Since Google+ is being terminated soon, I had to find a new location for the blog. Here's the tag:
https://medium.com/@vicf1950 I apologize for not having posted this sooner - duh!
Monday, March 4, 2019
Friday, March 1, 2019
The Writer's Life 3/1 - Words & Pictures
From foxnews.com, edited by yours truly: A Texas grandmother on vacation in Iceland had an interesting experience. She saw folks taking turns sitting on a beached iceberg shaped sort of like a throne. When she tried it herself a wave swept her out to sea. The coast guard rescued her. Here's a pic taken by her son:
From the NY Post, edited by YT: Here's another example of political correctness run amok. Responders to emergencies often have to deal with derelicts or drunks who spit at them. In one instance a worker was sprayed in the eye and nose and was subsequently ill for a month. Officials have found a solution - spit masks. Now some are worried that they will be deemed offensive, likened to KKK hoods by certain citizens. This is madness. Only a moron would be unable to differentiate an EMT from a Klansman. Here's a pic of one possible mask:
From foxnews.com, edited by YT: More insanity. A Bible carried by a POW in WWII was donated and displayed on the Missing Man Table memorial in Manchester, N.H.. The veteran's hospital exhibit honors MIA's and POW's. The book was removed when a group deemed it "intolerable" and "unconstitutional." It was then moved to a display - under glass, and the group filed another complaint, claiming it promotes one faith over others. To satisfy the self righteous, let's pretend some soldiers didn't carry Bibles. For the record, I'm not a believer.
The first March session of the floating book shop was a cold one. My thanks to the gentleman who did a swap of Russian books, and to the one who bought one of the new additions.
From the NY Post, edited by YT: Here's another example of political correctness run amok. Responders to emergencies often have to deal with derelicts or drunks who spit at them. In one instance a worker was sprayed in the eye and nose and was subsequently ill for a month. Officials have found a solution - spit masks. Now some are worried that they will be deemed offensive, likened to KKK hoods by certain citizens. This is madness. Only a moron would be unable to differentiate an EMT from a Klansman. Here's a pic of one possible mask:
From foxnews.com, edited by YT: More insanity. A Bible carried by a POW in WWII was donated and displayed on the Missing Man Table memorial in Manchester, N.H.. The veteran's hospital exhibit honors MIA's and POW's. The book was removed when a group deemed it "intolerable" and "unconstitutional." It was then moved to a display - under glass, and the group filed another complaint, claiming it promotes one faith over others. To satisfy the self righteous, let's pretend some soldiers didn't carry Bibles. For the record, I'm not a believer.
The first March session of the floating book shop was a cold one. My thanks to the gentleman who did a swap of Russian books, and to the one who bought one of the new additions.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Thursday, February 28, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/28 - A Prodigy, A Sensation, A House & Forteans
Struggling artists may not want to read this. The photo above is of two-year-old prodigy Lola June. Still in diapers, 37 of her works were exhibited at the Chashama gallery in Union Square. Twelve have sold, priced between $300 and $1600. She treats the paintings like her friends, kissing them when she wakes in the morning. She became distressed when they were taken for the exhibition but has recovered. Here are examples:
What was the top selling book in New York in 2018? Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second of the series. In Jersey it was the last, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. A decade after their debut, J.K. Rowlings' creations show signs of permanent staying power. Kudos.
A Las Vegas bomb shelter, built by an entrepreneur in the '70's, is on sale, asking price $18 million. Completely underground, it has a pool, spa, trees, guest house, BBQ and fountain. There are plenty of pics online. Here's one of the exterior:
I'm reading a collection of newspaper articles I will blog about when I'm done. In one piece I learned about Charles Hoy Fort, who passed away in 1932 at 57. An American writer and researcher, he specialized in anomalous phenomena. I don't recall if Fox Mulder mentioned him in The X-Files, and a search of that turned up nothing, which was surprising. Admirers refer to themselves as "Forteans." His books, all but one non-fiction, sold well and are still in print. The Book of the Damned (1919) influenced numerous science fiction writers. I hope a copy comes my way. According to the beliefs of the author I'm reading, such wishes have a way of coming true, and are part of the mystery of life, phenomena that should simply be accepted, not analyzed to death. There is an instance of it in my latest novel, Inside Out.
Yesterday my constant benefactress was surprised to find me selling books in the cold. I hadn't seen her in months. She asked if I'd be back today. I said yes, although I do not like to make a decision on location until the last moment this time of year. Of course, she didn't show, perhaps assuming I wouldn't be out in such cold. I regretted not having gone to Bay Parkway, where I would've stood in the sun and had the option of sitting in my car to warm up. Fortunately, it was one of those sessions when weather did not hamper sales. My thanks to Shelley, who bought six kids books for her three-year-old niece; and to the woman who purchased books on Zen gardening and cabinet making; and to the elderly Latina, who selected Hot Pursuit by Julie Ann Walker; and to the woman who hustled to the bank, returned and bought five books in Russian as I was closing shop. I also had visits from Nell, Marie and the Latina with bewitching eyes.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/27 - Past & Present
The Ark Encounter is a life-sized giant replica of Noah’s Ark, built according to the dimensions given in the Bible. The family-friendly themed attraction near Cincinnati also features a zoo, zip lines, and restaurants.
Recently, the sister of a classmate of mine at St. Mary Mother of Jesus elementary school asked in a Facebook post if anyone had pictures of her brothers as young men. I posted one from the 1963 yearbook of our graduating class to her FB feed. It was the height of the baby boom. There were three eighth grade classes. Ours had 40 students. Since the photos came unglued over time, I assembled them into a whole. Here it is. I apologize for the poor quality:
And here's what I remember about each, starting from the top, going left to right:
Eleanor Pasquale - She was tall, and I think she had a crush on me.
Linda Noce - I've run into her within the past decade. She's had a rough life.
Teresa Mazzotta - Sorry to say I don't recall anything about her.
Concetta Chinni - had unbelievable dimples.
Frances Carino - considered the class beauty and was so nice.
Phyllis Pirotta - I had a crush on her at one time.
Carmen Ruggiero - Don't recall anything about her.
Stephen Orr - energetic, wrote "Hotsy Totsy you're a dirty Nazi" in my autograph book - and included a swastika. That would have gotten him into serious trouble today. I loved it and laughed.
Charlie Marchisotto - amiable.
Jimmy Saporito - last saw him in the '80s' as an opponent in softball. He is mentioned in my novel Present and Past.
Freddie "Bucky" Bucalo - the beating he took from Sister Grace on the first day of seventh grade is also mentioned in the aforementioned book. Great kid.
James Coffey - I believe his mom was the long-time traffic officer at the corner of 23rd Avenue and 85th Street. Everyone loved her.
Pete Cavallaro - great kid. His dad was KIA in Korea. P.S. 281 is named after him.
Richie Cupo - we were good friends at the time. My last recollection is of him carrying a large bottle of brew. He already had quite a beer belly in his 20's.
Helena Leavy - lovely Irish brogue. The way she pronounced "mortal sin" charmed us. Also mentioned in the novel.
Cathy Falcone - very amiable.
Donna DoCampo - from St. Mary's to high school, her demeanor seemed to change radically from light to darkness. I mentioned it to Linda, who seemed baffled by my observation of her good friend.
Kathleen De Fato - don't recall anything about her.
Ann Caratozzolo - ditto.
Theresa Yakoumakis - ditto.
Louise Verde - a very good student. Had the feeling she loathed me.
Paul Affuso - class valedictorian, scholarship to Xaverian H.S.. I ran into him at a wake. He became an NYU professor.
Tommy Mazzola - big kid, sweet nature.
Tommy Urso - a group of us spent a lot of time in the basement of his house. His mom was so sweet. His dad drove an "earl" truck, which I mention in another of my novels, Killing. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant in the NYPD.
Mario Ricchiuti - well-mannered. He's mentioned in Present and Past.
John Redden - reconnected with him on Facebook. Often posts his conservatives views and support of President Trump.
Charlie Ruggiero - nice kid. One of his relatives owned the house at the right-hand corner of Benson Avenue & Bay 37th, my block.
Joey Leoncavallo - the most popular kid in the class. Recently reconnected with him on Facebook. Retired from the NYFD, now selling real estate.
William Carrique - smart kid, very nice. No idea what became of him.
Benedetto Gentile - Where are you Benny? Great guy.
Ann Amato - Tommy Urso was madly in love with her and, as he told me at the reunion of the Lafayette class of '68, which a group of us from '67 crashed - she dumped him! Biggest mistake she ever made.
Susan Pezzela - good attitude. Haven't seen her since '63, nor heard of her. Dubbed Prudence Pots, a character in a TV commercial.
Mary Passaro - very nice girl. Haven't seen her since H.S..
Richie Semendoff - he's the one whose picture I sent his sister. Tall, good nature. I wonder if he's the only one to have passed away. RIP, sir.
John Califano - the class clown. His antics are on display in Present and Past.
John "Caggy" Caggiano - Another one I haven't seen since '63.
Yours truly.
Vinnie Manzo - loved baseball. His dad took us to a Mets' doubleheader at the Polo Grounds. Haven't seen him since graduation day, nor heard of him.
MIA - two of the tallest kids in class, Ronnie Tutino, who I used to meet at Saturday matinées at the Benson Theater; and Richie Finn, a goofball also mentioned in Present and Past.
I apologize if I've mis-tagged any of the female pics. Any corrections or info would be appreciated.
The owner of this car got just what he deserved when Californian firemen responded to a call:
As I set out on my morning walk I noticed that the most favorable parking spot in terms of the floating book shop was open, and I was lucky to get it. It was the only way I could have operated at my usual nook on such a cold day. I sat in the ol' Hyundai a couple of times to warm up, which enabled me to put a couple of hours into the endeavor. My thanks to the two women who each bought a book in Russian, and to the gentleman who purchased a Cambridge dictionary; and to the one who selected a book on influence and persuasion; and to the middle age man on a bike who delivered a three-book set in Russian; and to the young woman who donated a large bag of books, most of them young adult fare. I put the four most marketable on display and took the rest home.
