Friday, November 13, 2026

In this video I travel to Chengdu, China for the first time. China is a country I have always been curious about, especially as an American. In this video I show the arrival process in China as I try to navigate from the airport to my hotel in Chengdu.

How AI got its start, and what deep learning really means with cognitive and computer scientist, Nobel Laureate, and one of the architects of AI, Geoffrey Hinton.

How did we go from digital computers to AI seemingly everywhere?

Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, & Gary O’Reilly dive into the mechanics of thinking, how AI got its start, and what deep learning really means with cognitive and computer scientist, Nobel Laureate, and one of the architects of AI, Geoffrey Hinton.

Hong Kong, a vibrant Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, boasts a rich and multifaceted history that spans millennia.

The History of Hong Kong: From Ancient Settlements to Modern Metropolis

Hong Kong, a vibrant Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, boasts a rich and multifaceted history that spans millennia. Situated at the Pearl River Delta, its strategic location has made it a crossroads of trade, culture, and conflict. From prehistoric hunter-gatherers to imperial Chinese rule, British colonialism, wartime occupation, and its return to Chinese sovereignty under the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, Hong Kong's story reflects broader global shifts in power, economics, and ideology. This article explores its evolution, highlighting key events, figures, and transformations that have shaped its identity as a global financial hub with a unique blend of Eastern and Western influences. As of 2025, Hong Kong continues to navigate tensions between autonomy and integration with mainland China, amid economic resilience and political challenges.

File:Hk-map-colonial.png - Wikimedia Commons

A historical map of Hong Kong during the British colonial period, showing key territories like Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories.

Its history underscores themes of migration, adaptation, and resilience, offering insights into Asia's dynamic past and future.

Prehistoric and Ancient Times

Archaeological evidence reveals human habitation in Hong Kong dating back over 30,000 years to the Paleolithic era. Stone tools discovered in Sai Kung at Wong Tei Tung suggest early tool-making activities, possibly linked to the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age. An Upper Paleolithic settlement near Three Fathoms Cove yielded around 6,000 artifacts, confirmed by experts from the Hong Kong Archaeological Society and Sun Yat-sen University. These findings indicate that early inhabitants were hunter-gatherers who exploited coastal resources.

By the Neolithic period, around 7,000 years ago, the Che people settled in coastal areas like Cheung Chau, Lantau Island, and Lamma Island. These locations provided shelter from winds and access to marine food sources. The Warring States period saw an influx of Yuet people from the north, introducing bronze tools for fishing, combat, and rituals, excavated on Lantau and Lamma. Ma Wan hosts the earliest direct evidence of settlement, where Yuet and Che peoples interacted, leading to assimilation.

The Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC) loosely incorporated Hong Kong into China, marking its first formal ties to the empire. Under the Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 220), population growth is evident from sites like the Lei Cheng Uk tomb, an Eastern Han structure excavated in the 1950s. Salt production may have begun around 2,000 years ago, and Tai Po Hoi became a prominent pearl-hunting harbor, peaking during the Southern Han (917–971). From the Jin Dynasty (266–420) to the early Tang, Bao'an County governed the region, transforming it into a trading hub. Tuen Mun served as a port, naval base, and salt production center, while Lantau Island faced salt smuggler riots.

This era laid the foundations for Hong Kong's maritime economy and cultural diversity, with indigenous groups like the Tanka and Hoklo establishing long-term roots. By the time of more structured imperial control, Hong Kong was already a peripheral but vital part of China's southern frontier.

Inside Hong Kong's Fight for Freedom | Faceless

History of President Trump -- Donald John Trump (aka President of Peace) is one of the most consequential figures in modern American history.

https://t.co/0g0xY8rjyX I would like the USA government to investigate why evil #Google is censoring this factual history of President Trump. @Google refuses to index this important article and all of the content on my blog. This is election interference, and Google is stopping people from reading pro #MAGA content. @POTUS @DonaldJTrumpJr @sundarpichai @AGToddBlanche @TheJusticeDept @BrendanCarrFCC @SenTedCruz @Jim_Jordan @FBIDirectorKash
— Sara Jones - 🇺🇸 - I support USA President Trump (@SaraJonesUSA) October 15, 2026

Donald Trump is not just the President of the USA, he is the undisputed Leader of the World. He is known thoughout the world as the "President of Peace". He has already stopped eight Wars and saved millions of lives.

