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PODCAST · society

Sophistic Soliloquy

by Jim McGaw

Hi, I'm Jim, a Silicon Valley software engineer in San Francisco. This podcast is a child of the sarsCov2 pandemic. While in isolation, I found it therapeutic to ramble into my Voice Memo app about life, philosophy, psychology, mythology, comparative religion, history, economics, finance, popular culture, books, music, and whatever else spills from my overactive mind. (Formerly titled "Prosaic Mosaic")

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Episodes

  1. 49 :: On Love at First Sight

    Jim prattles about psychological projection in the specific case of “love at first sight” or what is technically called limerence. He offers some advice on how to manage your crushes, lest they manage you instead. 🌹

  2. 48 :: On Pandemic Controversies

    Jim improvs at great length a psychological meta-analysis of pandemic arguments, e.g. about masks, vaccinations, the existence of sarsCov2, etc. Also Omicron’s prevalence, sledding, and Amazon delivery drivers.

  3. 47 :: Happy MMXXII WTF GTFO YOFO

    Casting on New Year’s Eve, Jim prattles about snow, resolutions, “Eyes Wide Shut” and other films, existential crises, nutmeg as hallucinogen, and other nonsense. Jim pledges to honor 2022 in his heart and try to keep it all the year.

  4. 46 :: Gone Boy

    Jim chats about life in a world rife with Omicron, his reaction to “Twilight” and “50 Shades of Grey”, spending vacation time watching streaming talkies, astrology, dating apps, and various other piffle. ✌️

  5. 45 :: Confessions of an Asexual

    Asexuality is a relatively new and generally obscure sexual orientation. It is often misunderstood or not acknowledged as valid by others when people share that part of themselves. This can be frustrating, hurtful, or isolating when people with this orientation don’t find support or acceptance…

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  6. 44 :: The Thrill of It All

    In this cast Jim (aka “Why are you still recording these things?”) verbally meanders around life in Boulder, thoughts on investing, life as a functional asexual, sucking at talking to women, culinary adventures and tribulations, overdoing it at thrift stores, the past / future of digital music...

  7. 43 :: The Small Worlds Interpretation

    In the episode Jim rambles about how he’s finally trying to learn to cook properly, encroaching autumn in Boulder, and revisits an old story from just before the pandemic hit in early 2020 with an unexpected update.

  8. 42 :: The Other Side

    This podcast began solely as a COVID lockdown pastime. Jim talks about getting vaccinated, the trip across the country back to California that didn’t end in California, and what life has been like now that COVID is on the wane.

  9. 41 :: Westward Bound Roadcast

    Jim casts from his car on his windy route back towards California after leaving Detroit a vaccinated human. (Recorded June 19th, 2021.)

  10. 40 :: Clinton River Trail Prattle

    Jim rambles about spring 2021 in hermit pandemic life, painting, philosophy of science, and many other things you likely care nothing about. Be well and thrive. ✌️

  11. 39 :: Spring Not Spring

    Jim prattles on about cruising through his old neighborhoods by his high school, plans to end his hiatus in the Detroit area, his brief engagement, speculations that he may be some kind of ace, and San Francisco.

  12. 38 :: Birdman of Auburn Hills

    In the episode Jim talks about his family’s geriatric cockatiel, the mythology of our theriomorphic political party symbols, public education, and getting the band back together.

  13. 37 :: This End Up

    Today Jim rambles about pandemic despondency, Netflix’s “Maniac”, and other ends and odds.

  14. 36 :: Post-Thanksgiving Gratitude Dump

    In the episode Jim prattles on about the holiday, TV and reading currently on my plate, and some thoughts about the drawn-out election process.

  15. 35 :: Singing in the Cold November Rain

    Jim casts yet again from his car on a rainy November Sunday. This is his usual blend of ranting about the sacred and the profane. (And he doesn’t actually sing.)

  16. 34 :: Pabst Blue Gibbon

    Jim rambles about the prospect of holding up for the upcoming winter in Detroit, the election results that were called yesterday, and some people hustling furniture sales in the car next to him.

  17. 33 :: Let it Snow, if it Must

    Jim casts from his car and rambles about the onset of cold in his first winter back in the midwest in 6 years, why he's reading Stephen King books, and other assorted bits as the snow starts to fall.

