Sensory sensitivity

I am rather sensitive to loud noises and bright flashes. At qidane's typically excellent display last night some of the fireworks would shoot high into the air then make a loud crack as they separated into a pretty pattern. I noticed, or was reminded, that, while the crack seemed more intense than any accompanying flash, I prepared for it by closing my eyes tightly. I recalled that as a child I would also prepare for a car door slamming shut by closing my eyes yet car doors have no accompanying bright flash. I have not noticed having any synesthesia so I wonder if other people also close their eyes tightly for loud, sharp noises and if there is any point in doing so.

Smartphone bloatware

My introduction to Android was the Moto E and, except for a shortage of internal storage, it was a surprisingly pleasant experience. My current cellphone, the Alcatel Pop 4, would be fine if not for bloatware like File Manager and Joy Launcher which became annoyingly intrusive this year.

My cellphone is now out of contract, down to month-to-month, so I have the freedom to go ahead and replace it. I would wait until the cellphone became unviable but the ongoing annoyance of Alcatel's mandatory bloatware makes me inclined to just go ahead and upgrade now. Perhaps Motorola still provide a pleasingly vanilla Android experience; other vendors may do likewise. I know I'll avoid Alcatel.

Once my current Alcatel cellphone becomes genuinely surplus I would try rooting it for installation of LineageOS or OmniROM or similar but I am not aware that it is supported by any such operating system.