DISQUS

The conservative movement seems filled with fear-ridden anxious people

Interesting locution in the story: "Dodd and the Banking Committee in March delayed that implementation timeline by nine months — a recognition that industry opposition would kill the bill otherwise."

Industry cannot, of course, kill the bill: industry doesn't have a seat in the Senate. What is intended, I think, is that industry would get its Senators (those that have already been purchased through campaign contributions) to fight the bill. Too many Senators (and Representatives) are simply sock-puppets for their big-business owners.

Those things would shock the conscience of anyone who has a conscience. Some don't, you know. (Sociopaths, et al.)

I imagine much of the urgency comes from the discovery that NSA contemplated wiretapping a congressman. I would imagine that quite a few Senators and Representatives have conversations with lobbyists (arranging payment, promising action) that they REALLY don't want a government agency to overhear.

LOL. I read the headline with "Go" as a noun (the Oriental board game). I expected to see some strange Go-playing professional.

"Spector" should be "Specter".

I called Rep. Gutierrez's office to find out the total amount given to him to get him to change his position. Needless to say, they were unhappy with the call, but assured me that Rep. Gutierrez has been absolutely consistent in his position regarding payday lenders. Then they hung up the phone.

I wonder how the North Dakota Representatives stand on this issue. North Dakota farmers made a valiant effort to get permission from the DEA to grow industrial hemp, finally suing the DEA when it would not respond to their requests. They lost on appeal, but the interest is there.

This bill is long overdue. It's absolutely insane that hemp is legal in the US if it's grown elsewhere, but illegal to grow it here---presumably because the US just can't handle things this complicated, having an industrial crop that's related to some other plant the DEA doesn't like.

In the sentence "Treasury has also failed to ask basic questions about the Term-Backed Asset Loan Facility (TALF), its plan to partner with private investors in buying the bank’s so-called toxic assets, she said." should "ask" be "answer"?

At least one: the Aussie who was released a while back.

Glad it's working well for you. I was shaving only 3 times a week (MWF) until I discovered traditional shaving with a safety razor using a double-edged blade. Now I shave daily (but take Sunday off so I can have the pleasure of shaving a two-day stubble on Monday morning).

I keep thinking that the secret is going to get out and most men will start shaving this way, but the power of advertising and marketing will probably keep most chained to the expensive disposable cartridge and the chemical canned stuff.

But at least *we* know, eh? :)

You left out: Never put your hat on the bed. (Bad luck, similar to opening an umbrella in the house.)

The salt stone was probably an alum block, and quite a few shavers still use one after the shave. More info here.

One point I should make regarding double-edged blades. For reasons not fully understood, a shaver's response to a brand of blade varies widely from shaver to shaver. A wonderfully sharp and smooth blade for one shaver will be condemned as a terrible, dull blade by another. The only way to find the blade that works for you is to try a wide variety and find out by experience. ("Not working" generally means that, for you, the blade seems dull and pulls at your beard instead of cutting smoothly.) To that end, you can get sampler packs of blades: a package of a variety of brands, with 5 to 10 blades of each brand. This is a key step in finding a better shave, so don't neglect it.

One benefit of traditional shaving (whether with straight razor or single-bladed safety razor) is that most men start to *enjoy* the morning shave. It's true that this mode of shaving is easier on the skin and can give a smoother shave, but it's the benefit of enjoyment (from something that was once a chore) that means most to me. And this is from a guy who most of the time wore a beard simply to avoid shaving.

Here's an article from Science News that gives some more specific information on the effects of tea-tree oil and lavender oil on young boys.

Also, a comprehsive introduction to wet shaving and a recommended shaving kit for the beginner.