A Tale of Two Sensors: Dexcom G7 vs. Libre Frestyle 3

I have been using continuous blood glucose monitors for the past five or six years, and it has been a godsend, compared to pricking my fingers or forearm several times a day to check my blood sugar levels. Up until a year and a half ago, I was using the Freestyle Libre 2 fourteen-day sensors, which required a physical tap from a dedicated reader or a smart phone with an app to take a reading. More recently, I'd upgraded to the Freestyle Libre 3, which automatically sends readings to my phone via Bluetooth, which is even more convenient. But all that came to sudden and unexpected end this past spring.

My health insurance changed their formulary, and now only covers Dexcom sensors, but rather than just smoothly switch me over to their preferred brand, there ensued a two-month fight with said insurance company to even get those. I honestly believe their goal was to try and frustrate me back into pricking my fingers all the time, but thankfully, I was stubborn enough to prevail. 

I finally got my hands on a supply of Dexcom G7 (DG7) sensors three days ago, and put on the first one today, where it is running alongside my next-to-last Freestyle Libre 3 (FL3) sensor for its final couple of hours. I did this to be able to compare readings with the two, and they seem to be spot on, within a few points of each other. But how do they compare in other ways?

I suppose the best place to start is the steps to put the sensor on and activate it. The FL3 is pretty simple and straightforward. Clean the area on the back of the arm where it will be applied, open the applicator and press it into the skin. The spring-loaded applicator then attaches the sensor, which is about the size of a nickel, to the skin. The sensor then must be activated by tapping it with a smart phone, on which the Freestyle Libre app is active. An hour later, the phone starts receiving readings every minute. 

By comparison, the DG7, which is noticeably larger and thicker, closer in size to the Freestyle Libre 2, is also a bit more complicated. It uses a similar spring-loaded applicator, but it's a little more complicated to use, in that one must press it into the skin to retract a safety collar, which enables a trigger button on the side of the applicator. The sensor is put in place by pressing the trigger button. This is a more cumbersome process, which subsequently requires the user to press the sensor firmly into place for a few seconds and then rub a finger around the periphery of the sensor a few times to ensure firm attachment. 

If this makes one suspect the DG7's adhesive isn't as good as that of the FL3, one would be correct in that assessment, because the next step is to apply a provided over-patch. Such patches are optionally available for the Freestyle Libre sensors, but are not included in the package. I have a supply of them on hand, but have only used them when I'm planning to go swimming, particularly in salt water, or when the sensor has been knocked loose or the adhesive is otherwise failing, but the sensor is still functioning. By comparison, the over-patch is required for the DG7. Both sensors can be used when showering or swimming, but the DG7 is good to a depth of eight feet, versus the FL3's three-foot maximum depth.

Activation of the DG7 happens a little differently than with the FL3. The 30-minute  warm-up period, as opposed to an hour for the FL3, begins automatically once the sensor is applied, but it must still be paired with one's phone, either by entering a four-digit code in the app or scanning a QR code, both of which are found on the side of the applicator. By the time I had applied the sensor and over-patch, and then paired it with my phone, the sensor was already a couple of minutes into the warm-up period. It should be noted that until the DG7 sensor is paired with one's phone, no readings will be received, but the timer will be ticking on the sensor's 10-day functional lifespan. 

Yes, the DG7 sensors do not last as long as the FL3, just 10.5 days, including a 12-hour 'grace period', as compared to the FL3's 14 days. Realistically, this means one will go through three sensors a month with the DG7, as opposed to two with the FL3. Another functional difference is that the DG7 sensor transmits data to the phone app once every five minutes, instead of once a minute for the Freestyle Libre sensors, which means it's capturing only 20 percent as much data. Until I've lived with the DG7 sensor for a while, I won't be able to know know how much of a difference this makes. I'm suspecting it will be relatively little, as I will still be able to see trends in the app, despite having fewer data points. The flip side of this coin is the DG7's impact on my four-year-old iPhone's battery life. If the sensor is only transmitting data twelve times an hour instead of sixty, I could see a potential for improved battery life. Time will tell on that one.

