Author Archives: admin

I’ve been finding myself in a lot of malls lately and I’ve been enjoying myself. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never been much of a mall goer, and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve steered myself far away from the places. Having been away from them for some time, I’ve co… Read the rest

I hate Guitar Center. There are many reasons as to why I hate such a place, which range from the people who work there to the people who shop there to the whole we’re-corporate-but-down-to-earth agenda oozing from the spaces between the teeth of e… Read the rest

Here’s an article and illustration from the archives that never made it to press. It was created a few months ago when I thought it might be possible to make money writing for websites online until I read up about it and discovered the reality, (you… Read the rest

One of the easiest things in life to be is lazy. You’d think it’d be one of the hardest; it requires more thought to not do something than to simply do said something without thinking about doing it, not to mention all of the wasted time and men… Read the rest

When I sit down in a public bathroom stall, one of the first things I notice are the anonymous vulgarities scribbled within arms length of the toilet. Racial slurs, phone numbers, ruminations, and even the occasional glory hole adorn the divider betwe… Read the rest

From one of our lower-upstate New York outposts, a copy of On Lives disappeared. While doing our bi-monthly check-up of bookstores currently distributing On Lives, we found that someone had walked into Inquiring Minds Bookstore in New Paltz, NY and w… Read the rest

As a kid, playing was my world. My imagination was the only thing holding me back; the possibilities were limitless. It did not matter if I played alone or with others; I always traveled somewhere, away from reality and into the unknown.
Today, I can’t im… Read the rest

As a recent Facebook convert, I have come to see the beauty (and insidiousness) of the most powerful social networking tool mankind has ever known. I was a hold out until my scramble to cling to my senior year memories and connections led me to take drasti… Read the rest

Believe it or not, I’ve actually been accused of being an agist before. I never knew such an -ist existed, that someone could be anti-old people, could look down on a segment of the population because they are old and can’t do something as well as the young… Read the rest

Mushrooms are mysterious creatures. Some believe they house fairies, while others reduce them to side dishes of steak and potatoes. Mushrooms are neither plants nor animals. So what are these fascinating little bulbs of mystery that spring up from t… Read the rest

We’ve received a lot of complaints from people we know and people we don’t know about the lackluster representation of On Lives in the online world. Since our book dropped, things have slowed down considerably. Are we working on new projects? Are we wor… Read the rest

If someone asked me what my favorite invention was, I would probably say a lawnmower. Lawnmowers are loud and get a job done and don’t know the difference between right and wrong. All they want is a little gas and some grass to mow, they never talk back to yo… Read the rest

What is perfection? Is it achievable? Is anything perfect?
She has the perfect face. I bowled a three-hundred; I bowled a perfect game. Man, the grocery store was all out of sweet potatoes. Really? That’s just perfect.
Perfection seems to haunt our dai… Read the rest

I’ve had maybe 6 or 7 pen pals. Pen pals were big back in fourth grade; it seemed mandatory that every child have another child that they wrote to. My pen pal was from Ireland and I always looked forward to his letters. Ours was a one way sort of correspondenc… Read the rest

I’ve never been one for goodbyes. Saying goodbye can be a sad thing to do but I don’t think it always needs to carry the air of permanence that it does. Even when a person dies, we say goodbye to their body but not necessarily to them. True, they are no longer p… Read the rest

If you’ve arrived at this page, you are probably feeling excited. On Lives has not been updated in a few weeks. You had been taking a regular dosage almost everyday for two months, then suddenly, the pill bottle ran out. So what is that fluttering in the ch… Read the rest

The more one uses their imagination, the more compelling history becomes. Use no imagination and you are just looking at the physical pages of a textbook. Use a little imagination and you may be able to see beneath the yellow tint of photographs at the tu… Read the rest

Indecision
Indecisiveness is a killer. Before one begins they are done. A state of indecisiveness is a lose/lose situation.
When I cannot make a decision I am stuck in limbo. While some decisions can affect me negatively, unless the negativity is fore… Read the rest

What is to be done with free time around the house? This is actually a big decision; so let’s discuss the heavy weight contenders.
Sometimes, when I’m feeling frustrated, I tend to create dichotomies that may not really exist and make statements like th… Read the rest

Dangers Of Driving
Every year in the U.S., over 40,000 people die in driving related accidents. That’s about 120 people per day. If somebody told you that over a lifetime of driving your chances of being one of these people was 1 in 100, would you be… Read the rest

Here In My Car
If there is one thing that America revolves around it is cars. Look at the infrastructure of any major city or suburb or country town. Roads lead up to everything because most people use a car as their main means of getting places. It is as if th… Read the rest

On Redux
After re-reading On Camping, I get the feeling that much of it feels rushed and I glossed over important aspects of camping that I would have rather not. My roommate confirmed these assumptions, and since today is his birthday, this special red… Read the rest

Real Campers
To camp is to escape. There’s no real reason that anyone needs to camp anymore, unless of course one enjoys camping. Wilderness adventurers and thrill seekers camp quite often but who I’m talking about is the everyday person.
Explorers us… Read the rest

