Speakers Corner Series | Residential Cruising

Once Kit got to know Residents in our ship community, she created her own a “job” to create and organize a speaker series: getting other Residents to give talks about their expertise, experience, and passions.

It has been wildly successful among the Residents. The ship’s officers have started to take notice, attending some of the talks …and occasionally agreeing to give talks. Ship’s crew are, after all, part of the community.

There are no transcripts other than the somewhat error-prone closed captions created by Youtube. Note that not all talks are recorded.

As of now there is a fair backlog of talks, and this page will expand not only as we go forward, but with fill-in going backward as we produce and upload them.

Format Change Note: Doing a separate page here for every video was slowing down the posting process. Links now go directly to Youtube unless noted. Thoughtful comments are welcome on Youtube (or this site, when there’s an associated article), or both.

2026

Lauren Meyer: Rainbow Nation (Lions, Tigers, & Rhinos) — Lauren is a proud South African. She knows its history, its culture, its tourism, and its problems. Since the Odyssey is scheduled to go there in 2027, she shared her thoughts about what we should do at each planned port. Kruger National Park is big on her list — as it is on many residents’ list. It’s a mouth-watering presentation. Jan 3.
Brigitte Keane: Side Effects of Laughter Style — Brigitte is our Laughter Queen. She’s shared her thoughts and experiences with the benefits of laughter before (Laughter is the Best Medicine in Aug 2025). Forgiveness is one side effect of “the laughter lifestyle”, something Brigitte touched on here. And, in honor of her first performance, some in the audience chose to do the “Chicken Dance” at the end. Jan 6
Dr. Frank Miskovich: The Next Billion Dollar Drug Will Be… — Frank’s knowledge base that lets him talk about this topic with confidence comes from being a Biochemist and Molecular Biologist from CalTech, with postdoctoral research at Washington University Medical School and MIT. He’s a popular speaker on the Odyssey. He takes the audience through the phases of drug development before one is released to the public and what happens when steps are skipped. Jan 10
Monica Frim: Secrets of the Lakes — Monica is a writer & editor on a wide array of subjects, including travel. This talk comes from her book by the same name, the history of Lakes Simcoe & Couchiching in Canada, above Lake Huron, in the early 19th century. Jan 13
Chris Guld: No More “Where’s Our Dock?” Moments — Being able to direct your taxi driver back to our dock, or making sure you know how to walk back to our dock, is a real issue for Odyssey residents as they sail the world. Chris has created an easy solution that the ship’s Destinations Manager is using, and this talk is to teach people living aboard how to use it. It’s simple, straightforward, and incredibly helpful. Jan 19
Robert Schick: An Art Historical Puzzle — Robert has presented some of his archeological studies and book before. This time it’s about beautiful mosaic tile floors that were destroyed, and in some cases restored. Who would go to that effort…and why? Watch and find out. Jan 20
Paul Montoya: Video Editing Using iMovie — Paul is a man of many talents. His eye for design is as good as his ear for sound. He talked about AM radio earlier. Now he’s going to talk about video editing. If you use Apple products and haven’t mastered, or at least used, iMovie, this video is for you. Jan 22
David Nichol: Buddhism, Meditation, and Psychoanalysis — David has walked an interesting path through his life, one that has introduced him to world travel, diverse philosophies, and fascinating people. In this talk, he tells his life story that takes him to Buddhism, Meditation, and Psychoanalysis — though not necessarily in that order. Jan 27
Michael Cooke: Bond Investing 101 & a bit more — Michael started his investing career at the age of 9 when he talked his father into buying him his first bond. With confidence and poise, Michael shared his knowledge and wisdom with the smart and mostly experienced audience. And we all learned something. See what kernel of knowledge you can pick up in this talk. Jan 29
Wayne Jared: Xkurzon: an app made just for you — Wayne is an IT guy, businessman, and entrepreneur. After living aboard Odyssey for a bit, he decided to address several issues with this one app. This app lets you learn what’s going on at the ports we’ll visit, learn the exchange rate, create excursions and invite people to them, and even see the map of where we’re going. There’s a lot more to the app than this, so watch and learn. 4 Feb
Gill Cross: Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, Part 2 — Gill puts her multi-dimensional Masters Degree — Victorian Literature, Art, History, and Politics — along with her Bachelor’s in English into fascinating and humorous use. Again. 7 Feb
Kathryn Jacobs: Lousy Lovers in Songs & Stanzas — Kathryn expands her Literature discussions to include songs and contrast them with Stanzas from poets like Shakespeare & John Donne. Since some of the Odyssey residents love listening to her read old English, she accommodates that and posted the modern English translation of some stanzas she reads in Old English. What an interesting talk to hear as Valentine’s Day approaches quickly. 10 Feb