Other notable differences between the sensors is that the DG7 must be within 20 feet of one's phone, versus 30 feet for the FL3, but because the DG7 transmits data only once every five minutes, one has greater latitude to stray away from the phone and move back into range. Also, the DG7 offers greater flexibility of approved locations on which to affix it--back of the upper arm or abdomen for adults, as well as upper buttocks for small children, while the Freestyle Libre sensors are approved only for the back of the upper arm.

Having only had the DG7 sensor on my arm for a couple of hours, I have not yet been able to form an opinion about whether I like it better or worse than the FL3, and I accept that human nature being what it is, I would naturally lean toward the tried and true, especially since I was forced to make the switch when I was quite content with the FL3. Expect an update in ten days or so, after this DG7 sensor expires and I put on my final FL3.

UPDATE, two days later--After wearing the DG7 sensor for two days, I'm getting used to it, but I do find it less comfortable than the FL3, both because of its size and the over patch. The phone app is comparable to that of the FL3. The feature set seems to be much the same, but due to the less frequent data points, it is shown as a series of dots, instead of a continuous line with the FL3 app. Sharp and sudden increases or decreases can appear to be data gaps to the untrained eye. 

Additionally, DG7 sensors will also send data to a smart watch, without a phone, a feature not available with the Freestyle sensors. I'm not sure whether this will entice me to take the plunge for an Apple Watch, but it does give me another reason to consider purchasing one. The larger question is whether that one reason outweighs the other various reasons I have found not to take the plunge.

I also feel that my preliminary supposition regarding phone battery life is proving to be correct, but not dramatic. Using the FL3 sensor, my phone's battery would be down to between 20 and 40 percent by the end of the day; whereas, yesterday it was at 58 percent when I went to bed. It is now mid-afternoon, and with fairly typical phone use so far today, the battery is at 83 percent, compared with 60-70 percent when using the FL3 sensor and app. I fully realize that I have not yet amassed nearly enough data to fully support or refute my hypothesis, but I feel like it is promising.

Day 10 UPDATE--So, I just changed out my first DG7 sensor a little while ago. My thought last night was to use the last of my FL3 sensors and run the two simultaneously to collect a few hours of comparative data before the DG7 sensor ran out. It turned out my last FL3 sensor was defective. I was awoken from a sound sleep just before 4:00 a.m. by a low glucose alarm that turned out to be erroneous. The FL3 sensor was showing my level in the low 50s, while the DG7 was showing it in the low 100s. The fact that I was feeling absolutely no symptoms of hypoglycemia told me the DG7 was providing more accurate information. I was kept awake by a series of false low alarms over the next couple of hours before receiving a signal loss alarm. The phone was no longer receiving data from the FL3 sensor. Finally, about three hours later, the FL3 app flashed a message on my phone screen, instructing me to replace the sensor, which I did once the DG7 sensor ran out. By that time, I had torn the defective FL3 sensor off of my arm and deleted its app from my phone. Out with a whimper, I'd say.

Normally at this point, I'd be on the phone with Abbot Labs, manufacturer of the FL3 sensor, requesting a replacement, as I have done many times before when they have failed prematurely. But this time, I just took it as a sign that it was time to fully make the switch over to the Dexcom sensors. 

After using one for a full ten days, I've decided that although the FL3 is the hands down winner for comfort and convenience, especially when it comes to applying and activating the sensor, there are also things that offset the inconvenience. I am seriously considering buying an Apple Watch to take advantage of its ability to receive data from the DG7 sensor.

Costco vs. Sam's Club

 So, almost a year ago, I took advantage of a discounted deal on a Sam's Club membership for $19. It will renew automatically on July 8 for the full price of $50, unless I cancel it before then. I also have had a Costco membership for almost a decade, so this raises the question of whether I need to keep both, or if not, which to drop. In analyzing how I use each membership, I'm finding the equation is anything but straightforward.

The first question of cost for the membership itself would seem a 'no-brainer', in that the Sam's membership is $10 cheaper, but having had the Costco membership longer, I am slightly more invested in that ecosystem because I also have a Costco Visa card, which earns me more than enough cash back--even on my Sam's Club purchases--to cover the price of my Costco membership and then some. While I could get a similar Sam's Club card, the hassle of switching over, considering all of the automatic charges tied to the Costco card, makes this less than appealing. The advantage going in definitely belongs to Costco.

