Dimland Radio

dimland radio 11-4-17 show notes

World Series Recap

For those of you who don’t like sports, I start the show with sports. I couldn’t help but talk about this year’s Fall Classic. It was pretty damn entertaining.

She Knew The Jerk

While talking about the Series, I mentioned the jerk who grabbed a home run ball out of the hand of the woman who caught it and threw it back on the field. It is a tradition to throw the opposing team’s home run ball back and not keep it. The tradition started in Chicago with the Cubs fans. But the tradition is also to let the person catching the ball make the decision to throw it back.

Well, that fellow didn’t let her make the decision. Neither Joe Buck nor John Smoltz mentioned the break with tradition, but people on social media noticed it and took to commenting on what a jerk he was. I made a similar comment about the fellow on Facebook.

It turns out the jerk was the brother of the woman’s husband.

Pedantic Moment: Why Would You Take The Blue Pill

Another internet meme surfaced asking which option you would choose, see above.

Interesting choices, but why would anyone take the blue pill? You want to lose 20% of your brainpower?

It’s Not True: The People Only Use 10% Of Their Brains Myth

That blue pill option may have derived from the myth that people only use 10% of their brain power. Well, it’s not true. We use our entire brain.

Grief Vampires

I learned about Teresa St. Frances recently. She qualifies as what skeptics refer to as a grief vampire. I believe her to be sincere in her belief in her claimed abilities of being a psychic medium and animal communicator. She believes she can talk to the dead. And she offers her services to surviving loved ones of teens who have committed suicide.

That’s infuriating to this skeptic.

You can look at her site, but I won’t link to it. Just Google her name.

I will link to Steve Novella’s piece on grief vampires.

Top Three Cool Things Of The Week

Here are the Top Three Cool Things from this week.

3) A new 100 megapixel image of the moon.

2) Halloween! Although this year we didn’t have as many trick or treaters come to the house. 56 in all. Last year we had 99.

1) The World Series, of course.

Movie Recommendation: Deadline USA (1952)

It’s been way too long since I’ve made a recommendation. Sorry about that.

I just watched this one a few nights ago. It’s a newspaper movie starring Humphrey Bogart as a serious newsman running a paper that might be sold to a competitor and shut down. Bogart’s character is determined to take down a notorious mobster who seemed untouchable.

Gritty and entertaining with Bogart being Bogart.

Music heard on the show…

Dimland Radio opening theme song: ‘Ram‘ by The Yoleus
First ad break bumpers: ‘Rapture‘ by Blondie & ‘You’ll Have To Go Sideways‘ by The Soft Boys

Second ad break bumpers: ‘I Want The One I Can’t Have‘ by The Smiths & ‘No More Lonely Nights‘ by Paul McCartney

Closing song: ‘Angler’s Treble Hook‘ by $5 Fiddle

That’s it! See you next Saturday night for Dimland Radio 11 Central, midnight Eastern on www.ztalkradio.com you can also download my show from the z talk show archives page. You can email your questions and comments to drdim@dimland.com

Please subscribe on iTunes! Just search for Dimland Radio in the podcast section. And if you could leave a good rating and a positive review it would be awesome.

You can also go to my CafePress store and buy stuff with my artwork on it and have me do a portrait for you if you like. Find out more here and here.

dimland radio 10-28-17 show notes

It Looks Like I’m Not The Only One

You may recall in early September I told the story of my blowing out a tire by hitting a curb while attempting to get on the freeway. Well, someone else just did the same thing the other night!

I’m not the only one.

Never Tell Someone About Your Dream!

Unless you make it quick. I had an unusual one the other morning that I hope is amusing enough to break rule one of the Dimland Radio Rules On Telling People About Your Dreams. What is rule number one?

Rule Number One is DON’T!

But I talked about the dream anyway.

A Dimland Radio ARGH!

When leaving a message on voice mail in which you give your phone number, do me a favor and say the number twice!

Pedantic Moment: Gary Larson Doesn’t Know How Doors Work

A sharp-eyed fan of The Far Side comic strip, the greatest comic strip ever, brought this to the attention of The Far Side Fan Group on Facebook. Francisco Melara spotted something wrong with the door in the classic “Midvale School for the Gifted” strip. The smart kid in the comic doesn’t know how to open the door. He’s obviously doing the opposite of what the door is instructing him to do, but the pneumatic closer is on the wrong side of the door!

