HoNoToGroABeMo you have my heart!

We made our goal this year and that is awesome. I also had my best year in terms of fund raising by 200%, which is awesome. Plus, I did this Manly Points thing this year and that was fun and seemed to encourage some others to post more and that was awesome.

Last year I felt like we had a financial success but I didn't take the time to connect with the community as much. I didn't read many posts. I didn't engage in many conversations. This year I vowed to do it better. I read every post and I responded to many of them, either by comments or through the manly points bonus points system.

There were some fantastic themes going on this year as well. I really liked the Beard Anonymous mix and had a lot of fun with Brian's "evil beard".

I want to also comment on the fantastic-ness I get out of HoNoToGroABeMo that I've noticed every year. First, and foremost, I get to help people. Women people...even better. Second, I get to be part of an awesome community full of people who want to help people. Third, it's a huge boost to my productivity. Each year as the school year starts I get busy with that and all my projects in life take a back seat. The self-imposed obligation to post daily here ends up being the kick in the butt that I need every year that kicks up my productivity again. As a result of my time on this site I am fruitful from December through August...and that's no small something.

For the women, thank you HoNoToGroABeMo. For the people, thank you HoNoToGroABeMo. For making me a better person, thank you HoNoToGroABeMo.

Now, the final Manly Points wherein we will discover who the manliest man of the bunch is. Everyone gets a bonus 5,000 points for meeting our goal...this is not reflected below. This time in order from most points to least!

Cmaaarr - 349 (+10 for winning)

Pete - 348 (+5 for bringing loads of cash...and since we know that sponsorship money makes beards grow, and beards are next to manliness...bringing in sponsorships means manliness)

Bob - 339 (+10 for helping to make all this possible)

Jim - 330

Wesley - 316

Kris - 315

Jeffrey - 306

A Dam - 300

Brian - 285

Chooch - 260

Jason - 252 (Not bad for starting a week late)

Drew - 216

Wannes - 209

Michael - 149 (+10 for sushi, -5 for whining about not getting points for it instead of waiting until he had posted about it)

Duane - 145

Brian E - 140 ( I opted to go Brian over Beard A Non based entirely off of funds raised...Beard A Non had it on pics, but as I established before, sponsorships are close to manliness)

Beard A Non - 140

Fred - 109

Chris - 80

And with this...the only thing left to come by the site for now is the highly anticipated Cmar awards.

I'll see you all next year!

Okay, so this is NOT the conclusion of the Manly Points.

I just saw something amazing this morning and had to mention it. When I woke up I was curious who won this thing so I fired up the iPad and checked the totals.

As expected, and in total manly fashion I saw that Cmar surpassed my total by about $40. Very good, Cmar continues to manage to save all his donations until the last day and challenge us all. Good on you sir!

Then I get ready for the day and come out into the living room where my wife says, "I thought you said Cmar won. Pete has over $900."

Confused I double checked. Apparently while I was in the shower this morning Pete managed to bring us to within inches of our lofty goal.

Having been delegated to 3rd place I am going to declare this a win for everyone.

Congrats on the great contributions Pete!

Manly Point finals when I get home tonight.

Good bearding all!

The Bearders Three...and the men who work for them (look carefully behind the beards)

Tonight we had a Meeting of the Beards as Jim, Michael, and myself met and discussed the gambit of beard-related topics. There was how best to clean stuff out of it. How to avoid the mustache itch. And of course tales of beards gone by.

Jim also felt sure that I'd win this thing this year.

I have my doubts. A few minutes ago I checked and I was up on Cmar by about $100...2 minutes later it was a $60 lead.

I thought perhaps I finally had this thing. I don't know that I'll ever out raise what I pulled in this year and so it is that I am proud, even though tomorrow I'll check and see that Cmar passed me up (and in all likely hood, as seems to be the tradition, someone else then passed him up out of the blue sticking me with 3rd place...we'll see).

It's been a good HoNoToGroABeMo.

I've enjoyed doing the manly points...I'll likely come up with a new schtick for next year. Who knows.

This will be my second to last posting. I'll post once more tomorrow with the final Manly Points count so we all know who the most manly beard grower was this year.

