Do you guys know about the eBay. It's pretty neat, huh? Thousands of items for sale by thousands of folks just like you and me. It makes you wonder why the heck you would ever buy anything new. It's kinda like when you go to the Gap and you see all that fancy new shit for sale for a hefty price and then you go back there two weeks later and it's all on sale! Kinda makes you feel like a sucker...(and actually anyone who buys shit at full price pretty much is.) Well, eBay is kinda like that too, accept when you realize how much you got ripped off because when you got your thingy at the store it was all fancy and shrink wrapped and as soon as you open it it's pretty much worth about a third of what you paid for it. Sucker. But i guess all-in-all it's better to get twenty bucks for that old PDA you never use then have it just sitting in a closet, right?

yeah, i really don't have anything to say.

v. 2.7

hey...that's right on time, baby. what's happenin' everybody. sorry for the delay, but we's been workin' out some bugs in in Jcole version 2.7 back from holiday, sun baked and chillin' ready to hunker down for some stone cold maxin' and relaxin' autumn's gott'um and fall is a ball. so sit back, stoke the chimnea and relax cause most of the bugs have been work out of this homeboy's software so it's time to start bringin' two decades to a close. holla!
hope everybody out there on 38th Street and beyond had a chill-ass summer. hope to see some of yall soon.

*rant on*

on a serious note, i just wanted to let all you fat-cat, starbuck's swilling, v8 driving, self-important, gucci wearin' fuck-o's know that if you run over some liberal minded, environmentally concious, peacful citizen who's just trying to get from point A to point B without burning 12 gallons a mile of country raping, war justifying oil to do so..that I hope you have the privledge of witnessing the revolution of greasy handed, two-wheeled warriors who will tear down your door to burn your ethan allen furniture, and your high-heel collection because there is no more oil, there is no more money, and you get to realize that you are actually, TOTALLY USELESS. best of luck.

sometimes (the story of a toys r' us kid)

somtimes leaving your house can be hazardous. sometimes little kids try to hurt you. sometimes rich women in four wheel drive living rooms try to run you and your 15 pound bicycle off the road. sometimes you realize your cell phone is actually a very imporatant apparatus. sometimes you just don't give a fcuk. sometimes you miss sitting in a filthy living room, playing Goldeneye all-day. sometimes you don't wanna look on the bright side

...yeah, i'm kind of in a bad mood this week, can you tell? whatever.

Are we there yet?

The other day my girl asked me if I thought you just sorta wake up one day as an adult? Of course I played the devil's advocate on that one, but I think she's sorta right in a lot of ways. I told her, being an adult is when you feel bad about sleeping til noon on the weekends, so clearly neither of us are there yet. But, I really don't know if I'm going to wake up one day and just know exactly what to do, and how to go about getting there. I mean, life happens in realtime, right? I guess the notion of waking up and having things all in place for you...it's a little too idealistic. Which I guess makes me a realist?? Never thought that would happen. Hmpf? Real Life. What a strange place to be.

just a quickie

yah, i haven't fallen off the earth, at least I think I haven't. Been real busy at work, and since there's no internet in my humble abode, I'm relegated to bloggin' at the workplace; which i've heard can get you fired these days. Anyway, that's the reason for such few and far between updates. I wish I could be more dilegent, and plan on being over the next few weeks. Even if it means staying late! Heaven forbid.

Anyway, lots in the works and lots to report. Another super fantastic shindig occured on 38th Street last weekend. Alas, a meeting of the sin-laws. There's a jewelry store in the works. 38th Street may not be on 38th Street much longer. And...I heard rookie-homerowner's got a girlfriend. OH BOY!

More to come on these topics soon, but I just wanted to let any "loyal readers" (hah!) know that I didn't fall of the earth. Just in the background, makin' it happen.

i'm cursed!

I'm cursed! I'm not sure why, but no one can ever seem to keep an appointment with me. In my current line of work I don't really have meetings with people or appointments all that often; but seriously either they show up three hours late, or they don't show up at all. WTF!!??! Is it this town? Is it me? I mean, we all have cell phones, right? Why don't you just call and reschedule, cancel, tell me to go to hell, whatever, just don't hang me out to dry. How rude!
In other news, I'm on a marketing crusade. I've decided its finally time to get my head out of the dirt and really market my art. And you know what? It ain't that easy. No one calls you back, people stand you up, email strings just seem to evaporate, and i'd much rather be riding my bike! But, persistance is king...I guess.

Hey...wanna buy a painting?

If you blog it, it will come

There is a difference between being stagnant and unhappy with your lot in life (we've all been there), and being perfectly happy, content, and comfortable, yet not feeling challenged. I believe right now I'm falling into the second half of that equation. I've covered all the major milestones that my early and mid-twenties has had to offer. I'm for once, really happy. I know that sounds kind of sad, like the last twenty years have been just leading to this point, in an unhappy manner at that. I'm really not seeking intangible things like I may have in my late teen early twenties...that brooding, bad poetry phase, as it were. So, with all that misery out of the way, what now? I'm obviously not climbing the corporate later. (I'd like to piss on all those sad f*@ks, especially the beemer drivers ). A job is but a job. I'm ready for more. But the scary fact is, no one hands you your life on a platter. At least not us normal bloaks. At the risk of sounding cliche, you must create your own destiny. I figured if I put this in writing, it might spawn some type of motivation on my part, holding myself accountable, god knows no one else is going to do it. Goals people! We've got to have goals!! Good luck out there to anyone that may be in the same boat. If you're struggling to do it for yourself, work for yourself, create a legacy for yourself, leave your mark, your signature, and become a true individual...mad props! keep it up. And if you're trying to make junior partner before you thirty, you're a sucker.

