Headvoice

All New... but then again not so much

Started a new job today and it was like sitting in a quiet and still kayak and being plunged into a raging river. I just knew it would be the right thing for me. That's the way to get to my best efforts.

And this time the entire world is the stage and I get to work from New York City. Pardon me while I start paddling... fast.

Buzz Kill

I think we have may have finally gone overboard with the personal technology bull.

Why? Well, let me present this one example.

Since my teens I have used electric razors; initially because I couldn’t be trusted to use a real razor first thing in the morning without slicing substantial chunks of flash off my face. So my relationship with various electric razors throughout the years has been steadfast and consistent. I have dallied with the rotary style as well as the foil head species.

They have all lasted at least a couple of years, with some being better than others, but eventually I viewed them collectively as a commodity item—little passion or enthusiasm greeted the prospect of choosing the next one. When they invariably got old and their performance grew unacceptable, or if the battery would become unable to hold a charge (like the most recent model) I simply made it a to-do to grab a new one the next time I was at a retailer where they were available.

Yesterday, however, was different.

At the fifth attempt to finish shaving I bellowed down the hall to Mark who was in the studio composing.

“Let’s go to the mall. We can get Thai for lunch and I can buy a razor.”

Since he still hadn’t showered and dressed yet, I knew I had enough time to take a look on the web for a little comparative review of the current models available. After all it had been a couple of years since I bought the last one, which turned out to be both a crappy performer and powered by a wimpy battery.

All I did was type “electric razors consumer reviews” into Google’s search engine and the floodgates opened. Did you know that there are multiple web sites with hundreds of postings discussing every possible aspect of electric razors? It went on forever…

Armed with almost too much information we set off to the mall nearest the house. The site for Sears Canada showed they had most of the current models, so I knew that I could go there at the very least.

But at another retailer's site I found the model that was mentioned frequently on the web sites reviewed earlier; the Braun Activator. Woo… it has a stand/charger thingie that heats, dries and cleans the shaver in a citrus scented alcohol solution after every use. And it was 25% off, which of course clinched the deal.

This morning when I got ready to shave I glanced at the readout screen. Who knew we ever needed feedback from a razor? First, it read “testing”. Later on it was “full”. What might I expect next? "You don't do your sideburns correctly?"

After shaving—which thankfully it performed very well indeed—I put it back into the cradle base. A row of blue flashing diodes lit up on one side like a video game. It told me it was choosing which of the four (!) self cleaning cycles it was getting ready to perform. On the other side of the base, a separate line of diodes revealed how much cleaning solution was left in the replaceable container that I was now going to have to shop for on a regular basis.

But then the real surprise happened. It turned on, upside down in the cradle and began running at a speed that seemed more intense and louder than regular shaving. The screen displayed 33 minutes remaining. What will it tell me next?

My razor is a soap opera now.

Summer Moon

Offer Letter

Gosh, way too much navel gazing here at headvoice.com

Days are blurring into another as the stress of the last couple of years sloughs away. It has been a month or so of physic detox for me and it feels great.