RockneCAST

 In this episode, I respond to a recent PBS "Frontline" episode on the Ukraine-Russian conflict, "Putin and Five Presidents".   This show, while purporting to be "journalism" showed itself to be nothing more than war propaganda.   I cover why we should question three people prominently featured in the documentary, two of whom are currently driving American foreign policy. 1.  J...

This is a book that I came across repeatedly by various influencers such as Tony Robbins and Tim Ferris.  I kept on holding off on reading it, but it kept on popping up on top 10 lists.  So I finally gave in and read it.  I am glad that I did.   In this episode, I cover introduce Frankl, how I learned about the book, and my two key take aways from this book. This book should be...

Whoa... I just finished Last Kingdom, one of the best television series I have ever seen.  Based upon the Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell, Last Kingdom covers the Viking invasion and occupation of England from roughly mid 8th to 9th century AD.  I won't give any details of plot.  Instead, I focus on why you should watch it and what makes it so good.   If you haven't seen it y...

The United States is currently providing military to aid to Ukraine in its war with Russian, a nuclear armed state with the most of the nuclear arms in the world.  There is seemingly almost no debate in the United States on this important topic. In this episode, I attempt to pose a question and answer a question.  I ask why is it in the US interest to provide military assistance to Ukrai...

This past spring, I shared the results of my 30 day experiment with Tongkat Ali, using one metric only, pushups.  You can hear the full episode at Episode 91 of he RockneCast. That episode has proven to be my most popular episode so far!   Of course, that episode was just my ad hoc n of 1 experiment.  It worked for me, but will it work for you? Tongkat Ali has long been used as a he...

For this episode on Atomic Habits, we're going to cover our most abundant and life changing resource, Time.   Mastery over it is one greatest drivers of our well being. Failing to manage it leads to anxiety, misery and dysfunction. The good news is that time, one of most valuable assets, is something over which we have the greatest control. In this episode, I discuss how you can do it to crea...

Whoa... For this episode, I am going to be focusing on Jesus, and his life changing self improvement advice contained in Matthew 7:3-5.  This is the speck in your brother's eye your verse that you're probably familiar with, but versus 4 and 5 were the follow ups to that verse that I had completely forgotten about versus 4 and 5.   It can be summarized as follows.   You criticiz...

Whoa, hitting the final stretch on my series on James Clear's awesome book Atomic Habits. I've been covering five free Atomic Habits that will transform your life.  In this episode, we're covering fasting.   I'll explain why it works so well to lose weight and improve your health. I'll also provide a tip as to whether you can lose more weight skipping breakfast or dinner.  The...

Here, we explore the work of James Clear and answer one basic question.  Is drinking one bottle of wine per night good or bad for you?   Through the lens of James Clear's book Atomic Habits , is it a good or bad atomic habit? If you or a loved one are drinking one bottle per day, this is a good episode for you!!

In this 3rd episode on Atomics Habits in Action, I discuss three tips to good, restorative sleep relating to timing of eating, alcohol consumption and tart cherry capsules.  Tart cherry?  I know that seems kind of random, but tart cherry is a whole bowl of awesomeness relating to sleep quality and sleep efficiency, concepts which I'll define in this episode.  Here's a link to tart c...

Building upon the work of James Clear , I'll discuss the surprising benefits of the after dinner walk, a short 20-30 minute walk following dinner.  This is the first on several Atomic Habits that I have added, and some bad Atomic Habits that I've subtracted.    All of the additions are free.  The subtractions will save you money and improve your well being.  The after dinn...

For this episode, we're returning to the work of the Habits Buddha James Clear, and his book Atomic Habits .  More than any other author that I've read, Clear is the most effective at outlining strategies to improve your life in mind, in body, and spirit.   Too may self-help books fall into the category of gauzy platitudes or after the fact anecdotes that may or may not be helpful in hel...

