Taking Your Relationship To The Next Level

How do you know the moment - the exact time - when you should take your relationship to the next level?  Like Jack Passion stated in our previous interview, we shouldn't be afraid to state #PROVEIT in regards to our partners devotion towards us.  The ultimate act of love is asking the person you're dating to spend the rest of his/her life with you, but what if you're not at that level of commitment just yet.

What if you want to be serious without taking the total plunge?  

You could buy him or her a promise ring (and be laughed at by all of your friends and family) or you could do something much cooler.  You could buy them a mustache bracelet!  Because really, what better way to show your significant other how much you care for them than by buying them gold AND whiskers? ** Mustache bracelet ring

Rock What You Got - Advice from Jack Passion

On Thursday night, at an undisclosed bearded location, we met up with the incredible Jack Passion to discuss the joys, thrills, and slight annoyances with sporting the best beard in the world!    

As a woman, it took me a while to take in the large-scale beauty of Mr. Passion's beard.  Certainly, as co-founder of this blog, I love facial hair of all shapes and sizes, but this got me to thinking.... what if... what *IF* your significant other wasn't down with your facial hair?

Jack: Your partner needs to understand where you're coming from and what this process can mean to a man. S/he is seeing the beginning stages and maybe cringing, but you're seeing the potential.  It takes a little time before the beard starts looking how you want it.  But if you're close with your partner and if you support one another, s/he will be there for the bad - before it gets good.  You could also just ask him or her if they love you... and follow it directly by saying - #PROVEIT!

I am sure eating gets in the way with a beard that size.  Am I wrong?  

Jack: It's only the mustache that makes eating difficult.  I keep mine trimmed, and I know guys who just manage.  If you can't handle the heat, get out the kitchen.  Sacrifices must be made in the path to legendary greatness.

How do you manage that mane?  Do you comb it?  Do you hire someone to handle it? 

Jack: I use a comb, but only because my beard is long.  You don't have to buy into the hype and get a really expensive comb, but just don't use a plastic one.  Avoid seams because seams snag.  Bakelite is cheap, easy, and readily available.  However, most guys only need a quality boar bristle brush to distribute oils and stimulate the face underneath.

And what about the men who have patchy beards?  Any advice?  

Jack: A lot of men's faces don't fill out 'til much later in their life.  Despite evidence that men peak sexually in their early 20s, they might not get a full beard until their 40s.  Rock what you've got.  So what if you've a patchy beard?  Nobody's going to know that because your mustache (or sideburns, or goatee, or whatever) looks so fresh.   

*Build-a-Beard founders hanging with Passion.

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10 Qs with (THE) Jack Passion

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No doubt you’ve heard the name… it rolls of your tongue like the feel of a cool breeze going through your beard on a hot summer day. Jack Passion (http://jackpassion.com and @jackpassion)… say it with us… Jack, Passion… yes, the very same that has amassed two wins in the Natural Beard category at World Beard and Mustache Championships at the age of 25… yep, that author who tackled beards chin on with The Facial Hair Handbook the must have beard growers book… the very same Jack Passion that signs his emails “Love and Passion”… people like that just warm our heart…and yes, the very same with a giant orange beard.

“Jack Passion is to the sport of bearding what Tiger Woods is to the sport of golf.”

— Phil Olsen, Founder and Self-Appointed Captain, Beard Team USA

B-a-B edit: Written on 5/29/2009… yes, that matters.

We try to be inspiring here at B-a-B, but truth be told we like nothing else than being inspired by the bearded community as well… Clearly, Jack is in a league all his own in terms of inspiration; Jack even was one of his graduating class’ speakers at UCSC among other things… we should probably continue writing up this interview while bowing our heads, and you should probably read it as such as well.

Either way, when we heard that Jack wasn’t competing in the 2011 World Championships we raced to meet this bass playing beard oracle to get some answers and gauge what this means for competitive bearding, do German’s cry, what the end of Street Fighter II looks like and much, much more… so, enjoy!

It’s an honor to be here by the side of such a beardo… your follicle awesomeness is an example to us all… how and when did you decide to grow it out and grow it proud?

The honor is mine!  I never gave bearding much thought until I placed highly on the world stage.  Prior to that, my beard was just another in a long line of facial hairstyles that I had worn.  At some point, I had no choice but to accept my role as America's beard ambassador; the alternative would have been to shave - no thanks!  Since that time, a great deal of thought and discussion has brought me and my beard to where we are today.  My beard is my career, and I work hard.

When did the decision to participate in competitive bearding come to be? And why, how’d you even hear about Beard Team USA?

