The Writer's Life 2/29 - White

I didn't watch the Oscars telecast. Why endure three hours of blather and commercials when one can read a recap in minutes in the newspaper? Although I find his preaching about climate change annoying and hypocritical, given his frequent trips on private jets, I'm glad Leonardo DiCaprio finally won. He's been terrific his entire career. I guess the biggest upset was in the Best Supporting Actor category, where it was expected Sylvester Stallone would be rewarded by his peers career for his long career and box office success. I have always believed his work mediocre, especially when compared to that of the winner, Mark Rylance, who's in the top tier, stage and screen. I've seen only two of the nominees for Best Picture, Mad Max Fury Road and The Martian, two entertaining technical marvels but, ultimately, fluff pieces. Here are the rest:
Spotlight -- I doubt I'd enjoy this anymore than I did All the President's Men (1976). Two hours of how Boston Globe reporters broke the Catholic church's sex scandal is simply not appealing. Throw all the violators in prison and let's be done with it.
Bridge of Spies -- A rare box office bomb from Spielberg, but a cold war premise that sounds very interesting. It will be added to my Netflix list.
The Revenant -- the movie I look forward to most.
The Big Short -- I was pissed but not surprised when I read the story line completely overlooks the government's role in the financial meltdown.
Room -- Don't know much about it, which is good. Look forward to it.
Brooklyn -- Although I have low expectations for it, how can I resist a flick set in the hometown I love?
This morning radio talk show host Mark Simone had two amusing comments on the telecast; Regarding the lack of diversity controversy, he asked when Hollywood would include conservatives. And on Joe Biden's speech on sexual harassment, he said he thought it was about Bill Clinton. Kudos, sir.

Gotham returns tonight after a three month hiatus. Eleven episodes remain. I hope they will be shown in consecutive weeks.

It was an odd day weather-wise, a glorious morning, a two-hour stretch of gloom, and a return of sun. I opened up the book shop an hour later than usual. My thanks to the gentleman who purchased Frederick Forsyth's The Deceiver, and the lady who bought Lee Child's Jack Reacher thriller, Make Me. Business in January and February far surpassed last year's. It remains to be seen whether it was a
fluke.

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/

The Writer's Life 2/28 - Schedule C

According to an article in the NY Post, in the past decade, 21 people who have participated in reality TV shows have committed suicide. I don't know what to make of this. How does it stack up vs. the general suicide rate? How many people participated in those shows in that time frame? According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the annual rate is 12.93 per 100,000 individuals. To determine whether reality TV suffers a higher suicide rate than other areas, the numbers would have to be compared. I'm not defending the shows, which I find unwatchable. I just want to know if the journalism has merit or is merely sensationalism.

I thought doing my income tax over several days would make it less annoying than doing it all once. Wrong! Back and forth, up and down, in and out -- geez! At least it's finally done. For years I hadn't bothered to include any royalty forms I received from publishers, as the amounts were so little. I just added the aggregate to miscellaneous income. Since the online firm I've been using bumped me from a free filing to a fee, I decided to include the royalties, which qualified me for a schedule C deduction. So instead of having to pay the state/city a small sum, such as last year when I was hit up for $17, I'm getting cash back, The fee was $71, which means I'll be coming out ahead about $150. I owe zero to the feds. I chose to receive the money in the form of a gift card, which I'll use at Stop n Shop and CVS.

It was like mid spring today in NYC, but it didn't make anyone in Park Slope more interested in buying books than usual. It looked like it I would suffer a shutout for the first time in a while. Several people stopped and examined certain wares but passed, despite the terrific selection. The only interesting thing to occur was an attractive woman in her late twenties asking if I knew anything about a hit-and-run fatality that had occurred nearby in the early morning. She identified herself as "a reporter for the New York Times." I hadn't heard. According to a web report, the poor soul succumbed to massive body trauma. Perhaps that explains the heavy police presence. I'd figured the cars were on the prowl to make up for revenue short falls of a month with only 29 days. The prime parking spot opened up several times while I was there, but it would have required a U-turn to get to it, and I wasn't about to try that with so many blue and whites around. As I was packing up, a young woman approached and asked if I had any mysteries. She bought five, saving my day. My thanks, miss.

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/

The Writer's Life 2/27 - Feel-Good

Although science was my worst school subject, I've always enjoyed sci-fi films and TV shows. Last night I caught up to one of this year's Oscar nominees, The Martian, courtesy of Netflix. Although its heart is always in the right place, I found it predictable and dragged out. In one sense it reminded me of TV's Scorpion -- the outcome never in doubt, so a number of problems must be thrown in to keep the scenario interesting. The fact that an outsider genius was able to find a solution that eluded the eggheads at NASA did not ring true. Even a science-challenged guy such as I realized what had to be done, if not in the necessary detail. It is part of the political correctness promoted by the film, the work's biggest flaw. Dariusz Wolski's cinematography is beautiful, locations in Jordan and Hungary standing in for the red planet. The stellar cast -- Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Sean Bean, Michael Pena, Chiwetel Ejiofor -- acquits itself well. It was an ideal vehicle for one of the all-time masters of commercial fare, Ridley Scott, but a far cry from the excellence of Blade Runner (1982) or Gladiator (2000). Based on  the novel by Andy Weir, it was adapted for the screen by Drew Goddard, who is building a fine resume. He wrote episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alias and Lost, as well as the screenplay for Cabin in the Woods (2012), his only directorial effort, and World War Z (2013). 300,000+ users at IMDb have rated The Martian, forging to a consensus of 8.1 of ten. I disagree. On a scale of five, I rate it three. It runs 2:24. There is a lot of humor, most of it cute rather than funny. The music tracks used will please fans of the 70's. While there isn't as much profanity as many films use these days, the easily offended might want to pass. The science seems authentic and plausible, at least to this layman, and the vocabulary isn't overwhelming. It is  a feel-good movie.

