This was a book that I'd wanted to read for a while, a biography of one of the most notorious women of the 20th century: Wallis Simpson. When I thought about it, what did I really know about Mrs Simpson? Only that she was the twice divorced woman Edward VIII couldn't live without and gave up his throne to marry. For that matter, what did I know about the King apart from that he was known as "David" to his friends and family?
Sebba does a good job at filling in the gaps in my knowledge of both lives. David is an insecure womaniser, a man of obsessions, a spoilt brat to whom only his parents ever said "no". His world revolved around him and his pleasures; while his parents world revolved around "doing your duty" and "putting the country first". He spent the 1920's deeply in love with one married woman, Freda Dudley Ward, before dropping her for another, Thelma, Lady Furness.
Wallis grew up as the poor relation of a wealthy family and Sebba demonstrates that the insecurity that caused never left her. She marries early, selling herself in marriage to a man she barely knows but one who offers glamour and some level of financial security. Win Spencer was a pilot, in the US's fledgeling Naval Air Service. He was also a cad and a drunkard, who set about boosting his own ego but undermining his wife's. The marriage fails and Wallis goes looking for a new man upon which to hang her dreams, eventually meeting and marrying Ernest Simpson. The rest of her story is fairly well known and is the focus for the majority of the book.
This is a book that is well written and well researched. Where Sebba loses me is her argument that Wallis' flirtatiousness and childlessness was driven by a totally unfounded claim - that Wallis suffered from a Disorder of Sexual Development ("DSD"), possibly pseudo-hermaphroditism, where the sufferer is genetically male but grows up female because her body is insensitive to androgen By advancing this argument, Sebba totally ignores the social mores of the time and the subsequent effects on all Wallis's girlfriends. Wallis belonged to a class in which, during the early 20th century, the only way to obtain security/wealth/position was to marry well. Having a career and creating your own financial independence was out of the question. Forget about marrying for love - those girls were bought up to consider a man's fortune and his prospects before they considered his personality. It is, therefore, no surprise to discover that few of her contemporaries/friends had successful first marriages.
How did you win and keep your man? You had to impress upon him that he was the most important person in your world, strong, handsome, the focus of all your attention. If you ever watch a flirt in action, that is what they do. They bewitch you with their charm by making you feel wonderful. As the poor relation in an upper-class world, Wallis had to master the art of flirtation because all she had to offer was herself. The flip side was that flirting gave her a sense of worth; as long as men fancied her, she had value. The only time in her life that Wallis felt fulfilled by things she did - as opposed to the attention she was paid - was during World War 2, when she volunteered for the Red Cross in France.
What about her childlessness? Sebba contends that birth control was unreliable so there must have been something physically wrong with Wallis. Rather than DSD, it is statistically more probable that either Win Spencer or one of her subsequent lovers gave her chlamydia or gonorrhoea, diseases which cause physical damage to the fallopian tubes and lead to abdominal adhesions, which may explain her later gastric problems as well as her inability to conceive. In addition, by the mid-1920's, Wallis would have been able to obtain reliable birth control in the form of a diaphragm either from one of Marie Stopes' clinics or from a sympathetic gynaecologist.
Sebba's final argument in support of DSD, that Wallis is rather masculine in appearance ignores something she argues later: that both Wallis and David suffered from anorexia nervosa. Through most of her adult life, Wallis kept her weight below 7.5 stone (100lb). If a woman has insufficient body weight, her ovaries will cease to function, causing infertility. Additionally, how can your body lay down "womanly" fatty deposits (i.e. to soften the face) when there is no fat to spare?
I wish that, rather than waste her time finding arguments to support her flimsy theory of DSD, Sebba had spent the time and word count focussing on Wallis's life after the War. Compared to the inter-war years, this period is glossed over completely. I doubt that it is less well documented.
On the whole, I give this book 7 out of 10.
- Pam
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reviews. Show all posts
Sunday, 31 March 2013
Saturday, 28 July 2012
Olympic Fever
Did you watch the Opening Ceremony last night? We watched it from the start at 9pm to the finish at 1am. What did you think? Didn't Danny Boyle do us proud? I thought it was brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Nothing twee or cringe-making. The segment when the LSO played Chariots Of Fire and Rowan Atkinson did Mr Bean had me in stitches. (And I don't like Mr Bean.) I also loved the sketch where "James Bond" turned up to escort the Queen to the Opening Ceremony. It proves HMQ has a sense of fun.
