The Writer's Life: The Writer's Life 4/10

My favorite recent news item detailed a woman's preference for a certain sweet. At 104 years old, Elizabeth Sullivan says she doesn’t need the advice of real doctors. She keeps another type close. She says: “People try to give me coffee for breakfast. Well, I’d rather have a Dr. Pepper.” Sullivan fell in love with the soft drink’s trademark 23 flavors when she was in her 60’s. “I started drinking them about 40 years ago. Three a day. Every doctor that sees me says they’ll kill you, but they die and I don’t. So there must be a mistake somewhere.” For her birthday she got a very big surprise -- a beautiful cake in the shape of a bottle of Dr. Pepper. This corroborates my belief that longevity is due largely to genes and, to a degree, luck. One can increase the odds of living long through sensible measures, but there are many examples of people with bad habits living long, and many of unfortunates who live cleanly dying young. And there are also those poor souls who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, like the two young men in the NYC sushi restaurant killed by a gas explosion. There is no preparation for such events. I practice moderation. I'm currently about halfway through a 64 ounce bottle of Dr. P. I love soda, or pop, as my midwestern friends insist on calling it, but limit myself to no more than 10-12 ounces a day. What I miss most about youth is the ability to eat a lot of junk food without gaining any weight. Oh, to be able to have ice cream or a candy bar every day without fear of an expanding waist line! That would be heaven.

According to an article in the NY Post, 70% of the billions JP Morgan has paid recently in legal bills cover the fallout from the acquisitions, at the government's behest, of Bear Stearns and Washington Mutual. Asked if the firm would ever again ride to the rescue, CEO Jaime Dimon said: "No." There are no bigger thieves than those in politics.

Recently I praised Cubans who have listed lodgings on AIRnb at rates considerably lower than hotels charge. In an op-ed piece, also in today's Post, Benny Avni states that only five percent of Cubans have internet access. Those listing the lodgings are communist party insiders. Soviet hardliners used to be masters at such maneuvering. Hijos de putas.

When I went out at 11AM there was a mist in the air. I didn't put any books out at first. I stood near my usual nook and hoped a couple of customers looking for specific works would show. After an hour I decided to set up shop, as it seemed the precipitation had ceased. I got lucky for the fourth day in a row, as Mother Nature provided a two-hour window. My thanks to Barry, who overpaid for Greg Allman's memoir, My Cross to Bear. That alone covered two slices at Delmar. Thanks also to the recently widowed elderly Russian woman, who bought Barbara Taylor Bradford's epic first novel, A Woman of Substance. And special thanks to the Lady Eve, who said she loved Rising Star and who plans to add Close to the Edge to her Kindle. I was curious if she found a couple of the events that occur late in the narrative as over the top. She said they were among her favorite parts. Yay!

Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh

Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/pdxwsnt

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

Vic's Web Site: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/