The Writer's Life 8/31 - Leeches, Felons & Heroes

Here's more big government insanity, gleaned from an article in today's NY Post. The European Commission has ordered Apple to pay Ireland $14.5 billion in taxes, which the government does not want to accept. Apple has 6000 employees and its headquarters there. In appreciation, the country charges it a rate of less than one percent. Ireland gets what makes an economy run well. Kudos.

President Obama has commuted the sentence of 673 felons, more than the last ten presidents combined. Most are "non-violent" drug offenders. The war on drugs has been such an abysmal failure that I often wonder if it wouldn't be wiser to make all substances legal. I'm sure it would lead to a significantly greater percentage of abuse, but violent crime might be reduced. And tax revenues would soar, although that makes it feel like a deal with the devil. Some issues simply defy an easy solution.

With little inspiration in today's news, I ran a search on an activity that always brings something interesting. I found a top ten about the famous exploits of the parent of celebrities at listverse.com. Here are the three that stood out, edited by yours truly: Paul Reubens, aka Pee-Wee Herman, might seem like an unlikely individual to have a military hero father. Years before his son was born, Milton Rubenfeld flew combat missions in WWII for both the Royal Air Force and the US Army. After the war, he was recruited to fly missions for Israel in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. He became one of the founding members of the Israeli Air Force, which consisted of five pilots and four airplanes at the time. In May 1948, the planes flew toward the Egyptian lines and engaged the enemy in a surprise attack. The following day, Rubenfeld’s aircraft was shot down. He bailed out into the Mediterranean, sustained numerous injuries but swam to safety.
Olivia Newton-John’s maternal grandfather was Nobel Prize–winning atomic physicist Max Born, whose family, Jewish, was forced to flee Germany during the 1930's. Her father, Brin, spoke German and spent WWII decoding German messages for the top secret RAF organization Ultra. He helped translate the Nazi’s plans for the Battle of El Alamein. Brin also questioned captured soldiers. Instead of standard interrogation techniques, he often wined and dined POW's. One had witnessed a plane crash in Scotland. The pilot turned out to be Deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess, who was subsequently captured.
Glenn Close's dad, William, was a surgeon who practiced medicine in Zaire. In August 1976, Dr. Close dealt with an outbreak of one of the deadliest viruses ever: the Ebola hemorrhagic fever. The epidemic started at a missionary hospital in a small village. It killed most of the medical staff and caused mass panic throughout the country. Dr. Close was responsible for coordinating the successful effort to contain the virus, using his relationship with the nation's President to obtain all necessary resources.

My thanks to the woman who purchased five novels in Russian, to Mikhail, who bought a translation of Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front in his native tongue, to the gentleman who donated a bio of Leonardo da Vinci, and to Barry Spunt, author of Heroin and Music in NYC, who overpaid for bios of Lauren Bacall and Katharine Hepburn. He just received his latest royalty statement and, if he read it right, seems to owe his publisher, Macmillan, thirty-two cents.

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/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts

The Writer's Life 8/30 - Avoidance

I've been avoiding commentary on Anthony Weiner. What more can be said about the guy? It took a front page headline in today's NY Post to get me to include him here: "HUMA CUTS OFF WEINER." It's not quite the all-time classic "HEADLESS BODY in TOPLESS BAR," but it's up there. I'd sensed that union had devolved into a political marriage similar to Billary, but it obviously has outlived its usefulness. Unlike Slick Willie, Weiner doesn't bring anything to the table anymore. His political career is finished. He is disliked by most. Even the radical left might not vote for him. I'm sure Huma will find another ideologue to pair off with and advance her career. And I suspect Weiner will draw a lot of interest from women attracted to notoriety. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if he gets offers from the porn world, which may be his natural habitat, given his penchant for revealing selfies and the silly online handle he chose -- Carlos Danger. It's a more honest profession than politics.

I've also avoided saying anything about 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick's refusal to stand for the national anthem in protest of the treatment of minorities by police. I've said this many times: when are there going to be protests against the violence many black men do to each other, which dwarfs the number of deaths at the hands of authorities and are never justified, unlike the 99% of police shootings, which are?

My thanks to the elderly gentleman who donated ten books in Russian, and to the middle age one who bought four of them, including a translation of Tom Clancy's The Sum of All Fears. For the third straight session I had only one buyer. Fortunately, all three bought in bulk. My thanks also to Herbie, who donated two more paperback thrillers, and to the Jewish Meals on Wheels lady, who gave me an apple juice, and to Mark, who gave me a lemonade which, as a diabetic, he is unable to drink without consequence. The most amusing aspect of the day was complaints about the heat. Compared to what it had been, it was paradise. And the humidity was low.

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/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts

The Writer's Life 8/29 - Wild Ideas

An encouraging editorial in the NY Post lauds the University of Chicago, which has warned incoming freshmen that free speech still reigns there. “Our commitment to academic freedom means that we do not support so-called ‘trigger warnings,’ we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial, and we do not condone the creation of intellectual ‘safe spaces’ where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own,” wrote Jay Ellison, the dean of students for undergraduates. “Members of our community are encouraged to speak, write, listen, challenge, and learn without fear of censorship. At times this may challenge you and even cause discomfort.” How sad that this even needs to be said. It will be interesting to see if student yahoos challenge this and, if so, how the school reacts.

