­
­
­

A Return to the Cape – 1

The last time I was in Cape Cod it was beneath the cover of darkness and sadness and loss. JoAnn had just lost her mother, and though I was in no shape to be there, I had to make the trip for her, just to give her a hug at the wake. There’s nothing to be said at such moments, but it means something to be there when you can. At that time – the cruel November of 2019 – my social anxiety was saddling me with panic attacks, and being around people was becoming more and more difficult, but Kira offered to accompany me and we made the trip to see our friend as she bid goodbye to her Mom

Shortly thereafter, COVID hit, and we were bound to our homes without travel for a couple of years, during which time JoAnn was able to make a couple of trips up to Albany, and we would occasionally rendezvous in Boston, as we did this past holiday season, but I couldn’t carve out a Cape Cod return until last weekend. It was, as always, worth the wait, and more than worth the drive. 

Out of all of our friends, I would have bet that JoAnn and I would have been the last ones anyone thought would stop drinking and partying – yet all these years later that’s precisely what has happened, and we are both happier and better for it. Life has knocked us about and taken some of those we love, and maybe that’s made it easier to take better care of ourselves. I don’t know, we’re still finding our way – and it’s easier to do that work together. 

The world has changed dramatically since 2019, but the beauty and balm that Cape Cod has always been for me remains the same. It’s a feeling that enriches and sustains the soul, a brush with the sublime that leaves me better than I was before, if only for a moment. Those moments reside happily in memory, accessible on the coldest winter nights, ready to warm with their magic and love. 

That JoAnn should bring me back to such beauty is a fitting testament to our enduring friendship. Her home has truly become her own, with a renovated kitchen and bathroom that are simply exquisite – the ideal embodiment of her taste and style, and a welcoming interior countenance to match her personality. (I’ve already reserved the bathroom backdrop for a photo shoot in service of a new project – but I really just want to dive into a long bath there.)

On this Saturday, I arrived to the new-to-me renovations, and we quickly settled in for an intense session of catch-up before heading out to see some of the afternoon light before it went away for the day…

Continue reading ...

Dazzler of the Day: Pamela Anderson

There’s nothing I love more than a massive reinvention of one’s image, particularly when it stems from an authentic and genuine change of lifestyle and/or mindset. Case in point is Pamela Anderson, who is currently enjoying a Renaissance of fame and donation thanks to her brave and bold new make-up free endeavor to be more natural in a world defined by the fake and false. That it should come at the hand and face of one of the 90’s most caricatured celebrities is a neat trick of the universe, and speaks to Anderson’s unique evolution. She gets this Dazzler of the Day crowning for showing us that beauty can be earned. 

Continue reading ...

#TinyThreads: An Insignificant Series

Not gonna lie: there have been moments of desperation when I have made that chocolate cake in a mug and microwaved it because there was no time to wait. 

#TinyThreads

Continue reading ...

Time Was…

The passing of time is rarely felt as it happens. Our senses are far too unrefined to feel the shift of seconds, even as we hear them ticking away. Time is too moody in the way it shifts – ebbing and flowing in waves slowly drawn out or quickly smashed. It’s also dependent upon mood and perspective – and just one of those variables differs from person to person, and hour to hour. 

We gauge time largely through hindsight, when we look back at photos from the past. We don’t see it pass day by day in the mirror every morning – we see it only when we look back farther than a day. Time terrorizes in such insidious ways, ever the great equalizer

It feels like we only just started winter, as if that December date was right behind us, when really we have less than a month left to the season of slumber. Realizing that, I had a bit of a panic. As anxious as I am for winter to pass and spring to arrive, I wondered if I truly appreciated these slower days. I wanted them to mean something more. I wanted there to be more healing. More peace. And I don’t know if that’s happened. Maybe the not knowing is the real answer. Maybe time is the only answer. I still don’t know. I still doubt. I try to be ok with the doubt. 

