There should be some requirement that news presented is factual, not slanted left or right.  Sounds like censorship I suppose but who really thinks demonstrable lies are protected speech?  Doesn't Walter Cronkite have a daughter or son somewhere?

 

 

Thanks FlyingScotSailors and QueSeraSera!   You both make excellent points!  It feels like we are screaming into the void at this point!  The ability to think critically is becoming a rare skill these days and the media seems to be exploiting that!  That's the shameful thing for me! 

[jpalbny]

7 hours ago, FlyingScotSailors said:

@jpalbny, we have occasionally looked at the Fred the Butcher web site but we have never shopped there.

 

Do you have a good fish market to recommend?  Ann's birthday is on the 11th, and we would like something for dinner even more wonderful than the food she (and even I, occasionally) make.

 

We have been remiss on our gin updates.  We have been drinking Gray Whale Gin from California, made with local botanicals.  It was suggested by our daugther who lives in California.  Very nice.  Also, we have been making martinis with Blanco vermouth, rather than Extra Dry; sweeter and perhaps smoother.

 

On the weather front, no snow here yet.  The latest forecast is for 4 to 8 inches.  Check this space on Wednesday for actual totals. 😜

 

 

Hi! Glad to see you back on the boards - have missed our local contingent. 

 

Unfortunately Albany seems to be quite a "fish desert" these days. Since the original Two Cousins closed down a number of years ago, I cannot find decent fish anywhere on a regular basis. We have taken to ordering it a bunch at a time from a place in Alaska. I use Kasilof Seafoods, after a friend recommended it. Pricey but good stuff. Everything else in the area is hit or miss. Very disappointing! I hardly ever bother with the fish counter at Price Chopper. Ick. Frozen shrimp gets old after a while.

 

Fred the Butcher is definitely worth trying. We are hooked on their 2-pound cowboy steaks that are about 1.5 inches thick, well-marbled, and taste amazing. About 2m30 on each side, then trim them in half and sear the inside, and they are perfect. We got a fantastic piece of Faroese Salmon from them last weekend and it was just delicious. Their Kielbasa is almost as good as the "real" Ukrainian Kobasa (not to start a Polish-Ukrainian war, but facts are facts...), and their Kabanos is a fair imitation of the real thing. But the best part of Fred's is their veal. They have great veal chops (over a pound each) and tons of scallopini. Price Chopper's paltry selection pales in comparison.

 

We found some Hendrick's Lunar Gin at Exit 9 last week and bought it in preparation for the Full Moon. Really tasty. It goes well with Elderflower tonic. Speaking of which, I'm down to my last 4-pack so time to order more on Amazon. Tonight I'm keeping it simple for our after-dinner quaff. Broker's London Dry Gin with Fever Tree Indian Tonic and a squeeze of fresh Meyer Lemon (from our tree) and a lime twist as well. Classic combinations are classic for a reason. Very refreshing after my long run today after work...

 

Yes, we have been exercising a lot this winter, as there is nothing else to do other than work. Our treadmill has lots of nice programs where you can walk or run in many different locations around the world. It's both fun, and sad, at the same time. Today I did a really nice (but long) run through the outskirts of Hanga Roa - the main town on Rapa Nui. On the one hand, it was great to "see" it again, as I've walked that very path and I remembered so much from being there in person. But it made me sad that I can't travel any time in the near future. It's really getting to us. There is another program that takes you on walks through the Serengeti. I've done a few and it just makes me sad that we can't go back there any time soon.

 

Today I cooked some short ribs that I got from Fred. They were cut "flanken style" - thin, against the grain. I put a spice rub on them with brown sugar, salt/pepper, paprika, chile powder, garlic salt, and oregano, then let them sit while I did my run. Just a quick sear in the grill pan (too cold for a real grill session) and they were done. So tasty! Served with rice and green beans (stir-fried and covered with pan juices from the short ribs).

 

 

We shall see what this winter storm brings. The morning commute was uglier than I had expected, with snow squalls and some of the stuff sticking to the roads. Coming home wasn't too bad. Tomorrow may be no fun at all. Luckily Chris's car has new snow tires and it's fun to drive in any kind of conditions. I might "have to" borrow it tomorrow... 😉

 

Edited February 2, 2021 by jpalbny

[johng75370]

The choice of media also is to blame - TV is an entertainment medium.  I read a long time ago:  average evening news program script would fill only half a newspaper page.  To me news from newspaper vs TV vs internet provides three completely different types of “news”.  Tip of the hat to the great Marshall McLuhan; we need more Canadians like him (and Mysty) to make the world right.  

[mysty]

10 minutes ago, johng75370 said:

The choice of media also is to blame - TV is an entertainment medium.  I read a long time ago:  average evening news program script would fill only half a newspaper page.  To me news from newspaper vs TV vs internet provides three completely different types of “news”.  Tip of the hat to the great Marshall McLuhan; we need more Canadians like him (and Mysty) to make the world right.  

 

Another good point johng75370!  And also thanks for your kind mention!  It again speaks to critical thinking in terms of the choice of news source and credibility of such!

[Host Jazzbeau]

This isn't new.  It goes back at least to Eric the Red:

 

[mysty]

15 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

This isn't new.  It goes back at least to Eric the Red:

 

 

Trying to keep us real Jazz?  😁  It may not be new but it is insidious these days.   And thanks for the giggle!

[zqtchas]

or otherwise

[mysty]

2 minutes ago, zqtchas said:

or otherwise

 

Nice touch Chas! 😁

[QueSeraSera]

29 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

This isn't new

But a lot of things about the news on TV/computer are new.  Cable & the internet.  Multiple "news" channels that compete to best meet the expectations of their left or right audience. 

Maybe I just need the right meds...   I do want to be happy!

[zqtchas]

14 minutes ago, QueSeraSera said:

But a lot of things about the news on TV/computer are new.  Cable & the internet.  Multiple "news" channels that compete to best meet the expectations of their left or right audience. 

Maybe I just need the right meds...   I do want to be happy!

It seems the people who are unhappy don't want the ones around them to be happy!

ie: misery loves company.

PS: don't take the bait!!

Edited February 2, 2021 by zqtchas

[mysty]

1 minute ago, QueSeraSera said:

But a lot of things about the news on TV/computer are new.  Cable & the internet.  Multiple "news" channels that compete to best meet the expectations of their left or right audience. 

Maybe I just need the right meds...   I do want to be happy!

 

Que I was torn between "like" and "ha ha" for your post.  😁  I agree with your first point!  And Chas may be on to something with his post and your second point.   My hope is that eventually people will start to question news reporting and vote with their clicks for something that offers unbiased,  credible news as opposed to entertainment. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

8 minutes ago, QueSeraSera said:

But a lot of things about the news on TV/computer are new.  Cable & the internet.  Multiple "news" channels that compete to best meet the expectations of their left or right audience. 

Maybe I just need the right meds...   I do want to be happy!

 

No need for meds.  Just unplug from TV, cable and internet news.  As a friend's grandmother explained why she didn't watch the news:  "It's the same things, they just happen to different people."

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Today's funny.....Canadian Calendar

 

 

Have a great safe fun day all!