I bring you more eclectic links from around the web along with my incendiary commentary such as an open countries guide, Bitcoin technobabble, herd immunity, virgin Russian hair, visit the last stop to the North Pole, a rollover chart, new virus breakouts in Taiwan and Singapore, a devastating death toll graphic, Korean adoptees, a fantastic podcast and lots more! Variety rules here. If you don’t find something to learn, laugh or get inspired I have failed. Build it and they will come someone said…waiting 🙂 Have a great week everyone!
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TRAVEL
When I travel abroad I really do not want to worry about timely tests and potential false positives and quarantines so maybe this is for you: Where Can Americans Travel Right Now? A Country-by-country Guide.
What a cool sight! During Flood Season, the Yellow River Surges Into the Bohai Sea and It Looks Surreal.
Amazing scenery here, wow! She Lives at The Last Stop to The North Pole.
PERSONAL FINANCE
Jonathan Clements is a really good personal finance writer and here is his latest: Getting Framed. Human capital, which is your income-earning ability, is obviously super important. And allocating your time too.
I am not a fan of Paul Krugman. But I really liked his column titled: Technobabble, Libertarian Derp and Bitcoin. Like I said numerous times here, I am really happy you had big profits with crypto. Oh, it is crashing one more time by the way so I guess the crypto bros will be a little less annoying….yeah right. Here is the archive.is link.
The story so far: Bitcoin, the first and biggest cryptocurrency, was introduced in 2009. It uses an encryption key, similar to those used in hard-to-break codes — hence the “crypto” — to establish chains of ownership in tokens that entitle their current holders to … well, ownership of those tokens. And nowadays we use Bitcoin to buy houses and cars, pay our bills, make business investments, and more. Oh, wait. We don’t do any of those things. Twelve years on, cryptocurrencies play almost no role in normal economic activity. Almost the only time we hear about them being used as a means of payment — as opposed to speculative trading — is in association with illegal activity, like money laundering or the Bitcoin ransom Colonial Pipeline paid to hackers who shut it down.
Do you have different tax-deferred retirement accounts and always wondered if you can simplify your life by consolidating them? Well, this Rollover Chart by the IRS may help. You are welcome.
COVID-19
This was very interesting: Most People Are Thinking of Herd Immunity All Wrong. We are most likely a LONG way from reaching it…
One of herd immunity’s hallmarks is that cases are so rare that they make news. It’s not a cutoff, it’s not a magic number, and it’s usually not even an ending.
Pundits complain that we’re “moving the goalposts” when scientists debate about what the threshold is, exactly. The truth is we just don’t know what the threshold is because it’s a moving target. It is very sensitive to small changes in both human and viral adaptation. Little things matter. A lot. Things like a change in the daily riders on the subway system, or one big party where 500 people are exposed. The threshold is also sensitive to small changes to the virus and how it infects humans. If it gains an adaptive advantage somewhere along its world tour, the threshold will shift in ways that no one can predict. We often don’t measure these things well, or even know what they are until after the fact. In addition, these effects are often not linear, so measuring the right things well wouldn’t necessarily lead to better predictions. In short, it’s complicated. It’s so complicated that the study of herd immunity is itself housed in the niche field of complexity science.
We are getting used to seeing countries praised how they handled the pandemic only to have breakouts again after a long period thinking they had eliminated it: Covid-19: What went wrong in Singapore and Taiwan?
So grim: Animated infographic of Covid death toll.
ODDZ & ENDZ
I had no idea this was a thing, wow! My Bizarre Reign as New York’s King of “Virgin Russian Hair”. Complete strangers wiring me $15k on the spot, smuggling blond ponytails across the Atlantic, secret rendezvous under the overpass — I just may have had the weirdest side hustle of all time.
Facebook reunited me with my Greek high school classmates and we are all better for it. And then this: Korean adoptees felt isolated and alone for decades. Then Facebook brought them together. “I really, really believe that I would be dead without it”.
I don’t listen to many podcasts. But my favorite is Infinite Loops. And I really enjoyed the latest one! I sent this to my kids so you know it is that good. Start at 4.30 mins. Two successful older guys talking about:
- The importance of asking “why”
- Treating failures as lessons
- How writing helps in detecting blind-spots in your thinking
- Courage, and to go all-in!
- Munger, Buffett, Gates, Jobs, and A LOT more!
Ok, one more in this section, found here:
MILES & POINTS
HOT CREDIT CARD OFFERS: 80k CHASE Sapphire Preferred (& $50 Grocery store credit), 100k CHASE United Quest, 100k CAPITAL ONE Venture Rewards, 75k CHASE Ink Cash, 75k CHASE Ink Unlimited, 100k CHASE Ink Business Preferred, 60k CHASE Sapphire Reserve, 60k CITI Premier, 20k CHASE Freedom Flex & CHASE Freedom Unlimited, 125k CHASE IHG Rewards Club Premier (& a free night) and many more, including many American Express cards! Please check out my Affiliate links. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
If you do not see a credit card with my affiliate links, perhaps I could refer you? Contact me!
