But first, some news of the day. The  New York Times  this morning had some nice history of gerrymandering, which is what Democrats in California pulled off on election day this week with Proposition 50. Lawmakers realized in the 19th century that they could increase their party’s political power by redrawing legislative districts. The term of art is   gerrymandering , named after the map for the Massachusetts State Senate drawn under Gov. Elbridge Gerry. (One district looked like a salamander. Get it?) Typically, legislators gerrymander once a decade, after the census. Today, gerrymandering is a weapon of constant political warfare. State legislators, both red and blue, are furiously redrawing congressional maps in a quest to control the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2026 midterm elections. The skirmishing began in August, when Trump persuaded Texas lawmakers to redraw congressional districts, which will probably let them send five more Republicans to Congress....

Almost everyone on a cruise gains weight.  Typically, five pounds for a two-week sail.  There are exceptions.  If you get seasick, for one.  There are a few with a strong mind.  You can try to lose weight on tours.  Sleep, I learned, helps reduce gain. I've tended to increase from 5-8 pounds on a cruise.  I allow this to happen because it turns out that I can lose them all in a week or two when I get home.   Makes a case for this type of weight gain being mostly water .  We always get the full alcoholic drinks package, have at least two meals a day ( we tend to skip breakfast by enjoying a nightlife, whereby you wake up just before lunch ).  But two large meals, snacks and 10 drinks/day add up calories, especially when one doesn't exercise much, like me on a ship.  I'm still hesitant to use the wellness centers from those pandemic days. There was one exception.  We took a 52-day Seabourn cruise from Sydney to Honolulu....