The second part of the equation is what I buy at each store. There are many items available at both stores, and at comparable prices. It's mostly a matter of convenience or which one has it on sale. Of course, there is also packaging to consider. Costco, for instance, offers most of its canned goods, in normal sized cans, shrink wrapped together in cases of six or twelve, depending on the product, while Sam's offers most of its canned goods in restaurant-sized no. 10 cans that are simply not practical for home use. Costco also seems to offer better quality in the form of more organic and gourmet selections than Sam's does, meaning that there is often more stuff I want to buy at Costco. In recent years, I have made Costco my go-to for tires and car batteries, although my most recent tire purchase was at Sam's, which was able to provide a slightly better turn key price. Having the tires from Sam's raises the concern over their warranty, which would instantly evaporate, should I decide to cancel that membership.

Part of my motivation for pulling the trigger on the Sam's Club membership was for a couple of specific items that are not offered at Costco, but is it enough to justify paying for that membership? The number of items in question is fairly small, and I often question whether I would be better off in the long run, using the price of the membership fee to buy those items elsewhere, albeit at a somewhat higher unit price? I have to keep in mind that sometimes, the unit cost of items at Sam's or Costco is not as competitive as it might seem on the surface.

Another sub-part of this question is how often I shop at each location. I tend to go to Costco about once a month, not including gasoline purchases, while I only go to Sam's every two months, on average, and seldom purchase gasoline there. Both stores use discounted gasoline as a loss leader, and fuel prices are comparable at both places. I will buy gas at either, if I need it, but the lines at both are enough of a hassle to keep me from going out of my way to buy fuel there, unless I'm in the neighborhood, which brings up the question of convenience.

In my city, the two stores are located almost directly across the road from one another, so they're equally (in)convenient for me. Both have congested parking, although Costco does have a bigger lot, so one can always easily park a little distance from the warehouse, saving time and fuel, as opposed to continually circling to find a spot. The latter is sometimes the only option at Sam's, which has a smaller lot.

Of a more esoteric nature is Costco's reputation for treating their employees well, which is evidenced by their low turnover rate. I see the same faces wearing red Costco vests year after year, and thus it is quite difficult to get hired there, as friends who have applied there have attested. But that makes me feel good about shopping there.  On the other hand, Sam's Club is a subsidiary of Walmart. Make of that what you will.

So, in the final analysis, a couple of conclusions have bubbled to the surface: For the reasons above, I am not considering canceling my Costco membership, and of the two, Sam's Club is the one I can more easily do without, but will I cancel it? I'm leaning toward keeping it and reassessing in a year whether I'm getting $50 worth of value from it. The membership was certainly worth the $20 I paid for it this year, but $50 will definitely be a much harder sell.

Getting Clued

One of my favorite board games when I was growing up was Clue. Using the process of elimination, players were challenged to solve the mystery of who murdered Mr. Boddie, in what room of his home, and with what weapon. I had a 1960s edition, which came in a khaki colored box with graphics resembling New Yorker cartoons. The appearance of the game changed over the years, and once Hasbro acquired the original publisher, Parker Brothers, numerous variations on the game itself began to appear, including a Harry Potter edition, appropriately set at Hogwarts.

Unfortunately, my cherished copy of that game, along with a couple of others, did not come with me when my wife and I divorced. After several years of not worrying about it, I decided I wanted to replace those childhood games, and began keeping my eyes open at thrift stores and at a second-hand bookstore I frequented. Newer editions, some with different characters, weapons and reconfigured game board layouts, were frequently available, albeit often incomplete. What I eventually realized was I wanted a copy with the original 1960s graphics that I'd had as a child. They would occasionally turn up at the used bookstore, and they always seemed to be available online, but at steep prices that I was not willing to pay.

Eventually, I spotted a bookshelf edition, in a handsome wooden box, sporting the 1960s graphics I was after, at a thrift shop. The only problem was it was incomplete. It was missing a couple of the weapons tokens, which were relatively unimportant for game play, and the Detective's Notebook pads, which were essential. But still, for less than $3, I couldn't pass it up. I was able to source a complete set of weapons online, albeit for a few dollars more than I paid for the whole game, but still less than the cost of a fast food lunch at the time.

