Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/31 - Boo!

On Halloween our thoughts turn to Hollywood horror. Here’s a haunting quiz on cinema dialogue. Guess which tale of terror each line is from. Anyone who fails to score 50% will be visited by the ghosts of the deceased directors at the stroke of midnight. Degree of difficulty will be in parentheses. Answers follow. No peeking -- you’re being watched.

1. “What’s the boogie man?” (1)
2. “It’s alive! It’s alive!” (1)
3. “Even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers by night can become….” (2)
4. “You are very wise, Professor Van Helsing - too wise to live.” (1)
5. “Dimi, why you do this to me, Dimi?” (8)
6. “I’m the monster’s mother!” (9)
7. “I see dead people.” (1)
8. “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” (2)
9. “Watch the skies!” (8)
10. “They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next!” (3)
11. “The Eighth Wonder of the World.” (2)
12. “This is the freshest body we could come across save from killing one ourselves…We can bring him back to life.” (9)

A couple of years ago I said David Ortiz appeared through. Shows what I know. All he did in the World Series was bat a phenomenal .688 and win the MVP. Kudos. And thank you Sox for stickin' it to Yankees fans.

Politicians bore me to tears, but once in a while one comes up with a good line. One of the stipulations of ObamaCare is that even single males must have maternity coverage. During yesterday's testimony before Congress, the program's designer, Kathleen Sebelius, was asked by Representative Renee Ellmers (R-NC): "To the best of your knowledge, has a man ever given birth to a baby?" Atta girl.




I can't really say that luck finally ran out for the floating book shop because I earned a few dollars despite the session being shortened by rain. My thanks to the people who bought, especially those who approached while I was packing up.

1. Halloween (1978) directed by John Carpenter
2. Frankenstein (1931) James Whale
3. The Wolfman (1942) George Waggner
4. Dracula (1931) Tod Browning
5. The Exorcist (1973) William Freidkin
6. Alien Resurrection (1997) Jean-Pierre Jeunet
7. The Sixth Sense (1999) M. Night Shyamalan
8. The Shining (1980) Stanley Kubrick
9. The Thing (from Another World) (1951) Christian Nyby
10. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) Don Siegel
11. King Kong (1933) Merian C. Cooper & Ernest B. Schoedsack
12. Re-Animator (1985) Stewart Gordon
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/30 - Manicure

In a bit of shameless self promotion anyone could see through, I do a number of tweets each day at Twitter. Some are automatic ads of my books. I usually begin with a quote. I found a beauty attributed to Aesop this morning at a site called Brainy Quote: "After all is said and done, more is said than done." Not only meaningful, it is witty, clear and brief, a perfect example of what a writer hopes to accomplish.

It’s Halloween week and Cozi-TV, channel 109 on Cablevision in NYC, and This-TV, 111, are running horrors flicks in prime time. Unfortunately, the films are interrupted by commercials, but since the stations are positioned back to back in my minimal package, it is easy to surf back and forth between them, although they are sometimes running ads at the same time. Cozi seems to have more ads. Last night I hopped between John Carpenter’s The Fog (1980) and Jaws 2 (1978). It killed time until ten, when Person of Interest aired. Although it is a silly show, and getting sillier, I looked forward to the night’s episode, as Root returned to create her special brand of mayhem. She was in the final scene last week, setting the stage by rendering Samantha, played by Sarah Shahi, unconscious. Amy Acker, a veteran of TV, is wonderful in the part, at once alluring and lethal. I’m not sure how the character should be dubbed -- sociopath? Psychopath? As I understand it, the former is not a killer, so I guess Root is the latter. Whatever -- she brings great fun to the series. Here is a pic of the lovely Miss Acker:

After two days of nice sales, it looked like luck had run out for the floating book shop. Then a young man came along, spotted the block I'd made of the Stephen King hardcovers Dave donated yesterday, checked his phone to see if any were in the recent order he'd placed at Amazon, went to the ATM in a deli across the street, and returned and bought five of them. Thank you, sir, and to the others who bought, donated and traded during the session.
There is a nail salon about 60 yards from where I set up shop. For the first time I could smell the polish periodically throughout the session. Which brings me to the highlight of the day. A beautiful little girl of three or so says hi to me each time she passes with her dad, who occasionally buys a book. Today she held up her hands to show that her nails had been polished. "Manicure," she said in a Russian accent. My head flew back as I laughed.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/29 - Dreamer

I had another fascinating, vivid dream last night. I was out of bed at 4:25, writing down the details. I'd fallen asleep before Castle and Beckett solved the murder, way too early, which was another reason for my early rise. I watched the last 15 minutes of the episode online this morning. In the dream I was walking in a huge field. Ahead, a bit left, stood a woman at home plate of a softball diamond. I stopped at second base and pitched to her, firing a hard, sweeping curve not unlike those the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright was throwing to the Red Sox last night. The woman in the batter’s box was dazzled. I know exactly what triggered this aspect besides the World Series game, which I landed at several times while channel surfing. Ronnie, a former Silver futures trader at the Exchange, posts pictures of his daughter in uniform on his Facebook page. His team once faced the legendary Eddie Feigner, better known as the King and His Court, a four-man unit that barnstormed the country. Feigner was darn near unhittable. Even great major-leaguers couldn’t touch him. At one point in a game he would pitch from second base - blindfolded. The opposition still couldn't touch him. Ronnie actually got a hit off him, dribbling a grounder into the vast space between the three fielders in fair territory. Back to the dream. The woman retrieved the ball and heaved it. Instead of coming at me, it flew way to my right. At first I thought this was a coded message telling me to turn away from the inanity of the writer’s life. More likely, it reflects my belief that the country and NYC need to drastically veer from fiscal insanity, move right. Someone posted a thought yesterday on FB that it would have been infinitely cheaper to give the 30 million families without health care a million dollars each. Sadly, it makes perfect sense. The ObamaCare website alone cost 600 million.

It was another lucky day for the floating book shop. Yesterday, a young woman stopped and asked the prices of the books. Today she returned with a young man I recognized as having worked on the trading floor in the last few years of my tenure. Stephen and Jen wound up buying Exchanges. My thanks, and to Dave, who donated about ten Stephen King hardcovers, and to the other buyers. I also had a visit from Ol' Smokey. He asked if I had a bag big enough to fit the two he was carrying. When he saw the one I offered had the Marshall's logo, he declined, as any day he is expecting to be evicted from his apartment by a Marshall.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/28 - Lucky

