We bring you a really great article about herd immunity, Amex Hilton Cards, Greece & Vietnam to open, an amazing story about the real lord of the flies, the latest corona induced promotions, the best Covid-19 coverage I am so proud of that after you read it you stay alive because of TBB lol, JetBlue finally gets it, some casino type rewards, an amazing story about a gifted hacker, there is something in Manhattan that will shock you and a lot more as I already put too much time into this post so I am going to just let it rip…
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I’ll see you Monday. Enjoy the weekend!
COVID-19
This is very well done. If you were wondering why your ___ falls for this crap all the time! Why are people drawn to Covid-19 conspiracy theories?
US and South Korea had the first case on the same date. And then we went to hell while they showed us how to do it. And this Twitter thread can show you how they do it.
You know, sometimes I wonder, why don’t we just hurry up and get it over with…to get to that magical phase of life, otherwise known as “herd immuity”. Instead of living like this slowly destroying everything it appears. Maybe after reading this you will change your mind: Without a Vaccine, Herd Immunity Won’t Save Us. If only it was that simple and…less deadly!
I am no big city fan. I like to visit but I can’t wait to come back to Ann Arbor, Michigan to my nice house, drink coffee on my deck in the morning while looking at the woods in my back yard and listening to the birds. You add the high cost of living in big cities and to me there is no comparison. Obviously, that of course does not stop so many living and enjoying the big city life. So was our son in New York City. And then Covid-19 happened. What was to be a short stay back home it is now nearing three months and it will likely take a lot longer. And his company is now allowing all employees to work from home the rest of the year. Heck, Twitter announced its employees can work from home permanently! This is kind of happening already in San Francisco it appears. I was interviewed a few days ago by a journalist working out of his home also just outside New York City who told me he just can not see getting on the subway and then the elevator to then work with so many colleagues nearby. As long as this goes on, the more drastic changes we are all going to see in, well, everything. Then again, you can not do everything virtually, need that personal connection in your work group or whatever. And here is where I was leading after this very long intro: Manhattan Faces a Reckoning if Working From Home Becomes the Norm.
Even after the crisis eases, companies may let workers stay home. That would affect an entire ecosystem, from transit to restaurants to shops. Not to mention the tax base.
Well, I said the same after 911 and the financial crisis. We know what happened. So, time will tell again. But maybe this time is different, what do you think? Is being contrarian to look for a place in NYC or say downtown Ann Arbor? Probably but…the thought of so many people packed together just does not excite me much. You know, a nice cottage in northern Michigan or a place somewhere warm and a beach sure sounds more enticing. Not that I am actively looking…
Oh boy, and now we have Covid-19 Lingo. My three favs:
*Covidiot* or *Wuhan-ker*
One who ignores public health advice or behaves with reckless disregard for the safety of others can be said to display “covidiocy” or be “covidiotic”. Also called a “lockclown” or even a “Wuhan-ker”.
*Furlough Merlot*
Wine consumed in an attempt to relieve the frustration of not working. Also known as “bored-eaux” or “cabernet tedium”.
*Covid-10*
The 10lbs in weight that we’re all gaining from comfort-eating and comfort-drinking. Also known as “fattening the curve”.
Since we are on this mode of Covid-19 changes, how about we are finally coming to terms and hopefully to deal with The Sickness in our Food Supply. Personally, I recently signed up for a local farm share program and always trying (and failing) to eat less meat…but I am determined not to give up trying! Also, maybe it is a good practice to treat essential workers better and maybe we should be thankful for so many immigrants feeding us instead of still trying to build a phucking wall in the middle of a global pandemic, just saying.
A series of shocks has exposed weak links in our food chain that threaten to leave grocery shelves as patchy and unpredictable as those in the former Soviet bloc. The very system that made possible the bounty of the American supermarket—its vaunted efficiency and ability to “pile it high and sell it cheap”—suddenly seems questionable, if not misguided. But the problems the novel coronavirus has revealed are not limited to the way we produce and distribute food. They also show up on our plates, since the diet on offer at the end of the industrial food chain is linked to precisely the types of chronic disease that render us more vulnerable to Covid-19.
We all remember the movie “The Terminal”. And over the years, we read the news of travelers who got stranded in an airport for one reason or another. So, we are not surprised when we read of yet another one: Covid-19 lockdown fallout: German man living at Delhi airport since March 18. But this one is different, this dude has a criminal rap sheet and is wanted in Germany and, in this case, he is saying “hell no, I am not going back”…
Epic beatdown of these four men: CDC Director Redfield; FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn; Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar; and of course, President Trump. The Four Men Responsible For America’s COVID-19 Test Disaster. Read it and weep, what an (ongoing) epic tragedy, wow! I did not know much about this Redfield dude, wow. God helps us all!