Initially, I just wanted a story to tell my grandchildren one day.  I did not know the caliber of my beard, nor did I even know a fire burned in my heart to crush other men's dreams of bearded glory. Sometimes the spirit of competition must be awakened in the soul, like the premise of any good 80s action sports movie.  I heeded the call to brush and condition my way to the top, a position from which I can hopefully lead by example that a bearded life is an authentic, honest, and honorable one.

Tell us about your first competition on the global level … did other beardos give you a hard time because some of their beards were older than you?

The first world competition I attended was in Berlin, and I "only" got third.  There was quite a bit of outrage, but since it was in German, I had no idea.  Later on, I was told that the older, German elite thought I was totally un-serious and that my pirate costume was disrespectful.  They don't have to like me, as long as they fear me.

My world standings are as follows:

2005, Berlin, 3rd place, Natural Full Beard

2007, Brighton, 1st place, Natural Full Beard

2009, Anchorage, 1st place, Natural Full Beard

We know that people love the beard… did having a few titles help to milk even more love from envious women (and scores of men)?

Yes.  ;-)

Nice, we dig… Anyway, then comes Alaska… you win that championship too… how’d you do it? What is it about your routine that you think sets you apart?

I spell out my entire regimen and all of my trade secrets in my book, The Facial Hair Handbook.  My program is pretty simple in concept, but I actually follow all of it to a tee, and I am unrelenting in my pursuit of perfection -- no detail is to be overlooked.

We will most certainly get to your hairy manuscript a bit later…Why is the natural beard the most coveted title? Did the Germans cry like little babies after your 2nd win in a row?

I don't know if there is one title more coveted than another, but Full Beard Natty is certainly the most competitive because of its size; more than half the competitors at the Anchorage contest were in my category.

I don't know if they were crying, nor do I care.  Nobody can hear their pitiful sobs over the roaring cheers of Passionate victory, anyway. Really though, everyone's a beardsman and after they warmed up to me, the Germans have always been really happy for me when I win.  And if you've ever beaten Street Fighter II as Ryu, it's like that: I'm already on to the next match; I live for the thrill of the fight.

Also, despite the sometimes (ok, often) inflammatory rhetoric, I grow and wear a beard for many reasons higher in priority than competition.  I have made some men jealous, but if there is envy or rage, it is only because I have yet to connect with these guys on a personal level.  If I have a beard and you have a beard, we have something in common of great social and moral significance; a bond that makes us real friends before we even meet.

So now you are a two time champ, and yet you chose to not compete in the upcoming National Championships… what’s the deal? Is winning THAT boring?

I've logged the forest bare, and I need to let a few bearded trees grow again so that I can obliterate and tarnish their family names for all time once again.

I've been a very prominent figure on the team, and since we're hosting it, I thought it'd just be a good move to sit it out.  When I brought this up, the event planners offered the MC gig, and that's right up my alley, so I took it.  I'm excited to relax and just have a good time with a bunch of good guys over a beautiful weekend in the Pacific Northwest, which to be fair, out-beards Brooklyn 10:1.

I really encourage everyone in beards to come to Bend.  It's super cheap to fly there, and this is not only your chance to do really well in a beard contest, but it's also shaping up to be the biggest facial hair event in history.  Guinness will be on hand to record the number of contestants and spectators.  Beard competitions are finally rising to the level of sports like World's Strongest Man and hot dog eating competitions.  Anyone can do roids and get overpaid to play with balls.  I say let's eat hot dogs, throw kegs over walls, and grow beards!

We'll start booking our trip tomorrow! In the meantime, tell us about your book… is a sequel planned? Perhaps a guide to manscaping, or a tome about sideburns? Stache excellence? Do tell… and also, who is your favorite author?

There is a lot of information on facial hair care in the world, but let's be honest:  There's still a lot of shitty beards, and a lot of guys trying to grow beards end up quitting (and I say quitting instead of shaving, because it really is quitting; as in giving up, folding, submitting, and forfeiting) because it itches or someone tells them it sucks.  I provide the motivation to go beards out, and the skill set to grow and wear facial hair to the best of your biological ability; in a practical and easy to follow format.  Facial hair is an honest and natural thing, and I take a very holistic approach to equipping you with everything you need and nothing you don't.  I know it sounds like a shameless plug, but it really will change a man's life. Plus, it makes a great gift. :)

The book has done really well, and I'm just about to release a revised second printing.  The content is almost identical, but some design things have changed, most notably the cover.

I don't really have a favorite author, but I tend to read a lot of philosophy and other non-fiction if that helps. But when you ask about a favorite author, I have to ask, were you guys trying to get me to plug garyvee? 

Haha, thanks for that… but not since he shaved... You’re an author and we figure you must be inspired by someone… bearded philosophers surely fit that bill. Finally… have you heard of Mane n’Tail, if so… would you recommend it or even use it?

