I don’t think I’ve got a good body. And that’s not cause I want you to say I have. I don’t look in the mirror and go: ‘Fucking hell Benny, good body.’ I look at it and [...]]]> Rugby star — and TTNO fan-fave — Ben Cohen strips for Attitude mag and says this about his physique:

I don’t think I’ve got a good body. And that’s not cause I want you to say I have. I don’t look in the mirror and go: ‘Fucking hell Benny, good body.’ I look at it and go, actually, I need to lose some more weight, I need to do some more work and I’ll go into the gym and I’ll try, I don’t really think I have a good body. If people do than fair enough. I think it’s my genetic make-up. I don’t really have much of a say in it.”

I’m sorry, Mr. Cohen, but they simply do not make ‘em much hotter. Predictably, more after the jump (underwear shots, possibly NSFW)…

Courtesy Towleroad.

Important Reminder: The “Green on Thursday” series always reveals very much more about your host at This.That.No Other. than it does about any of the featured personalities.

With J.D. (7 September 2009)

…bought an awesome new citybike, heard the seven trumpets:

The Seven Trumpets

…discovered that in Space, no one can [...]]]> Short week, lots of work done, busted my Craigslist cherry (sold a TV and a Betamax — oh, yeah!) and my Kijiji cherry (sold my old bike), hung out with the inimitable J.D.:

With J.D. (7 September 2009)

…bought an awesome new citybike, heard the seven trumpets:

The Seven Trumpets

…discovered that in Space, no one can hear you eat:

Space Lounge

…ate some hard strawberries:

Hard Strawberry

…had problems with scale:

Scale

…lusted after Doug Brooks on Leverage:

Doug Brooks in Leverage

…and we’re currently enjoying Friday Night Martini # 3 4, featuring garlic- and jalapeno-stuffed olives.

A good week.

About six blocks from where I sit right now is a structure appearing in the Galactica universe as both Delphi (in BSG) and Caprica City Hall (in Caprica):

Oh, the abundant opportunities inherent in this post slug, to go off on flights of quadruple-entendre fancy, but, no, I’m talking about television and my neighbourhood, dear readers.

About six blocks from where I sit right now is a structure appearing in the Galactica universe as both Delphi (in BSG) and Caprica City Hall (in Caprica):

Sharon & Helo at Delphi / Caprica City Hall (mouseover)

It’s actually Vancouver Public Library.

A scant three blocks from where I sit right now is (probably) the most crucial location in the BSG mythos, which also happens to be Vancouver’s Orpheum Theatre:

Battlestar Galactica Vision / Orpheum (mousover)

And, indeed, you can’t go to any university in the Vancouver area without going all fanboy/girl in recognition of so many locations from the series and, especially, you simply can’t watch Caprica without giggling, Champ especially, at the number of Yaletown locations you’ll see.

And for so long I’ve been wanting to describe my two-months-in impression of the people in my neighbourhood, but got bogged-down in an overly-comprehensive catalogue of all the “types” you can encounter here, and how they compare to the “types” in my old stomping grounds in Toronto, and wound up feeling far too mean-spirited about Toronto since, basically, people everywhere are stupid, selfish and oblivous. The Toronto difference being that they’re stupid, selfish and oblivious, only really, fucking mean, too.

So there’s that. And then, when I was on the phone yesterday trying to convince the charming and effervescent ELeven to come on up for a visit after his next gig, I struggled to describe the guys here. And found my outdoorsy-athletic-collegiate-lumberjack description wholly inadequate. It struck me today, seeing a half-dozen different film crews (or notices of near-future filming, like Fringe, two blocks from my place, next week!), that the best way to describe the folks in my neighbourhood — the ones which catch my eye, at least — is to use television archetypes.

Come sundown, Champ observes (accurately) that the women in our neighbourhood most closely resemble the Kardashian chix — not at all unattractive, but seemingly convinced they need to skank themselves to the hilt.

