We bring you the new ThankYou points partner, learn about a hotel inspector’s life, traveling with cats, how to follow your dreams, a new Choice hotels promotion, a new BA Avios redemption finder, a new roller coaster at Cedar Point, a new sex robot, a new Google Earth feature, travel over Norway with a drone, bad news about Air Berlin Topbonus, the least visible cities in the world, how to get out of a speeding ticket and more!
TBB Blog Mission: To Entertain. Educate. Inspire. In That Order!
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In case you missed my Sunday post, here it is again, I heard this is good for SEO or something: West Africa Travel, Jamaica Lottery Scam, Worst Men Products, Anglerfish Mating, Ghosts of Arctic.
Stay twice between August 31 and November 11 with Choice Hotels to earn a free night 8,000 points.
Citibank has added Turkish Airlines as a Thank You points transfer partner. Not that you should transfer any points to that program but a good move nevertheless. I tried opening a Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles account some years ago and it was one of the most frustrating experiences I ever had in my long travel hacking career. I like the flying experience but oh boy do they suck in customer service in this department! You have been warned…
This website baredemptionfinder looks promising. It’s back – the only FREE and fast Avios reward finding tool you need!
If you have Air Berlin Topbonus miles you may be screwed. I hope it works out, don’t give up. Never give up 🙂 Update: Air Berlin Topbonus Stops Both Redemption AND Accrual Of Miles Until Further Notice.
What It’s Like to Be a Hotel Inspector. When I quit blogging I can go do this, my dream job. Well, not exactly as it does appear a lot of work! Any reader did this for a living? Or doing it now? What is a must read of this piece is that at the end this former hotel inspector recommends her favorites!
Everything you wanted to know about cats on a leash…A Brief History of Traveling With Cats. Did you now that cat Vladimir (really WTF!) is on his way to visit all 59 US National Parks!
This is pretty cool. Google Earth is giving virtual tours of traditional homes around the world.
The new roller coaster in Cedar Point in 2018 will break 10 world records. Its name: Steel Vengeance. Can’t wait!
Amazing video of Norway made by drone DJI Mavic Pro. I love drones, gotta get me one!
You come here to learn, get entertained and sometimes get inspired. I hope the sex robot stuff belongs somewhere between education and entertainment. Please 🙂 Anyway, the first sex robot is out, its name is Roxxy and retails for just $9,995. Come on Bezos, get this on Amazon so I can sell it. So, the first male sex robot will be called Rocky?
Roxxxy comes with thousands of customization options, ranging from her hair style and skin tone to the way she acts around you. She can also learn your likes and dislikes, and has even been programmed to orgasm. [What? Phuck me! Oh…wait]
Seven Strategies for Investing at Market Peaks. This is pretty good…
The 10 least livable cities in the world in 2017. Very surprised to see Kiev placing in #10!
BLOG BUZZ
This section is for advanced level hobbyists and veteran blog readers & personal rants & stuff
Hope for Chase business cards if you are over 5/24?
It appears it is last call for the Merrill+ Visa Signature card. Good bonus for a card to kill after you redeem the 50,000 points.
Feel free always to make a case for a blog addition (or deletion) to my three awesome blog lists.
There may still be some availability left in American Airlines Business Class awards out of Philadelphia next summer to Budapest, Prague and Venice. I don’t post multiple times a day but I do see posts before you see them most likely. I always struggled with that…I better blog control myself. If I was making money from page views maybe I would but…Just do one and make it count. I could do boring weekly update posts too but I don’t. Ok, here is one: In the past week all of TBB’s posts were awesome!
Personal Finance Digest Nick’s idol is Rick Astley, so this one is for you man: The Foo Fighter Brought Rick Astley On Stage and You Can Guess What Happens Next. Did he say the F word, OMG! Woohoo!
Every blogger kisses ass linking to this barfing crap as the click bait just rolls on…
True story: This is how I got out of a speeding ticket last Friday, the day before my first colonoscopy. Cop busts me for going 53 in a 40 zone:
Me: “I did not realize I was going that fast officer but I do have a good excuse”.
Officer: “Go ahead, I have heard a few…”.
Me: “Tomorrow is my first colonoscopy and I am supposed to do these things to prep” (showed him the papers with 11 am on the top, he busted me at 11.45). I purchased the wrong thing and I am already behind one hour and I am going to Walgreens to get the correct pills and this is the reason I may have been going faster than I intended”.
