dimland radio 4-28-18 show notes

It's Spring, Time For A Familiar Rant

The ducks have returned, the cat has stopped laying on my lap, and baseball is back.

 

Have I mentioned that I hate the NY Yankees? Yes. I know I have. But it's sort of a tradition on Dimland Radio. Besides with the MN Twins have just lost four in a row to the Evil Empire, I just couldn't help myself.

How Can You Tell Penn Jillette Is A Vegan?

I sidetracked before getting into my Pedantic Moment by voicing my concern about Penn Jillette's veganism. It has helped him lose a considerable amount of weight and, if we can take him at his word, which I do, his health is much improved.

 

It's just that on his excellent podcast he tends to talk about being a vegan and it gets a little tiresome. (Hmm, I should keep that in mind when it comes to mind talking about a certain greatest rock band in the world.) Well, it is his show and he can talk about whatever he wants.

A Dimland Radio Pedantic Moment: Signs At The March For Our Lives Events

I don't want mass shootings happening anywhere, I think that's pretty much a given. Despite some of the rhetoric that gets tossed around, folks such as Ted Nugent and the NRA also don't want mass shootings either.

 

The March For Our Lives events of a month or so ago had thousands of people throughout America marching to make their voices heard about our country needing to do something to end gun violence. Exactly what? I don't know if there is any one thing that can be done.

 

But! I did see a few signs that I do know how to get all pedantic about.

 

Really? Where did you try buying that poster board?

Um. I'm pretty sure hunting schoolchildren is illegal.

Um. I'm pretty sure Heroin is illegal.

Those were the dumb ones. This next one is a bit more historically complicated. The 3/5 Compromise was a complicated move made in the early days of the American government. It mandated that 3/5 of the slaves be counting when determining population totals. It was a compromise that gave Southern (slave-holding) states greater representation in the Federal government, but not as much as would have been given had slaves been counted as full persons.

 

It was an anti-slavery move, but what would be its historical impact?

 

It's complicated.

And the last sign, I think, is pretty damn good. Whether or not an AR-15 would fire as many rounds in the time it takes to read the sign as it indicates is beside the point. It is very effective ad copy.

 

I count 39 bullet holes and it took 5 seconds to read. There's some math to be done here.

Three Cool Things

3) This is a very cool perspective of Devils Tower.

2) And then NASA gave us this awesome animated image of a comet that was study as part of the Rosetta mission.

 

1) The Foo Fighters like to pull a fan out of the crowd during live performances and have them play along with the band. They want a fan who can play guitar, at least, a little. Well, recently they got more than they bargained for when they brought "Kiss Guy" on stage.

 

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus 
First ad break bumpers: 'She's On It' by Beastie Boys & 'We Got The Beat' by The Go-Go's

Second ad break bumpers: 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic' by The Police & 'Rat Patrol' by Naked Raygun

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.

dimland radio 6-18-16 show notes

DNA And Travel Agency Follow-up

If you read last week's show notes, you'll see that I addressed another problem with those "DNA Journey" videos: The fact they are sponsored by a travel agency. That explains why each video I shared last week ends with one of the presenters asking, " So, would you like to travel to all of these places?"

 

Just another series of crummy commercials.

Another Mass Shooting

This time it took place in Orlando, FL. An insane person went into the nightclub and killed 49 club-goers and wounded 53 others. Law enforcement killed the alleged assailant.

 

The country reels again and, again, sends thoughts and prayers, but chances are our government will get all gridlocked and not end up doing much. However, even well-known conservatives, namely Bill O'Reilly and Gretchen Carlson, are calling for a ban on assault rifles. Liberals are stunned and think the world is coming to an end.

And, of course, the conspiracy theorists are in their heaven claiming the whole thing is a false flag operation so Obama can take yer guuuuns. What color is the sky in their world? Fortunately, Caitlyn Dewey of the Washington Post has rounded up some answers from the reporters on the scene.

 

Just as was the case in the last four or five mass shootings that occurred while Dimland Radio was a thing, I wish I had the magic answer. I don't...

 

Like everyone else, I just hope there isn't a next time. And, like everyone else, I just know there's going to be a next time.
 

Facebook Memes Round-Up

A plethora of memes have been showing up on the social media that are related to this latest shooting. I gave my take on the four you see below...

 

Does this mean the 1st Amendment doesn't cover television, movies, the internet, cell phones, etc.?

Replace "right to own a gun" with "right to free speech" or "right to due process". Seems less profound, doesn't it?

Cameron Esposito assumes correctly, the Constitution occasionally does need updates. Those updates are called amendments and there are 27 of them.

 

Islam is not a country. You dumbass.

Boy. You make One Comment On A Grossly Over-priced Jacket...

Call me naive, but I thought I was on pretty safe ground when I posted a comment on Facebook about the Armani designer jacket recently worn by Hillary Clinton. She wore it to the rally after she won the New York Democrat primary. The jacket either cost $7,500 or $12,500 dollars and it looked like shit.

 

Not even Halle Berry or George Clooney could make this jacket look good.

I disparaged the jacket, not Ms Clinton. Any jacket costing that much money ought to make the wearer look like a million bucks. But, NO ONE could have worn that grade school art teacher's smock and look good. NO ONE!

 

I thought I hadn't made a terribly controversial observation. I was wrong. There were a few commenters who seemed to accuse me of sexism because I didn't realize how tough it is for women to decide on attire for such important events. I didn't realize how scrutinized women are in what they wear by the public. I also didn't provide balance by commenting on Trump's attire.

 

Well, men wear suits. A suit is a suit is a suit. None the male candidates were dressing like Doc Severinsen or Paul Schaffer, both known for their flamboyant suits. If any were, then I might comment. But the suits are bland. Trump's ties are OK, but his major fashion problem is that insane comb-over. I suggested he shave his head and rock the Lex Luthor look.

 

And if women are more heavily scrutinized for their sartorial choices, or rather their handlers' choices, I would agree that isn't fair. But that doesn't mean that wasn't one grossly over-priced, ugly jacket. I had to reiterate that my original comment was about the jacket and its price, not about Ms Clinton.

I wonder how those who were taking me to the woodshed for commenting on Hillary's clothes would have reacted had Donald Trump worn something equally extravagant and equally hideous. Hmmm. I wonder...

 

But, before the implied sexism in the comments, came a lengthy discussion on the veracity of Snopes.com. A fellow skeptic and Facebook friend posted a link to a Snopes article on the jacket. That prompted a less skeptical friend to claim, "Snopes is fake." Well, my skeptical friend wasn't going to let that slip by, so he challenged the Snopes is fake claimant to back up his claim.

 

That's when my not very skeptical friend turned into a troll. He wasn't going to back up his claim. He was too busy and the information is out there. He essentially said we "big S" skeptics were knee-jerk naysayers who would only say, "Prove it!" to the people making claims.

 

Well, yeah. You made a claim, buddy. The person making the claim has the burden of proof, not those skeptical of the claim.

 

My skeptical FB friend and I both provided sources that supported the fact the Snopes is a good source for solid information. They cite their sources in their articles. They make updates and corrections. They do their research.

 

That's when my troll friend backed down a bit from claiming Snopes was fake to claiming the site was liberally biased. So what? Are the facts the facts?

 

My friend was being a troll and I told him so. I also told him I expected better from him.

Movie Recommendation: None

I didn't have time, so you are on your own again. I promise to suggest a movie next week.

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus 
First ad break bumpers: 'Insect Mother' by Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians & 'For A Moment We're Strangers' by The Church

Second ad break bumpers: 'Since Your Gone' by The Cars & 'Night Time' by Killing Joke

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 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.