Gay Daddy & Bear Blog: Age Appropriate

MR. Bjarne Melgaard is this week’s Real Man We Admire.

Painting can be dirty work, which is just the way this well-known New York-based Norwegian artist likes it. In fact, it’s a big part of his inspiration. Considered one of the world’s most important living artists (the New York Times called his debut show “like nothing else around”), Melgaard’s work extends to a variety of mediums and explores all sorts of sordid topics, including Norway’s underground heavy metal scene, carnal desire, and some of the darker corners of gay culture. Not such surprising material, considering his rough and tumble persona and bearish good looks. He’s quite a masterpiece, if you ask us.

Some of our favorite paintings from his collection.

Untitled (Kurtis Blow)

Untitled Chapter Five. Who doesn't like a trio of penises?

Untitled (Daddy... Daddy...). We (heart) Daddies!

Learn more about him and his work at the Saatchi Gallery online.

I know some of you aren't going to be into the whole modern thing so what are some of your favorite artists? Let us know in the comments.

We're introducing a new series on the blog called "Real Men We Admire." Each week, we'll highlight athletes, celebrities, politicians and other gay men that are doing interesting, unique, and/or admirable things around the world. We've been featuring the series on the MISTER Facebook page and we're happy to bring it here to the blog. Tell us what you think in the comments or who you'd like to see featured.

MR. Richard Blanco is this week’s Real Man We Admire.

Sorry to break it to you, Beyonce, but you weren’t the only one at President Obama’s inauguration that had people talking. Richard Blanco—the nation’s first openly gay and first Latino Inaugural Poet—had the crowd buzzing over his performance, too, but for all the right reasons. Reading his poem “One Today,” the Cuban-American bard sent a powerful message about the need for tolerance and respect for people of all cultural backgrounds and reminded us all that our country’s greatest strength lies in its diversity. Now that's a vocal performance we wish everyone would lip sync.

Watch him read the inaugural poem:

Here's the text:

"One Today"

One sun rose on us today, kindled over our shores,
peeking over the Smokies, greeting the faces
of the Great Lakes, spreading a simple truth
across the Great Plains, then charging across the Rockies.
One light, waking up...

Money for sex has been around since the beginning of time. It's one of those fun facts that pop up at bars and parties: prostitution being the world's oldest profession. I was recently talking to a friend who's an escort and he was lamenting how hard it is to find someone to date given his line of work. We talked about it at length citing all the reasons it could be a problem for someone: jealousy issues, judgmental friends and family, safety, etc. But even today and with how open and configurable relationships and minds can be, it still seems like dating a sex worker can be a little taboo. I'm curious, what people's thoughts on the matter are. For the purposes of this conversation, let's use the word "sex worker" as a catchall for hookers, escorts, and porn stars. I add porn stars because while we all have fantasies about them, I wonder how okay everyone is with actually dating one. It may come down to something as simple as, I need someone who's got a 9 to 5 job - but what if they do? I think it's easy to write sex workers off as lacking substance, but I know plenty with brains, grace, and heart that lead pretty normal lives. And it's my belief that no one on this earth is any position to judge so what's the big deal?

Here's a few questions for you that should incite some lively conversations in the comments below. Feel free to answer any and all that you're comfortable with:

1. Would/Have you ever date/d a sex worker? If so, what was your experience.
2. Would/Have you ever pay/paid for sex or company? If so, what was your experience.

All too often we front load our new year with resolutions we break with the first three months. Even when we take broader strokes and just come with a few long running goals, they're easy to lose sight as the year goes on and life happens as it does. For the past few years, I've tried to come up with one mantra for the year to keep me in check. Last year it was to live 2012 like it was the last one on earth (because, for all we knew it could have been). This year it's to accept the things I cannot change and work hard at the elements of my life that I can. Sound familiar? It's a more action based variation on the Serenity Prayer. And while I plan to live my life by this theme all year long, it occurred to me that change can happen at any moment. It doesn't have to be the month of January to start making your life a better one to live. And that's probably a better way to look at the year ahead. Not as a way of putting things off, but remembering that no matter how far off track you get or where you end up that things can turn around when you want them to. As Deepak Chopra is quoted as saying, "Now is the moment that never ends."

A lot of people list getting a boyfriend as a resolution. But when it comes to meeting someone, sometimes there's only so much we can do. Being on this site, that's a really great start. But what about making yourself the best you you can possibly be? Wouldn't it be great if you could add a newly discovered interest to your profile? Or maybe grow that mustache or...