June 9, 2024 – Lather Games 2024 Day 9: Shave and a Haircut—Two Bits!
- Brush: Farvour Turncraft “Ocean Blue” 26mm Omega Pro 49 Boar #TOLL
- Razor: Gillette “New” #RustyButtRusty
- Blade: Gillette Winner (3)
- Lather: Eleven – Barbershop
- Post Shave: Eleven – Barbershop
- Fragrance: Fabergé – Brut
Use of Theme: Shave and a Haircut—Two Bits
Ahhh…the proverbial, and oft-questioned, due to the mysterious nature of it, Barbershop Scent Day.
Ordinarily, I would have gone with Catie’s Bubbles Tonsorial Parlor—named after the tonsorial parlor which, according to third-generation tonsorian C. Foy, who I assume has done his peer-reviewed research, is an inner sanctum where a man can receive the highest level of barbering services in a setting that compliments this ancient art. For those of you in Rio Linda, it’s like the champagne room at your local titty bar. You can go watch the titties, or you can go into the champagne room where they actually swing the titties directly in your face.
Instead, having to save the Bubs for Don’t Have a Cow Day, I’ll be going with Eleven . I’ve generally grown out of the “traditional” powdery barbershop scents. I still like them, but there are too many other scents to enjoy. The Eleven is nice for me as it relies less on the powdery notes than it does the other traditional barbershop notes. I haven’t had too much experience with Eleven aside from the samples I picked up at Maggard’s both last year and this year. Presumably, I received the new aloe and witch hazel base aftershave. It seems to do a decent job soothing my skin post shave. I still prefer the old fashioned alcohol base, no matter what anyone else says. If I need some additional soothing to counteract the drying of the alcohol, I have plenty of options. Brut gives us the fragrant finish today, its bergamot and sandalwood notes complementing the same notes in the soap and aftershave. Another “dated” fragrance to some of you youngin’s but, I wear what I like.
Daily Challenge: Surprise Quiz
Let’s delve into the world of education, shall we? On any given school day in America, what are the last two words any average kid in any average school wants to hear when they sit down for another average class? “Pop quiz!”
We could sit and argue the benefits and detriments of pop quizzes ad nauseum. They are a looming reminder of the need to study and prepare while causing undo stress on those with learning difficulties. While we use the results to inform learning, their results may actually impede learning by encouraging cramming and poor study habits. Let us look into the more important issue, and the one most relevant here and now, the improper use of quizzes as a means of assessment.
What is the purpose of assessment? Simply put, it informs teaching and learning. What are the two types of assessment? The layperson would say tests and quizzes, and they are partially correct. While there may be more methods of assessment, the two types are formative and summative. The former are used to inform teaching and learning, the latter are used to evaluate the sum total of what has been achieved.
Djudges, what are you assessing? I posit that this is an improper use of a quiz, as there has been no prior announcement to let us know we should have knowledge of something to be assessed. Yes, it is a surprise—a pop quiz—but why assess us without first teaching us? It could be argued that scent counts insomuch as we already get assessed, and this is given up front in the rules, but if knowing the scent profiles is required beyond theme compliance we should receive fair warning. Some only use their noses to pair various fragrances without regard to the notes specifically enumerated unless specifically directed in the rules, e.g. the use of Lavender to meet a theme. This is, after all, the Lather Games and not the Scent Games.
Having said all this, should you present this same quiz again at the end of the games, stipulating that a higher score on the second administration will be the score you use for judging purposes, today’s quiz would be valid, in that it would be used to assess what I know and don’t know so you what needs to be taught so that I learn it and can be fairly assessed.
Alas, I will take your silly quiz and reveal my score to be 3/32 not argue any further as to the invalidity of a quiz administered by non-educators.
Have great shave and be kind to one another.