In response to reader emails: yes, I still have the beard. It’s filled in rather surprisingly well, and has thus far drawn nearly universal praise. “I normally don’t like beards,” people say “but I think, in your case, it actually kind of works.”

That’s where the consensus ends, however, as nearly every person I speak with also has a different idea of how it makes me look, including: French, Irish, Russian, English, outdoorsy, older, hipper, squarer, more serious, less serious, scruffier, preppy-er. The list goes on and on and on, and I rarely hear the same one twice. If I can get my digital camera working, I’ll post a picture and let readers decide for themselves.