Day 20: December 20, 2009

Snowstorm madness! Today i find myself stranded in Charlottesville, Virginia. Home to Thomas Jefferson, my home here for a night was the DoubleTree Hotel. I have a new appreciation for Twitter, and Waffle House. Twitter kept us informed of traffic jams (Virginia Dept. of Transportation is very keen on twitter), and Waffle House was the only food source open in the area. My wife and i spent 8 hours yesterday driving through the wildest snow storm i’ve been through since 2006. Well wild for me, and the east coast, and the state of Virginia, where people jump to panic when there’s a mere dusting of snow on the roads. More driving in store today. Final destination is Lynchburg, Virginia. Home of mountains, and home of my wonderful in-laws. I’m looking forward to checking out some people of Wal-Mart. My beard is happy in Virginia so far, facial hair is so ‘IN’ in the south.

Day 19: December 19, 2009

Up early today. Hence bags underneath eyes, and sleepy eyes. I’m not sure why but i’ve made it a self imposed mandatory that i smile for each photo log. Sometimes it just looks forced, which isn’t the case all the time. Today i have a lot on my plate so this is a quick entry. Road-trip to Virginia starting in 2 hrs, still not packed, and snow is called for for today’s weather forecast.

Day 18: December 18, 2009

Today is very uneventful (as in nothing noteworthy to report except for a unnecessary hectic day at work). I cant wait till tomorrow because it marks the first day of my holiday break. This makes my beard happy. Yes, it no longer just a patch of hair on my face. It has meaning, it’s like an entity entirely independent of itself. I am just a vessel. Today my beard hides how i’m truly feeling, its a nice mask.

Day 16: December 16, 2009

Can a beard help negate the effects of a hangover? Lets look at some facts. Hair is made up of a protein called Keratin. The average adult needs 0.6 - 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram (2.2 lbs.) of body weight, so an average male needs:

Average adult male 48 – 63 grams per day

Some days protein consumption is boosted for example after a night out. One 12oz can of beer contains .9 grams of protein. So the general assumption would be that a person who drinks a lot of beer, is more conducive to hair growth immediately after that period. Which means all that beer is being sucked up by those hair follicles. Interesting theory, but after some field research, its completely irrelevant. I have a hangover today and my beard did nothing to help my poor body. Although, a beard is a nice topic of conversation on a night out. So hence, cheerful mind + cheerful body = cheerful beard.

Nine more days till the completion of my little project.

Interesting factoid for today:

‘The Worlds Most Interesting Man,’ as coined by the beer brand Dos Equis, is an elderly gentleman with a beard. When asked why the brand chose a senior citizen as the star for the campaign, their response was: “The Dos Eqis ads opt instead for an appeal to dude’s self-conception, placing the focus on older gents who serve as models of masculinity.”  Interesting, very interesting.

Day 15: December 15, 2009

Can a beard spread cheer? That is not proven yet, BUT a beard is an excellent concealer. Historically beards were once one of the most popular disguises, in part because they not only concealed the face but also provided a visual distraction. Of course now, if someone tried to say, rob a bank with a beard disguise, i’m sure it would set off some sort of national security terror alert.  Of course, those with real beards are privy to the feature erasing powers of the beard. Makes you wonder what all those people with facial hair are hiding underneath it all. I guess its harder to read someone’s face with a beard getting in the way. So as my hair grows i become increasingly more mysterious. 10 more days to go!

Fact for the day:

The state of Massachusetts, in its state laws, has a tax for sporting a goatee. This one is not an urban legend, history traces this law back to Peter the Great. Apparently he despised facial hair.

Day 14: December 14, 2009

Today I spread cheer! I noticed today that i’m getting nods of approvals from strangers with beards. It must be an unspoken seal of approval. Although today my face has been itching like hell. I helped deliver some gifts my wife and I bought for needy kids. I’m hoping my kid (whoever he is) likes his new skateboard. Its nice to give for a change. 11 more days of beard growing to go!

Random holiday factoid:

Children whose families celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas have a 97% higher chance of getting socks as gift. Hmm… Oddly enough, i DO need socks this year.

Day 13: December 13, 2009

Can my beard spread fear or cheer? We’re not quite sure yet. This week i’m going to get more into why i’m doing this silly little beard thing. I can’t fly with a beard, well i can, but it just makes my trip through airport security a hassle at times. I think i’ve been through almost all of the security machines, (except for cavity search), from stepping into a glass box that blows air around me, to various levels of patdown’s and checks. There have been high points though, i’ve had some nice conversations with TSA employees, who have been gracious enough to explain their rules, and what their various procedures entail. Most of the experiences have been very polite, while others not so much. My worst experience being Vancouver, BC. I do hafta say that’s the one time i felt publicly humiliated, being searched in front of the whole security line, while some dude essentially gropes my crotch. It didn’t help that i was the only person flying first class who was pulled aside to be searched, without any explanation or without being allowed the courtesy of being pulled aside from the line to be patted down. UGH!

Anyways, i’m glad for those experiences because they have given me a better understanding of society, how people react, and what motivates them (worry or fear). I’ve realized that people make a lot of assumptions & decisions based on the need to fulfill a duty, its just a job, without really feeling the need to consult their own conscience. If i can make light of the subject in a humorous way i’ve done my part. The holiday season is a time of joy and thanksgiving, i’m hoping my little beard can spread cheer with every interaction i have everyday.

