TravelBloggerBuzz

Hottest Stock Markets, AI Myths, Terrorist In The Brain, Epic World Cup, Luxury Lounge Wars

TravelBloggerBuzz — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 11:38:23 +0000

Another TBB post featuring the most eclectic links around the web such as the hottest stock markets, AI myths, terrorist in the brain, this epic World Cup, luxury lounge wars, Mag 7 losing, AI not killing jobs, lifelong runners forced to quit, most stunning beaches, the best photography and Thailand links and of course always all of the most important developments in the crazy world of frequent flyer miles and points at the lower half of the post. And much more. Enjoy the weekend.

Blog Mission: To Educate. Entertain. Inspire. In That Order!

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No clickbait. No ads. No algorithms. No sponsors. No AI. No paywalls.

This blog started way back in 2012 focusing on my crazy ~~hobby~~ addiction of traveling with frequent flyer miles, hotel and bank points. It has since evolved to curated posts featuring the best web content along with my commentary.

BLOG HOUSEKEEPING

This is truly a one man labor of love operation, enjoy it while it lasts.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“When you feel grateful, you become great, and eventually attract great things.” – Plato

MUST READ GEMS

I really like the posts with a bunch of facts and I usually post several of them in my annual Best Of series each December/January. And then I realized the trend may have morphed into doing semi annual Best Of posts. Each fact has the source linked.

Facts From 1H26

Nearly 40% of years have seen a total return for the S&P 500 above 20%.

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund holds, on average, roughly a 1.5% stake in every publicly listed company in the world.

An estimated $17 billion was stolen in crypto scams and fraud in 2025 (1,400% year-over-year growth). AI-enabled scams were 4.5x more profitable than traditional scams.

In 2017, Americans legally bet $4.9 billion on sports. In 2025, it was over $160 billion.

“Google raised just $26M (~$60M in today’s terms) before becoming profitable, while Meta raised about $480M (~$800M today). OpenAI is projected to burn through a staggering $115B before it even hopes to reach free cash flow profitability in 2030.”

The state of Wyoming only has 2 escalators.

Global suicide rates have declined by 29% from 2000 to 2021.

PERSONAL FINANCE

Another good history lesson: The Hottest Stock Markets Lead to the Biggest Losses.

…a relative handful of elite stocks, headed by Apple, Nvidia and Microsoft, churned out spectacular returns that accounted for nearly all the profits for investors over the entire century. At the same time, more than 96 percent of the stock market did virtually nothing for investors. The vast majority of stocks couldn’t even match the 3.3 percent average return of one-month Treasury bills — a return you could get month by month over the 100 years through 2025 without taking any appreciable risk.

It turns out that the combined losses of the 10 companies at the bottom of the list accounted for less than 1 percent of all the wealth destruction in the stock market over the century. By comparison, the top 10 companies — including Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet and other heavyweights — accounted for 29 percent of all wealth creation over 100 years.

Wasn’t it just recently that you could do no wrong if you invested all your money into the Mag 7 stocks? Ok, never do that, always diversify! And, amazingly, just like that we have a complete reversal: The Mag 7 is Losing? as “The S&P 493 is destroying the Mag 7 so far in 2026“.

As of July 4, 2026

TECH/SCAMS/CRYPTO

I learned a new word this week: Nomophobia. It is the fear of being without your phone. Which is really becoming the phobia of the 21st century.

This…

AI

Interesting takes here: 5 Myths About AI’s Economic Impact, and What the Data Actually Shows.

Myth 1: AI Can Never Be Profitable

Myth 2: AI Is Behind the Productivity Boom

Myth 3: AI Isn’t a Major Contributor to the US GDP Growth

Myth 4: If AI Is a Bubble, Then It Will Have No Durable Economic Impact

Myth 5: If AI Succeeds, Then Workers Are Doomed

Actually, on the #5 myth above, is the tide really turning on this? We can finally say AI isn’t killing jobs. For the sake of our children, let’s hope so.

Key Takeaways:

Firms that adopt AI grow headcount 10.2% over the two years following adoption, but these gains are entirely driven by high-intensity adopters. Low-intensity adopters see no statistically significant change.
Entry-level headcount grew even faster. At the companies making the largest AI investments, entry-level headcount grew 12% over the two years following adoption.
AI adoption and the associated gains are unevenly distributed. AI adopters are already larger, more engineering-intensive, more likely to be venture-backed, and faster-growing than non-adopters. These firms then grow faster upon adoption.

ODDZ & ENDZ

From the same guy at the Wall Street Journal who brought us an article about the Ford worker who invented that sign in all our cars pointing to the side the gas tank is we now have this: This Simple White Line Is America’s Greatest Unsung Innovation. This is the unknown story of another ingenious creation that changed a nation. Blown away, I had no idea!

