2006 Man of the Year.

After weeks of introspection, I have finally come to a decision as to my Man of the Year for 2006. He is Julian Fantechi.

What made Julian edge out the other nominees? To begin with, he is the only to come close to literally becoming my man of the year. Julian has been very much my preoccupation for the year 2006. After seeing some of his photos in justusboys (a site that I frequent whenever I surf the web), I was immediately motivated to make a search on where I could further find more of his photos. Julian is gorgeous and I loved each and every inch of his physique.

After I found out that he was appearing – simultaneously- in Men and Playgirl, I eagerly anticipated their release. Unfortunately, the issues did not arrive in Manila and I am yet to procure copies. Failing that, I turned to the reliable world wide web to find Julian. And I did. A member in justusboys published the photos and outtakes from the Men shoot in his private profile I downloaded them with gratitude and gusto. I also subscribed to two yahoo groups devoted to him. I was greatly rewarded since pictures and news of Julian were traded eagerly and lustfully. I could even track where Julian was going and experience the events vicariously through the photos that are exchanged afterwards. Julian was also accommodating enough to add me as a friend me in his myspace account. Now we are friends. He he.

There was simply too much Julian in my mind this year. I could not visit the web without googling him. Sometimes, I even devote a portion of my work hours searching for him in the internet. Of course that is not advisable, but I simply could not help it. I have also written in this blog that Julian has invaded my dream twice this year. This was something. No pornstar or porn model has ever been in my night dreams before.

The other reason why Julian won over the other candidates is that he is physically perfect. There are not many faultless specimens of a man –considering their face, body, cock, fashion, grooming- and I could only place him in a rare pedestal alongside Mark Wahlberg, Pavel Novotny and Antonio Sabato, Jr. He is simply hard to resist.

There is buzz right now in the web – particularly among his devotees- that Julian has just won as Playgirl’s Man of the Year and that a photoshoot to celebrate the feat is already being coordinated. I am not surprised. No one else deserves the distinction. I am so happy for him.

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The Close Second. For a time, I seriously considered declaring a tie between Julian and his closest rival, Jake Gyllenhaal. The past year can also be considered Jake’s year in my life. I was blown away by three of his films, Brokeback Mountain, Jarhead and Donnie Darko (the latter two I just saw on DVD this year). I admired the way Jake could shift his characterization so easily – from the gloomy and alienated Donnie Darko to the dissatisfied and disillusioned marine in Jarhead to the cowboy struggling with his sexuality in Brokeback. Very few actors could successfully come out from that one. The pitfall of actors appearing in a string of films is that they tend to repeat themselves and the viewers are left to watch the same character in three or four different films. Jake didn’t fall victim to that. He portrayed his roles with flying colors and even earned an Oscar nomination for his turn as Jack Twist.

Anyway, Jake is on the cover of this month’s GQ. He looked good on it as well as in the spread found in the inside pages.

Like a Star.

I was in Manaoag, Pangasinan last Saturday to ask the intercession of the miraculous Our Lady of Manaoag and to visit some distant relatives. Afterwards, our family went to a small restaurant to have our brunch.

In the middle of the meal, one of the waitresses approached our table with a phone-camera (a Nokia 6600, if I am right), asking to take my picture. The request took me by surprise that it did not quite sink in. I thought, is this a joke? Is this woman insane? What the f*#$$ is going on? In the end, I had to ask her why. Well, it appeared that I was mistaken by the waitresses for a soap actor named TJ Trinidad (see inset photos) and that they were seizing the “opportunity” for a souvenir and a photo-op.

Of course, I tried to point out to her their mistake. I am not the actor, I told her. I worried that my embarrassment would have been greater if they realized that themselves. But that did not help. The error notwithstanding, she said they found me cute (ahem!). Not wanting to appear rude or proud, I smiled for a shot. She thanked me and disappeared instantly.

The family had a laugh at the waitresses’ inadvertence. My nephews started calling me “TJ” just to tease me. I tried to grin and bear it during the meal. It was a mixture of inconvenience and flattery for me, although I still wasn’t sure who this TJ actor was or how he looked like.

