Honey, I'm home...

I've been gone a while; haven't had a thing to say---what's up with that?  Much unlike myself!

Sadness

Could it be the recent news that my long awaited walking distance Starbuck's is closing on Friday after less than a year?  Pretty sad.  But not enough to shut me up, really.  I just don't know.

Autumn

Well, I've definitely been out more lately because it is beyond flipping gorgeous here.  Humidity is gone, temps are mild.  Nice sunshine and earlier sunsets.  I love me some autumn.  I've been

 having some beautiful bike rides.

I've also been cleared to be back in the pool following this summer's roto-rooter of the sinuses so

 that's been great---I love swimming and biking.  Did I tell you guys about my Otterbox?  Dudes-

--swimming with tunes; verrrrrry nice.

Lots of fun gadgetry news:

This is enough to make a gadget girl believe in Santa Claus.  A bluetooth enabled watch that engages your smartphone allowing notification and handling of phone calls and SMS, email, control of mp3 player and caller id all quite discretely on your wrist.  Do I want one? Take a guess...  It only sounds silly---you all know how handy it would be to know if the incoming call/message warrants ripping through your bag to get it in time.  And you wouldn't have to sheepishly raise your finger and say, "sorry I've got to see if this that emergency call that might happen" in the middle of someone's sentence---just lift your wrist...  oh yeah.

And on the other end of the spectrum, here's a perfectly awful use of technology: US Department of Homeland Security has developed devices that determine if a person is "displaying biological markers of mal-intent..."              Excuse me?  Where's the science supporting those markers?  Yeah---that's what I thought; there is none.  Presumably DHS intends to deploy these beasts in public settings and monitor folks as they go about their business... and folks who trip some detector get to be "interviewed".  Uh...civil rights anyone?  I mean, really; this is much worse than the ubiquitous video cameras all over London and Chi-town.  I'm not kidding; I'm agog.  YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME.  Are Americans going to allow this?  Forget innocent till proven guilty, we'll just grab you before we even think something has happened.  'Cuz we don't like the rate your eyes move from side to side.