‘Twas a sad weekend for fans of Westeros and the Marvel Comics Universe.

Seems to be a roundball world lately. March Madness ended just in time for the NBA playoffs to start. It’s enough to make one suspect there’s a conspiracy afoot to keep sports fans from leaving the recliner to experience real world diversions like family and friends.

Every American adult winces when they see or hear the date, “April 15th.” Sadly, some folks housebound by the Spring Snow Smackdown compounded their misery by working on their taxes as the winds howled outside.

Basketball fans know when spring really starts: the day the March Madness brackets get released. That jubilation only lasts until the first two or three games are finished and the first major upset happens. Poof! There goes your bracket!

What a “great” way to start a week—a hundred million folks in the Northeast buried under snow, frigid temps across most of the middle of the country, and football.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving break, assuming you’re in an area that celebrates tradition with massive amounts of massive poultry followed by a massive dessert selection.

Yes, it’s Thanksgiving week in the U.S., which means cheap TVs for sale on Friday. And, of course, giving thanks for the family and friends who invade your house and make fun of your current TV while switching to the football game they want to watch.

Now that the World Series is set (congrats to the Red Sox and the Dodgers) and the NFL is almost halfway through the season, fall feels a bit more normal.

Do your leaf peeping quickly, before they all fall down. As we march toward Halloween, the conferences and user group meetings seem to multiply and spread news like those swirling leaves. We caught as many as we could that concerned IoT, and here are some more.

Raise your hand if you’ve bought one or more bags of Halloween candy already. Lower your hand if one or more bags have been opened for “quality assurance” testing. Thought so. Enjoy it while you can.