the car search - troubling beginnings

As I have been passively on the hunt for a new-to-me car since the beginning of the year, a comment on a radio show about the possibility of new cars being hacked caught my attention.  The car expert said that, because of the addition of a multiplicity of apps, the computers in today's cars are not secure.  In fact, it would be possible for someone to crash your car while you are in it, and you would be unable to stop that.

Um, hello?!?! That's terrifying!

I didn't get to hear the whole program, so later I decided to do some research via the Google.  I was surprised by the dearth of information that I found.  It seemed that almost no one was talking or writing or blogging about this.  The only article I found that seemed to directly address any problems with having so many apps in our lives was this one, actually an excerpt from a book decrying our "love affair'" with the app.  It's a really good read, and the whole "13 Steps to Opening Your Car with Your Phone" section just takes the cake!

That was a few months ago.

Today, I decided to try to find that article again, and also see if any one else might be starting to discuss the issue.  I was glad to see a few more articles come up, and so I thought I should pass them on.  

Warning: it isn't pretty!

Report Sees Weak Security in Cars’ Wireless Systems  This report, published in February, is probably what brought about that conversation on the radio that I heard around that time.   This article focuses on the data collected by automakers via 3rd party companies, but also mentions that "connecting cars to the Internet means that more vehicles have smartphonelike interfaces that allow for new possibilities, but also carry inherent risks."

Spy agencies target mobile phones, app stores to implant spyware  An article posted today from CBC News in Canada.  Another article on the same issue can be found here.

Phone apps can track you "Many of my customers come into Cell Phone Technicians and say, 'What's being tracked?' The answer is everything."

So, yeah.  I like my smartphone, but I'm not sure I trust it, and I definitely want to avoid the apps in a new-to-me car... if I can!

pizza, take 1

Today, I am tackling gluten-free pizza!

Since our beloved Fat Cat Pizzeria closed (RIP!), we have not been able to enjoy a Sean-friendly pizza.  Lately, Sean has been longing for one, moaning over our loss, almost every day, and so last week I bought the necessary supplies. We had already vetted pizza sauce and cheeses, and all pizza-loving-veggies are good for Sean, but there was a hang-up on the most necessary component: pepperoni.  With its ambiguous "spices" in the ingredient list, we were unsure of its safety.  Sean emailed Hormel this week, and mid-morning at work a few days ago, I got this text from him: "Original pepperoni is a go :)"

This is also the inaugural use of the fancy pizza stone Sean bought a few years ago but hadn't used yet.   After an hour or so of internet searching, I have concluded that this stone has the potential to be used successfully with the wet, gooey, sticky stuff that is gluten-free dough.  Really, I can't be sure until I try, so... here we go!

Cooking Soundtrack: Shuffle. Play. Listen. Matt Haimovitz & Christopher O'Reilly

I'm using this pizza dough recipe from Jules Shepherd.  (She has a fabulous website for all sorts of gluten-free inspiration, by the way.) Said recipe involves slathering oil on your hands in order to spread the dough on the pizza pan; still, your hands will be covered in dough. And this flour is too expensive to just wash down the drain, so I enjoy licking my hands like a five-year-old!

prep work while the dough rises in the oven

The dough needs to cook a bit after it rises, before adding toppings. As usual, I add a LOT, and I'm a little worried the middle won't cook.   But when the timer goes off, I pull it out...

oooh! pretty!

...and call Sean from his post-work computer game, and....

oh, no!  it's stuck!!

Next time, I'll use parchment paper underneath the crust! Sean, expertly wielding the metal spatula, saves the day and carves slices for us, and we sit down to our gourmet meal.

white wine? red wine? Mexican coke? Italian dressing?  ;)

Eating Soundtrack: Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga: String Quartets Prima Vista Quartet

he likes it!

And I do, too!