Black Beard

So yeah, today's Halloween. One of my favorite custumes of all time is a Pirate, although they all look like Captain Jack Sparrow now. But, this post is dedicated to one of the greatest pirates of all time: Black Beard. Sure the guy's name was Edward Teach, but that sounds really boring for a pirate with such a great beard. Black beard is easily the logical choice here. From the early 1700's until his death in 1718, Blackbeard, instilled fear in everyone who sailed the seas, including other pirates. He was the most feared pirate in the Caribbean and the East Coast of the 13 colonies. When the name pirate comes into your mind, this is the kind of guy that you think of. He set himself up as the Magistrate of Nassau, where he ruled over other pirates and citizens alike. So yeah, cross pirate king off the list of great accomplishments for a bearded lad. During his life, He had received five gunshot wounds and three knife wounds, all of which should have ended his life. He had survived all of them, only falling over with the ninth fatal wound he received. Consequently, the belief in Blackbeards supernatural power became firmly implanted in Caribbean folklore. Sure he was an awful guy who plundered other ships and killed plenty of time, but he did it all with a great beard. I would like to boldly state that he would have been nothing without his beard. Case Closed.

Lumberjacks

This is not dedicated to any particular beard, but more so to a group of people where their occupation requires a beard. Any occupation that includes having a beard be a requirement, makes me want to switch careers immediately. So here's to lumber jacks everywhere, may they never be forgotten. We all know that Paul Bunyan is the most famous lumber jack, but that's folklore. Lumberjacks are all over America doing one of the toughest and most physically demanding jobs around. These people need to have strength and determination, and a beard. I often joke that with my beard, I could be a lumberjack. I love the comparison, but I am no lumberjack. So this is how I choose to honor them, via blog. Hopefully lumberjacks surf the blogs out there so they feel respected. Lumberjacks are not everywhere ofcourse, not every state requires them. But in a few states, they are plentiful. States like: Alaska. In searching lumberjacks, I was able to come across the only lumberjack cd I know of, I really want it. I also found out where I want to go on my next vacataion, and of course, it's in Alaska. There's even a calendar! If I didn't grow up in Ohio, I'm sure I would have been a lumberjack, oh well, maybe in the next life

Paul Bunyan

So, it's been awhile. I forgot about this thing the second I started grad school. Definitely didn't have the time to do this, and I must admit, the list of great beards was running out. So for the triumphant return of beard of the day, I will go with a legend, a classic, an icon: Paul Bunyan. This guy had many things going for him. He was a lumberjack, he was a giant, and he had a blue ox. Sure this guy is a myth, but how sweet are the myths about him. "Paul cleared trees from both North and South Dakota so that the land there would make better farm land." What a great guy he was, a man of the people I would say. Making the Dakotas habitable, what a guy. Also "he made the Great Lakes so that his blue ox Babe would have some drinking water." What a solid fellow, creating a place for his big blue ox to drink water. It's not like glaciers melted or anything, it was definitelly all Paul. And it's not like he's faded out over time, he's still all over the place. "Life-size" statues are definitely a must for a legend. And I'm not just talking about one, I'm definitely talking multiple. All over the place, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oregon, and even in Maine. So here's to the man that will live in beard history for eternity: Good work buddy.