Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 5/19

The results are in - I paid $42 for 100 shares of Facebook, $300 less than I was willing to lay out. So if it craps out I stand to lose $4208 in my retirement account, which won't make a difference in my life. It's acceptable risk. I am expecting the stock to lose at least half its value, as I believe the overall market is headed for a big dip, finally surrendering to the fact that the European economy is a disaster. And if the Democrats retake power in November, I think stocks prices will really dive. Hope I'm wrong. Rich Lowry devoted his op-ed piece, syndicated in the NY Post, to Facebook, dubbing it as largely useless, a fad that might be supplanted by the next big thing. While reading I got to wondering - hoping - that FB will be the Seinfeld of stocks. One of the most successful series in TV history, it famously lampooned itself as being about "nothing."

I hadn't dreamed of a certain someone in a while. I awoke to the pleasant thought that we were married and had adopted a boy. When I fell back asleep the dream shifted gears to a post-apocalyptic world where massive re-construction was taking place. There was an element of shame to it, the meaning of which has eluded me. Having read Freud's Interpretation of Dreams, I always think back to events (clues) of the day before that triggered the dream. The only one I could pinpoint was the film Drive (2011), which I watched last night courtesy of Netflix. In it, Ryan Gosling sort of adopts a boy whose dad is in prison. The story takes an ultra-violent turn. The most interesting aspect for me was the casting of Albert Brooks (real name Einstein) as a vicious gangster. What a contrast to his madcap stand up bits in the 70's as an incompetent ventriloquist and a guy selling a kit that teaches one how to imitate Curly of The Three Stooges. Drive is not for the squeamish. Screenwriter Hossein Amini and director Nicolas W. Refn pull no punches. It is based on a novel by James Sallis. I was not familiar with Refn's previous nine films. On a scale of five, I rate it three-and-a-half. The folks at IMDb rate it 8.0 out of ten.
My thanks to Mary Ann, so enamored with Killing that she took a chance on A Hitch in Twilight, and to Jack of Chase Bank, who not only donated 17 books but bought three, refusing to take them as a less than fair exchange. The best part of the session was the reappearance, after a two month absence, of Bad News Billy, whose pre-teen grand-daughter is driving him nuts. It looks like she will be attending summer school - and guess who will be driving her every day? Grandpa was kind enough to buy all but two of the VHS tapes I had on display, which included two Red Skelton compilations he can't wait to watch. Thanks, my friend.

Visit Vic's web pages:

Vic's Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3

Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb

Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6

Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h

Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

This morning I put in an order to buy 100 shares of Facebook at a limit of 45, never expecting to get it, certain the stock would be trading 90 by the time the orders of the privileged were filled. Last I looked it was 35 and change, so I've saved about a thousand bucks, pending confirmation. I'm sure I got it, as it is listed among the stocks in my IRA, although the price is not in place. Financial companies must have a ton of paperwork to sort through today. The stock seems to be a dud so far. FB execs will have to do with fewer billions than anticipated. My track record in investing is mediocre. I hope I haven't jinxed this wonderful product that has a billion active users and eight billion overall. I just can't imagine myself as rich, a feeling that is almost supernatural. For example, I just received a safe driver decal from my insurance company. As soon as I saw it I felt jinxed. I can't imagine my books becoming best sellers, either, although I don't let that stop me from going out every day and promoting them. I don't feel unlucky. In fact, I've been very lucky. I just have a problem being self-assured. That seems to be the privilege of politicians, chiefly, especially the creepiest like Schumer, Wiener or Spitzer. The psyche is endlessly fascinating.
I wasn't too crazy about the season finales of Person of Interest and The Mentalist. I suppose the latter will not resolve the Red John arc until its series finale, whenever that may be. The villain remains one step ahead of the hero. Instinct tells me the final twist will be that the serial killer will be a woman. Person of Interest seemed to end one of its arcs. Its other wasn't even a part of last night's episode, which ended on what promises to be a lame cliffhanger that would threaten the show's premise if worse came to worst. Alcatraz ended with one of its leads at death's door. Are the writers really going to terminate a character that's been a linchpin since the beginning - in the show's first season? Maybe there's a salary dispute that hasn't been publicized. Fringe has seen Leonard Nimoy move to the dark side, setting up its fifth and final season. And it seems the BBC's MI5 has concluded after ten seasons and 86 episodes. There were several twists in the last 15 minutes of the finale, and all of them worked. Unfortunately, the death scene of one its leads seemed forced and unconvincing, rare for what I believe is as good a series as there ever was.
My thanks to the kind folks who purchased books today, and to Marie, who recently finished A Hitch in Twilight and said she "loved it so much."
Visit Vic's web pages:Vic's Third Novel (Print): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Third Novel (Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/bt6a9uy
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Word Press blog:  http://vicfortezza.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 5/17

