We bring you the latest miles promotions, new BofA card, Fiji with miles, Soviet Union circus buildings, talk about debt levels, get on a bus in Lusaka, go for a stroll around Saint Petersburg, meet the Sami people, talk about blogs in the Blog Buzz section and more…
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You are likely seeing the final days of this blog at its present form. The latest tech difficulties and almost complete lack of support this month is making me finally see the light at the end of the tunnel…and it is a train, not the buyout offer I was counting on lol. Or maybe it’s the summer?
Lets catch up with all the miles and points action first:
Click HERE to see what is your IHG Rewards Club Accelerate Offer. Mine completely sucked as usual. Then I tried to see what is the offer for my wife and got locked out and must call to unlock her account. And when I call from my cell phone it thinks it is me. Phuuuuck!
Decent promo by Wyndham Rewards, register first. Maybe you can combine/stack it with another promo and may even make it worthy of a mattress run, we haven’t seen any of those in a while! Then again, we are talking about Wyndham here. If they change the terms after they read some of the blogs, just be aware that they have done it many times before and instead of being upset at them maybe you should be upset at some of the blogs too? And I swear the Wyndham spokesman makes me vomit even more than that annoying Trivago guy!
Pick up some easy Alaska Airlines miles in its latest “Dash for Miles Challenge” promotion. You can stack this one too!
Bank of America is entering the premium travel rewards credit card market with a new card as well. Well, not sure if this qualifies as a premium card with a $95 annual fee. Hey, for 50,0000 points signup bonus you can get it and then cancel it right after you burn the points and well before the annual fee comes due #freetravel. BofA continues to try to hook you by making you park your money with them to earn more points. Which leaves you exposed to repeated offers to buy “advice” from its Merrill Lynch “advisors”. You have been warned.
How to get to Fiji with miles. One day I will make it there…
On the bus from Lusaka to Livingstone. Talk about an experience with the locals!
Moving through Saint Petersburg. Awesome video.
Some of these are hilarious! 12 Shocking Things I Learned by Working as a Butler at the Plaza Hotel.
Thanks to the credit card salesmen in this space: U.S. Credit-Card Debt Surpasses Record Set at Brink of Crisis.
This is so cool. You type your zip code and you find out what music is the most popular in your area!
The Historic Circus Buildings of the Soviet Union. You know I love these, something about their natural ugliness 🙂
Rare old photos of indigenous Sami people. Sami what? The Sami people (also Sámi or Saami), traditionally known in English as Lapps or Laplanders, are an indigenous Finno-Ugric people inhabiting the Arctic area of Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. I am sure your Titan blogger told you all about them…
The hidden Buddha. Outside Sapporo, Japan. Actually, this is a cemetery. What an incredible design!
BLOG BUZZ
This section is for advanced level hobbyists and veteran blog readers & personal rants & stuff
As of typing time, the Windows Update in my PC has been going on for 30 hours strong. The mother of all Windows Updates! I will let it run overnight again. It is in the “Shutting down” blue screen stage. Is it okay to power off now and restart it and pray as I don’t think this is ever going to end? Amazing I have kept up a blog for almost five years not being up to tech speed as many other bloggers!
How to check how far along you are in the Chase Freedom Quarterly 5% category spend. Been rocking the restaurant spend this quarter, moving on to the 5% Discover category soon!
One of the most annoying ways to sell more credit cards in this hobby is not how blogs like The Points Guy and Million Mile Secrets make their employees open their wallets and pretend to go over all the credit cards they have. Nope, I mean that is what you expect from them anyway being in the credit card sales business. It is having a Credit Cardt “Draft”. Started at Points With a Crew and now copied by Monkey Miles. Come on!
The Points Guy has been keeping a miles/points valuation guide. If you think this is credible info I have some wheat fields in Greece to sell you! Amazing how most of the valuations keep going up or staying level! They had a hard time over there to lower the AA and Citi Thank You point valuations 1/10 of a penny. They probably cost themselves thousands of credit card sales commissions going that route, sad!
