dimland radio 11-16-19 show notes

A Cave Tour And A Tale Of BS
 

It's weird how memories pop into your head sometimes. I was cleaning the other night when the memory of a family road trip to California in 1976. (Correction of error on show: I was 13 during the trip, not 11.) Part of that trip included a visit to the Cave of the Winds (yes, that's what it is called) in Colorado. It was during the tour of the cave when the tour guide stopped the group in a large section and had the lights turned off.

 

It got very, very dark. We were told it was the darkest dark possible. We were also told of a science experiment done in just such an area of complete darkness. The results of which were told as a little joke for the tour group. And, all these years later, it dawned on me...

 

That story was bullshit.

OK, Boomer And The Facebook Troll

 

The Millennials are pushing back at the Baby Boomers' incessant insults about how they are ruining everything by using the pithy dis, "OK, Boomer." It's picked up steam and has begun to show up all over the social media and the phrase has even made it's way into the New Zealand parliament. 

 

While talking about the dire importance of taking action to stem climate change, New Zealand MP Chloe Swarbrick was heckled by one of the very few attendees to Parliament. Her response was a brief hand wave and a quick utterance of "OK, Boomer" and she continued with her speech.

 

Stephen Cobert also weighed in on the OK, Boomer thing. (Correction of error on show: I said Cobert hosts the Late, Late Show. That is wrong. He hosts the Late Show.)

I posted on Facebook about noticing the phenomenon and a discussion was generated. It quickly led to the predictable response "OK, Boomer" when a FB friend stated the phrase is a form of bigotry. That led to the rise of a troll.

 

I unfriended them and their last salvo was to insult my artistic abilities. The classic move of a troll. I then blocked them. A move that I'm sure made their day. You're welcome, troll.

 

 

The above statement was shared on Facebook. I refrained from commenting on Facebook, but I did mention on the show that if someone wishes to decry the bigotry of using a stereotypical epithet to describe a group of people, that person also shouldn't use a stereotypical epithet when doing so.

A Dimland Radio Pedantic Moment: Russians Storming The Beaches Of Normandy?

 

A great example of why Millennials have adopted the OK, Boomer attitude.

The above meme, other than be an example of a straw man and selection bias, is factually incorrect in its choice of an example of the heroic 18 year-olds of D-Day. That image shows a Russian soldier.

 

"Class, what is wrong about showing a Russian soldier when referencing the invasion of Normandy? Yes, Dim. Can you tell us?"

"Of course, the Russians were fighting the Germans in Eastern Europe. Normandy is in Western Europe, so the Russians weren't even involved."

"Very good, Dim. 10 points, Slytherin."

A Dimland Radio Science Zero: The House Republicans Of Ohio

 

Apparently, "God did it" will be considered an acceptable answer in science class in the state of Ohio. The Republicans in the House of Ohio passed a bill that will allow students to not be penalized for getting incorrect answers on science exams if their answers are religion based. Gee, I wonder which religion that would be...

 

The Ohio Senate is Republican controlled, so this bill has a good chance of becoming law. Might this become  the next separation of church and state case to go to the courts? Will it be the next Dover Panda Trail?

Sir Anthony Hopkins And The No True Scotsman Fallacy

An a la carte Christian (aren't all of them a la carte?) friend of mine triumphantly shared an article posted in January of this year about how actor Sir Anthony Hopkins turned away from alcohol and atheism and became a Christian.

 

I read the article and followed the links (here to here). I'm not so sure he was ever an atheist.

 

This raises the No True Scotsman fallacy. It's sort of moving the goalpost by responding when some person does something contrary to the stereotypes of a certain group, in turn putting a lie to the stereotype, that that person never really was part of that group. I know I was coming awfully close to commenting that fallacy.

 

Hopkins may have been an atheist who turned to the Christian god, but I'm not sure. It was the quote below attributed to him, that made me wonder if he had been an atheist.

 

"Being an atheist must be like living in a closed cell with no windows."

 

Hm. Must be like? Not is like?

 

I would have thought if he had been an atheist he would know what it is like.

 

He was at an Alcoholics Anonymous (a Christian religion-based group) meeting and he was asked, "Why don't you just trust in God?"

 

I wonder how triumphant my Christian friend would have fell had the actor been asked, "Why don't you just trust in Osiris? ...Zeus? ...Odin? ...Allah?"