Anyway, the waitresses did not appear to be content with just one photo. When we were about to leave, a group of them (four, in fact) approached the table to ask for additional photos. Without waiting for an answer from me, they brandished their phones and started shooting at me. Some others took even greater advantage of my senselessness that they put their arms around me and posed for the cameras. This caused additional laughter from our group.

Today, I took the opportunity to find in the web photos of TJ Trinidad. Yes, I have seen the guy in TV several times, in soap trailers and commercials. Though I must concede that we both have mestizo features, I don’t think we look alike. Anyway, I was impressed by how TJ Trinidad looks. Maybe I’ll start impersonating him just to get laid. Ha ha ha.

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Speaking of living like a star, a former classmate of mine in UP, Lino Cayetano, is currently constantly in the news. He has somehow entered show business and works as a director in one of the more popular TV stations. As such, his lovelife is now under public scrutiny. According to gossips, he is presently dating KC Concepcion, daughter of actress Sharon Cuneta and erstwhile beefcake actor Gabby Concepcion.

I cannot blame the girls who line up before Lino. He looks debonair with his mestizo looks and his pale green eyes. He is also very humble. And he listens when people talk –something that must truly endear him to the ladies. I must confess that I had a crush on him in college. I would make out conversation topics just to be able to approach him whenever we had to wait for class. I also took time out to cheer for him in varsity volleyball games. I watched him and the team captain, the equally delicious Joma Marquez. A lot of girls found time out of their busy schedules to cheer for them too. That is why it is no news to me that women swoon over Lino.

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A few entries back, I gushed about playgirl.com’s Daily Fix. I forgot to say that I am easily able to download the webpage directly on my PDA-phone. I use the photos as screensavers and wallpapers. For this week, this has been my favorite wallpaper display on my P910i. The guy is Derrick Davenport, Playgirl’s Man of the Year for 2006 and my own Must Blow # 16.

Must Blow 18: Rich Herrera.


Today’s Must Blow hunk is another model who raises my libido every time I see him on television. He is Rich Herrera. I do not know a lot about him and so I did some research in the net. Myspace proved to be a helpful source. Below are his vital statistics, straight from the man himself.

Status: Single
Orientation: Straight
Hometown: no particular one

Body type: 5' 11" / Athletic
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
Smoke / Drink: Yes / Yes
Children: Someday
Education: In college
Occupation: Stripper (I think this is only a teaser)

And here is how he describes himself: outgoing, sarcastic, smartass!! quick witted, blunt tell u like it is ALWAYS, opinionated, honest, independent, uncontrollable so don't try, wild at times... naughty, u can always depend on me to shake things up when things get boring ~ got u on ur toes always..My tan never stays (hate it) dont like lizards, got to admit, quite the bad-boy at times.

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I am not surprised that Rich confesses to being a bad boy. He strikes me as a bad boy. And though I am generally more inclined to like and fantasize good boys, I was not impelled by my perception of Rich from admiring him.

Things we have in common: Taurean, sarcastic, opinionated, independent, reader of Harry Potter books.

In 2003, Rich made quite a stir when he posed au naturel for the local Cosmopolitan magazine. Above is a tamer photo published in the same magazine, when he was objectified as a “centerfold” – an unsuitable title since the article-photo appeared on the last page of the magazine.

Mark Wahlberg's Oscar Nomination.

Today was not a good day. Despite the tons of paperwork waiting on my desk, I was hardly in the proper mental state to perform any work. For some reason, my morale was low and I couldn’t concentrate on work. I have been feeling low since yesterday. I wasn’t able to shake it off with sleep. The internet was down and so I wasted a lot of my time playing FreeCell on my desk top. I had to labor through the two motions that are due for filing tomorrow morning.

Around six o’clock, internet connections resumed. I checked my e-mail, blogspot and myspace accounts to see if there was anything new. I also checked on yahoo, msn and inquirer.net to find the latest news and gossip.

My mood changed halfway through reading the list of Oscar nominations. Mark Wahlberg is nominated for his supporting performance in The Departed. At that very instant, all the negativity I was feeling vanished. I could not contain my happiness and excitement for this very welcome news. I am a Mark Wahlberg fan. I have been so ever since I was just an adolescent and people my age all over the world adored him as Marky Mark. In fact, he is only one of the few persons I am proud to say am “a fan of” or allow the words “I” and “fan” to be used in the same sentence.