I'm Baaaaack!!

holy S#%T!!! I finally had to give up trying to fix the damn thing and just "re-boot" the damn thing! Unfortunately, I lost all my sidebar content. which is a total bummer, but alas, let us stress the importance of impermanence in life and move on. I think I'll try to recreate some of what is missing, at least the links and a few things I thought are pretty important to mention. But more or less, its so fresh and so clean clean. I can't say that i'm not disappointed that i've lost so much time to this thing, but like I said, there's an imporatant lesson to be learned here...computers are not to be trusted and 38th Street LIVES ON!

summer, summer, summertime!

Yeah, back when Will Smith was cool, I think he pretty much summed it up in that song.
Ladies and Gentlemen, summer has descended on 38th Street like Fred Flintstone down the back of a brontasaurus. And for those who don't know, Pittsburgh generally has two seasons; Hot & Sticky and Cold & Grey. And despite the oppressive humidity that rocked Steel Town this weekend, the 38th Street Crew was out and about. Whether it was playing in the garden, runnin' errands on the bicycle, busting out some good ol' fashion ditch digging at Castle Brownskull, or havin' dinner outside with friends...this weekend was action packed! And speaking of dinner with friends, I'd like to shamelessly promote my favorite restaurant for a moment. If you haven't been here yet, do you yourself a favor; grab a bottle of your favorite wine (actually, you better make it two) call your best friends (the more the merrier) and set aside about three hours to relax and eat the most beautiful thai/filipiniano food, served by the most gracious wait staff, and learn what it's like to be treated like royalty for a few hours. Sweet Basil/La Filipiniana is by far the best kept secret in Pittsburgh.
So...hope everyone had as great a weekend as I did. It sure beat staying up til 3am decorating tiny cakes (not that wasn't rewarding). Bring it on Summertime, I'm ready and willing!!!

Holy Three Day Weekend, Batman!!

Whew!! This was one crazy three day weekend!! Anna and I have been knee deep in frosting for the last 48 hours, and not in a kinky way either. She made (over the last two weeks) 300 individual desserts for a wedding party on sunday night. We were up til 3am on Saturday night putting little bows on the tiny lemon box cakes pictured above. I hope I never see another egg in my life. But, it was a huge success. Everyone raved about the desserts and she's hopefully going to drum up some business from this gig.
After sunday's festivities we treated each other to some good ol' hangover food at Primanti Bros (god, i love that place); then went to check out the new Star Wars flick. Quite awesome in my opinion. So, now we get to spend the whole week cleaning off frosting from almost every inch of 38th Street. All in all, quite a weekend, indeed!!

300 desserts!! 

me and my girl 

F#@K Anxiety

So I caught some flack for that parents comment in my last post. I guess I'm just showing some of my insecurities about maturing, becoming responsible, and giving in to societal, cultural and biological pressures. I mean, come on, I'm a 26 year old boy, we don't think about things like babies, buying homes, careers, life insurance. (actually, I think about all that sh!t) But perhaps I should be thinking in that direction... getting any younger I am not. And as I type this I am realizing that 26 is not that young.
Again...this blog has served it's purpose of discovering peoples' passions while discovering my weaknesses. I am not as strong as I would like to be, and i know better than most, that I have been coasting for quite some time. Perhaps I am too content to leave my fate in the hands of some higher power. It's like that joke says..."I sent you a boat, a helicopter, and a plane...what more did you want". Sometimes opportunity doesn't knock...but it is just on the other side of the door. And most days, I'm too busy complaining that my wrist hurts to turn the knob.

Mi Familia

Hello, hello, hello...is anybody out there? Has everyone has fallen off the face of the earth? Is this a phenomena that only I am experiencing? Is it something I said? I know that I have some tragic flaws, one of which is procrastination, I'm terrible. There's still things I've been meaning to do from years ago.The other one has got to be persistance. I guess that they go hand-in-hand kinda. I can barely keep in touch with immediate family, let alone any of you distant acquaintances out there.
I'm just wondering if anyone else out there has a similar feeling of not keeping in contact. Not sure why. Is it an age thing...a lot of my people are in that deathly late twenties phase. We're not quite techno enough to be constantly emailing and IM'ing each other like kids younger than us. And we're not quite old people, content to be home bodies...or worse...parents!! So, alas, no longer party animals, not quite settled in. I guess that's just how it goes. I'm not trying' to fight the reality of the situation. Nine times outta ten I'd rather just be at home with my sweetheart watchin' flix anyway.
I think what I'm ultimately getting at here is...what the hell is everyone doing. And how are you! Drop a brotha a line once in a while. 38th Street needs to know how it's peeps are hanging. I have the great privledge of having one of the best crews around, honestly, I can catagorically say that the people that I can consider friends right now are some of the most interesting, creative, free-thinking, honest, earnest, and noteworthy individuals that are living in this city right now. And with that...ta da! I have solved the mystery!
It's damn hard to be all those things and still be a social butterfly. So, forgive my griping about where the hell everyone has been these days. Hell, my last post was ten days ago, where the hell have I been? I guess what I'm sayin' is, for as reclusive as I can be, I'd like to know that everyone is still out there, doing there thing. So peep the blog, post some comments, (this sight is about you too.) know that there's others out there that are thinking of you, and drop them a line...just to say hello.
Oh, and Max...the email's in the mail. Hillary...I'm on that phone tonight. Mikey....Return my calls brother !(i kid, i kid) Everybody's family on 38th Street.

