He who can destroy a thing (Will's sanity) controls a thing.
On this episode, Thomas and Richard flap their hands and shriek for 2 hours about Dune and Dune: Messiah lore. If you've only seen the movies (Will) prepare to get dunked on.
Arrakis will bloom again.
Paul Thomas Anderson made this when he was 28. So did Richard and Will.
A celebration of the greatest movie of our greatest living director. Hats off to you, man.
advisory: child abuse, self-harm, suicide.
“Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through the streets trying to find you.”―Hafez
Music Credits:
Violin version of Habañera by Katy Adelson
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Samuel Mathers is Bane, not Wolverine.
People Mentioned:
Aleister Crowley
Edward Kelly
References:
"On 20th September 1906, Haig attended a séance with his sister Henrietta where he sought advice as to whether the expansion of the Territorial Army would be more satisfactory on a company or battalions basis. He was advised by the spiritualist a Miss McCreadie to adopt the former rather than the latter. Apparently, when Ms McCreadie gave this advice she was under the control of a native girl called ‘Sunshine’, who had Napoleon by her side. Haig must have found this circumstance most reassuring."
Out of their depth. By 1942, British Navy vessels had begun to shift the tide in the Atlantic battlefront, sinking more German U-boats than Hitler’s army could Allied submarines. Scientific progress proved a major factor in Allied dominance, with the development of Radar and Sonar technology significantly upping the odds of locating German vessels in deep water. But Germany Navy officials had a different strategy in mind: U-boat captain Hans Roeder convinced colleagues in arms the British were using pendulums to predict their boats’ location underwater. As an amateur pendulum dowser himself, the enterprising captain established the Pendulum Institute to pinpoint British ships, enlisting pendulum dowsers and occultists from across the country and tasking them with applying their clairvoyant powers to search for British vessels. Results were, unsurprisingly, not altogether successful.
Books Mentioned:
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This is the new work.
Movies:
Music:
Violin Concerto in D Major, Movement III Allegro Giocoso by Johannes Brahms
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by Wu-Tang Clan
Etude Op 10 No 3 in E Major "Tristesse" Composed by Frederic Chopin, (Best) Performed by Maurizio Pollini
Song: "No Other Love" by Jo Stafford
-//-No other love can warm my heartNow that I've known the comfort of your armsNo other love, oh the sweet contentmentThat I find with you everytime, everytimeNo other lips could want you moreFor I was born to glory in your kiss, forever yoursI was blessed with love to love youTill the stars burn out above youTill the moon is but a silver shellNo other love, let no other love
know the wonder of your spell-//-
References
For the general conversation of " God wants me to destroy you, obviously" see especially the Melian Dialogue.
If you want to watch a Scientology documentary I would recommend Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief by Alex Gibney (2015).
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https://patreon.com/c/hemlockpatreon
The best version of Musashi in English that I have found is the book The Complete Musashi translated by Alexander Bennett, which is available in audiobook form and is quite short and scholarly to boot. Goodreads link.
Books and Movies:
Introduction to Zen Buddhism - D. T. Suzuki
Links:
Music Credit (Drums, Intro/Outro) by RelaxMusicPro on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/M3cJs_m351A
Edit: removed the part where Shogun Richard and I discussed the YouTube parody AI Am a Jedi, which you should look up just in case:
A truly decadent and indulgent episode for the genuinely twisted wordheads and storyfreaks still crawling on all fives. Cheers, you beautiful bastards.
Music by Anapse, track Bisector off Streamsafe Essentials
Books
Hells Angels by Hunter S Thompson
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson
Screwjack by Hunter S. Thompson
Better Than Sex: The Gonzo Papers Vol 4 by Hunter S Thompson
Freak Power: Hunter S. Thompson's Campaign for Sheriff by Daniel Joseph Watkins
Dark Alliance by Gary Webb
Goebbels by Peter Longerich
HST's Best Audiobook Narrator: Scott Sower
Film
Freak Power: The Ballot or the Bomb
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Sundry Fed, Spook, and Military Initiatives
COINTELPRO (FBI)
MHCHAOS (CIA)
Project Plowshare (DARPA)
With special guest Deputy Dick filling in (for) Richard Sinex.
Music by Anapse, track Bisector off Streamsafe Essentials
--Books--
Hells Angels by Hunter S Thompson
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson
Screwjack by Hunter S. Thompson
Better Than Sex: The Gonzo Papers Vol 4 by Hunter S Thompson
Freak Power: Hunter S. Thompson's Campaign for Sheriff by Daniel Joseph Watkins
Dark Alliance by Gary Webb
Goebbels by Peter Longerich
HST's Best Audiobook Narrator: Scott Sower
--Film--
Freak Power: The Ballot or the Bomb
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
--Sundry Fed, Spook, and Military Initiatives--
COINTELPRO (FBI)
MHCHAOS (CIA)
Project Plowshare (DARPA)
Now It's Dark.
Advisory: This episode contains potentially upsetting discussions of child sexual abuse/violence as well as addiction and human trafficking.
Music Credit: Twin Peaks Theme (Cover) by Dehli Musikk
In this one Richard and I cover the twin masterpieces: Lost Highway (1997) and Mulholland Drive (2001) and list Sixteen Reasons why we love David Lynch.
Wishing DL an auspicious passage into the Bardo - see you later, President Roosevelt....
Watchlinks:
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
Interviews / Sources
Isabella Rossellini (Plays Dorothy Vallens in Blue Velvet)
"The Art Life" Interview with Artforum
Outstanding Essay by Auteur Cinema (YT) (Rosselini Interview Source)
Bad Canadian Interview for Blue Velvet
Now It's Dark.
