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’

 

And Speaking of Losers …

 

Here is another one … NDP’s Andrea Horwath.

Right after Kathleen Wynne was elected Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, Horwath came out and offered to support Wynne’s minority government on condition that the Liberals call for a Public Inquiry into the Gas Plant Closure Fiasco which occurred just days before the recent Election.

I thought to myself that this was a principled and clever move on Horwath’s part despite the fact that I sincerely think the Liberals should be defeated at the earliest possible moment given their mismanagement of all affairs provincial over the course of the past 9 years.

It was principled in the sense that the previous Grit Leader had undemocratically shut down the Provincial Legislature for the sole purpose of avoiding this brewing scandal.

Clever, in the sense that it was the Grit Campaign Team which made the decision to close these nearly completed plants and dear reader, the same Kathleen Wynne was the Co-Manager of the Grit Campaign.

But this was all not to be.

Wynne thought over Horwath’s offer for about… 30 seconds and said no to the Public Inquiry but yes to having a committee of Queen’s Park look into it.

And Horwath took about the same time – 30 seconds in accepting Wynne’s self serving reply.

Horwath’s acceptance is redundant since we already had a committee of the Legislature looking into this scandal when the House was unceremoniously prorogued and given the Liberal minority status, it would be easy to reinstitute this committee without Wynne’s help.  Moreover to continue with it, will only drag things out passed an expected election date later this year.

A Public Inquiry is needed to really get to the root of the issue ever bearing in mind that it could in the end result in criminal action.

So Horwath goes from winner to loser quicker than you or I can say Jack Spratt.

Now Horwath has tacked on some other demands including an increase in the monthly welfare stipend –does she not realize the province is broke?

Plus she wants to force car insurance companies to drop their rates by 15%.  Why stop there – what is wrong with a 50% drop or even 75%?

What is wrong of course is that these are private sector companies which should not be compelled to fix their rates based upon some bureaucratic dictate.  Socialism anyone.

I am old enough recall the disaster of wage and price controls implemented by the then Trudeau Government – as in Trudeau the elder which occurred in the early 1970s.  Controls did not work then and they won’t work now.

If the public wants their insurance rates to drop – then it should look to the cheapest provider and then watch how fast the competitors fall into line.

What I take away from all of this is that the NDP seems likely to prop up this bunch of losers known collectively as the Liberal Government of Ontario.

And this in turn will result in a couple of more losers – to be specific – you and I, as we have to contend longer with the status quo.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’

KATHLEEN WYNNE

A LOSER IN MY BOOKS…

And not because she is a Lesbian…

Nor because she represents my first wrong prediction for this year …I believed that Pupatello would win the Grit Honour.

Rather, it has to do with her previously stated positions on both abortion and sex ed.

In the case of the first, she is pro abortion and I would not even vote for a Conservative / Libertarian if he or she held such a view.

Second, was her championing of Grit Policy as Education Minister:

• teaching children as early as grade one about the correct terms for male and female genitalia;
• informing grade three students about homosexuality;
• masturbation lessons for those in grade 6;
• and finally, for those senior kids in grade 7 – all about anal and oral sex including the best way to do it from the rear.

I do not see any of this being the business of our educators – Wynne included, for non-teen children.  Rather these are issues that should be left to the parents and if the parents want to teach their infant children about the correct names for body parts …so be it, that is their call.

Given this suspect background, I shiver to think what the dear lady will come out with as Premier – where she can impose her ‘vision and will’ on all matters of policy.

Granted, the poor woman has been handed an unenviable job, given the state of disunion left by her predecessor, but if her stint as Education Minister tells us anything, she will be most likely not up to the challenge.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’

MALI

 

Harper is right to keep Canada out of a ground action in Mali – no good will come of it, just as it failed to materialize in Viet Nam, Iraq, and currently Afghanistan.

The bad guys simply wait us out.

That is not to say we just roll over in the face of terrorist aggression.

We need to support the locals in all ways we can short of providing ground troops.

In the case of Mali, it is really up to neighbouring African nations to get involved since they are all faced with the same prospect of an Al Qaeda take over.  We in the west can and should supply equipment / weaponry.  Moreover, we should blast the terrorists from the air at every opportunity.

