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Sunday, January 31, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/31 - Mr. Fix It

Working from back to front as I always do, it looked like today's NY Post was not going to provide any fodder for the blog -- until I got to page twelve and an article by Broadway columnist Michael Riedel about "Hollywood's Mr. Fix It." Eddie Mannix covered up a host of scandals involving big stars from the '30's through the '50's. Officially, he was a GM, later a VP at MGM. He was privy to all of Tinseltown's sordid secrets, and he used them to wield power. Here's the juiciest paragraph of the piece: "Spencer Tracy bedded Judy Garland when she was just 14. Mannix used that information to keep the alcoholic Tracy in line. Joan Crawford made a lesbian porno before she became famous. Mannix locked it in a vault. A drunk-driving Clark Gable probably killed a pedestrian in 1933. Mannix managed to pin the accident on a low-level studio employee." He also helped keep Jean Harlow out of the murder of her married lover, and made the death of starlet Thelma Todd, at the hands of one of his mobster friends, look a suicide. He was also involved in George Reeves' death. TV's Superman was having an affair with Mannix's common-law wife, who was much younger than him. Reeves dumped the woman for a socialite and wound up with a bullet in his head, ruled a suicide. The Coen brothers have made a screwball comedy about Hollywood, and Mannix is one of the central figures. It opens Friday. Even the Coen brothers' weakest works contain great moments, and their best, Miller's Crossing (1990), Barton Fink (1991), Fargo (1996), No Country for Old Men (2007), soar. I know, I know -- how can I leave out The Big Lebowski (1998). Frankly, my dears, I don't get what all the cult hoopla surrounding it is all about. Anyway, if the new flick is well-reviewed, I will be tempted to go to the movies for the first time since 1990, when I saw Dick Tracy. Wow, I can't believe it was that long ago. I used to go to Saturday matinees just about every week. I'd much rather watch movies at home. The Coen brothers' work is only modestly successful commercially, so it shouldn't be too long a wait until Hail, Caesar is out on DVD.


When I found a parking spot within 50 yards of a great spot and a woman bought a couple of paperbacks immediately, it looked like the floating book shop was going to be very success. Alas, she was the only one who bought. Many browsed but few chose to do anything but walk away empty handed. At least there was some entertainment nearby at the corner of 5th Avenue and 9th Street, where three men were preaching fire and brimstone. Several passersby commented on the overkill. I doubt Jesus would approve of the yelling.
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j



Saturday, January 30, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/30 - Games

I had another vivid dream. I was playing golf at a country club (Ha-Ha, fat chance). At one point the rest of our foursome couldn't locate me. I was in the clubhouse, talking movies, trying to remember the title of one of the better vampires movies that have been made the past decade or so. Martin Scorsese was there and I suggested he be asked. Suddenly I realized what was what and hurried to the tee, where a backup of angry golfers had occurred. As I picked up my driver someone in the next group made a snide remark. I took offense and called the person out. We dropped our golf gloves and faced each other. It turned out to be a woman with flowing gray hair. "Let's re-think this," I said. We stood down, and I looked to the heavens and cried out: "Why did they have to be talking movies!" The interpretation? Going by Freud's belief that dreams are wish fulfillment, I suppose the part of me that misses golf, which I haven't played in two-and-a-half years, was speaking out.

I'm not sure the dream was triggered in any way by the film I watched last night courtesy of Netflix, Croupier (1998). It stars Clive Owen as he was coming up on the middle of what has become a very successful career. He plays a frustrated writer, the son of a degenerate gambler living thousands of miles away in South Africa. He has experience working in a casino, and it leads to a job in London, and an idea for a book. He is not a gambler and takes his job seriously. When a beautiful older woman sits at his table, things begin to change, with checkered results. There is a sense of authenticity, a lot of smoking, drinking and nudity, and the characters are all interesting. I found a bit of the story line confusing, but that may attributable to the lack of close captioning. I have trouble deciphering American actors these days, let alone British accents. The film runs only 94 minutes, and it features an awesome twist that had me laughing. Kudos to screenwriter Paul Mayersberg, whose other notable works are The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), each starring David Bowie. Croupier was directed by Mike Judge, who wrote and directed Get Carter (1971), the original starring Michael Caine, not the remake with Sylvester Stallone, Judge's most notable work. 15,000+ users at IMDb have rated Croupier, forging to a consensus of 7.2 of ten, which is right on the money in my opinion. It's geared more toward those who appreciate a character study. It is not an action, or even a heist movie, at least not in the traditional sense. It's something different, which is usually good.

So Johnny Manziel has been involved in yet another incident in which police were summoned. His girlfriend is not talking. Maybe the best thing for this kid, before it's too late, would be to spend a few months in jail.

I made three stops with the car today, and none of them required any snow shoveling. I found spots immediately, a minor miracle that led to the first good session of the floating book shop in a fortnight. I've been saying hello to Gina, a middle aged woman who must have been quite a beauty when she was young, for a few years. She's even bought a few books but never one of mine, Today she bit on Rising Star. She took it to her little nook near the Chase drive-thru and, while reading, sipped at a cup of coffee and smoked a couple of cigarettes. Later, she approached raving about the book, thrilled one of the characters is named Gina. That chased the frustration of the past two weeks. A while later Natasha, whom I hadn't seen in months, showed and bought five hardcovers, four thrillers and one romance. I love that she insists on reading in English. My thanks, ladies, and to all the other kind folks who made purchases. The crates were a lot lighter on the way back to the car.
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Friday, January 29, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/29 - Krewe

