dimland radio 1-24-15 show notes

Colonoscopy Talk

Most this show was dedicated to my resent colonoscopy. I turned 50 last November and the doctor said it was time for a look-see. So, in the interest of public service, I thought I'd promote this procedure and let my listeners know what happened to me. It weren't all that bad and I got a clean bill of health.

 

And, let's face it, who doesn't like a story that features some personal discomfort and lots and lots of bowel evacuating?.

Dave Barry's Experience

 

As a primer of what to expect, friend of the show, Chris Brown sent me a link to an article by American Humorist Dave Barry. In 2008, Barry wrote about his experience. He had put it off, because he didn't like the idea of the anal intrusion, but when his brother was diagnosed with colon cancer, the probing became less of a concern. Cancer will do that.

Here is his humorous take.

My Colonoscopy Has Its Own Theme Song

You'll have to listen to the show, because I don't want to give it away here. But it's pretty funny and I think you'll agree there aren't many songs that would be more fitting. Or do I mean inappropriate?

 

"Baby?" "Baby." "Baby?" "Baby, Baby." "Baby!"

Unfortunately, I can't find the clip, otherwise I could show you what I mean. You'll just have to take my word for it, or maybe you saw it, too. A TV spot for the film "American Sniper" featured a scene in which Mr. Sniper was on the phone with Mrs. Sniper. He was calling from Iraq and she was back in the States. It was an emotional scene in which he was telling her he was ready to come home.

 

Ok, fine, what's the big deal? Well, they must have called each other "baby" 93 times in that ad. I've never been one to call my wife "baby". And she doesn't call me that either.

 

"Baby" just seems too silly and infantilizing. We're Honey Bunnies, not babies!.

 

More Movie Talk

I recently watched the James Bond thriller 'Quantum of Solace'. The film was not well reviewed when it was released and it wasn't well reviewed by me, either.

 

The action sequences were so poorly filmed and edited it was nearly impossible to tell what was going on in them. There is one scene which you can watch here, in which Bond is fighting with a bad guy on some scaffolding. The scene is less than a minute and half and, yet, there are nearly 100 edits. Yes, I counted. At times, it is difficult to know which is Bond and which is the bad guy.

 

Judging from this effort director Marc Forster is not good at action. I see he has directed 'World War Z'. I haven't seen that one yet. This doesn't bode well.

 

Movie Recommendation: Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (2014)

 

20th Century Fox

This week's recommendation, however, gets its action sequences done right. And they're filled with apes, but I never lose track of who is who. And we all know how all apes look alike, right? Is that racist?

Anyway, I really enjoyed this one and I think it is even better than the very good Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). It takes place ten years after the "rise" and shows just how human the apes really are. Is that racist?

 

Music heard on the show...

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

First ad break bumpers: 'She Never Said' by The Church & 'River Euphrates' by Pixies
Second ad break bumpers: 'This Charming Man' by The Smiths & 'Baby Have Some Faith' by 54-40

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 1-17-15 show notes

Live Show With Technical Difficulties, Of Course

The third segment of my show was all fouled up with technical difficulties. A page I was reading from on the internets was having loading problems and, although I continued to broadcast, wouldn't let me access my broadcasting program. I couldn't sign off the show. And I kept cutting out.

 

I was a be discombobulated because if all this, but I was having a laugh, too. My younger brother called to tell me I was still on the air and if I wanted to put an end to it, I should reboot. I ended up force quitting the whole thing by shutting down my laptop.

 

I then fixed up the show with some editing and re-recorded the messed up segment. You can download the fixed show from the Z Talk Radio archives page.

Yin & Yang

 

I had an interesting week, particularly Monday.

 

First, I got the bad news of how much it would cost to fix the transmission of our VW Jetta. It's been sitting in the garage for a year and soon it will be donated. The cost to fix it is way too much to pay. So, donate it.

 

Second, and this was the better news. Awesome news in fact. Back in the Spring of 2012, I talked about a portrait I did of George Hrab. Well, the portrait surfaced again. Bob and Jay Novella, of the Skeptic's Guide to the Universe and friends of Hrab, spotted the portrait at Geo's place and decided to have some fun. They struck the pose I had Geo do for the drawing. Bob posted the image on Facebook and I spotted it and I was thrilled.

 

Bob and Jay Novella and the portrait of Geo. Bob commented, "Before you think we're crazy...look at the awesome pen-drawn image of Geo between me and Jay."

 

 The rewards for an artist are few and this one was excellent!

 

The Moon Is A What Now?

