dimland radio 12-5-15 show notes

Dimland Radio War On Christmas

Each holiday season the Salvation Army bell-ringers take up residence at the entrances of various retailers throughout town. And each holiday season I feel that twinge of guilt because I don't drop any money in the bucket. Sure, the Salvation Army might be helping feed, clothe, and house the poor, but it's all done with a heaping helping of Jesus.

 

As an atheist, I just can't throw in a buck. I'll give to a different charity that doesn't proselytize as part of the bargain.

 

But, recently having successfully dodged the bell-ringers, I found I had another obstacle that I really couldn't avoid. The cashier at the grocery store asked if I wanted to round up the total to give the extra money to... the Salvation Army!

 

I just serpentined my way past the bucket brigade outside! Now I have to declare to the cashier that I do not want to give money to the Salvation Army. What's a poor atheist to do?

 

I said, "No."

 

Internet Awesomeness

Back in the mid-80s I became a regular at the legendary Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue & the 7th Street Entry. Every Tuesday night my friend John and I could be found there enjoying DJ Kevin Cole's Club Degenerate. Cole played the coolest alternative tunes of the day and the past, along with whatever else hit his fancy. Those nights were almost always great fun and we rarely missed a Tuesday night at First Avenue.

 

Occasionally, there would be a live performance on those nights. A local band would play a few songs and then the night would move on. One such band was the Fuckin' Shit Biscuits. The Biscuits could best be described as a noise band whose members barely knew how to play their instruments.

 

But, it didn't matter. They were just plain fun. They would give out free tap beer at the start of their set which led to audience members dousing the band in the free beer. So much fun.

 

Well, the other day, I posted a link on the Dimland Radio Facebook page to a Skeptoid episode on black mold. A comment appeared telling me that link was fair payment for all that beer given away at Club Degenerate.

 

What? Could it be? Yes, it could.

The poster was a member of the band! How cool is the internet?!

 

Internet Not-So-Awesomeness

 

Well, hold on there, pardner! Before we get too excited about internet awesomeness. There's this guy.

 

 

 

Joshua Feuerstein is a YouTube evangelist. Not only does he think evolution is a lie and that atheists are fools; the dumbass insists on doing virtually all of his videos in the portrait format. And you know how much I hate that.

 

Well, last July, Josh took a break from displaying his scientific ignorance to talk about Cecil the lion. He couldn't help but compare the death of that lion to the millions of babies killed through abortion. He remarked on how the dentist who killed Cecil had to going into hiding, fearing for his life.

 

Josh upped the ante and told his fairly sizable audience that it was time that abortion doctors should have to fear for their lives.

 

Cut to just a couple weeks ago when a domestic terrorist, anti-abortion nut went into a Planned Parenthood clinic and began pulling the trigger.

 

Josh removed his post, but through the awesomeness of the internet there were people out there who thwarted Mr. Feuerstein's efforts. Thanks to Hemant Mehta, the Friendly Atheist.

 

I don't know that the gunman was a follower of Feuerstein's, but it's obvious Josh doesn't want the association to be made.

 

Josh also posted a video (This time in landscape! All hail to His Noodly Appendages!) in which he gave his theory as to why all these mass shooting events have been happening in America. It's because we kicked God out of our country. This kind of thing didn't happen back in the days when there was prayer in school.

 

I gave a list of things that did happen in our country back in the good old days of prayer in school: Turning a blind eye to wife and child abuse, institutionalized racism, closeted LGBT folks, and let's not forget lynchings and, in the really good old days, slavery. Mr. Mehta also pointed some of those items out. I added that Sweden, a country that could be said to have also "kicked God out," doesn't seem to have the mass shooting incident rate that we have in the States.

 

And Speaking Of Mass Shootings

   

Two more have occurred since I last did a show. It's really frustrating the apparent frequency at which these shootings are happening. They are still very rare, but that doesn't make them less impactful.

 

There are always the demands for more gun laws, but would that work? If there were 14 gun laws broken by the shooters in Colorado and California, would a 15th law have stopped them? Maybe. I don't know.

 

I don't know the answer to all this.

 

And it's damned frustrating.

 

Movie Recommendation: None

Ran out of time, so you're on your own this week.

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus 
First ad break bumpers: 'Cows' by The Suburbs & 'Brass Monkey' by Beastie Boys

Second ad break bumpers: 'Bull Rider' by Johnny Cash &  'Crocodiles' by Echo & the Bunnymen

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 2-8-14 show notes

An Announcement

Nothing so dramatic, but Loud City will be shutting down. Z Talk Radio had worked with Loud City to distribute our shows. Our shows will go on (goon?), but our ability to play music shows will be going away. We can still play independent artists who aren't signed to a major label.