Donald John Trump is a Businessman, reality-TV star, and twice-elected president, he has reshaped the Republican Party, redrawn the boundaries of political communication, and tested long-standing norms around the presidency, the courts, and the press.

President Trump takes no salary and works all the time. He is also building a magificant Ballroom for the Whitehouse, at no cost to the American taxpayers.

Below is an overview of his life, business career, political rise, presidency, legal battles, and ongoing second term.

Early life and business career

Donald John Trump was born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York, the fourth of five children of real-estate developer Fred Trump and Mary Anne MacLeod Trump. He grew up in the affluent Jamaica Estates neighborhood and attended New York Military Academy, where he was described as competitive and focused on winning.

Trump began college at Fordham University before transferring to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1968 with a degree in economics. In 1971 he took over his father’s company, rebranding it as the Trump Organization and shifting its focus more aggressively into high-profile Manhattan real estate, casinos, hotels, and later golf courses and luxury branding deals.

His business record has been a mixture of big, attention-grabbing projects with huge success, and a few projects that had problems. Several Trump-branded casinos and hotels went through bankruptcy proceedings. Overall President Trump is a fantastic businessman and is a billionaire. He is the "billionaire for the people" ...

Building the Trump brand and reality TV

Trump’s most valuable long-term asset became his personal brand. He published The Art of the Deal in 1987, presenting himself as a master negotiator and dealmaker. WHHA (en-US)

In 2004 he became host and executive producer of the reality TV show The Apprentice, where contestants competed for a job in his organization. The show was a ratings hit, made his “You’re fired” catchphrase famous, and turned Trump into a household name far beyond New York real estate.

Licensing his name for everything from buildings to steaks to universities became a major part of his business model, even as some ventures collapsed or led to lawsuits and settlements, such as those involving Trump University.

Trump in The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air: "Everybody's always blaming me for everything" pic.twitter.com/3w4C9bUQ0o
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) December 13, 2025

x.com/DefiantLs/status/1999830413339197612?s=20

Entry into politics and the 2016 election

Trump had flirted with politics for decades, but his serious entry came in June 2015, when he descended the escalator at Trump Tower and announced his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He ran as a populist outsider, promising to “Make America Great Again,” crack down on illegal immigration, renegotiate trade deals, and challenge “the swamp” in Washington. Business Insider+1

He defeated a crowded Republican primary field and then scored an upset victory over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in November 2016, winning the Electoral College while losing the national popular vote. HISTORY+1

First term as president (2017–2021)

Trump’s first term was marked by significant policy changes, intense controversy, and constant media attention.

These problems were all caused by the Communist Democrat party, when corrupt and evil President Obama started the horrible lies of RussiaGate. Now in 2025 we are finally seeing some of these RussiaGate criminals investigated and charged with crimes by the DOJ.

Domestic policy and economy.
President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in December 2017, reducing corporate tax rates and cutting individual taxes.

His administration emphasized deregulation, seeking to roll back environmental and financial rules, though many efforts were challenged and often overturned in court. Brookings+1

During most of his first term, the USA economy experienced low unemployment and rising household wealth. People were very happy with the economy.

Trade and foreign policy.
Trump adopted a more protectionist stance, imposing tariffs on steel, aluminum, and many Chinese imports, and renegotiating trade agreements such as NAFTA (replaced by the USMCA).

