The pale blooming of thyme demands an almost-microscopic view to be appreciated. Summer is sometimes like that, and when I’m outside away from the noise and the constant bombardment of social media and entertainment, my mind is able to calm itself, returning to the way everything was when I was a little kid. The scope of my view shifts then, and I shrink down and begin to notice all the tiny things that escape me in the usual hustle and bustle of this mad world.
Author Archives: Alan Ilagan
15
July
2016
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July
2016
15
July
2016
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July
2016
Hot & Wild Mid-July
The summer of ’16 is shaping up to be a rather alarming one. This is a scary time for many of us (and not just because the official Republican Platform includes gay conversion therapy – WAKE UP, PEOPLE) but I’m not indulging in scare tactics here.
Here, life is beautiful.
The guys are beautiful.
Even the orchestra is beautiful.
In mid-July, the garden exhibits its first hints of losing steam. I managed to capture these wild sweet pea shots before they started their decline, so they appear fresh and new, in the hottest shade of hot pink that the garden can muster. I’ll cut them back almost to the ground, as they are already going to seed, and one of these invasive monsters is more than enough.
For now, enjoy their strong color – the perfect reflection of this hot mid-July moment, when the world around us seems to be going up in flames, and the only thing we can do is recoil at the monstrosity and sad beauty of it all.
14
July
2016
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July
2016
Hallelujah
A moment of peace in the middle of the day.
We all need one.
A powerful performance of a powerful song.
I always a cry a little at something like this.
A cold and broken hallelujah…
14
July
2016
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July
2016
Tonight I Can Write…
Water lapped at my ears.
A breeze arrived, late after a very hot day.
I looked up, allowed my pupils to dilate, and my eyes to open to the dim early night.
A bank of puffy clouds rose like mountains to my left, their cottony mass illuminated in other-worldly light.
Seeking the source of such brilliance, my eyes traveled to the right, and there, hidden behind a towering pine tree, was a half-moon, glowing the palest shade of lemon.
It turned another group of clouds a soft wintergreen color, a gloriously strange cross between lime and mint green, something that could never be duplicated, that must be enjoyed and looked upon at this one and only moment.
This was a summer night, filled with half a moon, and haunted by a fluttering bat.
13
July
2016
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July
2016
A Tom Daley Treat
Get ready for Tom Daley to make a big splash in just a few weeks, as he squares off in the summer Olympics in Rio. As a Speedo-clad tease to that Brazilian treat, here’s a fun photo-shoot that Mr. Daley recently did. It shows off a cheeky, humorous side that more Olympians need. Mr. Daley is big enough to have his own Category here, just like David Beckham, Ben Cohen, Tom Ford, and Madonna. That’s elite.
13
July
2016
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July
2016
Welcome to the Jungle
It’s amazing how soon nature can reclaim a space, no matter how small or protected. Case in point is our small side yard. It’s outside of the pool fence, and as such it’s outside of my mind, which means it’s had a few years of uninterrupted growth, fallen leaves, and foraging birds and rodents to spread nasty seeds. When I looked out my window and saw a wall of green, I knew it was well past the time for action. We were seriously heading quickly into ‘Grey Gardens’ territory, and though I had the wardrobe and the eccentricities, I was not quite ready to throw in the house and surrounding landscape.
Doused in deet, clothed in long sleeves with pants tucked into my socks, and armed with rubber-coated gloves and pruning shears, I began hacking away at the wilderness. This was awful work. When a mixture of sweat and insect-repellent wasn’t pouring into my eyes, swarms of unaffected insects dove into my ears. Pesky bittersweet vines and Virginia creeper had overtaken much of the open space, while saplings of maple and oak had swelled into trees too big for one man to pull out with his own hands. Thorny things were hidden here too, ready to scrape and scratch and tear away at any exposed skin – and near the back of the property was a thorn-addled vine that was and remains the worst monster I’d ever encountered. There were thorns even on the tips and undersides of its leaves. Not many plants inspire fear in me – I find even the carnivorous ones rather charming – but this thorny terror was another story. I could easily see a nightmare inspired by such a devilish creature.
It took me three full days, thirty-seven large lawn bags, countless callouses, two cans of bug spray and two changes of clothing a day to wrangle the wilderness, but it is now done. I’ve got the war-wounds to prove it.
12
July
2016
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July
2016
Here Comes the Color of the Sun
Tricky color, yellow.
Doesn’t work on everyone.
In the 50’s and 60’s we all painted our kitchens in the shade of sunshine, certain it would lift our morning spirits.
Turns out that yellow, at least according to some inane psychological studies, actually irritates people more than making them happy.
Oopsie daisy.
Me, I have come around to it, especially in these, the sunny summer months.
And I’m not sure I buy the whole color-determines-mood bit either.
