The Writer's Life 7/17 - Europa & Beyond

Phil Mickelson must be asking himself what he has to do to win another major. He shoots -17 at Scotland's Royal Troon and finishes second? Sweden's Henrik Stenson, 40, shot a blistering final round eight under to take the Open Championship at -20! The next closest player was Yank J. B. Holmes at -6. I had a feeling Mickelson, 46, would be in the hunt. He is long overdue for a win. Henson's name can now be erased from the list of "Best Player to Have Never Won a Major." Skol, sir.

Turkey's President, Recep Erdogan, has been leading his country away from secularism and toward Islam for years. Would those who plotted the coup have been more hardcore or less?

Indiana Governor Mike Pence seems a good choice for the vice-presidency. Time will tell. I'm relieved it's not Chris Christie, which I believe would have doomed the ticket. He will have a job more suitable to his strengths should Trump win.

Lady Gaga, 30, got her driver's license two weeks ago. She was pulled over yesterday in L.A.. She was driving not a sports car but a red Ford pickup. I wonder if she gave the officer her poker face.

RIP Nate "The Great" Thurmond, 72, NBA Hall of Fame center, who succumbed to leukemia. He was overshadowed by Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell during his career, but still made his mark. In 15 seasons he averaged 15 points and 15 rebounds per game. He was a seven-time All-Star, and was the first player ever to record a quadruple-double, more than ten points, rebounds, assists and blocks in a single game. Alas, like so many of the greats, a championship eluded him. Well done, sir.

Here's a flick for those who prefer strict sci-fi: Europa Report (2013). I caught it last night courtesy of Netflix. It is the story of an international space crew sent on a mission to explore what's beneath the ice on one of Jupiter's moons. It is told in semi-documentary style, obviously influence by 2001, A Space Odyssey (1968). It's not for those who prefer action-packed space operas. I am not qualified to comment on the accuracy of its science, which seemed authentic. My only question was why there wasn't a craft orbiting the orb while work was being done below. Only a few of the faces of the cast were vaguely familiar, which is a good thing, as it eliminates pre-conceived notions. All have extensive credits listed at IMDb. The director, Sebastian Cordero, has done most of his work in his native Ecuador. The screenwriter, Philip Gelat, has only a few credits. They've put together a movie of which to be proud. To my surprise, it was shot at Cine Magic Studios in Brooklyn, which indicates that CGI was greatly involved. 51,000+ users at IMDb have rated Europa Report, forging to a consensus of 6.5 of ten, which seems right. It runs less than 90 minutes. Cine Magic Studios has two locations in Greenpoint and one in lower Manhattan.

I've eliminated Park Slope from the floating book shop's locations, as the returns were too disappointing to justify the hassle of traveling there and waiting for a parking spot to clear. Today I set up on the opposite side of the street from the Chase bank at Bay Parkway and 85th. My thanks to the young woman on the way to the beach, who bought  Nelson DeMille's The Lion's Game, and to the woman who purchased a non-fiction work on healing.

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/