I am continuing these shorter blog posts in between the full Buzz posts that I aim to publish every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Do you like them? Give me some feedback please. Or should I roll them into the full Buzz posts that I think sometimes get way too long! One more thing, enjoy the last week of the summer!
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Some fascinating findings about this ecosystem and how the mobile based appls are making inroads and a realization how entrenched the current system is. A few I never heard before (other than Square, Paypal) are: Leaf and Revel Systems. Two excellent graphs:
WSJ: Credit card pumping sites come under fire!
An alert reader sent me a link to this fascinating article and then Personal Finance Digest came across it and has a link to both the Wall Street Journal (may require membership $$) and several sources for free too. Looks like the media is starting to finally understand the VERY deep conflicts of interest that exist in this business by getting sales representatives pumping financial products like there is no tomorrow when, cough, they are getting paid by the product providers! Fascinating reading. I suggested to the author to look at “travel” credit card sales bloggers too!
Life Itself
I saw the movie Life Itself about the life and death of Roger Ebert. It is a wonderful documentary about a very influential movie critic and person. Very touching. Sometimes I cry in movies but don’t tell anyone lol. There was one line that stuck with me as some directors were recalling their memories about Roger and his reviews. “Condemning and helping”. In a way, this is what I do here. If I rip someone here about the quality of his/her blog, it does not mean I do not love you and maybe, you know, possibly…I AM helping that person! So, go ahead call me names instead of thanking me. Maybe one day you will thank me, you just don’t see it now. I like to think of myself a mini Ebert of Miles/Points Blog reviews.
And now an exclusive just for you. I am unveiling here what a TBB investigative reporter found out about the latest enhancement to the hotel front desk. Here it is you guys!
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First during Simpsons marathon, Lemon of Troy. Rocky VII, Adrian’s Revenge!
You caught us all off guard.
3
Out of the medals by many hours. So, I had just finished reading the WSJ article before I clicked over here. My favorite line is, “It’s completely murky to the consumer.”
Oh and I got to see the Ebert film when it was at the Roger Ebert film festival in April and it was quite an experience getting the background on it during the intro and Q & A. Big Ebert fan myself and am a patron of the festival.
@ Spencer F: You crack me up with your comments! You rock, especially when you win gold!
@ Helixcardinal: Excuses, excuses…Take some personal responsibility for your scripts, will ya?
@ 3 is bronze around here. Which means nothing really, exactly the same as Amazon orders through the TBB Amazon link on a Saturday lol.
@ smittytabb: Yeah, that article was really good. I hope there is a follow up. So much clean up to be done! I always liked Ebert but seeing how he went about dealing with his health was incredibly inspiring. And the passion about movies was unparalleled. I am beginning to show the same passion about this blogging thingie and is probably not assisting the contributions to my other passion which feeds my family. The most touching (out of so many) moments in the film was the young girl who he took the time to talk to who later became a filmaker herself and seeing the picture of them together. And how he stayed loyal to the Chicago Sun Times when he could easily walk away for the dinero. Highly recommended uplifting movie.
Learning from the first graph – Amazon will continue to make losses in future quarters as long as it is charging 1.75%, lol. Sometimes i really wonder about the profit models chosen by some US companies 🙂
I have a comment about that in tomorrow’s Buzz post. I chose…Chase Bank for an example. The only explanation is many victims get these cards and screw up because they fell for a slick sales job by one of the bloggers. Then they may lose their job, lose their house, start drinking and crash their car head on with yours. This is how we all lose but the root cause is never identified. I think I need more coffee, Panera kind of course 🙂
You know who I bet uses templates? One of the blogs you love, The Flight Deal. I hope they do, for their own sake.
Like Seth, I thought all the hullabaloo about templates was overblown. (The slip-up at the time was entertaining.) The key distinction, which gets lost, is that TFD serves its purpose well using templates. I scroll quickly to the available dates section on TFD. Meanwhile, for MMS, templates just serve as a faster means of re-packaging credit card ads. Content is still central.
You are correct. We use have seven templates for our deal posts:
1) American / US Air / JetBlue / Virgin – Domestic + Int’l [2 Templates]
2) Delta – Domestic + Int’l [2 Templates]
3) United – Domestic + Int’l [2 Templates]
4) Int’l carriers [1 Template]
Confession: TBB uses template for the “TBB Gem Comments” posts 🙂
The MMS templates do serve their purpose very well: To sell more credit cards!