You know what is more sad over at The Points Guy? Being so late on all worthy news, WTF! So many staff trying to sell more travel rewards credit cards and by the time they get to the news…is probably over. Case in point: The latest AA Business Class award space that opened up…they wrote it last, as usual. And, you know who you are, do NOT HT TPG about this “news”, come on!
I swear when I decide to do something else…I will change this blog to a once a week mega rant and just hammer these guys that everyone tries to kiss their ass. Speaking of ass kissing…smh…
Live and Let’s Fly – Sorry TPG, I Can Assure You United Business is Better than Economy Class on ANY Airline
Because I could go on forever….It is amazing to me that not many blogs have called it quits in this super crowded space. 95% disappear and you will likely not miss a beat. On the other hand, if TBB quits…Just like a stock market correction, it is not a matter of if but when. Or maybe I kill the Sunday post as well and reclaim my weekends and sprinkle my Sunday type eclectic posts in a weekday as I accumulate enough material. Mile Nerd does not post on weekends…maybe I go that route. If you say in the comments “don’t do that TBB!” I will ask you “would you do it for less than minimum wage…for almost five years?”. Hell NO! Because you are not…insane! Oh wait…As I tell my clients in this amazing bull market: “Enjoy it while it lasts”.
Doctor of Credit has been placed on a link freeze here at TBB. Just way too much ass kissing to View From The Wing. Ass kissing is not my style! Discuss. Or…don’t.
One less card to go, I closed my Amex Blue Cash card. RIP my little one, you were golden for a while there…It was nearly as bad as saying goodbye to Fluffy, our beloved cat. So so sad!
One more, as I was going to bed…saw this thread, the replies are super hilarious! It’s about my “favorite” blog in this space…
And I leave you with this…
Check out my updated blog lists: Blogs I Love, Blogs I Like, Blogs To Ignore
TBB
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First ….. from a little cafe in the Dolomites!
Dolomites…is somewhere on my bucket list…when I hire an intern perhaps 😉
George–get a Chromebook. I love mine.
Never considered it….I will look into it when this one dies 🙂
Time for a new computer? I’ve had bad upgrades but nothing like that.
See update, we are back to normal! And it appears faster than ever! I should do a post about how to squeeze the max out of a computer 🙂
Windows Update from Hell Update:
It was still “Shutting down” this morning! So, I powered it off. And powered it on. And prayed…non stop. Took a while to go through the normal starting up phases. But went through it all….and WE ARE BACK TO NORMAL!
I think I can squeeze one more year out of this baby. Maybe two…You won’t believe how many times I have said that, been such a good run with this machine!
Even got two cc clicks finally. To the reader who applied for the Amex Business Preferred back on May 23rd, you were just approved! Longest time lag between app and approval EVER? Wow, congrats. Persistence wins! Maybe not in blogging #developing
Time to catch up with the desktop you guys! Will get back to the comments later today.
Amazing how some clicks get me re energized!
You all behave
Didn’t you want to go to 2-3 posts a week months ago? For the other days just copy paste some robo-sex clickbait as blog posts.
I got a fever, baby, and the only cure is more robo-sex clickbait.
I spend WAY too much time on this blog = Fact
Not sure which way I go but I need to do something.
You know I move slow…
I considered 2-3 posts a week. I also considered once a week mega rant. Or quitting cold turkey. Or adding back the Saturday post (not happening!). What I will likely do is take weekends off and sprinkle in the Sunday eclectic type posts as I accumulate the material…
This is always evolving…
Thought I would check in after a self-imposed timeout from TBB….seems just like I remember it, with some good stuff sprinkled in here and there.
Oops, I wanted to add that I was wondering what motivates MileNerd to do his blog as it is obviously not the money. He never complains about the time or lack of money…I give him Major Respect for that.
