HAPPY NEW BEARD!

For the last 366 days, no razor, scissor, or cutting implement of any other sort has so much as grazed my face or the hair growing from it. I have learned that, while I may not be able to grow the fullest, bushiest, most satisfying beard, the prestige and glory that comes with attempting even the most meager of beards is a reward unto itself. With a beard comes self-confidence. With a beard comes respect from peers. With a beard comes an economic, somewhat less-illegal alternative to fake ID. This has been an incredible journey, and I would like to thank each and everyone one of you who have helped me reach this milestone. Without you, this project--though a huge effing failure regardless--would not have made it this far.
Of course, you are probably now curious about the next step. The final tally for my poll is as follows:

	Name:			%:
	The Close Crop			26.79%
	The Fidel (aka The Don't Do Anything)			10.71%
	The Pugilist			10.71%
	The DuBois			7.14%
	The Pennsylvania Dutch			7.14%
	The Man Ray			5.36%
	The Colonel			5.36%
	Le Surrealisme			5.36%
	The Strap-n-'Stache			3.57%
	The Fu Manchu			1.79%
	The 'Stache			1.79%
	The James Hetfield			1.79%
	The John Waters			1.79%
	The Pirate			1.79%
	The Some-Dude-From-An-Agatha-Christie-Movie			1.79%
	The Hulk			1.79%

(The three write-ins were for the "Hoke-Troika," the "chops or pugilist with shorter hair," and the "Malcolm X square goatee w/ soul patch.")
Now as much as it pains me, the Close-Crop won fair and square; however, supporters of the Fidel have by and large been the most vocal group, pleading for me not to shave a hair. This puts me in a bind--should I listen to a bunch of anonymous schmendricks who want me to do something I don't want to do despite the fact that I know many people will be disappointed, or do I blatantly disregard the will of people who took time out of their presumably busy lives to humor me by voting in this stupid little poll of mine simply because some people are louder? Well, due to unforeseen technical difficulties (i.e. accidentally bringing the plug for my beard trimmer to Oberlin and leaving it there over break) The answer to that question is temporarily solved--I'll clean up the hideous growth of scraggle currently creeping down past the proper border between beard and neck and slowly making its way toward my chest, and do some much needed trimming on the fringes, but beyond that the beard stays at least until I get back to school and can find the damned plug.
As usual, today's pictures are currently inaccessible. I took them on a friend's camera, and she won't be able send them to me until tomorrow at the earliest. But they will be posted at the earliest possible time.
Once again, thank you all for reading about, observing, and picking crumbs out of my beard for the last 366 days. It's been a hoot!
-Sam-o and his Beard.