Congratulations!

By this point, your beard has not only shored up that weak chin of yours, but it has probably become your most trusted adviser. Well, consult him now, because a decision is at hand: Do you take a picture of your new macho look and head back to the civilized world, or do you look at the horizon toward the “MaBeGroMo Champion” title?

The extended MaBeGroMo challenge closes on February 14th. Not only will your protected jowls thank you when Old Man Winter throws piles of snow at you over the next few months, but you’ll also earn the title of “MaBeGroMo Champion”. And in this economy, anything that can add an extra line to your resume and keep you from wearing a ski mask can’t be all that bad.

If this is the end of the line for you, thanks for joining in and we’ll see you next winter. If you’re continuing on, we’ll send a search party out for you in six weeks.

Good luck everyone. Thanks for participating, and happy bearding.

More information about beards can be found on my beard page.

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Eight years.

Well, the gents and I have started in on MaBeGroMo, so the 2011 beard reaping is done for another year. This year’s pics and story are posted in Beard Shaving 2011.

The Quest For Every Beard Type

Three new styles were added to The Quest for Every Beard Type this year, bringing the total number of beards completed to 36 out of 42. And if beards were money, you would’ve earned a tidy 7% profit with no initial investment. You can thank me later.

As always, happy bearding!

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Thirty days of razorlessness earns you a “participant” title, and those completing the full 75 day extended challenge may rightfully claim the title of “MaBeGroMo Champion.”

For more information, Check out last years MaBeGroMo Mini-FAQ, and we’ll see you on the hairier side of 30 days.

Happy bearding!

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The Mustache Master

I feel like I ran 6 miles.

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Deep down, you know it is.

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I called in a favor from Mike over at Burning Snowman, who took an exercise in talking to myself and turned it into a short film, which is now available for your viewing pleasure.

Man, I hate this part…

May I present to you: Beardophrenia: The Beard Film.

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And, well, um, due to budget constraints, this post is doubling as your award this year.

Whether you pawn your award or continue on, just make sure you get some good pictures before the razor once again grazes your skin.

We’ll see you next year. Until then, happy bearding.

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With a mere three weeks left to go in the year, the seventh annual picture set has been posted. This year, the Mountain Man makes his annual trek into the city to take on Nu-Metal, the art world, and an internet-stealing wizard.

Check out Beard Shaving 2010 for the full story if you like your beards peppered with strange.

The Quest For Every Beard Type

Eleven styles were attempted and six were added to The Quest for Every Beard Type this year, bringing the total number of beards completed to 33 out of 42. The 2010 Handlebar picture replaced the 2007 picture, and the Fu Manchu, Mega Tusk, and star beard were just too odd to include.

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The fifth annual MaBeGroMo starts today.

Thirty days of no-shave earns you a “participant” title, and those completing the full 75 day extended challenge may rightfully claim the title of “MaBeGroMo Champion.”

Original Rules as handed down in 2005

Rule 1: At some point between now and December 1, you take a “before” picture of yourself and put your razor away.
Rule 2: At some point after December 31, you take an “after” picture of yourself, and decide whether to reunite with your razor or renew your short-term contract with your newly found friend. You may then claim the title of “MaBeGroMo Member.”
Rule 3: If you make it to February 14, you have beaten the extended challenge and can rightfully claim the title of “MaBeGroMo Champion.”
Rule 4: If you make it past February 14, step out of the Home Depot, put down the deer carcass, and shower well before signing up for several internet “dating” services. This is just a suggestion.

I’m regularly asked for clarification about MaBeGroMo rules, so here is a quick FAQ.

MaBeGroMo Mini FAQ

How is MaBeGroMo pronounced?
Let’s start with how it is not pronounced. It is not:

• Mushy guano,
• Macaran-o,
• Magic bolo,
• Meaty Groin-o,
• Rabies, oh no,
• Merry snow ho,
• Nasty grope-o,
• Mister Roboto,
• Majordomo,
• Sonny Bono,
• Mako shark-o,
• Marco Polo,
• Mangy Rambo
• Roll a Rollo
• Han shot Greedo,
• Matlock Groan-o,
• Mecha Godzill-o,
• Bo’s Bolero,
• Mario Cuomo,
• Meet Dave Grohl-o,
• Mail order bride-o,
• Moby Grape-o,
• No pain in this dojo,
• Mug me, grandma, or
• “That damned beard month thing.”

