SHIFTHEADS: Context Matters: A Pool, a Pub, and a Robot in a Clown Wig

SHIFTHEADS: Context Matters: A Pool, a Pub, and a Robot in a Clown Wig

A pub in Vancouver burns through two hundred extra kegs in one night because Australian fans showed up to celebrate a World Cup win, and somehow the bar staff still call them well behaved. That's the kind of story sitting in this Friday roundup, the ones that don't matter and still won't leave your head once you've heard them. From there it's Washington's reflection pool, repainted instead of properly fixed, with hydrogen peroxide poured in to fight the algae underneath the new coat of paint. Then a video out of China of a kid getting kicked by a robot wearing a clown wig, the kind of clip that gets passed around for the wrong reasons and somehow earns its own internet folklore by the end of the segment. Topics: weird news, World Cup fans, reflection pool, robot video, Friday roundup Originally aired on 2026-06-19

Toy Story 5 Made a Skeptic Eat His Words Again

Going into a fifth Toy Story movie with low expectations turns out to be a losing bet, and movie critic Steve Stebbing explains why this one earns its place in the franchise on emotional weight alone. The story leans into screens replacing physical toys in kids' imaginations, and a surprising side plot involving a lost shipment of action figures steals just as much attention as Buzz and Woody do this time around. From there the picks turn darker, with a brooding retelling of Robin Hood's final days and a haunting Australian film about conversion therapy gone supernatural, both worth knowing before walking into a theatre expecting something lighter. The conversation shifts into streaming territory next, covering a deceased-sister voicemail romance on Netflix, a post-apocalyptic survival film, and a noir-soaked second season starring Colin Farrell that Steve calls the strongest pick of the week by a wide margin. Five very different recommendations, one weekend, and Steve makes the case for each. **Movies in Theatres** Toy Story 5 surprises with real emotional depth, while The Death of Robin Hood and the Australian indie Leviticus take the weekend in a far heavier direction than expected. **What to Stream** From a voicemail-based Netflix romance to a post-apocalyptic Prime Video survival story to Colin Farrell's standout return in Sugar Season 2, Steve ranks the strongest watch of the week. Topics: Toy Story 5, Death of Robin Hood, Leviticus, Sugar Season 2, streaming recommendations GUEST: Steve Stebbing | stevestebbing.ca [http://stevestebbing.ca] Originally aired on 2026-06-19

Shiftheads - A Friend Test That Predicts Your Relationship's Future

Show me your friends and a clinical psychologist can read the state of a relationship before either partner says a word. Dr. Laurie Betito breaks down why emotions and attitudes spread through a friend group the same way they do anywhere else, meaning constant exposure to friends who treat cheating or divorce as normal can quietly chip away at how someone views their own partnership over time. A genuinely good friend looks different from that. Dr. Laurie outlines what separates healthy venting from corrosive complaining, and why a real friend supports a relationship instead of treating it as competition for attention. The harder conversation comes when a friend crosses a line entirely, and Dr. Laurie offers a specific approach for raising it that doesn't come across as controlling who a partner is allowed to see. The line between a flawed friend and a genuinely harmful one is more specific than it sounds, and Dr. Laurie draws it clearly. **Why Good Friends Strengthen a Relationship** Dr. Laurie explains the contagion effect of negativity within friend groups and names the specific habits, like accountability and normalizing conflict, that define a truly supportive friend. **When a Friend Becomes a Problem** The conversation shifts to recognizing a friend who undermines a relationship, including the complicated case of a shared friend, and how to raise the issue without it sounding like an ultimatum. Topics: relationship advice, friend group influence, toxic friendships, healthy friendships, Dr. Laurie Betito GUEST: Dr. Laurie Betito | drlaurie.com Originally aired on 2026-06-19

ICYMI - When Your Kid Catches You in the Lie

Kids notice more than parents think, and new research from McGill University shows that when children see parental honesty and behaviour fall out of alignment, their moral reasoning shifts in measurable ways. Emilie Bélanger, PhD student at the School of Applied Child Psychology, brings findings that hit close to home for anyone who has ever faked a smile over a gift they hated with a child in the room. The research zeroes in on inconsistent messages: what happens when a parent says one thing about honesty and then does another. It turns out children not only notice the gap, they evaluate it negatively, and that evaluation shapes how they think about truth-telling going forward. The takeaway is not about eliminating white lies. It is about closing the distance between what you tell your kids and what they actually see you do. Topics: parental honesty, children lying, moral development, parent modelling, white lies GUEST: Emilie Bélanger | http://talwarresearch.com [http://talwarresearch.com] Originally aired on 2026-06-19

NEW - Hard Work Doesn't Get You a Raise. This Does

Showing up every day feels like it should count for something, but master certified coach Rachel Levy explains why a manager hears that as nothing more than doing the job. The real lever in any raise conversation is impact, and most people have never learned how to talk about their own. Rachel breaks down why the story has to be told constantly, not saved for a once-a-year review nobody remembers the details of. The fix starts with something almost nobody does: keeping a running log of what actually got accomplished, project by project, win by win. Rachel walks through how to turn a routine check-in into a moment that quietly builds a case, and why staying quiet about a win does a disservice to an entire team, not just one person. There's also a clear answer to the question everyone avoids asking out loud, which is how to actually know what a fair number even looks like before walking into the room. A negotiation isn't a fight. Rachel reframes it as a dialogue anyone can walk into prepared. Topics: salary negotiation, raise negotiation, total compensation, career advocacy, Rachel Levy GUEST: Rachel Levy | kaleidoscope.consulting Originally aired on 2026-06-19