John Du Cane

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Hi All!

Here is the current issue of my weekly “Sunday Share,” a list of what I have been engaging with, excited by or otherwise found intriguing.

What I’m reading —
Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. There are certain authors who enrich my mind by the fresh insights they bring to the human condition. I rush to buy their latest offering and am never, ever disappointed by what I read. Well, there is always one disappointment: the book eventually ends and I sigh with a longing for more as I reluctantly close the covers. Such an author is Malcolm Gladwell and his new book is exceeding my already-high expectations. I love Gladwell’s depth of research, his fascinating speculations, his bold conclusions and his inspirational mindset. I don’t care how right he necessarily is all the time. What I value is just how much he stimulates me to think anew about deep topics. This is one of his most nuanced efforts. I urge you to check it out…

What I’m watching —
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool. As a teenager, I went through a period where I would play certain jazz records over and over and over. John Coltrane was in a class of his own, for me at least. Ornette Coleman was another big favorite. In terms of overall stature, though, neither of these two matched the towering genius that was Miles Davis. This new documentary is often wrenching in its portrayal of addiction and daunting in its damning revelations about racism as Miles experienced it in America. The interviews are wide-ranging and the evolution of Miles’s craft amazing to contemplate. A fine, fine work.

What I’m listening to —
Neu! 75. In 1971 I bought and loved Neu’s first album which was at least twenty years ahead of its time. Neu had a big impact on David Bowie and his Berlin period, although I am not sure many folk know that. While nothing beats the first album, Neu! 75 is transcendent in its own right. Interesting anecdote: I attended Neu’s concert at the Royal Albert Hall back around 1972. They began the show with one of the most startling intros ever: this burly, bearded dude in a big black leather trench coat breaking up a massive piece of rock with a jackhammer. Damn! Turns out Richard Branson had come up with the impromptu idea after noticing this road worker banging away outside just before the concert. And invited him to “open” the act. Branson tells the story in Losing My Virginity which is a great read by the way.

What I am putting into my body —
Plus CBD Oil  Ah, CBD! Man o man, this stuff is just everywhere now — from shampoos to lip balm to salves to capsules and eh, vapes… It’s enough to make your eyes roll and then roll some more. I am immensely careful not to put addictive substances into my body (let’s describe me as having an “allergy” in that regard) so I approached the pitch for the wonders of CBD with some genuine concern for my future well-being. But I took the plunge. The Plus CBD brand was the first I saw on sale, perhaps two years ago, in all my local health food stores and co-ops, so I trusted their recommendation. Since then, I have popped a capsule every evening. When I’ve flown abroad, I’ve doubled the dose for the flight. Why have I continued to take it? A better quality of sleep. End of story.

Thoughts, comments, wishes, suggestions? Hit me up by email at johnrducane@gmail.com

It’s free. No spam. Unsubscribe whenever you want.

Hi All!

Here is the current issue of my weekly “Sunday Share,” a list of what I have been engaging with, excited by or otherwise found intriguing.

What I’m reading —
Damn Good Advice by George Lois.  Ah, wow, this George Lois is the kind of creative that shows up once in a hundred years. His impact on modern advertising has been monstrously large. Father of the Big Idea with balls that would look over-sized on a stallion… I like to read a few pages of this book to give myself some well-deserved hard slaps in the creative face. As George modestly puts in his subtitle, this is a book “for people of talent.” If that would be you, then get this!

What I sometimes put into my body —
BrainQuicken.It must have been around 2004. Pavel and I were busy promoting our kettlebell programs at that grotesque event known as the Arnold Fitness Expo, replete with its jacked-up steroidals, bikini-clad, high-heeled, bodalicious eye candy, goofy, nerdish fans, earnest con men, shifty-eyed pedlers of bogus supplements, waddling, fat-bellied powerlifters and so much more… I was wandering the aisles when I come across this bright-eyed, smiling, handsome fella promoting his nootropic formula now known as BrainQuicken, but then BodyQuicken. It was pre-superstardom, pre-4-Hour Workweek Tim Ferriss. I found him charming, bright and engaging. And I bought some of his product. And have used it ever since when I need to be on top of my game mentally. I have played around with a lot of different nootropics over the years but for whatever reason this is still my go-to noggin-enhancer… I am not seeing it currently available on Amazon but hopefully it will be back some time soon.

