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

Soul Forge Podcast

A Feast For The Mind - 224

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.  1. Words of affirmation People with words of affirmation as a love language value verbal acknowledgments of affection, including frequent "I love you's," compliments, words of appreciation, verbal encouragement, and often frequent digital communication like texting and social media engagement. 2. Quality time People whose love language is quality time feel the most adored when their partner actively wants to spend time with them and is always down to hang out. They particularly love when active listening, eye contact, and full presence are prioritized hallmarks in the relationship.  3. Acts of services If your love language is acts of service, you value when your partner goes out of their way to make your life easier. It's things like bringing you soup when you're sick, making your coffee for you in the morning, or picking up your dry cleaning for you when you've had a busy day at work. 4. Gifts Gifts is a pretty straightforward love language: You feel loved when people give you "visual symbols of love," as Chapman calls it. It's not about the monetary value but the symbolic thought behind the item. People with this style recognize and value the gift-giving process: the careful reflection, the deliberate choosing of the object to represent the relationship, and the emotional benefits from receiving the present.  5. Physical touch People with physical touch as their love language feel loved when they receive physical signs of affection, including kissing, holding hands, cuddling on the couch, and sex. Physical intimacy and touch can be incredibly affirming and serve as a powerful emotional connector for people with this love language. The roots go back to our childhood, Motamedi notes, some people only felt deep affection and love by their parents when they were held, kissed, or touched. Take the quiz to determine your love language: https://www.5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/love-language This week's podcast promo: Ring of Thunder, Vaccine PSA

The 5 Love Languages - 223

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

Change Your Name, Change Your Life - 222

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

Fast and Loud - 221

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

The Grief Portal - 220

 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

Friends - 219

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

Bear Naked Controversy - 218

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

Wired and Tired - 217

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

Fun From Childhood - 216

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 Support our work with Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/rustedsoul  

A Positive Spin - 215

It's about time to have a Soul Forge episode about time! This time on the show we will be discussing various aspects of time. We are covering topics such as television shows, the passage of time during travel and a good deal more! The episode starts with a brief introduction to time. I read the definition of time according to wikipedia. That definition is kinda crappy, so I added my patented personal touch on the topic. Naturally, this leads to me talking about Star Trek. And I talk about Seinfeld. The way time moves doesn't always seem to make sense. Your actual experience and the reality of time do not always meet up in a happy or convenient way. Travel is done in miles or kilometres. And yet, we measure distance through time. Or, I do, at least. It takes so many hours to get to this place. And this place is that many hours from this other place. I know more about the hours it takes to get somewhere, than I do the actual unit of distance. Other topics this week include a recent trip to Ottawa and how long that took us. Talking about the time between sales on my Etsy shop. Discussing climate change and how time is running out for humanity to do something about it. Lots more too! This week's podcast promo: Double Edge Double Bill, Dr. Geek's Vaccine Push

It's About Time - 214

Trees, Traumas and Anniversaries is the 213th episode of the Soul Forge Podcast! On this week's episode we are celebrating 4 years of the Forge with an unconventional episode. This is pure stream of consciousness folks! I didn't take any notes, I didn't plan ahead. There were a few topics I wanted to touch on, but that's the extent of my prep for this week. Trees, Traumas and Anniversaries might very well be your new favourite episode. I have always had a knack for remembering dates and anniversaries. Could be that I gained this skill from my mother who was famous for recalling obscure events. Perhaps my work as a mailman has something to do with it. Whatever the reason, I've always been pretty great at remembering useless information. From my dad, or maybe my mom, I gained the collecting gene. My parents were big-time hoarders-collectors. So was my mom's brother actually. My dad once had all of his 40 acres filled with things and stuff. I'm not quite that bad, but it was starting to get overwhelming. That's why I'm in the process of downsizing my collection. That's why I bought a building in which to run a store. And, that's also why I am running my Etsy shop -- until the store opens it is a side hustle to earn extra income, as well as get rid of things. Trees and plants can see? I just read an article where there is intense speculation that plants can see, communicate and feel pain. We can't ask plants if this is true, but the research is certainly pointing in this direction. Other topics covered in this show are various traumas, forest fires in the north, and keeping on keeping on. You just gotta keep moving forward. Be like the Kool-Aid man and close your eyes. Break on through that wall of pain and survive. We wrap up the show by talking about Etsy customer service, the Cosmic Pizza Podcast and a few other things. Shop my Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/rustedrobottoys/ Support me on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/rustedsoul This week's podcast promos: Dragon Con Report, Cosmic Pizza, Dr. Geek Trees, Traumas and Anniversaries - 213

