It's likely the Salon editorial staff may not wish to include my comment responding to this story, but I have been much concerned of late about the amount of "soft", pseudo "human interest" stuff appearing on Salon during the past 6 months or more at the expense of important investigative reports. I feel that your staff ought to consider my concerns, since I have also read a number of letters by others to Salon expressing the same sorts of disappointments with articles run lately.

For example, this one on the prettiest male celebrities, another on Hillary's "datability", the crap being flung at each other by the candidates in TV "debates" that no one bothers to watch anyway except the pundits seeking a "gotcha" moment, and a recent really nonsensical one on "who needs a Prius ?". The list of such dreck on Salon is quite extensive nowadays.

As a reader since its very first appearence on the 'net, I remember with deep appreciation the days when highly informed, hard hitting pundits like Joe Conason ran a series of investigative articles on Salon about critical issues that that the "mainstream" press ignored.

The long series of stories on the "Arkansas Project", for example, was exemplary journalism.

I don't expect much from Huffington Post, as another example, since Ariana (sp?) is evidently hooked on trivia, sensation, and gratuitous Hillary bashing - - although it still contains some real news that is ignored by the corporate press, so it's worth browsing. But I have come to expect more from Salon. Gary Kamiya is excellent, as are a few others - and Joe Conason and Sidney Blumental in weekly columns. But the silly dreck far outnumbers critical, investigative reports nowadays.

How about some reports on the real reasons there is apparently less violence occuring in Iraq of late ? AlterNet ran a short series on the truth behind this situation in Iraq with numerous citations from Iraqis actually on the scene.

Frankly, the list of news wire stories are the only real items of real interest for me lately on Salon. What's happened to investigative reports resulting from "gum shoe' journalism ? Some other 'net sites continue serious and penetrating journalistic contributions.

What's happening at Salon ?

Yes, definitely Clive Owen and Alan Rickman.

Also how about the sexy saviors of the world: Bono, Geldof and that totally hot economist, George Monbiot?

Finally, to add some non-US diversity to the list, I'd like to include the ENTIRE All-Black Rugby Team of New Zealand. Watch 'em doing the Haka, and dare to disagree:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gifMMB_TNJo&feature=related

Sadly, the leader/caller, Tana Umaga (my choice for sexiest man in the world), retired from international rugby last year--but the Haka is always good, no matter who leads.

The thing that makes these guys so sexy is that, while they exhibit this savage, primieval fierceness on the field, in person they are gentle as the lambs for which Aotearoa is also famous. (But please, no more sheep jokes).

I cannot believe you omitted the sexiest man alive--my husband!!! He's a teacher, smart, sensitive, has perfect pitch and flawless rhythm (he plays drums in his offtime) and drives me wild with desire. He is compact--no excessive musculature--with Lennon glasses, an adorable goatee and a biting sense of irony. I guess you left him out because he is neither rich nor famous, he's just perfect. Oh, well.

For the love of chunk! Where's Phillip Seymour Hoffman? Love him. love him.

Gore, and...excuse, me, but - over on your own Beyond the Multiplex page - NOAH BAUMBACH. And have any of you gotten a load of Ludovic Lefebvre? Zut alors, now there's a sexy chef.

My God! What a list! I'm a traditionalist. I go for the good looking guy on the big or small screen. Not the pretty boys. The physical ones, the way they walk down a street, enter a door or look at the woman in their life. Their physical presence. The way they inhabit their clothes and their space. The way they touch the woman they love. Broad shouldered, soft eyes, short haired and clean looking with maybe a small scar between their eyebrows. Nice voice. Like the Scottish actor Kevin McKidd playing the character Dan Vasser on Journeyman.

The confession scene in "Salvador" alone which (I have read) he ad-libbed -- the man is incredible. Brilliant actor, and just plain brilliant -- hilarious, gutsy, self-confrontational -- his edgy, "kind of an asshole" personality (defying his actual looks, which started out nerdy-spooky-scary and have kept getting BETTER as time has passed), he flatly disregards by also NOT being nice -- he is TOTALLY hot. Too bad about the dyed hair on "Shark" (don't forget your eyebrows!!) but he's an actor, it's makeup -- he's even handsomer with his natural gray-white hair anyway; and even in movies that are kinda lame ("Any Given Sunday") he brings his force to the moment. Beginning with "Onion Field," and don't skip "Salvador" -- plus the hilarious exchange with Clint Eastwood in "True Crime"!! -- playing a sick, racist, killer in "Ghosts of Mississippi" -- be still my heart.

Gabriel Byrne! Both men and women like him and he's sexy as hell.

Oh, and the sad/sexy Owen Wilson fad ended when he started dating Jessica Simpson. No one with a REAL existential crisis would go near that bimbo...

1. GW Bush

2. Don Rumsfeld

3. Dick Cheney

4. Condoleeza Rice.

That ol' Gang of War Criminals ruling the YOUSA!

Yum-yum-yummy!

--- GSC

The omission of Keith Olbermann and Stephen Colbert from your "Sexiest Man Alive" list renders it meaningless.

good golly, do you just not like robert plant, or what? no stories on mighty rearranger or raising sand . . . the man is still a golden god.

Where is Keith Olbermann on your list? He is smart, literate, funny, and willing to say what needs to be said. My heart pounds with feverish (but intellectual) delight every evening when I watch Countdown. I have such a crush on him!

academyscreamer, I think it was probably two episodes earlier. I was certain, though, in the episode when she's crying in Don's office. I just can't remember whether that was one or two episodes before the finale.