When you think that most of the performers were volunteers, they should be really, really proud of themselves. Professionals could not have done better. The team of staff and patients(!) from Great Ormond Street Hospital were just amazing. Most of those children have chronic, long-term illnesses and here they were, centre stage at the biggest show on earth. Their faces lit up the television screen.
Danny Boyle didn't shy away, either, from being subtly political. The message "Hands off! Leave our NHS alone!" came through loud and clear. As did the statement about honouring our armed forces and our war dead. And the tribute to the victims of 7/7. What other opening ceremony has had the Secretary General of the United Nations as an active participant? Messages received loud and clear, Mr Boyle. Well done! And thank you for making them.
My first Olympic event was actually on Tuesday, when I sang in the Torch Ceremony in Ealing. The choir had to be there from 2pm for the sound check. It was stiflingly hot. We were lucky, though - they gave us a spot under the trees, right beside the path for the torch.
About two minutes later the cauldron was lit and we sang the closing number, appropriately called "Olympic Torch". It was a medley of pop songs that finished, naturally, with "We are the Champions!".
Sadly, the cauldron was extinguished within a couple of minutes of the end of the show, so I couldn't get a close up of it aflame. Within 15 minutes, the crew had started to dismantle the stage, in order to move it to the venue for Wednesday night's show. This is the best I could do:
My next Olympic event is tomorrow. We have tickets to the men's football at Wembley. As luck would have it, we get to see Team GB play. Hope they do better than their opening match. Tuesday, we will be at Lords for the archery and next Saturday (4th), we're back at Wembley for the men's football semi-final. Sadly, we don't get to the Olympic Park proper until the para-Olympics, for which we have tickets to the athletics, cycling, equestrian events and the rowing.
- Pam
When you think that most of the performers were volunteers, they should be really, really proud of themselves. Professionals could not have done better. The team of staff and patients(!) from Great Ormond Street Hospital were just amazing. Most of those children have chronic, long-term illnesses and here they were, centre stage at the biggest show on earth. Their faces lit up the television screen.
Danny Boyle didn't shy away, either, from being subtly political. The message "Hands off! Leave our NHS alone!" came through loud and clear. As did the statement about honouring our armed forces and our war dead. And the tribute to the victims of 7/7. What other opening ceremony has had the Secretary General of the United Nations as an active participant? Messages received loud and clear, Mr Boyle. Well done! And thank you for making them.
My first Olympic event was actually on Tuesday, when I sang in the Torch Ceremony in Ealing. The choir had to be there from 2pm for the sound check. It was stiflingly hot. We were lucky, though - they gave us a spot under the trees, right beside the path for the torch.
About two minutes later the cauldron was lit and we sang the closing number, appropriately called "Olympic Torch". It was a medley of pop songs that finished, naturally, with "We are the Champions!".
Sadly, the cauldron was extinguished within a couple of minutes of the end of the show, so I couldn't get a close up of it aflame. Within 15 minutes, the crew had started to dismantle the stage, in order to move it to the venue for Wednesday night's show. This is the best I could do:
- Pam
Friday, 10 February 2012
The Use It Up Challenge
You may have noticed that one of my goals this year is to work my way through the small stockpile of "stuff" I have accumulated: a random collection of make-up, hotel shampoo bottles, cosmetic samples, herbs and spices, jars of jams and sauces, even clothes that don't get worn because they have committed the crime of needing to be ironed. It is an eclectic list. The only defining factor is that the item involved is something that is currently gathering dust but it is something that I use and therefore don't want to throw out, because if I did throw it out I will have to purchase a substitute. Does that make sense?
Another part of the challenge is that I don't want to waste something just so I can tell myself it is "finished". By that, I mean lipstick has to be used right to the bottom of the tube and not just to the point where you can't paint it on your lips without using a lip-brush. Ditto lip gloss and make-up base that comes in a stick. I still need to get my money's worth.
Here are the make-up stockpiles and what I propose to do with them:-
Make-up base.
I have ten in my stockpile, including two tubs of PanCake (bought because it doesn't melt off your face in humid weather), four Avon all-in-one bases for travel (bought in bulk to take advantage of an offer) and the last of my famous Boots score from 2004 (when I bought 6 bottles of base at 50p each, thinking they would last maybe 3 months each - instead they lasted 10).
