Red, Black, Silver, Pink

Last night NBC ran the final two episodes of The Blacklist, the saga of master criminal Raymond Reddington, starring James Spader, excellent in the role. Of course, the main point of interest was his fate, which was resolved in an odd manner. Since I’ve seen only 20 or so of its 218 episodes during its ten-year run, I’m reluctant to comment on the meaning. I was often shocked at the violence. Reddington kills without much compunction. He is complex, a lover of beauty, charitable. Has he done more good than bad? That is the central question of the series. His collaboration with the FBI led to the arrest or demise of scores of villains, many violent, but his presence also brought death to colleagues and loved ones. I hope the show goes into syndication so I can watch it from the beginning. Here’s the star in character, photo from Google Images:

RIP Super Bowl champion Joe Campbell, 68, who died while hiking in Florida. Born in Delaware, he played collegiately at Maryland. He was selected in the first round of the 1977 draft, the seventh pick, by the Saints. He played both DE and NT. He had the great fortune to be acquired by Oakland seven games into the 1980 season. The Raiders would win it all in Super Bowl XV. In ’81 he was acquired by the Buccaneers, his last stop in pro football. In seven seasons he started 26 games and had eight sacks. He is a member of the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame. Well done, sir. Photo from GI:

Headline from nypost.com: “Burger King’s pink ‘Barbie’ burger stuns fans: ‘They put Pepto Bismol in’.”

On the marijuana front, from NYP: “ER visits spiked for children sickened by cannabis during pandemic: CDC.”

No surprise to me given the taste, headline from newsmax.com: “WHO: Aspartame Sweeteners ‘Possibly Carcinogenic’.”

Spin, baby, spin — headline from foxnews.com: “‘View’ host says WH cocaine is ‘fodder’ for GOP, suggests drug ‘planted’ to hurt Hunter.” Poor righteous kid is being persecuted.

The floating book shop felt like a bonus today, as it didn’t rain. Clouds and a breeze took a bit of the bite out of the heat but not the humidity. My thanks to the young man who bought Fifty Shades of Gray by E. L. James and two volumes in the Game of Throne series by George R.R. Martin, including the original; and to the young woman who purchased Hip Sips: Modern Cocktails to Raise Your Spirits by Lucy Brennan, Sheri Giblin, et al; and to The Quiet Man, who took home another DVD, the silly but entertaining Highlander (1986); and to Lou, who donated it and two other discs.

My Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Vic-Fortezza/e/B002M4NLJE

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

Read Vic’s Stories, free: http://fictionaut.com/users/vic-fortezza