By Request: Best Looking Guy in Shorts Anywhere - although Landon Donovan is kinda cute too:)

Learned more about soccer watching this afternoon's World Cup game than ever before.  Both teams, USA & UK, are filled with hotties:)  You can see how seriously I take sports - not very.  Bringing sexy legs(& thighs) back...

Look at the original owner of Guy & Lucas' crooked smiles - Ian...

Spooks: Lucas & Jo at BAFTAs

[Theory Update: Turns out my theory wasn't too far from the truth]

My long-time wish that Lucas North & Jo Portman would somehow get together during Spooks7 was somewhat fulfilled by their appearance together on the red carpet.  Good to learn Miranda Raison is still happily married to another former Spook, that is at least as recently as Mar 2009 in the photo below.(Update: see comments)  How about RA's classy arrival (is it his dearly beloved BMW?) and his snazzy leather dress boots w/buckle a la GoG?

Even during two photobucket pic elimination projects since Spooks7, could not bring myself to delete the following of Jo & Lucas.  After that a theory will be laid before the RA court....

She's the only other actor appearing w/RA that appears to have even larger blue eyes...at the time I'd commented the two together definitely provided reams of 'EYE candy' for the show..

Postulated theory re their photo on the red carpet - has anyone ever noticed how Richard snugly holds his female co-stars around the waist when they appear together for promotional purposes?  Examples follow.  He usually has a friendly firm grip with fingers splayed.  However, this time his hold is more discreet...

Only half his hand is visible in the following, but there is a fuller shot showing the same type of snug grip...there's also one of him & Lucy Griffith at Baftas showing the same type of hold despite the fact Jonas Armstrong is also in the photo...

This is the point of the theory -- during an episode of 'Friends',  Joey(the actor) explained in detail that there's a show business truism which states that if acting co-workers show personal chemistry while on camera it's almost certain nothing is happening in RL,  BUT the opposite is often true as well - then the female & male appear to have a cooler demeanor before the camera.  Simply a theory...why the more tenuous hold around Miranda's waist than his other female co-workers? (end of this chapter of the Lucas&Jo amateur sleuthing case:)

Vote for RA as Sexiest TV Hunk

It's seems to be a quiet Fri for the RA universe, so decided to meander around and discovered Nat had sent out a rallying cry for votes at the following website.  Turns out it wasn't really necessary to move quite so quickly because Richard almost certainly has won the contest hands down(855 to 160)...unless another fan base floods the competition at the last moment.  If you want to make sure your vote is cast...
http://hollywood-spy.blogspot.com/
Inspiration for those who might not yet have voted in the above sexiest hunk runoff.  For the past few yrs have been sending the following youtube vid to DH on Valentine's Day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMbtzalS3u8
       The galloping thoroughbred says it all.  However, it's not possible to post that one here, therefore a fine substitute...

YOUR FAVOURITE TV HUNK (Part II)      
UPDATE: Andy Whitfield 178 (14%)
Josh Duhamel 7 (0%)
Patrick Dempsey 8 (0%)
Taye Diggs 5 (0%)
Nathan Fillion 10 (0%)
Richard Armitage 1034 (83%)
Votes so far: 1242  -  Days left to vote: 9
*************************************
Most recent results:  Andy Whitfield 161 (15%)
Josh Duhamel 5 (0%)
Patrick Dempsey 5 (0%)
Taye Diggs 3 (0%)
Nathan Fillion 9 (0%)
Richard Armitage 882 (82%)
Votes so far: 1065    Days left to vote: 11
***********************************
Andy Whitfield 160 (15%)
Josh Duhamel 4 (0%)
Patrick Dempsey 5 (0%)
Taye Diggs 3 (0%)
Nathan Fillion 9 (0%)
Richard Armitage 855 (82%)
Votes so far: 1036   -  Days left to vote: 11

Signature Kiss Comments on Jun 6

[*Delicious series of comments re the possible development of a 'signature' on-screen RA kiss besides the eternally classic one in N&S.  We'll definitely need to add visual evidence for some of these scintillating descriptions.  Excuse me for compacting paragraphs ladies...trying to conserve space for yummy pix]
7 comments:
Enrich2 said... There's never been a film kiss to surpass the utter perfection of the North and South kiss, so if that's Richard's signature kiss, he's king of the kisses! All his characters are very tender lovers.

There really wasn't enough love for John Porter in Strike Back. And I hope Lucas is allowed some tender loving before dire secrets are revealed!