What I've started with, though, are the dregs of a tube of PanStick. Like lipstick, probably the bottom third of any stick make-up is inaccessible, so I gouged it out of the tube and dumped it into a recently emptied Avon make-up compact. I now apply it in exactly the same manner, using the sponge that came from Avon.
Lipstick.
Most women probably have a stash of assorted lipsticks, at least one for every occasion. I know for a certainty that I have only bought one lipstick in the last 4 years and yet a quick count tells me that I have 34! However, that includes my stock of 9 Covergirl lipsticks in the Bistro Burgundy shade, the brand (and colour) that I wear almost daily but which is unavailable in this country. I buy them whenever I go to Australia or North America. I have two on the go at any given time: one on my dresser and one in my bag for top-ups. When the one on the dresser is completely used up, I rotate the handbag one to the dresser and pop a new lipstick in my handbag.
Although I wear lipstick every day to work, each one lasts for close to two years, partially because I use a lip brush to apply the bottom third, and partially because I've solved the problem of keeping lipstick "on" all day, so that you don't have to constantly reapply it. (There is nothing worse than having your lipstick come off on your mug or glass.) The secret: apply lipstick to dry lips, blot on a tissue and then apply a coat of Lipcoat. It will then last the whole day, unless lunch is really greasy, although the colour may fade a bit as the day goes on. If your Lipcoat peels, then you didn't blot it well enough. You have to apply it to dry lipstick.
Blusher.
I'm still using a blusher that I purchased in...... wait for it...... 1986. That's right 26 years ago. If that's not an advert for the longevity of Clinque's products, I don't know what is. Admittedly, for the first 6 years, I worked in a job where you did not wear make-up (I never wore make-up to work when I nursed - it'd come off on the masks). And twice it went into time-out when I used up other blushers, but neither of those lasted longer than a year. I have been expecting it to run out for a long time and purchased a replacement some time ago. However, a quick count reveals I have six other blushers stockpiled, which includes the replacement, a "travel" blusher, the emergency blusher from this post, and two Estee Lauder free-bees from a "gift" (one of those buy "2 items and get a free gift" things, in this case the set of bags that are my knitting bags. I was surprised to discover they held make-up).
The big secret to making your blusher last a long time is to use a proper blusher brush. I think it is because the brush covers a larger area of you face per application than the one that comes in the compact.
Mascara.
Apparently, I have seven, including three sample-sized ones and the one I'm using now. This is another product I use to the very end. I am aware that "experts" say to only use a mascara for three months because of potential contamination but I have never had an eye infection from this product. If I feel any irritation after applying a mascara, it goes straight in the bin. (I can't wear Rimmel mascara. It has something in it that irritates my eyes.) I do not share my mascara or my lipstick so consider that any bugs that might be growing in them have cousins still on me.
OK, that's my "dirty laundry". What's yours?
- Pam
Another part of the challenge is that I don't want to waste something just so I can tell myself it is "finished". By that, I mean lipstick has to be used right to the bottom of the tube and not just to the point where you can't paint it on your lips without using a lip-brush. Ditto lip gloss and make-up base that comes in a stick. I still need to get my money's worth.
Here are the make-up stockpiles and what I propose to do with them:-
Make-up base.
I have ten in my stockpile, including two tubs of PanCake (bought because it doesn't melt off your face in humid weather), four Avon all-in-one bases for travel (bought in bulk to take advantage of an offer) and the last of my famous Boots score from 2004 (when I bought 6 bottles of base at 50p each, thinking they would last maybe 3 months each - instead they lasted 10).
What I've started with, though, are the dregs of a tube of PanStick. Like lipstick, probably the bottom third of any stick make-up is inaccessible, so I gouged it out of the tube and dumped it into a recently emptied Avon make-up compact. I now apply it in exactly the same manner, using the sponge that came from Avon.
Lipstick.
Most women probably have a stash of assorted lipsticks, at least one for every occasion. I know for a certainty that I have only bought one lipstick in the last 4 years and yet a quick count tells me that I have 34! However, that includes my stock of 9 Covergirl lipsticks in the Bistro Burgundy shade, the brand (and colour) that I wear almost daily but which is unavailable in this country. I buy them whenever I go to Australia or North America. I have two on the go at any given time: one on my dresser and one in my bag for top-ups. When the one on the dresser is completely used up, I rotate the handbag one to the dresser and pop a new lipstick in my handbag.
