Chapter 19

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Not romantically. Baroquely maybe.
In classical music, "Romantic" (roughly 1815-1900) and "Baroque" (1600-1750) refer to two distinct styles. The former is rich, luscious, poetic, with lots of harmonization (eg Berlioz, Chopin, Liszt, Schumann, Brahms, Dvorak and Tchaikovsky). The latter is more austere and rhythmic, and is often characterized with two or more different melodic strains playing at the same time, often in counterpoint to each other (eg Bach, Handel). So a "Baroque" relationship between Heidi and Evan would be quite different to a "Romantic" one.

Geraldo, I thought you got canceled
Geraldo was a daytime talk show hosted by Geraldo Rivera (1987 to 1998).

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Nozzoli
Nozze is marriage in Italian, and the text here is sort of about marriage. (also, Tenuta di Nozzole is a well-known Chianti Classico. Too much of a stretch? Well, the color is roughly Carmine ...)

Douglas Sirk
Douglas Sirk (April 26, 1897 – January 14, 1987) was a German film director best known for his work in Hollywood melodramas in the 1950s. From WIKI.

Angelika
Angelika Film Center is a movie theater chain in the United States that features independent and foreign films. It operates theaters in New York City, Texas, and Virginia. Its headquarters are in New York City. From WIKI.

Written on the Wind
Written on the Wind is a 1956 American drama film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone. For more info see WIKI.

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Bendel's
Henri Bendel is an American upscale women's specialty store based in New York City that sells fashion accessories, cosmetics and fragrances, gifts and gourmet foods. They introduced their line of Monica Lewinsky handbags in March 2000 [1]. The company currently operates twenty-nine stores. From WIKI.

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Long March Szechuan Muesli<br\> Szechuan was one of the more important battle areas in the war between Mao Tse Tung's Red Army (The Long March) and the defending Chiang Kai Shek forces. Denuding the area of grain was one of the tactics used by the retreating Nationalist forces.

Magic Goji Longevity Shake<br\> Goji (aka wolfberry) is claimed by some to extend longevity.

"Benji Roll" . . . You never saw the movie?
Several movies (the first in 1974) were made about a fictional dog named Benji.

Green Jade Energetic Surprise<br\> maybe a nod to Monty Python's "Spring Surprise" chocolates?

Gang of Four Vegetarian Combo
The Gang of Four was the name given to a political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–76) and were subsequently charged with a series of treasonous crimes. The members consisted of Mao Zedong's last wife Jiang Qing, the leading figure of the group, and her close associates Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan, and Wang Hongwen. The Gang of Four effectively controlled the power organs of the Communist Party of China through the latter stages of the Cultural Revolution, although it remains unclear which major decisions were made through Mao Zedong and carried out by the Gang, and which were the result of the Gang of Four's own planning. From WIKI.

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Favre, Brett
Favre's name sets up Pynchon's punningly named "Joie de Beavre" strip club on p. 219.

depended on the kindness of stranglers
Blanche DuBois (in the play A Streetcar Named Desire): "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."

paradiddle
Wiki says : A paradiddle consists of two single strokes followed by a double stroke, i.e., RLRR or LRLL. When multiple paradiddles are played in succession, the first note always alternates between right and left. Paradiddles are often used to switch hands.

rounders
A rounder is a dissolute person, a drunkard

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full-auto badasses
"full-auto" is an abbreviation for "fully automatic" and refers to their weaponry. Wikipedia

li'l lovebirds' nidito
Lovenest

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Henny Youngman
A comedian known for his one-liners such as "When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading." See WIKI for more.

something happened in Vegas that didn't all stay there
The semi-official motto of Las Vegas: "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."

Natch
"naturally" or "of course." A word used often in Inherent Vice.