Charlie's Books

Charlie's Books
Buon Giorno, Amici!

Our motto ...

Leave the (political) party. Take the cannoli.

"It always seems impossible until it's done." Nelson Mandela

Right now 6 Stella crime novels are available on Kindle for just $.99 ... Eddie's World has been reprinted and is also available from Stark House Press (Gat Books).

Friday, June 27, 2014

Callahan signs with Tampa Bay … What we’re reading now/will be reading next week … Ann Coulter’s problem with soccer (and immigrants) …

Amici:


It’s done, Ryan Callahan signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and we couldn’t be happier for him and his family. Callahan is the kid who turned me into a hockey fan. The label given him by New York fans while he was a Ranger will no doubt carry over to Tampa Bay. A “heart and soul” player who plays both ends of the game—offense and defense; a professional who gives 100%, 100% of the time.

Tampa Bay is a young team loaded with young talent, a perfect fit for a guy who leads by example. Tampa Bay made it to the playoffs last year, but suffered a sweep versus a team they’d handled during the regular season (the Montreal Canadians). Then again, Tampa Bay was playing without their Vezina nominated goalie, Ben Bishop. Their youth on defense showed in front of their second and third string goalies. Still, there’s a very talented bunch of kids on the ice for Tampa Bay. Some, no doubt, destined to be future stars. Several were nominated for NHL awards the other night in Las Vegas.

Callahan leads by example. He does his talking on the ice and will dive in front of pucks on defense for his teammates and his goalie(s). I’ve never seen a more selfless player in any sport. Derek Jeter comes to mind in baseball … Tim Duncan in basketball … Earl Campbell back in the 70’s in the NFL; players who selflessly commit their bodies to a common TEAM cause. Callahan is also the personification of work ethic. Professional sports, for all the celebrity and dollars, offer short careers by any standard. Callahan’s six year deal includes a partial no trade clause (what he sought with New York), thus providing him with a new home for the foreseeable future.

Tampa Bay gets a gritty workhorse who will inspire his teammates by giving his maximum effort all the time. The Lightning will thrive over the next few years and hopefully, with a superstar like Steven Stamkos, and the pool of young talent they have now, they’ll get their shot at the Stanley Cup. I hope for Callahan’s sake that he gets that shot. I can think of no one who deserves it more.

Journeying through a Rangers Facebook site the other day, I noticed a few nasty comments hurled Callahan’s way, but for the most part, Ranger fans (I believe) wish their former Captain the best. For the few morons who take cheap shot comments, calling him a traitor, of all things, well … they’re morons. How does seeking a no trade clause equate to being a traitor? It doesn’t. Like I said, the comment came from a moron.

A lot of “what ifs” have followed the Callahan-St. Louis trade back in March. Would the Rangers have gone to the finals without Martin St. Louis? Would Callahan have held them back? I can’t believe anyone could even suggest such nonsense. St. Louis wasn’t even close to the leading goal scorer for the Rangers in the 19 games he played at the end of the season and Brian Boyle, another of my favorite Rangers, had the same number of goals in the finals as St. Louis.

The Rangers made it to the playoffs with Cally a bunch of times. Hell, he sent them there a couple of years ago with a birthday overtime goal vs. Detroit.



Imagine what an overtime goal would’ve meant in the finals this year. No need to imagine, Kings' Captain, Dustin Brown, scored one in the second game of the finals, a double overtime win for the Kings.

As far as the Rangers run to the finals this year, I think it’s pretty obvious that they were as fortunate as the Canadians were unfortunate when Carey Price went down in the first game of the series and the Canadians were forced to play with a third string goalie brought up at the last minute for games 2-6. Does anyone seriously think the Rangers would’ve gotten past the Flyers without Lundqvist in Net? It took them 7 games to move on with the King.

I saw some missing net presence for the Rangers throughout the finals, but that’s all water under the bridge now. All I know is that captains make a difference … and it was fitting that the team with a captain won the finals … and that the captain (Dustin Brown) got to hoist the cup for his teammates and their city.

Last year Callahan had shoulder surgery and missed training camp and some early season games (although he was back in action much sooner than anyone expected--no surprise here). This year he's healthy ... so come on, hockey season!