So with that said, on to the manly points:

Chris - 70

Beard A Non - 140 (+5 for a meme I loved...I wish it had appeared more often, +5 for the final reveal)

Drew - 216

Wesley - 306

Bob - 319

Duane - 145 (+5 for being one of my recruits)

Brian - 285 (+10 for almost always sticking to an evil meme the entire time that kept me entertained)

Cmaaarr - 339 (+1 for evil, +2 for consistent awesomeness)

Fred - 109 (+10 for being one of my recruits)

Jeffrey - 306

Kris - 315 (+3 for FLUFFER NUTTER and stuff, +3 for posting even if the beard couldn't make it)

Michael - 134

Pete - 333 (+3 for a manly burger, +3 for manly nerf)

Brian E - 140 (+5 for the pic, +10 for being yet another one of mine)

A Dam - 290

Jim - 330 (+9 for sushi and super heroics)

Wannes - 199

Chooch - 260 (+10 for manly helmet)

Jason - 252 (+2...wait, which one is you?)

As the Beard Turns.

Today is the day before the end. Tomorrow I resign myself to a fate of second place at best. Sure, sure. Right now I'm winning this thing. But every year that we've raised money with this manly foolishness first place has raised over $800 and I'm a few $300 short of that.

I have a tradition in the process of begin established wherein I compare this years final beard to that of the previous year. While this is not my picture of my final beard (rather the beard the day before the final beard) I have opted to continue this tradition in this post instead to the post for tomorrow.

Why?

I'm glad you asked.

Tomorrow three serious beaders in the Triangle-area of North Carolina will be meeting up to celebrate the end of a successful fourth year of beard growing with an evening of dining together. It could be a bit of a...hairy situation.

Ha!

Get it?

In the mean time, I want to thank all my sponsors. I have received money from the parents of students. Co-workers. Gamers. And members of forums I seldom visit. And complete strangers.

A special thank you goes out to Matt Goetz and Roxxy Goetz. Unless I get s a few more sponsors entering into the contest by the end of the day tomorrow it looks like I'll have more prizes than entrants (although those sponsors have been by far the most generous from my understanding). I'm hoping that that means that Roxxy will be willing to give me one of the prizes...maybe giving me a pic of my party or one of my key NPCs or monsters (I mostly DM).

There will be a final posting tomorrow...I'm sure it will be poignant and meaningful, but it could also be rushed...so you're getting some of the sappy stuff tonight. While I can still celebrate being in first place before...someone...takes my glory from me.

There were many things I thought to discuss this year. Writing social studies curriculum for the 17th largest district in the nation. How/why I shaved my head and what I've learned from it about the value of doing crazy things for the greater good. The move from 8th grade to 7th grade. The life of a father of two and how it differs from that of being the father of one. Being the father of a school aged child. Star Trek. More D&D. And probably some comics and tech stuff.

Many things to discuss that I just didn't get to. I guess I'll have something to talk about next year...or not...I actually have a whole new idea about a meme I might do next year...but that's 11 months away. Only time will tell.

For now, the meme of my posts from this year...the Manly Points:

Chris - 70

Beard A Non - 110

Drew - 206 (+1 pro/con-lists)

Wesley - 306

Bob - 309 (+1 for begging)

Duane - 130

Brian - 265 (+2 EVIL...only bigger)

Cmaaarr - 316

Fred - 99

Jeffrey - 296 (+1 drama)

Kris - 289 (+1 psychotic joy)

Michael - 134 (+1 manha manha)

Pete - 287

Brian E - 125

A Dam - 280

Jim - 301

Wannes - 189

Chooch - 240

Jason - 240 (+1 because beards are cool...like fezzes)

That...that one right there! You will be trimmed when this thing is over regardless as to what I will do with the beard.

So while others decry the "going back to work" deflation I say, get a better job and quit complaining...we've got beard growing to do here!

I have a problem to discuss quite a bit more manly...the mustache.

My beard, this year, has been quite a non-issue in terms of annoyance. It's grown more strokable than any previous beard and the itchy period was literally only a couple of days. I suspect the conditioner/moisturizer combo was a huge success in this area.

As I mentioned at the start of the month (to provide the voice of HoNoToGroABeMo-ing wisdom) however, the mustache has no solution. The last week or so I reached the point where the lip-beard has started curling onto the soft flesh of the lips. We are at a point now where it's fully there and quite annoying about the whole thing.

