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Wednesday, December 6, 2023
Spiritual Strength:
When I was searching for images for my CMNM theme this past summer, I came upon the image above. I loved researching the artist, Arlene Gottfried who titled the 1980 image, Hassid and Jewish Bodybuilder. Arlene, also the older sister of comedian Gilbert Gottfried, was primarily a street photographer, known for recording the candid scenes of ordinary daily life in some of New York's less well-to-do neighborhoods.
Happy Hanukkah!
'The darkness of the whole world cannot swallow the glowing of a candle.'
Robert Altinger
Happy Hanukkah to all those lighting candles tonight!
This year especially, wishing to peace to all the innocent fellow human beings impacted by the current horrors occurring in the Middle East.
Ran Danker: Anak Kokhav
'I drive 180km an hour on all fronts.'
When it came to celebrity to feature for Hanukkah, it was FH that actually became the source. I remembered featuring Ran Khalil Danker, (רן ×“× ×§×¨) back in 2010 after seeing his nude scene in the 2009 romance drama, Eyes Wide Open. The Israeli–American is not only acts, he's also well known in Israel as an singer and entertainer, model and host.
Danker was bornin Norfolk, Virginia in the US, but moved to Israel with his mother when he was just two after his parents divorced. Danker's father, Eli Danker, is also an actor. Ran grew up in Bavli, a neighborhood in Tel-Aviv. Ran sang in the choir during school, but it was during his time between high school and his time completely army service that he first began to at in television commercials.
After completing his army service, Ran began to get regular work on television, including a starring role in the hit Israeli series HaShir Shelanu (2004–2007), The Gordin Cell (2012–2015), and Miguel (2018) and more. For the pats two years, Ran has also been one of the judges on The X-Factor Israel.
In 2009, Ran took on the role Ezri, in the erotic, psychological drama Eyes Wide Shut. Ran received an Ophir Award nomination, (Israeli Oscar) for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film. Ran was also nominated for an Ophir Award for Best Actor for his role in Doubtful in 2017.
Although Eyes Wide Shut featured Ran in a gay romance, at the time, Ran was 'straight' in public. Ran had in fact several highly publicized relationships with his female co-stars. In 2015 however, Ran came out as bisexual, stating he has been in a three year relationship with a man.
'I simply fell in love, what's more surprising to me than being in a relationship with a man is that I’ve been in any relationship for three years. Period. Sexuality is another way for the soul to define itself, it's complicated and combines many components. The total of people is the total of sexual possibilities. I’m attracted to both women and men. Why should we narrow ourselves into a definition? I don't want to define myself.'
Eyes Wide Open (2009)
'A married, Orthodox, Jerusalem butcher and Jewish father of four falls in love with his handsome, 22-year-old male apprentice, triggering the suspicions of his wife and the disapproval of his Orthodox community. '
Monday, December 4, 2023
Happy Birthday today December 5th
12 Days: David Elsendoorn in My Norwegian Holiday
'She needed a change. He had just the ticket.'
Now that I've started watching Hallmark holiday movies, I've sort of gotten on a roll. Today, I had a ton of work to do at home, and had 3 that I had PVR'd on in the background. I think my favorite was My Norwegian Holiday. First off, I had to check on it's filming locations, and indeed Vancouver wasn't used as a stand-in for Norway. The movie was filmed earlier this year in Bergen, Norway and in Ireland.
Second of all, I had to find out if the character Henrik Strom, the romantic lead was actually played by a Norwegian actor. Indeed he was. Dutch actor David Elsendoorn played Henrik, and was totally enjoyable in the role. I use the word 'enjoyable' with purpose. Although I loved the scenery, the story was just your typical Hallmark fair. Nothing more, nothing less. Elsendoorn however, was not only beautiful to look at, he was equally beautiful to listen to and watch on screen.
