dimland radio 4-9-16 show notes

A Break

I didn't do a show last week, because I wasn't quite ready and I needed a break. But more because I wasn't quite ready.

Janis Joplin?! Really?!

It was a lengthy tale that snaked its way into my own drinking past. Mainly, the story was about how my sister just doesn't know our parents as well as I do.

My sister and her husband treated our parents to a show at the Ordway Theater in downtown St. Paul on Sunday March 27th. All I needed to do was get them there, so they could attend A Night with Janis Joplin.

(Sound of record scratch!) WHAT?!

My reaction was to be incredulous. I remember Mom saying she didn't care for Janis Joplin's singing. Why on earth would she and Dad want to see that show?

"I did like The Rose and that's based on Janis Joplin," Mom had said while trying to convince herself she might enjoy the show. And Janis isn't exactly Dad's thing either, so I had my doubts.

I was surprised they were going, but I wasn't surprised when I got the call to come pick them up half way through the show.

3 Coincidences On Easter Sunday

An armonica, a shotgun in a gift-wrapped box, and a song by Milky Chance were each part of interesting coincidences on Easter Sunday.

I didn't get all the details correct on the show (such is memory), but things did line up as related to those stories. Two coincidences happened while watching Netflix on Easter at my father-in-law's place. The third had to do with the frequency at which a certain song is played on a local radio station.

Coincidence one: I hadn't heard of an armonica until I watched Mr. Holmes five days before I saw a story on Mysteries at the Museum involving that same unusual musical instrument. Cool!

Coincidence two: As we watched Mysteries at the Museum, my son Hayden told of a story involving an innocent woman and a shotgun in a gift-wrapped box. Later as we continued to watch that Travel Channel show, can you guess what story came up? Interesting!

Coincidence three: As we drove to my father-in-law's place we listened to a radio station that plays today's modern music. A song by Milky Chance came on. I remarked how it seemed that every time I listen to that station (which isn't often) I hear that song. Later that day, as we were driving home listening to that same station, can you guess which song was played? Every time! 

Dimland Radio Pedantic Moment: Penultimate

Do you know what "penultimate" means? No? Well, neither did a FB friend who used it in a comment on his posting of one of his reviews of The Walking Dead. I told him what it meant. He virtually glared at me.

It means: Next to last.

Paranormal Powers In Fiction And "Reality"

I finished up the show by comparing the powers of Voldemort, Yoda, and Magneto to those of Uri Geller, James Hydrick and Bogdan the Magnetic Boy.

One of Voldemort's powers is to be able to read Harry Potter's thoughts and see his memories. While Geller can read a person's mind and draw something sort of similar to what that person had drawn. Voldemort's power is more impressive than Geller's trick.

Yoda can use telekinesis to lift Luke's X-Wing fighter out of the swamp, float it through the air, and put it down on dry land. James Hydrick could turn the pages in a phone book and make a delicately balanced pencil move on a tabletop. Yeah, Yoda wins this one.

Magneto has the power to manipulate metal. He can twist and bend it, move it around all with the power of his mind. Bogdan the Magnetic Boy can stick eating utensils and other generally flat and lightweight objects to his torso. Again, the win goes to the fantasy over the trickery.

Another thing about the fantasy powers: You can't introduce a simple control that eliminates those powers. With these other tricksters, you can.

Movie Recommendation (TV Edition): Barney Miller (1974 - 1982)

The original cast

Antenna TV has been playing two back-to-back episodes of this cop comedy week nights right after the Johnny Carson reruns. I've been finding myself watching and the show is pretty darn good. Normally, I hate most multicamera sit-coms, but this one works. The characters are well drawn and believable. The situations they get into are also believable and they are funny. Sometimes the show gets a little silly and stretches credibility, but overall it was well done.

 

And in its final episode (and throughout its run) the show remembered major characters who had left. So often, in the old days of sit-coms, shows would forget characters that were no longer on the show. Remember the oldest son, Mike, on My Three Sons? Neither did the show once he got married and left. Mike was never mentioned nor seen again.

 

Anyway, Barney Miller was a good show and if you can catch it on Antenna TV, I suggest you do.

 

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus 
First ad break bumpers: 'Disenchanted' By The Church & 'Der Kommissar' by Falco

Second ad break bumpers:  'The Disappointed' by XTC & 'Der Kommissar' by After The Fire

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
 
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