Non-astronomers and Dimland Radio Science Zeroes Shawn Killinger, of QVC, and fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi got into a spat over whether or not the moon was a planet or a sun. Oh brother.

 

Watch the clip.

 

Go On An Awesome Nostalgia Trip

WishBookWeb.com has something you might just love. Two fellows have compiled the pages of many, many "Wish Book" catalogs from Sears and JC Penny's and the like. I was able to find the action figure Ghost of Captain Kidd ad in the Sears catalog from 1975. Check it out and enjoy a trip through those bygone days.

 

There he is and a bargain at $2.99!

A Potential Dimland Radio Science Hero

I say potential, because he hasn't done anything yet. In coming president of Discovery Channel, Rich Ross, wants to do two things at his new job 1) diversify the audience by being more attractive to women and younger males and 2) bring credibility back to the documentaries they produce.

We'll see what he came accomplish before we know for certain if he is a Science Hero we'll have to see what he can do.

 

Rich Ross wants to raise the bar, not lower it. This next story indicates they are attempting the opposite...

 

Naked Ghost Hunting

Just when you thought the bottom of the barrel couldn't get more bottomy. Apparently, the word has gone out to find ghost hunters willing to be naked as they hunt for anomalies. The producers want to take ghost hunting to the next level.

 

The next level down.

Yes, But What Does The Dog Think?

Sarah Palin, the most hated woman in the world among my Facebook friends anyway, posted pictures of her son standing on their pet dog. The internet (including PETA) lost its mind.

 

I pointed of a couple things 1) had it been Bill Clinton's kid, those same people would be gushing and 2) the dog doesn't appear to care.

 

If the dog doesn't give a shit, why should we?

Still. Kids, don't stand on a dog.

 

Movie Recommendation (Netflix division): The Fall (2013)

 

BBC Northern Ireland/Netflix

The Fall is a British TV crime drama starring the hotter than ever Gillian Anderson as a police detective on the trail of a serial killer. The series doesn't just focus on her and her hunt of the serial killer; it also gives us a look into the surprising private life of the killer.

 

An excellent series that is streaming on Netflix.

 

Music heard on the show...

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

First ad break bumpers: 'Makes No Sense At All' by Husker Du & 'Homosapien' by Pete Shelley
Second ad break bumpers: 'The Passenger' by Siouxsie & the Banshees & 'It's A Mistake' by Men At Work

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 1-10-15 show notes

The Loss Of A Facebook Friend

Well, not that dramatic. I was unfriended because I am a white, privileged, atheist male and my FB friend can't have any of them commenting on a hateful post about the douchiest white, privileged, atheist males. She listed seven she thought were pretty douchie and I voiced a mild protest. I was jumped on by the comment thread echo chamber.

 

Meh.

Here's the link to that thread. I'm not sure it will work for you if you don't have a Facebook account, but there it is.

Hatari

If John wasn't on that radio, he too would be holding a cig.

I talked about this 1962 Howard Hawks adventure film starring John Wayne. Not a bad movie, some corniness, but still entertaining. In it we go on an adventure following a group, lead by Wayne, as they capture African wild animals to send to zoos.

 

I'm not sure why it struck so much with this film, but everyone smoked! They were constantly lighting up. I've seen lots of old movies from the days when people started smoking at age eight, but for some reason this movie felt like an ad for camel cigarettes.

 

To Comply Or Not To Comply

Since the aftermath of the Trayvon Martin shooting, there has been a heightened focus on police actions with force. Community activists, social and news media have really turned their attention to this complicated topic. So, I waded in again (I had talked about this last week) by talking about another video I spotted on Facebook.

 

This one was of what was touted as a brave man standing up to a cop with his gun drawn. The brave man was videoing the encounter (in the hated portrait format). He kept stating that he wasn't a threat, he didn't do anything wrong, why did he need to get on the ground.

 

My take was that the man wasn't so brave as he was dumb. The cop doesn't know a person isn't a threat just because they say they aren't. The cop told the man that he needed to figure out what was going on and that he knew the camera guy hadn't done anything wrong. I kept thinking while watching the video, "Dude! Are you trying to talk your way into getting shot? Get down on the ground."

 

I also spotted a video from a news station in Phoenix, AZ reporting on a community activist taking the local police up on an offer to demonstrate what a "force on force" training session is like. He and the reporter both went through the training and found that the job on the streets in real time is much more complicated then they had thought.

 

The community activist came away with the advice for his community, "People need to comply with the orders of law enforcement officers for their own sake."

Interesting, eh?

 

Here are several links to check out on this topic:

 

The video of the non-compliant cameraman. 

