dimland radio 3-12-16 show notes

How Many Years?!

It was March 13, 2010 that Dimland Radio first appeared on Z Talk Radio. I've racked up 266 shows since then and I'm pretty sure Dimland Radio is the second longest running show on Z Talk Radio. I took time to thank Scotty Rorek, owner of Z Talk, for giving me a shot at doing a show and not pulling me off the network when I skeptical of there being ghosts, spirits, demons, psychic powers, telekinesis, mind-reading, extraterrestrial visitations, giant or regular sized angels, life after death, Atlantis, shadow people, men in black, bigfoots, poltergeists, a Mothman, chupacabras, a Loch Ness monster, alien abductions, past lives, spirit guides, gods, etc. And when I skeptical of ghost boxes, Reiki, dowsing, homeopathy, magnet therapy, astrology, chiropractic, therapeutic touch, reflexology, prayer, coffee enemas, etc. actually working.

 

The science just doesn't support any of it. So, I remain skeptical.

 

Still, thanks, Scotty.

A Visit With Some Minnesota Skeptics

I hadn't done a meet-up with a group of skeptics in a long while. I forget how many years ago it was when I attended a Minnesota Skeptics "newbie" night. I enjoyed it, but I just didn't go to any other meet-ups. Not that I'm anti-social, I just hadn't gone to any.

 

I decided it was time to attend one of the monthly meet-ups. The group had the foresightedness of having their gatherings on Thursday nights, because that is one of the two nights I have off during the work week.

 

So, I headed out last Thursday, making the trip across the river to Minneapolis and, having park much farther away than I needed to, I hiked the eight blocks and walked into the deli and spotted a couple people I recognized from the Facebook page. Stealthily I approached, maybe they wouldn't notice me, maybe I could just slink away unspotted. I don't look good in spots.

 

Nope, Maddy saw me and announced that Jim Fitzsimons from Dimland Radio was there. It was strange hearing my name being associated with my show. Other than when I say it, that is. In fact, Travis, the meet-up organizer, floored me when he not only told me listened, but that my show was one of the first skeptical podcasts he had listened to. He sent me through the floor when he told me that my show was recommended listening by iTunes, because he listened to other skeptically themed podcast. I still can't quite figure out how that happened.

 

It's pretty cool though. 

 

They made me feel very welcome. I will have to do my best to go each month.

 

A Dimland Radio ARGH!

 

I'm toying with the idea of doing a take off of the Dimland Radio Pedantic Moments called Dimland Radio ARGH! It would be a more intense reaction to something I find annoying than merely being pedantic about something someone got wrong.

 

So, this first foray had me ARGHing about how record labels would take perfectly good album tracks and lop of a few seconds for their release as singles for radio play. This had bothered me for a long time, but it was brought to mind when Adam Carolla played XTC's Senses Working Overtime on his podcast as an example of a great song. He is right about the song, however, he played the hacked single version. ARGH!

 

This is the version Adam played. This is the version he should have played.

Time To Let My Inner Dirty Old Man Out

 

God damn!

I blogged about this for Warehouse Find, the official blog of Nostalgia Zone, this week, so I won't belabor the point here. Essentially, I admitted to being... impressed by Seven of Nine of Star Trek: Voyager. The show was OK, but Jeri Ryan in that form fitting silver outfit - Va va vooooooom!

 

Movie Recommendation: Pete Townshend's Deep End (1985)

 

I'm a big Who fan and, of course, a big fan of Pete Townshend, so I find this concert from 1985 very enjoyable. I love watching musicians, good at their craft, just playing the shit out of something. Admittedly, it does help if you like the material. And I do like this material.

 

Yes, that is Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd on lead guitar. He had played on Pete's album White City: A Novel, which was Pete's latest release at the time this was filmed.

 

It's on YouTube and it sounds so damn good! 

 

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus 
First ad break bumpers: 'Man On The Corner' By Genesis & 'Luka' by Suzanne Vega

Second ad break bumpers: 'Paradise' by Sade & 'Senses Working Overtime' by XTC

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 12-12-15 show notes

So Much Work Done...

I was pretty tired out after a week of lots of work, but I pulled it together and did the show. I did have the absolute pleasure that, after a week of working every night, when I was finally heading home on Friday night, the classic rock station gave me this treat.

 

Whoops!

Last week, I talked about being on the Stuck in the 80s podcast talking with Steve Spears and Brad Williams about the Rocky movie franchise, but I neglected to link to it in the show notes for the show.