It smells good, it's inexpensive in bulk, and it gets the job done well, but it's a age-old myth of the beard community that it's some miracle beard wash/condish.  Beard hair isn't head hair, but it sure isn't horse hair, either!  That said, if they offered me an endorsement, I'd take it.  You can do better ($$$$), but you can do muuuch worse.

Party Tip: For The Moustache That You Love

Andrew W.K. is throwing a 'stache party tonight at his den and all of New York City is encouraged to attend.  "For the Moustache That You Love" is a benefit for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society that features Andrew W.K. on solo piano, Roadside Graves (an incredible seven-piece ensemble), the Dirty Projectors' vocalist Angel Deradoorian, and Brooklyn's Mon Khmer (a Berklee-trained quintet, mind you). 

Doors are at 7:00 p.m. - tickets are $12.00 - purchase them HERE. 

Conan, B-a-B is with you!

Our favorite late night talk show host will be on 60 Minutes this Sunday talking about his transition to TBS among other things... and now there is a leaked story that positions CoCo's statement that he "wouldn't have done that" (referring to Leno giving away, then taking back, The Tonight Show).

We here at B-a-B feel that regardless of what Conan said (or will say) on this matter, we stand behind him... he is correct in saying that there are things he wouldn't do that Leno does/did, and conversely there are things that Jay doesn't do that Conan happily does with a hairy smile... like, GROW A KICKASS BEARD.

For that, among many reasons (most notably that Conan's HS Alma Mater is the same as mine,  Brookline High School FTW!)... we salute you Conan and stand with you chin to chin. GO COCO, GO!

P.S. Even if Jay was to grow a beard (and with his chin it would sure to be HUGE), we will not support him... that time has passed, and the ship has sailed... we will however report on it if it does come to be. Below is an artist's (albeit a bad one) interpretation to hold you over.

P.P.S. David Letterman... we do recall your awesome beard... when's it gonna come back? bring it back David, bring it back!

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10 Qs with Scott Newitt (The Firefly Guy)

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"I'm going, I'm going, where the water tastes like wine.
Well, I'm going where the water tastes like wine.
We can jump in the water, stay drunk all the time..."

-- Going Up the Country

As you likely know by now, we are huge fans of the bearded businesses, businessmen, products and technologies (would also have accepted: innovations, solutions, or initiatives)… That said, we support nearly any and all beardos and stache wearers with a story, we even stand chin to chin with some goatee wearers… but from time to time, a product comes along, that we would support with or without a bearded angle… one such amazing entity is FireFly Vodka.

First a quick story…

As far as we are concerned, it was me (El Beardo) that discovered a sweet nectar of the gods called FireFly Sweet Tea Vodka for the NYC market a few years ago... While on a road trip to Charleston SC, my wife and I stumbled across a drink called 'The Carolina Cocktail' (aka FireFly sweet tea vodka, lemonade, ice with a dash of club soda)… at the time the young company wasn’t exporting its distilled goodness across state lines… never being the ones to take no for an answer, we went to the closest liquor store in town and bought a case… which we proceeded to distribute to our friends in the NYC area… fast forward a year, and wham… FireFly was on the top of everyone’s tongue, and swishing in all of our mouths. A legend was cemented

…now to resume our programming already in progress…

It should come as no surprise then why B-a-B asked the good folks at FireFly to sponsor of the 2010 Brooklyn Beard Ball… which they graciously did, by donating a full case of Sweat Tea Vodka to be flowing through our veins that one magic night in Greenpoint… to reinforce our perspective that everything can and should be connected back to facial hair, lo an behold, the founders of the distillery are BEARDOS (one ongoing, the other intermittent).


So, when given the chance... it's needless to say I raced down from NYC back to Wadmalaw Island in South Carolina to sit down with co-founder, and a full time beardo (since 2007), Scott Newitt, for a chat about where booze and facial hair cross, and who exactly are straws made for… expectantly so, the day started and ended the same way, with a few John Daly’s.

1) Tell us the history of Firefly... we've heard rumors of Kettle One defectors, secret recipes, unique distributors and much more... what's the real story of FireFly Sweet Tea Vodka (aka nectar of the gods)?

My partner, Jim Irvin, "Sometimes Bearded" and myself, Scott Newitt, "Always Bearded" met in 2003. He is a winemaker and I was a Liquor/Wine Distributor. He hired me to represent his wines. We became friends and I showed him my still in 2003.

We started Firefly Distillery in 2005 and made our first vodka out of his muscadine wine. We introduced the world's first Sweet Tea Vodka on April 15, 2008. He and I own the company and will not sell out to the big guys. We love what we do.

Loving what they do... Co-founders Scott and Jim, with production manager Jay

2) Does FireFly use American tea for the infusion? We know there is only one tea plantation in the US (surprisingly), if you do use them (or if you've just had their tea) how's the quality... can we take India and china on?

