dimland radio 9-29-18 show notes

Returning, Briefly, To The Great Toilet Seat Debate

Here I thought I had settled the whole position of the toilet seat when not in use issue a couple weeks ago. Well, it turns out there's the whole problem with getting up to go pee in the night. It's dark and people would prefer not to blind themselves by turning on the bathroom light.

We have a solution!

There you go. Problem solved.

A Dimland Radio ARGH!

If there's anything I can't abide nearly as much as straight up commies it's anti-capitalism capitalists. People that decry the evils of capitalism while at the same time benefit from it.

The good folks over at The Dollop podcast, by my estimation, are guilty of this. It's a good podcast that mainly focuses on the seedier history of the United States of America. That I don't mind at all. Americans need to remember the terrible events and practices and policies that we, as a nation, have striven to overcome and do better for all Americans and the world. We need to remember we're not perfect and never were, but we come a long way.

I wish the good folks at The Dollop would be more willing to acknowledge that.

But, that's not what set me off. Listen and I'll explain. 

Mike Ehrmantraut Might Be A Little Too Great

"You wanted me to talk. I talked."

Mike Ehrmantraut is a character, played by Jonathan Banks, on two excellent TV series: Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. He's an ex-cop with a shady past, who is willing to work from more pretty shady dudes and do some very shady things. He does draw the line and has a personal code of ethics.

Mike is wise and resourceful. He knows how to get things done. He knows how to read people. He can sniff out trouble. But midway through season four of Better Call Saul, he seems to be just too knowledgeable about too much.

He's still a great character and Banks is a terrific actor.

I even attempt a Mike Ehrmantraut impression. 

Clara Bow - Time Traveler?

That's a laptop?

A friend commented on a post on a Pre-Code Cinema Facebook fan page that suggested the above photo of the silent screen's "It" Girl, Clara Bow, shows her with a laptop computer on her lap. My friend was certain it's not a laptop, but a box of some kind. He was motivated to blog about, click here.

This probably won't go as big as the supposed time traveler thought to be seen in 1924 film footage of a Hollywood premiere that was included in the extras of a Charlie Chaplin DVD. In that film an older woman can be seen talking on what to modern eyes appears to be a cell phone. It isn't.

I would be surprised if this photo gets anyone seriously thinking that's a laptop.

The You Must Remember This podcast does an excellent job in their show focusing on Clara Bow.

Dimland Radio Science Hero: Stearns County Sheriff Don Gudmundson

The files concerning the Jacob Wetterling abduction and murder have been made public and Stearns County, MN, where the crime took place, has a new sheriff and he's not pleased with how the investigation was handled. Sheriff Don Gudmundson held a press conference in which he was highly critical of the Stearns County sheriff department and the FBI. He's not going to have many friends in law enforcement.

He was declared a Dimland Radio Science Hero for his blunt and correct criticism of so-called psychics attempted to help in the investigation. In Sheriff Gudmundson's word the psychics were "right about precisely nothing." Amen, brother!

However, I do talk about how police investigators are stuck in a hard place when it comes to psychics, because the police have to follow leads. The person might really know something and they are just pretending to be psychic to avoid being implicated in the crime.

The In The Dark podcast does an excellent job reporting what happened in the Wetterling case in their first season.

Three Cool Things

It's like a painting by a Renaissance master.

1) The turmoil of this past week in the form of the Senate Judiciary confirmation hearings yielded at least one very cool thing. The photo (see above) of Senator Jeff Flake breaking with his fellow Republicans is fantastic.

2) The NFL has gone a little overboard in their attempt to protect the quarterback. This instructional video shows the proper way to sack a quarterback. Yes, there is a flag thrown, but that was because the pillow wasn't in place in time.

3) The screen shot (see above) I grabbed from a video showing one of my all-time favorite comic book illustrators sketching Captain America has something very cool in it. Other than the drawing, that is. Just take a look at what is on his collar.

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus 
First ad break bumpers: 'Here In My House' by 54-40 & 'One Step Ahead' by Split Enz

Second ad break bumpers: 'OK Wait' by Naked Raygun & 'Rock N Roll High School' by The Ramones

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 9-22-18 show notes

Retiring "Wife Beater"

Last week, as I talked about the Universal Studios horror classic The Wolfman (1941), I described the undershirt worn by Lon Chaney Jr. during the first transformation scene as a "wife beater." That's an old term from a less enlightened time. A listener suggested it might be time to stop using the term. He's right.

Consider it retired.

Movie Night

Each Sunday night, for the last several weeks, my wife, son, and I come together as a family, turn off our devices, and watch a movie. It's very enjoyable and good to spend that time together. However, picking a movie can be tricky... 

The Decision Has Been Made, But...

Well, each of my suggestions for movie night were shot down. And I'm OK with that. But, let's pick something.

They picked Superbad (2007), a very, very, very raunchy comedy about two high school friends coming to terms with going their separate ways after years of friendship and dealing with raging hormones.

I try not to be a prude, but my son is 15 and...

Oh, Boy! More Blurry Lights!

A Facebook friend of mine has captured video of some UFOs. The images are very, very, very underwhelming. Are they alien spacecraft? Inter-dimensional beings in their inter-dimensional craft? Ghost orbs? Demons? Top secret military aircraft?

What could they be?

Blobs #1: Before zooming in.

Blobs #2: In full zoom.

Blobs #3: Blobs merging.

Blobs #4: Yawn.

Sky Lanterns: Litter, Fire Hazards, UFOs

I took a stab at what I thought those blobs of light might be and I came up with sky lanterns.

