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Humbled by Sandy Hook: A Perfect Event
Over the past 14 years, I’ve participated in triple-digit GORUCK events, both as a participant and/or organizer. I consider all of these events worthwhile, with several that I would call life-changing, and two of which I would classify as perfect....
Finding Purpose as a Bodybuilder or Cyber Spiderman
When it comes to motivation, few embody the spirit of reinvention like Arnold Schwarzenegger. The man has continually redefined himself, transforming from a small-town boy in Austria into a world-class bodybuilder, the iconic Mr. Olympia, a blockbuster movie star, the...
The Mercy Rule
The Mercy Rule (also known by the lesser names of the Slaughter, Knockout, or Skunk Rule) is a concept familiar to kids, parents, and coaches across the nation. My seven-year-old knows what it means, even if it only exists in...
Reflecting on a Bittersweet Victory
It’s hard to believe it’s been seven months since I first wrote about the dozens of proposed public school closures in my hometown — a list that included my children’s well-attended and beloved Atlantic Beach Elementary. The news of these...
I’m Told I Say Croissant Like An A$$hole
Fun facts: The Eiffel Tower was built a couple years prior to the 1889 Exposition Universelle to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. It’s no secret that initial reviews of Gustave Eiffel’s innovative design were mixed; and by...
Right-sizing Hearts By Saving Community Schools
And yet for all the talk of budgets and numbers, I think what I’m trying to express goes beyond the numbers and our human attempts to live and work and learn together. What value do we place on a neighbor, whose own children have left the nest, painting a tire swing with words of encouragement and love for all who pass by? How does one nurture a student, a family, a school, a community? How do we continue to weave the social fabric of our locally-led lives? 
Lift Up Thine Eyes....From Thy Smartphone

It’s tough to accept when you are wrong. 

For the past decade, Jason and I have gone round and round about solo screen time for our kids. I argue there is a time and place for it; he wants to banish their iPads to the dumpster. What about when we are trapped in an airport or car with them on long trips? Or when they’ve been playing outside all day and it starts raining and we all want a break? He shrugs and says a version of “it’s a slippery slope and I don’t like it.”

What We Have Here Is Failure
By Emily McCarthy I once knew a guy in college who dove so deep into an intro level philosophy class that he told me he was going to read chapters from Plato’s Republic to his future children. He planned to...
MANAGING STRESS WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS (AND RUCKING)
Two years ago right now I was out of sorts. Stressed out, you might say. COVID had suited me just fine, actually — the more chaos around, the calmer I get. I was sleeping fine until I wasn’t. Two years...
Fuel Your Ruck: Power-Packed Snacks for Long-Distance Performance
By: Mike Roussell, PhD Rucking doesn't just rely on physical strength and mental grit—it also demands smart nutrition. To fuel your body for the miles ahead, you need strategic snacking that goes beyond grabbing a random granola bar. This means...
Mastering Hydration for Rucking: A Guide to Essential Electrolytes
By Mike Roussell, PhD Hydration is more than just water; it's a delicate balance of electrolytes lost through sweat, especially during demanding activities like prolonged rucking.The amount of electrolytes lost can vary significantly based on factors like heat and individual...
The Case for More 9 Year Old Biker Gangs ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
A couple of summers ago, when my oldest child was 9 years old, I decided to push her out of the proverbial nest. No, no, I did not kick her out of the house permanently. I merely informed her that...
Jungfräulichkeit rockt
"Wir fahren buchstäblich in den Sonnenuntergang, um deine GR1 zu retten." Ich sagte dies mit Blick auf Michael Easter, der über sein Telefon gebeugt war und versuchte, sein Find My ____ (füge irgendein verlorenes Apple-Produkt ein) zu aktualisieren. Wir waren...
Unbehagen ist, wenn man mit seinen Kindern im Schlamm feststeckt
TL;DR: Die Gezeiten ändern sich schneller als man denkt. Benutze eine Rampe, wenn es eine gibt. Wenn du im Dreck steckst, krieche raus (und weitere Tipps, wie du dem Treibsand entkommst, weiter unten). Unsere engen Freunde Dan und Sandy kamen...
Change in 2023 - A Chat with ChatGPT
By Emily McCarthy These days, it seems like you can’t go too far without hearing about ChatGPT — the latest leap in Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot technology. Depending on who you talk to, reactions to ChatGPT’s ability to identify patterns...
Freiheit der Meinungsäußerung
Von Emily McCarthy Als ich noch jung und dumm war, reiste ich im Sommer 1998 in ein nordafrikanisches Land, um einen Studienfreund zu besuchen, der an einem Arabisch-Studienprogramm teilnahm. Es war das erste Mal, dass ich den afrikanischen Kontinent und...
Frieden
Von Jaala Shaw Beziehungen schaffen Frieden. Es ist sehr leicht, jemandem zu widersprechen, den man nicht kennt; eine Kultur zu missachten, die man nie erlebt hat. Es ist die Aufgabe des Friedenskorps der Vereinigten Staaten Beziehungen zu den Bürgern des...