This section is about my hobby addiction of collecting frequent flyer miles and hotel points since the early 1990’s! Feel free to skip this section and parts of the next one if this is not for you.
Newbies: Bloggers will try to sell you travel rewards credit cards for the sales commissions while promising free travel and free breakfasts and free upgrades and free everything. NOT TRUE! It takes time to book the “free” tickets if you can find the award seats in the first place and all kinds of fees sneak up on you. So, don’t fall for this crap, get educated! Well, you are reading the right blog for this so ask away!
I usually do not read reviews of flights or hotels. Because who has the time! But if I notice a particular property that looks interesting enough to consider visiting I will read it. So, I read this: Hotel Review – Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve, Puerto Rico. And I must admit I am not as eager to visit as I was when I first came across it. We’ll see what happens.
I am still waiting for Chase to send me the United Quest card with the 100,000 United miles signing bonus, I wonder if they are mailing it to me via pigeons, come on! I am being very selective on what travel rewards credit cards I go for these days, long gone are the days we used to have apporamas getting a bunch of them in the same day, remember those? The card is available with my links, thanks for your support!
Weekend miles/points action dies way down, zzzzz…..
Updated: Very interesting sweepstakes by United Airlines for vaccinated people: Your Shot to Fly Sweepstakes. Very tempting but the “value” of the prizes if won is VERY high imho. But United will also throw in some cash to alleviate the pain but still…Now if it was Singapore Airlines or Cathay Pacific during normal non-pandemic times it would be a no brainer hehe.
BLOG BUZZ
We are now entering BLOG BUZZ, a section for advanced hobbyists and veterans of this fast imploding hobby and also a section where I go on and on about some stuff that happens in my life because it helps me feel better about myself.
It was a VERY hot weekend in Ann Arbor, Michigan! We are talking in the 90s already, maybe summer is here. Even though I think we may still have another snowstorm before June lol. Got back on my bike, 15 miles Saturday morning. Maybe my body IS trying to tell me that running should not be in my future…
Good to see NBA playoffs action again. I am looking at the stands and see so many without masks and I wonder if we are tempting to see another Covid wave…
Don’t work too hard, it may be deadly, ok?
Let me leave you with this:
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TBB
travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com
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Good morning!
Thanks for the link to the international cov-19 barriers. I rearranged an August trip to London on Saturday. Well, maybe not.
Everything is open here, come on over.
I know we can cope with all the restrictions/tests/blahblah….but, I mean, it is a bit much for my tastes, I want my travel to be relaxing. So…I wait.
Lol, PL games were almost empty. Is West End fully open? Tickets are available in July.
No, restarting slowly. Mousetrap is open.
Really enjoyed the Svalbard story. I’ve read several about this region and it’s definitely on my list, though not sure if I’ll ever actually make the trip. Maybe someday there will be an Andaz Longyearbyen that plays games with award night availability
I have similar feelings 🙂
Picked up 2 Quest cards using your links. Keep up the good work!
Good to see you and thank you! I was going to comment here today to thank the reader who did this. With mine is is three United Quest cards. And I may get son one next month…At this rate do you think TPG is being threatened?
He won’t be threatened until you’re wearing a suit made of Quest cards.
Ok, he’ll never be threatened lol
The UA card benefits look fine. Just making sure I didn’t miss something here. Have award availability and prices changed on UA? I was looking at transatlantic flights the next few months, 2xmiles compared to skypesos. Barely any “saver” awards. Sad!
I added the United Sweepstakes link to today’s post.
The 1099s to be issued to prize winners is crazy high…so I am thinking about it before I enter. You?
Looks like you may have missed a big story 😀
https://www.wsj.com/articles/intelligence-on-sick-staff-at-wuhan-lab-fuels-debate-on-covid-19-origin-11621796228
I’ll keep waiting for the update to your cold take here and in the comments 😉
https://travelbloggerbuzz.com/91-divoc-pandemic-economics-elite-status-extensions-the-new-commute
Don’t read that without also reading this: https://twitter.com/pwnallthethings/status/1396578054730833920?s=21
We lack proof. And these stories have been circulating for some time with rather poor source material. Remember the “intelligence” used to justify the last war in Iraq. Yes, I agree that we need to know what happened at the WIV. An independent international team must be allowed to read the notebooks. And yes, shut down those type of studies. An independent body needs to review future CoV grants to assess risk.
Never said anything about proof. But dismissing it as if it’s saying we never landed on the moon is foolishness.
Even Dr. Fauci isn’t convinced COVID is natural.
I did not miss the story. If you can call it that…
I knew you would stop by here to remind me.
An “intelligence” report from the last week of Trump “governing” does not mean much. And it is good to have that as leverage in the ongoing negotiations with the Chinese.
I stand by what I wrote. I hope I am wrong but I doubt it. Until then…you will be coming here to remind me so you can feel better.
