And just as quickly, the beard was gone
So...it turned out to not work so well as a good luck charm, and I mostly shaved the beard off.  I've now changed over to the "evil alternate universe" look and kept a goatee.  It's...interesting for sure.  Mostly in that it has all the frustrations of a beard but twice the maintenance.  I may be a little harsh to my facial hair - I haven't gotten rid of the goatee yet, so it can't be that bad.  Lissa seems to particularly like it, so we shall see if it sticks around.

In not so surprising other news, I think I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by current events in politics.  Cap and Trade and the issues with the Inspector Generals have really been chafing at me, and it's been frustrating to find little common opinion on the topics with my liberal friends.  The recent insanity of Mark Sanford - I mean, holy cow, did that really happen? - has helped eased tensions somewhat, but I have a feeling I'll duck most political conversations in the near future to keep myself out of trouble.

Work is still a grind, life's been busy, and I need to post more.  I hope all is well with you, too.