Day 12: December 12, 2009

Do beards make good shopping buddies? Absolutely! As it turns out today was the Annual Santa Pub crawl. Sounded like a natural fit for an activity meant to spread cheer (or public drunkenness), instead i opted for a trip to the music store. What better way to spread holiday cheer, with music. I helped my wife purchase a Fender Rhodes piano, what a beauty. I’ll be writing some songs soon.

Today’s beardly song:

“Santa’s Beard” written by Brian Wilson & Mike Love (the Beach Boys)

Listen here, http://lala.com/zAD1

Day 11: December 11, 2009

Is a beard trustworthy? Absolutely. Here’s a fact single women should cherish. If you want a man who will commit, find one that has a beard. Bearded men are not afraid of commitment. In some instances their beards have outlasted human relationships.  Beards if used correctly can be the nestling warm fireplace to woman’s heart.

Today’s factoid (according to google):

The worlds oldest single man at age 115 was an Ukranian named Hryhory Nestor. Its not verified if he wore a beard or not.

Day 10: December 10, 2009

Today is the 10th day of my new beard. Surprisingly i have 15 more days to go. I might change that deadline, because i’ve realized forcing myself to write blog journals has made me think think more introspectively about what i’m doing in my daily 9-5. Today was a holiday party for my 9-5 job and i realized i need to be more careful of my thoughts. A beard is nice, but as someone pointed out to me tonight, its not always a mechanism by how people judge you, but it very well can be. I believe that. I wish a beard could make you invisible, that would be an nice superpower to have.

Fact for the day:

Christmas is in 15 days, no-one can mess with that!

Day 9: December 9, 2009

16 more days of glorious facial hair excess left. Today i learned the number one topic of conversation among the bearded. The issue of itchy faces. Maybe the whole stroking a beard appearing pensive is just a cover for the orgasmic pleasure of scratching an itchy face. I haven’t reached that point yet, i am still holding it together.  Onward!

Random Facts of the day:

Number of inches whiskers grow per year: 5.5.
Length of beard an average man would grow if he never shaved: 27.5 feet.
Amount of time an average man spends shaving: 3350 hours.
Number of whiskers on the face of the average man: 30,000.

Day 8: December 8, 2009

17 more days to go. Here are some comments i’ve been getting: ‘man that’s a nice growth on your face’ and ‘dude, thats a nice moustache’ and ‘hmm… getting enough sleep?’ and ‘is that some sort of religious thing?’

Fact for the day:

Facial hair grows at an approximate rate of 1/2 an inch every month*. So potentially if i refuse to shave for a year, thats a 6inch beard. I wonder how cheery i’ll be at that point.

*stastic courtesy of Hairfinder.com

Day 7: December 7, 2009

Can a beard really spread cheer? So far so good, although it takes much effort to smile with facial hair. How so? Well imagine the feeling of a thousand tendrils moving independently every time you twitch, smile, or frown. Even so i power on, i noticed a lot of pleasant surprised looks from strangers as i flashed a friendly smile every chance i got.  18 more days to go!

Beard Fact for the day:

Historically facial came with some serious implications. In Ancient Egypt beards were associated with mourning and and seen as very unattractive and yet nations in the east looked highly upon a gentleman who had a beard. So much so that punishment for adultery was to have the beard of the perpetrator cut off in public. In Roman times it was customary to consecrate the first growth of beard to a god.  I’m glad we all decided to lighten up.

Day 5 & 6: December 6th, 2009

Holiday Cheer or Fear?

The beard’s setting in nicely now, day 5 spent sprawled on my couch with a strange stomach bug/fever. Needless to say i’m feelng guilty about a no show on saturday, but i’ll hafta live with it. What i did learn this weekend though is that scruffy facial hair does NOT keep one warm in bilstering cold weather. Second thing, its possible to get bed beard (kinda like hat head, bed hair) with scruff.

What else, oh, yes. I had a nice conversation with a nice woman at the dog park today. I noticed the conversation went on for longer then the usual dog park small talk.  After a lengthy discussion about origami dog beds, and dog breed fulfillment, i thought to my self, hmm.. maybe she likes talking to people with scruffy faces. Since no one else at the park seemed keen on a conversation, and I being the only hairy faced one. But then i noticed we were both clad in flannel, so maybe it was a mutual flannel attraction, as it turns out she was struck by my dog’s good looks. A lesson learned in social anthropology.

So, i’m quite visibly entering that no-mans land – between stubble & full beard – either people think i’m lazy or i’ve ‘let go.’ No random facts for today, just thoughts of sleep, stay tuned, 19 more days to go.

Day 3: December 4, 2009

Holiday Cheer, or fear? Can one individual beard spread cheer? Or will it illicit fear? Day 4 is a success. I woke up this morning to a slight itch on my face, it was a new hair sprouting. I was pleased, and ever so slightly concerned, at the nice even spread of hair on my face. (it grows faster than i thought) 21 more days to go, don’t forget to vote, cheer or fear.

Random Learning for the day:

There are 40,049 people with the last name “beard” in the United States. *

Interestingly enough Texas has the highest concentration of people with the last name “Beard” (4,017 people). The stastics dont mention if these people actually have beards. I wonder if there is a national statistic of the number of people in the US with beards, and how many of them belong to caucasians and people of color.

*Statistics provided by WhitePages.