dimland radio 8-25-18 show notes

That's Not How You Promote A Game

 

The 2018/19 version of the constant futility that is the MN Vikings is now in its pre-season and the local news was making sure all their viewers would be tuning in. I'm reasonably sure the game was on that station.

Well, a Packer fan must have chosen the game footage of the Vikings at play. The video showed tight end Kyle Rudolph dropping a pass from three different angles. That wouldn't have been my choice. I would have gone with the Minneapolis (or Minnesota) Miracle play.

If the person wasn't a Packer fan, maybe they were just lowering expectations. 

Oh, Those Young People And Their Phones

A group of sorority sisters took in a ballgame in Arizona and they ended up getting a bit of the needle from the fellows in the booth. You see, the young women didn't seem as interested in the game as they were in their phone and taking selfies.

 

The needling was funny, however I found out later that it was unfair because the fans were asked to take selfies and to text them to the ballgame control room (or whatever you'd call it) and their pics might be shown in the park. I didn't know that bit when I recorded the show, so I'll do a follow up next week.

 

There was a call of juvenoia, that's what kids today call it when the old folks go on about kids today. Well, kids today need to understand that breaking out the needle is what we older folks are supposed to do every now and then.

 

I tell ya. Kids today.

Notice Anything About These Two Logos?

There's a couple family-owned car dealerships in the Twin Cities under the name Barnett. They produce television ads that feature the Barnett sons and their dad. The ads are silly and they poke fun at themselves. I think the ads are cute. Here's one.

 

Recently, the poster for the 1971 film Shaft popped up on my Facebook page. I noticed something about the title logo and the logo for Barnett. They are very similar. It was an odd choice, but I like it.

 

 

And if you saw the Barnett family, you'd see they make an odd pairing with the black private dick that's a sex machine with all the chicks.

 

A Dimland Radio Pedantic Moment: Recognize This Man Who Was Elected President Four Times?

 

 

Does something look not right about the above meme? Without getting into the political claims made about this handsome young man from the days of yore, there's something wrong about this Franklin Delano Roosevelt piece. That's not FDR.

 

It's Franklin Delano Roosevelt Junior.

 

This is what the young FDR looking like.

It's Not True: Go Fund Me Account For Christhian Rivera

I have a couple pretty staunch Trump supporters as Facebook friends. One in particular, with whom I went to high school even, really likes to post items showing her support and her distrust of the "mainstream" media.

 

This past week she shared this...

 

Sigh.

 

Snopes, will you take this one for me? 

 

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cristhian-rivera-gofundme/.

A Dimland Radio Science Zero: Jimmy Kimmel

Two time Dimland Radio Science Hero Jimmy Kimmel is now being declared a Science Zero for his show's "see how dumb Americans are" videos. There are two of these videos that I've spotted: One challenges people on the street to give the name of a book, any book. The other challenges other people on the street to identify a country, any country, on a map of the world.

 

Of course, they only show the few people they found who couldn't meet the challenges, except the map video does feature a young boy who identifies several countries. What bothers me about these videos is they are misleading. After all, if the audience was as ignorant as the people in the videos, the bit wouldn't be funny.

 

It also bugs me that others out in internet land will make these videos go viral by sharing them and declaring America is going to hell in a hand basket and many people hop right on the "we're doomed" bandwagon.

 

For those reasons, I declared Jimmy Kimmel a Dimland Radio Science Zero.

 

Who Said What About Who?

I read an interesting quote of praise about a surprising person by a surprising person. I was attempting to show how people aren't an easily categorized as we tend to make them.

 
Three Cool Things

1) There are a series of art books that feature the work of great comic book artists. There's a new one out with the work of John Byrne and I'd love to own it.

2) An art school friend of mine shared a picture of a brilliantly done illustration of dolphins. I was going to post it here, but it appears she took it down. You'll just talk to take my word about how cool it is.

3) My friend Douglas Arthur has finally posted his Assault of the 2-Headed Space Mules podcast featuring the colossal cover song quiz. It's a blast!