Device I still use after all these years —
The Chi Machine. I was introduced to the Chi Machine I believe around 1993 when I was in a tiny office above a car wash, struggling to get Dragon Door off the ground. You lie down and put your ankles on it, while it oscillates backwards and forwards at a pace and duration of your choosing. When you stop the obvious waves of energy pulsing through your body have to be experienced to be believed. Sometimes it feels akin to an orgasm, frankly. Other times, you just welcome the disappearance of most-all of the stress and tension you’ve been holding on to… If I am still using the Chi Machine after around 26 years, I might be on to something, right?

Newsletter I always read  —
Ryan Holiday. Speaking of Tim Ferriss, one of the highlights of his legendary Opening The Kimono workshop was befriending Ryan Holiday, one of the gentlest, most brilliant men I have had the good fortune to meet. Ryan is a voracious reader. I mean VORACIOUS. And he puts out a goldmine of a newsletter just chock-a-block-full of excellent reading suggestions. He is of course also the author of some highly influential books, like The Obstacle Is The Way, which I purchased thirty copies of to give away to friends.. Check him out at https://ryanholiday.net/reading-newsletter/

Most thought-provoking quote —
“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” — Samuel Beckett

Thoughts, comments, wishes, suggestions? Hit me up by email at johnrducane@gmail.com

It’s free. No spam. Unsubscribe whenever you want.

Hi All!

Here is the current issue of my weekly “Sunday Share,” a list of what I have been engaging with, excited by or otherwise found intriguing.

What I’m reading —
The Memoir Workbook by C. S. Larkin. I fancy myself a unique writer of the reflective memoir story, but, inspired by my collaboration with Debbie Harry, I have also decided to embark on projects helping other celebrities write their stories in a powerful way that holds true to who they are. This workbook has given me a ton of practical tips and some good strategies for what to concentrate on when organizing the memories into a message that will resonate.

What I am listening to —
Essentialism, The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeon. This is one of those books I wished I had absorbed in my late teens then reread and absorbed every decade after. I have felt very rueful listening to the wisdom here, realizing over and over how much I have wasted so often, through what Greg terms a non-essentialist mindset. As with so many books of this kind, it’s not that the message isn’t one I haven’t heard before. It’s the telling of it that has made the difference— and no doubt the timing. Here’s from the blurb:

The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s about getting only the right things done. It is not a time management strategy, or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution towards the things that really matter. By forcing us to apply a more selective criteria for what is Essential, the disciplined pursuit of less empowers us to reclaim control of our own choices about where to spend our precious time and energy—instead of giving others the implicit permission to choose for us

What I am putting into my body —
Tokelau MCT Coffee. Heading to China a few months ago for two weeks and having just embarked on my keto lifestyle, I researched travel packets of MCT. Fortunately, I stumbled on the Tokelau Mighty Morning Blend which is a truly awesome mix of C8 MCT, coffee and coconut milk. First thing in the morning and on the flights I would add some heavy whipping cream and have the perfect, tasty pick me up. This concoction is the best I have tasted and I love how it makes me feel.

Newsletter/blog I always read —
Brian Kurtz. I first met Brian Kurtz at the stupendous Titans of Direct Response conference a few years back. Since then he’s been one of my most trusted sources of advice on copywriting and marketing. One book he sells (which I will talk about another time) had more impact on the quality of my writing than any other single book of its kind. I always, always read Brian’s weekly newsletter and even more remarkably I read every word of every issue, because he’s just that good. Check him out at www.briankurtz.me

Most thought-provoking quote —
“Art is the lie that tells the truth.” — Pablo Picasso

Thoughts, comments, wishes, suggestions? Hit me up by email at johnrducane@gmail.com

It’s free. No spam. Unsubscribe whenever you want.

Hi All!

Here is the current issue of my weekly “Sunday Share,” a list of what I have been engaging with, excited by or otherwise found intriguing.