RIP Gene Wilder, 83, actor, director, writer, born Jerome Silberman. At IMDb he has 37 credits as an actor, nine as screenwriter and five as director. His best work was done with Mel Brooks: The Producers (1967), for which he received an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor; Blazing Saddles (1974); Young Frankenstein (1974), for which he was nominated for Best Screenplay Adapted from Other Material. The last chapter of his life was devoted to writing books -- three novels, an autobio and a short story collection. He was married four times, most famously for five years to SNL comedienne Gilda Radner, whose life was cut short by cancer. Here's a quote attributed to him: "We are not interested in polite titters, we want the audience rolling on the floor and falling about. Mel works on his feet -- it's a hit and miss, hit and miss, hit and miss. Then in the editing he will take out the misses!" Well done, sir.

I've mentioned a quote from The X-Files several times through the years. It goes something like this, voiced by Scully: "My dad used to say 'You better respect nature, because it sure as hell has no respect for you." I was reminded of it a moment ago while reading an article at Yahoo News about a lightning strike that killed 323 reindeer in central Norway.

I had good news at the doctor's this morning. Both the top and bottom numbers of my BP have gone down, the bottom now normal, the top slightly above.

I took the lazy way out regarding the floating book shop today. I found a parking spot under a tree about a block from my usual Monday nook. I had two choices: haul four containers of books to the front of the Chase bank, or drop the full monty at the curb beside the old Hyundai. I chose the latter, although it would potentially eliminate the patronage of a few of my regulars. The session was saved when I spotted one. I walked to the corner and waved. I wouldn't have been surprised if she'd given me the brush, given the heat, but she was kind enough to come take a look at my wares. She left with six more classics in paperback. She is building a library for her granddaughter. My thanks, and to Mike, the Super whose permission I asked to set up shop there. He said his building recently received notice of a fine for a broken elevator light. The four-story behemoth doesn't have one. Apparently, the city inspector didn't even bother to enter.

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/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts

The Writer's Life 8/28 - Treasures

American Treasures by Stephen Puleo will be published this week. It is the story of the preservation of historical documents in the early days of WWII. After the Nazis bombed the British Museum, destroying 1000 books, FDR assigned the Library of Congress the task of cataloging and safeguarding the originals of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and other symbols of America, believing their destruction would be a blow to the nation's psyche and a coup for the enemy. Four storage sites were chosen: Fort Knox, the University of Virginia, Washington and Lee University and VMI.

More government insanity: an editorial in today's NY Post informs that the Department of Health and Human Services has issued a rule that doctors cannot refuse to perform gender-reassignment surgery, which is often irreversible, on teenagers who have received an okay from a "mental health professional." Teenagers are constantly changing their minds. Why the rush? If only government workers were subject to strict review from mental health pros.

The Coney Island Sand Sculpting Contest was held on August 20th. Here's one of the prize-winners:

 During my morning walk, I spotted a pile of at least six large boxes stacked at the curb at the rear of the Nissan service center on Coney Island Av., parallel to the Belt Pkwy.. They were filled with copies of a single book: The Forsaken: An American Tragedy in Stalin's Russia by Tim Tzouliadis. A blurb at Amazon summarizes it as: "A remarkable piece of forgotten history- the never-before-told story of Americans lured to Soviet Russia by the promise of jobs and better lives, only to meet tragic ends." I assumed the author had had his heart broken by disappointing sales of a self-published book and dumped them there. Since I'm overloaded with inventory at present, I didn't take even one. To my surprise, the book was published, a "reprint edition," by Penguin Press. At last check, it was ranked 442,982th at Amazon, where there are at least 13 million books listed, infinitely better than any of my own. That deepened the mystery. Were they put there by a disappointed thief or a disgruntled employee? It is the author's only work. I found this brief bio at the publisher's site: "Born in Athens, Timotheos Tzouladis was raised in England. A graduate of Oxford, he subsequently pursued a career as a documentary filmmaker and television journalist whose work has appeared on NBC and National Geographic television. He lives in London." 137 readers have rated it Amazon, forging to a consensus of 4.8 of five. Why in the world were they abandoned?

The floating book shop had only one customer today, but it was a good one. My thanks to the Asian gentleman who purchased two obscure works of non-fiction, and fiction by Arthur Conan Doyle, Harper Lee and Herman Melville.

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/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts

The Writer's Life 8/27 - The Rub

I've admired the works of the Coen brothers since Blood Simple (1984). Several were puzzling, but there were always outrageous scenes that made each viewing worthwhile. Hail Caesar (2016) is in that category. I caught up to it last night courtesy of Netflix. It is the story of a beleaguered studio head fixing problems on sets, and scandals behind the scenes. Set in an unidentified time that seems like the late 1940's or early 1950's, it features a terrific cast: Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Ralph Fiennes. Scarlet Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Channing Tatum Frances McDormand, Robert Picardo, Christopher Lambert, Alan Clancy, Jonah Hill and Heather Goldenhersh. Michael Gambon does the voice-over. Swinton plays twin gossip columnists who hate each other, one of the flick's best features. There are two scenes I really enjoyed. One has the studio head, a devout Catholic, leading a round table discussion addressing his fears about a film about Christ to leaders of various religions, who bicker. The other has a group of communists, who have kidnapped the epic's star, trying to convert him to their cause. They too bicker among themselves. I'm never confident about analysis, even concerning books, so I simply state observations about what I see and read. I consult IMDb for specifics and scan the commentary section. There are two interesting interpretations there. One man sees the film as Biblical allegory, the studio head as a Christ-like figure. Another believes the theme is authority. Both argue convincingly. As I watched, the narrative seemed disjointed. Something seemed to be missing. Perhaps this is one of those films that has to be watched several times to be appreciated. Despite negative reviews, it made money, bringing in $29 million on a budget of $20 million in the USA alone. The Coen fan base is worldwide, so it probably ended up significantly in the black, especially given DVD sales, rentals and downloads. 63,000+ users at IMDb have rated it, forging to a consensus of 6.4 of ten, with which I can't argue. I'd be surprised if anyone outside of the Coen's legion of admirers would like it. Several bash the film at IMDb. It runs only 106 minutes. Curiously, I was disappointed that it seemed cut short. I wanted more. "Aye, there's the rub..." Hamlet might have said.

