Soul Forge Podcast

Official diagnosis - depression! That sounds fun, doesn't it? Apparently about 10% of people suffer from depression. Of course, they always say suffer from. I suppose they aren't going to say that 10% of people enjoy depression. Perhaps some folks do, but that seems unlikely to be the case. So, this is a rather short episode of the podcast. Most of it is a retelling of my recent visit back home. I...

Andrew and Shawn are the original geek twins! Ok, maybe not the originals, but they have been geeking out together since the late 1980s. And this is an episode where they join forces to record their first podcast together. They met back in 1987 during the sixth grade. Their bond over all things geek was, if not immediate, long lasting. With birthdays only 7 days apart, how could they not have a lo...

Here are my 22 tips to help you win at life in 2022. I searched the internet, I scanned my memory, I looked everywhere, and these are the tips, tricks, rules and guideposts for the year that is 2022. We have likely abandoned our New Year's resolutions at this point. However, it is not too late to make the most of the year. There is always time to win at life in 2022! You must take these tips in st...

Toys, games, cartoons and more are all a part of Nate's nostagia tour. Join the Soul Forge podcast as we dive deep into Nathan's world of collecting! I've known Nathan for about 15 years. We worked at The Home Depot together. We bonded immediately over toys and tattoos. Both of us are toy collectors. This is Nathan's story. As far back as he can remember, Nathan has been a fanboy and a collector....

It's a new year, and that means it is time for a new episode. It has been a few weeks since the Soul Forge released a new episode. Well, here it is! I hope you enjoy this latest offering of tidbits from my brain! In this week's episode we explore multiple topics. Firstly, we have to talk about all the crazy weather we have been experiencing lately. The cold has been so brutal I suffered from brain...

How to start a podcast was originally titled, Wanna Start A Podcast? The original release date was June 6, 2019. This is a rare repeat episode while I try to get my mental health back on track. If you want to know how to start a podcast, or at least what I did to start mine, this is the episode for you! If you wanna start a podcast, there are some things you gotta know! Okay, so, here it is; I'm g...

What is flawed perfection? No one is their ideal self. We all have things about us that we like, and things we can't stand. This episode was the year end wrap up for 2019. Because I am not feeling like myself lately, it felt like the perfect opportunity for a repeat episode. Originally titled, Unapologetically Me, the name has been changed to Flawed Perfection. This has been done as a way to mark...

Better late than never, it's an episode called Too Much Bread, Not Enough Butter. What is this episode about? It's a bit about Christmas. It's partly about mental health. There's some pop culture thrown in for good measure. Am I taking a break from the podcast? What am I doing with my life? These questions really don't have any answers. I do talk about Spider-Man No Way Home. And I mention The Whe...

Woke, but exhausted is an episode about a lot of things. Many different topics are touched on throughout the course of this show. The original intent was to do a deep dive into woke culture. Yet, as I was researching, I realized I do not have the skills to do the topic justice. We have an update on the puppy situation. As mentioned last week, our Golden Doodle gave birth to 8 puppies. They are gro...

New Puppies and the Wheel of Time is a long title for a really fun, yet random episode. We will be covering many different topics this week. You could say this is an update on what has been going on around the Soul Forge headquarters. As of this recording, we are marking the 80th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. It's also the week of my son's 16th birthday. And Daisy, our Golden Doodle has...

Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's suicide. The Movember Foundation runs the Movember charity event, housed at Movember.com By encouraging men (whom the charity refers to as "Mo Bros") to get involved, Movember aims to increase early cancer dete...

Crooked Teeth/Straight Path or how Facebook memories made me realize I am where I need to be. Crooked Teeth/Straight Path is an odd title. Yet I think it very neatly sums up my life and my journey. A longer title would say more, but brevity is sometimes good too! Before we get into Crooked Teeth/Straight Path or paths not taken, we have a few items to sum up. Last week's prepper episode brought me...

