tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280488812011-04-21T22:27:06.280-04:00Stories, notes and observations from the hideout.Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.comBlogger571100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-78159640026808879492009-04-13T11:56:00.003-04:002009-04-13T12:09:40.712-04:00

I've been given the Premio Dardos Prize by Rebekah!Premio Dardos means “prize darts” in Italian and is awarded for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary and personal values in the form of creative and original writing.The rules are as follows:1. Accept the award by pasting the graphic on your blog along with the name of the person who granted the award and a link to his/her blog.2. Pass

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-40633338068729620302007-11-23T12:20:00.001-05:002007-11-26T13:11:25.986-05:00

From day one, the Morans were recognized as a family of freaks and oddballs. Mr. Moran, a giant, about six-foot-ten with a flat top haircut, droopy eyes and feet the size of cinder blocks, was known as Frankenstein to the local kids. He picked his nose and ate the boogers, blew loud farts in public, and mumbled to himself constantly as he roamed about in a half-dazed, drag-ass, slow motion

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-43706276151092449202007-09-11T00:04:00.000-04:002007-09-11T23:21:09.610-04:00

We arrived at the hotel about three hours later than anticipated. We could have made it before nightfall, but Natasha wanted to stop and look at the scenery. Reluctantly, I pulled over a couple of times so that she could take some snapshots. We were up in the hills and the hazy mist that rose from the trees in the valley sparkled like sizzling embers underneath the late evening sun. The view

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-10627152174675493392007-08-12T22:45:00.000-04:002007-08-13T00:32:36.393-04:00

In a fit of boredom, I went out and bought yet another electronic toy today, and as usual they tried to lean on me for an extended warranty. You know, I'm getting tired of people trying to sell me extra stuff when I go to a store, things that raise the total cost of your purchase while giving you absolutely nothing in return. As if sales tax piled on top of the tax already taken from your wages

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-91791539735730415922007-08-02T11:48:00.000-04:002007-08-02T17:32:38.076-04:00

Last year, I had a cyst removed from my upper back. Eeew! Actually, it was more in the shoulder/neck area, about an inch away from the spine. Fortunately, the doctor was able to remove it in the office and stitch me right there. It was a minor, routine procedure which lasted about twenty minutes. The incision healed just fine, and since I was told that cutting the growth out meant that it

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-31251125943026469052007-07-18T21:51:00.001-04:002007-07-18T22:25:22.547-04:00

Just found out that there was an underground explosion not too far from work, over by Lexington and Forty-First. It happened at a time when I was on the way home and out of the area, but after seeing all of the smoke shooting up from the ground on television, I can imagine the kind of chaos that must have ensued. At six pm, that part of the city is packed with people heading to Grand Central

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-48507144269572439522007-07-08T23:06:00.000-04:002007-07-09T17:25:29.654-04:00

On Friday afternoon, a stoic blond woman with high cheekbones and dark sunglasses got on the subway at Lexington and sat directly across from me. She took a silver cell phone from her bag, then crossed her legs at the knees while checking her text messages. When she was finished, she snapped the phone shut and stared at me. Although her eyes were hidden within the reflective blackness of the

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-82675691669330247022007-06-23T21:07:00.000-04:002007-06-23T22:28:46.023-04:00

I've been tagged by Jodi, who says I spend too much time keeping up with Paris Hilton, and posting photos on Flickr, so she's hit me with TWO memes! Actually, she didn't say that, I just decided to do some shameless Flickr self-promotion here. Can't help it, I'm an addict!First the RULES!1. Each person tagged - if they want to play along - has to write about 5-10 songs that had an impact on

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-44247050815667990592007-06-08T11:49:00.001-04:002007-06-08T15:31:00.231-04:00

She's out! After just three short days. Evidently, there is nothing really important going on in the world, so the 24/7 cable fear channels are putting this story front and center.But I mean, c'mon, really? You didn't think she was going to be in there much longer than it took the check to clear, did you? What kind of heiress can't get around a 45 23 day jail sentence? These folks are good.

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-37891060276123423572007-05-28T00:06:00.000-04:002007-05-28T00:43:11.821-04:00

One of the national fast food pizza store chains recently moved into my area. I'm not sure who did the demographics on this one, but no doubt it was done without the benefit of consultation. For reasons that can only be described as bizarre, the chain moved in directly across the street from an old-fashioned neighborhood pizza shop that has been in the area for something like forty-seven years.

