Whine & Cheese

My Hottest Hotties: Male Division

Today, I turn my attention to re-ordering and analyzing the male side of VH-1's 100 Hottest Hotties. Unlike yesterday's female hotties, I had no shortage of candidates. It was a pretty difficult task...like having to choose between the Oreo Cheesecake and the Brownie Sundae. As I said yesterday, if I did this list again tomorrow it would probably come out entirely different. I am sure I am missing somebody (in all likelihood your favorite!)... but nevertheless, here it goes:

1: Brad Pitt (#6 overall/#3 male) - Ok, pretty obvious choice -- but obvious for a reason... if you asked anyone to name a hot guy (including straight men), I would think Pitt's name come up over and over again...just the epitome of beautiful. The only time he goes mildly astray is when he does the beard/scraggly hair thing... hottest looks on-screen: "Thelma & Louise," "A River Runs Through It," and "Ocean's Eleven" - I don't care what Shania Twain might say... he does impress me much!

2: Matthew McCounaughey (#72 overall/#31 male) - My biggest ranking order quibble on the VH-1 list... how could Matthew be so far down?! Great bod, wonderful head of hair and a southern drawl that makes one simply melt...and on top of that he has no qualms about hanging around the house naked...what's not to love?!

3: George Clooney (#16 overall/#8 male) - Back in his big-hair day's in the 80s (remember "The Facts of Life"?) he was cute...but "ER" and beyond he has become a very classically handsome guy...that wry smile is very sexy.

4: Nick Lachey (#51 overall/#22 male) - Ok, Nick is pretty much the "stud d'jour" thanks to MTV's "The Newlyweds" but his rugged good looks and bod are good enough to earn him a spot on the list...even if it is for 15 minutes. When does he find time to work out?

5: Justin Timberlake (#14 overall/#7 male) - I was never a huge fan of the brillo-headed member of N'Sync...but over the past few years he has grown on me. This Rolling Stone cover pretty much solidified his spot on the list.

6: Ben Affleck (#82 overall/#35 male) - Like his ex-fiancee, if I don't see or hear from Ben in the near future that'll just be fine with me. He can look a little gruff and "ordinary" at times...but other times he still rates high on the hot factor...like this GQ cover.

7: Prince William (#42 overall/#18 male) - After some awkward looking younger years, it appears that his mother's DNA has thankfully kicked in. Another classically handsome fellow... even if he wasn't the future King of England, couldn't you just see him in a Ralph Lauren ad?

8: Tom Cruise (#18 overall/#9 male) - For me, Cruise's killer smile and great head of hair win out over his bod. Even though he was deemed hottest in his "Top Gun" and "Cocktail" days, I prefer the "Jerry Maguire" somewhat older Tom.

9: Derek Jeter (#45 overall/#19 male) - Token athlete on the list...really don't get to see him all that much since we live in a NL baseball town...but saw him in person during the 2001 World Series... great bod (particularly the posterior).

10: Ashton Kutcher (#3 overall/#1 male) - The current "it" guy and VH-1's top male pick...while I don't think he is #1, the combo of prettiness and mischievousness is appealing...Demi fatigue knocks him down a peg or two....but he also did a "worth more than a second look" Rolling Stone cover.

Also on the VH-1 list and deserving mention are: Jude Law, Hugh Jackman, Paul Walker, and Sean William Scott

As if those 14 guys were not enough...my mind wandered to all those who did not land on the list... I collect them here as they are...
Missing in Action:

Las Vegas hottie: Josh Duhamel - Hey if VH-1 can throw actors from "The OC" on their list, why not include the best new face on primetime...daytime viewers have long known about Duhamel since his day's as lady-killer Leo on "All My Children." Something was needed to balance all that T&A on NBC's "Las Vegas" and since James Caan ain't gonna do it Josh certainly pulls his weight...and you can see ALL he has to offer thanks to some nude "art" photos he posed for early in his career.

Goofy hottie: Zach Braff - What's not to love about the adorable star of "Scrubs"? Sure Braff is not going to win any beauty contests...but the cutie really does have more than okay bod when he occasionally shows it off for comedic effect.

Get a lot of blog hits hottie: Nate Berkus - I have talked about him quite enough, catch him on Oprah and I dare you not to include him on a hottie list!

Undertaker hottie: Peter Krause - Another not-so-obvious hottie, but there is a simmering sexiness to the star of "Six Feet Under" ... definitely more frisky in his days on "Sports Night."

Tennis hotties: While Andy Roddick made VH-1's list (#57 overall/#25 male), give me Carlos Moya or Marat Safin over him any day.

