Lots of Updates…
Hello everyone, I apologize for the delay between blogs. I have definitely said that way too many times lately, but I have been busy… in a good way.
First off, “Into the Muck” is available on Kindle for only $8.99… and the best part (wait for it…) you don’t need a Kindle to read it. You can put it on your phone, your computer, whatever… just download the free Kindle app from Amazon. I actually downloaded it to my computer since I don’t own a Kindle. Here’s the link to “Into the Muck” on Kindle.
I appeared on “Better Connecticut” on March 22, 2011. It was great to see Scot Haney again. We are friends through a mutual friend and it was fun to catch up. I posted a photo on Facebook with Scot and I from the “Better Connecticut” set. It was a great interview though… Scot did a great job of asking questions that kept progressing the story. After the live taping, they noted their interested in having me on again, perhaps even designing a segment… I would love that. Here’s a link “Better Connecticut.”
Speaking of fun, I had a great day speaking for five classes at E.O. Smith High School in Storrs, CT. I got to meet some great students and gave five forty-five minute speeches, almost one after the other with a small break in between. It definitely gave me a new appreciation for what teachers do day in and day out. Each student from all of the classes was given the opportunity to enter a drawing to win a copy of the book. Almost everyone entered and one lucky person won a copy by the end of the day.
I must say each speech took on its own dynamic. The first speech was probably the worst of them all. Not that it was bad, but they didn’t have the advantage of me receiving any feedback from a previous class. Thus they were forced to listen to my first speech tailored toward high school students. They enjoyed it though and gave me some great responses to the questions I had on the board to help me with the rest of my speeches. The last speech, which had the most feedback incorporated with it, but also the most fatigue, was probably the best speech. I’ll never forget the reaction I got from a young man in the front row, “WOW.” Even the way he said it was great. It made my day!
I was also asked a great question during one of the classes, “do you ever worry that someone’s going to call you a hypocrite because you used to play poker, now you’re fighting for awareness against it?” My response was I’ve been called a hypocrite, by a peer that I lived in a house with. One of the people I lived with anyway. Regardless, who said it doesn’t matter, but they had some horrible things to say about me in reaction to the Hartford Courant article that came out in November. At first it was a little tough to swallow, but after numerous posts about calling me a con-artist, and how terrible of a person I was, I knew that this person was just out to attack me. It was difficult, but my response to the young lady was “Know what you stand for, because at the end of the day, you have to live with yourself. And I am trying to stand for something positive, I can only hope that’s the case.”
I still have not heard from ESPN or any of its affiliates regarding their poor programing choices during National Problem Gambling Awareness Week, but I assure you all that I will be making a stop by their Bristol, CT studios. I plan on dropping off a copy of the book for them and will urge them to read the last chapter of the book. Perhaps then ESPN and its affiliates will take the way they portray gambling seriously.
I did catch an article in the New York Times about an online poker player, written by Jay Caspian Kang. The article is very well written (here’s a link NYT article). Mr. Kang has a great writing style, one which I can connect with. However, the piece seems to draw more attention to online poker, rather than talking about the negative aspects of it. He talks about a specific player and how the kid has no life outside of this internet world of poker. It’s treated almost nonchalant though, especially since the kid is a millionaire, yet he doesn’t comprehend the value of a dollar. BUT… I did read an earlier piece about poker/gambling addiction, also by Mr. Kang, and the article was brilliant (here’s a link Article2). I urge all of you to read it.
I went to the movies a couple weeks ago and checked out “Limitless” starring Bradley Cooper. The movie was pretty entertaining. However, I couldn’t stand the message it sent. The movie, for those who don’t know, is about this pill that Bradley Cooper eventually gets his hands on. The pill allows the user to access 100% of their brain, given that most people can only access 20%. Therefore he gets ahead until he develops an addiction to the drug, then he learns first hand of its harmful side effects. Without ruining the ending for everyone, the movies message displays exactly how the majority of people view addiction. If you can be addicted to something, but make it work for you and make millions of dollars, then it’s okay and it’s not viewed as an addiction. Quite disappointing.
I spoke with the Daily Campus, who did a great article about “Into the Muck,” (Daily Campus) and they have shown an interest in reviewing the book as part of their “Focus” section before the end of the semester.
Also, stay tuned for a piece I’m going to write about a night I spent with a friend of mine, who is borderline addicted to poker. I got to see first hand what poker did to him and compare it to what it did to me.
I have a few speeches coming up this month as well. I’ll be at Middlesex Community College on April 12th as part of a recovery panel. I’ll be at UMass Amherst to speak to the class that has the book as required reading. Finally, I’ll be at Southern CT State University on April 26th.
I also have a couple other really big announcements to make soon… stay tuned for more is all I can say at the moment!!!
