dimland radio 1-10-15 show notes

The Loss Of A Facebook Friend

Well, not that dramatic. I was unfriended because I am a white, privileged, atheist male and my FB friend can’t have any of them commenting on a hateful post about the douchiest white, privileged, atheist males. She listed seven she thought were pretty douchie and I voiced a mild protest. I was jumped on by the comment thread echo chamber.
 
Meh.

Here’s the link to that thread. I’m not sure it will work for you if you don’t have a Facebook account, but there it is.


Hatari
If John wasn’t on that radio, he too would be holding a cig.
I talked about this 1962 Howard Hawks adventure film starring John Wayne. Not a bad movie, some corniness, but still entertaining. In it we go on an adventure following a group, lead by Wayne, as they capture African wild animals to send to zoos.
 
I’m not sure why it struck so much with this film, but everyone smoked! They were constantly lighting up. I’ve seen lots of old movies from the days when people started smoking at age eight, but for some reason this movie felt like an ad for camel cigarettes.
 

To Comply Or Not To Comply


Since the aftermath of the Trayvon Martin shooting, there has been a heightened focus on police actions with force. Community activists, social and news media have really turned their attention to this complicated topic. So, I waded in again (I had talked about this last week) by talking about another video I spotted on Facebook.
 
This one was of what was touted as a brave man standing up to a cop with his gun drawn. The brave man was videoing the encounter (in the hated portrait format). He kept stating that he wasn’t a threat, he didn’t do anything wrong, why did he need to get on the ground.
 
My take was that the man wasn’t so brave as he was dumb. The cop doesn’t know a person isn’t a threat just because they say they aren’t. The cop told the man that he needed to figure out what was going on and that he knew the camera guy hadn’t done anything wrong. I kept thinking while watching the video, “Dude! Are you trying to talk your way into getting shot? Get down on the ground.”
 
I also spotted a video from a news station in Phoenix, AZ reporting on a community activist taking the local police up on an offer to demonstrate what a “force on force” training session is like. He and the reporter both went through the training and found that the job on the streets in real time is much more complicated then they had thought.
 
The community activist came away with the advice for his community, “People need to comply with the orders of law enforcement officers for their own sake.”

Interesting, eh?
 
Here are several links to check out on this topic:
 
 

Movie Recommendation: Robot & Frank (2012)


State 6 Films
This movie is very charming. It introduces us to Frank (Frank Langella) an older man who lives on his own despite having memory problems. Problems he denies. His son brings a robot to help Frank. At first, Frank resists and resents the robot, but he soon realizes the robot might be useful in an unintended way.

Frank used to be a cat burglar, a good one, and he thinks he may have one or two capers left in him…

It co-stars Susan Sarandon, Peter Sarsgaard, James Marsden, and Liv Tyler.

 

Music heard on the show…

Dimland Radio opening theme song: ‘Ram’ by The Yoleus
First ad break bumpers: ‘Take It Away‘ by Paul McCartney & ‘The Queen Of Eyes‘ by The Soft Boys
Second ad break bumpers: ‘Snake Dance‘ by The March Violets & ‘Public Highway‘ by Luxuria

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 1-3-15 show notes

Nature Is Still Attacking!

The wild turkeys are still hanging around the office at which I work. This time I got a picture!

And there they are!
Something That Bugs Me

I know, what doesn’t bug me?

 
But what was bugging this time? A type of collar on men’s dress shirts. There’s actually two styles that just look wrong to me. They are the the cutaway and the English spread. They are too wide and really need a tie with a wide tie knot. If the dude doesn’t wear a wide tie knot you’ll be able to see the tie going around the neck. The collar is supposed to cover that.

I don’t like it and it bugs me.

 
I prefer the forward point or the button down.
A local news reporter, Jonathan Choe, wears shirts with the cutaway or English spread collar. Below you’ll see what I mean.
 
Jonathan Choe Fox 9 News
Choe with drunks. See the tie heading around his neck? A regular collar would cover that. Looks wrong, doesn’t it?

Dimland Radio’s Dumbass Of 2014: Greenpeace


I didn’t get into their mission, but Greenpeace did do something rather stupid last December. They sent activists to the Nazca desert in Peru to send a message to the world. The message was, “Time for change! The future is renewable.” How I read it was, “We arrogant assholes don’t give a shit if we might destroy ancient art. We have a message to send and the ends justify the means.”

What dumbasses. Greenpeace wins the award.