The wife is very happy it’s Tampa because she wants to retire where it’s warm. I would’ve preferred Montana or Maine, but I’m still happy Callahan is with a team that’s destined to be great in the near future.

So, congrats to our guy, Ryan Callahan. And Go Bolts!

His first of many, many more. Net presence, baby. Net presence.



Side note: Congrats to a few of my favorite Rangers for making it so deep into the playoffs (and for the great efforts they give on the ice) … Dan Girardi, Brian Boyle, Mats Zuccarello, Dominick Moore, Ryan McDonagh, Carl Hagelin, Derek Stepan, Kris Kreider and the King, Henrik Lundqvist.

Because this is a family blog (cough, cough), I won’t say what I think of Glen Sather.


What we’re reading now/next weeks …



Unexploded, by Alison MacLeod … a wonderful novel set in Brighton, England during World War II … A husband and wife become estranged as tensions mount over the expected Nazi invasion of England. Review next week.

And then the next few weeks, it’ll be crime fiction week …



A Small Sacrifice, by Dana King … nominated for a Shamus Award.


All the Young Warriors, by Anthony Neil Smith …




Oy vey … can anyone shut her up?


—Knucks

Melanie, Lay It Down (Candles in the Rain)…


Sunday, June 22, 2014

A Dana King Special Offer … My Granddaughter has her license … SNHU (Popeye voice) gradumacats … Thug Lit/The Dogfella … Tommy Red excerpt …

Amici:

 
And listen to me: It’s an offer yous can’t refuseDana King has a special deal for all yous fans of quality crime fiction. He’s making all four of his books available for free on Kindle from June 25 – 29. That’s Wild Bill, Worst Enemies, Grind Joint and A Small Sacrifice. I haven’t gotten to A Small Sacrifice yet myself, but I will be taking advantage of this dynamite offer and getting to it June 25. Just to note: A Small Sacrifice is a Shamus Nominated Nick Forte Mystery.

Dana is one of the very best around. This is a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED deal. Don’t miss out.

Start checking out his books here:

And read his blog, One Bite at a Time, here:



My granddaughter has her driver’s license …


SNHU MFA 2014 (Popeye voice) GRADUMACATS ...




SNHU MFA 2014 Graduations … we’re waiting for the details, but the graduation took place last week … very cool. Check out the best sellers up above giving testimonials (at least 3) … not to mention they’re mentors in the program. Some wonderful people in that program, amici.


First brother and sister pair ever to get their MFA at SNHU. Adam Zobel got his MFA in Fiction last year, and Krista followed in his footsteps. Not bad, amici … two very excellent writers!



Sporting the Thug Lit Logo T-shirt … that’s me holding up a draft of Chapter 4 from The Dogfella

Chapter 4 – The Gotti Years and Prison (1985 - 1995)
“If you're going through hell, keep going.”
― Winston Churchill

Not much else to report on these days. I’m busy working with James on his book and there’s no hockey for me until Callahan re-signs with Tampa Bay or moves to another franchise. I’ve already booked my Super Bowl tickets to watch my beloved New York State Buffalo Bills win it all this year and I continue to drop some tonnage.

My next crime novel, Tommy Red, awaits the free time necessary to get it in good enough shape for my agent ... and ... here’s a draft/taste of the start to this thing.


Chapter 1

Atlantic City

“I says to him, I says, ‘I wouldn’t send a knight out on a dog like this,’” Tommy Dalton said. He looked at his daughter, gave it a moment, and smiled. “Get it?”

Alysha Dalton didn’t smile. “Mom said you’re a killer,” she said. “A contract killer.”

Someone playing a nearby slot machine hit the progressive jackpot. The bells and whistles were loud until the screaming started. Tommy and his daughter were having drinks at a bar in the center of the casino. It had been noisy without the slot machine clanging, but the winner was less than ten feet from their table on the other side of a railing.

Tommy turned toward the noise.

“Dad?” Alysha said.

“What?” Tommy said. “How’m I supposed to answer something like that? Your mother said. You gonna believe me, what I say?”

“Are you or not?”

A large crowd was gathering around the winning slot machine. “Holy shit!” somebody yelled.

