I really do love everything about the BBC's Sherlock -- even its implausible British fight sequences -- but there is one itty bitty thing about it that helps it along a bit more than others.

*swoon*

(can't help it, I'm a red-blooded straight woman. sorry lads.)

(photo by Ian Derry for Entertainment Weekly)

As if I need to remind you, 1) about how real men should dress, or 2) of my forever love for British fashion house Alexander McQueen and how their great accessories can make anything pop, or 3) about why Benedict Cumberbatch.

(Press photo for The Fifth Estate press conference at TIFF)

Cumberbatching aside, I write because I also love fashion and cinema; there's been a lot of jabbering about whether or not Cumberbatch's fashion choices for his full-on three film assault on TIFF 2013 are too conservative, uptight, and British.

This surprised me, because his fashion choices are clearly those of a man who has the right people in his corner to go about crafting a career and public persona based, in part, on his quintessential classic Britishness, sure, but who also dress him** beautifully while adding just the right amount of whimsy to keep the look young and current. Perfect.

Anyway, to wit: the slim cut suit in dark blue, the crisp whites with just enough cuff, and the pocket kerchief square are givens, but it's all about that tie. Isn't anyone paying attention to details?

**or, he's getting his cues himself from Sherlock as well as recycling that tie for a long-ass time. Big ups either/or.

Happy PRIDE!

Happy Pride!

P.S: That adorables gif choice is no random googling accident; I just now started watching Sherlock because it was recommended to me and it is AMAZEBALLS.

P.P.S: And ugh, file this under nerdgirls are easy -- predictably, irrevocably (and as per usual, totally late to the party): Benedict Cumberbatch's brilliant turn on the BBC as Sherlock (okay, for real, it's also those thick. black. curls.), mind-blowing performance as bizarro reboot Khan in Star Trek, Into Darkness (okay, for real, it's also that. body.), and (just in case you're insane and didn't click on that Khan link) good lord sweet jesus his baritone, sex-oozing voice (gurl, for real, that. voice.). And so here we are, hook line sinker: one more for the man harem. If he stays away from man harem lifetime member James McAvoy's odd career choices he has a shot at a Paul Newman or Laurence Olivier caliber career.

The internets also pinky swear that Cumberbatch is, essentially, perfect: not merely satisfied with being talented, and handsome in that alabaster alien meets sexy ginger Keebler elf way, he is rumored to also be highly intellectual, modest, witty, polite, charming, and kind. He claims to love both his mother and reading books. He supposedly rides a motorbike, is OK firing up the occasional smoke, and speaks Latin. Holy hot hell. He's also remarked that he desperately wants to breed, so OK, baby daddy dealbreaker aside, he's almost my perfect man harem piece. But, since I will never really know any of those more intimate details for sure, better to stick with the basics, non? Can't go wrong with possessing documented talent AND teh sex (unless you're a rumored jerkface *cough*Fassy*cough*); most signs though point to his likability and general good guy-ness as fact. Cumberbatch is first string, lifetime member material all the way.

Seriously, click on that voice link. Do it.

"Prosti-dudes" = groan (and not in a good way). Better is that this town -- in one of the eight Nevada counties that allows prostitution -- is called Mound House.

Men Back on the Menu at a Brothel in Northern Nevada

This guy.

Nathan Fillion Reveals Why He's Hooked on Books

Let me get this straight: he loves reading -- especially nerdy adventure, fantasy, sci-fi and comic books -- gives serious props to his English teacher mom, and was not only creepy priest on Buffy and Joey Buchanan on OLTL, but BOTH Captain Mal and Captain Hammer? This is a man who knows how to work his audience into a steamy mess. Hot damn.

If I didn't already have my handsome, smart, talented, and awesomely nerdy hubby, I would be all over this and moving to America's hat, stat.

So, I saw Haywire over the weekend.



Seriously a good time. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, it has super fun casting, with Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas, and Michael Douglas, and MMA fighter Gina Carano in the lead. I loved the clean and lean look of the film, and I especially liked the lack of jump cuts in the fight scenes, which lent them precision and a gritty realism; it felt like a European action flick. Really well done.

OMG, and I so get the Michael Fassbender thing now. Holy everything that is holy. And let me just say straight up: I am a sucker who would totally be killed by Fassbender's sexy, charismatic British freelance assassin Paul. Oy vey. This is why: I was talking to Trevor after the film about Fassbender's role and how I thought he was made out to be a bit more sympathetic than the other black ops guys, and he laughed at me. "Paul is charming and handsome, but he was willing to frame an innocent person and kill her for money! Now you know what it's like to be a man around a beautiful woman." Touché.

