Jeanne Marie Hoffman

Former bartender, still a geek. One equal part each cookies, liberty, football, music, travel, libations. Stir vigorously. +Jeanne Marie Hoffman Jeanne on Twitter

Amazon’s Anti-Trust Settlement = Free Credit in Your Account Now

a close up of a device

Coming up on the tails of Ticketmaster’s free tickets for previous purchases (but executed a lot better), Amazon has automatically deposited gift cards into the accounts of people who were considered interested parties in the settlement of their anti-trust case. This lawsuit was brought by the state attorney general and …

Read More »

Marketing is Even Good at Targeting My Dog

a dog sitting on a couch with a laptop on it

This is one of those things where I can’t actually believed it happened, but it did. My puppy likes to “help mommy write,” and by that I mean, she likes the click sound my mouse makes, so she will try to jump up and click the mouse. Today, I got up …

Read More »

Are Tour Groups Worth It?

Invalid request error occurred.

I used to be in the camp that tour groups weren’t worth it–after all, I was a “seasoned traveler”.  I’ve changed my tune more recently, especially when I had a great experience on some tours in France.  I’m considering using Viator to book some tours in New Zealand. Travel Update’s …

Read More »

Where Is the Safest Place to Sit on an Airplane?

a blue and white airplane seats

It may not be where you think it is.  I’ve often heard “within five rows of the exit row” cited as the safest area on the airplane. And it makes sense logically–if you only have a short period of time to leave the plane, the closer to the exit, the …

Read More »

Flight Turns Back Because It Was Literally Too Hot to Land

a city at night

The temperatures in Phoenix are breaking records, and I learned something new.  Apparently, once it gets above a certain temperature outside, you cannot guarantee the integrity of the plane upon landing.  So United flight 6186 was turned back due to the 120 degree weather outside. According to ABC13: United flight …

Read More »