As a former runner, I was crying inside reading this: When Lifelong Runners Are Forced to Quit. For those who rely on the sport for identity and community, leaving it behind can feel like a form of grief. These are all so true…

For the roughly 50 million Americans who run regularly, it is rarely just exercise. It is therapy, meditation, community and identity, often all at once. When the body finally says no, the loss can be staggering.

“When you say you’re a runner, people automatically assume you are disciplined, you are ambitious, you know how to set a goal and go for it,” she said. “It has this sheen about it.” Letting go of that identity, she discovered, felt like losing a close companion. “I really thought of running as one of my best friends. I was ‘with’ running five times a week. And all of a sudden you have to say, ‘I have to step away from you.’”

Must read article if you are into dementia, Alzheimer’s and all brainy conditions: The Terrorist in the Brain. The article gets into the gory details of what Robin Williams went through and what Bruce Willis is dealing with these days. Along with the latest and evolving science in this area. I read recently about a new drug that is effective against Alzheimer’s. After reading this article, I was deflated.

The deepest lesson of the Williams and Willis stories may be the simplest. Money and access do not buy a way around the limits of current science. Robin Williams had the finest medical care in the world and died misdiagnosed, hunted by a disease no test of his time could catch. Bruce Willis’s fame turned his diagnosis into headlines that mostly got the science wrong. If two of the most resourced patients imaginable could not escape the genuine limits of what medicine can do, the rest of us will not find our way out through a blood test we do not need, a drug priced like a small car, or a bottle of glowing jellyfish.

Amazing: ISS – “Crazy Beautiful” in 4K. Marvel at a stunning display of Aurora Australis as seen from The International Space Station Expedition 74 in 4x real time. ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot provided the quote for the title of the film in her notes of the sequence.’

TRAVEL

Did I say I like beaches? Oh yes I did. So, here we go again: The World’s 26 Most Stunning Beaches. Which one is your favorite?

You almost never see any trip reports from these countries in the north of South America: Why Guyana, Suriname And French Guiana Aren’t South American. Fascinating, love all things geography.

Interesting travel post from Stephen Pepper at the Frequent Miler: 6 underrated states to visit for a domestic vacation. I must admit I was very surprised to see New Mexico at the top of his list.

Amazing photography: These 17 Stunning Photos of the Strawberry Moon Show Earth’s Natural Satellite in All Its Glory.

2026 WORLD CUP

After watching World Cup games every day, on Wednesday this week we finally had a day without one. And I gotta tell you…it was so weird lol.

So many memories from this glorious World Cup. Maybe next week I can dedicate a bit more with my thoughts. There are so many, I don’t know where to start. From the collapse of Team USA against Belgium and wondering if Trump had not interfered. From the robbery against the Egyptian team in the hands of the refs facing Messi’s never die Argentina. From that absolute classic Mexico vs England game. And this World Cup’s story, Cape Verde, I mean, what more can you say about this team? I could go on and on…For now, let me just leave you with some links that I found worthy:

The World Cup Shows What’s Great About America.

I lost it when this happened. Like so many around the world: A Moment That Will Live Forever.

And this game wow: England end Mexico’s World Cup with best win on foreign soil in their history.

Did you know? Which Countries Have Been Banned from The World Cup?

And these brilliant quotes by Jason Gay: The World Cup’s Awful Instant Replay System Must Be Destroyed.

I thought I’d seen the worst of soccer’s contentious video assisted review technology, until Tuesday’s Argentina-Egypt World Cup round of 16 game, when, late in the second half, the baffling, deeply-unpopular replay doohickey was deployed to disallow a glorious, field-crossing, momentum-shifting Mostafa Ziko goal after determining Egypt had fouled Argentina…roughly 100 yards prior. This wasn’t penalizing something Ziko did. This was like traveling back in time. This was like getting stopped by a SWAT team in Rhode Island and being told you were being ticketed for jaywalking in Oregon. In 1974.

I haven’t even gotten to the absurdity of the Croatia-Portugal match, aka the Hair of God, in which officials revoked a game-tying Croatia goal because a sensor in the ball few people knew even existed decided that the ball had grazed the hairline of a Croatia player.

We’ve turned the games we love over to zero-tolerance killjoys who would interrupt the Jupiter symphony because they think the oboe player held a note a half second too long…Everyone hates it, and yet, we’re getting more. It’s like reality television, AI slop, and social media. We’re too hooked to say stop.

Let’s laugh:

THAILAND

This Paddy Doyle YouTuber makes the best travel videos in Thailand, highly recommend. He just started an interesting project titled offreel. To get fans to connect with online creators. Maybe one day I set up a creator account and dish my expertise on the platform about Thailand (visas, locations, Hyatts, medical tourism, etc.) or travel hacking or personal finance (not sure about any regulatory compliance issues though). Just kidding, no time to start another online thing but maybe this helps some readers.