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Meryl Streep is also nominated for her tour-de-force performance in The Devil Wears Prada. Though I am still smarting from her loss for The Bridges of Madison County and her non-nomination for The Hours, I am very happy for Meryl for this nomination. The very first time that I saw Streep in Prada, I immediately predicted that she would get her nth Academy Award nomination. And I was right. I can detect an award-worthy though offbeat performance even if it is a million miles away.

My agenda for this weekend and the coming weeks is to be able to watch as many of the nominated films as possible. So far, I have only seen The Departed. Babel and Little Children are opening in theaters today. I’d like to find out if Kate Winslet can still make me cry. She almost did in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And of course, any film including Cate Blanchett is always worth the time and money.

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Last Wednesday, I bought the latest album collaboration of Ryan Cayabyab, The San Miguel Master Chorale and the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra. The album is entitled Great Original Pilipino Music from the Movies, Take 1. The songlist includes are Bituing Walang Ningning, Kailangan Kita, Sinasamba Kita, Pangako, Hanggang sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan and ten other classic and contemporary movie themes.

I have been listening to the album for about three times each day since I bought it. I have likewise made friends listen to it. A great experience is always best shared. The arrangements by Cayabyab are not extraordinary but the voicing and rendition of the choir was impeccable. Whenever I hear their voices soar and haunt, I tell myself this must be how it feels when angels welcome a new soul entrant in heaven.

The artistic collaboration of Ryan Cayabyab and San Miguel Corporation is a very welcome development in Philippine music – an industry that, for all creative purposes, has been dormant the past few years. Their partnership has been productive. The Master Chorale has won several international competitions under the baton of Cayabyab. Together, they have also produced several albums ---like the rendition of Cayabyab’s compositions, Pasko I and II--- that are precious gems in themselves.

Scratching Balls at the Australian Open.

Yesterday, I caught the 4th round match in the Australian Open between Andy Roddick and a Croation player named Ancic. It was Sunday morning and I do my treadmill in the gym tuned in to the sports channel. Roddick is seeded 6th while his opponent is seeded 9th. In sports, I usually cheer for the better looking team or player (obvious reason why I cheered for Ateneo in the UAAP as they had Doug Kramer). The choice of whom to support yesterday was easy. Roddick all the way. Andy played well in the first three sets and he led 2-1 (6-3; 3-6; 6-1) but celebrated prematurely and he thus lost his concentration. Ancic won the fourth set and lost the final set only after giving Roddick the scare that the match might slip away. In the end, it was a tight game that was fiercely and closely fought.

It was nice watching Roddick play. Reasons why he is a very stimulating athlete to watch: (1) he hasn't lost his boyish charm; (2) whenever he hit the ball, he grunted, a sound that was nearly orgasmic; (3) everytime he runs after the ball, too, with his strong forehand, his shirt flutters a little, revealing his minutely distended torso; and (4) he scraches his balls a lot during the game, in open view of all spectators.

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I haven't posted one in quite a long time, so I'll try to make up today. Here is today's Julian of the Day, which I got from one of my yahoo group memberships. Every naughty and nasty thought came to mind when I saw this picture.

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Imperative! The End of the Affair, Out in Africa and Curtain Call.

I started the year right with a very good book. Offhand, I can say that Graham Greene’s The End of the Affair is a literary masterpiece that ought to be read by everyone.

My interest in the book was piqued after I saw the movie adaptation by Neil Jordan starring Ralph Fiennes, Julianne Moore and Stephen Rea. I thought the structure of the story was so deliberate and confined and the characterization immensely delicate that the source material (the book) must be an excellent one. My hunch was right.

