Did anyone else notice that the New York Times now has a Thursday Style section in addition to their Sunday Style page? I still think that Sunday section is one of the weakest things they do, but somewhat entertaining because they are always at least a year late reporting "up and coming trends" to the professional class.
For instance? January of this year brought us an article on mommy blogs, something that may have been news back in 2001; the first Thursday Style Section brought us an article on Corporate Suit attire coming back (read the first paragraph here for an excellent thought on that). But an article today really takes the cake: Men are growing beards again.
But you, faithful readers, already knew that, because you followed our very own Competetive Mustache Growth Series from last year. I'll let you in on a little in-joke at ginandtacos: people are always finding us from google searches on such things as "how to grow a beard"and other facial hair inquiries – we've even gotten some emails from teenagers and foreigners along the lines of "I want to grow a beard, can you give me any advice?" (our advice is usually "don't shave").
Though the article is exactly what you expect it to be, one part of it is worth the blockquoting and discussing:
The beard is also a blatant and almost primal expression of masculinity. For a study published in the journal Psychology in 1973, eight young men were photographed in four progressive states of beardedness. The photographs were shown to a panel, who were asked to rate the men on a variety of attributes.
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The responses linked longer beards with masculinity, dominance, self-confidence, nonconformity and liberalism.That was 1973; it's probably time to repeat the survey.
Oh my. I couldn't agree more about the need for a new survey.
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We'll take care of it here – list off the attributes you associate with each of the following pictures in the comments section:
If there is demand, i can dig out a picture of Ed with a goatee from a long time ago, or the unfortunate beard I grew during a drunken winter in Spain two years ago (the less said the better).
Ed says:
1. (Top left) – awe
2. (Top right) – smarm
3. (bottom) – molestorialism
mike says:
1. (top left) – socialism
2. (top right) – intruding on personal space
3. (bottom) – kris-kristofferson-esque
mark says:
top left: wheaties box
top right: greasy sandpaper
bottom: telekinesis
liz says:
Top left: masculine christianity
top right: manifest destiny
bottom: Sacco-Vanzetti
liz says:
It also must be noted that a large woman working at the Canadian border, upon viewing Ed's passport picture (in which he was sporting said goatee), was heard to remark:
"That's sexy."
(leans out her window to address me)
"Don't you think that's sexy? The goatee? You should tell him to grow it back. 'Cause it's sexy."
Who am I to argue with those who guard our borders?
mike says:
Ed, I'm very concerned you are dating a girl who, upon having 'her man' being stepped to (by a Canadian no less!), didn't immediately pull that guards hair and threaten to cut her with a razor blade, while questioning the looseness of her sexuality (I believe the word is 'ho') and telling her she has been served. Liz: Any committed member of the IU Essence Step Team would have done no less, regardless of if it was at a bar or an international border.
Next thing you'll say is that you aren't even a member of the IU Essence Step Team…
Ed says:
I was so disoriented that I didn't even register what was being said.
I handed her two passports and she immediately leans out the window and says 'OH, THAT LOOKS SEXY. TELL HIM THAT LOOK GOOD!"
It was so unexpected and such a departure from the standard border questions. Or the anal probing they gave me when I tried to cross in Calais, Maine with a molding tent and 5 days of filthy underwear thrown all over the truck.
erik says:
I love the fact that this comment thread has somehow been hijacked by antidepression medication spam.