Some authors are amazingly prolific. Born in 1953, Heather Graham married immediately after high school. She worked in local theater before turning to writing full time. Her first novel was published in 1982. Since then she has written 150 books, including novellas, several under the pseudonym Shannon Drake, an amazing output -- and she has five kids! I've always been curious about this. How many hours a day does such a writer work? How many drafts does he/she do? I've done as many as 20. Are some writers so gifted they are able to nail a novel immediately, or do they turn the original manuscript over to editors and immediately move on to their next? There are 75 million of Graham's books in print. She has been published in 25 languages. I just finished The Forgotten, issued in 2015, the 18th of 19 in the Krewe of Hunters series. They are a special unit of the FBI that work on cases involving the unexplained, ala Scully and Mulder of The X-Files. Ghosts figure prominently in the narrative, as do the undead, and dolphins. Unfortunately, it does not rise above standard fare. It is predictable. The prose would have benefited from polishing. I was not bored but neither was I enthralled or surprised even once. She handled the large cast of characters well, and the setting, Miami, her home town, is vividly described. I wasn't crazy about the romantic aspects. On a scale of five, I rate it 2.5. Her fans, of course, disagree. 171 users at Amazon have rated The Forgotten, forging to a consensus of 4.6 of five. I realize it may not be her best work, but I won't sample another. I will read only one book per commercially successful author. Here's a picture from Graham's website. Not only did she earn a boatload of money, she looked like a million dollars when she was younger. No wonder her husband couldn't keep his hands off her. (Facts from Wiki)
I had no luck catching up to Heather Graham's book sales today. I was finally able to get a full complement of wares to my nook, but the wind kicked up an hour-and-a-half into the session, and I surrendered. It wasn't a total waste of time, as I caught a bit of interesting information about an acquaintance, Mark, a retired postal worker. We were having a conversation when Occupy Jack came along. He noted the Vietnam Veteran logo on Mark's hat and, not bold as ever, asked what kind of action he'd seen, something I'd wondered but wouldn't dare broach. Mark was in the thick of it. A corporal, he was offered a promotion to Sergeant if he agreed to be the radio man. Not wanting to be the outfit's biggest target, he said: "Thanks but no thanks." Kudos for your service, sir.
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Thursday, January 28, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/28 - Child Angel

Talk show host Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, a volunteer group that patrols the NYC subway system, believes he has discovered why the city's homeless population is exploding. He conducted an informal poll and two of every five respondents said they were from New Jersey, where cops crack down on begging, unlike in the Big Apple.

NYC politicians are in line for a 23% raise. If it were up to me, it would be a 50% cut.

The group that took on Planned Parenthood in Texas has had the tables turned on it. It is now under indictment for editing video. Of course, this has never been done by news sources, and we can all be confident that if 60 Minutes or MSNBC does it they will face the same charges, just as we can be confident the media will examine the Hillary email scandal as closely as it did that of General David Petraeus'.

According to an article at Yahoo News, a craze for lifelike dolls thought to bring good luck is sweeping Thailand, reflecting widespread anxiety as the economy struggles and political uncertainty persists nearly two years after a coup. The country is predominantly Buddhist and has been modernizing rapidly over the past two or three decades, but many people are highly superstitious. Buddhist beliefs co-exist with notions of animism, astrology and black magic. The plastic dolls, about the size of a real baby, are called "look thep" or "child angel." Devotees buy them in shops or online and invite benevolent spirits to possess them, hoping they will bring good luck. Here's a pic:
After eleven days, four sessions lost to weather, the floating book shop finally had some sales today. A middle age Russian artist bought two books, not to read but to draw inspiration from the illustrations. One was a children's book from Scholastic, whose cover he fancied, the other on games. Spasibo, sir. The parking situation is more than 50% better than it was a couple of days ago, but I still resisted the temptation to move my car to a more favorable spot that would enable me to display the usual amount of wares. Tomorrow I will and, if I don't have any luck finding a space near my usual nook, I'll head elsewhere. Can't do much worse.
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/26 - Wasps

Correction: In yesterday's blog I cited Capo Regime Tessio's first name as Phillip. No doubt I confused him with Tattaglia, a head of one of the five families that ruled NYC in Mario Puzo's rendering. His name was, of course, Sal. It did not occur to me until this morning's walk when I recalled the words of Tom Hagen: "Can't do it, Sally." Apologies to fans of The Godfather.

Instinct tells me Trump is making a mistake in bypassing the coming debate sponsored by Fox News. As president he would have to deal with people a lot tougher and infinitely more dangerous than Megyn Kelly. I wonder if his strategy is to show independents and moderate Dems he is not beholden to Fox. I've read that media mogul Rupert Murdoch despises him. That's probably part of it too. Still, wouldn't it be better to show he's willing to face the enemy in its own territory? Radio host Mark Simone pointed out that Ronald Reagan skipped the last of the debates in 1980, so maybe Trump's absence will be meaningless in the long run.

As I've said before, I don't think Ted Cruz, if he were the Republican nominee, would win the general election, but he may be the only true challenger to the status quo among all the candidates. He is the only one who has risked losing the Iowa caucuses by promising to end the boondoggle that is the Ethanol subsidy, which increases the price of gas and does nothing for the environment. 40% of the U.S. corn supply goes to it. Iowans grow a lot of it. Cruz vows to phase out the subsidy by 2022. Kudos. (Stats from an op-ed piece in the NY Post by Rich Lowry)

Carrie Lukas had a great opening line in an article on the contradictory messages of feminism: "Men and women are interchangeable...except for the many ways women are superior."

I'm 100 pages into the reworking of my first novel, Five Cents. It's been pare by 75% so far, 25 pages in MS Word. Gone are the author's opinions on the issues of the day, and the detailed rendering of the protagonist's final days in Vietnam. Since I'm not a veteran, I decided to be vague so as to avoid errors in military or hospital procedure. The character has just landed in California, on his way home to Michigan. He is a WASP, as so many of my college friends were/are. It will be my only novel wherein the main character is not Italian-American. Originally, I left the town in which he lives unnamed. I decided to shorten Kalamazoo to Kazoo. Since I haven't been there since a brief visit in '89, I'm working from memory. To avoid error, I think it's best the city be fictional. WMU will be simply Western. From this point on, I expect the paring down to be 35% or less. In the file lost to the meanies who hacked my backup stick, there were two significant changes from the original story. One I'm sure I'll get right. The other isn't as crucial but a bit more complicated. As always, I'll just trust my instincts and go wherever they take me.