I've been carrying An Introduction to Psycholinguistics by Danny D. Steinberg and Natalia V. Sciarini for about a month, holding it for Danny, a layman whose passion is linguistics. Today he gave me several copies of a booklet he has published on the subject. Psycholinguistics is defined as the study of the relationships between linguistic behavior and psychological processes, including the process of language acquisition. Danny also bought Descartes' Discourse on Methods and Meditations and, in wonderful contrast, a novelization of Spiderman 3 by Peter David. My thanks, sir, and to the lovely young woman who bought a Princess Diana bio and Laura Day's Practical Intuition, and to Monsey, who purchased Organizing for Dummies, of which she said a friend was in dire need.

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/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts

The Writer's Life 8/26 - Attn. Sci-Fi Authors

A host of items in today's news provides plenty of fodder for writers. A brief article in today's NY Post led me to sciencemag.org for this: "Octopuses are notorious escape artists, able to squeeze and squish themselves into and around nearly any obstacle they encounter. In an ode to these crafty cephalopods, researchers have created the first completely soft-bodied robot, dubbed the “octobot.” The palm-sized machine’s exterior is made of silicone. Whereas other soft robots have had at least a few hard parts, such as batteries or wires, the octobot uses a small reservoir of hydrogen peroxide as fuel... Scientists envision these robots being used for marine search and rescue, oceanic temperature sensing, and military surveillance." Here's a pic:

The St. Jude Medical stock fell yesterday after a report stated that implanted heart devices are susceptible to hacking. That sounds like the basis of a thriller the late Michael Crichton might have written.

Drug dealers keep coming up with novel ways of transporting goods. Westchester authorities found 65 pounds of heroin in the axle of a tractor-trailer. Expect that to turn up in a movie or TV show very soon.

A woman trying to sell crickets and worms on a NYC subway train was jostled and lost her grip on her odd cargo Wednesday evening. A witness says startled passengers had crickets on their arms. The worms wriggled on the floor. His girlfriend was crying. People moved to the other end of the car. Someone pulled the emergency brake (very bad idea) and the train halted on the Manhattan Bridge. Paging Stephen King.

Over the past four years, a 31-year-old Florida man has survived a lightning strike, a bite by a venomous spider and — most recently — an attack by a rattlesnake in his backyard. (Yahoo News). With stuff like this in the news, the prolific King will never run out of ideas.

My thanks to the middle aged woman who got the floating book shop off on the right foot by buying Tom Brokaw's pictorial on The Greatest Generation and a NY Times Crossword Puzzle Dictionary, and to Janet and Stu, who purchased a Danielle Steel romance, a Harry Potter adventure and a Carol Burnett bio, and to Ira, who wiped out a large chunk of celebrity row by selecting bios of Bobby Darin, Ingrid Bergman and Janet Leigh. The session inspired meetings between six locals: As I was conversing with Matt, an entrepreneur who invests in several business, an electrician stopped and asked if I knew of any framing places in the neighborhood. This led to a discussion between the two that went from art to buying pipe tobacco in large quantities. They exchanged numbers. During that talk, Ol' Smoky showed and, a moment later, his friend Ira, who has self-published a book of his puns. They sat on the ledge of the garden, smoking and gabbing. Late in the session, as I was doing business with the other Ira, a retired tailor, Caroline stopped by to say hello. Ira complimented her fashion sense, and they walked off together, schmoozing.

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/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts

The Writer's Life 8/25 - Droning On

According to an article at Yahoo News, aviation authorities in the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand have been relaxing rules to allow air deliveries. Last month 7-Eleven conducted the first single commercial drone delivery -- coffee, donuts and a chicken sandwich -- as part of a trial. Domino's conducted a demonstration pizza delivery by drone in Auckland, New Zealand on Thursday, and afterwards said it aimed to be the first company to launch regular drone service later this year. If a freshly-baked pizza's ingredients can be kept stable by this method, it would be a minor miracle. What if it's really windy? And what of the potential dangers of having many companies employing drone services? I've been wrong a million times in my life, and I hope I am again on this issue, as I love entrepreneurial innovation. Here's a pic of the trial run:

Hondo, the NY Post's baseball handicapper, includes droll commentary on society in his columns. Today he cited a friend who said President Obama would have been far more successful had he named Hillary Secretary of the Treasury rather than of State. Kudos.

