Post what's on your mind now

[Tanith]

My right ear has decided to start ringing for no apparent reason, though I half-suspect it has something to do with my wonky inner-ear and problems with nystagmus.

Anyhoo, if you lived in an environment similar to Wadi Rum, would you rather have a beard or shave clean? Serious question, and I'll collect the answers to determine whether a character of mine has a beard or not. Doesn't have to be a long beard, mind you. Pretend there are no other factors, like your own skin problems, ingrown hairs, etc.

[Black Sword]

You're asking my vanity if I'd wear a beard? NEVER!!! CLEAN SHAVEN ALL THE WAY, BE IT A HELL OF SAND, ICE, OR CHICAGO!!!

Practically, though, it depends on ready availability of shaving materials.

[BenoitRen]

Unfortunately, the West likes to treat Israel like a red-headed stepchild, so the only thing anyone ever hears is the "ISRAEL ATTACKED A CONVOY THOSE EVIL BASTARDS."

How do you know that? From what I heard both sides blamed the other, and it wasn't clear who attacked whom.

[carlsojos]

Personally, I've always maintained a beard since the last half of High School. When I have to be presentable, I'll use a pair of scissors to make it presentable, but that's it.

[BenoitRen]

I'm currently letting my beard grow until there's a federal government. It's a way of protest over here. But usually I shave everything off.

[Wing-0]

My apologies for your friend. For your due busting of chops, if you're so worried about her, why didn't you marry her, then? =p

I detect a complete lack of reading of what I wrote...

@Tanith: I'd rather be clean shaven. I completely hate the feeling of having hairs on my face. Problem is, my skin is way too sensitive and gets irritated easily, even when using creams for preventing that. Result? I have a morning beard much like this:

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j144/ ... -13-52.jpg

...and I hate it...

[Black Sword]

Oy. It was a joke based on the whole "if you're so X, then why didn't you marry Y." Anyway, how'd your friend's friend end up with her Prince Charmless?

Also - preach, brudda man, preach! My weekly suffering at the edge of the razor blade....curse you, genetics!

[Wing-0]

Some English jokes pass way over my head...

And I don't know how that lady ended up with His Royal Lowness... I know from my friend's comments that she's a good person. I'm fearing she ended up in that position thanks to a characteristic SOME women have... To make a project out of fixing an incorrigible piece of human shit. If that's the case... I don't even want to imagine what's going to happen.

On the good side of things... The strike in my university has come to an end. I can continue looking for a job in a more calm way. Also, my cat is now recovering from that emaciation she put herself into... She wasn't eating AT ALL, while she fed five kittens. However, as soon as I grabbed her and placed her in my room along with her five animals, she started recovering...

It... was a depression from being left outside the house... A cat... that acts like a dog... depressed...

I did some reading on siamese cats, and... some do act like that. I just got one of the type that is the most attention demanding... And in fact, here she is, slacking at my feet, while leaving her kittens alone, under a table inside my room because nobody bothers them there. My whole room is like a cat's den... In her eyes, I'm just the biggest cat. She makes no fuss when I'm inside, but any of my family members go inside, and she's there watching no one disturbs her balls of fur.

[carlsojos]

Yeah, cats tend to look at you like that if you spend enough time with them. My outdoor clan mostly recognizes me, although some of them are more feral than others.

Most exciting point of this Sunday for me is the weather. At 8 AM it's already 69, forecast to eventually kiss 85, humidity is through the roof, and a thunderstorm is expected to hit this afternoon. It'll be interesting to see how many bowls of ice cream I go through today, since I started sweating when the thermometer hit 50 last week.

[Tanith]

Two of you have beards? Nice! Carlsojos- I'm incredibly impressed that you were able to beard up in high school. Excellent! (No, I'm not that into beards, but I prefer men at least have the ability to "beard up.")

So I'm thinking, according to my incredibly small focus group here, that IF you had access to shaving supplies, even in an extreme desert situation, it's not unreasonable to shave? I'm not sure why I'm thinking beards are great for desert wandering, but I'm a woman and do not understand the whole concept of facial hair. Except eyebrows. Maybe it's the partial inconvenience of shaving in a place with little water? Eh, whatever. This is possibly the future, so maybe this guy gives his jaw and neck a quick buzz from an electric shaver every morning. No need for water.

I know, I'm over-thinking this. I can't help it. *shakes nearest person by the shoulders* I NEED TO KNOW IF THIS GUY SHOULD HAVE A BEARD, GODDAMMIT!!

Would it help if I mentioned he's a dad with two teenagers? Do middle-aged dads need beards?

Ladies and gentlemen, I have officially gone off the deep end...

[Wing-0]

Yes you have...

Here's why I think beards are BAD for the desert:

1.- Beards keep sweat inside, making it moist and a prime habitat for microorganisms that can give you an infection with zits, bad skin, itch and pain.

2.- Beards also KEEP dirt, dust making said habitat even more appealing for microbes.

3.- Beards keep the skin that falls off your face, adding yet another reason for microbes to see your beard as a five star hotel open to all... for free.

4.- You have to be extra hygienic to avoid these things.

In my opinion, no one with a lack of time should have a beard.

I began bearding up in junior high. I dare ANYONE to beat that.

[Tanith]

Sweat and dirt. Hadn't even thought that. Very good point.

Bearding up in junior high. Yeah, I think you might win.

[Wing-0]

Yay! Gimme cake for winning!

Oh, I do live in a desert, so I speak from experience... =/

[carlsojos]

Two of you have beards? Nice! Carlsojos- I'm incredibly impressed that you were able to beard up in high school.

Yeah, my beard grows pretty easily. The only kicker is that some long beards tend to turn a different color from the rest your hair- My beard is the same exact color as the orange on my housecat.

So I'm thinking, according to my incredibly small focus group here, that IF you had access to shaving supplies, even in an extreme desert situation, it's not unreasonable to shave?

This tends to be a preference that is primarily based on the personality of the person. Clean-shaven tends to indicate a more civilized person, while a rugged beard tends to convey more of a rugged look. A beard is also used to make someone look older, as well. While water may be unavailable in the desert for shaving, some of the guys at my summer camp when I was younger put a sharper edge on their knives (this is actually bad, because it decreases the amount of time between sharpenings), and to demonstrate how sharp it is, they'd use it to remove some fur from the back of their hand or their leg. This can be done with facial hair without cream or water, but it can be dangerous if you aren't focused.

One final thing, a beard doesn't have any special advantage in the desert, as a kerchief is standard equipment in the desert (It's worn around the neck instead of over the head, and if a sandstorm kicks up, it is lifted to cover the mouth and nose to help prevent foreign material from entering the lungs.), but it is a good way to show whether the person looks tough or sensitive.

My friend Andrew actually started getting a mustache around 8th grade.

[Tanith]

*cake for WING-0*

Yeah, I made sure to include scarves/kerchiefs. I suppose I could go typical post-apocalyptic with the face masks, but no thanks. I don't need my story to appear like everything else out there. I'd rather it look like this: http://fav.me/d1zznwi instead of Fallout. (Note: I don't have a problem with Fallout. It's just done to death.)