For the second time in the history of the podcast, we've got a bit of a juicebox on our hands. Your hosts are falling rapidly in love with the work of Jon Brion, the composer of the Punch-Drunk Love soundtrack.

NHR, who was already an afficianado of the film itself, explains how the soundtrack brilliantly mirrors and reinforces the action.

Tristan, encouraged by the one song Brion sings on the soundtrack (Here We Go), together with the fact that Brion was the producer of Robyn Hitchcock's Jewels For Sophia, is now getting into Brion's only released solo album, Meaningless (2001, reissued 2022).

This rich work (Meaningless, not the Punch-Drunk Love soundtrack), with its chequered history, is a prime example of a certain kind of highly produced piece of work by a perfectionist artist who serves liberally as a tonic to others but struggles with their own stuff (cf. Van Dyke Parks).

We got rid of our one segment, where we guess about the topic. It's probably best if you don't think about whether you ever enjoyed it.

Punch-Drunk Love is the 2002 soundtrack album featuring music composed by Jon Brion for the film of the same name. The album includes the song "He Needs Me" by Shelley Duvall from Robert Altman's 1980 film Popeye. The soundtrack received an enthusiastic review from classical music critic Greg Sandow.[1]

Brion provides main vocals (in addition to playing most of the instruments) in the song "Here We Go".

Theme music by Edward Lonsdale.

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What does it really mean to say that something warrants further investigation? Where do the warrants come from? And how many more species of Eucalyptus might there be?

These are the big, important questions your hosts are considering this episode. Along the way, more personal ones arise as well, such as whether NHR likes anything.

This episode might just pull you back from the brink. Don't come braying to us when you're crashing out, mainlining episodes of Poirot, and winding up isolated in Tokyo.

Eucalyptus erectifolia, commonly known as Stirling Range mallee,[1] is a species of mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and thirteen, white flowers and cup-shaped fruit.

Theme music by Edward Lonsdale.

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Your hosts are back at it, locked in combat.

We discuss the idea of the glory of war, how it may have peaked around the time of Napoleon, and how this is a problematic idea to express properly.

If a name originally means something etymologically, are you 'misspeaking' when you call something with that name when it lacks the feature that the name originally meant? NHR, astonishingly, argues for an affirmative answer.

Tristan is gloating about his personal life going well (fortunes since reversed following the recording).

NHR attempts to explain the Napoleon Complex through the lens of schema therapy.

We stumble upon what we believe to be the best coat of arms ever.

The invasion of Capri was the successful recapture of the Italian island of Capri from Britain by the Kingdom of Naples on 4–18 October 1808.

Theme music by Edward Lonsdale.

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Does loving a cat mean that you must anthropomorphize it? NHR is in crisis. Tristan learns that NHR's tiny desk is stored under his bed.

In the opinions of many, it's impressive to be a professional athlete no matter what. NHR takes a more critical perspective.

Michael Serr (born July 14, 1962) is a German retired football player. He spent 7 seasons in the Bundesliga with 1. FC Kaiserslautern. As of February 2009, he was working as a player agent.

Honours Bundesliga champion: 1991 DFB-Pokal winner: 1990 DFL-Supercup: 1991[1]

Theme music by Edward Lonsdale.

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A nice political episode.

Tristan comes out against the Vietnamese and doesn't know what the Eye of Soron (?) is.

NHR blames the hippy movement for the rise of organised crime in the Americas.