The notebook pads were an even easier solution. I'm a pretty deft hand at using my word processor's table editor, so after a brief online search to find an example, I was able to replicate it, print out a few sheets, cut them apart, and keep the file stored on my computer. Unfortunately, that was a couple of computers ago, and although I am not completely out, I no longer have that file. I knew I should have stored it in the cloud. 

Earlier today, I did an online search and found a plethora of Detective's Notebook pages, downloadable for free. This is a great resource, as you can print out what you need for game night, and keep the file on your computer or cloud drive for future use, and it certainly beats having the expense of ordering additional pads from Parker Brothers, as we had to do when I was a kid. 

But just as there are variations in the game editions, there are variations in the notebook files online; for instance, some have different character names. Mrs. White was apparently dropped at some point, in favor of Dr. Orchid. This might be confusing to younger players, and most of the files I found are not editable. One exception is from templateroller.com, which has numbered blanks for suspect names so that you can type in names to match your edition of the game before printing them out. The only drawback here is the template is in a 'one up' configuration; that is, one notebook page per sheet. Some others are configured two-up, or even four-up. One version I looked at was three-up with one quadrant lined off for random notes. You can find what you need by entering the search terms "Clue detective notes printable" You might also want to include the word "free" to eliminate sites that would charge a fee to download or subscribe.

If you prefer to 'roll your own', as they say, you can easily set it up in a word processor like MS Word, Google Docs, or LibreOffice Write:

1. Start by splitting the page into two columns so that you can print the pages 'two-up'.
2. In the left column, use the table editor to create a table six columns wide by 24 rows deep. This will give you enough spaces for all six suspects, six weapons, and nine rooms used for the classic Clue game, plus three rows for category headings (Suspects, Weapons, Rooms), and the ability to use each notebook page five times.
   
3. The columns will be evenly spaced by default. You may wish to widen the leftmost column to provide more room for the various names. Do this by clicking and dragging the dividing line between the first and second columns to the desired width. Double-click the dividing lines between the rest of the columns to even out their widths. 
4. Type in the names of the suspects (Col. Mustard, Mr. Green, Miss Scarlet, Ms. Peacock, Prof. Plum, Mrs. White), weapons (knife, rope, wrench, revolver, lead pipe, candlestick), and rooms (kitchen, conservatory, lounge, dining room, billiards room, library, study, hall, ballroom), as appropriate for your edition of the game.
5. Turn on the grid lines to make them printable, then copy and paste everything into the right-hand column to make a two-up version.
   
6. Print the desired number of pages, and cut them apart, if desired.

Are you missing pieces to your cherished childhood board games? Never fear; it seems that on sites like eBay and Etsy, some sellers have made a cottage industry of buying incomplete board games for next to nothing at yard sales and such to part them out for spares. It pays to look at multiple listings to find what you need for the right price. 

When shopping for individual suspect, weapon and room cards for Clue, you need to make sure you get cards with graphics that match the edition you have; otherwise, the replacement card would be obvious without looking at the face. Depending on what's available, you may want to consider buying an entire set, which could prove to be more cost effective, especially if you need to replace more than one or two cards. This would also free you from having to match the graphics of your existing cards. 

So, what were the other childhood board games I replaced? They were Stratego and Yahtzee, both complete in bookshelf editions, as well as Stay Alive, which was missing a few marbles. I ended up completing that one with some Chinese checkers marbles, although I had to replace the lavender marbles with blue ones. Just for fun, I also added a single red marble as an optional 'sudden death' piece, to make the game more more fast-paced. I also got a copy of Battleship, which I had always wanted as a child, but had never owned. 

Now, I just need to have a game night.

UPDATE: I just replaced another pair of childhood games: Mastermind and Word Mastermind. In the original Mastermind, One player would arrange four colored pegs in a pattern and the other player would have several attempts to guess the pattern, with the first player providing feedback with black or white pegs to indicate a correct letter or color, and whether it was in the right position. It sounds simple, but can be far more challenging than it seems at first. Word Mastermind works much the same way, but the first player creates a four-letter word (no, not that kind of four-letter word!) for the other player to guess. I found both games in a package deal on eBay for about what one of them would go for. Even better, they're the exact versions I had when I was growing up.