Some days you just get lucky. I brought 10 fresh books in Russian out to the floating book shop, five in hardcover, five in soft. One of the paperbacks featured a single word in English that jumped out at me. It had a racy cover of a beautiful woman and seemed to be inspired by Ian Fleming's 007 series, in this case 00-Sex. Sure enough a gentleman bought it and a hardcover thriller. The other four hardcovers had a fancy script that seemed Arabic. I asked one of my regular customers, a woman wheeling a stroller who again bought a book, if it was Russian, and she said yes. I wondered if they were volumes of the 1001 Arabian Nights. I guessed correctly. Mikhail, who has purchased so many books from me, bought them hoping his granddaughter would read them someday. His eyes were glazed as he said it. My guess is she won't appreciate them until she is an adult, just as I'd failed to realize how courageous my parents had been in emigrating to America until I was in my late 30's. Herbie visited complaining about the lack of heat in his apartment, and left with a romance novel to keep him warm. A woman bought an eclectic mix: books on the Declaration of Independence, a fat flush, Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, and an English-Spanish dictionary. And Cathy, who has a special needs cat, gave me her phone number in case I hear of anyone looking for a roommate, which probably prompted her to buy Catherine Coulter's FBI thriller, Tailspin. And what would a session be without visits from the outspoken Political Man and Mountain Man. As we conversed, Political Man said to anyone who passed: "Tax the rich." Although we couldn't be more apart politically, we will both vote for Joe Lhota for mayor of NYC. Lhota is more Libertarian than Republican, liberal socially, conservative fiscally. PM and I agree that the city may revert to the lawlessness of the pre-Giuliani days under Bill DeBlasio. I also hope Lhota will bring some sanity to government spending. Mountain Man, a retired postal employee, is disgruntled with all politicians. He stopped and asked if I knew why a Canadian firm was given the contract to set up the ObamaCare website. One of its executives was a college classmate of the first lady. MM walked away, as always, outraged. My thanks to everyone who made this a wonderful day, especially mother nature. And the best thing about it was scoring the most favorable parking spot. I have to haul the crates only 20-30 feet rather than a hundred yards, and I don't have to deal with the alternate side regulation until after Thursday's session. Herbie held the fort while I scrambled to move the car.  
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
 

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/27 - Champs

Mike Tyson is one of the most fascinating -- and scary -- figures of pop culture of all-time. From humble beginnings he rose to heavyweight boxing champion, then threw it all away on bad and self destructive behavior. He continues to fight his demons. His memoir, Undisputed Truth, will soon be released. He is profiled by Maureen Callahan in today’s NY Post. The article contains this gem of a quote: “You could be in hell and happy there. Some people thrive in misery. You take away their misery and bring them into the into the light and they die emotionally and spiritually because pain and suffering has been their only comfort. The thought of someone loving them and helping them without wanting anything in return could never enter their minds.” According to the account, the ex-champ is well-read, which I’d heard before. He claims to have broken down in tears upon first hearing French chanteuse Edith Piaf, who came from a similar background. He is a figure of biblical proportions. The article is available online: http://nypost.com/2013/10/27/mike-tyson-reveals-drug-and-sex-addictions-in-new-memoir/

Also in the Post -- a fun article on the madcap world of pro wrestling, culled from a forthcoming book by David Shoemaker, The Squared Circle: Life, Death and Professional Wrestling. If you laughed at the antics of Andre the Giant, Lou Albano, Randy Macho Man Savage, Hulk Hogan, the Fabulous Moolah and Bruiser Brody, this is for you:  http://nypost.com/2013/10/27/true-stories-from-the-fake-world-of-pro-wrestling/ I’d always wondered what happened to Wendi Ricther, why she’d vanished from the WWF overnight after being so heavily promoted during Cyndi Lauper’s tenure. Now I know, and I'm not surprised, given Vince McMahon's history.

RIP Lou Reed, 71, who has passed of as yet an undisclosed cause. He had a liver transplant in the past few years. His original band, the Velvet Underground, a flop commercially, remains influential to this day. He was more successful as a solo artist. His Walk on the Wild Side makes every published list of the greatest rock songs of all time.

I'd hoped to avoid taking the floating book shop back to Bay Parkway today, but there were no parking spaces available in the other two places I scouted, and I didn't have the patience to wait for one to open up. My thanks to the gentleman and his son who purchased three large hardcover mysteries.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/26 - Rock Quiz

On those days when I don't find anything interesting to blog about, I post an excerpt. I decided to do something a little different today. The next novel I will submit for publication is an almost 200,000 word rock n roll epic, Rising Star, the history of a band by that name. Each chapter begins with a quote from a song. I'm going to list the first ten. Guess the artist and title. Several contain the title in the quote, so that aspect shouldn't be too tough. The degree of difficulty will be in parentheses following each. The answer key will be below.
1. "...I know it's only rock 'n roll, but I like it...." (1)
2. "...I'm so tired of losin', but I still play the game...." (9)
3. "...Skating away on the thin ice of a new day...." (5)
4. "...Whole lotta love...." (1)
5. "...will they try to break my balls....?" (8)
6. "...White light gonna drive me out of my mind...." (8)
7. "...Who are you?" (1)
8. "...It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive...." (5)
9. "...You can't get romantic on the subway line...." (9)
10. "...Pump it up - 'though you don't really need it...." (8)

It looked like it would be a disappointing day at the floating book shop until Renee came along and bought Close to the Edge, ending a three-week drought in the sale of my own books. My thanks, and to Jack of Chase, who bought a thriller and returned two, and to the elderly Russian gentleman who donated five paperbacks.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

1. Rolling Stones
2. Doobie Brothers, Wheels of Fortune
3. Jethro Tull
4. Led Zeppelin
5. Pink Floyd, Mother
6. Velvet Underground, White Light, White Heat
7. Who
8. Bruce Springsteen, Badlands
9. Van Halen, Everybody Wants Some
10. Elvis Costello
A pat on the back to anyone who got all ten.

Selling my Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/25 - Clouds & Sun

Rich Lowry’s op-ed piece in today’s NY Post runs under the headline: Now She Tells Us. It refers to Health and Human Services head Kathleen Sebelius, who told the Wall Street Journal that it was not possible to get the ObamaCare website working properly in a mere three-and-a-half years, that it needed five to construct and another for testing. She also told the contractors, who earned 600 million, “to bring their A-Team to the table,” which had Lowry wondering why the B or C team had been used at such a fee. On his radio show on WOR-AM yesterday, Mark Simone said he believes the site could have been set up for five million. Someone asked why those who did Amazon’s site weren’t used. So far, the Affordable Care Act looks like a disaster. More people are being let go by their insurers than are being signed up. Democrats up for re-election next year are nervous, as they're liable to bear the brunt of any backlash. Some have even suggested a delay. Recently, Ted Cruz was dubbed a Tea Party extremist for fighting for that very thing. Question -- wouldn’t it have been cheaper and better to allow everyone to be eligible for Medicaid? As a conservative I’m disappointed by the country's tilt toward Socialism. As an American I want it to proceed as smoothly and painlessly as possible. That's not happening. What would be the harm in delaying it and allowing the uninsured to use Medicaid until ObamaCare is ready for prime time?

In the Post’s Weird But True section, there is fascinating news out of a small town in Norway that sits in a deep valley. From September to March it had always been overcast, gloomy there. Now giant mirrors have been positioned on mountains to reflect the sun into the area. Kudos for creative thinking, but I can’t help but wonder if any of those dastardly unintended consequences will arise. I hope not. Whenever I return to the apartment in mid-afternoon and the sun is shining brilliantly through the blinds, I can feel my spirits lift.

RIP Bill Mazur, the Maven, 93, long time sports television reporter in NYC, co-host of Sports Extra back in the day when highlights were not as readily available as now. Thank you, sir. 

