Wackier ETFs, AI Mega Bet, Medical Tourism Destinations, Our 2026 SE Asia Trip Is In The Books

Another TBB post featuring the most eclectic links around the web such as wackier ETFs, AI mega bet, medical tourism destinations, our 2026 SE Asia trip is in the books, repealing the laws of economics, tax loopholes of the ultrawealthy, AI slop empire, creepy Elizabeth Holmes documentary, the quirky American self storage industry, cat population, most remote places on Earth that we can visit, biggest airlines by revenue, only 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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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.

Back home from Thailand/Vietnam/Singapore!

Last night of the 2026 SE Asia trip

 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

 

“Always beware the man who stops digging for gold and starts selling maps to the gold mine”

 

MUST READ GEMS 

Best read this week:

Shall We Repeal the Laws of Economics

 

 

PERSONAL FINANCE

And I thought that maybe all these wacky new ETFs will stop coming. Nope: ETFs Are Getting Wackier. Investors Must Stay Sane. Funds that track election results and hockey stats are in the works, but you don’t have to chase them. So please avoid this crap!

Here’s a list of simple questions to ask before you invest in any new ETF:
Is this fund the easiest and cheapest way to accomplish my goal? How does it fit with the rest of my portfolio?
Does this fund serve an investment purpose, or is it a gamble? If I’m gambling, how will I segregate this bet from my long-term accounts?
Finally and most important: How will I limit my losses—and how badly would I regret them?

 

The IRS Is Cracking Down on a Favorite Way the Ultrawealthy Pass On Money. This is a good move but I just don’t believe it will get far, I hope I am wrong. Just like that infamous carried interest loophole that politicians bring up supporting its shutdown in every election campaign season for decades…only to stay silent afterwards. So, sadly, campaign money democracy in all its glory disgust.

Did you know the best returning stock of the last 45 years is Home Depot? Now you know.

The latest video from Morgan Housel: Nothing Too Good or Too Bad That Stays That Way For Long.

 

 

AI/TECH

It sure feels like it, let’s all pray it works out! The AI Build-Out Is Becoming the Biggest Economic Bet in U.S. History. Data-center spending is greater than that for the canals, railroads and grid combined—creating jobs and wealth but also boosting inflation. Great article with pure facts. That are shocking.

There will be always things to worry about. Unless AI kills us all first lol. Anyway, what I am worried about the most? A massive cyber attack in our financial system: AI’s Risk to Financial Systems. The tech may soon become an existential risk to humanity, but it’s already a risk to many Americans in a more mundane way: their banks. I feel more comfortable having my money in giant institutions because they probably spend more money on this area.

 

SCAMS/CRYPTO

And here I am blogging away for years just for the love of the (sinking) craft smh: How Three Brothers Built an AI Slop Empire by Buying Legitimate News Sites and Turning Them Into Zombie Content Farms That They Say Get 50 Million Page Views per Month. Brown Brothers Media is the biggest media company you’ve never heard of — powered by AI, fake writers, and plagiarism. When we started asking questions, it started deleting massive amounts of content. These practices should be illegal, be careful out there!

The two trailers for the new documentary on the convicted and jailed fraudster Elizabeth Holmes, the Theranos CEO, are super weird. And, you know, compelling so I will sure be watching this in the theaters when it opens October 16. Can’t believe they let this film crew camp in her house 24/7 and…what the hell was she thinking? Based on the short trailer, was she thinking this would be the comeback launch…seriously?

You Can See Everything Trailer 1

You Can See Everything Trailer 2

 

 

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5 Comments

  1. Woot! Gold! For Canada and the Pacific Northwest! Man! Welcome back and thanks for a lot of great reading! But I gotta ask….3 weeks now with the pics of the guy walking on the bridge. What’s the deal there?

    Also, old format seems to fit better on my laptop than the new one. Hope you keep sendi ng out the old one!

    Can’t wait to read all this good stuff. Got a free weekend as usual so am excited!

    Thanks, George!

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