We started off using only American Tea but as we grew we had to source outside the US. We still use tea from the Charleston Tea Plantation and are the only liquor company to get there tea. It is fantastic tea and indeed the only tea plantation in North America.

3) How did the other flavors come around? How can we get on the focus group list...?

I looked at flavors that were working for companies like Snapple. Their top 2 flavors are Peach and Raspberry and so are ours. WE will start checking out next year’s flavors in October. Come on down.

4) What is the best way to drink FireFly sweet tea vodka?

I like it poured over crushed ice. I then let it melt for 2 min. Then drink! That is my favorite. The most popular drink is 1/2 Firefly and 1/2 Fresh Lemonade. Lots of folks call it "The John Daily"

5) How long have you had your beard? How was the decision made?

I have had a beard off and on for the last 20 years. In 2007, I decided to keep it. My wife likes me with a beard now. Honestly, I got tired of shaving every morning.

6) Do you think this is 'The Year of the beard'? Have you been noticing more beardos around SC?

I do think it is the Year of the beard. We have many beards in SC. Seems like the 21-29 age group has the most here.

7) South Carolina recently had a beard and mustache championship regional event (held by the good folks of Holy City Beard & Moustache Society), did you go?

I did not make it... I was out of town working and promoting Firefly.

8) Who are some of the beardos that inspired you to grow yours out? mentors? idols?

I love music and old TV shows... so, Willie Nelson is an inspiration as well as Uncle Jesse from The Dukes of Hazzard.

9) What's the best way to drink a cocktail with a beard? Straws are a safe options, any other advice?

Straws are for women and unbearded folks. Beards are designed to pick up drinks and food. I suggest drinking straight from the glass.

10) What else do we need to know about you and your awesome distillery?

I love music and have played the drums since 2nd grade. We just came out with Firefly Sweet Tea Bourbon. It is most definitely a Beard drink.

Thanks for taking the time Scott, keep up the great work on the chin and in the bottle!

Thanks and come visit! Check out www.fireflyvodka.com for latest news and more info.

With the then still honorable (yet never bearded) Gov. Sanford.

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Of Poets and Beards

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 Earlier this week our good friend @Dissentertainer pointed us in the direction of an awesome post about poets ranked by their beard weight... and we thought, hey they wont out do us! So, here we are... and yes, while the post was great (see the compilation photo below and the link to the story) we will not stand idly by and wait for others to dictate their beardly decision to us!!

So, before you peruse their findings (which are excerpted and abridged from The Language of the Beard, originally circulated by The Torchbearer Society, London, 1913... with Commentary by Gilbert Alter-Gilbert) and can be found at the bottom of our post... take a look at our Top-3 Poetic Beardos, and of course... they are part of our community!

Judge for yourself... one of them even comes with his own poem! And speaking of Beardly poems... we found a nice batch of them: Derrick - Beard Poem,  Wallace Stevens - The Well Dressed Man With A Beard, and ghostwolf - Ballad of the Lost Beard.

1) Magnus Holmgren (aka @poetisk) -- We've known Magnus since almost the first day we went live on twitter... and have been trying to get him on B-a-B ever since. He tweets very interesting stuff, and frankly, his facial hair style is nearly unmatched... we love him so much we are willing to look past the New York Yankees hat (dude you're from Sweden, you MUST root for the Red Sox!)

2) Johnny Park (of The Oh Eeks)-- A lady friend of Johnny's got in touch with us about using the below shot... we were smitten rather immediately, but Johnny can thank our Facebook follower Rachel Commerford for this inclusion (even though your beard is rather nice), as we're not even sure that you're a follower of B-a-B... Rachel, you get a gold star.

3) Michael Sesling (aka @poeticmindset) -- We came to know Michael (who resides in my home town of Brookline MA) by way of Magnus... and his Haiku's lighten up our day from time to time. He's a great addition to the B-a-B family, but alas, this short beard will only get you as high up as #3... grow it out, grow it proud!

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Poets Ranked by Beard Weight

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Mane 'n Tail: Fear and Loathing in MHT

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I was somewhere around the office, on the east edge of Manhattan, when the fear began to take hold. I was headed to LaGuardia Airport just as I read a headline about flights to Canada being delayed or canceled because of the ash plume... I got worried for a second, I remember saying out loud "NH is not that high up north..."

Heading to Manchester for a 30 hour business romp, I jumped in a cab, got through security and to the terminal in record time... now facing more than an hour at the gate before boarding... So, as always, I was scouting beards... While there were surprisingly many there that day, for some reason, I wasn't on my game... the blame has to be the rigid environment of airports and the overarching loathing of travel that would preclude me from approaching other high strung beardos... or we can just blame Eyjafjallajokull.