The floating book shop received two massive donations today. The same kind middle age woman who has lavished me with marketable non-fiction each week for more than a month added to what I now call celebrity row with bios of Carol Burnett, Janet Leigh, Eddie Fisher, Ingrid Bergman and another on Bobby Darin. Barry Spunt, author of Heroin and Music in NYC, bought the one on Fisher, who had substance abuse problems. Minutes before I was about to close shop, a guy named Bruce showed up with two bags filled with mostly classics, the most impressive being a beautiful hardcover edition of Dracula. He doesn't read, but his wife does. I told him to pick out as many thrillers as she, to whom he was speaking on his cell phone, desired. He took four and chuckled, having expected only to get rid of, not gain books. My thanks to these kind folks, and to the woman who kicked off the session by buying two young adult works for her daughter, to the young man who selected one on improving brain function, to the guy who bought Life pictorials on old Hollywood and the Rat Pack, to the elderly woman who selected a Mary Higgins Clark mystery, and to the gentleman who was thrilled to get his hands on An Anthropologist on Mars. He would have preferred Oliver Sacks' more popular Awakenings but was happy nonetheless. He reads non-fiction exclusively and revealed a secret -- his battle with obsessive-compulsive disorder. As soon as he left, a young woman struck up a conversation. I showed her my seven books and she said she was writing a sci-fi novel, working with a friend-illustrator. I told her about Create Space, how she can publish the book there for free. She thanked me and left with a hop in her step. As soon as I was alone I started rearranging the books, putting aside the less commercial, replacing them with those I believe will sell faster. The standard size paperback classics were easily incorporated. The larger will have to wait until tomorrow. Since the car was nearby, I was able to display seven containers worth of wares, three of which I placed on the back seat, as there is no more room in the trunk. It's a good problem to have.

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/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts

The Writer's Life 8/24 - Pearls

Ten years ago a Filipino fisherman snagged a 75-pound pearl with the anchor of his boat. He kept it under his bed for good luck. Recently, he moved from his home and asked a relative to mind the gem. She suggested making the find public. It is 2.2 feet long and one foot wide. It's estimated to be 170,000 carats, worth millions. The only thing I ever snagged was a Coney Island White Fish. Google it. Here's a pic of the pearl:

RIP Steven Hill, 94, an actor who had a natural ease in front of the camera as a supporting player par excellence. Born Solomon Krakovsky to Russian immigrants, he was an Orthodox Jew, and a founding member of the famed Actor's Studio. In fact, he had to give up his role as the original leader of the Mission Impossible team after one season because the production schedule conflicted with the duties of his faith. In 1967 he left acting and went into real estate for ten years. He will always be remembered for playing DA Adam Schiff, a role he assumed at the age of 68, the first ten years of Law & Order, 1990-2000, 229 episodes. He had nine children. Here's a telling quote attributed to him, from IMDb: "There's a certain positive statement in this show. So much is negative today. The positive must be stated to rescue us from pandemonium. To me, it lies in that principle: Law & Order." Well done, sir.

My thanks to the teenage girl who purchased The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of Your Life by Deepak Chopra M.D., and the Coney Island medical staffer who purchased The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King. Unexpected sales are the most satisfying. A middle age gentleman who always browses but rarely buys was drawn to The Gadget by Paul Zindel, which is about a teen whose dad is working on the Manhattan Project, and the spies who try to steal A-Bomb secrets for the Soviets. I anticipated selling it as part of a package deal of the 15 or so young adult novels the floating book shop is carrying. The three customers are pearls in my book.

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/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts

The Writer's Life 8/23 - Of Service

If there's anything displeasing in today's blog, blame Colin Powell. He made me do it.

According to an article at Yahoo News, a bit of Americana has become extinct. In early September, the Howard Johnson's in Bangor, Maine will close, leaving only the Lake George, NY establishment standing. There were once more than 800 of the orange-roofed eateries. For waitress Kathe Jewett, it's the only job she's had since the place opened in 1966. "It's bittersweet, but it's nothing to be sad about," the 68-year-old said. "I've been here for 50 years — and it's time." Several times through the years my friends and I had ice cream in the Times Square venue, which closed in 2005. The first time we walked in, I was a naive teen unaccustomed to the protocols of service, as my family rarely ate out. In fact, I remember sitting down at a table only once, at the old Lundy's in Sheepshead Bay -- and the family bailing as soon as the prices on the menu were noted. Anyway, I led my buddies along and we were stopped by the guy in charge of seating, who referred to me as "Mr. Ring Leader." That tag stayed with me for a long time.

An acquaintance told me he'd been dropped by his GP, who has become a VIP MD who caters only to the well-off. She has cut her clients' lists from 30,000 to 1500. I'd never heard of such a thing. Steve, the poet laureate of Sheepshead Bay, a retired teacher, is in the market for a new primary doctor. As we were conversing, Mark, a retired postal worker/Vietnam vet, came along. He recommended his own doctor, who has an office nearby. Steve lamented that he didn't have pen and paper to copy the info. Never let it be said that the floating book shop is not prepared to offer assistance. I keep both handy on the fat chance that someone will show an interest in my books. Steve thanked me. It was the least I could do, considering he's bought two of my books... I also had a visit from Ol' Smoky, who had been MIA for about a month. He was hospitalized for several weeks due to a bleeding ulcer. At least he beat the heat and had a clean place to sleep and bathe, and three squares a day, all on the taxpayers' dime. Among the possessions in his rolling cart was a clear plastic bag filled with containers for five prescription drugs. He was also carrying a book on Brooklyn and Thomas Paine's The Rights of Man. He'd underlined a sentence in the latter and asked the meaning of "niggardly." I hadn't heard it in so long that it was a long moment before I recalled it means "stingy."