Conditions weren't quite as bad as yesterday for the floating book shop, but not easy, either. My thanks to Alan, who bought a thriller, to the two women who purchased several books in Russian; to the couple who donated about 20 VHS films, several in Russian; and to Dave, a chef at a Manhattan hotel, who donated best sellers in both soft and hardcover.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/24 - White & Black

Although I hate winter, I enjoy films that feature snowy landscapes. Into the White (2012), a Norwegian-Swedish production, which I viewed last night courtesy of Netflix, fits the bill. The story is familiar. During WWII, British and German pilots whose planes have been shot down are stranded at a remote cabin and must cooperate to survive the harsh conditions. It is based on true events, although names have been changed. Usually, I’m skeptical of such a claim, but this tale is so grounded as to be believable. The fate of the pilots after their rescue is related in script before the closing credits. The film’s best attributes are the cinematography and acting. I was not familiar with any member of the cast, although Rupert Grint, who plays a cocky tail gunner, appeared in all the Harry Potter films. Suspense is generated regarding which, if any, of the men will not survive. There is only one aspect I didn’t like, although it is likely to occur in real life conversation despite its shoddy logic. When the Nazism is condemned by the British Captain, the German officer responds that England has been just as guilty of the sins of conquerors. At the most basic level, this is true. However, the Brits advanced civilization, while the Nazis did their best to destroy qualities of which they didn’t approve, and they succeeded to a large degree before they were stopped by the allied forces, of which Great Britain was a significant part. On a scale of five, I rate Into the White three. It is rated 6.9 of ten at IMDb.

Today I celebrate the publication of a friend's work. Carlos was a co-worker of mine at NYMEX. One day I saw him writing in a notebook. He said he had filled dozens with his poetry. I suggested he participate in open mic calls. At the time, the thought intimidated him. He is now a polished veterans of live presentations and even landed a first place prize for one of them. He still writes, frequently posting his work on Facebook under the moniker WrittenInPain. He has put all of it together on Kindle ($3), and it is now available to the public:

Check it out here: http://www.amazon.com/Conversations-With-Myself-ebook/dp/B00G3U5MHM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382647208&sr=1-1&keywords=writteninpain

It was not the most conducive weather for outdoor book sales today. If not for the intermittent sunshine, I would have packed up a lot earlier than usual. The wind was stiff and icy. I dared not let down the hood of my jacket. My thanks to the woman who bought two thrillers in Russian.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/23 - Heroes & Frauds

Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians was the first pro athlete to enlist after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served in the Navy. In his later years, when asked which was the most important game he’d ever won, he said: “World War Two.” An award is now given in his name: The Bob Feller Act of Valor Award. The first recipient is fellow Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, who also served in the Navy during WWII. As an 18-year-old, he was part of the crew of a small boat that preceded the main D-Day invasion. Its mission was to draw enemy fire so that ships could plot the location of the guns that would fire on the landing forces. The loveable Yankees legend has become even more so.

According to Rep. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, in an article at foxnews.com, since 2008 the food stamp program’s budget has grown from 34 to 74 billion. Some people are abusing the government's largesse, selling the debit cards at a discount at Craig’s List and EBay. Months ago it was reported that food intended for the poor was being shipped overseas by recipients. Liberals shrug at the massive fraud being perpetrated as the inevitable consequence of a necessary good deed. Anyone who tries to play by the rules and lead a decent life must feel like a sap.

The rain again missed us, so I won't complain about the floating book shop's small return on a day when I'd expected to be stuck indoors. My thanks to the young mom who bought a book in Russian, and to the woman who came off the bus to snag a couple of paperback fantasies. It was bone chillingly raw, a preview of winter.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/22 - Dating

I was really lucky today. I finished my morning assignment earlier than expected and had a chance to sell some books. My thanks to those who bought, especially the woman who purchased January Valentine's Head over Wheels.

I finished the second re-formatting of the screenplay A Truth Universally Acknowledged. For some reason it didn't take entirely the first time. It is a modern romcom based on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice -- might as well steal from the best. It also owes a lot to the films of Tracy and Hepburn. In it, an Ivy league educated magazine writer is romanced by a GED gold futures trader. I will proofread it at least once more before offering it on Kindle. It is set in the mid 90's, when the Commodity Exchange was located at 4 World Trade. Here's a brief excerpt of when the couple has begun dating:
Kate and Joe seated at the ballpark in box seats facing first base. The runner at first is
picked off, ending the inning. Kate jumps to her feet to protest.
Kate:
Balk! That was a balk!
The umpire looks at her, smirks.
Kate:
Yeah, I'm talking to you, tubby. He didn't come to a full stop.
She pantomimes. Joe flushes, at once embarrassed and amused.
Umpire:
Lighten up, lady.
Kate:
Don't tell me to lighten up. Learn your job. Read the rule book.
Fans around her laugh. The umpire holds up his right hand parallel to the ground,
fingers together.
Umpire:
Read between the lines.
The music track drowns out her expletives. Joe laughs.
Kate and Joe exit a movie theater in the Village, where a foreign film is playing. Kate is animated. Joe feigns a big yawn.
Kate and Joe exit a theater where an action film is playing. This time Joe is animated. 
Kate points an index finger toward her mouth as if she's about to gag.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/21 - Krescendo

Last night my sister, two of her daughters, my godmother, and I dined at Krescendo on Atlantic Avenue, not far from downtown Brooklyn. The restaurant is owned by my godmother’s youngest of four children, Nancy, who received culinary training in Naples. The place specializes in pizza. We enjoyed two types: the New Yorker, which is classic NY style with sausage and pepperoni, and the Finocchio Flower Power, which won first prize at the Caputo Cup World Pizza Championship. Both were delicious. I was skeptical before we tasted it, as I’d always been disappointed by specialty pizza, which always seemed bland. Man, it was good. Nancy also kept sending out appetizers, which Lucia, half Italian, half Korean and 100% lovely young woman, served. All were delicious, especially the imported mozzarella, which was far superior to any I’ve ever tasted. She also sent out three types of dessert. Fortunately, those portions were small. I suspect my cholesterol count zoomed. The place was busy when we arrived. We waited 20 minutes to be seated. Although I was very hungry, I was glad to see the tables and bar fully occupied. The business barely survived the summer, when it lost a thousand dollars a day. Nancy is keeping her fingers crossed that the corner has been turned. She was actually hoping customers would stop entering, so tired was she. As we were leaving, she was sweeping up in the area of the pizza oven. She has come a long way from her rebellious youth, when we were all very concerned about her. She was wearing a t-shirt that read: “Yes my boobs are fake, my real ones tried to kill me.” Kudos, young lady, and best of luck. I recommend Krescendo to any pizza lover. It is open every day except Monday from 5:30PM to 10:30. Nancy is also looking into home delivery. I don't see how that could be anything but successful. A true entrepreneur, she owns a well-established restaurant in San Francisco as well.

We have a Michelle Wie sighting. The young lady who was hitting drives of more than 300 yards as a 13-year-old, inspiring talk of her competing on the men’s tour, finished in a tie for third in a tournament in Korea this past weekend. Since joining the ladies' tour, she has not approached expectations, rarely finishing in the top ten of any event. Still, it must be nice to be able to make a living playing a game in beautiful surroundings. Nice work if you can get it.