Andrew Johnston: A Stroll Thru Australian/NZ Wineries — Andrew was an active member in the Odyssey Wine Tribe, sharing with those wine enthusiasts his knowledge of the wines of Australia and New Zealand. He shares that knowledge with us here, talking about the soils, climate, and vines. He even brought wine to share with attendees — if they brought their own glass. While you can’t enjoy the wine he brought directly, you can listen and learn, then go buy your own bottles to enjoy. 17 Feb
Bob Leininger: Cruise Through Life — Bob has worked on cruise ships for 40 years and held jobs from DJ to Cruise Director. He shares his insights about life as learned from and demonstrated on cruise ship living. He even shares a special charity. 21 Feb
Kit & Randy Cassingham: Resident Down! What to Do? — Kit & Randy Cassingham, retired EMTs, share from their knowledge base and experience what anyone can do in case of an emergency. This isn’t a class on how to take action but a review of what sorts of medical emergencies you can be helpful in, and some ideas of what you can do. (To help your Helpers, use the Emergency aspects of your phone. Here is a video to teach you how to do that.) 23 Feb
Chris Guld: Beyond the Hype: Why it’s Time to Understand Bitcoin, Blockchain, and Web3 — Chris stepped outside her Google Girl work to share one of her passions: Bitcoin. She explained the platform and mechanics of bitcoin and its cousins and talked about various uses for it. Pros and Cons were touched on as much as can be done in a 45-minute talk. 25 Feb
Michael Edwards: Writer’s Skit References and Trivia — Michael Edwards is a man of many talents: Community Theater director, ballroom dancing instructor, and playwright and actor. Oh, and a game developer. This video demonstrates his playwriting and acting with his wife Cheri. In this talk they re-enact their skit and show clips of the performance and the TV shows they pulled from for this skit. If you grew up in the 50s-80s and watched the popular TV shows, you may get a kick out of this. If not, maybe you’ll get hooked and start looking for reruns. 4 Mar
Chris Gagne: What’s Your Problem? — There are different ways to solve different problems. Knowing what type of problem you have will direct you to how to approach solving it. This knowledge is especially valuable in management situations. In this talk, Chris demonstrates through audience participation to figure out what the problem is so they could apply the best technique to solving it. 10 Mar
Joe Braun: AI and Society — Joe is one of our Renaissance Men here on the Odyssey. He has his JD & MD, is a medical teacher, and I just heard he’s also a minister. Mixed in with all those credentials, he also studies artificial intelligence. He weaves all his background elements together in this talk. 12 Mar
Beena Jooravan: My Monsoon Wedding — Beena shares photos, videos, and stories of her wedding to Satpal. Indian weddings are multi-day festivals and Beena introduced us to traditions, food, and fun. 15 Mar
Kit & Randy Cassingham: Resident Down! Take Action! — The Cassinghams share their combined decades of experience as EMTs with the Odyssey residents. This is Part 2 of the Resident Down! series. The intention is to give people enough confidence to take action — action of some sort — when they see a fellow resident in medical crisis and give support until the medical team can arrive. This is a show-and-tell talk with videos showing how our model of AED works and how to do CPR, & Heimlich maneuver for choking. There’s discussion about seizures, falls, diabetic events, and strokes. 19 Mar
Marco Aprenda: The Odyssey Waste Cycle — Marco, our Environmental Officer, shared with us what kind of waste the Odyssey generates in its operations and how we residents can participate in making the waste cycle flow smoothly. 23 Mar
Joe Braun: The Future of Medicine — Joe is one of our Renaissance Men here on the Odyssey. He has his JD & MD, is a medical teacher, and I just heard he’s also a minister. Mixed in with all those credentials, he also studies artificial intelligence. He weaves all his background elements together in this talk. 25 Mar
Fred Tydeman: Foreign Investments, Accounts & Assets, and US Taxes — Fred is a long-time computer programmer, is a wicked trivia competitor, a rabid gamer, and has been the co-author of a math puzzle column for 50 years. Taxes are his hobby. He presented the shortest Speakers Corner to date, letting the audience create some of the content with their questions. What a brilliant approach that worked well. 2 Apr
Robert Schick: How did Christians in Jerusalem Commemorate Holy Week in Pre-modern Times? — Robert shared details of the evolution of the Holy Week practices. 7 April
Barbara Violetta: Peace Ship — Barbara, one of the forces behind the Odyssey becoming a provisional Unesco Flagship of Peace, MCed the Zoom panel discussion about the project. The discussion covered where the idea came from, how the group formed, and what ideas they have for the ship to secure the designation and keep the activities flowing. 9 Apr
Frank Miskevich: Is Anyone Out There? The Real Search for ET — Frank is a science nerd — everything from genes to the stars. In this presentation, he offers his ideas about what it takes to have life on other planets. It’s a fascinating survey of the biology and chemistry involved in creating life as we know it. 15 Apr