Queer Guy hotties: While I often tire of him telling me how to shave and the need to use "product," Kyan Douglas is definitely the hunk of the "Fab 5" in my opinion...and since his sole purpose is really just to sit there and be cute I should also mention Jai Rodriguez.

Queer Guy "For Pay" hottie: Gale Harold - A lot of gay men (or even straight women) would probably not mind being just another notch on the bedpost of Brian Kinney - the sex-crazed character Harold plays on Showtime's "Queer As Folk."

Singing Latino hotties: I guess we have to wait to see a VH-1 "What Ever Happened To?" special to get Ricky Martin back on a VH-1 list. But even if they are going on who's currently on the radar what was the reason for leaving Enrique Iglesias off their hottie list?

Carpenter hotties: For the past several years Ty Pennington has been making folks swoon over at "Trading Spaces"... but, in my eyes, the latest carpenter in town, Carter Oosterhouse, is steadily gaining ground on him.

Reality hotties: These guys come quickly to mind: Colby Donaldson ("Survivor Outback" & upcoming "All Stars"), Josh Souza ("Big Brother 1"), Reichen Lehmkuhl ("Amazing Race 4"), and heck even throw in "Survivor" host Jeff Probst.

Whew! I am exhausted now...have a great weekend! ;-)

My Hottest Hotties: Females

Finally got through VH-1's 100 Hottest Hotties -- today I offer up my Top 8 Female Hottest Hotties. As with any list, it would probably change if you asked me again tomorrow.

The VH-1 list was top-heavy on the ladies (and I am not talking about Pamela Anderson at #9)...58 females vs. 42 males. Just in case you are not a regular reader of this blog, please keep in mind that these picks are not "below the belt" influenced:

1: Beyonce (ranked #1 overall) - As with any VH-1 "list" special, the picks are a snapshot of the day...and, under that criteria, I think they got it right with Beyonce. Does steam not rise off your TV set every time she is on the screen? I know I am not ready for that jelly!

2: Julia Roberts (#48 overall/#28 woman) - While Julia is certainly not lacking anything in the looks department ("They're called boobs, Ed") but what constantly wins me over is her seemingly down-to-earth personality, megawatt smile, and infectious laugh.

3: Catherine Zeta-Jones (#50 overall/#29 woman) - I think Zeta-Jones is the epitome of Hollywood glamour...classic good looks and a smoky British accent. She even makes those T-Mobile commercials worth watching.

4: Jennifer Aniston (#19 overall/#10 woman) - Ok maybe a bit of husband-envy going on here, but she holds up very well even up against him. I think Aniston is getting better with age.

5: Heather Locklear (#44 overall/#26 woman) - Probably showing my age here as my fondness for Locklear started during the big-hair "Dynasty" days of the 80s...but through "Melrose Place" and her recent guest stint on "Scrubs" the 42-year old Locklear is still as spunky and sexy as ever.

6: Nicole Kidman (#31 overall/#18 woman) - Like Zeta-Jones another classic beauty with more than a healthy dose of glamour...even more so since she has blossomed into something more than an award-show accessory for Mr. Cruise.

7: Demi Moore (#22 overall/#12 woman) - I had a crush on Demi since she was a mere teenager (as was I) during her stint on "General Hospital" in the early 80s. Again, I am a sucker for a smoky voice (if I was doing this list 20 years ago I have no doubts Kathleen Turner would be heading it) - and as the bikini scene in "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" showed she still has the killer bod (surgically enhanced or not). Down the list a bit due to the Ashton overexposure...

8: Jennifer Lopez (#11 overall/#6 woman) -- Actually VH-1 named "J-Lo's Ass" at the #11 spot. No doubt if this list was done a year ago, J-Lo would be heading it... but in all likelihood the "Bennifer" drama dropped her down the list... and I agree, I definitely think she is hot, but if I don't have to see/hear from her again for the at least the next six months that would just be fine.

Missing in Action:

Sandra Bullock - The girl next door...sure she is turns into the clumsy buffoon more often than not, but as "Miss Congeniality" showed she can clean up very well.

Sarah Jessica Parker - Sure she is thrown into some goofy outfits on "Sex and the City" and her hair can go astray (i.e. last weekend's Golden Globes), but SJP looks great more often than not.

UPDATE: Just an afterthought...how could VH-1 have left off Shania Twain and Janet Jackson... two more musical hotties in my book!

Next up...the more difficult task... the boys!

