Soul Forge Podcast

When good things end is the 199th episode of the Soul Forge Podcast. And yet, it's so much more than that. This episode is a kind of eulogy for the Rusted Robot Podcast. Rusted was my baby for more than 7 years, and I did everything I could to make it successful, entertaining, and fun. Those days are over now, and this is a nostalgic look back at something I put my heart and soul into. Enjoy! The Final Episode of The Rusted Robot Podcast April 18, 2021 It's been a long road getting from there to here. From humble beginnings, to a pop culture phenomenon, the Rusted Robot Podcast has been around a very long time. We have met so many amazing people along the way. We would like to thank you all for the support you have shown us over the years. The podcast began in January 2014, and with only a few breaks here and there, it continued on for almost 7 and a half years. It started with Shawn and his wife Brigitte sharing their love of all things geek. It was an attempt to bring a bit of culture to a small northern O

I tried yoga! My brother made me do it. I tried yoga and it wasn't actually all that bad. This episode of the podcast details my experience. Not only that, brother Curtis shares tips and tricks and everything he has learned about yoga. I tried yoga, and so can you! It’s time to roll out your yoga mat and discover the combination of physical and mental exercises that for thousands of years have hooked yoga practitioners around the globe. The beauty of yoga is that you don’t have to be a yogi or yogini to reap the benefits. Whether you are young or old, overweight or fit, yoga has the power to calm the mind and strengthen the body. Don’t be intimidated by yoga terminology, fancy yoga studios and complicated poses. Yoga is for everyone. Ask any yoga practitioner to define yoga, and you’re likely to get a myriad of answers. For some, it’s a way to feel good in their bodies. For others, it’s a spiritual practice, and for many, a way of life. But regardless of your approach, yoga can help reshape and unravel your

How do Curtis and Kate define marriage success, and just who is this Debbie person anyway? One of the goals of the Soul Forge Podcast is learning the secrets to a happy and successful relationship. An excellent way of doing so is to conduct conversations with couples who are success stories in their own ways. Episode 140 focused on Josh and Kitty. It has taken a long time to find another successful couple who were willing to share their story with us. This episode deals with Shawn's brother Curtis, and his wife. This couple (Curtis and Kate) have been together for 15 years. How they met is a fun and entertaining part of their story. Although their lives have been filled with ups and downs, and many roads to navigate, they have managed to build a loving and special kind of love. Each of them brought 2 children from previous relationships into the mix. And now they have one that they share in common. Have a seat and listen to their story. Find out how they met. What was Curtis's deal-breaker? And just who is

We got a new puppy! If there's one thing I said I would never do, it's getting a dog. However, the moment I saw Nimoy, I knew I had to have him. This episode is the story of our teacup Yorkie. Dan and Paul from the Cosmic Pizza Podcast join Shawn for a lively discussion about pets. Teacup Yorkie is a smaller version of the same pure breed Yorkie, also known as Toy Yorkie or Micro Yorkshire Terrier. It’s a tiny dog breed at about 5 to 7 inches tall, weighing between 2 to 4 pounds. The average lifespan of the Teacup Yorkie is around 12 years. First things first, there isn’t an official definition for Teacup Yorkies. However, breeders strive to produce pups that’ll weigh no more than 4 lbs (1.8 kg) once they reach their full ‘adult’ weight after a year. This is considerably less than standard Yorkshire Terriers. On average, these weigh 7 lbs (3.1 kg); making the size difference between the two fairly substantial. Teacup Yorkies require special care and attention. In light of that, here are a few pieces of a

Almost everyone has childhood celebrity crushes. To prove it, I asked around and received an overwhelming number of responses. On this episode of the Soul Forge Podcast, we will be going over these lists. For our purpose, the term celebrity is wide open. We  have people who loved singers, actors, actresses, cartoon characters and video game avatars. Stay tuned for a fun list of childhood celebrity crushes. This episode started off innocently enough. Episodes lately have been kind of heavy. The topics have not been light-hearted. On episode 329 of The Rusted Robot Podcast, I mentioned I had a crush on Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years. Richard, our loyal listener from Australia said that everyone had a crush on Winnie. Naturally, this got me thinking about the other childhood celebrity crushes that I had. Then I thought it might be fun to get examples from other people. On this episode, you will hear many different perspectives. I got voice clips from co-workers. I got email from listeners. Texts from frie

