Yesterday was 7December2025, We are on the other side of the International Dateline, so this can get confusing.  Day 1 of our continuing cruise of the Diamond Princess from Singapore to Thailand, Malaysia, Viet Nam and back to Singapore on December 23.  Sixteen more days on this ship.  This the view from our veranda in Singapore, It was three years ago that we were on the Regent Seven Seas Explorer from Dubai and  arrived in Singapore on December 12 .  We took the end of cruise hotel package, so the company first sent us on a tour, then to the Fairmont, where we stayed.  That photo to the right is a one I took then. Maybe that's the most convenient way to end up in port, for we received a message that taxis were scarce at the two cruise terminals, and we should consider making arrangements to be picked up when we return to Singapore.  However, I asked Google AI: Yes, taxis are readily available at both of Singapore's main cruise terminals ( Marina Bay ...

I keep referring to Ray Bradbury's 1953  Sound of Thunder , for merely stepping on a butterfly in his short story significantly altered the future of humanity.  Of course, this also means that every breath you take, every move you make, would likewise do so.  But purposeful action can particularly make that crucial difference. From this tale came the term  butterfly effect , a concept of chaos theory not made popular until a decade later.  While any accidental act can drastically alter the future, a more specific decision can most surely affect the future regarding that topic.  Incidentally, the movie,  The Butterfly Effect , a 2005 film starring Ashton Kutcher, garnered 33/81 ratings from  Rotten Tomatoes , which attracted my interest because I usually side with the viewers. While Senator Joe Manchin will sign off on the Democratic wish-list bill, which has dropped in value from $3.5 trillion to less than half that value, gaining a last gasp life...