Well, we boarded the Viking Octantis, Pier 90, Manhattan.  Check-in was easy.  We thought maybe something went wrong, for we were among only a very few passengers at check-in. Had lunch on the ship. The ship departed at around 4:45PM. Crossed uner the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. After a while we walked over for dinner, but first stopped for some violins, In the main dining room, every night there is a sushi bar.  As our reserved meal tomorrow will be Italian, we had a Japanese dinner. There was also an adjacent bar of crustaceans. A portion of my meal, with hot sake and Glenfiddich on rocks, Walking away from the sushi bar, we saw a noodles bar, so overstuffed ourselves with a bowl. Stopped to listen to a duo. The Viking Octantis will be on a 12-day cruise to Toronto. As you know, this trip we're on features two cruises.  About that first one, I stumbled across a  video showing Cabin 333 on the American Melody riverboat,   This is a 350 square feet stateroom ...

I've been to New York many times.   My most previous was six years ago  when I took a Panda Tour for Hawaii football at West Point to play Army.  Stayed at the Sheraton, a short walk away from the Marriott Marquis.  This was the prime hotel for the 1964 New York World's Fair, and was at that time called the Americana.  501 feet high, this was once the tallest hotel in the world, with around 800 rooms. Our flight from Honolulu arrived early in the morning, and the 200 in the group had to wait in one of the ballrooms until mid-afternoon.  I was a Sheraton Lifetime Platinum member, so thought I'd check if I could get my room early.  I did, was successful and took a nap at 8:30AM while the others just did not do much.  It was raining outside. We had a  nice visit to West Point,  although we lost the game.  Also  went to Yankee Stadium,  had a Nathan's foot-long and garlic fries with beer.  Went to see  Book of M...

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 ...