Trees, Traumas and Anniversaries - 213

Black Widow is the official title. They should have called it Butt Shot Deluxe. Why Butt Shot Deluxe? If you have seen the film you will certainly understand, but I will explain in more detail during this episode. Next week will be the 4 year anniversary of the Soul Forge. If you have any words, thoughts, comments, concerns, questions, or anything else you would like to say, now is the time. You can always email the show at soulforgepodcast@gmail.com Yard sales and travel have opened up again. The world was on pause for the last 16 months, but we are almost all ready to get back into the swing of things. This last weekend Julie and I travelled to North Bay/Mattawa for a bit of a visit. We stayed with my friends Frank and Martha. I picked up almost half of the 2000 VHS tapes Frank found for me. We did a bit of yard sale shopping. Junk and antique stores were visited. Julie got to take a small tour of North Bay where I went to university. A great time was had by all. Black Widow is now in theatres. Julie, her daughter, and I went to see the film. I'm more into the MCU than they are, but we all enjoyed ourselves. Butt Shot Deluxe should be the name of the movie because that's pretty much all the film-makers focused on. There's more to be said, but you need to listen to the episode to learn more. Also, the latest episode of Cosmic Pizza Podcast that we just recorded is all about alternate superheroes. Stay tuned to Cosmic for more information. We wrap up the show by talking about the billionaire spacemen. Elon Musk. Richard Branson. Jeff Bezos. They're all super rich. They're all going to space or working towards space. What about solving climate change or the hunger crisis? Nah! Space is much cooler! This week's podcast promo: The Con Guys, Dr Geeks Vax

Butt Shot Deluxe - 212

Buy that purple El Camino? While many people on Facebook are encouraging, they do not know my car buying history as well as I do. Just because you want something, doesn't mean you should get that thing. That statement could be a mantra for my entire life actually! In this episode we are talking cars, VHS tapes, selling things, movies and a few other topics! Are you on YouTube? Did you know that Soul Forge is on YouTube? Almost every episode we have published has been uploaded. There are also many episodes of the Rusted Robot Podcast which no longer exists anywhere else. Additionally, there are several videos of me and my awkwardness on YouTube. Check out my channel and subscribe by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCataaeTRQltObb7n1GHW_qw/videos I also want to give a huge shout-out to the listeners in Kuwait. The people of Kuwait have been keeping me on the top charts in the mental health category for over a month. Just a quick acknowledgement to express my gratitude to all the listeners everywhere, but especially those in Kuwait! Listener emails are fun to get! This week we answer several questions from Bill L. Bill wants to know about the history of the building I am purchasing. Eventually I'll be putting my store in that space. So, I answer Bill's questions, give some building history, some store details and updates and talk about 2000 VHS tapes. My Etsy shop is doing decent business. It's been open a little more than 2 weeks and I have made 9 sales. If you'd like to check out the store, follow this link: www.rustedrobottoys.etsy.com Movies are also discussed in this episode. As I'm recording this episode, it is July 14th. Everyone knows that July 14th is Con Air Day! Listen to this episode for more information. We also talk about Disney+ and Black Widow. And we finish off with a brief discussion of The Tomorrow War. If you'd care to support the show, you can leave a review in Apple Podcasts at https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/1-soul-forge-introduction/id1265658912?i=1000390465638&mt=2 or you can donate to the Kofi (coffee) fund at https://ko-fi.com/rustedsoul This week's podcast promo: Soul Forge Podcast, Dr. Geek's Vaccination

Purple El Camino - 211

Baby, it's a classic! Classic Retro Rewind is the 210th episode of the Soul Forge Podcast. It is also what I believe to be our first mostly repeat show. What you are about to hear is an episode that I released back on September 5, 2017. Episode 12 was all about celebrating birthdays, and why we do such a thing. I talk about the history of birthdays, and actually go into some pretty good details. You will learn about the Germans, the Romans, the Greeks and the Egyptians. The earliest recorded birthday party in Western annals appears in Genesis in the Old Testament, as the Egyptian pharaoh whom Joseph served is described having one to mark his. Many polytheistic civilizations marked birthdays in conjunction with astrology, in hopes of using that to predict their future destinies, although celebrating birthdays was usually reserved for those potentates who could afford it. Judaism, in contrast, never mentions anyone’s birthday, although it does mark one’s 13th with the rite of passage of a bar or bat mitzvah, since at that age they make the transition to maturity and are expected to understand and take up all the faith and attendant responsibilities of a Jewish adult. Early Christianity had an equally hard time accepting the whole concept of a birthday, regarding astrology as a pagan practice and an individual birthday as a celebration of ego, the exact opposite of the attitude they sought to encourage. Due to some unforeseen emergency repair work here at work, there really wasn't time to research and record a fully new episode. I hope you enjoy what I was able to put together for you. Sure, I could have skipped a week, but I really don't like doing that. This week's podcast promo: Cosmic Pizza Podcast, Dr. Geek's Vaccine Push

Classic Retro Rewind - 210

Welcome to the Soul Forge, a place of silent mystery, quiet contemplation, and outright mayhem! Shawn Vanderloo guides you through the adventures of living! We all want to love and be loved. Am I normal? Are you normal? Is happiness possible? Let's find out together!

hubhopper

Soul Forge Podcast

hubhopper