There are certain places in the world that march to the beat of its own drummer, that have its own unmatched charisma and charm. In the United States, New Orleans is that place.
To make it happen, I used my free companion ticket from when I had an Amex Delta Platinum card, my pull with the Michigan Alumni association to secure tickets, and my first stay ever as the proud new carrier of the SPG card from American Express. Incidentally, we were bumped to first-class after volunteering to give up our seats.
You could say that this was the inaugural trip of my professional career at ThePointsOfLife since for the first time I was trying to meet a minimum spend and target my efforts towards gaining Gold status.
Of course, this overview coincides with the firing of Brady Hoke, a man who was in over his head as coach of the University of Michigan, a program that needs serious self-examination.
Today I’m focusing on the positives: the hope that Michigan had following that victory and the great time had by all in the Big Easy.
Here’s the picture preview:
First-class drinking at 9AMHurricanesSuperdomeGreat seatsHappy Times at MichiganThe aftermath
Attention! Attention! All you Blackberry lovers out there. That includes me, myself, and I. Blackberry is giving away the kitchen sink from its headquarters in Waterloo, Ontario if you’ll trade in your iPhone and switch back to the good life of a keyboard and non-existent apps during this extended celebration known as Cyber Monday.
Yesterday Blackberry released its new phone called the Blackberry Passport and it is a beauty. Seriously, I want it now. As Blackberry’s only customer, I was hoping they would send me one for free. Basically, they are as I get hundreds of dollars for turning over my retired iPhone 4S. So is this Blackberry’s idea of a Cyber Monday promotion? If so then once again they have failed to drum up support since a) nobody knew about it or b) nobody cared about it.
I warned Blackberry years ago in a candid letter that their company would face a downward spiral if they did not heed my advice. They did not. Now, they meekly have introduced another device at the worst time and in the worst way. While I agree with the strategy of giving away the phone for free so doubters can see its greatness (a strategy effectively implemented by T-Mobile to gain subscribers), I do not agree with the timing and the nonexistent promotion.
How can they give away the phone for free? Simple, these phones cost next to nothing to produce. (See Foxconn’s working conditions and wages for workers who produce the iPhone.) But why on the day that everyone else is giving everything for free would Blackberry try the same thing?
Because they are stupid. Their last phone release came right around Christmas when everyone already had their Turbo Man iPhone nestled safely under their tree. This time they thought they’d get a jump on those holiday shoppers by releasing it on the busiest e-commerce shopping day of the year. Dear Blackberry, users who recently purchased the iPhone 6 are too hypnotized by their 12″ screens (something that Apple users swore they would never want) to care for a free Blackberry.
Blackberry, a Canadien company, was hoping that Cyber Monday would trigger a metaphorical Boxing Day where shoppers would fight to get their hands on this latest device. Instead, I predict executives of Blackberry will awaken to the second coming of Black Tuesday, resulting in what may be an unrecoverable descent in their stock.
Did you spend too much on Black Friday? Can’t afford anything great even with a Cyber Monday Deal promotion? Desperate come Worthless Wednesday? Wondering why there isn’t a Black Monday for your student loan payment?
Do these sound like daily problems that are affecting your life?
Now, for a limited time you can say goodbye to all the problems of your life with the purchase of my book Everyone’s Advice Is Wrong. Not only will the book change your life forever but if you act today, you will receive 10% off of the MSRP.
That’s right, changing your life has never been this easy and, as of today, never so cheap!
But wait, that’s not all. Amazon Prime members get free next day shipping!
So in the words of Jay Z, “What the hell are you waiting for!”
I know if you buy my book (which is available here) you’ll come back to ThePointsOfLife for all your self-help needs.
That’s right folks, for today and today only LifeMiles is running a Cyber Monday Deal whereby you purchase 9000 LifeMiles and your account balance actually goes down by 8000.
Joking of course, the promotion actually is as follows:
My headline does hold some truth as LifeMiles are notoriously devalued overnight meaning all the money you spend today could be worthless tomorrow if you don’t use this promo for an award in the near future. However, when you do use them, they can be wonderful. This past summer I redeemed 21k LifeMiles + $300 for business class aboard Singapore Airlines from Shanghai to Bali with a delicious stop in Singapore for some lounge access.
If you’re on the IATA website wondering why you can’t locate the airport codes for IGLOO and GER it is because nobody flies to these frozen locales. If you live in an igloo or reside in a ger, you are living somewhere that is far too cold.
This is the overview for the Trip Report cleverly called Welcome to the Cold. As part of my $77,000 Trip Heard Round the World I had a flight from New York to Helsinki, Finland then onto Tel Aviv, Israel. Due to the conflict in Gaza and because I was moving to Mongolia, I had to cancel the remaining itinerary and find a safer way to Ulaanbatar. In the 11th hour, I found an innovative points routing that would take me to my new home by way of an unanticipated stop in Riga, Latvia.
The combination of the following two itineraries is how I ended up going for a nation of igloos to a nation of gers while checking off a few countries along the way:
When Bo Schembechler descended from Mt. Sinai he was armed with the Ten Commandments in his left hand and a mantra in his right: Wherever You Go, Go Blue!
Thousands of years later, the saying is still relayed from father to son, mother to daughter, canine to puppy.
Through the years, the words, striking as they are, have lost some of their luster as the University of Michigan has fallen on hard times. The decline started with a loss to a certain mountain range school and has hit the bottom of bottoms with the product you see today, or the product you will most likely see post kickoff at high noon.