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus 
First ad break bumpers: 'Outside The Trains Don't Run On Time' by Gang Of Four & 'Under Pressure' by Queen

Second ad break bumpers: 'Take It Away' by Paul McCartney & 'Age Of Consent' 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

Please subscribe on iTunes! Just search for Dimland Radio in the podcast section. And if you could leave a good rating and a positive review it would be awesome.

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.

Images used under Fair Use.

dimland radio 3-7-15 show notes

58 Years!

I stopped by my parents' place last week on what was their 58th wedding anniversary. What's their secret to a long marriage? I'm not sure, but Dad was watching TV in the living room and eating his supper, while Mom was in the den watching TV and eating her supper.

Ahhh, love.  

Created?

There's an ad for a weight loss clinic and an ad for the weather guy on the local TV news. Both have something in common: the both feature a person using the word "created" instead of "born". I found that usage odd.

Perhaps, it's my atheism and it's a Christian thing.

What Color Is That Dress?

It looks white/gold to me, but it's really blue/black. Apparently, it's an optical illusion. I am willing to accept that, but I have to admit, part of me still wants to fight for it being white/gold. Maybe it's the same kind of dress made with the same pattern and materials, but it's actually white with gold trim and the other dress is blue with black.

I used the whole thing as an example that our brains and eyes can fool us. One Facebook friend took exception with my suggesting people don't really know what they see at all times.

Well, click here and here to learn more about this particular optical illusion.

Pedantic Moment: What's Your Sleep Number?

I know one thing about Sleep Number Beds: the number ends in either a 5 or a 0. Recently, I saw an ad for one of the womens' daytime talk shows (I don't remember which). It was promoting the appearance of some actress (I don't remember who) who is a spokesperson for the Sleep Number Bed. She said her number was 45 and one of the hosts got all excited and said hers was 47. She said they were practically Sleep Number twins. Nope. 7 is not a 5 or a 0.

Note the numbers.

Conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham (this was a few years ago) would do live reads of Sleep Number Bed ads on her radio show. She said she loved her Sleep Number Bed and that her number was 73 (I don't remember the exact number, but it didn't end in a 5 or a 0). Nope.

She did eventually give a number that ended properly. The sponsor must have heard her and corrected her mistake.

Bill Nye The Science Guy Changes His Mind

As all of us should do, when presented with the facts, although they may contradict our beliefs, it behooves us to change our minds. Scientists, especially, must be willing to do this and the Science Guy learned more about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and changed his position.

Nye had opposed GMOs mainly do to what could have been detrimental environmental effects. One of his concerns is the loss of milkweed, which is bad for Monarch Butterflies as milkweed is their food.

He met with the scientists of Monsanto, the most hated corporation in the world, taking over for Halliburton since the end of the Bush administration. They showed him what the science says about GMOs. Nye was convinced to change his position.

Of course, his change of heart has just given the GMO/Monsanto conspiracy theorists a new enemy. They, not surprisingly and very predictably, now think that the Science Guy got bought off by that evil corporation. Or, perhaps, pressured into changing his mind.

Dimland Radio Science Hero: Jimmy Kimmel Again

Kimmel is the first two time recipient of the coveted status of Dimland Radio Science Hero. Recently, in his opening monolog, he used humor to decry the wrongheadedness of parents with refuse to vaccinate their kids. He was smart enough to know his audience shouldn't just listen to a talk show host so he played a PSA put together by his show of actual doctors advocating the use of vaccines. It's pretty funny and it has the science right.

Kimmel also deserves this second awarding, because he won't back down. He's had some fun with those who have disagreed with his stance.

Congratulations, Jimmy Kimmel!

The Grey Lady Camera Glitch

So, the Daily Mail and other online tabloids have run with a story with a photo that is said to be the Grey Lady ghost of Hampton Court Palace in the UK. When I first saw the image, I thought it was probably some glitchy artifact of photography. Shortly after I made that comment on a friend's posting of the story, I spotted this explanation.