MILES & POINTS
HOT CREDIT CARD OFFERS: New: The CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum now offers 70k AA miles. The IHG Rewards Club card offering 140k points too, highest ever. For a standard workhorse card I recommend the 60k Chase Sapphire Preferred card. For a standard premium card I recommend the 50k Chase Sapphire Reserve card. For a standard 2% cash back card I recommend the Citi Double Cash card. Available with my links. Lets move on!
If you were looking for a summary of these cards: Is it Time to Get an Amex Hilton Card?. My plan was to drop the CNB card this year and get me an Amex Hilton Aspire (of course with my own links #zing!). But maybe I speed this up to take advantage of several extra corona enhanced benefits, not sure yet. There was never any point of having more than one premium travel rewards credit card. Then again, with travel shut down, maybe it is finally time to go all in on a cash back card as most readers should and give these premium cards the middle finger. Oh, this is something you will never see written at The Points Guy lol.
Good roundup: Roundup Of Airlines Offering Bonus Miles And Free Tickets For Traveling In 2020. Most of these you must take some action very shortly. Except the Southwest Double miles promo I registered everyone in my household just in case…
Some interesting choices here to use our free Hyatt night awards: Best International Category 1-4 Hyatt Hotels: Make The Most of Your Free Nights!
I am just not going to post online shopping promos for a few extra miles. I am not going to bother, they won’t make a difference in these pandemic days.
Capital One Bank lost two transfer partners, Qatar and Hainan. Obviously, not the positive trend. But, I mean, who cares?
I don’t know why JetBlue took so long to do the right thing! JetBlue Extends Mosaic Status, Adds Gifting Option; Double Points On All JetBlue Mastercard Purchases & More.
TRAVEL
If you were planning to travel to Greece: Tips for Planning a Summer Trip to Greece – Yes, Greece Will Open Soon! No doubt Greece has done so many things right in handling the pandemic. Lets hope they continue to do so. What do I think? Well, I am not planning to go back this summer. And I think my already booked trip for November to run the Athens Marathon may not happen…it all takes is one covidiot to start another outbreak.
The expression “Live Large” and its derivative that I just came up with “Fly Large” came to me when I saw this: Check Out The Inside Of The World’s Largest Private Jet That Looks Like A Flying Mansion.
Unique story here, you would have never guessed! First Lie-Flat Seats Were Installed by … Think You Know the Answer?
I like seeing trip reports from places that you do not see usually in travel sites: 40 Hours In The Disputed Territory of Nagorno Karabakh with Kids.
Wow, what a place! A very short guide to Union Glacier Camp.
Another country that has done a phenomenal job in handling Covid-19 is Vietnam as it looks to reopen to limited international travel in June.
PERSONAL FINANCE
Did you lose your job and your employer paid health insurance? Here is what to do, great illustration! You can copy the image and then enlarge it if you need to so you can see it better. You are welcome.
We are all spending less these days, except for groceries! JPMorgan’s U.S. credit card holders spent 40% less due to coronavirus.
Credit card users who report household incomes of less than $39,000 reduced spending by 38%, while wealthier cardholders, with incomes of more than $92,000, reduced spending by 46%. The group says the difference largely reflects higher average spending by wealthier households.
The report showed essential spending, like on groceries and healthcare, initially spiked by 20% before falling back.
Spending on non-essential things fell by 50% and dropped 70% on restaurants.
ODDZ & ENDZ
Really amazing story, must read! The real Lord of the Flies: what happened when six boys were shipwrecked for 15 months.
Wow, what a story! The Confessions of Marcus Hutchins, the Hacker Who Saved the Internet. One of those stories you start and just can not set aside because you want to know what happens in the end. Good to see the kid went straight and did the right thing. Oh wait, did I give it away? Maybe…
I have never seen a bobcat do this, it will shock you! Bobcat Makes Huge Jump Over Water Look Effortless.
Holy cow, I had no idea! Why There’s a Single, Tiny Wire Encircling Manhattan. Mind blown. You can learn some stuff about Orthodox Jews in this short video. Sometimes we take stuff written thousands of years ago literally…when our societies have changed so much. I mean, we have wifi almost everywhere now! 🙂
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.
I listened to a podcast interviewing Bougie Miles. She got into miles and points because she wanted to travel to see the Barenaked Ladies in concerts around the world. Very interesting and unique way of getting into this hobby for sure. As far as this band goes, I saw them once live (for free) and, to me, their music does absolutely nothing. Actually, I thought it was painful but the drinks were free so I tolerated it lol. She is also big on casino type rewards and stuff like that. You know, like that Wyndham to/from Caesar Rewards merry go round many of us have done and it appears to be dead as of now, thanks bloggers. Her post will offer some other ways. But, come on, would you go to a casino right now with those huge rooms and so many people around? No, thanks I’ll pass! Me no quiero corona.
