Soul Forge Podcast

Fat Shaming Shenanigans - 155

Controversy in our town! Local couple's fat shaming shenanigans goes viral!

Recently in the city of Timmins, local power couple Jess and Billy (Mr. Tattoo) released a video podcast. This has been a new ongoing project for them as they look to expand their empire. They are known around town as the go to artists for ink work. Actually, Billy doesn't do anything. Jess does all the actual tattoo work. Well, in their latest video they answered a question that asked if they would prefer to be 60 pounds or 600. It was all downhill after that.

Soul Forge Podcast has the audio in question. You will hear the controversy and be able to decide for yourself. Just how bad was the reaction to their fat shaming shenanigans? Did the town react properly?

This week's podcast promo: Nerdlanta

Uncle Tom's Cabin - 154

A short story. This week on the podcast we are avoiding anything too serious. We are all due for a bit of light-hearted fun. Uncle Tom's Cabin is a short story that I wrote back in my university days. At one time I had ambitions to be an author, or a novelist or some kind of something in the arts world. So for this week, I present to you, a part of my final project in my creative writing class. I hope you enjoy my take on the story form. Uncle Tom's Cabin from 1998.

This week's podcast promo: Nerdbliss

Tragedy of Marc Maron & Lynn Shelton

This past weekend, director, editor, actress Lynn Shelton died unexpectedly. Shelton died of a previously unidentified blood disorder in Los Angeles on May 16, 2020, at age 54, after several days of ill health. She directed several award winning films:

2006	We Go Way Back
2008	What the Funny
2008	My Effortless Brilliance
2009	Humpday
2011	Your Sister's Sister
2013	Touchy Feely
2014	Laggies
2017	Outside In
2019	Sword of Trust

This episode of the Soul Forge acknowledges her passing, but the main focus is on the man she left behind. Marc Maron has been a major influence on me and the podcast for the last several years. Although I have never met him, I feel a strange type of connection to his personality and his life. Lynn's passing and his grief have affected me on a fundamental level that I can't explain. So listen to this, but be warned that there are several clips of Marc's WTF Podcast. The emotion is real and it's raw.

This week's podcast promo: Metal Geeks

Weight Loss Surgery - 152

Thinking of getting weight loss surgery? We have a handy guide with practical handson experience. Listen to Julie's story and decide for yourself.

Gastric bypass is surgery that helps you lose weight by changing how your stomach and small intestine handle the food you eat.

After the surgery, your stomach will be smaller. You will feel full with less food.

The food you eat will no longer go into some parts of your stomach and small intestine that absorb food. Because of this, your body will not get all of the calories from the food you eat.

Sleeve gastrectomy is a surgical weight-loss procedure in which the stomach is reduced to about 15% of its original size, by surgical removal of a large portion of the stomach along the greater curvature. The result is a sleeve or tube like structure. The procedure permanently reduces the size of the stomach, although there could be some dilatation of the stomach later on in life. The procedure is generally performed laparoscopically and is irreversible.

In general surgery, a Roux-en-Y anastomosis, or Roux-en-Y, is an end-to-side surgical anastomosis of bowel used to reconstruct the gastrointestinal tract. Typically, it is between stomach and small bowel that is distal (or further down the gastrointestinal tract) from the cut end.

We answer such questions as, "Is weight loss surgery cheating?" and we go over some of the possible complications, qualifications and mental adjustments you must make. The one thing to remember is not to compare your experience with anyone else.

This week's podcast promo: The Flopcast

Mighty Morphin' Podcast Rangers - 151

We podcast because we love it. We are the Mighty Morphin' Podcast Rangers!

Ok, ok, so we are not all that mighty. And we definitely do not morph. But we do adapt and change over time. Also, we aren't really rangers of any kind. Fine, you got me...we are not super heroes at all. However, we do enjoy the world of podcasting. That's what we do!

On this episode, Shawn, Paul and Dan go behind the scenes. This is a conversation they had after recording an episode for Dan's Temporal Trek Podcast. You can hear the raw and unedited version of that podcast on episode 289 of The Rusted Robot Podcast. However, what you will be hearing on this episode, is what took place after the main recording. The gang were just talking and this amazing conversation about podcasting took shape. We here at the Soul Forge hope you enjoy this look at what podcasters really think about this format.

This week's podcast promo: ESDCU

Just Like Sex In Your Mouth - 150

Shawn and Julie celebrate 150 episodes of the Soul Forge Podcast!

Podcasts are evolving entities. What was originally intended for a show can, and often does, change over time. On this episode, Shawn takes his girlfriend Julie on a tour of the Soul Forge. They talk about the original intention behind the podcast. And they talk about some of the episodes that mean the most to them. Has the podcast served its original intent? How has it changed over the course of its existence?

Join us for introspection, laughter, cussing and so much more on this 150th episode!

This week's podcast promo: Earth Station Who

Robin's Year In Timmins - 149

Robin left home a year ago. He moved from Sault Ste. Marie to Timmins, Ontario. This is about a 6 hour car ride away from his home. The idea was to move into his older brother's house. As the older brother, Shawn felt it was his duty to take care of his youngest sibling.

The idea was for Robin to take stock of his life. The time had come to put everything in order. Robin felt as though he had used up all the goodwill that his hometown had to offer. Would Timmins be any different? Would he be able to abandon his toxic behaviours and put right what once went wrong?

Listen in as Shawn and Robin discuss the entire situation. You will learn exactly what brought Robin to this point in his life. You will also find out how far he has come.

This week's podcast promo: Earth Station One

Dead Celebrity Resurrection Project - 148

What if you could return a dead celebrity back to life? Would you do that? This week the Soul Forge tries out a thought experiment based on this very idea. Here we present to you, The Dead Celebrity Resurrection Project!

Your mission: pick 3 dead celebrities. Divide 50 years of life between the 3 of them in whichever way you see fit. The catch: the death must have been accidental such as a plane crash or a heart attack. Therefore, older celebrities dying from cancer or similar are not included. The game is not as easy as it sounds. Who will you bring back, and how many years of life will they get? It's the Dead Celebrity Resurrection Project!

Some of our dead celebrities include: Aaliyah. Elivs, John Ritter, Jesus, George Michael, Jessi Combs, Jack Layton, Steve Jobs, Shakespeare, Vincent Van Gogh, Robin Williams, and Heath Ledger. We also have a wish to give Betty White 50 bonus years right now.

Grab some friends and try this little thought experiment for yourself. It can provide hours of fun!

This week's podcast promo: Dr Geeks Lab