“You went to prison,” Alysha said. “I know that much.”

“For a bank job,” Tommy said. “For which I did six of an eight year bid. I was the driver, by the way. I wasn’t waving a gun in anybody’s face, and I didn’t have one on me when I was arrested. Once I was out the joint, I worked hauling soda skids the warehouse six blocks from where I lived. I didn’t live where you lived because two years before I come out, your mother shows up the prison there, she says to me, she says, she don’t love me no more, she met somebody. I didn’t ask who, when, what or why. Shit like that, it happens. A guy is away, it’s the price he pays. I says to her, I says, you want out, I won’t get in the way. You bring the guy home, make sure he don’t get stupid with my girls or I’ll kill him. Maybe that’s what she was talking about, your mother.”

Alysha frowned. “Mom said there was something that happened in Annapolis [READ ODE TO THE O’S IN BALTIMORE NOIR FOR THE BACKGROUND, AMICI]. You and some older mobster.”

“What she says to you, I don’t know. What happened was I almost got in trouble for something down Annapolis, but I was lucky. I was in a car when somebody was killed, but I didn’t kill him. I got no reason lie to you about that. I was never charged, so neither did the police believe I killed the guy.”

The chaos in the casino grew louder. Somebody rushed into the bar and yelled out the jackpot, twelve million. Gasps filled the room. Some of the people seated at the bar and the surrounding tables gathered near the railing to better view the commotion. Tommy waived the waitress over, paid the tab, and guided his daughter out of the bar. They walked the length of the casino floor to the Boardwalk exit and stepped outside. The August sun was intense. Both father and daughter shielded their eyes.

“So, how are you surviving?” Alysha said. “How do you live?”

Tommy removed his hand and squinted from the sun’s glare. He turned his head and felt a much needed ocean breeze. He made his way to the boardwalk railing, turned and leaned against it so the beach was behind him.

“I saw you playing cards last night, Dad,” Alysha said. “Twenty-five dollars a hand, seventy-five dollars a pop on that Let It Ride game you were playing.”

Tommy slid a hand across the iron railing. It was hot to the touch. He quickly removed it. “This fuckin’ heat,” he said. “Let’s find some shade.”

They walked along the beach side of the boardwalk toward the Ocean One mall. Tommy used the back of his right wrist to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Alysha kept a hand up to shade her eyes.

“What’s it about, these questions?” Tommy said. “I was gonna tell you another joke, a real one, happened last night. A story.”

“Another Honeymooner joke? Please Dad.”

“No, listen, it’s funny. I’m out to dinner with some broad last night, she’s not too bright. She’s not sure what to order off the menu this fancy place we’re at. She says to me, she says, ‘Can you order my appetizer?’ ‘Sure,’ I says. What do you like? Before she answers the waiter comes over to read the specials. He starts with something French, Fromage Frais he says, whatever the fuck that is. This broad, she looks at me like the guy just upchucked his oatmeal on the table. She says to me, she says, do they have pictures?”

Alysha frowned.

“What? It’s not funny?”

“Broad, Dad? Some broad?”

“Alright, she was an escort.”

“God, you’re impossible.”

“What, you didn’t think it was funny?”

“Not at all. Not the story or that you pay for sex.”

“I paid for an escort. There wasn’t any sex.”

Alysha held both hands up, shook her head and said, “Fine. Whatever. Can we get back to—”

“You grilling me? Sure, that’s how you want to spend our time, go ’head.”

Alysha frowned.

“Go ’head,” Tommy said.

“I always wondered,” Alysha said. “I’d heard stories growing up, but nothing about you being a killer.”

“Jesus Christ, Alysha, because I wasn’t.”

“Mom told me this a few weeks ago, when she said you were a killer.”

“She spewing this shit to your sisters?”

“No. Not that I know of. I don’t think so.”

Tommy stopped to catch a breeze. He turned to face the ocean. “That feels better,” he said.

“Maybe we should go back inside,” Alysha said. “Maybe up to your room. Or mine.”

Tommy looked into his daughter’s eyes. “What happened a few weeks ago?”

Alysha shook her head.

“Well?” Tommy said.

“She got dumped.”

