Soul Forge Podcast

May the 4th be with you! By happy accident, this episode of the podcast comes out on Star Wars Day! This episode is not about Star Wars. On this week's episode, we are going to learn about a day in the life of a mailman. Many people have wondered and asked about how I do my job; what the work consists of. Well, this week is a walk and talk type show. I will be walking along on my mail route and te...

Video games are typically categorized according to their hardware platform.  This traditionally includes arcarde video games, console games, and computer (PC) games. A video game is an electroic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device. These devices include such things as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device. The first video game prototypes in the...

The Visitor is one of the best episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. This podcast episode has absolutely nothing to do with that. Although, there will be some Star Trek talk during the course of this show! Last week I was on holidays from my work life. So, what did I do with that time off? I went for a visit to my old stomping grounds of Timmins, Ontario. I lived there for 19 years, but moved ho...

Batman and more! We are taking a break from the serious side of the Soul Forge Podcast this week. We have pop culture news, memories and ground-breaking insights. Starting off, we take a walk down memory lane. Shawn's first memory of playing with 'dinky cars' was a Batmobile with a trailer and a boat. No one knows where it ended up, but some light research suggests it was made by Corgi in the 1960...

Where home is, is the place where you feel in control and properly oriented in space and time. It is a predictable and secure place. In the words of poet Robert Frost, "Home is the place that, when you have to go there, they have to take you in." In short, “home” is the primary connection between you and the rest of the world. For all people, home is the center of the world and a place of order th...

Gaelyn, owner and operator of Amore - For Your Pleasure is back for another visit. This week she is telling Soul Forge listeners about the complete line of Satisfyers. As a note of caution, this episode is not intended for children. Listening at work is also not recommended. We are in the age of the love-toy revolution. Forget the times when women or men had to be embarrassed to own a vibrator or...

Mint versus loose. Which is better? How do you choose to present your collection? Is there really that much of a difference between mint and loose collecting? All that and more on this week's exciting episode of The Soul Forge Podcast! But first, an update on my Hot Wheels collecting. I have been steadily on the hunt for new and unique die cast cars. YouTube has been a great source of information....

Searching for joy is a necessary part of life. There are many day to day things that can bring you down. Sometimes you must actively seek out joy. On this week's episode of Soul Forge Podcast, Shawn and Amanda are doing their best to find the joy in the every day aspects of life. What exactly is joy? According to the dictionary, joy is: the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something...

Expectations are what we think will happen, while reality is what actually transpires. While we hope these two will match up, they often don't. This disparity of expectations vs. reality can often lead to feelings of discontentment and unhappiness.  Expectations refer to the beliefs that you hold about the outcomes of events. While these expectations can play an important role in determining what...

Hot Wheels are my latest micro obsession. What is a micro obsession? Those who know me, are aware that my interests vary far and wide. You never know what might hit my radar and become my next mini obsession. Last year it was prepping for the end of the world. This year, it's Hot Wheels! For more than five decades, Hot Wheels has provided adrenaline-fueled vehicle play that ignites the challenger...

You're gonna die. I'm gonna die. We are all going to die. That is why it is important to think about end of life planning while you still can. You're gonna die. Therefore, it is up to you to plan how you wish to be taken care of. Preplanning your final arrangements can save your family and friends from having to make decisions at a difficult time. It also gives you time to make the right choices....

It's a mixed bag of topics this week. There is no theme holding all the thoughts together. What will Shawn say on this week's episode? No one knows--not even him! Prepare yourself for a cosmic adventure to nowhere! Valentine's Day was this week. How did you spend the day? Is it Single Awareness Day? Did you go to a fancy restaurant? I spent the day at work, followed by an evening of watching TV, e...

Love? Loss? Heartache? Anger? Sadness? Brother Robin visits the Soul Forge to celebrate his 37th birthday. Robin has a few things to talk about. Is he ready for the end of society, or can he turn his attitude around? Seasonal depression might be to blame for Robin's sadness. It could, perhaps, be his recently ended situationship. Right now, he is on a 2 forked road. Sharing memes about healing whi...

