Minimal

Simple and to the point. I like it.

Sun, 20 May 2012 16:14:24 -0400

Simple and to the point. I like it.

coffeenotes: 蘑菇 booday by SilverYang on Flickr.

Sun, 20 May 2012 16:12:41 -0400

coffeenotes:

蘑菇 booday by SilverYang on Flickr.

coffeenotes: THE FACTORY/mojocoffee | Flickr - Photo Sharing!...

Thu, 17 May 2012 21:14:19 -0400

coffeenotes:

THE FACTORY/mojocoffee | Flickr - Photo Sharing! on We Heart It. http://weheartit.com/entry/28768351

Kickass Katie Mini GORUCK Challenge in Boston

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:18:12 -0400

It’s time to help again.

Kaitlyn is the daughter of one of our GORUCK Tough brothers Jason Alexander and was diagnosed with Beta Thalassemia Major (Cooley’s Anemia) when she was 3 months old. We are raising money to support Kaitlyn through her Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) and whatever is remaining will be donated to a cause of Kaitlyn’s choice. We have learned that going through a BMT comes with a financial hardship.

We are organizing a mini GORUCK Challenge. It will be approximately 4-5 hours, but our motto is “Under Promise, Over Deliver” so plan accordingly. There’s no registration fee, but we ask that you make a donation to Kaitlyn’s fund: http://www.supportkaitlynsbmt.com/3/donate.htm

Where is the mini GRC?
Park St T stop at the Commons, in Boston, MA. on Saturday, June 30, 2012 at 10 AM

Look for the group of people wearing backpacks.

What do you have to bring?
Just a backpack with some bricks in it, water/snacks if you need them and a smile.

Bricks?
Yes bricks. GRTs, you know the drill. For everybody else, 2 bricks if you’re under 150lbs and 3 if you’re over. Wrap them well: bubblewrap, tshirt and tape.

Anything else?
Be ready for some fun, some suck, and everything in between. Bring a good attitude and your ID, we’ll be heading to a bar afterwards for a ruckoff with some beer and food.

What’s a ruckoff?
It’s hanging out with your new friends with your rucks off. Don’t over-think it, just have a beer.

Here are some more details on the Challenge: http://goruckchallenge.com/faq/

There is a facebook event for the mini GRC here: https://www.facebook.com/events/383377055042614/

If you aren’t on facebook but want to attend anyway, email Jon at jgleonard [at] gmail [dot] com.

Continuing with the subject of Final Choices, here’s C.C....

Mon, 14 May 2012 16:03:00 -0400

Continuing with the subject of Final Choices, here’s C.C. Chapman’s interview of Jason McCarthy, founder of GORUCK on Passion Hit TV.

Jason explains in great details why quality matters, why things that last matter, and how he took all this into account when he designed the GR1.

We want to make things that you care about.

Really interesting. Please check it out.

Photo

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:21:34 -0400

Final choices and the things that stay with you

Mon, 14 May 2012 09:02:00 -0400

Sometimes things that are taught to you by important figures in your life become second nature to you. You carry that knowledge forward and it becomes part of your life, part of who you are. You also pass this forward.

I’ve talked in the past on Red Teams about my drill sergeant and keeping our pockets closed. This same drill sergeant made sure we understood the importance of taking good care of our gear. Time and again, he would tell us: take care of your gear and the gear will take care of you.
Simple things such as carrying the tactical vest by grabbing both straps, so not one strap will get extra stress; or taking apart each magazine and clean it, then clean each bullet after a training session in the desert. We would clean our weapons and vehicles before cleaning ourselves and go to sleep.

Take care of your gear and your gear will take care of you.

It became a part of us. Even today I take proper care of my gear.
I am a firm believer of what my friend Patrick Rhone calls Final Choices.

Anywhere I can make a buying choice that I, with proper care and maintenance, will never have to make again for the rest of my life, I do. In those cases, I’m willing to pay far more for an item if I know it will last a lifetime and, even more importantly to me, I will never have to spend the mental energy making a choice again.

I believe in buying quality. I believe is spending the extra money in buying something that is properly built, that will last. However, like Patrick mentioned, you also need to take proper care of it.
I can still see my old drill sergeant yelling at me. Telling me to take care of the gear. It is part of me. And I do, I do take care of ALL my gear. My wife is amazed on how my computers look, how my backpacks look, how my climbing gear looks, yes including the alpine climbing boots. She and my friends often comments on how good my rain jacket looks. Guess what? That rain jacket is more than 12 years old, it has been on top of the Aconcagua, Mont Blanc, Eiger North Face and Mount Washington. Yes, it has scars, but that old Patagonia jacket still has more years. I take care of it, I wash it after every climb, I renew the water proofness every year and I never store it dirty. I payed a lot of money for that jacket 12 years ago, but that money has been recovered since. I haven’t bought another jacket.
Or my GORUCK GR1. It’s a quality piece of gear, one planned and built to last. I spent good money on it. I took the GORUCK Challenge with it, I use it for all my travels and other fun stuff. I wash that rucksack every time. I clean it and I make sure it’s ready for the next trip. It will last and my taking care of it will make sure of it.
It’s the same with all my stuff. I am very careful with everything I own, that doesn’t mean I don’t use it, no, I do and I really give my stuff a run for the money. However, because I take care of each and every piece of gear, they live to tell the story and go for another adventure the next year.