It was a glorious day, perfect for selling books. My thanks to the young dad who scooped up all six of the Disney booklets I had on display; to Dan, who purchased ten works of non-fiction; to Ralph, who bought The Selected Poems of Max Jacob; and to Jack of Chase, who made a seven for one swap, returning thrillers he'd purchased at the floating book shop.

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/

The Writer's Life 2/26 - Up & Down Beats

The crimes of illegal immigrants are used as a political wedge. Here's one that begs leniency from authorities. It's detailed in an article in today's NY Post, here edited and pared by yours truly: "Asher Potts was the big man on campus at Harrisburg HS — member of the National Honor Society, runner-up for last fall’s homecoming king. With a 4.16 grade-point average, he was everything an American teenager was supposed to be — that is, except for being an actual American teenager. The '18-year-old' Potts was really 23-year-old Artur Samarin, a Ukrainian national who overstayed his visa and hatched a plan to remain in the USA by posing as a high school student. Samarin spent four years at Harrisburg High in Pennsylvania under the false name. He even got a Social Security card and was enrolled in the school in 2012 by two adults who claimed to be his parents. He was charged Tuesday with tampering with public records and identity theft for obtaining an ID under false pretenses, said cops, who were impressed by Samarin’s work ethic. 'He was a very studious kid and tried to learn as much as anyone would teach him,' said Harrisburg police Capt. Gabe Olivera." He sounds like, a keeper, the type of person this country needs. Good luck, sir.

Steve, aka Mr. Conspiracy, stopped by the floating book shop, noted the beautiful Disney booklets I had on display, and said his wife might be interested in them for a relative's kids. I mentioned that I'd researched her work in quilting and crochet, and he said she'd also done album covers, most notably for jazz bassist Jaco Patorius, whom he described as a little guy. Mr. C said JP once slept on the floor of his wife's apartment when she was living in Boston. He borrowed a pair of her pants to wear to a gig and never returned them. He was troubled, diagnosed as bi-polar, a condition exacerbated by alcohol and drugs. He was dead by 35 in 1987, but not before he'd cut 15 solo LP's, eight others as a member of Weather Report, and received two Grammy nominations. I know him from his work on four Joni Mitchell albums. He is a member of the Down Beat (Jazz Magazine) Hall of Fame. In posthumous tribute, Fender put out a bass that still carries his name. Here's a pic:
 

The floating book shop also had a visit from Bad News Billy, who I hadn't seen in months. I was sorry to hear that his favorite aunt recently passed away. As we were conversing, he pulled a straightened wire hanger from his car and wedged it in the well of his windshield wipers. Earlier, he'd had to break in after having locked himself out. I asked if it wouldn't be easier to keep a spare key in his wallet, as I do. "I do," he said. "I left my wallet in the car." I couldn't help laughing. Still, he was kind enough to buy the last two bootleg DVD's I had on hand, and a CD of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, which he will give to his brother. My thanks, sir, and also to the two kind folks who bought two of those Disney booklets. The decision I'd made to forgo my usual nook, where the wind was howling, paid off. I earned enough for a couple of slices at Delmar.
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/

The Writer's Life 2/25 - You Never Know

In his column in today's  NY Post, John Crudele mentions an interesting development in the selling of tickets to sporting events. The gist of the article is about about Yankees' execs whining that many fans are buying ducats at less than face value from others. Rutgers University may have found a way to ensure maximum returns. Tickets for its men's basketball games are loaded onto a credit-card-like device, making it virtually impossible for the owner to sell tickets he won't be using. The Scarlet Knights are 6-22, 0-15 in the Big Ten. I would like to think that's karma, Kramer, but expect the idea to catch on big time. I hope that someday the sports world will receive the same comeuppance the digital revolution brought to the music industry. Unfortunately, I have no idea how that might happen.
 
In his op-ed piece, Benny Avni writes that, thus far, the normalization of relations with Cuba is not working out as hoped. The promised reforms have not materialized, and the Castros have "rounded up regime critics faster than ever before." It seems the brothers are going to live forever. The great unknown is, when they finally do die, will they be replaced by people like them or true reformers?

I left the apartment about 10;25 AM, hurried to the car, and got it into prime position for the floating book shop. As I sat waiting for the alternate side regulation to expire, there seemed to be no let up in the sprinkles left over from last night's nasty storm. I'd expected high winds, not rain, and yet the flag nearby hung limp except for an occasional gust. It looked like I'd be sidelined for a third straight day. I kept looking into the distance, hoping for an end to the darkest clouds. A few minutes after eleven the drizzle finally ceased. I decided to "take a shot," one of my mantra's, which I borrowed from a Silver commodities trader who used it to encourage a young man he'd sponsored, who was intimidated by the action. Of course, I don't ever face losing a bundle. The worst I can do is zero returns, and that's a rarity. About a half hour after I'd set up, I spotted Mr. Philadelphia approaching. He too lives in Atlantic Towers, but also owns several properties in the city of brotherly love. Recently, he was sideswiped by a bus there, and is suing. 70, it took him a while to recover. He always stops by and gives me an update and an earful about other stuff. Today he was interested in my books and bought A Hitch in Twilight, Rising Star and Billionths of a Lifetime. He told me he dabbled in screenplays long ago, and that one night, while watching the sy-fy channel, there was one of his stories. He didn't feel confident enough to file a lawsuit. I imagine that sounds like a fish story, but whether it is or not doesn't matter, as I'm almost always interested in what people have to say, the consistent exception being Political Man, who lectures everyone on how they should vote. Mr. Philadelphia related other ideas he'd developed, and I told him about Create Space and how a writer can have a book published there for free. He said he'd look into it. My thanks, sir, and also to the sweet Russian woman who bought three romance novels, to the woman who bought a thriller, to Herbie, who donated four paperbacks, and to Eddie, one of our complex's porters, who donated about ten Disney booklets in pristine condition. All together now - Take a Shot!
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/

