After a couple minutes fumbling with the server, I managed to get another show going. It was most likely due to my error. Mea Culpa. What?! Again?!
I started the show admitting I was wrong about something. In the Z Talk chat room the night before, I stated that every Skeptic and Skeptical Inquirer has dissenting views. In Skeptic, at least, each issue includes a forum section, in which readers often take issue with articles in past editions. Well, I thought the forum was in each edition, but after taking a closer look, I found out the forum section is not in each issue. Whoops, I was wrong.
Zapped & penny wise pound foolish
There was then the story of how I learned that when working on electrical equipment one should always be sure it is unplugged. My younger brother and I were working on a industrial strength floor fan, trying to get it working again, when I zapped my fingers on the cord that was still plugged in.
Then I related how my boss, who two hours earlier said that those fans are pretty cheap, about a hundred bucks, was upset when I told him that my younger brother and I fixed it. He was upset because I didn’t clear it with him first when I told my brother (who works for us) to put an hour on his time card for helping us out. That one hour would cost my boss eight bucks!
A hundred bucks for a new fan? No problem. Eight bucks to get the broken fan fixed? Problem. I believe that would be the definition of “penny wise, pound (or dollar in the States) foolish.
Shrek 2
My wife, son and I had watched ‘Shrek 2’ for the first time earlier that day. Amy picked up the never viewed VHS tape at a garage sale the day before. It was a bargain.
It wasn’t as good as the first and not nearly as good as the worst Pixar film. Of course, there isn’t such a thing as a bad Pixar film. I made the point that Dreamworks’ ‘Shrek’ series will likely never become a timeless classic as, say, Pixar’s ‘Toy Story’ series. ‘Shrek 2’ is just way too full of pop culture references. References that can’t help but date the films as time goes on.
Pixar films do have some pop cultural references, but not nearly as many. That’s why I think Pixar edges out all the other animation studios’ feature films. That and the fact that Pixar knows how to crate enduring stories that warm the heart and entertain.
Living longer?
The latest issue of Skeptic has an article looking at the idea that people are living longer than way back in 1900 and even farther back. Sort of. Life expectancy has increased nearly 30 years among men and women in the States since 1900. But that’s life expectancy at birth. Infant mortality rates have come way down since the good old days. That has more to do with life expectancy levels rising than does medicine, food, or dentistry. (All of which have had a hand in extending our lives.) But in the good old days if you survived birth and your first five years, chances were pretty good that you would make it to 60, 70, 80 or even more.
As I talked about how old people lived to be way back when, I was trying to remember the Charlton Heston film in which he played Michelangelo. I couldn’t think of the name at the time, but it was the 1965 film ‘The Agony and the Ecstasy’.
By the way, Michelangelo died in 1564. He was nearly 89 years-old. See?
Movie recommendation
I recommended a movie that my wife and I had watched earlier that week. It’s the 2000 political thriller, ‘The Contender’. It’s very good. Joan Allen, Jeff Bridges and Gary Oldman do a great job. I especially enjoyed a mustache-less Sam Elliott. I have a couple quibbles. This is a Hollywood film, so there is no way the president and his choice for his replacement vice president (his original VP had died) would be Republicans and the opposition Congressman would be a Democrat. Besides, no Republican would ever want a woman VP, right? (Ahem.) But that’s pretty minor.
The other quibble surrounds Oldman’s character, the Republican Representative who vigorously opposed the choice of replacement VP. He looked a little odd compared to all the other characters. His goofy hairstyle and his suits that didn’t quite fit right, I thought were a little on the skewed side. He also had the Nixon sweaty upper lip.
Still, minor quibbles. Set your political affiliation aside and enjoy the drama of this political intrigue.
Music heard on the show...
Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ahead' by Wire
First ad break bumpers: 'Ronnie’s Song' by Urban Guerrillas & 'Heat of the Moment’ by Asia
Second ad break bumpers: '88 Lines About 44 Women' by The Nails & 'Twilight Zone' by Golden Earring
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
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