I was in the USA on business for most of last week ... I spent a couple of days in a large-ish city in the South, then I flew to Austin, TX and spent a couple of days there. After my meetings finished in Austin I strolled around the town a bit near Guadelupe street and the state Capitol where it feels like a Northern college town with a Southern flavour. I was mostly out of touch with news media from Thurs-Sun. and it was a wonderfully relaxing break.

It was nice receiving welcomes and hearing from readers in New Orleans, Houston, and Atlanta, though I wasn't actually in any of those cities this time.

I've flown on 4 American domestic flights in the past 6 months, and each time I've been selected for a "random" search at the gate.