Last week, I could not stand Google monitoring me any
longer, so I wiped my phone. As I've said before, I'm not
worried about what's in my data. I just don't like being a
contributor to the data-industrial complex. I had considered
a number of different options for a replacement OS,
including LuneOS, /e/, CarbonROM, and LineageOS. In the end,
after playing around with LuneOS (still not ready for daily
use) I chose Lineage.

It took me a few hours to restore my device to its typical
state, but everything is almost back to normal, and I am not
missing Google Play Services in the least. If you are
considering doing something similar, an app called
oandbackup, available at F-Droid, is great. It backs up both
the apps and their data -- which saved me a considerable
amount of time.

The funny thing is ... while I was making the change, I
transferred my SIM over to my old BlackBerry Q10, and I'm
not sure that I will be putting it back in the Android
device. The Q10 is so much better at being ... a phone. The
Android does so much more, has more screen real estate, and
is almost entirely open source, which I like. But if you
need to do the regular things, like tap out an SMS, make a
phone call, check your email, etc., the Q10 is just so much
more convenient. Not to mention that it's small and slips in
a pocket easily. As an added bonus, I doubt very much that
anyone at BlackBerry follows what I'm doing, especially
since there's almost no one at BlackBerry anymore. 

But the possibility that *someone* might be surveilling me
has me thinking about switching the SIM to my Bold 9900. I
don't have a BlackBerry Internet Service data plan, so that
phone doesn't hook up to anyone's server. If I don't open an
app all day, my data usage is absolutely zero. The phone can
still do email. It can still sync calendar, contacts, and
notes. And it can still download and play podcasts. I don't
think I need to do anything more than that. 

I set up the fake tree tonight. I love the lights, but miss
the old days. My dad and I would go out and kill some
scraggly Charlie Brown evergreen. When I was about 12, he
started letting me drive the logging roads. It was magic.
Funny thing, though... we always went up to my aunt's place
(which was old, cold, and we'd end up huddled around the 
fireplace, watching SCTV!) for Christmas. It was a rare 
year that we spent at home. 

Happy holidays, if you're from a culture and place that
celebrates at this time of year. If you're not, let us know
about your holidays when they come around. :)