Good eye, Francisco! 10 points!

Norman Doors

The Far Side goof prompted a FB person to share a video telling us about Norman Doors. Norman Doors are named for Don Norman, a really smart guy who got tired of poorly designs things which we use every day. Things like doors.

Check out this video to learn more.

A Scary Story About A Woman With Huuuuuuuuuge Booooobs

Like a car accident you can’t help but look at, I recently encountered a woman whose breasts were quite large. I did my best not to stare, but I was then accused of staring, not at the woman with the you know, nope. No, I was accused of staring at a 4 year-old child.

I wasn’t. Not at the child and not at the woman with the…things.

This Was Very Disturbing

A news item was shared on the Facebook that was terrible. A 54 year old man in Turkey took his life publicly on Facebook Live. He ignored the pleas of family and friends.

Why did he kill himself and why so publicly? He was distraught that his daughter got engaged without his permission. At least, he didn’t kill her or anyone else, but that daughter has to live with this now.

As disturbing as this story is, what I found more upsetting was the person, a woman, who shared the story on Facebook was blaming the daughter!

What?!

Top Three Cool Things Of The Week

Here are the Top Three Cool Things from this week.

3) The World Series is once again being played!

2) The Hated Yankees ain’t in it!

1) Game Two of the 2017 World Series was awesome!

Movie Recommendation: None

I ran out of time, so you are on your own this week.

Music heard on the show…

Dimland Radio opening theme song: ‘Ram‘ by The Yoleus
First ad break bumpers: ‘In The Flat Field‘ by Bauhaus & ‘Strange‘ by REM

Second ad break bumpers: ‘This Wheel’s On Fire‘ by Souixsie & The Banshees & ‘O, Superman‘ by Laurie Anderson

Closing song: ‘Angler’s Treble Hook‘ by $5 Fiddle

Please subscribe on iTunes! Just search for Dimland Radio in the podcast section. And if you could leave a good rating and a positive review it would be awesome.

You can also go to my CafePress store and buy stuff with my artwork on it and have me do a portrait for you if you like. Find out more here and here.

dimland radio 10-21-17 show notes

The Reasons For No Show Last Week

After producing no shows through most of September and only doing one this month, I took another week off. I had planned to record a show early, but things didn’t go as planned. I got sick and didn’t feel up to recording a show early.

The reasons for recording on Wednesday include: Thursday was MN Skeptics meet-up night and I usually get back late, so I wouldn’t record that night, but I didn’t attend due to being sick anyway. Friday was my wife’s and my 16th wedding anniversary, which was the main reason I wanted to record early. And Saturday there would be too much to do to record.

And there was something else that happened.

An Atheist Rant

Before I discussed the other significant event that happened in the past week or so, I went into a rant about how religious people have a way of rationalizing tragic events. They manage to both credit their god for positive events after a tragedy, while not blaming that god for allowing the tragedy to happen.

It’s really something to behold.

This rant was prompted mainly by a news report about a survivor of the Vegas shooting and why the victim’s father believed he survived being shot. God has a plan! Ugggh.

Stanley Green December 30, 1935 – October 13, 2017

Taken during his time in Vietnam.

My father-in-law died on Friday the 13th. Yes, Amy’s and my anniversary. Timing is everything, but I choose to consider his death on that day makes it even more special.

I talk about my father-in-law, his last few years and months, and the time he ended his journey through life.

It’s Just A Coincidence!

Shortly after my father-in-law died gravity caused a part of a light fixture just outside Dad’s room to fall and break. I made certain to keep the family members present that it wasn’t some kind of message.

Later on there was another odd coincidence.

It’s just a coincidence!

Pedantic Moment: Call The Police First!

I recently watched the 1939 horror film The Return of Doctor X. It features Humphrey Bogart in his only role in that genre. It’s interesting if a bit silly.

A newspaper reporter played by Wayne Morris lands an interview with a big time stage actress. When he arrives at her hotel room, he finds her dead. Does he call hotel management? Does he call the police?

Nope. He calls his editor and they put out an exclusive as an extra, which hits the streets before the police are even notified.

Things were different in the ’30s, but not that different.

Another Pedantic Moment: Why Is Scotty Included Twice?

This image caught my eye. It was accompanied by a question. People were asked which of these characters they would want to be their chief engineer.

If you are familiar with Star Trek you might just ask the same question: Why is Scotty in there twice?