My thanks to the kind folks who purchased books today.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/20 - Around the Horn

A month before the attacks of 9/11, actor James Woods was flying first class from Boston to L.A.. There were four men behaving suspiciously in the cabin. He reported it to the pilot. It has now been confirmed that ringleader Mohammed Atta was one of them.

Walmart is frequently vilified as heartless by the left. Recently, the system that tracks the funds left on the debit cards used in the food stamps program was malfunctioning. Many stores would not accept them, as the dollar limits might be surpassed. Walmart did and the leeches among us took full advantage, filling shopping carts on the house.

Yesterday a man named Bob, who always wishes me well, asked if I'd be interested in writing his biography. He summed it up in three words: “Coulda, woulda, shoulda.”

Entrepreneur Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, recently took on the government in court -- and won! He was accused of insider trading regarding search engine mamma.com. The deal was worth $750,000. He could have settled out of court, but chose to fight on principle. Attorney fees cost him two million, more than a settlement would have. Kudos, sir.

About two-thirds of the way through the baseball season, I remarked to a friend that the Red Sox, who at the time were about to play a four-game series against the Skanks, were “a house of cards waiting to collapse.” Last night they eliminated the Tigers and now move on to face the Cardinals in the World Series. I’m so happy I was wrong. I will be even happier if they win it all, knowing it will rankle Yankees fans. I suppose I just jinxed them.

Florida St. seems to have recaptured its football glory. Last night the undefeated Seminoles crushed third-ranked Clemson on the road in "Death Valley," 51-14. Wow.

RIP Bum Phillips, 90, long-time folksy football coach. He compiled a record of 86-80 in the NFL, mostly with the Houston Oilers, whom he guided to three straight playoff appearances in the ‘70’s. Unfortunately, the Steelers ruled the era, keeping him from the promised land. He was quoted frequently. Here’s one of his gems: “There’s two kinds of coaches, them that’s fired and them that’s gonna be fired.”

My thanks to the gentleman and lady who purchased books today in Park Slope.


Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/19 - Jokers

Movie fans are familiar with the spaghetti western, made by Italian production companies, usually shot in Spain, often with American actors in the lead roles. Last night This-TV, channel 111 on Cablevision in NYC, ran what may be the only Polish western ever, Dead Man’s Bounty (2006). The storyline and dialogue were so disjointed that I can only assume the creator was dealing in symbolism, although what was being symbolized is a complete mystery to me. For a while I thought he was reaching for something like the hell of High Plains Drifter (1973), Clint Eastwood’s third directorial effort. There are two interesting things about the film -- the cinematography and the music. The title track, Summer Love, is in the style of pre-1970’s oaters, sung by a rich, deep-voiced male. It was actually recorded by John Davidson in 1966, but that wasn’t the track that was used. And its touching lyrics didn’t really fit the narrative. Also used was a Lorne Greene track similar to Ringo, his big hit -- I’m a Gun, of which I'd had no recollection. Val Kilmer played a dead body! He was seen periodically throughout the film, mostly lying in the street of the grungy frontier town. According to a contributor at IMDb, he was approached by the creator at a European film festival and offered a bag that contained 50 grand cash for his appearance, which required a one day shoot and no dialogue. The writer, producer and director is Piotr Uklanski of Warsaw, his only credit to date, which is not surprising (stop with the Polish jokes already). It is rated 3.9 at IMDb. I won’t rate something I didn’t understand, but I did watch the entire film, expecting some kind of payoff, hoping Kilmer would awaken and begin blasting away at the sleaze balls that populated the town. It didn’t happen. Three of the Europeans in the cast have substantial credits. They were not stigmatized for their association with the film.

My thanks to those who bought books today on Bay Parkway, and to Bob, who donated about ten just as I was about to leave. Unfortunately, I felt obligated to endure his conspiracy theories, which he related for the next 20 minutes. He believes authors Vince Flynn and Tom Clancy were murdered by security forces, who "wouldn't give Obama the key to the men's room," so little regard have they for the Commander in Chief. Bob also believes a UFO crashed outside Dresden, Germany during the late stages of WWII, the craft recovered by the Nazis and brought to the Nordhausen rocket facility to Werner Von Braun, the "only one who would know what to do with it." With the U.S. and Russian armies closing in, Von Braun had to choose a side. The spaceship was secretly shipped to America. Bob has written screenplays about such events. He's as silly as those who believe President Bush brought down the Twin Towers. I voiced my skepticism as gently as I could.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/18 - Eyes

French film noir crime thrillers are usually first rate. The French are not, however, known for producing horror. I added Eyes Without a Face (1959) to my list at Netflix months ago. By the time it arrived I was baffled. I assumed I’d been attracted because of an association with the Billy Idol song of the same title. They have nothing to do with each other. I perused the lyrics and watched the video, and found no correlation, although I suspect the movie's title inspired it. The meaning of the phrase, which the background singers sing in French, has always eluded me. My best guess is that it is the dominant feature of the subject’s face. The tune reached #4 on the Billboard charts. As for the film, the meaning is clear: a young woman mutilated in a car accident that is not depicted. Her father is a doctor who tries to transplant the face of other women onto her. Although the plot sounds similar to a Vincent Price-type film, it is differentiated by its deadly serious, sci-fi-like tone. The main character does not have the lurid madness one expects of such films. It was directed by George Franjou, whose work I was heretofore unfamiliar with. He is revered in his country as the co-founder of its film archive. Only one actor was familiar to me -- Alida Valli, who at one time was expected to be the next Garbo. Hollywood billed her simply by her last name. Although she has 133 titles listed at IMDb, only two others are noteworthy: the highly-regarded Italian thriller Suspiria (1977), directed by horror master Dario Argento, and, of course, The Third Man (1949), directed by Carol Reed. The final scene, as she walks a long cemetery path among falling leaves, ignoring the smitten Joseph Cotton, who is partly responsible for the death of her lover, played by Orson Welles, is only one of the many memorable moments in that classic. Eyes Without a Face is far from great, but it is creepy and effective. Shot in black and white, its appeal would probably be to those who enjoy horror the way it was made before violence became explicit. On a scale of five, three. It is rated an impressive 7.7 of ten at IMDb. Here is a pic of the alluring Miss Valli, who was born in a part of Italy that is now part of Croatia:

I’ve been adding a green tea extract to my bottled seltzer for more than a year. Has it improved my memory? There are instances where I’d swear it has, then I neglect something like retrieving the mail and wonder if I’m deceiving myself. I’ll keep using it in the hope that it is working in that regard and that it works in cancer prevention.

A friend sent me a link to a site that calculates how many days one has lived. I’m 23,161. If you’re interested in such nonsense, go here: http://www.korn19.ch/coding/days.php

I picked up my niece Tanya at JFK this morning. Her flight left Denver at one AM mountain time. She is in town for the 100th anniversary celebration of the parish of St Mary Mother of Jesus. All four of my nieces attended the school, as did I. I have much more fondness for it and respect for the nuns in retrospect than I did while living through it.