Recently, the sister of a classmate of mine at St. Mary Mother of Jesus elementary school asked in a Facebook post if anyone had pictures of her brothers as young men. I posted one from the 1963 yearbook of our graduating class to her FB feed. It was the height of the baby boom. There were three eighth grade classes. Ours had 40 students. Since the photos came unglued over time, I assembled them into a whole. Here it is. I apologize for the poor quality:
And here's what I remember about each, starting from the top, going left to right:
Eleanor Pasquale - She was tall, and I think she had a crush on me.
Linda Noce - I've run into her within the past decade. She's had a rough life.
Teresa Mazzotta - Sorry to say I don't recall anything about her.
Concetta Chinni - had unbelievable dimples.
Frances Carino - considered the class beauty and was so nice.
Phyllis Pirotta - I had a crush on her at one time.
Carmen Ruggiero - Don't recall anything about her.
Stephen Orr - energetic, wrote "Hotsy Totsy you're a dirty Nazi" in my autograph book - and included a swastika. That would have gotten him into serious trouble today. I loved it and laughed.
Charlie Marchisotto - amiable.
Jimmy Saporito - last saw him in the '80s' as an opponent in softball. He is mentioned in my novel Present and Past.
Freddie "Bucky" Bucalo - the beating he took from Sister Grace on the first day of seventh grade is also mentioned in the aforementioned book. Great kid.
James Coffey - I believe his mom was the long-time traffic officer at the corner of 23rd Avenue and 85th Street. Everyone loved her.
Pete Cavallaro - great kid. His dad was KIA in Korea. P.S. 281 is named after him.
Richie Cupo - we were good friends at the time. My last recollection is of him carrying a large bottle of brew. He already had quite a beer belly in his 20's.
Helena Leavy - lovely Irish brogue. The way she pronounced "mortal sin" charmed us. Also mentioned in the novel.
Cathy Falcone - very amiable.
Donna DoCampo - from St. Mary's to high school, her demeanor seemed to change radically from light to darkness. I mentioned it to Linda, who seemed baffled by my observation of her good friend.
Kathleen De Fato - don't recall anything about her.
Ann Caratozzolo - ditto.
Theresa Yakoumakis - ditto.
Louise Verde - a very good student. Had the feeling she loathed me.
Paul Affuso - class valedictorian, scholarship to Xaverian H.S.. I ran into him at a wake. He became an NYU professor.
Tommy Mazzola - big kid, sweet nature.
Tommy Urso - a group of us spent a lot of time in the basement of his house. His mom was so sweet. His dad drove an "earl" truck, which I mention in another of my novels, Killing. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant in the NYPD.
Mario Ricchiuti - well-mannered. He's mentioned in Present and Past.
John Redden - reconnected with him on Facebook. Often posts his conservatives views and support of President Trump.
Charlie Ruggiero - nice kid. One of his relatives owned the house at the right-hand corner of Benson Avenue & Bay 37th, my block.
Joey Leoncavallo - the most popular kid in the class. Recently reconnected with him on Facebook. Retired from the NYFD, now selling real estate.
William Carrique - smart kid, very nice. No idea what became of him.
Benedetto Gentile - Where are you Benny? Great guy.
Ann Amato - Tommy Urso was madly in love with her and, as he told me at the reunion of the Lafayette class of '68, which a group of us from '67 crashed - she dumped him! Biggest mistake she ever made.
Susan Pezzela - good attitude. Haven't seen her since '63, nor heard of her. Dubbed Prudence Pots, a character in a TV commercial.
Mary Passaro - very nice girl. Haven't seen her since H.S..
Richie Semendoff - he's the one whose picture I sent his sister. Tall, good nature. I wonder if he's the only one to have passed away. RIP, sir.
John Califano - the class clown. His antics are on display in Present and Past.
John "Caggy" Caggiano - Another one I haven't seen since '63.
Yours truly.
Vinnie Manzo - loved baseball. His dad took us to a Mets' doubleheader at the Polo Grounds. Haven't seen him since graduation day, nor heard of him.
MIA - two of the tallest kids in class, Ronnie Tutino, who I used to meet at Saturday matinées at the Benson Theater; and Richie Finn, a goofball also mentioned in Present and Past.
I apologize if I've mis-tagged any of the female pics. Any corrections or info would be appreciated.
The owner of this car got just what he deserved when Californian firemen responded to a call:
As I set out on my morning walk I noticed that the most favorable parking spot in terms of the floating book shop was open, and I was lucky to get it. It was the only way I could have operated at my usual nook on such a cold day. I sat in the ol' Hyundai a couple of times to warm up, which enabled me to put a couple of hours into the endeavor. My thanks to the two women who each bought a book in Russian, and to the gentleman who purchased a Cambridge dictionary; and to the one who selected a book on influence and persuasion; and to the middle age man on a bike who delivered a three-book set in Russian; and to the young woman who donated a large bag of books, most of them young adult fare. I put the four most marketable on display and took the rest home.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/26 - Within & Without
Dealing with a parent who shows signs of senility or Alzheimer's is very hard. In rare instances it is comical. Here's an excerpt, culled from real life, from the novel I will self publish early next year, tentative title Ulysses Too. The conversation may not have been exactly as it is written, but my mom actually spoke the oddity. We were speaking Italian, a tortured version of it on my part:
"I wonder if your sister’s home yet."
"Not for at least another hour."
"I thought I heard her talking just now."
"That was the people next door." We as loud to them? What must Petey and Denise think of Rige and Stooge fightin' all the time. They any different?
"You know, Frank Sinatra wants to marry me."
Vito burst into laughter.
Gotta laugh, sad as it is. Really funny sometimes.
"It’s true, I’m telling you." She was smiling herself. "He bought the house across the street. I saw him in the alley."
"He grew up in a neighborhood like this, but now he lives in palaces around the country. Why would he live on this block with all the money he has? And he’s married to a beautiful woman."
"I could swear it was him."
"Maybe you dreamed it."
"Maybe. I dreamed about your father before, poor man. He was standing right there in the doorway. It looked like he wanted to say something to me."
Last night at ten The Enemy Within premiered on NBC. It was a lively debut. It is the story of a former CIA operative who chose to betray her country to save her kidnapped daughter, a choice many would make. Three years later she is released from a maximum security prison to help catch the man responsible, who is orchestrating terrorist attacks in the USA. Although it looks like this will be an exciting series, there are drawbacks: it is yet another arc that may go on for years if the ratings are high; and it goes to obvious, annoying great pains in the cause of diversity. The villain seems to be a Russian gone rogue. I hope the creators do what those of 24 did so successfully - complete the story line at the end of the season and begin another the next. I'm not getting my hopes up. Here's the star of the show, Jennifer Carpenter, who also starred in Dexter and Limitless:
It was another glorious winter day. I basked in the brilliant sunshine in front of the Chase bank at Bay Parkway and 85th St.. My thanks to the woman who bought Ken Kesey's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, a book on Tai Chi, and a primer on Freud's theories on dreams; and to the woman who purchased The Velvet Hours by Alyson Richman and Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris; and to the woman who selected a book in Russian based on the Japanese figures on its cover. Her son is studying the language.
"I wonder if your sister’s home yet."
"Not for at least another hour."
"I thought I heard her talking just now."
"That was the people next door." We as loud to them? What must Petey and Denise think of Rige and Stooge fightin' all the time. They any different?
"You know, Frank Sinatra wants to marry me."
Vito burst into laughter.
Gotta laugh, sad as it is. Really funny sometimes.
"It’s true, I’m telling you." She was smiling herself. "He bought the house across the street. I saw him in the alley."
"He grew up in a neighborhood like this, but now he lives in palaces around the country. Why would he live on this block with all the money he has? And he’s married to a beautiful woman."
"I could swear it was him."
"Maybe you dreamed it."
"Maybe. I dreamed about your father before, poor man. He was standing right there in the doorway. It looked like he wanted to say something to me."
Last night at ten The Enemy Within premiered on NBC. It was a lively debut. It is the story of a former CIA operative who chose to betray her country to save her kidnapped daughter, a choice many would make. Three years later she is released from a maximum security prison to help catch the man responsible, who is orchestrating terrorist attacks in the USA. Although it looks like this will be an exciting series, there are drawbacks: it is yet another arc that may go on for years if the ratings are high; and it goes to obvious, annoying great pains in the cause of diversity. The villain seems to be a Russian gone rogue. I hope the creators do what those of 24 did so successfully - complete the story line at the end of the season and begin another the next. I'm not getting my hopes up. Here's the star of the show, Jennifer Carpenter, who also starred in Dexter and Limitless:
It was another glorious winter day. I basked in the brilliant sunshine in front of the Chase bank at Bay Parkway and 85th St.. My thanks to the woman who bought Ken Kesey's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, a book on Tai Chi, and a primer on Freud's theories on dreams; and to the woman who purchased The Velvet Hours by Alyson Richman and Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris; and to the woman who selected a book in Russian based on the Japanese figures on its cover. Her son is studying the language.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Monday, February 25, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/25 - Hacking
Born in the Soviet Union in 1970, Dimitry Samarov emigrated to the USA with his family in 1978. He earned a BFA in painting and printmaking at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1993, and began driving a cab that same year. His work has been shown at several galleries. He created a blog in which he related his experiences driving in the windy city. Excerpts were published in several magazines. In 2011 the University of Chicago Press published a collection of his work, Hack, a copy of which was amongst a recent donation to the floating book shop. It details the trials and tribulations of the job, and the interesting cross section of humanity who commission rides. Although the passages are brief and well-written, I felt something was missing. I wish there'd been more of the following, which comes late in the book: "The holidays magnify all that one lacks, forcing one to brood over deficiencies and failures. The best thing is that they end and every-day life resumes, giving the world back the scale and focus necessary to keep getting by." This is a quick read, only 122 pages, far less given the many caricature-like drawings the author includes. The publisher spared no expense. It is a handsome edition available only in hardcover. 11 users at Amazon have rated Hack, forging to a consensus of four on a scale of five. I rate it three. It is still selling modestly. Samarov followed the book up with a paperback memoir in 2014. Here's one of his paintings, titled The Mess I've Made, oil on linen:
I've finished the preliminary sweep of the novel I intend to self-publish early next year. It is a stream of conscious portrait of a day in my life at the end of 1989. Most of the people's names have been changed. I made an exception of a few first names. I regret having changed any at all, as in some cases I was unable to recall who it was. That's what time will do, especially regarding those on the fringes of one's life. So many people passed through the Commodity Exchange, where most of the narrative takes place. I was hoping to cut some of the book, but was unable to find excess, although it is frequently repetitive, especially in the protagonist's sexual frustration. I was going to chop a short story that is included to a single paragraph, but I like it so much I'm leaving it intact. As of now it is 335 pages in 11-point font. There were times I thought: Do I really want people to know this? My thoughts are too often sexist, bigoted and homophobic. If this is exclusive to me, then the novel shouldn't be published. If it is universal, there's no problem. None of us can know the thoughts of others to anything but a minimal degree. I haven't been able to come up with a satisfying title. I thought it was going to American Ulysses, but that is so grand, especially since I know the book doesn't measure up to James Joyce's work intellectually. For a while I considered using Ulysses for Dummies, but that seems denigrating, and it might be a copyright violation. Since I like economy, A Day Inside the Head of a Brooklynite was out of the question. Right now it's Ulysses Too.