My thanks to the young woman who bought a Heather Graham thriller and Spring Fling by Sabrina James, to the gentleman who purchased a Humphrey Bogart bio, and to the one who took Frederick Forsyth's The Dogs of War at my suggestion.

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/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts

The Writer's Life 8/22 - Mars & Earth

Born in 1933, Oliver Sacks earned a degree from Oxford and dedicated his life to medicine. He has written 15 works of non-fiction on his experiences. I just completed his sixth, An Anthropologist on Mars, published in 1996. It features seven long pieces on fascinating cases: an artist who, after a car accident, sees only in black and white; a young man who loses a sizable portion of his brain to cancer; a gifted surgeon who suffers from Tourette's Syndrome; a man, blind since early childhood, who in his 40's recovers sight through surgery; an immigrant artist who, after an illness, has non-stop visions of his home town, which the Nazis started on the road to extinction; an autistic child with an uncanny gift for art; and an autistic PhD who teaches college courses and has been an innovator in farming techniques and machinery. Each section is about the adjustments and adapting the subjects must do, and the psychological rigor of coping. The artist begins drawing in black and white. The young man with brain cancer has total recall of the music of his beloved Grateful Dead prior to his operation, but is unable to remember any of the band's new songs just minutes after hearing them. The surgeon's affliction shuts down completely while he's operating. It is astounding that someone with Tourette's is even allowed in the field. He is held in universal high regard. In movies, a blind person who gains sight is seen as immediately functional. In truth, it requires a long, difficult process to learn how to use vision. The immigrant is obsessed with capturing his home town, keeping it alive, in his art. The autistic artist is able to reproduce complex structures and natural wonders and has had several books of his works published. A comment by the PhD lends the title, which describes the difficulty she has in relating to other humans and the front, the facade she has learned to put on in order to assimilate. She likens herself to Mr. Data, the android on Star Trek: Next Generation, who struggles with understanding the complexity of human beings. Like a machine, she focuses totally on her work. In the penultimate paragraph she is quoted as saying: "...I don't want my thoughts to die with me...I want to have done something... I want to leave something behind. I want to make a positive contribution--know that my life has meaning..." That pretty much describes a large portion of humanity, not just the ten percent of autistics who have special gifts, or those who are able to live independently. The affliction is still, in large part, a mystery to the best and brightest. 138 readers have rated the book at Amazon, forging to a consensus of 4.7 of five. As a layman frequently baffled by scientific terms and intellectual vocabulary, I can't go that high. I say 3.75. The writing is solid, eminently readable. I thought two of the pieces, the latter ones on the artists, were far too long. I found the many footnotes roughly 50% useful. Eleven years after its publication, An Anthropologist on Mars is rated #3 in sales in its genre. Sacks has been honored with many awards. In the book he comes off as an exemplary human being.

As far as life on earth is concerned -- it was a quiet day at the floating book shop. My thanks to Monsey, who bought Anna Quindlen's A Short Guide to a Happy Life, which gave her something to read on her bus trip to see her grandkids.

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/

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The Writer's Life 8/21 - New Leafs

Since it became obvious that marijuana will eventually be legalized nationwide, I've wondered what the unexpected consequences would be, whether the minuses would outweigh the pluses. Naomi Shaefer Riley weighs in on the issue in an op-ed piece in today's NY Post. Here are excerpts: "One study, which collected data from 2011-12 and 2012-13 showed a 22% increase in monthly use in Colorado. The percentage of people there who used daily or almost daily also went up. So have marijuana-related driving fatalities. And so have incidents of children being hospitalized for accidentally ingesting edible marijuana products...  People who have a household income of less than $20,000 a year comprise 19% of the population but make up 28% of marijuana users. And even though those who earn more than $75,000 make up 33% of the population, 25% of them are marijuana users. Having more education also seems to make it less likely that you are a user. College graduates make up 27% of the population but only 19% of marijuana users. The middle and upper classes have been the ones out there pushing for decriminalization and legalization measures, and they have also tried to demolish the cultural taboo against smoking pot. But they themselves have chosen not to partake very much. Which is not surprising. Middle-class men and women who have jobs and families know that this is not a habit they want to take up with any regularity because it will interfere with their ability to do their jobs and take care of their families... To all the middle-class professionals out there reading this: Do you know anyone who spends a quarter of their income on pot (as many of the poor do)?" None of those findings is surprising. While the debate will continue, I doubt the express to legalization will be halted. The tax collections on it will be too enticing for politicians to forgo. Less people will be jailed, freeing up the money it takes to house offenders. And marijuana will be available for those few who need it to alleviate medical conditions. That will be the chief rationale of proponents, and the hardest to refute.

Talking about the bias of mainstream media is tiresome, so forgive me for the following. It is again glaring in the different tact taken in the latest disaster in Louisiana compared to how Katrina was reported. President Bush was bashed for doing nothing more than a flyover. Obama has gotten a free pass for not breaking away from his vacation to visit the flood victims. He will get there eventually. I doubt Hillary will. I'm starting to believe the pundits who claim she has serious physical issues. That should be meaningless to voters on the fence. She would be able to fulfill her duties from the Oval Office, that's all that matters. Trump was on the ground in Louisiana, handling out supplies and toys he had trucked in at his own expense. It was smart politics, but doesn't seem like it will make a difference in the race for the White House. He's had a great week, but the optimism I felt a few days ago was vanquished by an op-ed piece by the right-leaning Kyle Smith. He sees Hillary winning in a landslide, despite her unbelievable negatives, and the polls in battleground states corroborate it.