I lose it on MMS in next Buzz post.Admittedly, sometimes I get really angry 🙂
It is posts like this, on your off day no less! That are not only interesting, but informative, and relevant that make you the best!
@ Will, Would you like to take over as TBB Fan Club President? There is an opening as I am currently overwhelmed here pickling my cucumbers. All that is required is that you write the TBB F.C. newsletter each week and keep an eye out for toilet bowl travel blog pics, so that you can report those scoundrels. Buzz doesn’t pay much but you get to hook up with a lot of of his leftover Groupie chicks.
“Pickling your cucumbers”?
Is that what they call that these days?!?
Thanks Will. Click my Amazon link 🙂
Ramsey: “leftover Groupie chicks”…Where are they? lol
I don’t have the time. Sadly. Maybe in another life.
It’s okay. It’s not like it brings much 🙂
@Ramsey – I saw in comments in the last TBB post that you made it to the new WM. Do you mean the one in Tigard? I sure hope the youtube was an exaggeration. Are the Money Center folks OK with GCs? Haven’t made it there yet. The employees at my neighborhood WM are efficient when I load BB/buy MOs and couldn’t care less what card I use. I was hoping the new huge WM would be as friendly….
TBB Comments: Bringing Wal Mart shoppers, err, travel hackers together around the world 🙂
Hi Agent 44, I have been to the Promise Land, both of the 2 New Walmarts (Sherwood and Tigard, twice) I have yet to have any success loading BB or buying MO’s with multiple debit cards. The video I posted was pretty much accurate. I will try again next month as they get over the learning curve. FYI Paypower is alive and well without hassle at King City Safeway.
Everybody burnt their Avios points yet?
Hell, no, those fuel surcharges keep standing in my way.
Insanity…story at 11, err, my new Buzz post 🙂
Have you tried the Delta Park WM?
On a side note. I always enjoy mass panic.
In response to your request for feedback, I like fewer, shorter posts. I do, however, defer to your judgment on whatever’s easier for you.
Also, WHY DOES RAMSEY BURN DEALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????? WHERE IS MM TO SHAME AND HUMILIATE RAMSEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????? (Note: I don’t live in Portland, so I don’t care, but I once rode my bike out in the Hillsborough area and stopped to gorge myself on wild blackberries. It was great.)
Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it! After spending insane amount of time to produce Monday’s massive Buzz post, it hit me. They are WAY too long! I may start shorter posts, do away with the sections and severely cut down on the Blog Buzz beatings 🙂
*ACK!*
Please excuse my hairball.
Gary, the blogger that continues to just piss me off, posted his ice bucket challenge.
I do believe it will be the last post of his I will ever, ever read.
Someone whom I don’t know just completed the challenge at the Park Hyatt Vendome, apparently annointed to do so by Gary. I’m not clear on the details since I was throwing up.
Also, I don’t care how much money one is trying to raise…you don’t post your actual contribution online. One posts actual charity donation to make one’s self look good. It just irks me completely.
Ugh, Ugh, Ugh. PHV ice bucket challenge is disgusting. And Gary is all over it like he’s the king of some sort of cool shit or whatever. He’s making Jeanne d’Arc cry (wherever she is!).
Tom Cruise does the ice bucket challenge and makes me want to like him again. Gary does it and somehow it ends up Vendomed! Barf.
I could not believe my eyes…oh yes I could 🙂
P.S. I miss Ebert and Siskel very much. I didn’t realize how much they were a part of our lives until they were gone. They would remind us of the old school classics…and I’d be sure to watch them. *sigh* Somethings… Yes, well. Somethings are truly missed.
+100 Documentary is wonderful too. I miss them too!
$1.50 to issuing bank on $100 seems low. If ballpark, not sure how Barclay, C1, etc. can offer 2%+ CB and be profitable after all their other costs net of AF revenue. Or how Fidelity can make money at 2% with no AF.
On second thought, perhaps they make their money from customers who carry balances. Sure doesn’t seem like it comes from swipe revenue!
I have no doubt in my mind that they make their money from FTG readers who apply for 7 to 29 credit cards at a time and then get in over their heads 🙂
And I just can’t believe Fidelity has not gone away with the 2% CB yet. Barclays wants to grow market share here so they can do it for a few more years. I bet they kill the 10% dividend first.