The security policy of the Enrique Peña Nieto administration that governed Mexico from 1 December 2012 to 30 November 2018 prioritized the reduction of violence rather than attacking Mexico's drug trafficking organizations head-on, marking a departure from the strategy of the previous six years during Felipe Calderón's administration.[1] Peña Nieto has set up a number of conceptual and organizational changes from the past regime policy, and one of the biggest contrasts is the focus on lowering murder rates, kidnappings, and extortions, as opposed to arresting or killing the country's most-wanted drug lords and intercepting their drug shipments.[1] The government of Calderón, however, has justified its position by stating that the current violence in the country is a necessary stage in Mexico's drug war, as weakening criminal groups fight for territorial control against one another and the government. Moreover, part of Peña Nieto's strategy also consists on the creation of a national police made up of 40,000 members, known as a "gendarmerie." He also proposed on centralizing the sub-federal police forces under one command.[1] The president-elect emphasized that he does not support the involvement or presence of armed U.S. agents in Mexico, but considers allowing the United States to instruct Mexico's military training in counterinsurgency tactics.[2] Beyond that, Peña Nieto promised that no other measures will be taken by the U.S. in Mexico.[2] While campaigning, Peña Nieto appointed a former general of the National Police of Colombia as his external advisor for public security, and boldly promised to reduce 50% of the murder rates in Mexico by the end of his six-year term.[3][4]

Theme music by Edward Lonsdale.

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We have "cold opens" as part of the format now. We discuss the intersection of naval and anime culture, Japanese curries, and the reality show Terrace House. NHR gives an interesting political account of Japanese "cuteness" as a response to unfair demands placed upon women in the wake of Japan's defeat by the Allies in World War II.

JDS Kumano (DE-224) was the tenth ship of the Chikugo-class destroyer escorts of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Development and design The Chikugo class was designed as the modified variant of the Isuzu class, the preceding destroyer escort class. The main anti-submarine (ASW) weapon was changed from the M/50 375 mm (14.8 in) ASW rocket launcher to the ASROC anti-submarine missile. The octuple launcher for ASROC was stationed at the mid-deck, and the entire ship design was prescribed by this stationing.[1]

Theme music by Edward Lonsdale.

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We got a juicebox on our hands here.

After toiling through articles about moths and meaningless sport statistics, an oasis appeared before your hosts when Wikipedia's Random Article link took us to My Girlfriend's Boyfriend (2010) starring Alyssa Milano and two blokes we aren't aware of.

Unavailable on streaming services in both Australia and the UK, an ex-rental DVD copy formerly owned by Civic Video in East Brisbane was secured in the leadup to the episode, along with a USB-based DVD drive.

We watched it together over Zoom and carried out a Critical Analysis in preparation for the main record, parts of which we will throw to from the studio.

What you learn about this sprightly 84-minute film will shock you, it will make you laugh—but it may also make you think.

The main love-interest Ethan drinks from a comically large mug (although we never mention that in the episode). He plays a game of tip, or tag, with a child—a game which in the world of this film has an eyebrow-raising name. Then the crown jewel: NHR breaks open a radical line of inquiry into the true meaning of the film, a Salt Lake City based production, that goes to the heart of the Mormon worldview.

We engage in some frank soul-searching about why one of the emotional peaks of the film, involving an anguished confession regarding a sensitive topic, made us laugh so very hard. Closing out this rich tapestry are two cents from the polyamory community, in the form of an interesting and thoughtful lady by the name of Joreth.

My Girlfriend's Boyfriend is a 2010 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Daryn Tufts, and stars Alyssa Milano, Christopher Gorham, Michael Landes, Beau Bridges, Tom Lenk and Carol Kane.

Theme music by Edward Lonsdale.

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NHR explains his baritone and tells a house-hunting story.

Cricket is the most complicated game in the world (according to Stephen Fry).

NHR heaps scorn upon Tristan's new coffee-table book of Australian Mammals, saying that this kind of book is commonplace in London and even calling it a 'magazine' late in the episode.

We learn about the Duckworth-Lewis method for determining who wins a cricket match if it gets rained out.

The table, showing all completed matches is as follows:

2005 totesport League – Division One Pos Team Pld W L NR Pts 1 Essex Eagles 16 13 1 2 56 2 Middlesex Crusaders 16 10 5 1 42 3 Northamptonshire Steelbacks 16 7 7 2 32 4 Glamorgan Dragons 16 6 6 4 32 5 Nottinghamshire Outlaws 16 6 7 3 30 6 Lancashire Lightning 16 6 9 1 26 7 Gloucestershire Gladiators 16 6 9 1 26 8 Worcestershire Royals 16 5 10 1 22 9 Hampshire Hawks 16 5 10 1 22

Theme music by Edward Lonsdale.

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