That said, I did see a gent with an interesting and very neat beard style (thick but short trimmed side burns, with a twice as bushy goatee)... Finally, I get on the plane; a worn looking sucker with two propellers, with the landing gear that somehow folds in side them... Scary... Res ipsa loquitur… Let the good times roll.

Upon landing in MHT, and making a B-line to the men's room, like clockwork I came across that very beardo! Clearly, the beard gods were making me tell him about B-a-B and comment on his awesome facial hair DIY... it worked before... so we get to talking, and lo and behold Mr. JD Wilson divulges the secret to his tidy bushiness... it's a product called MANE 'n TAIL... yes, as in horse.

JD went on and on (about bees wax) and on and on (about mineral oils)... all to assure me that yes, while it's true this product was originally intended for horses, it does work wonders AND has a cult following, for HUMANS... all while we're standing in the men's room of the arrivals terminal.

And so dear B-a-B fans, I'm proud to present my bounty of beard scouting from New Hampshire... Search and ye shall find... Per their own Facebook group info:

Mane 'n Tail products were originally developed for horses. People started using the products to achieve the beautiful results they saw with their own horses manes and tails. This is where the legend of Mane n Tail products comes from, by nourishing, conditioning and fortifying the hair and scalp to aid healthier hair growth.

Wow, seriously? Yes, for real... The sages have spoken, the truth is here, the follicles will rejoice...  Bushy, itchy, medium length beards need this product, bad! You can get it here, and by clicking on the magic jar below...

 

P.S. As hairy fate would have it, I had the seat right behind JD on the loud and bumpy ride up north. He was reading the whole time with the overhead light on, it was the right time to snap a candid... which I did, twice, not yet knowing the wisdom his beard was to hold. So I guess the trick is on you JD... cheers.

    

The Great 'Stache Debate

It is time to meet tax policy professor John Yeutter and familiarize yourself with the St. Louis-based American Mustache Institute.  Why?  Last week, they proposed that mustached Americans get in on the stimulus money.  Prior to the deadline to file income tax returns, the professor and AMI pushed for The STACHE Act, which offers incentives for people of Mustached American heritage in the form of the a $250 deduction for expenditures for mustache grooming supplies in the determination of Adjusted Gross Income (we couldn't even make this up if we tried...). 

AMI is an advocacy organization protecting the rights of, and fighting discrimination against, mustached Americans by promoting the growth, care, and culture of the mustache. The organization stated that the current system of our government "provides a disincentive for the clean-shaven to enjoy the mustached American lifestyle."  They argue that the stimulus money could be used not only for trimming instruments but for wax, combs and mirrors.

If you wish to read the white paper on the study, sign the petition, and download a form to write to your congressman - click HERE.  More information on The STACHE Act:


Mustaches have been making headlines lately - Associated Press dedicated an entire story on the history of John Stossel's 'stache, Huffington Post dedicated an entire slide show to media mustaches, Charlie Sheen lost his mind and faked one for "fun," and Zac Efron grew a 'stache at Coachella. 

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Patrick Melcher: Beardo, Stache Champ (Skater)

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Thanks to our good friend Scott Baldwin (aka @scbaldwin) for alerting us to a beardo interview deep within the pages of GQ... we know, we know, we're pretty shocked too (but it's about damn time)... upon closer review,  we here at B-a-B have found a new hero, in one Patrick Melcher.

While we've written about awesome skater beardos before (Scott Herskovitz: Proving it Doggy Style) and we've supported beardo skater art for some time (i.e. Art Bombs creations on Tumblr)... Patrick's feat is not to be outdone -- and we're not just talking about being a proud beardo in the pages of GQ). In addition to throwin it down on the street (do skaters throw down?), Patrick got 2nd place at the World Beard and Mustache Championships, yeah that's right... 2nd place! And how could he not, check out his awesome facial DIY creation below, as well as an excerpt of the GQ interview.

Check him out, he's worth it...

"GQ: How did the 'stache come about?
Melcher: My teammate Richie Jackson was the direct influence. And I grew this really neat mustache, then put it on my webpage, and this dude contacted me. "You should join our beard club." So I joined the Bristly Chaps of Los Angeles beard club, and they invited me to the world championships in Anchorage. So I went and won second place for the Imperial Mustache. It was in the L.A. Times, TMZ, and on CNN."

Melcher has Gentlemanly Qualities from 2HeadedHorse on Vimeo.

The National - Baby, We'll Be Bearded

The National.  Not only is this band of New Yorkers transplanted from Ohio music to my ears, but they're not bad on beards either.  During Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers, Cherry Tree (EP), Alligator, and Boxer, the band sported some spotty (if not - barely existent) scruff, but it seems that with the release of High Violet on May 11th- all beardos are on board.  

