Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Five

[TLCOhio]

On 1/31/2019 at 12:55 PM, UKCruiseJeff said:

We came back with over four hours of 4K video which there was around two hours of good edited flim from Singapore.  We are delighted to have made the move to the Osmo Pocket and have only a couple of dozen JPEGs.  The combination of very stable 4K content with sound is great.  

 

Yes, those Osmo products are super fun and stable.  A year ago in Vietnam and Cambodia, I got some amazing video using their device with my iPhone while riding on an ox cart, in Tuk-Tuk's, riding on boats on the Mekong River, etc.  Really fun and smooth to travel along those streets and areas with such a device to capture the great memories. 

 

Now getting ready to fly back tomorrow from Florida to Central Ohio.  Below is a visual summary for what we missed today there with 5-6" of snow.  Plus missing the sub-zero Arctic Vortex on Tuesday through Thursday. 

 

Thanks!  Enjoy.  Terry in Ohio

 

SE Asia/Mekong River, Etc.!  Live/blog from early 2018, first adventure through SE Asia, stops in Hong Kong and Bangkok, before exploring all over Vietnam and Cambodia, seven days sailing on the Mekong River. Now at 43,088 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2591474

 

From AccuWeather here is the graphic for the snow storm that hit part of the Midwest and East Coast.  First the COLD and then the snow.  Glad to have escaped this mess by being in the Florida Keys.:

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

 

From the Florida Keys Coral Reefs, third largest in the world, below are a couple samples for what we saw on Thursday.  Also shown are a couple different visuals during the Thursday sunset from this scenic region.:

 

 

 

[Daveywavey70]

On 1/31/2019 at 5:55 PM, UKCruiseJeff said:

Nice food JP.

 

 Good luck to Chris with the piccies.  We came back with over four hours of 4K video which there was around two hours of good edited flim from Singapore.  We are delighted to have made the move to the Osmo Pocket and have only a couple of dozen JPEGs.  The combination of very stable 4K content with sound is great.  

 

‘How are you finding the Osmo Pocket Jeff?  Had mine a couple of weeks now and still getting used to it. Find the small screen fiddly with my big sausage fingers and don’t like using the phone attached as it is unstable. Just waiting for a bracket that attaches my phone onto the 1/4” screw and supports the Osmo on the side. Hopefully that will sort it. Quality seems excellent though. Panaromic are excellent quality but angles rather strange on the 9 shot mode. Attached a couple of pics from experimenting, one at 180 pano 4 shots and one at 9 shots. 

[UKCruiseJeff]

16 minutes ago, Daveywavey70 said:

 

‘How are you finding the Osmo Pocket Jeff?  Had mine a couple of weeks now and still getting used to it. Find the small screen fiddly with my big sausage fingers and don’t like using the phone attached as it is unstable. Just waiting for a bracket that attaches my phone onto the 1/4” screw and supports the Osmo on the side. Hopefully that will sort it. Quality seems excellent though. Panaromic are excellent quality but angles rather strange on the 9 shot mode. Attached a couple of pics from experimenting, one at 180 pano 4 shots and one at 9 shots. 

 

 

 

Hi Dave,

 

Well it was a bit of a nail-biter at first because as you know the camera is a brand new invention and was only launched late November and deliveries started at around Christmas so I was rather hoping to play with it more before we flew to Singapore in the first week in January. 

 

Hopefully you will be aware that new firmware was released a couple of days back which offers full Pro mode within the camera with no need for the phone.  We have been getting extraordinary video from it.  In Singapore it was all shot at 4k 25 or 50 but as I understand it it records at 100fps.  The files have been gigantic but I took a few 256gb cards and I was pleased I did.  I've been editing using Elements and uploading to Youtube and once rendered they look stunning. 