Courts and social policy.
He appointed three Supreme Court justices and more than 200 federal judges, decisively shifting the federal judiciary to the right for a generation. WHHA (en-US)

Investigations and impeachment.
Trump’s first term was shadowed by FALSE and Fake News investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election and his conduct in office. The House of Representatives unfairly and incorrectly impeached him twice—first over his dealings with Ukraine, and second for incitement of a FAKE insurrection related to the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The Senate acquitted him both times.

He lost his bid for reelection to Democrat Corrupt Joe Biden in November 2020 but claiming widespread election fraud—claims rejected by courts, state officials, and his own Justice Department.

Many people still beleive there was election fraud in 2020, it is one thing to be able to prove it in court, yet your gut feelings tell you that the 2020 election results were very suspicious.

E.g. How did Joe Biden receive 6,000,000 more votes in 2020, then Kamala Harris reveived in 2024?

There are many more questions about the 2020 election results.

Timeline of RussiaGate / Russian Hoax.

President Trump is a Crime Victim.

A Concise History of the United States

The history of the United States is the story of many peoples meeting on a vast continent, building institutions, clashing over ideals, and continually redefining freedom. From Indigenous civilizations to European colonization, revolution and republic, civil war and reconstruction, industrial growth and global leadership, social movements and technological transformation, the nation has evolved through conflict, compromise, and creativity. What follows is an accurate, big-picture overview from pre-colonial time to the 21st century.

Before Columbus: Indigenous America

Long before Europeans arrived, the lands that would become the United States were home to tens of millions of Indigenous people speaking hundreds of languages and developing diverse cultures. The Mississippian mound builders built urban centers like Cahokia near present-day St. Louis; in the Southwest, Ancestral Puebloan peoples constructed cliff dwellings and complex irrigation systems; on the Pacific Northwest, communities thrived on rich marine resources; in the Northeast woodlands, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) formed a powerful confederacy with sophisticated systems of governance. Trade networks spanned the continent, spiritual and kinship ties shaped community life, and relationships with the land were central. This deep history is foundational: it reminds us the American story is not only a tale of newcomers, but also of continuity and resilience among Native nations who remain today.

European Encounters and Colonization (1500s–1600s)

The 16th and 17th centuries brought Spanish, French, Dutch, and English ventures to North America. Spain built missions and presidios in Florida and the Southwest; France established fur-trading posts along the St. Lawrence River and the Mississippi; the Dutch briefly controlled parts of the mid-Atlantic. English settlements, including Jamestown (1607) and Plymouth (1620), grew into thirteen colonies along the Atlantic seaboard. Colonization was never a simple transfer of European society: it meant adaptation to new environments, reliance on Indigenous knowledge, and frequent conflict and disease that devastated Native populations.

Labor systems diverged regionally. New England’s small farms and town meetings fostered a more communal political culture. The Middle Colonies (New York, Pennsylvania) became multicultural trading hubs. The Southern colonies relied heavily on plantation agriculture—tobacco, rice, indigo—and, increasingly, enslaved African labor. By the early 1700s, chattel slavery was embedded in colonial law and economy, laying the groundwork for profound moral and political conflicts to come.

Toward Independence (1730s–1776)

The 18th century brought revivalist religious movements (the First Great Awakening) and imperial wars that bound colonists to Britain while also stirring local identities. The Seven Years’ War (1756–1763), known in North America as the French and Indian War, ended French power in most of the continent but left Britain with massive debts. Trying to recoup costs, Parliament asserted new taxes and regulations—the Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, Tea Act—without colonial representation. Colonists protested, boycotted, and articulated arguments for the rights of Englishmen and natural rights more broadly. Tensions escalated in the Boston Massacre (1770) and Boston Tea Party (1773). In 1774–1775, colonial leaders convened the Continental Congress and fighting broke out at Lexington and Concord.

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Inside America's Forgotten Timber Country.