I wonder if Amex will shoot me down for the Hilton Aspire card. I have been quiet and a really good boy lately. Or maybe the RAT guys have me on a black list or something? Is American Express Is Cracking Down Hard On Approvals?
No, this is not a Miles to Memories link special. While there was another blog posted by them about how amazing the 140k IHG Rewards Visa card (it is really not, especially in these pandemic times!), here comes Shawn with: Someone Applied For a Credit Card In My Name & What To Do If It Happens to You. This sucks and takes time to take care of it. So, when other bloggers who specialize in selling credit cards and ALWAYS scream how amazing card offers are so you can click and apply using their links for the fat sales commission…you increase the chance this may happen to you and while you work it out sweating buckets they laugh sitting back enjoying the money from you! Be selective, be methodical, don’t be greedy 🙂 You are welcome.
Called to close wife’s Citi AA Business Platinum Select Mastercard and was offered a $99 statement credit again so I guess we’ll keep it for another year. To be continued…with more of the same I am sure 🙂
Look, I get it. We all want to go back to pre corona days and get out there, open and support the businesses that have been shut and enjoy life. But this is a little different you guys. Maybe we should listen to the public health folks? This virus can kill and, deep down, you know, we can recover from everything but we can’t recover anything if we are phucking DEAD! WTF to all the gun anti vaxxers QAnon gun nuts out there???? I saw one sign in the recent Lansing, Michigan “freedom” fighters protesting their right to go out there and infect others….oh wait…the sign said “US is not Socialist…Keep it Free” or something like that. I bet you this person keeps refreshing the computer screen to see if the stimulus and unemployment insurance payments hit his account numerous times every day…Yeah, smh. It’s crazy.
That Elon Musk dude is such an asshole, wow!
When you have no idea what you are doing, you scream OBAMAGATE! Sad lol.
If you were not aware of Kraftwerk, I feel so bad for you. Actually, not really. But really the band meant so much. Check this out: These Kraftwerk Tracks Changed Music — and Detroit — History. Anyone from Detroit who used to listen to Mr. Mojo DJ at WJLB who was the only DJ playing Kraftwerk at the time?
Kraftwerk, the influential German electronic group, has been compared to The Beatles in it’s affect on music history. Hear three tracks that the group wrote or inspired, from Düsseldorf to Detroit.
Heading into the weekend y’all!
Remember when these two Boarding Area “experts” came out at the exact same time with a post selling this card a few days ago? One blogged about nine reasons you should have it, the other only had six reasons. Give it a few days and one of them is down to just three reasons now. Hey, anything it takes to sell merchandise! I don’t do this shit here. And probably this is why my site has only sold two cards last month and only one in May. Just sadness all around I guess. Update: Thanks to the reader who just got a Chase Sapphire Preferred card with my links, we have now equaled the number of conversions this month as in April. Can you feel the momentum? No? That’s okay, get used to it 🙂
Every time I hear or see “Blue Angels”.
And I leave you with this…Lol, so true!
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!
Thanks for the bobcat link!
Hope everyone is well.
We are all well. Getting fat too, so hard to implement social distancing with the fridge!
You seem to believe the news media. Most folks are doing the best they can. You demeaning others with your elitist view doesn’t help anyone. FYI the CIA invented the word conspiracy to destroy anyone who didn’t follow their agenda.
I am reporting you as a hater and asking that you be removed from the internet for insighting hate speech.
Thank you for your support.
WTH? This has gotta be a joke. Or a seriously deranged troll.
Took the Anti-body test as I had come back from Italy in mid-January sick as a dog after being in big crowds with people fro around the world, (but though it may sound wrong, LOTS of Chinese Tourists) and finally thought, well, maybe I had it.
Nope. So continuing, though it is driving me mad to do the isolation thing, etc. Mask and gloves when grocery shopping and Amazon has my address memorized now. This is tough, but necessary.
Hell, I have 3 wonderful grandkids just 12 miles from me and have not seen them in months. Except electronically.
Troll, head on out. George, stick with it, we will make it through if all of us stick to the plan, and then we can travel, as you say, for freeeeeeee!
I was a little sick, mostly just very lethargic with body aches in late January/early February as well and always wondered if I had it too. And I thought about doing this antibodies test. But, from what I read, they are not that reliable. If I go ahead with one, I would do at least TWO minimum. If not three. Just to be certain. Or I would rather wait for better more reliable tests to come out.
Thinking of doing a road trip to a local drive in movie theater…when it opens…I have been checking every single day lol!
Man! I haven’t been to a drive-in for decades! Hope you get to go.
