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Old 15-June-2007, 12:59 AM
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Default Toothbrush Technology Breakthrough

Just wondering...

I just witnessed a television commercial touting some new toothbrush technology. It was different from the new technology advertised a couple months ago.

Is anyone else tired of constant, nay accelerating, breakthroughs like this? How many new bristle shapes, textures, stiffness, colors, flavors, sounds will we have to endure in the future? How often? Will there be a toothbrush technology breakthrough of the week? The day?

I long for the good ol' days, when toothbrush technology breakthroughs came only at a rate of about one per century. Being a consumer was easier back then. When your toothbrush wore out, you just went to the store and bought one just like the one you had. Ah...
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Old 15-June-2007, 01:37 AM
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Is anyone else tired of constant, nay accelerating, breakthroughs like this? How many new bristle shapes, textures, stiffness, colors, flavors, sounds will we have to endure in the future? How often? Will there be a toothbrush technology breakthrough of the week? The day?
This acceleration is especially bad in parodied razor blades. Back in the '70s, Saturday Night Live made a spoof commercial about the (then ridiculous) idea of a three bladed razor. It took quite awhile for the three bladed razor to become real. On the other hand, The Onion more recently parodied the five bladed razor*, and it only took about a year for that to become real. Some are arguing for a Moore's law of razor blades, and are wondering when the razor singularity** will arrive.


*I'd supply a link to the Onion article, but it isn't family friendly.

**That is the hypothetical point where razors become so advanced, they will reach an entirely new and utterly unpredictable level of razoring. This could either spell doom or an astonishing new way of life for humanity.
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Old 15-June-2007, 01:43 AM
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Coming soon, the toothbrush that not only cleans your teeth, it chews and swallows your food for you so that your teeth never get dirty again!
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Old 15-June-2007, 04:57 PM
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Hey, I'd settle for a brush that fits in the holder that's built into my bathroom wall.
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Old 15-June-2007, 05:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Van Rijn View Post
This acceleration is especially bad in parodied razor blades. Back in the '70s, Saturday Night Live made a spoof commercial about the (then ridiculous) idea of a three bladed razor. It took quite awhile for the three bladed razor to become real. On the other hand, The Onion more recently parodied the five bladed razor*, and it only took about a year for that to become real. Some are arguing for a Moore's law of razor blades, and are wondering when the razor singularity** will arrive.
And I've never quite understood that. I'm switching back to a good ol' straight razor, as soon as I can round up the cash to buy one.
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Old 15-June-2007, 05:33 PM
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hmmmm.... the new combination toothbrush and 6 blade razor prototype didn't seem like it was going to make it to production, but we'll see...
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Old 15-June-2007, 05:38 PM
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And I've never quite understood that. I'm switching back to a good ol' straight razor, as soon as I can round up the cash to buy one.
I switched back to a double-edge safety razor about a year ago. I think it actually shaves better than the Mach3 it replaced, doesn't irritate my skin as much, and the blades are a hell of a lot cheaper.

It is admittedly a lot easier to nick yourself, though.
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Old 15-June-2007, 06:42 PM
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I like(d) my mach three, but last time I went to buy blades and saw it was something like $16 for two I decided to retire it. I bought a bag of three-blade disposables, and am quite satisfied. Cut much closer than the mach ever did, and if it gets dull blades after two or three shaves like the mach did, it's no biggie because they are disposabe. Half the cost of just the mach 3 razorheads, but I got a lot more of them.
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Old 15-June-2007, 07:17 PM
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hmmmm.... the new combination toothbrush and 6 blade razor prototype didn't seem like it was going to make it to production, but we'll see...

...Then you start selling toothpaste that also treats bleeding gums.
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Old 15-June-2007, 07:20 PM
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And I've never quite understood that. I'm switching back to a good ol' straight razor, as soon as I can round up the cash to buy one.
I grew a beard 30 years ago... haven't kept up with razor technology since then. I do brush my teeth though. (see, nice and white)
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Old 15-June-2007, 08:05 PM
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Go on, complain, the lot of you--then compare how much surface area I shave to how much surface area you shave.
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Old 15-June-2007, 08:08 PM
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Go on, complain, the lot of you--then compare how much surface area I shave to how much surface area you shave.
Well if we're going to play that game, I got you beat. I'm a cyclist.
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Old 15-June-2007, 08:27 PM
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yeah I was going to say, "Who says I'm not a professional swimmer". I'm not, but you don't know that. Well, now you do, but you didn't.
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Old 15-June-2007, 08:27 PM
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Not as sensetive, though... and actually voluntary anyway, and even then still allowed to go more between one shaving and the next...
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Old 16-June-2007, 12:05 AM
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True--and with Graham gone, I don't bother shaving my legs much--who'd know? I don't leave the house much, and when I do, it's usually in pants or a long skirt. (Increasingly shorts this time of year, so I shave more often.)
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Old 16-June-2007, 12:29 AM
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True--and with Graham gone, I don't bother shaving my legs much--who'd know? I don't leave the house much, and when I do, it's usually in pants or a long skirt. (Increasingly shorts this time of year, so I shave more often.)
Just a little more information than we need . . . .
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Old 16-June-2007, 03:37 AM
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If you guys were talking to me in person, you'd know without me telling you, right? At least, if I were wearing clothes where you could see my legs. (Anyway, girls talk about this sort of thing among themselves all the time, no implications intended.)
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Old 16-June-2007, 05:05 AM
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I switched back to a double-edge safety razor about a year ago. I think it actually shaves better than the Mach3 it replaced, doesn't irritate my skin as much, and the blades are a hell of a lot cheaper.

It is admittedly a lot easier to nick yourself, though.
Of course it shaves better - it's actually sharp! Cheapo disposables like the M3 are designed to pull the hair out of your face, hack through it, then let the remaining hair snap back under the skin. Now, cut hairs are actually very sharp. When you let them slide back under the surface of the skin, they irritate it, and can become ingrown. Also, since a DE is sharp while an M3 is not, you are less prone to scratching your skin. The blade is smooth, not like sandpaper.

As for nicks, I hope you have a styptic pencil - they're right nifty!
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Old 16-June-2007, 05:14 AM
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What is this? A grooming thread?
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Old 16-June-2007, 05:28 AM
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The ultimate grooming device would scan your brain into its memory, grow you a new clone body overnight, and reinstall your brain configuration in the morning. You'd have a fresh, new body every day.
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