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-2090370050950870042007-05-18T00:09:00.000-04:002007-05-19T00:15:29.777-04:00

That morning, I was sitting at my desk, flipping through the Daily News while having coffee, when I came across an advertisement that seemed to stop time. A former coworker named Richard was doing a book signing at one of the local bookstore chains that evening. In the photo ad, he stood on a silhouetted pile of books shaped like an urban skyline. Both arms were folded across his chest, and the

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-85557658826575961192007-05-17T01:44:00.000-04:002007-05-17T02:03:28.543-04:00

Inihtar has tagged me with a meme, so here are eight random/strange facts about the Outlaw.1. I don't have an air-conditioner and refuse to get one. It's only unbearable for two months out of the year, and a blistering hot apartment is the best solution for keeping surprise visitors away in the summer.2. I hate driving. After six accidents you would too.3. I don't know how to swim, and at this

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-48843111547210085692007-05-09T11:01:00.001-04:002007-05-09T11:11:10.289-04:00

I don't know what this was about, but I'm sure they would have asked me to leave had they seen me.

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-6662072735259425272007-04-21T10:14:00.000-04:002007-04-25T14:42:49.436-04:00

In the middle of our dinner, C stopped eating and looked at me with that frozen expression people use when they've suddenly come up with what they believe is a brilliant idea. She dropped her silverware abruptly and pulled a thin, pocket-sized digital camera from her jacket. With a casual smile, she slid her chair back about a yard and took my picture without asking. The white flash caught me

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-26444894384173591422007-04-08T18:13:00.000-04:002007-04-08T20:05:52.875-04:00

Earlier in the week, I went up to my supervisor's office to get her signature on a few contract renewals. She was sitting at her work desk, facing the computer, when I arrived. Even though the door was open, I tapped the wall a few times with my knuckles to get her attention. Without looking back to see who it was, she said, "Yeah, what's up?""It's just me," I said. I waved, then walked in

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-11859912194212798602007-03-31T19:06:00.000-04:002007-03-31T20:33:15.304-04:00

After Wednesday's announcement to "lay off" their "highest paid" floor clerks and sales people, a quick glance around the blog world shows the national electronics chain, Circuit City, moving to the number one spot on numerous personal boycott lists. In what has to be considered one of the scumbaggiest moves in modern retail history, the company has plans to fire 3,400 of its employees in order

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-5258593710904545152007-03-23T14:58:00.000-04:002007-03-25T13:56:03.552-04:00

If you live in an urban area, and photography is one of your hobbies, you're probably aware that glass buildings often serve up a variety of interesting reflections. Most commercial structures, built within the last twenty years or so, have tinted glass exteriors laced with steel beams, laid out in architecturally appealing patterns. Monolithic brick skyscrapers, it seems, are quickly becoming

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-26777501689334160742007-03-08T23:58:00.000-05:002007-03-09T19:36:03.760-05:00

By noon, the temperature had already reached seventy degrees outside. From the southeast window of our office, I could see a sizable lunchtime crowd gathering in Bryant Park behind the public library, much the same as they would on any hot July afternoon. But this wasn't July. It was January. And the average temperature for this time of year in New York City was generally in the mid to upper

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-25595187297026260702007-03-07T11:07:00.000-05:002007-03-08T09:52:34.654-05:00

And The Award Goes To..... Me! (And a whole bunch of others, LOL!) I have been honored by Sue & Matt at Toronto Ghosts with a blogging award/meme called the Thinking Blogger Award! And it is now my turn to bestow this award onto other deserving bloggers! First here are the rules: 1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think. 2. Link to

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-47722619624021673392007-02-26T14:26:00.000-05:002007-02-26T14:36:16.240-05:00

I don't know how many times I've been tempted to do this!

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1707665016395501682007-02-18T15:45:00.000-05:002007-02-19T14:01:02.556-05:00

A few nights ago, I spent a couple of hours on the Kacey Kowars Show web page, listening to audio clips of interviews with writers. This is one of the few places that I've come across, which offers audio interview clips for free, some of them as long as half hour in length, both in an audio stream, or downloadable with a right click. The sound quality is quite good when you consider that the

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-81764212588521637992007-02-04T14:06:00.000-05:002007-02-22T16:39:25.639-05:00

Last night, I dreamed that a serial killer was using my blogroll as a source list for his seemingly random murder spree. I didn't realize this right away, but each time the cable channels reported on yet another killing, my suspicions gradually increased. Something was definitely wrong, and soon I became obsessed with the case. Not only were the victims all bloggers, but amazingly, many of the

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-60900424812211978072007-01-22T23:53:00.000-05:002007-02-04T19:44:10.264-05:00

If this works, you should hear me reading something that I wrote a while back called The Loan. It's an MP3 format, about 7 minutes long. If you have the Macromedia plug-in, you can hear the audio stream here. It opens up on another screen over at SupLoad.com. If that doesn't work, you can play it directly from the MediaMax site. Might have to raise the volume too. I've got one of those low,