 

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus 
First ad break bumpers: 'Love On A Farmboy's Wages' by XTC & 'You've Got Everything Now' by The Smiths

Second ad break bumpers: 'That's Entertainment' by The Jam & 'Armageddon Days Are Here (Again)' by The The

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 5-9-15 show notes

I Prayed For A Stranger...Sort Of

The other day, as I sat in my parked vehicle, scarfing down some super healthy fast food, a fellow approached and asked me to do something for him. At first I couldn't tell what he was saying, but he finally made it clear that he wanted me to pray for him.

 

Phew! I thought he was gonna ask me for money.

 

I asked why and he said he was just asking people to pray for him. Now, I'm an atheist. Do I take that moment to inform this clearly on some sort of substance fellow that he's barking up the wrong tree? Do I try to reach him and plant a seed of doubt in his religious beliefs?

 

Nope. I told him I'd pray for him and he thanked me and staggered away. I didn't, however, tell him who I would pray to...

 

"Dear, Flying Spaghetti Monster..."

Good For My Friend

 

Probably won't be added to any college history curriculum any time soon.

Good for my friend, but for rational thought and an accurate understanding of history? I'm not so sure. But, what do I know?

 

My friend, Scott Roberts, wrote a book examining the possibility of the existence of the Nephilim. The Nephilim were giant angels who came down from heaven to knock up human women, because human women are so damn hot. I mean... Damn!

 

Ok, perhaps the reasons were more complicated. Anyway, their offspring were giants and they were mentioned in the Bible and in parts of the Bible that were voted to be excluded from the official Bible. That's right. Humans at one point decided which of the words of God were to be kept in the Bible.

 

So, my friend's book isn't exactly looked on as science. I don't think there are many scientific historians and archeologists who accept the notion that there were giant angel/human hybrids wandering the earth.

 

I mention all this, because just recently actress Megan Fox posted images of herself on Instagram. She can be seen walking and carrying a certain book. Can you guess which book that might be? Here's a hint: It wasn't Carl Sagan's 'The Demon-Haunted World'.

 

Could she be reading it with a critical eye? Can we hope so?

 

But, Scott is my friend and this is pretty exciting. For him, if not for science and history. But, what do I know?

How Awesome Is My Dad?

It's Mother's Day weekend so of course I thought I'd relate a story about my dad.

 

We've had a leaky refrigerator for some months now. The water was leaking into the fridge from the freezer. I didn't know what to do so I asked Dad. He had the same thing happen to his refrigerator. He, however, is not so inept when it comes to doing repairs.

 

Without the internet. Without any "how to" guide books. Without any assistance, he came upon a solution that involved, in part, hot water and a turkey baster.

 

I couldn't just take his word, so I consulted Google and I found a tutorial video that explained how to unclog a frozen drain in your freezer. It is a solution that involves, in part, hot water and a turkey baster!

 

How awesome is my dad?!

Penn & Teller Part 1: The Show

 

On Friday, May 1st, I went to see Penn & Teller perform at Mystic Lake Hotel & Casino. I went with a friend and his son. It was my first time seeing them perform live and I thought the show was very entertaining and fun.

 

A few of the routines I had seen them perform before on television, but they were still impressive. And there were a few that I had heard about, but hadn't ever seen, so that was cool. One of the highlights was Teller escaping from a large garbage bag filled with helium. I don't know how they did it. So impressive!

 

The biggest highlight involved an eight year old audience member named Tiffany and a pair of scissors. Tiffany did something with those scissors that made Penn believe that that would be the last show he and Teller would ever do.

 

Tiffany did as she was instructed, making her a rare child. None the other kids they've had help in the routine did as they were instructed. That's what P&T count on.

 

As a joke, sorry to spoil it, Penn instructed Tiffany to run with the scissors. Kids in the past might take a step or two or none at all, but Tiffany followed instructions. She ran with the scissors. Oh, but she did even more! With Penn calling after her to stop (that instruction she didn't follow) she got to the edge of the stage, hesitated for a second, and then jumped off. She was heading back to her seats, when Penn, with the assistance of the stage crew and casino people, got her back on stage.

 

She was ok. Everyone was ok. Penn & Teller's career isn't over.

 

Penn tells the story in more detail on his podcast 'Penn's Sunday School' (cue to the last 14 minutes to hear the story). You can download the Tiffany episode (#166) here.