The End of the Affair, as the title suggests, tells of the end of the affair between Maurice Bendrix (the narrator) and Sarah Miles (a wife of a distinguished British civil servant). Unlike other novels of the same subject matter, it was not a third person or the spouses that caused the cessation of the amorous relationship. It was God that put them asunder. How the characters, who are all avowed atheists at the start of the story, reacted to God entering and interfering with their lives, hearts and souls is the center of the book---and what makes it exceptional. Greene makes a poignant and credible portrayal of how it happens when the existence of God could not simply be denied by non-believers.

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The movie adaptation is also highly recommended. Neil Jordan’s version endeavored, as much as possible, to remain true to the source material. Nevertheless, any deviation form Greene’s original story only simplified the on-screen narration and added to its cinematic appeal.

In music, Eminem fans and non-fans alike will be very much delighted to know that all his hits have been placed in one album: Curtain Call. Now, we can play all his chart-topping singles by carrying and putting in the player only one CD. The hits include: Stan, FACK, Lose Yourself, The Real Slim Shady, Mockingbird, When I am Gone, and ten others, including a live recording of Stan with Elton John.

As far as porn is concerned, it is all Bel-Ami again for me. The cold nights of December were ebbed by viewing the porn powerhouse’s new releases, Out in Africa 1 and Out in Africa 2. George Duroy treats his in-demand and pretty actors to Africa and shoots some scenes in the process. The film is a composite of out-takes of the actors touring Africa and, at their spare time, baring their animal instincts at each other.

Out in Africa 1 starts with Yves Carradine and Marc Vidal in the standard fuck and suck, and then followed by Tommy Hansen disguising as a cleaning lady, only to be “cleaned out” by Ethan Clarke, Brandon Manilow and Vidal. The orgy is tame and I skipped through that one. The “disguise” of Hansen was quite a joke and failed to set the mood. The best scene here is the final one featuring Josh Elliot and freshman Joey Amis. Joey Amis is quite a boy toy. I thoroughly enjoyed how playful he appeared during the shoot. I am definitely looking forward to his future films.

The prized scene in Out in Africa 2 features Rick Fontana and Jason Paradis. If, previously, you only fast-forwarded the DVD player whenever Fontana was onscreen, I guarantee you will not do that in this film. Rick Fontana (featured on box cover) is all grown up and suddenly hot. His body is amazing, no doubt a product of endless hours in the gym. His scruffy look also registers well on the screen. When he fucked Paradis, how I wished it were me.

2006 Awards in Literature.

At the end of each year, I make it a point to look back at the books that I read, movies I watched and albums that I bought and try to rank them. And then I give out awards. It is something that I do privately and enjoy silently. It is probably spurred by my love of awards shows (I declare each Oscar night a personal holiday and take a leave from work) and my penchant for making lists. This tradition dates back to 1993 with Victor Hugo's Les Miserables as my first Book of the Year winner. The awards for film and music were conceived much later.

The first list of citations that I was able to finalize for the past year was the best literatures of 2006. The pool does not merely include the books that were published in 2006 but the books that I actually read the past year - which includes classics that were published in the past centuries. Here are the winners:

Book of the Year: Immortality by Milan Kundera

Silver Plate: Eleven Minutes by Paolo Coelho

Bronze Plate: The Joke by Milan Kundera

Circle of Excellence:

1. The Island of the Day Before - Umberto Eco

2. In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

3. Foe - JM Coetzee

Laurel in Non-Fiction: Robert Kennedy: His Life

by Evan Thomas

Shortlist:
1. Ilang Talang Luma Buhat sa Talaarawan ng Isang Taong May Nunal sa Talampakan - Jun Cruz Reyes

2. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

Author of the Year: Milan Kundera

New Writer of the Year: Truman Capote

Hugo Prize for Literature: JRR Tolkien

Must Blow 17: Alvin Alfonso.

How cool is Alvin Alfonso? I have been looking for the longest time of a scan of his picture that appeared in the special edition of Cosmopolitan back in 2005 wherein he was only is his underwear. I have tried a lot of sites and search engines, with no positive result. And, finally, where did I find such scan but in Alvin’s own private web profile!!! How cool and secure is a guy who would post his own half-naked photo in the internet? Very.

