On a recent rainy night, I perused FaceBook and Twitter, seeking out friends or acquaintances, anything to alleviate the boredom and stagnation. A slice of life paraded before me ~ status updates, tweets, and posts of people I loved or knew or had never even met – and somehow we were all connected, loosely or tightly, in the fabric of existence, the tapestry of being online, of being in this world, of simply being ~ and I suddenly felt an ache in my heart. Typing alone before  a glowing computer screen, as Andy watched television in another room, I was struck with the sublimity and the absurdity of it all. Is this what we have been reduced to? Or is this evolution? I was torn. Music and videos and pictures, art and beauty and ugliness and hatred ~ all at our fingertips, waiting to entice, waiting to entrap – and through it all I hope for something more, for some human connection where this means more than the motions, more than the sum of its parts… and for all the bells and whistles and elegant design, I remember a summer day at the beach, dripping sand onto a sand castle just before it washed away, and how much more that meant – how much more that will always mean. And the very foundation upon which this entire site is built suddenly washes away with less grace than that sand castle did.
Category Archives: General
September
2012
September
2012
Is My Fly Down?
Whenever I do something foolish or absent-minded, Andy will say ‘McFly? Hello McFly?’ At first I thought my fly was open every time, then he explained it was from a movie, ‘Back to the Future’ – which I have, to this day, never seen. A time-traveling car? Not my scene. Apparently, I’m in the minority, for one of the big draws of the FireBall Run was this vehicle – the original one used in the movie.
Since I’m not the biggest Michael J. Fox fan, I don’t think I’m missing out. Having recently watched one of the Indiana Jones films from that same decade, I find that many of those classics just don’t withstand the test of time. Let’s face it, there’s only one ‘Adventures in Babysitting’ produced every ten years or so.
I will say that I did enjoy the interior lights, and the fact that the car played music both inside and outside. Still, if this thing somehow ends up in our driveway, I’m going to be pissed.
September
2012
September
2012
For the Foot Fetishists
In late afternoon, the sun streams into the bedroom, through my toes, warming the extremities. Over a sisal rug, I dangle my feet in the light. All of these little piggies went to the market, and now they are tired.
September
2012
September
2012
The Gronk Nude
While one of Rob Gronkowski’s naked shots was already posted here, it’s Sunday Football time again, with an AFC Championship Rematch that finds the Patriots facing off against the Ravens. The Pats go in with one loss, and haven’t lost two in a row in quite some time… that’s about all I got from the ride home with my brother – more on that later. For now, enjoy this bit of uncharacteristic sports talk and footballer nudity.
September
2012
Italian For Dinner
From fried calamari to this insanely good pasta dish, a good Italian dinner never fails to put a smile on my face. With a couple of glasses of wine, this is my idea of heaven on a Saturday evening.
September
2012
The Little Matchstick Boy
September
2012
The 1st Day of Fall
When the goldenrod starts blooming, and the milkweed spreads its silky seed pods, the start of Fall is at hand. According to the calendar, today is the official first day of the season, and though Fall has never been my favorite time of the year, it holds its own charms. There was a time when I only fell in love in the Fall – and it always ended badly, or at least less than desired. There are other things that occupy my mind now, but that phantom heartache still haunts sometimes, when the wind is right and the scent of dying leaves carries on it.
Traditionally Fall has been a period of rejuvenation and renewed vigor in whatever project I’m working on, and I felt the first stirring of that as I loosely plotted out plans for future creative endeavors. This past year has largely been spent in flux, as we figured out website issues, and I put a big project off until 2013 (which is getting entirely too close for comfort). But things are back on track, and I feel the invigoration that only a seasonal change can provide. Let’s drive this bad boy right into the holidays… (By the way, the photos here can be found in The Gallery, in case you haven’t perused all of them yet…)
Now go ahead and make a wish.
September
2012
Summer Highlights (Summer of the Speedo)
It was a summer of the hawks.
It was a summer that started with something that shook me to the core – something from which I never did fully bounce back – and so it was shaded a little more dimly than usual, even if the sun was at its hottest and most consistently spectacular. That something was my service as a juror – and the life-altering tale of my jury duty.
It was the summer that was almost saved by a Madonna song.
It was the summer of the Speedo – as the Olympics reigned and took my mind off other things. Thank you Tom Daley, Michael Phelps, Matthew Mitcham, Ryan Lochte, Sam Mikulak, Danell Leyva, and the wonderfully naked Epke Zonderland. (And let’s not forget that Olympic boner.)
It was the summer I left the Romaine Brooks Gallery after four years as Gallery manager.
It was the summer Prince Harry got shirtless – and then went completely starkers in Las Vegas.
It was the summer of a birthday weekend that began in Boston and ended in Provincetown, a summer that was somehow rescued by my very first whale watch.
It was the summer that found the first – and most major – phase of our website update.