Here's the latest review of Killing at Amazon, posted by a friend: "Lead character Dante's lot in life during the course of this novel leads him (and the reader) to experience a gamut of emotions: anguish, uncertainty, suspicion, despair, indifference - and rage, to cite a few. These are triggered by family dynamics, which include a son off to fight for his country and the stench of suspected spousal infidelity. Once again, author Vic Fortezza's character depiction is so in-depth that the reader is fairly forced to deal in his own mind with the thought-provoking issues with which the protagonist is faced. We've found this to be the case in several of the author's works, and here we found once again that from literary experience we can discern much regarding our own outlook, hopes and fears - if we are so adeptly led to confront them."
Thanks, Bags.
RIP Donna Summer, the Queen of Disco, 63, winner of five Grammys. My favorite track of hers was the hard pop She Works Hard for the Money, which was accompanied by a wonderful video that was refreshingly free of lip-synching, if I recall correctly. I remember arguing with a friend at work who was convinced the ugly, vicious rumor that Summer was transgender was true, despite the fact that she was the mother of three. He also believed the one about the late Teddy Pendergrass, which was so base I will not repeat it here. Some people....

Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Facebook, took a lot of heat when it was reported that he was moving to Singapore to avoid U.S. taxes. I just read he is saving 67 million by doing so. I don't blame him. I wonder how many people will be leaving California now that the state is even further in the billions in debt, and taxes are going to be raised. The biggest criminals are in politics. The Facebook IPO looks like it will come in at $38 per share. To buy or not to buy, that is the question, to paraphrase the bard. I've missed out on the stocks of several companies whose products I love (Google, Snapple, Netflix). Dare I let this opportunity pass? Would it really hurt to risk $3800 of the money in my retirement account on 100 shares? Should I wait for the price to come off a bit? Suppose it doesn't? Decisions, decisions....
I thank whoever purchased A Hitch in Twilight at B&N, my first Nook sale, and also to the kind folks who bought books today at the floating book shop.
Read Vic's stories, free: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 5/16

I finalized the All Hallows screenplay and it's now available as a Kindle book. I'm not completely happy with the way it came out, but I'll live with it. I worked hard to clean it up and get the format right. I laughed when I noticed a particular error in the preview copy. My scanner back in the '90's mistook a lot of the small l's as ones, so a certain name appeared like this: Mi11er. The original manuscript was done on a typewriter that had by then provided thousands of pages. The most disappointing aspect is the lack on indentation. I have no idea why the finished version has come out like that. Another disappointment, which is probably temporary, is the lack of a cover. Amazon is supposed to generate a generic one, which would be a whole lot better than the gaping blank that makes the entire endeavor seem slap dash. I doubt I'll do another Kindle book myself. It's just too frustrating. Of course, I'd be thrilled if another of my novels was published and was made available in electronic format, which finally seems here to stay. Anyway, I think the script is a lot of fun and, of course, I hope it will eventually find it's way to someone with clout. It'd be nice to earn some real money at writing for a change. The price is .99 cents and my commission for any sale would be one-third of that. Another quirk is that there are no page numbers. I'm not too upset by this, as the entire book/screenplay can probably be read in a sitting or two. I included page breaks after only the title and cast of characters. Some scenes are only a couple of lines. It seemed silly to separate them by more than a couple of spaces. All Hallows is a roller coaster ride. After the potential for menace is established in the bloody opening segments, it becomes a slam-bang thriller chock full of twists and narrow escapes. Throughout it there are references to movies and TV shows that have entertained us for decades. There is no nudity or profanity, although the dialogue tips toward the salacious on a few occasions, hopefully in an artful way. Check it out here: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f
Viktor the Ukranian approached the floating bookshop asking if I knew it was a national holiday - his birthday. All the best, sir. And the 84-year-old veteran visited bearing gifts once again, which included Bibles in Russian and Chinese, as well as several best-selling paperbacks. Thank you, sir, and to the other kind folks who bought books today.

