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.

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