In 2005, Alvin made a splash in the local advertising scene by appearing in a lot of commercials. There was a time that you couldn’t escape him on TV. He was the guy with an oily face, the boy next door, the salad-loving lad, among other roles. His fresh face was nearly a fixture on television. His constant appearance almost makes one think that there is a subliminal message there somewhere that is being brought across by Big Brother (ala George Orwell’s 1984). In no time, his image ---those bushy eyebrows, that perfect set of teeth framed by thick, totally kissable lips--- was easily embedded in the viewer’s brain.

He was also a darling of the print media. He was featured in a lot of female-geared magazines. He was named by Cosmopolitan as one of the hottest hunks of 2005. He also had a daring photo layout in a gay-oriented magazine.

Was Alvin effective as a poster boy? I bet you he is. See that boxer brief he is wearing in the Cosmo photo? I bought three sets of that. I only wanted to have something in common with him. Plus, now, every time I put them on (or off), I am reminded of Alvin.

Alvin recently expanded his resume. Aside from modeling, he currently works as a VJ at [V]. I caught him a couple of times and I can say, objectively, that he is doing quite a good job. He is a natural on the screen and his command of the language is impeccable. He also does not resort to goofy antics---a pitfall for most VJs that just makes them annoying.

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Dreams again. I had a dream last night involving the young actor, Mark Herras. It was non-sexual, though. The dream was like a plot lifted from a mediocre suspense-thriller movie. We were running around in an old house trying to hide from spooky creatures. I do not know what prompted this dream. I did not watch a horror film the previous night or hear any ghost story. I am thankful that the dream ---and the chase--- were only brief.

To Bi For 07: Jennifer Aniston.

Rachel Green, that is how I will always remember her. I liked her the moment she strolled into her first scene in the pilot episode of Friends. She was wearing a wedding gown. A runaway bride who had the luck of stumbling into old friends in a café (Central Perk) who were willing to bear with her while she tried to straighten things up in her life. She was, after all, only in her mid-twenties. And then she fell in love with Ross. Then also with Joey. And a lot of other men in between. But I don’t think no one loved her like I did. Well, except maybe Gunther, the bartender at Central Perk.

A lot of other people will also remember her as Rachel Green. Women too. Remember the Rachel Green haircut that a lot of girls emulated when Friends hit it big in the first two seasons? You couldn’t walk two blocks without seeing a woman wearing that haircut. But of course, the best thing that we will remember about Rachel Green is her camaraderie with the rest of her friends. How she complimented Monica as a roommate. Or pointed out to Joey where the punch line was in a joke. How she comforted Phoebe in her pregnancy. The way she snickered at the banters of Chandler. And that it was Ross all along.

Of course, it is better to be remembered as Rachel Green than “the former Mrs. Pitt”. She made sure of that too. The year she and Brad finalized their divorce, she posed for and was named by GQ magazine as Woman of the Year. See what you are missing Brad Pitt?

Post-Friends, Aniston now makes her living in Hollywood by being the romantic female lead of the decade. She has made a string of modestly hit films such as Picture Perfect, Rumor Has It and The Break-Up.

The best news, of course, is that she has called it quits with Vince Vaughn. Good for you, Jen. You deserve better. Sexiest man alive Brad Pitt didn’t even deserve you, why do you think that a schmuck like Vince is good enough? Look to the horizon. You will find a man who would shower you the same devotion that Ross gave Rachel. Trust in that.

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Yesterday, I was able to purchase the December 2006 copy of Men’s Exercise. I do not really buy fitness or health magazines, except the local Men’s Health edition that I purchase from time to time. The only reason that I bought the magazine is that it has Julian Fantechi on the cover. Look at those abs. Pity that there are no pictures of Julian inside the magazine. Now the magazine just rests on my bedside table, the contents unread while the cover perpetually admired.

An Embarrassing Sex Dream.

Sex dreams are great to have. Waking up from and faintly remembering the details of one make me want to shut my eyes again, force myself to sleep and will the dream to continue itself. I often stay in bed a little longer, hugging my pillow tighter (in lieu of the girl and guy who couldn’t physically join me in my bed at that moment). It is a perfect cap to a reinvigorating sleep. Like the one I had involving Julian Fantechi.