Although I wear lipstick every day to work, each one lasts for close to two years, partially because I use a lip brush to apply the bottom third, and partially because I've solved the problem of keeping lipstick "on" all day, so that you don't have to constantly reapply it. (There is nothing worse than having your lipstick come off on your mug or glass.) The secret: apply lipstick to dry lips, blot on a tissue and then apply a coat of Lipcoat. It will then last the whole day, unless lunch is really greasy, although the colour may fade a bit as the day goes on. If your Lipcoat peels, then you didn't blot it well enough. You have to apply it to dry lipstick.
Blusher.
I'm still using a blusher that I purchased in...... wait for it...... 1986. That's right 26 years ago. If that's not an advert for the longevity of Clinque's products, I don't know what is. Admittedly, for the first 6 years, I worked in a job where you did not wear make-up (I never wore make-up to work when I nursed - it'd come off on the masks). And twice it went into time-out when I used up other blushers, but neither of those lasted longer than a year. I have been expecting it to run out for a long time and purchased a replacement some time ago. However, a quick count reveals I have six other blushers stockpiled, which includes the replacement, a "travel" blusher, the emergency blusher from this post, and two Estee Lauder free-bees from a "gift" (one of those buy "2 items and get a free gift" things, in this case the set of bags that are my knitting bags. I was surprised to discover they held make-up).
The big secret to making your blusher last a long time is to use a proper blusher brush. I think it is because the brush covers a larger area of you face per application than the one that comes in the compact.
Mascara.
Apparently, I have seven, including three sample-sized ones and the one I'm using now. This is another product I use to the very end. I am aware that "experts" say to only use a mascara for three months because of potential contamination but I have never had an eye infection from this product. If I feel any irritation after applying a mascara, it goes straight in the bin. (I can't wear Rimmel mascara. It has something in it that irritates my eyes.) I do not share my mascara or my lipstick so consider that any bugs that might be growing in them have cousins still on me.
OK, that's my "dirty laundry". What's yours?
- Pam
Thursday, 19 January 2012
A letter to Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo:
Recently, I've been catching up on your
podcasts, having missed several weeks of live shows. One thing I've noticed is
Mark's regular disparaging remarks about so called "comedies" such as The Hangover. A few weeks ago, while
I watched Burn After
Reading (3 laughs); a
question occurred to me upon which I'd like to hear your views: is modern
American comedy predicated on the assumption that the audience is stupid and
that, as a consequence, the audience finds stupidity
funny?
I'll rant about Burn After Reading because it is the most recent example I have watched, but you could substitute any one of a hundred other films. It was impossible to connect with the characters played by Brad Pitt, George Clooney or Frances McDormand - they had no character traits other than stupidity and self-centredness. They just weren't interesting. Surely comedy works best when you have sympathy for a character? The only main character in that film who wasn't vapid, stupid and self-centred was John Malkovich's, Ossie Cox. Ditto, he was the only really interesting person. And yet, in a film which starts off about the disintegration of his life, he rapidly becomes a bit-part character because the producers/director/writers found it easier to focus on the stupid characters.
Anyway, what do you think? Is it possible for modern Hollywood to produce a comedy about well rounded characters which relies on intelligence and wit to be funny?
Love the show, Steve. Say "Hi" to Jason Isaacs for me.
- Pam
I'll rant about Burn After Reading because it is the most recent example I have watched, but you could substitute any one of a hundred other films. It was impossible to connect with the characters played by Brad Pitt, George Clooney or Frances McDormand - they had no character traits other than stupidity and self-centredness. They just weren't interesting. Surely comedy works best when you have sympathy for a character? The only main character in that film who wasn't vapid, stupid and self-centred was John Malkovich's, Ossie Cox. Ditto, he was the only really interesting person. And yet, in a film which starts off about the disintegration of his life, he rapidly becomes a bit-part character because the producers/director/writers found it easier to focus on the stupid characters.
Anyway, what do you think? Is it possible for modern Hollywood to produce a comedy about well rounded characters which relies on intelligence and wit to be funny?
Love the show, Steve. Say "Hi" to Jason Isaacs for me.
- Pam
Thursday, 18 August 2011
Proms were attended
Thursday night, DH and I went to the Proms, where we saw the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra perform together with Dejan Lazic play Brahms' 'Piano Concerto No. 3' in D major (reworked from the violin concerto), and Julian Lloyd-Webber play Holst's Invocation. The music was beautiful but, seriously, Julian, you're 62 - get a decent haircut!