You know we like airplanes around here. And here we go: I Found a Boeing 747 Hidden in a Field in Thailand. The guy who bought it, what the hell was he thinking? I hope this has a good ending but I am not seeing it…

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This blog started with a focus on miles and points and travel. It has evolved since then. Everything below deals with the hobby of collecting frequent flyer miles and points and maximizing your travel experiences. If you are not interested, you can stop here, thank you.

MILES & POINTS

So, here we go again…

You know this hobby has changed so much lately: The Real Reason Miles & Points Are Boring Now. Well, I agree with most of these points. And, from so many people in this space who make money from it, well, they always have to find a way to keep you in it.

And there are two companies that have driven this hobby to the ground: Delta Airlines and Marriott. And they are at it again!

Gross: Delta Guts Its Premium Cabins With New “Basic” Fare Classes

Marriott Bonvoy 5% To 10% Flash Points Devaluation

When most bloggers just publish endless credit card marketing pitches masquerading as legitimate content and absolute clickbait drivel, Loyalty Lobby keeps breaking real news before every other blog who then copy it smh. Is this the beginning of the long expected AA devaluation? American Airlines Increases Miles Required To First Class Awards To Asia (+ Perhaps Business Too).

World of Hyatt keeps descending I guess: Hyatt Excludes More Properties From Suite Upgrade Awards. I scrolled and scrolled and scrolled, smh. I like the ending:

I guess Hyatt could soon start keeping a list of properties where members can use these Suite Upgrade Awards, rather than listing which properties are excluded.

TRAVEL REWARDS CREDIT CARDS

For ANY questions on travel rewards credit cards, contact me anytime at travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com

You should check out this new site: Plastic Prowl. “See the real cost of 3,800+ luxury stays after your statement credit — across every major program, in one search.” I really like the interface. The founder contacted me some time ago about the site and, you know, World Cup schedule intervened until I found some time to take a look into it. He gave me a free premium account but I have not used it yet. But I did spend some time on it as a regular user and I like it, fwiw. It does help that he has been reading my blog for years so I love supporting my blog readers. Give it a click.

Where the banks are taking the battles these days: American Express and Chase move luxury lounge wars beyond the airport.

Along the same theme, in video: Why Amex and Chase Love Lounges.

You know I absolutely despise Bilt. And I would never do business with this company and I don’t see them lasting. This YouTuber goes over his experience dealing with “customer service”. Which is of course non existent. And of course it is not surprising at all that Bilt blames Cardless and Cardless reciprocates. For the gory details, start at 7.09 of this video: Billing Errors, Missing Points…Then This Happened!

100k CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED REFRESH:

This card has become a no brainer for, well, almost everyone. Especially if you are new into this travel reward cards space and absolutely do not care about Hyatt points whatsoever. Let me explain why you should get this card. Well, most of my readers either have this card or can no longer get it again due to Chase Bank’s new severe restrictions eliminating us credit card miles/points enthusiasts. This IS a great card for someone starting out by the way. We all have it in my household and are definitely keeping it. Because for just $95 dollars annual fee you get:

No foreign transaction fees
Primary car rental insurance
$100 Annual Hotel Credit. (This is per cardmember year, rather than calendar year. Must be booked through the Chase Travel Portal.)
Card earns at the following rates:
- 5x on travel booked through the Chase Travel portal.
- 3x on Dining/Streaming Services/online grocery (excludes: excluding Target, Walmart and
  wholesale clubs)
- 3x on Gas/EV
- 3x on Airbnb, VRBO, Plum Guide, HomeAway, Homestay.com, and Vacasa
- 2x on other travel
- 1x on all other purchases
- 5x on Lyft rides through 9/30/27. 5x on Peloton purchases of $150+ through 12/31/27.
$120 credit once every four years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS.
One time offer (not ongoing): Complimentary Apple TV subscription for one year when activated by December 31, 2026.
Transferable points (reminder: Hyatt transfers are 4:3)
Complimentary DashPass membership ($120 value) for 12 months. Plus, DashPass members get a $10 promo each month ($120 annually) to save on groceries, retail orders, and more.
Chase 5/24 rule applies to this card

and of course for just $5,000 minimum spend in three months you get 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points! Even if you did not do much with the points and just cashed them out for a penny per point, it means you pocket $1,000. For an annual fee of $95 plus all the goodies above, DO THE MATH! Of course, you can transfer the points out to travel partners like United or Southwest ~~or Hyatt~~ and get way more than a penny per point. Yes, it is a bit more work but it can make this card even more valuable.

There are many places online you can use to apply for this card. For the love of God, do not use the links from The Points Guy or any other big outfit pretending to be “in the hobby” when they are a big business selling plastic for the banks. Maybe prefer a small independent blogger who is into this for the love of the game and been doing it for decades and would still be here most likely if banks stopped paying bloggers to sell plastic for them #hint. Anyway, email me with ANY questions, thank you for the support.

