dimland radio 12-22-18 show notes

A Correction

 

I started the show by correcting a mistake I while talking about the Voyager 2 spacecraft entering interstellar space. While doing so I mentioned that both of the Voyagers had left the solar system. This is wrong. The two spacecraft, although billions of miles from the sun, are still feeling its influence. Not as much, but it's still there.

 

They have left the heliosphere, a bubble of influence filled with solar particles and magnetic fields created by our sun, but not the solar system. The two spacecraft have another 30,000 years of traveling ahead of them until they actually do leave it.

NASA has more information here.

A Tale Of Two Police Detainments

Professor Steve Locke, who teaches at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, wrote of an encounter he had with the police over his lunch hour recently. As I read his story, I was reminded of a police detainment I experienced in the early 1990s. The two stories matched up almost point for point.

There were some differences.

One major difference is Professor Locke is an African-American. I am not.

I talk about the differences and I have a couple quibbles, but overall his story is very eye opening.

Holmes & Watson Looks...HORRIBLE.

You see? Modern references in a movie set in the Victorian Era. That's funny. Right?

I've been seeing loads of clips for the new comedy Holmes & Watson on my Facebook page. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are pairing up again for a comedic take on the great detective and his friend.

 

It looks like it will be a steaming pile of shit.

 

Traditionally clips and trailers for comedies contain some of the best and funniest gags in he film to entice people to see the movie. I've seen several clips now. Not one of the is remotely funny.

 

At least not to me. Comedy is very subjective, but I'm guessing by this heavy bombardment of clips the studio is pushing for a big opening weekend, because once audiences see it the word will get out that it's a steaming pile of... 

 

Well, you get the idea.

 

But, hey, I could be wrong.

 

Three Cool Things

1) The Christmas Comet has made a swing through the neighborhood again. This time it was the closest to us it has been or will be in centuries. Way cool!

 

2) When Penny Marshall died, which wasn't cool, the NY Daily News mentioned, apparently incorrectly, that she had been the "before" girl in an ad for a beauty product in which Farrah Fawcett was the "after" girl. Well, I couldn't find that ad, but I did find a TV commercial for Head & Shoulders shampoo featuring Marshall and Fawcett as roommates.

And there's not much that is cooler than seeing a young, vibrant Farrah Fawcett again. For me anyway.

 

My drawing for the challenge of snowman. Do you get it?

3) I've been invited to participate in another daily drawing challenge. This one is in honor of Christmas and it's only five days, but it's cool. #5GoldenDrawRingsforChristmas

 

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus 
First ad break bumpers: 'Silver And Gold' by Burl Ives & 'Christmastime Is Here' by The Vince Guaraldi Trio

Second ad break bumpers: 'Let It Show' by Bing Crosby & 'Holly Jolly Christmas' by Burl Ives

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 7-9-16 show notes

What's Going On?

Police officers killed two African American males with both incidents looking as though the police grossly overreacted to the situations. I've learned there was a white man shot by police in Fresno, CA as, it is alleged, he was laying on the ground. In Dallas, a city that has been trying to address the serious issues of excessive force by law enforcement, especially when involving African Americans, there was a deadly attack by a sniper during a peaceful Black Lives Matters protest. Five police officers were killed and several more were injured, including at least one civilian. The sniper was killed by police. All of these events happened last week.

What's going on?

I discussed mainly the killing of Philando Castile, because that horrifying act happened practically in my own backyard. I talked about how Castile's reputation was one of a decent man who was well-respected by his co-workers and bosses and the students of the school at which he worked. He seemed like the kind of fellow you'd want as a neighbor.

The details are not all known at this time, let alone at the time of my recording this show. What I knew when going on the air was that Castile was pulled over for a broken taillight, he had a permit to carry a handgun, he informed the officer of having a gun and permit to carry, he was going for his wallet to get his ID, and he was shot dead by the police officer.

I had not watched the uncensored video streamed live on Facebook moments after he had been shot. And we, so far, only have the word of Castile's girlfriend as to what happened prior to her making the video.

We don't know for sure what happened before the video was taken, but from what I know at the time of this writing it sure seems as though the cop acted hastily and unprofessionally.

Was race involved? I have to think it was. I've been learning over the past few years that I really don't know what it's like to be black in America.

Trevor Noah of Comedy Central's The Daily Show sums up this cops/race/Black Lives Matter/excessive force very well here.