My OS Agnostic Life

Don't misread the headline. I'm not writing about religion here, just the fact that I've come to use a bunch of different operating systems. I know that I have addressed aspects of this topic before, but here it is again, from what I hope is a slightly different angle.

I have owned personal computers for well over 30 years, and have been using them for almost 40. The first computer I bought was a Mac Classic in 1991. The next year, I encountered Windows at a job where I was working, and have been using both ever since, usually Windows at work and a Mac at home. If you asked me, I'd tell you I was a Mac person, forced to use a PC at work. To date, I have only had one job where I was allowed the option of working on a Mac instead of a Windows PC. I've also owned two Windows PC's in my time, both were eventually re-imaged to run Linux.

Speaking of Linux, that's when things began to change for me, about 15 years ago. I've casually experimented with various Linux distros over the years, including OpenSUSE, Ubuntu, Xubuntu (Ubuntu running the xfce desktop), Fedora, and Linux Mint, but eventually decided they weren't really ready for prime time--until about six months ago, when I acquired a late model laptop with Linux Mint, and fell in love with Linux all over again. 

So,these days I have a bit of a 'crazy quilt' of operating systems that I use on a regular basis, but they somehow all fit together into a unique matrix, where I am able to get things done, but seldom think about which operating system I am using at a given time. To understand how this works, let's look at each operating system I use an how it fits into the whole:

Mac OS--I have to start here, because I've been using it the longest. Traditionally, I've said my preference for Macintosh computers came down to an intuitive interface, coupled with solid dependability and hardware longevity. My present MacBook Pro, is 14 years old, and still fully functional, although it is no longer receiving software updates. I was using it on a daily basis, up until last October, when I got my present Linux laptop. That said, there are still a few tasks for which it is better suited than Linux, and thus I keep it in the active category. I may eventually get another Mac to replace it, but it's an expensive proposition, and even a second-hand one, nearing the end of its useful lifespan, is an expensive proposition. For now, I'm getting along okay without that expense.

Windows--I have been using Windows computers for almost as long as I have been using Macs, but they have, for the most part, belonged to others, either employers, friends, or family members. I used to say that I felt like I had a choice between fixing things on a Windows PC or getting things done on a Mac, and for the most part, that still holds true for me. I still use Windows daily at work--my employer drinks deeply of the Windows Kool-Aid--and even though I bring my work laptop home with me most nights, since commute between two campuses, I never work on it at home, even for work-related tasks. Admittedly, Windows has gotten more stable over the years, but my affinity for it has not grown. As I have already stated, I have owned two Windows laptops, both of which today run Linux Mint. I guess I'm just not really Windows compatible. 

Linux Mint--This is where things changed for me. After five or six years of casually dabbling with Linux, I had drifted away from it, until I semi-impulsively bought a Linux laptop last fall to replace a Chromebook, with which I was growing increasingly frustrated. Having a relatively high-spec computer running the latest Linux Mint, has been a revelation, and surprisingly, that machine has become my daily driver. The Linux experience can vary greatly, depending on which distro you're using, but I find Linux Mint to meet my needs nicely. The system is rock-solid stable, and in many ways, it is as intuitive as Mac OS, and in some ways, even more so; for instance, I didn't even have to configure my two networked printers. The computer detected and configured them automatically. Previously, I had felt like Linux wasn't ready for prime time, but I'm now realizing a big part of the issue may well have been the quality of the hardware on which I was running it. My Linux laptop is now firmly in the daily driver seat, and I'm loving it.