LATEST OFFERS:

CHASE Sapphire Reserve for Business: 200,000 Points Sign Up Bonus

CHASE INK Cash & INK Unlimited 100,000 Points Signup Bonus

100k CHASE Sapphire Reserve: $795 Annual Fee. Minimum spend $6,000 in three months

A whole bunch of new offers for Delta Skymiles, ENDING JULY 15.

90k AMEX Delta Skymiles Gold: Minimum spend is $5,000 over six months

100k AMEX Delta Skymiles Platinum: Minimum spend is $6,000 over six months

125k AMEX Delta Skymiles Reserve: Minimum spend is $9,000 over six months

90k AMEX Delta Skymiles Gold Business: Minimum spend is $6,000 over six months

100k AMEX Delta Skymiles Platinum Business: Minimum spend is $8,000 over six months

125k AMEX Delta Skymiles Reserve Business: Minimum spend is $15,000 over six months

150k AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Business PLUS $125 Statement Credit: $125 Annual fee, minimum spend $8,000 in the first six months. For more info on the card’s benefits click HERE. ENDING JULY 15.

125k CHASE Marriott Bonvoy Boundless + 1 Free Night: Minimum spend is $3,000 over three months.

As High As 200,000 Points on the AMEX Business Gold after spending $15k in the first three months

100,000 BANK OF AMERICA Atmos Summit after spending $6,500 in the first three months. And a 50% flight discount voucher

80,000 BANK OF AMERICA Atmos Ascent after spending $4,000 in the first four months. And a 50% flight discount voucher

85,000 BANK OF AMERICA Atmos Business after spending $5,500 in the first three months

75k CITI AAdvantage Business World Elite MasterCard

175k AMEX Platinum & 300k AMEX Business Platinum

75k CITI Strata Elite card

75k CAPITAL ONE Venture X

Due to credit card vendor restrictions, the only affiliate links I can place in the body of my posts are for Capital One cards. You can always email me at travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com with ANY questions.

Please help the small independent blogs like mine continue to exist by supporting them with your CREDIT CARD clicks, thank you!

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MY ACTION AND BLOG BUZZING

I closed my Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business card. And I had to sacrifice about $30k credit limit. In retrospect, I should have transferred most of it to my Ink Business Cash card earlier. I am still surprised I was not allowed to do this as it appears the rep was correct that this card, along with the weird Ink Cash Premier card, are the only two cards that you can not transfer their credit limits. Still learning after all these years in this space. I was able to claim only about $450 of the credits of this card in the year I held it. I know closing it I effectively shut myself off from transferring Chase points to World of Hyatt 1:1. Well, with the once per lifetime Chase card restrictions and no more points from Ink cards, so what, it does not matter anymore.

I again tried for the Schwab Amex Platinum card and I again got the dreaded jail pop up message telling me I am not eligible for the signup bonus. So I have a dilemma now. The fat $895 annual fee for my Business Amex Platinum card is coming in September. I will be in Asia then and may have only a few days after I come back to close the card and move on. But I really really want the Schwab version of the card since the credits are so much more valuable when compared to the business card.

Having said that, I have managed to claim the following credits for my Business Amex Platinum card: $600 in 2024 (obtained the card 9/2024), $950 in 2025 and $1,050 to date in 2026. Not too shabby of course. But with no more United Travel bank, limited Dell credit and really no way to benefit from the pure business credits, I am now thinking to go for the Schwab Amex Platinum card to enjoy the automatic Schwab brokerage credit (we have all our investments with Schwab), the $400 Resy dining credits and $300 Lululemon credits and of course the $600 FHR/THC hotel credits (and more). As a matter of fact, since my wife obtained the Schwab Amex Platinum card less than two months ago, we have already claimed $720 in credits (with another $300 hotel credit, $200 Resy credit, $150 Lululemon credit and more to come before 2027 rolls in!). I am not even counting her UberOne $120 credit by the way. #Winning But I must admit I absolutely hate going for a card and not earn any signup bonus at all. But I am convinced Amex will just not give me any more signup bonuses anytime soon. Something about my history with them lol.

Our SE Asia trip is coming together very slowly. I blame the World Cup and the absolutely shitty state of business class award availability preventing me to wrap up all arrangements. Anyway, I have booked so far:

10 nights at the Bangkok Hyatt Place Soi 1 for 45,000 World of Hyatt points

9 nights at the Bangkok Hyatt Place Soi 24 for 40,500 World of Hyatt points

4 nights in a suite at the Saigon Park Hyatt for 80,000 World of Hyatt points

After returning to Bangkok from Saigon, we have 6 nights before flying to Singapore for a wedding. So I looked around and decided to book 2 nights at the Kromo Bangkok hotel, part of Curio Collection by Hilton in the Amex Travel portal with my business Amex Platinum card (last booking?) to claim another $300 The Hotel Collection credit. So I can continue the fourth year of staying for free every single night in our trips to SE Asia! #travelhackinglessons. Actually the cost for the two nights came at $306.64 so I failed for $6.64 lol. But let’s not forget the $100 hotel THC credit and of course the free breakfasts for two and some upgrade and late checkout, etc.