My thanks to Amazon, which sent two payments to my bank account, one for the sale of a Kindle download, the other for potential customers reading pages of my books. It amounted to less than three bucks, but it is still appreciated. The fact that they do it astounds me. I had worried about being bounced due to weak sales. The largess makes me feel like a true partner in their business model. As for street sales, customers came early and late, only one in-between. In fact, I'd already closed shop and discovered a young woman hovering as I made a u-turn to pick up the crates. She bought a book of love poetry and Think Smart by Richard Restak M.D., and a moment later a mom suggested a V.C. Andrews novel for her teenage daughter. My thanks, and to all the other customers as well. I had a visit from B.S. Bob, who believes the Clintons had JFK Jr. killed to keep him from running for the senate seat Hillary coveted. He's miffed that one of the Brit tabloid sites features a story of John-John's hope to run for governor. Bob believes it's a re-writing of history to keep the "truth" suppressed. Some people...
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/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts

The Writer's Life 8/20 - Mass Delusion

The following was culled from listverse.com, pared and edited by yours truly: Mass delusion is strange, capturing the imagination—and absolute belief—of entire groups. While the psychology of it might be hazy, there are a number of examples of entire communities sharing in the same delusion.
10: The Hunt For The Liverpool Leprechauns: In 1964 thousands of children—and some adults—ventured into a park certain they were going to find leprechauns. The danger of injury was so great that a temporary medical shelter was set up. The rumor may have begun when kids spotted a guy gardening in distinctly leprechaun-like clothes. He yelled gibberish and threw turf.
9: The Hollinwell Incident: In July 1986 students gathered at a showground in England for a marching band competition. Suddenly, hundreds of students fell silent, and nearly 300 collapsed. The symptoms were burning eyes and throat, nausea, headaches and stomach cramps. 259 were taken to the hospital. The event was given an ominous name: All Fall Down. Some claim it was mass hysteria, while others point to the possibility that a pesticide sprayed on the field was responsible.
8: Between March and April 1897, a strange panic gripped the U.S.. Thousands reported seeing what they called the “Edison Star,” a giant apparatus supposedly created by the inventor to reflect light from one coast to the other. Many thought he was preparing his largest project to date—a giant light bulb that was capable of illuminating the whole country.
7: The Orang Minyak Panic: Reports of a terrifying creature, “oily man,” began in 2012 in a Malaysian town. According to long-standing folklore, the thing is a human who prowls the night wearing only underwear, looking for virgins. Each rape is thought to increase his supernatural powers, and the black, oily substance he covers himself with helps him hide in the dark. The sightings were taken so seriously that neighborhood watches, comprised of hundreds of people armed with axes and machetes, were formed. Similar panics have happened in Sungai Petani as well as in Sri Lanka. In the 1960's scholars started to wonder if the sightings were being used to cover up serial rapes.
6: The Myth Of The War Of The Worlds: There is no real evidence of any sort of actual panic, and what evidence there is comes from a less-than-impartial source—newspapers. At the time, radio was the nation's new, preferred information source, and in an attempt to reassert their position as the most reliable source, papers sensationalized the public’s reaction to the Orson Wells' broadcast.
5: Milan Poisoning Scare: In 1630, Spain’s King Philip IV sent an official dispatch to Milan, warning the town that four escaped prisoners might be heading their way with the intention of spreading the plague through contaminated ointments. In what may or may not be a coincidence, plague really did break out. Residents swore they had seen suspicious figures smearing poison on partitions in the cathedral, and soon it was believed every surface in the church had been covered with plague-bearing poisons. People began to point out stains and spots on surfaces across the city, and everyone was looking for the mysterious perpetrators. Countless people were assaulted and even killed for seemingly harmless actions like brushing off a pew before kneeling to pray.
4: The 1828 Hum: The mysterious presence of a low hum has been reported in many places, most famously in Taos, New Mexico. Two explanations are scientific phenomenon or mass delusion. The first written account of an unearthly, persistent hum was in 1828. Travelers making their way through the Pyrenees wrote about a noise that nearly overwhelmed them, describing it as a “low, moaning, aeolian sound, which alone broke upon the deathly silence.”
3: The Windshield Pitting Epidemic: Residents of many states found themselves in the midst of a bizarre phenomenon in 1954. A number of car windshields were pitted by an unknown force. Most other outdoor surfaces were unaffected. Top secret nuclear testing was soon blamed for the unexplained, and rumors began to circulate that the pits were caused by the fallout. Others believed nuclear bombs set off underwater threw billions of tiny marine creatures into the air, and the impact of their fall pitted the windshields. Others claimed that acid-laced bugs were eroding the glass on impact.
2: German Trembling Epidemics: During the summer of 1892, students in Germany were afflicted by tremors that started in their hands and spread to their entire bodies. It was so bad that the schools closed, which led to students in Switzerland attempting the same thing to force their own schools to close.
1: The Tarantism Outbreaks Of Italy: Tarantism is the belief that a person, usually a woman, has been bitten by a tarantula, and that the only way to get rid of the venom was to dance it away to a particular type of music. The tarantella is still danced today and has its roots in this centuries-old mass delusion. Modern interpretations of medieval writing suggest there might have been something else at work. Symptoms reported by the afflicted included fainting, visions and uncontrollable trembling, which may have been caused by the practices of a particular religious sect whose ways were unfamiliar to the masses and to the chroniclers.
Paging Mulder and Scully.