My thanks to the folks who bought books on yet another glorious day that even a stiff breeze was unable to mar.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/17 - Folly

In an op-ed piece in today’s NY Post John Podhoretz used a quote from George Orwell to blast fellow conservatives who tied the debt ceiling issue to the repeal of Obamacare: “Some ideas are so stupid only intellectuals believe them.” While I support the tea party’s ideals of limited government and lower taxes, I thought it folly to embrace a fight they did not have the votes to win. Podhoretz also pointed out that the battle took the focus off of the myriad problems that have arisen from the institution of the Affordable Care Act., especially the rising costs. I believe the goal of liberals is to make the cost of medical coverage so high that there will be only one solution: government take-over of the entire industry. Now Republicans have only one hope -- that the ACA creates a huge groundswell of game-changing anger among voters.

Sign of the times: Here is the headline from today’s Pulse section in the Post: This Haircut Got Me Laid. The Post is often sneered at as a mouthpiece of conservatism by leftist New Yorkers. I think it’s largely libertarian, fiscally conservative, socially liberal. Lurid tabloid headlines sell papers. The bottom line prevails.

I’ve been watching only one new show: Marvel’s Agents of Shield. Of the first three episodes, only one has been above-average. As for my favorites, Nashville and The Mentalist remain entertaining, while Castle is slipping. I was turned off when Nashville added the obligatory gay character, but his desire to succeed has almost totally eclipsed his sexuality, which I’m sure will arise again. Juliette, played by Hayden Panetierre, remains the most interesting character by far, but the whole show is solid prime time soap opera. The Mentalist is charming light entertainment, even when focused on the Red John arc. I sense that aspect is coming to a conclusion and wonder what will happen to the series if it does. I also wonder if one of the main investigating crew is working for the monster. I've spotted no hints that this might be so.

It's always a good day when Kinesha, aka Mrs. Eclectic, visits the floating book shop. She bought six books. My thanks, Madam, and also to the kind Russian grandmotherly woman who overpaid for Danielle Steel's Heartbeat and a thriller in her own tongue; and to the gentleman who purchased Iris Johannsen's Stalemate; and the one who bought a thriller in Russian.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/16 - Warped

Occupy Jack set up shop in Union Square in Manhattan yesterday. He sells t-shirts and posters he designs with an online program and has printed at a local printer. At one point he was joined by a group of Hare Krishnas. He danced with them and blew his whistle in time to the music they were banging out. Some squatted in the lotus position upon mats. Fascinated little children approached and stared at eye level.

Old Smokey visited the floating book shop today and wore out his welcome, gabbing away in one-hour sessions, broken up when Marie gave him recyclables he redeemed at CVS. He missed his court session yesterday, as he didn't have enough money for the subway fare. He has vowed to remain in his apartment until the marshals evict him. He refers to it as his "prisoner of war camp." Things constantly go missing from it. He believes thieves are targeting him. I'd bet he simply loses or misplaces stuff. I hope he isn't given the boot until next spring. Winter is right around the corner and he has nowhere to turn.

Marie has been one of the angels in my life, buying Killing, which she gave a glowing review, Close to the Edge, and four copies of A Hitch in Twilight, three of which she's given to friends as a gift. Here's her Amazon review of Hitch:
"Warped and wonderful, very entertaining. Stories that will take us on journeys that are highly unlikely to occur in this life. I found The Sad Song very moving, and emotional. Dream Father struck me as very funny - also pointing out how warped my sense of humor is. Yes, warped is good!" Thanks, my dear, and also to the two women who bought paperbacks today. To my surprise, none of the ten books in Russian I had on display sold. Two women who buy them regularly have been MIA this week.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/15 - 1000 Words

There are two great photographs making their way around the world. Here’s is one from the Red Sox’s dramatic come from behind victory the other night in Boston. The Tigers’ Golden Glove outfielder Torii Hunter is inverted. The security official is enjoying his five minutes of fame:

Pro golfer Rory McElroy and pro tennis star Caroline Wozniacki have been dating for two years. She recently tweeted an unflattering photograph of her lover that has gone viral and seems to have put the kibosh on the relationship. If the pic is truly the cause of the break up and not the final nail, Mr. McElroy should re-think the situation. It isn’t easy being the butt of a universal joke, but this one is rather harmless and funny. Her caption read: “Jetlag LOL“:

In his business column in today’s NY Post, John Crudele passes along a joke making the rounds in D.C..: Washington Redskins officials are so embarrassed by the team’s name that they’ve decided to rename it the Maryland Redskins. Zing!

I brought two large pictorials out to the floating book shop today and both sold immediately. I anticipated a bang up session. Alas, the next sale didn't come until three hours later, just before closing time. My thanks to those two customers.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/14 - Bong!

Political Man stopped by the floating book shop today. On his way to the store he spewed his usual left wing views. On his way home he glowed about a new CD just arrived in the mail, the Best of Neil Young, which features his work, studio and live, until 1970. I asked PM if he'd ever seen the clip of Rockin' in the Free World from a 1989 Saturday Night Live, as good a hard rock performance as there will ever be. Recently, my buddy Bags emailed an excerpt of an article about that show. Young hates television and hates shows where he does only one song. In order to maximize his performance, he hired a personal trainer to work him for a half-hour into a mid-show peak. It shows. Here's that clip: http://thecarversite.com/yetanotherforum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=4426 If you're not a fan of rowdy music, beware.
Political Man also mentioned an outdoor summer concert he attended back in the day that starred Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. His group was in the last row, passing around a bong. A bus pulled up and a bunch of hippies got out. They noticed the guys getting stoned and asked if they could drink the bong water! PM says the thought nauseated him. I was laughing so hard I neglected to ask if they actually gave the water up.

I'd sold out my stock of books in Russian, so I needed something to fill the space along the ledge of the garden where I display them. I chose a couple of pictorials a friend recently donated. As I exited the building, a gentleman who approached me weeks ago asked if I'd like to see the books he wanted to donate. He's selling his apartment, moving to the opposite wing and wants the least possible items to move. 90% of the books are in Russian. Most of those in English are very marketable. Only ten or so are in a condition too poor for sale. One is a huge Russian dictionary, three to five pounds. It took me four trips to get them all, and a half-hour to sort them when I returned from the day's session. Fortunately, only one floor separates our apartments. Spasibo, sir. And my thanks to all the kind folks who made purchases today, especially Herbie, who bought January Valentine's latest, Wheel Wolf.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/13 - Lamentation

For the past six Sundays I'd set up shop in front of the TD Bank on the corner of Bay Parkway and 86th Street, where thousands pass. I sensed the tiny, pretty Asian managers were not happy I was there, but they never said a word as they went to their smoke breaks on 85th Street. Today a male manager requested I leave. I asked if he'd mind if I stood in front of one of the pillars of the el or against the elevator for handicapped commuters, and he said the bank owned that property too. I called him a liar and moved further up the street, where the volume of passersby is at least 50% less. That put me in a negative frame of mind that even a visit from writer-proofreader Bill Brown and a call from actor-singer Johnny Feets did not chase. An old-timer, Jerry, stopped to wish me luck and lamented how the neighbor had changed, fondly reminiscing of how it once was. Another, younger male asked if I knew where he could purchase bathroom fixtures. I said the neighborhood had changed so much I wasn't sure. He was even more disenchanted than Jerry, dubbing fellow Italian-Americans who had moved "sell-outs." I simply said: "Things change," but he wasn't appeased. I noticed that there was no one selling socks or novelties along the sidewalk's edge, and wondered if the cops had cracked down. I was uncomfortable the entire session, and frustrated when a couple of potential customers passed on the books. There was a hairy moment during the proceedings too. People were pointing past me. I turned and saw a little dog scampering along 86th Street, then heard his master's footsteps. As the pooch crossed Bay Parkway, I turned away, certain it would be squashed. Fortunately, no squeal of tires or anguished yelps ensued. The owner threaded his way through the steady flow of vehicles, endangering his own health. I don't know if he ever caught up to the dog.

