Not Particularly Compelling First Line

I think its interesting that when I go to these writing workshops, some fella they've hired to speak always says that one of the first rules of opening a novel is not to describe the character. Inevitably, a facet of each "great" book I read is that the author describes the main character. In this case, Confederacy of Dunces, Ignatius is described in the first line then the rest of the paragraph, as follows:

"A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head."

"The green earflaps, full of large ears and uncut hair and the fine bristles that grew in the ears themselves, stuck out on either side like signals indicating two directions at once. Full, pursed lips protruded beneath the bushy black moustache and, at their corners, sank into little folds filled with disapproval and potato chip crumbs. In the shadow under the green visor of the cap Ignatius J. Reilly's supercilious blue and yellow eyes looked down upon the other people waiting under the clock at the D. H. Holmes department store, studying the crowd of people for signs of bad taste in dress. Several of teh outfits, Ignatius noticed, were new enough and expensive enough to be properly considered offenses against taste and decency. Possession of anything new or expensive only reflected a persons lack of theology and geometry; it could even cast doubts upon ones soul."