dimland radio 3-19-16 show notes

A Family Story...

My great uncle Pal died earlier this month at the age of 85. 85 years is a pretty good run, but ask me if I still think it's a good run when I'm 84.

 

His death got me thinking about the Fourth of July celebrations held at his house that we used to attend every year. We stopped attending some time in the early 80s. Not because of a family falling out, but I think it was mostly due to my parents no longer enjoying the heavy drinking that was usually involved.

 

My mother had before that time begun to pull away from all the boozing. She didn't like the hangovers and just didn't enjoy the antics alcohol could facilitate. Dad was coming to that same way of thinking, too.

 

That lead me to remembering one particular Fourth of July holiday. It was perhaps the last time any of our family went to Uncle Pal's for the Fourth. I told the story of that Fourth when Dad was the drunkest I had ever seen him. Mom did not go that year, she was upset with Dad, but she didn't stop my younger brother and I from going.

 

I was working early that day, so when I got off work Dad and Uncle Jack came over to pick me and my brother up to bring to the party. They had both already been there for a while. Dad was driving. Dad was drunk. My brother and I will never forget that terrifying ride. Dad drove too fast, he and Uncle Jack laughing all that way, while my brother and I were white-knuckling in the backseat.

 

I had seen Dad buzzed before, but not like this. This was a different drunk. Dad wasn't falling down or acting out, he just wasn't right. He was barely there. It was scary.

 

Uncle Pal pumped Dad full of coffee at the end to the night and said, "He'll be OK." I was 17 or so and I wasn't a driver yet, but I was contemplating whether or not I would be able to drive us home. Well, Dad drove. We got home and he didn't speak of that holiday very much after that.

 

Years later, about the only thing I was able to get him to say about that day was he didn't remember most of it. He had been blackout drunk virtually the entire day. As I recall, he was taking an antibiotic at the time, for an infection of some sort, and that certainly must have affected how drunk he got.

 

It must have really scared him, because Dad never got that drunk again. In fact, today he's practically a teetotaler and has been for many years.

Canadian Couple On Trial For Not Providing Their Son Proper Medicine

Ezekiel Stephan was 19 months old when he died from meningitis four years ago, after his parents refused him science-based medicine, opting instead to use naturopathic remedies. Had Ezekiel received proven medical care, and had he been vaccinated (his parents refuse to vaccinate as well), chances are very good he'd still be alive today.

 

The Canadian government have brought the parents to trial for not providing the necessaries of life to their son. There are some who say that losing their child is surely punishment enough. That is part of the public debate surrounding the case up there.

I agree the loss of a child is unthinkable. But they have three other children. Ezekiel's death might be enough of a punishment if they learned that instead of relying on unproven methods they should use what science has provided us and get their remaining kids vaccinated.

 

Somehow, I don't think that will happen. Someone needs to speak for Ezekiel and his siblings.

 

Speaking Of Naturopathy

 

It is a the one drawback to having old Johnny Carson shows playing again: The commercials for dubious products and services. I've talked about the California Psychics on a previous show.

 

This time I mentioned the My Pillow claims. It may be very comfortable and hold its shaped, but let's not suggest the pillow helps with fibromyalgia or other self-reported anecdotes. Maybe the pillows are great, but I wonder about those claims.

 

Worse, however, are the ads for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America. If their ads are to be believed the centers have a good record for dealing with cancer. Yay. The problem I have is they are an integrative medical facility. Integrative means they provide science-based therapies and treatments along with alternative medical treatments, such as naturopathy, chiropractic, spiritual, etc. Boo.

And listeners to my show should know that there is no such thing as alternative medicine. If it works, it's called medicine. So clinics such as the Cancer Treatment Centers of America make it possible for unproven or disproven methods to glom onto proven treatments and share in the credit for the cure or remission of a cancer. Thereby given those alt treatments a sheen of legitimacy.

That's not good. 

IRS Phone Scam

 

I briefly warned listeners about a phone scam that has been going around. The caller will claim to be from the IRS and that the person being called owes a lot of money in back taxes. They will pressure the person to pay up now or the authorities will be at their door.

 

The IRS does not do that. This is a scam. Hang up. Don't get taken in.

 

I Wish I Had Created This Meme

Brilliant!

Last week, I was going through some of my accumulated images and files for Dimland Radio and I found the image above. I had posted it to the Dimland Radio Facebook page a while back, but I like it so much I figured I'd post it again. The meme makes an awesome point, which a lot of people must appreciate, because it has gone out on the Facebook like wildfire.

 

As of my writing this, FB tells me that image has reached nearly 112,000 people, been shared almost 650 times, and has added 22 likes to the Dimland Radio FB page.

 

It is a brilliant statement. I just wish I had thought of it.

 

Movie Recommendation: None

 

I ran out of time. 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: 'Red Rain' By Peter Gabriel & 'Once In A Lifetime' by Talking Heads

Second ad break bumpers: 'Snake Dance' by The March Violets & 'Your Silent Face' by New Order

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.