Given the forecast of 50 MPH gusts, I resisted the temptation of operating the book shop today. I had one last task to perform on the manuscript file. There will be about 50 references, not as many as there are in my rock n roll epic Rising Star, but plenty to sort through. One of the great features of Microsoft Word is "Find." I typed an asterisk into the box, and every instance of its use was listed. I'd inadvertently excluded several references from the list. When I was done I saved a copy of the file to my email account and to Google Docs. I will return to it on or about October 1st. I've never felt such a need for a break from my writing. Then again, I will be blogging practically every day. Fortunately, that isn't as intense as working on a book, although the word "work" does not adequately describe the process. It's more like intense play.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
I've finished the preliminary sweep of the novel I intend to self-publish early next year. It is a stream of conscious portrait of a day in my life at the end of 1989. Most of the people's names have been changed. I made an exception of a few first names. I regret having changed any at all, as in some cases I was unable to recall who it was. That's what time will do, especially regarding those on the fringes of one's life. So many people passed through the Commodity Exchange, where most of the narrative takes place. I was hoping to cut some of the book, but was unable to find excess, although it is frequently repetitive, especially in the protagonist's sexual frustration. I was going to chop a short story that is included to a single paragraph, but I like it so much I'm leaving it intact. As of now it is 335 pages in 11-point font. There were times I thought: Do I really want people to know this? My thoughts are too often sexist, bigoted and homophobic. If this is exclusive to me, then the novel shouldn't be published. If it is universal, there's no problem. None of us can know the thoughts of others to anything but a minimal degree. I haven't been able to come up with a satisfying title. I thought it was going to American Ulysses, but that is so grand, especially since I know the book doesn't measure up to James Joyce's work intellectually. For a while I considered using Ulysses for Dummies, but that seems denigrating, and it might be a copyright violation. Since I like economy, A Day Inside the Head of a Brooklynite was out of the question. Right now it's Ulysses Too.
Given the forecast of 50 MPH gusts, I resisted the temptation of operating the book shop today. I had one last task to perform on the manuscript file. There will be about 50 references, not as many as there are in my rock n roll epic Rising Star, but plenty to sort through. One of the great features of Microsoft Word is "Find." I typed an asterisk into the box, and every instance of its use was listed. I'd inadvertently excluded several references from the list. When I was done I saved a copy of the file to my email account and to Google Docs. I will return to it on or about October 1st. I've never felt such a need for a break from my writing. Then again, I will be blogging practically every day. Fortunately, that isn't as intense as working on a book, although the word "work" does not adequately describe the process. It's more like intense play.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Sunday, February 24, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/24 - Mensches & More
From foxnews.com, edited by yours truly: In 2008 Taylor Wilson, then 14, garnered international recognition as the youngest person to achieve nuclear fusion in a reactor he'd built himself in his parents’ garage in Texarkana, Arkansas. Jackson Oswalt, 12, wanted to beat that record. He converted an old playroom in his Memphis home into a functioning lab. With the financial support of his parents, $8000 to $10,000 was spent on parts during the course of a year. Since there's no manual on building such a device, he relied on trial and error. On 1/19/'18, just before his 13th birthday, he achieved fusion, verified by a researcher. Scientists have yet to figure out how to use fusion in the creation of energy. Who knows - maybe Wilson and Oswalt will. Awesome, guys. Here's the new champ and his creation:
RIP Hollywood stalwart Stanley Donen, 94. IMDb lists 17 credits under his name as producer, 32 as director. He was a master of the musical, at the helm of one of tinsel town's greatest achievements - Singin' in the Rain (1952), which was overlooked at first and is now revered. He also brought Broadway to the silver screen: On the Town (1949), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), Damn Yankees (1958), and others. And he was not so snobbish as to resist working on an early music video, Lionel Richie's Dancing on the Ceiling. He also directed the classic thriller Charade (1963), starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. Somehow he was never nominated for an Oscar. In 1998 the Academy atoned for the slight by bestowing a lifetime achievement award on him. Here's a quote attributed to him: "For me directing is like having sex: when it's good, it's very good; but when it's bad, it's still good." He married and divorced five times. The lovely Yvette Mimieux was one of his wives. Well done, sir. Thank you.
And in case you've forgotten or are unfamiliar with her, here is Mimieux:
In an article in today's NY Post, Larry Getlen introduces a new book: Worried?: Science investigates some of life's common concerns by Lise A. Johnson and Eric Chudler. The authors cite the dangers of alcohol, supplements, medical errors, flame retardants, antibiotics and the germs prevalent on mass transit. One stat leaped from the page: dog bites send 800,000 people to the doctor each year.
Although the rain ceased after ten AM, the forecast said there might be a possible shower until the system moved away. That led me to my usual nook under the scaffold on Avenue Z, where I enjoyed good luck. The woman I hoped would come along did, and she bought ten books in Russian. Spasibo, madam. My thanks also to the woman who purchased a book on make-up, and to the one who chose two puzzles for kids; and to Vitaly, who selected two "Who Dunnits?" He reads English much better than he speaks it, but that is one phrase he never forgets.
RIP Hollywood stalwart Stanley Donen, 94. IMDb lists 17 credits under his name as producer, 32 as director. He was a master of the musical, at the helm of one of tinsel town's greatest achievements - Singin' in the Rain (1952), which was overlooked at first and is now revered. He also brought Broadway to the silver screen: On the Town (1949), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), Damn Yankees (1958), and others. And he was not so snobbish as to resist working on an early music video, Lionel Richie's Dancing on the Ceiling. He also directed the classic thriller Charade (1963), starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. Somehow he was never nominated for an Oscar. In 1998 the Academy atoned for the slight by bestowing a lifetime achievement award on him. Here's a quote attributed to him: "For me directing is like having sex: when it's good, it's very good; but when it's bad, it's still good." He married and divorced five times. The lovely Yvette Mimieux was one of his wives. Well done, sir. Thank you.
And in case you've forgotten or are unfamiliar with her, here is Mimieux:
In an article in today's NY Post, Larry Getlen introduces a new book: Worried?: Science investigates some of life's common concerns by Lise A. Johnson and Eric Chudler. The authors cite the dangers of alcohol, supplements, medical errors, flame retardants, antibiotics and the germs prevalent on mass transit. One stat leaped from the page: dog bites send 800,000 people to the doctor each year.
Although the rain ceased after ten AM, the forecast said there might be a possible shower until the system moved away. That led me to my usual nook under the scaffold on Avenue Z, where I enjoyed good luck. The woman I hoped would come along did, and she bought ten books in Russian. Spasibo, madam. My thanks also to the woman who purchased a book on make-up, and to the one who chose two puzzles for kids; and to Vitaly, who selected two "Who Dunnits?" He reads English much better than he speaks it, but that is one phrase he never forgets.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Saturday, February 23, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/23 - Horror, Crime, Benton & Books
The ubiquitous Toni Collette, Australia's gift to cinema and TV, has never won an Oscar despite sterling work. She is the linchpin of Hereditary (2018), which I watched last night courtesy of Netflix. The story begins with the funeral of the grandmother, with whom Collette's character was often estranged. That side of the family has a history of mental illness. Soon weird things begin to happen. Are they supernatural, demonic, or evidence of creeping schizophrenia? It affects her children, a 16-year-old boy and 13-year-old girl. Gabriel Byrne plays the suffering husband. Ann Dowd lends her considerable talents to the part of a woman who suggests a seance. This is writer/director Ari Aster's first full length feature after several shorts. It is an impressive big screen debut. My guess is he is a big fan of M. Night Shyamalan, who captivated the world with The Sixth Sense (1999) and has not remotely approached that height in his subsequent work. The kids are ably played by Milly Shapiro and Alex Wolff. The latter, in his early 20's, already has experience as a writer and director, and as a musician. But the film belongs to Collette, an artist who allows herself to be shot in painfully unflattering close-ups. This is strong stuff, grim as a movie gets. Anyone who has a problem with downbeat, disturbing material, even in the context of the horror genre, should pass. 132,000+ users at IMDb have rated Hereditary, forging to a consensus of 7.3 on a scale of ten. I wouldn't go that high, but it is good film-making. It was a hit at the box office. Made on a budget of $10 million, it returned $79+ million worldwide. It runs a bit longer than two hours. So what is the cause of all the havoc wreaked in the film? Draw your own conclusions. There are a ton of clues throughout the narrative, many of which I missed. They are revealed at bloody-disgusting.com in an article by Trace Thruman.
