A Feast For The Mind - 224

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 you a quick overview on the first 3 episodes. Minor spoilers are revealed, but because the show is so new, it should not matter.

My Etsy shop is called Rusted Robot Toys. A recap of my last 4 months worth of sales is discussed. I also talk about how I pack my orders and ship them out. What's included in every package? You'll find out in this episode, and maybe you'll want to buy something! Find the shop at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/rustedrobottoys/

I was listening to the latest episode of the Delta Flyers podcast and one of the hosts mentioned a book. After looking into the book, I decided to purchase it. Because it sounds like a great read, I share it with you. Perhaps you will want to purchase a copy as well.

Speaking of buying things, I just ordered a few more items from Eaglemoss. They sell Star Trek starships and other fun items. I used the Honey plug-in on my computer to get a discount. Try Honey to save yourself some money. This is not a paid plug lol.

Finally, we talk about my recent fake name change. Trent does not suit me. My demeanor and lifestyle is quite different from Trent. Therefore, I'm just gonna be me!

This week's podcast promo: The Monster Scifi Show, Vaccine PSA

The 5 Love Languages - 223

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 Love That Lasts, where he describes these 5 unique styles of communicating love, categories he distilled from his experience in marriage counseling and linguistics. 

Change Your Name, Change Your Life - 222

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, Canada for those not in the know! About 2 hours into the drive, I turned onto a different highway. The change was immediate. The trees were popping with the brilliant and exuberant colours of Fall. We don't have colours like that back home in Timmins. I suddenly realized that this is what I miss most about living further south than I do currently.

And then I was in the Soo. I was a vendor at the 3rd Steel City NerdCon. My car was loaded with totes of various pop culture items. Selling off my collection has been a goal of mine for about 5 years. Sadly, I didn't sell everything. In fact, I sold about half as much as in previous years. You will hear the tale in this episode.

Change your name, change your life! Is it possible to change the fundamental nature of who you are? Hard to know. This is an experiment I am currently undertaking. Never have I liked my name. So, I changed it on Facebook to see how it feels. Kinda weird is how it feels. You will hear the entire saga in the second half of this episode.

This week's podcast promos: ESO Patreon, Pop Culture Cosmos, Dr. Geek's Vaccine PSA

Fast and Loud - 221

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) causes interruptions or pauses in your breathing, often because your throat or airways briefly collapse or something temporarily blocks them.

A CPAP machine sends a steady flow of oxygen into your nose and mouth as you sleep. This keeps your airways open and helps you breathe normally.

The next topic is this weekend's upcoming Nerd Con event is Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. This is the third event. I have attended each one so far. My mission is to sell off as many of my collectibles as I possibly can.

SideShow Toys has a new statue up for preorder. It's THE PICARD! Expected to be shipped in late 2022, this thing is highly detailed. It comes with multiple posing options. The only downside is that it costs upwards of $2000. And I want it.

In this week's Rusted Robot Pop Culture segment we look at some exciting news. The Ice Road on Netflix is surprisingly entertaining. Night Court is getting a sequel series. And Babylon 5 is coming back to television under the guidance of the original creator.

This week's podcast promo: Nerdbliss, Dr. Geek's Vax PSA

The Grief Portal - 220

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 misery, the portal can be a dangerous and terrifying place. The choice is yours, and much depends on your healing journey.

What is grief? Grief is the natural reaction to loss. Grief is both a universal and a personal experience. Individual experiences of grief vary and are influenced by the nature of the loss. Some examples of loss include the death of a loved one, the ending of an important relationship, job loss, loss through theft or the loss of independence through disability. Mourning can last for months or years. Generally, pain is tempered as time passes and as the bereaved adapts to life without a loved one, to the news of a terminal diagnosis or to the realization that someone they love may die.

In this episode, I give specific examples of loss from my life. I have done other tribute episodes in the past, but this one is different. This show was recorded on what would have been my mother's 63rd birthday. She has been gone for just over 7 years. I felt the need to mark that anniversary. Also, you can blame Marc Maron's WTF podcast for a portion of this episode.

This week's podcast promo: Metal Geeks, Vaccine PSA

Friends - 219

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 topic. As he explored the idea of the meme, and saw that other people could also relate, he began to suspect that perhaps the statement is so general, it could apply to anyone. So, also in this episode, we talk about the Barnum effect!