BadTV

Just so you don't think that I watch every reality tv show ... finally caught the first episode of ToddTV and within 15 minutes had pretty much determined that the TiVo Season Pass was history. Granted the reason for watching it in the first place was pretty shaky... since the guy's name was Todd (other half of this household) and the show seemed to be a rip-off of the movie EdTV (that being me). But this was a pretty awful excuse for a show... only exacerbated that TV "Todd" is pretty much a Loser (note the capital "L"). Granted it can be fun to watch a loser, but this guy really does not have any redeeming values. The ratings for the show were not great, so perhaps one of the "America Votes" questions at the end of the show should be whether or not to air another episode.

The last episode of Las Vegas was truly horrible. Now I know this show is not The West Wing or ER, but even when it is bad, it is usually bad in fun/kitschy/harmless way. But this episode was truly painful...hopefully James Caan's agent was on the phone with NBC screaming about how this episode ever made it on the air. A blackout where everything in the city goes out except selective slot machines and lights in a night club, a person is shot on the casino floor but only 10 people stick around including the killer (but no security guards), an employee gets all freaked out with claustrophobia due to being locked in the spacious security suite but effortlessly crawls through air conditioning ducts to get out (and to top it off...with a battery operated laser that is able to cut through metal). I could go on...but I am really trying to forget this episode. I guess we can look forward to Paris Hilton's guest spot on the show next week...things could not possibly get worse.

And The Oscar Goes To...

With the Oscar nominations just an hour old, here are the winners (mind you I haven't seen the vast majority of the nominees, but that doesn't stop Academy members!):

Supporting Actress: Renee Zellweger for Cold Mountain - Renee is an Academy favorite and with the movie (surprisingly) being shut out of the Best Picture/Director categories this will probably be the movie's "reward." Dark horse: Patricia Clarkson, previously nominated and had another critically praised performances this year in "The Station Agent"... Hunter and Harden have already won Oscars, Aghdashloo too unknown.

Supporting Actor: Tim Robbins for Mystic River - though may be hurt by his political "activism" but then again this is "liberal" Hollywood. Dark horse: Alec Baldwin - first nomination for veteran actor, but despite his flashy role he may not be considered "serious" enough.

Actress: Charlize Theron for Monster - the "slam dunk" of the acting nominations as the Academy loves it when beauty turns into a beast....only helped out further by two "out there" competitors (Castle-Hughes and Morton)... Keaton is the darkest of horses and while I am happy to see Watts get a nomination she is probably not "due" for her Oscar just yet.

Actor: Sean Penn for Mystic River - probably should have won an Oscar by now and helped out by another worthy performance in 21 Grams... but will the Academy honor the reclusive, anti-Hollywood Penn (will he even show up)? The youth of Depp and Law rule them out, Kingsley won in the past/will probably win again in the future...so that leaves the kinder/gentler anti-Hollywood Bill Murray to potentially spoil.

Picture/Director: The Lord of the Rings and Peter Jackson. The Academy has waited for the 3rd/final installment to honor the entire work (which, btw I have yet to see any of!) and the path is pretty clear. "Lost in Translation" will be viewed as "too small" (look for Coppola to pick up a Original Screenplay Oscar), "Master and Commander" has lacked any "winner" buzz, "Seabiscuit" did not receive a directing nom...so the only possible (and unlikely) upset lies with "Mystic River."

I Am A TiVo-holic

In my last entry I was bemoaning the move of Scrubs back to Tuesdays because it conflicted with 24. Since we have a "standalone" TiVo, we can watch one program while recording another...but then gosh-darnit you have to sit through commercials besides having to "make an appointment" to sit down and watch a show.

So what did we do (I will keep saying "we"...but this was mostly my hair-brained idea)... well, of course get another TiVo! And, on top of that...with the recent addition of a wireless home network...went ahead and purchased the TiVo Home Media Option for both DVRs so that we can then watch programs from either TiVo on the other set! A whole lot of (ir)rationalization went into this decision to spend hundreds of $$s more just to be able to record two things at once, but I still think it will be worth it! Solves that Friends/Survivor conflict too! There is a 12-step program out there for this, right?!

Caught 21 Grams over the weekend... excellent movie and stellar performances from Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, and Benicio del Toro ... how the Golden Globes ignored each of these performances is beyond me (hopefully tomorrow morning's Oscar nominations will fix that). Perhaps they were befuddled by the very non-linear way the story was told... there were definitely some rumbles from our movie audience as the story skipped all around from the beginning to the middle to the end of the story. I likened it to putting together a jigsaw puzzle... get a little piece here and there...go back and fill in more here, etc. I would guess it takes a good 45 minutes to an hour to get the "big picture"...the technique is a tad "arty" (self-conscious?) but I think it was a pretty intriguing way to present the film.

