The Writer's Life 8/9 - Originals

So what is there to be gleaned from this week's special elections? Although two are dubbed too close to call, President Trump, naturally, has declared victory in all five. His scorecard in this regard since he took office is almost flawless. Most pundits seem to think the narrowness of the victories presage a large erosion of support that may result in a huge turnover in November in the House of Representatives, a takeover by the Dems. The non-stop barrage of the mainstream media seems to be wearing down independent voters, who are the key to winning elections. The negativism of the elite seems to be triumphing over the promising results of the president's policies. As for me, I would rather have an effective blowhard in charge than the odious diplomats that comprise the swamp.

Babyboomers recall the great tagline of the 1960's Naked City TV series: "There are eight million stories..." There's a great one in today's NY Post. A 60-something Brooklyn woman owns properties worth in the neighborhood of $8 million. She lives in a million dollar co-op in Prospects Heights. Yet she drives a beat up '93 Toyota Camry neighbors dub an "eyesore" and she collects and redeems recyclables. She earns $20 to $30 for several hours of work a day, which she claims keeps her healthy and fit. Although her properties are worth a ton, some are said to be in disrepair. She complains that New Yorkers are no longer tolerant of the eccentrics that make the Big Apple so interesting, and calls herself a "Bohemian." Here's a pic of this original from the accompanying article:

Fran passes by almost every day, pushing a walker, lately in the company of a home attendant who should be awarded a Purple Heart. She is miserable and spreads her misery to others, especially anyone speaking a foreign language. She shocked the hell out of me today, praising a worker in a local cell phone shop, calling him a "wonderful human being." It is the first time I'd ever heard her say a good word about anyone. And to top it off - the guy's name is Abdul! I guess it's true - no one is 100% anything.

RIP Australian pro golfer Jarrod Lyle, 36, who battled a form of leukemia on and off for 20 years. He beat back the disease after being diagnosed at age 17 and went on to earn his PGA Tour card in 2007. The malady returned in 2012 and Lyle again triumphed. He went on to compete in many pro tournaments, 20 on the PGA Tour. He competed in more than 250 world-ranked events during his career, reaching a career-high of 142nd in the World Golf Ranking. He recorded five top-ten finishes on the PGA Tour between 2009 and 2012. Life is so unfair to some. Here's a gut-wrenching pic:

It was a quiet session of the floating book shop. My thanks to the gentleman in the mechanized wheelchair who bought The Autobiography of Malcolm X and a Life magazine pictorial of 1996.

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