Working out: Actor Tobey Maguire was exercising away last Thursday at a local hotel gym. The Spidey-guy had his trainer and a friend (also with a trainer) as he worked out mid-morning. "I recognized him first as the jockey from 'Seabiscuit,' then I realized, 'That's Spidey,' " said our spotter. In town for the film Brothers, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman, Maguire is sporting a buzz cut for his role as a soldier off to war in Afghanistan. Our spotter, done with his workout, went off to Sam's Club. What did he spot first? A two-disc Spiderman set, on sale!

Wanna meet Jake? CharityFolks.Com is reporting that the actor is auctioning off lunch and a visit to the set of Brothers, now filming here, as part of a benefit for the ACLU of Southern California. When last we checked, the auction's next bid was $10,000, and it was due to close at 6 p.m. Dec. 14.

Cock-a-doodle-doo: Ali MacGraw, according to former New Mexican reporter Heath Haussamen's blog, will be in Las Cruces today for a fundraiser. She's helping incumbent State Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, with her re-election campaign. Garcia, according to Haussamen, is facing a credible re-election campaign foe, Oscar Vazquez Butler. He's a Doña Ana County Commissioner who thinks a statewide cockfighting ban was a bad idea. That, he says, should be up to local governments. Garcia, of course, worked for years to win the ban on cockfighting — and animal rights supporter MacGraw is saying, "thank you."

Die, paparazzi, die: Well, not exactly, but part-time Taos resident Julia Roberts had enough of the intrusive photogs at home in California earlier this month. She was driving her biodiesel Mercedes, and stopped to flag down a photographer who had been stalking her, according to video of the incident. Her beef? The photographers were staking out the schoolyard of her 2-year-old twins.

Take her on, she said, but leave the kids alone. Later, she told Access Hollywood that, "I just told him a school is not a place for a grown man to be crawling around trying to take pictures. I think there needs to be some kind of line. I don't think the magazines and the newspapers should show celebrities' children."

Unless, of course, the celeb is selling the photos.

And speaking of Roberts, her newest movie, Charlie Wilson's War, focuses on the extracurricular diplomatic adventures of a congressman. Hmmm. Why stop there? Maybe after the presidential race is done, we'll see, in development, Bill Richardson's Libyan Adventure, or how about, The Governor in Sudan?

More stars: Even though the film won't be shot in Santa Fe, it's thrilling to hear that Oscar-winner and actor extraordinary Helen Mirren will be in the state next year for Love Ranch. She's starring (husband Taylor Hackford is directing) in the film about a notorious Nevada brothel. Filming starts Jan. 28 in Albuquerque.

Move over Santa Fe: The art town to watch in New Mexico, at least according to the most recent Vanity Fair, is none other than Truth or Consequences.

The full-page extols not just the art-savvy of T or C, but the kookiness. It's an ode to a town that never has been mainstream, where art and fundamentalism intersect in a way seldom seen in Santa Fe, and where, judging from the interviews, people have a flat-out good time.

Spotted: Sen. Phil Griego, enjoying lunch at Tía Sophia's last Wednesday.

Spanish Winter Market brought out the crowds in its new location last weekend. Held in the parish hall at Santa Maria de la Paz, the place was packed as folks turned ut to buy one-of-a-kind presents for their loved ones (or themselves).

According to Spanish Market Director Bud Redding, the People's Choice Award went to Christine Montaño Carey and the Boeckman Honorary Award for New Directions, to Arthur Lopez, both of Santa Fe.

Awards begin: Made-in-New-Mexico No Country for Old Men was named best movie of the year by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures last week.

The film also won best ensemble cast for performances by Tommy Lee Jones and Javier Bardem. The review board's award kicks off award season, which culminates in the Academy Awards on Feb. 24.