The Writer's Life 8/6 - Manure

In an op-ed piece in today’s NY Post, Seth Lipsky writes about what the GOP needs to counter Trump -- a Reagan-like candidate of sunny optimism, “master of the heart-warming homily and self-deprecating joke.” He cites his favorite Reagan anecdote wherein a candidate addressing farmers climbs onto a mound of manure and says it’s “the first time he’d made a Republican speech from a Democratic platform.” There are several promising candidates in the Republican field. So far they’ve been completely overshadowed by Trump. If Trump wins the nomination, I’ll vote for him, and I believe there’s a good chance he’d get America back on track, but I’d rather see Perry, Kasich or Walker ascend. I will vote for Jeb Bush if he’s the nominee, but I won’t like it, even though his track record as governor of Florida is solid. If he is the man, I believe Democrats will retain the White House, especially if Hillary rides out her mounting scandals and hangs on. The Clintons have no shame and will stay in the race unless forced out.

The Dodgers have been trying to buy a championship for several years. Astonishingly, they owe $87.5 million to players not even on their major league roster. Contention can be bought, but championships are won on the field. Their stars will have step up to the plate, as the cliche goes. Pitcher Clayton Kershaw has been phenomenal during the regular season (2,47 ERA, .660% winning percentage) and a bust in the playoffs (5.12 ERA, .167% winning percentage).

Two more people, one retired, the other on disability, approached me complaining about increases in Medicare premiums and drug costs. I have no broad statistics on Obamacare. All I know is the complaints have been many and the praise entirely absent. Hopefully it is not the disaster it seems.

My thanks to Alan, who bought Dan Brown's Angel and Demons, to the gentleman who bought the five pamphlets on gardening in Russian, and to the Jewish Meals on Wheels guy, who pulled five hardcovers out of his truck's refrigerator, four of them J.D. Robb thrillers. It seems the law of averages has caught up to the floating book shop after last week's surprising haul.

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/l84h63j

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/