It was the summer that Madonna gang-banged her way around the world with her MDNA Tour – bringing to mind my first piece of Madonna from 1990.
It was a summer that set us up perfectly for Fall – as they all seem to do – a summer that ended with the reflection on nine years of summers on this website. The end of summer is not the end of the world. There are good things to come.
September
2012
Quote of the Day
Even now, after all those ad campaigns, after all we’ve learned how about bad it really and truly gets, there is the glamour of self-destruction, imperishable, gem-hard, like some cursed ancient talisman that cannot be destroyed by any known means. Still, still, the ones who go down can seem as if they’re more complicatedly, more dangerously, attuned to the sadness and, yes, the impossible grandeur. They’re romantic, goddamn them; we just can’t get it up in quite the same way for the sober and sensible, the dogged achievers, for all the good they do. We don’t adore them with the exquisite disdain we can bring to the addicts and miscreants.
~ Michael Cunningham, ‘By Nightfall’
September
2012
The Quote of the Day
It was unbelievable the way, just like that, love stopped. He had seen it happen before, seen the shine go out of a lover’s eyes within the space of a few minutes. More often the love leached away slowly, painfully, over a period of weeks or months. No, he advised himself. Don’t start. Get out while you can. It was best to be leery of love, best to distrust the erratic heart. ~ Jane Hamilton, The Short History of a Prince
September
2012
The Kennedy Charisma
You don’t mess around with the Kennedys in Massachusetts (well, a number of ladies might beg to differ, but that’s another story). The powerful and rich history of this political family is part of the fabric of this country, and though I don’t follow politics as closely as other people in this household, I was impressed by this tall ginger who was marching in this year’s Pride Parade in Boston.
Joe Kennedy III is currently running for Congress, to fill the seat vacated by Barney Frank. Like Mr. Frank, Mr. Kennedy is a strong proponent of marriage equality and gay rights. For that reason alone, I’m on board. In his pleated pants (he is tall enough to almost pull them off) and copper-colored hair, he is not one of the most striking men of the Kennedy family, but having seen him in person, there is certainly a combustible measure of charm and charisma.
Some have likened him to Conan O’Brien – I see more of a Ron Howard resemblance, minus the absence of hair. (The New York Times Magazine recently described him as “a mash-up of Prince Harry, the “Hunger Games” actor Josh Hutcherson and a bird.”) I noticed him in the Pride Parade before I noticed the name or put together who he was – such is the strength of a ginger’s hair in the sunlight (and the cat-calls of “Ginger!” emanating around me). At 31 years of age (I cringed too) he seems to be on the fast-track to political glory, even if he’s been largely unproven as far as performance goes. We’ll see how far the Kennedy name gets you. Once upon a time it was enough.
September
2012
Traditional Manscaping
Mention ‘manscaping’ and you have an instant extra two or three visitors just on the prowl for a bit of innocent smut. Sorry for the perverted ploy, but I wanted to point out the repopulated posts I’ve been working my perky ass off for this whole weekend. (One man’s shave is another man’s cheap promotional stunt. Besides, there are still some who haven’t checked out The Galleries yet…)
Earlier I mentioned (and listed) the Archives for November 2011, December 2011, January 2012, and February 2012. Â I’ve since added two more months that have some bang-up material, and it’s a neat look back at what was happening exactly a year ago.
September 2011 found a travel-filled month expounding upon adventures in Las Vegas, NV and Washington, DC (that White House peeing incident), along with a call for Anderson Cooper to come out (now rather quaint, and I suppose I owe him a follow-up letter), as well as my virgin spa experience.
October 2011 was filled with some memorable moments as well, including some theater reviews, my first Awards Dinner (and its accompanying overdose on plaid), and a preview of Michael Phelps and his Speedo. A couple of cocktail recipes round out last year’s Fall season, so please take a look and see how it compares to what is about to come.
September
2012
Hard At Work
It’s a glorious, albeit cool, sunny Saturday morning, but instead of being outside or at some apple orchard or selecting the perfect pair of mums for the front porch, I am inside in front of a lap top and trying valiantly to update the Archives of this site. Not that I’m complaining – it’s a labor of love, and I need to learn how to honor and respect the past instead of pretending none of it ever happened (with the possible exception of an outfit or goatee). This is all in service of next year’s gala anniversary celebration for a decade of www.ALANILAGAN.com (and by ‘next year’, that means in a few short months).
For the moment, I’ll direct you to the updated Archive links for the following months:
February 2012 (Super Bowl, Jockstraps, Shame & Secrets!)
January 2012 (Madonna, Beckham’s Bulge! & My Old Addiction!)
December 2011 (Holiday! Celebration! Come together in every nation!)
November 2011 (A Cheesecake Boy and My Favorite Madonna Song of All-Time!)
That’s a lot of exclamation points, and I HATE explanation points, so you know this is no joke. Check it out!!!