America The Beautiful... Not

I am still around! Have just been fighting a chest cold for the past few days and coupled with "real" work, I thought best to keep the whining to myself.

I guess I should chime in about Dubya's State of the Union speech since that seems to have been a pretty popular blog topic of the week. Not much to add to the other blogs that I have read, you either love it or hate it depending on which side of the political fence you fall on ... obviously I was on the "non-love" side. The closing of the speech was the absolute clincher... steroids=bad, sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers=bad, "activist judges"=bad, sanctity of marriage=good, prisoner re-entry initiative=good. So even though I have "dignity and value in God's sight," my right to liberty and pursuit of happiness apparently falls somewhere below ex-cons.

On a totally different topic...have been tuning in to tennis' first Grand Slam of the year... the American...errr, I mean Australian Open on ESPN. It is the same quibble I have with pretty much the majority of US television tennis coverage - you would think no one is playing the tournament except for Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and Venus Williams. I know it is all about ratings...but heck, if someone is tuning in at 11pm EST to watch the Australian Open I am guessing they are a tennis fan who doesn't need to be lured into watching some American thoroughly rout some teenager from the Czech Republic or Russia.

Okay to end on a positive note...something "American" and "Beautiful"... I am still getting through VH-1s "100 Hottest Hotties" series... once I get through it all I will share my own revisionist list. But I have to tell you right now... something is seriously wrong if Matthew McConaughey is way down at #72!

Quick P.S. -- Just read that my favorite sitcom Scrubs is being moved off of Thursdays since American Idol trounced The Apprentice on Wednesday... NBC Thursday is now.. Friends, Will & Grace, Apprentice and ER... with Scrubs moving over to Tuesdays at 9:30pm EST... up against one of my other faves ...24... damn you the Donald and NBC!!

Mormons, Queer Eye and the Super Bowl

Just a quick blog today as work is interfering (don't you hate that?!)...

Had a "barky" morning. That is one big difference between cats and dogs, cats really do not care if someone is at the door or in the backyard. First, there was the tree feeder... then the pool cleaner guy... then to REALLY top it off... Mormom missionaries! Not much of a conversation ensued... probably due to a combination of: a) my late-morning disheveled "bed head," b) my Pavlovian eye-roll upon seeing the tidily white-shirted youngsters at my door, and c) the struggle to keep the hounds at bay. Upon closing the door on the duo, they asked "Can we help?" to which I offered a hopefully pleasant sounding "no."
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NBC is getting a lot of press for its "brilliant" counter-programming move... pitting a Queer Eye marathon against the Super Bowl. It is even made the local news with the anchors offering "Boy, that'll really attract a different crowd!" I don't know if I should be offended by all of this. NBC is basically offering up a sacrificial lamb.

And heck...I watch the Super Bowl... well, for the commercials and...well...I caught the QE episodes on Bravo already....

So What DID I Do?

So I know "all" of you are breathlessly wondering how I spent the weekend after the plethora of options offered up on Friday. Friday night was a trip to the Indian casino, Saturday was a movie "out," and Sunday was a return to the tennis courts ... and a healthy does of TV throughout.

The gambling jaunt was mildly successful. I was holding even most of the time before falling off for a bit...a last 25-cent triple-play video poker machine got me back over the top and leaving with a little extra. I had a flurry of 4-of-a-kinds throughout the entire evening...should have left with a lot more $$$...but me and Mr. Will Power are not good friends.

We are still "hitting balls" rather than playing tennis. But I think our 2nd attempt exceeded our initial try. Hitting a tennis ball is not like "getting back on the bike"... it is definitely going to take some time to improve. We really need to rent out the gym's ball machine. I think it will help both of our groundstrokes to get balls in a consistent manner. Watching the opening rounds of the Australian Open last night REALLY makes me appreciate the pros!

We ended up seeing The Cooler. It was good...but I was just left with a feeling that there was a much better movie in there somewhere. Like many a critic, I did have some quibbles with the ending and you do have to suspend some belief with the whole concept -- that the mere presence of a person can "cool" off a hot table. It reminded me of the lady playing video poker next to me on Friday... she told her husband that she was not holding "diamonds" since the machine "wasn't giving them out." It is all games of chance! The performances were fine across the board... though I am not sure Alec Baldwin deserves all the accolades... it was certainly one of his better movie roles, but I think it was too over-the-top to really be deserving of a Supporting Actor Oscar (which seems to be the latest buzz).

