Welcome champagned on Formal Night. Then dinner at Sabbatini's. Frescobaldi wine from Tuscany was featured.  But we instead had Bertani Amarone from the Valpolicella region of Verona, Italy. With white wine and gin martini. Appetizers. My  grand soup. A misti assortment. A couple of shrimp dishes, My dinner of mushroom risotto and ossobuco. Panna Cotta dessert. On to karaoke. Final stop at Skywalker's Night Club Only 3126 steps on Day 2 of cruise. We arrived in the Port of Osaka the morning of Day 3.  We are berthed almost alongside the largest aquarium in the World, Kaiyukan.  I've been to Osaka at least 50 times.  Here is  my posting of almost exactly two years ago , which described this city, and showed a photo of whale sharks in this aquarium.  They are today called Kai and Yu Went early for lunch, so breakfast was still being served.  A concoction of rice, miso soup. hash, sunny side egg and natto. to start, with a Bloody Mary. Second c...

First, yesterday President Joe Biden gave a talk about democracy in Arizona.  This was his most blistering attack yet of Donald Trump and his MAGA extremists.  Did you know that  Joe introduced John to Cindy , his wife? And speaking of Trump: His civil fraud trial trial in New York could begin as soon as this coming Monday.   Also, his pool of funds to pay legal bills for his cronies is running out.   Trump won't bother to even seek a transfer of his case from Georgia to a federal court. Finally, that House quagmire about the government shutdown tomorrow.  Looks like Keven McCarthy lost his battle to pass anything only with Republicans.  Democrats in the House say that if only 5 Republicans vote with them, all this nonsense can be avoided.  But if McCarthy makes that move, he will lose his speakership.  So be prepared for at a short shutdown.  Will this be terrible?  Nah.   The USA has had 21 of them over the pas...