I went viral this past week. I walked into Walmart and saw that they were adding coin receptacles to their shopping carts. Pulling out my phone, I made a quick Tiktok video. After uploading the video to the service, I thought nothing more about it. Somehow, it attracted a lot of attention from the Tiktok community. Three days after I posted the video, it had 5 million views. A week after posting t...

Time, life and aging. Time moves quickly, but where does it go? The seasons of life keep on turning. Before you know it, you have become an older person. This week on the podcast, Shawn and Melissa talk about aging and growing up. This topic came up because of an article Melissa shared with Shawn. The article was about suddenly finding yourself in the last quarter of your life and not really knowi...

Let's take another look at minimalism. In the first year of the podcast we took a dive into that world. In fact, we did two episodes about the minimalism journey. You can find those on episodes 25 and 50. Well, it's been 5 years since our last look. That means it is time to jump back in and see how our journey has gone. Did minimalism become our new normal? Have we utterly failed? You will learn t...

The G spot. What is it? Where is it? Find out all about the G spot on the 273rd episode of the Soul Forge Podcast. This week on the podcast we are at Amore For Your Pleasure. Amore is the premier adult store in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Amore's owner is Gaelyn MacKenzie Gaelyn is better known as G. She has been the owner/operator of Amore for 11 years. The most important aspect of her business is...

Best of 2022 lists are everywhere. Here is another one! The first episode of the new year sees Shawn and Krista looking back over the year that was. 2022 is a year that won't soon be forgotten. From books and movies to television and events, 2022 was quite a year! Krista's year was quite eventful. She moved out on her own for the first time in 22 years. No roommates. No kids. Just Krista. And then...

Cats and dogs are the most popular pets in the world. On this episode, my friend Melissa makes her podcasting debut. She is the proud owner of both a cat and a dog. Her cat's name is Charlie. Max is her handsome black Lab. Cats are more independent and are generally cheaper and less demanding pets. Dogs are loyal and obedient but require more attention and exercise, including regular walks. When y...

Is it stress or just life that causes you to feel the way you do? This week on the podcast, we are taking a look at what has been on the mind of your host. As of late, there has been a bit of nostalgia on the mind. And as such, it might be time to look ahead to what might be coming. A return to the Rusted Robot Podcast might be in order. Shawn hosted that pop culture podcast for about 7 years. Rus...

How to be thankful is a vital skill in society. There are so many ways in which to present yourself in the world. Being polite and grateful will allow you to get ahead. Not everyone has the skills or the resources or even the desire to show thankfulness. Those that do have the knowledge and the willingness are well set for success. Practicing gratitude can be a game-changer: it has far reaching ef...

90 day fiance or long distance fiance? Perhaps it's both! This episode of the Soul Forge dives into the relationship between Dakota and Luke. We will learn their story, their trials and tribulations. Most of all, we will experience the love they feel for each other. I have known Dakota since the day she turned 8 years old. She is my son's older sister. Dakota sees me as her father which is truly g...

When your life is a disaster, there are only so many options to turn things around. This episode does not provide any answers. However, brother Robin leads a fairly amusing life. He sums his life up as a disaster. Is this true? I have known him for his whole life, and I would have to agree with him on this point. The good news is that Robin's mental health is in a good place. He is not sad, Nor is...

The most common reason for sharing housing is to reduce the cost of housing. In many rental markets, the monthly rent for a two- or three-bedroom apartment is proportionately less per bedroom than the rent for a one-bedroom apartment (in other words, a three-bedroom flat costs more than a one-bedroom, but not three times as much). By pooling their monthly housing money, a group of people can achie...

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a kind of depression that appears at certain times of the year. It usually begins in the fall when the days get shorter and lasts through the winter. SAD doesn’t only happen in the colder months though. A less common form of seasonal affective disorder affects people in the summer months and usually starts in the spring. It isn’t really clear what causes SAD...