TV-wise spent some time with Nick and Jessica... catching a couple of episodes of the first season of Newlyweds as well as their stint on Saturday Night Live. The MTV-series was an amusing diversion. Jessica is certainly the "star" with Nick being her patient foil. Jessica is a perfect mix of naivete and spoiled brat as she comes to terms with the "joys" of household duties. It hit a little too close to home here... I was mildly taunted of being "the Jessica" in this house... but fully admit to already having that thought before it was voiced from the other side of the room... haha! Though kudos to both of them for one of the better guest host stints of this season of SNL. Jessica did not shy away from self-deprecation...and the singing Mexican restaurant skit was a hoot.

What To Do?

With the weekend about to start, I am having a hard time trying to figure out what "fun" things to do...or more so, figuring out how to fit those things around the usual weekend activities (i.e. supermarket, working out, family phone call, etc.)

Here are the options:

Going out to a Movie
Stuck between some serious Oscar-type movies (21 Grams or The Cooler) and the light fluff of Along Came Polly.

Watching TiVo
There is that long list of shows being recorded tonight...plus we have a three movie back-log. My intention was to have a "movie night" on Saturdays but that has been another hard thing to squeeze in when there is a bunch of other things to watch.

Gambling
We have been playing some video poker on the PC and online...so starting to get the itch to get back to the local Indian casino for the "real thing." Always a tricky proposition since they tend to be pretty "tight"... it is a lot more fun to win (or heck, even break even)...but often the $$$ goes waaay to quickly...and that is really a bummer.

And for our friends back East... yes, we actually have options for outdoor activities...

"Playing Tennis"
...or should I say "hitting around tennis balls." Last weekend, we went to the gym and finally used their courts...it was the first time I had done that in years... definitely makes me re-appreciate the pros! Surprisingly, I still had some signs of actual groundstrokes... would like to keep at it.

Dog Park
A couple of weekends ago we hit a brand new dog park a few miles from the house. I think it is good for the dogs to get out and "socialize." It is also fun to see all the other dogs too! The funniest part is that our ferocious basset Toby turns into a total wimp at the park... pretty much rolling over if any dogs heads his direction.

I guess that is about it. Oh yeah, we have plans to paint our den/TV room...but does that really qualify as "fun"? Have a good one! Tune back on Monday to see what "won" out. [ Note: I DO realize no one really cares :-) ]

Everything You Wanted To Know...In 6 Hours or Less

I actually did not know what to blog about today...then I checked the TiVo and looked at tomorrow night's "To Do" list...it has us completely pegged!

Here is what's on tap:

5:30-6:00 ABC World News Tonight
We record (and usually actually watch!) the nightly news every night. Keeps us informed of what is going on. Also, we now know that Peter Jennings says a reporter's name at least twice at the end of a report ("Thank you Martha Radditz, Martha Radditz at the Pentagon").

6:00-7:00 Real Time with Bill Maher
More controversial and loud takes on politics...Bill tells it like it is, if you want to hear it or not. With all that is going on in the political world, it should be an interesting new season.

7:00-7:30 30 Minute Meals
Rachael Ray is a lovable goofball and as she always tells the truth..."In the time it takes you to watch this program, I will have made a delicious and healthy meal from start to finish in less than 30 minutes."

7:30-8:00 Newlyweds: Nick And Jessica
Missed this pop-culture phenomenon the first time around...was planning to just catch the 2nd season...but set that "Season Pass" too early and got snagged with the 1st season marathon (which apparently is being shown ad nauseum until the new season's premiere).

8:00-8:30 Hope & Faith
The show is not very good, truly annoying child actors...but I have a thing for Kelly Ripa... and Ted McGinley is aging very gracefully.

8:30-9:00 The McLaughlin Group
More political jabber! Should turn it into a drinking game. Drink every time Pat Buchanan chuckles, drink every time Eleanor Clift has to raise her voice, drink every time John McLaughlin stumbles over his words, drink every time they let the fourth "guest" panelist talk. Bye, Byyyye!

9:00-10:00 Newlyweds: Nick And Jessica
The marathon re-surfaces... same reasons as noted above...plus Nick is pretty easy on the eyes...

10:00-11:00 Sex and the City
Just some older episodes for "filler" material.

11:00-midnight Between The Lines
A special on A&E about letters written to the White House. We picked this one up as when searching for programs featuring our new best friend, Hillary Rodham Clinton. But, hosted by Robert Downey Jr.??

Midnight - 12:30am Newlyweds: Nick And Jessica
One more episode picked up... Nick takes off his shirt at least once in a while, right?!