The only thing to do about this is trim, but no razor (or trimmer) shall see my face this month, and so I suffer...but at least, thanks to the site here, I don't have to do it in silence.

Quick note, I have 4 sponsors entered into the contest brought to you by Matt and Roxxy Goetz. Based on the amount of the sponsorships, however, we have 6 prizes to give away. So as it stands right now if you were to sponsor me for, say, $5 or $10 right now, you'd have a guaranteed chance to win.

This could change, but hey, worst case, you've helped fight breast cancer. Best case you can get so much more and for a relatively small sponsorship. My wife sponsored me, I'm tempted to enter her into the contest just so I can get one of the prizes myself.

Manly Points:

Chris - 70

Beard A Non - 110

Drew - 195

Wesley - 296 (-1 for cheating poorly)

Bob - 298 (+1 for cat-bearding...which is odd. Cats are definitively not manly, but we seem to have a meme here)

Duane - 130

Brian - 253 (+3 HEY! Those were the droids I was looking for!)

Cmaaarr - 306

Fred - 99

Jeffrey - 285 (+1 for trying to be one of the elites...-1 for failing)

Kris - 278

Michael - 113 (+2 because the contest thing and clues are clever...although perhaps a bit harder than I'm willing to figure out)

Pete - 287 (+1 because terrorizing the local villagers is very manly, -1 for trying to sneak in an extra post in the same day...for shame)

Brian E - 125

A Dam - 270

Jim - 301 (two posts between my posts, but not in the same day...that's 20 points)

Wannes - 179

Chooch - 230

Jason - 229

Sponsor...or else!

Today was a professional day.

I spent most of my day writing curriculum for my school district (recently determined to be the 17th largest in the nation). So next year when all the 8th grade teachers complain about how bad the new curriculum is...that's on me.

Today's writing was all about the Cold War...or rather the start of the Cold War. Communism. Berlin. Iron Curtain. NATO. China. Done.

I also, just about 2 minutes ago, decided to not re-join my professional organization, the National Council for the Social Studies.

I've been a member since I was a student teacher. The cost isn't very great ($60-something for the year). I know it's good to have on a resume. But the bottom-line was this. Even if it was free, I think I'd want to drop it.

I used to pay for it because it would get me access to certain benefits. Specifically, access to register for conferences (local and national) and some professional development opportunities.

However, since moving to North Carolina 3.5 years ago those benefits seemed to have evaporated. There is no professional development opportunities that I'm aware of and my district won't allow me to go to any conferences because that costs money, which we don't have (and haven't had for 4 years, and seem to have less of ever year despite that).

So what have I received for my membership? A mailbox full of junk...er...offers/opportunities and a newsletter/magazine I never read. That's right, I'm paying for the privilege to get extra junk mail and stick a line on my resume saying that I paid a bill once.

So yeah, I'm done with it. I'm reclaiming my mailbox...and those extra dollars...maybe it'll find a better purpose now.

Anyway, that's my rant for the day, on to the Manly Points:

Chris - 70

Beard A Non - 110

Drew - 185

Wesley - 287 (-1 for tempting me with more food when I'm in a weight-loss challenge)

Bob - 287 (+1 because being dirty is manly)

Duane - 130

Brian - 240

Cmaaarr - 296 (+1 for holiday beard)

Fred - 99

Jeffrey - 275

Kris - 278 (-1 for being abducted by Thanksgiving aliens...+2 for leaving me in a unique situation...has anyone else not missed a single day besides me? The usual suspects are falling by the wayside this year, as I recall)

Michael - 101

Pete - 267 (-1 for that very un-manly pose, and -1 for ice skating, the least manly "sport" on the planet, which is why I've never learned to do it, not that I'm bitter)

Brian E - 125

A Dam - 260 (+1 hunting)

Jim - 281 (+1 note taken)

Wannes - 179

Chooch - 230

Jason - 219 (+2 double Muppets with kids day)

Yep...that's the beard. That's where I keep it.

Tonight we had another game night (twice a month, typically). It started an hour late and involved epic tier PCs that we'd never played before. So it highlighted the biggest problem with 4e D&D, combat speed. We had one combat. That said, it was a pretty cool combat, I felt like I was active and doing things, it was a good time.