More details and conspiratorial misinformation have emerged since I recorded the show. I will address that next week.

Dimland Radio Argh!: Newt Gingrich Can't Catch A Break With Some People

Newt Gingrich, historically one of the most hated conservatives in America, made remarks about the state of race and policing in America in the wake of the police shootings last week. He said that he had been learning over the years by talking to people about the black experience in America just how different and dangerous life is for African Americans.

This is a good thing. A powerful, right-wing, white fellow is having his eyes opened and he's talking about it publicly. This may help other white folks in this country open their eyes.

But is that something folks on the Left are praising? Perhaps some are, but one on Facebook and many of her commenters aren't. Gingrich said, ""If you are a normal white American, the truth is you don’t understand being black in America." She and others found that statement objectionable and racist. Why? Because he used the word "normal".

She took that to mean normal Americans are white and that Americans who are not white are not normal. See how racist Newt is?

Some people will never be pleased. They can't see how important an ally in race relations Gingrich can be in getting other conservatives to realize there is a problem in law enforcement in America. Nope. Can't have that racist saying white people are normal. Context is lost on some people. Gingrich might have done better to say "average white Americans", but, somehow, I don't think that would have made a difference to that particular Facebooker.

It Wasn't All Bad News Last Week, Mostly But Not All

In a yin yang sort of situation, last week started way to the good side of the magic to science spectrum. The good end is the science end, by the way. NASA successfully put a satellite in orbit of our solar system's largest planet: Jupiter. It was a five year trip that covered more than a billion miles. Yay! Science!

 

However, before even getting to the end of the week, the magic end of the spectrum reared its ugly, irrational, silly head. Ken Ham opened his massive roadside attraction: Noah's Ark Encounter. Yep. It's true. Complete with dinosaurs.

I have to think that if the world had only advanced to the level of science understanding and expertise obtained by the writers of Ham's favorite book (the Bible, of course), we wouldn't have a satellite orbiting Jupiter. Or vaccines. Or computers. Or airplanes. Or light bulbs. Or the heavy equipment used to build Ham's ark encounter...

This Illustration Looks Familiar

Found in the Noah's Ark roadside attraction. Photo/patheos.com

As I was perusing the images of what could be encountered in the Ark roadside attraction (posted here), I came across a cartoon illustration of Noah's Ark. It stopped me in my tracks. It really looked familiar. Did I draw this?

I had done a couple Ark illustrations about 20 years ago for a Christian bookseller. Was this one of those? I rushed home from work to check, but it was not one of those drawings. It occurred to me that it might have been an existing design the company had and they had me use it as a reference to what they were looking for.

But it looks like something I might have drawn. A little cruder than what I can do now, but... Did I draw this?!

You'd think I'd remember, but memory is not videotape. I can see flashes of me working on it, but they don't seem right. I could be confabulating my memories of those other drawings I know I did do with this one.

I don't think I'll ever know for certain, but I will default to thinking I did not draw it. Which is a bummer as it would be cool knowing a piece of art I did is on display at the Ark Park.

Free TV Key By Clear TV

"Are you tired of paying those expensive cable or satellite bills? You can spend an average of $80 a month on cable or satellite programming, but with the Free TV Key by Clear TV for just $19.95 plus shipping and handling you can get all your favorite broadcast channels for free! Blow up those expensive cable and satellite bills and get your Free TV Key and attach it to the back of you TV. You'll get all those top rated network shows, local news and weather, sporting events and more! All for free! With Free TV Key there's no contracts, no monthly fees, no unexpected rate increases, and no cable or satellite programs!

"Uh, wait a second. Forget I said that last part. The part about no cable or satellite programs."

Folks, Free TV Key by Clear TV is just an antenna.

Movie Recommendation: None

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: 'Love Is The Law' by The Suburbs & 'Love Is A Stranger' by Eurythmics

Second ad break bumpers: 'Love Vigilantes' by New Order & 'Love Is Stronger Than Pride' by Sade

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 10-3-15 show notes

Once Again..

Yes, another senseless mass shooting. Another round of outrage and calls for and against gun control. Another round of calls for improved mental healthcare. And another round of me saying I don't know the answer.

 

I do know we ain't goin' to hell in a hand-basket. Since World War II, the world has gotten more peaceful and less violent. Since the 1990s, violent crime in America has declined. I also know that going by what we see and hear on the 24 hour news channels and social media everything appears far worse than it is.