And the men in my neighbourhood tend to be either Athletic Silver-Daddy clones — like in those American (not Canadian) cruise-vacation commercials — or the Sit-Com Best Buddy. You know, the best friend (or workmate) of the flabby, shlubby lead character — who’s inexplicably coupled with a cute, pert ‘n’ perky (but utterly competent) woman — the best friend who’s a bit of a loser but basically a good guy and a loyal friend. And then you see the best-buddy actor in Entertainment Weekly magazine or in some Battle of the Network Sub-Celebrities athletic competition and he’s missing that Ordinary Everyman look the producers cultivate for the show and shows off some seriously above-average handsomeness and an enviable physique, too.

The kind of serious handsomeness and enviable physique which would cause you to turn around after you pass him on the street and mutter, under your breath, “I’d so nail that,” and sometimes they turn around, too, and… hey, I really love my neighbourhood.

More interesting — to me, at least — was the 45-second TV spot for the airline, featuring the talents of Air [...]]]> I hope you’ll welcome the return of an orphaned series here at This.That.No Other., prompted by a post earlier this week on Joe.My.God. showcasing the cheeky Air New Zealand video “The Bare Essentials of Safety”.

More interesting — to me, at least — was the 45-second TV spot for the airline, featuring the talents of Air New Zealand’s own staf–hey, wait a minute! Who’s that silverfoxy baggage-handler with the yellow “shirt”? Check it out:

Video: Air New Zealand: Nothing to Hide

That silverfoxy baggage-handler is an employee, too. CEO Rob Fyfe, to be precise. The 45-year-old Fyfe, a former New Zealand Air Force officer, recently won stuff.co.nz‘s “Hottest Businessman” poll. Well, duh. If you felt Fyfe’s presence in the ad, above, was a tad too brief, here’s some meatier stuff, in the behind-the-scenes video. Accent-related swooning is allowed (if not encouraged):

Video: Nothing to Hide: Behind the Scenes

Important Reminder: The “Green on Thursday” series always reveals very much more about your host at This.That.No Other. than it does about any of the featured personalities.

Nestor Carbonell:

That hey-hayyy, after the jump.

And, speaking of Manly Sea Eagles, there’s another lad on the team, one who calls himself David Williams, is 22 and looks [...]]]> So, a few months ago I had a bit of fun at the expense of two guys named Brett Stewart, one hailing from Australia’s Manly Sea Eagles footie club, the other vastly more annoying.

And, speaking of Manly Sea Eagles, there’s another lad on the team, one who calls himself David Williams, is 22 and looks like this:

David Williams

I can’t quite put my finger on what it is about this young man that makes him so appealing. Or, rather, I simply don’t have enough fingers to do it. Built, handsome, hot, able to pull off his kit and pose for racy photos and is completely unfazed by the fact that so many of his fans happen to be men. Honoured, actually. After being voted “2009 King of the Hardwood” by the readers of Outsports.com, Williams was “…speechless! And very honored! It’s most definitely better than being crowned ‘King of the Softwood!’” Cheeky boy.

More after the jump… (WARNING: Remove All Flammable Items from the Vicinity!)

David Williams

The fact that an Aussie accent unspools from the mouth of the man pictured above makes me weak. Anyone complaining that there’s such a thing as “too perfect” can leave now.

Important Reminder: The “Green on Thursday” series always reveals very much more about your host at This.That.No Other. than it does about any of the featured personalities.

Working my ass off. Trying to figure out what’s been causing the utter exhaustion and skull-vise headaches I’ve been experiencing which, apparently, have little-to-nothing to do with my misbehavin’ thyroid. Surviving the bloodbath at work. Not going to the gym very much at all. [...]]]> So what have I been doing for the past couple of weeks?

Working my ass off. Trying to figure out what’s been causing the utter exhaustion and skull-vise headaches I’ve been experiencing which, apparently, have little-to-nothing to do with my misbehavin’ thyroid. Surviving the bloodbath at work. Not going to the gym very much at all. Trying to learn rudimentary C# programming, with moderate (but nonetheless exhilarating) success. Contemplating how (and where (and with whom)) I’ll be spending the rest of my life.

And eating. Lots and lots of eating.

And thinking, too, but I’ll get to that later, since the thinking involves a lot of what I like to call CUT IT OUT! stuff, and it’s important enough to want to get it right, so let’s focus on the eating thing for now, okay?