Tommy smiled. “The lawyer?”

“She blames you.”

“Of course, but why?”

“He found out about your past. He’s planning to run for something. Some local political office or something, said he couldn’t because of your past. Some newspaper learned about it.”

“She never told him, that’d be her fault.”

“That’s her, Dad. I want to know from you.”

“No. Okay? The answer is no.”

Alysha wasn’t ready to let it go. “How do you live? How do you earn money?”

Tommy wiped his forehead again. “I’m a consultant, Alysha. You know that.”

“I know that’s a bullshit job you don’t really do. And even if you did, how could you afford this place, Atlantic City? Coming here, I mean. Gambling the way I saw you last night, the hookers, escorts, whatever you call them. You’re doing that as a consultant?”

“I could ask the same thing of you,” Tommy said. “What’re you doing here, Atlantic City? And she was an escort, but I didn’t take her back to my room.”

“I told you why I’m here. A bachelorette party. I’ve been here twice in my life. I don’t even like it here. And I wasn’t gambling. I don’t gamble. It’s stupid.”

Tommy smiled. “Well, you’re a lot smarter’n me, except how did you see me playing cards, you weren’t inna’ casino?”

“We were walking through the casino to get to the nightclub.”

Tommy was still smiling. She’d become the beautiful woman her mother was at the same age, twenty-two—tall and lean with blonde hair and blue eyes. She’d only disappointed him twice he could remember. The first time when she quit college after two years, then again when she told him she was engaged. She’d since returned to school and had dumped the fiancĂ©. Now she wanted to be a veterinarian, something that couldn’t make him more proud. He’d already put aside the cost for veterinarian school, but he couldn’t tell her. Not yet.

And here she was asking the questions he’d dreaded from the time her mother asked him to leave.

He guided her toward the mall again, taking slow steps as they walked. “You’re asking me am I still dirty?” he said. “Yeah, a little, but I used to be a bartender and I have managed bars, so I’m not exactly running a scam with the consultant business. It’s complicated, my life. I don’t blame nobody for that. It’s my mess and I’ll deal with it, but you’re asking me I’m a killer. I said no, end of story. I won’t say it again, so don’t ask it again.”

“I was hoping you’d be honest with me, Dad.”

Tommy put a hand on his daughter’s arm, felt the smooth skin, leaned in close and kissed her shoulder. “Those freckles,” he said. “You’re beautiful, kid.”

Alysha didn’t flinch. “Dad?”

“Look,” Tommy said, “this is a world I don’t fit. I can’t explain it better’n that. I have issues, no doubt. We all do. Mine are more complicated. I don’t believe in a world where workers have to take it up the ass to earn a paycheck. I don’t believe in being somebody’s piss boy. This world isn’t fair, kiddo. That’s nothing new or profound, but it’s something I’m not willing to accept. I have one obligation, to make sure you and your sisters have enough to become independent. I’ll protect you in whatever way is necessary, including providing in whatever way is necessary. After that, you’re all three on your own. Me, too, but that’s my business. Okay?”

Alysha frowned. “Mom said you had a weird sense of right and wrong.”

“Distorted is what she said. Distorted sense of right and wrong, and she’s not the only one says it, but that too is my business. Now, what’s going on with school? You accepted to a vet school yet or no?”

“I have another year,” Alysha said. “But I’m pretty sure I’ll get accepted. My grades are good enough.”

“And when it’s time I’ll have the money,” Tommy said. “You’ll apply for the loans and I’ll feed you the cash to pay them, so no flags are raised. Not you or your mother have anything to say about that, how or where I get the money. That’s my business. She says it’s my fault she didn’t mention the details to the latest love of her life? She ever tell the first guy? The one she married, that jerkoff?”

“When he got abusive, yeah, she did.”

Tommy stopped walking. “Abusive?”

Alysha shrugged. “He was an asshole,” she said. “We hated him from the day she brought him home. He liked to call us his stepchildren, but we never referred to him like that. He was Joe, that’s it. Just Joe.”

“Well, she never told me about that either, her husband was abusive. He ever touch one of you, you or your sisters?”

Alysha looked away as she shook her head. “No, never.”

“You sure?”

