TBB Answers Readers’ Questions Part Deux

Thanks for all the questions in this post!  Here is the post answering your questions Part Uno.

No Buzz post today, it was the slowest weekend in a very long time. Looks like many bloggers are having fun in the MegaDO5

Here we go, let’s have some fun:

 

@ Big Habitat: If you could hack the web and redirect clicks heading to any blog to another website for a day, which blog to where?

I will redirect them to my nifty spanking new affiliate credit card page and hack it in such a way that every one applies (and gets approved) for a minimum of 8 cards! Why get only a couple when you can get eight cards at once!

 

Julian: If a train leaves Philadelphia at 2:45pm traveling 87mph and a plane leaves SAN at 1:22pm traveling 512mph, how many miles do you earn?

Obviously, a trick question. You need to ask yourself, do you really need Amtrak Guest rewards miles points? Don’t you have a Chase Ink Bold (or Plus) card yet? You can transfer 40k Chase Ultimate Rewards points to it and ride a nice sleeper car all the way from the Midwest to Los Angeles to Seattle? All meals paid too! Like my family did last year.

 

smittytabb: My question is:

Wow, what a great and loaded question this is! I was trying to keep it light ya know 🙂  I hope publishing the “Blogs to Avoid” list creates an awareness among people in this hobby what I alone think about these blogs. I have been following this quirky space for a long time and am amazed every day what my eyes see. I stress that this is MY list. I have taken this role of blog reviewer because I saw a niche as this space has grown so large! If there is another more effective way I would love to hear about it!

I agree that some of these blogs on the list are not awful all the time. But, again to ME only, there is a point where a blog just gets over that “enough is enough” threshold line. It is about deposits and withdrawals of trust. At some point the withdrawals so vastly outnumber the deposits that there is a VERY long way back. The reason I have not published it yet is because I am giving a few some additional time to see if they make it over that threshold line, some are in the bubble. And I am certain many will not agree with the list. Again, it is MY list and it is MY blog. No one is angry. If the ones on the list get angry, I don’t care, it’s their problem. If I liked their blogs they would not make it on the list in the first place, right?

“…more constructive to create a set of tools to encourage readers to think critically about the blogs they read”: Hmm, very interesting. Like I have time to create a set of tools! I am still trying to figure out how to create several things on my blog, such as an email list and Facebook page while trying to keep up with the never ending blogs coming at me! Reader Steve came up with a great criteria list for me to rate each blog, an excellent and very fair list. Contrary to what people think, this is a side project for me. Actually, I am shocked I am still blogging!!!

At some point, like in my real job, people don’t need to be given tools to make decisions, they trust you enough and pay you to make the best decisions for them. This is a different crowd obviously and a whole different subject matter. This blogging field is still evolving. I am just not seeing much in these blogs offering “…moments and often have insights others might miss”. I am always open for ideas to do things better. If I was after mega bucks I would tailor my approach the way my buddy FTG (the person) keeps telling me (and he is right if commercial success was the primary goal). When I turn this baby to another “how to help family and friends travel for free” place to maximize the $$ bang it is time to move on 🙂

 

Used to Be Angry Now Just Depressed: (Follow up to smittytabb): Disagree, you have a limited amount of time in life and so you have to make some sort of bet about the expected payoff of reading a particular blog. That some blog somewhere might some time have good content doesn’t mean you should read it all the time in hopes that it does. This approach means you might miss something (though the other blogs will probably pick it up a few hours or days later) but that is always going to be the case. You can’t ready everything, unless you’re TBB!

I agree with UtBANJD 🙂  There are SO MANY blogs out there it is just absurd. We are all busy. I see TBB as a value added service to bring you the best I find from the blogs to learn something, be entertained a little and even get inspired a few times. Also to cut through the endless drivel constantly bombarding this space. This is just a different ball game right now. The hobby has become a big business. It has brought into it so many pseudo experts and charlatans is…well, depressing! I am doing my little part to bring awareness to good blogging practices and to always put the reader first EVERY time. It’s a lonely fight and I am enjoying every minute of it 🙂

 

Ramsey: Buzz, when you talk to yourself in that brain of yours, which language is it in? Greek or English

I have been asked this question many times. I don’t know how to answer it. I think it is both. You never forget your mother tongue.

 

TWA44 (follow up to Ramsey): I’ve been told that people count in the language most native to them. So ifsomeone says, quick, how many vanilla reloads are in that stack, the language in which you count it out to yourself is your native language.

One thing for sure is when it comes to numbers I always count in Greek!

 

Ramsey: Do you still believe you are better or as good looking as John Stamos?

Hell no, no way! I wish I had his hair though.

 

Ramsey: When you came to this country for the first time, what blew you away (the good and the bad)?