Top Three Cool Things Of The Week

Here are the Top Three Cool Things from this week.

3) I saw the trailer for the next Star Wars movie. It looks pretty damn cool!

2) Amy and I went to see My Favorite Murder live. It was very funny.

1) As of October 13, 2017, Amy and I have been married for 16 years.

Movie Recommendation: None

I ran out of time, so you are on your own this week.

Music heard on the show…

Dimland Radio opening theme song: ‘Ram‘ by The Yoleus
First ad break bumpers: ‘OK This Is The Pops‘ by Tones On Tail & ‘Music For Boys‘ by The Suburbs

Second ad break bumpers: ‘Empty Glass‘ by Pete Townshend & ‘Here It Is Tomorrow‘ by Game Theory

Closing song: ‘Angler’s Treble Hook‘ by $5 Fiddle

Please subscribe on iTunes! Just search for Dimland Radio in the podcast section. And if you could leave a good rating and a positive review it would be awesome.

You can also go to my CafePress store and buy stuff with my artwork on it and have me do a portrait for you if you like. Find out more here and here.

dimland radio 10-7-17 show notes

The Triumphant Return Of Dimland Radio

Yet another mass shooting has grabbing our attention. This time in Las Vegas. This time, it is said, it’s the worst mass shooting in modern American history. This time it was carried out by an older, wealthy, white man.

I don’t have any answers as to why this happens or why America has such a probably with gun violence. I don’t know how to stop it. I have no interest in owning a gun and, though I can understand the position of those who wish to get rid of the 2nd Amendment, I am a supporter of the Bill of Rights.

I talked about the stupid argument about the Framers of our Constitution could only have had flintlocks, muskets, and pistols in my when they wrote that 2nd Amendment. Really, that’s just a dumb argument. Don’t make it.

I talked about my initial reaction when seeing the news on Monday morning. And, of course, the portrait format amateur video reared it’s ugly head again. I noted something a little humorous about one of those amateur videos. I also talked about that fellow who attended the concert and stood and gave the finger to the shooter while being shoot at. Well, not exactly while being shot at. Still, a pretty defiant dude

And I got into this whole tendency of law enforcement and news media to call this guy a terrorist. Is there a racial component to that tendency? Possibly. I extend a small benefit of the doubt to the Sheriff in Las Vegas, but according to the legal definition of acts of terror Nevada law, that mass shooting was an act of terror. The “lone wolf” sort, but still terror.

Image was mentioned on the show.

You Picked The Wrong Guy, Mr. Scammer

I accepted a friend request from a fellow on Facebook. I pretty much accept any friend request that is sent to me. I might want to rethink that. So, immediately after making this new FB friend a message from him popped up.

He was trying to hook me into an internet scam. Not gonna work on this skeptic, pal.

Pedantic Moment: The Picture Isn’t Helping

Sorry about the poor quality. Picture was taken with my flip phone.

I spotted a page of a magazine posted on an office wall the other day. It was a full page photograph with a caption meant meant to inspire. The caption was quoting an African proverb: “If you to go fast, go alone. If you want go far, go together.”

That’s a nice sentiment. However, the image in the photo is of a competitive rowing team carrying their boat into the water. Can you guess my pedantry?

Hint: Is the goal of competitive rowing to go fast or far?

Top Three Cool Things Of The Week

Here are the Top Three Cool Things from this week.

3) The MN Twins made it into the postseason. They are the first team in baseball history to lose 100 or more (103) in one season and make the playoff the next. Of course, there is an ARGH involved, because the Hated Yankees, once again, bounced the Twins right away. That’s five times in the last six times the Twins made the postseason that the Hated Yankees have done this.

2) The MN Lynx won the WNBA Championship. This was their fourth title in seven years. There’s one team in Minnesota that knows how to win it all.

1) Penn Jillette accepted my apology for being an asshole. You’ll have to listen to get the story.

Movie Recommendation: None

I ran out of time, so you are on your own this week.

Music heard on the show…

Dimland Radio opening theme song: ‘Ram‘ by The Yoleus
First ad break bumpers: ‘Every Word Means No‘ by Let’s Active & ‘I Want You Back‘ by Hoodoo Gurus

Second ad break bumpers: ‘Stop Hurting People‘ by Pete Townshend & ‘Soul In Isolation‘ by The Chameleons UK

Closing song: ‘Angler’s Treble Hook‘ by $5 Fiddle

Please subscribe on iTunes! Just search for Dimland Radio in the podcast section. And if you could leave a good rating and a positive review it would be awesome.