What I’m reading —
Naked by David Sedaris.  David Sedaris can be incredibly witty about almost anything, but he seems to specialize in the weird and wacky. He has also set the bar very high for his openness about his often tortuous imaginings, obsessions and vulnerabilities. For me, there are extended passages where I am astounded by his brilliance followed by some straight-out boring stuff that I start skipping over. I am revisiting his earlier and perhaps most compelling work, like Naked. I am reading Naked in bed last thing before going to sleep, which can result in some, let’s say, “unusual” dreams. Insert your own joke here…

Gizmo I am starting to appreciate  —
Water Flosser Dental Oral Irrigator. Ever since a got a severe case of gingivitis at the age of sixteen and had to have my gums cut back, those darn gums seemed to have remained a pesky vulnerability for me. But when it comes to good dental hygiene, I’m a poor, inconsistent and unenthusiastic flosser. And I have often reaped the bad consequences… Recently, I bowed to a pitch from my dental hygienist and bought a relatively inexpensive water pick. And actually used it on a regular basis! I am very pleased by how much cleaner my mouth feels as a result and have high hopes that it will help reduce the usual level of inflammation.

Eco-initiative I have embarked on —
No Mow Fescue Grass. What if there was a type of grass that looks gorgeous and requires almost zero mowing, watering, fertilizing or weed killer to maintain its lush look? Well it exists now and one of the best things I have ever done ecologically is to replant my lawn with this no mow fescue. Check out its profile here: https://www.prairienursery.com/store/no-mow-lawn/no-mow-lawn-seed-mix#.XWgPei2ZOeg

I did some research: Americans spent approximately $29.1 billion in 2015 on lawn care for their 63,000 square miles of lawns. And I am sure that number is only going up. Imagine the savings both financially and ecologically if those 63,000 square miles of lawn needed close to minimal upkeep year in year out by switching to no mow?

What I am listening to —
Super Ape Returns to Conquer by Lee Scratch Perry and Subatomic Sound System. Having been born and raised initially in Africa, the music that most resonates for me is African and Reggae. And I have always been massively attracted to Dub Reggae for its hypnotic power, sensuality and adventurous reworking of material. The originator of the whole Dub tradition is Lee Scratch Perry who is credited with a monumental impact as a result on the development of Hip Hop. This latest album is as amazing as anything he has ever done — and the dude is 84 years old! It’s the kind of music that saturates every cell of your body while often taking you into a transcendent place spiritually.

What I would put into my body immediately if I was cut, shot or otherwise bleeding—
Yunnan Baiyao. I first heard about Yunnan Baiyao at a Chinese Herbs class with Ron Teeguarden back in the late Seventies. Apparently, the first thing American soldiers would look for on a captured or dead Viet Cong would be their Yunnan Baiyao, reputed to effectively stop bleeding from cuts, gunshots or other wounds. It’s also considered effective for recovery from exercise. The formula is still a carefully-guarded secret. You can check it out on the link provided or learn more about it on its Wiki page.

Newsletter/blog I always read  —
Mark Sisson’s Daily Apple The world of nutrition, particularly in America, remains rife with misinformation, claims based on flawed or manipulated science, chicanery, quackery and all kinds of conflicting advice. Meanwhile our population gets fatter and sicker by the day… What I like about Mark Sisson is his combination of extreme good sense with a solid grounding in the known science behind a certain proposition for eating in a particular manner. Mark’s clarity helps me make more informed hence better decisions on what to eat.

Most thought-provoking quote —
“Art is theft.” — Pablo Picasso

Thoughts, comments, wishes, suggestions? Hit me up by email at johnrducane@gmail.com

It’s free. No spam. Unsubscribe whenever you want.

Hi All!

Here is the current issue of my weekly “Sunday Share,” a list of what I have been engaging with, excited by or otherwise found intriguing.

What I’m reading —
The Tattoist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. Not long before he died, Lale Sokolov approached the Kiwi writer Heather Morris with a story that needed finally to be told. Turns out that Lale had been forced to be the official tattooist at Auschwitz-Birkenau for over a two and a half year period. He falls in love with Gita, a prisoner he tattoos then conducts an affair with for the duration. Miraculously they both survive, marry after the war and live to a ripe old age, kids in tow. The recreation of this extraordinary tale reminds us of the power of love to triumph against a backdrop of unspeakable evil. In a time when we are witnessing a new surge in anti-Semitism and discrimination, this book comes as a salutary meditation on our human condition.

