Damian Masterson
@dtmasterson.bsky.social
Philosophy PhD Student - SUNY Albany
with a focus on Adam Smith’s Moral Theory, Loneliness, and the Indispensability of Empathy for Moral Judgment
with a focus on Adam Smith’s Moral Theory, Loneliness, and the Indispensability of Empathy for Moral Judgment
Pinned
Damian Masterson
@dtmasterson.bsky.social
· Jan 17
Deadly Male Fragility
David Lynch’s "Lost Highway" turns 25 this year.
www.storyscreenpresents.com
Here’s a short thread of some of the pieces i’ve written on Lynch over the years.
This one’s from 3 years ago on my favortite of his films, Lost Highway, and the lengths that abusive men will go to see themselves as the hero of their own story. www.storyscreenpresents.com/post/deadly-...
This one’s from 3 years ago on my favortite of his films, Lost Highway, and the lengths that abusive men will go to see themselves as the hero of their own story. www.storyscreenpresents.com/post/deadly-...
Until he passed, my answer to this was always Lynch’s One Saliva Bubble, but now I think I would love to see someone do Ashman and Menken’s musical adaptation of Vonnegut’s God Bless You, Mr Rosewater musical
If you were a despotic president, what movie would you force Hollywood to make? I want to see Quentin's Star Trek movie or maybe Kill Bill Vol 3.
November 25, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Until he passed, my answer to this was always Lynch’s One Saliva Bubble, but now I think I would love to see someone do Ashman and Menken’s musical adaptation of Vonnegut’s God Bless You, Mr Rosewater musical
Fun headline undermined by the point in the article that it’s the businesses and individuals in the state that actually pay the taxes, so there isn’t really any state spigot to shut off.
““If they’re not gonna run the programs, then what are we paying them for?” she said. “It’s like, you know, you’re paying us for a service and they’re not delivering. So let’s stop paying for it.”
👀 @mikiesherrill.bsky.social goes there …
👀 @mikiesherrill.bsky.social goes there …
New Jersey may stop paying federal taxes under new governor
Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill said on a podcast with Jon Stewart it's a "great idea."
www.politico.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Fun headline undermined by the point in the article that it’s the businesses and individuals in the state that actually pay the taxes, so there isn’t really any state spigot to shut off.
Can someone lend me somewhere north of $8000 for this bust of Aristotle from A Muppet Christmas Carol?
www.juliensauctions.com/en/items/207...
www.juliensauctions.com/en/items/207...
The Muppet Christmas Carol | Aristotle Bust
www.juliensauctions.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Can someone lend me somewhere north of $8000 for this bust of Aristotle from A Muppet Christmas Carol?
www.juliensauctions.com/en/items/207...
www.juliensauctions.com/en/items/207...
This looks great. I picked up a copy of Lucky I’ve been meaning to get to for a while, and this might be the nudge I need.
Nine years ago today, November 18, 2016, David Lynch threatened Laura Dern with cooking lasagna in the Make a Film Foundation short THE BLACK GHIANDOLA, one of many projects other than TWIN PEAKS in which he acted. My book THE DREAMER'S PATH unpacks them all. www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-dreame...
The Dreamer's Path: Twin Peaks and David Lynch the Actor|Paperback
Devour the first book ever that covers director David Lynch as an actor in Twin Peaks, Lucky, The Fabelmans, and more.Much has been written about David Lynch and his films, but The Dreamer’s Pat...
www.barnesandnoble.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:31 PM
This looks great. I picked up a copy of Lucky I’ve been meaning to get to for a while, and this might be the nudge I need.
White House defense is going to end up being that Gianmarco Soresi joke about R Kelly
CBS News' Weijia Jiang: "Did the president ever spend hours at Jeffrey Epstein’s house with a victim?"
Karoline Leavitt: "These emails prove nothing other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong."
Karoline Leavitt: "These emails prove nothing other than the fact that President Trump did nothing wrong."
November 12, 2025 at 7:26 PM
White House defense is going to end up being that Gianmarco Soresi joke about R Kelly
Seems harsh but we can’t have people losing faith in a critical American institution like gambling.
“Clase and Ortiz face up to 65 years in prison if convicted on all charges.” www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/...
Guardians' Clase, Ortiz indicted for pitch rigging
Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted on a host of charges related to a scheme to rig bets on pitches thrown in MLB games. Ortiz is currently in custody.
www.espn.com
November 9, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Seems harsh but we can’t have people losing faith in a critical American institution like gambling.
