dimland radio 11-5-16 show notes

The Condescension Of "Sportsball"

 

I noticed the term "sportsball' popping up on the internets. Have you seen it? It's a term used by people who don't know anything about sports and don't care to, but they want to have an air of superiority about their ignorance.

 

I can't say I'm not guilty of ever being proud of being clueless about some aspect of today's pop culture. And since I am also guilty of that attitude, I thought it might be a good idea to use the word "ball" as a suffix added to things we don't care about.

 

"Oh, are you guys talking Walking Deadball? Gee, I don't know anything about that show. I've never watched it."

 

Something like that. Do you think it will catch on? Or aren't you interested in giving things clever namesball?

A Story 108 Years In The Making

What a hell of a World Series! (I know, sportsball.) The Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs know plenty about futility. Between them they have 176 years without a World Series Championship. Cleveland has waited since 1948 and Chicago since 1908. So with this World Series the fans knew history was going to be made, but who would make it. 

 

Turns out it was the Chicago Cubs, America's Sweetheart Team, who would break their long drought.

 

And what a Game 7! That game was a thrill ride. It was a roller coaster and I talked about how it rivaled Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. That was the Jack Morris 10 inning shutout pitching performance that gave the MN Twins their second ever World Series Championship.

 

1991 was a more soundly played baseball game with better defensive play and excellent pitching. That Game 7's drama was based mainly on the steady increase of tension. As a Twins fan, I was going crazy with that whole "let's get this over with" feeling.

This year's Game 7 started out feeling like a Cubs victory, but the pitching faltered (for both teams) and there was some poor defensive play along with a costly wild pitch (on the Cubs' side) allowing the Indians to get back into and then tie the game.

Then came the tenth inning, but before that could be played there was a 17 minute rain delay. ("Auggggh! Get me off this ride!") During that rain delay, the Cubs had some players speechify and rally the team. And I'm sure the Indians were doing the same.

Play resumed and the Cubs scratched out two runs and the lead in the top half of the 10th, but Cleveland homered in the bottom half. They got within one run, but the Cubs were able to get three outs and become World Champions for the first time in more than a century.

Woof! I was spent.

The ratings for this year's Game 7 was the highest since 1991's Game 7. The Cubs/Indians' Game 7 averaged 40 million viewers. Still, Game 7 of the 1991 World Series between the MN Twins and the Atlanta Braves pulled more than 50 million viewers. Both are mighty impressive numbers for baseball.

Photojournalists Don't Just Snap Pictures

No, photojournalists capture moments, good and bad. I talked about how someone with the talent and training and experience can make an art out of documenting history. They don't just show a moment they capture the moment. Their pictures tell us so much about an event. (However, photos can be misleading. I'll talk about that next week.)

 

So, there was a story online about the glaring difference between the front page photos of the triumphant Cubs by the Chicago Tribune  (which still has a staff of photojournalists) and the Chicago Sun-Times (which does not). As one person put it, it was iconic vs forgettable. It's tougher than it looks.

 

My Pillow Settles Lawsuit

I don't mean my pillow, the one I use at home. I mean the special, super-awesome pillow you can buy through the TV called My Pillow. Last March on show 267, I had talked by how I was doubtful about some of the claims being made by Mike Lindell, inventor and CEO of My Pillow, in one of his commercials that seemed to always be running on Antenna TV. I hadn't noticed the ad had disappeared recently.

 

Well, a California District Attorney brought a lawsuit against My Pillow for misleading claims of improved health from numerous ailments in their advertising. That's what had me being doubtful. I didn't doubt the pillows were comfortable, but I did doubt it helped with fibromyalgia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, among other ailments.

 

The way Lindell attempted to get around the need to demonstrate the claims were true, thereby keeping the FTC off their back, was to use the weasel phrase, "I've had people tell me..." But, I guess that didn't work to keep that DA in California from bringing a lawsuit for deceptive claims.

 

My Pillow opted to settle, instead of going to trial. They have to pay $950,000 in civil penalties and $100,000 to be given to a charity.

 

Movie Recommendation: None

I ran out of time this week, so you are on your own. 

 

Music heard on the show...
 

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus 
First ad break bumpers: 'Columbus' by The Church & 'O Superman (For Massenet)' by Laurie Anderson

Second ad break bumpers: 'Unheard Music' by X & 'Nothing Turns Out Right' by The Mighty Mofos

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 3-19-16 show notes

A Family Story...

My great uncle Pal died earlier this month at the age of 85. 85 years is a pretty good run, but ask me if I still think it's a good run when I'm 84.

 

His death got me thinking about the Fourth of July celebrations held at his house that we used to attend every year. We stopped attending some time in the early 80s. Not because of a family falling out, but I think it was mostly due to my parents no longer enjoying the heavy drinking that was usually involved.

