Missing Hunks

Making up for the missing Hunk of Yesterday, here is a brief collection of previous Hunks striking brand new poses. Hey, it’s Sunday, a time for shirtlessness and laziness – and a time to come home. Enjoy the guy candy/eye candy/man candy/David Gandy moment.

Chris Pratt got naked the last time he appeared here, and prior to that he was also a Hunk of the Day.

Simon Dunn is always a joy to behold, as evidenced by this post. Or this post. Or this post. Well, you get the idea.

Austin Armacost has made a career off his ass alone, and here’s why. You want another one? Bam.

Tom Daley is such a hit here that he has his own category. Click it and flick it.

Ashley Parker Angel has certainly been sent from above; his body is simply heavenly. (Sorry, but hotness precedes cheesiness.)

And finally, Adam Gumula is even better when doubled.

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The DG Tour: Flower Bomb Balm ~ Part 4

We have come close to the end. It has not been a full circle. Most great journeys never are. Even if we end up in the same place where we began, we are different. I like things to be neater than that; I’ve spent my life reconciling myself to the fact that they aren’t. Yet if we haven’t reached our happy ending, there remains good reason to rejoice. We have survived. We are here. I have written this, and you are reading it. Now we share something. There is beauty in that.

The blossoms you see here have long since withered and died. Yet here they are, documented and saved for many years to come. We have managed to still time; we have captured a bit of beauty. Though it’s in the past, I can describe to you the way these blossoms looked in the sunny light of summer, on a beautiful morning in late June when the birds were chirping and the day held all sorts of secrets and promises. I can tell you about the trajectory the sun made as it slowly moved across the sky, and how its warmth grew and expanded, how it drove us into the pool, and how we laughed and splashed. I can describe the pretty scents that surrounded us then – the richness of a rose or the sweet perfume of a mockorange or the mineral-like tang of water – and how those scents ebbed and flowed as the day went on. I can explain the form of a flower, in all its intricate scientific splendor and technical detail, but for that it’s better to simply look.

 

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The DG Tour: Flower Bomb Balm ~ Part 3

After all that we’ve been through, after all the ugliness this world has thrown in our way, we have arrived at a moment of calm. The resolution may be fleeting, but for this one moment let there be beauty, and let it resound with the heart-bursting joy that only beauty can bring. From the perilous heights of a soaring zephyr, to the depths of the deepest ocean, let us plummet in glorious exhilaration to a single point of prettiness.

In the form of a flower lies all the world. Contained in a single bloom is the wonder of the entire universe.

This beauty, as perfect as it may seem, is not everlasting. Such prettiness never is. That doesn’t mean we cannot long for it to remain, or strive to be in its presence.

“People say I’m extravagant because I want to be surrounded by beauty. But tell me, who wants to be surrounded by garbage?” ~ Imelda Marcos

 

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Man in Motion

The opening synth salvo of the theme from ‘St. Elmo’s Fire’ blares over the stereo. The remnants of salty, wet dirt are trampled by tires and kicked back up behind the car. Already soiled from winter, the roads are messy but not yet destroyed. The video from Alanis Morisette’s ‘Ironic’ comes to mind, but that’s a different song. This goes further back than that, all the way to the 80’s.

GROWING UP, YOU DON’T SEE THE WRITING ON THE WALL

PASSING BY, MOVING STRAIGHT AHEAD YOU KNEW IT ALL

BUT MAYBE SOMETIME IF YOU FEEL THE PAIN

YOU’LL FIND YOU’RE ALL ALONE, EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED…

PLAY THE GAME, YOU KNOW YOU CAN’T QUIT UNTIL IT’S WON

SOLDIER ON, ONLY YOU CAN DO WHAT MUST BE DONE

YOU KNOW IN SOME WAY YOU’RE A LOT LIKE ME

YOU’RE JUST A PRISONER AND YOU’RE TRYING TO BREAK FREE.

It’s a theme of empowerment, an anthem of self-belief.

It embodies a destiny defined by determination and drive.

It’s one of those songs that comes on and changes the air, that lifts you up and allows you to feel like a hero, even if it’s just for a moment.

And it’s as catchy as it is cheesy. The ultimate in 80’s excess.

BURNING UP, DON’T KNOW JUST HOW FAR THAT I CAN GO

SOON BE HOME, ONLY JUST A FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD

I CAN MAKE IT, I KNOW I CAN

YOU BROKE THE BOY IN ME, BUT YOU WON’T BREAK THE MAN.