June 7, 2010 12:26 PM
RiCrAr said... Enrich, the scene w/Sarah, in Lucas' apt after the Russian left, was not exactly tender. Altho' she was up for it and gave him a strong shove back. Then in frustration he started throwing chairs around.
Didn't Richard mention during an interview that a female from Lucas' past makes a reappearance for S9, w/romantic overtones?...will be closely watching the kisses...haha..as if I didn't already.

June 7, 2010 1:36 PM
Enrich2 said... Sarah just doesn't count as love, a passing addiction perhaps, but certainly not love! I understand why he wasn't tender with her. Lucas deserves some good loving after Sarah and Elizaveta and before anything drastic happens to him (Richard's hints)!

[*I know he's not kissing anyone in the following pic...there's just something about it I really like...can't explain - well, I could but then my keyboard would get totally messy from all the drool:^]

June 8, 2010 1:34 AM
Katarina said... Just the thought of those lips... He is the king of kiss.

June 8, 2010 5:42 AM
RiCrAr said... IMHO, Sarah might not have been everyone's preference as a love partner for Lucas, but he certainly exhibited the classic signs of a smitten male. Yes, he was thinking w/something other than his brain, but that's true for the vast majority of men. If it wasn't for the powerful hold basic human instincts have over the male of the species, there would rarely be a need for wedding dresses, etc;)
Be grateful ladies - if wisdom was the dominant drive steering a man's libido, we'd truly be powerless in matters of the heart. LOL When asked, the majority replying to the "do you believe in love at first sight?" poll responded that it should be called "lust at first sight". We'd like to think the spark of love was ignited by our keen intelligence or their discriminating taste, but it's usually a simple matter of mother nature lighting the fire w/the usual time-tested erotic kindling.
As for Lucas & Sarah in particular, he appeared to grieve as deeply as someone who had lost a loved one. And, why did he mutter "take me with you" to her after he learned she was one of the rogue intelligence officers? Apparently he still felt a deep attachment even at that point.

June 8, 2010 11:49 AM
fitzg said... Lucas & Sarah? Weird script-writing? Or after accepting Elisaveta is forever lost, and being "away" a long time, probably a sitting duck for even stringy blond hair (not a great decision for the make-up dept. Or was it..?)

[*Stringy blond hair pic on the way...LOL...some men just have a thing for blondes in the same way we do for TDH greek gods;) Personal story on that topic...walking through a busy shopping street in Dublin w/my younger sister, who has long, blonde hair slightly darker than Sarah's but definitely not dry--very soft w/a lovely sheen.  I'm walking behind her...it's raining and I notice a man her age walking towards us with his eyes focused on her hair - he didn't look anywhere else until he was almost past her, when he realized I was watching him w/a smile on my face.  He sheepishly lowered his eyes and picked up his gait.  It was a vivid example of the effect blonde hair can have on some men]

[*Alona in BTS received quite a few hot kisses.  Perhaps one of the reasons Paul is holding his own in the early roles poll]

June 8, 2010 1:19 PM

Sue said... I had studied his kissing technique. I notice that he tends to cup a woman's face in his hands and guide his lips to hers (phew!!!) probably to make it easier to keep his nose out of the way of hers. It does seem to cause a problem of where the lucky female rests her hands while his arms/hands are around her face. (I.E. Ultimate Force, VOD) as normally a woman would reach up to a man's neck but with his arms in the way she usually has to make a grab for his elbow, making it a little awkward. (I could think of better places!)Dawn French kissing him on her wedding day is a prime example of this.

[*making a list - kisses from UF, VOD*  back asap w/examples for the viewing audience;]
[*Laura of Ultimate Force is another female who turned down an RA character's marriage proposal, in order to stay w/a traumatized husband who tried to kill her in his sleep--stretches credibility to the limit:]

The Engagement, Betrothal, Promise Ring - Would You Update It? (see poll)

Thanks to  http://www.acemarsupial.co.uk/  for a treat for the ears...definitely not in one and out the other:)  Scroll to latest news for links...

Listening to RA's latest jewellry ads for platinum engagement rings sent my mind on a sentimental journey back to those special days of early romance (we were married within 15mos of our first meeting).  Met at friends' July 4 picnic ...engaged that Christmas and married the following Sept.  1st child was born 9mos later (honest!;)  Our children love to tease us about the close timing. haha They inherited that personality trait from their father.

Anyhoo, hearing the ever sexy (this time w/raspy undertones) velvet voice uttering "on your first date you went rock climbing and totally 'fell' for each other" and "until you met her, then all you wanted to do was slide that ring unto her finger" triggered memory mode.  Enjoyable thoughts flooded my mind of the day the two of us walked into a local jewellry shop and DH replied to the salesman's "can I help you?" with "we're hear to look at diamond rings" (there was a distinct, almost teen-like break in his usually firm, steady, deep voice as he said the  word diamond)...still laugh every time we recall that moment.