I've lucked into another entertaining crime drama on channel 14-1 on over the air antennas in NYC. Homicide Unit Istanbul is German-produced despite its setting. The location footage is stunning, and the story lines of the three episodes I've seen have been solid. Best of all, it's commercial-free. Of course, it is subtitled. Last night's episode included a breathtaking chase across the top of a stone bridge that seems centuries old.
This is Benton. Yahoos are calling him Little Hitler:
My thanks to the gentleman who settled his tab, and to the elderly woman who bought a book in Russian; and to the young mom who purchased four kids' books; and to the woman who did a
one-for-one swap.
I've lucked into another entertaining crime drama on channel 14-1 on over the air antennas in NYC. Homicide Unit Istanbul is German-produced despite its setting. The location footage is stunning, and the story lines of the three episodes I've seen have been solid. Best of all, it's commercial-free. Of course, it is subtitled. Last night's episode included a breathtaking chase across the top of a stone bridge that seems centuries old.
This is Benton. Yahoos are calling him Little Hitler:
My thanks to the gentleman who settled his tab, and to the elderly woman who bought a book in Russian; and to the young mom who purchased four kids' books; and to the woman who did a
one-for-one swap.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Friday, February 22, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/22 - Bookends
In his media column in today's NY Post, Keith J. Kelly cites the boon the president has been to the publishing industry. Anti-Trump books are outselling pro, of course. Here's are the numbers of hardcover sales:
James Comey’s A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership reached #1, 238,000.
Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House is the reigning champ, 1.02 million.
Bob Woodward’s Fear: Trump in the White House, 982,000.
Gregg Jarrett’s The Russia Hoax: The Illicit Scheme to Clear Hillary Clinton and Frame Donald Trump, 982,000.
Jeanine Pirro’s Liars, Leakers, and Liberals: The Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy, 238,000.
Omarosa Manigauld Newman’s Unhinged: An Insiders Account of the Trump White House, soared to No. 1, then slumped severely, 88,000.
Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski’s Trump’s Enemies: How the Deep State is Undermining the Presidency, 62,000.
Andrew McCabe' soon to be released The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump is expected to bring in big bucks. It certainly hasn't lacked advanced publicity. He may need funds if he is charged with the lies he is accused of having told to congress.
Here's an SUV owned by a very lucky guy driving in Queens under the 7-train's el:
And here's a pic from the Arctic Circle city of Severomorsk, Russia:
.
And here's another reason it's called climate change and not global warming anymore - snow in L.A.:
On my own book front, it wasn't big bucks but a solid session. I was going to close shop about an hour early due to the cold and lack of sunshine, but three customers came late and doubled what would have been my take. Author/professor of Criminology at John Jay College Barry Spunt was in the news a couple of months ago, among several colleagues accused of sexual harassment. Today he bought Soldier of Fortune: Guide to How to Disappear and Never Be Found by Barry Davies. We were both laughing. He said he'd stay in touch. My thanks, sir, and also to the gentleman who selected The Borzoi Handbook for Writers by Frederick Crews and Sandra Schor, and to the sweet elderly woman who purchased a novel in Russian; and to Stu and Janet, who chose two Debbie Macomber romances for his mom; and to the young woman about to begin law school, who bought a Business Law text book, Lawless by John Jakes, and a guide to relaxation, which she may need when the paper chase gets intense; and to the man I refer to inwardly as Glove, who has an artificial hand, who purchased the beautifully illustrated The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu. As he was leaving, he said: "Dosvedanya." Till we meet again, sir.
James Comey’s A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership reached #1, 238,000.
Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House is the reigning champ, 1.02 million.
Bob Woodward’s Fear: Trump in the White House, 982,000.
Gregg Jarrett’s The Russia Hoax: The Illicit Scheme to Clear Hillary Clinton and Frame Donald Trump, 982,000.
Jeanine Pirro’s Liars, Leakers, and Liberals: The Case Against the Anti-Trump Conspiracy, 238,000.
Omarosa Manigauld Newman’s Unhinged: An Insiders Account of the Trump White House, soared to No. 1, then slumped severely, 88,000.
Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski’s Trump’s Enemies: How the Deep State is Undermining the Presidency, 62,000.
Andrew McCabe' soon to be released The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump is expected to bring in big bucks. It certainly hasn't lacked advanced publicity. He may need funds if he is charged with the lies he is accused of having told to congress.
Here's an SUV owned by a very lucky guy driving in Queens under the 7-train's el:
And here's a pic from the Arctic Circle city of Severomorsk, Russia:
And here's another reason it's called climate change and not global warming anymore - snow in L.A.:
On my own book front, it wasn't big bucks but a solid session. I was going to close shop about an hour early due to the cold and lack of sunshine, but three customers came late and doubled what would have been my take. Author/professor of Criminology at John Jay College Barry Spunt was in the news a couple of months ago, among several colleagues accused of sexual harassment. Today he bought Soldier of Fortune: Guide to How to Disappear and Never Be Found by Barry Davies. We were both laughing. He said he'd stay in touch. My thanks, sir, and also to the gentleman who selected The Borzoi Handbook for Writers by Frederick Crews and Sandra Schor, and to the sweet elderly woman who purchased a novel in Russian; and to Stu and Janet, who chose two Debbie Macomber romances for his mom; and to the young woman about to begin law school, who bought a Business Law text book, Lawless by John Jakes, and a guide to relaxation, which she may need when the paper chase gets intense; and to the man I refer to inwardly as Glove, who has an artificial hand, who purchased the beautifully illustrated The Tao Te Ching of Lao Tzu. As he was leaving, he said: "Dosvedanya." Till we meet again, sir.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Thursday, February 21, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/21 - Monkee Business & Big Bucks
RIP Peter Halsten Thorkelson, 77, aka Peter Tork. Raised in Connecticut, he hit the Greenwich Village music scene in the early sixties and befriended Stephen Stills, who was rejected for a part in The Monkees TV show. Stills recommended Tork to the producers, and the rest, as the cliché goes, is history. The series shot 58 episodes in two seasons. It was good clean fun. Although the group members were excoriated for a lack of talent, Tork actually was proficient at piano, bass and guitar. The distinctive piano opening of Day Dream Believer is his creation. The band cut six albums, four rising to number one. After he left, he stayed in the business, making seven albums with two other bands. He was, of course, part of the reunion tours. He also did some acting. There are 15 titles until his name at IMDb, which omits his appearances on the zany Uncle Floyd Show on UHF back in the day. He also contributed to several film soundtracks. He directed one episode of the TV show: Monkees Mind Their Manor, which aired in 1968. Well done, sir. Thank you. (Facts also from Wiki)
There's a lot of good stuff in today's NY Post: Jersey officials have proposed a 42% tax on an ounce of marijuana, far more than levies against beer, wine or hard liquor in the Garden State. I know the politicians' motivation is greed, but it makes one wonder if they have friends in the illegal trade that they want to keep in business. Why pay such a fee when an unlicensed dealer figures to offer the stuff for far less?... Two of the most vocal opponents of the NYC Amazon deal have been proponents of subsidies for the film, TV and theater industries, and receive donations from them. Makes one wonder if their opposition was based on not getting any cash from Bezos' behemoth. In case you're wondering, neither pol was AOC, who hasn't been around long enough to cash in on kickbacks... The latest liberal icon to suffer the wrath of the left is tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who wrote a piece for the Times of London in which she cited the unfair advantage transgenders competing as women have. She equated it to cheating... Red Billy, NYC's limousine Marxist mayor and alleged champion of the environment, has increased the city's vehicle fleet by 21% since 2013, when nanny Bloomberg ruled the roost... Uh-oh - murders in the Big Apple are up 55% so far in 2019. May it be just a blip and not a sign of a return of the bad old days... Scientists are working to infect insects with genetic mutations that may one day wipe out malaria.
Actors who land a significant role in a successful TV series have struck the mother-lode. If wise, they may be financially stable for decades, if not life. I'd bet the potential loss of that revenue stream is what motivated the guy who perpetrated the bias attack hoax. It's almost always "Follow the money."
Freshman Zion Williamson has been awesome for Duke this season. He figures to be a one and done player headed to the NBA after a single college season. Last night he suffered a knee sprain when his sneaker came apart. Yahoo Sports posted this inane headline: "Zion's Injury Could Be Bad for Nike." Boo-hoo. The company has done a lot to corrupt what is supposed to be an amateur endeavor. I was shaking my head when I read that people are debating whether Williamson should return to the lineup when his injury heals. He probably shouldn't, as he has millions coming his way, which might disappear if he is injured severely. That is the cold reality of big time sports, and also shows that major college basketball is, to a great degree, a fraud.
My thanks to the woman who bought a pictionary for her grand-daughter, and to the mom who purchased two novels in L.J. Smith's Vampire Diaries series for her daughter; and to Bad News Billy, who overcompensated me for a collector's edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; and to the woman who selected a paperback romance as I was packing up; and to the sweet elderly woman who donated a book in Russian and blew me a kiss when I alerted her of her van's arrival.
There's a lot of good stuff in today's NY Post: Jersey officials have proposed a 42% tax on an ounce of marijuana, far more than levies against beer, wine or hard liquor in the Garden State. I know the politicians' motivation is greed, but it makes one wonder if they have friends in the illegal trade that they want to keep in business. Why pay such a fee when an unlicensed dealer figures to offer the stuff for far less?... Two of the most vocal opponents of the NYC Amazon deal have been proponents of subsidies for the film, TV and theater industries, and receive donations from them. Makes one wonder if their opposition was based on not getting any cash from Bezos' behemoth. In case you're wondering, neither pol was AOC, who hasn't been around long enough to cash in on kickbacks... The latest liberal icon to suffer the wrath of the left is tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who wrote a piece for the Times of London in which she cited the unfair advantage transgenders competing as women have. She equated it to cheating... Red Billy, NYC's limousine Marxist mayor and alleged champion of the environment, has increased the city's vehicle fleet by 21% since 2013, when nanny Bloomberg ruled the roost... Uh-oh - murders in the Big Apple are up 55% so far in 2019. May it be just a blip and not a sign of a return of the bad old days... Scientists are working to infect insects with genetic mutations that may one day wipe out malaria.
