Beans are Bullets, Food and War

Nobody Fucks with the Jesus

Meet Rocky Salemmo. He’s a ramblin’ gamblin’ man. For the majority of his adult life Rocky has hustled bowling for a living.

Here is his story. A short documentary about booze, broads and bowling.

The Bowler from Sean Dunne on Vimeo.

How the Leatherman became the Leatherman.

After seeing a new article in popular science on the creation of the Leatherman, I decided to do a little bit more research. It turns out unlike a lot of tool companies they have a very well laid out history on their website.


The Leatherman tool was originally conceived by Tim Leatherman, a mechanical engineering graduate of Oregon State university. In 1975 Tim was on a trip through Europe and the Middle east with his wife. While traveling the Fiat they were driving gave them lots of trouble. Tim was able to keep the car running with his small boy scout knife that had a small screwdriver on it, but the work frustrated him. He began to imagine a pocket knife that also had pliers, scissors and more screwdriver options.



When Tim arrives home from his trip he decides to continue work on his new multi tool idea. He begins the design by working with wood prototypes to get the initial tools and mechanisms down. His brother in law who is a machinist teaches him how to design parts in steel and the first metal prototypes are made.


Calling the new device "Mr. Crunch" Tim applies for and successfully receives a patent in 1980. He takes his idea to tool, knife, and gadget makes. The knife makers call it a tool, the tool makers call it a knife and the gadget makers want nothing to do with it. Tim decides to go into business and make the tool himself. Eventually in the winter of 1984 Cabellas and the Early Winters catalog pick up the tool. The orders are small, around 250 units. Tim prepares his company to make 4,000 units in case sales pick up. Sales do pick up, and by the end of the year the catalogs have orders for 30,000 Mr. Crunch's and the Leatherman is born.

Line Of Sight

Lucas Brunelle was a pretty big fixture in Boston before I moved down here. He arranged a lot of pretty ridiculous races involving tons of booze or lots of sprints. He also used to race around the unfinished Big Dig tunnels.

Bridge and Burn Fall Collection

I've mention Portland, OR based Bridge & Burn on here before. I really do like there stuff. The jacket I have from them fits perfect, is high quality, and gets plenty of compliments. The cuts and styles are classic, the colors are muted, and the pieces are designed to be worn. Definitely a good mix of utility and style. Some people may say that their stuff is the same as the rest of the pieces that are coming out in this lumberjack trend, but I think they got as close to it as they could without going full blown urban woodsman.

Dont Say Slow

Climb

Weather has been beautiful the last couple weeks. Been trying to get as much climbing in as possible. Really want to make a trip up to Northern NH to climb some new stuff.

The Players Trailer from BS Productions on Vimeo.

The Sharp End Trailer by Sender Films from Sender Films on Vimeo.

PTLDME

Went up to Portland, ME for the day with some friends. Had a great time there. Got some delicious food. Drank some quality beers. Hung out with good friends. All in all a really good day.

Inland Vans Berdoo

In my search for pictures of lowered vans I came across this site. Its dedicated to a group of guys who in the early 70's formed a van club. Although the site looks like it was designed for angelfire, it holds a treasure trove of images from their days of raising hell and driving vans. Looks like a group of people who really knew how to enjoy life. Here is a little history from their site.

It began with a dream of some Highland, California teens, to form a Van Club like San Bernardino had never seen. It started out as "United Vans Berdoo". The club rapidly grew and in 1972 split and formed "Inland Vans Berdoo".

Yes, they called themselves "Inland Vans Berdoo", all wearing club jackets of blue. Gang or club it continued to grow and the common "bond" was only a van. But, nobody knew of the lifetime brotherhood that would grow, and even grow stronger as the years passed and we went through.

No matter if it was Steve with Ripped Van Ripple, Gernux, Pete, George, Roni, Shannon D, Ernie, Spanky, Jones, Wisinger, Juan, Cook, Brian, Ray, Slick, Mark, Rick, Dennis, Jeff, Shannon L, Tim, Debi, Rodger, Mike, Chris, or Cleo and others. Almost 70 strong, all in a line, as they cruised "E" Street or any other town.

Drinking Beer, fighting, and raising hell wherever they went, they called themselves "Inland Vans Berdoo"....A dream of a Van Club and much more had finally come true. Always watching each others backs and always holding up the Clubs name they vowed.

The years have passed like minutes, over 3 decades have now gone bye. Looking back on memories we still all laugh and tell stories of our wild adventures, and then cry some too....and knowing we would all love to do it again.

From the hard and wild lifestyles, we have lost some forever. Brothers like Norm Gernux, Shannon DeRosie, Mike Wilson, Brian West, Pat Ecale, Cliff Brown, Ron Wright, and Mike Navol now, all looking down from above. We think of them often in "Brotherhood and Love" which we'll always remember.

They still get together as often as they can, recalling the memories of a roaring Harley or a Van. When it comes to a party, they all pull together and still party like it was their last.

Through the "Love, Blood, and Beer" lives were changed forever before they were through, the Boys known through out the land as "Inland Vans Berdoo".

Slam That Van

Ridiculous? Definitely. Awesome? Of course. If I ever moved to southern California a 60's VW Bus or Ford Econoline Van would be high on my list of things to purchase. Take out the seats in the back and throw in a surfboard rack and a futon and your good to go. Would I lower it as much as these guys, of course not. But there has to be something said for pushing it to the limit. True pan scrapers.