Advisory: This episode contains potentially upsetting discussions of child sexual abuse/violence as well as addiction and human trafficking.
Music Credit: Twin Peaks Theme (Cover) by Dehli Musikk
Correction: I said that Lynch married Rossellini. Actually they were just romantic partners and were never married.
In this one Richard and I cover David Lynch's pocket biography, Blue Velvet (1986) and Twin Peaks (1988) and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992).
Wishing DL an auspicious passage into the Bardo - see you, space cowboy.
Watchlinks:
Interviews / Sources
Isabella Rossellini (Plays Dorothy Vallens in Blue Velvet)
"The Art Life" Interview with Artforum
Outstanding Essay by Auteur Cinema (YT) (Rosselini Interview Source)
Bad Canadian Interview for Blue Velvet
Patreon support:
Podcast Sources (AI Generated, May Contain Errors):
Ada Lovelace
Source: Wikipedia: Ada Lovelace
Summary: Ada Lovelace was an English mathematician and writer, chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's proposed mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. She is often regarded as the first to recognize the full potential of a "computing machine" and the first computer programmer. She was also the legitimate daughter of Lord Byron and Annabella Byron.
The Jacquard Loom and Computers
Source: Britannica: Jacquard loom
Summary: The Jacquard loom, invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard, used a series of punch cards to automate the weaving of complex patterns. This mechanical loom is considered a precursor to modern computing, as its use of punch cards provided a model for storing and reading coded information, inspiring Charles Babbage's design for the Analytical Engine.
Byron's Dramatic Poem Manfred
Source: Wikipedia: Manfred (poem)
Summary: Manfred is a dramatic poem written by Lord Byron in 1817, featuring a noble hero who is tormented by a mysterious guilt stemming from a forbidden love. The poem explores themes of transgression, isolation, and the conflict between human free will and supernatural forces.
The Corsair by Byron
Source: Wikipedia: The Corsair (poem)
Summary: The Corsair is a long narrative poem by Lord Byron, published in 1814, that became an instant success. It tells the story of Conrad, a charismatic pirate whose life of adventure and rebellion is tragically intertwined with love and betrayal.
Lawrence v. Texas (US Court Decision)
Source: Wikipedia: Lawrence v. Texas
Summary: Lawrence v. Texas was a landmark 2003 US Supreme Court decision that invalidated sodomy laws throughout the country, thereby making same-sex sexual activity legal in every state. The ruling overturned a prior decision and found that the laws violated the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The Marquis de Sade
Source: Wikipedia: Marquis de Sade
Summary: Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade, was an 18th-century French aristocrat and writer known for his libertine philosophy and explicit novels. His works, which gave rise to the term "sadism," explored themes of transgressive sexuality, cruelty, and the subversion of social and religious norms.
The Percy Shelley Sailing Accident
Source: Wikipedia: Percy Bysshe Shelley
Summary: Percy Bysshe Shelley, a renowned English Romantic poet and a friend of Lord Byron, tragically drowned in a sailing accident off the coast of Italy in 1822. His body was cremated on the beach with Byron and other friends in attendance.
Studio Ghibli's AI Creature Incident
Source: YouTube: Hayao Miyazaki's incredible reaction to horrific zombie-like AI animation
Summary: A documentary clip shows Hayao Miyazaki's visceral reaction to a presentation by Japanese artists who created a horrifying AI-generated zombie creature. Miyazaki called the animation an "insult to life itself" and refused to acknowledge the AI's role as a creative tool.
Hayao Miyazaki's Reaction to Tales from Earthsea
Source: CBR: Hayao Miyazaki's Infamous Reaction to His Son's Film, Tales From Earthsea
Summary: Hayao Miyazaki famously walked out of the premiere screening of his son Goro Miyazaki's directorial debut, Tales from Earthsea. Miyazaki reportedly disliked the film, a moment that highlighted the creative tension and complex relationship between the father and son.
David Lynch's George Lucas Pitch Story
Summary: In a classic interview, David Lynch recalls his eccentric meeting with George Lucas about potentially directing Return of the Jedi. Lynch recounts a strange conversation where Lucas pitched the film to him in a restaurant while a "little Wookiee" sat beside him, leading Lynch to ultimately decline the offer.
It's not easy being a gay brain-sex icon and a straight brain-sex icon at the same time but ya boi Byron did it. Part 1 of 2.
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Also, I decided Richard and I's biographical series is gonna be called "Bad Role Models" since that seems to be the theme... Also "Behind the Bastards" was already taken.
Citations:
Malcolm McDowell Movie "If...." (1968)
Byron: Life and Legend by Fiona MacCarthy
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 performed by Anna Fedorova and the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie led by Yves Abel (Creative Commons)
IMHO the 1958 version with Van Cliburn and Fritz Reiner / Chicago Symphony is best.
Bhagwan Richard and I explore the life, mind, and times of a certain Raj Rajneesh, AKA Bhagwan Sri Rajneesh, AKA Osho, AKA FBI's most wanted guru.
References and Citations:
Building Utopia by Russell King
The Golden Road - William Dalrymple
The Eknath Easwaran / Nilgiri Press Trilogy:
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Commentary by Sri Swami Satchidananda
Wild Wild Country - Netflix Documentary
In Search of the Miraculous - PD Ouspensky (Gurdjieff)
Doppelganger - Naomi Klein (book about Steve Bannon and Naomi Wolf)
Breath of Fire - HBO Max Documentary
Previously posted to the History of Philosophy Audio Archive.