ChromeOS--Life's journeys often include some dead ends, and ChromeOS for me is definitely one of them. I bought a Chromebook about three years ago, when the MacBook Pro I was using, died. I needed something quick and cheap to keep me productive until I found what I really wanted. Shortly after receiving it, I discovered it was possible to install and run Debian Linux applications on it under the Linux Developer Environment, also known as Crostini. While I was indeed able to the LibreOffice productivity suite, Firefox Web browser and Thunderbird email client on my Chromebook, they took an inordinate amount of the machine's resources and slowed it to a crawl. The problem is that Chromebooks have very minimal hardware specifications, because they don't need much to run the Chrome Web browser, and maybe a couple of Android apps. I was trying to force the machine to be something it wasn't, and I finally had to admit it was never going to be what I wanted it to be. When I acquired the aforementioned Linux laptop, it was the proverbial breath of fresh air. This is what I was what I was wanting from my Chromebook all along, but was never going to get. Letting go of that disappointment was surprisingly easy. Today, the Chromebook is relegated to use at hybrid Zoom and in-person meetings, where I've volunteered to serve as the Zoom host. 

Other devices--When it comes to my phone and tablet I'm equally as eclectic. My iPhone is the one place where I am firmly, solidly, and stubbornly in the Apple camp. Before I got my first iPhone, I had three Android phones, none of which were particularly satisfactory. Once I got my hands on my first iPhone, I realized what I was missing and somewhat regretted not getting one sooner. I am now on my second iPhone, which will likely need replacing within the next year, and there is no question that a third iPhone is in my not-too-distant future. 

Given my affinity for iPhones, one would think I would be equally as enthusiastic for iPads. While I've had a couple second-hand units and enjoyed them, they're too expensive for how I use a tablet--reading e-books, checking email, and surfing the occasional Web site. For me a Kindle Fire tablet is a more than acceptable alternative. The Android-based interface is not the best, but it does what I need, and unlike a Chromebook, it's a no-frills alternative that actually works for my needs. The biggest issue I've had with a Fire tablet is limited storage capacity, which is easily remedied with the addition of a micro SD card. It's not the greatest tablet ever, but for well under $100 on sale, it was a good value, and worth the tradeoffs. I've just never really needed much from a tablet.

While there's no single solution that's right for everyone, I've found there's no single solution--or digital ecosystem--that fits all my needs. , but what I've patched together seems to work for me.

How are Your Tires?

 I have an old convertible that I drive mainly in mild, sunny weather. While those days can occur at almost any time of the year around here, there are still times when the car sits idle for weeks, or even months, at at time. Recently, when I hadn't driven it in a little while, I went to take it out for a little exercise and found the front tires were in visibly in need of air. When I re-inflated them, I found an even bigger problem—they were badly dry-rotted. The tread was great, but the sidewalls had significant cracks, where the rubber had dried out necessitating an unexpected expense to replace them.

With this incident in mind, and seeing plenty of cars out there rolling on seriously scary looking tires, I humbly offer the following guide to assessing the condition of your tires, centering on three basic factors: inflation, tread wear, and dry rot, in the hope that your road miles may be safer.

Inflation--The basic question here is whether you have enough air in your tires. Too little air and your tread will wear out prematurely and deliver poor fuel economy. Too much air, and you will have a harsh ride, poor handling, and risk a blowout. So, that begs the question of where the proverbial 'Goldilocks zone' is. Generally speaking, it's around 30-32 psi. You can verify that on a sticker inside the driver's door, on most vehicles, but also check the sidewalls of your tires to see what the maximum inflation is. Usually, it's around 35 psi. If your car does not have a built-in tire pressure monitoring (TPM) system, you need to invest in a good quality pressure gauge (don't worry, they're not expensive) and check your tires at least a couple of times a month. If you find yourself frequently putting air in your tires, you may want to get them checked for road hazards (nails, screws, etc.), damaged or defective valve stems, or rusted rims.

Tread Wear--Too little tread can result in  too little traction, which is very dangerous, especially on wet pavement. To determine proper tread depth, you can do one of two things—check the wear bars or measure with a penny. Every tire has wear bars in the grooves. They run perpendicular to the tread grooves, and the tread should be higher than the wear bar. If it isn't, then it's time to start shopping for tires. An alternative method of measuring is to stick a penny in the tread groove, so that Abe Lincoln's head appears to be going in head first. You don't want to see the top of Abe's head. If you do, your tread is too thin. Be aware that you can't necessarily notice uneven tire wear if you are standing next to your vehicle. To check the front tires, you will need to turn the steering wheel so that the entire tread is facing out of the fender well. Turn it all the way to the left, check it, and then turn it all the way to the right to check the passenger side. You will probably need to get down on the ground behind the car to check wear on the rear tires. 