It appears my guess was correct. Of course, it is possible Metabunk's explanation of an artifact of the panorama photo option is not what actually happened. But it is the best explanation that makes the least amount of assumptions. So which explanation would Occam's Razor favor: an artifact of photography or a ghost? 

These Artists Better Have Worked For Free

It's sad the state of some of the art that is out there. The website SadandUseless.com has compiled a selection of actual book covers of actual books (no doubt self-published) on Amazon. They are horrible. One is ok and could work with a tweaking of the title font ( the book titled 'Disbelief'), but the rest are shit. I sure hope none of those artists were paid.

It brought to mind a story of something my very talented friend Scott Roberts encountered when bidding on a freelance project. The project was to do 78 full color illustrations for a deck of tarot cards. Scott bid accordingly and then haggled with the person taking the bid.

The person offering the work ended up taking someone else's bid of FIVE DOLLARS per illustration! That is insane! Scott whipped up an example of what five dollars would get from him. Scott didn't still have the one he fired off back then, but he whipped up a close approximation for me (see below).

Here's your five dollars worth.

Now, before you think Scott isn't worth more than five bucks for a full color illustration...

I'd say at least 15 bucks!

Movie Recommendation: None

You are on your own this week. Sorry.

 

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus

First ad break bumpers: 'Traveling Man' by The Woodentops & '88 Lines About 44 Women' by The Nails
Second ad break bumpers: 'YYZ' By Rush & 'Age Of Consent' 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.

dimland radio 5-24-14 show notes

 

 It's Live Show! Again!

As was the case with last week's show, I had another very busy week and couldn't prerecord my show, so live it was one more time. Maybe next week I'll return to prerecording my show. Tune in.

Struck A Chord

10 points to the person who came up with this one.

 

I wish I cold say I created the above meme, but I spotted it and thought it was brilliant. I had to share it on the Dimland Radio Facebook page. I do a lot of sharing of skeptical or science items on that page. It's just part of Dimland's public service.
 

Facebook let's me know how many people are seeing and sharing the items I post on that page. Most of the time, the numbers of shares and views is rather modest. Once in a while, a posting might get views in the low thousands, but that's fairly rare.

This meme must have struck a chord, because as I went on the air the views were over 16,000 and the shares were over 200. As of this writing the numbers have jumped to 35,000 plus views and more than 350 shares!

And Dimland Radio is now up to 85 likes!

News Item Follow-Up

 

Back on my 4-12-14 show, I told of the effort of young South Carolinian Olivia McConnell trying to get the Columbia mammoth adopted as the state's fossil. Well, the bill stalled on its otherwise clear sailing through the state legislature when some politician thought it would be a good idea to add God to the bill's language. Screech of brakes. (Any guesses which Party that fellow is a member of?) Someone hadn't heard about the separation of God and State.

The update is that Rachel Maddow had taken up Olivia's case and started publicizing the hold up and now it appears, with the God language removed, the bill will be adopted.
 

This makes Olivia McConnell and Rahel Maddow both Dimland Radio Science Heroes.

 

More Evidence That Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism

 

A meta-analysis of about 1.3 million vaccinated kids shows there is still no connection between autism and vaccines.

 

Speaking Of Science Zeroes

 

Well, as a yin yang thing, I will name a Dimland Science Zero: Vani Hari the "Food Babe" has pseudoscience down to a science. She has brow beat Subway to remove azodicarbonamide from their bread, because she found out that same chemical is in yoga mat and shoe soles. Next she'll be demanding dihydrogen monoxide be removed from Subway's bread.

 

Steven Novella had a few choice words for this pseudoscientist.

Dihydrogen monoxide is water and it is used in the production of bread and yoga mats.

Gluten Free Ain't All It's Cracked Up To Be

 

It's trendy now to eat a gluten-free diet, but is it necessary? For most of us gluten isn't a problem. For that small percentage of the population with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity (as diagnosed by a doctor) gluten needs to be avoided.

 

Jimmy Kimmel has done yet another service to us all by showing that some gluten avoiders don't even know what gluten is. Find more info here and here.

 

Blue Man Group Spoiler?

