The Writer's Life 7/20 - Just Short

Jordan Spieth made a great run at capturing the British Open, which would have made him only the second man in PGA history to capture the first three majors of a season. Fellow Texan Ben Hogan was the first. He was doomed by a double bogie at the par three eighth. He rallied and missed a birdie putt at the 18th, or the last, as Brits call it, that would have put him into the four-hole playoff with Zach Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen and Mark Leishman. Johnson, 39, was one stroke better than Oosthuizen, winning his second major (2007 Masters). He now has a great chance at the Hall of Fame. Kudos, guys.

Donald Trump has to stop picking fights and start citing specifics about what he would do as President. True, John McCain attacked first, but so what? McCain is irrelevant to the run for the White House. The rest of the Republican field has seen that Trump has rabbit ears. Expect bombs to be thrown at him regularly to provoke reaction that may be embarrassing to him. The only danger is if he decides to be vindictive and run as a third party candidate, which would all but guarantee the presidency for Democrats.

Because of the heat, I intended to run the floating book shop for only two hours today. Things changed when Occupy Jack showed up at about one. He went on for nearly an hour, bless his heart. He may not be playing with a full deck but he is always a fun listen. I was seated in the shade on the ledge that surrounds the garden of the apartment where I set up most days. He stood before me in the shade, as energetic as always. He says Greece was bailed out not by other members of the European Union but by the war-mongering Pentagon, which feared Greece would align with Russia had it not received the funds. He believes a new U.N. should be created with eleven to 13 permanent members. He wants its first act to be the surrender of all nuclear bomb making material, and also wants countries to pledge compliance. Failure to comply will result in the violating country being bombed out of existence. When I asked how this made him better than any of the world's bad actors, he said: "It would prevent even more deaths." I told him he sounded as certain as a radical Muslim who believes anyone who does not convert should be killed. He described how he goes after Europeans who take pictures of his set-up at Union Square and refuse to make donations to the cause. If a Spaniard, Italian or German makes the excuse of having only Euros, he raises a hand above his head and says: "Heil Hitler," lampooning them for having surrendered their sovereignty. He believes that removing oil and natural gas from the earth diminishes the natural shield they provide that protects the planet from the nuclear fireball at its core. He is an original.

As for the operator of the floating book shop, who also must be a few cards short of a full deck to work on such a day, my thanks to the young man to whom I gave a student discount for a collection of vampire stories and to the gentleman who purchased The Longest Day: June 6th, 1944 by Cornelius Ryan.

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

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

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

 

The Writer's Life 7/19 - Parts

There were some interesting numbers in Kyle Smith’s op-ed piece in today’s NY Post. The last figures on the U.S. economy revealed a workforce participation rate of 62.7%, a 36-year low. In France it is 56%, Italy 49% - and there are many who wish America would become Euro-like. Smith also mentions a new campaign one country has begun. Alarmed at the low birth rate, officials took out an ad in a newspaper urging citizens to reproduce. It said: “Do it for Denmark.”

In an article criticizing the Iranian deal, Amir Taheri states: “To admire this regime because of Iranian culture is like admiring Hitler for Goethe and Beethoven and praising Stalin for Pushkin and Tchaikovsky.”

Last night, courtesy of Netflix, I watched the third and final part of Atlas Shrugged, Who Is John Galt? (2014). Although Ayn Rand’s ideas remain compelling, the film comes off as shallow and unconvincing. The main problem, just as in the novel, is that it's too close to science fiction. The characters are either villainous government hacks or heroic capitalists. It is more like propaganda than drama. It proposes a nightmare scenario unlikely to occur, although many conservatives would argue that it has already begun. There are two instances that are particularly ludicrous: a sex scene at a crucial moment when a railroad is in jeopardy, and the almost Christ-like pose of Galt as he is being tortured. Part One was good, Part Two mediocre, Part Three terrible. I do not recommend the novel but instead The Fountainhead, which, although long, is much shorter, more grounded, and contains the exact same philosophy. Leftists still are incensed by Rand’s views, particularly “Selfishness is a virtue,” which is akin to Gordon Gekko's "Greed is good" in Wall Street (1987). The difference is Gekko is a criminal and Rand's characters, even the cynical media mogul of The Fountainhead, are not. Liberals refuse to accept that humans are driven by self interest, that even charitable giving is motivated by it. The vitriol directed at Rand is astonishing. In an episode of Elementary, Holmes disparages her followers, although he is a selfish, driven egomaniac Rand would likely have admired. There are weaknesses in her philosophy, but its foundation is solid. Read The Fountainhead and decide. Do not expect to glean its essence from the 1949 film version starring Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal.

The floating book shop's good luck continued, despite the heat. My thanks to Sheila, who bought Killing, to the gentleman who bought all 18 of the Russian DVDs I had on hand, to B.S. Bob, who purchased James Patterson's Witch & Wizard for his granddaughter, and to the woman who bought a popup version of The Little Mermaid.

