The past two days have been disappointing for the floating book shop, no sales yesterday, only one today, and I almost didn't get that one. A woman doubled back, spotting an intellectual philosophical debate between two scholars. I was surprised, as she usually buys the most commercial books, the first she bought being something by Joy Behar. Anyway, I was grateful. I'm not carrying any Russians right now, so that doesn't help matters, but several of my regulars are MIA. I hope it's not a sign that the economy is going backward. Everyone who earns a paycheck has seen a two percent rise in taxes, and anyone who drives has seen a ridiculous rise in gasoline prices the past month. And then there is the fear-mongering of politicians regarding the automatic spending cuts due to kick in soon, which amount to less than three percent. Have we become so pathetic as to be unable to withstand so small a reduction? Sadly, many Americans have. Prediction: There will be an eleventh hour "solution" that kicks the can down the road, which always seem to be the case. Politicians are praying for an economic miracle such as the internet and real estate booms that increased revenues astronomically in the past and took away all their sins. Prediction: it won't come from the green sector.
The day wasn't a total loss, as I got to visit with several of my regular customers and well-wishers. The post-Sandy work on Gene's house is coming along. Still, it will not be finished until the end of April. Steve, the poet laureate of Sheepshead Bay, is feeling much better after a bout with pneumonia. He was on his way to lunch with mom. Viktor the Ukrainian shook my hand as he was off to another visit to a doctor. Political Man called for a ban on assault weapons, then segued to his real passion, pre-80's music. He has ordered even more CDs: Stephen Stills, Dave Edmunds. Ol' Smoky, on his way to the library, stayed only a few minutes, which was actually a relief. The highlight of the day was a rare visit from Lowwwra, a lovely Romanian who could pass for a teenager, although she has a twelve-year-old son. I got a much needed hug from her. Unfortunately, she was in a hurry, having neglected to bring money for shopping, so I didn't have time to ask if she was still trying to get into medical school. She'd just taken an exam. I miss Marie and Miss Eclectic.
I copied the following excerpt from the Fox News website: "...recent studies show the Obama administration has not enforced
many gun laws already on books -- with gun crime prosecutions hitting a
decade low in 2011, down 40 percent from their peak under President
George W. Bush in 2004, according to federal data crunched by Syracuse
University...." Current gun laws remain largely ignored. What makes anyone think new ones won't be? Yet the tiresome rhetoric continues. There may be a reason the laws are not enforced, an ugly one leaders are loath to face -- there might be even more young black males in jail. The best way to reduce the number of illegal guns, it would seem, would be mandatory incarceration for anyone caught with one. One problem -- there might not be enough room in prisons to house the added inmates. Another problem -- the likes of Sharpton and Jackson would likely fight such a law bitterly.
Visit Vic's sites:
Vic's Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
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