Another thing you need to observe about tread wear is whether it is wearing evenly across the face of the tire. You can check it visually, but you can also use the penny method, described above. If, say, the outer tread is more heavily worn than the inner tread, or vice versa, this is a good indicator that your alignment is off. Do not put off getting your alignment adjusted. Left unaddressed, your tires will wear out very quickly. 

Dry Rot--Addressed in the introduction, dry rot is a silent killer of tires, especially on cars that aren't driven much. The tread may look great, and even pass a state safety inspection, but the rubber itself will dry out over the course of several years, and cracks will begin to show. If you begin noticing these cracks, keep a close eye on your tires, as they will probably need replacing sooner, rather than later. An increase in the size and number of the cracks, especially if they run the entire circumference of the sidewall, as happened with the tires on my convertible, it's time to replace them, regardless of tread depth. 

The hardening of the rubber also causes tires to lose traction, especially on wet pavement. This can happen before you see significant cracks in the sidewalls. For this reason, you should be aware of the age of your tires. All modern tires, manufactured since the year 2000, have a date code stamped on the sidewall. Look for the letters DOT (Department of Transportation), followed by a string of numbers. The last four numerals indicate the date of manufacture; for instance, a date code of 3317 would indicate the tire was manufactured the thirty-third week of 2017. If your tires are more than say, seven years old, keep a close eye on them for indications of dry rot, as it can set in and spread quickly on older tires. 

A note on tire sealants. Many newer cars come from the factory with an air compressor and a built-in bottle of tire sealant, instead of a spare tire and a jack. My daily driver was one of these, and I immediately bought a spare and a jack, which I, thankfully, have never had to use. Whether you have a compressor with a tire sealant bottle, or you carry an aerosol can of sealant in your trunk, be aware that the compound, while great for an immediate repair, can soften the rubber of your tire, thus shortening its life. I have had more than one mechanic tell me not to use the stuff, and my personal experience bears this out. Also, my car's owner's manual stresses that it is, at best, a temporary solution, and suggests replacing the affected tire at the earliest opportunity.

If you follow the tips above, you will be safer on the road, while likely prolonging the life of your tires, which will save you money in the long run. That's a win all the way around.

Be safe out there!

'One' is the loveliest pronoun

It's no secret that from the women's lib movement of the 1970s to today's age of gender fluidity, personal pronouns have taken a beating. The problem is our language doesn't include a good gender inclusive singular personal pronoun. I distinctly remember being told by my eighth grade English teacher that the masculine (he, him, his) should be used when gender is not being specified. This didn't sit well with me in the late '70s, and it still doesn't.

When I was in graduate school in the early '90s, I noticed a bit of a backlash against the generic masculine, in which many scholarly authors had taken to using the feminine generically instead of the masculine. While that pointed out the problem, it didn't really offer a viable solution, and since then has faded from use.

My solution for many years was to use both the masculine and feminine together (him or her, his or hers, he or she), and while this could be viable in many situations, it could be awkward as well, especially when the pronouns need to be repeated in the same sentence. 

Interestingly, we have solved this problem in conversational language by using plural pronouns (they, them, their) in the singular, and it is gaining acceptance in written language as well. Most scholars and language experts still maintain that parallel construction should be maintained whenever possible (e.g., Children should do their homework before watching television, instead of A child should do their homework before watching television). In other words, when you use plural pronouns, it is still better to make the entire sentence plural; however, that view has become noticeably relaxed in recent years as our society attempts to accommodate gender fluidity, especially as people who consider themselves to be gender nonbinary embrace plural pronouns as an alternative to their gender-tagged counterparts.

But there is another alternative that, in my opinion, is too often overlooked. The use of 'one' as a singular, gender inclusive pronoun may sound a little formal and old fashioned to those who aren't accustomed to hearing or reading it, but it also conveys a certain simple elegance, as in 'Whether one chooses the steak or the lobster, the meal will be delicious'. 

The simplicity and inherent inclusiveness of 'one' make it an excellent tool for making written language both correct and comprehensible at a time when so much else, linguistically speaking, remains in flux.