Steven Saris: Is He A Narcissist? — This is a non-political discussion about narcissism. Steven, a physician and retired ship doctor, provides a list of the criteria to diagnose narcissism, describes narcissistic manipulation techniques, and suggests healthy responses to narcissists. 18 Apr
Kathryn Jacobs: Education Without Books: The Medieval Mystery Plays — Kathryn has a PhD in English Lit with a focus on Medieval Renaissance Lit., and is a Chaucer scholar. When no one can read, there’s no printing press, the Bible’s in Latin, and the village may not even own a copy, how do you teach people? Through plays…” Kathryn is going to talk about medieval one-act plays, which combine comedy, satire, and theology: entertaining while they teach. In the process, they helped shape not only the theater that followed, but also the sitcoms of today. 21 Apr
Lyla Anderton: From Bows Bells to Belly Laughs: The Joy of Cockney Slang — Lyla gives us a quick, witty tour through Cockney rhyming slang, exploring its London roots, colourful history, and how everyday phrases became a playful code in the city’s streets. It’s surprising to learn what we non-Cockney folk have picked up along our way. 27 Apr
Eugen Cudalbu: Curiosities of the Vessel & How to Protect the Environment — Eugen is the Chief Engineer of the Odyssey. He gave valuable information about not only the Odyssey but all ships can be more environmentally protective. Saving fuel, increasing energy efficiency, water efficiency, and alternatives to diesel fuels — for starters. 29 Apr
Paul Constantino: Life or Death: Looking For My Angel — Paul is the only resident who’s fallen ill enough to need a helicopter and successfully gotten air-lifted from the ship. The others, though serious, were shipped to land. This is Paul’s story. 5 May
Chris Guld: 7 Phone Tips Everyone Can Use — Chris is a certified Google Expert and regularly shares tips to make our phone use — be it Android or Apple — easier and a better experience. She concisely shares 7 tips that have people gasping in delight from the first tip onward. 7 May
Dr Pradeep: An Interview With Dr Pradeep — Dr Pradeep, our ship doctor, shared 45 minutes of his life and beliefs with us. What an informative and upbeat conversation. He shared his background, his thoughts about longevity and good health, how he strives to help us get appointments at ports, and he responded as best he could to my surprise question about the Wellness Programs available in the Medical Center. 11 May
Paul Montoya: How Your Cabin TV Works…or Not — Paul has had broadcasting experience for 55 years, 50 of which is professional. He showed us the components of the ship’s TV antenna system, the businesses that work to bring those TV signals into our cabins, and then discussed alternative ways of making it all work better — and cheaper. 14 May
Joe Braun: Mental Health, or I Can’t Remember — Joe is a retired doctor with experience in various fields of medicine. That’s just part of his resume. This is from a class he taught a few years ago, and modified it to fit the Speakers Corner format. Learn what leads to dementia and some of the things you can do to slow it’s arrival and progress. 18 May
Kit Cassingham: Beyond the Name Tag — A new series within Speakers Corner debuted with this interview. The ship’s Fitness Coach suggested to Kit that resident interviews would be interesting. She further suggested the series begin with Kit being the first guest. Randy, being the obvious interviewer, stepped into the job. Beyond the Name Tag will dig into who the person is beyond what their name tag tells you. Where they’ve come from, where they are going, and what they think and feel along the way. 23 May
Rainer Asbach: Updates on Xkurson — Rainer is working with Wayne Jared, the developer of Xkurzon, to improve functionality and to update features as they occur. This talk is a training on how to use Xkurzon and what some of the new features are about. 26 May
Dmytro Baikovskyi: Environmental Updates & Waste Water Management — Dmytro presents the Odyssey’s environmental standards and goals with a fresh approach. While he presented much of the same material our previous 3 environmental officers have presented, he presented a bit more and from a different angle. And, he concluded his talk by noting resident concerns for the purpose of taking them to the staff meetings. The residents had ideas for making the ship’s environment more comfortable and for saving money and reducing our environemental footprint. 1 Jun
Bob Terren: The Rise & Fall of Circuit City — Bob Tarren worked for Circuit City towards the end of its time. Being a marketing consultant who knew his job well, he proved himself with Circuit City through several clever and successful programs. So what went wrong? Bob’s research and knowledge of industry comes together in a fascinating story. Bob invites the audience to be the CEO and talk about what 1 thing they’d focus on fixing to save the company. 6 Jun
Steven Saris: Is Personality a Disorder? — Steven received so many questions about personalities following his talk on Narcissism that he decided to explore the question of whether personality is in itself a disorder. Nature vs nurture. Judgement vs acceptance. To be or not to be, these are the questions. He used Myers-Briggs as his baseline for the discussion. 10 Jun