Make a Plan

There's a line that Eric Stoltz has in a movie called Kicking and Screaming He says something like, "How do you make God laugh? ...Make a plan." I'm always reminded of this when something you thought was going to happen falls through. Sometimes it's a matter of miscalculation, sometimes it's more sinister. The worst is when you have that little voice in the back of your head telling you to pull the cord, but you follow through anyway, just to be disappointed. I don't want to ramble on too much, and if you haven't figured it out there is a reason behind this post. There is no fiction, only interpretation.
I just think that people have a hard time really being honest with one another. We're all trying so hard to make our lives' a sitcom, that sometimes we forget to shoot from the hip. And we're all guilty. Think about it next time you tell someone you might meet up with them later, or "yeah, that sounds good, I'll be there." At that very moment, you may have all the intention in the world, your plan has been made, but how often do you follow through? (yeah, i know i've got one foot on the soap box) It's just easier to play along, isn't it. Make people think that you have intentions? I'm not going to pretend that I know why that is, either. It just sorta happens that way most often. It's just easier to go with the flow, not to be the grumpy one that says otherwise.
I like to point the finger at media and technology (but then again I like to point the finger at this for just about everything.)
When was the last time you told someone you'd meet them at an exact time, that you made plans to meet more than a few hours in advance? If you have a cell phone, I bet it's been a while. "I'll call you when I get there...", "I'll give you a ring when I get done with this...", there's no accountability.
That said I guess I can let you in on the origin of this post. I got myself into what quickly became a fiasco the other day, something that could have been avoided on one hand if I hadn't left my phone at work and was able to check my messages. But on the other hand, if I had no phone at all the problem would have never arisen, because the plans would have been firm, not something you can just hit eject on a few hours before.
Yeah, I know...blah, blah, blah...who cares that i've got scheduling trouble, just get a f*@king palm pilot and be done with it. But that's just it...I don't want to!!
It's just that, sometimes I feel like the only one that's waiting for the giant EMP shockwave to hit and wipeout all the computer systems. I think it might pleasantly coincide with the death of oil and the resurgence of the bicycle as the predominent form of transportation.
Think about what you're getting yourself into when interact with another human being. And remind yourself next time you've been disappointed by something you thought was going to happen, that while your cell phone is flashing that little new voicemail button, that it might just be God laughing at your plans.

Everyday I write the book.

Hey...Yeah, it's hump day. Finally, got around to updating this thing. peep the new links to a couple of my homeboys. And check out Zefrank's site...its the one referenced in Extra Extra. I totally dig his site, it's very groovy.

So, 38th Street had a big ol' Cinco de Mayo humdinger shindig this weekend. Thanks everyone for comin'. I had quite the time. Thanks, also, to everyone who brought beer in lieu of food; my liver thanks you. Seriously though, there was some serious consumption that went on. And the wine did go well with the chicken.
So, if you missed out...sorry. Send me some freakin' email and i'll get you on the list. Right now I'm thinking, I wonder if there is someone in tahiti reading this and wishing he could come to 38th Street. Wouldn't that be cool? That's the funny thing about the internet. Never assume you are insignificant! Toby Fraley knows what I'm talking about.

So, we're halfway through the week. The sun is shining. I rode three trails in Frick Park yesterday, that I've never seen before. I'm almost done with the dishes from Saturday's party. My girlfriend is the sweetest, most adorable person, ever. There's another weekend right around the corner. LIFE IS GOOD. Can you dig it!

Bunny Suited  

Cinco De Easter Bunny

So, I think this will be the last of the 'usual suspects' posts, since I'm running out of pictures and would like to move on. Pictures of your friends is so 80's.
This is one of mr. Smith. aka elik, aka freaky bunny boy. This kid continues to do his part to decomodify art. Sure, dressing up in a bunny suit in a black-lit room, painting the walls florescent while your silver-painted sister croons next door in a room made of tinfoil isn't going to save the world, but goshdangit, somebody's gotta do it!! You've gotta recognize the imporatance of just doing what you want to do and sharing it with others, if we don't...well, we may as well just let big brother slam shut the doors.

• Name: Something really long with "III" behind it; but I call him Alex.
• Occupation: guru de festival de arte
• Hometown: ATL
• Passion: deconforming
• Current Project: making you think...