The highlight was Elgar's Enigma Variations, glorious as always. Nimrod was over far too fast. My other favourite movement is the one describing Dan the dog falling into the river and barking when he got out (see the program notes available on the above link). It is very evocative.
Friday night was another Prom, the Film Music Prom performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra. It started life as part of a celebration of ten years of Wittertainment a.k.a. Mark Kermode's and Simon Mayo's film reviews (available on BBC Radio 5 and as podcasts on i-Tunes. Well worth a listen). A couple of weeks ago, I caught up with the podcast episode where Mark, Simon, Keith Lockhart (the conductor) and some guests debated what music to include. It was a pleasure to finally hear it all performed live.
Highlights? Star Wars, of course. And the theme music from Murder on the Orient Express has been playing in my head for the last few days. Also, having not seen the film, I didn't realise that the shower scene in Psycho went on for so long or that the knife was wielded quite so many times.
Finally, on Saturday, we went to the Comedy Prom which was lead by Tim Minchin. Lots of comic songs and very funny guests (Kit and the Widow are brilliant. So are the Mongrels, I'd like to catch their BBC TV series now). It'll be broadcast on BBC2 on August 27th and I'll be taping it to watch again.
- Pam
PS: Prom Socks were knitted throughout these events. When you sit in the gods (a.k.a. the Circle) the performers can't see you, so knitting quietly on wooden needles (no clack-clack) is fine.
The highlight was Elgar's Enigma Variations, glorious as always. Nimrod was over far too fast. My other favourite movement is the one describing Dan the dog falling into the river and barking when he got out (see the program notes available on the above link). It is very evocative.
Friday night was another Prom, the Film Music Prom performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra. It started life as part of a celebration of ten years of Wittertainment a.k.a. Mark Kermode's and Simon Mayo's film reviews (available on BBC Radio 5 and as podcasts on i-Tunes. Well worth a listen). A couple of weeks ago, I caught up with the podcast episode where Mark, Simon, Keith Lockhart (the conductor) and some guests debated what music to include. It was a pleasure to finally hear it all performed live.
Highlights? Star Wars, of course. And the theme music from Murder on the Orient Express has been playing in my head for the last few days. Also, having not seen the film, I didn't realise that the shower scene in Psycho went on for so long or that the knife was wielded quite so many times.
Finally, on Saturday, we went to the Comedy Prom which was lead by Tim Minchin. Lots of comic songs and very funny guests (Kit and the Widow are brilliant. So are the Mongrels, I'd like to catch their BBC TV series now). It'll be broadcast on BBC2 on August 27th and I'll be taping it to watch again.
- Pam
PS: Prom Socks were knitted throughout these events. When you sit in the gods (a.k.a. the Circle) the performers can't see you, so knitting quietly on wooden needles (no clack-clack) is fine.
Saturday, 23 July 2011
Entering the Lion's Den AKA Purl City Yarns
On a back street, five minutes walk from Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens, is a knitterly haven: Purl City Yarns. I staggered in there yesterday afternoon laden with laptop, trolley case, etc, and, within seconds, wished it was my LYS. The staff were incredibly friendly and encouraged me to dump my bags by the couch and take a good look round.
When I planned my work trip to Manchester this week, one of the things on my wish-list was this visit to Purl City Yarns. I'd seen their ads in the knitting press as had the other customer who came in while I was there - she'd heard me say as much to the owner and chimed in "me, too!" producing a battered knitting magazine from her bag, open at the page showing their advertisement.
Purl City Yarns stands on a street corner, with windows on both exposed sides. In a former life, I think it was a typical British "corner shop" (think Open All Hours meets an Aussie milk bar). Certainly, it sold ice-creams - the shop's threshold carries an advertisement for them. The walls are covered in shelving, while two welcoming couches occupy the foreground of the shop. The counter is at the back, tucked against the stairs, with their needle and hook displays beyond that. I think, upstairs is a classroom.
The shop is small but very well organised, with yarns displayed by weight and then by brand. They even had a section labeled "Worsted Weight", which is almost impossible to find in this country (we have to substitute Aran, which is fractionally thicker). It was full of yarns I'd only heard about before: Zealana, Noro, Austerman, Drops; as well as ones I know/already own: Blacker Designs yarns, Fiberspates, The Natural Dye Studio and Debbie Bliss. What they don't carry are the standard yarns you can buy at Hobbycraft, i.e. Sirdar and Rowan. Also, I didn't spot any 100% acrylics. (That alone earns them a big gold star in my book - no plastic masquerading as wool. Blech!)