“No, Dad, he didn’t. I swear it.”

He could tell she was holding back, probably because she still believed what her mother had told her.

“Alright, then let’s just drop all this shit for now,” Tommy said. “I was surprised to see you here last night, especially in that dress you painted on. I know it’s been a few months.”

“Seven.”

“Seven. So, what say we go in the mall there, I buy you something to wear back to that yuppie school in New York doesn’t look like you’re hooking to pay the tuition, okay? Maybe some perfume, too. So’s it keeps the assholes away. That smell you’re wearing now, that natural summer smell? Irresistible.”

Alysha smiled. “That’s what you used to say about Mom, that you loved her summer smell.”

“Yeah,” Tommy said, “I used to say that.”


—Knucks


Stevie Ray not included? Are they kidding us?




My favorite … Texas Flood


Saturday, June 14, 2014

Missing Net Presence … the Knicks? … Last Love … Mission Accomplished …

Amici:

Martin Biron voice: And now to da hockey.


The Games … last night’s game may have been the best I’ve ever watched. The Rangers had chances throughout the series (and the game last night), but the elite scorers didn’t deliver. On the other hand, the Kings spread the scoring around … Nash remained a no-show as far as goal scoring (that’s 2 years in a row) … St. Louis played well, but missed on several key opportunities … Zuccarello always plays hard and he did so again through every series … Kreider, who I thought propelled the Rangers through the earlier series with his speed and size, missed at least 4 breakaways during the series and two big ones in overtime (it happens) … Boyle was terrific throughout and seemed to pick-up some of the shot blocking they miss without Callahan … it looked as though Stralman played his best defense of the year, but there were a lot of turnovers off the starting duo of Girardi and McDonaugh, but Girardi was playing hurt and McMonster was on the ice longer than anybody ... and let’s give some credit to the Kings forechecking (it was ferocious throughout the series). The announcers were giving Richards a lot of praise last night, but I didn’t see the same thing. I saw a lot of missed shots. I thought the Ranger defense played hard, but their forwards didn’t seem to put forth the same effort as the Kings forwards. Lundqvist was more brilliant than I’ve ever seen him (remember I’m only a 3 year fan of the sport), but Quick somehow managed to make the timely saves. The Flyers and Blue Jackets have to be kicking themselves in the head for dealing away Carter … and Justin Williams (Conn Smythe winner) was magnificent throughout … Doughty played mad minutes and delivered … and Captain Brown (2 goals in the series; 1 the OT winner in game 2) was diving to make passes and maintain puck possession (somebody say Callahan?) … so did all of the Kings. I suspect Gaborik is haunting Ranger management about now … good. They (management) deserve it.

I’m sure I’m missing key players above, but I didn't sleep much last night (leftover adrenaline, plus my tongue is still on fire from smoking my pipe like a chimney throughout the game).
 
Seriously, dude, find something less painful to do when you're nervous (or when you're writing).

It seemed to me what the Rangers were missing most was net presence (somebody say Callahan?) … it seemed as though nobody was willing to take the beating it requires in front of the net with any consistency (somebody say Callahan?) … that said, they probably exceeded expectations.

Earlier Games: The first two games were also incredible and could’ve been won by either team. The fact the Rangers blew 2 goal leads three times in two games is difficult to defend, but they still had several chances to win each game in regulation and OT. The non-call in game 2 was terrible, but it wasn’t the first time there was a bad call/non-call in this year’s (or any years’) playoffs.

Remember this call in the first round?




The bottom line was the Kings found a way, the Rangers didn’t. What came to mind after the second game double OT winner put in by Captain Dustin Brown was: Man, it’s great to have a CAPTAIN.

Game 3 was a different animal. Jonathan Quick saved the day and made it appear as though a Kings win was never in doubt. For me, the goal scored with less than a full second on the clock before the end of the first period was critical. It would require the Rangers to come out at the start of the second period full speed and banging. They didn’t. They took unfortunate penalties instead. And then there were follow-up goals in the second period that were daggers the Rangers never answered.