 

I had contemplated letting the audience in on something that we had suspected about the recent Blue Man Group show we attended. Something that had to do with an audience volunteer. I decided not to spoil the moment, but I did let everyone know that we were right.

Urban Legend As Amusing Anecdote On Late Night Talk Shows

 

I've talked about these incidents before on the show, but I brought them up again because I had recently been featured as a guest blogger on the Yankee Skeptic. I've been posting on the site as a help to my friend Kitty as she deals with some personal stuff and this helps her maintain content.

 

You can read the blog here.

 

Coors Light Ads And Why So Cold

 

Coors Light has been running an ad campaign showing their beers being retrieved bu mountain climbers or deep sea divers. That lead me to two things. One: How much would that beer cost if that was really how they were retrieved?

 

Second: Any time you see a beer ad stressing how cold the beer is or needs to be, you should realize that once that beer warms a bit it will taste like piss.

 

And For Those Of You Who Dislike Variety, We Have Music Radio

 

It's an old complaint, but music radio sucks. It's not that the music sucks (although much of it does), it's that there is no variety. Oh, they'll say they have variety, but they play the same songs over and over.

 

When I only listen to one particular station once every few days and I keep hearing the same songs, that means no variety. So, if you don't like variety, music radio is for you. 

 

Movie Recommendation: None This Week

 

I spend too much time complaining about radio, so you are on your own.

    

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus

First ad break bumpers: 'Beatle Boots' by Love Tractor & 'Ballet For A Rainy Day' by XTC
Second ad break bumpers: 'Blue Bell Knoll' by Cocteau Twins & 'Big Mouth Strikes Again' by The Smiths
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 9-28-13 show notes

A Follow-Up On Last Week's Show

The service for my mother-in-law was held on Saturday September 21st.  Quite a few people came to give their last respects and by the end of the service there wasn't a dry eye in the house.  The service was a little more religious than I had expected, but Mom was a believer and the memorial was for her, not me.

 

My oldest brother-in-law said a few words, the deacon who conducted the service read the tribute my wife wrote and he read the poem my son wrote.  Everyone was impressed with his poem.  Here's what he wrote... 

 

Do you want another blanket, Grandma?
You've been so kind, Grandma.
It's time for me to be kind to you.
You're so cold, Grandma.
Would you like another blanket?
Are you alright, Grandma?
Please say yes, please?
I wish you could hug me, one more time.
I wish you could laugh, one more time.
I wish you could walk in with a platter of food - the last one.
Goodbye Grandma, please say goodbye.

 

I also mentioned on the show of 9-21-13 that I would post a link to that Slinky drop phenomenon.  I forgot to do that last week, so here is the link.

Alternative Medicine V Medicine

I talked a bit about alternative medicine and prayer and such.  Medicine, which is science based, can seem cold and it doesn't have all the answers or very comforting answers.  Alt med tends to be the opposite.  That's, at least, part of the reason people get taken in by it.

 

Just remember the old adage: Alternative medicine that works is simply called medicine.

Dimland Radio Science Hero:  Jimmy Kimmel & His Writers

In early September, a video of a young woman having a twerking fail in which her legs caught fire had gone viral.  The news media reported on the video and it had received more than 10 million views when Jimmy Kimmel revealed the story behind the video.  Brilliant!

So, for showing how the 24 hour news cycle has helped heighten the news media's gullibility in order to fill that 24 hours, Jimmy Kimmel and his writing staff are Dimland Radio Science Heroes.  Congratulations!

Check out Jimmy's reveal video here.

Movie Recommendation: Argo (2012)

Warner Bros.

 

Sure, you've probably seen this Best Picture Oscar-Winning film, but I still wanted to recommend it.  Ben Affleck does a great job of both acting in and directing this true-life thriller.  And he's never been more handsome.  The longer hair and the beard really work on him.  Just sayin'.

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus

First ad break bumpers: '(Modern Industry)' by Fishbone & 'Rattlesnake' by The Replacements
Second ad break bumpers: 'The Sinking Feeling' by The The & 'Too Much Love' by The Screaming Blue Messiahs
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.