Ryan Castle from the 2 Stoned Dudes Podcast joins Shawn for a chat about his life, his podcast, his self-esteem issues, and a bit of everything else under the sun! Ryan is a man from Arizona. Of the many careers he has had, professional wrestler, and member of the US Marine Corps are two of them. We talk briefly about wrestling and the marine corps, and then transition over to how Ryan lost his virginity. Punched in the face for love on multiple occasions, Ryan has lead quite an interesting life. It turns out that having a rough upbringing in childhood can lead to fighting dirty in love relationships. The episode concludes with talk about some very personal issues. The main topic we cover is self-esteem and addiction recovery. Ryan is a member of Narcotics Anonymous and has also been involved with other 12 Step programs. Recovery, addiction, isolation and self-esteem issues are touched on and explained. In conclusion, Ryan tells us to tell people what we want. A closed mouth does not get fed. Stand up for

The stench of 'cancel culture' is everywhere these days. This episode is another one of my imfamous walk and talks. Several times per year, I like to record an episode as I am out and about delivering the mail. I find these types of shows to be more authentic, as whatever I'm saying just comes out naturally. It can be difficult to carry on a monologue while doing a decent job and attempting not to slip, trip or fall. A bit of a grab bag, this episode touches on several topics. As mentioned, cancel culture is a big part of this show. I touch on the removal of historical statues and the removal of Pepe Le Pew from all upcoming Looney Tunes projects. I completely forgot to bring up the recent decision by the Dr. Seuss estate to stop publishing several 'controversial' books. Also in this episode, I talk about family history that has recently come to light. It turns out that there are a lot of things about my family that I was not aware of. In addition, I have had a realization about my friend Rene's family and

What is parental alienation? This week's guest is Mike, the head of the ESO Network. Mike is here to talk about his experience with parental alienation. Parental alienation describes the breakdown of the relationship between a child and one of the child's parents, when there is no valid justification for that breakdown. When parental alienation is found to exist between a parent and child, the alienation is attributed to inappropriate actions and behavior by the other parent. Parental alienation describes a process through which a child becomes estranged from a parent as the result of the psychological manipulation of another parent. The child's estrangement may manifest itself as fear, disrespect or hostility toward the distant parent, and may extend to additional relatives or parties. The child's estrangement is disproportionate to any acts or conduct attributable to the alienated parent. Parental alienation can occur in any family unit, but is believed to occur most often within the context of family sepa

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things is a 2021 American science fiction romantic comedy-drama film directed by Ian Samuels, from a screenplay by Lev Grossman, based upon his short story of the same name. It stars Kathryn Newton and Kyle Allen. Mark, a teenage boy, has been stuck in a time loop, repeating the same day over and over again. Because of his knowledge of what will happen, and the freedom from consequences provided by the time loop, he spends much of his day engaging in random bizarre activities, such as driving construction machinery through town. At the community pool, he makes repeated attempts to impress a pretty girl by trying to save her from being knocked into the water by a thrown beach ball. One day, a girl named Margaret unexpectedly intervenes. Mark tracks her down and discovers that she is also living in the same time loop.  A Map of Tiny Perfect Things is not only the name of the film, and the name of this episode, but also a great way of looking at the world. Each and every one of us lives

I bought a new car! I thought about it for a very long time. There was research. And there were test driving sessions. Money and budget was a concern. So many variable go into the thought process of purchasing a new vehicle. It can be extremely stressful. This episode of the Soul Forge Podcast is all about the car buying process. What type of vehicle? Do I want a car? Or perhaps a minivan. What about a truck? Maybe a fully loaded and tricked out SUV. Too many options to consider can be a real problem. Therefore, this episode talks about the entire process. I also talk about the reservations and hesitancy I felt about spending all that money. And yet, I bought a new car. And I'm going to tell you all about it. I'm also going to talk about the feelings that come with the process. There is a part of me that feels like I do not deserve to have nice things. And maybe I should not be spending the money. Hold on to your hats as you embark on the car buying journey with me. This week's podcast promo: Earth Station

