Likely, reed1v would have raised fewer hackles has the comment been "general rule" rather than "absolute
rule of the sea". But, then, the sea doesn't make the rules, it merely indifferently finds the weakest point in our preparations.
By coincidence, we had Italian last night, and I'd just read a review of another Italian restaurant half an hour ago, and just had Italian
food leftovers in the past hour -- and they were still very good.