Stranger Things might be fiction, but the inspiration behind it is anything but. From government mind control programs to interdimensional portals and Cold War paranoia, Shane Hewitt and Ryan dig into how the hit Netflix series draws on decades of real-world conspiracy lore.

They unpack the wild truths behind MK Ultra, the Montauk Project, and the government’s history of weaponized experimentation—and ask: could a show like this shape how we think about conspiracy today? From pop culture to classified files, this is a conversation about what we believe, why we believe it, and what Stranger Things actually says about us.

Originally aired on 2025-11-19

Stranger Things might be fiction, but the inspiration behind it is anything but. From government mind control programs to interdimensional portals and Cold War paranoia, Shane Hewitt and Ryan dig into how the hit Netflix series draws on decades of real-world conspiracy lore.
They unpack the wild truths behind MK Ultra, the Montauk Project, and the government&rsquo;s history of weaponized experimentation&mdash;and ask: could a show like this shape how we think about conspiracy today? From pop culture to classified files, this is a conversation about what we believe, why we believe it, and what Stranger Things actually says about us.
Originally aired on&nbsp;2025-11-19

Shane Hewitt & The Nightshift is your late-night companion for real talk, bold ideas, and unfiltered conversations that matter. Hosted by Canadian radio veteran Shane Hewitt, each episode dives into the headlines, human stories, and hidden truths shaping our world—always with curiosity, compassion, and a sharp edge.

From politics and pop culture to mental health, technology, and everyday life, this podcast is where night owls, deep thinkers, and curious minds come to connect. Featuring expert guests, passionate callers, and Shane’s signature style—thoughtful, fearless, and refreshingly real.

If you crave meaningful dialogue, smart perspectives, and late-night radio energy in podcast form, subscribe now and join The Nightshift.

Shane Hewitt &amp; The Nightshift is your late-night companion for real talk, bold ideas, and unfiltered conversations that matter. Hosted by Canadian radio veteran Shane Hewitt, each episode dives into the headlines, human stories, and hidden truths shaping our world&mdash;always with curiosity, compassion, and a sharp edge.
From politics and pop culture to mental health, technology, and everyday life, this podcast is where night owls, deep thinkers, and curious minds come to connect. Featuring expert guests, passionate callers, and Shane&rsquo;s signature style&mdash;thoughtful, fearless, and refreshingly real.
If you crave meaningful dialogue, smart perspectives, and late-night radio energy in podcast form, subscribe now and join The Nightshift.

Shane Hewitt and The Nightshift

Shane Hewitt is known for his engaging and relatable on-air personality, which captivates listeners. His ability to blend insightful commentary with humour and empathy creates a genuine connection with listeners.  Shane Hewitt and the Night Shift provides relatable content, informative discussions and expert insights – along with a balance of anecdotes and entertainment.

Shane Hewitt is known for his engaging and relatable on-air personality, which captivates listeners. His ability to blend insightful commentary with humour and empathy creates a genuine connection with listeners.  Shane Hewitt and the Night Shift provides relatable content, informative discussions and expert insights – along with a balance of anecdotes and entertainment.

Stranger Things and the Real Conspiracies Behind It

Part 1 Canola Tariffs Canada: Quarter-Million Dollar Losses Hit Saskatchewan Farms

Canola tariffs hit Lesley Kelly's Saskatchewan family farm for a quarter of a million dollars. One farm. One tariff cycle. Mark Carney travels to China hoping for reduced tariffs and market access, but Jimmy Zoubris warns other countries aren't pushovers either. Carney will have to give to get a deal.

 

Kelly plants in May and buys fertilizer now without knowing what markets will look like because tariff uncertainty dominates every calculation. She mentions Plan A and Plan B but admits the math isn't mathing when canola and other crops face low market prices simultaneously. Zoubris notes every country watches how Donald Trump will react to their China deals, creating uncertainty that hurts worse than actual tariffs. The trade mission matters for agriculture, but deals won't arrive quickly.

 

Discover why Saskatchewan farmers make planting decisions now despite tariff chaos. Learn what market access means when one family farm loses $250,000. Understand why Trump's unpredictability keeps everyone defensive on tariffs.

 

Trump Reagan Comparison: Everything Reagan Did But Bigger

Trump Reagan comparison reveals a pattern Shane notices. War on drugs rhetoric mirrors Reagan's approach but doubled down. Every time Trump faces trouble, he pivots to drug war messaging. Reagan brought optimism after Watergate and Jimmy Carter's gloom. Trump just doubles down on everything.