In this outfit, I felt happy as hell.
12
July
2016
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July
2016
Body Issue = Naked Issue
Here at ALANILAGAN.com, we love ESPN for one thing and one thing only: the Body Issue of their magazine. Artistically (and gratuitously) displaying athletes in naked poses, it’s probably the biggest issue of their year, and has enough cachet to have gotten the likes of Michael Phelps and Rob Gronkowski totally starkers. In this post, we see some shots of Hunk of the Day Conor McGregor in his altogether – further evidence of the power of the Body. He joins the nude ranks of Evan Lysacek, Giancarlo Stanton, Matt Harvey, Oguchi Onyewu, Greg Louganis, Bryce Harper, and Kevin Love. Welcome to the Celebrity Skin Jungle.
11
July
2016
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July
2016
Rose Flare
Though June is really the main month for roses, some spill over into July, especially as we had such a late start of spring. These pink beauties were peering over the wrought-iron fence of a typical Boston brownstone, nodding to themselves and to all passers-by in fine and fair fashion.
I was very happy to see them.
11
July
2016
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July
2016
Summer Monday Recap
Mid-July approaches – the height of summer and all its glory – and I’m going to indulge in the season, hence this lazy-ass Monday morning recap. (Though that’s every Monday I guess.) Here we go…
The Olympic Hunk brigade continued its stride toward Rio with Connor Jaeger and Matthew Josa.
This used to be my playground.
A pair of Hunks who brought the wood: Bryant Wood and Jordan Woods.
Adam Lambert got all shirtless & sexy.
A swimmer and a batter: Nathan Adrian and Jake Arietta.
10
July
2016
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July
2016
Breaking the Fast at the Bristol
Lobster Eggs Benedict at the Four Seasons’ Bristol Lounge. And a glass of orange juice.
Across the street, the Boston Public Garden.
The best of all possible worlds.
10
July
2016
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July
2016
With the Spring, a Thaw, and Salvation
The Delusional Grandeur Tour is in travel status this weekend, and we are encroaching on the penultimate chapter in the Tour Book: Spring Thaw Salvation. In preparation and anticipation of that, here is a look back at how far we’ve come on this Last Stand of a Rock Star. In many ways, this tour was over before it even began, but that lesson is yet to come. For now, a glimpse of the spring amidst a glimpse at the past…
THE DELUSIONAL GRANDEUR TOUR: LAST STAND OF A ROCK STAR
01) Intro/Curtain – Part One, Part Two, Part Three
02) Sunset Pool – Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five
03) On The Road Hotel – Part One, Part Two, Part Three
04) Rock Star Addict – Part One, Part Two, Part Three
05) Animal Demons – Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five
06) Steam Punk Birdcage – Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four
07) Red Riding Wood - Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five
08) Winter Top Hat - Part One, Part Two
09) Warrior Retribution - Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight
10) Cologne Glamour Fashion - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
11) Samsara Healing Water – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
09
July
2016
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July
2016
A Haunting, Empty Vault
Maybe it was the fall of Day, or the ghostly-hollow aspect of the building, but the sight of this empty shell of a church was both disturbing and beautiful. I’m accustomed to seeing backless facades, but not the side-view too, which made it feel somehow even emptier. At the descent of dusk, it cast an eerie pallor to its surroundings.
Seeing the sky through the stone is a thrill. Places can haunt just as much as people. If you’ve ever gone back to your childhood home after it’s been changed and rearranged, you know the feeling. It’s unsettling and potentially upsetting. Not unlike an abandoned place of worship at night.
09
July
2016
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July
2016
Mighty Olympic Hunks
It may seem strange to recap the parade of Olympic hunks we’ve been cataloguing here before the 2016 Olympic Games even begin, but that’s how far of ahead of myself I sometimes get. It’s doubtful anyone will mind that much – as the Speedo show has always been greeted with frenzied appreciation. Here we look back at some photos of the Olympians who have doffed shirts and trousers in the name of their sexy sport.
First up is one of the greatest the sport of swimming has ever known: Michael Phelps. He’s been naked here before, but not yet a Hunk of the Day (How?! Why?!) This August he heads to Rio to see if more record-breaking gold awaits his fins.
Second is another Hunk of the pool: Ryan Lochte. A little flashier, a little funnier, and a whole lot more interesting on the superficial level, Mr. Lochte provides a little sass and sauciness to the solemn occasion of the Olympics.
Relative newcomer Steele Johnson has the name of a porn star, and the talent and body of an Olympic diver. Grace and strength, precision and agility – he personifies the best elements of a champion competitor. More of him to come, I’m sure.
Chris Mears may give him a run for his money-maker, however, especially if judging from his Instagram feed. And his naked butt. And the shirtless shot below.
08
July
2016
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July
2016
