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9/11 Twenty Five Disappointing Years Later

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  Never forget. After the attacks on September 11th, 2001 those two words were weaved into American culture. As graphic images surfaced, Ground Zero became the most documented event at the dawn of the digital age. "Never Forget" lifted a demoralized city from the ashes and was instrumental in uniting the nation. With the compassionate response of hundreds of thousands of first responders and volunteers, the human impact was overwhelming. Over time, the phrase diminished as the nation retreated into opposing corners. Twenty five years later, the forgotten slogan is trending for a few days, but do you recall when 'Never Forget' had far greater significance? Unlike most, September 11th began for me before sunrise in Red Hook, Brooklyn. From across the harbor, Lady Liberty and the twin towers reflected on the calm waterfront in the dark. The glowing torch and skyline after last call marked the end of yet another great evening, as that Monday and Tuesday was part of my ...
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A Father's Day Fishing Trip To Alaska

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Living on planet Earth is peculiar. Despite billions of people, raising an upright walking human comes with challenges in every time zone. Perhaps it's our original sin, or maybe we just weren't meant to be at the top of the food chain. Whether raised by a single parent, an entire village, or by a pack of wolves, we rarely reach adulthood without some input errors. One reason is because humans embed the best and worst of themselves into their captive recording devices. However, the secret sauce for adult proficiency is more complicated, requiring a pinch of luck, a dash of ambition, and a heaping handful of self reflection. Due to parental programming, seasickness was never influenced. Growing up near the seashore in New York City provided ample exposure to the waterways. Boating remained a year round tradition since my grandfather's days as a prohibition rumrunner. Dad also fostered a lifelong aversion to weekend amateurs, especially on the water. With three children, the ...
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The Super Bowl in Vegas: How I lost $2500 on EVERY wager in a week.

Do you believe in karma? That everything happens for a reason and our bad deeds come speeding back at us on the boomerang of life? Nobody knows for sure, but it’s always good to keep a clean slate. Unfortunately, I still enjoy fucking with strangers. Counting some indiscretions, my lifetime slate of karma still remains above board. Maybe, though, I deserved an eight day streak of poor luck in sin city. Fortunately, the bad luck only involved money. I can get over that. But I can’t get over the fact that NOTHING went my way. Eight days of mostly 12 hour sessions at the poker tables, and I didn’t win a single day. That fact alone is worth a story. And it all begins at JFK airport enroute to Vegas… Frank Gags and I were flying in January 2009. The day before the Super bowl and less than 2 weeks after Captain Sully’s heroic crash landing into the Hudson. The event was still fresh in everyone’s mind. The boomerang began here as I nearly peed myself laughing on the plane. Glancing out on the...
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A Quarter Century Of Swimming With The Coney Island Polar Bear Club

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  "Are you kidding me?" yelled the Administrative Sergeant, his voice buzzing through me, echoing down the hall of Christmas decorations towards the Desk Officer. "It's below freezing out there today. What if something happens to you? How will I explain to the Duty Captain that a rookie I've never met went for a leisurely swim on his meal break and was removed to the hospital?" “I see your point Sir, but even under that worst case scenario I'd never blame you or the job for the leaps and bounds of stupidity I engage in off duty. If I dressed down and went for a dirty water dog on my lunch hour, nobody would know or care now that my arrest paperwork has been finalized.” "The problem is you're technically not off duty,” barked the Sergeant. “This is why you must report exactly where you're taking your meal break and make hourly rings to the Desk Officer overnight" "But, Sir, if I had just strolled outside nobody would even notice. It...
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