 

Jimmy Zoubris explains Reagan came in conservative and unafraid to say it, but his war on drugs was basically "just say no" which failed massively. Trump pushes the envelope further than Reagan ever did. George H.W. Bush ran on bringing a kinder, gentler society because Reagan's era was tough for many people. Lesley Kelly finds it exhausting tracking Trump's daily Twitter announcements and can't believe there's potentially three more years. Her 10 and 13-year-old kids ask questions about Trump she struggles to answer. The panel also debates boiling lobsters after Dalhousie research questioned whether lobsters feel pain.

 

Discover why Reagan governed on what he promised while Trump operates on steroids. Learn what "just say no" accomplished versus current drug war rhetoric. Understand why the comparison only goes so far before they become completely different approaches.

 

GUEST: Jimmy Zoubris, Lesley Kelly | highheelsandcanolafields.com


Originally aired on 2026-01-12

Part 1 Canola Tariffs Canada: Quarter-Million Dollar Losses Hit Saskatchewan Farms
Canola tariffs hit Lesley Kelly's Saskatchewan family farm for a quarter of a million dollars. One farm. One tariff cycle. Mark Carney travels to China hoping for reduced tariffs and market access, but Jimmy Zoubris warns other countries aren't pushovers either. Carney will have to give to get a deal.
&nbsp;
Kelly plants in May and buys fertilizer now without knowing what markets will look like because tariff uncertainty dominates every calculation. She mentions Plan A and Plan B but admits the math isn't mathing when canola and other crops face low market prices simultaneously. Zoubris notes every country watches how Donald Trump will react to their China deals, creating uncertainty that hurts worse than actual tariffs. The trade mission matters for agriculture, but deals won't arrive quickly.
&nbsp;
Discover why Saskatchewan farmers make planting decisions now despite tariff chaos. Learn what market access means when one family farm loses $250,000. Understand why Trump's unpredictability keeps everyone defensive on tariffs.
&nbsp;
Trump Reagan Comparison: Everything Reagan Did But Bigger
Trump Reagan comparison reveals a pattern Shane notices. War on drugs rhetoric mirrors Reagan's approach but doubled down. Every time Trump faces trouble, he pivots to drug war messaging. Reagan brought optimism after Watergate and Jimmy Carter's gloom. Trump just doubles down on everything.
&nbsp;
Jimmy Zoubris explains Reagan came in conservative and unafraid to say it, but his war on drugs was basically "just say no" which failed massively. Trump pushes the envelope further than Reagan ever did. George H.W. Bush ran on bringing a kinder, gentler society because Reagan's era was tough for many people. Lesley Kelly finds it exhausting tracking Trump's daily Twitter announcements and can't believe there's potentially three more years. Her 10 and 13-year-old kids ask questions about Trump she struggles to answer. The panel also debates boiling lobsters after Dalhousie research questioned whether lobsters feel pain.
&nbsp;
Discover why Reagan governed on what he promised while Trump operates on steroids. Learn what "just say no" accomplished versus current drug war rhetoric. Understand why the comparison only goes so far before they become completely different approaches.
&nbsp;
GUEST: Jimmy Zoubris, Lesley Kelly | highheelsandcanolafields.com
 Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-01-12

NEW - Canola Tariffs Hit $250K Per Farm While Trump Plays Reagan on Steroids

True crime fascination explains why you binge documentaries about robberies but sweat crossing the border with legal receipts. Shane admits he loves heist movies like Ocean's Eleven and The Italian Job, drawn to the Robin Hood angle where underdogs steal from powerful institutions. But real heist stories hit differently when you learn the details.

 

Shane breaks down the Pearson Airport gold heist update from 2023. Someone stole $20 million in gold on April 17, 2023. The alleged getaway driver just got arrested at Pearson after flying back from Dubai. Shane can't understand the psychology: why would you return to the same airport you robbed? He contrasts his own border anxiety about declaring purchases against criminals who execute elaborate plans without visible stress.

 

Discover what makes heist stories so compelling compared to other true crime. Learn the bizarre details of criminals who take massive risks most people can't fathom. Understand why we're drawn to stories about people who think stealing from the Louvre sounds like a reasonable Tuesday.


