dimland radio 1-8-11 show notes

More books!

Skeptic and author, James Randi

Yep, I talked about three more books that I had picked up. All three were written by James Randi. My skeptical library is really beginning to fill up.

The three titles are:

The Truth About Uri Geller

The Mask of Nostradamus

An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural

Ten Minute Topic with Chris Brown

Skeptic Chris Brown

This time Chris and I talked about the importance of have a bigger tent when it comes to the skeptical movement. Sometimes skeptical events are more accurately described as atheist events. But one need not be an atheist to be a skeptic.

You can find Chris Brown's blog and podcast, Meet The Skeptics, here.

An Atheist In Church

Impressive, is it not?

Harm Modder, a former St. Paul police officer, he retired from the force in 2000, died 12-28-2010. Harm attempted to get a t-shirt printing business going way back in 1988 and he hired me as his staff artist. He was the brother-in-law of Greg, my best friend in high school, and that was how I got my foot in the door. It was my first art job after I graduated art school and I've always bee grateful to Harm for the job.

The job didn't last long, but the experience was good.

So, when Greg told of Harm's passing, I made sure I attended the service. It was held at the Cathedral of St. Paul, a most impressive building. It was the first time I'd been to a Catholic mass in many years and also the first time since I'd become an atheist. I talked about the interesting experience.

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ahead' by Wire
First ad break bumpers: 'De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da ' by The Police & 'Head Over Heals' by The Go-Gos
Second ad break bumpers: 'Message Of Love' by The Pretenders & 'One Step Ahead' by Split Enz
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

dimland radio 1-1-11 show notes

Cold Open: Unintended

So I was off for several weeks. Yep, three weeks with no Dimland Radio! How did you get along? I explained I was off because I was a bit naughty in the chat room, not on my show. I said something really stupid in an attempt at a stream of consciousness joke thing. It wasn't funny nor was it well thought out. Z Talk felt that I should step down until the first of the year. So that's why I was gone.

Happy New Year!


I took the opportunity to reveal my yearly made (and kept!) resolution. Each year I resolve to live until the next year. So far I've kept that resolution.

I even delved into the world of acting as I considered the time when I will eventually break that resolution. Or, more accurately, the way I might be able keep the resolution, but then not make a new one. Oh, how dramatic it was.

Christmas & Atheists

George Hrab

I do celebrate Chritmas. But I keep mine secular. Another atheist who celebrates the day is George Hrab, musician/singer/songwriter/podcaster/humorist/skeptic/atheist. George has written a song detailing his view on Christmas. It's called 'I Don't Believe In Christmas'.

You can check out the video for the song here and if you like the song email George - geo@geologicrecords.net - and he'll send you a free mp3. Tell him Dimland Radio sent you.

Christmas Gift Received

My wife gave me four books this year. Three were of a skeptical nature and the fourth was about the stories beheind each of The Beatles' songs.

The skeptical titles were as follows:

Martin Gardner's 'Fad & Fallicies in the Name of Science'

Philip Plait's 'Bad Astronomy'

Benjanmin Radford's 'Sciencetific Paranormal Investigation'

Yay! Australia!

It's just a silicone band! It doesn't do anything!

Australia's government saw through the BS that is the Power Balance wristband. The producers of this highly overpriced ($30 a pop!) yet worthless item were instructed to cease their claims of increased balance, flexibilty and strength AND to refund all money to any customer who had felt duped by their bogus claims.

Attaboy, Australia!

Read more about it here.

Movie Recommendation: True Grit (1969)


Because the much anticpated (by me at least) Coen brothers' remake is in theaters now, I thought I'd recommend the original starring John Wayne. From what I heard the story's the same but the tone is very different. The original is very entertaining and well worth watching.

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ahead' by Wire
First ad break bumpers: 'Wake Up' by XTC & 'Jimmie Jones' by The Vapors
Second ad break bumpers: 'You'll Have to Go Sideways' by The Soft Boys & 'Mea Culpa' by Brian Eno/David Byrne
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

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