Tonight the ReplayTV went into self-maintenance mode right in the middle of the Simpsons, so we switched over to the dish and caught the last half of one of our favorite recent movies, “Love, Actually”.

When this first hit the theaters I saw the preview and went “nahhhhhh”, but some rough, tough NBC crew guys who’re so manly they kind of scare me to be quite honest told me it was actually very good, so I said what the hell and Netflixed it, and now we must’ve watched it ten times.

Actually, love has been on my mind lately as I think about online communities and how they uncannily mimic real social networks. I really love that about them. It’s a wonderful thing to behold.

I love that guys who think nothing of throwing libelous, scurrilous tantrums on forums about how this shaving brush company betrayed that retailer, when what it really boils down to is that the company decided to choose a different retailer as the sole US source, one whom the tantrum thrower has had a longtime feud with, nonetheless take great offense when criticized themselves.

I really love that.

I love that guys who think nothing of tracing an anonymous poster’s computer to “out” him just because he disagreed with them, and then kill the thread when others start to complain about freedom of speech, spend the rest of their time talking about fun, brotherhood, and all things gentlemanly.

I really, really love that.

I love that guys who think nothing of making fun of a certain self-proclaimed shaving guru for promoting his own “method” of shaving can be so shocked and appalled when someone makes fun of them.

Sigh. Head over heels — that’s me!

I love how beta-monkeys screech and flare their nostrils as they cower behind the spoor of the loudest, most bullying chimp — as any anthropologist will tell you, this is a sign of a healthy community.

And what’s not to love about that?

If “Love, Actually” teaches us anything, it’s that yes, love really is all around us. All you have to do is open your nostrils and let it in.

Oh, and today’s shave: Merkur HD razor, Vulfix #2235 brush, Taylor’s rose cream. Wet hands so I dropped the tub of Taylor’s on the bathroom floor, cracking open the outer plastic shell. Remembered I’d squirrelled away an empty outer shell from a spent Taylor’s avocado tub, for god knows what reason. Swapped out the shells (most of the English shaving creams have a soft plastic insert that’s like a bowl within a bowl, and a hard plastic outer shell that’s what you see as the tub. You can crack the shell and the cream won’t leak, because the insert will usually be fine). Breathing returned to normal. All was well. Still absolutely positive I’m not a shavegeek.