In the end, this will work and terror will be defeated until the next time.  And when the next time comes – as it certainly will – we blast them from the air all over again until they get the message.

As I see it…

‘K. D. Galagher’

The US Economy Will Go Off A Cliff …

 

Sooner than later ..but it will not be the fiscal cliff that currently consumes so much of American News.

Indeed, in an earlier Blog I labelled the latter Cliff a Hoax and suggested strongly that the best thing that could happen to the good old US of A would be for it to take the jump a.s.a.p..  It calls for both Tax increases and Spending Cuts – which is exactly what America needs – despite the fact that the Republicans are opposed to tax increases and the Democrats are opposed to spending cuts. 

In that regard, they both end up being wrong.

The fiscal cliff I am now speaking about has yet to arrive albeit, it is well on its way.

But before I get further into today’s blog, first a word on moving …It Sucks.

We are in the midst of a move and it is one tiring ordeal.  I would not wish it on any one; stay put if you can.

Now back to the Day’s Subject.

There is only so much money available in any given country.  Moreover, that money is generated by the private sector in spite of the fact that one of its biggest users are the country’s governments; municipal, state and federal … such as is the case with the US.  Simply stated, the more money government takes, the less business has for use in creating more wealth – i.e. to increase the size of the pie.

The Federal Debt now stands at 16.5 Trillion Dollars and continues to rise at a record pace.  The first fiscal cliff was all about giving the Feds the authority to increase this debt ceiling further.  It failed miserably in addressing the real problem – Government has grown too big / too expensive.

Expenditures will continue to exceed revenues despite plans to tax the rich more.  Added to that is America’s (plus Europe’s) reckless printing of money

These twin evils will eventually result in spiralling high interest rates which together will severely devalue their currency. 

In the short term, this might even prove a boon to the US as consumers and businesses alike rush to get rid of their devaluing dollars in a bit to purchase hard assets such as real estate and production equipment. Stock Markets too can be expected to rally – as they are now – with investors focused on owning stocks rather than investing their savings in vehicles that pay ridiculously low interest.

But the longer view will see this spending collapse in the face of high interest rates and currency which in worth less.  

The only one that can stave off this dreaded prediction is the recently re-elected President of the United States and for whatever reasons, he is unable to to do so. By the time he wakes up to this, it will be too late. 

Indeed, I suspect the US has already crossed the Rubicon.

As I see it…

 

“K. D. Galagher’ 

 

 

A Tale of Two Families: The Rich and The Poor

 

The Province of Ontario announced today that “rich” seniors will have to pay toward their home care health services.  Moreover, greater costs re prescription drugs will also be passed on to the rich elderly in the near future.

The Province’s definition of ‘rich’ for a senior Ontarian couple are those couples earning more than $160,000 per year.

Future modification of this definition of course will rest with the Province.  Watch the number continually decline as the province descends more and more into debt.

We also have here in Ontario a health care levy that is income based.

So much for one tier health care.

With this background, let’s for a minute look at two representative families; Paul and Laura Rich and Blake and Jessie Poor.  The Rich and the Poor families live on neighbouring streets and each have two children.

The Poor family lives in public housing and pays no rent.  Their income is entirely from welfare and all of their dental and health costs are covered at public expense.  No effort whatsoever is made to save for retirement.

The Rich family parents have modest jobs, a mortgage and pay for all they get in life. They also (foolishly) save for their retirement.

When both sets of parents reach retirement age, Mr. and Mrs. Poor will receive OAS, CPP and Gains.  They will also receive all of their health care costs free of charge – paid for by the Riches of the Province.

The Rich parents, Paul and Laura, will also receive their CPP but their OAS will be subject to claw back and they will not qualify for Gains since they took the trouble to make modest arrangements for their senior years.

In addition, with these recent government announcements, the Riches can now expect to contribute more money to their health care – in the areas of both home care and prescription drugs.

There is a moral to this story and I leave it to you to ferret it out.

But the real story here is that governments seem to be bound and bent to address their budget shortfalls by continually increasing taxes, rather than cutting useless spending.

The ultimate outcome of this will be a continually disappearing middle class.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’