I finally posted some videos on YouTube:

Kromo Bangkok Hotel Premium Room

Kromo Bangkok Swimming Pool & Gym

Andaz Bail walk through

I now need to book 4 more nights in Thailand. I project I will be at 54 World of Hyatt night credits. And I will likely spend at least a few nights again at the Thessaloniki Greece Hyatt Regency. And I still have some leftover spend for the 2nd half of the furniture purchases that are on order. So no need for me to pay for a 30 day stay at the Bangkok Hyatt Place Soi 24 that will come out to about $67 per night to seal requalifying for World of Hyatt Globalist.

So, I am debating where to stay the last four nights in Thailand. Wife has another $300 Amex Platinum FHR/THC credit available and I do have a Hilton Free Night as well. Should I book the new Bangkok Andaz to continue my quest to experience all Hyatts in Thailand? Or maybe go for a few nights at the Pattaya Andaz, maybe on the way back to the airport to catch flight to Singapore? Maybe try the Bangkok Four Seasons on a FHR booking for one night? But my wife does not like to move around hotels but she has learned to tolerate it a bit with me lol. Any suggestions?

In Singapore the wedding party has a few hotel nights reserved for us near the wedding venue. And then earlier this year (before July) I booked the Singapore Conrad Marina Bay hotel on wife’s new Schwab Amex Platinum card for the $300 FHR credit. Still have to pay quite a bit over that but let’s just pretend it is mostly free lol. The price differences between Singapore and Thailand are absurd.

Also looking for suggestions for Saigon. Must do/see/eat etc.

Maybe the way to go for business class awards to Asia is to finally open an EVA Airlines mileage account and transfer some bank points to it? I don’t like dealing with foreign airline loyalty programs as I try to keep this hobby sane. It appears EVA has more award space these days, thoughts? Maybe this gets me to get back on the Citi Strata points ecosystem…

The Atlantic had an article titled The End of Reading. It was depressing and I am not linking it here because you will be depressed too. Blog readership is falling as many continue to flock to video form. Even One Mile at a Time will move towards that as well. It is like one of these secular trends that will continue. Especially with younger generations reading even less. It is incredibly deflating to pour hours into this blog and seeing readership and support clicks fall. I need to really sit down and figure out how this blog will evolve from here. Having no more of wife’s Ford paychecks, the COBRA health insurance first bill arrival and a very over budgeted home renovation project all come together and me looking at how much time I spend to bring you this product and pay out of my own pocket to do so is not sustainable. But this project does bring me psychic rewards which are important. Anyway, enjoy it while it lasts. It has been like this for years. Wife is loving her retired life without any stress and here I am up in the middle of the night to finish the final touches of this post before I hit publish. So, do NOT encourage a loved one to start a blog for God’s sake!

The home renovation project is finally done! We have some furniture on order which will take a while to arrive. But everything else is done. And we had our first friend gathering and everyone loves it. And we do too! We wanted to have a kitchen island be the hub of the activity and it is indeed. I kid myself that we will recover the money spend if we sell the house. No plans to sell but who knows? As I encourage my clients to spend more it was time to take my own medicine lol. We did a lot more in addition to the kitchen by the way. Two pics of the new kitchen:

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HOT CREDIT CARD OFFERS:

100k CHASE Sapphire Preferred, 100k CHASE Ink Cash, 100k CHASE Ink Unlimited, 200k CHASE Sapphire Reserve Business, 100k CHASE Sapphire Reserve, 75k CITI Strata Elite, 75k CAPITAL ONE Venture Rewards, 100k CHASE Ink Business Preferred, 175k AMEX Platinum, 75k CAPITAL ONE Venture X, 300k AMEX Business Platinum, 200k AMEX Business Gold, 200k CAPITAL ONE Spark Cash Plus, 100k BofA Alaska Atmos Summit, 80k BofA Alaska Atmos Ascent, 85k BofA Alaska Atmos Business, 30k CHASE United Gateway, 100k AMEX Gold, 15k AMEX Blue Business Plus and many more!

As of today, I have burned 619,515 miles/points year to date (after burning 1,893,248 miles/points in 2025 and 2,027,816 in 2024) and have 4,196,486 miles/points in the bank.

TBB’s Miles & Points RESOURCES Page

Let me leave you with this:

What a photo, found here.

Some of the links are behind a paywall. You can try to read them using Archive.is.

Thank you for reading my blog. If you enjoy it please forward it to a family member or friend. Or Buy Me a Coffee, thank you!

Feel free to contact me anytime at travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com, all feedback is very appreciated.

