So what's with all the cleanliness posts?

There's a reason why I've chosen to focus on personal hygiene issues first.

It's because a lot of other people don't.

Look, it's notoriously difficult to correct a bad first impression. And when your sheer animal musk so assaults the senses that people want to mail you a restraining order, your chances of making a second impression are pretty slim.

You might think other people are shallow if they judge you by your hygiene (or lack thereof), and perhaps you're right. But it's still a simple fact: people do make judgement calls about you based on your perceived cleanliness. Further, if you don't measure up, most people won't take the time to tell you. They'll just go out of their way to get out of your way. It won't matter if you're as brainy as Marie Curie, funnier than Jonathan Winters and the first recipient of the Nobel Prize for Charm -- if you're funky and unkempt, no one will ever get close enough to find out. You can spend the rest of your lonely life railing against the inequities of human nature, or you can make it work for you.

Do the smart thing, won't you? Thanks in advance.