Sir Grump Munch

Hi gang, and welcome back. I just shot my evening to Hell getting this silly bullshit back up and running, so I expect lots of comments, songs of praise, organic street poetry, etc.

June 24th is my birthday, for all the naysayers and well-wishers.

Happy birthday to Bradford.

Ah, nice to see MT in the hizzaus. I also got MT up and running over at my crib. No comments though!

Hi PJ. Now I can comment on that creepy "Lake" scene that you did in Photoshop that appeared in your last post. I know Ryno's got some thoughts about that one too. Dude, you're like standing there with your shirt off, and then there are two "blue" versions of you. It's a good Photoshop job, well, I mean it pales in comparrison to my own Photoshoping skills (did you know Brad Berling wont even let me get a foot in the door of his business cause he knows that with my mad skills, he'd be out of a job in a week), but anyways- I'm interested in knowing what exactly you were "going for" with this one. I mean, it is intellectual, is it kind of spiritial, is it like some martial arts crap, or is it supposed to be funny? Just curious, cause it popped up and was quite unexpected. Maybe it was just the size of your pectorals or the perkiness of your nipples that took me off gaurd. I mean, I didn't live with you in college like Ryno did, getting to watch each other shave our private parts like you guys did, so it's really new territory for me.

Dude, Naz, you got your face fucked up real ouchie. Buy an SUV for short, casual city travel and then that would never happen to you.

I'm still swollen damn it. I feel like a boxer. Yeah I've been thinking about getting an SUV just to go down the block about 10 paces. That way I can just exit the parking space go forward 10 feet then back into the space and damn! I got good parking.

Kurt - I believe PJ's "Lake" scene image offers us a vivid look into the mind of this flat-land champion. The message here is three, perhaps four of five-fold. For starters, the left side of the image portrays PJ confronting his own image — one body existing in what can be percieved as the "real" or "physical" world, the other transparent and otherworldly. A ghost? A reflection? An alter-ego? The answer is yes to all of these questions, but the answers take many different forms We can see in the posture of the "real" PJ, a defiance, a somewhat casusal stiffening of the shoulders and projection of the upper torso. His hands are loosely clinched. This demonstrates an opposition to the "ghostly" PJ which faces him. When we examine this transparent likeness, the first thing one notices is the satchel carried in the figure's right hand. This is the baggage of PJ's past. This phantasmic figure glares at the "real" PJ with a menacing "what the fuck are you looking at, stupid-ass punk bitch" look, so as to project his own hostility toward "our" PJ. What we sense, in the energy between these two bare-chested figures is a sort of metaphysical duel, a stand-off of the mind.
Which brings me to our third, even more ghostlly figure. (For the puposes of clarity, I will henceforth refer to the three figures as Blue PJ, Real PJ, and Ghost PJ, respectively - from left to right.) Ghost PJ floats above to water, as if emerging from its depths. He is much more timid and gentle than his counterparts. Notice his hands are open and hand loosely at his sides. His eyes meet ours, but as if to ask "How did you know?" Does this floating ghoul represent a secret PJ hides? His homosexuality? The burden of guilt resulting from an accidental killing, followed by a ditching of the lifeless body in a place where it will never be found? Is this figure, in fact, the "real" PJ trying to emerge for us?
One with an intellect similar or superior to mine own can literally stare into this baffling image and ponder the questions it presents for long days. But why bother - the answers are plain and simple: Real PJ stands trapped between his other personas, unsure what to do, but compelled to fight. Blue PJ is his "rough and tumble" side - the drifter, the bar-fly, the diesel trucker, the back-alley butcher, the roadie. This is the PJ that stays out all night drinking whiskey and smashing glass, chasing skirts and punching office jerks. This is the "bad-ass" PJ. Ghost PJ is the soft, sensitive, good-natured PJ. The Kurt Frederiksen painting PJ, the gay PJ. This aspect of his character snuggles with kitties and dribbles rose-water on his nut-sack to make it smell pretty. This is the PJ that is afraid to stand up to the biker gang that has run the sheriff out of town and taken over, using the saloon as their headquarters and the post-office for their all-night s&m sex orgies, mocking the law and order that once ruled his litttle village. Notice this PJ is rapidly fading. He is losing out to the growing toughness that has taken physical form and is ready to beat the piss out of Real PJ, as they say "to make a man out of him."

What is to emerge from this conflict is a new, redesigned, rebuilt PJ. A tougher, rowdier, drunker PJ. PJ v.2.0. But what we know is that this PJ will retain, somewhere in his psyche, the elements of the other PJs, the building-blocks of his rebirth. These components will show their faces periodically, to give the world what it needs when it needs it—be it a good slug in the jaw or a card on mothers' day. For that is PJ's way and his calling.

Naz, sorry to hear about your spill...I fear that, and worse, every day on the scooter. I hate wearing the helmet sometimes, but I don't think my face would be the victor in a battle with the pavement or the window of a minivan.

Kurt, to answer your inquiry about the lake shots, there's no deep meaning there. I set the camera down, put it on a timer, and took a few shots from the same place while trying to even out my farmer's tan. The "blue" route that I took was just one of many things I tried (the old "Luminosity" layer effect that I use too much). Just me being stupid and documenting my current physical form, as it's bound to change over time (better or worse) and it'll be interesting to look back later, when I'm morbidly obese, and say "look how skinny I used to be."

Happy Berlthday, Brad. I'll write you a Friendster testimonial as my gift.

What kind of Moveable Type argh you using, PJ? Why can't I post images here with the tags I used on Draplin's site? Don't ruin this for me, PJ.

Holy shit, I take it back Kurt.

It's everything Ryan said, word-for-word. Ryan, I think you are cut out for a career in art criticism writing; you should submit your reviews of our work to ArtNews or the NY Times Sunday Edition. Goddamn Master Champ.

Agreed, that is the best f@#kin breakdown of an image ever. I thought about it too from an earlier comment. Even if it's arty there's "depth" to it, and that ain't just the Lake.

PJ's got HTML turned off in the comments I believe.

are we sure that it's not just an over-intellectualized vision of what is plainly a "I'm half naked, enjoy my beauty" shot?

is your "type" stumbling over the photo, pj, wet with anticipation or crying for their lost innocence?

Ouch, V.
No, um...you're way off track. See Ryno's novella above.

Ryno: Whole Lotta Hot Air

Draplin: ain't too good at fancy writin' and whatnot (playin' dumb).

Sausage Party.

Brad, happy damn birthday.

PJ, I think the lake picture was simply an opportunity to take your shirt off in a picture and post it for the ladies. The ladies love the shirtless guys (at least when they can pull it off).

Just a thought (not to downplay Ryan's metaphysical interpretation).

-a

Hey PJ, others. I'm working to promote your image, boost your self-confidence, etc. Once women catch a glimpse of this, they'll be all over you.

http://www.hotornot.com/r/?eid=NEGQKYB&key=GKF

Dude! Turn your HTML shit on!

You guys are a riot!

Ryan, HTML works for making links, just not for embedding images (not sure why). Great photo you chose for the Hot or Not deal, thanks a lot for that. I'll see about repaying the 'favor" soon.