You’ve reached one of our 10 favorite articles! This article can be found in our printed anthology, the “On Lives Subway Supplement.” Pick one up in our bookstore or at one of these fine New York City and Brooklyn area bookstores:
Bl… Read the rest

You’ve reached one of our 10 favorite articles! This article can be found in our printed anthology, the “On Lives Subway Supplement.” Pick one up in our bookstore or at one of these fine New York City and Brooklyn area bookstores:
Bl… Read the rest

Summer is closing down shop like your mom’s beach house on Cape Cod. I have not been to the beach this summer therefore I have not been to Cape Cod. I usually like to go and hang out in the dunes but if there is one time I like going to the beach and hanging out in t… Read the rest

Memory Machine
Do we choose what to remember and what to forget? Are our minds like endless VHS tapes, recording everything? Are some memories more meaningful than others or do we make the meanings ourselves?
Memories are hard to pin down. If I really sa… Read the rest

Strange, Strange, Strange
Two days ago I happened upon an odd sight: a twenty-something was walking his dog on a New York City sidewalk in Alphabet City. Given the sporadic dispersal of dog runs and open parks and spaces in New York, when a dog’s got to go,… Read the rest

Needs
For as long as humans have been able to accumulate stuff, that stuff has needed a place to be stored. Food has obvious benefits from being stored; one no longer has to worry about finding it every day. With a sedentary lifestyle, aside from growing y… Read the rest

A Roof With A View
For today’s installment I’m actually on a roof. I thought it’d be nice for the title’s meaning to be twofold: a post “On Roofs” and On Lives coming to you literally from a roof. So here I am.
Though the sky is a bit cloudy, the view is excellen… Read the rest

Waiting in the Rain
I’m really glad it is raining today. It gives me a chance to sit inside and not feel bad for wasting another sunny day. Not that I waste sunny days, I definitely take advantage, but much of what I enjoy doing these days are activities that… Read the rest

Shaving is both creative and destructive. Shaving can go as far as to create a new identity for a person, just like a good or bad haircut can. It is fascinating that such a short process can change the way a person looks, often with dramatic results. Aside f… Read the rest

You’ve reached one of our 10 favorite articles! This article can be found in our printed anthology, the “On Lives Subway Supplement.” Pick one up in our bookstore or at one of these fine New York City and Brooklyn area bookstores:
Bl… Read the rest

Though all parts of the day excite me, morning excites me the most. Whenever I can, I wake up early, as early as physically possible to still be able to function. It is a challenge to go to sleep earlier the night before, because so many aspects of social lif… Read the rest

Hotels are a great place to crash if you have the cash. They are designed so that when you arrive, it’s almost as if you have a brand new room, or at least an exceptionally clean one. It’s amazing how many other people could have passed through… Read the rest

ENVI 101
On an exam in college, there was a bonus question that was a map of campus. Above the map it said, “Label where “Nature” begins.” SUNY Binghamton is home to a wonderful Nature Preserve; it is many, many acres of woods an… Read the rest

The modern “band” is a collection of musicians who get together to play music. The music may be original or “covered” material, material of “bands” that has come before. Usually, any solid original band plays… Read the rest

The Ancient Fruit of Eurasia Spreads Its Seeds and Roots in America
Imagine yourself nude in the midst of a suburban jungle. There is a beautiful fig tree begging you to pluck just one leaf to conceal the robust body that society deems shameful. This is my… Read the rest

As Rocko from Rocko’s Modern Life so famously proclaimed, “Laundry day is a very dangerous day.” While RML is a great reminder as to why all children’s television show creators should drop acid before writing each episode, this quote really hammers th… Read the rest

You’ve reached one of our 10 favorite articles! This article can be found in our printed anthology, the “On Lives Subway Supplement.” Pick one up in our bookstore or at one of these fine New York City and Brooklyn area bookstores:
Bl… Read the rest

Like some people and White Russians, alcohol and I don’t mix. I wish I could be one of those guys that work in a microbrewery and is incredibly psyched about beer and tie-dye t-shirts but drinking alcohol is like playing Russian roulette with a fully load… Read the rest

Since I’ve moved to the city, I’ve noticed that there’s no real night here. Sure they say New York is the city that never sleeps, but that’s not what I mean.
There’s so much light pollution here it’s incredible. A… Read the rest

You’ve reached one of our 10 favorite articles! This article can be found in our printed anthology, the “On Lives Subway Supplement.” Pick one up in our bookstore or at one of these fine New York City and Brooklyn area bookstores:
Bl… Read the rest

Feudal Manners
In the Middle Ages, back when humans lived in castles and fought dragons, being a guest was the best. A sworn enemy, if approaching a neighboring castle with an earnest need of a place to stay, would be put up. Seeking asylum, guests were tr… Read the rest

Homeless. Penniless. Doomed.
Not many consider living on the street a viable option in today’s society. It’s never, “Go to school, grow up and go homeless.” We’re taught that to be homeless is to be the lowest of the low, to be a failure. It means sm… Read the rest

One day, I dropped a sunflower seed on the table and looked at it as closely as I could manage without losing focus. I could not overcome a feeling of cognitive dissonance. Seeds are miraculous, but I don’t believe in miracles.
There is something that tot… Read the rest