Penn & Teller Part 2: The Meet & Greet

Since the very early days of Penn & Teller, they have done meet and greets after every show. They meet their fans, take pictures, and sign autographs. They stay as long as it takes so everyone gets a chance.

 

I originally hoped to get a hug from Penn, which he probably would have given had I asked, but I didn't want to push it. Half a hug was almost as good. He signed the two books I had brought: one by them both, the other was Penn's novel 'Sock'.

 

When I told Penn that Teller, who we had gone to first, had signed Penn's book, Penn responded quietly just to me, "Asshole."

 

I'm pretty sure he was referring to Teller.

 

Photobombed by a Vikings fan. Teller took this picture, by the way.

 

Half a hug from one of my man crushes.

Penn & Teller Part 3: The Troll

So, when I got home I immediately posted the two pictures of me with P&T on my Facebook page. I wrote, "Ahem. Look who just bumped into a couple of his heroes..."

 

Most of those who commented on the photos were happy for me and pleasant and had kind things to say, until the troll entered. It is the internet and some people feel compelled to shit on things.

 

A Facebook friend (I friend anyone who sends a request) doesn't care for Penn & Teller's politics. He doesn't like Libertarians. He hates the Koch brothers. And everyone needs to know that through my thread. He started by stating, "I'm not a big fan of these Libertarian idiots."

 

As the troll had hoped, another of my FB friends responded and it was on. There was quite the back and forth going on before I even noticed. I had posted the images and gone to bed before the troll arrived. So, when I opened my FB the next morning the discussion was on.

 

I want to thank the friends of mine who engaged with him. I tried for a time, but realized it was futile.

 

Oh! I didn't mention this on the show because I ran short of time. During the comments flame war, the troll let it be known he had seen Penn & Teller perform THREE times!

 

It took him three times seeing them to decide he wasn't a big fan.

 

Movie Recommendations: None

Sorry, 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: 'Straight To Hell' by The Clash & 'If Hollywood Don't Need You' by Don Williams
Second ad break bumpers: 'Life's What You Make It' By Talk Talk & 'Heat Of The Moment' by Asia

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 2-9-13 show notes

A New Way Of Doing Things

You may have noticed there were no show notes for last week's show.  That's because there was no show.  The week before I was having technical difficulties.  Although I was able to record my show, I kept getting kicked of the network.

Since then I've tried broadcasting a couple more times with the same problem still occurring.  So, I decided to take a break last week and then prerecord my show.  This way I can put the show in the feed and it should play in my regular time-slot.  (I'm writing these notes on Saturday afternoon, so the show hasn't aired yet.  We'll see if it works.)

I want to thank fellow Z Talker, Chris Davis, for helping me get set up.

A Correction

Yep, even your humble host can make a mistake.  I know.  I know.  It's difficult to believe, ain't it?

Back on my show from 1/12/13, I had remarked about how similar the Denver Broncos defeat in the playoffs was to my MN Vikings NFC Championship game loss in 1999.  The Broncos opted to run the time out in regulation and take their chances in overtime.  I thought the Vikings had done almost the same thing going into halftime, but, I was wrong, it was at the end of regulation.

Neither team thought it a good idea to try to win the game and avoid overtime.  Neither team won their game.  What a shame.

Do Not Feed The Trolls

I've been learning about internet trolls lately (see previous posting).  And I think I was hit by another one at work through our email.  We have a job listing on Craig' List and someone emailed a response that I thought reflected a poor attitude.
 

I almost responded, but I remembered the old adage, "Do Not Feed The Trolls!"

Psychic News

I happily shared two news items related to "psychics" accused of breaking the law or being sued for attempting to capitalize on their family's "good" name.  That name?  Van Praagh.  Good name?  Yeah, right.Follow the links to here and here.

Movie Recommendation: The City Of Lost Children (1995)

Sony Picture Classics

This French film is very surreal and a bit disturbing.  It's also very cool.  Visually striking with terrific special effects, you will believe in clones.  It stars Ron Perlman (Hellboy, Drive) as a strong man who befriends a little girl street urchin.  They set out to save the children of the town who have been kidnapped by a mad scientist in order to steal their dreams.  Check it out!

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: 'Pictures Of You' by The Cure & 'Sex Beat' by The Urban Guerrillas
Second ad break bumpers: 'Lie Detector' by The Screaming Blue Messiahs & 'Absolute Beginners' by The Suburbs
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.