TBB Mission: To Entertain, Educate and Inspire. Aim to at least do one well!
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TRAVEL
Yomadic wrote “Twelve Countries, Nine Days, 350 Euros.” One of my favorite travel blogs is back!
Awesome aviation video by Wolfe Air. First found here.
Wolfe Air Reel from 3DF on Vimeo.
15 Charming Side Streets. By The World Geography. Anyone been to Cartagena? My brother (lives in Sao Paulo) keeps raving about this place. From the pictures I have seen…I am not convinced. Any feedback please comment.
MILES/POINTS
Sign up for Hertz 3x Points promo.
Need to replenish miles/points. Wife and daughter on the way back from Paris. I was getting sick of pizza anyway! I am so so behind on FlyerTalk. This is a disadvantage of blogging. Not as much time devoted to the “hunt” as before. And absolutely no time to burn…and this really hurts!
Need to get kids to school. 6 days left!
ON MY MIND
This is an AWESOME read and must be a required read by all bloggers! Found it on Twitter. “15 things you absolutely must know about social media or your face will melt off and get eaten by goats“. By Bloggess. Hilarious original hard hitting stuff, I am in awe! I want my blog to be like hers. BlogGod, mega lol. It ends with this:
Blogging success is fleeting, fickle, and largely based on luck (much like everything else in the world). This might seem depressing, but in a way it’s rather freeing. It allows you to write for yourself instead of just following a set of rules someone else made for you. Find your own voice. Find your own rules. Find a way of measuring success that’s more about freedom and fulfillment rather than page-views and analytics. Page-views mean nothing a year later, but the words you’ve put together may stand and affect others for a lifetime.
Unless it is a miles/points blog which has morphed into a giant big bank credit card producing pumping machine…
Spent less time today with my Feedly feeds. I did not delete any yet but just did not mark as many for further review. Felt quite liberating actually! Waiting for client’s answer and (secretly) hoping he goes to my colleague who needs the money more as he has a new house and a new baby! I am so weird.
ODDZ & ENDZ
I had heard of this before growing up in Greece…Albanian women who have lived their lives as men. By Bored Panda. I can not imagine…Wow.
6 Powerful Truths to Start Telling Yourself . By Marc and Angel Hack Life. This site has nice inspirational stuff. And totally LOVE this: “My weirdness is one of my greatest strengths”
BLOG BUZZ
Deals We Like is on SPG Series Part 5 of 11. With about six days left until the end of the SPG 30k promo I have a feeling this may accelerate just about…now?
Delta Points selling 6 credit cards. And another boring trip report. And it’s only Day One. Gosh. For the record, I posted a comment on the DP interview of Randy Petersen saying how I REALLY enjoyed the post. Just so some people know that TBB focuses only on being “negative”. Yep, proudly censored, another fine blogging practice. Is “Gosh” copyrighted? Finally: Praise is earned!
There was a little disagreement whether to fly first, business or premium economy or economy among some bloggers. This will always go on. It is like the Middle East, peace never comes. Yawn 🙂
Marshall Jackson on Travel also sells credit cards, five this time. At least he lists (affiliate link) next to it, something his buddy will never ever do. And you offer to carry his bags too, u crazy? Congrats on making Platinum. Do not celebrate, it is on Delta;-)
34 credit card links in a single post by The Points Guy covering “Top current credit card offers with first year annual fee waived”. I can’t wait for the sequel “Top current credit card offers with first year annual fee NOT waived”.
Milevalue can not contain his excitement in selling American Express credit cards. So much so that he just pulls stuff out of…somewhere. Shaking my head.
So nice of Howie at the Frugal Travel Guy (the blog) to tell us about his birthday celebration in LA. I am sure it was a nice one because you visited Eggslut (love it!) and undoubtedly some of your readers certainly clicked on the top five paying cards and the corporation made even more money for its shareholders. And most would not even have a clue if and how much each click earns FTG (the blog). And you can’t tell us of course. And it’s all in the disclosures. And I am sure nobody is looking for them where they are strategically placed. Oh, happy birthday! Nothing personal. You deserved the top job imho, you were the tech powerhouse behind the operation. Please no more Chase Ink videos on youtube…please!I laughed of the name: Eggslut, classic! Come on, come out, you know you want it!
Lenticular Travel is really quick on them credit card links. It’s okay, I still like his pictures… #watching All these new cats can’t wait to monetize these days…
I am so sick of seeing picture of the Lufthansa First Class Terminal. Once you see it once and say ‘Ohhh”…it’s really not that big of a deal. And you can buy duckies at Wal Mart to impress your weird friends!
Here is me and son just a “few” years ago when most of these bloggers had not even heard of stuff like pudding or bungalows lol. And they were not trying to sell me plastic up the wazoo! Expert this!
Your son looked so cute in front of the Air Tahiti plane. First? Thanks.