9/11 Is Still A Conspiracy
 
I spoke briefly about a Facebook friend who was sharing a Loose Change video. Loose Change is a group of long discredited conspiracy theorists who engaged in anomaly hunting through the events of September 11, 2001.
 
Conspiracy theorists think of themselves as skeptics, but they aren’t. They may be skeptical of bigfoot, ghosts, or UFOs. But when it comes to their conspiracy theory, their skepticism fails them.
 
I figured they become Facebook friends of mine, because I check to see if they have mutual skeptic friends. If they do, I accept their friend request.
 
This same thing happens with the anti-GMO/Monsanto crowd.
Rebecca Watson Leaves SGU
 
Longtime member of the rogues gallery of the Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe (SGU) podcast, Rebecca Watson, has left the show after nine years.
 
Rebecca has been a polarizing figure in the skeptical movement, but I have always liked her on the SGU. I’ve agreed with some of her actions and statements away from the podcast, but I’ve also found some of her actions very disturbing.
 
I won’t go into everything here. I’m an outsider and I don’t know everything about what went on. I did speculate on whether or not those who were always very supportive of Rebecca might know take the gloves off when it comes to the treatment of the SGU and the fellows on the show. I guess time will tell.
 
I did wonder if there was any conflict between Rebecca and the other members of the SGU when it cam to The Amazing Meeting! (TAM). A couple few years ago, Rebecca had a falling out with the James Randi Educational Foundation and its then president DJ Grothe. She then refused to attend TAM, while the rest of the SGU continued to go and talk about how great the conferences have been. Seems as though there would be some tension.
 
The Paranormal Power I Would Like To Have

 
I called it astral projection, but I was told that’s not what I described. Perhaps remote viewing is more accurate. The power would be the ability to observe any moment in history, anywhere it has happened. I went into the rules of this power, which I won’t do here. I might, however, write an expanded blog on it.
 
I speculated on being able to take one person with me and being able to show them their pet beliefs of the past just weren’t true. But maybe it would turn out they were true.

 

Movie Recommendation: None This Week

 

I ran out of time, so you are on your own. I did mention ‘Life Of Pi’ might be worth a watch.

 

Music heard on the show…

Dimland Radio opening theme song: ‘Ram’ by The Yoleus
First ad break bumpers: ‘Angels Of Deception’ by The The & ‘America Is Waiting‘ by David Byrne & Brian Eno
Second ad break bumpers: ‘Armagh‘ by Au Pairs & ‘Above It Now’ by Figures

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 12-27-14 show notes

Pedantic Moment Or Two

While listening to a recent podcasting of Doug Loves Movies, I had a pedantic moment that, had I been there, would have sorely tested my patience. Doug and two of his guests (Rev and Steve the producer) from a Seattle morning radio show played a game called “Beat the Producer”. The audience was tasked to keep time. Doug and then Steve had 60 seconds to answer ten movie trivia questions. The audience did not follow instructions, but no one noticed. Well, I did.

Also, Rev who provided the questions didn’t get an aspect of one question quite right.

Nature Is Attacking!

There has been a group (rafter, thanks to listener Dave) of wild turkeys hanging around where I work lately. They get in the way of traffic and they chase after the mail truck when it approaches. Dumb birds.


I had considered chasing them off, but they are pretty big and I ain’t no dumb bird. 


Viral Infection And A Broken Tooth

I was pretty darned sick this past week, but I toughed it out. I had my annual physical and the doctor figured I had a viral infection that would have to run its course. It appears to have run it.

Also, this past Monday, when chewing up some chips, I had a tooth break. It was a filling that gave loose. I have so many fillings that now the teeth are beginning to break apart. Crowns would be the better fix, but my insurance doesn’t cover them, so the dentists patch ’em up the best they can.

Artwork Completed
 
‘Vlad the Impaler’ 2014: Ink, watercolor and dyes by me!

Also this past week saw me complete two art projects. One of which I had been working on for over a year. Well over.


One was a cartoon illustration of Vlad the Impaler (above). I had done this one as a thank you gift for my older brother, who took me to see The Replacement this past September. He was very happy with it.

The one that took all that time was a portrait of my wife. It took so long because I just kept setting it aside and didn’t work on it for weeks. But I finally got to it. I don’t have it scanned, so I can’t post it here. I’ll see what I can do to remedy that soon.

Internet Wrongness
A Facebook friend posted a something just a little too good to be true this past week. This is a fellow who I have had contact with through FB on a few occasions, so we have a bit of familiarity with each other.

