We bring you scary Q prophecies, how to help with pandemic love, bankrupt Hertz, a new blog Pacific Voyages, more on the new AA award search tool, we travel to Tristan de Cunha, advise new graduates, go on a mega rant about what is wrong with everything with so many institutions that let us down, the best Covid-19 coverage I am so proud of, we go spacey with UFOs, Star Trek and Mad Max Fury Road material and lots more always free…which matches pretty much what I earn here lol!
TBB Blog Mission: To Educate. Entertain. Inspire. In That Order!
Support TBB by applying for CREDIT CARDS or visiting our LINKS or Donate
You like my blog? Send a link to someone please!
I’ll see you Friday. Be excellent to each other. Enjoy the last week of May already, wow! Wear a mask if you go outside, be respectful.
COVID-19
This was recommended to me by TBB blog reader Bill. It is a must read if you are interested to find out more about these QAnon dumb phucks that someway somehow keep multiplying out there. The Prophecies of Q. American conspiracy theories are entering a dangerous new phase. It is a long read, you have been warned. I think I lost count how many times I said WTF out loud, I am not joking. The absurdity of this shit is extraordinary and the mental capacity of people who fall for this shit is, well, covfefe! And when you realize even the US President is in on some of this crap you have an urge to scream “Is this really happening?” or other more extreme profanities. I could excerpt so many parts but I won’t…I need to keep going!
I just don’t see this happening in the US. But maybe we could learn some lessons. Then again, with a patchwork of 50 States doing things differently, this may take a while you guys. A Vision of Our Post-Lockdown Future. And here we have people protesting because they need…haircuts!
As I said, we have a long way to go. Social Distancing Is Not Enough. We will need a comprehensive strategy to reduce the sort of interactions that can lead to more infections. Yeah, we need to redesign our indoor life. Excellent piece on how we can do things better!
Interesting tables. States Are Reopening: See How Coronavirus Cases Rise or Fall. We are doing much better in Michigan. Oh, stay at home order extended to June 12.
With even the President urging churches to get back to normal, smh: Superspreader Events Offer a Clue on Curbing Coronavirus.
Not seeing this come to life: Ten reasons why immunity passports are a bad idea.
Ok, this has to do with my love of running and I am conveniently inserting it here: Running in the Age of Coronavirus. I have only been running for about 27 months or so. I still consider myself a newbie runner. So I must admit I had not heard of Jim Fixx who apparently was instrumental to bring running to the masses. Very interesting investigative piece on his life, his influence and health in general. Oh, he died while running.
Very informative: From Camping To Dining Out: Here’s How Experts Rate The Risks Of 14 Summer Activities. Must read to get up to speed how to stay virus free imho.
An online version of the stunning first page of the New York Times yesterday with the names of 1,000 dead from Covid-19, along with something about them taken from their obituary.
You want to help others? Love the idea behind this site: Pandemic of Love. Read more about it: A new social movement is helping connect those who need help with those who can help.
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!
There was absolutely nothing surprising that Hertz, the car rental company, filed for bankruptcy protection. What was shocking to find out was that the company had $17 billion in debt, wow! With travel disrupted in such a major way…I expect others to follow.
I probably have over 4 million miles and points by now, I haven’t checked in a while. It’s just a weird holding pattern we are living in these pandemic days…We all miss traveling. But it can wait…
TRAVEL
I am happy to bring to you a new travel blog I have discovered. Pacific Voyages. Travel To Places You Will Never Go…a series of vignettes about mostly obscure islands of the Pacific which populate this ocean most abundantly. So, lets discover some of the first island entries, so exciting, enjoy!
Since we are in this vibe of remote islands, let’s get to one that is extremely remote, Tristan de Cunha: A Visual Dispatch From One of the World’s Most Remote Islands.
PERSONAL FINANCE
This is a mega rant. First the People. Yes, hell of a rant. Against the WHO, FDA, CDC, Universities, Media, Boards, Wall Street, Congress, and Donald Trump. Look, I do not disagree with most of the points made. But what do we do now? We need to work with what we have to get out of the jam. Then, we better do a lot of fixing. Or will we go back to our old comfortable ways? Time will tell, post offers no solutions, just great rants!
Very fortunate that son graduated in 2019 from college. Daughter is graduating from high school this year and I think she can manage not having the typical second half senior year and walking in a stadium ceremony. This is a really good article: 7 Pieces of Financial Advice for New Graduates. Good luck to all graduates!