Joey Barnes (Ice Road Truckers) is the king of obsolete. He joins us here on episode 189 of the Soul Forge Podcast. We talk about his current life, his Ice Road Trucker days, and the books he has been busy writing during the lockdown. The king of obsolete has many stories to share. In a remote corner of Manitoba, Joey “The King of Obsolete” Barnes has deemed his plot of land  “The Kingdom,” and it’s filled with vintage CATs and trucks from the 1930s to the 1970s. Many of the vehicles are rarities, and he’s re-engineered many of them into his own unique pieces of equipment. On this episode, you will hear about Naughty Natalie and Love is Trust. We talk about Joey's 1937 Dodge hotrod truck and his time with the bikers of the 1980s. We also spend some time talking about his writing process. Joey believes in one-shot writing, where there is little to no editing involved. The following is copied from his website and is a list of his books: Naughty Natalie Series (3 book series) Paperback Edition (amazon.com)

Hoetry. It's poetry about women, sex, connection and pain. Poet Darin Lee stops by the Soul Forge to talk about his latest book, Hoetry. Who is Darin Lee? He just might be your new favourite poet. Darin has been many things in his life. Besides dabbling in digital marketing, Darin also worked on submarines when he was in the navy. His 2 older brothers are part of his inspiration regarding writing and artistry. When it comes to writing, Darin has many goals. Future plans include more poetry and self-help books. Other interests include history, politics and possible short stories for children. Darin's primary focus in Hoetry is the theme of connection. Sometimes this manifests as a lack of connection in some of the writings. He focuses on pain and uncomfortable situations. Hurting, healing and making love are likely the 3 main themes of his work. Chaos and order are also a major part of his poetry. To purchase a copy of Hoetry, you can simply go to Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/hoetry-Darin-Lee-ebook/dp/B08

What do sex, voodoo and philosophy all have in common? We mention each of those subjects in this episode. Although our main discussion is meant as an introduction to philosophy, we cannot cover all aspects of such a broad field of study in a short episode. Quite literally, the term "philosophy" means, "love of wisdom." In a broad sense, philosophy is an activity people undertake when they seek to understand fundamental truths about themselves, the world in which they live, and their relationships to the world and to each other. As an academic discipline philosophy is much the same. Those who study philosophy are perpetually engaged in asking, answering, and arguing for their answers to life's most basic questions. To make such a pursuit more systematic academic philosophy is traditionally divided into major areas of study. There have been many philosophers over the centuries. We mention several of them, but if you're looking for major figures to study, here are some to start with: Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas,

Or, more simply, how to be a decent person. Years ago I came across some decent advice. Essentially, this was 32 pieces of wisdom to pass on to your son(s). The idea behind the whole thing, was to teach young boys how to behave as men. Hence, the how to be a man episode. As such, I will be taking each rule one by one and examining them for the hidden wisdom. Listen below is that advice. Print it out. Save it as a handy reference. It's great advice for anyone! 1. Never shake a man’s hand sitting down. 2. There are plenty of ways to enter a pool. The stairs ain’t one. 3. The man at the grill is the closest thing we have to a king. 4. In a negotiation, never make the first offer. 5. Act like you’ve been there before. Especially in the end zone. 6. Request the late check-out. 7. When entrusted with a secret, keep it. 8. Hold your heroes to a higher standard. 9. Return a borrowed car with a full tank of gas. 10. Play with passion or not at all... 11. When shaking hands, grip firmly and look him in the eye. 12. Do

Brother Robin is back to talk about life, the universe and everything. We are covering the full spectrum on this episode, from Instagram models, to politics, magic mushrooms and more! Whatever you do, never go full willy-nilly! This episode is meant to be an update on Robin's life. He lives an exciting roller coaster of adventure and excitement. Much like a roller coaster, he always seems to end up where he began. Is the Universe trying to teach him a lesson of some kind? They say you will keep living the same experience over and over again until you learn something. Perhaps Robin is not capable of learning. Over and over again, he returns to the same state of affairs. We begin by talking about recent world events. US president Trump recently caused all kinds of havoc when he summoned his followers to storm the US Capitol building. Also, many Canadian politicians took trips overseas during the recent COVID lockdown. People in power are simply causing havoc. We ask, is Trump one of the 'great' men of history

