Coming Up Tomorrow On The Dickenbock Report: Lucy's Show

(image from the Wikipedia)

On November 24, 1974 - fifty years ago - in Ethiopia, a team of paleontologists & anthropologists in a fossil expedition in Ethiopia found the remains of the Australopithecus afarensis whom they would name "Lucy."

Fifty years later - more or less - on the Dickenbock Report on XRAY FM, we'll talk about that famous discovery & play musical reports about all kinds of Lucys. Lucies? "Lucys" looks better.

That's Sunday November 24, 2024, from noon to 1pm on 91.1+107.1fm in Portland & online at xray dot fm. A special note to any other Lucy listening - tho that Lucy existed millions of years before you did, she doesn't mind sharing the day with you.

This Week In Self Help (November 17 19 + 21)

Sad balloon above says "yay" to lots of Gary on the radio this week. Whee.

A reminder: all the links to shows on the Self Help Radio website may ask for a username & password. Those are SHR & selfhelp. Just in case you need them.

Here was the week that I was on the radio most recently:

November 17. The Dickenbock Report. A show about hiking on National Hiking Day. Here are the places you can listen: the XRAY website | the Self Help Radio website.

November 19. Self Help Radio. A show with the theme parasites. Here are the places you can listen: the KBOO website | the Self Help Radio website.

Also November 19. Corporate Standardized Programming. A show featuring artists who died this year. Available on the KBOO link above but also on the Self Help Radio website as a separate show.

November 21. A sub show on KBOO. I played lots of reggae music from 1984. It was in the Shocks Of Sheba timeslot so you can listen to it on the KBOO website. But also you can listen on the Self Help Radio website too.

That's enough for this week, yes?

Parasitic Movies

(image from the IMDb)

Our resident cinephile Chuck came to the show this week to talk all about films tagged with "parasites" on the IMDb. You can listen to that show at selfhelpradio dot net or at kboo.fm if you haven't already & once you've heard Chuck's segment, check out these handy links which will enhance the experience:

YouTube playlists of films and trailers.

Here is Chuck's Letterboxd list. Here are his Letterboxd reviews. Here's the IMDb list of films available to stream elsewhere.

Here is the IMDb keyword search list.

Chuck has a Bluesky account where he has posted about some of the films. If you like what you see, follow him! He usually follows you back.

& enjoy!

Self Help Radio 111924: Parasites

(Original image here.*)

That was a show not for the squeamish. By which I mean me! I am the squeamish.

There was lice, tapeworms, bedbugs, even some mosquitos bringing along malaria. Parasites are so loathed that calling someone a parasite is quite an insult. & there are so many of them. They probably don't deserve their own radio show. But I'd rather give parasites a radio show than a place to thrive!

Listen to the show if you dare. It's not only at the KBOO website. It's also at the Self Help Radio website. Make sure you remember the username SHR & password selfhelp if you listen there. It was a lot of songs & other stuff. The details are below.

Wow I think I need a good scrubbing after that show.

Self Help Radio Parasites Show

"Mean Old Bedbug Blues" Lonnie Johnson _Steppin' On The Blues_

"Me & My Tapeworm" Sylvester Weaver _Songs Of Humor & Hilarity_

"Be Nice To People With Lice" Alan Sparhawk _See You On The Moon - Songs For Kids Of All Ages_

