Favorite Pic of the Day for August 28th

Get to know more about the impressive Steve R below!

Happy Birthday today August 28th to:

Two of my favorites blow out candles today!

John Allen Nelson turns 51 today.





Rick Rossovich turns 53 today.





Also blowing out candles today; Jason Priestley, Whip Hubley, Carly Pope, Gianni Giardinelli, Davide Ricci, Kirby Morrow, Tood Eldridge, Jack Black, Billy Boyd, Shania Twain, Jennifer Coolidge, Emma Samms, Scott Hamiliton and David Soul!

Kudos to Blogger

I do love blogger but have always been annoyed by not being able to block certain spam comments. Almost everyone who has a blog gets spam, especially the nightly spammer from the orient... Well finally blogger has added a spam filter and I, and especially you no longer even see the spam. Thanks Blogger!

Flight and Fight with Steve R.

Somewhere on the Island of Milos, one of the thousands of Greek islands approximately half way between Piraeus and Crete, Steve R. flies through the air from the rocks high above into the cool water of the Mediterranean Sea.

Flying is a huge part of Steve's life. Equally important to Steve is fighting. Now while many of us must choose fight or flight, Steve has chosen to combine them both into every aspect of his life.

His world is made up of Taekwondo, kickboxing, freestyle fighting free running and free climbing and Parkour. Parkour is the physical discipline of training to overcome any obstacle within one's path by adapting one's movements to the environment.

Steve has studied taekwondo for 14 years , kickboxing for 3 years , and free style fight for 2 years.

'What attracts me to martial arts is something mystical ... like a hidden power that floats in the air .. the power . the speed . the moves . the anger and ferocity'. .

Adapting is just what Steve has done. Steve says that he has always struggled with confidence. As a child he was bullied in school but even when pushed never wanted to physically hurt another. His mission was to trudge on pretending not to care what others were saying.

Steve did fight back, but not with his fists, but with his talent. Steve channeled his pain through his art work to create heroes who did fight, not to harm but to protect.

Steve has dreams of being an actor, a very specific actor though. Like the themes of his art, Steve wants to be a hero, and action star. Steve wants to create movies not just full of action, but with positive messages. Steve knows based on the sports he plays, that fighting can have a positive purpose and not just used to harm another.

Steve has taken acting lessons in his hometown and one day hopes to join the ranks of Tom Cruise, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Liam Neeson, Jason Statham and Bruce Lee and wants to use his years of martial arts training to do his own stunts.

22 year old Greek/Canadian Steve may not feel he has the confidence that he needs, but he is an inspiration none the less. Like the heroes he dreams about and the heroes he draws, Steve has the body and face of a mythic hero and the will and determination and heart of a champion. Using his past to direct his future, Steve is on his way to reaching all of his goals and dreams.

2 shots of Steve below by Nick Alexiou of ctn studios.

Steve R:
Stats:
Height: 5' 9"
Weight: 173 lbs
Chest: 27"
Waist: 31"
Shoe: 12
Hair color: Black
Hair length: Medium
Eye color: Brown
Skin color: White
Experience: Experienced

Below: Steve R. by Valeontis Vagelis. Steve describes his shoot with Valeontis as his favorite shoot. "Valeontis knew exactly what he wanted...I really loved it and tried my best to help fulfill his vision"

The Artistry of Steve Raider

Although he models, acts and practices martial arts, Steve Raider's main focus is his art. Steve studied cartooning in Canada at the George Brown College in Toronto for one year.

Steve says his main "job" is that of comic artist.

"I have been drawing since I was 7 years old .. drawing is my life .. its the only way to go away from this world ... I can't imagine my life without it. Sad or happy, blank paper and a pencil are my best friends!"



As you can see by Steve's work as an artist, fight and flight continue to be a theme.

"When I draw someone like "Chun-Li" from the Street Fighter series I feel so much better because of what this character represents ... she is friendly and she only fights for good reasons."

Nice To Meet You Brando Eaton

Above: Brando by Tim Ricks.



With appearances in various tv shows and movies I am sure many of you are familiar with actor Brando Eaton. Not sure how this talented guy got by my radar, but it was not until watching season 4 of Dexter on DVD that I was introduced to Brando.



Dexter's forth season was a mixed bag for me. John Lithgow's Trinity Killer was at times terrifying (when introducing his crimes, with his 10 year old kidnap victim and with his family) and at other times cartoonish and over the top (usually in his scenes with Dexter). I love the exploration of relationships in the tv shows I watch and hate saying this but Dexter sometimes needs more action and terror and a bit less relationship exploration, it is getting a tad repetitive.



The introduction of Arthur Mitchell's family was a highpoint of the season. This complex foursome was difficult to watch yet highly entertaining. Brando Eaton played Arthur's son Jonah who is on the verge on pulling away and turning the tables on his father.

24 year old Eaton has been acting on stage since the age of 5. At 18 he left home and put all his energy into carving out a career in Hollywood. He began on television in shows like Bionic Woman, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Journeyman, The Unit and Zoey 101. His looks and talent quickly led to bigger roles in Nip/Tuck, Secret Life Of The American Teenager and Dexter. Eaton's film work has included; Balls Out and Quarantine.

You can learn more about Brando by checking out Absolutbrando.net, an amazing site dedicated to this talented actor. You can also follow Brando on Twitter HERE:


Three photos above by Connor Courtland.

Below: Brando with John Lithgow in 'Dexter'.



Below: Brando in 'The Secret Life Of The American Teenager' (2009-2010).



Below: Brando in 'Balls Out: The Gary Houseman Story' (2009).