Officially MaBeGroMo is pronounced “Mah-bee-grow-moe.” “Maybe Grow Moe” is also in use, and while not incorrect, it is not the preferred pronunciation.

Should the participant’s last shave occur on November 30 or December 1?
This has been one of the most frequently requested clarifications over the years even though a “last shave” requirement never appears in the original rules. Whether you’re arriving in from Movember, November Beard Club, or just want head start, MaBeGroMo has never had a day zero shave requirement. Head starts are not only within the rules, but encouraged.

How strict is the no shaving policy? Can I trim and shave as necessary?
Unfortunately, The MaBeGroMo Council of Elders no longer has the resources to enforce rules like it did in the golden age of beards, so responsibility for interpretation is left to the participant. For the first-time beardventurer, trimming and shaving are not recommended. Without the knowledge of how an individual’s beard grows, trimming and shaving can end up hindering more than helping. The council recommends that new beardventurers let their beards transpire naturally for at least thirty (30) days. On January 1st, you can do what you want with it. For seasoned bearders, you know what you’re doing, so do what you need to.

Is neck shaving allowed?
Because it’s understandable that a bearded face and a clean neck are somewhat more acceptable in the business world than a wild hobo beard, the neck has become an acceptable shave zone for all participants, if desired. For first time growers, the council recommends against neck shaving until the end of the MaBeGroMo basic period because a novice bearder has a distinct lack of knowledge regarding how their beards grow. New beardventurers who must shave their necks should take care not to shave too close to the jawline while the neck is stretched upward. Doing so will leave the participant with a beard that stops before the jawline, making them look like beard N00bs.

Face shaving is frowned upon, but I have this one stray hair on the top of my cheek. Can I cut that?
Rebellious hairs exist. Excise them as necessary.

What charity does MaBeGroMo benefit?
Charity events like Movember are worthwhile causes, but MaBeGroMo an individual event, benefiting no one but the participant (and the people they lug, haul, lift, chop, and squash things for using their new-found beard power).

Can I just grow a goatee / mustache / sideburns?
Sorry, Evil Spock / Hipster / Elvis Impersonator. Only full beard attempts qualify.

I have a question that wasn’t answered.
For other beard related questions, be sure to check The Beard FAQ.

Good luck. Hopefully, I’ll see the new, badass version of you in thirty days.

Happy bearding.

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If you still have your MaBeGroMo beard, you have earned the right to call yourself “MaBeGroMo Champion” for another year. Be proud, young man, for you have earned one of the few awards available for excellence in bearding.

Whether you run off and pawn your award or continue your pursuit is now up to you. Just make sure you get some good pictures if you decide to shave it off.

We’ll see you next December for MaBeGromo V.

Until then, happy bearding.

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Congratulations!

Right now, you’re probably at the point where you unconsciously rub your beard or mustache to help you through tough decisions. Well, one is upon you: Do you take a picture of your beard and trek back through the snow to civilization, or do you make the run at the “MaBeGroMo Champion” title?

Before you decide, give you’re beard a good rub and look over this list. If any of the following apply, you might not be ready to give up that beard just yet.

You May Not Want To Give Up Your Beard If…

• More than fifty percent of your vocabulary has devolved into well-timed grunts and staring,
• You spend a lot of time battling Sauron,
• You can’t remember how it started, but you’ve been wearing an animal skull as a hat for a while now,
• You wake up in home improvement stores a lot more than you used to,
• You’ve started wearing a lot of flannel and feel like there isn’t a lot that can’t be solved with the swing of an axe,
• You really draw out your R’s and claim to be married to the sea,
• You’ve started wearing a robe and gathering a following,
• People have started calling you “Professor” and asking you to interpret sexually charged dreams,
• You’re running out of hiding places for all the animal carcasses,
• A day doesn’t go by that you’re not throwing lightning bolts and siring other gods,
• You’re stressed out about having only 364 days before all the toys have to be ready.

