We bring you big spend bonuses, we fly to Hawaii using miles, check out world sex laws, a vicious stock market freakout, some cute videos, languages by number of speakers, some good advice on what to do in this market correction, some overlooked tax breaks, a record of all small and big corrections since the last major stock market crash, catching marathon cheaters at a price, some weird hearing phenomenon I discovered to explain some of my symptoms, weird baby doll collectors, check to see if United’s Mile Play promo is for you, an animal that does not breathe is discovered, light Blog Buzz area as I ran out of gas, I support Mike Bloomberg in case you did not notice and this blog has no advertisers or sponsors or anyone who tells me what to post. I also turn down all bribes too! Thank you for reading and enjoy your weekend!
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MILES & POINTS
Several travel rewards credit cards have spending bonuses, here are some of them: Big-Spend Credit Card Bonuses & Benefits for 2020 – Yes, No or Maybe? We get someone to talk about opportunity costs at last. Like they do at The Points Guy, bwahahaha!
If you wanted to go for free: Best Ways to Get to Hawaii Using Points & Miles.
United Airlines keeps having this Mile Play promotion. You get some tasks to do (mostly flying) to earn more miles. I have never been targeted and I think it is because I have not paid for a United ticket in years lol. Check it out to see what you get: Mile Play.
TRAVEL
These will shock you! The strangest sex laws around the world. Apparently, you can’t masturbate in Indonesia without risking jail time and in the UK you can not have sex on a parked motorbike. This means you can have sex while riding (pun intended) on a motorbike, so knock yourself out lol.
One of the cutest videos you will see today. Wait until 0.45. I think it is in Indonesia? What a beautiful setting for a school!
Are you stressed? Take a look at a live camera with pandas!
As more snow has fallen in Michigan and local schools called two snow days in a row to make a bunch of students very happy, many of us are dreaming of beaches. Check out the stones in some beaches, wow!
If you are looking to improve your skills by learning a foreign language, well, maybe this chart will help you: Languages by Speaker Count & Type
PERSONAL FINANCE
Obviously, you may have noticed your 409k is suddenly back down to a 401k. It happens when you are investing for the long term. If you can’t sleep at night, maybe you over rated your risk tolerance like most people? Anyway, here is a really good article that perhaps could help you: Freaked Out by the Stock Market? Take a Deep Breath. Finally we get back to reality as most have been getting way too comfortable looking at the size of their portfolios. I have a standard piece of advice I dish out: “Never fall in love with the highest number in your portfolio”. I have been looking like a moron for repeating myself for so long, not anymore. Hang in there!
Have you filed your taxes yet? Why not? What are you waiting for, a scammer to do it using your Social Security Number? Get on with it! Here is an article that may help you pay less taxes: 10 often overlooked tax breaks.
Ok, lets get serious. More than 10% drop in the stock market in a week is yuge, however you slice it. I remember I was in a financial conference in early 2017 and the speaker was Ian Bremmer. I distinctly remember one question he answered in the Q&A section. He was asked: “What do you fear the most?”. And his answer was: “I am afraid in a big crisis how this President will respond”. We have been pretty lucky so far to avoid one but it looks like we may not escape it all together. And if you cringed every time Trump touted the stock market highs and you shook your head how can anyone do that considering the nature of the beast…yeah. I guess we won’t be seeing any glowing tweets about that.
At the end of the day:
-Nobody knows
-Always Diversify!
-Never ask why you hold bonds again ok?
-Stop looking at stock market tickers & your portfolio every day!
-Don’t open your 401k statements
-Always have some cash
-REBALANCE
-Be grateful
-Wash your hands
-This too shall pass
Let me insert this one here since I referred earlier to the stock market’s nature of the beast…THIS is normal you guys!
ODDZ & ENDZ
Some stories take an unexpected tragic turn. Apparently, many marathon runners cheat. And there is a blogger obsessed with exposing them. And then one runner felt so ashamed he took his own life. Going the Distance (and Beyond) to Catch Marathon Cheaters. I have been accused of being very tough on credit card salesmen masquerading as “expert” miles and points “hobbyists”. But come on, compared to this guy I am an angel!
