"We're barbers, not neurosurgeons."

Well, good day to you! I hope you're having a 'caffo' one, You know...learning something new with a little caffeine thrown in to help keep the old brain active, eh! 

Help yourself to a mug of java juice and snag a virtual muffin or doughnut from the magnificent assortment on display, why don't'cha? 

Say...you may have read my rant some time ago about the difficulty of finding a real barber here in Cornwall. I finally had to resort to going to a First Choice Haircutters. Why do they want your name, address and phone number? Luckily, I got a woman barberette who did not talk too much - unlike the chatterbox across the room who didn't stop talking all the while I was there. Even from the other side of the room, I couldn't hear myself think! 

I don't know about you but I go there for a haircut - not a social experience. Well, it seems the Ontario government is determined to kill the ancient profession of 'barbering' and turn everyone into metrosexual hairstyists. Listen to this...

The Ontario College of Trades ministry, finally implementing a long-ago reclassification of about 300,000 professionals, announced in November that barbers would immediately face fines if they had not acquired new licenses demonstrating proficiency with perms and highlighting and other aspects of women's hairstyling. Even barbers who had cut men's hair for decades and with no desire to accept female customers would probably need a costly study program for the upgrade, which one barber estimated at 2,000 hours and $5,000 or more. Said one exasperated old-timer, "We're barbers, not neurosurgeons." 

To me, it's a sad day here in Ontario. Maybe I'll cross the bridge and get my hair cut in New York State. Maybe I'll move there...or even better - back to Thailand where a haircut is about $2.50.

See ya, eh!

Bob