But some sex dreams are embarrassing, even to oneself. They are like insults perpetrated by the subconscious against the conscious self. You want to wake up from it but you can’t. You want to immediately put a stop to it but you are helpless. Like the conscious part of you is being forced to witness a rape.

I had one such dream last night. It was an unwelcome dream because the guy I hooked up with embarrasses me. His name is Patrick. Yes, that is his true name. I will make no effort to conceal his identity since the name is common enough. There is no danger of being found out. He was a classmate in high school. I must admit that I had a faint crush on him when he first joined our class. He was not really handsome but he was very masculine, confident, had a solid voice and owned the earliest set of tight buns that I have ever admired. But my crush soon waned. Patrick’s only preoccupation was himself and he never tired of boasting about his little accomplishments. I bet you have never met a self-absorbed guy until you’ve met him. His arrogance easily made him a joke among us. Now, whenever I see him on our rare reunions, I shiver at the memory that he once (or twice) played a major role in my sexual fantasies.

The setting was not clear, but it appeared that the class had another reunion. The dinner was held in the house of one of our classmates. For some reason, most of us decided to sleep there that night. Patrick and I had been openly flirting with each other during the party. I was equally guilty of being suggestive as I asked him a number of questions about his sex life now that he is married. (Parenthetically, we appeared in the dream as high school students and at once our present ages.) Does your wife suck your dick? I bet she can’t do it is as great as I do. I’ve met your wife long ago and I am still waiting for your invitation to a threesome.

When Patrick decided to call it a night, he decided to crash in the bed that I was already sharing with Leon. There was enough space so we didn’t bother. He slept between Leon and me. When he was certain that Leon was already asleep (as he slept soundly), Patrick made his move on me. He removed his shirt and was quickly on top of me. I was stunned as I wasn’t expecting it to happen. I didn’t want us to get caught. That appeared to be my only ground for objection. As in real life, I was wary of my classmates discovering my sexual preferences. Anytime, anyone of our classmates could just come in the door and catch us. Not to mention Leon, who was lying only a few inches away.

But I gave in to his advances. Soon, I was reciprocating his embrace, his kisses and his wandering and yearning hands. There was a lot of kissing and tugging on that narrow bed. But throughout all this, I kept my eyes on the door, willing it to remain shut until our lust was satisfied. Sooner still, we found ourselves entirely naked and drenched in sweat and saliva. My nails dug into those buttocks that I endlessly admired in high school. Patrick was at the point of putting his hard cock inside my ass when Leon suddenly arose from his slumber. He said that we should be ashamed of ourselves for interrupting his sleep (There must be a punch line here somewhere.) and then he abruptly left the room. This put us back to our senses and Patrick and I immediately stopped our fooling around.

The dream ended with our sexual foray being the hot topic during the following breakfast. Strangely, only Patrick was identified and the identity of his partner was not made known to the rest of the class. It was a narrow escape for me.

-----oOo-----

Notes on the dream. First, I think what triggered the dream was that last Sunday I saw a guy in the gym who I first thought was Patrick. It wasn’t Patrick so I was saved from the agony of having to listen to him speak about himself. Second, the dream resembles an event in high school wherein Leon caught a gay classmate giving a blowjob to another classmate. It was also after a party and since it was held in Antipolo and most of us did not have a car, we stayed overnight. When Leon could no longer stand it (realizing that some anomaly was happening just a few inches away; the three of them shared a bed too.), he feigned falling from his side of the bed, suddenly waking up and, then, left the room. The story is told in hush tones among us.

Men of 2006.

Here are the men who were my preoccupation in the year 2006.

From the movies:
1. Mark Wahlberg, The Departed. The Golden Globe nomination is well-deserved. Congratulations for your Best Supporting Actor citations from the Boston Society of Film Critics and National Society of Film Critics.
2. Jake Gyllenhaal, Jarhead and Brokeback Mountain.
3. Brandon Routh, Superman Returns. Suddenly, Lois Lane yearning to sleep with the Man of Steel became self-explanatory.

From television:
4. Adam Brody, The O.C. Second year in a row. You were also cute in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, which I just saw on DVD.