Barnum Effect, also called Forer Effect, in psychology, the phenomenon that occurs when individuals believe that personality descriptions apply specifically to them (more so than to other people), despite the fact that the description is actually filled with information that applies to everyone. The effect means that people are gullible because they think the information is about them only when in fact the information is generic. The Barnum Effect came from the phrase often attributed (perhaps falsely) to showman P. T. Barnum that a “sucker” is born every minute. Psychics, horoscopes, magicians, palm readers, and crystal ball gazers make use of the Barnum Effect when they convince people that their description of them is highly special and unique and could never apply to anyone else.

So, sit back and relax. Shawn and Paul and Dan are about to regale you with an exciting topic. Friends. Friendship. If you have any thoughts on the topic we would love to hear from you. Email us at soulforgepodcast@gmail.com

This week's podcast promo: Flopcast, Dr Geek's Vaccine PSA

Bear Naked Controversy - 218

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 stride. You will hear more details in the actual episode, but my birth day included work, flyer preparations, a funeral, a lousy dinner and an unexpected text message from my father.

Bear naked controversy does not include any actual nudity. However, the bear I saw on route while delivering mail was definitely now wearing clothes. The actual controversy stuff is all about the covid vaccine. I'm really tired of all the negativity and the anti-vaccine propaganda.

Also included in this episode, I share more details and news from my Etsy store. I'll be selling some things at a booth during Nerd Con in Sault Ste. Marie in October. This week marks the 55th anniversary of the premiere of the original Star Trek series in 1966. Also, the 4th Matrix movie is getting a trailer this week!

We wrap up the show by talking about school. September means back to school for the children. A couple of my friends (in their 40s) are also doing some school work. I'm not sure I could handle going back to school in my 40s. How about you?

This week's podcast promo: Earth Station Who, Dr Geek's Vaccine PSA

Wired and Tired - 217

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. In this episode, you hear all about that experience. Just take a look at the cover art to see how it looks to be hooked up!

Because I posted the picture of me with all the wires on Facebook, some controversy erupted. You see, I didn't put any caption to give the photo context. My aunt freaked out. My dad (who I have not spoken to in nearly a year) called me a dumbass. It's quite a fun story!

Other random topics are touched on in this episode. I'm thinking of doing a Rusted Robot pop culture segment. I'm going to have an ax enthusiast on an upcoming episode. I also talk a bit about my Etsy shop. Yard sales and nerd conventions and sales and stuff too! And wait until you hear about the new podcast that me and the boys from our Cosmic Pizza Podcast are doing!

This week's podcast promo: Blurred Nerds, Dr. Geek's Vaccine promo

Fun From Childhood - 216

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 running home in the rain. Eating fried cheese out of a cast iron skillet is another cherished memory with my mother. Mom and I used to have so much fun.

And then there was the time I tried to kill my brother Curtis. I didn't. I actually ended up saving him. Saving him from the peril I put him in. Jealousy can make you do crazy things.

Camping is a great memory. Every summer we would go to Beals Lake. The adults would catch crawdads and I'd play with them in the morning before tossing them back into the lake. Swimming, hiking and treasure hunting were all part of the camping life.

Other fun things included going treasure hunting at the garbage dump. Hunting for beer bottles and beer cans on the roadside was another exciting adventure. I didn't realize back then that it was more about the money.

My grandfather would also take me to open AA meetings. I learned a lot about life from these meetings. Spending time with my grandfather was the best part. I learned about drinking coffee at these meetings. He also took me for walks in the park and the Soo Locks.

My dad took me and my brother on road trips. We went to Boblo Island, Cedar Point and Canada's Wonderland. These were great trips. So much fun.

Other fun times included selling stuff to the neighbourhood kids. Action figure shopping. Beer bottle cap collecting, Dinky car smashing and many other adventures.

This week's podcast promo: Earth Station One, Dr. Geek's Vax

A Positive Spin - 215

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 vaccine shot at all. However, it seemed like the wisest course of action. So we did it! With vaccine passports coming soon, it might be wise for everyone to just get it over with. Obviously there is lots of controversy and dissenting opinions on this.

Also in this episode, I touch on my Etsy shop. Customer service is important. My etsy shop is all about customer service. We try to make the buying experience as positive as we can! Check out my shop at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/rustedrobottoys/

A positive spin is important for our mental health. Here are some of the topics I try to put in a positive light: fires and droughts in the west, and floods in the east. Fixing these issues could spur innovation, create more jobs, and boost the economy.

And then there's Afghanistan and Haiti. The situations in those countries are absolutely horrendous. And yet, I try to put the positivity on these topics. Definitely not an easy task, and yet, I try.

Things may seem bad, but they say that everything that happens is for the best possible reason. Is that true? There's no way to know.

This week's podcast promos: Earth Station Trek, Dr. Geek's Vaccination push, ESO Patreon

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