Soul Forge Podcast

New Year - New Episode - 235

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 fog the other day while out delivering the mail.

My shipment from Eaglemoss finally came in last week. I placed the order in October and it took 2 months to arrive. And the order was not complete. How rude!

The Etsy shop is going well as of late. Rusted Robot Toys made the Star Seller list for January! There's also a story about the sign I sold. This was the sign my mom saw during our last visit.

Let's talk about sleep. More specifically, the lack of sleep. Puppy life is exhausting. Good thing I have a week off soon. I need to catch up on my beauty rest.1

Motivation Destination is the new Facebook page I created. I'm trying to spread good vibes far and wide. I invite all of you to join the page and share it with your friends! Join at this link: https://www.facebook.com/Motivation-Destination-102230492357275

There is some chatter about recent pop culture. Betty White and Bob Saget recently passed away. And the film Don't Look Up is causing all kinds of controversy.

Finally, we discuss my idea for building an off grid cabin. I need to buy some vacant land. I have been watching multiple YouTube videos about the idea. You can hear all about it in this episode.

Support me financially on Ko-Fi at https://ko-fi.com/rustedsoul

The Etsy shop can be found at https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/RustedRobotToys

This week's podcast promo: Blurred Nerds

How To Start A Podcast - 234

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 going to tell you the basic outline on how to start a podcast of your very own. I'll be going over some of the basic facts, and I'll be sharing my story and what I have learned from my five and a half year journey. Keep in mind that this is my own perspective and other people have gone about things in different ways.

The first thing you will need is an idea to base your show around. In this episode, I tell you what went into my thought process. What knowledge did I already have that would help me to create a show that I would enjoy producing week after week? Remember that the name of your show is extremely important for your branding purpose. And episode titles are likely the hardest part of the whole enterprise.

Equipment is important but there are many different kinds and set ups. Depending on your level of experience, income and passion, your equipment set-up will be unique to you. You're going to need some kind of microphone. These range in price from $10 to several hundreds or more. You need software to record your voice onto. You need editing software. And you are going to need a host in which to upload your finished episodes. Post your episode to as many different places as possible including TuneIn, Stitcher, and iTunes.

Social media can be your friend. Post to as many places as possible and interact with everyone you can. Cross promote with similar podcasts. Make connections. Use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and any other platforms you feel comfortable with.

Almost everything I have learned about podcasting is included in this episode. I've made many mistakes, and made many friends along the way. The number one thing to remember is that if you have a passion for something, podcast about it. If not, podcasting may not be for you.

This week's podcast promo: ESDCU

Flawed Perfection - 233

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 the passage of time, and the idea that we are all imperfectly perfect as we are. What follows are the original shownotes....

2019 taught me a lot about myself. In fact, this has probably been the most progress I have made in a year since 2015. So this episode will detail some of the realizations I have come to. Also, this episode is filled with all kinds of media clips. I have tried to even out the sound levels and think I have mostly succeeded. My apologies if it is not perfect. However, none of us are.

Some topics included in this episode are fear, love, relationships, being an introvert and my new found knowledge that I am, and have always been, an empath. Using various clips from music and pop culture, I try to highlight these topics in an amusing, yet poignant way.

Alternate titles for this episode could have been:

1. Laws, Lessons and Revelations
2. This Is Who I Am
3. 47 Minutes of Bullshit

This week's podcast promo: Earth Station One

Too Much Bread, Not Enough Butter - 232

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 Wheel of Time, and The Witcher. So, enjoy this shorter than usual, later than normal episode!

This week's podcast promo: Earth Station Trek

Woke, but Exhausted - 231

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 growing quite quickly. There are 2 femails and 6 males. They will be ready for purchase by February.

Going back to work after a week off is no easy feat. Last week I lost my mail scanner. I had 2 meetings with my supervisor. Delivering the mail on foot in December is terrible. There are too many flyers, parcels and snow. This week we have to deliver phone books! To top it all off, we are breaking snow fall records.

