Dimland Radio

dimland radio 11-14-15 show notes

Good Neighbor Jim Tarnished?

For two weeks we’ve had a fellow who lives down the block from us leaving his apparently non operating truck along the curb by our house. It isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it does inconvenience me when I park along that curb.

I was as tolerant as I think I could have been, so I reported it to the authorities. After all, snow is on the way and I don’t want some broken down truck getting in the way of the snow plow. I was told what the process would be. First, chalk the tires; then after a day or so tag it; finally, after another day or so tow it.

When I got home that night, the fellow and someone else were rigging the truck to be towed and they took it away. I don’t know if he was called by the city or if he had coincidentally come to haul it away.

Either way, we have our curb back.

Pedantic Moment: Chevy Ads

One of the ads for Chevy shows real people reacting to video of some Black Friday shopping frenzy. The “real” people in the ad were shocked. (Apparently, they’ve never watched the news before, especially around Thanksgiving.) The ad says that Chevy has a better way. Great. But people don’t mob car dealerships on Black Fridays.

Penn Jillette Is On A Crazy Diet

AND HE WON’T SHUT UP ABOUT IT!

We get it, Penn. You’re in love and you want the world to know about it, but after a month of Penn’s Sunday School podcasts focusing part of or the entire show on this scientifically dubious diet it is getting tiring.

A Quick Observation…

Ever notice that Hogan’s Heroes was always set in mid-November type weather. It was always a little cold with a little snow on the ground. The series ran for six season and it was never summer.

The Great Escape had that same kind of vibe going on. Albeit to a lesser extent.

Movie Recommendations: The Great Escape (1963)

United Artists

As long as I had brought it up. I figured I’d make it my movie recommendation for this week. This 1963 WWII POW classic is pretty damn good. A terrific popcorn movie that was from the era of the studio system, but very near the end of those days.

Lots of familiar faces and Steve McQueen. And it’s based on an actual event.

It’s streaming (not for free) on Netflix.

Music heard on the show…

Dimland Radio opening theme song: ‘Ram’ by The Yoleus
First ad break bumpers: ‘Rescue‘ by Echo & the Bunnymen & ‘Relax‘ by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Second ad break bumpers: ‘Requiem‘ by Killing Joke & ‘Repetition‘ By Urban Guerrillas

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

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 11-7-15 show notes

A Little Detour…

I hadn’t planned on it, but something sent me down a different track of thought at the top of the show. I reminisced about the old days of going to Paul Bunyan Land in Brainerd, MN. I talked about how, to a child, the park was very impressive, but when Amy and I went in 2002 or so, the park had lost much of its luster and was much more modest than I remembered.

Paul was still impressive though.

The park closed down at the end of that season that Amy and I visited. However, Paul and much of the other “attractions” of the park moved down the road a piece to join up with Pioneer Village. Amy and I brought our son Hayden there for his birthday just a few years ago. Paul’s display was redone and looked much better.


Paul from the olden days.

The more recent Paul.

Tainted Halloween Candy?

It seems each year we hear about tainted Halloween candy. Tainted either by drugs or razor blades or pins and needles. And each year, many of the claims turn out to not be true.

This year was no exception. (From Snopes.) There was even an untrue claim of needles in candy bars from Brainerd, MN! Ahhh! That story may have been what sent me on the unplanned talk about Paul Bunyan Land.

The mind is a terrible thing.

Pedantic Moment: Character With Asperger’s On Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Not exactly a timely topic, but I had seen an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent the other night that featured a character with Asperger’s Syndrome. Asperger’s is on the autism spectrum and is considered to be on the high functioning end.

The character barely functioned socially. I figured he was a half a step up the scale from Dustin Hoffman’s Raymond from Rain Man. This guy was very damned awkward socially, which is why I had such a hard time believing he had been married and had sired two kids!

His wife divorced him to marry one of the partners of the law firm at which she worked as a paralegal. We never see the ex-wife or the fellow she moved on with, but I figure she must have had something on the ball to hook up with a rich, powerful lawyer. So, how is it she was ever attracted to such a neurotic, tick-laden, frightened, pattern obsessed, socially inept man as Wally Stevens?

Also, a point made in the show was that Stevens was never diagnosed, so he went through life that way. He had never gone to a doctor ever in his life? Maybe they wouldn’t have tagged him with Asperger’s, a recently defined condition at the time; but surely any medical doctor worth his salt would have noted something was odd and refer him to a proper medical authority.