The Writer's Life 2/24 - Ghosts

Born in 1937, Mary Downing Hahn has written 32 young adult novels. Her first appeared in 1979. I just finished Wait Till Helen Comes, her fifth book, a ghost story published in 1986. It is an effective thriller told from the point of view of a girl on the cusp of teenage. Her father has left, and her mother has remarried. Her step sister, several years younger, is haunted by the death of her mom in a fire. The family, which includes a younger brother fascinated by bugs, moves to an isolated area outside Baltimore. There is a graveyard nearby and also the ruins of a house destroyed by fire. Mystery ensues. Is the little girl suffering some sort of post traumatic stress or is something supernatural afoot? The 184 pages read more like 150. Since it is for the YA audience, I'm hesitant to criticize the prose and, especially, the dialogue, which at times did not ring true. Hahn has been very successful, so who am I to say the writing could have been better? In 2010 she received the prestigious Edgar award for Closed for the Season. And a film version of Wait Till Helen Comes is in post production, the first adaptation of Hahn's work. It stars one of my favorites, Maria Bello, as the mom. If it receives decent reviews, I will add it to my Netflix list when it becomes available on DVD. 462 users at Amazon have rated the book, forging to an impressive consensus of 4.7 of five. I rate it three.

So far in the 2016 race for the White House, participation in the Republican primaries is setting records, while Democratic turnout has dropped considerably from the previous presidential cycle. At this point, I don't think it's an indicator of what will occur in November. Trump continued his winning streak last night in Nevada and, if the polls are correct, looks like he will dominate Super Tuesday. The key will be when either Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio drops out. If both hang on until the end, I don't see how Trump loses. If one leaves the race, it will be a matter of where his supporters go. Although I'm turned off by the Donald's persona, I don't think it's an indication of whether he would be an effective president or not. I don't despise him the way I do the Clintons, and I will vote for him if he's the nominee. One thing is certain, a Trump-Hillary showdown figures to be great theater. The mud will be flying.

I received the 50 copies I ordered of A Hitch in Twilight, which cost me $465. The book has gone from my most profitable to $120 in the red. Killing is now my only profitable book. Rising Star and Exchanges are almost there. I believe Billionths of a Lifetime will eventually be, although it's off to a slow start. Adjustments has an outside shot at it. Close to the Edge never will be. It was my first and I had no idea what I was doing and dug a big hole. Still, the process keeps me going. I have something to look forward to every day -- at least when the weather permits. The rain is supposed to stop some time tomorrow morning. Let it be so.

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/

The Writer's Life 2/23 - Realities

The final installment of the six-episode reboot of The X-Files aired last night. It was by far the best of the lot, capturing the edgy paranoia of its heyday. From the midpoint on it was obvious there wouldn't be time for a conclusion. Since it ended with a cliffhanger, I assume it will return. The Smoking Man was prominent, even more villainous than before, puffing through a hole in his neck. Here are a few facts from IMDb about the actor who portrays him, William B. Davis: "Quit smoking in the late 1970's. Smoked herbal cigarettes while filming The X-Files. A spokesman for the Canadian Cancer Society. A Canadian national champion water-skier in his division."

According to an article at Yahoo Sports, the NFL is using virtual technology in the assessment of potential draft picks at its annual combine. Team officials are particularly interested in it as a means of testing the mind of QB's. I'm skeptical of its effectiveness. Beyond physical attributes, there is an x-factor that cannot be measured, that will remain unknown until an athlete goes into action at the highest level. So many low round draft picks have gone on to great careers. Tom Brady, arguably the greatest QB of all time, was a sixth round pick. Would VR have predicted his greatness? It will be years before the accuracy of this new yardstick is known. I hope I'm around to see the results.

Barack Obama is the first president in history not to have attended the funeral of a Supreme Court justice. Perhaps he viewed Antonin Scalia in the same light he did Winston Churchill, whose bust he returned to England.

While rummaging through a drawer the other day, I came upon an index card on which I'd written a time line for the manuscript I'm currently reworking, which spans late 1969 to August of '76. Since the narrative is from the perspective of a Vietnam veteran, I often have to remind myself to frame it from the point of view of someone who had been in combat. One factor I'd left out is the conviction of war crimes of Lieutenant William Calley in the My Lai Massacre. I included a paragraph about it this morning. I will mention the POW release and, of course, Watergate and Nixon's resignation. I've already cited the tragedies at Kent St. and Jackson St.. It's not a political novel, but it would be empty without a backdrop. It's a love story and a portrait of a country undergoing significant social changes.

The floating book shop was rained out today, and the forecast is for more precipitation for tomorrow. At least it's not snow, and we're that much closer to spring.

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/

 

The Writer's Life 2/22 - By the Numbers

I graduated from Western Michigan U., which is in Kalamazoo, where a creep murdered six people yesterday. It is particularly jarring because I'm currently reworking my first manuscript, begun way back in 1975 and set in a town and college based on the aforementioned. Reports mentioned a street called West Main, which I recently cited in the book. Fortunately, the slimeball was apprehended before he killed anyone else. May he rot in hell.

This year the price tag for the best seat in the upper deck season pass to Yankees' games is $2268, $1828 for the Mets. Is this a reflection of the income inequality leftists mention, or is it okay because unionists are the chief beneficiaries? It's fair, since no one is forced to buy or face a fine if one doesn't, ala Obamacare, but they won't get a dime from me.

In 1960, 60% of Americans were wed by age 29. Today it's 20%.

The amount of digital content stored by the average person is rising 6% each month.

The President is trying to make an illegal $7.7 billion payout to private insurers who are hemorrhaging money handling Obamacare policies. In an op-ed piece in today's NY Post, Betsy McCaughey says: "Anyone in the corporate world who misused funds this way would be headed to prison."

The average price of gasoline in the USA has fallen to $1.77 per gallon, the lowest in seven years. This is doubly good, first for the obvious reason, second because environmentalists must be losing sleep.