So many instances. A few that come to mind are: 1) I spent my senior year in high school here as an exchange student. I was shocked to see other students coming to school driving their own car. I finally got my own bicycle when I was 12 and these kids had their own cars, wow! And, get this, they could not drink alcohol when back in Greece we always had some beer in every meal. So, kids could drive and not drink…it was bizarre to me!  2) I couldn’t believe you can pick your own classes. So I tried Study Hall and Home Economics lol.  3)I had different visions of America I knew watching Dynasty and Dallas; instead, I was sent to a farm out in the country and had to do farm chores at 5. 30 am every morning…talk about a major bitch adjusting 🙂  4) Attending my very fist basketball high school game I couldn’t believe how everyone not reacted to some legendary bad calls by the refs. So, I did what every hot blooded expressive Greek would do…let them hear it. And I got ejected from the game. I couldn’t believe fans would just say “bad call ref” and not discuss their mothers. Obviously, I learned from my mistake and have come to realize how much better and civil the fan reactions are here than across the pond 🙂 But I did get a few high fives from classmates the next day telling me how awesome I was and right on I was lol.  And many more…

 

Steve: Do Chase Ultimate Rewards points count towards the Southwest companion pass?

Google it, I have never seen this addressed in any blog! 🙂

 

Ramsey: How many sheets of toilet paper do you use? (Sherly Crowe says we should only use 1 square per bathroom visit to help the environment) http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2007/apr/23/musicnews.music…………………………………….lefty or righty? (2 part question)

I have no idea but you can bet I am getting miles/points for it! Righty since birth.

 

Nguyen: I will try to ask this question What are the five recommend five stocks to buy and hold forever?

It is a question so you are in the contest 😉

 

Andrew P: What is the worst place you have ever traveled to?

Hmm, that is a tough one. I always try to get the best out of my travel experiences. You know, I research my trips well enough and I do have a great interest in the places I visit so it is hard for me to get disappointed. Growing up in Greece and going to away soccer games following our town’s pro soccer team, well, I wish I had never visited some of these places as they got quite dangerous.

 

The common man: What are the top 10 credit cards in your wallet?

Great idea, so original. I will add it to my to do list lol.Why didn’t I think of it earlier? 🙂

 

asar: What are your favorite stocks

The ones that only go up!

 

Jen: How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

You have satisfied the terms and conditions of the contest, you are in!

 

srinik: Can you fly alone if you have Southwest companion pass? :p

I am going to make a video response as I hear video is the next big thing!

 

srinik: Do you have any similar experience and any lessons learned that you can share ? [regarding helping friends so you can earn miles and then get shafted]

I must say I do not as I am very aware of this happening dealing with people and their money. If I see a friend about to pay something with a debit card or something I cringe and I may do it ONLY if they can cough up the cash pronto. No loans between family and friends, it has a a high probability of “going bad”. Just say No!

 

Justin Does: You have repeatedly commented that this blog is your therapy, but that the blog is too much work. How will you stay sane if you give up the blog? Will you have other means of therapy? [FYI, this was the winning post, I can feel it!]

Yeah, I got the message. I have shut up saying how much time it takes, you don’t need to hear it. I don’t know how I will stay sane if I give it up. I am sure I will find something to obsess about. I ‘ll be fine. I am not sure if this is the winning post as the winner will be picked randomly 🙂

 

Jacob: Where are the affiliate links tho?

Nowhere to be seen as of now. This nice gal I met at FinCon was supposed to review my blog and get back to me. Maybe they don’t want to touch me. Maybe it’s because her favorite blog is assured a prominent place in my “Blogs to Avoid” list?  Decent job helping Ashley. Her miles/point balances I can probably get in a day or two if I really did not try 🙂

 

R: What’s the worst excuse for a blog post you’ve seen that exists SOLELY to pimp CC links?

No time, I can write a book about this subject!

 

Jon: Why is the sky blue?

Are you on drugs?

 

Ramsey: Have you ever farted and blamed it on the dog?

No.

 

Paddy in the Big Apple: Can you loan me a dollar? I promise I’ll pay you back if i win..

No. Nothing personal.

 

Neil: Which is better, Lufthansa First Class (A-380) or United Express CRJ-700 Coach?

Lol. If I said the CRJ you can rest assured I am on some strong drugs right now!

 

Fishing4Deals: What’s the best travel deal you have scored?

The Lifetime Platinum Fairmont President’s Club. Google “Fairmont’s San Francisco hotel made offer that was too good to be true”. Hopefully I live long enough to take maximum advantage of it!

 

KennyB: With 2 weeks and a desire to go around the world, what 3 cities/areas would you spend most of your time in?

I like to go see new cities/areas. I would like to keep it in the Hong Kong/Bangkok/Bali area to maximize time on the ground and experiences. I like flying but I am all about the destination.

 

Matt from Saverocity: Why on earth do you think you would get a comment from me for 2 united passes and 2 Amazon $50 cards (it does have plurality in the title) gotta run, I think the dog just farted.

I see no question mark in the sentence so I disqualify you. No appeal. Please control your dog 🙂

 

guera: How many blogs are created so their authors can take a tax deduction on their travel expenses?

This one for sure lol.  My guess is many others too!