Did I lean into the stark days of winter? Will there be something more trying to this season, I wonder. A brush with despondency once felt like the only way to move forward. My mind now feels scattered. Sitting down in the living room, I attempt to literally ground myself, sinking into the floor and allowing gravity to pull every part of me flat against the ground. This is where I find myself often these days: on the floor, grounded in the only way I can muster when the mind takes flight.

You can’t fall down when you’ve already been laid flat. 

The realization of mortality then shakes and shifts the ground beneath me, and nothing is revealed as stable in the end. That’s when I learn there are many ways to be grounded, one of which is to remain in the motion, undulating with the wish and whim of the world, floating like a single pink petal from a cherry blossom, so sure of its life, finite and small.

Continue reading ...

Now Tom Holland is Topping Shawn Mendes

AI strikes again, and ain’t she pretty! Here someone, or something, has depicted a shirtless Tom Holland atop a naked Shawn Mendes atop a rock beside a waterfall, checking all the boxes of wet gay fantasies the world over. (You may recall this post where Tom Holland was about to bottom for Henry Cavill.)Such AI machinations seem pretty and harmless now, but I’m glad I’ll likely be dead when it gets out of hand and starts destroying an already-tore-up-from-the-floor-up society. I’m sliding into cranky-old-man-hood as easily as Tom is sliding into, well you get the idea. And I’m going to embrace it, like Shawn embraces, well, again…

See more of the actual Shawn Mendes in his underwear here, and the real Tom Holland in his dazzling element here. Then take a trip down our entire Underwear lane in its own category. And try on a few Naked Male Celebrities while you’re at it, or simply go generic with Gratuitous Nudity. Today the category is not Madonna or Tom Ford

Continue reading ...

Like a Vagabond

Marianne Faithfull’s exquisite album ‘Vagabond Ways’ carries a few musical gems, including my favorite ‘Marathon Kiss’ – and this moodier entry, ‘File It Under Fun From the Past’. As our recent bout of nostalgia proves, fun may be found in the past, so long as you don’t dwell there very long. This song isn’t all fun and games, but it has an element of acerbic reminiscence to it, a glance back to buy us some time. 

Do you remember me,Do you remember anything?Don’t pretend I didn’t make you laughFile it under fun from the past
Well, I’m looking ’round the roomSome of the people I’ve lovedGuess I remember everythingFile it under fun from the past

I could have been a contender, a contender for your loveI would have given you everything if I only knew howI would have given you everything if I only knew how, only knew howI could have been a contender, a contender for your loveFile it under fun from the pastFile it under fun from the past
It was only you, it was always only youI never saw what other people boughtI never cared what they thoughtWell, I’m looking ’round the room, some of the people I’ve lovedGuess I remember everythingFile it under fun from the past

Continue reading ...

Circus Maximus

The circus has come to the town of my mind, as whispers of a new project grow louder and more insistent. It appears that this website has thus far survived the updates of the host company, so I am scrambling for something to post since I was banking on a few days of down time. Alas, no rest for the wicked

These pink-themed top-hat-topped ringmaster pics are from the promo blitz for last year’s 20th anniversary of ALANILAGAN.com. As I gear up for a possible new project, look for more re-treads and outtakes from previous efforts. It’s been a while since I was in creative gear, and over the last few years I’ve learned not to try to do everything I used to do. That means focusing less on substantial content here while I move into making something new. My content and output on this blog is such that one week of posts here once amounted to an entire project in and of itself. That means the volume is equal to 52 projects a year. Something has to give if I’m going to produce a new one, and so the schedule will be lighter. It’s all good. And I want to take this year a little bit easier anyway. 

So peruse the past posts when things get barren here, particularly the past that once felt so much like a circus. There’s still some crazy in this old horse.

Continue reading ...

February 21st for the Past Ten Years

This website could feasibly go on for the next ten years simply recycling all the old posts that you know you never read and that I no longer remember, so let’s give that scenario a whirl with this post. We will be traveling back in time for the last decade, checking out other posts that were made on this date. It’s absolutely as ridiculous as it sounds. Hang on to your hats!

