Do we really believe that the path to eternal life is narrow? So narrow that not even atheist hippy pop stars will make it in? Don your shallow thinking cap and come wander some contours of meaning in this parody of Rob Bell’s Love Wins book trailer.
My friend John sent me this and I just loved it. He of course read my last post on Bell so knew I would be interested. Watch it for yourself. Great!
According to the initiative at saymerrychristmas.net Christians are also being encouraged to say “Merry Christmas” to friends and work colleagues instead of the American habit of saying “Happy holidays,” or the more British “Seasons greetings.”
I received some info about this in an email and think it looks largely American, but it is relevant here in the UK too. I wonder how many Christians are in fear of being disciplined in their work place if they mention Christmas.
They (saymerrychristmas.net) have even brought a song our about it! Cannot be any worse than “When a Child is Born” which I loath, with its “Its all a dream an illusion now…”
This morning I used to my Ford & Medley straight razor. I am still trying to get used to it though. I have discovered that my skills at shaving with a DE razor, gained over many years, do not seem at all transferable. It still takes me too long.
It turns out my razor is rather old, now that I have found out some more details about it on the website of theinvisibleedge.co.uk who sell reconditioned Ford & Medleys and have lots of info on them. My razor features in a catalogue dated 1902 so it could be a little older or a little later. Mine is the ‘Select’. Not a full hollow ground but good quality. I toy with the idea of changing the scales but I also like the idea that it is in original condition. It must have been in a drawer almost from the moment it was first bought.
I managed to hone it okay to ‘shave ready’ as having been a chef years ago I had sharpened many knives. In fact I was good enough at honing knives that I was often asked to sharpen the knives of colleagues. We knew when they were ready as I used to test them by shaving my arm.
Having discovered the paraphernalia that some straight razor shavers buy such as honing stones, strops and strop pastes I have concluded there are far cheaper ways to do it using modern sharpening options. Though I suppose some of the straight razor crowd are deliberately wanting to turn the clock back. I may like gadgets, but they have to serve me not me serve them.
These men made my razor - from 1902 catalogue
“What would Jesus do” is familiar question and that did occur to me. Though many traditions insist Jesus had a beard there are also reasons to believe he had adopted the current Greek practice of face shaving. We can not know either way. But if he did shave I wonder what he would have used.
Will I switch from my DE razor and move to a straight? I find it hard to believe that even a straight razor would shave closer or smoother than my Merkur Futur with my favourite blade, the Russian Gillette Seven O’ Clock SharpEdge. Shaving with my Futur is quick even when I include the various passes WTG, XTG, ATG. Straight razor shaving would have to be for when I can spare the extra time, perhaps on a day off.
I have also obtained online a vintage Wa-Kamisori from Australia. It arrived today. Trying that will be fun once I have it honed up. I will report the results.
So is it possible? I know that they deteriorate with age due to the effects of light on the core material. Is it possible to read an old one by using an old (and therefore slow) dvd drive?
Any comments appreciated.
The SpyLamp looks like an ordinary LED rear light. Inside though, is GPS technology. It works using a pay-as-you-go mobile phone SIM card and a motion sensor. The stolen bike can then be tracked online using Google Maps.
It costs £125, though it will also require the occasional top up of the pay-as-you-go SIM card.
The problem I can forsee though is that a thief may lose the light or sell it to someone else for a small financial gain. Perhaps they designers have antisipated this as they are about to launch a version that can be hidden inside the seat post or bicycle frame.
Great gadget!
Well, perhaps not quite like that.
My latest Ebay buy is a straight razor made by Ford & Medley of Sheffield long ago. It caught my eye because the price was very low despite the description that it was unused and in ‘as new’ condition. This seemed almost unbelievable for a razor about 100 years old. The poor quality photo did not help me believe it could be true, perhaps that is why others did not bid. Amazingly I was not outbid. It arrived and it was as described.
I honed it on my Japanese water stone which I still have from my days as a chef a long time ago. Then a few strokes on a bit of £1.99 balsa wood, with a bit of strop paste on it, and away I went.
I could polish it and replace the old scales (handle) with new ones but it would no longer be authentic.
They say that if a blade is dull it will pull and tug at the bristles. This would be dangerous as it is liable to slip that way. I have discovered that it is not always so. At first the blade was not sharp enough yet it glided smoothly. The reason for that was that it did little more than scrape the soap off, so very dull it was.
A bit more work on it and I have started the adventure of mastering this thing. I have not yet however got beyond shaving each side, not yet tacked around the mouth and nose. I have gone close to each ear and still have both of them intact.
One of my daughters has begged me not to continue with this madness. My wife has asked if I need to go out more!
I have already seen what I would really like a go at next, a Japanese Iwasaki razor. they are the traditional Japanese razor and are made by bonding two different metals together, the thin hard layer is supported by a thicker softer layer, made the same way as the old Samurai swords. But the price of them!
Got the picture from theinvisibleedge.co.uk. I don’t suppose they will mind the free advertising.