From the web:
5. Julian Fantechi. You really made your mark by being simultaneously featured in Playgirl and Men. Failing to find those magazines in the country, I assidiously searched for your photos in the web. The endeavor was as successful as it was rewarding. Thank you for adding me into your myspace account.

In porn:
6. Lukas Ridgeston, Lukas in Love 1 and 2.
7. Roman Heart, Super Soaked and Cross Country.
8. Renato Amoroso, Flings 2 and Pillow Talk 1.

From print media:
9. Derrick Davenport, Playgirl 2006 Man of the Year.
10. Nicholas Lemons, Out coverboy.

Honorable Mentions: Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest; Mark Herras (No one grooves on TV like you do); Gian Magdangal, Philippine Idol (a hunk worth voting for); Todd Winters, Take One for the Team.

Three of those who made it this year were also in my 2005 list. They are Adam Brody, and Bel Ami's Lukas Ridgeston and Renato Amoroso.

I will announce my own Man of the Year, selected from the above list, hopefully before this month ends.

Must Blow 16: Derrick Davenport.

It is self-evident that this year, I blogged a lot about Julian Fantechi, Playgirl's August coverboy and centerfold. This preoccupation made me remiss in writing about the other men who appeared in this magazine and who brought me equal pleasure. I wish correct this lapsis mentis today.

He was named Playgirl Man of the Year for 2006 and I must say that he is the best man to wear the title in the last three years (compare him to Charles Dera of 2005 and Robert Something of 2004 and Derrick still wins by a mile). Derrick Davenport is an intimidatingly exceptional man. He is handsome in a Brad Pitt-sort-of-way. He has a muscular body with all the right curves, cuts and chunks. He has a thick dick. And his attitude registers well on the camera.

Derrick is a man to model all your fantasies. I see him as a total top, who is tireless in bed and is equally willing to experiment. However, he is also quite moody, so one has to push the right buttons - physically and emotionally - to get him going.

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Last night, instead of wallowing about G., I went to the gym. While on the treadmill, I was able to catch Battlestar Galactica, a new sci-fi drama show on C/S channel. I have been meaning to watch this show ever since I saw one of its stars, Jamie Bamber, featured on the cover of Out magazine. The guy is hot. I anxiously waited for him to appear on screen, I have already been running for about twenty minutes and already covered in sweat and Jamie still had not appeared in any scene. Anyway, my anxiety was well rewarded when Jamie appeared on the screen. He really is terrific!!! He is so sexy and easily commands the screen. I can say that the show had just earned an additional viewer. I'll try to catch it again next week.

G.

G. was in my dream again last night. I must admit that she has been in my thoughts (for more than usual) the last few weeks - ever since I discovered from our common friends that she is getting married this January. It is quite a long story between us. And I am not ready to delve into that today. To make a long story short: G. is the one who got away.

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Ever since I found out that G. is tying the knot this month - to another lawyer introduced by another common friend (the traitor!) - I have been having the similar quandary that Julia Roberts had in My Best Friend's Wedding. Do I just wallow in silence and let her marry the man she loves (a pure assumption on my part) and who could possibly make her happy and give her the life she wants (again, just an assumption)? Or do I tell her that I still have feelings for her and find out if she still feels the same?

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My dilemma is aggravated by the fact that ever since G. and I parted ways almost five years ago, we have had no contact with each other. Sure, I still have her cell number and I haven't changed mine, yet we have never texted or called each other since 2002. We have common friends - law school classmates, really - but we were successful in attending dinners and parties that the other didn't attend. Likewise, the past couple of years, we have both been in and out of the country: she in the United States and Singapore, I in Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur.

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And pride has prevented me from asking friends about her. Knowing G., I am sure that she was equally motivated.

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Our friends know that G. and I parted in an ambiguous and unfriendly terms and the names of each other are taboo in social conversations. That is, until the subject of her marriage was brought out during tha last Christmas party (which she missed, thank God). Apparently, the wedding is too important a topic not to be mentioned even if it slights me, a former lover. So now I know who are invited. I am grateful, though, that no one mentioned the wedding date or I'll be misable on such date.

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Anyway, the dream now. It was really a replay of what I have been pondering about in the last few weeks.

