We go through some great noobish questions, check out what can be done with Amtrak Awards, learn of Hyatt Cat 4 Hotels, play by play account of doing business with Southwest, look at awesome Nature, Fall, and Google Street View photos, wonder in amazement about the tax exempt status of the NFL, look at expensive places to live, and we all together can Stop the Sag!
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MILES/POINTS
10 Noobish Questions – Mile Nerd If you are a newbie you should read this. If you know of any newbies please send them to my blog to read stuff like this and just get entertained and I will do my best to convert them to serial TBB Amazon link shoppers! 🙂
Amtrak Coast Starlight Trip – Part 1: Advice for an Amtrak Noob – Travel With Grant Nice to see more are discovering the Amtrak Guest Rewards value. Needless to say this was unduly influenced by the mother of all expert trip reports of mine when we crossed the country on Amtrak sleeper cabins eating it up, explored Seattle & then flat bedded it to Santiago, Chile and Buenos Aires. Then I started this darn blog and have no time to put anything like this together. In my sleep maybe I can. Oh, I am not that selfish talking always about myself you know! Ok, Grant don’t expect any wifi. If you have any be glad you do!
Reason #342, 666 to hate Delta: No more Elite Medallion upgrades for low cost “E-Class” (Basic Economy) fare tickets. Hey, wanna go on a Delta Mileage run, found me a cheap fare….LOLOLOLOL. Reason #342,667: No more Round The World tickets….who cares really?
Southwest is great. So, I had booked me a round trip ticket from Detroit to Phoenix for the #WestCoastDO meeting on points. So, the fare dropped a little bit and I could save almost 1,000 points. No big deal. And then I found me a $200 gift card that must have been bought in one of them AmexPlatinum airfare credits. And since this is a “business” expense I thought I should at least try to use it before I lose it! So, in a 5 minute phone call, agent canceled the first segment, gave me back half the points, used the gift card for the same segment and emails were sent. Bang, that’s it. Done. Fees, what fees!! #Sweet!
TRAVEL
21 Of The Best Nature Photo Entries To The 2014 National Geographic Photo Contest – Bored Panda Take a few moments, you will feel better about yourself and the world. Please.
Fall is in the Air – The Atlantic
24 More Incredible Images You Won’t Believe Were Found On Google Street View
ODDZ & ENDZ
22 Maps and Chart That Will Surprise You – Vox These will certainly make you THINK!
Just why does the NFL have tax-exempt status? – Reuters Say whaaaaat? You will freak out how much money NFL Commissioner made last year! How about a cool $44 million, nice! To attorneys who read me, want to know how much the NFL General Counsel made? How about $7.862 million…I bet you all can’t beat that! 🙂
Here’s The Most Expensive Place To Buy A Home In Every State – Business Insider You may need to click on the picture to enlarge it, truly sorry about making you take an extra step!
I leave you with these…
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Why not? First!
Kenny nooooo! I feel a South Park reference coming on…
the arctic high five one is just stunning…wow
First again! Thanks for the link-to George!
Close.
That special moment when you type First in TBB Comments and then you realize someone else is First…
🙂
It is not special when you realize it is you. Can we get a slow motion replay, how close was I to first?
I should have been reading Grant’s post & comments on it instead of typing ‘First’. Great stuff, gotta find time for an Amtrak trip!
Thanks for the reminder I live in the most expensive area in the entire US to buy a home in. I blame google!
Is Google evil?
Be careful with that Hyatt List, as it takes the assumption that Park Hyatts > Andaz > Grand Hyatts to a silly level, puts a lot of hotels there that are either inexpensive or in cities with lots of inexpensive hotels, and rather arbitrarily picks some other hotels.
There are some solid Hyatt Category 4 properties inexplicably not only not on the top 10 list, but not mentioned at all, including the Grand Hyatt Dubai, and some that are listed twice (Grand Hyatt Istanbul).
The best use is a place where you are going where you’d otherwise be spending a lot on a hotel.
There were a few blog posts about Cat 4 hotels and I picked this one because the others were just an excuse to add something before they went back to the “Chase Ink Plus rocks” mode 🙂
“The best use is a place where you are going where you’d otherwise be spending a lot on a hotel.”
This is what it’s all about!
Why do people keep saying I’m not in charge of North Korea?
Leave the Doritos alone Kim!
…the one in portugal, what an amazing street view….
I’ve been reading Miles To Memories blog each morning, I like it. Is it Buzz worthy to you?
I read it too. I like it. List worthy? Not yet… #developing I think I should wack some blogs in the Like list for presenting with the biggest pumpers in the Ignore list….#alwaysdeveloping
Wack Away
+1…and not just because he’s at FT4RL. Unique voice and deep knowledge…not to mention an all around nice guy.
GC making $7mil+, that sounds nice. I do believe the commissioner negotiated a $2 billion off the top prior to revenue split for the owners. So if you think about it, his $44mil/year is just small token of thank you for that deal. He did get DirectTV and CBS contracts this year, so I imagine the salary will be in $50mil+ range.
Guidestar.org is a great source of information, you will be surprised how much some people make in 501(c)3 organizations, including foundations, hospital groups, universities, etc.
It would be nice to make that much in miles/points a year, I’d take that! 🙂
Cheers,
PedroNY
I agree about Guidestar.
I still think the NFL people are way over compensated & hate it that my tax dollars go towards that!
Submitted my first BRG this morning. It felt good. The BRG blog should be somewhere on your lists, and not on the Ignore one.
I’d support a political platform that included revoking the NFL’s tax-exempt status, and forbidding public subsidies for professional sports stadia.
I can’t believe you like Southwest; they don’t even give out pajamas for in-bathroom self-portraits. Not classy!
Disclaimer: I’m on Southwest next week, on a quick hop to Chicago, and I’m looking forward to it.
Submitted and accepted?
It probably should but you know I move slow!
I ‘d support that platform too, these compensation levels make me really angry!
According to DP you are about to fly “cattle” class 🙂
TBB quiz:
What philosopher said “Don’t push too hard while sitting on the stool everyone”.
1. Socrates.
2. Abraham Lincoln.
3. Tori Amos.
4. Our favorite ‘sold out at the top’ troll.
Words to live by.
4?
Wait, is this a trick question or something? 🙂
Wow, I knew the are where I live was expensive, but didn’t know it was the most expensive in all of PA….geesh…no wonder I can only afford to fly Southwest.
And I did an Amtrak California Zephyr trip report a while back. It was a great trip, but not for those who need luxury or fully working bathrooms. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Yeah these train trips are not for the majority of flat bed Vendoming crowd 🙂
Actually, I have never slept better. Get me a rocking Amtrak bedroom cabin bed anytime before any flat bed in the sky!
I totally agree! It was like being in a bassinet rocking back and forth:) My kids slept like a rock too. Not for the vendomers for sure. Personally I can go both ways (in the travel sense, I mean). Happy in a luxury hotel and happy in a tent. It’s all about the experience.
I go both ways…in the travel sense I mean too lol!
I don’t mind the luxury experience at all…especially when I am not paying for it of course!