To be sure, it can lend itself to awkwardness, especially with overuse or repetition in a sentence, but it's a good substitute for some of the even more awkward and convoluted constructions. but used judiciously, it can add variety and a more comfortable flow to our syntax. In short 'one' is ripe for a comeback. 

Setting Computers Free

Lately, I have been very focused on free and open source software, but the obsession is not new. It goes back almost to the beginning of my use of computers. Long before I even had a dial-up modem for my Mac Classic, I was enjoying freeware and shareware. The idea that someone would create a piece of software, and then distribute it for free, or maybe ask for a few dollars to unlock additional features, was fairly interesting. Yes, a lot of that software was garbage, but every now and then, a title would come my way that had a fair amount of polish and usability. 

By the late '90s, I was reading more and more about desktop Linux operating systems, and had begun experimenting with free and open source (FOSS) titles on Mac and Windows computers. The first open source title I installed with Mozilla Communicator, an open source version of Netscape Communicator, and forerunner of the Firefox Web browser and Thunderbird email client. I felt absolutely devious installing this software on my work computer, and actually questioned whether I was doing something wrong. 

Soon enough, I was branching out and trying more FOSS titles, most notably OpenOffice. The idea that a complete office suite, rivaling MS Office, which at the time cost hundreds of dollars, would be distributed for free was simply mind blowing. Granted, OpenOffice back then was not exactly ready for prime time, but it has matured over the years, to the point that its de facto successor, LibreOffice, is a worthy competitor in that market segment. 

It would not be until early 2009 when I encountered desktop Linux for the first time. I was immediately impressed that an entire operating system could be had for free, and that it came bundled with just about all the free software one might need for most day-to-day computing tasks. Even better, it was less hungry for system resources, and thus ran better and faster than the commercial operating system it was replacing, especially on older hardware. I quickly resolved to find a cheap, used laptop and begin some extended experimentation with Linux. 

I made that laptop pay for itself with interest by using it to write several articles on the Linux experience for the now-defunct PC Solutions magazine. All in all, it was a fun way to score a laptop.

Over the years, my understanding of the concept of 'free' has changed. I initially thought of it as software I didn't have to shell out cash for, which is admittedly appealing, but also misses the larger point. 'Free' in this case is more about freedom—the freedom to configure and modify software as one chooses. I'm still an end user with no real programming skills, but it's nice to know that if I had the technical skills, I would have license to truly make the software my own. It's also freedom, as in freedom from constant surveillance and data collection by Big Tech. Yeah, it's hard to get away from it entirely, but these days, my data is more or less my own, far less commoditized in the Linux world.

While I have never completely divorced myself from the world of commercial software and operating systems, I am increasingly finding that I can largely do without them. 

Case in point: A couple of months ago, I bought a Dell Latitude 7490 laptop, loaded with the latest Linux Mint, mainly as an excuse to dip my toes back into the Linux world after a few years away, where I had strayed to a Chromebook as a secondary computer. After trying in vain for two years to make that browser-in-a-box computer work like a regular PC, I discovered in coming home to Linux that, not surprisingly, it was easier to make a Linux computer behave like a Linux computer than it was to make a Chromebook do that. 

I have really come to enjoy the Linux experience on this relatively high-spec business laptop, and I find that it can cover my daily computing needs the way I want them covered, to the point that I seldom feel the need to go back to my aged MacBook pro, and I've all but completely abandoned Windows. 

There's just something about going non-commercial for my computing needs that strongly appeals to me in a very satisfying way. The bottom line is desktop Linux has really grown up in the past decade, to where it is as robust, user friendly and generally useful as any commercial operating system. I count myself as a Linux user in a way that I never have before. 

UPDATE (one year later)--What a difference a year makes. Linux Mint has now become my default operating system on several laptops at home, and although I still use Windows at work, because that's what I'm expected to use, not because it's what I want to use, my Windows laptop at home has been completely retired. Also, I almost never use my 12-year-old MacBookPro, except to retrieve files from it. The fact that I am using Linux Mint more or less full time doesn't really register with me anymore. I'm just getting things done efficiently and without surrendering as much of my data to Big Tech.