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

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

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

The Writer's Life 7/18 - Luck

I wasn't optimistic about selling books when I left the building this morning at 9:45. Although it wasn't a heavy rain, the forecast called for possible showers throughout the day. Things got better at the old house. There was leftover shrimp in the fridge and sis said I was welcomed to it. It was a great lunch. It was very overcast as I made my way to the front of Chase at Bay Parkway and 85th. I didn't think I'd be there long. I could hear the fire and brimstone coming from the corner of 86th, where two of the preachers were railing. I spotted Jack as he was just about to enter the bank and called out to him. I had a couple of thrillers I knew he would be interested in -- if he hadn't read them. He hadn't, so I was happy that the session wouldn't be a total loss if the skies suddenly opened up. Later, while Ralph was picking out four works of non-fiction, Johnny happened along and asked if I'd yet gotten any Sherlock Holmes. I hadn't, but as luck would have it he spotted Rising Star and had to have it. Throughout our conversation I wasn't sure if he was kidding me or trying to play me. "Was that five bucks?" he said. "Ten," I returned, although I feared he would back out of the deal, even though it came with three other books, two political works and a James Patterson co-write hardcover, all in very good condition. He was a character. Then another came along -- Bad News Billy. I hadn't seen him in a long time, as he'd worn out his welcome at Chase. He had to withdraw more than 200 bucks from the ATM to settle his bill with the gas company. As usual he insisted on giving me money and I ran to my car and brought back five VHS tapes of popular movies, which included the original RoboCop (1987). I was tempted to leave early to beat the rain. I'm glad I didn't. Soon Carl approached, and focused on the sign hung round my neck. He removed large headphones, and I summarized each of the five remaining of my books. He chose A Hitch in Twilight. He once worked in the web department of St. Martin's Press. Finally, an old timer, James, took a thorough look at the wares. He regretted that he no longer had the patience to read. We got to talking and he mentioned that he'd lived in the area his entire life and was a graduate of Lafayette H. S., class of '62. We reminisced about fishing along the Belt Parkway, then he wished me luck and went on his way. My thanks to these fine folks and to the others who purchased books. Some days the percentages simply turn in one's favor. It seems they're bound to if you make the effort to be out there.

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

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

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

The Writer's Life 7/17 - Old Friends

All men and women in uniform stateside should be allowed to carry guns to protect themselves.

I rarely leave the apartment once I return from selling books. I’ve allowed myself to sink into a routine and resist most lures to shake me from it even for a night. Fortunately I resisted the known comforts of home last night and met with old friends at the venerable Gargiulo’s Restaurant in Coney Island. There were seven of us, all linked by our football experiences at Lafayette H. S.. I’ve communicated with all of them via the web. I got together with Ralph Betesh, Carmine Russo and Steve Lombardi and others about ten years ago. I hadn’t seen Joe Palo since 1968, although we communicated briefly at classmates.com. I hadn’t seen Steve Frank since he made a recruiting stop for Norwich University at LHS in 1977. The last time I saw Coach Marty Senall was the day his South Shore H.S. team won the city championship, circa 1980. 72, he still plays racquetball. I mention him several times in my second novel, Adjustments, a copy of which I gave him as we were saying goodbye. I will forever appreciate the positivism he and Coach Adler brought to our program the year after a hellish season where we lost every game and did not score a touchdown until the final minute of the last. He is a football lifer, having coached for decades. He now oversees a leg of a national seven on seven tournament, sponsored by the NFL, in Arizona, where he lives. Joe Palo, retired, the only one present who has not coached football, did very well in the pharmaceutical industry. He had the honor of delivering the commencement address at his alma mater, UConn, in 2012. Brought up on the streets of Coney Island, he now lives in Connecticut. His first grandchild is about to come into the world. Steve Frank is the winningest coach in the history of Hamilton College, where he spent 18 years. I’m not sure where Steve Lombardi worked, but he is comfortably retired, playing golf and softball. He may be the only American to have dated two women named Sydney, in H.S. and his bride. Carmine retired from teaching and moved upstate. He plays guitar, often in a band with his sons. Ralph Betesh, our captain, owns Double Discount in the Bronx and also has his hand in other ventures, He goes to synagogue every day. The latter two fine men have significant roles in Adjustments. If Carmine resents anything I said about him, it didn’t show. He gave me a big hug upon meeting and departing. As we hit the parking lot, stuffed from the fine food, the Parachute Jump and its neon lights stood out beautifully in the background. The screams of those riding the new rollercoaster were clear as a bell in the gorgeous summer night. The older I get, the more I appreciate those who have been in my life. I am privileged to know them. Here’s a pic, which a staffer was kind enough to take on three separate cameras:

Top row, l to r, Steve Frank, Yours Truly, Steve Lombardi, Ralph Betesh. Bottom: Joe Palo, Marty Senall, Carmine Russo.

Great news: Hostess is contemplating introducing a frozen, deep fried Twinkie.

My thanks to the kind folks who donated and bought wares today. For the second time this week a gentleman addressed me in Italian. Dmitri, who is in his third semester of studying what many believe is a dying language, called me: "Mi amico preferito." Grazie.