Will You Continue On?

If any of the preceding points describe your current lifestyle, you might want to consider participating in the extended MaBeGroMo challenge, which closes on February 14th. Not only will your protected jowls thank you when Old Man Winter throws piles of snow at you over the next few months, but you’ll also earn the title of “MaBeGroMo Champion”. And in this economy, anything that can add an extra line to your resume and keep you from wearing a ski mask can’t be all that bad.

If this is the end of the line for you, thanks for joining in. We hope to see you next winter for MaBeGroMo 5. If you’re continuing on, we’ll send a search party out for you in six weeks.

Good luck everyone. Thanks for participating, and happy bearding.

More information about beards can be found on my beard page.

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Check out Beard Shaving 2009 so that you too can see why it’s better that I don’t have a boss.

The Quest For Every Beard Type

Due to the requirements for an in-production beard based short film (and pure pogonotrophic laziness), a mere two new styles were accomplished and added to The Quest for Every Beard Type. The total number of beards completed rises to 27 out of 36.

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The fourth annual MaBeGroMo starts today.

Thirty days of no-shave earns you a “participant” title, and those completing the full 75 day extended challenge may rightfully claim the title of “MaBeGroMo Champion.”

Banners and Badges

If you’d like to advertise your participation in Mabegromo, or simply show support for those making the migration, there are three Mabegromo banners available for you to download and put on your site this month:

240×120

125×125

120×80

Good luck. Hopefully, I’ll see the new, badass version of you in thirty days.

Happy bearding.

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“i was digging on your site, and i thought maybe you would appreciate the poem i just wrote about the joys and challenges of having a beard.”

I’m always grateful that people will take the time to send me beard related stuff, but this guy was asking me to look at a poem. Sure, it was about a beard, but still. Poetry? I was torn between my love for beards driving me to click, and the thought of being reacquainted with the mind-numbing curse of iambic pentameter holding my finger at bay.

I put aside my latest revisions of Life of Riley Week 100, and stared at the e-mail as if some cosmic regex would suddenly appear and devour the word “poem” and replace it with something I had a better chance at enjoying, such as “epic metal saga” or even “clever geek humor based comic”. Sadly, no such words appeared.

I sighed, threw on my two dollar headphones, and twisted up my face in preparation for what I was sure would be a coffee shop poetry reading to an audience full of waif like creatures who wore tiny glasses and had propensities toward giant, ratty scarves that didn’t fit them or the weather. I imagined them snapping their long, thin fingers at the end of the performance in place of applause. Before the thought of the clove filled air could give me a headache, I opened the video.

Within the first thirteen seconds of the start of Big Poppa E’s poem, I accidentally shot a fist in the air and burst out laughing. I was glad that I was alone in my office and that the blinds facing the neighbor’s house were closed, so that no one knew that I had involuntarily lost my cool. I’m only telling you this because we’re all friends here, and I wanted to head off the wave of e-mails letting me know that some errant system error had dropped another couple of XP from my profile in the game of life.

Now, instead of allowing yet another droplet to evaporate from the spoonful of cool that I have been allotted in life, Eirik could’ve warned me what I was in for. Eirik, aka Big Poppa E, is a touring, professional slam poetry performer who has appeared on HBO’s Def Poetry three times. Check out the video, and lets see if Eirik can get you to lose a couple of XP yourself.

Beardo: Slam Poetry From Big Poppa E

For more Big Poppa E videos, check out Why I Got Fired From Apple, Falling in Like, and Poem for a Friend. Further information can be found on Big Poppa E’s website, brokenword.org.

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As Liz Lemon steps off the elevator, Kenneth the page says, “Oh, you’re back. I guess I’m not in charge anymore.” He then pulls a sign off the wall:

Sunufa.

You can watch the The Funcooker episode of 30 Rock on Hulu.

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