Luckily for my no-stash-enhancement-goal, no yarns leaped out and screamed "buy me". That isn't to say I left the shop empty handed. I didn't. I just wasn't inspired to buy yarn. Instead, I bought the three sizes of crochet hooks I'll need to make the Moth Wing Shrug from last summer's Interweave Crochet and a large bottle of eucalyptus scented Eucalan wool wash.
They've been open since last November and are filling a much-needed void. Knit-Night is Wednesdays, from 5 to 8. Next time I travel to visit my Manchester project team, I plan to be there.
- Pam (giving them 5 out of 5)
When I planned my work trip to Manchester this week, one of the things on my wish-list was this visit to Purl City Yarns. I'd seen their ads in the knitting press as had the other customer who came in while I was there - she'd heard me say as much to the owner and chimed in "me, too!" producing a battered knitting magazine from her bag, open at the page showing their advertisement.
Purl City Yarns stands on a street corner, with windows on both exposed sides. In a former life, I think it was a typical British "corner shop" (think Open All Hours meets an Aussie milk bar). Certainly, it sold ice-creams - the shop's threshold carries an advertisement for them. The walls are covered in shelving, while two welcoming couches occupy the foreground of the shop. The counter is at the back, tucked against the stairs, with their needle and hook displays beyond that. I think, upstairs is a classroom.
The shop is small but very well organised, with yarns displayed by weight and then by brand. They even had a section labeled "Worsted Weight", which is almost impossible to find in this country (we have to substitute Aran, which is fractionally thicker). It was full of yarns I'd only heard about before: Zealana, Noro, Austerman, Drops; as well as ones I know/already own: Blacker Designs yarns, Fiberspates, The Natural Dye Studio and Debbie Bliss. What they don't carry are the standard yarns you can buy at Hobbycraft, i.e. Sirdar and Rowan. Also, I didn't spot any 100% acrylics. (That alone earns them a big gold star in my book - no plastic masquerading as wool. Blech!)
Luckily for my no-stash-enhancement-goal, no yarns leaped out and screamed "buy me". That isn't to say I left the shop empty handed. I didn't. I just wasn't inspired to buy yarn. Instead, I bought the three sizes of crochet hooks I'll need to make the Moth Wing Shrug from last summer's Interweave Crochet and a large bottle of eucalyptus scented Eucalan wool wash.
They've been open since last November and are filling a much-needed void. Knit-Night is Wednesdays, from 5 to 8. Next time I travel to visit my Manchester project team, I plan to be there.
- Pam (giving them 5 out of 5)
Saturday, 30 April 2011
There's an App for That
A month ago, I finally succumbed and bought an iPhone4. It's only taken me 3 (or is it 4?) years. I think I started my "iPhone fund" when they were first released. I've wanted a smart phone forever - I like the concept of the multi-purpose device: phone, camera, pocket computer, portable internet access - but the iPhone was something better. It may not have the best camera or the best battery life, but one big thing makes it market leader. And the thing that makes it better? The Apps.
The Apps are Apple's genius. Anyone can develop an App and sell it through the App store. And that immediately gave Apple competitive advantage over their rivals. Want to keep notes on your future projects? KnitMinder does that. Need to convert currency? There's an App for that. Want to catalogue your novels? My Library does that by reading the bar-codes on the back of your books. There are Apps for budgeting, for counting calories, for mapping the route of your morning run.
It was (what?) another year before the competition caught up? And that involved them adopting a third-party operating system, Android, so that they could offer a large enough customer base to make it worthwhile for developers to create Apps for their phones too.
All this is a long preamble to explaining why I forked out £429 on an iPhone. I did look at the competition but, in the end, it was one App that swung it in favour of the iPhone, the Weight Watchers' App. I have been a member of Weight Watchers since 2003, when I lost 28lb for my wedding and kept most of it off for two years. My weight ballooned upwards when my thyroid started acting up and I feel like I've been fighting a losing battle ever since. Some of the problems were always having to lug the books around or needing to go on-line to point up foods and recipes or the constant necessity to update the restaurant and shopping guides. Oh, and Weight Watchers have changed the entire basis of their programs three times since I first bought one of their recipe books back in the 1980's.