Welcome back to the Soul Forge Podcast. We hereby present to you, for your listening pleasure, the first episode of 2021. There is no specific topic this week, but we do cover a lot of information and ideas. First, we place this episode in its historical context. There is a brief discussion about loss, but for more information, you will want to check out episode 30: http://www.soulforgepodcast.com/e/30-the-heart-is-the-only-thing-that-gets-heavier-when-broken/ One of the reasons for starting the podcast was as a form of self-therapy. However, an even more important reason was so that my son would have a load of insight into who his father is and was; a vocal archive of sorts. Other topics of conversation include my recent engagement to Julie, the importance of episode art (and where you can see it), and a possible new segment called 'the unpopular opinion'. A sizable segment of the podcast is devoted to gentle goals for a new year. There are about 10 of them and I go through the importance of each item.

You don't know what you don't know. There are so many wonderful and hidden mysteries in the universe. When I recorded episode 133 (2020 Vision) at the beginning of the year, there was no way I could know what the year would bring. I had so many hopes, goals and plans for the year ahead. Well now that year is over. They say hindsight is 2020. That means it is easy to know what you already know. But you can't put the cart before the horse. This is the final episode of 2020. As such, we take a look back at the year that was. 2020 is the most wild and unpredictable year of my life time. I believe this is true for most people. In Hindsight is 2020, I talk about that initial episode that started the year. I speak to what became of my plans and goals. The bulk of the episode is spent going over what the Soul Forge Podcast accomplished in 2020. As I look back at the episodes, I try to pick out recurring themes. There are a few, but you need to listen to the episode to find out what they were. I can't thank all the

Lights! Camera! Live Stream! is a unique moment in podcast history. In the year 2020, Indie Pods United was formed. Indie Pods United is a week long celebration of independent podcasts. The event was created by Tina Marie Trimpert of The Psyche-Delic Podcast, This week on the https://www.facebook.com/SoulForgePodcast/ we present the live stream event from December 3rd. Consisting of your host Shawn Vanderloo sitting in front of a camera, this special episode includes all of the excitement, nervousness and exhaustion that you would have seen if you viewed the video at the time of the recording. The concept of the live stream was to talk about the Soul Forge Podcast. However, Shawn goes above and beyond this mandate. He discusses his entire podcast journey. This includes all of the highs and lows of the last 7 years. If you have been following Shawn on his journey from the beginning, there may not be too many surprises, but you will still find something to be entralled with. This week's podcast promo: The Be

We're talking about all these emotions! As of late, I have been experiencing emotions to a much greater degree than usual. What's this all about? I have no idea! Perhaps aging is to blame. Or perhaps I'm embracing my feminine side. Whatever the cause, all I can say is, "these emotions though!" For a long time, we thought there were 6 basic human emotions: fear, disgust, anger, surprise, happiness, and sadness. These were suggested by psychologist Paul Eckman in 1972. In the 1980s, Robert Plutchik introduced another emotion classification system known as the "wheel of emotions." This model demonstrated how different emotions can be combined or mixed together, much the way an artist mixes primary colors to create other colors. In 1999, Eckman expanded his list to include a number of other basic emotions, including embarrassment, excitement, contempt, shame, pride, satisfaction, and amusement. After getting into some listener feedback, we go right into talking about these emotions though! Work stuff makes me i

On Over My Dead Body, the podcast does a complete 180 degree turn. Usually, we speak about things dealing with life. This time, we are talking about what happens after we die. What kinds of funeral rituals do we want? The episode goes over a list of some of the more unusual funeral practices around the world. As we talk about them, we share personal stories and talk about how we would feel in certain situations. Here in North America, and most Western nations, we are used to basically just 2 kinds of death rituals. A person is either buried or cremated. However, many places around the world and through out time, have done some vastly different things. We talk about regular burial and cremation. And we go over such things as burial beads, plastination, endo-cannibalism, memorial diamonds, body exhumation dancing, fantasy coffins, the Tibetan sky burial, finger amputation, vinyl compression, tree burial, fireworks, the Zoroastrian vulture funeral and the Haida totem pole funeral. The show ends with a short