All week long there was talk about how when the Kings went up 2 goals, they were unbeatable. I didn’t believe that based on how well the Rangers had played them in games 1 and 2, but in game 3 it seemed as if the Rangers were accepting defeat. As Mike Keenan noted after the game, there was no passion on the ice. No pushing and shoving. No roughhousing that might spur the team on. Where was the extra effort? I saw Dustin Brown dive for a puck to make a pass and I know I’ve seen that before when Callahan was still a Ranger, but not during game 3, not from the Rangers. It looked like the often talked about dual locker room leadership of Richards and St. Louis had faded.

Or maybe it never was there.

Game 4 was Ranger puck luck, end of story. The hockey Gods gave one back … the Kings completely outplayed the Rangers from Dustin (there’s that Captain thing again) Brown’s breakaway goal to the end of the game. Not sure how those two pucks didn’t cross the line, but Lundqvist was brilliant all game long without the luck. He deserved that win.

If there’s an excuse for the Rangers, I suspect it’s their overall youth and inexperience going so deep in the playoffs. On the other hand, if Montreal doesn’t upset Boston, maybe the Rangers don’t escape the second round. On the “other” other hand, maybe if Carey Price isn’t knocked out of the series in the first game of the series, the Rangers aren’t in the finals.

It just seems as though whatever spirit and moxie they had developed after the stinker they put up in game 4 versus the Penguins, whether it was a response from embarrassment or bonding behind the tragic passing of St. Louis’ mother, it was missing in the finals (somebody say Callahan?). That or the Kings are just a much better team. While I think they (the Kings) are far more experienced and tenacious, I don't believe the Rangers couldn't beat them in a 4 out of 7.

The speed game may still be there, but there’s an edge missing that is undeniable … I suspect the missing edge is spelled CALLAHAN.

The intangibles a player like Callahan brings to the table didn’t compute for Vigneault and/or Sather. The wanted elite goal scorers who might speed the plow. They didn’t. Somehow it doesn’t bother the organization, and/or too many of its blue bleeding fans, to pay such “elite” goal scorers such big money with such meager results. By playoff end, some 25 games (plus OTs), the Rangers top goal scorer through all of the series combined is Martin St. Louis with 8 goals. Two guys from Chicago had the same amount of goals or more in 5 less games, and two Kings had more (Carter and another Ranger trade-off, Marian Gaborik). That's not putting blame on St. Louis, but one does have to measure what they gained vs. what they gave up.  St. Louis scored twice in the 5 games of the final. Brad Richards didn't score. Neither did Rick Nash. Maybe the speed game needs something more than flash.

I’m not saying the Rangers would’ve won the cup if Ryan Callahan was still with the team. I am saying they still would’ve been there. We know they didn’t win it without him. I’m also saying that the edge and extra efforts that Callahan brings to the ice are exactly what the Rangers needed all series long. The Rangers would’ve done no worse getting past either the faltering Penguins or the crippled Canadians (playing with a 3rd string goalie) with Callahan. The difference, of course, is they’d have him for 6 or 7 more years. Now they’re lacking a selfless grinder who can score and is willing to sacrifice his body to stop someone else from scoring. What they gained was an aging goal scorer (no longer near his prime) who’s missed a lot more open nets than he’s found. I'm not sure the media will be able to milk his emotional story (and it was tragic) through to next season, but I'm sure they'll try.
 
And it doesn't get unnoticed that a team loaded with grinders won the cup.




Here’s the kind of leadership (and guts) that the Rangers are missing, except in this clip Callahan does it without his stick.  When the goal is scored, he's off the ice.




The Rangers lost a lead by example style of play and it has been missed, especially against a team with another Callahan type player, Dustin Brown. It’s fitting that the Kings win another cup and that their captain gets to hoist the Stanley Cup one more time in his career. The Rangers opted to trade their captain and have been without one since March 5 (when I started my Callahan diet and dropped 62 pounds and counting, yo!). He's very missed by the team and fans who appreciate a work ethic an entire city could be proud of.




Listen to Joe (above) on this one: “You follow your captain. When something needs to get done, you need your captain to step up.”

Make no mistake, having a CAPTAIN means something.

Now for the TK awards:

Official Best TV coverage shot of the series so far ... Justin Williams blowing a booger out his nose on the bench ... thank God my wife was shopping on line in the dining room.