Evolution is intriguing. The process is sure to ‘think outside the box’ while solving problems. Solutions that are unimaginably bizarre are always considered. The phenomenon is not limited to biology but also manhandles human ideas as well, includ… Read the rest

You’ve reached one of our 10 favorite articles! This article can be found in our printed anthology, the “On Lives Subway Supplement.” Pick one up in our bookstore or at one of these fine New York City and Brooklyn area bookstores:
Bl… Read the rest

With the dawn of civilization, a major complication was seeded; there would always exist those who could not play by the rules. Inherent in the system is the law of mutual cooperation, thus, these rule breakers have always needed to be dealt with.
Befor… Read the rest

You’ve reached one of our 10 favorite articles! This article can be found in our printed anthology, the “On Lives Subway Supplement.” Pick one up in our bookstore or at one of these fine New York City and Brooklyn area bookstores:
Bl… Read the rest

There are mornings like today’s when I realize I basically sit inside all day and write. Good thing it’s raining. I wouldn’t call the current state of my life “idle,” but that is what most like to call it.
I work each day a… Read the rest

One thing I am always amazed by is bathrooms. Not the one in my apartment or the ones in other people’s homes. I’m talking public bathrooms.
The public bathroom is an evolutionary hotbed for bathrooms as a whole. If you were somehow able to l… Read the rest

It’s easy to want. It just sort of happens. A signal is triggered in one’s brain telling them they really need something. With some effort, one can get the things they want, but then the cycle just starts all over.
Want propels its own nature… Read the rest

You’ve reached one of our 10 favorite articles! This article can be found in our printed anthology, the “On Lives Subway Supplement.” Pick one up in our bookstore or at one of these fine New York City and Brooklyn area bookstores:
Bl… Read the rest

Henri Luste (1480-????), French explorer, craftsman and inventor, is not a real person. If he had been, he’d probably be a household name. His discovery would have been too unbelievable if it were true; everybody needs to sleep. If people didn&… Read the rest

In 1513, French explorer Henri Luste discovered an archipelago off the coast of what is now Western Sahara. Most of the islands were uninhabited but upon one of the furthest, largest islands Luste and his explorers found a small group of natives. The Fr… Read the rest

A well-fitted suit is an essential to every man’s wardrobe. The suit is a versatile garment that can be worn for any number of occasions. The two most important are work related and formal events.
Suits have been around for a long time; the 17th cen… Read the rest

You’ve reached one of our 10 favorite articles! This article can be found in our printed anthology, the “On Lives Subway Supplement.” Pick one up in our bookstore or at one of these fine New York City and Brooklyn area bookstores:
Bl… Read the rest

Don’t take shit from anybody. That’s a good motto. Just be prepared to smash the occasional head.
There are two options when someone challenges your space, beliefs, freedoms; look down meekly and hope they’ll avert their attenti… Read the rest

Writing is something that must be done. It is cathartic. There’s something pleasurable about fitting words together on a page like a puzzle. Seeing the picture they create, the meaning they make, is amazing.
I’m blessed to have found som… Read the rest

The Internet can make creating seem meaningless. Information is consumed instantaneously, making it hard for art to keep up. Even though songs and stories and pictures and comics are able to reach others without any regard to time and distance, they a… Read the rest

Bret Easton Ellis’s novel, American Psycho, is the kind of book one does not want to finish. Parts are so pornographic and so gruesome (usually in the same paragraph), that the book needs to be put down at times so the reader can reassess reality an… Read the rest

Only recently have I realized that I’ve been wearing clothing too small for me. It seems like I’m always growing. People who haven’t seen me in a while will always comment on my height, say that I’ve grown a few inches since las… Read the rest

Youth provides freedom. There’s not much to answer for when one is young. What makes people grow, feel older, is taking on more and more responsibility. Sexual relations, a family, buying stuff, having a place to keep all that stuff: life change… Read the rest

Having a job is integral to leisure. One’s time is immediately split into two categories, working and non. Work gives organization to a life that would otherwise be directionless.
If time is all one had, they would probably do nothing at all. No p… Read the rest

Aside from the occasional bolt of lightning, electricity is something we never see. It’s amazing that such a powerful force is always around us, humming inside the walls of our homes and powering the world we live in. We believe in its strength wi… Read the rest

The very use of the word “anachronistic” is probably an anachronism. The word itself feels outdated, created in a different time, out of place here with us today. Specifically, anachronism is “the error of placing a person or thin… Read the rest

Health is a transient aspect of life. All people have any number of health issues unknown to everybody else around them. The fact that these issues can’t be seen makes all the difference. When one is sick, it seems as if the whole world is feeling gr… Read the rest

My friend John once said that you could tell a lot about a person by the way they washed dishes. Having cooked with a variety of people over the years, I can tell you the obvious truth: most people will sit and watch you do the dishes, and those brave enough to… Read the rest

You’ve reached one of our 10 favorite articles! This article can be found in our printed anthology, the “On Lives Subway Supplement.” Pick one up in our bookstore or at one of these fine New York City and Brooklyn area bookstores:
Bl… Read the rest