Actors who land a significant role in a successful TV series have struck the mother-lode. If wise, they may be financially stable for decades, if not life. I'd bet the potential loss of that revenue stream is what motivated the guy who perpetrated the bias attack hoax. It's almost always "Follow the money."
Freshman Zion Williamson has been awesome for Duke this season. He figures to be a one and done player headed to the NBA after a single college season. Last night he suffered a knee sprain when his sneaker came apart. Yahoo Sports posted this inane headline: "Zion's Injury Could Be Bad for Nike." Boo-hoo. The company has done a lot to corrupt what is supposed to be an amateur endeavor. I was shaking my head when I read that people are debating whether Williamson should return to the lineup when his injury heals. He probably shouldn't, as he has millions coming his way, which might disappear if he is injured severely. That is the cold reality of big time sports, and also shows that major college basketball is, to a great degree, a fraud.
My thanks to the woman who bought a pictionary for her grand-daughter, and to the mom who purchased two novels in L.J. Smith's Vampire Diaries series for her daughter; and to Bad News Billy, who overcompensated me for a collector's edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; and to the woman who selected a paperback romance as I was packing up; and to the sweet elderly woman who donated a book in Russian and blew me a kiss when I alerted her of her van's arrival.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/20 - Touching Bases
RIP Dodgers legend Don Newcombe, 92. He was a mainstay on the teams of the late 40's into the mid-'50's. His career spanned 10 seasons, eight with Brooklyn. A four-time all-star, his record was 149-90, ERA 3.56. He was named Rookie of the Year in 1949, and won both the MVP and Cy Young awards in '56 when he posted 27 wins. Justin Verlander is the only other player to have won all three of those distinctions. Newc' appeared in three World Series, all against the Yanks. He did not fare well, losing all four of his starts. I vividly remember a part of Ken Burns' baseball documentary that involved a heated pennant race. It may have been 1951, when the Giants broke the hearts of Dodgers fans with the miracle of Coogan's Bluff and The Shot Heard Round the World. Newcombe was in the midst of a grueling stretch of innings pitched in the final week, and mentioned how tired he was. Jackie Robinson said: "Keep pitching until your arm falls off." Newcombe may have had an even better career if not for alcoholism. He got sober in 1966 and became active in the cause, founding a group specific to the Dodgers. Well done, sir.
Ever see shark-related products on vitamin shelves? I sniffed and rolled my eyes the first time I noticed them. Turns out the manufacturers may have been on to something good. According to the Weird But True column in today's NY Post, scientists mapping the genes of Great Whites found self-repairing DNA. They hope to use it to treat cancer. I hope they have a big enough boat.
The owners of a shop are catching flack about the name of their business:
Since it was too cold and icky for the floating book shop, I had to fill the hours devoted to it. One task involved one of my novels, Exchanges. A few months ago I noticed that new print copies were no longer available. I waited until work was finished on Inside Out before addressing the issue. I emailed Amazon asking if the book's ownership could revert back to me. I was advised to contact the publisher, WheelMan Press, which has never paid me royalties for the copies that sold online. My guess is there were 40, counting Kindles, not a lot of money, but that isn't the issue. Ownership is. I want new print copies to be available. A few days ago it occurred to me that the publisher may have passed away. He was in ill health his entire life, confined to a wheel chair. Sure enough, I found an obit and sent a link to it to Amazon. They sent me a form, which I filled out even though it didn't make sense in a few regards. I sent it back to the company about an hour ago. Here are four of the options involved. One had to be selected, although none seem to apply:
The physical product or its packaging includes unauthorized copyrighted content or images without being pirated.
The product or its packaging is pirated (wholesale copying of the copyrighted product or packaging).
The image is used without authorization on the Product Detail Page.
The text is used without authorization on the Product Detail Page.
Since none are pertinent, I went with the first. If any money from sales is going to his estate, fine. I just want print copies to be available. I'm not getting into a legal entanglement. If there were only one sale per year I'd be happy. There may be none.
Ever see shark-related products on vitamin shelves? I sniffed and rolled my eyes the first time I noticed them. Turns out the manufacturers may have been on to something good. According to the Weird But True column in today's NY Post, scientists mapping the genes of Great Whites found self-repairing DNA. They hope to use it to treat cancer. I hope they have a big enough boat.
The owners of a shop are catching flack about the name of their business:
Since it was too cold and icky for the floating book shop, I had to fill the hours devoted to it. One task involved one of my novels, Exchanges. A few months ago I noticed that new print copies were no longer available. I waited until work was finished on Inside Out before addressing the issue. I emailed Amazon asking if the book's ownership could revert back to me. I was advised to contact the publisher, WheelMan Press, which has never paid me royalties for the copies that sold online. My guess is there were 40, counting Kindles, not a lot of money, but that isn't the issue. Ownership is. I want new print copies to be available. A few days ago it occurred to me that the publisher may have passed away. He was in ill health his entire life, confined to a wheel chair. Sure enough, I found an obit and sent a link to it to Amazon. They sent me a form, which I filled out even though it didn't make sense in a few regards. I sent it back to the company about an hour ago. Here are four of the options involved. One had to be selected, although none seem to apply:
The physical product or its packaging includes unauthorized copyrighted content or images without being pirated.
The product or its packaging is pirated (wholesale copying of the copyrighted product or packaging).
The image is used without authorization on the Product Detail Page.
The text is used without authorization on the Product Detail Page.
Since none are pertinent, I went with the first. If any money from sales is going to his estate, fine. I just want print copies to be available. I'm not getting into a legal entanglement. If there were only one sale per year I'd be happy. There may be none.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/19 - Around the Horn
OMG - I owe Al Sharpton an apology! Yesterday I said he would probably come up with a Tawana Brawley-type defense regarding the actor who fabricated a bias attack against himself. The lifelong racial hustler said the guy, if lying, should have the book thrown at him. Has the rev got religion?
Kudos to CBS correspondent Lara Logan, who has spoken out against the bias of the mainstream media, which will not sit well with her peers. Here's the main quote: “I mean, you read one story or another and hear it and it’s all based on one anonymous administration official, former administration official. That’s not journalism. That’s horsehit. Sorry. That is absolute horseshit.” If she is blackballed by the MM, I hope Fox News hires her. And here she is:
A old friend sent me a private message last night on Facebook about the list of priests accused of being sex offenders. On it are Father Reilly and Father Tahaney of St. Mary's, where I went to elementary school. I don't recall the former. I'm shocked at the inclusion of the latter. I never saw any evidence or heard any rumors of it. I didn't like the way he bullied people into singing or responding to commands at masses served by his peers, so I kept my distance from him and tried to avoid him at confession, which wasn't always possible. Back then I dubbed my proclivity for masturbation as "sins of impurity." If the accusations are true, I'm surprised he never followed up, which leaves me torn between laughter and the creeps. I'm glad I was deemed too dumb to be an altar boy.
I've read that the creators of NBC's Manifest are expecting a six-year run. That tells me the plot will move at a snail's pace, and it won't hurt to skip an episode here and there.
RIP George Mendonsa, 95, whose impulsive action led to one of the greatest photos of all time:
It was a glorious winter day. I basked in the sunshine on Bay Parkway, waiting for customers to come along. My thanks to the Asian woman who donated a wheeled basket of her daughter's college books, and to Mr. Conspiracy, who dispatched his Mrs. to deliver a bag of non-fiction. That gave me plenty to do, as I incorporated the most marketable stuff into the display. My thanks also to the young man who bought Cell and Different Seasons, both by Stephen King; and to the other who purchased a huge tome on business and one public speaking; and to the elderly gentleman who selected a beautifully illustrated pictorial on Asian art; and to the guy who chose two sci-fi paperbacks. Here's a pic of the basket, which the woman allowed me to keep. It may come in handy in the hauling of the wares:
Kudos to CBS correspondent Lara Logan, who has spoken out against the bias of the mainstream media, which will not sit well with her peers. Here's the main quote: “I mean, you read one story or another and hear it and it’s all based on one anonymous administration official, former administration official. That’s not journalism. That’s horsehit. Sorry. That is absolute horseshit.” If she is blackballed by the MM, I hope Fox News hires her. And here she is:
A old friend sent me a private message last night on Facebook about the list of priests accused of being sex offenders. On it are Father Reilly and Father Tahaney of St. Mary's, where I went to elementary school. I don't recall the former. I'm shocked at the inclusion of the latter. I never saw any evidence or heard any rumors of it. I didn't like the way he bullied people into singing or responding to commands at masses served by his peers, so I kept my distance from him and tried to avoid him at confession, which wasn't always possible. Back then I dubbed my proclivity for masturbation as "sins of impurity." If the accusations are true, I'm surprised he never followed up, which leaves me torn between laughter and the creeps. I'm glad I was deemed too dumb to be an altar boy.
I've read that the creators of NBC's Manifest are expecting a six-year run. That tells me the plot will move at a snail's pace, and it won't hurt to skip an episode here and there.