It’s just my guess, as Ive never met the man, but I suspect he does it really as a service (giving a silent middle finger to the Titans). And he’s made a good network of friends out of it. (One of these friends helped me earlier this year).
Why the “self-imposed timeout”?
Is it my whining? If yes, expect more…I need an excuse to help me keep posting, to justify in my own mind this is all worth it.
Re: Mile Nerd
I love the guy, love his blog and especially love his rants!
But I spend MORE time on this blog PER DAY than he spends for a VERY LONG time. Heck, I spend 2-3 hours on Feedly ALONE daily. It’s insane really! I could be writing posts for the Wall Street Journal and managing many more millions for prospects that I keep turning away! Why do I do it? Because, it is obviously not the money! Is it really so wrong wanting to make at least minimum wage here when I could be earning LOTS more so I could take my wife out for some nice dinners every month so she can still let me do this? Any therapists out there? lol
I had a great network of friends before I started blogging. Now I have more.
Thank you for respecting me too.
I look at how many worthy bloggers who have given up lately…They wouldn’t if they got enough ACTUAL support from readers.
Phuck it, I am going for the Chase Ink Business Preferred using MY links lol.
After I am done with about 87 unread posts in Feedly….
Any therapists out there, help!
Yes, it is the whining that gets to me. I have followed you from year one, if not day 1. The “actual-content-to-whine” ratio was very high in your first couple of years but it has changed radically after that. You now seem obsessed with getting people to click on your links.
Anyway, it’s cool that you could keep up with the writing (and the comments sections!) for so long. I know you must have dedicated many weeks of your life to this!
Totally agree with what you said Bluecat. Mile Nerd is the man. Also feel the same way about George and the whining.
I knew this was coming #sameold
There is no blogger out there that puts in MORE time in a blog that makes LESS money per hour!
Has my ACTUAL content changed? Do not include the actual whining for a moment please. If I was “obsessed” with getting people to click on my links I would be spending A LOT MORE of my time in monetization/promotion related activities. But instead I CHOOSE to spend 98% of my time in actual WORTHY CONTENT activities!
Just imagine the backlash I would get if I did that, as in doing Friday MMS interviews, linking to Titans instead of calling them out, going to BA to get some freaking income to the site, contact affiliate networks, answer emails for “sponsored” posts and many other shit like that I get daily…so I don’t feel like the whino at the street corner makes more than me while I am slaving away starting at 5 am each freaking day, INCLUDING my vacation so YOU can enjoy a quality read!
Thank you for thinking that is so cool for me to do that…
You notice a bitter streak in the last two comments replying to you? You bet!
I should post an email from a blogger who recently quit and you will see actual bitterness towards readers who keep enjoying things for free but don’t really lift a finger to show actual support. We ALL miss that blogger, we ALL lose!
So, you can’t win when you put yourself out there blogging away. I can take shit thrown at me from both sides. This is my baby and I can do/blog what I want.
If it was not for some positive feedback once in a while I would have quit a long time ago. Thank you PedroNY 🙂
I want to see someone start a blog and post almost daily to see what it takes. I should have quit after the first three months. I became hooked. I need a therapist to help me.
Enjoy the ride. While it lasts.
Don’t let Titans win. Well..you know how that is going. Maybe my moronic crusade to do things right is just all that.
I blog that stuff out, it is a cathartic feeling for me, to help me keep going.
Enjoy the weekend.
bluecat you’re right. people don’t want to come to a blog that criticizes pimp blogs & hear blogger whine every day about money. it makes blogger a joke. milenerd is the only one who doesn’t pimp at all. should ask him to do a post about it. would be interesting. his middle finger isnt silent btw. love the rants.
Yawn
Milenerd is over-rated, should change name to Milenerd’s Yesterday’s News, he spends more time finding a clever picture than on news breaking or valuable content ……but he does not whine, beg for application clicks or try to shove his biased delusional political opinion down our throats.
There would not be any of whining/begging/shoving here either if I was doing a deal per weekday either.
