dimland radio 10-8-16 show notes

Clarification Time

In last week's show notes I used the word "eradicated" when writing about the World Health Organization's statement on the status of measles in the Americas. Go ahead and look. You'll see I used that word. I may have even said it on the show, but who wants to go back and listen to all that again to make sure?

 

Anyway, I have since learned that "eradicated" is the wrong word to use. I learned it from the Skeptic's Guide to the Universe as part of their Science or Fiction portion of their podcast. Click here to get the straight poop about why that word was the wrong one to use.

The Van Works Again! For Now

Then I told the story of how our '97 Plymouth Grand Voyager wasn't running. It need a new starter and my younger brother's expertise to come back to life. Steve, my brother, was kind enough to get the part installed for me. I hate working on cars.

 

Nothing ever goes absolutely smoothly, for, as soon as we had the van running, we noticed the hazards would not stop blinking. A new fuse, which didn't solve the problem, and a Google search later, we found out that the vehicle has a reset button under the dash. One press while the engine was running and the problem was solved.

 

Now begins the countdown to the next repair.

Cellulitis

Speaking of my brother, Steve, mere days after fixing my van he ended up in the hospital with cellulitis. Cellulitis is a nasty infection affecting the skin that most often shows up in the lower legs, but it can take hold anywhere a person has skin. With my brother it centered on his right ear and spread into that side of his face and neck.

It started as an ear ache and he took some oral antibiotic he had left over from some other infection, however that wasn't working so he went to see his doctor. His doctor sent him to the ER. And Steve had to spend a few days in the hospital getting some more powerful medicines intravenously.

Chances are good it will be cleared out of him and he'll be fine. When I last talked to him the infection was clearing, but it was going slowly.

I took this opportunity to talk about the greatness of antibiotics, but that after 70 years of use some bacteria have been developing resistance. It's a bit of an arms race between resistant bacteria and the medical profession developing ways to defeat that resistance.

I talked about how this very race is why you should follow your doctor's instructions when they prescribe antibiotics. If they give you ten days worth, but you feel better after five or six days, keep taking them until you've used them up. This helps deal with antibiotic resistance.

Medical science, like any of the sciences, is constantly adding to its knowledge. It keeps learning. So, it is possible that some medical indications will have dose and duration adjustments made as more is learned. Your doctor would be best suited to inform you of the proper medical course.

Praise For Black And White

 

What's the resistance to black and white movies? I often hear on the movies podcasts I listen to that black and white (read: old) films put off younger viewers because they aren't in color. Really? I think that might be a factor, but I think acting and directing styles may have more to do with it. The pacing of older movies, even action films, required a certain amount of patience on the part of the viewer.

 

I've never had an issue with black and white movies. I thought that might be due to being a kid watching TV in the days when it was still fairly common for there to be black and white televisions in the household. In fact, until 1965, most programs on television were made in black and white, so maybe people of a certain age are more accepting of films not being in color.

 

I talked a little bit about the outraged outcry in the mid-80s when colorization was threatening to take hold. Siskel and Ebert referred to colorization as Hollywood's new vandalism. Hearings were convened for Hollywood stars, actors, and directors to speak against the destruction of the art of film.

 

Well, we can be thankful that colorization petered out. People didn't buy into it. Maybe because the technology was still new and didn't look very good. In time, as with most technologies, it would have gotten better, but people just didn't go for it.

Whew!

Movie Recommendation: Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)

Another WWII film for you to watch. It's in black and white, but don't let that stop you, because it's pretty darned good. It stars Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster. Gable was a submarine captain whose boat was destroyed by a particularly efficient and deadly Japanese destroyer. He manages to get the command of another sub, one that was to be Lancaster's first command.

There are tensions between the new captain and his executive officer (Lancaster) and the crew as they make their way to the seas patrolled by that Japanese destroyer. There are hints of Moby Dick, but just hints.

 

Will the captain succeed in destroying his enemy after so many have failed? Will the crew mutiny? Will the executive officer support his crew or his captain?

Music heard on the show...
 

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus 
First ad break bumpers: 'Love On A Farmboy's Wages' by XTC & 'Undertow' by Suzanne Vega

Second ad break bumpers: 'Natural's Not In It' by Gang of Four & 'Golden Brown' by The Stranglers

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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