 

Jeff Wagg of the College of Curiosity has an idea that might help stop these tragic events. He's not the first to propose it, but he gets the idea out very cohesively as one of his Daily Curio audio podcasts. His idea to to just not publicize the names of these killers and limit the coverage of the events. It may be possible to get the cable news outlets to not mention the name, but to limit their coverage would be a difficult request to meet.

 

As I've done before (and, sadly, may do again) I'm sharing Pete Townshend's plea to 'Stop Hurting People'.

Yay! Science!

I tried to lighten the mood of the show by reminding listeners that humans may be capable of mass shootings and other acts of violence, they are also capable of soaring to great heights. Science keeps having awesome moments and I talked about two of them: More pictures of Pluto's moon Charon and WATER ON MARS!!

 

Yay! Science!

 

How To Upstage A Supermoon Eclipse

 

How does one top a total lunar eclipse during a supermoon? Easy. Invite a racoon!

My lunar eclipse companion or, at least, how I'll describe him.

OK, I didn't invite the critter. He just wandered onto our backyard deck and stunned the hell out of me. He didn't attack. There was no long, heroic battle between man and beast, but that is how I'll tell the story years from now.

The lunar eclipse or, at least, how I'll describe it.

10-02-82

 

That is a very important date for me. No, it's not when my son was born. It's not when I met or married my wife. Nothing so trivial.

 

It was on that date that I saw Rock's all-time greatest band: The Who. I wrote about it on this blog some years ago: here.

 

It's been 33 years, but the love affair is still going strong.

Movie Recommendations: The Kids Are Alright (1979)

 

New World Pictures

The rockumentary doesn't follow a chronological path when displaying the greatest rock band ever, but it will go a long way in demonstrating why I love this band so much. There's no narration, just lots of interviews and loads of great concert footage.

These kids are definitely alright!

Check out the trailer with a familiar face. Here!

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus 
First ad break bumpers: 'Daily Records' & 'Athena' by The Who

Second ad break bumpers: 'It's Hard' &  'Cry If You Want' By The Who

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 rado 12-4-10 show notes

What's the deal? This time I made a boo-boo.

Cold Open: Unintended

Whoops. I forgot to press a certain button, which meant listeners couldn't hear the opening tracks of my show. Nor could they hear the first ad break. They could hear me talking, however. I realized my error moments after the first break began. So, I did what a true radio professional would do. I stopped the ad break, went back on air, announced my error, and played the opening tracks so that they could be heard and then went right to break.

So, in effect what I did was a cold open about doctor and dentist appointments. Mostly about my son, Hayden, having to have four teeth pulled. Sounds bad, right? Well, it was done to make room for his new teeth to come in and the next day Hayden was back to normal.

Science changes its mind. What?! Again?!

Arsenic tolerate lifeform

Here I talked about the NASA announcement of a lifeform able to survive with one of its basic elements (phosphorus) switched out for arsenic. Arsenic, although genetically similar to phosphorus, is normally poisonous.

There had been speculation that NASA would announce finding life on Mars or perhaps one of Saturn's moons. The answer was a bit less spectacular, but still significant.

I also read a bit of P Z Myers' blog on the discovery. Myers did what he does so well, he calmed the overreaction to the news by giving the discovery its proper due.

Correction

Certainly not PC Myers

I knew better, but I called P Z Myers P C Myers. Twice. Whoopsie.

You can read the NASA article here and P Z Myers' blog here.

The True Villain of the Wizard of Oz is...

But only ugly witches are bad. Tee hee.

Glinda, the alleged Good Witch of the North! Well, according to David Dietle of Cracked.com. He makes a compelling argument for Glinda's devious underhandedness.

You can read his piece here. See if you agree.

Movie Recommendation: The Wizard of Oz

So, with all that talk about that Dorithy's true enemy, it seems only right to recommend 1939's The Wizard of Oz. Watch it again and keep an eye on that piece of work, Glinda. Still a classic but it now has a whole new twist for me.

December 8, 2010

I didn't say anything until the show was over about this coming Wednesday being the 30th anniversary of John Lennon's death. I did use only Lennon tunes from the 80s for my bumpers, however.

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ahead' by Wire
First ad break bumpers: '(Just Like) Starting Over' & 'Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)' by John Lennon
Second ad break bumpers: 'Woman' & 'Nobody Told Me' by John Lennon
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