Giving Up Timberlands

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There is an issue I have to deal with. I wear pedorthic shoes, and the company that commissioned my shoes to be made has moved, and no longer on the bus line. Since I rely on buses for almost all of my needs, I had to find an alternative. Based on past experience, the Timberland Pros were my best option. However, after a few months trying to adjust to them, I have given them up. The pain was too great. It doesn’t solve the issue though. There will come a time when I will need new shoes, and the fact I don’t know of any other company that would be able to make pedorthic shoes is still a reality.

As for other options, I will have to buy more boots, and give 2-3 months to try to adjust to them. This is beyond the return window which means every pair of boots will be a gamble that I most likely will not win. As for the Timberlands, I have donated them as I am sure someone else will be able to make better use than I can. I really do not know where to turn to get new pedorthic shoes when the time comes. My only option is to try to keep the pair I am wearing for as long as possible.

Timberland Pro – First Impressions

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I should be wearing specialized shoes, however the pair I own is no longer working right for me. And since the company that had my shoes made moved, and no longer on the bus line, I had to do the next best thing, and that was buy off the shelf boots. This is where I relied on memory on the best boots that I wore before the specialized shoes, and that will be the Timberland brand. I bought the size 11 wide from Amazon at $165. Obviously, the color is black. Read more “Timberland Pro – First Impressions”

Tablo TV – First Impressions

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I haven’t been much of a TV person. I just can’t sit on the couch hours watching television all day long. Therefore, it might seem strange that I bought an OTA (Over The Air) DVR (Digital Video Recorder). However, there are a few shows I miss watching, but can’t watch them because I go to bed too early. There are also a couple of classics that I would like to watch, but then will have to make a choice between one of 2-3 programs. This is where the Tablo TV shines. I bought the 4 tuner model which allows me to record up to 4 channels at one time. I could also watch one channel live while recording 3 other channels. This is sufficient for my needs. I then set my recordings, and hopefully if everything works out, I will be able to see what I would enjoy watching. I bought the Tablo for $140, and is intended to solve my only TV Problem.
Read more “Tablo TV – First Impressions”

Apple AirPods Pro 3

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I had my Apple AirPods Pro 2 since they came out, and I really liked them. They were nice in quality, but lately they haven’t been working as well. The connection will drop, and not just occasionally, but relatively regularly. With that said, there was a need to get new earphones. Noise cancelling earphones is essential for my needs as it helps with the agoraphobia, and the pain. This is not something I could compromise on. With that said, and the fact that my primary phone is an iPhone 14 Pro Max, it makes sense to stay within the Apple ecosystem. I have chosen the Apple AirPods Pro 3 for $280 (with taxes). Read more “Apple AirPods Pro 3”

Synology on End of Life

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For those that might know me will know that I do want to back up my systems. I have an iMac with Backblaze, and my MacBook Air is using my Synology 2 bay NAS for Time Machine backups. I would have liked to use Time Machine for my desktop, but there wasn’t enough storage. With that said, my current system is working fine enough. The Synology NAS has two 4TB in RAID-1. RAID-1 is typically a backup of my backup. Anything written to drive 1 is written to drive 2. Therefore, if a drive failed, the system can continue operating, and should notify me of the failed drive so it can be replaced promptly. However, I have been having some problems with the drive, and with Synology’s current policy that their new NAS systems will only accept the overpriced Synology drives, it is forcing me to consider new options.

I have done some research, and found that UGreen provides NAS systems, and therefore something worth considering. Now, I could probably use my 2 drives in my current Synology and save a lot of money, I am at a dilemma where 4TB is simply too small. While it works for the backup of my MacBook Air, it is only because the Air has a 512GB (½TB) which is more than enough for backing up the Air. However, you should have at least 4 times the capacity of the drive for backup solutions. Therefore, my current 2TB desktop will not be able to use the current drives, and even after investing into a new NAS, it will not consolidate all of my backup needs. Read more “Synology on End of Life”

FrameWork 16 – 6 Months Later

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This blog post is for the FrameWork 16 notebook PC 6 months later. There was a change from the initial configuration which Windows 11 was replaced with Zorin OS. For those that would need a refresher on the specs, they are as follows:

  • AMD 7040 Series CPU
  • 64GB of Memorty
  • 4TB 2280 NVME
  • 2TB 2240 NVME
  • 1 TB SSD
  • SD Card Reader
  • 16″ Display
  • 4×USB-C ports
  • Zorin OS

Read more “FrameWork 16 – 6 Months Later”

Motorola Razr 2025 – First Impressions

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The Motorola Razr 2025 is a flip style Android powered smartphone. It has an Octa Core CPU, 8GB of memory, and a 256GB storage. As with all flip phones, the phone is about half the size of a normal phone when closed, and full size (6.9″) when open. This allows me to carry both the Motorola Razr 2025, and the iPhone at the same time – albeit in different pockets. The phone is using Assurance Wireless for the carrier. Assurance Wireless is a lifeline provider which provides free service for low income households, and therefore – I qualify. The Motorola Razr 2025 supports 1 nano-SIM, and 1 eSIM which means I can have 2 carriers, and 2 telephone numbers on this one phone. And as with my personal policy, I will never buy a locked phone from the carrier. Read more “Motorola Razr 2025 – First Impressions”

Assurance Wireless – First Impressions

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On Friday June 6, I received my Assurance Wireless SIM card. Assurance Wireless is a Lifeline cellular service provider. They provide free cellular service to low income households. Lifeline is available to 1 per household, and that means you can’t have Lifeline service with 2 carriers. While every provider is slightly different, Assurance Wireless provides 3,000 minutes, unlimited SMS/MMS, and 4.5GB of data per month. I must use the service provider at least once every 30 days. And while the have premium phone service plans, I have chosen to stick with the base plan. Read more “Assurance Wireless – First Impressions”

New (Hopefully Better) Pharmacy

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On April 9, 2025 – I decided to change my pharmacy. I been thinking about this for a while, and gave them opportunity to fix their issues. However, I am tired of holding CVS’s hand in them doing their job. I didn’t have the problem until I was moved to CVS after the last Downtown Rite Aid closed. This was a couple of years ago, and I haven’t been at all happy with them. With that said, I am going back to Rite Aid even if I have to take a bus to get there, and a bus back. Read more “New (Hopefully Better) Pharmacy”

Cell2Jack – Very Niche

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I recently had someone write me an email telling me that I don’t need a home phone, and I could use a device called Cell2Jack instead. After looking at it, I discovered it is a very niche product, and will not replace my need for a home phone. So why wouldn’t this work? There are a few reasons of why I don’t see this working. I will go into them with this blog posting, and will not consider the device anymore.
Read more “Cell2Jack – Very Niche”