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

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

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

The Writer's Life 7/15 - Warning

I just heard that four Marines have been killed in what looks like an act of domestic terrorism. Although the name of the assailant has already been established, I won't comment on the incident until more is known. According to Sean Hannity, ISIS issued a warning about it. The ensuing amusing tidbits may seem inappropriate.

There has been a fad in NYC’s five boroughs that has been around for years. Old sneakers are laced together and hurled into the air with the aim of snaring them on electric wires, where they remain for months, if not years. People in Portland, Oregon have taken this a few steps further, doing it with sex toys. This lends new meaning to the phrase “burning up the wires,“ although an electric company spokesmen assures it is not a fire hazard. In a similar vein, a friend recently sent me a short video on subliminal messaging in advertising, some of which showed hidden phallic symbols. It got me to thinking that I should redo my book covers.

This morning radio talk show host Mark Simone mentioned that Barrack Obama would be the first president to visit with prisoners, then quipped: "He's meeting with his base." Even liberal news anchor Joe Barlett roared with laughter.

The first round of the British Open is done. Dustin Johnson is showing no ill effects from his collapse at the U.S. Open. He leads at seven under. My hunch, Paul Lawrie, is five under, as is Jordan Spieth. 88 golfers shot par or better. Tiger Woods? Plus four.

My thanks to the kind folks who bought, donated and swapped books on this glorious summer day, especially Kinesha, aka Mrs. Eclectic, who bought seven paperbacks, and Cabbie who bought six. Recently, a woman asked me to hold Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind if I ever came across it. The wish has been fulfilled.

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

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

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

The Writer's Life 7/15 - Rain Delay

In today’s NY Post, its modern music critic, Hardeep Phull, profiles Royal Blood, a hard-rockin’ Brit band that has only two members, drummer Ben Thatcher and bassist Mike Kerr. Among its fans are Jimmy Page, Howard Stern, and Dave Grohl of Nirvana/Foo Fighters fame. Using an “array of effects pedals and sonic trickery, Kerr gives his bass enough punch to do the job of several guitars.” Will the twosome be the next big thing? Judge for yourself. Here’s a link to a live track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X8fQD3CL5I It is only three minutes and change. There is also an excellent video of it that features only actors -- and no lip-synching! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhgVu2lsi_k Before it, there is an ad which can be clicked off after five seconds, and a parental advisory for content I found mild by today's standards.

That huge pile of snow in Boston has finally melted away. It was laden with 80 tons of garbage the plows swept up along with the white stuff.

In an article at Yahoo Sports, NBA commissioner Adam Silver states that the league has taken in record revenue. Despite this, ten of the 30 teams are losing money.

It rained from about 10 AM until three PM, and there was thunder and lightning as well. I took a stroll to CVS and decided to set up shop for an hour-and-a-half. My thanks to Paisano, who bought a thriller and a cowboy romance, and to Glove, who purchased a beautiful book of children's stories. I had a nice laugh when a gentleman stopped and asked if I spoke Russian. I told him I was Italian, and he said: "Italiani sono buoni a mangiare macaroni." It's hard to believe I'd never heard that before.
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

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

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

The Writer's Life 7/14 - Sharing

In an op-ed piece in today’s NY Post, Rich Lowry defends what has been dubbed the “sharing economy,” new firms such as Uber and AirNB, which offer consumers lower cost and often more efficient alternatives. Naturally, taxi cab companies and drivers want protection from the better mouse trap. In France, taxi drivers burned Uber cabs and the government has banned them. In NYC, officials are looking into AirNB. I think anyone should be able to offer his apartment to guests for a fee, provided the apartment is not rent-controlled. In her economic message, delivered yesterday, Hillary made veiled references to these entrepreneurs, whom she believes are a detriment. She is also against the 10% tax scheduled to go into effect in 2018 on Cadillac health benefits. That’s no surprise. I’m sure Democrats will fight for the union waivers, protecting them from the punishments Obamacare delivers to the private sector. Bill Clinton once mentioned a “Bridge to the 21st century.” Lowry closed his piece by saying of leftists: “…They just want to travel the other way” on it.

Harper Lee’s long awaited second novel, Go Set a Watchman, has been released. The manuscript has been around since the mid 50‘s. It preceded To Kill a Mockingbird, and was rejected. There is controversy surrounding it, as the beloved character of Atticus Finch is portrayed as racist. It has been said that the book is not worthy, that it’s publication is based purely on economics. Whatever. Despite the fact that Lee had had only one work published, it was of monumental significance and anything else by her should be welcomed. If it is bad or mediocre, it will fade. I doubt it will detract from the first. If it is good, it will add to her already impressive legacy.

So an agreement with Iran has been reached on its nuclear ambitions? Does anyone believe the world's foremost sponsor of terror is not going to secretly continue to develop the bomb? Of course, as naive as it seems, we must hope the President is right and most everyone else is wrong.

The floating book shop was rained out today. My thanks to the Asian woman who helped me get the lone functioning plastic recycling machine up and running after its containers were full and it shut down.

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

Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp

Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f

Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/

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