But wait a minute: not only is he charming and handsome, he can kill a man with his bare hands while wearing the hell out of a suit. Hot. Oh wait, that also describes my husband. No wonder.

I first noticed Fassbender in the passably entertaining X-Men First Class as Magneto (also starring man-harem lifetime member James McAvoy as Xavier), though I had seen other films that he had smaller, ensemble roles in, like 300 and Inglourious Basterds. Most recently I saw him again in Steve McQueen's beautifully shot and acted, but sometimes wincingly trite, Shame. This film was when I starting sitting up and paying attention to Fassbender as an actor (I know what you're thinking, and no, really, it was the acting!). The sterility and quietude of a film like Shame requires someone who can convey a bevy of human emotion over the course of several uncomfortably long close-up still-shots, without speaking. He nailed it (and okay, yeah, that pun was intended). I was riveted.

Anyway, I digress. Haywire: fun, action packed film well worth the unspeakable amount of money you pay now for a movie ticket. The Fassbender Sexy: confirmed. And he's not only beautiful, but he's absolutely flawless as an actor in this film, as well as Shame. Looking forward to seeing if future projects and personal conduct deem him man-harem worthy.

Have you ever wondered how to dress your man like this?



















Or this?



















Or this?



















You *need* Nerd Boyfriend. Seriously awesomesauce.



















This one may be my personal favorite ('tis also the most complete). And for those times when I DON'T feel like caking on blue eyeshadow and wearing next to nothing, oh Chris O'Dowd/Roy/Officer Rhodes, you're my go-to guy.

Oh my, yes please.

Jon Hamm as Superman

I don't usually go for semi-blondes, or super bros for that matter, but dammit Tom Hardy has been gunning as a contender for my man harem.

He was teh sex in Inception, will be Bane in the next installation of Batman (squee!), and will redefine Mad Max so the franchise is no longer fronted in our minds by a creepy misogynist racist (and he will look positively swoon-worthy kicking ass in leather). But I have high standards -- you cannot take a place in my imaginary tent in the desert alongside men like Jon Stewart simply because you ooze teh sexy.

And so the harem was to stay static. Until...

This article, where he's interviewed by Vincent Cassel about SLAPPING Paul Bettany on set (as to not mar his face -- a gentleman and consummate professional, this one) for talking mad shit about him.

Pretty much clinches it, non?

It is about time.



















When Del Monte Superfruit Smoothies asked a thousand women who they would most like to lick, they picked the newest Bond, Daniel Craig. So Del Monte got working on a limited-edition "license to chill" ice lolly based on a beach scene from "Casino Royale." It's no doubt the first popsicle with abs.

I'm loving equal opportunity objectification! Thank you third wave.

I'll admit, I can get on a Daniel Craig lolly. The sad thing is, Craig is supposedly quite a sweet man, but let's face it, he's so hot because -- I'm just going to say it -- he looks like he will hurt you *ahem* rough. Any Daniel Craig popsicle has to look good but taste like bad boyfriend.

Now to make delicious frozen treats that look like James McAvoy (Scotch), Bradley Cooper (watermelon), Zachary Quinto's Spock (milk tea with tapioca), Snape (blackberries), John Cho (coconut), and Jason Statham (chocolate), and I think they'll have almost all of my bases covered.

Spires record release party, Oaktown, 3.13.2009

six degrees of Sanchez:















Wilcox surfs and screams:















The W and Trevor:



















Support these hardworking Oakland boys and order the record here.

omgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomg

These are a few of my favorite things...


















In one tidy package. I also love my scarf.

Hayes Carll, Cafe du Nord, San Francisco, 10.18.2008



















Yes, I'm in the second row, and yes, he's looking at me. I must admit, I squeed, just a bit.












































If you love honky tonk, or roots rock, or folk and Americana, get thee to a record store and get Hayes Carll's latest, Trouble in Mind. Better yet, see him on tour and get it there. You'll fall in love with his sweet melodies and charming onstage presence. What a fantastic musician, and what a good time (thanks be to Hairy Soap for accompanying me).

Go buy this man's record now!

Mormon Missionary Calendar-Maker Excommunicated

The creator of a calendar that featured shirtless Mormon missionaries was excommunicated Sunday after a disciplinary meeting with local church leaders in Las Vegas.

A calendar of shirtless, corn-fed Mormon boys? Genius.

I want to think this is a ploy by the Mormon Church to get more publicity for this calendar -- and thus more female converts -- but if I know stodgy old religious men, it is probably just more 18th century behavior and an unwillingness to understand good marketing.