Bernie Sanders came up with a clever quote: "My message is clearly resonating, since even Hillary keeps echoing it." The Clintons will take even things that are nailed down.

Danny, a tall lean, black man whose passion is linguistics, has bought a lot of books from me the past few years, almost exclusively non-fiction. Today he spotted me from his seat on the bus, got off at the next stop, four shopping bags in tow, made his way to the floating book shop, and immediately began separating stuff that snared his attention. For the first time, he included two of my books, Exchanges and Billionths of a Lifetime. I charged him only for those two, letting him have the other six as a thank you. My thanks also to the young man who purchased Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon, the Arthurian legend from the female characters point of view.

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/

The Writer's Life 2/21 - Potpourri

So what is to be gleaned from the Republican primary results in South Carolina? Trump is still the man to beat, but I would not say the race is decided. Kudos to Jeb Bush for conducting his campaign with the class  that has been a hallmark of the family. Although I'm glad he has dropped out, I've always believed he's a good person. I just didn't want to see another Bush presidency. Now the question is: To whom will his support, especially the mega-bucks in his coffers, gravitate? In his post primary op-ed piece in today's NY Post, Jonathan Podhoretz claims Trump has an astonishing 60% disapproval rating among Republicans at present. That will be meaningless if he is the nominee. Few Republicans would vote for Hillary or Sanders. With her victory in Nevada, I don't think anything but an indictment will keep Clinton from the nomination. Then again, knowing the Clintons, they would ignore it and fight on.

Here's another item to add to the list of "There's an APP for Everything." An NYU grad student has come up with one that warns a woman's lover when it's that time of the month. It's called ShArk, with an inverted V replacing the A.

Raccoons in NYC? Believe it or not, there were 1581 complaints about them in 2015. One official estimates there are 100 per square mile. I've yet to spot one. They are said to be thriving because there aren't many of their natural predators in the five boroughs to keep their population in check.

I was down to a final copy of A Hitch in Twilight, so I ordered 50 from the publisher, thinking the cost would be under $400, an eventual profit of $100 on the lot. I was shocked when the bill was just short of $465. I'd recently ordered 50 of my latest book, Billionths of a Lifetime, which I self-published. I paid a bit more than $310. At ten bucks a piece that's a profit of $190. Why wouldn't I self-publish the rest of my manuscripts? I think I had two web sales of Hitch last year, a few bucks royalties. At this stage, 80% of my sales occur on the street. If not for Kindles, the percentage would be 95-99%. I haven't seen a dime from the 30 or so web sales of Exchanges. Yes, I'm grateful it was published and happy it is available, but why should I continue to allow so much of the proceeds to go into other people's pockets? I will self-publish my remaining four manuscripts -- unless I receive a large advance from a publisher, and there doesn't seem to be any chance of that happening.

My thanks to lovely young Amanda, who bought Rising Star today in Park Slope. She smelled so nice too. Since it's supposed to be the most literate neighborhood in Brooklyn, I decided to break out two heavy hitters for the first time, works on playwright Bertholt Brecht -- and they both sold! I love when that happens. My thanks to the young woman who bought them, and to all the other kind folks who made purchases.

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/

The Writer's Life 2/20 - Passions

I'm tired of movies based on comics, but, for some reason, was attracted to Ant-Man (2015), perhaps because I knew nothing about it. I watched and enjoyed it last night, courtesy of Netflix. It takes its time to develop the characters and get to the action. That may explain why it was not the blockbuster other films based on the Marvel brand have been. It brought in $180 million on a budget of $130 million in the USA alone as of 12/15, respectable but a far cry from others of the genre. Paul Rudd stars as a recently paroled genius recruited by a legendary researcher, played by Michael Douglas, to stop a former protege who aims to peddle the master's technology to the highest bidder. Of course, the real star is the spectacular effects. The first-rate cast takes a back seat to them. I could not place the female lead, Evangeline Lilly, the star of TV's Lost, maybe because of the dark hair and absence of freckles. Corey Stoll has become one of Hollywood's go-to guys for villainy. The always impressive Bobby Cannavale plays a cop married to the hero's ex-wife. Anthony Mackie and Michael Pena provide comic relief. The most amusing part of the cast is Martin Donovan in the role he has mastered -- unscrupulous white collar criminal. Rudd shares screenwriting credit with three others. Peyton Reed, who has 29 credits as a director, was at the helm. I am unfamiliar with his other works. 240,000+ users at IMDb have rated Ant-Man, forging to a consensus of 7.4 of ten, which seems right. It runs less than two hours. The tone is lighter than usual for such fare. The violence is never gross. Although the outcome is predictable, it's a fun ride. A sequel is planned. I doubt I'll watch the next installment now that my curiosity has been satisfied.

For some reason the blog hits have increased dramatically this week. It usually averages ten or less per post. One day it received 163, another 25. My thanks.

When I first started writing in 1975, I would sort my thoughts during long walks. Since the first manuscript I did way back then is requiring so much work in the rewrite, I've been thinking about it throughout each day, especially during my morning walk. It's as if I'm traveling back in time, especially since the novel takes place in the '70's.