Officer: (After coming back from doing his thing) “Okay, I just turned 50 earlier this year and I can empathize with you doing the prep for the colonoscopy. It is no big deal, just lay low today and slow down okay?”
Me: Thank you so much officer, I really appreciate it.
Officer: “That was a crappy excuse”…He told me smiling as he started walking back to his car.
My daughter (who is learning how to drive now) had the best lesson on how to handle it being pulled over!
And I leave you with this…
Check out my updated blog lists: Blogs I Love, Blogs I Like, Blogs To Ignore
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Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Lol. Nice one on the colonoscopy. Cedar point has a rendering video on the new ride saw it on fb the other day.
Grew up not too far from Cedar Point. Used to go all the time. Haven’t been in ages even though I’m only 3 hrs or so away now. But wife and I will have to go once this opens up!
I love Cedar Point!
George, did you see that MileNerd just appeared on CNBC as a “points and miles expert”?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Got me!!
Got me too…payback for today for revealing his idol 🙂
WOOOOOOOOOOOO!
that was Jim Cramer
Me too! lol
Your speeding story cracked me up!
I must be sleepy. I read the Avios website as “Bare Demption Finder” couldn’t figure out what a “demption” is or why I’d want to find one that is bare. I’m not right in the head.
Can’t believe that actually happened…always thought the speed limit was 40 in the area I was busted…Amazing luck!
Hairy AssPlay Greek Privilege ?
Brace for the Citibank Premier 50k Thank You Points offer sale ending today! No one knows how it will change tomorrow by the way…
The card is available with the links of this site too.
Beware the 24 month rule…
Hey George, pretty cool resource to bookmark… https://www.uscreditcardguide.com/wings-points-points-miles-transfer-chart-amex-chase-citi-spg-marriott/
I saw that some time ago…
Not a fan of that site…
Considering your views on travel bloggers who promote credit cards seemingly for their own benefit rather than their readers, and your rational investing leanings, avoiding the get rich quick set, I wonder if you spent any time evaluating colonoscopy. An expensive test with very real risks. How much better are the results of this “gold standard” test compared with zero risk, near zero cost stool tests? Could colonoscopy by the Sapphire card of the medical field?
Fortunately the US Preventive Services Task Force has written a colon cancer screening guideline. You’re comparing an alternative screening test versus the recommended test. False positives are prevalent. A positive Cologuard test is always followed by a colonoscopy. Rather than rely on 92% sensitivity and 94% sensitivity I would use the gold test any day of the week. You can’t get better than the gold test.
On the other hand the PSA test has been debated for a long time. Most scientists would remove that test if we could travel back in time.
No time to research that…too busy blogging 🙂
I listened to my doctor…
Because Doctors don’t get paid for referrals they make?
I haven’t looked into colonoscopy yet but some of the screening tests are being looked at more critically based on longterm research, mammography being one (particularly for pre-menopausal women) and the PSA as someone else mentioned. In some areas non-US studies are more enlightening than in the US.
I’ll be talking with the cats about the good article!
Ok, enjoy it.
The AA J seats were all pulled yesterday afternoon. PEK-LAX was wide open for a period of time. Currently holding VCe, but thinking about CX F instead. Just can’t stand Europe in the high season.
Surprised they appeared in the first place!
Great colonoscopy story George.
The foo fighters mash up of never gonna give you up and smells like teen spirit was astonishing. And it seemed improvised
Yeah…that was so weird to see
Re: hotel inspector. Yes, I have done this! It’s not as cool as the article makes it sound. You’re an independent consultant bidding for jobs from market research companies (secret shopping companies). There’s no guarantee that you will get the jobs that you put in for, so coordinating a multi-hotel stay in the Caribbean, for example, is quite a feat. You also don’t get paid for flights, which isn’t a big deal in the miles/points space, but it’s a consideration. Some companies are very report heavy, and it can be a lot of work. I did one in Chicago where I had to wake up at 5 AM to test the way that off-hours room service could handle my request for a pot of coffee and some pastries. 5 AM! That didn’t include the ~20 other reports I had to do and extreme attention to detail/recall ability for the restaurants. For those interested I recommend looking into Coyle Hospitality and Market Force International.
Thanks for the feedback. Wow…I knew it could be intense but giving us that specific example sure explained a lot! I was thinking about the free points…wait, the rate qualified I hope 🙂
http://nypost.com/2017/08/15/vaginas-absolutely-need-sex-or-theyll-become-medically-depressed/
The Mayo clinic disagrees.
Article written by a summer intern. Headline by Gary Leff.
George, do like Jim Cramer for investing