Lorna De La Cruz: Home Is Where The Heart Is … And Then Some — Lorna was a speaker at the Odyssey’s Global Flagship of Peace Inauguration. One of her passions is to work with the homeless. She even sings in a choir, Voices of Our Citizens, in San Diego, CA. This choir won the Golden Buzzer in 2020 after performing a song they composed. Lorna led a conversation about what makes a home. 13 Jun
Barbara Figiel: What Follows the Odyssey GFOP Inauguration — Barbara Figiel and Joanne Tafilis collaborated with people in the UN, UNESCO, artists around the world, and residents of the Odyssey to bring the dream born in the Odyssey “living room” to take peace as we cruise around the world. With this designation — Global Flagship of Peace — we can continue to do the volunteer work we started before we set sail from Belfast in 2024 and with more contacts and connections to ease our path. This presentation reviews what they did to bring the designation to fruition and to where we are today. 15 Jun
Robert Schick: Mourning the Martyrdom of Hussein — Robert is an archeologist who focuses his attention mostly in the Middle East — Jordan and Egypt, with a little bit of India thrown in for variety. This talk shares some history of the Islamic Genealogy (my term) that brings us to Hussein, the grandson of Muhammad. His description of the mourning rituals had the audience groaning in sympathetic pain. 16 Jun
Ric Namikas: Beyond the Name Tag — This is the second in a series of interviews with Odyssey residents. We know each other by name and some of our hobbies and interests. How much do we know about the people we are traveling and living with? Richard Namikas, we know him as Ric, is a fascinating and complex man. 20 Jun
Andy Garrison: Secrets of an Audio Book Narrator — If you are familiar with the old books-on-tape concept, then you’ll appreciate the improvement audiobooks to your listening pleasures. Andy Garrison is an actor and voiceover artist. What he covers in his talk shows that voiceover work isn’t *just* the voice you use and your vocal reading skills, it’s also the technology that goes into creating the sound files. If that weren’t challenging enough, Andy gets to do that on a noisy ship. Andy’s voice is a wonder to listen to and his information is enlightening. 27 Jun
John Frim: From Cabin to Cosmos — John Frim sets out to help us learn to minimize our internet needs so we can stay connected as much as possible as we navigate the world. Since some countries don’t welcome Starlink the ship makes other plans, and the information John shares in this talk works with any connectivity plan. John takes a logical step-by-step approach to educating us on the technology. 2 Jul
Dr Pradeep: Learn About the Odyssey Wellness Programs — Dr Pradeep presented the five Wellness Plans as designed by Vikand, our Medical Services provider. Having a choice among five plans gives you a lot of flexibility in how you track and manage your health. NOTE: no tests relating to hormones are available on the Odyssey at this time. 3 Jul
Sally Stunkel: Say It In Bahasa — Bahasa, we learned, means language. Sally and Ida taught us some basics in Indonesian and Indo-Malay. Sally has a passion for learning the language basics for the countries she visits. We also have Indonesian and Malaysian crew so being able to say “Hi” in their languages is a great way to show you care about them. The plus is making the countries we visit feel that we are considerate people. Ida, our Indonesian Destinations Manager, added to what Sally taught to give us a good handle on some basics.feature 7 Jul
Craig Voight: Beyond the Name Tag — Craig has led a “lucky” life by some people’s judgment. It seems everything he touched turned to gold, except for his orange. His careers have been varied, his travels have taken him across the US and back, and now he’s traveling the world while maintaining excellent health. 9 Jul
Ellie Namikas: From The Streets to Your Sheets — Ellie and her former partner started a dog rescue in Mexico and connected the dogs to Portland, OR, where they had connections. This is Ellie’s story. 15 Jul
Proletta Schatz: Beyond the Name Tag — What does a 100-year-old woman have to say about her life, history, and aging? The Odyssey Community is honored to have a centarian member who shared her thoughts and experiences with us. We have had numerous mind-expanding talks at Speakers Corner and this is another one. Proletta Schatz is a delightful and engaging woman. Watch and learn. 27 Jul

2025

Dr. Frank Miskevich: Everything You Didn’t Want To Know About Flu — A PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology shares the science behind the flu. 13 Jan
Darrell Karp: The Kibera Foundation — Darrell’s compassion for orphans took him into Kibera, a slum in Nairobi, Kenya, where he started making a difference in their lives with various educational and welfare programs. 15 Mar
Captain Zejlko: Moments With The Master — Our ship captain agreed to be interviewed so we could get to know him as a person, more than “just” our Captain. 17 Mar
Shirene Thomas: Get to Know Nowruz: Persian New Year — A woman of many talents, Shirene shares her Persian background and information about the Persian New Year, Nowruz. 20 Mar
Laura Lee: Being Open To Something New, Like… Watercolor! — A retired aerospace engineer and lawyer, Laura dropped her mosaic hobby because the materials took up too much space. What next? 24 Mar