His post was a letter allegedly written by an 86 year old woman who had the check she wrote to her plumber bounce. She stated that check must have been processed three nanoseconds before her pension was automatically deposited, causing an overdraft with a service fee of $30.

“Nanoseconds?” And 86 year old woman used the term “nanoseconds?” Hmmm.

She also mentioned the overdraft screwed up her mortgage and other loan payments. Mortgage? And loans? How many 86 year olds have those?

It turns out the letter wasn’t written to a bank. And it wasn’t written by this little old lady. It was a column in the Courier Mail of Brisbane, Australia written by Peter Wear. He wrote it way back in January 1999.


This article has been floating around the internets ever since. With the help of Snopes.com, I pointed that out in the thread. My FB friend said that everyone know the site he pulled it from is just for laughs and he deleted my comments. Well, it’s his post, so it’s his prerogative to delete any post he likes.

As a skeptic, I take it as part of my job to point out internet wrongness when I find it.

I also promised that I would link to a listing of “news” websites that should be avoided when looking for truthful news. I found two. One list from Doubtful News and another useful list from About.com.


Movie Recommendation: Silent Running (1972)

 
Universal Pictures

Not a great movie, but an interesting look at the ecology movement of the early 70s through science fiction. Bruce Dern plays the gardener of several forests that have been launched into space, because the people of earth had somehow learned to do without them. (Where’d the oxygen come from?) 


The decision had been made that after eight years of funding the project that is was time to end it and bring the boys and the robot drones back home. Dern and his three other spacecraft mates were odered to destroy the forests and prepare to return to earth.

Well, that’s not exactly how it went.

 

Music heard on the show…

Dimland Radio opening theme song: ‘Ram’ by The Yoleus
First ad break bumpers: ‘You’ll Have To Go Sideways‘ by The Soft Boys & ‘Yea‘ by Man Sized Action
Second ad break bumpers: ‘YOYOY‘ by Cheap Trick & ‘You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch‘ by Thurl Ravenscroft

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 12-20-14 show notes

My Skeptical Core Rocked?

I reminded my listeners of the story I told of Michael Shermer’s skeptical core rocking back on my November 22nd show. Recently, I had one as well. It involved the 70s mother of all paranormal TV shows: ‘In Search Of…’
 
But first…

Women’s Underwear Part One

While watching an episode of ‘In Search Of…’ on haunted castles that featured a re-enactment of a ghost encounter in 1880 or 1890. There were two sisters driven crazy by the experience. One was preparing for bed dressed in a nightgown that was modest as one might expect in Victorian England. However, if your eye is as used to checking out certain areas of women’s bodies as mine is (I know – patriarchy), you would notice she was wearing rather modern (modern for the 1970s) panties. 

 
Anyway, My Skeptical Core Rocking 
 
So, Amy and I were watching our DVD collection of ‘In Search Of…’ and the episode on the Oak Island Money Pit Mystery. I remembered the episode, but my wife hadn’t seen it before, so the Money Pit was new to her. After that episode, I played for her the Skeptoid Brain Dunning had done examining the mystery. There is a far more likely explanation – a natural explanation.
 
The Braveheart Battle Speech Cliche 

 
It seems that since Mel Gibson made ‘Braveheart’ that the pre-battle speech used in his film has become cliche. At least, that’s how it seems to me. I suggested that Hollywood just cut some production costs and drop in that scene from ‘Braveheart’ into any movie with that cliche.

 

But, I also mentioned two pre-battle speeches in two great films that, for me, surpass that stirring ‘Braveheart’ original speech. They are: 1) Patton’s address to his troops at the beginning of 1970’s brilliant biopic ‘Patton’. A speech performed perfectly by George C Scott in his best known role, and 2) from ‘Saving Private Ryan’ it’s the talk Tom Hanks as Capt. Miller gives his men as they approach Omaha Beach in the invasion of Normandy. He and his Sargent simply remind the men of their training with Hanks ended his understated talk with, “I’ll see you on the beach.”

Women’s Underwear Part Two
As part of a rant about how pointless I think the Grammys are. I mean XTC has never been nominated. And they are awesome. The Grammys just award those artists who are popular and have sold a lot of records, but the best of them, right?
 
That’s what I thought. Or I tried to think. But I just learned Charli XCX has been nominated for two Grammys. Perhaps she’s great. I’d never heard of her until she appeared as a musical guest on David Letterman’s show.
 
Well, I don’t know about her singing talents.
 