Before, singer and songwriter Matt Berninger (currently living in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn... yea, we stalked it out) could be recognized for his distinctive, deep, baritone voice - but now his bushy beard is keeping B-a-B's full attention. We are huge fans of The National and to this day, one of my all-time favorite interview answers came in 2008 when NY Magazine wanted Matt to describe the strangest comparison he has heard so far about describing his voice: 

"It's like chocolate and wool." I'm like, "What?" Someone else said I sound like a combination of Ian Curtis and Rain Man, which I thought was good. Even when it's an insult it's sort of flattering.  

Upcoming tour schedule can be found HERE.  I'll be scouting beards in July at Prospect Park for this concert so come find me with your best DIY facial hair.  
*High Violet tracks

What The 5 O'Clock Shadow Is Really Telling You

Ladies, did you know that a man's beard grows the fastest when he anticipates sex? Could this be the reason why so many hipsters in Brooklyn and the LES are sporting (and sprouting) beards lately?  The recession economy has forced many laid off workers to sit around and look longingly at their spouses... and what else is there really to do while you wait for your unemployment check to arrive?  

The reason for this beard-growing phenomenon is apparently rooted in hormonal activities. Facial hair, a secondary male sexual characteristic, is largely governed by production of male hormones called androgens. Indeed, one of these compounds —testosterone—is known to be released in greater quantities during intercourse.  As such, there is also a release of androgens with the anticipation of sex - causing those who sport facial hair to have it grow leading up to the act of copulation.  You can read more about interesting man facts here.  
** Obviously waited a long time for some action **

Beard Economics: Paul Krugman in the Right

Earlier today I stumbled (by way of Riss and by @weareyourfek) on a Village Voice blog post (Shots Fired: New York Times Columnists Andrew Ross Sorkin and Paul Krugman's Beef Officially Cooked) which dissects a recent (and now ongoing) beef between New York Times staffers Andrew Ross Sorkin and Paul Krugman... the topic was nationalization of our banks... *yawn* we don't dive into politics as a priority at B-a-B (that's why Riss and I get along so well), but we wanted to throw our hat into the debate.

The post goes on to describe the many and various shots fired from each camp, the supporting articles, countering experts, and a bunch of other financial and journalistic yadda yadda yadda jargon... for us though, the question is not whether Andrew mischaracterized Dr. Doom's (NYU's Nouriel Roubini) words, nor is it about what's the right move for the economy (though everyone should read: Hairy economy trend: Beards are back)... the question is simple:

BEARD, or NO BEARD

And the answer is even simpler!

GO BEARD, or GO HOME

We don't need to read articles upon articles, tap experts, talk about finance, examine global economy or even understand the Swede model for bank nationalization, to figure out at the end that Krugman is in the right (sorry for the spoiler)... Not only is he the bearded party in this spat, but he's a Nobel (another beardo FYI... though Karl Marx was too...) prize-winning economist for crying out loud!

Carstache™Is Made In The USA

Every car in America needs a Carstache™ - a $39.00 mustache you can proudly put on your car as you pick up chicks, dudes, groceries, and respect.  The makers of Carstache created this hairy hood ornament "purely because we think it’s funny. No other reason. It’s unexpected and it makes people smile."  Naturally, B-a-B cannot help, but love it as well. 

We love it so much in fact that we'd like to interview the founders... so get in touch with us! To all the Carstache owners out there, don't forget you can submit photos of your glorious automotive 'staches HERE.   Thanks so much to Whitney for bring this to our attention.  

ZDNet - The Bearded Choice

Did you know that those who rock beards in traditional media and the blogosphere write better than their shaved colleagues?  It is true.  Why?  Simple put: beards are awesome and they impact every part of a person's life in a positive fashion.  Beards - by nature - push expressionism, they give those experiencing writer's block something to touch that helps them breakthrough to their next genius point, and beards can be used as a distraction - to get the hard hitting questions answered as the interviewee becomes memorized by the facial fuzz of the reporter. 

I stumbled upon this post by ZDNet (written in March 2010) and was completely impressed by how many people on their staff #proveit --

What other work places encourage the beard or goatee to such an astounding degree? No outlet can compete with such facial hair fury, which makes ZDNet Build-a-Beard's #1 choice for hairy tech gurus. 

Dana Blankenhorn proving it wisely: 

Our Thoughts on Manscaping

Around the frenzy of Beard Ball Brooklyn, we got a request from a lovely reporter/blogger/beard lover April Peveteaux for an interview for a possible feature in New York Magazine (which is one of Riss' life goals, FYI)... alas, the stars didn't align and B-a-B was cut out of the hairy coverage... no matter, what was NYMag's loss, was our gain. April and B-a-B founders have been friends ever since, and she even graced our presence at the Beard Ball Brooklyn (see below, surrounded by beardos... one of them being her hubby):

April's genuine love for beards cannot be denied (even by her own words in a recent post titled 5 Things About My Love Life, loving a man with a beard is on the list)... So, it goes without saying that when April tells us to jump, we ask how high... And ask us to jump she did... this time for a blog group she's writing for called The Stir.