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 5/15

I've spent too much time at the computer today. The floating book shop was rained out, so I had a lot of hours to kill. A few days ago I mentioned that I was working on publishing a screenplay, All Hallows, to Kindle. The original manuscript was uploaded to my first PC with a scanner. The file required a huge clean up. The typical screenplay format seems foreign to Kindle. The first few uploads were a complete mess. I may have solved most of the problems. I took a quick look at the latest upload before taking a much-needed shower. There are still some problems in the early pages, where unintended indentations occur. If that's the worst of it, I'll go ahead with the process, buy a copy and see if the problems appear in the finished version. When I uploaded Killing, any paragraph that began at the top of a page had no indentation. I emailed Amazon and the techie said the aberration might not appear in the marketable version. He was right. I'm planning to offer it for .99 cents. The file is 66 pages and can probably be read in one sitting, two at the most. Many lines consist of only two words, i.e. Sheriff: What? I have nothing to lose. It's been on the shelf in my closet for almost 20 years, and in files on my PCs for ten. In fact, it had been so long since I'd thought about it I'd forgotten I'd put it on a Cruzer stick. I'd assumed it had been lost when my previous computer crashed, and I wasn't going to take the time to type it into Word. I'd even secured a copyright for it and another screenplay, a romantic comedy, as Hollywood types have a reputation for theft. Only trouble is, I don't remember writing the numbers down. I may have to email the Library of Congress for them. I wonder if there will be a fee involved. I hope not.
Read Vic's stories, free: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 5/14

Last night I watched yet another adaptation of an enduring literary classic, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles, episode two of the current BBC series Sherlock, which brings Holmes and Watson into the present age. Thankfully, it put fresh, high tech spin on the story. It would have been pointless to do it the same way. There are 20 versions of the spooky tale listed at IMDb, including a couple of silents and several in another language. The highest rated, 8.9, was made in the Soviet Union (1981). There is one I hope I never see, rated 4.4, starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore as the immortal leads. The very thought makes my flesh crawl. The 2012 version scored 8.4. The 1988 version, starring Jeremy Brett, who seems to be the favorite Holmes of fans, was rated 7.7, tied with the 1939 version starring my favorite portrayer, Basil Rathbone. The 1959 version, starring Peter Cushing, is rated 7.0. My favorite, a BBC production starring Richard Roxburgh (2002), rated only 6.5. The hound had a truly demonic, frightening dimension probably attributable to CGI. In the literary hall in heaven, Sir Arthur must be beaming.
Here's a picture of my favorite version:

Since age has turned us into girly-men, Cuz and I cancelled our weekly round of golf rather than risk getting caught in the type of downpour we laughed off not so long ago. Of course, the rain has yet to materialize. I was able to set up shop and sell a bunch of books. Four of my regulars, the Merry Mailwoman, Alan, Herbie and Susan made purchases, while Michael donated several more books in Russian, three of which I sold immediately. Alan's mom, who must be in her 80's, is in the hospital again, suffering respiratory issues. Of course, she has still been smoking. I fear for Alan, whose IQ was once off the charts, should his mother pass away. He had a prosperous pharmacy business that he had to give up when he began suffering mental difficulties. He is on medication. Who will be there to make sure he takes it once his mom is gone? Will he be able to take care of himself, cook, pay bills? He struggles to get around, despite significant weight loss. He pauses and leans against the nearest fence every 50 yards or so. Life is cruel to an unfortunate few. It should serve as a reminder whenever the rest of us complain about the mundane like paltry book sales or age-related aches and pains.
Thanks, folks.
Read Vic's stories, free: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/

Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 5/13

I'm experimenting with Kindle again. Some time in the early '90's I wrote a screenplay, All Hallows, wherein five inmates escape from an asylum and terrorize the small fictional town of Bela. What I intended was a revenge of the townies story, pure fun. Throughout I make references (i.e. The Bate-Myers Institute) to film and TV fare baby boomers and media buffs would appreciate, paying tribute to what entertained us, no nudity or profanity, the emphasis on suspense, the potential for violence and breakneck action. I imagined Tom Selleck as the star, a Vietnam vet now in law enforcement, Willford Brimley as the retired Sheriff and Korean War vet, and Rachel Ticotin as the hot station house secretary who was raped years earlier. Each suffers flashbacks the night the story takes place. Anyway, I wasn't able to get anyone interested in it. I think the only person who read it is my niece, Tanya. When I got an email from Amazon the other day suggesting another upload, I thought: Why not? I'll offer it for .99 cents and also make it available for free to the lending library. There's only one problem - formatting. If memory serves me, I scanned the original print manuscript into my first computer. I noticed the spacing was odd in some places and, sure enough, the first upload to Kindle was a mess. I'm now working on cleaning it up. I won't post it unless it looks good. I'll also opt for the generic cover Amazon makes available.
There is interesting news out of the music world. Dee Snider, former front man for the hard rock band Twisted Sister, has jumped on the bandwagon, cutting an album of standards: Dee Does Broadway. Several vocalists guest star on the CD: Cyndi Lauper, Clay Aiken, Bebe Neuwirth and Patti Lupone. It's amazing how time and circumstances change us. Here are then and now pictures of Snider:

"We're not gonna take it."
The weather was spectacular, as moms deserve on their big day. Given the fact that billions is spent on Mother's Day each year, I wasn't expecting much business at the floating book shop, and that proved to be the case. I thank the two customers who bought.
Read Vic's stories, free: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/