The Writer's Life 1/28 - One-Percent

Last night PBS ran yet another fascinating documentary, part of its American Experience series. It focused on Thomas Edison, who changed the world. We so often take things for granted that we forget the debt civilization owes to people like The Wizard of Menlo Park. He invented the phonograph, light bulb and moving pictures. The ideas may have come from others, but he brought them to the public. As is so typical of such innovators, he worked an 80 hour week, often sleeping in one of his factories rather than going home to his wife and kids. Of course, he made tons of mistakes, personally and professionally, but his pluses outweighed his minuses by a wide margin. In regards to AC/DC, he stuck with the latter, Direct Current, although the former was far superior. No one would argue that he wasn’t a genius, but the mathematics of AC was beyond him. He had hardly any formal education. His strength was problem solving, and his relentlessness toward it. Would these marvels have been invented had Edison not been born? I’m sure they would have, but perhaps not for decades. He accelerated the world’s modernization. He is near the top of that one-percent of the most influential humans of all time.

The media is having a field day criticizing NY politicians regarding the actions used in preparation for the blizzard that wasn’t. I despise both Mayor DeBlasio and Governor Cuomo, who are closer to the rear than to the top one-percent of humanity, but the ridicule seems 20-20 hindsight -- except in terms of the shutting down of the subway, which was built in part so that people would be able to get around during severe weather. Oddly, that call falls in the province of the Governorship. Okay, he blew it, but we should be grateful we escaped the worst of the storm. Move on.

I took my morning walk as usual at 6 AM and found the sidewalks shoveled and the streets cleared. The only people who have a complaint are those parked on the right hand side of the street, although the vehicles are not plowed in as severely as in many storms. I went out again at eleven and cleared the area around my car. Although it was only 20 degrees, the sun was shining and there was a little melting. I was done in ten minutes. I wasn't ready to return to the apartment, so I hung out for a while at my usual book nook. If it'd been ten degrees warmer, I might have set up shop. It was too windy to spend two hours out there. I conversed with several people who always wish me well, and one woman asked if I had any titles she hadn't seen. I took her to my car and she picked out five paperback romances. My thanks.
Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/rP7o9

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/