The Beard

The New York Times ran an article today about the comeback of the beard. Clearly I was on the cutting edge when I grew mine in 2003, because it's become the in-thing.

Andrew Sullivan linked to the article and writes:

Just keep an eye on the homos, see? We were pioneering the big facial hair a few years' back, and finally the straight guys are getting into it. Of course, the heteros have to get past women and Gillette, but some women like beards, and Gillette's already jumped the shark with its seventeen-blade razor.

Funny. Although that might create questions about my sexual orientation, since I was also one of the pioneers. But I think Sullivan is forgetting about the Minnesotans. I lived as the beard-less wonder my senior year surrounded by bearded folk: Caleb, Joe, Andrew, and Peter from time to time when he wasn't swimming. So I give lots of credit to anyone from Minnesota, too. Of course, as they say, necessity is the mother of invention and in Minnesota a beard is a pretty reliable alternative to frostbite.