Mile Nerd stays in the list of Blogs I Like. I wish he ranted more…as everyone I know pretty much 🙂
It is my blog and I can do what I want dude. Feel free to get your own…Until then I call the shots here…
Warning1: You will NOT like the Trump piece tomorrow. And it is coming from a leading conservative source!
Warning2: I am tired of you baiting John and him biting. It will not be tolerated anymore!
I now need to work on Sunday’s post…It is Friday night. For you for free….
Stays? If Mile Nerd wasn’t on the list you shouldn’t even have a list. No other blogs worth reading than DOC, Mile Nerd, and 2 or 3 others. Only in your dreams and your 12 followers dreams are you in that league George. You’re next level down. Still not as bad as TPG of course.
Milenerd is over-rated, should change name to Milenerd’s Yesterday’s News, he spends more time finding a clever picture than on news breaking or valuable content ……but he does not whine, beg for application clicks or try to shove his biased delusional political opinion down our throats.
did you see yesterdays TBB post?
Yes I saw it yesterday’s TBB post and, pardon my bias, I thought it was pure awesomeness 🙂
resident trump nutjob just called someone delusional. with a straight face.
not everyone changes names every day like you ramsay. mn and doc are the only blogs i would recomend to family members. who cares if you get a card a few hours before someone else? loser talk here. you guys talking about milenerd or bloggers every day but doubt they ever talk or think about you. you have problems.
+1 for doing a weekly mega rant!
If that happens….that’s all that happens here then. There is NO way to do what I do AND do a weekly mega rant.
If that is what you meant, it means you do not value what I do now so it hurts my feelings man.
If you meant you like it now AND want me to do the mega weekly rant…NO WAY I can survive it…so you want me to die then?
I am calling my therapist pronto 🙂
That’s like asking Bannon to perform self fellatio
Colbert will have the Mooch as guest on Aug 14.
Rumors that Sean Spicer wants to appear on SNL. Fake news sources? 🙂
Lets all thank Donald who thanked Putin for laying off 755 personnel from the US Embassy operations in Russia, we needed a smaller payroll….
You can’t make.this.stuff.up.
Son has return offer from company in Silicon Valley to return next summer and he won $500 Amazon gift card for most innovative project..At least one in the family is not a moron lol.
Oh oh….Barclays may have instituted 5/24…#developing
In the meantime, over at TPG, there are so busy blogging about real news that they took a video unwrapping the box with a Citi Prestige card. You won’t believe the shocking scenes that unfolded….Bwahahahahaha.
Ok, now time for a bike ride in the wilderness
Buzz-
Don’t head out for the weekend yet. Hold the presses:
The One Conversion at a Time flyboy is hot on the story of American’s Lobster Roll:
http://travelbloggerbuzz.com/blog-reviews/blogs-i-ignore/
He did a post yesterday saying the Lobster Roll with Chips was the worst airplane meal he has ever had. (That should be a category in the Freddies next year). He looked inside the roll and was ‘horrified”. Of course, his post made the national press. Well, ok, at least the New York Post.
Then he heard from AA which told him that he wasn’t served the Lobster Roll with Chips but rather the Lobster Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup. Now here’s where you can tell this ain’t no quiche hunt. Our hero asked the flight attendant 3 times-not once, not twice but three times-if his meal was the Lobster Roll with Chips, and each time he was told yes. Sounds biblical to me.
His latest post goes on about being repeatedly lied to and how the meal was “disgusting”.
I am following this story with interest. The last two meals I had on AA were in international business and domestic first. Each time I had the filet, and each one was so tough and overcooked that I doubt I could have made it through security with either one.
Oh the humanity!!! lmao
+111
Thanks for the brilliantly funny comment Sam, you made my day!
I am still on the floor laughing…
By the way, I could not take the drama but tweeted this when I saw Gary congratulate Ben for his feat to make the NYP, lol.
https://twitter.com/FlyerTalkerinA2/status/896004958792720386
Well I’ll still keep reading daily or however often you post!