Here is a critical look at the video. 

Judge Mathis' statement.

Phoenix news report of community activist taking "force on force" training.

 

Movie Recommendation: Robot & Frank (2012)

State 6 Films

This movie is very charming. It introduces us to Frank (Frank Langella) an older man who lives on his own despite having memory problems. Problems he denies. His son brings a robot to help Frank. At first, Frank resists and resents the robot, but he soon realizes the robot might be useful in an unintended way.

Frank used to be a cat burglar, a good one, and he thinks he may have one or two capers left in him...

It co-stars Susan Sarandon, Peter Sarsgaard, James Marsden, and Liv Tyler.

 

Music heard on the show...

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

First ad break bumpers: 'Take It Away' by Paul McCartney & 'The Queen Of Eyes' by The Soft Boys
Second ad break bumpers: 'Snake Dance' by The March Violets & 'Public Highway' by Luxuria

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 1-3-15 show notes

Nature Is Still Attacking!

The wild turkeys are still hanging around the office at which I work. This time I got a picture!

And there they are!

Something That Bugs Me

I know, what doesn't bug me?

 

But what was bugging this time? A type of collar on men's dress shirts. There's actually two styles that just look wrong to me. They are the the cutaway and the English spread. They are too wide and really need a tie with a wide tie knot. If the dude doesn't wear a wide tie knot you'll be able to see the tie going around the neck. The collar is supposed to cover that.

I don't like it and it bugs me.

 

I prefer the forward point or the button down.

A local news reporter, Jonathan Choe, wears shirts with the cutaway or English spread collar. Below you'll see what I mean.

 

Jonathan Choe Fox 9 News

Choe with drunks. See the tie heading around his neck? A regular collar would cover that. Looks wrong, doesn't it?

Dimland Radio's Dumbass Of 2014: Greenpeace

I didn't get into their mission, but Greenpeace did do something rather stupid last December. They sent activists to the Nazca desert in Peru to send a message to the world. The message was, "Time for change! The future is renewable." How I read it was, "We arrogant assholes don't give a shit if we might destroy ancient art. We have a message to send and the ends justify the means."

What dumbasses. Greenpeace wins the award.

9/11 Is Still A Conspiracy

 

I spoke briefly about a Facebook friend who was sharing a Loose Change video. Loose Change is a group of long discredited conspiracy theorists who engaged in anomaly hunting through the events of September 11, 2001.

 

Conspiracy theorists think of themselves as skeptics, but they aren't. They may be skeptical of bigfoot, ghosts, or UFOs. But when it comes to their conspiracy theory, their skepticism fails them.

 

I figured they become Facebook friends of mine, because I check to see if they have mutual skeptic friends. If they do, I accept their friend request.

 

This same thing happens with the anti-GMO/Monsanto crowd.

Rebecca Watson Leaves SGU

 

Longtime member of the rogues gallery of the Skeptic's Guide to the Universe (SGU) podcast, Rebecca Watson, has left the show after nine years.

 

Rebecca has been a polarizing figure in the skeptical movement, but I have always liked her on the SGU. I've agreed with some of her actions and statements away from the podcast, but I've also found some of her actions very disturbing.

 

I won't go into everything here. I'm an outsider and I don't know everything about what went on. I did speculate on whether or not those who were always very supportive of Rebecca might know take the gloves off when it comes to the treatment of the SGU and the fellows on the show. I guess time will tell.

 

I did wonder if there was any conflict between Rebecca and the other members of the SGU when it cam to The Amazing Meeting! (TAM). A couple few years ago, Rebecca had a falling out with the James Randi Educational Foundation and its then president DJ Grothe. She then refused to attend TAM, while the rest of the SGU continued to go and talk about how great the conferences have been. Seems as though there would be some tension.

 

The Paranormal Power I Would Like To Have

 

I called it astral projection, but I was told that's not what I described. Perhaps remote viewing is more accurate. The power would be the ability to observe any moment in history, anywhere it has happened. I went into the rules of this power, which I won't do here. I might, however, write an expanded blog on it.

 

I speculated on being able to take one person with me and being able to show them their pet beliefs of the past just weren't true. But maybe it would turn out they were true.

 

Movie Recommendation: None This Week

 

I ran out of time, so you are on your own. I did mention 'Life Of Pi' might be worth a watch.

 

Music heard on the show...

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

First ad break bumpers: 'Angels Of Deception' by The The & 'America Is Waiting' by David Byrne & Brian Eno
Second ad break bumpers: 'Armagh' by Au Pairs & 'Above It Now' by Figures

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.