When electronic trading put the kibosh on open outcry, the brokers had to find work elsewhere. Joe Lisi followed his passion -- football, especially the collegiate variety. He wore a different jersey each dress-down day. He has a strong web presence he hopes will lead to a network gig. It's an uphill battle, as he's doing it from scratch, having never attended broadcasting school. In a phone conversation this morning I pointed out that Woody Allen didn't attend film school. He thanked me for buying his new ebook and offered to help plug my football opus, Adjustments. Joe put his heart and soul into trading gold futures, working independently, without customers, often taking big positions. I'm sure he goes at football with equal zeal. Here's a link to his book:  http://www.amazon.com/Gridiron-Sandbox-Memoirs-College-Football-ebook/dp/B01BUYULSK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456002821&sr=1-1&keywords=joseph+lisi

It was an interesting session of the floating book shop. My thanks to the gentleman who dropped off a number of books as I was setting up. For the first hour and a half not a single passerby showed any interest in my wares. Then Steve, aka, Mr. Conspiracy approached and picked up a large tome on knitting and crochet. He said his wife, Ruth Hornbein, is famous in the field. I just googled her. Here's an example of her work:

Steve bought the book and a cook book. Then Cindy came along, on her way into the bank. I'd guess she's at least 35, probably 40. She's been acting for 15 years, has even had speaking roles in independent films, and is still dreaming of a breakout role. She wanted to give me a few books for good luck. I insisted she take a large pictorial issued in supermodel Linda Evangelista's name. She said she would friend me on LinkedIn. Finally, Ralph arrived in his new, gleaming white Ford. Finding the line in the bank "around the block," he exited immediately and bought three works of non-fiction. Thanks, folks.

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/

The Writer's Life 2/19 - Jokers

In an article in today's NY Post, Seth Lipsky addresses a move by some congressman to eliminate the $100 bill, presumably because terrorists and criminals use the Benjamins in their trades. Here are excerpts, pared and edited by yours truly: "That strikes me as an unconvincing argument, particularly from Democrats. They have withdrawn from nigh every front in the war on Islamic terror. They don’t want to name our enemies or even call our struggle a war. Meantime, they’re downsizing our army. Secretary of State John Kerry is preparing to surrender in Syria, and the Russians and Communist Chinese are on the march. The best the Democrats can come up with is taking away Americans’ favorite form of cash. It’s the financial equivalent of gun control. When criminals use guns the Democrats want to take guns from law-abiding citizens. When terrorists use hundreds, the liberals want to deny the rest of us the Benjamins. Ordinarily this would invite ridicule, save for the fact that it’s part of a larger game — the movement to do away with cash altogether. This movement is growing by the year, at home and abroad. Just this month, the Financial Times issued a column on the benefits of doing away with cash. The head of Germany’s biggest bank is predicting that in a decade 'cash probably won’t exist.' What the government fears is that if people use cash, they’ll be able to act privately. It’ll be harder to impose on them the sky-high taxes the government likes. It would never occur to a government official to deal with this problem by, say, lowering taxes. Nope, they just want to make it harder to use cash. One of the left's arguments for doing away with high-denomination banknotes is that $1 million carried in the form of 500-euro notes weighs only 2.2 pounds. If a terrorist were forced to lug around his million in 20's, it would weigh 50 pounds. This is what they’re teaching up there at Harvard these days. By that logic they’ll soon be arguing in favor of going back to using gold bullion. At the price of gold under the post-war gold standard, $1 million would weigh 1,959 pounds. Having to lug that around would really slow down the terrorists, but they don’t like the gold standard up at Harvard. Welcome to the age of modern money. First the government runs down the value of the dollar. Then when people start carrying what little money they have in hundreds, the Democrats start complaining about terrorists. The truth is that the Democrats aren’t worried about the terrorists and cash. If they are so worried about terrorists, why are they preparing to give $150 billion back to the Iranians?" Kudos, sir.

The Post published a list of politicians convicted of fraud who are collecting government pensions in New York. There are 15 names on it, 13 Democrats, three Republicans. The lowest payout is $7429, the highest $126,132. Recently, a law was passed to end this outrage, but only for future criminals. For the 15, crime has paid.

Kudos to those Twitter users who retaliated against the Pope's condemnation of Donald Trump by demanding the walls of the Vatican fortress be torn down.

RIP Harper Lee, 89, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, which will live on long after her, certain to be on the reading list of schools for the foreseeable future. Well done, Madam.

My thanks to the kind folks who bought books today.

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/

The Writer's Life 2/18 - Dimension

I almost always side with the private sector in its battles with government. The one constant exception is in the fight against terrorism. Is Apple right in refusing to provide a program that will allow the Feds to get into the phone of a dead Muslim fanatic? It claims that providing a key will make the Iphones of everyone who owns one vulnerable to hacking. What a great product it must be. The FBI hasn't been able to find a single person capable of cracking the code. As far as who I'm backing on the issue, I hate to say it, but it's the government. Although I doubt any intel of real significance would be recovered, one can't be certain there wouldn't be. Then again, I don't own an Iphone that would be vulnerable to hacking, so the choice is rather easy for me. Meanwhile, another story on the cyber front is a concern, though not quite as troubling. An L.A. hospital's computer system was hacked recently. Staffers were unable to communicate with each other. It had been taken over by someone whose genius includes criminality. Officials decided to meet the hacker's ransom demand, $17,000 in bitcoin, which can't be traced. I'll be surprised if this doesn't become common until authorities find a way to stop it. Heck, the creep might shake down the same hospital as soon as his money runs out.

Memo to high-priced call girls: Eliot Spitzer is not being charged enough. Having to be touched by such a sleaze should carry a minimum price tag of a million bucks.

So the Marxist pope has branded Donald Trump a non-christian. Who has employed more people -- the Donald or Francis? It's not even remotely close. I really miss John Paul II.

I feel like I really got away with something. Since it was so windy at my usual book nook, I decided to take the show to Bay Parkway and 85th, where the Chase bank usually blocks the wind. I waited and hour-and-fifteen minutes for parking to open up, narrowly missing out on two spaces. I decided to try one more sweep and lucked into the best unmetered spot available. "Now stop whining," I told myself. And business started with a bang, a repeat customer buying all six of the children's books I had on hand. Later, a woman who has purchased two of my books, bought Jennifer Weiner's Fly Away Home. She said her husband liked both Rising Star and Killing and has been passing them on to friends. Then a woman with a thick Russian accent approached. She is unable to resist books and prefers to read in English. I suggested Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. To my surprise, she seemed completely unfamiliar with it. I said it was a very famous book from the 1960's, and she bit. So the day had gone from near bitter disappointment to moderate success. Then Joe came along. His autistic son is a freshman at Pace University. He has a natural gift for the piano, able to play songs without reading sheet music. At Disney World, the resident pianist let Joe Jr. take over and the kid dazzled the crowd with ragtime. He has also self-published a sci-fi opus, cover below. His dad warned me that it is hard to follow. Since Joe Sr. was kind enough to buy A Hitch in Twilight, I decided to reciprocate by downloading the Kindle version of his son's novel. My thanks, sir, and to the other kind folks who bought. Good luck, junior.