ODDZ & ENDZ
Is it me or are we seeing more and more about UFOs lately? Should Scientists Take UFOs and Ghosts More Seriously? I found this to be a very interesting interview, lots to think about.
Did you know how Star Trek came into creation? This picture story will show you how and you will love it. This has a very inspiring message for us all!
If this story will not bring you to tears, well, are you a robot? Parents Spend 32 Years Looking For Their Kidnapped Son, Save 29 Other Kids Before Reuniting With Their Child.
Wow, they are watching us: The facial recognition world map.
One of my favorite movies. Reading some of what happened while shooting it is amazing! Mad Max:Fury Road: The Oral History of a Modern Action Classic.
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.
Wait, maybe it is not that bad! Surprisingly, the New American Airlines Award Search Tool Doesn’t Suck!
Sunday was the hottest day of the year in Ann Arbor. I ran 7.5 miles and it was just brutal. But at home this was waiting 🙂
Looks like Hong Kong is going back into tear gas territory again…
This is how to take out your kid playing soccer lol.
With five conversions month to date I feel unstoppable! #justkidding
And I leave you with this…Me when I look at my conversions!
TBB
travelbloggerbuzz@gmail.com
Follow TBB on Twitter @FlyerTalkerinA2.
You can subscribe to TBB below, winners only!
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!
Your cat gif is inspiring me to get up and do something! Lots to read too.
Thank you.
As soon as I saw that cat gif I knew it was going to be posted here 🙂
$17 billion in debt…… in a world where debt is almost Freeeee, how much is too much debt? Communist China has been speculated to be in a debt bubble. At least their upgraded infrastructure will continue to be used.
You need to get out running earlier in the day and come home to breakfast.
Yes, that was the plan. But then I decided to head to a produce market I was going to go later in the day to buy vegetables and fruits since I remembered it was packed during normal times. I was glad I went there, there were less than ten of us shopping! But that delayed my run and by the time I got out the sun and heat were brutal…
I don’t know…$17 Billion for a company like Hertz just seemed ridiculous!
Where is everyone? It’s 9am! Bronze! For the Pacific Northwest!
OK, that’s fun, but the Qanon movement and the increasing general craziness around us really worries me. That added to all the other whack-job stuff, people politicizing everything and so on, well, I think this is the USA really starting to head down the slope towards big (and bad) changes.
It’s happened before to basically any country or government and sooner or later, it will happen (or IMHO, is already happening) here.
Kinda glad I am an Old but am sad for my grandkids. They’re gonna get caught in the middle of a lot of bad things.
Sorry, but not feeling positive about a lot of things.
I think many are out in parks BBQing while practicing social distancing 🙂
Yeah, we are in a weird phase….batshit crazy. It starts at the top.
Got to stay positive. Sure helps than being negative. Maybe I buy a gun just in case lol. I am sure that made Mileage Update smile, he is still reading while pretending he is ignoring TBB 🙂
The gun is to shoot the phucking rodents lol
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/24/us/cdc-coronavirus-rats.html?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email
Not following COVID-19 as closely as you do–I am wondering if you think taking AA/UA that doesn’t block middle seats (vs. DL/AS/WN) will significantly increase risks if I need to take a flight within the next a few weeks? Thanks!!
We are all different.
There is no way in hell I am getting on a plane right now. I don’t care if I was the only one in First Class 🙂
Of course no middle seat helps but…really it is not that much. You are in an enclosed capsule with several others in the country with the most cases by far. Why risk it?
I have a family member who had some medical issues growing up involving lungs…so I would rather not risk getting infected and bring it back home, no way.
If I was living alone, wore mask at all times, and the reason to fly is something very essential…maybe I would think differently.
My 2 cents.
I miss flying so much!
AirBnB is adapting to the changing environment. Most customers used to travel >1000 miles. Now they expect folks to Travel a few hours by car for vacation. A trip to the beach etc. The Caribbean is screwed. Good luck Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Portugal opening up to tourists. Nobody wants to spend four figures on a long distances vacation until we have adjusted to the new risk.
Saw lots of Germans are still planning to go to Greece…
Some of my clients have cottages in North Michigan. I never saw the appeal…until now.
We had pizza tonight, not tacos…If it wasn’t for the running I would have exploded lol.