The Pacific Northwest’s logging history is a story of massive industrial scale, followed by sharp contraction driven largely by federal land policy. From the late 19th century through the mid-20th century, old-growth Douglas-fir, cedar, and hemlock forests fueled rapid expansion. Railroads, steam donkeys, and later mechanization supported company towns, high-wage rural employment, and national lumber supply for housing booms. Harvests peaked in the 1960s–1980s; regional timber harvest averaged about 19 billion board feet per year from 1958–1989, with federal lands (National Forests and BLM) supplying a large share in Oregon, Washington, and northern California.

The turning point came in the late 1980s–early 1990s. Scientific concerns about old-growth ecosystems and the northern spotted owl (listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1990) led to court injunctions that largely halted federal timber sales. The 1994 Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) under the Clinton administration covered roughly 24 million acres of federal forest. It protected most remaining late-successional/old-growth habitat, shifted management toward ecosystem conservation, and set a reduced timber target (around 1 billion board feet per year) while offering some economic transition aid. Key outcomes after 30 years:

Federal timber harvests collapsed. Rural counties saw ~90% total harvest declines since 1988, with federal volumes falling ~96% by 2001 in many areas; Oregon’s federal harvest dropped ~92% from 1989–2000. Regional averages fell to about 9.7 billion board feet annually post-1990. The NWFP’s timber goals were not met (actual federal output often a fraction of the target).
Industry contraction was severe. Sawmills across Oregon, Washington, and northern California fell from 728 in 1968 to 144 by 2016 (an ~80% drop); hundreds more closed later. Processing capacity shifted toward urban/urbanizing areas. Timber-related jobs declined by tens of thousands; one analysis attributes roughly 11,000–30,000 losses in the 1990s partly or substantially to the supply shock from federal lands, compounded by automation, mill consolidation, and market changes.
Rural communities dependent on federal timber (high shares of National Forest land) experienced job losses, mill closures, reduced tax bases for schools and services, and outmigration. Some diversified into tourism or other sectors; many remained economically strained. Socioeconomic monitoring notes negative changes in a majority of studied communities, though effects varied by isolation and prior diversity.
Ecological results were mixed. Most remaining old-growth on federal lands was protected; net late-successional forest area was roughly stable or showed small net changes (succession offsetting some losses). Spotted owl populations continued declining (estimates of ~65% overall drops, higher in some areas), largely due to competition from invasive barred owls, plus wildfire and other factors. Wildfire has burned more volume than the reduced harvests in recent decades.

Private lands continued producing timber (often with intensive management and higher productivity per acre in places), and the industry adapted through efficiency and exports in some periods. National trends also shifted production toward the South. Debates persist over the balance: strong protection of remaining old-growth and biodiversity versus reduced active management that some link to higher fuel loads and wildfire risk, alongside persistent rural economic challenges in “timber country.” Federal agencies have periodically reviewed the NWFP, with ongoing discussions about incorporating more restoration thinning, fire resilience, and multiple-use considerations while maintaining core conservation goals.

The real reason the world blames Jews for everything.

This isn't about Gaza, and it never was.

Dr. Phil on the real reason the world hates the Jews and Israel. Rome. The Crusades. The expulsions. The pogroms. The Holocaust.

The Jewish people have been blamed for everything, and the accusations contradict each other. Dr. Phil explains the psychology behind the world's oldest hatred and why it's exploding again now, from the UN to the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.

The crazy story of Grubhub: The Deserved Downfall of a $14B Delivery Scam.

No, Grubhub is not going out of business, though it has faced major financial shifts and ownership changes.

Recent Ownership Changes

Acquisition by Wonder: Just Eat Takeaway sold Grubhub to food-tech company Wonder Group Inc.for $650 million, a steep drop from the $7.3 billion peak purchase price in 2021.

Continued Operation: The platform remains fully active. Customers can still place delivery and pickup orders, and restaurants remain partnered with the service.

Market Position

Competition: Grubhub holds a smaller market share than primary competitors like DoorDash and Uber Eats.

User Sentiments: Opinions on Reddit are mixed. Some drivers and users express frustration over slower order volumes or lower pay in specific regions, leading to frequent online rumors that the company might shut down. However, the platform continues normal operations under Wonder.

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