Thanks.
Enjoy it while it lasts
Thanks to DB for using the Paypal donation. You can criticize me all you want, you earned it. Please ignore the complainers who keep reading a blog but not lifting a finger to help it continues (apologies to the complainers who have actually done that!).
By the way DB, you are #6 or so using that button. If most did what you did the creator of this blog would never whine #guaranteed.
Need to catch up on reading material this weekend. Sunday eclectic post will appear.
The rest is day to day. Going to a Zingermans event and then a meteor shower viewing party at a local park daughter arranged.
Son’s interviews with that company many of you have urged me to buy their computers…are proceeding. Maybe he can get me a free one if he gets an offer #longshot
You enjoy your weekend. To the complainers, enjoy the Sunday post and the interactions here, they are freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
I have a Starbucks game hack…I am only four spots away from finishing…Level 4 🙂
Hola amigos.
Love these rants.
Btw, used your link and got approved for the Chase IHG card. They gave me 33k line. Made me go back to pre 5/24 times, those were the days.
Gracias amigo.
You have earned the right to beat me up…constructively preferred lol.
33k line is nice!
The cc landscape was changed on that fateful May 24 day, it will live in infamy! Among ourselves anyway 🙂
What do you do with a 33k CC line on IHG? That card belongs in the sock drawer.
No clue, probably good to shift to some other Chase card when I go for the Hyatt one.
TBB is a meta-reviewer I come here for the rants. Keep ranting (and occasional raving), George!
*and
TBBing until I give up…
When you google the word “stubborn” my picture comes up!
Time to blog and pour me some red wine!
Update early am from my local Starbucks. I’ve been here since 5 am…
I finished the Starbucks game, no more daily plays for moi. Hope I win the grand prize #verylongshot.
I will be more on top of the comments here. No references to wives and daughters please, WTF! No fighting between commenters (no baiting either). If you don’t see your comment after you post it, tough luck.
Tomorrow’s post is pure awesomeness….So sad you have to wait until tomorrow. I am doing pretty good not posting on Saturdays. There is a reason MMS posts “prize winner” posts on this day 😉
Atomic Blonde is not a good movie. At all. Some good fight scenes and sexy women, including a hot lesbian scene. Other than that, save your popcorn.
Going to see meteor showers today, hope the weather cooperates….
The 40k Barclaycard Jet Blue Plus card offer IS targeted, so sad!
You all enjoy today!
But calling someone who is not even posting a dildo is totally fine if you tell George his blog is cool
U should get out more….
I ll can this when I get back from Zingermans 35th anniversary…freeeeee dinner!
I didn’t post for weeks until your psycho Trump fan called me a dildo out of nowhere, George. Every single issue has always started with him. You just refuse to see things like that because you’re George. You’re arrogant so you can’t help but like anyone who kisses your butt. Even if that means ignoring those people causing the problems.
Dude, go outside like everyone else.
U are obsesed with Ramsey who is loving it right now getting u all hot and in a bitchin mode.
U dont have to bite know. If I was called a dildo, I hope it came with built in AI…bwahahaha.
U two are getting on my and others’ nerves turning my site into a personal vendetta! Take it to the DoC’s site, thanks.
Obsessed? I wasn’t even posting any comments here. So your facts are wrong. Can you ever admit that? Obsession is calling someone a dildo when they’re not even around. Believe me if you can control that rabid dog of yours, I will not even mention his name. It’s on you.
Both annoying but you’re worse than either of them George. If you had a brain yu would ban Ramsey, John will leave because nobody will insult him, and you can go back to your pimping. Other option is keep letting Ramsey call people names, listen to John talk about Ramsey’s mom, and you do nothing but keep pimping and whining. More likely option.
A refreshing read… as usual.
Last.
Never last at latest TBB post!
I should do a post with all the names I have been called lol.