I'm already thinking about where I will set up shop next Sunday. It would be great if I could do it in front of the Dolphin gym on 24th Avenue, but parking is very limited there. The Sheepshead Bay promenade is cool, but any kind of strong breeze makes things difficult there, and parking is a problem there too, as it is anywhere in Brooklyn. Maybe Park Slope, Hipsterville, is the answer. 
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/12 - Frontline

Last night I had a vivid dream for the first time in a while. I revisited two kids I had the privilege of coaching in Kalamazoo, Michigan ‘72-’74. The time frame was odd. They were only a year out of high school. Both claimed to have been abducted by aliens. One had completed 95% of his indoctrination before falling back. In the past few years, thanks to the wonder of the internet, I’ve reconnected with some of those now middle-aged men. One of the sisters posts old pictures on Facebook. They are riotous, as all the males had the long hair fashionable during the era. I know precisely what triggered the dream. I watched a fascinating one-hour report on high school football broadcast on PBS’ Frontline series. The game has become alien to me, given the now legal use of hands in blocking and the spread offenses that feature so much passing. If I ever went back to coaching, I’d have to work on the defensive side, which hasn’t changed as much. The program focused on a small Catholic high school in Arkansas, three-time state champions in its classification, nationally ranked. That’s another thing that’s been instituted since I left the game circa 1980 -- national rankings. The school in question crossed state lines to play the number one ranked school in Texas, a game televised and played at the home field of the Dallas Cowboys, and was drubbed 80-26. The Texas school had more than 200 kids in its program (JV & Freshman teams included), which works year round, pounding weights and doing other strength and speed and agility drills in the off-season. Many of its linemen exceed 300 pounds, and they are not fat. Of course, a major focus of the piece was injuries, particularly damage done to the brain, which studies show is significant in high school football players. It also profiled two cases of heat syndrome, one fatal. In the ten years or so that I coached, only one player suffered an injury more serious than a blown out knee or broken limb, and I almost got that kid killed by inserting him into a game, foolishly refusing to believe such a tough guy couldn’t play through pain. That history is part of my second novel, Adjustments. It occasionally haunts me to this day. Although the kid’s original injury was not due to leading with the head but by a fluke face first landing with two opponents draped over him, we were taught that dangerous technique and I coached it as well. The study of head injuries in football had only just begun back then. I thought it was bunk, especially since it was virtually impossible to avoid the use of the head in blocking and tackling. In my later years of coaching, I taught to lead with the shoulder. Still, the head sticks out from the body and will always be in harm’s way. I loved high school football. It was so much fun, especially in Kalamazoo, where a game was a major event not lost among the pro sports news in New York City. Unfortunately, it was not as much fun as it should have been. The human desire to win and the disappointment of losing often robbed it of its joy. And if I returned to coaching, things would probably be the same in that respect. Strategy and technique change, but human nature remains the same. High school football is beautiful, although I think national rankings are insane and traveling hundreds of miles to play in another state should be banned. Of course, cross border skirmishes between towns near each other is fine.

My thanks to Bad News Billy, my only customer of the day. He played football in the legendary St. Francis Prep program. My thanks also to whoever bought Exchanges in paperback at Amazon.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/11 - Assault

The late Father Andrew Greeley was an extraordinary man. Outspoken, he was never assigned to run his own parish. He earned a PhD and was a professor at several colleges. He wrote a regular newspaper column. He had more than 70 scholarly works published, including a critique of the Iraq war and President Bush. He supported Obama, although he believed America was too racist to elect a black president. And if all that isn’t enough, he also wrote more than 50 novels. I just finished his fourth, Thy Brother’s Wife (1982), the story of an Irish-American family, the father's plans for his two sons and adopted daughter. In a disclaimer before the first chapter, the author states that the characters are entirely fictional, not based on real life figures. I suppose he thought readers would assume he was doing a roman a clef of a famous family, although the Kennedys, as well as other historical figures, are minor characters in the book. I'd bet the portrait of one of the brothers was inspired by the real life inhabitants of the American Camelot, but it makes no difference, as it is clearly a unique individual. At just over 300 pages, it is a fast entertaining read. The prose and dialogue are solid. It is surprisingly frank in its portrayal of human behavior, especially sexuality, although far from explicit. In an Afterword, Greeley states: “Why would a priest write a novel about adultery, incest (I'd argue it isn't incest), and sacrilege?” He cites the tales told in the Bible as his defense, which makes perfect sense. He calls Thy Brother’s Wife “…a tale of commitments that are imperfectly made and imperfectly kept --but that are still kept…” On a scale of five, I rate it 3.75.

The headline writers of the NY Post have again struck gold. Jewish wives have been giving a rabbi $50,000 to intimidate, often physically, husbands into divorce. The story is under the heading: Kosher Assault.

Another living-proof-argument against abortion: Jeff Bezos, the brains behind amazon.com, was born to a 17-year-old still in high school.

0-6! The Giants free fall continues. Last night’s game against the Bears was theirs for the taking, but they weren‘t up to it. Eli’s fourth quarter magic has evaporated.

Due to mist, I had to cover up the wares three times during today's session of the floating book shop. My thanks to the three kind folks who made purchases.
There are two huge trucks parked on Avenue Z between E. 12th & 13th. Tonight there will be filming of scenes for the cable series The Americans, which is about a married couple, KGB operatives, who have infiltrated the country. Too bad the shooting isn't being done during the day. I'd have liked to have seen if Keri Russell is as beautiful in person as she is on TV. I wonder if any of my Russian neighbors will be asked to appear as extras.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/10 - Effects

45 minutes into Side Effects (2013), I gazed at the clock, never a good sign when watching any form of entertainment. It seemed an indictment of pharmaceutical companies and the shrinks who dispense the drugs the firms manufacture. It also seemed that it would leave the matter open to debate, as many episodes of Law & Order did, which is fine in a weekly one hour program but deathly in a 105 minute movie. Then the story line took a sudden turn I didn’t see coming and the film improved dramatically, and concluded definitively. In researching it at IMDb, several contributor comments cited questionable plot points. I don’t disagree, but I think the film works despite them. It is quietly intense, so unlike what is generally produced these days. It is more like a BBC production than an American one. It was made on a modest budget of 30 million and earned a small profit at the box office. The principal members of the cast, Rooney Mara, Jude Law and Catherine Zeta Jones, are excellent. This was my first look at Channing Tatum, whose part wasn’t substantial enough to judge. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh, who has done many solid ones. His Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989) was a phenomenon that signaled he was an artist to be taken seriously. The screenplay was written by Scott Z. Burns. Kudos to both men for not going the commercial route, for creating a work that requires the viewer to think. The players are frequently in shadow, which I suspect is not only homage to film noir but a representation of the world as seen through someone taking anti-depressants. On a scale of five, I rate Side Effects 3.75. It is rated 7.1 of ten at IMDb. 