Official best MSG shot … fans still wearing Captain Callahan jersies.

Official best hockey voice award goes to … former Ranger backup goalie, Martin Biron …






The Knicks? More talk and spending by the New York Knicks, the gift that keeps on giving to comedians everywhere … first they hired a guy with ZERO GM experience for $12 million a year … a legendary coach who maybe had a little help from his friends on the court (Jordan, Pippin, Bryant and Shaq), so when his hubris winds up bitch-slapped by the guy he expected to hire (another apostle of the triangle offense, Jeff Kerr--and another guy with ZERO coaching experience), the Zen Master hires another friend/guy with ZERO coaching experience … for how much? How about $5 million a year for 5 years? I’m sure he’s a nice guy, this Dereck fella, but really, the Knicks' roster blows. If the Knicks have proved one thing (Pat Dolan), it’s that they know how to blow some coin.

Nobody flushes the cash down the toilet like the New York Knicks.




 
Last Love … Wow, what a movie. I watched this one while the wife was at work and it scared me the way these types of movies always scare me. There are some great shots of Paris throughout. Even the dancing scenes were fun. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Might not be for everybody, but if you’re sentimental, this one’ll do the trick.  Me, I'm a sentimental SOB.  I cry at the Rangers Beginnings shows about their players and their families. Very highly recommended.



Mission Accomplished … well, now that it’s been a few years since regime change in Iraq and we FINALLY got the hell out, it looks as though we left that terra firma fertile for the kind of revolution that winds up making things much worse than before (i.e., under Saddam). You’d think we learned, but we haven’t. We did this in Vietnam and Cambodia (and Cambodia was a neutral state) … we were responsible for Pol Pot and Khmer revolution that ended in Killing Fields, but those lessons obviously weren’t enough. Listen, I was hoodwinked right along with much of America (and it’s not like those with better foresight didn’t try and warn me). I fell for the bullshit and supported both wars. Now I know better than to ever believe anything I can’t see, touch, feel and witness for myself.

Read more about it here:

—Knucks

Congrats to the Kings ...




They are the Champions …

 

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

SNHU’s MFA graduate, Andrea Crossley Spencer wins … The Dogfella … Movies (great and really bad) … Nuremberg: The Reckoning … NHL vs. NBA … The Stanley Cup …

Amici:


SNHU MFA graduate, Andrea Crossley Spencer wins a very short story contest.

Andrea Crossley Spencer writes to share a person’s perspective of the world in a way that feels both new and relevant. As a reader, she loves when an author creates a voice that comes off the page, feeling entirely fresh and yet as familiar as home. As a writer, her goal is to connect with readers by creating similar moments of satisfaction on the page.

Andrea lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from High Point University, where she graduated summa cum laude, and an MFA in fiction from Southern New Hampshire University. Her thesis manuscript, The Promise of Water, was named runner-up in the Whidbey Emerging Writers Contest by the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts and is currently a finalist in the 2014 Great Novel Contest (Columbus Creative Cooperative.) Author Richard Adams Carey calls the novel, “as graceful as it is powerful — a bracing and heart-breaking plunge into the mystery of identity, the boundlessness of love.”

Andrea’s short fiction recently earned a nod from Ruminate Magazine, which named her short story, “Limb by Limb” a semifinalist for the William Van Dyke Short Story Prize. And NYC’s Gotham Writer’s Workshop named her the winner of their 2014 Very Short Story Contest.

In addition to her fiction writing, Andrea specializes in marketing and strategic communication. For the past eleven years, she has developed the voice of UNCG, a large public university in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she crafts authentic stories about inspiring students and the people who are the fabric of her community. Her work has been honored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the International Academy of Visual Arts (Communicator Award of Distinction).

Andrea got her start as a copywriter and account manager for advertising and design agencies. From that experience, she developed a freelance writing business with an extensive client list that has spanned healthcare, retail, small business, fundraising, and more. One of her most memorable and exciting assignments was writing for actress Jane Seymour.

In addition to hosting writing workshops in her community, she is currently working on her second novel, tentatively titled Cloudspotting. Grounded by the dispiriting memory of a decade-old school shooting, the story captures a woman whose sense of humor keeps her afloat amid a string of chaotic life challenges, and her daughter, who wonders why her life was spared.
 
