I just recently purchased a Sprint LG G2 from Craigslist.  I had been using the HTC One, which is a pretty new phone too.  What tempted me?  The specs, the price, Sprint Spark, battery life and the screen size.  I picked this guy up off of craigslist at a price lower than a Nexus or a Moto X, both devices that I really like, but both have features missing that, since my HTC One, I now refuse to live without.

The specs?  This phone is sporting the Snapdragon 800, a quad core chip clocked at 2.3 ghz.  It has 2GB of RAM, 32GB of device storage (no micro SD support), and it's running Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean).  It has a 1080p 5.2" screen, a 13mp shooter out back and a 2.1mp on the front.  The batter in this beast is a whopping 3000mAh pack that is not removable.  The outside is a tough gorilla glass front and a plastic casing.  The most notable feature on the phone is that all the buttons are in a line on the back next to the camera.

I know I may be in the minority still, but look at that screen!  The larger 5.2" screen feels enormous compared to the HTC's 4.7" display.  The trade off in size isn't a whole lot either because of the impossibly thin bezels of the LG G2 and the added area the HTC One uses for its dual speakers.  For me, it's hard to decide which I would prefer more, even after using both for a while.  Both are great and both are worth having a phone this size.  The screen on the LG G2 is very clear too.  At 1080p, you can't even begin to see individual pixels.  The screen is sharp, had a lot of room to work, and with the speedy Snapdragon, it's amazingly responsive.

The other neat thing about this screen is turning it on and off.  LG has included a feature they've called the, 'knock.'  When the screen is off, I don't have to reach around the back to press the power button like I would on almost every other smartphone.  Instead, I 'knock' twice on the screen and it magically wakes up ready for me to unlock and use it, or just to check notifications.  It's incredibly useful, especially with the screen button on the back of the phone.  It avoids the need to flip the phone over if it's resting on the desk - something I appreciate greatly.  I hope this is adopted by the industry.

One thing I can't stand is LG gave this phone a beautiful screen and body but didn't try to match the UI to the elegance of the rest of the phone.  It's a block UI.  Nothing looks natural or refined about it.  The UI doesn't match the Google icons in the slightest (it's picky, I know) so the screen looks cluttered.  LG offers themes to its skin which do help a lot (I am using "Piano Music" at the moment - it's definitely an upgrade) but it still doesn't feel as refined as HTC Sense.

The downside of having the lightweight plastic body is that it's a magnet for scratches and fingerprints.  I am spoiled with the body of the silver HTC One.  I can throw that phone in my pocket with my keys and the keys will be dull before the phone has a scratch on it.  That's not the case with the LG G2.  I didn't have a case for the first day and a half of owning this phone and it took its toll on the glossy plastic case of the phone.  I tried to get a good picture here, but after I buffed out all the fingerprints (get used to them without a case) you can still see a significant amount of scuffing on the bottom of my phone.  The case helps, but I still notice that any little pieces of dust from my pocket that get in between the case and the body do an incredible amount of pretty visible damage to the finish on the back of the phone.  The gorilla glass can take it on the front - no more need for a Zagg screen protector there - just on the plastic bac.

I don't know how this happens, but LG has made a phone that no matter what I run it through, it's alive by the time I get home.  This is just an example of my battery after a whole day off the charger with as much use as I could justify.  Last night I was able to really use the battery from 6:30 to midnight.  It was on wifi and 3G and LTE and still, by the time I plugged it in I had only managed to use 85% of the battery.  I normally take steps to conserve my juice, but with this one, I can't even drain it all if I try.  If you're looking for amazing battery life with Android, think the LG G2.

The most unique physical feature on this phone is the location of the power and volume buttons.  They are placed together on the back right underneath the camera.  At first, this was a tough thing to get used to.  There were a few times I found myself stumbling around the edge of the phone trying to figure out how to turn the screen off.  Once I was used to it, it's the feature on this phone that I appreciate the most.  Now that I am used to it, the placement of the buttons makes sense.  As I hold the LG G2 in my hand (it's pretty comfortable to do) the buttons are right where my index finger naturally rests.  This makes it easy to use the phone with one hand, as I prefer to do (Pro tip: trace keyboards like Swype and SwiftKeys make single handed typing very easy.  I'm using SwiftKeys on the LG because it allows users to snap the keyboard to the lower corner of the screen to avoid over stretching the thumb).  I think this may catch on as a great way to keep the edges of the phone clean while making the buttons more accessible to the user. 


