The Royal Canadian Mounted Police …

 

Is responsible for lot’s of things … some of a negative nature…but they are not responsible for the terrible circumstances experienced by young native women …nor, for that matter, native men and women of any age.

The UN has just issued a report critical of the RCMP’s treatment of young native women in northern BC saying that it was comparable to what is experienced by women in war torn countries. 

As if. 

This is just another in a long list of grossly misleading findings issued by a totally discredited world body.  And it represents further reason why Canada should be reducing its UN financial contributions and disallowing any further access to our soil by its mischievous minions.

That is not to say, that young native women are not victims since many most certainly are, but they are being victimized by their parents, grandparents, leaders and too often by their own Aboriginal Societies.

These kids frequently have little of value to do, especially on remote reserves such as found in northern BC.  It is not surprising to anyone then that too many of these children become addicted to various substances and as a consequence spiral down in later life.

To try to portray the RCMP as the villain in this picture is simply wrong and moreover is a disservice to young natives.

In the face of this, their parents look for scapegoats to blame for the totally unsatisfactory state of their lives and in this case, the RCMP are a convenient target.

I say to them, if you are looking for a solution to the problem, begin by looking in the mirror.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’

 

Shaving has come full circle …

 

At least for me.

But first some history.

Men have over 25,000 individual hairs on their face and they grow at the rate of 125 – 150 mm per year. For those more comfortable with inches – that translates to between 5 and 6 inches per year.

And since the earliest of time, men have endeavoured to keep their beards groomed beginning with implements made from stone (pumice), sea shells etc.

The Egyptians were especially finicky about being well groomed in this department and in fact invented copper razors at around 3,000 BC.  Alexander the Great made it mandatory in the 4th Century BC for his warriors to be clean shaven to avoid “beard grabbing in conflict”.

These implements for shaving were sharpened with a ‘Strop’ initially made from stone and more latterly consisted of a Leather Strap also known as a Strop.  The art of sharpening, not surprisingly, is called ‘Stropping’.

The Leather Strap became popular in the late 17th Century, with the invention of steel straight razors in Sheffield England. It is stilled used by traditionalist barbers.

In the late 1800’s King Gillette patented the Safety Razor (1880) which is still widely used today.

Now my own history which has come full circle.

My grandfather, a veteran of world war one, used a straight razor and honed its blade on a leather strap.  He eventually evolved to the safety razor.

My father, a veteran of world war two, initially too used a safety razor but in the after war years moved on to the newly invented electric razor. The electric razor was invented just prior to the Great Depression but did not come into vogue until the late 40s and 50s.

It allowed for a dry shave so dispensed with the need for shaving cream and accordingly was much faster / neater.

When I started shaving in the 1960s, I too used an electric shaver if for no other reason than the fact that my father did. But once I left home I soon converted to the safety razor since I found that it gave a much closer shave.  The electric razor ‘pinched’ my skin and was quite dirty to clean out.

But recently, I switched again – back to the electric shaver…sort of.

It is a safety razor that is operated by battery.  So you get the best of both worlds – a clean shave with the efficiency of an electric razor and no messy clean-up.  It gives an even better (closer) shave than the standard safety razor with much less razor burn.

I am committed.  So back to the future for me.

Thought you might be interested.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’

 

Nothing For The First Time…

 

A Definition of a ‘Conservative’ to which I subscribe.

I was going to do a Blog on the History of Shaving but today’s announcement by the Pope caused me to delay it for a day or two.

Now back to Pope Benedict’s announced retirement today.

Had the dear Pope called me for his advice, in advance, as a Conservative, I would have had to tell him that this is simply not done.

Resign that is.

The job of Pope is for life; otherwise it becomes less meaningful.  And can also become contagious.

Indeed, when I heard it on the morning’s news, the announcer quickly followed up by wondering if Queen Elizabeth would be next to announce.

Queens and Popes, dear reader, do not retire; they die with their boots on.  Or at least they should.

As a Conservative, I like to think that upon coronation they are instilled with some ultra humanness – (perhaps though, I am just deluding myself).

But I cling to that idea and despite physical and mental disability, believe that they should continue to the very end.  Rather like ‘till death do us part’ in marriage ceremonies. Death, like Life are inseparable.

And of all people to let us down.  Pope Benedict was viewed as old school – a keeper of tradition and here he is resigning in the face of some 600 years of continued history. 

So we now move into the era of part time appointments in the sense that they are no longer to be considered for life.

Rather in keeping with the disposable society we have come to accept over the course of the last many decades. 

Plus change revolves all about us – gone is the sanctity of the family – the former ‘corner stone of society’.  Marriage too has been co-opted virtually without debate.

The work ethic is under attack as more and more want to sit back and enjoy their unearned entitlements.  Too many look out for their own interests without a care for those for whom they betray – e.g. Our Esteemed Senators.

And now, in the face of all of this, we have the Pope joining the fray when the desperate need is for someone to continue to stand up above the maddening crowd.

I have no doubt that Pope Benedict’s intentions are most noble.  He is indeed frail of body and now likely has been diagnosed with a debilitating mental deterioration.  But by removing himself, he removes an otherwise constant from all our lives.  A constant that we all so desperately need.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’