Well, the good news is that we're back in Honolulu, and all is well.  Started off in New York City. Hotel said there was a set $70 cost of the taxi ride to JFK Airport.  Well, when you add the toll charges and tip, it was up to $90.  That in itself was okay.  So we checked in for our 1PM departure time, which was ticketed more than three months ago.  After we picked up our tickets, we went to the excellent Alaska Airline lounge and was beginning a leisurely breakfast when we found out that we needed to board the plane at 11:05, which was less than half an hour away.  We never got any notice for this change.  We came extra early to be safe, and it turned out that we only barely made this flight. Some photos. Bloody Mary and champagne in Alaska Air lounge. Here is about when we learned we had only a few minutes rather than a couple of hours in the lounge.  Our plane. Goodbye Manhattan from air. Then noticed the plane we were on was the  Boeing 737 MAX  9, the one that lost a door i

We yesterday again toured Manhattan, and happened to pass by the Trump hush money trial with Stormy Daniels testifying.  Here is what it looked like outside the court area. A current  summary of the trial.   There are 12 jurors and 6 substitutes.  What if even one juror votes Trump is not guilty?  Then there will be a  hung jury : A hung jury can also have an impact on the parties involved in the trial. For the   defendant , a hung jury may mean that they have not been found   guilty , but it also means that the case could be retried, leading to additional stress and cost. For the   prosecution , a hung jury means that they have failed to secure a   conviction , which can be a blow to their case and reputation. When a hung jury occurs,  it is up to the prosecution to decide if they want to retry the case or drop the charges . It's important to note that   double jeopardy , the principle that prohibits trying a person twice for the same crime,  does not apply  in cases where a   mis