If I had my way, I would devote myself to my Etsy reselling business. I could see selling online as a full-time gig as a way to go. Unfortunately, there are not enough thrift stores in my area to make a good go of it. Maybe moving to Tahiti is an option.

Pop culture topics this week include a few fun things. I finally finished season 1 of The Witcher. I have seen 3 episode of Hawkeye on Disney+. I've watched more than my fair share of 90 Day Fiance. And I will be starting a new mini pop culture segment for the Fandon Squad Podcast called the Weekly Geekly.

We finish this episode by going back to the title woke, but exhausted. My first idea was to delve deeply into woke culture. Settling for a brief overview seemed to be the wisest course. So what is woke? From Wikipedia:

Woke (/ˈwoʊk/ WOHK) is an adjective meaning 'alert to racial prejudice and discrimination' that originated in African-American Vernacular English (AAVE). Beginning in the 2010s, it came to encompass a broader awareness of social inequalities such as sexism, and has also been used as shorthand for left-wing ideas involving identity politics and social justice, such as the notion of white privilege and slavery reparations for African Americans.

The phrase stay woke had emerged in AAVE by the 1930s, in some contexts referring to an awareness of the social and political issues affecting African Americans.

This week's podcast promo: Double Edge Double Bill

New Puppies and the Wheel of Time - 230

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 had her puppies. Daisy has 8 puppies which include 2 females and 6 males. They will be ready for purchase around Valentine's Day.

As part of the ESO Network, it is our duty to update our promos. We usually create a new promo twice a year. On this episode, you will get to listen to the new Soul Forge promo.

Snow is accumulating in Timmins. We have had snow for about 3 weeks now. As of this recording, we have gotten about 48 centimetres. Last year, for the entire year, we received about 60 centimetres. We are breaking records this year I fear.

Also in this episode, The Wheel of Time television and book series are discussed. Toys R Us and overpriced toys are lamented. There is an update on my Etsy shop. And I talk about an action figure I picked up.

We finish the episode with an update on prepping. Several episodes ago I spoke about being prepared for disaster. A few items were ordered and several arrived.

This week's podcast promo: The Epsilon Three

Movember - 229

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 detection, diagnosis and effective treatments, and ultimately reduce the number of preventable deaths. Besides annual check-ups, the Movember Foundation encourages men to be aware of family history of cancer and to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Using the moustache as the driving symbol of the movement, Movember focuses on the three key areas of prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health & suicide prevention. Since inception, the Movember Foundation has raised $837 million and funded over 1,200 projects in more than 20 countries.

Since 2004, the Movember Foundation charity has run Movember events to raise awareness and funds for men's health issues, such as prostate cancer and depression, in Australia and New Zealand. In 2007, events were launched in Ireland, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Spain, the United Kingdom, Israel, South Africa, Taiwan and the United States. As of 2011, Canadians were the largest contributors to the Movember charities of any nation.

Donate to Rene by going to http://mobro.co/dunkfodder

This week's podcast promo: Cosmic Pizza Podcast

Crooked Teeth/Straight Path - 228

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 a good amount of feedback and discussion. Daisy the dog is about 3 weeks from having her puppies. This week's Star Trek news is that 2 episodes from 2 different series will air on the same day - this hasn't happened for 22 years! I have made 69 sales on Etsy as of today! Find the store at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/rustedrobottoys/

So, Facebook memories can lead to strange thoughts and conversations. November 11th would have been my 9th wedding anniversary. This is the first year I had forgotten. I went down a crazy rabbit hole of thoughts as to where my life is now, or could have been had it followed a different path.

A picture from 35 years ago shows me smiling. I didn't smile for about 15 years because I had crooked teeth. But, if I hadn't have had those crooked teeth, I never would have ended up living in Timmins, and my life would be completely different. How does that follow? Does it make sense? Once you hear the episode, you will understand.

Crooked Teeth/Straight Path is a short episode. And yet, it is filled with so many thoughts. Where would your life have taken you if one decision was made differently? The choice of university can create a completely new life path.

This week's podcast promo: The Con Guy