And this is good marketing, for this calendar aims to show that being sexy and religious are not necessarily mutually exclusive, by chronicling not only the beefy results of biking and hiking door-to-door for the lord, but the backgrounds and missions of each calendar boy. For women fed up with men who don't think about anyone but themselves, having a guy who is purportedly intent on supporting his family AND worked with the Special Olympics or built wells in Africa can sound mighty enticing. Check out these Utah boys for yourself.

But goo, then there's reality: the LDS doctrines of women submitting to male authority -- of which the worst thing for me is only looking forward to churning out spirit baby after spirit baby in immortal death (which happens only if your husband can remember your name so you can actually enter heaven -- WTF?), after a mortal lifetime of churning out real babies and waiting on men. Takes the shine off moving to Utah real quick!

Some things I am loving right now:

1) Vegan eats at The Golden Buddha:














Actually, I'm also loving the entire stretch of Clement Street in the Inner Richmond where this restaurant is located. Here exists the most extensive and lovingly displayed anime toy store around, as well as the smallest but most fashion-forward Goodwill. Wondrous Asian shops selling everything from Chinese herbs and dried fish to firecrackers and probably Mogwai are also quite abundant. But it is truly the restaurants that rule!

2) This picture of James McAvoy from the August 2008 issue of Details magazine:


















Holy hot hell. You really must embiggen and get a look at those eyes. Sweet mother of god.

Such a perfect 21st century, iconic photograph -- the type that will get referenced in his future retrospective -- but still not unlike one of my favorites of Paul Newman from the 1960s that was featured on the cover of GQ last year. Yum.

Not only is Mr. McAvoy also yum, but seems smart and grounded, and BTW did you see Atonement? The man can act. On his way to legendary.

Details, however -- eh, not so much. More like creepy and trying too hard. But this is pretty funny.

3) The wallpaper in the ladies' room at The Avenue (may be NSF your W).

4) yoCup in San Francisco, and live culture, probiotic frozen yogurt in general. Now that this phenomenon is exploding in Northern California, I am crossing my fingers for one to open up in Oakland so I no longer have to dream constantly of 150 calorie tart goodness topped with enormous succulent blackberries. Damn, I would BART across the Bay right now if they were open.

5) Cocktails at Flora, especially with my sweetie, and my good friends Chris and Jumoke. Never was much of a gal for gin, but you learn something new everyday!

Finally saw Iron Man last night. Loved it! Loved the Stan Lee cameo. Loved random Paul Bettany. The "civilian detector" scene -- completely badass. And good god man, make sure you stay until the end of the credits. *stinger spoiler in link*

But oh my stars, the best thing of course is how perfect -- in looks and in life -- Robert Downey Jr. is as Tony Stark.































Even though he's been in a few fine films since, I truly last loved Robert Downey Jr. in Less Than Zero. How's that for a comeback?

He is an excellent actor, and even though he always seems to be playing himself to a degree, most of his roles have been varied and versatile. I've been hearing a lot about how RDJ -- like Tony Stark, a recovering addict -- is really truly back to business with Iron Man. Let me tell you, he definitely brought it.

The knowledge of RDJ's very public struggle with addiction made his portrayal of Stark even more poignant and well done for me. I'll be very interested to see if they play up the alcoholism angle at all in sequels. I think it will be an injustice to the complexities of Tony Stark's -- and in a way, RDJ's -- story, and struggles, if they don't.


















So, acting aside, I've been hearing so much more about how RDJ is also back to being absolutely delicious -- cleaned-up, fit, happy, over-forty deliciousness. Given I've never thought him attractive, I thought I would be immune.

Nope.

Total hotness.














Yum!

Marion Cotillard, you are so deserving of the Best Actress Academy Award for La Vie En Rose, and you were also the best thing about the Oscars last night.



























Okay, maybe the second-best thing, next to a swoon-inducing Javier Bardem (in a beautiful four-button suit) picking up Best Supporting Actor and thanking his mother -- who he brought as his date to the Oscars -- in Spanish. All of the women present in the room I was in swooned in unison. Take note, boys.

Anyway, love Marion's Gaultier dress. Love her old-school Hollywood glamour and her humility. Love her!

Also, I squee madly at this sweetness:



























James McAvoy is truly sex on a stick, but he and his wife Anne-Marie Duff are so lovey and cute and modest and solid that one feels downright filthy for ogling him so.

So, I'll end this with the fact that he was absolutely robbed of a Best Actor Oscar nom (not win, but nom) for Atonement. That's the brain talking, swear! :)