What's more, it was a one-shot night but the story ties into our regular mini-campaign (I'm taking a break from our 1-30 campaign that we've been running since a few weeks after 4e was launched). Andy, our DM, has been running us through a Dark Sun in a 1-30 game on fast forward. Every 2-3 sessions we jump up 5 levels, so we'll get to experience the breath of the PCs and the different tiers of Dark Sun as well.

Tonight's one-shot was a historical vision. One of our PCs had a vision of the world 8000 years ago, during the Green Age before Dark Sun became the fun place it is today. There were cows. I've been learning from a documentary series based on a book from a historian called Guns, Germs, and Steel...so I happen to know that cows make all the difference.

Long (not really) story short, we were a group of heroes trying to save the world...and in doing so taught a buddy of ours how to cut the world off from the other planes...and the gods...and that's what broke Athas (the world of Dark Sun). Yay...we saved the world, and doomed it to horrible-ness.

It was a good time and I suspect that what we did tonight will come into play in the normal campaign...I have suspect that our current PCs will actually see what's become of our original PCs (who were trapped in the pillars that helped power the magic that allowed the horrible things to happen). Good times. Good times.

Oh, and one of our PCs was a dwarf...so, you know, beard. And we were fighting to save the world...including the 50% that are female. So, you know...boobs.

Connection made...I think I nailed that one. :-)

Manly Points:

Chris - 70

Beard A Non - 110

Drew - 185

Wesley - 278

Bob - 276

Duane - 130

Brian - 240 (+2 for the tree topper, -1 for the lack of evil-ness)

Cmaaarr - 285 (+1 for Cmar vs. Cactus)

Fred - 99

Jeffrey - 275

Kris - 267 (+2 for remembering Evacuation Day, here's to all the one's who didn't survive the occupation of New York)

Michael - 101 (+5 for managing to keep the beard...yay!)

Pete - 259 (+1 for the most entertaining installment of the cat-beard series)

Brian E - 115

A Dam - 249

Jim - 278 (+1 for three-way Jim)

Wannes - 169

Chooch - 220

Jason - 207

Hmmmm...

Today I made a D&D character...manually.

I used to do this back in the 3e days and it would take me a full day of work to craft the PC, sort through the feats, choose just the right spells, etc.

Then with 4e we got the Character Builder. And I got soft. I can throw together a PC in under an hour of ANY level and they are awesome.

Tomorrow is game night and for unique situations I find myself having to make a PC manually again. And so I have. It took me all day, again. Some of that probably because I have inputting things manually on my computer rather than using paper/pencil so that at the game tomorrow I'll get to play from the iPad. This means I painstakingly entered every single power by hand.

Man, that sucks.

And thus, I haven't made a PC without the Character Builder in ages. In fact, a Play-By-Email Pathfinder game I am in/used to be in has been waiting for me to piece together shadow-based cleric for literally months now. And given the time it takes to make these PCs and the lack of said time that I have in my life anymore, I just have not been able to motivate myself to get this PC made.

So I guess I'm too lazy to play games with extensive options and character creation rules without electronic aid. It's a development that's come with old age, I guess. But as I kept doing this thing all day I kept thinking to myself, "what could I have accomplished with this time if I could have used the character builder?".

Such is the sacrifice I make for my geekdom, I guess.

Manly Points:

Chris - 70

Beard A Non - 110

Drew - 185

Wesley - 268 (+1 for the plane of food)

Bob - 266

Duane - 130

Brian - 229 (+1 for a freaking laser beam)

Cmaaarr - 274

Fred - 99

Jeffrey - 275 (+1 because technical frustration is a manly pursuit)

Kris - 255

Michael - 86

Pete - 248

Brian E - 115

A Dam - 239

Jim - 257

Wannes - 169

Chooch - 220

Jason - 197 (+2 nothing more manly than hair done by little girls)

Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Given the kind words and consistent reactions from other Bearders in the last few days I have taken my child out today (before the insanity of tomorrow) to see the new Muppet's movie. After all the (both) good things mentioned about here around here I had pretty high expectations. I can now say, without a doubt, that my expectations were met in every way.

Having little background on the film, outside of the trailers, the whole thing felt like a giant love letter to the Muppets we (some of us) grew up with. Yet at the same time it acknowledges all of the developments of the characters in the last decades.