 

The great thing is that unlike my Sony it doesn't get hot and want a rest after a few minutes.  Our walk-thru in Chinatown for example was around 40 minutes in one shot alone. The camera is absolutely stunning and the fact that it is genuinely a pocket camera with stunning 4K is a neat fit with the Sony camera and the new Sony TV.   I took with me a power bank because I thought we may run out of juice during the day but in fact I never needed it. I hadn't realised how a considerable amount of 4K video with sound in our case makes still pictures virtually redundant.  I don't really consider my still camera efforts works of art rather just memory records so video is better for us ... and today I've discovered another couple of hours walk around which I have edited down to around 45 minutes.  So we have a few chapters complete.  "Leaving home"  ie the trip to Singapore in BA F including the Concorde Room.  I did a real time recording of our arrival and the wonderful Jetquay service with us in the buggy belting through Changi and the buggy driver hooting passengers out of the way.  That journey was around 12 minutes and quite an  speedy adventure.  There are other chapters for Little Arabia, Botanic Gardens, The Orchid Garden, Marina Bay and Bay Front, Chinatown and one that picks up our random wanderings and eatings out and about.  I think we're up to nearly three hours now.  This was probably going to be our final visit to Singapore and that is why the Pocket was important to us. 

 

I've just ordered the accessory kit which is currently still stuck in DHL Shanghai since Wednesday but hopefully will arrive soon. 

[Daveywavey70]

That’s great Jeff, great to have such lovely reminders. How long a 4K recording can you get on a 256? I’ve got half a dozen 128s and was wondering about getting some 256s. The accessory kit is a nuisance, can’t get it from anywhere at the mo. I’ve completed the firmware update already but like I say I struggle with my big fingers on the small screen. I’ve used KineMaster in the past which I’ve found excellent for usability but it only outputs at hd. What’s Elements like to use? Never been much of a fan of Adobe. Sounds like the buggy run would have been fun on timelapse, I’ve not tried that yet. 

[UKCruiseJeff]

Hi Dave,

 

I also find the small screen a bit of a struggle but I guess it's worth it if it fits in the pocket.  I've also bought a slightly larger case that fits the Pocket with the thumbwheel in place which hopefully will find it's way from China soon.

 

FWIW I wouldn't bother buying the 256gb cards yet but if the 128gb cards are fast enough then simply use them and see how far you get.  There is a philosophy that in the unlikely event of an SD card failure smaller is better to minimse loss. I bought a WD 4TB My Passport Wireless Pro to do a daily backlup whilst away and that gave a degree of reassurance due to non-repeatability of the memories  I was collecting.

 

I updated Elements (piccies and videos) to the 2019 version but in my hands whilst easy is overkill.  Having watched a fair number of Youtubes I had concluded that I was making these videos purely for us and found anything other than simply joining them together without titles or whizz-bang transitions was irritating.  Not trying to impress an audience so all the videos are cimply collected together including the odd JPEG where a still was added value eg plates of food ....  into "chapters" without titles or transitions, rendered and saved and uploaded as "private" onto Youtube.  Within an hour or two Youtube renders them to 4k and they stream faultlessly.  My Amazon Prime Cloud account on the other hand rejects them as the files are too large. So I downgraded my space subscription.

[Lois R]

Good morning friends, deciding what I need to do today......I know I need some groceries and I have a gift card for some new shoes...…..so may go shoe shopping!

Hope everyone has a good day.

[Daveywavey70]

Most of my sd’s are u3 but I’ve got a couple of A1s too. I just download them when I get home onto the pc and a USB stick drive too. I might give Elements a go. KineMaster is great but it’s the issue of my Samsung only handling hd and my iPad Pro having the usual file format issues. It is supposed to handle 4K so I’m waiting for a usbc to lightening cable so we’ll see what happens. Have you seen the charging case that’s due out for the osmo pocket? Apparently gives 2-3 full charges from 1 charge itself so would be super convenient when out and about. 

So you’re not planning any more trips to Singapore? Will you stick with Vienna or do you have other favourites as Well?

