In an op-ed piece in today’s NY Post Charles Gasparino focused on Republicans for Cuomo, a group of businessmen who support the ultra-liberal because he isn’t quite as out there as Bill de Blasio and other state politicians. They are not Republicans. They are phonies, opportunists, crony capitalists. As a conservative, I accept that public policy in NYC will never conform to my beliefs, but I would never endorse someone who supports measures I believe are harmful and/or deplorable.
The underground economy has scored again. There is an app, Shout, people are using to sell a restaurant reservation or a place in line. Someone recently purchased a reservation at Greenwich Village’s The Spotted Pig for $30. Someone else paid $20 for a place on the line for the bakery that sells those Cronuts. The transactions are done through the phones credit card system. I love the creativity of people. I hope the government doesn’t find a way to get its hands on this money.
Last night ThisTV, 111 on Cablevision in NYC, ran The Kentuckian (1955), based on the novel The Gabriel Horn by Felix Holt, starring and directed by Burt Lancaster, his only solo work at the helm. It’s so-so. It’s best scene is a brutal brawl between Lancaster and Walter Matthau, rivals for the affections of the local school marm. Through most of the fight, Matthau has the upper hand, as he uses a whip. Of course, the tide turns. I was irked at being unable to come up with the name of the two female leads, whose faces were vaguely familiar. Both had significant careers. Dianna Lynn, the teacher, was a prodigy pianist, who has 68 titles listed at IMDb. Tragically, she succumbed to a stroke at the age of 45. Dianne Foster has 65 credits, many on TV shows baby boomers watched growing up. Lancaster has two other directing credits: His Majesty O’Keefe (1954), originally credited solely to Hollywood veteran Byron Haskin (cinematography, special effects), and The Midnight Man (1974), in which he shares credit with Roland Kibbee, his only time in the director's chair, although he worked on many screenplays and TV scripts. The Kentuckian is rated 6.3 of ten at IMDb. I rate it 2.5 of five.
Mother Nature showed a little mercy today. It was 32 degrees when I left the house at 10:30 for the post Alternate Side scramble. That's significantly warmer than its been at that time all week. Even better, the wind was benign. Still, it was cold, as the sunshine was sporadic. Fortunately, it appeared at 12:20, which allowed me to keep the floating book shop open until one. My thanks to the gentleman who purchased two James Patterson thrillers, co-written with other authors, and to Jen, who bought Homer's The Iliad. It was snowing intensely as I was packing up. I headed for the porters' room in our building, where Frankie and Pedro had stored more books in Russian for me. I now have about 150 in stock, most in excellent condition. Gracias, caballeros. By the time I dragged the Hefty bags up to the apartment, the sun was shining through the blinds.
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 Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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