Yes, I know. I should repeat to myself, “It’s just a show, I should really just relax.”

What Are The Odds…

…That my name would be mentioned on the Skepticality podcast during their The Odds Must Be Crazy segment? Well, pretty good since I did send them a story.

I was working my night job and listening to Skepticality when I heard my name and story. I think I jumped a little as I didn’t expect to hear John Rael say my name.

Very cool!

Vitriol From The Left Is Still Vitriol

A frequent topic on my show it seems, most of my Facebook friend are politically left, so I see a lot of pro-Democrat and liberal issues stories and memes. I also see a fair amount of vitriol hurled at Republicans and conservatives.

Recently, a FB friend was completely baffled that Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, could be some charitable in his comments about people suffering from drug addiction. My friend couldn’t wrap his head around a GOP member having empathy. He posted a link to a Huffington Post story and asked how sometimes “Repiglicans” can break with their usual ‘greedy, vile asshole” ways and have some compassion.

I gave him an answer:

Because, as difficult as it is for some to believe (those who might use terms such as Repiglicans, for example) people we disagree with politically are just as human as we are. They are just as capable of compassion and empathy. But, as humans, we have a tendency to adopt the “us versus them” mentality. The out group isn’t us. They should be shunned, ridiclued, dehumanized because they aren’t part of our group.

Racists tend to do this. Sexists tend to do this. Religious groups against other religious groups tend to do this. The nonreligious against the religious and vice versa tend to do this. It’s part of human nature.

But, as Rosie said to Charlie in The African Queen, “Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are put in this world to rise above.”

I see this kind of uncharitable attitude toward the political out group daily all through my FB feed. Coming from both sides of the political aisle; however, since most of my FB friends are on the left, I tend to see more ugliness coming from that direction. Which is disappointing as it’s the left who seem to pride themselves on appreciating nuance. It was the left that criticized Pres. George W Bush because he didn’t do nuance.

Well, from what I see on a daily basis, some (I won’t say all because I won’t play the “us versus them” game) of my friends on the left don’t do nuance either. At least when it comes to Repiglicans.

I don’t know if my message got through.

Movie Recommendations: Blackthorn (2011)

Magnolia Pictures

An very good Western that is currently streaming on Netflix. It stars Sam Shepard as James Blackthorn, an aging breeder of horses who lives quietly in Bolivia. But, he does have a past. He is, in actuality, the notorious Butch Cassidy and contrary to what the world believes his is quite alive.

Set in the 1920s, some 27 years after Butch was supposed to have died, Blackthorn learns of the death of an old love and decides it’s time to return to America.

The trip doesn’t go according to plan…

Music heard on the show…

Dimland Radio opening theme song: ‘Ram’ by The Yoleus
First ad break bumpers: ‘Spy World‘ by Wall of Voodoo & ‘This World Over‘ by XTC

Second ad break bumpers: ‘Spirits In The Material World‘ by The Police & ‘New World Man‘ By Rush

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

dimland radio 10-31-15 show notes

Dimland Radio Look At Sports

I talked about this year’s World Series and some of the great moments of previous Fall Classics. At the time I recorded the show, the Kansas City Royals looked like they would defeat the New York Mets and I speculated on that possibility.

The Royals did go on (goon?) to win the Series.

Here are the great moments I touched on:

Kirk Gibson’s home run in 1988.

Kirby Puckett’s home run in 1991.

Game Six of the 2011 World Series between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Don Larson’s perfect game in 1956.

Jack Morris’ 10 inning pitching gem in 1991.

And THE GREATEST moment in World Series history.

Here’s one I shared on the Nostalgia Zone’s Facebook page, that I didn’t talk about on the show.

It was game six and seven of the 1975 World Series between the Boston Red Socks and the Cincinnati Reds.

No Boarding Of This Outrage Train

My brother-in-law’s brother-in-law (not me) posted a graphic reflecting the outrage over Target, Walmart, etc. now being open on Thanksgiving Day. I pointed out there are plenty of other people who already work that day. Why should we feel outrage that some Target workers have to work on Thanksgiving, when we aren’t bothered about police and fire, doctors and nurses having to work then? And what about workers at movie theaters and bars, etc?

My brother-in-law’s brother-in-law (not me) responded that he wouldn’t be going to a movie or a bar. And I’m sure he wasn’t planning on needing a doctor or the cops.