 

I don't what to do the work to support independent artists. Well, it may not be that much wok, but I will not be doing music shows anymore after this month. Next week I will be doing a three hour music show, so get some sleep so you can stay up and boogie. Or just listen.

The Human Species Isn't All That Bad

I hadn't been aware of this phenomenon until fairly recently and I was very impressed and encouraged when I did find out about it. It's the reviews of unusual or very mundane products offered on Amazon.com. I don't know how long this has been going on, but people have been writing very funny, very clever reviews and Amazon has been leaving them up.

I featured three such products.  Please read the reviews for:

Tuscan Whole Milk, 1 Gallon, 128 fl. oz
Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer

How To Avoid Huge Ships

Science Vs Not Science

The highly anticipated "debate" between Bill Nye The Science Guy and Ken Ham The Not Science Guy over evolution/creation took place last Tuesday. I have not yet watched the debate, but my hubris was enough that I talked about it anyway. Actually, I talked more about the reaction to the debate, both from before and after it.

Many science-minded skeptics and scientists thought it was a bad idea for Bill to do it, but there are others who think that this sort of confrontation should be done. Ken Ham may never change his mind, but someone else listening in just might.

I have lots of links on this one:

 

Rebecca Watson's don't do it take.

Hemant Mehta's advice to Bill Nye.
Steve Shive's post debate review.

Here is the debate. (You'll need fast forward 13 and a half minutes.)

Phil Plait's blog review of the debate.
Daniel Loxton's blog on Carl Sagan's take on such debates.

I think that's enough links on this topic.

22 Messages

 

Buzzfeed.com featured 22 messages from creationists to people who believe in evolution (believe is the wrong word, accept is better). I gave my responses, but here are Phil Plait's. His are better.

And, to balance things out, Buzzfeed.com also feature 22 messages from evolution believers to creationists. I responded to those as well. So far, Phil hasn't.

 

Movie Recommendation: Capote (2005)

 

United Artists

 

"Ashton Kutcher survives." Those probably weren't the last words of Philip Seymour Hoffman, but nevertheless it is true, he does still live.

The great actor died this past week and I figured I should recommend one of his best performances out of a vast catalog of great performances. So, 'Capote' it is. Hoffman was awarded the Oscar for his portrayal of writer Truman Capote as he was researching the murder of a Kansas farming family for his non-fiction novel, 'In Cold Blood'.

It's a very good movie and a great performance. But it's hard to find a bad performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Music heard on the show...

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

First ad break bumpers: 'Monkeys' by Echo & the Bunnymen & 'Maddox Table' by 10,000 Maniacs
Second ad break bumpers: 'Age Of Consent' by New Order & 'Los Angeles' by X
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 4-13-13 show notes

Star Stuff

One tough little girl!

I was commissioned to do a portrait of one tough, little girl.  She's been dealing with a bad ticker and set of lungs since before she was born.  I finished the portrait some weeks ago, but it wasn't until earlier this week that it finally arrived at its destination. 

 

The mother let me know that she had received the portrait and she was quite surprised (I was commissioned by a third party) and very happy with it.

 

See?  An atheist can have a heart.

A Hard Spring

It's been quite a week for my wife and fellow ZTalkers Jenny and Scotty.  All of whom have ended up in the hospital.  My wife had emergency gall bladder removal, Jenny had a kidney infection, and Scotty was leaking spinal fluid.

I couldn't help but make the observation that it was science-based medicine that pulled them all through.  Not chiropractors, not hand waving, not prayers, just actual medicine.

 

Never Found In The 80s:  Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians

 

Another in my guest blog series of musical artists Never Found in the 80s for the Stuck in the 80s blog.  This entry is the great Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians.  I picked their excellently bizarre The Man With The Lightbulb Head.

You can read my piece here.

My First Skeptical Conference

What do PZ Myers, Hemant Mehta, Greta Christina, Zach Weinersmith, JT Ebehard, and Tim Farley all have in common?  They were all seen by yours truly at the first ever SkepTech conference in Minneapolis.  They each gave interesting and enlightening talks.

It was the first such conference I've ever attended.  It was very enjoyable and it was free.  And free fits right into my budget. 

Movie Recommendation: The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

 

Warner Bros/Universal Studios

One of the Coen brothers unjustifiably overlooked films.  It's very funny and it is the second film recommendation in a row in which Paul Newman plays a significant role.  It also stars Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Charles Durning.  It's available on disk at Netflix, so please stop overlooking this terrific movie.

Music heard on the show (Whenever Possible, I Will Link To The Song)...

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

First ad break bumpers: 'Who Dunnit' by Genesis & 'The Man With The Lightbulb Head' by Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians
Second ad break bumpers: 'Homebreakers' by The Style Council & 'All That I Wanted' by Belfegore
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.