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/

The Writer's Life 2/17 - Back in Biz

After being sidelined six days by wintry weather, the floating book shop made a not so triumphant return. I had only two sales, but each was satisfying, works the least likely to sell amongst my wares. One was a children's book on the 13 original colonies, bought by a Russian gentleman. The study of that topic seems passe in modern education. The other was a novella about a child skilled at origami, which I suggested to a Russian woman who requested something for a nine-year-old. Other Russians were disappointed that I currently do not have anything in their native tongue. Not being out consistently at my regular nook curtails donations. Natalya and Benedict said they had some books for me, and I told them to wait for a day when the weather was so good it would be a certainty I'd be out there. I disappointed an old-timer who once again asked for books on gambling. The woman upstairs who is preparing to move this summer has at least 1000 books in her apartment, and not one of them is on gambling. I asked specifically with that gentleman in mind. My thanks to the kind folks who made purchases, to Herbie, who donated two Lawrence Sanders thrillers, and to the acquaintances who wished me well. I had a nice laugh when Professor Barry Spunt, author of Heroin and Music in New York City, related a recent experience he had in trying to find a larger apartment. He was thinking he would offer the super $50 or $100 bucks. The guy wanted $800. "And I'm the Jew," said Barry -- "he's Latino." The Lady Eve, also Jewish, came hustling by in sandals, fresh from a manicure and pedicure, complaining that her sockless feet were freezing. "The things we do for beauty," she said. The highlight of the day came from a first grader whose dad has bought several books in Russian from me. When I asked if she liked school, she excitedly said: "I'm student of the month. I get a trophy." I applauded.

I didn't find anything worth commenting about in today's news, so here's an excerpt from the manuscript, Five Cents, I've been reworking. The main character is recovering from combat injuries, waiting for his discharge. One day he ventures into Saigon. I'm not a veteran. This is all from my imagination and whatever stored in my subconscious during the Vietnam War:
     He walked the streets, observing, perspiring. The natives seemed unaffected by the heat. His legs grew weary. He fought off a dizzy spell and turned in the direction of the base. Suddenly the ground rumbled beneath his feet. The roar of an explosion resounded through the area. Cries and shrieks pierced the air as people reeled along the sidewalks and streets. A few fell to the ground. Soon people were running in the direction of the blast. The peal of police whistles rose above the hubbub. Tom was dragged along by the momentum. Three blocks later he came to a halt, breathless. A crumpled marquee lay on the sidewalk in front of a theater. Black smoke was billowing from it. Flames were visible through the debris. A hush descended on the crowd. The crackling of the fire was prominent. Suddenly an old man staggered out of the wreckage, white garments torn and charred, skin blackened by soot. He walked with arms outstretched, like a blind man feeling his way. A policeman led him to an aid station that had been set up. Moments later two children crawled out of the burning building, coughing, clothing tattered, cuts and bruises all over their tiny bodies, faces contorted by fear and pain. One child rose and dashed through the crowd, wailing, the sea of robes parting for him, his screams haunting. The other boy sat weeping amid shattered glass until a nurse carried him away. Soon a fire engine arrived. Policemen angrily tooted their whistles, urging the crowd to allow it entry.

   Tom stared at the faces around him, Anglo as well as native. The mood seemed one of helpless resignation. They’d seen this before – many times, and those not personally affected seemed to retreat into a shell that helped them survive.

   He fled. He did not want to witness the bodies dug from the ruins. Tears trickled from his eyes as he pushed through the onlookers. He would not leave the base again. He took solace in the thought he would soon be home.   

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/

The Writer's Life 2/16 - Battles

Betsy McCaughey makes an interesting point in an op-ed piece in today's NY Post. On replacing Justice Scalia, she wants the next president to do it. The pick is certain to be as liberal as the President's previous two, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. And, McCaughey speculates, what if the elderly Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer decide to retire before Obama's term elapses. The three picks would lock the Supreme Court into a lengthy liberal bias that would aid a radical agenda. And here's an example of why it matters. On February 8th the court upheld the delay of Obama's war on fossil fuels, preventing measures that would have a negligible effect on climate change and would be damaging to the economy. Will the Republican controlled congress fight or will it cave, as it has so often done the past few years? It is one of the reasons for the rise of Trump.

RIP Vanity, 57, born Denise Katrina Matthews, who succumbed to kidney failure and an abdominal illness. She shot to fame under Prince's guidance, eventually branching out and fronting the girl group Vanity 6, whose biggest hit was Nasty Girl. Her beauty made her a natural for film and TV. She has 24 credits listed at IMDb. Unfortunately, she became addicted to crack, which probably compromised her immune system, a fate many rock stars who over-indulged are suffering. She was later born again.

Last night Fox aired the fifth of the six episode reboot of The X-Files. Written and directed by series creator Chris Carter, it was an interesting blend of humor and existential probing. It was refreshing in that the terrorists were radical Islamist, but also politically correct in labeling them a tiny minority, and including the unflattering opinions of a few white Americans. The show introduced two new characters, younger versions of Mulder and Scully. I wonder if a new series is being considered. I'd be surprised if it were successful. None of the new episodes has approached the best of the original run.