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In my dream, there was a party. I assume that it was for me because in attendance were my relatives, friends from high school and college, and friends from law school, including G. I am not sure of the occasion, but I appeared to be the host as guests who came and went made it a point to approach and greet me.

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Typical of our real life socializations after we parted ways (and immediately she had a boyfriend and I had a girlfriend), we snubbed each other during the party. However, when all our law school classmates have left, G. did not go with them. She stayed behind even if her bestfriend, C., left with the bunch.

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I was mindful that G. stayed for a reason. In the dream, I told myself that G. wants to talk to me in private. She wants to tell me that she will not push through with the wedding if only I will tell her not to. I read them in her and eyes and in her movements. I know that I read them correctly - in the same way that I used to guess her exact moods, wants and thoughts. I made the decision to talk to her in private and precisely tell her that - that we should give each other a second chance.

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But even in my dream, things were not as easy. There were so many guests and they equally demanded that I spend some time with them - recommend food to eat, inquire about their health and career, trade jokes. My nephews were also badgering me to check something out (I do not recall now what it was about). There was an instant when G. and I locked eyes. Again, I read her thoughts and I felt her pain. The dilemma brought about by her impending marriage is not mine alone. She is also agonizing over it. Uncertain about his groom. Uncertain about me. But I did not acknowledge her. Although I saw her and my image in her eyes, I did not acknowledge her. No wink, no nod, no smile. No sign that says, "I still love you" or "Yes, let's talk.". I looked through her and above her. My pride getting the better of me.

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I knew I did wrong and that what I just did sealed both our fates. I successfully got away from the frenzy of the party and tried to seek her out. I couldn't find her anywhere. She has left the party. And that was how the dream ended.

Must Blow 15: Leandro Becker.

I wrote about him last year, particularly on his appearance in Brasil's popular magazine, G. He is still one of my favorite male specimens, so I do not think I will ever tire of featuring him in this blog.

Leandro Becker is one of the more popular faces and bodies in Brasil. A couple of years ago, he made headlines (in blogs, web sites, etc.) when he was featured in Terra's The Boy. The site is dedicated to exhibiting the best of Brasil. In this instance, the best men that Brasil can offer in their most revealing poses (but not full frontal). Some photos from The Boy are posted in this entry.

He again created a buzz when he agreed to do a full frontal nude photospread in G. The products of this collaboration are beyond words. Leandro is strikingly sensual in the pictures although the theme of the photospread itself is not suggestive or pornographic. It is like a day in the life of Leandro Becker. Or scuba diving with Leandro.

When he is not posing before the camera, Leandro plies the nightlife of Brasil as a disk jockey. With his good looks and his proclivity to remove his shirt when the dance floor heats up, every club that he DJs in is certain to be jampacked.

To Bi For* 06: Katherine Heigl.

I have mixed reactions to Grey's Anatomy. At times, the episodes are great. But most times, it seems like watching ---especially with the narrations and predictable insights of Dr. Grey--- Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and the City being transported and finding new work, new love and new things to bitch about in the long-running series E.R.

Anyway, every week, I still find myself hurrying home before nine o'clock to be able to watch the show. My willingness to cut my gym hours on Thursday nights is by and large attributable to actress Katherine Heigl, who plays one of the young surgeons learning the ropes in Seattle Grace Hospital.

Katherine is very beautiful. I especially like her doll-like eyes and lips. She is like Charlize Theron's baby sister. When she moves about in her scenes, my eyes just fix on her and follow her graceful movements. And when she looks right into the camera (which happens at least once per episode), it was always the end of me.

She is also a talented actress. This year, she is nominated in the Golden Globe as Best Supporting Actress for her work in Grey.

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-----oOo-----

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I had always found the title of this blog regular, "Girlfriend", bland. I meant to replace it once a more interesting tag or headline comes into mind. Last night, I stumbled into a more blog-appropriate headline, "To Bi For" (pronounced in the same manner as "to die for"). I say more "appropriate" because the women featured in this segment are good and sufficient reason why I remain bisexual. The criteria for choosing the women who will be featured here will be the same as set forth in my first Girlfriend post.