RockneCAST

I just finished reading Black Hawk: Battle for the Heart of America by Kerry Trask. Loved it! If you're interested in the history of the Upper Midwest, you'll love this book! In this episode, I cover Henry Dodge, White Cloud, the Ho Chunk, Prophetstown, Battle of Pecatonica and also a little history leading up to this War and its aftermath. 1. Black Hawk: Battle for Heart of America by Kerry Trask...

In this episode, Rockne Cole delves into the profound insights of Carl Jung, particularly focusing on the concepts of the shadow self and the collective unconscious. He draws connections between Jung's theories and popular culture, such as Star Wars, to illustrate the importance of confronting one's inner fears and desires. The conversation emphasizes the necessity of self-reflection and authentic...

On Veteran's Day, we remember the World War I, the War to End All Wars. For an excellent read on this topic, read A World Undone by BJ Meyer. In this episode, I reflect on Veterans Day and the historical significance of World War I, drawing parallels to the current Ukraine war. In particular, I explore the question: is Ukraine War more like the events following the Sarajevo Crisis of 1914 or the M...

Overview In this episode of the Rocknecast, Rockne Cole explores the concept of utilizing the next 24 hours as a gift through the lens of mindfulness and the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh and his book The Heart of Buddha's Teaching . He discusses the importance of Right Diligence, living in the present, and the significance of identity in shaping habits through the work of James Clear and his book...

This is our second episode on Deep Listening. I absolutely love this topic, especially as an untapped, yet readily available resource to us all. So much bitterness occurs because we do not listen. Listen deeply, pay attention to the roots of suffering, and let understanding grow bringing the true source of healing: compassion. To fully appreciate the fruits of this episode, you should buy Thich Nh...

Just read David Halberstam's 2005 book on Bill Belichick, " The Education of a Coach ." Through the lens of Halberstam's book, this episode explores the life and coaching philosophy of Bill Belichick, one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. The discussion delves into his early education, influences, and the lessons he learned from failures, particularly during his time with the Cleveland Brown...

Summary In this episode, Rockne Cole introduces the concept of the Mind Heart, drawing insights from three influential authors: Thich Nhat Hanh , Reuben Youngdahl , and James Clear . The discussion emphasizes the importance of mindfulness, the connection between mind and heart, and how listening to one's inner desires can lead to personal fulfillment and growth. The episode explores the significan...

In this episode, I interviewed Dr. Wilfred Bunge, professor emeritus of religion at Luther College. Dr. Bunge served as a professor of religion from 1962 to 1999 and was the co-author of Transformed by the Journey , a book covering 150 years of history from its founding through its sesquicentennial date of 2011. Dr. Bunge discussed the writing of Transformed by the Journey and shared his own journ...

I watched the Brett Baier interview with Kamala Harris last night. That interview was a train wreck on both sides. In this episode, I identify some basic mistakes that Baier made related to follow up questions. Similar, it is quite clear to me that Kamala's communication team is completely incompetent in my opinion. They have providing horrible advice on how to persuade and making things 10 times...

For this episode, we will cover the work of the Habit Buddha James Clear. In particular, we will explore the difference between motion and action as explained in Clear's book Atomic Habits . Atomic Habits is the type of book you can read over, over, and over. It's a motion, but it will help you put ideas into action.

Wow, just finished my morning reading and came across two powerful pages from Thich Nhan Hanh's book, The Heart of Buddha's Teaching. In this episode, we'll cover Thich's definitions of "suffering", "mindfulness", and the two kinds of mediations that Thich suggests. Thich's work is mind blowing. I hope you have the chance to read his work and to share it with others.

Dr. David Coyle joins the RockneCast to discuss the joro spider, a venomous and invasive species that is currently spreading throughout the Southeastern United States. He is currently an Associate Professor of Entomology at Clemson University in the extension division. Dr. Coyle will discuss the spiders, how venomous it is, how it got here, how it "flies", and its anticipated reach in the United S...