Sky lanterns are mini hot-air balloons made of plastic or paper and are often launched at weddings or some other celebrations. They float away shimmering and glowing into the night sky. They are so pretty.

They are also litter. They have to come down somewhere. And they are fire hazards. In 2011, sky lanterns were determined to have started a wildfire that burned 800 acres in Myrtle Beach, SC.

As of December, 2015, 29 states had banned sky lanterns. In early 2016, Nebraska became the 30th state to ban these possible explanations for some of the nighttime sightings of UFOs.

Which state do you think my friend lives in? A sky lantern free state or a sky lantern ban state?

More information at this link. 

It's Not True: Man-child President Trump's Double Fist Pump At A 9/11 Ceremony

I was caught be this one, too. The story of the picture is that the 5th Grader-in-Chief inappropriately did a double fist pump as he headed into a 9/11 Memorial Ceremony in Pennsylvania. Well, Snopes.com cleared up the confusion.

And you thought Snopes was just a leftist site set up to make Republicans look bad.

  

A Dimland Radio Pedantic Moment: Another Not Very Profound Placard

Nice try, but...

I don't know what protest this young woman was at, but I do know the message on her sign is not nearly as profound as she thinks it is. In fact, it's kinda dumb.

I mean think about.

Three Cool Things

 

1) On YouTube there are several full length episodes of Sherlock Holmes adventures starring Jeremy Brett (here's one), whose portrayal of the great consulting detective is the best. I blogged about it here.

2) Also on YouTube are several video clips of the viewer mail segment from Late Night with David Letterman. So much fun to look back at a show that I rarely missed and had such an influence on me. Here's one. 

3) Homework time. Watch this short film by Adult Swim. It's funny and you will quickly come to understand why I think it's so cool. Watch it before next week's show, because I'll be talking about it.

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus 
First ad break bumpers: 'All Gone Away' by The Style Council & 'Help Me Somebody' by Brian Eno/David Byrne

Second ad break bumpers: 'I Don't Know' by Naked Raygun & 'Positive Vibrations' by The Soft Boys

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 9-15-18 show notes

A Dimland Radio Pedantic Moment: Close Encounters Of The Third Kind Again

Excellent forced perspective!

Yes, again. This time I explained how suspension of disbelief works for me. I can accept the main idea of this great film that there are extraterrestrials visiting earth, that they have far advanced technology, and that they can somehow implant ideas into people's minds. But the story has to stay within the rules it sets up for itself. And everything else in Close Encounters follows along with what would happen in the real world. Nothing feels out of place or wrong. Except how do the humans know how to respond when learning a "basic tonal language" without having been given any kind of key from which to learn? How did the government fellows know what to tell the musician to play back when the "conversation" started? Am I making sense?

I gave a made up example of potential rule breaking in another movie (Creature From The Black Lagoon - 1954) that would make it difficult to suspend disbelief. Impossible, even. And I noted an oddity about The Wolfman (1941), more than one actually. And I talked about my favorite deus ex machina moment that comes from Monty Python's Life Of Brian (1979).

I blogged about the whole Pedantic Moment I have regarding Close Encounters.

Beardless Jim

Jim

Beardless Jim

As a little stunt for my friends among the Minnesota Skeptics, I shaved off my mustache and beard. It has been 11 years since I had gone clean shaven.

Leading up to the big moment I had foregone trimming the facial hair. I'm gonna be shaving it off, so why bother. That means the before picture show the beard being much shaggier than I usually keep it. I don't care for a shaggy beard. On me, that is.

I also don't care for the clean shaven look. So the beard and mustache are growing back. By next month's meet-up, I will look as I should.

I also talked about the traffic and road construction woes that plague my sojourns to the meet-up location. Well, if you want nice, smooth, and reliable roads, construction delays are the price we pay. And taxes, of course. 

A Rant About Coffee Drinkers

When working as a janitor, I can get annoyed by some of the messes left behind. Not the kind of messes one would expect in a place of business due to the work being done. It's the unnecessary and avoidable messes that make me grind my teeth.

One such unnecessary mess is caused by coffee drinkers and their insistence on filling their coffee mugs as full as possible. They need that caffeine so much, they just can't leave any it of that mug unfilled, and off they go dripping coffee all along the way. And leaving coffee rings.

Coffee rings. Coffee rings. Coffee rings. 

A Dimland Radio Science Hero: Harrison Ford

I haven't been able to discover how Harrison Ford feels about GMOs or vaccination, but his stance on human-caused climate change and how the people of the world need to address it is right on. He has called for Americans, at least, to stop casting votes for anti-science political candidates, whether they're really anti-science or just pretending. 

An Anti-Vaxxer Or A Russian Troll?

The following anti-vax "facts" list was left in response to a pro-vaccination comment on Facebook:

My response? Listen to the show. ;)

Some anti-vax myths dispelled here. 

Also On The Show 

Hurricane Florence? Never fear! Pat and Kat have it under control! 

Three Cool Things

 

1) The above picture of our president gave me a chuckle, but I found something out about it, which I will talk about next week.

2) Aaron Rodgers, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, added another story to his legend with his astounding second half (after a knee injury) performance against the Chicago Bears. Oh, if only the Vikings could have a quarterback like Rodgers. 

3) GQ has released a recent interview of Paul McCartney. There's a video of Paul talking about some of his classic Beatles and Wings tunes.

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus 
First ad break bumpers: 'Head Over Heels' by The Go Go's & 'One Day' by The Church

Second ad break bumpers: 'Undertow' by Suzanne Vega & 'Twist' by Tones On Tail

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.