Much like questioning scripture, questioning the direction of Michigan’s future by recommending deviations from the past can lead to excommunication by the blind clergy of the Maize and Blue. These powers that be live in a state of denial convinced that the world hasn’t moved on from the teachings of the iconic football prophet who preached “three yards and a cloud of dust.” Instead, they believe the second coming of their savior will arrive by way of a highly touted 5 star running back who will disarm defenses by his willingness to run straight up the middle. This ideology has gone nowhere.
Integration of other religions like the spread offense have been likened to the teachings of scientology, mindless gobbledygook practiced by those who believe in sorcery and witchcraft. Yesterday, a sorcerer all too familiar to the Blue faithful, proved what is possible with commitment, without past interference (pun intended) from the mullahs that wizardry, if left to its own devices, can work.
Meanwhile, the concussed leaders of the best, are wondering why the pews are empty, their disciples are apathetic, and many of the missions to convert new followers have resulted in decommitment.
Today, good battles evil once again as the apostles take the field against the devil himself praying that the energy from pageantry can deliver the faithful from the oppression of those nutty infidels.
Tomorrow, barring a miracle, Michigan will be 3-14 this millennium against its arch enemy, an accomplishment so trivial for its adversary, past participants have chosen to sell winning memorabilia instead of keeping it forever as prized treasure. Meanwhile the Wolverine elite will look to the skies in disbelief wondering why divine intervention did not elevate their game to where it used to be.
Wake up weaklings! Realize an epic battle cry and timeless fighting fatigues does not mean that time hasn’t marched forward without you. Recognize a conversion from antiquated proverbs to modern philosophy is past due.
Simply put, to remain the winningest program in history, Michigan faces two choices:
Turn away from the teachings of Bo and start a new tradition. Or;
Join the MAC conference.
Go Blue!
Wherever You Go, Go Blue! Especially in Seychelles.
Maybe the country of Mongolia does have some sympathy for me. Knowing that I am not in the United States and knowing that it was Black Friday in the United States, Mongolia wanted me to feel right at home.
That is why I have spent the whole day without power hiding under blankets hoping that the heat doesn’t go out as well. Luckily, most of you are far too busy buying DVD’s for 99 cents to notice that I am only posting now.
Happy Black Friday and somebody please get me out of here!
Happy Thanksgiving to all my turkey lovers. I’m broadcasting live via Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia where the temperature is too cold to reenact the first Thanksgiving.
A year ago, I had Thanksgiving at the Aloft Phoenix Airport Hotel not because I was going somewhere but because we wanted to pretend like we were getting away. What better place to celebrate Thanksgiving than at a hotel that makes you feel at home.
The Aloft Phoenix Airport Hotel is only minutes from the terminal, reasonably priced at around $100 a night, provides free parking for short-term getaways, includes a serviceable swimming pool, and, most importantly, a prototypical, comfortable Aloft room.
We packed the essentials: the wine, the glasses, and Thanksgiving dinner. We left Scottsdale for the harrowing fifteen-minute drive from Scottsdale. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by the front desk who wondered why we had so much luggage but no departure tickets.
Entering the room, we unpacked all the food and drink, put out the do not disturb sign, then turned on the television. What followed was an endless feast of food and football.
So from everyone here at ThePointsOfLife (meaning me), Happy Thanksgiving and Go Lions!
The Hotel Pics
The poolThe snacksRefuelThe Phoenix AloftWXYZ barThe aloft bed
The Thanksgiving
Enough water for late night thirst.Essential TabascoYeah buddyMinutes later it was all goneWe’re not in Phoenix anymore.
With the new IHG PointBreaks list just released where you can still at IHG properties from all over the world for the steal of 5000 points, I am going to take the time to fill out this short survey.
Normally, I say why bother but little efforts like these add up over time by giving me a few more points, leading to a few more nights of points bliss.
I have my eyes set on the IHG Bora Bora and if United Airlines would release some award space from Shanghai to New Zealand, it will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine.
Here’s the email I received for the survey and the link for it.
What’s Ulaanbaatar weather like in the winter? Well, it’s only November and the word freezing is as adequate an adjective to describe it as ‘grand’ is to the Grand Canyon or ‘great’ is to the Great Wall.
I’m attempting to write today’s blog post but I have been facing an unusual problem for the last hour: my fingers won’t stop shaking. I’m originally from Michigan so I’m used to the frozen tundra of hail, sleet, frost, and snow. Before moving to Mongolia, I mentally prepared myself for the wretched Ulaanbaatar weather that has advanced past my doorstep into my ice box of a bedroom.
I told myself that I have to be tough and stick out the winter as a challenge in perseverance. Similar to running a marathon, the key to enduring a Mongolian winter will be to prepare for the worst and expect it to be worse than that.
Sermonizing from the pulpit of an insulated apartment about what is needed to survive the elements is all well and good until you get outside and nature punches you squarely in the face, nose, and ears.
“Welcome home,” the howling winds proclaimed as I stepped out of my apartment. Lungs frozen, muscles tight, I could barely put up a fight needed to take another step forward. And this is only the appetizer before the appetizer. The months of December and January make the late weeks of November feel like spring in the Midwest.
So for all my friends still living in Scottsdale, Arizona, I ask you to please guess the current temperate right now in Ulaanbaatar. For my friends in Europe who ask if the measurement is in Fahrenheit or Celsius, I reply by saying it doesn’t matter.
