Out of work? At least you can ditch the shaving kit

Whether as a sign of mourning, or simply because it's a pain to shave everyday, beards are popping up on laid-off executives all around the country, the Wall Street Journal reports. Perhaps Al Gore invented the trend:

Facial hair is showing up on more former corporate types. It’s one of those tiny luxuries unleashed by unemployment, a time when people are briefly released from workaday habits and may wish to take stock of their lives before setting out anew. Al Gore grew a beard after losing the tumultuous presidential election of 2000. Neatly trimmed, it looked cozy and anti-establishment as he pursued creative projects on his way to the Nobel Peace Prize.