Here’s a little meal that’s freakin’, awesomely delicious and, from what I can tell, not at all bad for you. And, as I have in the past, I’m going to present the original recipe with some edits in italics:

Scallops and Eggplant Parmesan

(Serves 4 2)

• 1.5 lbs 400 g Bay Scallops
• 6 4 Fresh tomatoes chopped into wedges with juice
• 3 cloves Garlic chopped
• ¾ ½ cup White wine
• 4 3 shallots chopped
• ¼ cup Fresh Parsley (Italian!)
• ¼ cup 2 tbsp Fresh Oregano (or dried)
• 4 Tbsp Olive oil + more to drizzle
• 1 large Eggplant sliced ½ inch (8 6 slices)
• 1 pinch Saffron
• 1 ¾ cup fresh Parmesan cheese grated

1. Heat grill to high heat.
2. Lightly drizzle eggplant slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill eggplant slices for 1 minute 4 minutes on each side and put aside.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in sauté pan until hot. Sprinkle scallops with salt, pepper and saffron threads, sauté on high heat for 3 min. and set aside.
4. In the same sauté pan add 2 tbsp olive oil, garlic, shallots and tomatoes and sauté for 4 min. Add wine and oregano and simmer until sauce has thickened (approx. 7 min). Put sauce aside to cool.
5. To assemble, place one piece of grilled eggplant in baking dish, top with 6-7 scallops cover with one spoon of sauce and sprinkle with 1 tbsp parmesan cheese. Top with another slice of eggplant and repeat one more time stopping with the parmesan cheese. Assemble four individual stacks in baking dish and bake at 350°F for 15-20 min. Top with parsley and serve.

And this is what it looks like:

You’ll die from deliciousness…

…and, no, you don’t have to be drunk and/or high to make and/or eat it, photographic evidence notwithstanding.

But, as is my tradition — mostly since I want to avoid [...]]]> So, shortly after Guy Ritchie’s by-the-numbers (but nonetheless enjoyable) Rocknrolla hit the theatres, I received a terse message from skippyboy alerting me to the hotness of one Mark Strong and, indeed, the man’s good looking, well above average. Hey, I googleimaged him, right? Nice.

But, as is my tradition — mostly since I want to avoid homicide charges by seeing movies in theatres — I needed to wait for the DVD release before actually seeing Rocknrolla and, good golly… Wow. Oh, sure, Rocknrolla is chock-full of all manner of testosteroney goodness but, man, when Mark Strong (as Archie) and Gerard Butler (as One Two) are onscreen together… Wow. Did I say “wow”?

And I know it’s total blasphemy to admit this in a post-300 world, but given the choice between Butler and Strong? Mark Strong:

Important Reminder: The “Green on Thursday” series always reveals very much more about your host at This.That.No Other. than it does about any of the featured personalities.

There’s plenty to ridicule about PeTA — like renaming fish “sea kittens”, f’rinstance — but they do have a knack for hiring the occasional attractive spokesmodel (like hot Survivors Ethan “Swoon-Thud” Zohn and Jenna Morasca) and, now, Battlestar Galactica‘s Jamie [...]]]> “Bambi Demands Justice for Bears”. “Bare Skin Not Bearskin”. Oh, my aching punny bone. Heh, bone.

There’s plenty to ridicule about PeTA — like renaming fish “sea kittens”, f’rinstance — but they do have a knack for hiring the occasional attractive spokesmodel (like hot Survivors Ethan “Swoon-Thud” Zohn and Jenna Morasca) and, now, Battlestar Galactica‘s Jamie Bamber. So why plug PeTA here? I’m not. They’re but a drop in the Sea of Stupid, and I’ll be having either sushi or blazing-hot Korean chicken for dinner tonight (if my boyfriend ever gets here)…

Waidaminnit. This isn’t about PeTA or what I’m having for dinner, really, is it?

God Save the Bears

Actually, right now I’m kinda hankering for some beef. If I gain 30 pounds, will Jamie Bamber save me?

(Tip courtesy Tara (via OhNoTheyDidn’t (via PeTA)).