Dr. Steven Saris: Frida Kahlo & Georgia O’Keefe: The People and Their Art — After retiring from his job as a ship’s doctor, Steven picked up art as a hobby. He is as fascinated by these two women as he is their art. 28 Mar
Dr. David Austin: The History of Anesthesia — A retired anesthesiologist, on National Doctor’s Day (U.S.) David presented information about anesthesia — how it works and its history. 30 Mar
Kit Cassingham: Coroner Calls: The Care, Science, & Mystery — Being a Coroner is a job most people can’t imagine doing because it seems so hard emotionally. Kit found balance and satisfaction in the work. 31 Mar
Diane Tetrault: The Magic of Trinidad — While living on a sailboat, Diane needed shelter from hurricanes and took up harbor in the island paradise of Trinidad & Tobago. 2 Apr
Michael Edwards: Introduction to the Oddyssey Game — a long-time gamer, Michael decided during his extended visit in Belfast as he waited for Odyssey to launch to create a game like those he’d played for so long. 4 Apr
Meg Stewart, Laurie Boyle, and Lyn Hopeau: Hawaii Calls — Three residents share their love of the islands through history, a blessing in English and translated into Ōlelo Hawaiʻi, and a hula. 18 Apr
Dr. Basia Kruszewska: Adventures In Birding — Basia has an impressive collection of advanced science degrees and adopted birding as a hobby while she worked in her career. 18 Apr
Cmdr. Andrew Johnston: Anzac Day: Honouring the Spirit of Sacrifice & Courage — A Commander of the Royal Australian Navy (ret.), Andrew shares the importance and history of ANZAC Day (Australia, New Zealand Army Corps), commemorated on April 25 each year. 24 Apr
Dr. Kathryn Jacobs: A Life Lived Differently — The Poetry of Autism — Kathryn wrote 6 books during her 32-year career as a professor in New Jersey and Texas. The last, A Life Lived Differently, was co-written with her daughter, Rachel, and explains each of their unique roles in presenting the autistic point of view. 4 May
Kit Cassingham: The Kids of the Odyssey — We residents have been blessed to have eight young adults living among us. Five of them graced the Speakers Corner stage to talk about their experiences of living on the Odyssey. 8 May
Calvin Smith: Investing 101: Basics and History — Calvin learned in his various Investment Clubs he’s been a member of through the years that even seasoned investors don’t always understand all the nuances of investing. He designed this talk to educate you on the basics of investing, throwing a bit of history in for good measure. 10 May
Lauren Meyer: Life Through the Porthole — Lauren has worked on cruise ships for many years and for several cruise lines. She worked her way up from the bottom to the job she held on the Villa Vie Odyssey as Entertainment Director. She tells great stories and has terrific advice for those who want to work on a ship. 12 May (Article Page Coming)
Dr. Frank Miskevich: A Cellular Guide to Self Defense — Frank brings his PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology to explain how our immune system fights for us. 17 May
John, Cindy, Diana, Jim: The Magic of the Hawaiian Islands — One of the resident Hawaiians thought of creating a panel presentation about the highlights of each island, one resident per island. That’s what this video is. 18 May
Eddie Dorworth: Travel Safety Tips to Protect Your Money — With years of living and traveling abroad, Eddie applies lessons to some unfortunate experiences residents have suffered. His tips are straightforward, clear, and well-explained. 20 May
Elise & Ivo: Life As A Professional Dancer — Part of the entertainment that’s hired to educate and entertain us, Ivo and Elise have inspired many residents to sign up for dance classes. 22 May (Also see this page!)
Captain Val: An Interview With the Master of the Odyssey — Kit asks questions ranging from his family and roots to his training and experiences to what’s on the horizon for the Odyssey and Residential Cruising. 26 May
Michael Edwards: A Week In The Life Of Live Theater — Michael and his wife Cheri retired early, took up sailing around the east coast of the U.S. Then they dipped their toes into community theater. This talk is about taking on all roles a community theater has to offer. 9 Jun
Melitta Thorn: Mediumship Explained and Group Trance Healing — Melitta is a Medium and stepped into talk to the residents of the Villa Vie Odyssey about Mediumship vs other modalities. She talks about our four bodies, the different senses that can experience medium energies, and more. 19 Jun
Dr. Kathryn Jacobs: Dana’s Point, or Life in California in the 1830s — The book Two Years Before The Mast, by Richard Henry Dana, inspired Kathryn for this talk after visiting the Maritime Museum in San Diego, California. Dana wrote about his travels in the 1830s as he worked on a sailing ship. Kathryn talks about Dana’s background, and what he went on to make of himself. 24 Jun
Joanne Tawfillis: Healing Hearts With Mural Art — Joanne created a mural on a bullet-torn bedsheet with 350 orphans in Serbia. The healing that came from those children coming together to paint this mural inspired her to make Mural Art her mission and gift to the world. In this talk to the Odyssey residents, she expands on her projects and inspired them to create their own mural, which hangs in the ship today. 27 Jun