RIP George Mendonsa, 95, whose impulsive action led to one of the greatest photos of all time:
It was a glorious winter day. I basked in the sunshine on Bay Parkway, waiting for customers to come along. My thanks to the Asian woman who donated a wheeled basket of her daughter's college books, and to Mr. Conspiracy, who dispatched his Mrs. to deliver a bag of non-fiction. That gave me plenty to do, as I incorporated the most marketable stuff into the display. My thanks also to the young man who bought Cell and Different Seasons, both by Stephen King; and to the other who purchased a huge tome on business and one public speaking; and to the elderly gentleman who selected a beautifully illustrated pictorial on Asian art; and to the guy who chose two sci-fi paperbacks. Here's a pic of the basket, which the woman allowed me to keep. It may come in handy in the hauling of the wares:
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Monday, February 18, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/18 - President's Day
I didn't find any of today's news stories interesting, even the case of the actor who may have fabricated a tale about a bias attack against him, who may have hired two friends to help pull it off, and the typical rush to judgment it aroused. I'm sure Al Sharpton will conjure a Tawana Brawley-type defense of the guy. And I've known about the attempted coup against President Trump for more than a year. The evidence indicates high government officials and the Clinton campaign were in a conspiracy of the self righteous. Never underestimate how low people in politics or the mainstream media, which will continue to push this story into the background,will go. Hats off to you, Mr. Trump, on President's Day.
Here are some fun facts I culled from a list of 50 at pun.me:
Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour. Writers doing it metaphorically burn nothing.
"Pencil" comes from a Latin word meaning small penis. All these years and I don't recall having ever heard this, despite the "lead in your pencil" phrase I've used occasionally myself.
It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it.
Every day more money is printed for monopoly than the U.S. Treasury. This must have been before the deficit rose to $22 trillion.
A sneeze travels more than 100 mph.
On average a human breathes about five million times a year. Don't tell obsessive-compulsives.
I once read that 70% of new businesses fail. When Amazon first started out and faced possible collapse every day, I doubt it received help from the government. Now that it's a billion dollar company headed by a mega-rich honcho, it wants tax breaks to locate its second headquarters in a city willing to provide them. While I believe corporations, who provide jobs and health care to millions of employees, have a lot of legitimate complaints about taxation, it's annoying to see any making such demands.
For the second straight day I made an error in judgment regarding the location of the floating book shop. I packed up after an hour-and-a-half and no sales, as a cold wind was whipping along Avenue Z. I had to haul the wares back and forth about 60 yards. Even though I left two large boxes in the car, it was probably dumb for a guy my age, 68, to work that hard. Every winter there are stories in the paper about poor souls suffering a heart attack while shoveling snow. I wonder if the toil I undertook is the equivalent of that. If I'd gone to Bay Parkway, I could have set the display right beside the car and sat in it if I got cold. My thanks to Cabbie, who donated a paperback thriller, and to Herbie, who stood guard while I hauled the stuff back to the old Hyundai.
Here are some fun facts I culled from a list of 50 at pun.me:
Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour. Writers doing it metaphorically burn nothing.
"Pencil" comes from a Latin word meaning small penis. All these years and I don't recall having ever heard this, despite the "lead in your pencil" phrase I've used occasionally myself.
It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it.
Every day more money is printed for monopoly than the U.S. Treasury. This must have been before the deficit rose to $22 trillion.
A sneeze travels more than 100 mph.
On average a human breathes about five million times a year. Don't tell obsessive-compulsives.
I once read that 70% of new businesses fail. When Amazon first started out and faced possible collapse every day, I doubt it received help from the government. Now that it's a billion dollar company headed by a mega-rich honcho, it wants tax breaks to locate its second headquarters in a city willing to provide them. While I believe corporations, who provide jobs and health care to millions of employees, have a lot of legitimate complaints about taxation, it's annoying to see any making such demands.
For the second straight day I made an error in judgment regarding the location of the floating book shop. I packed up after an hour-and-a-half and no sales, as a cold wind was whipping along Avenue Z. I had to haul the wares back and forth about 60 yards. Even though I left two large boxes in the car, it was probably dumb for a guy my age, 68, to work that hard. Every winter there are stories in the paper about poor souls suffering a heart attack while shoveling snow. I wonder if the toil I undertook is the equivalent of that. If I'd gone to Bay Parkway, I could have set the display right beside the car and sat in it if I got cold. My thanks to Cabbie, who donated a paperback thriller, and to Herbie, who stood guard while I hauled the stuff back to the old Hyundai.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Sunday, February 17, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/17 - Books, ATM's & Fast Food
Physical bookstores have been struggling since the emergence of the internet. According to an article in today's NY Post, an Upper West Side shop is offering customers innovative options through the use of a 3-D printer. If Shakespeare and Company does not have a book in stock, the machine will print a copy in the time it takes to make espresso, and the quality is equal to that of others on the market. The store will also print the work of those who wish to self-publish, although I'm sure authors will need a digital copy of a manuscript, not a typed one, to enable to process. As Rodney Dangerfield's character said in Back to School (1986): "Shakespeare for everybody." Kudos.
Another article in the Post reveals that ATM's have more germs than toilets or subway poles. I guess we should wear thin gloves to make transactions. "Congress is not an ATM," said Senator Robert Byrd, former Grand Dragon of the KKK. Yeah, right, nor is it filled with germs.
Most of the other items in the Post are devoted to the mess that life is currently. Richard Johnson always concludes his gossip column with an end quote. Today he gives the last word to the late Capo Mafioso Carlo Gambino, believed to be the model for Mario Puzo's The Godfather: "Judges, lawyers and politicians have a license to steal. We don't need one."
From foxnews.com, edited by yours truly: A Winnipeg A&W restaurant caught fire last week, but that didn't stop hungry Canadians, who continued to line up at the drive-thru while firefighters worked to put out the flames. This gives new meaning to: "Extra crispy." Here's the best pic I found on the event:
I forced myself to take the floating book shop to Park Slope, which always is a hassle and rarely rewards the toil involved in doing business there. My thanks to the gentleman who bought Just After Sunset, a short story collection by Stephen King.
Another article in the Post reveals that ATM's have more germs than toilets or subway poles. I guess we should wear thin gloves to make transactions. "Congress is not an ATM," said Senator Robert Byrd, former Grand Dragon of the KKK. Yeah, right, nor is it filled with germs.
Most of the other items in the Post are devoted to the mess that life is currently. Richard Johnson always concludes his gossip column with an end quote. Today he gives the last word to the late Capo Mafioso Carlo Gambino, believed to be the model for Mario Puzo's The Godfather: "Judges, lawyers and politicians have a license to steal. We don't need one."
From foxnews.com, edited by yours truly: A Winnipeg A&W restaurant caught fire last week, but that didn't stop hungry Canadians, who continued to line up at the drive-thru while firefighters worked to put out the flames. This gives new meaning to: "Extra crispy." Here's the best pic I found on the event:
I forced myself to take the floating book shop to Park Slope, which always is a hassle and rarely rewards the toil involved in doing business there. My thanks to the gentleman who bought Just After Sunset, a short story collection by Stephen King.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Saturday, February 16, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/16 - Fun Cinema, Good TV
Last night I watched a fun crime film courtesy of Netflix. Who Is Cletis Tout? (2001) stars Christian Slater as a prison escapee who assumes the identity of a dead man - a paparazzo who happens to have dirt on a mafioso. Believing his bumbling pair of hitmen killed the wrong man, the gangster hires a highly skilled assassin to set things right. That part is played against type by Tim Allen. The character is a movie fanatic who spouts quotes throughout the scenario. He easily gets the drop on his unsuspecting prey, and waits in a hotel for his fee to be transferred to his account. He realizes the guy may not be Tout and asks for a corroborating story, which leads to flashbacks. It is imaginative, light-hearted entertainment that rises above its plot holes, and features a stellar supporting cast: Richard Dreyfuss as the fellow escapee, a magician who committed a heist in which the jewels were never recovered; Portia deRossi as his daughter; the always welcome Billy Connolly as a corrupt coroner; and Rupaul as a bizarre neighbor. It was written and directed by Chris Ver Weil, who seems to have vanished from the grid. I'd recently read his only novel, Starbucks Nations, published in 2008, which I didn't like despite its stellar prose and dialogue. I wonder if he was so bummed out by the commercial failures of these endeavors that he simply gave up. Made on a budget of $9 million, the flick returned only $252,706 worldwide according to Box Office Mojo. Although it appears to have attracted a following years after its release, given its 6.4 rating at IMDb, I doubt it came close to recovering the investment made on it. It runs only 92 minutes. Cinephiles would probably get a kick out of it. There is a great original line in it involving Slater's personal history, which fit beautifully, given the cinematic references, and which fans will definitely remember and should eat up. There is some violence but it is mild compared to much of that of modern cinema and even TV. I expected a final scene of one of the characters seated at a keyboard, working on an unfinished screenplay. That would have erased the plot holes. Give it another shot, Mr. Ver Weil. You are talented. Here's a pic of four of the stars:
Channel 14-1, a PBS affiliate on over the air antennas in NYC, continues to provide top notch Euro crime dramas. The latest I've come across is The Godless, a grim though riveting anthology produced in the Netherlands. Of the four episodes I've seen, three involve a main character who goes over the edge and commits murder. The other focuses on a 16-year-old coke-head and dealer. Supposedly, they are based on actual events. I am always surprised at how gritty some of these shows are. There was no info on this one at IMDb, so I googled it. Sure enough, it's listed under its Dutch title. Users seem as impressed as I am, rating it 7.8. It shot about 30 episodes. I'm not sure if it's still in production. The ones I've seen run less than 50 minutes and there are no commercials.
The floating book shop was fast out of the gate on this glorious winter day, then hit a wall. My thanks to the young woman who bought a self help book, and to the gentleman who purchased a beautifully illustrated little prayer book; and to the guy who reminds me of Nikita Khrushchev, who found two crime novels in Russian to his liking; and to the woman who did a four-for-two swap of such fare; and to Ann, who insisted on paying for a thin recipe book I would have let her have for free.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Channel 14-1, a PBS affiliate on over the air antennas in NYC, continues to provide top notch Euro crime dramas. The latest I've come across is The Godless, a grim though riveting anthology produced in the Netherlands. Of the four episodes I've seen, three involve a main character who goes over the edge and commits murder. The other focuses on a 16-year-old coke-head and dealer. Supposedly, they are based on actual events. I am always surprised at how gritty some of these shows are. There was no info on this one at IMDb, so I googled it. Sure enough, it's listed under its Dutch title. Users seem as impressed as I am, rating it 7.8. It shot about 30 episodes. I'm not sure if it's still in production. The ones I've seen run less than 50 minutes and there are no commercials.