George

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The post Hottest Stock Markets, AI Myths, Terrorist In The Brain, Epic World Cup, Luxury Lounge Wars appeared first on TravelBloggerBuzz.

USA Millionaires, Elder Care Denial, Thailand Medical Tourism, Glorious World Cup

TravelBloggerBuzz — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 11:48:50 +0000

Another TBB post featuring the most eclectic links around the web such as USA millionaires, elder care denial, Thailand medical tourism, this glorious World Cup, making retirement fit your life, more investment wisdom, fraudsters getting busted, videos from Stalin’s funeral and other gems, dying for Ukraine, travel podcast recommendations, Thailand visas, the best photography links and of course always all of the most important developments in the crazy world of frequent flyer miles and points at the lower half of the post. And much more. Enjoy the weekend.

Blog Mission: To Educate. Entertain. Inspire. In That Order!

Support TBB by applying for Credit Cards or Buy Me a Coffee or click on Links

No clickbait. No ads. No algorithms. No sponsors. No AI. No paywalls.

BLOG HOUSEKEEPING

This is truly a one man labor of love operation, enjoy it while it lasts.

I deleted the Iran War section. And added a Thailand Section, starting it off with my experience in getting a long term visa and medical tourism.

Happy Fourth of July!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Wisdom is the most important part of happiness” – Sophocles

MUST READ GEMS

Jason Zweig of the Wall Street Journal is carrying the publication lately with his work that it is getting even better with age. Will my work get better with age? Like they say, age like red wine. Or is it fine wine? Or something like that. Anyway, this was excellent as usual: How to Build a Retirement That Actually Fits Your Life. Ending up with the right amount of money is less about the stock market and more about you. And very relevant around here. Read it all if interested, here is how it ends:

For investors of all ages, a stock market near record highs should be a reminder that while the good times can roll, they can also roll away.

PERSONAL FINANCE

Pretty good review of where we are now here in the US: 7 Charts on Q2 Markets Highlights: The Big AI Rally Gets Even Bigger. And how AI is taking us even higher…until when?

Great stuff from Alan Grossman over at Humble Dollar again: Investment Wisdom.

At the end of the day, the only thing we can know for sure about the stock market is that it will either go up, go down or stay about the same. If we can structure our portfolios so we won’t be too negatively affected whichever way it goes, that, in my opinion, is the road to success.

Which naturally leads to: The U.S. Added 1,200 New Millionaires a Day Last Year. Soaring financial markets are a big reason Americans make up nearly half the world’s new millionaires.

#1 country in rate of growth of millionaires? Lithuania at 8%, wow.

TECH/SCAMS/CRYPTO

Back with Jason Zweig. You know, I am sure he can retire but what if you love what you do and contribute to society in such a huge way? Like single handedly pretty much having scum like this Paul Regan dude stop fleecing innocent people and getting him locked up. Anyway, be careful out there, there are some people who are born to hurt others. If your stomach turns looking at how this dude did what he did, you are normal. If there was an electric chair I would volunteer to flip the switch! Reading this may make you sick, you have been warned.

How a Master of Deception Conned Investors Out of $50 Million—in His Own Words

The latest monthly roundup of people whose mothers are so disappointed about how they turned out to be: The Ponzi Scheme Blog: June 2026. We are so used to by now with the typical crap these guys do. So, is there still anything that stood out for me? Well, since you asked…

There is that guy running a crypto ponzi who is running for Tennessee governor

Shocked to learn that one Chris Burns dude who vanished in 2020 has not been caught yet. Even after landing on the FBI’s most wanted fraudster list

The couple doing livestream broadcasts called “Blessings In No Time” that promised 800% returns

Remember these two fraudsters we have previously discussed here in my blog? Well, justice caught up with them. Until they too get a pardon that is…

US: Chinese billionaire sentenced to 30 years in prison

Director Carl Rinsch Sentenced to Prison in $11 Million Netflix Fraud Case

AI

Where are we with AI? Well, not sure but this was an excellent deep dive on the subject. With taking a deeper look at Stanford’s Erik Brynjolfsson: The Man Who Saw AI Coming.

ODDZ & ENDZ

What an absolutely amazing find: The Manhoff Archives. Stalin’s Soviet Union comes to life in full color with the discovery of a long-hidden collection of images. Wow to infinity. And through blogging here I bring you material that also brings me joy discovering it. And sharing it with you. Enjoy this treasure. I must admit, watching Stalin’s funeral procession filmed from the US Embassy and sometimes the US flag flowing in front of it is beyond surreal. Am I wrong wishing this giant piece of shit burn in hell instead of being put away with such honors? Ok, don’t answer that lol.

