Author Archives: Alan Ilagan

We are definitely living in a toxic internet land. Once upon a time one could make an innocuous shirtless post about Adam Levine and have a few of his fans write something fun and nice and everyone would call it a day. Those who didn’t find Mr. Levine their cup of tea moved on without comment, because why would they even bother with something that didn’t interest them? Not so anymore. This post about Adam Levine performing at the Super Bowl, and this subsequent post about his shirtless appearance at said bowl, garnered some of the most polarizing views on any of my posts. (Let it be said that these were superficial shirtless posts – that’s sort of the point of the ‘Shirtless Male Celebrities‘ category. It’s not that deep.)

It did, however, bring up a more serious consideration in light of Mr. Levine baring both his nipples in his shirtless portion of the program.

A number of years ago, Janet Jackson was basically stoned for baring one half-second of a single nipple at the Super Bowl halftime show with Justin Timberlake. I posted the comment that it was a bit of a double standard, hashtagging the whole #FreeTheNipple movement. (Look it up – I’m not here to educate or enlighten – I’m here to entertain myself. Emphasis on myself.) Again, just my commentary on the fact that Ms. Jackson, or any female for that matter, would not be able to get away with showing their nipples during the Super Bowl. Rather than acknowledging this or engaging in a civil conversation, people immediately went into whether they loved it or hated it, whether they adored Adam or abhorred Adam, and suddenly a post on a shirtless Adam Levine was as divisive as political commentary. What the actual fuck?

Now, I’m not saying there isn’t time or space for serious discussion and contemplation here. But on a shirtless Super Bowl shot? If that riles you up so much, and if you have so much anger and annoyance that you simply must comment and piss other people off, then this really isn’t the place for you. Please, stop reading, unfollow and unfriend, block and push off, because I’m not here for that. Calm the fuck down and channel your energy into something better.

Like a mood-killer-filler blog post such as this.

People never fail to disappoint me.

Take this asshole for example.

They took up two parking spaces for no reason other than, presumably, to be a complete and utter asshole.

This was the busy parking lot of the Honest Weight Coop, close to the entrance, where every space counts, but this person felt they were important enough to merit two.

Shame.

The rollercoaster that is Northeast weather took a few ups and downs this past week, and quite frankly my mind is not quite equipped to make sense of it all. On a meteorologically stable day I can be prone to moodiness – throw in temperature shifts of 60 degrees from day to day and you’re looking at the makings of a mental/emotional vortex beyond the imaginings of your mind. Forewarned is fairwarned, especially when fair weather is not on the horizon. On with the Monday recap…

A simple but beautiful bouquet.

More beauty, honest beauty. 

A naked James McAvoy in motion. 

Virtual Sunday brunch.

February arrived without fanfare, but with a freeze.

Follow these Tiny Threads and keep warm. 

Shirtless malaise.

A One-Act Text Play.

Super Jock Post!

A shirtless Adam Levine took it off for his Super Bowl climax. 

Hunks of the Day included Bradley Cooper, Kyle Dean Massey, Ty Mitchell, Tyler Curry-McGrath, Aaron Tveit, Wilson Lai, Sean McVay, and Ted Rath.

Discontent.

Ennui.

Rawness.

That pretty much sums up the last few days. Winter has settled in, the polar vortex has sent a magenta chill through the heart of the country, and despite a relatively healthy start to the year, the excitement and thrill of such a change of pace has dulled to a drudge-like burden. Still, we press onward…

Maybe such a malaise is the product not only of the winter season, but of getting older in general. Forty-three years of anything, especially living, can wear away at the wonder of the world. I’m trying to forge inspiration and interest with a new project, yet even that is proving challenging. It’s all about getting in the right mindset and being open to what the universe is whispering. Winter winds simply make it more difficult to listen.

I do my best to center myself. Yoga. Meditation. Burning incense.

I seek quiet and peace in a long, indulgently-hot shower scented with rosewater and accompanied by a candle. Andy delivers a bouquet of flowers – tulips and iris – while a hyacinth bulb in a vase of water is finally coming into fragrant bloom. It’s the closest thing we have to a garden right now.

The White Flower Farm spring catalog arrived a few days ago. I’ve been earmarking pages with ideas and plans, and when I’m done I’ll pass it along to Suzie to see if it sparks her perpetually-put-off dream garden. They’ve got the land and space to do it, but they’ve also got an enormous black walnut that makes things tricky. A raised bed might do the trick; otherwise a bit of research on what plants won’t be bothered by the walnut’s expansive spread will be needed.

That’s how to get through these days: living largely in the mind.

Daydreaming of sunnier scenes.

Plotting out garden plants.

Working on a new project.

Winding along the days of winter…

I know it’s technically short, but it feels so especially long. Our last full month of winter is upon us. Let’s get it over with – the sooner it starts, the sooner it’s over. This is usually a messy month. Snowstorms and freezing and thaws and birds and dirt and salt… winter’s ugliness at its worst with little hope on the horizon. We try to find comfort in cozy fireside scenes, folding ourselves into a book, dropping into a cup of hot tea, or ducking into a local greenhouse. (If you’re near an indoor botanical garden, what a lovely circumstance!) I tend to find cut flowers even more of a comfort now, and I noticed that the very first cut daffodils of the season are starting to appear in the market – their sunny shades and happy fragrance such welcome harbingers of a spring that still feels so far away.

February holds its own charms, even as it freezes and fusses, throwing snowy tantrums and pouting like a spoiled child. Such is the province of this month, when Valentine’s Day rears its silly head, past Presidents remind us of what used to be a glorious office, and the weather begins the roller coaster of high winter. Here’s a quick look-back at some other February incidents. 

• February 2011
• February 2012
• February 2013
• February 2014
• February 2015
• February 2016
• February 2017
• February 2018