One thing I've noticed about the phone is that the service isn't as great when compared to the HTC One.  Take this however you will since I'm on the Sprint network, but my HTC One had consistently better service than the LG G2 is getting.  If you're on the fringe of service, I might decide to steer you away from this phone because of the small reduction in service.

So there's my review of the LG G2 on Sprint.  There were software things I didn't find myself using at all (ie Slide Aside) and there were things that work just as they should (ie Infrared blaster).  All in all, I really like the LG G2 because of its battery and screen size and I recommend it to most people who want that bigger screened phone.  As for me, I prefer the feel of the HTC with Sense and will likely go back to the smaller screen because of it.  If you're trying to decide, I recommend picking up both of these phones at a store and figuring out which subtletees you like better.

I'm sorry I'm sharing something from Fox, but something really needs to be said about this piece of misguided journalism.  But not what's already being said.  What's being said are things like, "Fox News Thinks Feminists Are a Threat to America’s National Security," and, "According To Fox News, Feminism Is A National Security Problem."  Watch the video and we'll discuss why I think those two headlines don't even begin to get at what is going on here.  The Video:

Did you notice that the two reporters mock men who want to do the dishes in the beginning?  Or that the whole crew ridiculed men who care about their appearance?  Did you catch that he's suggesting the US needs to be more manly in order to lead?  Or even when Nick suggests that you're not a man unless you're winning? 

This is not an issue of feminism; it's an issue of hypermasculinity. If this were a feminist issue, there would be some sort of repression: an inequality.  At no point does anyone suggest that feminism is a national security threat, rather, a small and highly publicized group of feminists are blamed for essentially emasculating men.  I know what you just watched probably feels like an injustice of some sort and the word feminism was brought up, but the people most affected by the injustice in this clip are our boys and young men trying to decipher what it means to be a man and how to grow into the best man they can.  

As Nick Adams points out, it's a hard time to be a man.  This is true, but not for the reasons he identifies.  Instead, being a man today is difficult because of people like Mr. Adams.  There is a clear definition of what being a man is in this segment which is a direct result of Nick's new book.  Men don't do house work.  Men win.  Men protect and are invulnerable.  For anyone at all concerned with the upbringing of the next generation of men, you know that all of those things are absolutely inconsistent with what we are striving to teach young males today.  As someone who has recently grown from a boy to a young man, I think it's important to the future men of the world that they know it's okay to be respectful and diplomatic.  It's okay to be compassionate, to feel emotions, and to cry.  It's okay to lose, but it's also okay to keep playing if you don't want to stop.  It's okay to love and it's okay to have fun.  These qualities are essential to a successful future.

Can we also digress quick into the wussification of men being a national security threat?  I just recently caught up on the seasons of Game of Thrones, and I swear they said almost the exact same thing.  This is the narrow, patriarchal view of how the world works that is dominant in European culture and has been for centuries.  It's encouraging fear in the viewers by suggesting that an inability to be the stereotypical man means that everyone is at risk.  To assert that the only way to secure our nation is through intimidation, physical strength, and bouts of violence is greatly diminishing the potential of humans.  Since we are all rational beings, shouldn't we try diplomacy and do our best to shake hands with everyone rather than sending in the men to hang our dicks out and walk around comparing who is swinging the biggest club?  

I'm not trying to say that men shouldn't want to grow a beard, or go out and chop down a tree, or eat jerky from their deer they got this fall. What I'm trying to say is that men should also be able to work towards keeping their house tidy, keep looking great, and being compassionate, respectful, and honorable members of this planet.  Men should be allowed to be well rounded humans instead of emotionally void love-children of Ron Swanson and Barney Stinson. 

I will also admit that I have not read the book, and I'm guessing most have not since it's only been on shelves for four months.  Though I'm not expecting it to, the book could come to much different conclusions than the video I watched tonight.  I just want to be clear, I'm writing as a direct response to the video, not the book.

I know you're not supposed to write while you are upset, but I feel this topic needs all the attention it can get right now and I don't think this video will ever get less upsetting.  It is people like Nick Anderson who are stunting the progress that could be made toward peace and wholeness in the world.  He is a misguided man with antiquated ideals and he is being perpetuated by fear-mongering groups who are using his words to maintain and increase wealth and power.  The reporters here are puppets of a machine with no brain or heart.  They are mindlessly relaying the words on the teleprompter without question.  The sooner we begin to realize that it is people like the ones in the video I've posted are a bigger threat to national and global security and peace, the sooner we can all start making progress to a better world.  Thank you.