I don’t have any specific memories attached to this song, at least not when it first came out. I was a bit too young to recall the initial splash it made, but I remember how it made for a great road song. My tour resumes today and I’m itching to head out again. This is the sort of music that’s best for such an endeavor. A little dramatic, a little over-the-top, and a little boost for getting my sea legs again. This weekend, we ride…

JUST ONCE IN HIS LIFE

A MAN HAS HIS TIME

AND MY TIME IS NOW,

I’M COMING ALIVE…

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Returning to the Road: All My Delusions

The Delusional Grandeur Tour resumes this weekend with a trip to Boston, and the posting of the Tour Book will continue with tomorrow’s entries. For now, a linky look back at what’s already been posted. We’ve come a long way, but we’re not quite out of the woods…

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

12) Spring Thaw Salvation – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

13) Flower Bomb Balm – Part 1, Part 2

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A Mysterious Visitor in the Night

The footprints led away from our front door, then down the path to the driveway. A fresh coat of snow allowed for them to be seen clearly, and the impressions were strange, as each ‘finger’ was clearly delineated, and longer than that of a cat or a squirrel. An opossum perhaps? Maybe one of those bandits – a raccoon?

I don’t know, but it’s both a comfort and a terror to think of what goes on here after I’m asleep.

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A Winter Song for the Mobsters

LOOK ON DOWN FROM THE BRIDGE

THER’S STILL FOUNTAINS DOWN THERE

LOOK ON DOWN FROM THE BRIDGE

IT’S STILL RAINING UP HERE…

Mazzy Star wrote one of my favorite winter songs, and while I’m in the process of being sucked into ‘The Sopranos’, one of their other songs played over the end credits of an early episode. It’s taken a number of years for Andy to convince me to watch, but since he was a good sport in watching (and enjoying) the entire DVD set of ‘Downton Abbey’, I can at least indulge him in this. The good thing is I may be starting to enjoy it.

EVERYBODY SEEMS SO FAR AWAY FROM ME

EVERYBODY JUST WANTS TO BE FREE

LOOK AWAY FROM THE SKY

IT’S NO DIFFERENT WHEN YOU’RE LEAVING HOME

I CAN’T BE THE SAME THING TO YOU NOW

I’M JUST GONE, JUST GONE

HOW COULD I SAY GOODBYE?

HOW COULD I SAY GOODBYE?

GOODBYE…

I had been looking for that zen-moment, the sense of peace and calm and introspection that comes with the greatest television series and movies – ‘Mad Men‘, ‘Lord of the Rings’, ‘Star Wars’, ‘Downton Abbey’ – and that keeps me hooked. No matter what else may be happening ~ wars in the space of future, battles over Middle Earth, or brutal mob slayings ~ if there’s that zen-moment that surfaces and carries you hypnotically through, then I can enjoy any number of entertaining hours. ‘The Sopranos’ seems to be hitting a little deeper, with its multi-layered look at family, in every sense of the word. And as this song played over the end of an episode, and a son looked at his father as more than an invincible hero, I discovered that moment.

MAYBE I’LL JUST PLACE MY HANDS OVER YOU

AND CLOSE MY EYES REAL TIGHT

THERE’S A LIGHT IN YOUR EYES

AND YOU KNOW, YEAH, YOU KNOW

LOOK ON DOWN FROM THE BRIDE

I’M STILL WAITING FOR YOU. 

“All happy families are alike;

each unhappy family

is unhappy in its own way.”

~ Leo Tolstoy

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Political Bickering, Cloud Form

Meant to evoke the political bickering on Twitter, this is an art installation that shows two clouds in battle. The end result is always the same.

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Pain in the Neck/Ice Storm

It wasn’t as bad as this, but it was enough to keep me out of work for a day. Just another sign of my advancing age, I must have slept the wrong way on my neck the other night, as I am in deep pain right now, unable to turn my head without moving my entire body. Cue Mr. Roboto.

It started slowly, as the worst ones always do. I awoke feeling a little off, with just a slight soreness in my neck and shoulder area. I’d been actively taking it easy these past few days (there’s effort to that, I swear) so I knew there wasn’t an instance of overdoing anything. (Underdoing, perhaps.) As the day progressed, so did the pain, but at this point in my life, after several back episodes, I know how to carry myself to prevent further injury. Engage the stomach muscles, bend at the knees, go smooth and fluidly, and don’t force or make sudden jerky movements. Still, the pain in my neck grew. By nightfall, it was in full spasm, just as the ice storm began.

I like being inside during such a thing. The crackling of ice pellets against the skylight and windows is a soothing sound. Curled up with a book and a cup of tea, beneath a soft blanket and cradled by a conversation couch, I usually find peace and comfort as the wind rages outside. On this night, I could not get comfortable, no matter how I contorted my position. After asking Andy if we had a heating pad (we don’t) I did the next best thing and hopped in a very hot shower, where I let the water hit the sore spot and do its best to relax all my rigidness. The effect was minor at best, and I rolled myself carefully into bed with the hope that sleep would work its own magic.