I really blew it today and I'll pay for it tomorrow. When I left the house just after 6AM for my morning walk, it was drizzling. I figured the rain, unanimously predicted by all local venues, would worsen throughout the day. When I went to the recycling center at about 10:30, I was surprised to find the streets dry. It is now after five and the courtyard outside my window is dry. I could have set up shop today, delayed the chores I fulfilled until tomorrow, which now figures to be a very long day. The forecast is for mucho eye strain.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/9 - This n That

I usually give away books or a CD or DVD with the sale of any of my books. Some people refuse them, others accept them gratefully. In this tough economic environment, other writers are also offering giveaways. In today's Media Ink section of the NY Post, two writers are cited for creative marketing. Jill Brooke, author of the self-help book, The Need to Say No: How to Be Bullish and Not Bullied, has trademarked the phrase ”kNOw BS,” and has partnered with two companies to create hats, shirts, mugs and other apparel with the kNOw BS logo. The merchandise is available through knowbsplease.com. First-time novelist Emily Liebert, author of You Knew Me When, landed at No. 43 on last week’s Bookscan best-seller list thanks to tie-ins with a nail-polish firm, a fashion designer and jewelry maker. “These days you have to do whatever you can to sell books,” she says. Welcome to the club, ladies.
In the Post's Weird But True section, there is an item on a Croatian woman baker who has come up with a novel idea: a divorce cake. The typical design features a divide down the middle, figures on either side. Expect to see these confections here very soon.
In a great op-ed piece on gaming, Steve Malanga cites how disappointing the returns have been for government. Two examples: New York takes in the most revenue from gambling, including the lottery, I assume, but is still the highest taxed state in America. Prior to 1977, before its casinos were built, New Jersey was the fifth highest taxed state. It is now second.
Michele Malkin reports on the nationwide protests about the closing of national parks. People are hopping fences and tossing traffic cones aside. Some places that have been open 24/7 without guards now have barricades around them and government employees telling visitors to leave. Malkin believes the orders have come down from "The Spite House," whose aim is to make the shutdown as painful as possible, confident Republicans will be blamed.

The Red Sox have an intellectual on their pitching staff. Left-handed (of course) middle reliever Craig Breslow has a degree from Yale in Molecular Biophysics. This year he was 5-2 in 59 innings pitched. Kudos, sir.

The logic of environmentalists: Oil spill kills bird -- bad; windmill kills bird -- so what?

Shoppers came early and very late to the floating book shop. In between I was entertained by the rants of Occupy Jack and Ol' Smokey, and by the poet laureate of Sheepshead Bay, Steve, just returning from discussing the Anna Nicole Smith opera with his class. He is still going about in a t-shirt and shorts. Others have already broken out winter garb. It takes all kinds to make a world. My thanks to all the buyers and to Al, who donated about ten books, mostly non-fiction.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/8 - Wind

Everyone who stopped to speak to me today commented on the change of weather, which seemed to take everyone by surprise. I was glad I'd worn a sweater beneath my jacket. If not for the sunshine, the cold wind would have had me packing up early. I remarked to an elderly gentleman that it seemed summer was finally over. "Nothing lasts forever," he said. "In fact, they should take that word out of the dictionary. Then again, what do I know. I'm just an old schmuck." Political Man said he kept his windows open all night. He continues to blame America's ills on Evangelicals, Tea Partiers, southerners and mid-westerners. Mountain Man predicted government default and chaos, and cited polls showing how corrupt and poorly educated America is. As I helped Marie don her sweater, she mentioned a passage that intrigued her in Close to the Edge, which she is now reading. In it, one of the main characters speculates on what is going through the mind of a young woman in the passenger seat of a luxury automobile that crawls past him. "How does he know that?" said Marie, impressed by the insight, having had similar thoughts while riding in a car in her youth. It's nice when someone gets what you're trying to communicate, although I'm not as confident as I once was that I have unusual insight into the psyche. That was youthful arrogance, illusion. "Lucky guess," I said. With each passing day life becomes more mysterious and despairingly meaningless. I did gain one fan today, a toddler being wheeled along in a stroller, who blew me a kiss. Actually, he was blowing kisses to everyone, charming all as his mom beamed. And, of course, there was a sad story. An attractive woman in her 50's who wishes me well each day lost a friend, 58, to ovarian cancer, a gruesome, painful death, she said. When I hear something like that I'm reminded that I'm lucky to be making an ass of myself trying to sell books on the street even on days of slight returns. My thanks to Alan, who purchased a Knights Templar thriller, to the woman who bought a crime novel in Russian, and to Natalya and Benedict, who donated it and three other books.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
   

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/7 - Wheel Wolf

I just realized I've neglected to promote Wheel Wolf, the fifth novel of my literary angel, January Valentine. It debuted in August. My apologies, madam.

"Jack Bailey is just a few weeks away from beginning his dream career as Forest Ranger in the upstate New York town of Angel's Bend. Jenny Rudea, veterinarian in training, is madly in love with Jack, and the animals she cares for. On the way home from her house one night, Jack takes an unanticipated detour to Hosner Lake. While there, he encounters something that raises the hair on the back of his neck. What is out there, on the other side of the lake? Is it a shadow, a hunter, a wolf?"

Print or Kindle:  http://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Wolf-Werewolf-January-Valentine/dp/0615873359/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1381178654&sr=1-1

With the weather iffy today I decided I needed a sort of roof to run the floating book shop -- just in case the skies opened up. Since I'd used Bay Parkway and 86th Street yesterday, I decided to go two blocks further, 20 Avenue, where I could nestle under the staircase that leads to the elevated train. It was the right strategy, as there was an on and off light mist, but it didn't provide any results. At least I didn't get busted like the last time I was there, the only time a cop has chased me away, probably at the behest of a shop owner. That was about three years ago, and I was standing in front of McDonalds. Today I stood across the street in front of a Chase bank. The session wasn't a total loss, as Bill Brown, writer and proofreader showed and said he will be posting a review of A Hitch in Twilight soon. He was laid off months ago and just took a 90 minute exam for legal proofing at the behest of an employment agency. He will take another for copy-writing. I'd never heard of such a thing. There is no fee for either test, and he believes, if he did well, it will lead to an immediate position. Good luck, my friend.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
 

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/6 - Tidbits

If only all branches of government worked as well as our special forces. Kudos on the capture of the Qaeda biggie in Libya.

Sign of the times: according to an article in today's NY Post, IBM now employs more people in India, where the average salary is only $17,000, than in the U.S..

Wow - the Giants are 0-5. I know it's ridiculous to think this way, but maybe karma has finally turned after having favored them so outrageously during their last two Super Bowl runs. On the bright side, I did very well at crowdpicks.com on my NFL one o'clock game picks, after a bang up Saturday in college football that has propelled me into fourth place.