This must be one of the fastest melts ever of a huge January storm. It continued overnight, as the temperature remained above freezing and, if the forecast is right, will go right through the weekend, at least during the day. Unfortunately, the great weather is not helping book sales.
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/26 - Old Time's Sake

RIP Brooklyn born Abe Vigoda, 94, endearing star of stage, screen and TV. Because his name ends in a vowel and because he played an Italian in The Godfather (1972), many assumed he was a goombah. He was, in fact, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, his father a tailor. He worked in theater for 20 years before his big break. There are 94 credits listed under his name at IMDb, not counting multiple appearances on TV shows, including the 61 he logged in his most memorable role, the lovable Sgt. Fish on Barney Miller and 35 more in the eponymous spin-off. His last line as Capo Regime Phillip Tessio has been repeated ad infinitum: "Can you get me off, Tom -- for old time's sake." Here is a personal quote that exemplifies his unassuming modesty: "I've always been content just to be working and making a modest living for my wife and child." Well done, sir.


The second installment of the six-episode reboot of The X-Files was far better than the first. While it hasn't broken new ground, the story has become interesting. Have the children that have special powers been injected with alien DNA or with some sort of man made wonder drug? The scenes featuring telekinetic power were excellent, And I was glad, after several potshots at right wingers in the first episode, to hear a dig at Obamacare in the second. Gillian Anderson's voice reminds me of what Jerry Orbach was suffering during his final season on Law & Order. Hope I'm wrong.

In his column in today's NY Post, John Crudele points out that, since the FED's December interest rate hike, credit card borrowing has increased dramatically, but it hasn't resulted in a rise in savings account interest. Sometimes there is good reason to hate banks, although I'm sure the hike wouldn't have been more than a tenth of a percent.

When McDonald's first said it was going to offer all-day breakfast, I thought it would flop. Wrong! Sales are up 5.7%, and its stock was the best performer in the Dow index in 2015, rising 33%. Just another example of why I'm not rich.

The floating book shop was back in action today. I didn't sell any books but I had fun chatting with a multitude of people whose acquaintance I've made. Political Man is still at it. As he approached he was arguing with a passerby who thinks Obama is the worst. He called the the guy stupid, then complained to me of crazy right wing Israelis.
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Monday, January 25, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/25 - Out There

I will reserve judgment until I see more of The X-Files reboot, but I'm not optimistic, even though the story line may not be about played-out aliens. Mulder has come to believe he has been misled all these years. My memory may be faulty, but wasn't the presence of aliens a given the first time around? I was hoping the six episodes wouldn't be an arc but instead the creep shows that aired between the aliens' arc. No, it's another show about government shenanigans and cover-ups. I was reminded of The Blacklist and its "Cabal." The writers got in several potshots at the right wing, Fox, O'Reilly. If there were any aimed at the left, I missed them. Episode Two will air tonight at eight. Maybe I'll enjoy it more now that my expectations have been lowered. Is it me or has Gillian Anderson's voice changed a lot?


My juvenile sense of satisfaction kicked in at the news that the Patriots had lost. It's not as satisfying as the Yankees being eliminated, but close. Now Super Bowl night figures to be thoroughly enjoyable, even if the game is a blowout. Carolina looks like the favorite. Last week the Cardinals won despite QB Carson Palmer's poor performance. The Panthers wouldn't let him get away with it. During the regular season it seemed he'd finally become the passer experts expected following his great career at USC. Alas, he reverted to his penchant for turnovers. How sad to see someone suffer such humiliation, especially in front of millions.

In an op-ed piece in today's NY Post, Karol Markowicz criticizes the environmentalists who attended the conference in Davos, Switzerland. 1700 private flights flew in and out of Zurich and nearby airports, a mantra of "Do as I say, not as I do." Markowicz puts it this way: "... no one claiming the sky is falling is also ducking for cover." Kudos, madam.

On his radio show, Sean Hanitty just discussed former NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg's possible third party candidacy for president. His guest, Jamie Dupree, "the most connected man in Washington," agreed it would hurt the Democrats more. Imagine if the race came down to Trump, Bloomberg and Hillary or Sanders -- three liberals squaring off! I just hope The Donald isn't far left fiscally. That is the great unknown in this election. It's fairly obvious where every other candidate stands.

I dug a trench around the old Hyundai today. It's still too soon to shovel an exit for it, as a plow might pass and close it. I envy the owners of cars that the wind blew snow away from. Man, they are lucky. I pulled another crate from my trunk in preparation for tomorrow's reopening of the floating book shop. The wind was kind to my regular nook. It will be a limited edition, half the wares I usually put out, but at least it will give me a chance to sell my own works and to socialize with acquaintances I've made. I look forward to it.
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Sunday, January 24, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/24 - Clean-up

In an op-ed piece in today's NY Post, Jonathon Trugman asks where all the money Americans have been saving on energy prices is going, since it doesn't seem to be benefiting the overall economy. He believes it's being sucked up by higher health costs, including prescription drugs, and taxes. He also points out that lower gasoline and natural gas prices has cost the economy 95,000 high-paying jobs and the revenue the government draws from them. And he thinks the falling stock market is no longer giving investors the impression they're rich, so many have cut back on spending. Reasonable analysis, I must say.
 
Retired Army Colonel Ralph Peters weighed in on the Putin scandal. Here are excerpts, pared and edited by yours truly: "On Thursday, a formal British inquiry into the assassination of a Russian defector released its findings: Litvinenko was murdered, and Vladimir Putin 'probably' approved the operation personally... Putin’s single weakness has been his poor grasp of economics. Instead of diversifying Russia’s economy when times were good, he relied on oil and gas production — which he could control, restricting Russia’s new aristocracy of wealth to the manageable size of the old court nobility (Vic: as someone who has read many Russian classics, I find the analogy fascinating). A diversified economy would have diffused his authority. His inattention to market fundamentals is hurting him now. Although Russia’s projected budget — amended week to week — seeks to fence funds for Putin’s cherished military buildup, it becomes a greater challenge by the day. Even the cautious Western sanctions add to the pain, intensifying the effects of plunging commodity prices.
Should we rejoice? Does this mean that the assassinations and invasions might end? No. In his desperation, Putin could become even more embittered and reckless. Ailing on the home front, he may feel compelled to deliver new triumphs abroad. His throne isn’t threatened yet, but his pride is wounded. And beware a wounded bear."

I am looking forward to the reboot of The X-Files, which will air tonight on Fox following the second NFL playoff, which I hope doesn't turn into one of those modern marathons. I also hope the six-episode arc isn't focused on aliens. I've not read a single article about the content. I want to be surprised.

The clean-up of the big blizzard of 2016 has begun, and it looks like it will be a long process. My old Hyundai, parked on the right side of the street, is flanked by a wall four feet high by at least two feet thick. At this point it is futile to create a lane for it, as the plows will likely block it again. Besides, I won't need the car until Saturday. I cleaned the hood and trunk. I figure the sun will melt what's on the roof. I also created a lane to the passenger door so that I could start the car and let it run for a bit. When I was done I pulled one of the crates from the trunk. Surprisingly, the area of my usual book nook is clear, so I might carry stuff down from my apartment and set up a limited edition of the floating book shop on Tuesday when the temperature is supposed to be in the 40's. Where there's a will, there's a way.

Here's a still taken from a video my buddy Bags filmed from his stoop with his phone. My old house, where my sister still lives, is across the street, furthest left.

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Saturday, January 23, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/23 - White-Out

Charlize Theron moves deftly between commercial and more challenging roles. In 2015 she was the major figure in the wildly successful Mad Max Fury Road, and in the obscure Dark Places, which I viewed last night courtesy of Netflix. It is the story of a survivor looking back, 28 years later, on the murder of her mom and two sisters, which she believes her teenage brother committed. Understandably, the event turned her into an antisocial recluse. With money running out, she accepts an offer from a group of nerds who believe her brother is innocent. There are flashbacks throughout the narrative. Based on a novel by Gillian Flynn, the going is grim but interesting. Unfortunately, several aspects don't make sense. Since there was no close captioning, this may be attributable to points I missed, but contributors to the IMDb commentary section also mentioned confusing issues. The creators deserve credit for presenting an intriguing mystery to unravel and not another trip down slasher lane. Several big and small screen vets are along for the ride: Christina Hendricks, Corey Stoll, Drea de Matteo, and young Chloe Grace Moretz as a femme fatale that is not equal parts attractive and morally reprehensible but thoroughly the latter. The film was directed by Gilles Piquet-Brenner, who adapted the screenplay. His previous seven full length works are unfamiliar to me. As the title suggests, lighting is integral to the proceedings, and it is one of the works strengths. 21,000+ contributors at IMDb have rated Dark Places, forging to a consensus of 6.2 of ten, which seems about right. It runs less than two hours. Anyone seeking action and thrills should pass. It would be of interest largely to the most ardent mystery fans, and to those who wish to see a talented actress at work. I would be remiss in not mentioning that Theron has experienced a similar trial as her character in real life. When she was 15, her mom shot her dad to death. The woman was never charged, the ruling self defense.

The forecast called for the snow to begin in NYC after six AM Saturday. When I went to retrieve my mail just before six PM last evening, it was already coming down, so I expected accumulation to be a lot more than predicted. Two feet is now possible. The record is 26.9 inches set in February 2006. It wouldn't surprise me to see it broken. I went out for the paper and groceries just after six AM and the snow was already deep, more than a foot in some places. Although conditions were as bad as they get, it was not surprising to find the newsstand open. There were a few hardy souls out and about. A huge Coca Cola delivery truck was backing into a port at Stop n Shop as I approached. Inside, there was Adrian, at least 70, at register eleven. Needless to say, she is old school. The phone was ringing constantly while I was there, staff calling that they couldn't make it to work. Fortunately, the wind was at my back on the way home. As I turned onto East 13th for the stretch, I chuckled as I spotted a guy who jogs around the block several times each morning, running along the rut vehicles had made. The going was so strenuous I worked up a sweat. I didn't make my usual weekend excursions to the old house. I'll leave the old Hyundai where it is and dig out gradually during the week. Although the forecast is for lots of sunshine and above freezing temperatures starting tomorrow, there is just too much of the white stuff around for any hopes of a quick melt. Parking will be more problematic than usual for at least a week, which means the floating book shop will be on hiatus indefinitely. I imagine Stephen King gets a lot of writing done up in Maine during winter. I will have the re-working of my first novel to fill time, along with crossword puzzles I've hoarded, and a thriller I'm halfway through. And the computer. I wonder if Wite-out (white-out, get it?) is still on the market. I suppose there are a few hardcore writers who insist on using a typewriter, just as there are folks who prefer vinyl records or video or audio cassettes to digital devices. "That way madness lies," as Shakespeare said in King Lear.

My thanks to the four kind folks who've bought my latest book, Billionths of a Lifetime, at Amazon.

Jeepers, Mr, Kent, look what I found at Staples' website:
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j
 

Friday, January 22, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/22 - Full, High

Full moon, high tide - those words conjure visions of Hurricane Sandy, and they are in the forecast again as a Nor'easter bears down on us. As I approached Emmons Av. during my morning walk, approximately 6:30, I gazed across that wide street and saw that the water level was about as high as it gets during normal conditions. It would not have far to go to breach. So where do I park the car tonight? Last time I experienced dumb luck. Had I parked on the block near my book nook, my car would have been flooded, destroyed like all the others there. Had I parked on my own block, it would likely have suffered the same fate, although a few there miraculously survived. I was on the next block. The books in my trunk were dry and my car started immediately. Do I park on that block again? If flooding occurs, will it be spared again? Maybe I should leave the car at my sister's. Although the distance from Gravesend Bay to our old house is approximately the same as that of Sheepshead Bay to my doorstep, Bay 37th did not experience flooding last time. Will it be different because it's snow and not rain? Yesterday the prediction was five to eight inches. This morning it's six to twelve. If it's closer to the former, the floating book shop may be back in action by Monday, as the forecast is for above freezing temperatures for the entire week, which would melt a lot of the white stuff. If it's a foot, I will be sidelined indefinitely, as parking becomes an even greater problem than usual. It's wait and see. I don't recall ever hearing such fluctuations on snow prediction. A move right or left might be the difference between a little bit and a lot. Despite modern advances, weather forecasting is still not an exact science. I doubt it ever will be.  

With flag whipping at my usual book nook, I took the show to Bay Parkway & 85th, where the Chase bank blocked the wind. There was the thinnest of cloud cover, but enough sun filtering through to mitigate the mid 30's temperature. It was a good plan. I was able to put in two-and-a-half hours before it was time to get out of the cold. Unfortunately, no one bought books. After surprisingly good returns the first two weeks of 2016, the past five days produced zilch. Of course, two of them were lost to frigid conditions that confined me to the apartment. I had the heat blasting in the old Hyundai on the way home. I parked directly across the street from where the car was when Sandy hit. It's in Mother Nature's hands.
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Thursday, January 21, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/21 - Day After

Michelle Malkin made valid points in her op-ed piece in today's NY Post. Commenting on the controversy surrounding the absence of black nominees for Oscars, she asks if the politicians that have chimed in on the issue are going to boycott the millions Hollywood types fork over to them in donations. Will Mayor Bill deBlasio end the tax breaks to millionaires who film in NYC? Kudos, madam.

Last night I watched episode two of Fox's Second Chance. Since I missed the premiere, I don't know how the hero was reincarnated. I'll have to catch the rerun. In his previous life he was a corrupt sheriff who violated rights in order to catch bad guys. His grandson is now a detective, and they are approximately the same age. I enjoyed it and will give it another look.

After yesterday's near miss on the road, I had a tough time sleeping. I was so wired when I got home I didn't need my regular, one-hour nap. I had the TV on at low volume throughout the night and dozed on and off. Looking back, I find a couple of aspects of the incident fascinating. Fortunately, the car didn't spin out until I was into the intersection, otherwise I might have banged into cars that had stopped in Ocean Parkway's right and left Coney Island bound lanes. I was in the middle. I was so lucky that the ambulance driver was cautious. Perhaps he heard the skid. I don't want to make it seem like I was nearly struck. The ambulance was stopped approximately 20 feet to my left. One would think that such near peril would negate all emotions but fear. It did not. Sitting there for a moment in the intersection, I was embarrassed, certain everyone assumed I'd been speeding. I was doing 35 or less and had enough room to come to a stop no further than the crosswalk had the brakes not failed. The line, rusted after 13 years, ruptured. It cost $430 to repair, much less than I'd expected. Although I certainly did not come out ahead, it was good news. And the problem has been addressed. I dread to think what might have been had it happened during one of our family excursions to south Jersey via the Verrazano and the Garden State Parkway.

Since the car was in the shop at the time I set up the floating book shop, I couldn't venture to Bay Parkway. And since I had time to kill before the pickup call, I brought out two bags full of books to my usual nook, despite knowing it would be as windy as usual there. I counted less than 30 books, including mine. With so limited an inventory, the odds of a sale are even longer, especially since I have no Russian books at present. I did get to converse with several acquaintances, so it was well worth it, despite the absence of sales. People had been asking about Steve, aka Mountain Man, who had been MIA until today. Facing a health issue that proved to be a false alarm, he'd limited his excursions to accompanying his wife on early morning shopping trips. He's as cynical as ever about politicians, infuriated by the corruption, which I, who have the lowest expectations regarding the elected, simply shrug at as standard operating procedure. He vows to never again vote. "Where are the statesmen?" he pleads, appalled. Where, indeed?
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/20 - Breaks

It was a grind today. I squeezed into a parking space that left me only inches of space front and back, then hauled a couple of crates worth of books to 9th St. just below 5th Av. in Park Slope, a spot that had been good to me the last two times I'd set up shop there. I guess those sessions were the exception, not the rule. Aside from a couple of inquiries that didn't pan out, the floating book shop met with indifference from the public. Fortunately, it was a beautiful day, so much so that I stayed an extra hour, as I hate to go home without having made a single sale. It didn't help, but it wasn't a total loss, as I ran into a couple of people I hadn't seen in a few years. Frankie, a porter in our building until the sudden passing of his wife forced him into full time care for his handicapped son, came out of nowhere to give me a hug. He's living in Red Hook, near his daughter. He was always there whenever I needed help. Later, a sweetheart of a woman who was a manager at the Chase bank on Bay Pkwy & 85th approached. Two years ago she'd transferred to the one at my back. "Still with the books," she said. Yeah, still crazy after all these years. The worst aspect of such a day is the haul back to the car, the load not lightened by even a single book. Since I stayed longer than usual, I hit school bus traffic. I was halfway home along Ocean Pkwy when things took a turn for the worse. As I approached Avenue M, I heard an ambulance siren. I hit the breaks and the old Hyundai went into a long smoky skid right into the middle of the intersection. Fortunately, the ambulance driver wasn't reckless. It wasn't close to a collision. but had he been speeding I would be in the hospital right now -- or the morgue. My brakes were completely out. I drove to the repair shop with my blinkers flashing, keeping a lot of distance between me and the next vehicle. I'm now waiting for Ralph to call with an estimate. I expect it to be a big hit. I suspect both the front and rear will have to be replaced, and whatever doohickeys hold everything in place. I suppose I should be glad it happened now and not during the coming snowstorm. I was lucky.

Here are the first few paragraphs of my first novel, Five Cents. I'm 25 pages into the rewrite:
  Part One: Dreams, Good and Bad
   A bead of sweat slid down Tom Harte’s back, gathering speed as it descended, sending a chill down his spine. The warm, gentle breeze stirred the grass, casting a sweet smell into the air. He could see far beyond the open field to where the hills in the distance seemed to touch the sky. The tranquil setting conjured memories of an outing in the country. It quickly fled from consciousness. His throat was dry, in contrast with the rest of his body, which was soaked in perspiration. He craved a gulp of cool water, but he would not disrupt his concentration by reaching for his canteen.
   The platoon moved across the field. Tom wondered whose number would be called next. Perhaps his own. It was a cruel lottery of frightening odds and unpredictable results. They were ordinary young Americans from all walks of life who had answered their country’s call, faithfully banded together despite their differences, most longing for the day service would end. There were always a few who would re-up.
   The silence was creepy. Tom could hear the squirming in his stomach, the squishing of his boots in the moist earth. He almost wished action would begin just to relieve the tension. Suddenly a roar ahead and to the right filled his ears so that he was deaf to all but the bloodcurdling scream that accompanied it. The blast shook the ground and dislodged the rifle from his grip. His entire life, 20 odd years, flashed before his eyes. A spinning torso passed before him as if it were hurtling through outer space. Martinez? Blood splattered against his face and entered his mouth. In the same instant he received a blow to the head that knocked his helmet off, and one to the groan. His right hand groped for the chain about his neck, his left reached for his crotch. He fell to the ground hard. He heard gunfire. The fighting had begun. He lost consciousness.
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/19 - Eagle

RIP singer-guitarist Glenn Frey, 67, co-founder of the Eagles, who died from complications of several ailments. His career spanned 40 years and he had a major impact on the music world. He co-wrote many of the band's best loved songs with drummer Don Henley, a team that produced millions in album sales. The Eagles Greatest Hits is the second best-selling album of all-time behind Michael Jackson's Thriller. Frey also had a good solo career after the band broke up. All together, 24 of his songs cracked the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He won six Grammys. He dabbled in acting. He has seven credits at IMDb, not counting multiple appearances on TV shows. He also has 81 credits under soundtrack, his music used in many films and TV shows, most notably Miami Vice, on which he appeared, and on which Smuggler's Blues figured prominently. Here he is performing the first song he ever wrote with Henley, which was used to great comic effect on Seinfeld: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXhzkKHkE0g Well done, sir.


Here's why I would never even consider owning a sports team, even if I had billions to throw away. Yesterday the Detroit Tigers signed outfielder Justin Upton to a six year, $132 million deal. That's more than $20 mil per. Last season he played for the Padres. Here are his stats from 2015: .251 batting average, 26 HR's, 81 RBI's, .336 on base percentage.

On Sunday night I watched a new PBS drama, Mercy Street, which takes place in a Union hospital set up in conquered confederate Virginia. Although it contains the politically correct aspects one would expect, I found it interesting enough to give another look, although I usually avoid shows set in a hospital. I guess I find it less depressing that the ailments are a result of a long ago conflict rather than the modern afflictions we all witness these days in our own lives. Although some of the faces of the cast were vaguely familiar, I could not name even one. I'm not sure yet if it's main intent is to lecture viewers on what they should believe or to tell a good story.

Yet another comic book based TV show will debut tonight, DC's Legends of Tomorrow. 9PM on the CW, following The Flash, opposite Marvels Agents of Shield. I'm reminded of my youth, when every other program seemed to be a western.

The weather again put the kibosh on the floating book shop, and kept me indoors except for a couple of brief excursions. It was beautiful outside but oh so cold. The wind is expected to diminish tomorrow and the temperature moderate a bit. I reworked ten more pages of my first novel, Five Cents, and also reworked an ad I created with Windows Live Movie Maker to include my seventh book and to eliminate the two screen plays, which are now part of the book. I filled enough time so that I didn't even need the Sunday crossword I'd cut out of the paper. I did the previous week's yesterday.
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Monday, January 18, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/19 - 5 Cents

NFL: The weekend went as expected, all four home teams winning. New England seems healed, so I expect them to prevail next week in Denver, where Brady and Manning will square off for the 18th time. Brady has the overall lead by a wide margin, but they are 2-2 in the playoffs... The Arizona-Carolina matchup is fresh and unpredictable, which is good. I'm rooting for the Cards. Must be the red & white, which our players wore when I coached at my lama mater, Lafayette H.S.... Yesterday, Broncos' kicker Brandon McManus tied a league playoff record by hitting all five of his field goal attempts, despite a tricky crosswind. After the game he offered one of the all-time great sports quotes: "...aimed at the guy holding a beer in the top left corner."

Analysis by Alcoholic.org found that in the past decade 18% of the pedestrians killed by vehicles were drunk. I wonder what the percentage is among those staring at electronic devices, or old folks crossing just as a light is about to turn red.

The cold and stiff wind put the kibosh on the floating book shop today, and likely will do so again tomorrow. Fortunately, I will now have enough to do should a long stretch of harsh winter weather kick in. When the evil forces that hacked my computer somehow ruined my SanDisk backup device, I had all the essentials on it but one at other places. The file of my first novel, Five Cents, which I reworked several years ago, paring it more than half from its original 634 page hard copy manuscript, was lost. The other three of my as yet unpublished novels require only standard editing. I saved them at Google Docs. Why I didn't do that for Five Cents is beyond me, especially since I'd put so much work into the rewrite? Well, I began the process this afternoon, doing the first ten pages. I'll try to do ten pages each day the weather keeps me indoors, five on the days I sell books. I probably should do no reading during this period, but I just started a novel and I'm the type of guy who almost always finishes what he starts. The rewrite will not be boring. I was 25 when I first began the book, quietly full of myself, certain I understood life, and it shows. The novel is chock full of opinions and probably all demonstrate a liberal bias. I hope it will wind up straight down the middle, neutral. I want it to be about life, not politics. It will not be as explicit sexually as it was. I used to think being frank made it more real. I now believe a writer, unless he/she is specifically writing erotica, should leave sex to its best tool -- the imagination. Back then, it was also an outlet for my frustrations on the carnal front. Anyway, the novel is about a man's last day in Vietnam and his adjustment to civilian life. It will not be the Hollywood image of the Vietnam vet as a basket case ready to explode in an orgy of violence. I'm not a veteran, but the Vietnam War was arguably the second largest issue regarding people my age, since supplanted by the sexual revolution, which is ongoing. I'm toying with the idea of a subtitle: A Love Story, although I fear fans of romance might misinterpret it. I do hope the phrase would attract attention, but I wouldn't want to be lumped in a specific category. The title refers to how the couple met, but also is a play on words regarding the senses, which become diminished through time, sometimes prematurely through abuse or accident. Life being the wonder that it is, I spotted a shiny new nickel as I was setting up shop yesterday in Park Slope.

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Sunday, January 17, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/17 - Cruisin'

I believe Ted Cruz is a worthy presidential candidate, but he made his first gaffe when he derided "New York Values." It's never a good idea to paint everyone with a broad brush. Certainly New York, especially NYC, is liberal, but it is also diverse, a few conservatives among the mix, especially outside the Big Apple. Of course, he would have no shot of carrying the state regardless of his comments, but a candidate has to pretend to want to be president of all Americans, not just his natural constituency. Cruz may be the smartest guy in the race on either side, but I think he would lose the general election by a significant margin. The most conservative candidate with a chance at the nomination, he is not likeable in the eyes of many, including Republican lawmakers whom he rightfully calls to task. Trump is also disliked by many, but not to the extent Cruz is.

Usually, a trip through the newspaper is largely bleak, as reporters, editors and readers are most interested in tragedy and scandal. Barry Ratzer offers hope in his article on falling crime rates in the U.S.. From 1991-97, homicides fell 42%, robbery 22%, assault 45%, burglary 38%. In NYC, samples were drawn from 13,000 people who were arrested in a period from 1987-97. In people born before 1969, 50% tested positive for crack. Of those born in 1972, 20% tested positive. Of those born in 1979, 5% tested positive. He offers these stats to support his belief that society has improved.

Since there was no sunshine today, it didn't matter where I set up the floating book shop. On Sunday I head to Park Slope because it's the only day parking there is fairly easy. I wanted to go to 5 Av. & 9th Street, where I've had success lately, but two cars were waiting for spots to open up, so I went to John Jay H.S., waited a few minutes, then quickly backed into a space vacated by an SUV. This allowed me to put out almost the entire contents of the trunk. Alas, only one book sold, The Autobiographies of a Black Couple of the Greatest Generation by Norma & William Anderson and Pat Grauer. It was bought by a man walking with a cane. Once a sidewalk bookseller himself, he's been on the shelf since being hit by a car. My thanks, and also to the elderly gentleman who donated Commander in Chief by Mark Greaney, who is writing under the late Tom Clancy's name, using the Jack Ryan character. I did a little addition by subtraction, pulling a number of books, almost all obscure non-fiction, from the trunk and leaving them in a box at the curb. I hope the snow flurries haven't damaged them.
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Saturday, January 16, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/16 - World Premiere

My new book, Billionths of a Lifetime - Short Works, is now available at Amazon: Paperback $12.68, Kindle $1. My thanks to the two kind folks who have already purchased.
http://www.amazon.com/Billionths-Lifetime-Short-Vic-Fortezza/dp/1519774494/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452980979&sr=1-1&keywords=billionths+of+a+lifetime



I have to temper expectations to avoid disappointment when a film generates great buzz or has big box office returns or receives several Academy Award nominations. Such was the case with Mad Max Fury Road (2015), which I viewed last night courtesy of Netflix. A technical marvel, it has received 10 Oscar nods. The action is breakneck, the stunts thrilling, the cinematography beautiful. My quibble is that it brings nothing new to the table. It is more of the same. I was a little impatient a half hour in, as it seemed aimless. Once I understood what was happening, my enjoyment increased. The plot is simple: get away from evil forces, survive, triumph. The acting is secondary. Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy are in the midst of great careers, but any competent actors would have done just as well in the roles. The dialog is sparse, almost entirely business-like. There is little comic relief. Then again, there was no close captioning, so I might have missed any amusing asides. Of course, there are several quirky characters, a requisite of post-apocalyptic fare. In reading the commentary section at IMDb, several participants say the film is not true to the previous three in the serious. I totally disagree and wonder what I have not understood. George Miller directed, as he did the three previous entries. It is the first of his works I've viewed since The Witches of Eastwick (1987), which was disappointing. He shot this one in Namibia, Africa rather than his native Australia. 425,000+ users at IMDb have rated it, forging to a consensus of 8.2 of ten. Although I enjoyed the movie, I'm not as enthusiastic as that. On a scale of five, 3.5. It runs less than two hours, minus the closing credits. It is strictly for action fans.

In an op-ed piece in today's NY Post, Jonah Goldberg deems money as over-rated in the political process. His best point is that if it mattered as much as its detractors claim Jeb Bush would be way ahead instead of way behind. He also offered this bit of info: "...of the top five organizations — i.e., unions and corporate PACs — that give to federal candidates, all (mostly public unions) give 97 percent to 100 percent of their donations to liberals and Democrats. Of the top 10, eight give almost exclusively to the left. By the way, Koch Industries is No. 49 on the list, and the National Rifle Association is No. 74."

My thanks to Ralph, who bought six works of non-fiction despite a cold. A burly guy, he's usually in light garb. Today he was bundled up as if the temperature were zero, not 50. Thanks also to the woman who bought a handsomely illustrated children's compilation, the one who bought the last of my inventory in Russian, and the elderly woman who did a three for one swap. She got Catherine Coulter, I got John Grisham, Lisa Scottoline and Barbara Taylor Bradford.
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j

Friday, January 15, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/15 - Running Dog

I am partial to any defense of capitalism, so when the opening passage of Lee Ding Fai's Running Dog describes the final moments of a young man's swim to freedom from mainland China to Hong Kong, 1962, I was immediately enthralled. Since the point of view is that of a male, I assumed it was written by one. Wrong. There is not much information on the author on the web. It appears this is her only book, published in 1980 in HK. If so, it's a source of pride, a solid first novel. The protagonist works hard and eventually becomes head of a clothing company that does business worldwide. Of course, life does not become perfect, but he is free to be the best he can be, to use his talents to pursue happiness. On the mainland, he'd been scheduled to report to a coal mine. His main source of sorrow is his separation from his supportive parents, whom he will never see again. Another is unrequited love. Because he lives in a free society, he is privileged to have problems those in the western world face -- are fortunate to face, the daily travails of life, not poverty or soul crushing conformity. There are several other interesting characters: a former, pre-Mao business partner of the young man's father, and his two sons and daughter. One son, to his father's chagrin, hates school but develops a keen business sense. The other is a leftist who dreams of a unified China and who eventually leaves for the mainland. The daughter attends college in the U.S.. The author acknowledges an anglo educator for reading the original manuscript and offering advice. There is no credit given to a translator, so I assume it was written in English. Although far from perfect, the prose and dialog are eminently readable. On a scale of five, I rate Running Dog 3.25 out of five. The term is a pejorative used by leftists to describe capitalists. Fortunately, there are now a lot of them these days on mainland China as well.

RIP Alan Rickman, 69, who succumbed to cancer. He began his adult life as a graphic designer, owned a business, but his love of theater led him to audition for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. He was a master at playing the criminal genius who suffers the lesser intelligence of those around him. He has 68 credits listed at IMDb, which does not include his work on the stage. Here's a quote attributed to him: "I approach every part I'm asked to do and decide to do from exactly the same angle: who is this person, what does he want, how does he attempt to get it, and what happens to him when he doesn't get it, or if he does?" Well done, sir.

In an article on Obamacare in the NY Post, Betsy McCaughey states that 7.5 million Americans in 2015 paid the tax/fine rather than comply with the mandate. Kudos to those men and women, most probably under 35.

I decided I couldn't order copies of my new book without correcting the two errors I noticed in the second proof. I was told in an email that I won't have to order another proof. I just reviewed the online file and everything looks good. I'll just take the risk of ordering 50 copies.

A woman brought me a huge bag full of an eclectic mix of books. I sold four: a bio of Josephine Baker, a pictorial of the resting places of deceased rock stars, a beautiful illustrated work on 500 comic book villains, and a Jack Reacher thriller from Lee Child. I also peddled several other books. My thanks to all the buyers and donors. 50 degrees in mid January - love it!
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Thursday, January 14, 2016

The Writer's Life 1/14 - Orange

Here's an image any writer would love to capture in his work. According to the Weird But True column in today's NY Post, a Philadelphia Buddhist was robbed as he was trying to buy a lottery ticket. The thief ran off with a wallet and the guy, dressed in traditional orange garb, gave chase. Unfortunately, the slimeball got away. It would have been a great opening for the original Law & Order, where the discovery of a dead body was almost always preceded by a brief theater-like exchange unrelated to the plot by the eventual witnesses. Speaking of which -- one of the episodes running on Ion-TV last night involved the murder of a conman who ran seances. That must have been the reason I, for the first time, noticed certain ads in the Post. There were three on the same page. Pandit Swamy claims to be an expert in "Bringing Back Loved Ones." Guru Laxman and Siddharth Shastry claim expertise in Psychic Astrology, Spiritual Healing, the Removal of Spells and more. It's interesting how the last name of the first and the first names of the others echo positive images with which even Westerners are familiar. There are profiles at Facebook and LinkedIn under each name.


I don't know how I would react if I were a soldier captured by foreign forces. I fear I'd beg to be spared. It must be a harrowing situation. Fortunately, the sailors briefly held captive by Iranians were released unharmed. It is disappointing, however, to hear an American apologize to his captors, although I suspect the young man had been schooled to do so should such a situation arise. It is a different world. Gone are the days when General Anthony McAuliffe, surrounded by Germans and asked to surrender during the Battle of the Bulge, sent this typed reply to the Nazis: "Nuts!" Does this mean our forces have become to soft to win wars? Our enemies would be making a big mistake to presume that. Recall how well those wearing wearing the uniform of the U.S. did during the surge in Iraq.

I didn't have any sunshine to work with until an hour-and-a-half had passed. By then I was feeling the cold and had to close the floating book shop early. My thanks to Herbie, who donated a handful of books, including a paperback by the ever-popular R.L. Stine.
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic'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://tinyurl.com/l84h63j
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f