In the interests of not being normal I decided to try using an old school single blade safety razor for shaving.
In the past I’ve tried learning to use a straight razor but, aside from the frequent blood letting and comments like "what the heck happened to you? cat fight?", I also seem incapable of keeping it sharp.
I still like the idea of not paying out big $$ to the Gillette corporation for Mach 3 blades because it just seems silly and wasteful. The solution, of course, seemed to be switching to single bladed safety razors. Not only are the blades much cheaper but the whole thing just seems infinitely cooler.
My razor is an old Gillette I bought from an antique store for a couple of dollars. It’s in pretty nice shape and another $8 for 10 blades from Walmart has it up and running.
My first attempt in using it successfully removed every small goose bump from my face. After I regained consciousness I realize that there is a depth of cut adjustment on the razor body and when I crank that down (I had it all the way up) there is much less blood (like none).
The neat thing is that it cuts quite differently from the Mach 3. It glides effortlessly along my face with zero tugging. It’s really quite nice. Aside from performance it just seems cooler. The mechanism for the blade holder is just the neatest thing. I could watch the little mechanism open and close for hours!
Here is my setup complete with my homemade stand from cedar and brass.
I just bought this from E-Bay the other day. A 0.3mm mechanical pencil. I didn’t even know such a thing existed (normally I use 0.5mm). I am not sure that I can really see a difference but for some reason it just seems cooler 
I recently bought a Canon G9. I love my Canon 20D but there are times when dragging the SLR and array of lenses around just isn’t practical. I wanted to get a point and shoot but I wasn’t willing to give up the control I’m used to with my SLR. The G9 seemed like a great solution. It’s not too tiny, it has all the features I want, and it’s awesome The build quality of this camera is fantastic (with the sole exception of the flimsy seeming lens mechanism) and the accessibility of the normal features from well placed buttons is great. It all fits nicely in a smallish Roots bag with a bit of extra room for a table-top tripod, extra batteries and SD cards.
Here is my current G9 setup:
This test only has one question, but it’s a very important one. By giving an honest answer, you will discover where you stand morally.
The test features an unlikely, completely fictional situation in which you will have to make a decision.
Remember that your answer needs to be honest, yet spontaneous. Please scroll down slowly and give due consideration to each line.
THE SITUATION:
You are in America , Washington DC to be specific. There is chaos all around you caused by a hurricane with severe flooding. This is a flood of biblical proportions. You are a photo-journalist working for a major newspaper, and you’re caught in the middle of this epic disaster. The situation is nearly hopeless. You’re trying to shoot career-making photos. There are houses and people swirling around you, some disappearing into the water.
Nature is unleashing all of its destructive fury.
THE TEST:
Suddenly, you see a man in the water. He is fighting for his life, trying not to be taken down with the
debris. You move closer… Somehow, the man looks familiar… You suddenly realize who it is… It’s George W. Bush ! You notice that the raging waters are about to take him under forever.
You have two options:
You can save the life of George W. Bush or you can shoot a dramatic Pulitzer Prize winning photo, documenting the death of one of the world’s most powerful men!
THE QUESTION:
Here’s the question, and please give an honest answer…
Would you select high contrast colour film, or would you go with the classic simplicity of black and white?