As I have had some issues with my right ear (tinnitus due to hearing loss) I was fascinated with this article! The Other as Noise – Real Life.
For a while I thought this tendency of mine to be highly irritated by the personal noises others make just made me an asshole, but I recently found out that it’s common enough a phenomenon to have its own term: misophonia, which was coined by the audiologists Pawel and Margaret Jastreboff in 2003. The condition, which is also known as sound rage or selective sound sensitivity syndrome, has been associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder, hyperacusia, and Tourette’s syndrome. [For me, hearing sounds from cell phone speaker phones and plates touching each other really irritate me! Learned a new term for this, wow! I think this is one of the main reasons I like running outside alone, me and the silence of the nature is very serene…]
One of the most bizarre stories I read recently. Sometimes I shake my head wondering WTF is wrong with some people! ‘People don’t get it’: inside the world of hyper-realistic baby doll collecting.
From Sydney to Manchester, Tokyo to San Jose, its members spend upwards of $20,000 for one doll to add to their nurseries. [Say whaaaat?]
In the more than two decades since Eldred-Smith discovered these dolls, the rise of social media has expanded the number of worldwide collectors by an order of magnitude. Today, more than 30,000 people subscribe to her YouTube channel, where videos of her cuddling, changing and talking about dolls have amassed more than 14,450,000 views. [Here I am whining and moaning to get 10 credit card conversions per month when this lady…Phuck meeeeeee!]
If you were not blown away by the previous link, how about this one? Scientists discover the first-known animal that doesn’t need oxygen to survive. Mind Blown!
Another awesome link with incredible photography: The Winners Of The 2020 Underwater Photographer Of The Year Contest.
BLOG BUZZ
We are now entering BLOG BUZZ, a section for advanced hobbyists and veterans of this fast imploding hobby and also a section where I go on and on about some stuff that happens in my life because it helps me feel better about myself.
Not sure how they came up with the name “corona” by the way. Is this like the hurricanes that are named after first names or something? Can you imagine being the Corona brand marketing chief, the drink? Yikes.
If you feel safer with Pence in charge on how to deal with the corona virus…you never voted for and will never vote for a Democrat lol!
At this point, I doubt my mother will be visiting us in May. Son arrived in Delhi, India after strolling and eating around London during a Heathrow stop. The AA miles have already posted and he has already completed the AA Platinum Pro elite challenge and secured it until January 31, 20121. Hooray!
And I leave you with this…
TBB
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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.
Good morning!
Sign up for a credit card; get a t- shirt or a soda! I remember!
Hi TBB – Many thanks for the link and kind words about our Big-Spend Bonuses article. I hope it’s helpful to TBB’s loyal readers.
I got a rock in United Mile Play. Ironic given my current situation with AA. I’m available to be seduced by another airline 🙂
Have a great weekend! ~Craig
These guys said to get out of the Market over 2 weeks ago even while the market raced higher and higher!
So glad I listened. As Mona Lisa Vito says, these guys are “BALLS ON ACCURATE”.
you wanna see a correction…..Elect Bernie……this Country will get so bad, the next generation will be trying to sneak illegally INTO MEXICO.
LOL….Wow, this Jim guy is NEVER wrong!!!! Woooohooo!
Can you at least get your lame attempt at a joke movie quite right?
Wow – played myself by not checking for typos.
I’ll see myself out.
Hey Ramses-
Ever see the movie “The Sting”? The plot involves Redford and Newman fooling a guy into thinking he knew a race’s outcome when he could still bet on it. This is known in the scam game as “Past Posting”.
Feels like I’m watching this movie over and over again when I read your posts about how Cramer’s past prediction in the past made you so much money. Objects in the rear view mirror and all that.
How about from now on you post about which Cramer advice he gave that day you are going to follow. Then you can come back in a week or two (or longer), link your original post and show us how great Cramer is and how smart you were to follow him.
“It’s hard to predict the future ’cause you never know what’s gonna haooen”-Yogi Berra.
