The End is Near

You see now before you the penultimate edition of the Cookie Duster.  Yes, next week, September 20th, is the last Monday of summer.  I hope everyone has gotten the Mustache he deserves, and so much more.   Don't despair, as there is still a week and a half until Fall breaks, so keep growing.  If you feel brave enough, send in a pic of your personal crop to show everyone how you did this summer.  It's too soon to get misty, so I'll stop right here.

The Mustache in Foreign Art

My wife and I were watching a fine French film the other night (Manon of the Spring - it's actually quite good), and I was struck by how many men wore mustaches in that thing.  Yes, I know that it takes place decades ago, but man oh man, the wealth of 'staches.  The main characters had Cop-Quality gear, meaning their whiskers did not pass the ends of their mouths.  There were other citizens, however, who were sporting the nicest 'naturals' I have seen in a great while.   This visual archaeological find helps to prove the existence of a great wave of mustache popularity.   Easily half of the men in the movie were "packin' stache", which of course made it hard to pay attention to the plot of the movie, owing to the effects of the Mustachial Theory of Perceptual Acuity (discussed last week).  So if anyone knows how the movie ends, please let me know.

Mustachial Heritage

I am very proud to be able to present to you actual photographic evidence of my bewhiskered ancestry.  Behold my father, back in 1908 or something:

It's obvious that I was raised in a mustache-friendly environment.  At one point, my dad had a mustache, long sideburns, and a pipe.  I am still searching for a picture of that, my friends.   Nice dark mustache.  Almost looks fake, doesn't it?  Fear not - I have it on good authority that this thing was real.  Nowadays, sadly, he has fallen off the mustache wagon and into the seedy depths of the beard.  Alas, alackaday.  It is the secret shame of your author that his own father forsakes the Mighty Mustache.   I'm sure that someday he will do the right thing, but for now he lives in the basement.

Here's to the Winners

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON BEARDS

OK, once you've all caught your breath, we'll continue.  This fine specimen is one of the many winners in the 1998 European Beard Competitions.  Despite the misguided name, it does indeed feature Mustaches.   And fine ones, at that.  Have a gander at the home page for the  "Internationale Deutsche Bartmeisterschaft 1999". It's all in German, but don't worry.  Follow the links to the Siegerliste (List of Winners) for the European Competition of 1998 and the German Competition of 1999.   Here you will find the Best of Mustache.   The prime examples of the form.  These men spend years perfecting their chosen Mustache style.  If you want to see when a properly executed Kaiser Mustache looks like, or the way a perfect Fu Manchu should go, check it out.   You will also see our friend Konrad Hecker, who is unbeatable in the Dali Arena. 

While you're at the site, go to the Bartklassen page and see the "Show Definitions" of each kind of mustache.  If you know any German (or have access to Babelfish), there are written descriptions as well.  The link called "Bartclub-Adressen weltweit" presents you with a list of Worldwide Beard (and Mustache) clubs.  Oddly enough, there is no American Mustache Club.   Must be revenge for the "World" Series. 

I must say that perusing the winners' pictures makes me a bit embarrassed about the puny state of my own Cookie Duster!  Then again, I haven't been at it for years.  OK, I feel better.

Last Chance to Shine?

And here we are, at the end of another week's Cookie Duster.  I hope you enjoyed yourselves.  Have a look at the German site and see how it's done.  You owe it to your mustache.  Next week I'll try and wrap up the Summer, and look back on the first "Duster".  I will try to get through it without breaking down entirely.  >Snif<

Drop me a line with your questions, comments, or 'stache reports - XianRex@mustachesummer.com - and I'll make you a star.   This is probably your last chance to be a star, since next week is the last official week of summer, so get those electrons moving and sound off!  I'm going to find a dictionary to see if Kinnbart has anything to do with my Dad's beard, so until next week, Make Mine Mustache!

Don't miss out on previous Dusters:

Preseason
June 21
June 28
July 5
July 12
July 19
July 26
August 2
August 16
August 23
August 30
September 6

Don't miss out on previous Dusters:

Preseason
June 21
June 28
July 5
July 12
July 19
July 26
August 2
August 16
August 23
August 30
September 6