Major Martin Manhoff spent more than two years in the Soviet Union in the early 1950s, serving as assistant army attaché at the U.S. Embassy, which was located just off Red Square at the beginning of his time in Moscow. He took full advantage of his post, using his gifted photographic eye to capture hundreds of images of everyday life in Moscow and across the U.S.S.R. When he left the country in 1954 amid accusations of espionage, Major Manhoff took with him reels of 16 millimeter film and hundreds of color slides and negatives he shot during his travels – including of one of the Soviet Union’s pivotal events, Josef Stalin’s funeral. But after his return to the United States, the trove of rare images lay forgotten, stored in cardboard boxes in a former auto body shop in the Pacific Northwest until its discovery by a Seattle-based historian.

What a story, what a hero. Some people are just born for war. We should be grateful for their courage and share the pain with his father. Texas Monthly comes through again with this gem: A Texan Risked Everything to Defend Ukraine. So Did His Father.

Erik Giggleman was an elite Army soldier who went in search of a righteous struggle and found it in Ukraine. As his commitment deepened, his father confronted an excruciating truth: Either the conflict would end, or Erik would die fighting.

Heads up, you are warned. Start planning for this chapter: Americans Are in Denial About Elder Care. Many assume that if they can afford paid help in older age, they won’t need to rely on kin. They’re wrong.

For most of us, truly preparing for old age will mean getting much more comfortable with asking for help and offering it to those around us, regardless of whether we’re bound by blood or law. It will require thinking strategically and long in advance about where we live—and whom we live near. It will mean resisting the temptations of digital convenience and instead opting for human interaction. More than anything, it will mean accepting that we still need one another in a world that makes it all too alluring to act like we don’t.

Amazing photography: The 29 Finalists for Astronomy Photographer of the Year.

Watched by the Moon © Jean-François Gely (France) | Astronomy Photographer of the Year 18 (2026)

TRAVEL

Interesting suggestions: 6 Travel Podcasts to Inspire Your Next Trip.

I keep and regularly add many things on my Thailand list. Including a bunch of restaurants. And I gotta check this one out with the 52 year old pot of soup. And counting: The Family Keeping Watch Over a 52-Year-Old Pot of Soup. Anyone been here, is it a tourist trap? Thailand related entries in this section will be moving to a new separate section, see below.

Very interesting map: Countries With the Most Seniors. I knew Japan was going to be tops and I was surprised to see Monaco beating it. Still sobering to see Greece way up there as well. Other than Japan, every country on the list is in Europe!

2026 WORLD CUP

I am loving every single minute of this World Cup. I could do a daily post ranting endlessly about what happened the day before. But of course I don’t have the bandwidth to do that. Actually, I am shocked I have reached very deep within to find the bandwidth to bring you another Friday post. I must admit I thought that this World Cup will be a letdown. Due to the expanded format, the heat and the general distaste coming from this administration about the people of the countries participating. I found it absolutely awful how FIFA allowed the Iranian football team to be treated. Ok, again, not going to get into that and will instead focus on the positive. And there are so many to everyone’s surprise.

I just loved this: “DUDE LMAO THIS IS A GAS STATION”. Multiracial harmony, globalized joy, and love for America. The World Cup saves the 250th.

Sports can do this at their best: harness harmless, low-level tribalism to defang risky, high-level tribalism, using human nature to counter human nature. And this World Cup shows not only that there is nothing inevitable about deepening ethnic, religious, and national divides, but that with the right moment and the right inspiration, the human spirit can both channel and transcend them. Spectacularly.

Just 19 games left, will miss so much watching several WC games every day…

THAILAND

I am adding a new section to replace the Iran War section. Because I have been learning a lot about Thailand as we have been visiting for the past three years and visiting soon for the fourth year in a row. Needless to say we fell in love with the country and looking to spend more time in it. And possibly at some point retire there. Or at the very least spend a substantial amount of time in it. I think it would be ideal to spend three months in the US, three months in Thailand, three months in Greece and three months traveling around the world. So, in a way, this is the goal. We all need goals to strive for.

Over the past four years I have learned a lot about Thailand. Including all types of visas available to stay longer than 30 days (currently most tourists get a 60 day stamp entering the Kingdom soon to revert back to 30 days). This can be easily extended another 30 days. But after that, it gets more complicated because there are so many available visas to choose from. You can learn more about the visas at the Thai E-Visa Official Website.

After pondering all the different visa options, and of course considering that we are not moving there permanently in the near future (if ever), I decided to apply for the newish DTV visa, you can learn more about it HERE. It is basically a fairly easy and cheap 5 year tourist visa option that allows us to stay in the country for up to 6 months at a time which is of course way more than we will ever stay. At least for next several years. There are many other retirement type visas available and you can do this on your own. But for peace of mind I recommend using a visa agent to assist and after providing the necessary documents to them they go on and just take care of it. I used the services of Siam Legal and I have been very happy with them. I have my DTV visa on hand right now and I am good until 2031. My wife’s application as my dependent just went in and we await her approval as well. I can answer questions on the subject, please ask in the comments or email me directly. Priority is always given to readers who are supporting this blog over the years with credit card apps and coffees and the rare Paypal donation (thanks Brian!).