Point of the story is to ask if you'd ever consider 'updating' an original betrothal ring?  It seems to be considered 'the thing to do' for some females after years of marriage.  Would you change the stone size or style of that original symbolic piece of jewellry?  I would not - but that could just be me, or perhaps reflects the fact we were indeed together when it was initially purchased.  For me, it's not the size of the stone or yellow gold vs silver or platinum band - it's the sentimental value that could never be replaced. My ring looks exactly like the following pic (it's a solitaire setting w/gold band) with our names & wedding date engraved inside the band.  Sterling silver is today my fav type of jewellry, but I still could not bring myself to even change that feature on the original ring.  However, being well aware 'it takes different strokes for different folks',  the latest poll will ask if you'd ever consider changing an engagement ring to better reflect current conditions or desires?

Richard Armitage Photos: Collage Query (see poll)

Which of the following collages opened your sleepy eyes wider?

                                                                  1.  Sensitive beta?

   2.  Decisive alpha?

Vid w/over 1.6M views on youtube: US Soldiers Surprising Family Members on Their Return Home..(and the family dog:)

Richard Armitage in Ultimate Force: "The Name is Ian" by AlisaGB

The RA Soccer Team - Go Team!! Rah! Rah!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Richard Armitage Photos: Bi-polar Wake-up Call

The Cello Poll

IF you were also a cello player, and you wanted to tell RA that fact, which of the following pics would you be more likely to send to him with your letter?
                                                                  1.  Roses

2. Naptime

                                                                 3.   Duet
                            

4. Rendezvous

5.  Cello Solo

North & South:Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes by ThePhylly3

New John Porter & Lucas North video by siouxsiesioux100

Good Morning Collage - Better Than Coffee & Donut

RA Doing His Penguin Impersonation on the Red Carpet ;)

Uh oh, a bit of professional envy rearing it's jealous head above - The actor on the right was the star of..

Starting to remind myself of Ross on Friends...hope you don't fall asleep while reading this;)--if you do, blame Fitzg for the tangent (see comments). haha

It seems we have more in common w/penguins than we might've ever imagined - female penguins prefer mates with deep voices,,,err, mating calls...

>Some penguin breeds mate for life.  Male penguins compete for the best nesting sites to attract potential females and arriving early guarantees not only a good nest site, but ensure that males actually get to mate. In some species there are normally less female than male penguins, due to the fact that females breed at a younger age and have a shorter life span, so late arriving males may not get to breed.

Once females arrive, males perform displays of waving their flippers and calling to attract females. Female penguins seek a mate that will be able to withstand the long fasting period while incubating their eggs. This makes larger, fatter males most desirable. Females can judge the size of a male from the tone of his call and show a preference for males with deeper voices. Bigger males have large chest cavities, which produce a deeper sound. The more fat around a male's voicebox, the syrinx, the flatter the call sounds. Thus, females head toward males with deep, flat calls. This system works well for first time breeders, but older penguins seek mates in a way that maximizes the chance of a successful coupling.

Penguins seek to reunite with their partner from the last breeding season by returning to the previous year's nest site. This strategy benefits both the male and female because in many species the sex ratio is not always equal. If there are more males than females, then males benefit by reuniting with their old partner because they are guaranteed a mate for the season. The same is true for females when females outnumber males. Females that choose a previous mate can also trust that her mate will not desert their young. If however, the couple failed to raise chicks the year before, the female will avoid her old mate and seek out a new male based on his call.<

Richard Presenting an Award at BAFTAs

Thank you tehi08...

Signature RA On-screen Kiss - Yes?...No?

Has Richard developed an on-screen signature kiss? (see poll) The bones of which might've been gleaned from Sandy Welch's description of the famous train station kiss for North and South.

>John gently touches her face with his right hand and she looks up. He moves his arm slowly round to the back of Margaret's neck as they lean towards each other. John inclines his head to the left and their lips touch. John increases the firmness of his hand on the back of Margaret's neck and deepens the kiss. Henry watches from the train. John lifts his other hand to cup Margaret's face and his thumbs stroke her cheeks as the kiss continues<

His hand never quite made it completely to the back of Margaret's neck but it came close...perhaps deemed  too bold for the era, when we consider that a smoldering kiss in a public place probably would've sent shock & awe through actual 19th century passersby :)

In two most recent RA on-screen kisses his hand did come completely around to the back...