Craig has been shutdown https://www.middleagemiles.com/2020/02/28/terminated-by-aa-initial-thoughts-on-next-steps/
I look forward to the TBB analysis on Monday. I expect no fewer than 12 CC referral links to other airlines in this post. Gary Leff came in to post about how he knew all along it was about the Citi cards (perhaps because he told them at a conference?)
Very sad for Craig. He really seems like one of the good guys and I enjoy reading his site.
Yeah, I say something but no link…He linked to TPG valuation guide lol
Sucks about the market but that stuff is always short term, being a touch more conservative is probably a better thing even if your returns arent the highest if it helps you sleep at night. The pullbacks even in 2000-2002 and 2007-08 all eventually pass. You keep making the Virus a political thing. Im rooting for 10%+ no matter who the dude in the WH is. I’d say its more about how the Govt cant/wont ever be able to protect you. By the time the Govt gets around to solving the problem usually its too late for the little guy
Ok on being more conservative on investing. And yeah, if you can not sleep at night you are probably not lol.
I am not making the virus a political thing. What you and me are rooting for is completely irrelevant on what is going to happen and nobody knows that. I always take the approach be ready to be surprised in the short term as anything is possible and we are going to be fine in the long term. In times like this, Govt can and should protect you, come on. There was a coordinated effort to fight the Ebola virus because Obama had the sense to appoint some qualified people to manage it. Trump appointed Pence. Pence during a disastrous conference clearly freaking everyone out. And it showed. He keeps tweeting shit harassing the Dems when….never mind, the guy is not going to change now. You and I know that if the market stays down even Fluffy the cat will beat him in November. And he knows that too. But if there is one guy out there who will make everything political…it is him, come on!
We would all feel so much better if Bloomberg was running the show. He gets it imho.
I am going to the gym 🙂
The concern is that Trump appoints people based on loyalty and not competence or knowledge. A virus doesn’t give a fcuk about politics or your loyalty to Trump. It can only be addressed by knowledge and policies. Fortunately congress has made sure that NIH/CDC etc are well funded.
And the government has done plenty to improve public health. That includes vaccination. We eliminated polio! HIV/AIDS is a chronic disease now. No need to Always be so negative about what the government can do for the people.
The US is remarkably well prepared for a potential pandemic. I much more concerned about sh!thole countries with poor infrastructure.
Btw, I have confidence in Pence running this than Trump.
you wanna see a correction…..Elect Bernie……this Country will get so bad, the next generation will be trying to sneak illegally INTO MEXICO.
@ ABC: +100 Except the last sentence unless if you were just comparing the two 🙂
@ Ramsey: Wow, ok Nostradamus.
Yes, I am setting the bar low here. I have greater confidence in Pence than Trump when it comes to this topic. In contrast, I have more confidence in Trump screwing a p0rn star alone. Pence wouldn’t even get in the same room with a p0rn star without the company of his wife.
Go watch the vid from the press conference
Pence wipes his nose with his fingers/hand, and then SHAKES HANDS WITH OTHER OFFICIALS!!! Peter Graves would be a better choice lol.
https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/mypanera/mypanera-coffee-subscription.html you’re welcome
The name “coronavirus” is derived from the Latin corona and the Greek κορώνη meaning crown or halo. The name refers to the characteristic appearance of virions (the infective form of the virus) by electron microscopy, which have a fringe of large, bulbous surface projections creating an image reminiscent of a crown or of a solar corona.
I just read the Greece is locking out Immigrants coming via Turkey. Where is the outrage, George.
@Brenton: I bought that today after going to the gym! What a great deal, I am in there more than 4 times a month easily #winning
@Ramsey: You need to get more informed. Greece is packed with hosting immigrants. Really, to the max! Turkey is getting its ass kicked in Idlib so it is pulling its leverage by letting immigrants get to Europe. Actually it is even paying their bus tickets to get and drive them all the way to the Greek border! Phuckers, they should get kicked out of NATO but then….they may let even more out lol. It is a very difficult situation. I am sure Trump’s solution to get out of Syria helped….bwahahaha
TDS is worse than the Corona Virus. Our dear Blogger has it worse than most.