Facial Hair

After holding onto it for a whole nine days, I finally shaved my beard, er, scruff last night.

But I've gotta say, aside from the fact that most women won't go near you with too much of the fuzzy face, having a beard is pretty empowering.

1) You immediately look more scholarly. Try making a pointless suggestion at work while clean shaven. Then try it with a beard. It's like that old EF Hutton commercial. People listen. Hell, they might even nod.

2) You look tougher. Walking the streets of New York with a beard, I feel like Moses - it's like I'm parting the Red Sea of people on the streets. And if someone bumps into you, he apologizes. And nobody is going to mess with a bearded guy at a bar. You just feel more confident. A beard is the equivalent of a six pack of beer.

Of course, for me, a beard also is a way to constantly remind myself that I can finally grow facial hair.