  18. 32 :: On my Triumphant Return to Detroit

    First casting from my place of origin, the northern Detroit suburbs, where I am headquartered until this pandemic recedes. I talk a bit about the differences between Detroit and San Francisco and other miscellany. Take care and stay healthy.

  19. 31 :: Notes from the Road Part 2

    Dictation from driving the road while moving back to Detroit from San Francisco on the long stretch of interstate labeled I-80 in Iowa. (From August 21st.)

  20. 30 :: Notes from the Road

    I do this episode live from the interstate while cruising through Nebraska. Life on the road, why you can’t be friends with exes, and my own musings on the bursting of the real estate rent bubble in the Bay Area. As usual this whole podcast series is just a pandemic diversion, so the audio is...

  21. 29 :: Recitation on Packing Day

    I'm moving away from San Francisco, back to the Detroit area, for the duration of this pandemic shelter-in-place. I muse about this, life away from the Bay Area, and other various things that help me stall on getting my packing done.

  22. 28 :: Numeric and Psychedelic Transcendence

    Wherein I discuss my current job hunt, speculate about working in the cannabis tech industry, the question about whether drugs lead to religion, and the metaphysics of the natural numbers. Namaste.

  23. 27 :: Early Morning Soliloquy

    Notes from the pandemic life, in which I am looking for my next job, occasionally connecting on dating apps, and trying to be a good human being in general.

  24. 26 :: Tension of the Opposites

    What idea have you encountered that has had the largest impact on your political perspective? I answer this question for myself here. As always, this was done with subpar audio equipment during our pandemic, so please pardon the so-so quality.

  25. 25 :: Discussion from the Oceanside

    A chat about seeding music with mythos and other odds 'n' ends.

  26. 24 :: State o' dat Union

    Me making peace with much of the turmoil we're seeing out in the world these days, plus some discussion of politics, and other ramblings about God only knows what the hell else. Be well out there.

  27. 23 :: Beach Day - Part 2

    Recorded from the beach in my car. Reflections on the upcoming holiday and the current state of the world. Part 2 of 2.

  28. 22 :: Beach Day - Part 1

    Recorded from the beach in my car. Reflections on the upcoming holiday and the current state of the world. Part 1 of 2.

  29. 21 :: On the Prevalence of Basic Scientific Literacy

    It's been a month since my last broadcast, so time for an update. A little bit more about my life after my last job and one of the primary reasons that I left, which has less to do with the company itself and more to do with the average understanding of science amidst the general public. I'm…

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  30. 20 :: Confessions of a Gemini

    A long-form discussion about how I always try to push for some middle ground in most conflicts, plus the story of how I accidentally acquired a Michael Jackson jacket. I think the audio quality on here is perfection.

  31. 19 :: MBTI Personality Types

    A brief, non-expert discussion about the personality types as defined by Carl Jung. Definitely some poor audio here due to pandemic constraints. Be well.

  32. 18 :: Bonus Coffee Day

    I double my daily dose of coffee and ramble about random esoterica. Expect the poor audio quality, due to pandemic constraints.

  33. 17 :: A New Global Mythology

    A rambling on the oft-discussed relationship between religion and culture. Also I chat a bit about the 5K I ran in jeans once upon a time. Per the usual the audio is not great here due to pandemic circumstances.

  34. 16 :: You Lack Discipline!

    In this episode I don't berate you like Arnold, promise. A discussion of the usual hodgepodge of science, psychology, books, and whatever else my subconscious sends up from the depths. Unintentionally trolling you with bad audio, due to pandemic situation, forewarned is forearmed.

  35. 15 :: Light and Dark

    A free-form rambling on polarity in a few different domains. Brought to you by the limits of my quarantine life so excuse the poor audio.

  36. 14 :: Don't Date Robots

    I just came across an Alexa-like device coupled with a VR headset that you can bang. I talk about why this is deeply troubling to me. Damn you tech industry for making me have to rant about this. I'll put it bluntly this time: the audio sucks, I warned you, don't complain about it.

  37. 13 :: The Green Light

    A little bit about our personal mythologies, why the Internet is too harsh on some elements of popular culture, and I manage to get through an entire hour without revealing what my favorite kind of cheese is. A pandemic production, so this is brought to you in all its low-quality audio non-glory.

  38. 12 :: Eclectic Pandemic Confabulation

    Taking the time during the pandemic to go through the backlog of topics floating in the cytoplasm housed in my skull. Quantum computing, biotechnology, education in the age of the Internet, the rise of JavaScript, and a bunch of other random tidbits. As the general rule so far, dear listener, I'm...