The floating book shop was fast out of the gate on this glorious winter day, then hit a wall. My thanks to the young woman who bought a self help book, and to the gentleman who purchased a beautifully illustrated little prayer book; and to the guy who reminds me of Nikita Khrushchev, who found two crime novels in Russian to his liking; and to the woman who did a four-for-two swap of such fare; and to Ann, who insisted on paying for a thin recipe book I would have let her have for free.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Friday, February 15, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/15 - Individuals
Here's a member of the swamp on his lunch hour:
So, is President Trump's declaration of a national emergency to fund a border wall the right move? Although emergencies have been declared many times in the past by presidents of each party, I believe he should have built the wall piecemeal until it all was done. Beware those dastardly unintended consequences. Critics argue that the next Democrat in the White House may declare a national emergency on climate change. That's scary.
According to an article in today's NY Post, the most common form of fraud is related to romance. In 2018 there were 21,000 such scams, the victims losing a total of $145 million. The median loss was $2600 per pigeon, seven times greater than other means tracked by the Federal Trade Commission. Love sick, indeed.
We all know how stupid individuals can be at times. The same goes for countries, which are comprised of people. Case in point from foxnews.com: An 81-year-old former free diver is the only resident on a tiny island in the middle of the Sea of Japan, now caught up in a heated land dispute. Her husband's former fishing partner moved there in 1965, the first official resident. The couple joined him in '91. Both men have since died, leaving the widow as the only legal inhabitant. She spends her days swimming, fishing or exercising, and has no intention of moving. Located almost equidistant between Japan and Korea, the Dokdo (Korean term) or Takeshima (Japanese) islands, are no larger Grand Central Terminal. They were annexed by Japan during WWII, which in my mind disqualifies that country from any claim on them. The house is being renovated. Here's a pic:
Also from fn.com: Here's a shout out to the old fashion work ethic of a Utah postal worker. Jack Lund, 91, has retired after 69 years on the job. He began his career in 1949 at 21. He said: "... it is what I wanted to do all my life, and I have enjoyed driving the truck..." And: "... it will be different without the responsibility of hauling the mail but I think I can handle it.” Awesome, sir. All the best.
My thanks to the kind folks who bought wares today. Yesterday, amidst a donation by local porter Robert, there were three puzzles geared to little children. One gentleman took a shot that all the pieces were in the one of Dora the Explorer. Several other people asked if the others were intact, and I was unable to guarantee that they were. It occurred to me to take them home. All the pieces are there. They go back on sale manana.
So, is President Trump's declaration of a national emergency to fund a border wall the right move? Although emergencies have been declared many times in the past by presidents of each party, I believe he should have built the wall piecemeal until it all was done. Beware those dastardly unintended consequences. Critics argue that the next Democrat in the White House may declare a national emergency on climate change. That's scary.
According to an article in today's NY Post, the most common form of fraud is related to romance. In 2018 there were 21,000 such scams, the victims losing a total of $145 million. The median loss was $2600 per pigeon, seven times greater than other means tracked by the Federal Trade Commission. Love sick, indeed.
We all know how stupid individuals can be at times. The same goes for countries, which are comprised of people. Case in point from foxnews.com: An 81-year-old former free diver is the only resident on a tiny island in the middle of the Sea of Japan, now caught up in a heated land dispute. Her husband's former fishing partner moved there in 1965, the first official resident. The couple joined him in '91. Both men have since died, leaving the widow as the only legal inhabitant. She spends her days swimming, fishing or exercising, and has no intention of moving. Located almost equidistant between Japan and Korea, the Dokdo (Korean term) or Takeshima (Japanese) islands, are no larger Grand Central Terminal. They were annexed by Japan during WWII, which in my mind disqualifies that country from any claim on them. The house is being renovated. Here's a pic:
Also from fn.com: Here's a shout out to the old fashion work ethic of a Utah postal worker. Jack Lund, 91, has retired after 69 years on the job. He began his career in 1949 at 21. He said: "... it is what I wanted to do all my life, and I have enjoyed driving the truck..." And: "... it will be different without the responsibility of hauling the mail but I think I can handle it.” Awesome, sir. All the best.
My thanks to the kind folks who bought wares today. Yesterday, amidst a donation by local porter Robert, there were three puzzles geared to little children. One gentleman took a shot that all the pieces were in the one of Dora the Explorer. Several other people asked if the others were intact, and I was unable to guarantee that they were. It occurred to me to take them home. All the pieces are there. They go back on sale manana.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Thursday, February 14, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/14 - Hits & Misses
I've had a tough time lately finding an appropriate book to read. I started several and stopped, disappointed. Others that seem interesting violate my 350 page maximum. I reluctantly picked up the second part of a 2003 trilogy, The Sorority: Merilynn by Tamara Thorne. As expected, I didn't like it. It is set at a fictional small college in California, where a centuries old bad witch masking as a student leads a sorority where "Membership Is Forever. " Merilynn is a freshman and budding good witch. The narrative's sole purpose seems to be the setting up of the final installment. Fortunately, it is a quick work, its 201 pages reading like far less, as there are many blanks along the way. The prose and dialogue are disappointing. At first I thought the novel was geared to young adults, then the sexual content began, and it's quite candid. Unfortunately, it comes up short in that department as well, and this from someone who doesn't need a lot to get him going. In this respect it pales compared to the work of Henry Miller and Anais Nin. In 2013, Thorne did what she should have in the first place, combine the three parts into a whole. I feel she and her publisher took advantage of her fans. 30 users at Amazon have rated Merilynn, forging to a consensus of three on a scale of five. Twelve rated it five, nine rated it one. I side with the latter. Born in L.A. in 1957, Thorne has has at least 20 books published, including a non-fiction on ghost-hunting.
RIP Mars land rover Opportunity, 15. When first launched it was expected to last three months. Its greatest discovery was finding evidence that water may have once flowed on the Red Planet and that there may have been microbial life. Of course, it's open to debate whether the expenditure was worth it. I believe it was. Man's thirst for knowledge should always be encouraged.
I'm against giving a billion dollar corporation a huge tax break to move to settle in a prime location, so I'm not unhappy that Amazon has pulled out of its deal with New York. But what if the state continues to lose population to tax friendly states? This year the Empire State had a $2.3 billion shortfall. Will it be even greater in the future, and would Amazon's presence have helped close the gap? Will taxes have to be even higher to cover the outlays to government workers' pensions and health care, which are protected by law? Hopefully an economic boom will make the argument moot.
My thanks to Ira, who bought the massive pictorial Places to Go, People to see, and to the woman who purchased five kids' books; and to local porter Rob, who donated a cache of non-fiction, most of it self help and spiritual; and to Wolf, whom I hadn't seen in months, who selected a blend of Russian and English, including two books on Einstein that Rob had brought. After several operations on his back, Wolf's walking with a cane. He may also need pulmonary work. Through it all he remains a paragon of exemplary behavior.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/13 - Cupid & More
There's a lot of interesting stuff in today's NY Post. An article suggests that eating dessert first may be a better diet strategy. The thinking is that by beginning with something indulgent the mind will resist overeating in ensuing courses. I've done it while waiting for a microwave meal to cool, but I doubt adopting such a strategy would make a real difference in anyone's life... Proving the old adage that no good deed goes unpunished, the incredible philanthropy of Bill and Melinda Gates is being questioned. Their donations to their own foundation are tax exempt and they have full control of how the money is spent. This rankles critics, who probably believe government can distribute the funds better. Yeah, right... The USA has its highest level of job openings since the figure was first tracked in 2000... AOC will be disappointed to learn that Boeing expects record sales of its planes in 2019... Years ago a Colorado man dived into the shallow end of a pool and suffered a head injury. He began to see music and became a borderline piano virtuoso. There's a term for such happenstance: Acquired Savant Syndrome. Note the ironic acronym... A man has become known as The Cupid of Chaos. He has at least four wives in different states, two of whom he fleeced, one of them developmentally disabled. Among the charges against him: bigamy, domestic violence, violation of a protection order, DUI and driving without a valid license. Here is the paragon of masculinity, the dream of every lonely woman on Valentine's Day. This blog is not responsible for any swooning that leads to injury among the fairer sex:
And here's a great cartoon by Mike Lukovich:
And here's something else that will disappoint AOC - demonstrators in Venezuela calling for the resignation of socialist President Maduro.
Only one customer graced the floating book shop on this blustery day. My thanks to the woman who bought a novel in Russian and who looked through every other book, including those in English, in the display.
And here's a great cartoon by Mike Lukovich:
And here's something else that will disappoint AOC - demonstrators in Venezuela calling for the resignation of socialist President Maduro.
Only one customer graced the floating book shop on this blustery day. My thanks to the woman who bought a novel in Russian and who looked through every other book, including those in English, in the display.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/12 - Wintry Mix
Bobby Jensen fronts Kiss cover band Hairball. He proved a real trouper last night at a gig in Sioux City, Iowa. A spark from a pyrotechnic display set his hair on fire - and he kept playing while roadies doused the flames. Clearly, he believes in that old adage: "The show must go on." Here's a pic, followed by a link to a video of the incident:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=1RVokmGzNqc
Kudos to Oklahoma City wunderkind Russell Westbrook, who recorded his tenth straight triple double last night, breaking a long-standing record held by Wilt Chamberlain, who retired in 1973.
At 48, it seemed Phil Mickelson's days as a contender in majors was past. After winning the weather-delayed Pebble Beach Pro-Am yesterday, Lefty is back in the mix. Kudos.