David Elsendoorn
Date of Birth: November 27, 1994
Birth Place: Utrecht, Netherlands
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Nationality: Dutch
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Blonde
Height: 6’4″ Inches
Weight: 74 Kg
Elsendoorn got his start with role in Norwegian film and television projects in 2023. Since then, he's been working steadily with regular roles in the Psychological thriller Ik weet wie je bent. and the high school set drama Spangas De Campus. The talented actor got his big international break when he was cast Jan Maas on Apple TV's Ted Lasso. I believe My Norwegian Holiday is just his second American produced project.
'JJ, grieving the loss of her grandmother and seeking inspiration, stumbles upon an unexpected holiday destiny. Meeting Henrik, a Norwegian from Bergen, their connection deepens when he discovers she has a troll figurine from his hometown. '
Stocking Stuffers:
KC
Bodytorium
Alfresco Nudes
Nicko by Shax Carter
Industrial
Sergey
Ash by Mark Leighton
Muscles & Mountains
Greg by StudioMGPhotography
My favorite Christmas gifts have always been books, calendars, posters and photos. I'm not a fan of getting or giving food, and I like to pick out clothes for myself. Getting a good book however, especially one that I hadn't heard of, was a truly a great, and lasting present.
My bookshelves are full of books I was given, many with hand written messages from friends and relatives. I treasure those gifts, especially now that I'm older. Books aren't just a favorite gift to get, they're also a favorite gift to give. Below are some of my favorite artists and some printed works from their collections. Many are available only in hardcover editions, which may still get to you by the 25th. Others are available in instant download versions which you can give to a friend, a loved one, or as a gift to yourself.
Michael Moody
I love featuring model Michael Moody in solo shoots, as well as following his work with The Duelists. The Duelists are out with their annual calendar to raise money to support the duo of performing duelists. You can order your directly by contacting them on their Instagram, (HERE:) or on Facebook. (HERE:)
If you enjoyed my piece featuring Marek, (above) last mont, (HERE:) you can check out the 3 galleries, with close to 600 images on Bodytorium HERE: You can also check out Phil's store on Amazon featuring his first two books, (a third is on the way) and his 2024 calendars, Young Men in Nature, and Nothing to Hide. Young Men from Slovakia. Check them out HERE:
In addition to books and calendars, you can also give the gift of a site membership, or a month or two of your favorite model or photographer on OnlyFans. Check out a list of some of artists and models I've featured over the last 12 months on the NEXT PAGE HERE:
Earlier this Autumn I featured images of the incredible men from Alfresco Nudes, the newest book from photographer Greg Lindeblom. You can check out that post HERE: and preview more images and check out the book on Blurb HERE:
Last month, I featured photographer Shax Carter and his work with Nicko. (HERE:) Shax has made more than just a book devoted his work with Nicko, it's a close to 400 page Epic compilation of their work together. It features solo shoots with Nicko as well as sections of Nicko with other male models. check it out on Blurb HERE:
I love the work of photographer Robert Colgan, and have been fortunate to have featured his work many time over the last 10 tens. I especially love Robert's 'Industrial' work, blending the nude male form within industrial landscapes. The contrast is both erotic and visually fascinating. The first part in a planned trilogy of books and themes, Robert's Industrial, was published earlier this year.
If you can't go somewhere tropical this winter, how about a virtual vacation to Portugal with photographer Mark Leighton. I've featured many of Mark's shoots over the last ten years, including Ash, (above) and other models and theme's Mark has both covered and uncovered, in his series of stunning images and books. You can check out Mark's books on Blurb HERE:
In his series of book, photographer Gordon Nebeker features some of FH's most popular models in the water and in the mountains around Lake Powell. In addition to Muscles and Mountains, Gordon also takes you to Mexico, and in a tropical forest for a little Love in the Afternoon. Check out Gordon's series of books on Blurb HERE:
In addition to the every popular Greg, (above) Mark from StudioMGPhotography has created over 20 visual novels featuring some of the hottest men he's captured, many of whom, I've ben lucky to feature on the site. In addition to his themed book, Bask and Bedtime stories there are books devoted to single models including; Greg, Andrew, Kyle, Yorgen, Bond, Renn, Nicolas, Tyler, Jason and so many other incredible men. Check out Mark's book site HERE:
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