I did, however, notice how she was dressed. She was wearing underwear and looked pretty good. I also noticed that her panties were loose fitting and revealed, not everything, but quite a lot. Ahem.
 

Last Minute Thoughts  

 
After the show, I had ended I realized I still had a minute or two left, so I postulated that this whole Sony email hack, not releasing ‘The Interview’, ‘Team America’ being pulling from being a suitable replacement, etc. are all part of an elaborate conspiracy to keep what looks like an awful movie from being released.

 
Hang on. Conspiracy? What show is this?
Movie Recommendation: None This Week

I didn’t think of a movie for this week, but watching ‘Patton’, which I’ve recommended before, would be a good choice.

 

Music heard on the show…

Dimland Radio opening theme song: ‘Ram’ by The Yoleus
First ad break bumpers: ‘Limelight‘ by Rush & ‘Earn Enough For Us‘ by XTC
Second ad break bumpers: ‘Senses Working Overtime‘ & ‘Ballet For A Rainy Day‘ by XTC

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 12-13-14 show notes

Reality Shows

We don’t have cable, so we miss out on a lot of those flip my house or renovate my house shows, but we were visiting my father-in-law and he has cable. So, we caught an episode of some house buying/fixer up show (Property Brothers) that features twin brothers.One brother helps land the deal on a good house, the other is a contractor who fixes it up.
Well, I don’t care for “reality” shows, because they just ain’t real. The couple whose new house is being renovated, (which the show refers to as reno, by the way) keep “acting” impatient and a bit demanding. These people had been living in the basement of the guy’s parents’ house. Relax!

Of course, the producers of the show push the couple to act that way, I’m sure. Call me a cynic, but I don’t buy it.

And the show ends on budget, in time, and the couple loves it. I’m assuming this happens every show.
Give me This Old House.

Thomas Kinkade, Painter Of Crap

Maybe it’s a bit of sour grapes, because Kinkade made money hand over fist for his incredibly lame art. The masses just loved it. Painter of light? You know who was a painter of light? Rembrandt! van Gogh! Monet! They were painters of light, not this hack.

This is a painter of light! (Rembrandt)

This is a painter of light! (Van Gogh)

This is a painter of light! (Monet)
This is a painter of crap! (Kinkade)

So each year, just after Christmas, because they are on sale, I buy greeting cards to send out the next year. (Yes, I send Christmas cards.) What I look for are cards with a secular Christmas message. I ain’t sending any religious messages.

So, I was filling out this year’s cards when I realized the cover art was by Thomas Kinkade, painter of crap. God damn it!.
Dimland Radio Science Hero: Keith Law

In mid November, pitching legend Curt Schilling took to the Twitter to demonstrate that he doesn’t understand evolution. “If we evolved from monkeys, why are there still monkeys.” Sigh. That is a common question of those who never learned about one of the strongest supported by evidence theories known to science.

Schilling is a contributor to ESPN and a fellow contributor, Keith Law, took to the Twitter to counter Schilling’s ignorance. Law’s Twitter account was suspended. Nothing happened to Schilling.
A few days later, Law had his account reinstated. ESPN said it wasn’t suspended because of his views on evolution, but they were unclear as to why.

“Eppur si muove.” was Law’s first Tweet after reinstatement. Click here to learn what he meant.

I Must Be Getting Old…
I don’t like the look of the current style of men’s suits. They look too small and ill-fitting to me. Maybe, I’m just old.
It looks uncomfortable to me.
 My Dad Is Old…

This past Friday was the memorial service for my Uncle Dick. It was a very nice service. There was plenty mentions of God and prayers, but I kept my composure.

My father, however, had no problem with God and praying, but he did find the pastor a tad long-winded. He muttered as much to my younger brother, but Dad could be heard by those not sitting right next to him. Including the pastor.

Movie Recommendation: Apollo 13 (1995)

Imagine Entertainment
A very good telling of the “successful failure” of Apollo 13. It was to be the third mission to the moon, but an on board explosion made the mission one of getting the three astronauts home alive.

Well directed by Ron Howard with a fine cast featuring: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, and Kathleen Quinlan.

 

Music heard on the show…

Dimland Radio opening theme song: ‘Ram’ by The Yoleus
First ad break bumpers: ‘Wolves, Lower‘ by REM & ‘Watusi Rodeo‘ by Guadalcanal Diary
Second ad break bumpers: ‘We Care A Lot‘ by Faith No More & ‘We Got The Beat‘ by The Go Go’s

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.