I then hit him with what you see in the graphic below. I think he removed the original graphic (you’ll see the original in my reworking) from his Facebook page. He’ll be watching football.

See what I did there?

A Prediction About The New Star Wars Movie

Based on what I’ve seen or, I should say, who I haven’t seen in the Star Wars trailers I’m speculating that Luke Skywalker has gone over to the Dark Side of the Force. It seems to me that is what the ads are hinting at.

I’m probably wrong. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

OH! I’m not the only one who thinks this way! There’s this guy.

‘Destination America’ And Bullshit

A group of spirit chase-awayers performed an exorcism on a house on live television. Really? Just when you thought television couldn’t get any lower or pander to the delusional any more, along comes these guys pulling the user of emotionally needy children (see Psychic Kids) Chip Coffey along with them. Their intent is to de-demonize the house in which “Roland Doe” lived when he was alleged to have been possessed by demons.

Yeah. How’d that work out, I wonder.

Movie Recommendations: The Changeling (1980) & The Legend of Hell House (1973)

I’ve recommended these movies before, but I thought, “‘Tis the season.” Why not recommend them again, since I just blogged about them for the Warehouse Find blog?

Go here for more.

Oh! I Almost Forgot…

This is what my son went as for Halloween this year.

Music heard on the show…

Dimland Radio opening theme song: ‘Ram’ by The Yoleus
First ad break bumpers: ‘Crystal Wrists‘ by Peter Murphy & ‘Go!‘ by Tones On Tail

Second ad break bumpers: ‘Date With A Vampyre‘ by The Screaming Tribesmen & ‘Double Dare‘ By Bauhaus

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

dimland radio 10-24-15 show notes

Really? I Mean – REALLY?

I started the show a bit hot under the collar.

I like baseball and this is the best time of the year for the game. It’s the postseason and I try to catch as much of the games as possible. BUT, the local ESPN Radio affiliate believes it’s better to run local programming or University of Minnesota Gopher Hockey rather than some of the postseason games.

Each of the games in baseball at this time of the year truly count and the Gophers are early enough in their season that one could miss a game or two, but, nope, gotta preempt baseball. It’s probably a contractual thing.

Still. I WANT BASEBALL! Not local talk or college hockey. Sheesh.

Tales From The Janitorial Side

Oh, I know what you think: Janitorial is nothing but joy-filled, totally rewarding, and appreciated evenings of cleaning offices. Well, it’s not. It’s mostly thankless work that usually has you hearing from customers only when they complain.

I gave a few examples of the travails of a janitorial service provider. There were a couple positive stories, but those are fairly rare.

Don’t Just Read Headlines!

Headlines are tricky things. They are meant to get people to read the article. Or, at least, that’s what they should be about. But, I noticed an unbelievable headline to the affect that Donald Trump would close mosques in the US if he’s elected president.

That seemed a little outlandish even for Trump, so I read the article. Trump was being interviewed on FoxBusiness by Stuart Varney. Varney asked if Trump would do some of the things the British government is debating about doing to fight terrorism and ISIS. Varney mentioned two actions: Revoking some passports and closing some mosques. Trump indicated he might do that, although he did back away from closing some mosques when asked about religious freedom.

My problem? It was some mosques. Some not all. To me many of the headlines appeared to just give the impression that Trump wants to close all mosques in the US. Perhaps I’m splitting hairs, but not by much, because the comments I’ve seen on Facebook sure indicate that those who dislike Trump believe that’s what he wants to do.

Read the article, damn it!

I Didn’t Care For ‘Whiplash’

My opinion was likely influenced by George Hrab’s absolute excoriating of the highly rated, Oscar winning film ‘Whiplash’. Geo is a musician and son of two teachers and he found technical errors and many other problems with the movie. His biggest beef was with what he called lazy script-writing.

So, as I said, my opinion was probably affected, but Adam Carolla and, Carolla sidekick, “Bald” Bryan Bishop raved about the movie. Bryan said it was the best film he’d see in the last 10 years, while Geo said it was the worst he’d seen in 10 to 15 years.

It appears I value Geo’s opinion more than Bryan’s; because, although I didn’t hate it as much as Geo, I thought it was pretty meh. JK Simmons was very good in his Oscar winning performance of an egotistical, domineering, sadistic, abusive, cruel, terrorizing asshole of a music teacher at an elite music college. I think even without Geo’s influence I would have great difficultly believing the man would keep his job for long with throwing chairs at and slapping students as he does in the movie.

