I Was Challenged
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| This is the actual story. |
You may recall a story I told a couple shows back about a skeptic sharing a bit of fake news on Facebook. It was my position that they should have known better. They should have taken the time to make certain the story was true and that the site was a reliable source for news.
At the time I did a quick Google search using the story's headline - Georgia Man Cuts Off His Own Penis To Stop Masturbating. I added "Snopes" to the headline and immediately found an article on Snopes debunking this bit of fake news.
Done and done.
However, a friend of the show challenged me to do a deeper dive. So, I did. I tell the story of that deeper dive on the show.
Normally, I make only one resolution each year and it's always the same: I resolve each year to live to see the next year. One of these years I'll break that resolution.
But this year, I realized I had made two other resolutions. It wasn't an intentional thing, I was just thinking that I was determined to finally finish a portrait I had started and had been tickling at for a couple years. I also had been thinking I was determined to be a more positive and less snarky presence on Facebook. Not that I won't ever snark, but I'll try to tone it down a bit.
Then it hit me! I just made two resolutions! Heaven help me!
Well, let's see how I do.
An Examination Of Lazy Photoshopping
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| Look at those poorly Photoshopped big pants! |
Someone thought it would be funny to make Pres. Trump look fat by Photoshopping really big pants on him in the official holiday photo the President and First Lady took last year.
Oh, har, har! Look at the big pants!
I used the photo to explain how to spot poorly done photo fakery.
Of course, one could just do a quick Google search to find the actual image.
I have been listening to and really enjoying the Slate podcast Hit Parade. It's a monthly podcast on which host Chris Molanphy examines some aspect of pop music history. I don't always care for the music, but I still find the podcast fascinating.
The main show comes out near the end of each month, but they release a mini episode as a connection between shows in the middle of the month. They call it The Bridge episode. On the bridge podcast the host and one of the show's producers will follow-up on the previous show and preview the next show. They also have a listener call in to partake in a three question trivia challenge. The first question of the challenge has to do with the previous show's topic, while the second and third questions relate to the upcoming show.
Then the listener gets to attempt to stump the host with a trivia question. The implication being the listener crafts the question themselves, except, call me cynical, the question also has to do with the upcoming episode and they sound too professionally written.
Hm. Am I being pedantic or am I being cynical?
Three Cool Things
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| Skeptics to the left of me, birders to the right... |
1) The above photograph was taken be my friend Craig at the most recent MN Skeptic's meet-up. A meet-up that happened to coincide with another group that Craig meets with: A gathering of birders for talking about birds and drinking beer. It was an usually crowded night for the skeptics. The birders were pretty cool.
2) Craig also clued me onto this young musician from Germanland. Her name is Sina (pronounced See-Nah. I got it wrong on the show.) She's very talented and has quite the appreciation for the music I like. How can I not like this kid?! She posts videos of herself playing the drum parts of famous drummers flawlessly. Her videos include her explaining why Ringo Starr was great, there's an absolutely beautiful version of The Beatles' Something with Avonlea an equally young and talent singer, and there are videos of Sina playing Keith Moon's part on My Generation and Won't Get Fooled Again. Kids today! I tell ya!
3) The decidedly not cool and not punk novelty album Chipmunk Punk by Alvin & the Chipmunks is horrible. I explain why it ain't punk. It has covers of songs by Linda Ronstadt, Tom Petty, Queen, and Billy Joel - punk icons all. This album is so not punk, it might just be pun... Um. Hang on...
Anyway, on my Spotify I came up with a punk alternative listing of songs Alvin & Co could have covered. And that's cool. If I say so myself.
You can find and follow me on Spotify. Search Jim Fitzsimons and you'll find my playlists.
However, here's the list with links!
Just imagine those songs as sung by those pesky rodents.
Dimland Radio opening theme song: 'Ram' by The Yoleus
First ad break bumpers: 'Nocturnal Me' by Echo & The Bunnymen & 'Twilight Zone' by Golden Earring
First ad break bumpers: 'Nocturnal Me' by Echo & The Bunnymen & 'Twilight Zone' by Golden Earring
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