February 21, 2014 – In which a lonely grapefruit reminds of the past and a naked Dan Osborne wows with that body.

February 21, 2015 – In which some of my previous laziness comes to light (I always did love a good re-post, especially if someone else wrote it) and Tom Ford revealed further evidence of his brilliance.

February 21, 2016 – In which another Tom Ford post forms the bulk of the day. I’m nothing if not consistent, which means I am nothing.

February 21, 2017 – In which a reference from ‘The Golden Girls’ informs a cocktail of the moment and plans were made for the Harry Potter play.

February 21, 2018 – Oopsie daisy! There was no proper post for 2/21/18, so here’s a weekly recap around that time to give you a feeling and a flavor, with bobsleigh butts and such. 

February 21, 2019 – In which I thought I might put an end to my tea-bagging (spoiler alert: I didn’t) and some basic office refrigerator etiquette in a quote for which I never quite asked permission. Or forgiveness.

February 21, 2020 – In which the world was about to be felled by a global pandemic, and I sought ways to be more mindful at every moment

February 21, 2021 – In which the age-old question of ‘Who needs new clothes?‘ gets an almost-answer and the brilliance of James Baldwin received worthy highlight. 

February 21, 2022 – In which we hit upon a semi-snarky weekly recap and continued our meditative journey while the wind raged.

February 21, 2023 – In which we go back only one year, to a time when I took the twins to a winter outing in Saratoga and later reminisced of how I got sick for the first time in four years

Rather than end on that dour and sour note of sickness, let’s go back an extra year, before this batch of a decade began, to see what was up on February 21, 2013: oh look at that, just posing without purpose or aim or, ahem, any clothes whatsoever. What a difference a decade makes. 

Continue reading ...

Dazzler of the Day: David Archuleta

Thrust into the white-hot phenomenon of ‘American Idol‘ in its glory days, David Archuleta is one of the most talented and beloved stars to come out of that franchise. Since that time he’s been rather candidly and openly going through the journey we all go through, including the exploration and acknowledgement of being part of the LGBTQ+ community. After a strict upbringing as a Mormon, that cannot have come easily, and my hat’s off to anyone who dares to be themselves in a world that’s constantly telling them not to be. David earns this Dazzler of the Day for his continued artistry, that indelible voice, and the courage to tell his story as an example for anyone who needs a bit of inspiration. Check out his website here for further evidence of his brilliance.

Continue reading ...

Are you there? Am I here?

 "This is a show...

that I have no idea what is gonna happen to my voice.

I don’t know where it’s gonna come from, but give me a voice…

and let me put on a great show tonight.

And let everybody do the same, amen.” ~ Madonna, ‘Truth or Dare’

 

Is this thing on? Well, I have no way of knowing what is going to happen, so if this post is up, perhaps this site will go on like that Titanic theme song and a lost bit of ostentatious jewelry. If that is the case, my plans for a mini-vacation will have been dashed, and so I’m pre-populating this space for the next few days with jewels from the past. Pay particular attention to all of the blue links – they will guide you on all your ways!

That opening quote, by the way, is Madonna’s turn in ‘Truth or Dare’ right before she cancels a few shows and has to silence her voice. It seemed fitting in the event that I lose my voice here. (There’s always social media, but that’s mostly devolved into plugging this website, so it seems pointless.) Here’s the ‘Like A Prayer‘ performance from ‘Truth or Dare‘. Epic.

We’re quickly approaching the 35th anniversary of the ‘Like A Prayer’ album, and if we’re still around there will be a post to commemorate that next month. If not, bookmark this one. From Madonna to summer magic

The featured photo was from a few years ago in happier pool times, and it felt like a good juxtaposition in the midst of this mild but still chilly winter. Apricity – may it find us soon again. I’m doing some preliminary planning for summer, given that the squirrels just shredded our patio canopy. The travails of living with wild creatures in the backyard

A new canopy has been ordered, and the old one will soon be disassembled and added to the dumpster that must be secured for next month. Spring cleaning is on the way. In the meantime, keep your fingers-crossed that this site lives to post another day

Continue reading ...