At 3:42 AM my neck woke me up – the first time I’ve ever been awakened by pain. It’s as awful as it sounds. I managed to sit up on the edge of the bed and let out a whimper like some injured animal. I don’t cry easily (well, except for flash mobs) but I almost did. Stress, tension, and exhaustion can fell the mightiest non-crier, and I thought I was about to go down. Andy reminded me of the prescription for pain pills when my back went out a few years ago, and though it had expired in 2015, I took one, figuring it couldn’t hurt. The instructions said to take it with a lot of water and not to lie down for ten minutes. Great.

I walked out of the bathroom light and down the dim hallway. In the living room, the sound of ice falling down was still soothingly playing along the windows and roof. I wouldn’t be able to go into work, but there are worse things than being stuck home in the midst of an ice storm. Two birds with one stone, and all that. I thought about what might be causing my neck such stress – that’s where tension builds and collects until something like this happens. I leaned against the wall to support myself, and waited the full ten minutes before climbing carefully back into bed.

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Cheat Post

A blatant, empty, vapid place marker for better things, but such is the essence of the mid-day post. I consider it a cheat post because it’s really a link to a much more interesting site: Vogue. Not for fashion this time, but for a list of some of the funniest Instagram accounts. Just go there and follow. It’s an Instagram kind of day.

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Turning on the Instagram Heat

As FaceBook and Twitter turn into political hotbeds of lies and deceit, I’ve been turning my attention to Instagram, which is a much more enjoyable experience these days. It’s just very difficult to argue with photographic evidence of things because, well… photographs. There’s also less room for political discourse and raving, and best of all there are no pesky links (despite my own ubiquitous ALANILAGAN.com branding). They still don’t like a woman’s nipple or a man’s penis (flaccid or erect) but they’re less hypocritical than, say, FaceBook when it comes to the human body.

I also get some pearls of wisdom from those whom I follow. I hardly ever LOL – in reality or on social media – but I did just that when I read this Instagram meme: “Treat life like a dick. When it gets hard, fuck it.” Hey, I didn’t write it. I only read it. And re-posted it. Cuz it’s funny.

Kinda like my Instagram account, which is a pictorial essay in ridiculousness. From my naked ass to a cookie, we cover any kind of sweet you want. We’ve got savory things too, from a bowl of pho to my sheathed cock. Jewels and jocks, cocktails and cockteases, Frangelico and freesias – there’s a smorgasbord of stuff to astound and dismay. With Ringling Brothers closing shop, there’s got to be a repository for the circus element. I’m happy to oblige. Save your side-eye; follow mine.

 

 

 

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Naked Tyson Beckford GIFs

On a mid-January evening in the first third of winter, you might need a warm and cozy pick-me-up. Or maybe you need something more. Here’s Tyson Beckford, a favorite male model in these parts, in various states of undressed motion, thanks to some scintillating GIFs. The GIF may be the greatest gift the internet has given to us, and Mr. Beckford’s nude ones below are substantial proof of that. For another naked Tyson Beckford shot, check out this previous post. Or go to this one where he’s also missing his clothes.

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A Recap of Resistance

I will do my best to avoid and ignore the travesty that is the new President, because we don’t entertain the lying or the treasonous here.  There will be a few political posts from time to time, but that’s never been what this place is about, and to that end I’ll do my best to keep things light and frivolous. This is a bastion of beauty and art, and a celebration of joy and prettiness. Looking back on the last week, let’s see how well I did.

It began on a hopeful-enough note: words from Martin Luther King Jr.

We celebrated my Mom’s birthday.

Some people have called me Heloise. (Just kidding.)

Is this my new spirit animal? I think it may be.

Throwing it back to a 70’s shower stall.

Man candy came in the likable forms of Nico Tortorella and a naked Jude Law.

The Madonna Timeline returned as she took us on an ‘Inside Out’ journey.

Watch this Feud.

I made a banana trifle! And you can too!

A pink cacophony.

The hawk in winter.

Hair stems.

Hunks of the Day included this featured guy.

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Stems of Hair

The maidenhair fern takes its common name partly from the way its black stems look after the foliage has been taken by the cold. Mounds of dark-hair are all that’s left in its winter places, signifying a fallen heroine, but also the promise of beauty to come. Despite their delicate appearance, these ferns are hardy even in the cruel environs of upstate New York.

This specimen was growing in a greenhouse, so it probably does deserve a delicate reputation. I’ve never grown these indoors, and I’m hesitant to do so because the air is so dry at this time of the year. I may chance putting one in a terrarium of sorts if I can find a unique and pretty one, but part of me doesn’t want to risk it. I’d feel terrible if I ended up ruining one of these gorgeous plants.

For now, I’ll keep it in the garden room of my imagination.

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