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The National Review Institute Cruise
It was great to be cruising again, and to be on an NRI cruise. Although neutral observer and I have been on a few NR cruises, this was our first NRI cruise. The difference? The NR cruises had a lot more speakers and panel sessions. Even with the reduced number, we had a lot of fun and learned a lot. First of all, we had a near-continuous Ricochet Meetup underway. I don’t have the ten-Ricochetti dinner pictures, so someone else will have to post those. Here we go:
Left to right, we have Stad, neutral observer, Bob Herring, GLDIII, and Red Herring. The picture was taken at the bar (no shicker there) by the stylish main atrium:
Of the seven dinners, we had three guest speakers. First, here’s GLDIII discussing building one’s own airplane with Charles C.W. Cooke:
Our next guest speaker was none other than Andrew McCarthy. Here is neutral observer trying to figure out how to ditch me and head to Andy’s cabin:
Finally, we had not only dinner, but breakfast that morning with Veronique de Rugy:
Charles was his usual reserved former British self, but Andy and Veronique were a lot more open and animated when they discussed their passions: the law and economics, respectively. The three also shared many personal stories, some hilarious, others more somber. Bottom line? All of the guest speakers were approachable, very warm, and personable.
As for the Ricochetti, let’s just say there was a challenge to break the limit on our beverage packages, which included alcohol. I’m sad to report neither I nor neutral observer was able to break it (too old, I guess). Fellow Rico-shipmates can leave their excuses in the comment section . . .
Oh, the parties! There was a kickoff cocktail party, a cigar smoker, and a farewell cocktail party. Here is a picture from the farewell party (again, fellow cruisers – post your pics!):
Here we have Mrs. GLDIII, GLDIII, Stad, neutral observer, Red Herring, and Bob Herring.
The bottom line? Cruising is back in general, and it looks like the NRI cruises are returning. No word on a regular NR cruise, but it’s a possibility if they can rope the NRI President, Lindsay Craig into doing it. Oh! She’s a sweetheart, and was ready to join in the fun even though she had a job to do. I highly recommend NRI cruises, as you get to meet and hear from people who have done or are currently doing great things.
Okay, fellow shipmates – post your pics!
(Pssst. @roblong and @jameslileks, you missed a good one!)
Published in Meetups
They stole it fair and square – manipulation of the rules, media and the system, not people in a back room filling out fake ballots.
Nailed it . . .
You know she has her weapons permit, right?
The one with all the bruises?
I agree with Al about the lack of an upper deck bar. That used to be a great place to meet. We did manage to find a couple of good hangouts, but one of them had a bar that didn’t open until 4:30 PM! A bar on a cruise ship not open? Lost revenue!
I almost forgot! Lindsay Craig, while not a speaker, was also very warm and approachable!
I directly asked her to strongly consider James for the next cruise seems I was not the only one who asked per her comment to me.
I didn’t have a chance to mention that to her, but I would like to see the same thing.
You really seem to be an expert on age of consent.
Have you never heard of Google?
Many things in the world one can Google. Age of consent laws in various countries aren’t relevant to me. They seem relevant to you for some reason.
Then you somehow just missed those portions of the discussion.
If the age of consent in Brazil is 14 then likely all high-school girls in Brazil are not “underage” according to Brazilian law, contrary to Charlotte’s assertion.
Indeed, from the wikipedia article it appears that Brazil briefly changed the age to 18, but young marriages are pretty common in Brazil and it was changed back to 14.
And if the age of consent in Bahamas is 16 then most high-school girls in Bahamas and possibly most/all high-school girls from any country on a Bahamian-registered cruise ship are not “underage” according to Bahamian law, contrary to Charlotte’s assertion.
Wow, you’ve convinced me! 60-year-old dudes leering at bikini-ed teenagers really isn’t creepy after all! Thanks for setting me straight, I appreciate it.
It pays to be on the right side of the law . . .
You’re welcome! Oh, you were being facetious . . .
We still saw each other all the time in the seminars and at the pre- cruise function and I enjoyed meeting you in person. Looks like the next meetup at sea will be June 2024 and you get to cruise to …. Alaska! See you then! We were such a force that the next cruise application should have a box to check to sit at the ricochet table one night.
Her book explains it and the rigging went on for several years and included more than the election day events.
You are right and where we could sit wasn’t consistent. The Crow’s Nest has always worked great for us.
She is great and was very supportive of us.
I will also comment on that. Everything was serious. We need our humorous Night Owls and panels. No James, Roman, Rob, etc. Kinda like cooking grits without salt.
They will email us a survey to ask what would make the Alaska cruise better.
He was just amplifying the comment about the ship falling under Bahamian laws. How tax codes weren’t so screwed up, more would register in the U.S.
To be fair, people who wear such swim suits do it to be ogled. I, on the other hand, wear anti-ogle swim suits.
Old men who cannot keep their glances at larval teenage girls surreptitious and below the radar (men are always scanning the environment for threats after all…) are certainly not the desired oglers. And in this society, those old men are supposed to be beyond “falling for” children flexing their genetics. We do not expect hormone-ridden teenagers to have mastered their judgement, which is EXACTLY WHY the proscription is so strong against the old goats.
If an old conservative man thinks the girls are there for him because various age cut-offs were “not handed down by Moses” (which would *still* be arbitrary), then where does he get off telling the tranny groomers to lay off? That sort of lawyering is how to get beaten down by good men. System working as designed.
I have long had a problem with our society and how it promotes the demise of modesty.
You’re familiar with the phrase, “I’m old, not dead”, aren’t you?
And don ‘t conflate “looking” with activities that revolve around age of consent.
Maybe you missed the last couple of pages. There’s a context.
I did go on the last Alaska cruise held by NR, and reluctantly went. I’ll also go any upcoming ones, with the usual caveats (I can still afford it; no other significant conflicts). I mean, I’ve been on so many Caribbean cruises, I’m not seeing anything new there either.
Though I have lived in Fairbanks now for most of my life, I did do a significant stint in the Coast Guard for six years in Southeast, and lived in Sitka and Juneau. It’s strange visiting towns I lived in as a tourist, and even stranger, traveling inside passages I also traveled on a Coast Guard buoy tender, which means we really got familiar with some of those passages.
When I was growing up, fathers could tell their 14 year old, even 16 year old, daughters to knock off “flexing their genetics.” As in, “No you can’t wear that.”
So no the system isn’t working as designed.
And underage is a cultural construct. Having looked it up regarding Roy Moore, I think it was wikipedia that noted that the age of consent in England used to be 11 for a while.
And I always wonder how You’re Sixteen (You’re Beautiful and You’re Mine) ever became a hit song. It sounds like prosecutable p0rn, to me.