Ep. 183 – It's Not That Lemony!

Links

• Shoegaze (Wikipedia)
• Johnny Burgin
• Johnny Burgin, interviewing Prakash Slim, Nepalese guitarist, on his podcast (YouTube)
• The Fabelmans (Wikipedia)
• Succession (HBO)
• Barry (HBO)

Connor's Concession Speech

My fellow Americans, it's becoming clear tonight, that as far as we can tell, Mr. Jeryd Mencken will likely be the next president of the United States and I, for one, wish him well. For although I set out a clear and compelling path, America, in her divine wisdom, has chosen to take another. Well, good luck. And, I'd like to say to my first running mate, who I will not dignify with a name check, but had that woman not dropped out, and then had I not had to replace her with another figure, who turned out not to be able to bear the weight of public scrutiny, had I not been betrayed by those two jackrabbits, who knows? Politics of envy. Ugly game. I happen to be a billionaire. Sorry. But honestly, America, you flunked it. I guess you're gonna have to find some other poor mook's paps to suckle on. The corrupt bipartisan system zombie marches on. And so I call out to my friends tonight, to my people. I say, Conheads, I salute you. And America, be afraid. Be warned, for the Conheads are coming. Thank you, and God bless America.

Summary

• 00:00:00 The conversation starts with music festivals and the efforts of one person to turn Kalamazoo into Music City USA. They talk about the shoegaze festival at Bell's Brewery and its description on Wikipedia, which involves a sub-genre of Indian alternative rock with obscured vocals, guitar distortion and overwhelming volume. The speakers also discuss the challenges of organizing festivals in Kalamazoo and the city's history of driving people away due to high costs for licenses for fences, toilets, and other necessities. The person hopes to have different genres of music played in the festivals, with upcoming ones focusing on blues and a latinx night.
• 00:05:00 Dennis discusses an upcoming event that will feature food trucks, live bands, and a DJ. The headline act will be Johnny Bergen, a well-known blues musician who has toured extensively in the US and Europe. The speaker also shares an interesting story about how Bergen met a talented Nepalese musician while on tour and invited him to play with him in the US. The speaker jokes about Bergen's one-episode blues podcast and his mispronunciation of the word bourbon. The section ends with Erik revealing his personal connection to Bergen's last name, which is the same as his great great grandfather's hometown in Norway.
• 00:10:00 Erik shares his recent experience of participating in a cohort study, where he gave blood and wore a bracelet to track his activity and sleep for 21 days. He reveals that he hadn't had much medical examination before, and was interested in knowing about his cholesterol levels and overall health. He thought his bracelet would be something more complex, however, it turned out to be a standard smartwatch-like device. Despite this, he is curious about the findings the study might reveal about his health and the general public's health.
• 00:15:00 Erik continues about signing up to be a part of a medical study that involved wearing two watches to track different health metrics. However, the study required that the watch couldn't be removed except for charging. Later, he is messaged by a group he had followed on Facebook requesting he donate blood. Although not initially on the list provided by the group, the speaker was still able to donate, and learned some new facts about the donation process - how he couldn't close his eyes lest he pass out during donation.
• 00:20:00 The hosts briefly discuss the movie "The Fabelmans" by Steven Spielberg, which is about his early life and ends when he was a teenager. They both enjoyed the movie, found it to be funny and touching, and admired the exceptional lighting. The hosts then switch gears to briefly discuss their experiences with donating blood, with Seth having donated several times and Dennis having donated for the first time recently. They both share their experiences, with Dennis saying he had to have a lot of blood drawn and felt light-headed afterward.
• 00:25:00 They discuss the TV show "Succession" and how it raises a thorny question about the potential manipulation of the outcome of elections. They explore the theory that the Roman character may have chosen Menken as the presidential candidate because he will sour the Matson deal and how this could potentially lead to the deliberate upending of a presidential election. The creators of the show consulted with election officials in Milwaukee to ensure the accuracy of these scenarios, and the conversation ends on a disturbing note about the potential for close-to-reality scenarios and how they could impact the outcomes of future elections.
• 00:30:00 The conversation continues with the TV show "Succession" and the latest episode. The hosts discuss the recent shifts in power dynamics, with Shiv being out and Greg being in. They also comment on the comedic relief provided by Greg's character and some of his funny lines. They highlight a scene where Greg has Wasabi in his eye and deliver a hilarious line. They conclude by discussing the character's motivations and how the show portrays the corrupt nature of the business world.
• 00:35:00 The hosts discuss the intricacies of the characters in the show and how they interact with each other. They talk about Kendall's torn feelings towards siding with Jimenez or his family and how his lack of backbone makes him easily swayed. They also mention how Shiv drops the bomb that she's pregnant, but uses it as a weapon to show how Logan has lost everything in his life that he wanted. They discuss the subtle nuances of the characters' actions and how they all add to the overarching story of the show.
• 00:40:00 The discussion centers around the aftermath of the emotional scene in which Shiv reveals to Tom that she knew about the cruises scandal and that she is pregnant with his child. It is noted that Shiv's decision not to use the weapon during the altercation was emotional while this scene is cerebral as it explores the characters' thoughts and motivations. There is also a discussion about what Logan would have done and Roman's insistence on doing what he wants instead of what his father would have done. The group then goes on to discuss the character of Mattson and his stance on selling corporations to foreign entities. The conversation shifts to a character named Connor and his speech in which he boasts about being a billionaire and makes thinly veiled threats towards his opponents. Willa's vacuousness is also brought up as she comments on luxury travel destinations instead of the political implications of what is happening.
• 00:45:00 The hosts discuss a concession speech given by a fictional politician, which encapsulates the emotions of every concession speech. The hosts then move on to discuss the series Waco: The Aftermath, which gets them talking about the Oklahoma depository building bombing, an event that was also decided on in the same building where the decisions about Waco were made. Finally, they discuss a story about a school that has a policy against homework, and how one student stands out for never completing a suggested writing task.
• 00:50:00 Erik describes a conversation with his son's teacher about homework policy. The teacher was deducting points from his son's grade because he did not suggest homework alternatives, even though the school's policy against homework was not intended to be enforced through students' suggestions. Erik argues that the teacher should offer extracurricular credit for students who suggest homework alternatives rather than punishing those who do not. He also expresses sympathy for the teacher's perspective, as research suggests that doing some work at home can help students transition to middle school. Ultimately, the speaker suggests that students should be encouraged to spend an hour a day doing something academically stimulating of their choosing, rather than being forced to do anything in particular.
• 00:55:00 The hosts discuss the latest events in the TV show, "Barry". They wonder why Janet's father never pursued Barry, who was staking out Kusuno for eight years. The hosts also find Kusuno's long hair and beard pretty hilarious. Meanwhile, the focus shifts to Barry's character as he is now in the worst possible position, hogtied and in captivity. The show also tackles dark topics like Sally's downhill trajectory to alcoholism, resulting in her giving her son vodka and the final scene of the skinny dude driving into her house. In contrast to Succession, the hosts point out that Barry is a farce and not a social commentary.
• 01:00:00 The video comes to a close as they encourage viewers to visit their website for the show notes, which include the full text of Connor's concession speech. They also invite viewers to support the show on Patreon at the gin martini level to access exclusive content, such as video footage of Dennis letting his hair down.