On a more personal level, I’m actually pretty surprised at the way the ’stache turned out. That picture on the right there is me doing the WoW Insider Show on Saturday, and the picture down below is me playing a little Rainbox Six Vegas 2 on Xbox Live (I figured I’d get myself in my usual environment). Sure, the moustache still doesn’t look too great (and trust me, by the time you read this, it will be gone, at least until another charity needs my facial hair), but it looks better than I expected. Looks kind of like it actually belongs on my face, and what more can you ask from a moustache?

So yeah, was fun. Thanks for tuning in to see the whole story, and thanks once more to everyone who donated — you are rock stars of a singular kind.

Hey everybody. It’s super late, but I wanted to make sure and get this out tonight, because this is your LAST CHANCE to donate money to 826 CHI for the Moustache-o-thon. As you can hopefully see, my moustache is still pretty thin, but I think it actually turned out quite well, considering. That’s a picture of me listening to the Police (you can almost hear it, can’t you?), taken with my iPhone, because I needed a picture of me and didn’t have anyone else around to take it.

Anyway, please, please, please, please click here if you haven’t yet (and I thank you from the bottom of my heart if you have) to give a suggested $20 to 826 CHI, a great writing center. Here’s what I’ve written so far about this whole thing:

First I told you what the whole thing was about and why 826 CHI was such a great cause (and in fact, if you still don’t believe me, watch Dave Eggers talk about how great it is). Then things slowed down a little bit, but I still updated you with my growth so far. Finally, last week, I threatened some of you with bodily harm, and a good number of you did give money. For that, I am eternally grateful.

But now, it’s shakedown time. I’ve got a ’stache, you’ve got the cash, and it’s time to shell out. You can click here to see all of our growers’ beautiful ’staches and choose your favorite to donate to (mine), or you can click right here to donate directly to me (and by me, I mean donate to 826 CHI in support of my moustache). Again, I’m asking for $20, but you can feel free to give more or less — people have done both so far.

Thanks! I appreciate it! Please do it right now! As for me, it’s after midnight, and I’m going to bed. I need my ’stache sleep.

Ok people. Now is the time to get serious. The first week, I was kind of nice and kind and told you touching things about 826 CHI, this writing center that we’re all going to be supporting. The second week, I was a little timid about my growing ’stache, and I admitted that I hadn’t quite gotten into the spirit of things yet.

But that was then, and this is now.

And the time for silliness is over. Time to get out the wallets and start paying. As you can see, I have grown embarrassing facial hair, and will be wearing it around for another week and a half. I have endured the awkward looks of strangers, the stares of little children. Women believe, wrongly, that I have the conviction that what is on my face is good and decent. And even my parents, who visited me this weekend, hung their heads in shame that their oldest son dared to grow facial hair he clearly couldn’t pull off. I have grown my ’stache, and I have suffered for it.

And so now, it’s time for you, dear supporter, to pay up. Here is the link you must click, and once there I am asking you, from the bottom of my heart, to use your credit card and give a recommended $20 (or less if you must, or more if you can). You can learn more about the Moustache-o-thon if you like, but what more do you need to know? Quite frankly, I (or rather, 826 CHI) need your money, and I need it right now.

I don’t mean to be brusque (though I have to say, having facial hair does make me a little more swarthy, a little less tactful, and a little more forceful, so I may actually be brusque), but it’s crunch time. Now is the time to donate and get that money in. I’ve grown a moustache, and now I’ve got a contest to win. It’s a great cause, the link is right here — please donate now, and thanks very much for your support.

Fortunately, there is still time left to pick up the pace and get things growing. In this, the second of four weeks, I feel like my hair follicles have finally realized that I’m in this for the long haul, and that I’m not going to shave my face out of embarrassment. They’re going to be in it to win it, and I think this week there’s going to be some productive growing going on. And I am committed to showing up at the check-in this week, so there’s no turning back now.

And there’s no turning back for you either: I am growing a ’stache and posting (unflattering) pictures of myself to my blog, and so you’ve got to give, too. Please click right here to donate (a suggested $20) to 826 CHI in my name. I am working on coming up with a fun way of thanking each and every person that gives (although if you want to give anonymously, that’s more than welcome as well), so believe me when I say that there is something fun in it for you.

Not to mention that you’ll continue to get updates and pictures here on the blog. And I promise that the picture will be better — I had to put it together myself because of my unfortunate absence at the check-in last Wednesday, but this week I’ll have a professional do it (and I’ll be clean-shaven, other than the ’stache, of course). So stay tuned, stache fans, we’ve only just begun.