SOTD by u/RedMosquitoMM

Aug. 8, 2022

• Brush: Zenith B36 "Copper Scrubby!" 28x50mm Boar
• Razor: GEM Micromatic Open Comb
• Blade: GEM (8)

• Lather: Stirling Soap Co. - Lime - Soap

• Post Shave: Porter's Lotion, WSP - Neroli - Balm

• Fragrance: Chatillon Lux - 1904

• Passes: WTG, XTG

• Coffee: Peru. Panchia, Tabaconas, Cajamarca - v: Yellow Caturra & Typica - p: Washed
• Music: Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
• August 2022 SOTD Photo Album

#GEMsOfWisdom / #RawHoggin

I don't know how exactly I managed to break my rolling monthly Imgur post (Multiple uploading devices? Too many uploads? Concurrent conflicting uploads? Too big of images? Wild mis-clicks? Skynet?), but my original August log disappeared as of this morning, so I started over with an abridged set of SOTD images from my phone. Hopefully that's not a problem for our venerable judges and my dear readers.

I think I've already found my rhythm for the month. 40 swirls of soap is working out well (enough soap for a two-pass lather, but not too much to make hydrating that lather challenging). This knot is slowly breaking in, though it still has a way to go. This GEM blade is comfortable now, though I noticed that the MMOC benefits from a bit less cap-riding than I recall. I set it flush and then back off a degree or two. That's the sweet-spot for me. I don't remember if I picked up on that last August when I used the same razor.

Soap consumption was up a bit from yesterday, despite the same number of swirls. I suppose dampness of brush and pressure are also factors, but I don't know how to be more precise with those.

Date	Soap Before (g)	Soap After (g)	Usage (g)	Loading
8/1	235.5	232.5	3
8/2	232.5	228.0	4.5
8/3	228.0	227.0	1
8/4	227.0	223.3	3.7
8/5	223.3	220.3	3	40 seconds
8/6	220.3	218.8	1.5	30 seconds
8/7	218.8	217.9	0.9	40 swirls
8/8	217.9	216.5	1.4	40 swirls

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#sidetracked u/Teufelskraft

I was apprehensive to even bring up Bob Dylan this month. What do you say that hasn't already been said? On top of that, Dylan is a songwriter I respect and admire more than I enjoy, and I just don't think to listen to his music often.

I do have a soft spot for two very different recordings: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan and Blood on the Tracks. Despite being very different productions, both albums feature a stellar, heartbreaking ballad, and the stiff-shouldered resentments of "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" have always felt emotionally and thematically antecedent to my favorite Dylan song: "If You See Her, Say Hello." In that early-career track, our protagonist leaves "babe." In "If You See Her, Say Hello," it's the opposite situation, and "she left that night". "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" communicates the raw sting of a fresh breakup, inflamed by resentment, bitterness, and unkind blame, while the latter is a wistful lament, fondly remembering better days. I think they're a fitting double-feature.

• YouTube: Bob Dylan - "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"
• YouTube: Bob Dylan - "If You See Her, Say Hello"