introduction & definitions

"Parasite" Teenage Head _Trouble In The Jungle_

"Parasite" Fields _Everything Last Winter_

"Parasite" Momus _Vivid_

"Parasite" Robyn Hitchcock _Way To Blue (The Songs Of Nick Drake)_

interview with Craig Edwards, who had a tapeworm

"Tapeworm Of Love" I, Brute Force _Confections Of Love_

"Moonglow Tapeworm" Birds Of Chicago _Birds Of Chicago_

"Tapeworm" Honeybunch _Project: Echo_

"Love Parasite" Fad Gadget _Under The Flag_

interview with Debby Carter, who has lice

"Here Come The Fleas" White Noise _An Electric Storm_

"Parasite" The Mr. T Experience _Making Things With Light_

"Like A Parasite" The Queers _Punk Rock Confidential_

"Parasites" Itchy & The Nits _The Worst Of Itchy & The Nits_

interview with Edgar Dean, who has scabies

"The Flea" Gus Englehorn _Dungeon Master_

"The Naughty Little Flea" Miriam Makeba _Miriam Makeba_

"Kuna Kunguni (The Bedbugs Bite)" Zawose & Brook _Assembly_

"Parasite" Obongjayar _Some Nights I Dream Of Doors_

our resident cinephile Chuck stops by

"Bedbug Town" Quasi _Mole City_

"Parasite" Baby In Vain _Afterlife_

"Bedbugs & Ballyhoo" Echo & The Bunnymen _Echo & The Bunnymen_

"Parasite Inside" Aquarian Blood _Last Nite In Paradise_

conclusion & goodbye

"Parasite" The A's _The A's_

"For Jacob With Malaria" Boca Chica _For Jacob With Malaria_

* Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

Whither Parasites?

(image from here)

You might think, as a parasitical invasion seems to be descending upon the capital of our nation, that the theme for this show is surprisingly timely. But it's not! This is Self Help Radio, after all. The very few times we're timely are either because we like the holidays - Valentine's Day, Halloween - or entirely by accident.

The reason this show is about parasites has to do with a discussion I overheard not too long ago between my wife & a friend of hers about our cat Bluto. Our cat Bluto was adopted in early 2023 & he was a beautiful kitten but he brought with him ringworm. It mainly affected our other cat, Boone, but I did have a little ring on my arm once & my wife told me that was ringworm. Everyone is better now & no-one had that terrifying thing where giant swollen red rings appear on your face - it never got that nightmarish. But it was a concern & we had to deal with it. Like you do.

Anyway, my wife was talking about this with a friend not too long ago & the friend asked, "Is ringworm a parasite?" & my wife said, "No, it's a fungus." But to me, it sure seemed like a parasite. & why call it a worm if it's not a worm? I went down a rabbit hole about ringworm & then parasites. & I learned a lot. & I thought hey this might be a good theme for a show.

Not ringworm! Parasites!

So it shall be. Tonight on KBOO - which is on 90.7fm in town & online at kboo dot fm. But when? From midnight to 2am like always.

Is there are chance of infection?!? Always.

Preface To Parasites: Human Parasite In Feces

Oh shit! "Human Parasite In Feces!" That's what that image is called! It's from the Wikipedia & it says "Microscopic examination of feces, also known as a fecal microscopy or stool microscopy, can reveal the presence of various human parasites, which are often responsible for gastrointestinal infections & diseases."

Recently I was reading a book - a sci-fi book - in which it was discussed how hard it was in English (in the book English is an ancient language) to figure out when nouns modify nouns. For example, you can call something a "house cat" but a "cat house" is a different thing entirely. & so it is with "human parasite." Like, I've met those people. They're unpleasant. But they look a lot like you & me - often much better - & nothing at all like that frankly nondescript worm up there.

Maybe "parasite in human feces" would be better. But of course the important thing is that it is parasitic to humans. On humans? In humans? I'm not sure which is the proper use. Sadly it doesn't tell us the name of this parasite (tho if I were to guess it's probably Todd).

But what could it be? Lots! According to this website. It helpfully asks & answers this question:

What is the most common intestinal parasite?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 25% of the world’s population has an infection related to an intestinal parasite. In tropical & subtropical areas with limited access to clean water & sanitation, that number is as high as 50%. The most common intestinal parasite infection globally is ascariasis. It affects about one billion people worldwide.

In the U.S., the most common infections are from protozoa, especially the giardia parasite. Pinworms are the most common intestinal worm in the U.S.

But it isn't giardia, because the web describes them as "pear-shaped & measure 10-20 micrometers in length." More likely that's ascariasis, which the web tells me are "typically pink or white with tapered ends." So now you know.

Oh damn this week's show is going to be awful & informative!