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Lifeproof busted :-( No more waterproof
Since I first enjoyed the benefits of my Lifeproof case by taking my iPhone 4 with me in the shower (see the blog here) I am sad to report that the diapraghm that protects the speaker has torn.
The photos are the only clues I have of what happened. I have not been particularly gentle with my Lifeproof but I haven't kept it in my pocket with my keys either.
I'm sharing this post with the folks at Lifeproof and will keep you updated.
Best Hot/Cold portable coffee and drink mug of all time
This thermos is one of the things I love about life.
The awesome: 1. I toss it in my knapsack full of piping hot coffee with no fear that it will drip.
2. Amazingly, the bulky lid holds almost no leftover liquid after each sip which means I can take a sip, close it, turn it upside down with almost no worry of drips.
3. It keeps stuff hot. I drink LESS coffee because it takes so long to drink. Each sip is like the first sip of hot, hot coffee. It tastes better.
4. I no longer dirty my spoons. Two sugars, pour coffee, close lid, shake vigorously and drink. I have gone from coffee that gets sweeter as you get to the bottom in my old mugs to coffee that tastes exactly the same from top to bottom.
5. It feels good.
6. The liquid flows out from the drinking opening at the perfect pace. With liquid this hot it is often a gamble tilting a mug of coffee towards your face, especially in a car. But the magical lid of this thermos lets the perfect amount of liquid roll forward. It's special. I get the feeling someone spent a lot of time working on the mechanics of this pour.
7. The opening mechanism is simple to open and close one-handed although it's easier if you have something to press down on.
8. You can drink from either end. You can rotate the opening mechanism in a continuous circle in either direction. These two features mean that no matter how you pick it up you are not far an from opening.
9. It's tough. Dropping may make this mug less pretty but unless you drop it from more than ten feet onto solid concrete I don't see it breaking. Even then I'd say there is a 70/30 chance it would still work. The could be better: 1. While the 'OPEN' AND 'CLOSE' buttons are just fine for most uses, it is not an effective system if it's too dark to see or you can't look down at the mug (because you are driving, walking). I have no idea how they would solve this and keep it simple but I don't want to point out it's shortcomings.
2. The delicate finish is my biggest problem with this thermos. Everything else about this thermos is rugged, why use this thin, easily-scratched paint? It's like wrapping your hammer in gold foil. I scratched mine in the first two days. Since then I have been very careful and hand-wash but I know it's only a matter of time.
3. It would be nice if there was a dot or mark on either end to tell you when your mouth was over the opening on the opposite side. It would mean you did not have to look down at the top.Notes: 1. When tightening the lid be gentle. Once you hear the rubber squeaking stop. Over-tightening will damage what is an excellent but vulnerable system.
2. Fill it with hot or cold tap water before you add your drink and it will stay at the desired temperature even longer.
3. Do not use a spoon or other metal utensil inside the thermos. Shaken, NOT STIRRED!
Buy it at Amazon for $20 plus shipping:
Yes, I watch What Not To Wear. And I like it.
I'm actually a reality show junkie. I like Chopped, Swamp Loggers, American Chopper, Auction Kings. . .
It's not that I don't enjoy fiction, it's just that I love the emotion that is part of many reality television shows.
Yes I'm sure there are many staged elements. But, being a photographer, I can think of many times where staging things was necessary to reveal the truth. Sometimes something true appears for a only a moment, while the fake stuff that seems real all the rest of the time is actually crap.
So, onto What Not To Wear . . .
I watched What Not To Wear one day when I needed some company from the TV and nothing else was on. I figured at the worst I would learn something about fashion and women (the usual targets) both of which are useful when you take photos for a living.
I was drawn in by the personalities of Stacy London and Clinton Kelly. They are caring critics, tough when they have to be but always ready to soften their words and attitudes to protect the feelings of their current student. Before you second-guess their approach try being totally honest with your friends for a day; hard work if you ask me.
What I love the most though is the transformation. It's easy to describe clothes as superficial, I have done so for much of my life. Don't judge books by covers and all that.
However, while we should always seek to examine the whole banana instead of just the peel, our clothes say things about us. When done correctly, they show the world that we are in control, that we know ourselves well enough to use our strengths well and minimize our weaknesses. When they are not done well, our outfits portray us as uncaring, ignorant or unhealthy. That's not yummy.
Enter What Not To Wear.
For me, the process is always the same and always different. The person (chosen by family and sometimes peers) is shocked that they have been selected. As they watch video footage of themselves, throw away their old clothes and gaze into the unforgiving reflections of the 360° mirrors they rationalize, argue and are generally negative.
Their lowest point seems to come when they have to go shopping on their own. Despite having $5,000 to spend in New York City, this is often when self-esteem and any excitement they had about the experience disappears, replaced by doubt, frustration and hatred for Stacy and Clinton.
Thankfully this is followed by a second day of shopping, this time with Stacy and Clinton along to help. Sometimes this is harder than others but at the end of the day the fashion-deficient protegé has learned a lot about their body and how to put stuff on it.
Once that's over - almost as a reward - off the rookie dresser goes for hair and then make-up. This is where What Not To Wear really shines for me. These folks did not skimp on the talent. Hairstylist Ted Gibson never fails to impress me. His calm, soothing voice is sincere and encouraging as he deftly deflects his client's self-depreciating comments. This is doubly amazing to me because this man cuts off people's hair with confidence and excitement. If you have ever been with a woman in the hours after a dramatic haircut then you should understand the pressure this man takes on.
For me, the most telling thing is how much the people touch their hair when he's done. Awesome!
Makeup artist Carmindy is excellent as well, offering advice on easy makeup techniques to people who have sometimes never worn any. Of course she also shows them how much difference it can make with an example. I love that she keeps it simple and explains what she is doing. It's about revealing beauty, not faking it and that's frigging awesome.
Those chosen for a makeover often end up crying as they face truths they have hidden from themselves, sometimes for years. This is the part that's different every time. Seeing people go from insecure, afraid and self-hating to sexy, confident and objective is cathartic (Look it up, it's worth it). The truth is uncomfortable to watch but I see some of myself in everyone on the show. Everyone is different and that's cool.
Before I watched the show I assumed it was all about looks. Now that I'm a fan I would say the opposite. For me it's about figuring out who you are both in personality and body shape. It's about facing how you really look and being happy with it.
Another thing I enjoy about reality shows, What Not To Wear included, is that they are not afraid of regular-looking people. So many shows count on conventionally pretty faces, large breasts and six-pack abs. What Not To Wear has the balls to celebrate a much wider range of people; gay, overweight, short, tall, awkward et cetera. Often the most interesting people are not the prettiest. Sometimes they are.
Best of all, the transformation is not about making normal people movie stars, it's about making normal people find their own, natural beauty, which lasts much longer and is much healthier.
Oh, and I actually do learn about fashion. This is one of those subjects that everyone thinks they know about but few people seem to actually understand. I'm glad I recently learned about a concept known as the Law of Triviality. Thank you C. Northcote Parkinson and Tim Ferriss. If you don't feel like clicking it boils down to "everyone thinks they can do something because they are familiar with it even though they have never studied it or experimented with it".
So that's it. I like What's Not To Wear and maybe now you will give it a chance if you haven't already.