Gill Cross: Oscar Wilde, An Irish Legend — Gill has a Master of Arts degree in Victorian literature, art, history, and politics. She uses that background to share with us not only information about Oscar Wilde, but also about the art, politics, and history of the era in which he lived. 3 Jul
Chris Guld: I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake — A long-time adventurer, Chris was a child living in Anchorage during the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964. 8 Jul
Kevin O’Brien: Progress In Defeating Alsheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias — Kevin has been a long-time fund-raiser for Alzheimer’s research. In this talk, which became as much a group conversation as anything, Kevin addressed some issues and concerns about the disease. 10 Jul
Joey Martino: The Heart of Joey — From college football MVP to Screen Actor Guild member to produced playwright in both NYC & LA, Joey is multi-talented. Somewhere along the way, he started writing poetry. These seven poems are about people in his life who have made a big difference. (More at A life lived Differently) 14 Jul
Dr. Steven Saris: The Art of Japan — Steven’s work and passions have taken him from being a doctor to an oil painter. Despite claiming he was pushed into giving this talk about Japanese art, he approached me with the idea of talking about it because he is European-focused in his art studies and wanted to expand his this art. 17 Jul
Chunmo Son: The History of Korea for Dummies in 45 Minutes — How strong is your knowledge of Korean history? Join the Odyssey residents in extending what they knew about Korea before we arrived there. 22 Jul
Dr. Charley Brooks: Trip/Slip/Fall Hazards, Part 1 and Trip/Slip/Fall Hazards, Part 2 — Part One of Charley’s talk covers medical terminology, how falls occur, and the kinds of injuries people experience from them. This is a repeat talk inspired by having many new residents aboard. (Jul 24) Part Two covers how to prevent falls and how to minimize injury when you fall. In this talk, he also brings in two other speakers: our Safety Officer and one of our residents who teaches various modalities for healthy movement. 25 Jul
Dr. Kathryn Jacobs: An Autist Speaks for Himself — Kathryn introduced us to this topic in her May talk (A Life Lived Differently, or The Poetry of Autism). In this popular-demand follow-up, she goes into Autism From The Inside. She uses experience from people she knows, from her own observations, and from what she knows of Temple Grandin. 28 Jul
Dr. Ric Namikas: Hear, Here — With his Batchelor of Science in Communicative Disorders, and Masters and Doctorate in Audiology, plus 27 years in private practice as an Audiologist, Ric is as much a therapist as audiologist. He talked about the various issues that contribute to miscommunication and hearing issues, and gave us the science of hearing. 29 Jul
Dr. John Frim: Motion Sickness — John again shares the science behind biophysical issues we experience (and in some cases, suffer) on the Odyssey. In this talk, he addresses the causes, prevention, and treatment of kinetosis (aka motion sickness). 31 Jul
Kit Cassingham: AI Panel — A panel of 5 residents (Chris Guld, Paul Montoya, Silja Bake, Randy Cassingham, Cindy Atchley) gathered to share their experience and practice with AI. The “products” they create, the tools they use, and ideas they have for their future practices are shared in a short 60-minute discussion and Q&A. 3 Aug
Chris Guld: See Your Travels with Google MyMaps — Chris is a “Google Girl” by her own admission. She works in a variety of Google environments and teaches what she knows with verve. She shines again with that teaching as she shows us another way to document our travels as we sail our way around the world. 5 Aug
John Patterson: Live Life, Leave Life, a Matter of Choice — John’s experience with this topic comes from his years of being the caretaker for his wife. Listen to his story of their choices and decisions as she faced her death. 7 Aug
Brigitte Keane: Laughter Is the Best Medicine — Brigitte has worked with laughter in healing for decades. She shares her thoughts and experiences with Laughter Medicine (Vitamin L?) NOTE: Due to copyright issues, there’s about a 2.5 minute segment that the sound has been cut. It’s a kick to watch either way. 🙂 ) 17 Aug
Gill Cross: World War I Propaganda — Gill covers a variety of Victorian era people and arts that impacted the propaganda used to entice men to come to arms to fight this war. The British, Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders, and even the Japanese were courted. Gill shows some of the techniques and approaches. 25 Aug
Darrell Karp: Osaka Virtual Expo for Those Who Couldn’t Make It — Darrell is a World Expo “junkie”: Osaka was his fifth Expo. He had gathered information about the fair, how to get there, where to stay if we wanted a multi-day stay without commuting from the ship, and about all the Pavillions. He helped dozens of Residents create an unforgettable experience. And then, he recorded his favorite moments and shared with those of us who couldn’t go. We all enjoyed seeing the Fair through Darrell’s eyes, as can you. 28 Aug
Chris Guld: Google Photos: The Easy Way To Organize, Edit, and Share Your Lifetime of Photos — Chris has been taking and editing photos on her Android devices since before Google Photos was born; she’s a Picasa expert, too. Her experience with editing, organizing, and sharing photos led her to write a book on using Google Photos, and now to teach Residents of the Odyssey how to do the same. The best part is that even iPhone users can benefit from her expertise and teachings. 2 Sep