I will fix that here.

 

A Tale Of Passive-Aggressive Futility

 

I talked about my boss and his seemingly compulsive need to empty the trashes in our office and to put my trash can back in the wrong place. I don't know how many times I've told him where the trash can should go, but he just puts it where it's convenient for him.

 

The most recent time he did this, I decided I'd try to give him a visual cue to help him understand why I want my trash can in a particular spot. I left the can where he placed it and put my trash in the spot where I want the can.

 

There was a pile of trash there to be seen when he came into the office. He said nothing.

 

Damn it! Now I'll just make certain the trash is empty before he gets to the office.

 

Bill Nye Thinks Star Trek Is Better Than Star Wars

   

Bill Nye the Science Guy thinks that way because Star Trek has a more optimistic view of the future with science, while Star Wars has magic and religion. He says that Star Trek doesn't have those things. I pointed out that Star Trek has a fair amount of religion in it.

The original series had Captain Kirk happy to know Christianity had made it out to some distant planet. Deep Space 9 had the whole Emissary and the Prophets religion stuff. Sure, the Federation thought the Prophets were just a species living in a worm hole, but Captain Sisko (the Emissary) wasn't too sure. Voyager has Commander Chakotay and his Native American religious beliefs involving animal and/or spirit guides. And Next Generation did have all that Klingon religion silliness.

 

But Next Generation does have this high water mark moment of Captain Picard non-religious wonderfulness.

Also, Bill said the Star Wars had noise in space and indicated that Star Trek didn't. Well... here's just a taste from Deep Space 9.

But, Bill's cool. I'll cut him some slack.

Lying About The Opposition Is Still Wrong

   

There's a Facebook page called StopTheWorldTheTeabaggersWantOff that posts all manner of things anti-Republican and anti-conservative. And they lie when they appear to quote well-known conservatives. The page attempts to hide behind the claims of satire, but The Onion they ain't. The danger of what those liars are doing comes from others believing the lies.

I spoke specifically about three graphics share by those folks lying about something various conservatives have said. I put together a graphic warning others to not share anything from StopTheWorldTheTeabaggersWantOff (see below).

 

 

In the comments thread on my Facebook page I summed it up this way...

"For the record, I put this graphic together. I had been seeing these images by STWTTWO being shared by FB friends who are skeptics and should know better. Shittily done "satire" such as this needs to be called out, because the likelihood of people believing it is too high. If you doubt that, just read the comments whenever you see graphics such as these shared on social media.

I asked in the comment threads for sources and checked out the ones given to me. I looked up the quotes. With the exception of one sentence attributed to Gene Simmons, none of these statements were uttered by the people in the images. And I checked my own logical thinking. Meaning - if these people actually said these things, why is it I'm only seeing them being called out by some FB anti-Tea Party site? 

I'm not some conservative apologist, at least I don't think I am. I am for fair and honest debate and sharing of ideas. If you are liberal and you want to see people in government who share your ideals, lying about the opposition isn't the right way to make that happen. The ends don't justify the means, do they?

And I say this to both sides of the political aisle. It just happens that the majority, but not all, of my FB friends tend to be liberal Democrats, so I see a butt load more of this kind of bullshit coming from that end of the spectrum.

I also made this because, as I mentioned, I see skeptics sharing these items. One in particular (I won't name the person) has such a strong political bias against Republicans their skepticism completely fails and they post away. Skeptics are supposed to help the internet to be a rational place. (A Sisyphean task, I know.) They're not supposed to add to the bullshit. And when some have a strong reputation of being a skeptic, others are more likely to accept their statements and sharing of political graphics as being true.

With great skepticism comes great responsibility.

Believe me, politicians and political pundits talk enough they are bound to say something stupid. And if you think they are on the wrong side of an issue that can be demonstrated by their actual words. So, give 'em what for when you think they are wrong, but be prepared to back it up and don't lie.

No matter how noble you cause, bullshitting people is still wrong."

Movie Recommendation: Her (2013)

Warner Bros.

Well written. Great performances. An intriguing look at the possible interaction between humans and Artificial Intelligence.

And some very, very, very bad pants.

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus 
First ad break bumpers: 'Jesus Chrysler Drives A Dodge' by The Screaming Blue Messiahs & 'God Damn Job' by The Replacements

Second ad break bumpers: 'Dear God' by XTC &  'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town' by Fred Astaire

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.