A Little Recap, A Little Late

Monday morning is usually the slot for our weekly blog recap, but I’ve been out of town, and this site may be down for a bit if the revamp of our host company mucks things up as it’s expected to do. I’ve been mulling a little vacation anyway – this winter is ripe for the quiet that might ensue. On with a recap for anyone who missed anything…

The shock of a vibrator when all I wanted was some sequins. 

Tom Holland bottomed for Henry Cavill.

Tuesdays, am I right?

A Valentine hodge-podge.

I wore the red underwear.

Rushing toward spring.

We are the worst sign.

It’s a Wordle miracle.

Harry Styles in and out of his underwear.

The Middle Ages of Connecticut.

A very styled-out Ryan Gosling.

Nothing but excited for this.

Frozen hot desert.

Are you ready for prom season?

Tom Daley in a self-crocheted speedo.

Dazzlers of the Day included Jake Gyllenhaal and Jay Perry.

Continue reading ...

Tom Daley’s Crocheted Contours

Our big build-up for the Summer Olympics in Paris continues, and here we find Tom Daley in a crocheted Speedo of his own making. Not sure of the practicality of such an item, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to be looking up YouTube tutorials on how to crochet a Speedo as soon as I finish this post. Daley is big in these parts – so big that he has his own category here, a la Madonna and Tom Ford and Naked Male Celebrities. He is likely headed back the Olympic Games, which means we haven’t seen the last of him. If you can’t wait for new material, scroll below for some links you can access right now.

Tom Daley busting out of his Speedo.

Tom Daley’s Olympic bulge.

Tom Daley’s Best Side.

Tom Daley selling his stuff in a Speedo.

Tom Daley wet.

Tom Daley wet again.

Tom Daley’s spinning bulge.

Tom Daley and David Beckham.

Tom Daley’s arm pits.

Tom Daley’s coin slot.

Tom Daley’s dating a guy.

Tom Daley and Dan Osborne.

Tom Daley’s naked ass.

Tom Daley bathing and bulging.

Tom Daley stripping and stretching.

Tom Daley’s underwear shoot.

Tom Daley in love.

Tom Daley treat.

Tom Daley’s butt workout.

Tom Daley as Dazzler of the Day.

Continue reading ...

Not-Prom Season

For all those gearing up for not-prom season (and it’s never too early to start planning for that shit), here’s a happy little short film by Morgan Jon Fox on the subject. Brought a tear or two to my eyes in the best possible way. Happy crying!

Continue reading ...

Frozen Hot Desert

Initially given a gorgeously-icy treatment, Madonna’s ‘Frozen’ majestically led the mystical charge of her greatest album to date, ‘Ray of Light’. it came with a number of wildly-varied remixes, the sleeper of which was this Stereo MC’s version, which accentuates its Moroccan desert vibe in the best way. It puts me in the mind of a night journey, the way I used to travel in my younger years, when I’d easily stay awake to three o’clock and be happily chugging away on the Thruway. 

Strangely, or fittingly… because I can’t quite see the forest through the trees yet… the notion of driving and traveling is stirring in my mind. More than the usual winter restlessness, it speaks to something else, something greater at work – a healing, a grieving, a running… away from or toward something, I can’t be sure. 

Isn’t everyone just traveling down their own road…

A mysterious post perhaps, inspired by the mystics and going back centuries, and if it’s one of the last in this incarnation of the website, so shall it be. (I’ve received word that the hosting platform for this place will be updated and my antiquated version of WordPress may not work after February 20, so if it goes away for a bit or forever, you’ll understand why.) Frozen in time, frozen in space, frozen in place…

The thawing of a heart is a curious thing…

Continue reading ...