We have a moment of silence & RIP Wal Mart’s Kate, we learn about the Pho history, visit the world’s first solar airport, look at some awesome world maps, learn to use CFPB complaints to fight back at the big banks, check out the happiest countries in the world according to some type of list, and the latest Blog Buzz stuff. Never forget: it is about the blog mission here, not Alexa rankings obviously!
TBB Blog Mission: To Entertain. Educate. Inspire. In That Order!
I extended my stay in Tokyo for another night, there go another 80,000 Hilton HHonors points at the Tokyo Conrad! I am starting to feel really bad for roughing it there, do I really need 4 nights there? (2 free from the Reserve card and two using points). Getting into Hong Kong at a more decent time the next day and I am going to blow off the Malaysian Airlines flight in Business Class to Kuala Lumpur to stay two nights in Hong Kong. I think I am going to rough it in son’s college dorm room for the first night and then going to use a free Visa night at the Intercontinental Hong Kong hotel (if it is available). Or maybe blow off another Hyatt free night. Oh, so many free nights…#firstworldproblems
Anyways, I booked the same Air Asia flight to Kuala Lumpur that son is on and we are getting picked up at the same time instead of wife’s relatives making two separate trips #winning. Thank God date changes with American Airlines awards have no fee. Too bad I could not switch airports from Narita to Haneda, oh well. I will now have more time to do Tokyo right and a full day in Hong Kong with son (if he does not have classes that day) to hit a few places I missed last time I was there.
Good to see us prevailing against big banks. CFPB complaints are powerful, I have never filed one…yet.
Wal Mart’s Kate is just about dead.
The world’s first solar-powered airport. You won’t believe what happens next where it is!
The history of Pho. Interesting.
Personal Finance fix of the day: Why Everyone Disagrees About the Economy. So true…
Investors and economists like to argue over who’s right. Keynesians vs. Austrians, bulls vs. bears. The more I dig into these debates, the more I see that people aren’t actually debating the same topic; they’re just trying to get the other side to see their own version of reality, and become frustrated and insulted when the other side can’t or doesn’t.
We all do this to some extent. It drives home that a vital skill of anyone trying to make sense of the economy is realizing that everyone has a point of view, and none of them are complete.
Delta 401 (k) Plan Participants sue Fidelity over alleged fiduciary breach. Get used to more lawsuits like this. This one sounds like another eager attorney smelling some settlement to…go away.
These animated maps are awesome. Did you know that Greenland fits inside China 4 times? Wow!
The 31 happiest, richest, healthiest and safest countries in the world.
BLOG BUZZ
This is a PSA. And when they devalue and they bitch about it, tell them to go to hell! #education
Sometimes I have intense dreams of Titanhood lol.
The selling of ChaseCards never stops at TPG, wow!
Over at Flyer Talk we are pondering what form these buyout deals take in this blog space. Post #33 by Raffles makes sense. Anyone know more details? Heck, if you know something in this space and you want others to get angry at me, I am in…as long as it satisfies the blog mission to educate, entertain or inspire! If you tell me off the record, no one will know. But if you are too shy, I take the axe, I enjoy being suicidal sometimes lol.
Netspend lowers the 5% interest rate they pay to just $1,000 balances. Pathetic!
And I leave you with this…beer advertising online, lol.
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Phew, I needed this pick me up mid week!
You are back!
Another Golden Hump Day?
Silver #sosad
Come on.. pathetic? Really? Netspend was paying 500 bps on your money the national savings account average is 8 bps. These aren’t points that they sneakily devalued, it’s real cash, every dollard you’ve accumulated from them is still worth a dollar, unlike say these AA miles I’ve accumulated over the years….
5% on just $1,000.
Why bother?
I stand by what I wrote. I respect your opinion.
Buzz you got me in the mood for some PHO GA, I will now have to take a drive to Beaverton’s world famous PHO KING GOOD restaurant………Thank you for turning us all on to CURLY’S MILES AND POINTS SECRETS For Members Only, I used his trick ‘THE RUSTY TROMBONE’ to keep my Serve alive. He has a trick called ‘THE DIRTY SANCHEZ’ that will let you still load Kate. I hope to make it out to the East Coast to do some cost free MS, using Curly’s ‘Boston Steamer’ MS trick. Wow, you don’t get this good stuff at VFTW, PACK O’Peanuts or NOOBTRAVELER!
Ramsey, have you tried Pho Oregon? (Near PDX) Name not as catchy as PKG but delish. Best I’ve found in Portland (so far)
I still bemoan the loss of What the Pho in Seattle…
Thanks BC will give it a go! On 82nd right?
Have you ever been to Jade Bistro in Sellwood?
http://www.yelp.com/biz/jade-bistro-teahouse-and-patisserie-portland-2
very good stuff!!!
I bet PHO KING GOOD is PHO KING excellent!
Dirty Sanchez & Rusty Trombone….u are on a roll!