It's now been six weeks since I've adopted my Sunday strategy for the floating book shop, selling only my own and January Valentine's books. It has worked four times. Today I sold Mrs. Valentine's Wheel Wolf to a woman in what I believe was Muslim garb (not peekaboo), who had bought from me previously. She is a gregarious sort, saying how much she loves reading. My thanks. On an odd note, I saw something I'd never seen before. A middle aged gentleman carried his umbrella at the nape of his neck, hooking the handle inside the collar of his short sleeve dress shirt. As Art Linkletter used to say: "People are funny." 
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling MY Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/5 - Shorts

It was an "I wish I'd worn shorts" kind of day. Fortunately, the perspiration was worth it for the floating book shop. My thanks to Ralph, who purchased Killing, to Sue, who purchased Exchanges; to Jack of Chase, who bought yet another thriller; to the young woman who bought Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera; and to the young man who bought Robert Ludlum's The Matlock Papers. 

Here's another excerpt from my rom-com screenplay, A Truth Universally Acknowledged, which will be available on Kindle some time this winter. The main characters are an Ivy league educated magazine writer, and a GED gold futures trader. It was influenced by Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. It's very brief, less than a five-minute read:

   Part Nine: Kate's building, a week later. A beautiful, balmy evening. In the
background Ellington's I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good is playing. Joe approaches
the door, stares at it, debates whether to ring the bell. Inside, Kate is staring blankly at
her computer screen. Smoke fills the apartment. Outside, Joe takes a step toward the
door, mutters to himself.
Joe:
   Masochist.
   He walks away, head down. Inside, Kate reaches for the photo her mother sent, stares
at it longingly. Outside, Joe returns and leans against a parked car. He stares at the door
as if wishing she would emerge. A young couple walks by briskly, holding hands, beaming, looking into each other's eyes as they converse. The scene provides the
impetus Joe needs. He approaches the bell, mutters to himself.
Joe:
   Here goes nothin'.
   He rings.
Kate:
   Who is it?
Joe:
   Petruccio.
   There's a pause.
Joe:
   With his tail between his legs, come to say he's sorry.
   Another pause.
Joe:
   Wanna go for a walk?
   Another pause.
Kate:
   I'll be down in a minute.
   Joe leans against the building, breathes a sigh of relief. Upstairs, Kate is hurriedly
pulling on jeans and sneakers. She bumps into things, knocks things to the floor, as she
rushes to the bathroom to check her look. Outside, Joe, hands in his pockets, waits.  Finally, she exits the building. They look at each other. The tension is thick.
Joe:
   You were right. I overreacted. I got a lotta sins on my head worse than cheatin' at golf.
You had the pits to admit you cheated. I shouldn't've got so bent atta shape. I shoulda
known you were gold when you didn't sue us for that pie in the face. A lotta people'd try
to cash in on somethin' like that these days.
   She shrugs.
Kate:
   My sin was worse.
   They look at each other, sober, serious.
Joe:
   C'mon, I'll buy you an ice cream - or tofu, or whatever you people out here nosh on.
They begin walking, keeping a safe distance apart. With Ellington's Creole Love Call
playing in the background, they begin a trek uptown, conversing, smiling, laughing,
sipping shakes.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/4 - Singers

Last night I watched one of the music videotapes I've made, #29, the next to last, recorded post 9/11. Most of the tracks are from PBS pledge broadcasts. The first 40 minutes features duets of Frank Sinatra with many of his contemporaries: Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Ethel Merman, Shirley Jones, Dino, Bing, Satchmo, Sammy Davis and Dinah Shore, who really brought out the charm Ol' Blue eyes was capable of. I did not appreciate Shore back in the day, but I sure do now. She seemed like a helluva lot of fun. The tape also includes duets she did with Pearl Bailey, Groucho and her idol, Ella Fitzgerald. Here is the clip with Sinatra, which is even longer than the one on my tape. Sinatra's ad-libs are marvelous: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA-PtV76zI8
One aspect of those clips that is sad is the restriction of any show of physical affection between white and black artists. It's just the way it was at the time.
The second half of the tape featured several performances by Judy Garland. The last is the only live video of her doing Over the Rainbow. It followed a number in which she was dressed like a tramp, her face smeared with soot. As she sat at the foot of the stage, melancholy seemed to sweep over her. She chokes up several times during the rendition, fighting tears, and seems as if she will not finish. It is not her best work but perhaps her most poignant. It makes one want to embrace her and say everything will be all right. But it wasn't all right. Her isolation was obvious as she left the stage, head down. The contrast between her artistic brilliance and sad personal life is startling. She was as great as any singer will ever be. Here is the clip. View it and weep: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss49euDqwHA

My most loyal customer has reviewed Killing at Amazon, short and sweet, just how I prefer them. Here it is:
"I bought this book on the street, where the author, Vic Fortezza, sells a variety of books. I did not know what to expect, but what I got was above and beyond what I could imagine. It is a writing style that is clear and to the point, with characters and emotions that come alive. The human condition at its best and at its worst. Passionate, sensitive, and profound! Bravo,Vic Fortezza! Highly recommend, Marie."

I was able to thank Marie personally today, as she stopped by the floating book shop. My thanks also to Kinesha, aka Mrs. Eclectic, who bought five novels, and to Alan, who paid back a small loan I made to his mom last week.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 10/3 - Hilarious

I don’t recall what prompted me to add Killer Joe (2011) to my list at Netflix. I usually avoid films that star Matthew McConaughey, whose work I’ve found lacking. He is excellent in this, as is the entire cast, especially, Thomas Haden Church, who nails his part as a low-key, dumb redneck. The film is an adaptation of a play by Tracy Letts, who has written many scripts for TV, including one Seinfeld, Prison Break and Homeland. He worked on it for 20 years. It is not pleasant, to say the least. The characters are unsavory or, in the case of the 21-year-old daughter, not quite right in the head. She is played wonderfully by Juno Temple, yet another Brit handling an American idiom flawlessly. Her older brother is played  solidly by Emile Hirsch, who is reminiscent of the young Johnny Depp or Skeet Ulrich. Gina Gershon also lends her considerable talents to the proceedings, in the type of role she has mastered. The plot and the acting are the films strength. It is uncompromising and bleak, although there is occasional humor, especially from Church, although I did not once laugh out loud. In the special features, almost everyone interviewed used the term “hilarious.” I guess I didn’t get it. I found the characters sad, pathetic, even repulsive. But I watched the entire film without pause, which wasn’t really difficult, as it runs less than 90 minutes. It was directed by William Friedkin, who in his heyday gave us The French Connection (1971) and The Exorcist (1973). On a scale of five, I rate Killer Joe 2.6. It is rated 6.7 of ten at IMDb.

Since each team in MLB plays at least 162 games, the individual statistics of players are usually very interesting and telling. The Atlanta Braves won their division by five games, coasting the final month of the season, despite the dismal performances of key acquisitions. Their highest paid player, second baseman Dan Uggla, who earned 13 million in 2013, batted a paltry .179, although he did hit 22 home runs. He has been left off the roster for the team’s opening round playoff series against the Dodgers. Their second highest paid player, outfielder BJ Upton, who makes 12.45 million, hit only .184! He is on the post season roster. Remarkable.

Business was a bit better than usual at the floating book shop today. My thanks to the kind folks who made purchases. My Russian section is sold out.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: 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
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx