Cup of Coffee: August 6, 2024

I'm not much of a David Lynch fan. I watched a little bit of Twin Peaks, but much rather preferred Dual Spires. I did very much enjoy David Lynch as Jack Dall in Louie.

JD Vance, after widespread online mockery: I absolutely, 100% did not have relations with that couch. 
 
RFK Jr., completely unprompted: For a few years in the mid-90s, I was in a throuple with an end table and a tire swing.

I’ve never really been able to get into David Lynch. Blue Velvet is almost unwatchable for me. I did “get” what he was doing with Twin Peaks but it still couldn’t hold my attention for long. Weirdness appeals to me. Normalcy is boring and terrifying. And so I’ve always wanted to be able to really get into Lynch’s stuff but cannot. Some of it is beautifully shot but I guess I just need more of a compelling narrative, and that’s not really the point of his stuff. I’m glad he exists and has been able to produce a weirdness that is entertaining to those who enjoy it. But I can’t, and that kinda bums me out worse than room temperature coffee.

I would have thought Corbin had like 120 or 130 wins, but looking at his Baseball Ref page, I guess me having him in fantasy for a couple of beautiful years, doesn't mean that's magically a decade of beautiful years.

Replacements Albums In Order Of Greatness:  
 
 
1 Tim Walz  
2 Sorry Ma Forgot to Take Out the Trash Walz  
3 Hootenanny Walz  
3.5 Stink Walz (not a true album)  
4 Let It Be Walz  
5 Pleased To Meet Me Walz  
6 Don't Tell A Soul Walz  
7 14 Songs and Eventually (tie)  
9 All Shook Down Walz

"Nihilists! Fuck me. I mean, say what you like about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos."

You heard it here first: the official nickname for the Dems' VP nominee is Blue Danube Walz. I am copyrighting that right now!

Sorry to hear about David Lynch. I am grateful for David’s efforts to share transcendental meditation to members of the military and with students in inner-cities. It is a massive accomplishment!

David Lynch was also a cartoonist. “The Angriest Dog in the World” used to run in alt-weekly papers alongside “Life in Hell.” Absolute brilliance: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Angriest_Dog_in_the_World

Hold up. David Lynch from The Cleveland Show was a director?

It's primary Election Day here in Missouri.  
 
Which, thank god, means we will likely get a slight reprieve in the insane political ads, particularly, though not exclusively from the MAGA party. I've found myself laughing (since it's too painful to lament and cry) over the number of Republican ads for those running for state offices, and the first three points are: I support Trump, I will end woeness, and most importantly, I WILL SECURE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER FROM THE ILLEGALS! (Yes, that last point seems to be the big emphasis). 
 
It is usually at this point when the ads air that I turn to my other half and tell her I was unaware the state of Missouri had a crisis of illegal Arkansans entering the state from the south. 
 
I mean, I do plan to vote, though my main concern is that my voice is heard on the two constitutional amendments that were "snuck" onto the primary election's ballots (instead of Nov.) because the backers clearly want the majority of Missourians to vote on them.

I saw "Eraserhead" in an arthouse when I was in college and I hated it so much I didn't go to another movie for two years. Like, it soured me on the art form. I was like, screw movies.  
 
When "Blue Velvet" came out a friend was raving about it so much I agreed to go and watch it. I liked it so much I went to another movie the next night.

Twin Peaks premiered on ABC in 1990. Could’ve sworn it was more mid-90s. 
 
Even more ahead of its time than I thought.

Spielberg's The Fablemans had some elements that worked very well for me and some that did not. For my money the strongest scene was the final one, in which David Lynch appears as director John Ford. It's a great five minutes.

Simon's and my favorite movie podcast, Blank Check, is about to delve into a chronological examination of Lynch (movies only, as far as I know). I'm looking forward to it because, as much as I admire Lynch's obstreperous independence, his work often leaves me cold and I'd like to reexamine. I value a good script, and his movies are not generally known for their scripts -- in order to submit to his dreamscapes, his characters' intelligence often strike me as distractedly lacking. But I've hewed to this opinion for so long that I suspect I may not be appreciating his stuff for what it is, so I'm going to give him another go.

With his loss yesterday, Corbin reclaimed his throne as the losingest pitcher in the NL, a title which he's had since 2021. I'm not sure if it's actually the record, but it sure feels like leading the league in losses four years in a row has got to be a record because you really need a perfect storm of durability and organizational losing to run up that kind of total

I will further this, "I feel like we should at least leave one bear expert behind at all times, designated survivor-style." and say we need a global word for bear, shark, tiger, lion, etc. 
 
Last thing I want to have to do on a beach in Thailand is pull up Google translate and ask someone to scream ฉลาม into it again so I can know what the hubbub is all about.

In no way is this a defense of RFK, Jr. but I think most candidates who run for President as an Independent or minor party nominee are batshit crazy at some level. Those complete outsiders who announce their candidacy for the Democratic or Republican nomination as well (Williamson), though Trump’s success has changed that a bit on the GOP side.

I’ve always been frustrated by David Lynch’s inconsistency. He’s the Luis Severino of cinema. When everything clicks it is genius. The first season of “Twin Peaks,” “TP: The Return,” and “Blue Velvet” are all IMO masterpieces. I even have a special place in my heart for that beautiful and goofy mess that is his “Dune.” 
 
When it doesn’t click… well, let’s just say I hated “Lost Highway” so very very much.

— Elly de la Cruz is the most exciting player? Yeah, that tracks. 
 
— Google is a monopoly? Yep, that tracks.  
 
— RFK Jr. likes to play with, and eat roadkill? Yep, that tracks. (Seems to explain the brain worm even if it doesn’t actually explain the brain worm.) 
 
— American political violence arises from some sort of weird mix of individualism, entrepreneurial spirit, and gun ownership? Yep, that tracks.  
 
— Smoking is addictive and unhealthy? Wait, that’s totally new info.