I recently read the Wright Brothers by David McCullough.  Great book!!  When is an advantage really a disadvantage?  When is an advantage actually a huge advantage?   In this episode, I explore the two teams trying to achieve manned flight as outlined in McCullough's book.   Sam Langley had all of the advantages: funding, reputation, a team of experts, and experience. &nbs...

In this episode, I review of the first episode of Rings of Power .  I think it sucked!  In this episode, I explain why it sucked.

This is my last episode on the late great Vince Lombardi, and David Maraniss' awesome book on his amazing purpose driven life. In this episode, I riff on the gap, that is the where you are and where you could be given your existing talent, resources, and opportunities.  So many of us get in our own way, blocking the best version of ourselves.  We'll discuss Angus MacGyver and opportuniti...

In this episode, I cover the founder of the Jesuit Order, St. Ignatius of Loyola and influence on Vince Lombardi's coaching philosophy.  Lombardi went to Fordham University, a Jesuit university in New York City.  He was an average student receiving mostly B's and C's with the exception of one A, Christian ethics, which was taught by Ignatius Wiley, a Jesuit priest and follower of St. Ign...

Whoa.  I just experienced an incredible moment based upon Vince Lombardi's favorite Bible verse.  I was going to do an episode Lombardi and the Jesuits, but I had to audible based upon what happened this morning. In this episode, I share his favorite verse, define synchronicity, and share its impact on me.  I have zero idea whether this will resonate with you in the way that it did...

Vince Lombardi was 45 years old when he became head coach of the Green Bay Packers.  In this RockneCast, I discuss a victory banquet at the Green Bay Elks Club on April 30, 1962, four months after the Packers won their first NFL Championship, smashing the New York Football Giants 37-0. Tim  Cohane, sports editor at Look Magazine, and noted chronicler of Lombardi, gave an epic toast to Co...

In this episode, I begin the first of a seven part series on Vince Lombardi.  I just finished David Maraniss' 1999 biography of Vince Lombardi, "When Pride Still Mattered".  I just loved this book!  Buy it!!  Too much to cover in one episode, so I will do seven short episodes, and this is my first one.  It's on Vince Lombardi's favorite quote from Douglas MacArthur via Lom...

In this episode, I review the book The Circadian Code , a 2018 book by Dr. Satchin Panda, Director of Center for Circadian Biology at the University of California San Diego.  I'll discuss his super simple recommendations to turbocharge your energy, lose weight, and to get jacked!  Best yet, it's all free!  You just need the knowledge. Together you and I will explore his three key ta...

In this second episode on a landmark 16:8 fasting study, we cover another significant deficiency of the New England Journal of Medicine 16:8 fasting article, "Calorie Restriction with or without Time Restricted Eating in Weight Loss" (April 22, 2022). It omits any discussion of the controversy surrounding "statistical significance", a topic that is hotly debated within the professional statistics...

In this episode, I respond to a recent journal article in the New England Journal of Medicine called "Calorie Restriction with or without Time Restricted Eating in Weight Loss".  It was published on April 21, 2022.      This study addressed two groups eating the same amount of calories and macros of carbs, protein and fats.  The first did a 16:8 protocol and the secon...

In this episode, I discuss my recent 44 hour fast: how much weight I lost, my hunger, my mental state, whether I should be proud of my results, and how I ate after the 44 hour fast.

Whoa, I just discovered the awesomeness of matcha green tea, a tasty caffeinated beverage that is even better than ordinary green tea in a bag, which is ok, but kind of tastes like like grass.  Matcha is way better, and much more pleasant to consume.   I'm talking about the matcha powder and not the green tea you find in a tea bag.    In this episode, I describe two key he...

In this episode, I interviewed Dr. Michelle Dynes about her incredible journey from Waukon, Iowa to being a high credentialed public health researcher in Thailand.  She graduated from my hometown high school, Decorah, Iowa, and my alma mater, Luther College.  We are high school and college classmates! This was a very fun to do as we explored her journey from Decorah to Yale to Atlanta to...