[UKCruiseJeff]

Dave, I think because we had gotten so much of our travel bug out of our system whilst working much of our future travels will simply be to places we know extremely well.  We already have a couple of Vienna trips booked this year and in past years we have at times spent more time in Vienna than our home on the beach. We have tickets for our birthday’s in September and the Christmas Markets in December and may go in March for our anniversary.  The hotel has already confirmed our favourite suite is reserved.    Travel from here to most of Europe is so easy I suspect we might do a bit more.

 

 I guess the problem is that we have two homes with the best ViSpring beds and decent kitchens and do not have to deal with any strangers and I just become extremely lazy and prefer to drive down to Seaside  in Helga overnight and spend a week on the balcony with a throbbing ice maker close by than getting excessively grumpy at Heathrow or in a hotel lounge. 

 

Today’s  ugly delicious

 

 

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!  Hope all are doing well!  Myster and I have succumbed to a nasty cold and activities have been limited.  

 

Today is rainy and very humid!  Of course it is much better that loads of snow and record-breaking cold!

 

Enjoy your day all!

[Lois R]

Hi Mysty

 

 

Jeff, omg...…...I LOVE bread

 

Well, the new job has been ok...….yesterday was not a good day but today was better...…..not sure in my heart how long I will be doing it...…...the main boss can make you feel about 2 years old when you don't understand something

[jillyf]

Hang in there Lois. I think the first 6 months of a new job are difficult. 

Getting to know the routines and personalities of your new workplace, even though you have been part of the company, will eventually make it a bit easier. 

 

[Lois R]

Hi Jilly, thanks for the kind words...…….I hope you are right, because the boss? I have known her for a few years and she is not an "easy person"...….

[jpalbny]

Mysty, get well soon. Those pesky viruses can put a damper on vacation fun. I think this recent South America trip was the first time in many trips that we haven't picked up some kind of cold. Lucky us!

 

Lois, who needs that kind of stress? I hope things improve faster than you anticipate. Changing jobs, even within the same company, is still an adjustment. If you recall, I changed jobs within the hospital about 3 years ago and I still am finding my way around here and there.

 

The boss who I changed jobs to work for promptly took a promotion, so now he's fairly inaccessible and I am essentially on my own. My only other partner is technically my junior, since I've been here a lot longer than he has, even though he's been in my (new) department longer than I have. Not what I signed up for either. But life and work goes on, and I will figure it out.

 

Opened a bottle of Carmenere tonight that we had brought back from our Chile trip last month. It was delicious with steaks on the grill. No pictures though - it all disappeared too quickly for that. Luckily, we have 11 more bottles in the wine fridge for other special occasions to come.

 

Off to Pennsylvania this weekend to visit Chris's Dad. Wish us luck! Hopefully we have enough South America pictures to show him for a few hours.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Get well soon Mysty and Myster .... sympathies as we are still under the control of the cold passed onto us in Singapore .....

 

A couple of days ago we were delighted to find that our delivery service for virtually all things - but importasntly food - has now started deliveries to Seaside.  This is a game changer for us and something we celebrated by cracking open a bottle of Bredon Champers and started planning how our lives would be changed.  It felt suddenly like The West Country had become civilised.

 

Within a few hours of these celebrations the same company - Ocado - managed to burn our local customer fullfilment center to the ground.  Thankfully no robots were hurt.  They simply melted away.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-47141418

 

So we now have Ocado at Seaside but currently not here in Hampshire.  The Lord hath giveth and hath bleedin' well taken away  - all on the same day 😞

Edited February 7, 2019 by UKCruiseJeff

[mysty]

J...there is no "so sorry to hear" button!  How disappointing that must be!  Thanks for the well wishes!  If I find the person who boarded with this nasty there will be words!  A lot of the passengers are suffering now!

[UKCruiseJeff]

M, hopefully you will get better soon and enjoy the adventure.  🙂

[Lois R]

Hi, Jeff sorry about the fire!