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-14786605351610170912007-01-13T22:21:00.000-05:002007-01-14T22:15:20.888-05:00

About twenty minutes before quitting time, I turned off the computer, grabbed my coat and went over to Ginger's office. She was sitting at her desk, slipping into a pair of Timberland hiking shoes with rippled black soles that looked like treaded tires. Her dusty brown Adidas backpack was spread open on the floor in front of her. I watched as she tied her shoelaces, then stood up to brush her

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-40887026306828257222007-01-06T12:46:00.000-05:002007-01-08T15:55:43.637-05:00

Later that week, I learned that Wade had gone over to speak with Ginger in Administration, presumably to try and get me in some kind of trouble. That Wednesday, I got a call from the one and only Ginger, telling me that she would have coffee and snacks waiting if I could be in her office within the next half hour. It was close to break time, and coffee sounded good, so I put my work aside and

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-34621256122458192962006-12-08T01:06:00.000-05:002006-12-10T02:04:11.423-05:00

When I arrived that morning, Holly was standing next to the photocopier in the hall, pushing paper into the upper feed tray. She stared straight ahead, her expression languid and distant, as if lost in a daydream. She wore a pastel blue top with a purple pleated skirt, translucent stockings with black seams, and fuzzy white bedroom slippers, which she always left under her desk in the office.

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-9205645045848264542006-11-13T12:51:00.002-05:002006-11-13T12:59:54.723-05:00

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-69808173492257483362006-10-28T21:15:00.000-04:002006-10-28T22:10:17.100-04:00

Last time I spoke with my mother on the phone, we had an interesting conversation concerning a few people on her side of the family, people who are long gone now, and in my mind seen largely through the eyes of a child. Phone talks with my mother are not always interesting or easy. "Endurance test" would be the two words that come to mind. And I don't think age has anything to do with it. Her

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-65596409194996785922006-10-14T02:51:00.000-04:002006-10-14T09:57:28.779-04:00

The familiar black sedan rolled to a stop at the usual corner. Jasmine glanced back at Laurie hunkering down into the fluffy white collar of her imitation fur, half-stepping in place so that the damp February chill wouldn't penetrate her feet."I'll see you tomorrow, Laurie.""Be careful.""I will. You be careful, too."Jasmine opened the door, sliding into the passenger seat, then kissed the man on

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-32712247579650052742006-10-12T00:33:00.000-04:002006-10-12T01:15:26.590-04:00

NYPD asks a few QuestionsKids watching a mime in Central ParkSkateboard jumper in Flushing MeadowTennis Practice at Flushing MeadowA woman waits for the subway...alone

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1159987681465258022006-10-04T14:27:00.000-04:002006-10-11T22:55:38.498-04:00

Damn.... And I had just paid off my credit card bill, too.This photo thing has really gotten out of hand this time. Not only did I go out and buy a new camera, but I now find myself walking around looking up at buildings trying to square off a certain angle or perspective that reveals the architectural symmetry required for a good shot. Or perhaps I'm discreetly glancing at faces on the street

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1158814243000187182006-09-20T23:56:00.000-04:002006-10-11T22:55:12.564-04:00

I've always liked photography as a hobby, although I've never put as much energy into it as I have in some of the other pursuits that interest me. Most of the money from the first few paychecks I received on my first real, adult-style job went toward buying a camera. Back then, I spent a lot of time hanging around with a bunch of guys from the mail room who considered themselves amateur

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1157404286870894482006-09-04T17:02:00.000-04:002006-10-14T02:25:41.557-04:00

(WARNING! This one is a little longer than usual, and there's a sex scene in it. It's not raunchy or pornographic, but it's detailed, and maybe a little gratuitous :) Thought I'd try something different and figured I should mention that up front, just in case.... )____________________________________We were running about a half hour late when the engine shut down just outside of the Holland

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1156607722952036212006-08-26T11:22:00.000-04:002006-10-11T23:01:10.769-04:00

When I was a kid, I had a friend named David who lived in the hi-rise coops over on Hillside. "The Hill," as we called it, was considered the "good" part of the neighborhood; the public housing projects, where I lived, was not. Most of the people in that area were professional types, teachers, engineers, lawyers, etc. There were no visible barriers segregating one side of the community from

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1155870472193295692006-08-17T22:44:00.000-04:002006-10-14T02:25:12.286-04:00