 
 
 
 





Twice Born … A really terrific movie that takes place mostly in Sarajevo. Penelope Cruz plays an Italian Mom who brings her son to Sarajevo when asked to return there by a friend she made during her Sarajevo stay during the war. Her former husband is dead, but that’s where the mystery begins. No spoilers … well worth the time. Very Highly Recommended.


Finding Faith … an incredibly bad movie is all I can say. It was put on by some Christian Church Production company (it’s on the Christian film database) and it stars Erik Estrada … it took me several hours to watch this one (mostly because I had to stop from falling asleep), but it actually is the fact that it was produced by a Christian company that interested me. Not worth the time it takes to download on Netflix. No way this one gets a trailer here. Forgetaboutit … a stinker.



Nuremberg: The Reckoning … I’ve read a few books by William F. Buckley, Jr., and even wrote to him many years ago about one I particularly liked, Elvis in the Morning, but this one didn’t measure up. Buckley’s sister, by the way, hand-wrote a thank you – she handled his correspondence back in the day. What I did like about the Nuremburg book was what I found in the Elvis book regarding politics. Buckley actually was very fair about not turning the book into a National Review essay (although he was very tough on communism whenever he had the chance in this one—yet he provided both sides of the issue surrounding genocide, even bringing up more than a few times the situation here regarding Native Americans). Still, Nuremburg was told in a very disjointed manner, flipping back and forth in time, something I don’t usually mind, but this was way too vanilla for me.




NHL vs. NBA … there isn’t much of a comparison for moi. Both sports require athleticism, but as for play and results, it’s a no brainer. The NBA is essentially a 3-5 team race … for the loser in the finals. It’s been a 1 team race since Miami pooled together James with Bosh and Wade … it hasn’t been much different in years past either. Outside of the Mavericks beating the Heat (and they had a superstar too) LeBron’s first year with the Heat, and prior to that Dwayne Wade’s wonderful performance when the Heat won with him and a declining Shaq, basketball has been and remains a one trick pony. Season play is as meaningless as it gets. Who didn’t know the Heat would be in the finals? The question was which team would be the sacrificial lamb. This year it’s a repeat of last year. Of course I want the Spurs to beat the Heat, but I doubt it’ll happen. And even if it does, who cares? Even the playoff games themselves, there’s hardly ever a reason to tune in until there’s 5 minutes or less left in the game. What’s exciting about the NBA?

Whereas hockey is always an unpredictable game and there’s never a predictable outcome. This year alone, when teams sported a 3-1 lead, some lost. When a team sported a 3 game lead in a 4 game series, it (the Sharks) lost. And because it’s a TEAM game, it just doesn’t make a difference which superstar any given team has on its roster. Crosby? A no show again this year. Ovechkin? Didn’t even make the playoffs. Even Jonathan Toews is gone. Lundqvist is there, but a great goalie can’t win it by himself (somebody has to score a goal or two). The two teams with the best records in the NHL this season were gone early. The next best were gone as well. The fifth best in the east, the Rangers are playing tonight against the sixth best from the west. And every single round, except the first between a mature Canadian team and a very young Tampa Bay team, were exciting.

It’s no mystery why the NHL is getting extra attention this year … it’s the New York market Rangers … but I’ll never understand how the NBA gets any attention at all during the season up until the last game of the finals. Contest? Not from where I sit.

Hockey Rules!



The Stanley Cup … wow, it’s here … the Rangers vs. the Kings … I’m glad the Kings made it for two reasons: 1) Dustin Brown … he’s a Callahan type players (in fact he played on the same line with Cally for USA in the Olympics) and 2) I still can’t stand the thought of the Ranger organization getting the cup after trading Callahan. I suspect they may pull it off, which is probably the worst thing Ranger fans want to read (me, the jinx, predicting they’ll win), but it should be a very exciting final. I just hope there aren’t the types of injuries to either side that can change the course of the series. Let the games begin …

I'm watching it right now and it's tied 2-2 after 2 periods ... very exciting.


—Knucks

It’s now featured during a national commercial … oy vey …