Device I am swearing by —
Air Relax. Visiting a cryotherapy facility three years ago, I inquired about the Normatek compression boots they were offering as an additional service. The lady behind the counter perked up. She had been run over by a school bus in downtown Minneapolis. The bus ran over her left leg, then reversed and ran over it a second time, then stayed on top of her leg for thirty minutes. She credited the Normatek’s therapeutic impact on her leg with having saved her from an amputation. I was sold. I researched a cheaper home version and purchased a brand called Air Relax. I have used it religiously almost every day since and am convinced it has vastly enhanced my recovery from exercise.

Service I am loving —
Cryotherapy. Speaking of… After publishing Wim Hof’s The Way of the Iceman—and after a longtime interest in cold therapy —  I began nitrogen-based cryotherapy using my daughter Nicole’s birthday gift of an introductory three sessions. I loved the exhilaration of it and the enhanced recovery. More recently, I discovered a local facility that offered a radically more powerful full-immersion cryotherapy based on electrically cooled air. Unlike the nitrogen-based system, the full-immersion version fully stimulates the upper chest and face for an optimal impact on the CNS and the vagus nerve. Hopefully, you can find a full-immersion cryotherapy facility near you. The one I am using is called US Cryotherapy. Here’s a link to explore further: https://www.uscryotherapy.com

What I have watched recently —
Trauma Releasing Exercises video by David Bercelli. I was introduced in Taiwan to a simple but extraordinarily powerful tension/trauma releasing method called TRE for short. It deserves far more attention than it has yet received. Here’s the description from the blurb on its Amazon page:

Dr. David Berceli is a former monk who spent 15 years as trauma specialist in war zones and areas of natural disaster before leaving his order to establish Trauma Releasing Exercises within the professional and therapeutic community. Dr. Berceli developed these simple physical exercises to help individuals and groups recover from periods of horrendous stress and trauma. The exercises are revolutionary in their calming effectiveness, and ability to work across in all cultures, nationalities ,and religions. The exercises can assist in counseling or be used a self- help tool. Don’t be fooled by the title of this DVD. You do not need to have experienced trauma to benefit from the technique. Anyone who is experiencing mental stress, excessive worry and even the feeling of financial trauma can use these simple exercises to enhance well being. If you are stressed and no matter how many times you talk the negative feelings keep coming back, these exercises are for you. In addition to explaining how stress, anxiety, and trauma affect our mental well-being and physical health, The Revolutionary Trauma Release DVD explains the body’s amazing ability to permanently release tension by using this technique. By reestablishing our equilibrium, stabilizing our lives, and returning us to emotional health, the exercises allow us to enjoy a vibrant state of being. The exercises are easy .The DVD contains a step by step demonstration. The DVD concludes with interviews of individuals and therapists who are using the exercises with success and experiencing significantly greater well-being.

What I am putting into my body —
Liposomal Vitamin C. At a PCC in Dallas, Texas I met the former US Olympics Team chiropractor and all-around strength athlete Dr. Steven Horwitz. Steven recounted how he had insisted on receiving massive infusions of Vitamin C before and after undergoing a particularly radical surgery. He swore by the healing results. Intrigued, I followed up with local Vitamin C infusions. But they were very pricey indeed. Then, after reading Dr Levy’s Curing The Incurable, I discovered his recommendation that liposomal Vitamin C, is five to ten times more powerful/absorbable than normal delivery systems and has the same clinical efficacy as the infusions. For a much reduced cost and no long clinic visits with an IV in your arm! I have been taking liposomal vitamin C daily ever since and am convinced it has helped me remain robust and illness-free.

Newsletter I love to get  —
Tom Furman Every week, Tom sends out rock-solid tips which he has curated from the best-of-the-best training programs worldwide. Tom is eminently down-to-earth, sensible and practical in his recommendations and it is clear that he truly knows his stuff. You can count on his advice. To subscribe, email him here: physicalstrategies@gmail.com

Most thought-provoking quote —
“The critical distinction for me is not the difference between fact and fiction but the distinction between fact and truth. Because facts can exist without human intelligence but truth cannot.”—Toni Morrison

Thoughts, comments, wishes, suggestions? Hit me up by email at johnrducane@gmail.com