You can also go to my CafePress store and buy stuff with my artwork on it and have me do a portrait for you if you like. Find out more here and here.

dimland radio 9-2-17 show notes

Welcome To High School And Welcome To The Curb

I still feel so stupid. More on that in a moment.

Thursday night was a welcome freshmen and parents to their new school. My son Hayden starts high school on Tuesday. My wife and I are a little nervous about it, but I’m sure he’ll do his best. I didn’t talk much about the presentation to the parents (the kids were sent off to some other part of the school).

I did note an odd perceptual thing, at least on my part, when looking at people standing at the front of an auditorium. It might just be me, but those people tend to look taller than they are. Is it just me?

It was what happened after the event at the school that made the night a royal pain in the ass and made me feel so stupid. On the way home I took a slight detour to show Amy and Hayden something. It was pretty much on the way, so I figured why not.

Getting back to our route home, my attention was not as sharp as it should have been. I was concentrating on the oncoming traffic during a turn onto the on ramp for the Interstate. I didn’t notice I had cut the corner just a bit too sharp.

WHAM!

I hit the curb dead on with the front driver’s side tire. The tire blew out.

So, god damn stupid.

Guest Appearances Of Other Podcasts

A couple weeks or so back, I participated in a group discussion of filmmaker George Romero. The discussion was on The Assault Of The Two-Headed Space Mules podcast, hosted by my friend Douglas Arthur. He had enough material to split it into two parts. Please check them out.

The other podcast was more recent. It’s called A Topic A Month and is hosted by Adin Briggs who resides in Duluth, MN. Or as Minnesotans call it: Dah-loot. Adin had me on for about an hour to discuss conspiracy theories from a skeptical angle. Please check it out.

Yes, You Have The Right, But There May be Consequences

Tuesday morning the local free weekly newpaper, Cities Pages, broke a story about the owner of a bar in Minneapolis’ North Loop section having donated $500 to the 2016 Senatorial campaign of David Duke. Yes, that David Duke.

That news has had a ripple effect. Part of which is the MN Skeptics group will be taking our business elsewhere for our monthly meet-ups. For the past six to seven years the MN Skeptics have headed to Club Jager, after having dinner at Be’Wiched, a way cool deli that has been very good to us. None of the members of MN Skeptics wishes to remain patrons of Club Jager.

We feel badly for the employees of the bar. We never got any hint of the apparent attitude of the owner from any of the staff. Most of them were very cool. (There is a blog from almost ten years ago telling stories of some racial and anti-Semitic troubles by patrons with the bar seeming to look the other way.) But we needn’t have worry. By the closing time Thursday night, the entire staff had quit.

The owner remarked that he was exercising his right to donate money to whomever he wished. True. He can do that. The $500 just cost him a whole lot more, because his staff and patrons are exercising their rights.

Pedantic Moment: To Serve Man

I blogged about this at Warehouse Find, the official blog of Nostalgia Zone. It occurred to me earlier in the week that an episode of the classic television sci-fi series The Twilight Zone offers a couple pretty worthy Pedantic Moments.

Read here to get those moments.

Top Three Cool Things Of The Week

Here are the Top Three Cool Things from this week.

3) Victims of the “satanic panic” of the 1990s, Dan and Fran Keller served 21 years in prison for satanic ritual abuse of children in their day care. They were innocent. They have been released and received $3.4 million.

2) I found an excellent source online for identifying fake news on the internets.

1) MN Skeptics taking their business elsewhere and the staff of Club Jager deciding their principles were more valuable than their jobs.

Movie Recommendation: None

I ran out of time, so you are on your own this week.

Music heard on the show…

Dimland Radio opening theme song: ‘Ram‘ by The Yoleus
First ad break bumpers: ‘Tabazan‘ by Killing Joke & ‘Homebreakers‘ by The Style Council

Second ad break bumpers: ‘Entre Nous‘ by Rush & ‘Respectable Street‘ by XTC

Closing song: ‘Angler’s Treble Hook‘ by $5 Fiddle

Please subscribe on iTunes! Just search for Dimland Radio in the podcast section. And if you could leave a good rating and a positive review it would be awesome.

You can also go to my CafePress store and buy stuff with my artwork on it and have me do a portrait for you if you like. Find out more here and here.