Over the past four years I have been following several Thailand based You Tubers and I am keeping notes of way too many places to check out (restaurants, places to visit/experience, condos, hangouts, rooftops, things to do, cafes, co-working spaces, shopping/malls, night markets, medical related and many more). I could probably start another blog or You Tube channel on the subject. Apparently, many Westerners are now vlogging on “how to retire in Thailand”, it is becoming a trend I guess. Of course I am not going to start another thing online, I am focusing on making my weekly blog posts the longest ever in the online universe LOL.

Ok, let’s move on to the subject of medical tourism. Which is one of the primary reasons I fell in love with Thailand. For several years after my running injury my US doctors have been trying to determine the cause. Numerous doctor visits and all kinds of tests. And after doing my own research and telling them that it appears I have peripheral neuropathy they insisted I do not and, well, more tests. And all these tests I had to wait to schedule a very long time. Last year I decided to check out the medical system in Thailand. After research I decided to schedule a full checkup at the Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok. Medical tourism is a big industry in Thailand and I can see why after my stellar experience. There are many packages to choose from. And here are the check up packages. Last year I went for the top of the line Comprehensive Vitality Program and this year I am doing the Holistic Male checkup (along with a food allergy comprehensive test and a full ear/audio test).

As part of my check up last year there was a consultation with a neurologist. Who took the time to really examine me and it did not take her long to confirm I do have the peripheral neuropathy condition. I felt relief to finally learn what the issues with my feet were all about. So I am now a big fan of the Thailand health care system and Bumrungrad and can’t wait for my checkup this year to see how I trended from last year. I see myself doing a comprehensive medical checkup every year. Best part about the experience is being able to see a specialist right away. If not the same day, the next day or two certainly.

Bumrungrad is considered tops in Thailand. And it comes with the highest cost considering the alternatives. And I am okay with that after my experience. Best part is that there is a Hyatt Place in Soi 21 that is almost connected to the hospital making it the ideal place to stay. Another hospital highly rated and cheaper is Samitivej Hospital. And another one up there is Bangkok Hospital.

Again, I can do my best answering any questions you may have.

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This blog started with a focus on miles and points and travel. It has evolved since then. Everything below deals with the hobby of collecting frequent flyer miles and points and maximizing your travel experiences. If you are not interested, you can stop here, thank you.

MILES & POINTS

So, here we go again…

It appears that Hyatt’s obsession with all inclusives is not slowing down. On the contrary: Hyatt Expands All-Inclusive Portfolio With First-Ever Park Hyatt & Grand Hyatt Resorts.

If you are into the Avios currency, this is good to know: Transferring Avios Between Accounts is Easy, But Beware of New Hurdles.

Rove continues to add partners. Ok, it is Frontier but still: Rove Adds Frontier Miles as Transfer Partner + 25% Transfer Bonus. If you find yourself excited about this partner and this transfer bonus you probably cried when Spirit Airlines went down?

TRAVEL REWARDS CREDIT CARDS

For ANY questions on travel rewards credit cards, contact me anytime at travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com

What the hell has happened over at Chase Bank lately? It is like a knife in our backs that just gets deeper very slowly…and painfully: Chase Sapphire Reserve 1.20% Pay Yourself Back Categories: Gas, Public Transit & More (Q3 2026). So, this went down from 1.50% to 1.25% to 1.20% smh. And the Chase Sapphire Preferred is now down to 1.05% for public transit and 1.10% for pet supply stores & vet services, how insulting.

Very nice Amex improvement: American Express Adds Benefits Tracker (Coupon Tracker in the login).

100k CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED REFRESH:

No foreign transaction fees
Primary car rental insurance
$100 Annual Hotel Credit. (This is per cardmember year, rather than calendar year. Must be booked through the Chase Travel Portal.)
Card earns at the following rates:
- 5x on travel booked through the Chase Travel portal.
- 3x on Dining/Streaming Services/online grocery (excludes: excluding Target, Walmart and
  wholesale clubs)
- 3x on Gas/EV
- 3x on Airbnb, VRBO, Plum Guide, HomeAway, Homestay.com, and Vacasa
- 2x on other travel
- 1x on all other purchases
- 5x on Lyft rides through 9/30/27. 5x on Peloton purchases of $150+ through 12/31/27.
$120 credit once every four years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS.
One time offer (not ongoing): Complimentary Apple TV subscription for one year when activated by December 31, 2026.
Transferable points (reminder: Hyatt transfers are 4:3)
Complimentary DashPass membership ($120 value) for 12 months. Plus, DashPass members get a $10 promo each month ($120 annually) to save on groceries, retail orders, and more.
Chase 5/24 rule applies to this card