Chances are, if you are reading this blog post, you are aware of what a straight razor shave is.  For men, it is the terror of dragging a single bladed knife (fondly referred to by some as a cut-throat) across the face and neck.  I have been shaving for 11 years and in that time constantly searching for the best shave.  A couple of years back I found this article and it changed my life.  Being a millennial, I assumed the world of shaving was limited to overpriced disposable razors and messy, stinky shaving creams, and noisy electric razors because that's what I saw my dad use and that's what the TV told me worked best.  If you are like I was and have no idea what else there is, make sure you click on that hyperlink.  Since reading that article, I had been using a safety razor and shave soap.  That's a fine way to shave, and if you haven't tried it, it's worth the look.  This winter I finally mustered up the courage to try shaving with a straight razor.

I'm going to admit something to you right off the bat here - I haven't been using my straight razor for two weeks yet, but I already know it's how I intend to shave until they come up with a better option than there is right now (for the record, right now is 1/6/14).  When I shave now, I use a Dovo Shavette (the straight razor equivalent of a disposable), a (admittedly cheap) brush from Amazon, and Taylor of Old Bond Street shave soap.  I used the same soap and brush while using the my safety razor, and I decided not to invest in a cheap fixed blade straight razor or invest around $200 on something I was unsure of.  The Shavette was the perfect way to go for me.  It's cheap, sharp, and I couldn't recommend it more if you are thinking about trying a straight razor out.  

But why should you try shaving with technology that's older than your father?  Glad you asked.

First of all, it's not as dangerous as you'll let your imagination tell you it is.  In my almost two weeks, I have not cut myself once.  That's an amazing feat for me.  I don't know if I have ever gone more than two days without nicking some bump or pressing too hard.  I have no evidence for why this is, though my best guess is that the blade is totally under the shaver's control.  It's not fixed to a handle or a series of other blades.  You can wield it like a foil - agile and accurate, instead of the club that is a modern day Gillette or Schick.

It also (has been claimed by others that it) is the closest shave a man can have.  I'll admit another something to you - I'm not completely practiced yet.  Most of my shaves are pretty good, definitely passable at work, and every once in a while I will get it just right and find that there is merit to the claim that this is the closest shave possible.  I have been able to shave smooth to the point that there is no evidence of a beard to the touch.  That's pretty darn close, especially considering I was in no pain afterwords, not even razor burn.  I'll be sure to update my readers on whether or not I am able to achieve this. 

One of my favorite parts of waking up and shaving with a straight razor is that it makes me feel like James Bond every morning.  Granted, this is a very superficial value to hold, but it has been shown many times that what you think of yourself directly affects your happiness and success.  Waking up and feeling like a world-famous gentleman affects the way I operate throughout the day, and I like it.

Finally, the straight razor shave is the most intimate thing I have ever done for myself, and it's likely to remain that way.  When learning how to shave with a straight razor, I had to learn my face.  That sounds silly, but it actually made me realize that I couldn't pick my own face out of a lineup if I were blind.  I had to learn every curve, every pit and bump.  I had to pay attention to which direction my beard grows in.  I need to know where the skin is soft and malleable and where my face is ridged and unforgiving - where it is tough, and also where it is sensitive.  I had to learn to fear myself, and then I had to learn to use it to keep my face smooth yet safe. 

Ladies, this is something you should learn to do too, not for your own legs and underarms, but if you ever want to win a man over.  I've seen a bunch of lists that are something along the lines of, "Blow Your Man Away with these 10 Sexy Moves."  I promise that if you have seen this list and, "Give him a straight razor shave," was not on there, it was either written by a another woman who sleeps with bros from bars and calls it research, a bro who goes to bars to sleep with chicks, a man-child who can not yet grow a beard, or a hipster.  Regardless of what you have read, giving your man a hot foam, straight razor shave is one of the most arousing acts you can give to a man (assuming you don't slice his face).  Understand and respect the complete trust a man has in another person who offers to shave his face, let alone with a straight razor - don't abuse it.  If you want to learn how to give a shave, here's a pretty decent and short video.

So gentlemen, do yourself a favor and learn how to shave using a straight razor.