The floating book shop's hiatus has allowed me to put a big dent in the reworking of my first manuscript, Five Cents. Today I completed the second of its five parts. The 260 pages of the hard copy have been reduced to 90 in MS Word. Not only have I attacked the bloat, I'm limiting the narrative to a single point of view. 379 pages to go. At five pages per day, that's about 76 days of work. I did a little math to tabulate the word count of the original. At 250 words per page, it comes to nearly 170,000, probably less. I suspect the final product will be a little more than half that. My rock n roll epic, Rising Star, came in at 195,000+. I can really sling the bull when the mood strikes me. None of my other books will approach that length.

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/

The Writer's Life 2/15 - Brooklyn Noir

Among a recent batch of a donation to the floating book shop was Brooklyn Noir 3. I immediately set it aside for reading. To my disappointment, all 16 stories are non-fiction, each set in a different neighborhood, although there is overlap. Almost every case was famous, tabloid fodder. The Brooklyn Bogeyman by C.J. Sullivan is listed as Bensonhurst, the neighborhood in which I grew up. It summarizes the Son of Sam case, which was broken when someone recalled that a car had been ticketed on Shore Road, near the site of the last shooting. To my surprise, there are many, including Sullivan, who believe others may have been involved in the murders. The only comment I have about that is why did the carnage cease after David Berkowitz was apprehended? The piece in the collection I enjoyed most is No Roses for Bubbeh by Reed Farrell Coleman. Although it is listed as Coney Island, the key event happened where he worked, near the Sheepshead Bay post office, which is a five-minute walk from where I've lived since 1988, and which I've passed or patronized thousands of times. Coleman was a teenager in the 70's when he witnessed a businessman's agonizing death on the sidewalk from a stab wound delivered by a thief, something he will never forget. All of the collection is well-written. The writers all have been moderately successful, several having worked as journalists. I simply prefer fiction. This edition was published in 2008 by Akashic Books, which has issued similar books covering the rest of the five boroughs, New Jersey and other areas of the country. On a scale of five, I rate it three. Eight users at Amazon have rated BN3, forging to a consensus of 4.3 of five. I'd be surprised if there would be much interest in it outside NYC.

It's Fashion Week in NYC and the NY Post runs photos of the event each day. I have a question. Why do the models seem so unhappy or indifferent? Are they told not to smile by designers who fear it will detract from the clothing? I don't get it.

It's snowing at the moment. It's supposed to change to rain overnight as the temperature climbs into the 50's. If the forecast is correct. the floating book shop's six-day hiatus will end Wednesday. Today I earned some money helping a handicapped friend who will be moving this summer. We cleaned out a liquor cabinet she hadn't opened in at least 20 years. It was so dusty I had to wear a mask and gloves. About 20 of the 50 bottles were sealed and went back into the cabinet, along with a bunch of dishes and such -- after I cleaned the shelves with a damp cloth. We didn't find any money, but there was a diamond encrusted piece of jewelry in there. It was a gift from a boyfriend she would have married had he not passed away suddenly 30 years ago. There were a lot of chapters of her life in that now rickety piece of furniture. We sorted through it piece by piece. The most treasured item was inside a thin cardboard box -- a handsomely bound book she gave her adopted son on the day he converted to Judaism.

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/

The Writer's Life 2/14 - Troubles

I try to keep a positive outlook, despite the divisiveness roiling the country, but some days it's hard. When I turned on the radio this morning, I heard of the death of Supreme Court Justice and conservative icon Antonin Scalia, 79. Of course, one's view of him depends on one's politics. To me, he was a pillar of common sense whose presence will be greatly missed. His passing will lead to even more divisiveness, as the President will nominate a liberal to replace him and Republicans will fight it, hoping the next leader of the free world will be one of theirs and nominate a conservative. Usually, I begrudge the president's prerogative in this matter, even when I disagree with the choice. Is it legitimate to claim the choice should be left up to the next man/woman? I'm not sure. What are the precedents in a final term appointment? Then again, unless Rubio or Cruz or a dark horse conservative is elected, the next justice is likely to be a liberal. Sanders, Hillary or Bloomberg would name a leftist. I sense Trump would too. RIP, Justice Scalia. Well done, sir.

There were a lot of troubling items in today's NY Post. The world's largest container company by capacity, Maersk, reported an 84% decline in profits in 2015, attributed not only to falling oil prices but to slower trade... JP Morgan's CEO, Jamie Dimon, according to Jonathon Trugman, "was willing to run into the fire and buy $24 million dollars worth of his bank's stock on Thursday." Will others have to do that to prevent a complete market meltdown? Will it prevent it? It's scary... In the past five years, $8 billion worth of Manhattan apartments valued at $5 million or more have been paid for in cash by persons unknown. Real estate brokers and lawyers are not required to disclose a client's identity. It is believed a lot of the money is dirty. Legislation is being proposed to change this. NYC's revenues are flush with the taxes on these sales. Would a change in the law prevent future sales and harm the city's bottom line?

And on the the innocuous: 29% of Americans have a tattoo. Surprisingly, more women do, 31%, than men, 27%. Even more surprising, the divide among Republicans, Democrats and Independents is almost equal.

For some reason, Netflix sent me two discs this week. Last night I watched No Escape (2015), an effective thriller. The plot is simple: an American engineer moves his family to an unnamed Southeast Asia country that shares a border with Vietnam. He has been hired to work on a water project. The next day rebellion breaks out, and foreigners are executed. Although there is little doubt of the outcome, there is a lot of tension, suspense and exhilarating action. Only once is credulity strained, but overall the film is more grounded than most action fare produced these days. It falters badly when it makes its only segue into politics, blaming corporations for the slaughter they have brought upon themselves. Leftists, of course, would agree, but the injection of a brief, blanket statement is ridiculous. The screenplay should have gone into more depth or not mentioned it at all. Other than that egregious slip, the flick is thoroughly enjoyable and contains several scenes of visceral satisfaction. Owen Wilson and Lake Bell are fine as the loving parents, and the two little girls, as usual in modern cinema, are brilliant. Pierce Brosnan adds quirky charm as a mysterious stranger the family crosses paths with several times. John Erick Dowdle directed and collaborated with Drew Dowdle on the screenplay. I am unfamiliar with their previous work. I was also a stranger to Bell, who has extensive credits, including five as a writer and five as a director. Nearly 38,000 users at IMDb have rated No Escape, forging to a consensus of 6.8 of ten, which is right on the money by me. It runs only 103 minutes, another plus.

