There's this guy who visits the floating book shop every time I set up on Bay Parkway and 85th. I'd guess he's in his late 50's. He has promised to donate books many times, even delivered once. He may have a drinking problem, as he reeked of alcohol on two occasions. As he passed today he threw up his hands and muttered something I failed to understand. On his return I made the mistake of asking if he were being ganged up on. That set him off on a tirade in which he excoriated people for the psychological blinders they're wearing, and corporations and holy men for the crimes they're committing against humanity. He went so far as saying one preacher should be hung. He let the F-bomb fly several times. He said any black who patronized Chase Bank, one of which we were standing in front of, should be ashamed, as the bank perpetuated and profited from apartheid in South Africa. "Corporate malfeasance!" he shouted, saying that there had been a chemical accident in Jersey last night similar to the one in Bhopal, India in 1984, which killed hundreds. He cited his credentials, degrees in biology and something else, his security background in the Navy. He claims to have 100 men at his disposal, and the highest ranking general in the area. "You have no idea what's goin' on, what's comin'," he said, storming off. "We have a list of names." Last week he told me he had rations in his house to last months. A young man who works in the bank, outside on a smoke break, looked at me and said: "That guy's crazy." He dwarfs OWS Jack's conspiracy paranoia. The last few times I've seen him he's been wearing gray leather pants that rise well above the waist, giving them the appearance of fishing waders. And he's always wearing some type of protective gloves. I wonder if booze has damaged his brain.
I had lunch at my sister's. She showed me a letter she received from FEMA that promised about $3000 for storm damage and another $2000 for tenant assistance. Honest soul that she is, she called and told them she didn't need the latter part. I wonder how many other home owners will do the same. As I've said many times here -- I don't object to the government lending a hand to anyone in dire straits, but I find it's lavish, unmonitored largesse maddening. I wonder what percentage of the funds for Sandy's victims will be lost to fraud.
The floating book shop's good luck continued. Although it was a gloomy afternoon, precipitation held off, and I was able to make some sales. I also did a one-for-five swap with Jack of Chase. And Bill Brown signed the copy of his You Should've Heard What I Seen, a compilation of music articles he wrote in the '80's, which I recently purchased at Amazon and am half way through. Thanks, folks.
Visit Vic's sites:
Vic's Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
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