It was a pleasant flight on ANA from Honolulu to Narita Airport in Tokyo.  Here is our plane, an Airbus 380. But first, the ANA Lounge, which is probably the best in Honolulu. Curry/rice, udon, salad, Bloody Mary and beer. Diamond Head and our departure. The cuisine on the plane was fancier, but not as good as that served in the ANA Lounge. Watched two films and an Elton John concert. The  Old Woman with the Knife , a new 2025 film from South Korea which earned a rating of 92 from  Rotten Tomatoes  reviewers. Follows the life of a female assassin who is now in her 60s. A bit tough to follow because the film keeps returning to a different past. There is a mystery younger assassin, which is someone from her past. A surprise that a movie like this with all those bloody killings is shown in a commercial flight. The second movie,  Black Dog , was lethargic, poetic, vicious, and heart-warming.  Made in China and secured 98/92 ratings from  Rotten Tomat...

I will be doing something today I've never before done in this blog.  Since my very first posting on 29April2008,   almost 16 years   ago, I have always attempted to only send out completed articles.  Today, I will do something different.  I will provide an information dump, sort of like a storyboard, and perhaps next Tuesday, or some other Tuesday in the future, post the officially finished version.  I will add more graphics, songs and videos.  It could be longer, or maybe shorter.  I at this point am not sure what this will look like.  After all, this is my life, and it has to be special.  Why am I doing this?  Well, I have a doctor's appointment coming up, followed by picking up a hearing aid at Costco, where I will be taught how to use it.  I mistakenly last month ordered two audio books, so now will be able to hear them, although I guess I could have done so with just bluetooth earbuds. Before I proceed, here is something ...

These long travel itineraries generally draw the most readers.  Many will not get to Dubai or take a cruise on Regent Seven Seas.  Living vicariously provides sufficient satisfaction for some, as they've now been to the top of the Burj Khalifa and visited the largest mall in the world.  On the other hand, it's still best to live vicariously through your own life. After an up and down Dubai stop, which included highlights like the tallest building in the world and low lights like food poisoning, we headed off to the port in seven buses, first passing the Queen Elizabeth II.  If you keep up with these things, the city of Long Beach in 1967 bought the  Queen Mary,  which was converted into a museum, restaurants and hotel.  It was closed in 2020 and might never be again re-used.  The Queen Elizabeth II entered service in 1969, was retired in 2008, and acquired by Dubai World, which had plans for a 500-room hotel.  It was opened to visitors in 201...