As far as I'm concerned, all of those problems have been solved by their iPhone App, which not only replaces all the books but allows you to track your points and your weight both on your phone and on-line. Unlike the Android App, it fully replicates the functionality of the Weight Watchers website. (The Android App is only a points calculator.) Even better, the App syncs with it, so I can point up recipes on the website then find them on my phone to add to my tracker later on (e.g. when I grab a container of mystery lunch from the freezer, defrost it at work and then discover it was beef chilli instead of the curry I was expecting). Also, I can point up items while I'm walking around the supermarket, which makes it less of a guessing game and easier to choose a sandwich, if I need to buy one.
Why not just rely on their website? Well, I've been a subscriber for eight years, but this makes it so much easier. I don't have the hassle of switching on my home PC or logging in. It's all there on my phone and I can sync whenever I have WiFi access or via 3G. I didn't need to go to a meeting to pick up the new books or update the restaurant guide, either.
I've been using the Weight Watchers App for two weeks now and lost 5lb in the process. I haven't eaten typical diet food either during that time, just a normal diet (including burgers, pavlova and wine at an Anzac Day BBQ). This is great tool and I can thoroughly recommend it.
- Pam
The Apps are Apple's genius. Anyone can develop an App and sell it through the App store. And that immediately gave Apple competitive advantage over their rivals. Want to keep notes on your future projects? KnitMinder does that. Need to convert currency? There's an App for that. Want to catalogue your novels? My Library does that by reading the bar-codes on the back of your books. There are Apps for budgeting, for counting calories, for mapping the route of your morning run.
It was (what?) another year before the competition caught up? And that involved them adopting a third-party operating system, Android, so that they could offer a large enough customer base to make it worthwhile for developers to create Apps for their phones too.
All this is a long preamble to explaining why I forked out £429 on an iPhone. I did look at the competition but, in the end, it was one App that swung it in favour of the iPhone, the Weight Watchers' App. I have been a member of Weight Watchers since 2003, when I lost 28lb for my wedding and kept most of it off for two years. My weight ballooned upwards when my thyroid started acting up and I feel like I've been fighting a losing battle ever since. Some of the problems were always having to lug the books around or needing to go on-line to point up foods and recipes or the constant necessity to update the restaurant and shopping guides. Oh, and Weight Watchers have changed the entire basis of their programs three times since I first bought one of their recipe books back in the 1980's.
As far as I'm concerned, all of those problems have been solved by their iPhone App, which not only replaces all the books but allows you to track your points and your weight both on your phone and on-line. Unlike the Android App, it fully replicates the functionality of the Weight Watchers website. (The Android App is only a points calculator.) Even better, the App syncs with it, so I can point up recipes on the website then find them on my phone to add to my tracker later on (e.g. when I grab a container of mystery lunch from the freezer, defrost it at work and then discover it was beef chilli instead of the curry I was expecting). Also, I can point up items while I'm walking around the supermarket, which makes it less of a guessing game and easier to choose a sandwich, if I need to buy one.
Why not just rely on their website? Well, I've been a subscriber for eight years, but this makes it so much easier. I don't have the hassle of switching on my home PC or logging in. It's all there on my phone and I can sync whenever I have WiFi access or via 3G. I didn't need to go to a meeting to pick up the new books or update the restaurant guide, either.
I've been using the Weight Watchers App for two weeks now and lost 5lb in the process. I haven't eaten typical diet food either during that time, just a normal diet (including burgers, pavlova and wine at an Anzac Day BBQ). This is great tool and I can thoroughly recommend it.
- Pam
Thursday, 27 May 2010
Frugal Friday - Cheap Make-up Review: Tesco's All About Face range
Tuesday morning, I was a mile from Site when I brushed some dried mascara from my eye and realised that I'd forgotten to pack my make-up. I had a lipstick but nothing else so, after work, I headed into the nearest major town and went to the supermarket.
It's ages since I've bought make-up base, so ago long that I'm not even sure what is on offer now. Several years ago, I struck gold on the clearance shelf at Boots The Chemist - 6 bottles of their "17" brand make-up base, in my shade, at 50p a bottle. I thought they'd last, maybe, a total of two years. Instead, each bottle lasts about 10 months (and I've still got one left!). Also in my stockpile at home are a couple of containers of Max Factor Pan Cake (perfect for hot, humid weather when regular make-up vanishes in your sweat), and a tube of Pan Stick*.