Thanks. Yes, you are first, congrats:-)
I am second.
Seconds try harder, like Avis lol
Second!
Always wanted to do Tahiti, never got around to it, too many things had priority.
CTG: nice place, but wouldn’t go out of my way to visit.
LH FCT: like the ultra fab Hyatts, it wears off after the third time. I want to get where I want to get.
My brother keeps saying Cartagena is the most beautiful place in South America and he has been to most countries. From the pics it appears not a true statement. Won’t be the first time I disagree with my brother.
You could pass for Albanian. 🙂
Ouch, lol
Love the Cartagena photo. My 20something son really loved it but I have no first hand experience. Your photo with your son is a sweet one. As I recall from more recent Canada photos he is now taller than you. In my experience that is what sons do.
Rode the new Jerusalem light rail yesterday. The passengers are mostly religious Jews and Israeli Arabs who live in East Jerusalem. The line winds its way between the western edge of the city and the Jewish and Arab neighborhoods near and around the Old City. Kerry oughta take a ride the next time he visits these parts.
Lots in the western press (and some in the Israeli press) about the possibility of US strikes on Syria and Assad’s retaliation on Israel but we have not heard one person express any concern about this, although apparently Israelis are inquiring about getting gas masks at higher than normal rates. More talk about the polio vaccination program as Israel tries to prevent a polio outbreak. They think it came from Egypt. My nurse niece is working overtime vaccinating people who are at risk. Yes they were vaccinated before but there is something about live vs. synthetic vaccines that may mean a subset of the population could be at risk.
I expect my relatives back home are more worried about Assad retaliating than ordinary folks are here. Guess that’s what happens when you live in a dangerous neighborhood. We are not worrying and haven’t changed any plans.
Hope the conflict does not expand. I think it is crazy. Not convinced about the proof of chemical weapons. Why Assad would do it now, makes no sense. Well, the whole Middle East makes no sense. So enjoy it and hope it does not affect you.
Thanks. Why would Assad do it now is most definitely a good question. I have seen analyses that believe the rebels are actually behind it to force the west to get in. Also saw an article predicting the west would act in the next 24 to 96 hours. I guess we shall all see. But looking around me at the cafe where I am resting a bit, sipping fabulous nana tea (that’s spearmint) and taking refuge from the heat of the afternoon, it seems to be the furthest from anyone’s imagination, although the papers just reported a limited call-up of the reserves. Sigh.
The hardest flight to work as a flight attendant (I must of been assigned this one over 50 times) was the JFK-TLV nonstop. TWA was the only US flag carrier on this route for many years. The crew would need to take their Valium before the boarding process began. They would run you ragged, constantly complain how much the airline sucks and the plane would always get unbelievably trashed. You could not believe some of the things they would steal off the plane. More crew called in sick for this flight than any other in the system except the LGA-PBI (W. Palm Beach) flights.
Learn something new every day at TBB!
Cheers as always. And it’s a really good round up – you have a knack for finding the good stuff!
Thanks a lot! You got “it” man, love your posts!
wow, look how young you look and how thick your eyebrows were. Boy those were the days huh???
No doubt about it. This blogging thing is making me age fast. My eyebrows are turning white now!
I did not censor you. However, a while back I added TBB to the auto-spam filter so any comment from you goes to spam automatically 🙂
Had the same for you but I unspammed you. Thanks for posting here, it shows me you care:-)
The blog-o-sphere is going crazy with the AA devaluation. It’s a good thing the 50K credit cards don’t pay them commission, so we won’t have to see them include links to the cards anyways (like many did with the Hilton card)
And while the fuel surcharges if true are devastating, it would be pretty ironic if the same people practically sitting shiva over AA adding fuel surcharges were the ones who had 25 part series on the “AMAZING DEAL ALERT!!!! ACT NOW!!!!” Lufthansa Mastercard
Yep it sure is. This is a BIG day. We are all sitting ducks, airlines have the upper hand. All these people who signed up for the AA Elite challenge, please allow me to…LOL. Mistake/accident my behind. All planned. Enjoy your free caviars and Krugs now.
i am depressed. I have over 1 million miles. Guess I just have to go to Hawaii over and over and over
Depression must be over now. The sun is still shining. Just a Lucky cloud got in the way.
You are right. Makes me hope the US Airways chart stays around! Maybe the merger is best not done!
This was too schizophrenic today!
Good grief, cut the crap MommyPoints
“I try not to post a list of the best credit card offers too frequently, since you can get them here any time you want, but given some recent changes I think it is time for a refresher post”
Only 1 of the dozen or so credit cards you listed has a recent change from the norm…. for 5000 points. And considering you’ve made 500 posts about it over the past few weeks, I don’t think anyone “needed a refresher” of it
This goes back to why many of us, who while we wish he wouldn’t do it, at least respect Dan for being forthcoming about when he pimps credit cards and why he does it.