 

Mike: How much does travel blogger make?

Most make nothing or not enough to pay expenses (this one belongs in this category as of now). Several make some side money. Some make some good money. Very few make enough to hire staff with benefits. So, it is vast range from $0 to high six figures (guess).

 

amelie: Do you like soccer and if so, do you have a team that you support or a favorite former and current player? Have you been to any sporting events while traveling abroad? Guess that’s more than one question.

I love soccer, I grew up with a soccer ball as my best friend. I grew up in Larissa Greece and we all support the local team. I have fond memories of my father taking me to games at home and away. One of my happiest moments of my life is when the team won the Greek championship in 1988, the first and only time a team from the country side ever won it! I was studying in college at the US at the time and lied my grandpa was dying so I can travel back to watch the last 3 games. We had to win the final game and we finally scored in the 89th minute, I was sitting behind the goal and I have no idea how we all ended in the field and basically partied for a week straight. Biggest proudest moment of the city and the team. This was the goal, I am way up in the stands. The chant in the end: We are the champions! PRICELESSS.

Then the team hit the skids only to be revived and win the Greek Cup in 2007. To get an idea how nuts the fans are here is an idea. We matched against Blackburn Rovers in European competition and I traveled from Detroit to Blackburn in England to attend the game (on miles of course). It was a very good time as we qualified for the next round. Here are some pics, can you spot me? Since then the team ran out of money so we are back in the Third Division but the legendary support from the fans is always there…Ok, I am homesick now, I can’t wait to catch a game in December!

 

TWA44: I get emails from Hack.Travel, which I scan to see if he (The Wandering Aramean) has picked up a blog I don’t follow among the 130+ that Hack.Travel does. And for the first time I’ve seen it, Hack.Travel picked up this contest. So I guess you need to say “Welcome Hack.Travel Readers!” I wonder how many folks follow Hack.Travel who will wend their ways here?

Thanks for the heads up. I don’t get much from Hack.Travel, I don’t understand the criteria the site uses.

 

scott: Are you actually worried about getting sued by these other blog bozos? Even to the point where everytime you reference a blog you say (the blog, of course!). What the heck?

If you saw some emails I got you would wonder about this too. They have bigger pockets. Of course I would win but the headaches/hassles are immense and they are probably counting on it. If it happens it would give me a great excuse to finally bring my own affiliate links and ask all of you to “help me out for my legal defense club” woohoo!

 

MR. H: Who will win the world series?

The first team that wins four games. And you can take that to the bank (pun intended).

 

Lindsay: What’s the easiest way for me to win this contest?

Be lucky. And by that I mean the number I assign your entry corresponds to the number that is picked by that Random Number Generator site. Good luck.

 

Nik: How about this… In honor of the current Aegean redemption promo – where, within their route network, would you most like to visit? And for bonus points, same question, but also with a cat 3 or below SPG property with a lounge.

Hmm, Santorini perhaps? 😉

 

Melissa E: What is the best day of the week to purchase plane tickets from Seattle to Hawaii?

I have no idea but please make sure you buy it with an AMEX Premier Rewards Gold Card so you can earn 3 points per dollar. Oh sometimes how I wished I had my own aff links to push, here is one screaming for the perfect placement 🙂

 

Erin B: Do you know of any hidden gem honeymoon destinations?

No. It sounds like they are secret. I would just wait for Mr. Pickles to reveal them then 😉

 

Philz: How does one decide between Bora Bora and the Maldives, should living on the west coast factor in?

Not my cup of tea. I visited French Polynesia’s Tahiti and Moorea 10 years ago but it was a contest I won (by Starwood). Interesting place, glad we saw it. Would I burn miles and so much time and money to get to them when there are so many other places to visit?. Probably not. BB is closer to you. It all depends on so many factors, with most important being what YOU want, what will make YOU happy. As long as you are happy with your burn decision, screw the metrics others use.

 

Mike: How did you get in on the lifetime status with fairmont livingsocial deal? How beneficial has that deal been?

I happened to be online when it broke, I just got lucky. I had to separate $1,500 from my pocket so it took a leap of faith. Since then I have had suites in Quebec City’s Frontenac (2 nights), Miramar (1 night) and Lake Louise (1 night). And several hundred dollars in food certs.  A spa session each year. 4 Passion Benefits we pick each year (adidas bags, bathrobes, tea collections, National Geographic subscription, local dish servings, many others I can’t think of). Targeting my annual complimentary Platinum night at the Maui Kea Lani next year. The deal that keeps on giving…USA Today did a piece on it, google it “too good to be true”

 

Jay: Where do you find the great pictures you include in your blog?

Well the travel related ones are found from my non stop review of blogs. If you are referring to the funny ones, most come from THECHIVE.COM

 

Hillary: Which travel blogger do you think provides the best content?

I cover the miles/points niche very well I think. The much larger pure travel blog niche not so well. Still, I have picked some of them. Please look at my two lists: “Blogs I Love” and “Blogs I Like“.