It’s possible to be Canadian and not know Danby’s 6’3″, 218 pound son, Noah, but he’s no less a work of art. I first saw him in a couple of episodes of [...]]]> You can’t be Canadian if you don’t know the work of iconic (and silverfoxy) painter Ken Danby (1940-2007). I’m sorry, but them’s the rules.

It’s possible to be Canadian and not know Danby’s 6’3″, 218 pound son, Noah, but he’s no less a work of art. I first saw him in a couple of episodes of the execrable U.S./Canadian version of Queer as Folk — “I’m the guy you fucked last night,” he said to the groggy Brian, like anyone would need reminding — and he gained wider exposure on the Sci-Fi series Painkiller Jane, but we should really be seeing more of him. Much more.

Oh, right, I almost forgot! Danby played the role of Nephi in The Book of Mormon. That movie’s official website seems to have disappeared — as have, apparently, plans to continue the series — but it’s reported that the LDS forgot to include Danby’s work on Queer as Folk in his bio there. Funny, that.

For the record, he’s married to his Painkiller Jane co-star (and castmember of The L Word), Kristanna Loken.

Noah Danby:

More after the jump. Because I care…

Important Reminder: The “Green on Thursday” series always reveals very much more about your host at This.That.No Other. than it does about any of the featured personalities.

“If we really understood love, we would not just build in its honor noble temples and altars, and offer solemn sacrifices, but would believe without reservation that to deny its existence in every human heart is to reject our humanity.” — Melissa McEwan

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone.

Well, if the girl in question is named Kara Thrace, you need an appropriately kick-ass concoction to get to where you want to go:

Starbuck’s Morning After

Regardless, the first real love-lust of my life had a spectacular build, a handsome face and a lot of forehead. It [...]]]> What’s that saying about your first great love setting a standard for all others to follow? Or maybe it has more to do with that first love fitting a mold you didn’t yet know existed?

Regardless, the first real love-lust of my life had a spectacular build, a handsome face and a lot of forehead. It ended badly — as they so often do — but I have only fond memories now. And those memories always get a huge boost when I see a movie by or photo of G’s doppelgänger, Jean-Marc Barr:

Jean-Marc Barr

I first saw German actor (of French-American parents) Jean-Marc Barr in Lars von Trier’s mind-blowing, pre-Dogme-95 Europa (recently-released on DVD by Criterion) and he’s been a rep player in von Trier’s work ever since. Before that, he starred in Luc Besson’s dreamy, deep-sea diver drama The Big Blue. I’m mesmerized whenever he’s onscreen.

Jean-Marc Barr, 2008

In 1995, Empire magazine voted him one of the sexiest stars in film history. He makes me fire on all cylinders.

And, after the jump, one more (slightly NSFW, unless your work involves pubic hair), from von Trier’s 1996 masterpiece, Breaking the Waves…

Jean-Marc Barr in Breaking the Waves

Important Reminder: The “Green on Thursday” series always reveals very much more about your host at This.That.No Other. than it does about any of the featured personalities.

And I totally missed Green on Thursday this week (my bad), for which you not only have my sincerest apologies but this attempt at redemption, Apple Senior VP [...]]]> SO busy at work, lately, especially given the fact that so many people are far too interested in things political than in things… we do at our office.

And I totally missed Green on Thursday this week (my bad), for which you not only have my sincerest apologies but this attempt at redemption, Apple Senior VP of Industrial Design Jonathan Ive:

Feel free to invent your own “What Jonathan Ive Does to My Laptop/Hard Drive” joke. I’m too lazy, so have at it. And one more, while we’re appreciating Ive’s design:

Totally adorbs. (Obvs.) Hot Nerds rule. Ive’s been touted in some corners as a potential Steve Jobs shoe-filler. Ive designed the iPod. I prefer to think that he designed my iPod. Speaking of which…

To end this post and get back to some tricky Ruby coding that’s been causing major hair loss this week, in a hugely lazy-ass fashion, I shuffled my iPod songs and what should come up but one of my fave Smiths rave-ups. “Big Mouth Strikes Again”. Enjoy:

(From The Old Grey Whistle Test)

(Ive images courtesy Gizmodo via Dead Robot).