By Dave Begel Contributing Writer Published Nov 15, 2011 at 3:10 PM

The other days I was walking around the Third Ward, which justifiably lays claim to being the hottest, most with it, hippest area in our city.

It was around the noon hour and a beautiful day and lots of real good-looking people were out and about, shopping, heading to lunch or just watching or being watched.

I thought something looked a little unusual, and then it hit me.

Many of the real good looking men had forgotten to shave that morning. Or maybe they had forgotten for a couple of days.

Not everybody, but I bet more than half the guys I saw had what we used to call "stubble." A couple of days growth which showed some skin underneath some beard and mustache.

And I began to wonder, when did a slight growth of facial hair become fashionable?

It wasn't that long ago that a guy who got caught outside with stubble on his face rubbed his hand across it and apologized to whoever he was talking with.

When you rubbed your face up against the skin of a woman, her most frequent response was, "Euw. That hurts. Get away from me."

Apparently that's not the case anymore. Gorgeous men seem to be even more gorgeous with a couple of days growth.

What I want to know is when it happened and why?

Dave Begel Contributing Writer

With a history in Milwaukee stretching back decades, Dave tries to bring a unique perspective to his writing, whether it's sports, politics, theater or any other issue.

He's seen Milwaukee grow, suffer pangs of growth, strive for success and has been involved in many efforts to both shape and re-shape the city. He's a happy man, now that he's quit playing golf, and enjoys music, his children and grandchildren and the myriad of sports in this state. He loves great food and hates bullies and people who think they are smarter than everyone else.

This whole Internet thing continues to baffle him, but he's willing to play the game as long as OnMilwaukee.com keeps lending him a helping hand. He is constantly amazed that just a few dedicated people can provide so much news and information to a hungry public.

Despite some opinions to the contrary, Dave likes most stuff. But he is a skeptic who constantly wonders about the world around him. So many questions, so few answers.