Last night in MLB, for the first time in history, a team hit four home runs before an out was recorded. Despite the barrage, the Baltimore Orioles lost the the Houston Astros, 15-8.

My thanks to whomever read eight pages of Adjustments at Amazon, whether it was one person or several. Authors are paid a token sum for reads even if the book is not purchased.

Business was slow at the floating book shop today. My thanks to the woman who purchased the 900+ page Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, and to author Bill Brown, who bought Never Mind the Pollacks, a rock n roll novel by Neil Pollack.

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/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts

The Writer's Life 8/19 - Terminology

Language constantly evolves, and I'm fascinated by the changes, as I'm sure most writers are. I often sniff at those forced by political correctness, even though I might agree with some. The following is excerpted from an article in today's NY Post, additions in parentheses by yours truly: "Princeton’s Human Resources and Office of Communications issued a four-page memo filled with examples of gender-neutral terminology that must now be used in official school documents, such as:
The word 'actress' should be replaced by 'actor.' (I will continue to use actress. Do those who advocate this change believe, come award time, there should be only one Best Actor category encompassing male and female? I bet that would go over big.) A 'cameraman' must now be called a 'camera operator.' (No problem with this, as there are probably many women in the job these days, but I'd still call a guy a cameraman.) There will be no more references to a 'cleaning lady,' but instead an 'office cleaner. (Again, if it's actually a woman, what's wrong with it?) New students are no longer 'freshmen' but rather 'first-year students.' (Why not simply frosh?) A 'mailman' no longer delivers letters or packages, because that’s the work now of a 'mail carrier, 'letter carrier' or 'postal worker.' (Fair enough, there are a lot of females on the job. I called my favorite 'Speedy.') Nothing is to ever be done for the betterment of 'mankind' but instead for 'humanity,' 'human kind' or simply 'people. (HuMANity -- haven't they noticed?) A 'waiter' or 'waitress' will no longer dish out grub, as that’s now the work of a 'server.' (If I'm in a restaurant, I will refer to male servers as waiter and female as waitress.) An 'average man' is now an 'average person' or 'ordinary person.' (No problem with it.)" I can think of a lot of new terms for professors and college administrators.

From Yahoo News, edited by, additional comments YT: "A Connecticut state worker fired after he was caught smoking marijuana on the job was punished too harshly and should get his job back, the state Supreme Court has ruled. The maintenance man at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington was axed in 2012 after a police officer caught him tokin' on a joint while seated in a state-owned vehicle. Hired in 1998, he'd had no previous disciplinary problems and had received favorable job evaluations. Arrested, the charges were later dismissed. State officials said not firing the guy would have sent a bad message to other employees. An arbitrator disagreed, saying the culprit should be suspended without pay for six months and be subject to random drug-testing for a year upon returning to work." The latter judgment seems reasonable, especially now that marijuana is practically legal. There should be a penalty for smoking it on the job -- unless it's done by people in the sex trade.

My thanks to the kind folks who bought books today. The highlight of the session was a discussion with Ukrainian immigrant and lit student Mira. She noticed a short story collection by Joyce Carol Oates. I mentioned how odd I found that the acclaimed author, who always reminded me of Olive Oyl, was a huge fan of boxing and has written at least one book about it. Mira got a big kick out of it. Judge for yourself:

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/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts

The Writer's Life 8/18 - Hemen

It was inevitable. Opponents of President Obama's policies have been dubbed racist from the get-go. The operative word now that Hillary has been nominated is "misogynist." "Xenophobe" has been in play for months. Expect the left to become even more unhinged now that polls are showing the race, if not dead even, has fallen within the margin of error. The charges are as serious as the following:

Thank you, Spanky.

Here's a brief excerpt from Five Cents, a novel I plan to self-publish through Create Space in January. The protagonist, a Vietnam vet, has traveled to NYC, circa 1970, during spring break from his job teaching introductory college lit courses. On this day he is in Coney Island. He is not a member of the aforementioned organization:
   He strolled toward the Boardwalk. The beach was practically deserted. Nearby, a man was throwing a stick that a German Shepherd eagerly tracked down. The excited bark rose above the sound of the retreating tide. He approached the shoreline and gazed out at the seemingly endless horizon. The tide was retreating. He strolled along, deep in thought. A series of jetties divided the vast beach into sections more than 100 yards long. He sat on a large, flat boulder and scooped up a fistful of sand and tossed it about idly in his hand. An elderly couple passed, holding hands, and he experienced an acute pang of loneliness. In the distance he spotted a bridge to seemingly nowhere. He focused on the sand in his palm. The moist particles clung together. He sifted through them, forcing the bulk of them out of his hand with an index finger. The final particles would not separate. He let them fall, rubbed his hands together, and moved to where the sand was dry. He scooped up another fistful and watched the excess flow over the sides and seep through his fingers until it leveled off. He then shook his hand until only specks remained. He sifted carefully through these until only one was left, and stared admiringly at it, one of an infinite number that comprised Coney Island Beach. He let it fall and looked toward the sun, avoiding the literary pretension burgeoning within him.