Yes, buying quality stuff is expensive. Yes, spending time maintaining your gear can be bothersome to some. Still, I love my gear. It keeps me warm or comfortable. It keeps my stuff dry and organized, and it keeps my feet happy.

Take care of your gear and your gear will take care of you.

"One well considered object can take the place of many cheaply made ones."

Mon, 14 May 2012 04:56:21 -0400

“One well considered object can take the place of many cheaply made ones.”

- A Continuous Lean (via alexcarpenter)

"If there’s a question about if it’s necessary, remove it. Less is more and more is lazy."

Sat, 12 May 2012 09:51:38 -0400

“If there’s a question about if it’s necessary, remove it. Less is more and more is lazy.”

- Jason McCarthy (GORUCK Founder) on GORUCK: The Most Passionate Brand Following in the World

Photo

Sat, 12 May 2012 07:51:35 -0400

A good pen. A lot can happen. (mnmal)

Fri, 11 May 2012 19:11:21 -0400

A good pen. A lot can happen. (mnmal)

lawsofmodernman: Law 145.

Fri, 11 May 2012 19:04:59 -0400

lawsofmodernman:

Law 145.

lackingselfpreservation: iPhone 4s, Instagram, No Filter

Fri, 11 May 2012 19:03:04 -0400

lackingselfpreservation:

iPhone 4s, Instagram, No Filter

whereisthecoool: Celluon Magic Cube Laser Keyboard

Fri, 11 May 2012 18:59:32 -0400

whereisthecoool:

Celluon Magic Cube Laser Keyboard

Photo

Fri, 11 May 2012 18:58:37 -0400

"If an expert says it can’t be done, get another expert."

Thu, 10 May 2012 17:47:25 -0400

“If an expert says it can’t be done, get another expert.”

- David Ben-Gurion. (via ylsw)

Photo

Tue, 08 May 2012 10:33:02 -0400

It's all mental

Mon, 07 May 2012 13:44:00 -0400

It’s all mental. That’s what people tell you about the GORUCK Challenge.

Yes it is.

The GORUCK Challenge is a team event based on the elite training that Army Special Forces receive. The 8-10 hours, 15-20 miles of under promised good livin’ is tough, to put in mildly.
I took the Challenge for the first time last year and I’ve written about it here as well.

The GORUCK Challenge introduces you to yourself. The real you.

Sure, you need to be fit to be able to deal with the Challenge, however I’ve seen uber-athletes in pick physical condition quit. I’ve also seen people in less physical condition not only finish, but carry their Team weights or a teammate’s ruck with them.

It’s all mental.

Part of the deal is understanding that this is a team event. It’s not about you, it’s about the team. It’s trusting that person in front of you, to your right, to your left and behind you. It’s being able to help and be helped when needed. It’s putting the team first, working together towards the same goal: being comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Yet, it goes down to the individual too.

Having the mental ability to cope with the discomfort and put the team first. Not everyone can do that. Having the drive to keep on going even when your mind and body is telling you to quit, to go get that cold beer… Just quit… Not everyone can do this.

Still, you see them on every Challenge. The people that find it in themselves to never quit. To help, and to make sure the team keeps on going forward, so that everyone can finish together.

The GORUCK Challenge introduces you to yourself. It shows you what teamwork is. Lead by a fantastic, and often crazy, Cadre of SOF veterans, the Challenge is not for everyone. But then again, you wouldn’t do it if it were.

It’s all mental.

33 War Strategies That Will Help You Win Everything | businessinsider.com

Fri, 04 May 2012 14:39:10 -0400

33 War Strategies That Will Help You Win Everything | businessinsider.com:

We present everything you need to know about facing your foes, and all of life’s battles, based on the book The 33 Strategies of War by best-selling author Robert Greene.

You Got (Single) Served - The Daily

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:23:00 -0400

You Got (Single) Served - The Daily:

minimalmac:

Nice brief look at the rise of “one thing well” apps including one that I have a role in.

Oh yeah. I’m a huge believer of this philosophy. As old time readers know I had for many years a site called “Simple Software” that provided application that performed one thing only, the simplest way possible.

I’m happy to see this becoming slowly the standard. And, if you haven’t done so, check Patrick Rhone and company’s Minimal Tools.