Last night Movies!, channel 5-2 on over the air antennas in NYC, ran the 2002 version of The Time Machine, starring Guy Pearce. It was so enjoyable I forgot about tuning in to Manifest at ten. As expected the special effects were superb, especially the rendering of the Morlocks. It was directed by Simon Wells, great grandson of the H.G. Wells, who wrote the classic novel on which the film is based. So is it better than the 1960 version starring Rod Taylor, which I loved as a kid? Since I haven't seen that one in ages, it wouldn't be fair to render an opinion. Here's what users at IMDb think: the first is rated 7.6 on a scale of ten, the second 5.9. That rating shouldn't deter anyone from watching the latter. Here's Pierce in character in his contraption:
Although the wintry mix put the kibosh on the floating book shop, there was activity. While on my morning walk I spotted yellow out of the corner of my eye, despite the sparse light. I recognized the covers of novels in Russian. There were about 50 hardcovers in a large plastic bag. I slung it over my shoulder like Santa Claus and carried it four blocks to the old Hyundai. It wasn't easy, but it will be worth it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=1RVokmGzNqc
Kudos to Oklahoma City wunderkind Russell Westbrook, who recorded his tenth straight triple double last night, breaking a long-standing record held by Wilt Chamberlain, who retired in 1973.
At 48, it seemed Phil Mickelson's days as a contender in majors was past. After winning the weather-delayed Pebble Beach Pro-Am yesterday, Lefty is back in the mix. Kudos.
Last night Movies!, channel 5-2 on over the air antennas in NYC, ran the 2002 version of The Time Machine, starring Guy Pearce. It was so enjoyable I forgot about tuning in to Manifest at ten. As expected the special effects were superb, especially the rendering of the Morlocks. It was directed by Simon Wells, great grandson of the H.G. Wells, who wrote the classic novel on which the film is based. So is it better than the 1960 version starring Rod Taylor, which I loved as a kid? Since I haven't seen that one in ages, it wouldn't be fair to render an opinion. Here's what users at IMDb think: the first is rated 7.6 on a scale of ten, the second 5.9. That rating shouldn't deter anyone from watching the latter. Here's Pierce in character in his contraption:
Although the wintry mix put the kibosh on the floating book shop, there was activity. While on my morning walk I spotted yellow out of the corner of my eye, despite the sparse light. I recognized the covers of novels in Russian. There were about 50 hardcovers in a large plastic bag. I slung it over my shoulder like Santa Claus and carried it four blocks to the old Hyundai. It wasn't easy, but it will be worth it.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Monday, February 11, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/11 - Rebel, Rebel
"Rebel Rebel, how could they know?" - David Bowie.
I haven't watched the Grammy's, or any other awards show, in ages. I find them to be colossal bores. Besides, I'm largely out of touch with modern music. I'm not knocking it. I just don't know much about it. I'm sure I would love today's hits if I were young. While perusing foxnews.com this morning for fodder for the blog, I was stunned by pictures of two young singers who attended last night's bash in attire that showed support of President Trump. Joy Villa and Ricky Rebel, native Californians, have significant careers going in what seems, in my research, second tier pop status. That isn't criticism. It's quite an accomplishment to get that far. Rebel, 38, born Godinez, bisexual, has been in the limelight since 1996, first as the frontman for groups Authority and Harlow, now as a solo artist. He has cut five albums under his stage name. Villa, 32, has been at it since 2001. She has cut an EP and numerous singles. She credits Scientology with helping her succeed. Are they true MAGA-ists or merely publicity starved? It seems their support is genuine. I don't know if they caught any guff from their peers at the event, but their social media feeds have attracted a lot of negative attention. I wonder if they subscribe to the theory attributed to P.T. Barnum that "There is no such thing as bad publicity." I hate when artists flout their political views, but this was so surprising I decided to share. Here is Rebel:
And here is Villa:
And here is Villa's Vagabonds video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEVrGRcSoaY
And now Rebel's If You Were My Baby:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbO514Z7-YM
Things didn't look good for the floating book shop today. Since it was overcast, I expected to spend a lot of time in the car, out of the cold. The absence of wind made a big difference. I was able to hack more than two hours outdoors. As I was setting up the display, I noticed that someone had left a present - a puddle of vomit. Since the two cars parked behind me were taking up four spots, I had nowhere else to go. The last boxes ended about five feet from the puke. I was sure potential customers would be turned off by the sight and smell. The wares were also several more feet from the curb than usual, as I had to work beyond a square of dirt, so I was worried about blocking the flow of sidewalk traffic. Fortunately, it worked out nicely despite the impediments. My thanks to the woman who bought a cook book, an instructional on building country furniture, and six kids' books; and to the woman who purchased three paperbacks in Russian; and to the one who selected a hardcover in that language; and to the sweet elderly woman who brought me one of Chase's lollipops. Not bad for a session where I'd expected zero returns.
I haven't watched the Grammy's, or any other awards show, in ages. I find them to be colossal bores. Besides, I'm largely out of touch with modern music. I'm not knocking it. I just don't know much about it. I'm sure I would love today's hits if I were young. While perusing foxnews.com this morning for fodder for the blog, I was stunned by pictures of two young singers who attended last night's bash in attire that showed support of President Trump. Joy Villa and Ricky Rebel, native Californians, have significant careers going in what seems, in my research, second tier pop status. That isn't criticism. It's quite an accomplishment to get that far. Rebel, 38, born Godinez, bisexual, has been in the limelight since 1996, first as the frontman for groups Authority and Harlow, now as a solo artist. He has cut five albums under his stage name. Villa, 32, has been at it since 2001. She has cut an EP and numerous singles. She credits Scientology with helping her succeed. Are they true MAGA-ists or merely publicity starved? It seems their support is genuine. I don't know if they caught any guff from their peers at the event, but their social media feeds have attracted a lot of negative attention. I wonder if they subscribe to the theory attributed to P.T. Barnum that "There is no such thing as bad publicity." I hate when artists flout their political views, but this was so surprising I decided to share. Here is Rebel:
And here is Villa:
And here is Villa's Vagabonds video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEVrGRcSoaY
And now Rebel's If You Were My Baby:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbO514Z7-YM
Things didn't look good for the floating book shop today. Since it was overcast, I expected to spend a lot of time in the car, out of the cold. The absence of wind made a big difference. I was able to hack more than two hours outdoors. As I was setting up the display, I noticed that someone had left a present - a puddle of vomit. Since the two cars parked behind me were taking up four spots, I had nowhere else to go. The last boxes ended about five feet from the puke. I was sure potential customers would be turned off by the sight and smell. The wares were also several more feet from the curb than usual, as I had to work beyond a square of dirt, so I was worried about blocking the flow of sidewalk traffic. Fortunately, it worked out nicely despite the impediments. My thanks to the woman who bought a cook book, an instructional on building country furniture, and six kids' books; and to the woman who purchased three paperbacks in Russian; and to the one who selected a hardcover in that language; and to the sweet elderly woman who brought me one of Chase's lollipops. Not bad for a session where I'd expected zero returns.
My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE
Read Vic's Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza
Sunday, February 10, 2019
The Writer's Life 2/10 - Albert & Other Princes
RIP Albert Finney, 82, consummate actor proficient in the classics and diverse roles ranging from Hercule Poirot to Daddy Warbucks. The son of a bookie, he won a scholarship to the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and went on to become a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Like so many Brits, he segued to film and had quite a run, garnering five Oscars nominations along the way. IMDb lists 65 titles under his name, which includes at least five mini-series. He also worked as a producer and directed two movies, one for TV. His final big screen appearance was in Skyfall (2012), where he played the shotgun-wielding caretaker of the James Bond family estate. He had the flick's best line, uttered after he'd dispatched a bad guy: "Welcome to Scotland." Down to earth, he refused knighthood. Here's a partial quote attributed to him: "I think the Sir thing slightly perpetuates one of our diseases in England, which is snobbery." Who else could have gotten away with calling the beloved Audrey Hepburn a bitch on screen, in Two for the Road (1967). Well done, sir. Thank you. Here's a still from Tom Jones (1963), the role that made him an international star:
Last night CoziTV aired another episode of Columbo with which I was only vaguely familiar. It was actually a TV movie, Ransom for a Dead Man, first aired in March 1971, before the series began in the fall. IMDb lists it as Episode 0. The character was almost perfected. The plot involves the cat and mouse game played with a lawyer who killed her much older husband. Lee Grant is, as usual, excellent, as the killer. The story was by the show's creators, Levinson and Link, the teleplay by Dean Hargrove, with Gene Thompson also receiving credit. I don't know which one of those came up with the great line the disheveled detective delivered to his prey in explaining how he'd finally bagged her: "No conscience limits your imagination." He dubbed it her "weakness." He'd counted on her believing that in crunch time everyone acts as avariciously as she. Here are the dynamic duo in character:
My thanks to the sweet elderly woman who donated two hardcover tomes in Russian, and to the young man who bought them; and to the middle age woman who selected three paperbacks in Russian; and to Sasha and her grandma, who purchased Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. Sasha, 13, fished out four quarters from an aspirin bottle with a wide mouth.
Last night CoziTV aired another episode of Columbo with which I was only vaguely familiar. It was actually a TV movie, Ransom for a Dead Man, first aired in March 1971, before the series began in the fall. IMDb lists it as Episode 0. The character was almost perfected. The plot involves the cat and mouse game played with a lawyer who killed her much older husband. Lee Grant is, as usual, excellent, as the killer. The story was by the show's creators, Levinson and Link, the teleplay by Dean Hargrove, with Gene Thompson also receiving credit. I don't know which one of those came up with the great line the disheveled detective delivered to his prey in explaining how he'd finally bagged her: "No conscience limits your imagination." He dubbed it her "weakness." He'd counted on her believing that in crunch time everyone acts as avariciously as she. Here are the dynamic duo in character:
My thanks to the sweet elderly woman who donated two hardcover tomes in Russian, and to the young man who bought them; and to the middle age woman who selected three paperbacks in Russian; and to Sasha and her grandma, who purchased Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. Sasha, 13, fished out four quarters from an aspirin bottle with a wide mouth.
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