Last week April sat Riss and I down for an interview about the beards from below, that is to say Manscaping... What resulted was an introspective look at the hairy theme, with our 'expertise' at the forefront... thank you for everyone who helped us with the post, your thoughts and points were well noted, and in some cases even used!

Check out the post here: Manscaping: Yes or No?

          

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H. Ross Perot - Adam Lisagor Is Keeping His Beard

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As promised, the second installment of our interview with Adam Lisagor has posted for your bearded enjoyment....

Q: Do a lot of your friends have beards?  How does corporate culture impact your bearded decision (or not)?
Not many of my friends have beards, actually. And that may be for many reasons: their careers may preclude the option, their personal style may conflict with the ruggedness of a beard, but I think most often it's just that their sissy faces can't really support the follicular activity. Every time I have the beard conversation with a friend, it's always, "Oh, I can grow hair here and here, but it never comes in here." And all I can feel is sad for them, the way my friends felt sad for me when I was 15 and hadn't yet sprouted in my crotch or armpits.

I'm self-employed, and even if I weren't, I work in an industry that favors those who look like shit at all times (the sitting-in-front-of-a-computer industry). So I have no impetus to ditch it for the furthering of my career. I read once that as a CEO, H. Ross Perot actually forbade the wearing of beards among his male employees, which just strikes me as pure fascist bullshit and I'm glad he lost the election because I'M KEEPIN MY BEARD, H. ROSS.

Also, at 32, I've sort of settled into my level of stockiness and girth. I wouldn't like to see what my bare cheeks look like at my current BMI. This is always a consideration for any bearded man.

Q: What beard - throughout history - has inspired you?  Do you have a bearded hero?
I've always admired Stanley Kubrick's beard, because he always looked like he cared just enough to get dressed and trim his beard to avoid overgrowth, but that he had enough on his mind to keep him from caring too much. And I think our growth pattern is very similar, even on the head part of the beard, which I guess, is just called hair.

My other bearded hero is this guy, and I don't know his name. The "show me you're nuts" guy from "Kentucky Fried Movie" (1977). It's the way guys in the 70s used to wear a beard—just classy.

Q: How do you feel about the current beard trend?  Is this good for the movement? Do you feel there might be backlash?
How do I feel about the current beard trend? It's fine, I guess. If all the beards went away tomorrow, I'd feel better about having mine. It never feels good to look like everybody else out there. I get so dismayed when I go to a party, or am out in public in a major city like LA, where I live, or Portland, where I go often, and see so many dudes that look just like me. It comes down to Freud's narcissism of small differences, where the more they look like me, the more reasons I have to find to distinguish myself from them and hate them. Like, "Oh, that guy? His beard and glasses make him look so Jewy. Jew Jew Jew Jew JEWY JEW. [Note: I'm clearly Jewish, but there is no greater compliment to pay to a Jew than to tell him he doesn't look Jewish.]" Sameness breeds a lot of hatred in counterculture. No one wants that. So I'd be fine if the trend took its leave.

Q: Did you attend SXSWi?  What did you think about the amount of beards that were there?
I was there for Interactive, but honestly, I didn't notice. Again, I live in LA where beards abound, so there was nothing out of the ordinary about Austin during SXSW.

Anything you'd like to tell us/share/link to?
Today on putthison.com, the men's style show I do with my partner Jesse Thorn, Jesse did a post about facial hair options which I found pretty good. Someone wrote in to ask us about facial hair and Jesse fielded the question (since I don't really contribute to the blog, but Jesse does an amazing job), basically instructing the dude to avoid goatees at all cost, which is a solid piece of advice, for sure.

I guess I've never asked my girlfriend of seven years, Roxana, how she feels about my beard, or whether she'd prefer me clean-shaven. I know for sure that it's better to be either clean-shaven or have a longer beard because a short beard or stubble is just irritating to the face of the person with whom you're necking, so that's a consideration. But she has a good sense of style, as the editor of the men's style site Nerd Boyfriend, and I trust that she'd tell me if I looked like a doofus.

Adam's sweet beard & iJustine
 

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Adam Lisagor: A Human Under His Beard

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Sometimes B-a-B receives killer tips from fans who scout beards on our behalf.  We were beyond thrilled when a loyal reader introduced us to Adam Lisagor who runs (or writes at) numerous blogs, but is best known for lonelysandwich.  Adam is a resident of Los Angeles and is keeping the city legit by rocking some killer face fur.  He was gracious enough to send B-a-B some interesting facts and FAQs of him and due to the absolute awesomeness of his answers (spanning from Stanley Kubrick's beard, his thoughts on H. Ross Perot, why chin-pads suck, to Freud's narcissism of small differences), this is going to be a special two-part interview.  