The test I took is a new one from University of Washington and the doc says this one is a little over 99% accurate. The odds were that I had not had it, but still being as I had been in Italy AND sick, etc, I gave it a shot (pun intended). Now I am just waiting to see how much my curiosity cost me! But at least I can pay for it with a 2X card!
Stay safe and healthy and the best to all the family.
Iceland and Greece are both opening up for tourists from COVID infected areas. Meanwhile NZ will keep any tourists (Except Australia) away until there’s a vaccine/drug treatment.
Is NZ’s PM paranoid? Or are the tourism departments in GR and IS taking a major gamble?
I was planning to take advantage of QR’s generous rules to finally go the wrong way to AKL this X-mas. Not happening.
Greece is very desperate now because the tourism sector in the summer season is a huge part of the economy. They are trying their best to thread the needle so to speak. It will be tough to do it imho due to the nature of this virus. I think NZ is doing it right. And I just saw HKG is testing all incoming passengers with an 8 hour wait for the test results. I think this is the way to do it, test everyone to make sure no asymptomatic carriers slip through…
I am not going anywhere this spring/summer and most likely the Fall. Still holding out for the trip to Athens in mid November…for now…hoping the airlines cancel first 🙂
Normally Greece gets 30 M tourists per year…..
I can’t understand the game plan. Most of the spread across the EU originated in the alps. Open up and hope most don’t show up? Greece can’t screen millions of tourists. This is almost crazier than the US. At least most of us know we didn’t do well here.
Apparently, many Germans are still coming…We just don’t know yet the complete details of how it will all work.. #developing
Fauci: It all depends on the virus.
Awesome post as always, thank you TBB.
My best to the family and have a great weekend.
Thank you as always.
Best weekend to all too!
Painful?!?! . And you are correct I would not be going to a casino right now anyway although the strategies I gave should give people status until at least 2022 so hopefully we’ll be back by then 🙂
Ok, let’s just say I am not a fan of the band. Actually, when I found it was them doing the free concert…I was excited because I thought it was all going to be ladies lol. Then I checked them out on youtube and I remembered it was them with that sound…that just never did anything for me.
We are all different. I did enjoy some of the interaction with the fans though, that was different and welcome.
Yeah, good video/post.
Painful?!?! . And you are correct I would not be going to a casino right now anyway although the strategies I gave should give people status until at least 2022 so hopefully we’ll be back by then 🙂
Think I replied too fast 🙂
Great posts lately, Buzz. TBB is about the only no bs place left on the internet. I was going to apply for a card through your links a few days ago, but I wanted to respect your direction to only apply on Mondays and Fridays.
Barenaked Ladies were funny and entertaining back in the early 1990s when they were playing theaters. Their schtick was never worthy of arenas in my view.
What’s the best credit card to use for an antibodies test?
It’s Friday and Monday is just around the corner. Team TBB can taste conversion #3…At this rate, we will soon be thinking IPO lol.
AMEX Hilton Surpass card says ‘not available’…I am smelling Anex may be refreshing/increasing the offers? They have billions of points now to give away, just fyi
I was finally able to throw you a bone with a CSP card, for my son. Daughter may be next, if I can convince her!
Thank you! You are #1…I mean #2 this month. And with Sam above coming closer to pull the trigger…TBB momentum is shifting. I can feel it!
There was a song with the line ‘ Simply irresistible’. Forgot who. Song was bad…but the line stuck. With each conversion I am thinking ‘Simply unstoppable’ 🙂
Robert Palmer. Song sucked but the video? Oh la la!
#TBBon
Oh yes, Robert Palmer. I need to see that video then 🙂
TBB,
Should I travel to Iceland in June?
Will post something like this when I have nothing else to blog about so I can generate some page views to make more money and of course get my buddies to link to me so I can generate some more page views to make even more money for some suggestions that will have absolutely no phucking contribution whatsoever to change my mind on something I have made my decision to do regardless what some bozos on the internet say 🙂
I found it interesting that Gary Leff wrote about Covidiots the day before OMAAT wrote about Iceland, then after reading Ben’s post Gary did a complete reversal and now thinks it’s a grand idea.
But he doesn’t like The Points Guy. Don’t forget that.
Lol…riiiiiight 🙂
How exactly do you figure that? I asked Gary if he wanted to share his opinion about TPG about the accusations that had recently come to light but he gave me a terse no as a response. Another Boarding Area blogger had warned me that TPG has friends among BA bloggers. Given the brevity of Gary’s statement, I’m not sure if he didn’t want to wade into things or was protecting a friend. I do know that he’s spoken well of TPG posts at times but that’s not very conclusive. Either way, if you have any indication at all that Gary doesn’t like TPG, please share.
I think they all want to be TPG…deep down 🙂