Originally aired on 2026-01-12

True crime fascination explains why you binge documentaries about robberies but sweat crossing the border with legal receipts. Shane admits he loves heist movies like Ocean's Eleven and The Italian Job, drawn to the Robin Hood angle where underdogs steal from powerful institutions. But real heist stories hit differently when you learn the details.
&nbsp;
Shane breaks down the Pearson Airport gold heist update from 2023. Someone stole $20 million in gold on April 17, 2023. The alleged getaway driver just got arrested at Pearson after flying back from Dubai. Shane can't understand the psychology: why would you return to the same airport you robbed? He contrasts his own border anxiety about declaring purchases against criminals who execute elaborate plans without visible stress.
&nbsp;
Discover what makes heist stories so compelling compared to other true crime. Learn the bizarre details of criminals who take massive risks most people can't fathom. Understand why we're drawn to stories about people who think stealing from the Louvre sounds like a reasonable Tuesday.
 Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-01-12

True Crime Fascination: Why Heist Stories Hook Us

CES Robots 2025: China's Fighting Machines Freak Out Tech Journalist

CES robots in 2025 crossed a line tech journalist Andy Baryer never expected. A humanoid robot from China throws a jab. Then a hook. Then an uppercut combination in two seconds flat. Then it does a drop kick and stands there taunting. These aren't cute demos anymore.

 

Baryer walks the show floor documenting AI-powered robots that detect strangers, chase intruders, and execute fighting moves programmed into open-source platforms. He divides them into Autobots (helpful beer-fetching robot dogs, museum surveillance units) and Decepticons (the ones that made him run when they started chasing him). One humanoid read his name badge and greeted him personally. Another looks like a Kardashian and is marketed as a "companionship robot."

 

Discover why this is the first CES where a veteran tech journalist felt genuine fear. Learn what open-source fighting robots mean when they fall into the wrong hands. Understand why China is dominating humanoid robotics and what that shift changes about future technology.

 

Robot Butler Arrives: LG's CLOi Folds Laundry and Loads Dishwashers

Robot butler technology reached the Jetsons level at CES 2025. LG's CLOi grabs clothes, puts them in the laundry, takes them out, and folds them. It unloads dishwashers. It's designed to eliminate every household chore you hate. Andy Baryer calls it the closest we've seen to a zero-work home.

 

Baryer also examines the Clicks Communicator, a BlackBerry-style Android phone with a physical keyboard created by mobile journalists Mr. Mobile and Crackberry Kevin. Office robots called Oli walk around workplaces. Intel partners with robotics companies to build edge processors that let robots think independently without cloud connections, preventing armies of warehouse robots from getting hacked. Thirty manufacturers displayed robot lawnmowers using satellite navigation and LiDAR to avoid obstacles. Baryer tells every manufacturer they need AI poop detection.

 

Learn why physical keyboards might return after years of predictive text failures. Understand how edge processing prevents robot hacking. Discover what six-foot healthcare robots with Intel chips do for Alzheimer's and dementia patients.

 

GUEST: Andy Baryer | @handyandymedia, handyandymedia.com


Originally aired on 2026-01-12

CES Robots 2025: China's Fighting Machines Freak Out Tech Journalist
CES robots in 2025 crossed a line tech journalist Andy Baryer never expected. A humanoid robot from China throws a jab. Then a hook. Then an uppercut combination in two seconds flat. Then it does a drop kick and stands there taunting. These aren't cute demos anymore.
&nbsp;
Baryer walks the show floor documenting AI-powered robots that detect strangers, chase intruders, and execute fighting moves programmed into open-source platforms. He divides them into Autobots (helpful beer-fetching robot dogs, museum surveillance units) and Decepticons (the ones that made him run when they started chasing him). One humanoid read his name badge and greeted him personally. Another looks like a Kardashian and is marketed as a "companionship robot."
&nbsp;
Discover why this is the first CES where a veteran tech journalist felt genuine fear. Learn what open-source fighting robots mean when they fall into the wrong hands. Understand why China is dominating humanoid robotics and what that shift changes about future technology.
&nbsp;
Robot Butler Arrives: LG's CLOi Folds Laundry and Loads Dishwashers
Robot butler technology reached the Jetsons level at CES 2025. LG's CLOi grabs clothes, puts them in the laundry, takes them out, and folds them. It unloads dishwashers. It's designed to eliminate every household chore you hate. Andy Baryer calls it the closest we've seen to a zero-work home.
&nbsp;
Baryer also examines the Clicks Communicator, a BlackBerry-style Android phone with a physical keyboard created by mobile journalists Mr. Mobile and Crackberry Kevin. Office robots called Oli walk around workplaces. Intel partners with robotics companies to build edge processors that let robots think independently without cloud connections, preventing armies of warehouse robots from getting hacked. Thirty manufacturers displayed robot lawnmowers using satellite navigation and LiDAR to avoid obstacles. Baryer tells every manufacturer they need AI poop detection.
&nbsp;
Learn why physical keyboards might return after years of predictive text failures. Understand how edge processing prevents robot hacking. Discover what six-foot healthcare robots with Intel chips do for Alzheimer's and dementia patients.
&nbsp;
GUEST: Andy Baryer | @handyandymedia, handyandymedia.com
 Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-01-12

Stranger Things and the Real Conspiracies Behind It

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