There is exactly one thing wrong with the movie and everything else was perfect. That one thing, Kermit's voice seemed off. I mean, there are hundreds...thousands maybe...of people out there who do Kermit impressions, surely one of them would have done a job more similar to the original.

But that said, it still totally worked for me and seldom did this push me out of the movie's tale. And let me tell you, this thing was dense. The story was straight forward and simple and everything you expect, but there are so many little jokes and Easter eggs, and cameos and what not that I found myself glued to every detail to try and catch as many as possible.

My favorite (and this may have existed in the original show as well, but my youthful mind didn't catch it). Backstage at the theatre there is a set of stairs. Spray painted stencils above the tunnel read "Crossover to Stage Left" then hanging below it is your standard electric Exit sign. Ha! Exit...Stage Left...HA! I laughed twice (not including in this post).

Still in the haze of nostalgic Muppet love I only hope that this movie is a huge success and finally leads to the return of the Muppet Show. Not A Muppet Show. THE Muppet Show.

And now determine if you are a Man or a Muppet (really, see the movie). Manly Points:

Chris - 70

Beard A Non - 110

Drew - 185

Wesley - 257

Bob - 256

Duane - 130

Brian - 218

Cmaaarr - 264 (+1 for at least having one ball...what's more manly than that? Oh, right, two balls)

Fred - 99

Jeffrey - 254 (+2 Muppets)

Kris - 245

Michael - 76

Pete - 248 (+2 Muppets, +1 Legendary Nog)

Brian E - 115

A Dam - 239 (+1...that's a big bottle, +1 for naming your home Messy Manor...which I should have done years ago)

Jim - 257 (+1 sleepy-time-Jim)

Wannes - 169

Chooch - 220

Jason - 185 (In 3 hours you are officially allowed to discuss that next holiday)

Who is this man with the beard and the secret identity?

So today school is closed. I'm off work. My son is home from school. The wife is still at work. The youngest boy is at daycare...it's father-son day.

We opened the day with a trip to the dentist to transform my teeth into pearly white chompers.

That concluded we have come home for lunch of leftovers and are watching the original Transformers cartoon series. I've had this idea that we'd watch them all from the beginning together. My son has loved it. I...well, I loved some of it. Some episodes/seasons hold up better than others.

Season 3, that which comes after the movie, had the most potential, coming after the very interesting and story-shattering Transformers: The Movie and yet failed the hardest. After the movie and even season 2 (the season that goes for ever...seriously, there's like 50 episodes in that season alone and they're all stand-alone in and out one-shot episodes) you expect to see decent animation...and you DO NOT get it. It's universally poor.

The stories are often contradictory and meaningless. Every other episode is an excuse to introduce a new character, most of which didn't even look good. I get that the goal was to sell toys, but just one corny excuse after another why they are allowed to break the previously established rules about how to make new transformers are thrown out over and over again. And worse, some new transformers just show up without explanation...although that's a trope that earlier seasons also fell into. And the look of some of the new guys in the cartoon is horrible and chunky, I can only assume that the toy versions were worse.

Slowly the animation gets better over the season. The stories don't. And Rodimus Prime (who replaced Optimus in the movie) never really does come off as much of a leader...or even a likable guy after the film. I don't think the writers even liked him because he is seldom used as an important character. Which means when they do use him it just feels odd.

Today, however, I find myself watching the last disc with the boy and, lo and behold, it is good. It utilizes the story elements of the movie and develops characters in interesting ways. It tells meaningful stories that build off of what has come before and seems to be moving forward in cool ways. It is playing up the villains established in the movie that were made into bumblers in season 3.

What a way for the series to end. On a real bang. It's nice that they could finish season 3 well and I look forward to watching all three episodes of season 4 as the week continues.

Now, the Manly Points:

Chris - 70

Beard A Non - 110

Drew - 175

Wesley - 247

Bob - 246 (+2 funny)

Duane - 130

Brian - 218 (+1 because I like you in a beard)

Cmaaarr - 253

Fred - 99

Jeffrey - 242

Kris - 235

Michael - 66

Pete - 225

Brian E - 115

A Dam - 217

Jim - 236

Wannes - 169

Chooch - 210

Jason - 165