Among other things, this is a pretty great paper on the idea that Smith’s Wealth of Nations is the worlds longest footnote to The Theory of Moral Sentiments.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Are there normative social epistemologies? Vernon Smith, Adam Smith, and the challenge of systems - Public Choice
Vernon Smith has been a pioneer in demonstrating that many of “paradoxes” of behavioral economics actually can be explained by the larger logic of cooperation, propriety, and sympathy outlined by Adam...
link.springer.com
November 8, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Among other things, this is a pretty great paper on the idea that Smith’s Wealth of Nations is the worlds longest footnote to The Theory of Moral Sentiments.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
I love The Hip Pocket’s format. Since the guest curates the three deep cuts to talk about, it’s fundamentally geared towards impassioned recommendations. But, as these are deep cuts, you’re often also getting fresh first watch reactions from the hosts. A perfect mix for discovering new favorites
If you love cinema, then definitely check out @itsthehippocket.bsky.social It’s like you’ve gone around to your mates, ordered pizza, and spent all night talking film. Hosted by @drewmcweeny.com @craigceravolo.bsky.social
& @aundriaparker.bsky.social
& @aundriaparker.bsky.social
The Hip Pocket
Film History Podcast · The Hip Pocket is a relaxed and inviting conversation about movies that we carry with us for whatever reasons, hosted by Drew McWeeny & Aundria Parker. Our bandleader, Craig Cer...
podcasts.apple.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:58 PM
I love The Hip Pocket’s format. Since the guest curates the three deep cuts to talk about, it’s fundamentally geared towards impassioned recommendations. But, as these are deep cuts, you’re often also getting fresh first watch reactions from the hosts. A perfect mix for discovering new favorites
Reposted by Damian Masterson
November 5, 2025 at 5:55 AM
All else aside, I feel like I’ve gotten a brief respite to set down a heavy weight that I had gotten used to carrying since last year’s election.
November 5, 2025 at 1:18 PM
All else aside, I feel like I’ve gotten a brief respite to set down a heavy weight that I had gotten used to carrying since last year’s election.
Reposted by Damian Masterson
BREAKING: Democrats just broke the GOP supermajority in the Mississippi Senate!
In a stunning victory, Democrats gained seats in court-ordered special elections and will now head to Jackson to represent and fight on behalf of their constituents.
In a stunning victory, Democrats gained seats in court-ordered special elections and will now head to Jackson to represent and fight on behalf of their constituents.
November 5, 2025 at 4:39 AM
BREAKING: Democrats just broke the GOP supermajority in the Mississippi Senate!
In a stunning victory, Democrats gained seats in court-ordered special elections and will now head to Jackson to represent and fight on behalf of their constituents.
In a stunning victory, Democrats gained seats in court-ordered special elections and will now head to Jackson to represent and fight on behalf of their constituents.
Waited 5 minutes to call it just to be sure
November 5, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Waited 5 minutes to call it just to be sure
Waited 5 minutes to call it just to be sure
November 5, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Waited 5 minutes to call it just to be sure
Reposted by Damian Masterson
A moment of silence, please, for the "young men are all MAGA now" narrative.
(Source: www.nbcnews.com/politics/202...)
(Source: www.nbcnews.com/politics/202...)
November 5, 2025 at 1:18 AM
A moment of silence, please, for the "young men are all MAGA now" narrative.
(Source: www.nbcnews.com/politics/202...)
(Source: www.nbcnews.com/politics/202...)
Reposted by Damian Masterson
Woke up today to the news
November 4, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Woke up today to the news
This is such a lovely chat.
It reminded me of one of my favorite things I wrote back in 2020 about how, if you think about it, Rocky Horror and Sunset Boulevard are weirdly kind of the same movie.
www.storyscreenpresents.com/post/rocky-b...
It reminded me of one of my favorite things I wrote back in 2020 about how, if you think about it, Rocky Horror and Sunset Boulevard are weirdly kind of the same movie.
www.storyscreenpresents.com/post/rocky-b...
October 31, 2025 at 1:52 AM
This is such a lovely chat.
It reminded me of one of my favorite things I wrote back in 2020 about how, if you think about it, Rocky Horror and Sunset Boulevard are weirdly kind of the same movie.
www.storyscreenpresents.com/post/rocky-b...
It reminded me of one of my favorite things I wrote back in 2020 about how, if you think about it, Rocky Horror and Sunset Boulevard are weirdly kind of the same movie.
www.storyscreenpresents.com/post/rocky-b...
Fine that folks do this, but I’ve always found that I profoundly reject this distinction. I’ll accept that consensus on what the best is may differ from what I prefer, but that’s an other people thing. If I have a clear favorite, it’s always going to be the one I would also vote for as the best one.
regular reminder that when i say something is my *favorite* that is distinct from saying it is *the best*.
October 29, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Fine that folks do this, but I’ve always found that I profoundly reject this distinction. I’ll accept that consensus on what the best is may differ from what I prefer, but that’s an other people thing. If I have a clear favorite, it’s always going to be the one I would also vote for as the best one.
Oh wait, people didn’t like House of Dynamite? Aside from fumbling the abruptness of the ending, I thought this was actually pretty great.
October 26, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Oh wait, people didn’t like House of Dynamite? Aside from fumbling the abruptness of the ending, I thought this was actually pretty great.
I stopped House of Dynamite with 12:43 left to go to the bathroom, so I could focus on the ending. It turns out, there was in fact only 50 second left before credits. This, in and of itself, may tell you a little something about the end of House of Dynamite.
October 26, 2025 at 2:52 PM
I stopped House of Dynamite with 12:43 left to go to the bathroom, so I could focus on the ending. It turns out, there was in fact only 50 second left before credits. This, in and of itself, may tell you a little something about the end of House of Dynamite.