In this month’s cover story, Brian O’Connor reflects on the true meaning of Memorial Day. While arriving at Breezy Point for the holiday weekend, a “Hometown Heroes” banner honoring his late neighbor, Dennis Lynch, caught his eye. Dennis was a Vietnam veteran who served with the hard-hit 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. Brian shares how Dennis’s quiet post-war battles with unseen wounds serves as a powerful reminder that military sacrifice often continues long after the battlefield. It is a poignant call to slow down and honor the local heroes living right next door.

Also featured in this issue:

• The Wildest Copyright Case You’ll Ever Hear: A look back at the viral 2011 “monkey selfies” taken by a crested macaque named Naruto, and the subsequent multi-year legal battle that ultimately established that animals lack legal standing to own copyrights.

• Are Kids Too Busy These Days?: The case for dialing back overscheduled calendars to prevent childhood burnout, anxiety, and sleep loss, emphasizing how unstructured free time naturally fosters creativity and emotional resilience.

• It’s Not Nonsense After All: A fascinating historical deep dive into the hidden, practical logic behind seemingly absurd ancient rules—including Sparta’s bachelor penalties, Athens’ sacred olive tree protections, and Russia’s infamous beard tax.

• Think You Know Pirates?: Myth-busting facts that separate Hollywood fiction from real history, exploring structured pirate democracy, the rarity of buried treasure, and powerful female leaders like Zheng Yi Sao.

• Sizzling Chinese Pepper Steak With Onions: A quick and savory skillet recipe featuring marinated sirloin or ribeye strips tossed with caramelized onions and a hoisin-soy glaze.