Kevin Dinneen: 4 Stories, 4 Agreements: Paths to Healing and Hope after 9/11 — Kevin wanted to find a way to share the book ‘The 4 Agreements’ with the Residents of the Odyssey to help them build a bridge between their sense of pain and loss from 9/11 to a vibrant life today. This approach, he decided, allowed himself and Lindsey Dinneen, plus Kit and Randy Cassingham, to tell personal stories of their lives that tied one agreement from the book to one of their own 9/11 stories. Watch this to see how these agreements (Be impeccable with your word, Don’t take anything personally, Don’t make assumptions, and Always do your best) have helped build bridges for the four storytellers. 11 Sep
Lindsey Dinneen: Life on Pointe: The Ballet Blueprint for Success Onstage and Off — Lindsey is a professional ballerina. With that accomplishment, she went on to choreograph, teach, and be an artistic director. Her career included performance, education, arts entrepreneurship, and executive leadership. She’s also the founder of the professional nonprofit dance company VidaDance. She pulls from her diverse background to present about how your attitude can “make or break” your success in life. Learn how to make the most of life’s ups and downs with her Ballet Blueprint. 14 Sep
Randy Cassingham: How To Save a Ton of Bandwidth & Avoid Upcoming Overage Charges — Randy is stepping in to help Odyssey Residents reduce their Internet consumption, which is costing more than anticipated. He shares several simple steps you can take to cut the amount of bandwidth you use on your phone, tablet, and computer. His information is mostly Android/Windows focused, yet the concepts are valuable for iOS/Mac users too. 18 Sep
Dr. Kathryn Jacobs: Shakespeare’s Contemporaries & the Essex Rebellion — Kathryn is a Literature professor and author of the Medieval and Renaissance eras. She packs an amazing amount of pertinent and interesting information into her talks. Kathryn knows her material and shares it passionately. 24 Sep
Dr. Frank Miskovich: Malaria: Old & New Cures For An Old Disease — Frank is a Biochemist and Molecular Biologist from CalTech, with postdoctoral research at Washington University Medical School and MIT. He’s given several talks to the residents of the Odyssey. Since we are getting into Malaria Country, and will be here for some time to come, he realized it was in our best interests to learn about the disease and how to protect ourselves from it. 2 Oct
Dr. Kathryn Jacobs: Censorship In The Shakespearean Theater — Kathryn is well-versed in the Early Modern period of the 16th and 17th centuries. Her years as a literature professor have given her a good speaking style that helps us understand the history, the literature, and the issues in this era. This is a fascinating talk where she discusses censorship in the theater based on religion, politics, and sexuality. 21 Oct
Don Jackson: Cebu Relief Effort Update — As the Villa Vie Odyssey sailed toward Cebu, Philippines, the north end of the island suffered a large earthquake. Other islands we’d visited were hit by Super Typhoons. It broke our hearts to hear about the damage done on the beautiful islands we’ve visited. This time we could, and did, take action. Don Jackson spearheaded the Cebu relief effort, and shares the details of our efforts. 22 Oct
Gill Cross: Victorian Art — Gill is a renaissance woman with her broad educational and work background. Gil’s presentation was attention-grabbing and informational. Gill has the knowledge to tie history and art together in refreshing ways. And she explains bits about the art she shows, too. 25 Oct
Melitta Thorn: Ghosts or Spirits? — Melitta is an Evidential Medium and Trance Healer. She does have other modalities in her repertoire. She talked about what spirits are and how they differ from ghosts. She even talked about the ghost we have on the Odyssey. The questions fielded during her talk expanded the conversation to make it even more accessible to the audience. 30 Oct
Kevin Dinneen: Solving the Hidden Energy Crisis With Positive Energy & Juggling — Kevin Dinneen has created growth mindset courses & videos with his wife, Lindsey, for the past 6 years. One of those projects, the 21-Day Mindset Detox Challenge, is still available on Udemy. He also co-developed the Explorist Mindset—a framework for curiosity, resilience, and growth. Mindset has been a focus of his for most of his adult life. Learn in this talk what raised that in his life. 3 Nov
Sir Ron Small: A Group of Random Coincidences (leads to wonderful results) — Ron Small, a retired computer professional, found himself in the land of charity work, doing good deeds for children in need. His path allowed him to meet famous and generous people of all kinds. You won’t believe his stories. 4 Nov
Chris Guld & Alicia Hunter: The Great iPhone Photo Shootout: Apple Photos vs Google Photos — Chris & Alicia talked about and shared their passion and tips for accessing and editing their photos with the two different options: Apple Photos and Google Photos. 11 Nov