 

My mother had before that time begun to pull away from all the boozing. She didn't like the hangovers and just didn't enjoy the antics alcohol could facilitate. Dad was coming to that same way of thinking, too.

 

That lead me to remembering one particular Fourth of July holiday. It was perhaps the last time any of our family went to Uncle Pal's for the Fourth. I told the story of that Fourth when Dad was the drunkest I had ever seen him. Mom did not go that year, she was upset with Dad, but she didn't stop my younger brother and I from going.

 

I was working early that day, so when I got off work Dad and Uncle Jack came over to pick me and my brother up to bring to the party. They had both already been there for a while. Dad was driving. Dad was drunk. My brother and I will never forget that terrifying ride. Dad drove too fast, he and Uncle Jack laughing all that way, while my brother and I were white-knuckling in the backseat.

 

I had seen Dad buzzed before, but not like this. This was a different drunk. Dad wasn't falling down or acting out, he just wasn't right. He was barely there. It was scary.

 

Uncle Pal pumped Dad full of coffee at the end to the night and said, "He'll be OK." I was 17 or so and I wasn't a driver yet, but I was contemplating whether or not I would be able to drive us home. Well, Dad drove. We got home and he didn't speak of that holiday very much after that.

 

Years later, about the only thing I was able to get him to say about that day was he didn't remember most of it. He had been blackout drunk virtually the entire day. As I recall, he was taking an antibiotic at the time, for an infection of some sort, and that certainly must have affected how drunk he got.

 

It must have really scared him, because Dad never got that drunk again. In fact, today he's practically a teetotaler and has been for many years.

Canadian Couple On Trial For Not Providing Their Son Proper Medicine

Ezekiel Stephan was 19 months old when he died from meningitis four years ago, after his parents refused him science-based medicine, opting instead to use naturopathic remedies. Had Ezekiel received proven medical care, and had he been vaccinated (his parents refuse to vaccinate as well), chances are very good he'd still be alive today.

 

The Canadian government have brought the parents to trial for not providing the necessaries of life to their son. There are some who say that losing their child is surely punishment enough. That is part of the public debate surrounding the case up there.

I agree the loss of a child is unthinkable. But they have three other children. Ezekiel's death might be enough of a punishment if they learned that instead of relying on unproven methods they should use what science has provided us and get their remaining kids vaccinated.

 

Somehow, I don't think that will happen. Someone needs to speak for Ezekiel and his siblings.

 

Speaking Of Naturopathy

 

It is a the one drawback to having old Johnny Carson shows playing again: The commercials for dubious products and services. I've talked about the California Psychics on a previous show.

 

This time I mentioned the My Pillow claims. It may be very comfortable and hold its shaped, but let's not suggest the pillow helps with fibromyalgia or other self-reported anecdotes. Maybe the pillows are great, but I wonder about those claims.

 

Worse, however, are the ads for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America. If their ads are to be believed the centers have a good record for dealing with cancer. Yay. The problem I have is they are an integrative medical facility. Integrative means they provide science-based therapies and treatments along with alternative medical treatments, such as naturopathy, chiropractic, spiritual, etc. Boo.

And listeners to my show should know that there is no such thing as alternative medicine. If it works, it's called medicine. So clinics such as the Cancer Treatment Centers of America make it possible for unproven or disproven methods to glom onto proven treatments and share in the credit for the cure or remission of a cancer. Thereby given those alt treatments a sheen of legitimacy.

That's not good. 

IRS Phone Scam

 

I briefly warned listeners about a phone scam that has been going around. The caller will claim to be from the IRS and that the person being called owes a lot of money in back taxes. They will pressure the person to pay up now or the authorities will be at their door.

 

The IRS does not do that. This is a scam. Hang up. Don't get taken in.

 

I Wish I Had Created This Meme

Brilliant!

Last week, I was going through some of my accumulated images and files for Dimland Radio and I found the image above. I had posted it to the Dimland Radio Facebook page a while back, but I like it so much I figured I'd post it again. The meme makes an awesome point, which a lot of people must appreciate, because it has gone out on the Facebook like wildfire.

 

As of my writing this, FB tells me that image has reached nearly 112,000 people, been shared almost 650 times, and has added 22 likes to the Dimland Radio FB page.

 

It is a brilliant statement. I just wish I had thought of it.

 

Movie Recommendation: None

 

I ran out of time. You are on your own this week.

 

Music heard on the show...

Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus 
First ad break bumpers: 'Red Rain' By Peter Gabriel & 'Once In A Lifetime' by Talking Heads

Second ad break bumpers: 'Snake Dance' by The March Violets & 'Your Silent Face' by New Order

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.