What is SHTF? Do you know anything about the survival prepping community? Up until a few weeks ago, I had no idea about any of this stuff. One random video on YouTube sent me down a rabbit hole of anxiety. SHTF: Survival Prepping is your guide to what I have learned recently. My YouTube interests have always varied greatly. Most often I watch videos about philosophy, Star Trek, history, Ebay and E...

Quick shots round two is the second attempt at something. Originally I called them the tactical mini. They are short mini episodes that focus on one topic. But then we string them together into a completely random show. This gives you, as an audience member, a nice mix and variety. Who knows what the next topic will be? From the show notes of episode 113: A tactical mini is an idea. It is an idea...

Nothing to fear is freedom. Everyone feels fear from time to time. Various levels and intensities as we are all unique with a wide variety of experiences and tolerances. Someone's nothing to fear is another person's greatest fear. Nothing to Fear was originally going to be a spooky Hallowe'en episode. The idea was to have a few guests to talk about scary movies. The timing did not work out, so it...

A feast for the mind in every episode of the Soul Forge Podcast! So many fun and different topics to cover in this week's episode. Every show is a feast for the mind, but this time, I actually use that phrase. Find out why when you listen to this one! La Brea is the latest show I have started watching. I find it really fun and entertaining. It had me hooked in the first 5 minutes. I'll be giving y...

The 5 love languages are 5 different ways of expressing and receiving love: words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Not everyone communicates love in the same way, and likewise, people have different ways they prefer to receive love. The concept of love languages was developed by Gary Chapman, Ph. D., in his book The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to...

If you change your name, does that change your life? We are about to find out in the second half of the episode. First, we must talk about trees, and the Fall, and travel, and selling things to nerds. And then, change your name, change your life will be discussed, debated and deliberated upon! So, this past weekend I drove the nearly 6 hours it takes, to the Soo. That's Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario,...

Fast and loud is an episode about excitement, adventure, fandom, health and more. Sit down, strap in and get ready for the thrill ride of your life! First, we are talking about the new CPAP trial that Shawn is partaking in. What is CPAP? A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is the most commonly prescribed device for treating sleep apnea disorders. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) caus...

The Grief Portal is the gateway to nostalgia. It can also be a place to be sad, a place to wallow in self-pity if you're not careful. The Grief Portal can either be a positive place or a negative one. Everything depends on your level of healing. If you are in a place where you can reflect on your losses in a healthy way, the portal is merely a place to pause. However, if you are deep in your miser...

Friends! Who are they? What are they good for? How many friends do you have/need/want? This week's episode tackles the nature of friendship! And it all came about because of a meme I happened to come across. I shared the meme. It touched people's souls. They shared and commented on the meme. Turns out friendship is a delicate and complicated topic/feeling. My friend Dan was especially moved by the...

Bear naked controversy is episode 218 of the Soul Forge Podcast. Many subjects are touched on in this episode. It's a kind of mixed grab bag of topics. This episode also includes the first instance of the Rusted Robot Pop Culture News segment. Last week I celebrated my 45th birthday. I suppose I should have been upset that the day wasn't all about me, but I wasn't. I actually took everything in st...

Your host is both wired and tired on this week's episode of the Soul Forge Podcast. It's a fun, random episode filled with the usual irreverant humour you have come to expect! Why are we wired and tired? Well, Shawn has been exhausted and irritable as of late. This has been going on for many months. He is often out of breath and has a short fuse. So, the doctor hooked him up with a sleep lab study...

Fun from childhood is an episode about memory. This week we are remembering fun times we had as children. Everyone (I hope) has happy memories from when they were kids. Your experiences will obviously be different from mine. Listen, and see how many things we may have in common! My mother is part of my 2 earliest memories. I recall sitting at the edge of the ditch and looking at tadpoles and then...

A positive spin on a negative situation is a good plan. Naturally, it is not always easy or possible to put a positive spin on something, but it's always worth a try. This week's episode is all about the positive spin. Join me on this podcasting adventure as we turn those frowns upside down! To start with, Julie and I got our second Covid-19 vaccinations last week. We weren't going to get the vacc...