Just went on two amazing hikes this past weekend and it reminded me about the powerful mental, physical and spiritual benefits of a nature hike. What's the difference between a "hike" and a "walk"? Walking involves a paved surface while hiking involves walking on a unpaved trail out in nature. In this episode, I explore the health benefits of hiking versus walking and also try to convince you that...

This past summer, I read Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. In it he talked about the one sentence that changed its life and it was contained in the book Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino. That's quite a claim. So I ordered the book to see whether it is actually that good. IT IS ACTUALLY THAT GOOD. It might just be the greatest book in the world. Ok I might exagerating just a little bi...

Good Energy is a shot across the bow of the conventional medical practice in the United States. Dr. Means graduated from the Stanford Medical College and practiced traditional medicine until she realized a substantial part of the medical system is all wrong. With the exception of treatment of acute medical condition Dr. Means challenges nearly the entire model of medicine in the United States as i...

The Gospel lesson last Sunday focused on Mark 9:38-50. Loved the kernels of wisdom. So I thought some of those kernels with you. We'll cover: salt, fire, and Jesus; the verse that Norman Vincent Peale liked; the virtues of discomfort, and Jesus' advice when someone else is offering to serve in an area that you currently are serving in. "For everyone will be salted with fire." Mark 9:49

Can one sentence change your life? In this episode, I share this sentence from the beginning of the Enchiridion by Epictetus, one of the founders of the Stoic philosophy. I learned about this book in the Happiness Lab a podcast by Yale professor of positive pschology, Dr. Laurie Santos and her interview with Dr. William Irvine. Irvine opened my eyes to the wonders of Stoic philosophy. If you are i...

In this episode, I explore how Geno Smith resurrected his career from a career backup to one of the top NFL quarterbacks. How did he do it? In this episode, I explore how and try to offer the Carolina Panthers can take the lessons learned to handle their Bryce Young situation.

Deep Listening is one of the greatest gifts that you can give or receive. This episode is about the art of Deep Listening. This morning, I read Thich Nhat Hanh's book The Heart of Buddha's Teaching and learned about the concept of Deep Listening. Whoa this is something that we rarely do well, but when we do, it has the power to transform us in all sorts of different ways. In this episode,...

I just finished Jesus is the Question by Martin Copenhaver. In this book, he addresses the questions of Jesus. In particular, Jesus asked 307 questions, was asked 186 questions, and he answered only 3. In this episode, I cover how I learned about the questions of Jesus, the types of questions he asked, the three that he answered, and my favorite chapter of this book. I cover a little Slavoj Zizek,...

I am reading Martin Copenhaver's 2014 book Jesus is the Question the 307 Jesus Asked and the 3 He Answered. Chapter 8 covers the loaves and fish miracle covered in all of the Gospels. Copenhaver uses Mark 6:31-44 to explore this topic. In this episode, I cover the story, its meaning, and the multiplier effect in action through the stories of Millard Fuller and Mother Theresa. I also give you a...

It's fall in the Upper Midwest! I just finished hike that I have been wanting to do for a while, the Marching Bear trial near the Effigy Mounds National Monument, which is located just about 2 miles north of McGregor, Iowa. The Marching Bears hike is about 1/4 mile south of the visitors center. I learned about it through the work of Lori Erickson, a travel writer who featured Marching Bears in...

If you're like me, your knowledge of WWI was fairly shallow. It started in Sarajevo and ended on November 11, 1918 followed the Treaty of the Versailles. You probably know about the Western Front and the large number of casualties. That's about it. If that's your knowledge level, you absolutely must read A World Undone , which provides a readable and in-depth analysis of WWI from its c...

In this episode we learn about the insight gained by stopping, calming, resting, and healing through the work of the great Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh and his book The Heart of Buddha's Teaching . Mindfulness allows us to control and influence our positive and negative habit energies. Thich teaches us how to do achieve this control through the practice of mindfulness.

I just finished Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang. I discovered this book while browsing at the Paper Moon bookstore in McGregor, Iowa. Loved this book. He covers the work, wellness, routines, and exercises of some of the all time creatives in business, politics, and even War. We focus on work and rest habits of two creatives: Scott Adams of the Dilbert comic strip and Earnest Hemingway .