Watch it if you like. It’s up to you.

Movie Recommendations: None

Ran out of time, so you’re on your own this week.

Music heard on the show…

Dimland Radio opening theme song: ‘Ram’ by The Yoleus
First ad break bumpers: ‘Take It Away‘ by Paul McCartney & ‘America Is Waiting‘ by Brian Eno & David Byrne

Second ad break bumpers: ‘Head Over Heels‘ by The Go Go’s & ‘The Unguarded Moment‘ By The Church

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

dimland radio 10-17-15 show notes

More Of What Is Great About October…

Last week, I had forgotten to mention a couple of other things that make October the greatest month of the year. One is that my wife and I were married in October. That led me to talking about the wedding ceremony. I did mention three of my favorite pictures from that day, however, I don’t have any of them digitized so I can’t post them. I think my wife prefers it that way.

Next, I talked about the greatest aspect of October. BASEBALL! The postseason is here. Yes, that means baseball is nearly done for the year, but until it is done, it looks like we are in for an excellent postseason.

I’m rooting for the Chicago Cubs, of course. But any of the teams involved winning the World Series would be fine by me. As long as the Hated Yankees aren’t involved, it’s going to be a great time.

And Now For My Annual Rant

Speaking of baseball and the postseason, it seems I forget each year that when I watch the games on TV, come the seventh inning stretch, I’ll be forced to hit mute or change the channel.

Why? Well, because, since 9/11, Fox and MLB has felt it necessary to force a new tradition into the seventh inning. You see, kids, the attacks of America on September 11, 2001 took place in New York city, the heart of the civilized world (if you ask New Yorkers). And the Hated Yankees had started having some cop come out and sing ‘God Bless America’. So, because it’s New York, everybody has to be subjected to it every postseason.

I will spare you the entire rant here, you can catch it on the show. I’ll just say that there is already a fine tradition in baseball for the seventh inning stretch. That tradition doesn’t get televised.

Full Circle On Victor Garbor

Victor Garber is an openly gay actor, you’d likely recognize him from the film ‘Titanic’ or the TV series ‘Alias’, who just married is partner, Rainer Andreesen. Andreesen looks uncannily like actor Bryan Cranston. I talked about how I had remarked to myself about how much Garber’s husband looked like Cranston, and I had stopped myself and realized I had just said something about a man and his husband. And it didn’t feel weird to me.

I remarked on how far we’d come in how we view gay folks. Especially since the mid 80s, my high school and art school days, when in October 1985 Dire Straits’ ‘Money For Nothing‘ was number one in the US. The songs did ruffle some feathers at the time with its multiple uses of the term “faggot”, but not enough to keep it from topping the charts. It also doesn’t keep the dinosaur rock stations from still playing either.

So, on the same day I learned of Garbor’s marriage and his name, which I hadn’t known until then, I got home from work and watched some Netflix before bed. I decided to watch an episode of ‘Louie‘, a series I hadn’t watched in several months. The show I watched that night had Louie CK getting involved with a model and ending up in jail, needing a lawyer.

Can you guess who played the lawyer? Yep. Victor Garber.

No More Naked Ladies In Playboy

It had been a rite of passage to male adulthood for many a boy since 1953. But with the internet providing more than enough naked ladies doing much more than to strike pretty poses, the magazine just lost steam.

I blogged about the end of nude pictorials and my introduction to the magazine for the Nostalgia Zone. I also talked about a friend apparently dropping me from her Facebook friends due to my not writing something negative about Playboy.

That may not be exactly what happened. Her daughter later told me that her mom just closed up her FB account. But she did post a comment voicing her concern about her son’s masturbating. Teenage boys masturbate? No shit!

As promised on the show, here is the website with virtually every Playboy centerfold ever. NSFW!

Movie Recommendations: None

Ran out of time, so you’re on your own this week.

Music heard on the show…

Dimland Radio opening theme song: ‘Ram’ by The Yoleus
First ad break bumpers: ‘Black Coffee in Bed‘ Squeeze & ‘White And Lazy‘ by The Replacements

Second ad break bumpers: ‘White Train‘ The dB’s & ‘Black Haired Girl‘ By The Alley Cats

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