One thing is for certain - Adam is serious about his beard.  Luckily, B-a-B is a firm believer that good things come to obsessive-compulsives who fixate. Adam feels that "beards are certainly in fashion, and there aren't any signs of that momentum slowing." Here's a blog post he wrote about his beard a couple years back, in response to a TIME article about their growing popularity.

Below are a few topics that B-a-B was privileged to talk to Adam about....  

Part I 

Background (via Adam)

In its current full-breaded state, my beard has been living with me since 2003. I had a girlfriend during college that was always encouraging me to grow a beard, and I'd experimented with facial hair configurations from the time I could get a patch of hair to coagulate on any spot of my face, but a beard always seemed too manly and, for lack of a better term, too dad for me. And I'm one of those adult males who was emotionally 17 for some time into his 20s, and then 23 until about the age of 30. So a beard was out of the question, at least until I was paying all of my own rent.

The Experiment, Gilligan, & Jim Jarmusch

My first experiment with facial hair was a small tuft on the point of my chin. A Maynard G. Krebs, as I've always called it, after Gilligan's beatnik character from The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. Mind you, this wasn't a chin-pad, which is, was and always will be a mortal sin in the world of facial hair. This was a small patch which signified the wearer as a member of the counterculture in the 90s, when I wore it in my first year of college. I'd been a jazzbo, and the look suited me. A huge fan of Jim Jarmusch and his prematurely gray hair, I even attempted to dye mine gray at one point but I did it wrong and it hurt my face.

Sideburns Central, Luke Perry, & Training To Go Beard

Next came sideburns. Real Luke Perry specials. Something every young man should try once, and certainly better than the other extreme, which is whitewalls, which is the anti-beard, and great if you want to look like you're most at home at a petting zoo or a Civil War museum. During and particularly after college, I smoked a lot of weed, so of course I grew pork chops. Pork chops are training ground for a full beard. And in 2001, beards weren't the rage as they are now. So I had to ease the world into my hairy face, or vice versa. The world had to ease me into my hairy face. Just look at the size of that J!

The Dude 

Anyhow, as soon as I grew out of my unemployed post-college phase and joined the working world, it was time to try a beard out. And it worked for me. In the 80s, my dad always had a beard, and he looked pretty good. As an adult, I look a lot like my dad, so I sort of think of him in the 80s whenever I see myself bearded. Now, he's done more of a van dyke (which I'm not a huge fan of unless you're The Dude) but it can look not bad on a distinguished older man. Here's me, bearded, and my dad, van dyked.

Remembering Your Face

Every so often towards the beginning of my beard tenure, I'd have to shave it off to remember what my face looked like. See this picture for what my face looks like. But I hate to shave. I hate it. Even in a hot shower, it'd bug the shit out of me, so I'd just stop shaving. And I think that's where the beard mostly came from—laziness. So in addition to signifying membership in a counterculture, it signifies laziness, which is most often part and parcel.

Avoid Enhancing Fleshiness

By now, at 32, I've gone at least 3 or 4 years without having done more than close-crop the beard, and I don't think I will shave it any time soon. My normal grooming regimen is about every two weeks, I'll pull out the Wahl and give it the once over with a #3 guard, and then a #2 and then clean up the neck area. But most important, MOST IMPORTANT, is to go gradually into a bare neck. Don't, under any circumstance, make a sharp edge at the bottom of your beard and leave that whole patch of under-jaw bare. Because it will enhance the fleshiness of your skin and make you look like a dork. In grade school, I'd always get A's on map making by feathering the borders of the land and the water. I apply this philosophy to my beard trimming and it hasn't failed me. Oh, and no chin-straps, fellas. No way, Jebediah.

The Signature Beard & Shooting Lasers

And my beard has, by this point, become my signature. My face is pretty easily maleable, and I have no problem changing my look, so I'm quite sure that many people wouldn't recognize me if I were to lose the beard. Likewise, my thick plastic frames. At some point, I'll get laser eye surgery (so I can shoot lasers from my eyes) and I'll no longer need glasses. But I'm quite sure that I'll still wear non-prescription frames because I like frames and they're sort of my trademark. To an obnoxious point, actually. I get a lot of "Oh, here's a picture of a guy that looks just like you!" and it'll just be some schlub with a beard and glasses, but an entirely dissimilar face. I'll make it clear here and now: knock that shit off, people. We are actual human beings under our beards and glasses, unique like snowflakes and unlike that analogy.

(Stay tuned for Part II....)