Your plane avoidance is a common sentiment but if you do need to fly hopefully this comforts a bit
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/18/airplanes-dont-make-you-sick-really/
I am not concerned about the air in the cabin, I am very concerned about the lack of social distancing…actually, the impossibility of any social distancing at all, inside the plane. Who knows where they have been….beaches in Fort Lauderdale, pools in Houston, etc. 🙂
Here’s a fact worth pondering:
France has around 66 miillion people-call it about 1/5 the size of the United States. In mid-March, they locked the whole country down. To go out, you had to fill out a paper stating who you are, where you were going and when. You were allowed an hour a day, no more than 3/4 of a mile from your home, and only to get food, walk the dog, go to the doctor or vet or the pharmacy. The police were active in checking the papers and handing out fines. They opened things back up to almost normal on May 11.
Yesterday’s new Covid cases:
USA 18,586
France 358
Where things go from here will be interesting to watch.
Of course, France has a president trying to mitigate the health impact to his country rather than covering his butt aheqd of the next election.
Meanwhile, here in Colorado, the Goobers who own that coffee shop that had a big open house on Mothers Day have filed a suit against the Governor for shutting them down. They claim he did not have authority to apply the health laws, plus they also claim-get this-that closing them down violated their 8th amendment rights against cruel and unusual punishment.
I recall a case where Judge Scalia wrote that a 98 year sentence for pot possession did not violate the offender’s 8th amendment rights because. while 98 years may have been cruel, it was not unusual.
Greece 10
No worries Sam, the Trumpsters are going to keep idolizing the phucking moron in chief for not killing more than 2.2 million of us.
Maybe I should get a gun to protect mi familia, this guy won’t go quietly…
If we only handled it like…Mongolia. Look it up or just wait until Friday’s post
How’s that TPG mobile app by Drew coming along? I thought it was supposed to be released about now. My guess is that PPP saved TPG. I was shocked to read that Ritholtz wealth management was bailed out by the PPP as well. When you preach that you should have a year’s salary as an emergency fund and suddenly turn into a wealthfare queen AND you write a book complaining about bailouts, maybe it’s time to just shut up.
ABC-
Well said, padre.
No word about the TPG app, have not heard anything at all.
I think you are right about PPP saving TPG. Let’s see what happens after the PPP period ends…assuming there is no PPP round 2…or is it round 3? Who’s counting at this point…
Yeah, I was shocked too about the Ritholtz guys helping themselves with a PPP bailout as well. I could have helped myself but there is no way I could face myself in the mirror the next morning. Yeah, they won’t be doing any exclusive videos or podcasts about how they helped themselves with free money from the government, sad! Then again, one of them interviewed the man, the myth, the legend…the one and only ladies and gentlemen, the Points Guy lol.
Thank you for the $0.07 cents earned on Amazon yesterday.
Together we can show TPG what blogging is all about…
Rain is back…
Regarding TPG it’s hard to justify renewing CSR at “only” $450 a year.
I was looking at my CSR yesterday. The benefits are almost all travel related, and even the $300 annual credit for travel costs is no gimmie in today’s world. Even if I get the credit and the net fee is down to $150, how much will I charge at restaurants and hotels to get that back? I bet Chase will have to make major fee concessions this year-didn’t Jamie Dimon say they had invested $300 million in the CSR launch?
I’m thinking of dumping the CSR and using my wife’s CSP for a while. I am also looking at the Amex Gold with 4x for supermarkets and restaurants worldwide, with no forex. Coupled with the Schwab Platinum, that’s 5x cash back, and I think cb is the game now. The Amex Gold has a $250 fee with a free AU card. Annual credits are $100 airline and $120 Grub Hub, which I will eventually talk myself into using as soon as I figure out how to keep the driver from picking off the sausage.
As I was saying:
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/chase-announces-major-temporary-benefits-on-sapphire-reserve-preferred-1-5-cents-cashout-easy-travel-credit-450-renewal/?fbclid=IwAR2OEbW9QfREF2sVneWspXiPO72wKiAtdBT5kZQYNmYyD_Kgc0Ar61g2sNg
I take that back. I am going grocery shopping with my CSR. Time to cash out quickly.
Time for me to repost the “69 reasons I love the CSP and CSR cards and you should have BOTH” 🙂
Post is developing nicely tomorrow…