So I’m kicking back on the couch, watching some show on the boob tube, and this commercial comes on. Looks like Gillette has a new fancy razor that operates on a ball swivel. Apparently it does all of this incredible manly stuff like…shave. I admit I was a slow starter for facial hair. By the time I was 16 I had to maybe shave maybe once a week. Since then I have seen all kinds of gimmicky razors come down the pike.

I remember those old man razors, the all metal housing, twin side shavers that you have to put razor blades in. I saw many of them growing up, but by the time I actually needed to shave both Bic and Gillette had disposable single side razors in plastic housings that did what they were supposed to do. Shave.

Next thing you know they have a new razor, that is twice as good, it has two blades! I admit I used them for a while. You know what they did? Shave.

Now once the twin blade had been established they came out with a 3 blade razor…then a 4 blade razor, because you know, you could never have possibly shaved with a single blade…right?

Now the ball swivel razor. The absolute modern must have tool for following the contours of a manly face. The hot rod of shavers, it puts all the others to shame. It must, according to the manly man voice hawking them be the bestest razor of all time. You know what it does? Shave.

I must be turning into a grumpy, crotchety old geezer. All I see anymore is some new gimmick on the TV commercials. The new must have thingy! The one thing no one can live without! The new uber gadget with onboard spraying devices and flashing lights and happy faces peddling them. You know what they do? Mop.

I have seen some new gadget that looks like a hot plate, that looks pretty neat. It heats the pan, but is cool to the touch. That is a pretty cool detail, but I have a stove that does the same exact job. Do I really need another gadget cluttering up the counter, or collecting dust in the cabinet? …no.

I swear every commercial peddling some new gimmicky item that does the same job as a time proven device that already exists and does the exact same job, is an insult to my intelligence. Especially the commercials that show some inept fool bumbling around with the “old school tool”, whose life would be made so much better with the brand X super impressive thingy! C’mon man.

The new exciting multi bladed solar powered slap chopper! I have a sharp knife and a cutting board…thanks. The super duper teeny blender! I have a time tested blender on the counter, it has made many a margarita and with any luck will make a thousand more. The amazing doo dad that does amazing doo dad stuff! I think I am past the amazing doo dad point in my life. Hell by the time I get the amazing doo dad prepped, plugged in, and selected the proper doo dad setting, I could have handled the problem with a paper towel.

Now there have been some real achievements through the years, Formula 409 is a good cleaner. The scrubbing bubbles thing…not so much, a gimmick. The cheap disposable razor was quite the invention, it works, in its simplest form. Edge shaving gel is by far the best improvement made in the shaving department in the last 30 years. It far surpasses the old school Barbasol stuff, if a new item actually makes a large improvement over the old item I wouldn’t consider it a gimmick. My wife has a non stick meatloaf pan with a drip pan, that thing works great. The microwave may be one of the best gadgets ever. The refrigerator as well. Washers and dryers have improved everyones standard of living. There are things that have made their way into everyone’s homes that do a specific job well.

The gimmick isn’t even something new, it is a gadget that performs the same exact task as an existing tool. It is peddled to the masses as the newest, bestest, must have item…and I suspect since I see so much of this crap, people buy them. As much as I dislike it, the gimmick advertising apparently works. Though I often wonder how well these gimmick items actually work, and do they hold up to normal use? My gut tells me probably not so much. But what the hey, for an additional $4.95 plus handling charges you can get two!

I just wish the next new gadget would be on par with the fridge or the microwave. Instead of the same old crap in a shiny new package. Like a fricken razor on a ball swivel. Maybe if they would put 42 blades in it, and attach that ball swivel razor to a V-8 engine, we would have something interesting? It would be by far the meanest manly razor ever! When they come out with one like this, remember you saw it here first!

Posting for me has been slow of late, busy busy busy. We made another trip to the Frankstown fossil site, I still sorta have hawks around, no lack of things to blog about, just a lack of time to do so. I have my old work boat backed up into the shop now. It needs a new floor and a facelift. I am no longer working out of it, but it will still make a suitable fishing boat. We had a large tree go down a couple of days ago, right behind the house, missed the house by 20 ft, thank goodness. It is still lying there expecting to be dismantled and carted away, of course if there is any good wood left in this old dead tree I will use it for firewood come winter.

Anyway, back to blogging business. Let’s go old school this time, back to the original founding father quotes. This time James Madison on the use of gov’t land for churches.

“”The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe in blood for centuries.” -1803 letter objecting use of gov. land for churches.

Yes indeed folks, religion, the ultimate tribal ingroup. We are better than everyone else! So much so you are shit beneath our feet. So much so we can do whatever we please, be it murdering you by the thousands, taking your lands, raping your women. Holy wars, inquisitions, genocides, swordtip conversions, witch hunts, wanton murder, may the streets run red with blood because our dog is better than yours!

This is why we have separation of church and state. This is why we need to keep it. Funny how well over 200 years since this quote was made, you can look around the world today and still see these pleasant side effects of religion…

http://freethought.mbdojo.com/foundingfathers.html