Paul Montoya: The Life & Death of AM Radio (the 100th Speakers Corner!) — AM radio was the focal point of the lives of young people growing up in the 60s. That was like the Social Media of today, keeping us informed of the latest and greatest music being played. We watched the rise and fall — or constant highs — of different music groups and of their hits. Paul brought that golden age back to life for us as he shared the various radio stations around the US, as well as around the world. 13 Nov
Darrell Karp: Amazing Animals Throughout My Travels — Darrell loves life and travel. You can see that passion in this talk about his amazing animals captured in his photos. 15 Nov
Kit Cassingham: Your Life Raft (the 1-year Anniversary Speakers Corner!) — Kit is passionate about community, people supporting each other, and people taking action to make their lives better. Building your life raft is one way to take responsibility for yourself and to support others in their life rafts. 19 Nov
Dr. Robert Schick: An Archeological Perspective: What Happened To The Christians in Palestine After the Muslim Conquests in the 630s AD — Robert has lived and breathed the Late Roman through modern periods in Jordan and Israel/Palestine from an archaeological perspective since 1974. Join him in reviewing the evidence he helped unearth to show the history of the Christians in that area. Nov 20
Cyndy Grzybowski: Let’s Walk The Camino — The Villa Vie Odyssey is home to numerous peregrinas and peregrinos, people who have walked the Camino de Santiago. Cyndy is the most recent to join the ranks of pilgrims and thought it would be valuable for other Residents to hear about the Camino. Nov 25
Silja Bake, Donna & Wayne Van Verick, Lauren Meyer: Safety Awareness, What Every Tourist Needs To Know — Wayne, Donna, Sylja, Lauren, & Kit Cassingham share their experience with personal safety and self-awareness. The best protection is to not attract attention to yourself. The second best is to not have anything on your person that someone would want, and then to give them whatever they want you do have. Nov 29
Kelly O’Laughlin: Interview of Our Destinations Director — Kelly must have made her last name up because it fits her so well. You too can get swept up in Kelly’s infectious laugh and delightful stories about her life and cruising career. She’s a great fit for our destination lifestyle. Dec 3
Raul Juganaru: Sailing A Lighter Carbon Footprint — Raul shared with us details about what it takes to calculate a ship’s carbon footprint. A ship’s carbon footprint isn’t as all-encompassing as a building on land. In this talk, he shared some thoughts about what we can do. Dec 7
Dr. Charley Brooks: Medical Malaprops — Charley is a retired orthopedic surgeon. He’s taught us how slips, trips, and falls can hurt us and how to be careful while living the ship life. He’s going in a different direction with this humorous presentation. Dec 9
Gian Pironni, Eddie Dorworth, Sherrie Cornett: The New Excursion/Event Platform — Sherrie, Gian & Eddie teamed up to create a solution for a problem residents of the Odyssey had. It gives you a way of announcing, managing, and organizing your events on and off the ship. No more wading through the multitude of WhatsApp groups and messages to find something. Excursions are going to be easier to find and sign up for! Dec 11
Gill Cross: Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue — Gill Cross comes back to us with another “literature” lesson. This one turns out to be terms used hundreds of years ago for body parts and sexual behavior. It is a riotous presentation, and has a Part 2 coming later. Gill’s English accent contributes to the delivery, along with her natural speaking style. Dec 18
Carl Drews: Crossing the Red Sea from a Geoscience Perspective — Carl is an Atmospheric & Oceanic Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. For his master’s thesis, he wanted to demonstrate that the story of parting the Red Sea wasn’t just Biblical myth. This talk was a review of his Thesis. Watch and see if you think he successfully showed the science in that story. Carl also wanted to highlight how the forecasting models he used for his thesis are valuable for many issues around the world today. Dec 27
Shari Stone-Ulrich, R.N.: Witches & Midwives — Shari is a retired nurse and midwife. She thought it would be interesting to tie the history of midwives into the history of the persecution of witches (and warlocks). While there is an historical connection, it’s hard to describe. Shari gave it her best effort, though. Maybe she’ll pique your interest in the topic. Dec 29

2024

Randy Cassingham: The Only One There — The first talk Randy did for the residents on our ship about his experiences as a medic. 21 Nov (Article Page)
Dr. Kathryn Jacobs: Marriage in Medieval & Renaissance Europe — What was marriage in medieval times, when there was no laws, no licenses, and few could read or write? 29 Nov
Andy Garrison: The Diamond of the West Coast of Africa: Namibia — A brief introduction to Namibia’s history, geography, and cultures with comments on its role in world history. 19 Dec
Kit Cassingham: 3 Elements for Happiness — A Life Coach, Kit discusses three keys that she has found in her work for finding happiness. 22 Dec
Randy Cassingham: The Cassini Mission to Saturn — While working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Randy watched the Cassini spacecraft being built. 30 Dec (Article Page)

This Page Will Be Expanded as more talks are given, and available recordings can be rendered and uploaded.

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