It was three degrees when I left the house this morning just after six AM. The real feel was a lot worse, given the strong wind. My morning walk was restricted to the newsstand and back. I had a laugh while inside. I said: "One more day and the worst is over." And the clerk replied: "But it's a long day." He works a twelve hour shift.

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/

The Writer's Life 2/13 - Sacrifice

I'm always leery of disappointment when there is great buzz about a movie. Last night I finally caught up to American Sniper (2014), courtesy of Netflix, and the buzz was warranted. Of course, there are pacifists and leftists who find such fare appalling in that it suggests that warriors are heroes. Based on the book by former Navy Seal Chris Kyle and Scott McEwen, and on American Wife by Taya Kyle and Jim DeFelice, AS is an in depth portrait of a man who answered his country's call. Jason Hall's screenplay wisely avoids politics and concentrates on the effects war has on soldiers and their families, the sacrifices that are made. Kyle had 160 confirmed kills. He was usually positioned on rooftops to protect his comrades in arms, who were performing the unenviable task of house to house fighting. The film does not whitewash events. The enemy is depicted as formidable, brave and brutal. Kyle's first kill is a pre-teen boy about to toss a grenade. He did four tours in Iraq. In my mind, he's a hero, despite any character flaws. While I've enjoyed a lot of Clint Eastwood's work, I always felt something was missing or wasn't right. American Sniper is his most complete film. While viewing, I recalled that great quote from George Orwell: "We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." Amen. Kyle was shot to death by an Iraq veteran, which is mentioned in a footnote at the end of the film, which runs more than two hours. Nearly 300,000 users at IMDb have rated it, forging to a consensus of 7.3 of ten, a number no doubt dragged down by opponents of the war and all wars. The naysayers failed to depress its box office numbers. It took in $350 million in the USA alone on a budget of $58 million. On a scale of five, I rate it 4.5. Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller are outstanding as the Kyles. I supported the war. In hindsight, it can be argued that it was folly, that it contributed greatly to the current state of the Middle East, although it might not have become as bad had America left a sizable force in Iraq, one that might have been able to stop ISIS in its tracks. Did America pull defeat from the jaws of victory as many argue wed did in Vietnam, or was the action misguided from the start? Let the argument rage. Of one thing I am sure, we owe a huge debt to everyone who served, and no one will ever convince me our intentions weren't pure. A popular liberal dictum states: "Do not judge someone until you've walked in his shoes," which, as I interpret it, extends to criminals, even the most vicious. It often seems the left does not include the military or police officers in this belief.
While channel surfing later, I came upon the young Eastwood in the spaghetti western For a Few Dollars More (1967), airing on This-TV. He played a bounty hunter matching wits with another, played by Lee Van Cleef, much like Chris Kyle and his deadly Iraqi sniper counterpart. The body count was higher in the oater, which is not to be taken seriously, unlike American Sniper.
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5
Vic'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
Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/

The Writer's Life 2/12 - Sing Song

The new math is in effect for Democrats regarding the results of the New Hampshire primary. Although Bernie Sanders won the popular vote by 22% over Hillary, it looks like he will lose the delegate count. If it went strictly by the popular vote, Sanders would have won the majority, the count currently standing at 15-9 in his favor. However, there are what are called Super Delegates, eight of them, and it is believed Hillary will receive all of them. And they call it democracy.

I was listening to Sean Hannity's radio show while chowing down on a couple of slices from Delmar Pizzeria when he mentioned what may have been the latest homeland terror attack. I googled it and nothing came up, then I went to Fox News. Yesterday a man went into an Ohio Jewish deli and hacked at people with a machete. Although there were injuries, there were no fatalities. The guy, whose name was Mohammad, got in his car and eventually came to a police road block. He attacked with the machete and a knife and was shot to death. The FBI is now investigating.

I was doing a crossword puzzle today. 24 Down was "Half a Prison?" I immediately thought Sing Sing, then wondered how it got its name. I ran a search and learned the land was purchased from a tribe, Sinck Sinck or Sint Sinck, which translates to stone on stone.

I went up to an elderly woman's apartment this afternoon, She will be moving this summer and has begun getting rid of a lot of her possessions. She sells books she accumulated through the years on Amazon, more than a thousand of which she has listed there. She took me into her son's former room, where she has them in boxes and stacks. I told her I'd take ten kids' books at a time, providing I sell them. They're good but dated. She hasn't bought any for two decades, since an accident severely limited the use of her legs. She showed me a book signed by Elie Wiesel that's worth more than $900. She has others in that ballpark. She just called and told me she pulled a couple of the books out of the bag I'd left with her, as they were worth $30 or more according to the price she listed at Amazon. She also offered me $35 to clean out a locked cabinet full of liquor bottles. I will give her a discount if it doesn't take me long. She has to find the key. She's reluctant to give the stuff away because it's sat there for years and might have gone bad, especially those bottles that have been opened. If I were a drinking man, I might be tempted to keep a few. Selling them on the street is out of the question. One, it's probably illegal. Two, somebody might be poisoned.

When I walked to Stop n Shop's recycling room at noon, I regretted that I hadn't at least scouted conditions in front of the Chase bank on Bay Parkway, which usually blocks the wind and where the sun shines most of the day. I might have been able to put in a couple of hours selling books. It was a lost opportunity, especially since the next two days are supposed to be super cold. Ce la vie. I put in twice as much time on re-working my first manuscript, so it definitely wasn't a loss in the most important sense.

Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc

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

Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/