So, you are still rating Trump’s job 3/10? Click on that Covid death toll graphic to see how preposterous that is…
The US did better than or equal to many other western countries that don’t have the challenges of 50 different states and individual rules:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1104709/coronavirus-deaths-worldwide-per-million-inhabitants/
If you give Trump a 1, than what does Johnson or Marcon get? Not like their outcomes were any better.
And while I would agree that Trump was a 1 out of 10 in regard to how serious he took COVID-19, I give him credit for making the vaccine a top priority and funding it while cutting through red tape, even if he did it to try to save his own skin.
Warp speed delivered a safe and effective vaccine in less than a year despite pundits saying that was an impossible promise, and gave the US a big leg up in recovery.
So yes, I’m pretty comfortable with 3/10 overall.
You give Trump credit for making the vaccine a priority??! Only Trump could possibly get credit for the bare freaking minimum.
In the words of Roy Keane, that’s his job: https://youtu.be/6_wbIq-BUKU
>>>>>>> I’m pretty comfortable with 3/10 overall.
Sad!
The “intelligence” article you mentioned was full of shit as ABC pointed out too.
Disappointing.
Dan, I agree that he deserves credit for:
– signing on the Operation Warp Speed (which, we must admit, was quite controversial at the time);
– not blocking the funding or playing games with it;
– refraining from sabotaging the project along the way, which, knowing his nature, must’ve been not easy for him.
But does that ONE achievement qualify as 3/10 overall?
Donald Trump was a Soviet-style leader, and don’t argue with me because I KNOW. 🙂
3/10 kind of presumes that he wasn’t the worst president this country ever had. Who was the 1/10 or 2/10 then?
Let’s not kid ourselves. It was the judiciary that had mitigated the grievous damage he would’ve otherwise inflicted on this nation (although the night is still young).
I’m certainty not ranking his presidency.
I’m ranking his COVID response.
Given that many countries in the west has equal or worse COVID mortality rates and given that Trump went all in on warp speed which we are benefiting from now, are you arguing he still deserves a 1 or 2?
If so, what grade do you give Johnson, Macron, or other western leaders?
I give Trump a big fat zero. On everything.
Period.
You find ways to rate him north of zero. Every time. You probably voted for him. Good for business not to alienate your readers. I don’t give a shit about that here. I speak the truth 🙂
I’m not sure what countries you’re counting. All of them or industrial only? Because among industrial countries we’re only behind Belgium and Italy, splitting the third place with the UK (per capita that is). I don’t think it would be fair comparing us to Bulgaria or Peru.
And you know it’s pretty tough grading Macron and Johnson given how they’re also leading the recovery, while Trump is playing golf full time now. But they definitely screwed up on more than one occasion. There are no innocents in this calamity.
Just trying to be fair here. I don’t know how to rank someone who did one thing right and dozens of other things wrong. I can’t argue, though, that yes, we are benefiting from the work his administration did on the vaccines and that Biden hasn’t achieved all that on his own.
So there. 🙂
Sounds right Andy.
No shame in acknowledging that he was a narcissistic nutcase who also managed to do some good that we’re benefiting from now.
But I enjoy being a centrist. Means I can examine things rationally and not instantly write off half the country as nutjobs, which is threatening to tear us apart.
One more on what Dr. Fauci said. So much fuss about completely nothing imho.
https://twitter.com/weijia/status/1396913345815617539
NEW: Dr. Fauci tells me that his opinion about the origins of COVID-19 have not changed: He believes that it is “highly likely” that it first occurred naturally before spreading from animal to human. Since no one is 100% sure, he’s open to a thorough investigation.
Dr. Fauci said that does not mean he believes the virus first emerged in a lab, as some have suggested. He does not know anything about the three researchers at the Wuhan lab who sought hospital care in November 2019 as reported by the WSJ.
“Trump went all in”. Exactly how, Dan? What did he specifically do-not ban the vaccine? Pfizer’s vaccine took $0 from the feds and came out at the same time as Moderna. So please tell us what your boy did to move things along.
Better yet, go back and watch his daily hour long lectures from Feb-May 2020, then compare to what he was saying to Bob Woodward in private at the same time.
All in for sure-up to his knees.
Sam, take it easy on centrist Dan 🙂
Greetings from the NC coast! I’m having so much fun on my first post-covid vacation that I forgot to read TBB yesterday. Y’all keep arguing about Trump, I have some important relaxing stuff to do.
Are there point opportunities in that area? No Hyatt!
We’re renting a house and having a family get-together here. This area is sadly neglected by Hyatt, alas.
Me thinking about Puerto Rico now…
Frequent Miler bloggers just love linking to View From The Wing…and send their readers to read:
“After Man Tries To Break Into Teen Girl’s Hotel Room, Shares How She Scared Him Off”
BARF!
It’s certainly a provocative headline. However, I’m a centrist so I would like to hear both sides of this story. That way, I don’t instantly write off all criminals.
Great TBB drop-in, Bill.
Come for the good articles, stay for the sarcasm.
My blog may be small and does not earn much but the entertainment is priceless. Thanks guys!