 

Well, today was a better day at work.  I am not sure how these good days/bad ones are going to happen....I know things can vary in any office setting but I hope the ups and downs stay more up.  I have put in 28 years with the company so it is not like I have not paid my dues...…...will try to take it one day at a time and see how the next few weeks go.

[UKCruiseJeff]

Lois,

 

You need (knead?!) to take up bread making.  It brings a rhythm and markers to the days and makes the world seem better and easier.  And eating good fresh bread is a bonus.  It is so easy to make bread.  There is no rational reason not to. 🙂

[Lois R]

Hey Jeff, I will think about it

[Lois R]

Good morning, I don't usually post from home on a Friday morning, but I have a Dr's appt and took an early time so will be leaving in about 1/2 hour.  This is just a follow up for when I had to do that lab work a couple of Saturday's ago. I am hoping the Dr has something good to tell me.  Then I will go to work.

 

Wishing all of you a

 

[jpalbny]

Good luck Lois!

 

Happy weekend all. 

 

Jeff, will your delivery service set up new local quarters, or fulfill orders from elsewhere? Or will you just have to spend more time seaside? 

Edited February 8, 2019 by jpalbny

[UKCruiseJeff]

9 hours ago, jpalbny said:

 

Jeff, will your delivery service set up new local quarters, or fulfill orders from elsewhere? Or will you just have to spend more time seaside? 

 

Hi JP,

 

Before opening the local CFC they fullfilled through London which they appear to have reverted to. 

 

It seems to me that if they had failed to do something quickly then the consequences would have triggered a business failure so large it could have "failed" the whole business. 

 

Basically they make no money and the most loss is made from the core food delivery business which I believe in time they will sell or spin off.  This was basically a prototyping exercise to build the technology. Their future is in offering the concept, design, building and operating software to other distributors worldwide of what is a fully automated robotic system that can pick complete orders in a few minutes.   Having a catastrophic uncontrolled fire in this facility puts into question their core offering and operating skill.  Not having an emergency default plan could compound the failure and finish them.  They also sadly didn't have in place a customer facing emergency process to reassure or inform customers. 

 

We won't starve ..... 🙂

[Lois R]

Hi folks,  JP, well, my meds for Cholesterol is being increased and I have to start eating better again as my sugar is higher than he wants it to be...….I used to be on meds for it but decided to do it on my own (eating better) but I guess I fell back into old patterns……..I will try this again on my own because if I can avoid taking more medicine I will do it.  I had an excellent lunch today.......grilled chicken wrap with pineapple/black beans/corn salsa...…..pretty healthy and delicious too. It was in a Spinach wrap

[UKCruiseJeff]

Lois,

 

Never let the medics "decide" on your medications without being a part of the informed process.  Never simply "put yourself in their hands" but get to grips with the numbers and become genuinely fully as informed (as best you can) with as best an  appreciation of the risks you can.  It isn't wrong to accept some risks and the idea that every risk should be avoided to me doesn't sound sensible. 

 

When you get to a certain age there are strong arguments to simply accept marginal increases in some risks in order to avoid some of the more toxic medications which in my case many have had significant and serious side-effects.   When studying risk factors always calibrate in a healthy scepticism about research conclusions.   It is my simple conclusion that as an over-simplification the benefits seem often to be exaggerated  and the side-effects down played.    Far too many people just "do what they are told".  Don't completely sub-contract your well being to anyone else without being a fully informed person who takes the final decision.

 

Good luck.  And take up making bread. :)

Edited February 9, 2019 by UKCruiseJeff

[Lois R]

Good morning Jeff, thanks for your reply.  I like my Doc and I know what he is saying is true.  He sits and talks with me and I know high cholesterol has run in my family and I have been taking these meds.  JP may be able to confirm this but if I am not mistaken, high cholesterol can be hereditary.  *my Dad had it for many years......

As for the glucose, the numbers all show I have type 2 Diabetes and if I can control it with better eating habits rather than meds, I will try to do it that way.

   Anyway, I go back to see him in 3 months......will see how the numbers are at that point.