Comments on: AI Facts and Risks, China’s Long Twilight, Best Hotels, Amex Great Expansion

By: GeorgeTBB

GeorgeTBB — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 09:42:06 +0000

In reply to NickPFD. Innovative yes. BEST? Not so sure :-)

By: GeorgeTBB

GeorgeTBB — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 09:41:40 +0000

In reply to Vicky. Enjoy grabbing the StandardX brand before it goes extinct. Down to one property I am just not seeing any future for it. I have not noticed the trend you are referring to in hotel bed sheets, hope you manage :-)

By: NickPFD

NickPFD — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 20:03:48 +0000

I’m pretty sure this is the best FIRE post of all time: https://www.reddit.com/r/leanfire/comments/1x4kqdg/has_anyone_considered_going_to_prison_temporarily/

By: Vicky

Vicky — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 00:28:30 +0000

Thanks everyone for the StandardX reminder in Melbourne. Just booked a night for next week before they get around to changing it to whatever. Plus on an airline double status credits, they are begging me to go.

I’ve got the train between KL and Singapore on my list to do but also had heard bad things about the Thai side.

I think now it goes beyond travelling with pillows, what is this ridiculous trend of not having fitted bottom sheets on king size beds and stretching a flat queen size so as soon as you roll over the sheet is untucked. I can’t deal with it.

By: Carl Pietrantonio

Carl Pietrantonio — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 16:16:41 +0000

In reply to TravelBloggerBuzz. My bad! I did a typo. The Tesla is a 2015, not 2025. Can't see a way to edit the original comment though.

By: TravelBloggerBuzz

TravelBloggerBuzz — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 14:24:46 +0000

Wow, BIG thanks to the blog reader who bought 50 coffees! By far the largest coffee purchase in the history of the blog. Moves like this keep me here blogging away. This is like another seed round before IPO baby 🙂

@ David. Not flying to Melbourne to hit another Hyatt brand, I am done with it. Barely as it switched less than a month after I stayed there, phew. I am shocked I finally got the Schwab Platinum finally.

@ Carl: So 2025 Tesla and it is already an old car? 🙂 Last time I was in a Residence Inn was many years ago with the kids and brother in law’s kids. Had won a sweepstakes by Southwest that had RT tickets for 8 to Orland, I think 4 nights at a Residence Inn next door and tickets to Sea World next door. Kids loved it playing with their cousins. Never returned to a Residence Inn since then I think. I stopped that automatic email with the messed up formatting. And I just sent one with the link to it. I know some like to read the blog post in the email, oh well. I have already been losing subscribers because of the horrendous email formatting so doing it this way I may lose less of them lol. One day I will set up the automatic one. I DID find that code with that walking man pic so it will never show up again…if I take the risk to restart it.

@ DML: There are some deaths that you do not feel sorry at all. This Bakker dude was one of them.

@ bob: Get some warn clothing in New Zealand. Good point on the Thailand Malaysia border violence. Seems like they don’t mess with civilians though? I may hit Hat Yai before I make it up to Chiang Mai next year. Or make it to Hanoi, daughter landed there today. Bangkok will be the base. Working on it.

By: bob

bob — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 05:37:10 +0000

Hello from Wellington. A high speed burn from ICN-HKG-SYD-WLG the past week. Still early spring here so temps are in the 60s when the sun is out. but supposed to get down into the 50s next week. Totally didnt bring enough winter clothes!

Fun fact, I grew up in the town where Heritage USA was located. It is basically a giant neighborhood now. The building they were selling timeshares to everyone at has still not been fully constructed after all these years. It and the remnants of the theme park have probably changed hands at least 5 times since I lived there. It is now own by a church, at least for the theme park, not sure who owns the tower.

Re: 1,200 Miles by Train, From Singapore to Bangkok…funny they never mentioned the violence at the border of Malay and Thai. 11 gas stations got bombed the month that the author was making the trip. Guess bad for whomever paid for their trip to mention that fact.

By: Carl Pietrantonio

Carl Pietrantonio — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 16:47:02 +0000

I’m late to the party today. In Lynnwood WA for 2 days as that is the nearest USA Tesla dealership to check on some stuff with the car. Good news is nothing to worry about, it’s just showing age (It’s a 2025). Staying at a Residence Inn. Not bad, not great, crappy pillows. I wish Hotels (in general) would up their pillow game as it is my most common complaint.

Congrats on the plat! Hope all is well with you and I’ll be diving in and out of the blog over the next couple days!

The website formatting is great, BTW!

By: DML

DML — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:55:13 +0000

Good morning!

Lots of weekend reading …

I didn’t realize that Bakker started again with a new wife! I hope to be able to forget that …ignorance can be bliss.

By: David

David — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:14:39 +0000

Congrats on finally getting the Schwab card Buzz!
Say it ain’t so…another silver or gold perhaps for the desert curmudgeon.
Great post today, lots to catch up on for the weekend.
The Bakker lot…eeeesshh, I remember that story, gross, barf.
On that note, have a great weekend.
Almost forgot to mention your obsession. Flying to Australia for 1 night credit, funny Buzz.