He doesn’t try to spin BS about wanting to “refresh our memory” and make excuses for transparent CC bombardments. And more importantly, even when he does go on a link-fest, at least he’s usually not mailing in the post. At least he tries to put something useful and original in the body (i.e. his Avios redemptions by AA hub posts)
She is as credible as when she claimed to have taken the SPG schwag only because she could giveaway 30k SPG pts. Hahaha
I am running behind today. Wasted so much time trying to desperately book AA award tickets lol. It is in the queue.
Posts like this make money. Period.
This non transparency is just not good for the consumer!
Check out TPG tagline at the end: No word at all that he sells credit cards.
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/the-exchange/top-5-myths-frequent-flyer-miles-161958897.html
Buzz, I was up all night trying to find a wide open points/miles niche for our mutual friend, Milesforfamily. I like her, she’s a sassy broad with a sense of humor and takes your advice seriously. So I came up with this for her let me know if there is another blogger out there doing this already………………MENNONITEMILER, A PLACE WHERE AMISH CAN GO TO LEARN ABOUT THE POINTS/MILES HUNT.
Ok, I like it! But now I’m torn! I was seriously thinking of your suggestion for THT name, but was going to add M to it, for momma. THTM
But I do like the Mennonitemiler too. Decisions, decisions. BTW you can post the comment on my site. As long as it doesn’t contain profanity, I will approve.
Well, that is certainly a niche!
Oh TBB…. Regarding DL Platinum…. Every little bit helps here in the ATL. I’ll let you know if the sun ever rises on a day that I carry anyone’s bags except MrsMJ’s. DP and I were just having a little fun. 🙂
MJ: you just got move away from Atlanta or become Diamond to really make a difference. DP never dared to ask me to carry his bags for him but we know he wants to 🙂
Cartagena’s on our list. It’s no doubt pretty, but it’s supposedly a bit boring after a few days.
My new favorite trip report is “Twenty-two hours in a car to Corumbá, MS, then a private jet to Brasilia,” by Roger Pinto. I heard the nuts were cold when served, and the seat wasn’t lie-flat.
Well, I sure hope it was at least angled flat lol
My Cartagena experience allows me to make three recommendations; learn Spanish as not many people speak English, stay in a place with a private beach as the public beaches are made unbearable by beach-sellers, and try to go during the Hay Festival of Literature and Arts. Beautiful place and well worth a visit.
Great tips, thank you!
Any hotel tips? I think there is a nice Hilton there, maybe that is where I burn all my Hilton points…
Can’t help you there. Stayed at a lovely French hotel in the Old Town where they made lemonade on-demand run by a friend of the wife’s family. No points burned though!
Just discovered the blog through recommendation from Ric. Enjoying it…So I’ve been to Cartagena and it is very pretty in the area the photograph was taken. I did not spend more than an afternoon there as it was a stop on the way through the Panama Canal. Would like to go back and see more of Colombia though. That’s one way to burn those AA miles. Flights to Latin America seem easier to book than most these days.
Did South America last year burning BA miles before the distance based Avios implementation. I even put it up as a Trip report. One day I will get to the rest of the trip reports…
Nice to have you here!
OK, now you’ve done it! Gone all mommy points and posted a picture of cute kid. And you aren’t even having the kid pimp anything so we can’t get pissed at you. oh wait –
I know – YOU MUST BE GETTING FREE CRAP FROM AIR TAHITI !!!!
sorry but my inner conspiracy theorist takes over sometimes. I’ll take my meds now.
Crap, nothing goes by you guys! How did you find out? Now how am I going to do my 135 part series on the one and only Tahiti Nui card (of course it is by Chase!) and its amazing signing bonus of earning a six pack of coconuts along with a free canoe ride under an over the water bungalow (no pics allowed, no kids either).
Actually, I asked my daughter what she loved about Paris, each hotel and the flights. Darn, I should have recorded it. It was…adorable. And she loves being on camera…and flipping her hair too!
George,
I thought we established “two jobs” etc! I thought you understand LOL. Look, I’m experimenting,
I’m new, so give me some space, I promise I won’t post anything about the SPG offer anymore…
But please give me credit, I honestly put a lot of time into each post, all the pictures I’m preparing
for presentation, the text I’m writing, I’m giving myself a couple of days to re-read it to be sure
it’s good etc. I’m putting the bar very, very high for myself. Every single post you’ll find on my site
trust me, a lot of time. Hours and hours, daily. I love it, that’s why I do it. Sure if it works out
financially, of course I would love to dedicate even more time into this.
You’re a great guy, I honestly enjoy your sense of humor. I hope I can show you something
new, some great places you haven’t been to and thanks to my pictures you might start
dreaming about going to. Take care!
Andrew
lenticulartravel.com