  39. 11 :: Rebel with a Computer (and No Cause)

    Free-form ramblings about how the pandemic shelter-in-place is going, the joys of passing the time, and where my next job might be. Still using the lo-fi, poor man's recording capabilities so pardon the third-world audio quality.

  40. 10 :: Did Christian Scripture Inseminate Western Civilization's Mother?

    I discuss my thoughts around the question currently being debated in various circles on the Internet: if Christianity (and perhaps Judaism) were to disappear from western civilization altogether, or at the very least, if it waned to the point where it had a negligible influence on human behavior...

  41. 9 :: Pop Lit Coming of Age Soliloquy

    This is a solipsistic tome about the popular fiction books that kicked off a lifelong reading habit and influenced me when I was growing up. This is largely autobiographical and less general interest. And, standard fair warning now: audio is suboptimal due to coronavirus quarantine arrangement.

  42. 8 :: San Francisco's Next Earthquake

    A brief episode touching on some of the points of San Francisco history and The Next Big One. The constant caveat holds: I'm in quarantine with just some Airpods and a smart phone, so don't expect stellar audio.

  43. 7 :: The Los Angeles Slap

    A story about the last time I was in Los Angeles, how I tried to apply Christian scripture to my life when I actually believed in it, late-night debauchery in southern California, and the emotional benefits of Stoicism. As usual, quarantined without professional audio gear so brace yourself for…

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  44. 6 :: Pandemic Notes from Aboveground

    Bits about the dating apps, coffee and tea, being hoodwinked by wine glasses, schizophrenia, the cancellation of potheadfest in San Francisco, and polyamorous pigeons. Quarantined with no recording equipment so please pardon the poor audio quality.

  45. 5 :: The Pandemic and Technology in Silicon Valley

    In this episode I verbally wander through how technology and its relationship to our daily lives has changed in the last 15 years since I first started being a software developer, muse on some economic and political realities that we're dealing with during the coronavirus ordeal, and speculate on...

  46. 4 :: On Writing and Creativity

    A discussion about writing, the creative process, and some scattered thoughts about the television shows that I'm watching during this whole pandemic situation. Yet again, no pro audio gear at hand, so excuse the fact that it sounds like I'm talking to you through a tin can.

  47. 3 :: Pandemic and the Political Landscape

    In the midst of the shelter-in-place, I talk about some of my high-level thoughts on politics and the psychology surrounding it, partly as pertains to the current pandemic situation, and discuss how jurisprudence ties in. Free form, stream of consciousness structure. No pro audio gear, so pardon...

  48. 2 :: How to Find Meaning in Your Life

    I take a quotation from one of mythologist Joseph Campbell's more popular works and discuss it at some length. This one's a tad more serious than the first episode. I still do not have access to any professional audio gear, due to pandemic thingy going on, so please forgive the poor quality.

  49. 1 :: The Pandemic Waltz

    I'm kicking this off with some discussion about my pandemic shelter-in-place situation, some San Francisco history in broad strokes, and other random musings. I have no professional audio recording equipment so please excuse the abysmal recording quality.

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Hi, I'm Jim, a Silicon Valley software engineer in San Francisco. This podcast is a child of the sarsCov2 pandemic. While in isolation, I found it therapeutic to ramble into my Voice Memo app about life, philosophy, psychology, mythology, comparative religion, history, economics, finance, popular culture, books, music, and whatever else spills from my overactive mind. (Formerly titled "Prosaic Mosaic")

HOSTED BY

Jim McGaw

CATEGORIES

society culture

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Sophistic Soliloquy have?

Sophistic Soliloquy currently has 49 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Sophistic Soliloquy about?

Hi, I'm Jim, a Silicon Valley software engineer in San Francisco. This podcast is a child of the sarsCov2 pandemic. While in isolation, I found it therapeutic to ramble into my Voice Memo app about life, philosophy, psychology, mythology, comparative religion, history, economics, finance, popular...

How often does Sophistic Soliloquy release new episodes?

Sophistic Soliloquy has 49 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Sophistic Soliloquy?

You can listen to Sophistic Soliloquy on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Sophistic Soliloquy?

Sophistic Soliloquy is created and hosted by Jim McGaw.
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