It was just after 2 am when I pulled into a gas station off the main highway somewhere outside of Oglethorpe County. The kid who came out to fill my tank wore a sweat stained Georgia Bulldogs cap and faded overalls with no tee shirt. The bib and hooks were pulled down to his waist and he had tan lines on his shoulders that looked like bra straps. He strolled around behind my rented Chevy,

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1154221537198846312006-07-29T20:07:00.000-04:002006-10-11T23:03:33.047-04:00

The funeral service for Herbie began at 8 p.m. and ended just after 9. His death due to an undetected brain tumor, was sudden and unforeseen. His younger brother, Ronald, delivered a touching eulogy, and as expected, broke down before completing it. His mother sat stoic and silent in the front row along with his wife, both maintaining strong exteriors as tears shimmered on their faces. It was

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1153619510097556892006-07-22T20:21:00.000-04:002006-10-11T23:04:16.744-04:00

Each time I pull up to the computer these days, I'm reminded that somewhere on this hard drive is an unfinished mystery/crime novel that I started about two years ago. Or was it three? The main character is a private investigator who appears in two other books that I've completed. The first one was written several years back at the suggestion of a woman in the book business who was acting as

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1153069467170282232006-07-16T12:32:00.000-04:002006-10-11T23:04:47.298-04:00

Like always, I left home on time and ended up about twenty minutes late getting to the office. Without warning, my express train had decided to go down the local track. I wound up sitting next to a fidgety nose picker with a chronic broken glass cough. On the way up the stairs some lady hit me in the nuts with her shoulderbag, which felt like it was made of iron. The guy behind the counter at

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1152737931000819552006-07-12T16:12:00.000-04:002006-10-14T02:24:40.816-04:00

One of our administrative assistants handed in her resignation last week. After dozens of fruitless job interviews, Helen finally received a decent offer from a company in Westchester, not far from her home. Her starting salary will be less than what she receives currently, but she believes she'll come out ahead, just on transportation costs alone. Right now, she buys a monthly pass for the Metro

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1152466884493433052006-07-09T13:16:00.000-04:002006-10-11T23:06:15.423-04:00

Friday afternoon. Lexington Avenue subway station on the F train. I was slumped back in a corner seat, reading a book, when I noticed this bald guy on the opposite side of the car, staring at me like he had x-ray vision. He was looking at my right shoulder, a cue ball scalp with eyebrows like cigar ashes, mouth open about a half inch, as though a mad slasher had come up behind me with a

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1151962083467017282006-07-03T16:39:00.000-04:002006-10-14T02:23:43.018-04:00

On the weekends, I usually have a late breakfast at Ray's Diner over on the avenue. It's a small place with dingy checkerboard floor tiles, narrow aisles and tight seating. The atmosphere is always hectic and smoky behind the counter, while the dining room buzzes with the low hum of conversation. The food is quite good, although slightly more expensive than it should be, in my opinion, but since

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1151639194121296822006-06-29T22:53:00.000-04:002006-10-11T23:14:20.524-04:00

Snapple pulled a slick piece of promotion today by offering balloon rides to kick off one of their new drinks. White Tea, I believe it's called. I don't always have my little point-and-shoot camera with me, but today I did.For anyone who is interested, there are more photos here

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1151128015510816652006-06-24T00:18:00.000-04:002006-10-14T02:23:23.310-04:00

It was 8 p.m. when my niece, Cara, arrived. She had called earlier with a cryptic message about coming to see me, but refused to say why. When I looked through the peephole and saw the oversized sunglasses on her face, I knew exactly what had happened. As I opened the door, she stood there staring at her loafers, a black nylon gym bag slung over her shoulder with the rim of a white sock stuck

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1150522275271185032006-06-17T00:56:00.000-04:002006-10-11T23:15:45.619-04:00

With profits coming in well below expectations for the second straight year, the company decided to reconsider the way we do business. There was an administrative shake-up, which rumbled throughout the executive hierarchy like a tectonic plate shift on an active earthquake fault line. All of the sacred cows and lofty towers were affected. People who were once thought of as untouchable, people

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1150062296384819222006-06-11T17:23:00.000-04:002006-10-14T02:22:49.633-04:00

Last night, I got a call from my sister, Rita, who lives in Sacramento. I'm not sure what it is about East-West time zones that she doesn't understand, but in spite of repeated reminders, she continues to ring me up after midnight, my time. Usually, she just wants to complain about her husband, Tommy, who as far as I know, is funny, loyal, a good father, and also has a job at the executive

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1149733887794122172006-06-07T22:02:00.000-04:002006-10-11T23:16:54.718-04:00

The watchers weren't difficult to spot, even within the organized chaos of the arrivals area. I noticed them as soon as I cleared the gate at JFK International. I had been advised in advance, but saw no reason for concern. My paperwork was in order, and I had breezed through Customs without setting off any alarms. There was one man and one woman in plain sight, and several others, no doubt,