On Tuesday, my goal was to find the cheapest suitable products in colours that suit me. I wandered up and down the make-up aisle in Tesco and checked out the special offers. As a minimum, I needed make-up base, powder, blusher and mascara. Oh, and a make-up sponge, possibly brushes too.
After a couple of minutes, I noticed a small range of make-up that wasn't in the glossy display cases: Tesco's All About Face range. At £1.49 a product or £3 for three products, it was the cheapest too. They only had a couple of shades to choose from and no testers. However, I figured the worst thing that could happen was that I'd waste £3 and be back there the next night buying products from a "known" range. So I purchased a base in Ivory, a powder blusher in Rose, and translucent compressed powder (no shade specified).
They had a black mascara, too, but it isn't waterproof so I opted to buy my regular Maybelline mascara (£4.99) instead. And I bought some own-brand make-up sponges (£1.50) and a Tesco make-up brush set (£4.79).
So how good it is? Well, the make-up base is light and a good match for my skin. I didn't use a massive amount, just dotted it on my cheeks, nose, forehead, and blended with a sponge. The powder covers well and is the same shade as the base. The blusher goes on lightly with a brush, spreads out well and blends in. The make-up holds up well to daily wear and tear. And doesn't look cheap and nasty. I asked a friend for her opinion and she thought the colours were great on me and that it still looked fresh at 3 in the afternoon. She was surprised when I told her how little they'd cost.
So, if you don't have much money and are looking for some decent make-up, do consider Tesco's All About Face range. It's very good value for money and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
- Pam (the brushes are very nice, too)
(Edited later to add: Skip the makeup base. It beads on the skin and isn't easily absorbed. When it does dry, it dries blotchy. The product that does all the work to get a good finish is the powder, so just buy that.)
* To use Pan Stick and not feel like you've applied a heavy layer of lard to your face or have it come off, apply as follows:
It's ages since I've bought make-up base, so ago long that I'm not even sure what is on offer now. Several years ago, I struck gold on the clearance shelf at Boots The Chemist - 6 bottles of their "17" brand make-up base, in my shade, at 50p a bottle. I thought they'd last, maybe, a total of two years. Instead, each bottle lasts about 10 months (and I've still got one left!). Also in my stockpile at home are a couple of containers of Max Factor Pan Cake (perfect for hot, humid weather when regular make-up vanishes in your sweat), and a tube of Pan Stick*.
On Tuesday, my goal was to find the cheapest suitable products in colours that suit me. I wandered up and down the make-up aisle in Tesco and checked out the special offers. As a minimum, I needed make-up base, powder, blusher and mascara. Oh, and a make-up sponge, possibly brushes too.
After a couple of minutes, I noticed a small range of make-up that wasn't in the glossy display cases: Tesco's All About Face range. At £1.49 a product or £3 for three products, it was the cheapest too. They only had a couple of shades to choose from and no testers. However, I figured the worst thing that could happen was that I'd waste £3 and be back there the next night buying products from a "known" range. So I purchased a base in Ivory, a powder blusher in Rose, and translucent compressed powder (no shade specified).
They had a black mascara, too, but it isn't waterproof so I opted to buy my regular Maybelline mascara (£4.99) instead. And I bought some own-brand make-up sponges (£1.50) and a Tesco make-up brush set (£4.79).
So how good it is? Well, the make-up base is light and a good match for my skin. I didn't use a massive amount, just dotted it on my cheeks, nose, forehead, and blended with a sponge. The powder covers well and is the same shade as the base. The blusher goes on lightly with a brush, spreads out well and blends in. The make-up holds up well to daily wear and tear. And doesn't look cheap and nasty. I asked a friend for her opinion and she thought the colours were great on me and that it still looked fresh at 3 in the afternoon. She was surprised when I told her how little they'd cost.
So, if you don't have much money and are looking for some decent make-up, do consider Tesco's All About Face range. It's very good value for money and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
- Pam (the brushes are very nice, too)
(Edited later to add: Skip the makeup base. It beads on the skin and isn't easily absorbed. When it does dry, it dries blotchy. The product that does all the work to get a good finish is the powder, so just buy that.)
* To use Pan Stick and not feel like you've applied a heavy layer of lard to your face or have it come off, apply as follows:
- Draw a cross on your forehead.
- With the angle pointing towards your nose, draw a ">" on one cheek and a "<" on the other.
- Put a one inch line across your chin.
- Dot once on each side of the tip of your nose.
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