My thanks to the gentleman who purchased Basic Judaism, and to Barry Spunt, author of Heroin and Music in NYC, who overpaid for bios on Tina Turner and Dion. The good doctor is always on the look out for works he can use in his ongoing research on the subject. Without his continued generosity, the session would have been bleak.

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/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts

The Writer's Life 8/17 - Fast Takes

The following was in the Fast Take column in today's NY Post: "American Special Forces are on the ground in four civil wars, five counting Afghanistan. But because these wars would be unpopular if they were put before Congress, the American people are simply not consulted." I understand that such moves are necessary. What I object to is the way the mainstream media looks the other way when they are conducted by Democrats.

Donald Trump, reading comfortably from a teleprompter, delivered great speeches on consecutive days, one on security, the other on the difficulties of urban communities under the rule of Democrats for decades. The mainstream media has chosen to ignore them and concentrate on the additions Trump has made to his campaign staff, spinning it as desperation. Is this the turning point opponents of Hillary have awaited? Will Trump be able to stay on message and continue to cite the failures of the current administration? For the first time, I am optimistic about his chances. Of course, that may change tomorrow. The polls are narrowing, but still favor Hillary. She has been in the public eye for 30 years and still hasn't been able to attain the support of more than 40% of voters. Her rallies draw less than 50 people, Trump's attract thousands. Is that a truer measure of the race?

Okay, enough about politics. Here's an item that will make foodies salivate and busybodies irate -- Spam fries. It's simply the legendary product cut into thin strips and cooked three minutes in peanut oil. Oh to be young and able to indulge in such culinary delicacies! Every time I hear the word Spam I'm tempted to break into the Viking's chant in that silly Monty Python sketch: "Spam Spam, Spam Spam, Spam Spam!" Here's a link to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE Warning -- if you have no appetite for over the top nonsense, skip it.

 It looked like it would be a day of zero returns for the floating book shop until the final moments when a woman bought two romance novels in Russian that another woman had just donated. Spasibo, ladies. My thanks also to Occupy Jack, who a moment later bought a book on combating the bad news constantly aired by the media. He boasted of having been banned from a website where he had posted an essay on nationalizing the press and having the likes of Rupert Murdoch and George Stephanopolous jailed. Sounds a lot like Venezuela. He hit both sides but fails to recognize Hillary and the mainstream media pretty much want what he wants.

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/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts

The Writer's Life 8/16 - Supplementary

The following items were gleaned from today's NY Post: The Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank founded by the Charles Koch Foundation, has produced a study on freedom by state. The five least free are New York, California, Hawaii, New Jersey and Maryland. The five freest are: New Hampshire, Alaska, Oklahoma, Indiana and South Dakota. The right to bear arms weighed heavily on the results... Approximately 70% of ISIS recruits have only a basic knowledge of Sharia law. They are boning up with the aid of two books: The Koran for Dummies and Islam for Dummies. I'm not making that up. Check it out here:  https://www.amazon.com/Islam-Dummies-Malcolm-Clark/dp/0764555030/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1471379816&sr=1-1&keywords=islam+for+dummies

Many things become strenuous during a heat wave. Guitar playing has never been easy for me, but it's even more difficult when it's hot and muggy. One day I decided to sit directly in line with the flow of the fan, which I'd thought would disrupt the sound. If there has been any disruption, my ear is not good enough to detect it, and the move has made playing no more difficult than it is when the weather is perfect. Duh!

Life expectancy keeps rising and, with it, health paranoia. These days I'm taking 10 vitamins or supplements and one prescription drug: C, D (don't remember why), Calcium (bone health, although Colagen is more effective but ridiculously expensive in its most effective form), Potassium (cholesterol), Fish Oil (cholesterol), Lutein (eyes), Probiotics (digestion), Green Tea (memory and cancer fighting), Men's Edge and Maca Root (natural remedies to aid sexual function) and Enalapril (BP). I've been taking Lutein only three weeks and, if there's been any improvement in my eyesight, it's marginal. I don't know if C, D and Calcium are doing any good. Since my cholesterol level has been in line for several years. I assume the Potassium and Fish Oil have helped. I think Green Tea has restored some of my sharpness mentality, but I often wonder if I'm fooling myself in that regard. The Men's Health and Maca Root, purchased at Invite Health, are the real deal, although I wonder if they are responsible for the spike in my BP -- or if the rise is simply age related. There are trades off in everything, and that's one I'd gladly make, at least for now. The BP med knocked eleven points off my bottom number, none off the top. Lastly, given my increased number two activity of late, I'd say the Probiotics is working.

My thanks to the two local porters who donated books today, and to Herbie, who made a swap of one thriller for another; and to the woman who keeps donating mostly celebrity bios, five of which sold today: Liz, Christopher Reeve, Charlie Chaplin, one on Kate and Spencer, and a special People pictorial on Kate. A colorful work on roses also went. The most fluky sale of the session occurred as I was setting up. I dropped Rhonda Byrne's wildly popular self-help classic, The Secret, which an eagle-eyed middle age woman spotted in passing. My thanks to the kind folks who bought. I also witnessed a meter maid guy, walking in the street five feet from the curb, get buzzed by a fancy speeding car. It missed him by a foot and I'm sure it was intentional. I'd bet the thought has crossed the mind of many drivers.
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/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Vic-Fortezza-Author-118397641564801/?fref=ts