Russian Beauty

Were I to envision a perfect illustration of what I'd consider 'textbook beauty'... well, I'd imagine the fantasy might look something akin to this model...

Ok, granted my fantasies haven't exactly reached the stage of incorporating visions of Russian sailors saluting sans shirt (... well, at least not just yet)... But let's just say for a coherent blog post's sake, were I to imagine just one example of male beauty (with of course a little help from one of my favorite Russian photographers), I'd imagine perhaps it might indeed look something akin to this man...

Classy, sexy, handsome, powerful... I think I'd pretty much have to run the gamut of adjectives in trying to classify Russian model Anatoli here...

So I figured for the sake consistency, I might as well simply settle for Just Beautiful...

These phenomenal shots of Anatoli were taken by a photographer who I truly believe may be one of the future greats... 26 year-old Russian photographer Andrei Vishnyakov. Although perhaps not fully represented in just these shots, his wildly unconventional style balanced by a perfect sense of aestheticism is truly reminiscent of the vintage photographers... I'm thinking maybe a modern-day Bob Mizer? Either way I'm sure we're dealing with a master craftsman here of the highest order ...

As for Anatoli himself... I think I'll add the term cool to my earlier gamut of adjectives... or is just friggin' hot the term I'm looking for? ...

Morning Coffee

This... would make an awesome Folgers ad, don't you think? A nice cup of a coffee in the morning, with a kiss from a loved one (perhaps a friend?)... So simple, so hot, and yet so wholesome...

Not that I have anything against 'unwholesome' per se ... But I just love this shot. Plus you can't really even see the models' faces and I still think it's fantastic ...

Just... err... hot?

I honestly, genuinely, could not tell you what it is that captivates me about this picture... I really just don't know ...

But rest assured I am captivated ... I'm thinking perhaps it's the way the light reflects off his face ever so softly... Or maybe it's the symmetrical nature of the face shot?... Either that or perhaps the ever presently defined (yet not too overbearing) abs... Or maybe it's just the shorts, I don't know. The whole package just works with this unknown hottie . Plus something tells me he'd look great as my latest Iphone wallpaper .

The Sound of Music

I'm sure by now everyone must be well aware of the disaster that occurred down in Haiti... and by disaster I of course mean an absolute catastrophe in terms of the scope and ramifications of damage. Granted the sad images have been flooding our screens for the better part of a week now (some of which I can't even stomach to look at ). It's a sad situation true, but this past Friday here in the States there was a glimmer of hope for that horrific tragedy currently unfolding over in the Caribbean...

...A glimmer of hope that came in the form of music... and celebrities, and regular people alike coming together for what might go down as an unfortunate, yet ultimately memorable tribute to Haiti. The music itself I should add was quite beautiful (if not downright haunting )...

These two clips were actually my favorites from last night (we can only hope that youtube is generous enough to keep them up ). The first one above features an unlikely collaboration of rapper Jay-Z teaming up with singers Bono and Rihanna... And of course the one below features the one and only Beyoncé singing a rendition of her hit single Halo.

I don't know, I'm not really a fan of some of these artists, but I absolutely loved the passion they put in their performances last night. Anyhow, you can purchase a studio version of these renditions off the Itunes.com/Haiti website. The proceeds go towards the recovery effort in Haiti, so considering the cause I think it's all the more worth it .

Phenomenal Reviews

I hope nobody minds me posting about Mass Effect 2 again... this'll be the last time I mention this game, I swear ...(give or take a couple included/absent romance options eventually worth noting in the future )...

But yeah... Technically i really do have little time to park myself in front of a TV for a couple of hours of engrossing Sci-fi RPG adverturin'... But I might have to sneak in a little playthrough here and there for the sake of Bioware... And considering the absolutely stellar reviews this game is currently getting, I think I may have finally been sold on the merits of forking over $60 for a game (I still think it's kind of overpriced, but whatever ).

I've been a fan of Bioware since the days of Baldur's Gate I (if anyone even has any clue as to what I'm referring to)... so it's nice to see that in spite of the company's evolving and recent acquisition by EA, their titles just keep getting better and better. Now if you guys don't mind, I think I have a little pre-ordering to attend to ...

Abercrombie (could be) Model

I wonder if there's a theme developing with my favorite color... or just colors in general (hmm, that gives me a new idea for an upcoming poll )...

But polling aside, wow. Would this guy fit as a definition of all-american good looks? I think the Abercrombie shirt certainly gives a nice push in that direction...

Unfortunately, wherever it's leading us to pretty much stops at a dead-end... seeing as I don't really know much about this model (aside of course from his more than apparent photogenic appeal)... Oh, and aside from the fact that he's an up-and-coming actor who just happened to have made a brief appearance on America's Next Top Model a few years back.

Just gorgeous... I'm thinking perhaps I should fire up Netflix and see what I dig up .

Determination pays off

About 3 years ago, way back when in 2007... a skinny 150lb 23 year-old took it upon himself to embark on a strict training/nutrition regiment...

Fast-forward about 3 years, and this is the end result ...

Strict training, disciplined dieting, and a driven determination to achieve a set goal more than paid off for now 26 year-old Roy S. here. And as someone (like yours truly ) who's been working out here and there for say about the past 7 or 8 years now... to see another guy progress so fast and so remarkably with these kind of results is truly nothing short of amazing...

Granted of course it doesn't hurt that Roy was also blessed with natural good looks... But nevertheless we are talking about serious discipline here. A 50-60 pound pure muscle weight gain in a couple years is really nothing to sneeze at.

Oh, and yes, Roy is now both a model he and owns his own personal fitness facility. And judging from his more than apparent work ethic and pretty much perfect physique, I think it's more than safe to say he's got a bright future ahead of him ...

Classic Adorable Robert James Hoffman... The III...

It's funny how by the time you get to the third generation of relatives/descendants carrying the same name, all of sudden the name itself starts sounding regal . But... yeah, Robert's lineage aside I just thought I'd highlight a few favorite clips from the 29 year-old actor/choreographer/crazy urban ninja himself ...

Totally secure in his masculinity... and perhaps just a tad bit conceited? (in a good way of course )... I will admit, I do find the idea of Robert dating himself borderline hot (as disturbing as it may seem)... He/they do make a great couple nonetheless ...

This second clip has got to be one of my favorites though... totally inappropriate yet absolutely hilarious. Believe it or not, I've got a couple aquiantances who act like this IRL (emphasis on acquaintances ...). Truth be told though, my discomfort meter would probably go way down were it Robert engaging in the 'TADS'... and perhaps that goes doubly so with the last guy in this clip. Gorgeous.