On this nostalgic Tuesday, I return to our first Diamond Princess cruise that was close to starting the   Covid Pandemic.  As you know if you read this blog, two weeks from today we again board the Diamond Princess for a 9-day cruise around Japan. But first, just one news flash.  The U.S. House of Representative remained paralyzed when Congressman  Jim Jordan lost the vote today to become speaker .  In a way, this was embarrassing, for he walked unto the floor with a sense of confidence, but was rebuffed by 20 Republicans who voted for someone else.  Democrats all voted for Hakeem Jeffries, who beat Jordan, 212-200.  But with no majority vote of 217 or more, no winner.  Next vote will come at 11AM on Wednesday.  I said yesterday there was no way he could prevail, and GOP sources today said that opposition to Jordan could actually grow in future votes.  I still think that Kevin McCarthy will ultimately return to the speakership, with unofficial cooperation from Democrats, effectively,

Before I get into what you see above, first,  China is back in covid crisis , and I'll have a full coverage tomorrow.  How bad?  Well, the  whole world this past week ( 7 days ) experienced around 300,000 new cases .   China will have 65 million new cases/per week for at least the month of June!!!   This is so shocking that I need more time to gather reputable information. Second, this is Memorial Day, a national holiday, and time for circumspection and forethought. Actually, there is a sixth branch of the military, the  U.S. Space Force , which was created on 20December2019, and reports to the U.S. Air Force, a similar relationship as the Marine Corps and Navy.  The USSP currently has 8600 active duty personnel with access to 77 spacecraft.   This was Trump's doing, but Biden apparently has decided to continue operations.  The current issue is whether SpaceCom moves from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama.   Lots of politics involved . Recep Erdogan  beat his opposition i