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1149475452693748602006-06-04T22:00:00.000-04:002006-10-11T23:17:30.661-04:00

It was Saturday night, and like always, we were sitting on the park bench near the softball field working on a couple of cases of beer while listening to Wendell's cheap Ampex cassette player. As usual, the only tapes he had were Otis and Aretha, James Brown and Smokey. Bonnie wasn't speaking to me because I was sitting next to Lucrecia who kept tapping my thigh with her hand every time she

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1149321076376551492006-06-03T03:04:00.000-04:002006-10-11T23:18:35.437-04:00

It's always nice when Friday afternoon arrives, especially after a particularly brutal week in Dummyland. It means I get a forty-eight hour reprieve before going back to do it all over again. If I'm lucky, this cycle gets repeated another fifteen hundred times or so before minimum age retirement can even be considered as an option. I get a cool chill in my spine when I think about what could

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1148831336036754442006-05-28T11:12:00.000-04:002006-10-14T02:21:39.177-04:00

Not too long ago, I began receiving email messages from an old girlfriend. Actually, they weren't email at all; more like chain letters or spam. The kind with those endless address headers, followed by dumb jokes or Internet hoaxes, instructing me to forward the message to all of my friends, so that they can forward it to all of their friends, until the entire online universe is one huge Ponzi

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1148449055267136552006-05-24T01:27:00.000-04:002006-10-11T23:19:53.967-04:00

It's official. I'm a Google addict. I admit it. I can't help it. They seem to come out with some new and practical function each month that makes my online time that much more enjoyable. Gradually, I've found myself using Gmail more than the email account provided by my ISP, mainly because of the large storage capacity, the excellent spam filters, and a few useful Firefox extensions that I've

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1148268566108252142006-05-21T23:13:00.000-04:002006-10-11T23:23:19.260-04:00

Yesterday, Barry Bonds tied Babe Ruth for second place on the all-time home run list with the 714th blast of his career. And this morning the sports writers were all over him. Bonds, who has long had a reputation for excessive arrogance and a generally miserable attitude toward fans and teammates alike, is the last person that many want to see floating around on the same plateau as Ruth. Even

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1148147419351239142006-05-20T13:41:00.000-04:002006-10-11T23:23:52.366-04:00

Yesterday morning, my boss came by to let me know that he had "volunteered" me for yet another committee. This one is chaired by a fellow from one of the satellite offices. I've known him for years, have never really liked him, primarily because he's a joker and a wise ass. He's one of those guys who believes it's his duty to entertain everyone with his show stopping wit and humor. I've

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1148074707290162512006-05-19T16:55:00.000-04:002006-10-14T02:18:44.923-04:00

A crazy woman got on the subway this morning and sat directly across from me. Everyone knew she was crazy because of the twisted scowl on her face and the deranged glimmer in her angry dog eyes. Her clothes were filthy, an off-white overcoat that was closer to brown than white, scuffed white shoes worn out on the sides, one stocking pulled down around her ankle while the other was riddled with

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1147931994164696602006-05-18T01:35:00.000-04:002006-10-11T23:26:35.264-04:00

My old 256 meg iRiver MP3 player was getting cramped for space, so I picked up one of these the other day. It's the iRiver model T10 with 1 gig of memory. I love the unit, but I hate that it uses Windows Media Player for managing file transfers. The old iRiver software was no blue ribbon prize winner either, in my opinion, but it was simple and it moved files from the computer to the player,

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1147707209401054192006-05-15T10:58:00.000-04:002007-05-04T16:25:48.352-04:00

Mother's Day was always a peculiar and difficult holiday when we were kids. While things were usually quite normal in my home, two of my closest friends weren't that fortunate. Floyd's mother had died shortly after he was born, due to complications during childbirth. This left him in the care of an alcoholic father whose inability to control his own life required that Floyd essentially raise

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1147575689649320722006-05-13T22:50:00.000-04:002006-10-11T13:05:27.360-04:00

If they get any closer than this the pilots will be able to set off the car alarms by hand.

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28048881.post-1147545901717846942006-05-13T14:10:00.000-04:002006-10-11T22:02:20.387-04:00

One of the things I do each morning, while riding the subway to work, is take surveys. These surveys are very informal, no scientific formulas or written statistics, just silent head counts and mental tallies that sometimes make for interesting observations. The best surveys usually involve reading material, books in particular. I call it my Who's Reading What on the Subway Survey.Yesterday

Cyberoutlawhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03950086727234549790noreply@blogger.com8