Yes, it’s on 82nd. Lots of Vietnamese places up and down but this place got the 2 thumbs up from guys who would know.
I would drive miles for good Pho (and farther for good Bun).
Have not been to that place in Sellwood. Ate next door at an Americanized Vietnamese place (who’s name escapes me) and this place looks a little Americanized too but, with the famous Ramsey standing behind it, I’ll overlook that and give it a go.
TBB Blog:
Bringing people in Portland together!
Pho It Up!——->Just does not sound right, it does not rhyme with WTF much 🙂
Pho article is cool. Now I am craving Phở Gà!
I also loved the pho article. And thanks Ramsay & Bluecat for the recs. I was unaware of those pho places.
Stop it…waiting to pick up the car and now I am craving Pho!
Animated map was clever. Thank you for posting today.
Cheers,
PedroNY
How many of those bear toys at the ConradTokyo can I snag? To give them away here 🙂
Took a look at more pics from the lounge. Food looks really good. Do I need to eat out other than one or two meals for the experience?
Are they really nozy/picky at the lounge as far as allowing guests to come in? Like…can I have a TBB mini DO there or something? 🙂
Is the booze pretty much wide open? Or just the standard beer/wine and maybe some scotch/vodka. I really like mojitos 🙂
I think you get one bear per person, but you can ask for more. They have 8 different types.
Food is good, you can fill up if you want. Of course, Tokyo has some fantastic restaurants, without any shrimp, so it is up to you.
Food is actually from their stellar restaurant which is downstairs, different items every night. They have delicious afternoon tea time sweets as well, and make killer coffee/tea drinks. Alcohol is unlimited during cocktail hour, I don’t exactly remember what time it is I want to say 5-7 or 6-8. Some good selection of whiskey, cognac, gin, vodka, wine, beer, etc. I think you can ask them to mix it for you as well.
I brought a Japanese friend in before, so I do not know how many they will allow, there is probably a limit to one or two… I asked ahead of time, they noted something in their notebook, and when I came in they treated him with a lot of respect — but I think that is also a culture thing there. Lots of bowing.
I stayed at a Conrad in NYC, Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bali and Tokyo. I have to say Tokyo is still my most favorite, specifically the lounge. Some people like HKG a bit more, but I honestly think Tokyo’s attention to detail is out of this world.
Enjoy your trip, glad to hear you are spending an extra night there, it will be worth it.
BTW, I took advice of your readers and booked a 6 hour city bike tour when I am there in July. Thanks 🙂
Cheers,
PedroNY
Very helpful, thank you!
I am on a standby for the 4 hour tour on any of my 3 full days there. No luck yet. So sad.
Hmmm, should I do the Conrad in Hong Kong or go back to the IC. My free night expires August 16. Hmmm, life is so tough sometimes lol.
I love coffee, I expect to drink A LOT of it in the lounge!
Was I asleep? I just put an AA saver econ trip on hold, because when seat pick page came up there were no MCExtra seats shown for sale. When I use my record locator still none.
Has this always been the case or is this new? If I can’t get MCE, I’ll cancel. 31″ pitch? Ain’t nobody got time fo that!
@I used to fly higher…. don’t know about your seat issues, but come up to WA or OR state and we’ll help you get rid of that “used to”.
MCExtras suck!
TBB FlyHighDO?
@bluecat, I’m in COLOL!
Anybody gonna answer my Q?
AA’s site is literally refusing to sell me MCE.
That’s like a Titan refusing to link me to an inferior offer!
Is this normal or new?
No idea, I never buy tickets, I fly for freeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Anyone?
I fly for free too. (If you don’t count the cost of taxes, cost to get the credit card, the cost to MS, the cost of gas to MS, the mental aggravation of meeting minimum spend, the weird routing you have to settle for when you take that FREE flight, etc.)
Phew….need to relax. Herb store, followed by some McPho to cure the munchies. Hey, now THAT sounds like a reason for a TBB PDX-DO!
I vote Ramsey to organize the shenanigans!
I would be down for the PDX-DO, Alaska Airlines flies there, right? I never been to Oregon and I would like to contribute to your school system via the herb tax.
Cheers,
PedroNY
“contribute to your school system via the herb tax”. LOL
I am not the planning type, I get stressed out easily 🙂
I think I have never gotten out of the airport in Portland, looks like a lovely place. And many TBB regulars.
Maybe one day…
WTF is “econ”???
Who does that???
We will all be doing that in a few years…
When F or C costs 1,253,456 (low season) miles! #thehorror
“Who does that???”
People more interested in traveling than talking about it.
Been that way for at least a couple years. No MCE on saver awards.
@ctbarron
thank you for being the only person with a serious reply!
What a f’ed up program!! Literally the only economy redemption possible to PTY (Panama) from the US is a 4-5 hour flight (DFW or MIA) with miniscule 30″ pitch.
And AA will not take my money for extra legroom.