NOTE - The date is set but the exact time and location may change. I've been following with rapt attention the growing popularity of "home assistants" as their sophistication grows and prices drop. It seems that there are new entrants every month, and now that many of us have become familiar with names like Siri, Cortana and Alexa, their intrusion into our lives is about to get a surge of interest. Of course, there are myriad ways that we already surrender information and privacy about our lives in return for convenience and savings. But I was listening to this podcast from Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo and felt we should have a discussion before too many of us either give or receive one of these assistants as gifts for the holidays. And I'll be curious to know who has one, who wants one, and - if you don't - whether you'll be able to survive without one. It would be great if some of you can describe your own experiences with these devices. Ultimately, this will explore the degree to which connectivity is changing the way we live. Will children have access to their home networks via a doll? Will bonds develop between robots powered by a home assistant and their human owners ('masters?')? What are the deeper implications of such intrusions? Here are some links for a peek at what I've been reading and listening to, and you should visit to get a brief introduction to this new technology: http://www.businessinsider.com/voice-assistant-report-2017-3 https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/12/my-sons-first-robot/544137/ http://www.npr.org/2017/10/26/560136311/how-5-tech-giants-have-become-more-like-governments-than-companies