The first, last, and maybe only interview

Generally those involved with creating a song that appears on the Funny Music Project known as the FuMP appear on a weekly podcast which is often recorded on Thursday evenings right after when the show I use to broadcast on Dementia Radio aired. Even though I inspired the medley “It’s an Alt-Right Christmas” that was released on Dec 20, I was not asked to join the FuMPcast on the 22nd but figured the potential interview and conversation would go like this (Since my daughter would be at work the time the FuMPcast is recorded, me appearing would have been difficult using Skype on my tablet and since I fell asleep shortly after the cast began to wake a few hours later violently sick for what involved 2 1/2 days and an ER visit, it was probably best that I was not.):

Host: Joining us this week is Ken Sherlock

K: This is the Madman on the Loose. Thank you for listening this Thursday evening or whenever you are listening to this podcast. Hope you are doing well.

H: Are you ever going to be casting again?

K: Though Wild Card and Mad Mike got an old computer given to me by my employer running and I can get on line, it is not good enough to cast a show and right now purchasing a computer that would allow me to cast is out of the question since it would go to my daughter who needs it for school.

H: So what is going on in your world?

K: After FuMPFeST, my weight once again was at the point where I was considered obese level 3 and needing of a specialist. Since then, I have lost over 10 lb though I gained some back in the past six weeks but I am still 18lb less than I was on Jan 4.

H: So have you been going to any sci-fi cons or shows recently?

K: Actually no. I changed my focus from watching other talented people perform things that I can’t to doing something I can do and trying to get better at it. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, I had my best ever disc golf tournament and I know that had I spent some of my time, energy, and money sitting in a theatre or hotel instead of playing, that result would have not happened. I’m currently working out three times a week and waiting for March so I can hopefully carry the momentum into the 2017 season.

After the song in played on the show:

H: So we will start with Ken. What inspired that idea for this?

K: About 8 years ago, I saw the unedited version of the movie Holiday Inn for the first time and did not realize that before Bing Crosby's character did the song White Christmas for the first time, he performed a song on Lincoln’s birthday and in order to disguise the identity of a woman who joined him in the song, everyone was in blackface

H: I had no idea.

K: Since then, I have in my head changed the words in White Christmas to reflect that era and their meaning of white. Thanks to what happened last month and many reactions by those supporting the result, I realized that the phrase Alt-Right could fit into that idea and posted that to Facebook stating I know others could make it better and along came Chris.

After Chris talked about it:

K: As awesome I find this track along with others made by Steve Goodie and NBW, I really wish the situation in the country was at the point where these songs would not need to be made.


After the announcement of the Marscon 2017 video which named the guest of honor as well as other acts performing:

H: As someone who has been to every Marscon since the comedy music track was created, how does this year's lineup compare to the past ones?

K: Can I mention names? No? The GOH was unexpected to hear and I am glad you were able to get that act to go thanks again to the help of Dementia radio.org. No doubt it could get some people to make the trip whom would otherwise not go.

At the end of the cast:

H: Ken, is there anything you want to plug?

K: Thanks to everyone who purchased a raffle ticket or cheesecake for my daughter’s choir, her trip to Disneyworld at the end of the month was completely paid for and I appreciate it. My daughter with her choir will be singing at Epcot center on the 28^th. 

My stats are available at PDGA.com player number 33461.

Pain and death

My sister recently asked me if I was interested in a used reclining couch that was still in decent shape and since sitting upright is painful, I said yes.

The plan was to move it last Saturday but getting a rare opportunity to work that day changed it so I got up at 7AM on Sunday, moved some things around to create a spot for it, and headed over there to lift it into his van uncomfortably riding in the back to make sure it did not fall out during the 2 block drive.

Then came a problem for me. My fatigued right arm. Somehow, I managed to carry as much as I could but by the time we were done, it was pretty messed up. It is at the point in July 2015 when I stopped playing disc golf and therapy was what was needed to make it better. In hindsight, I could have made a phone call or two and gotten help but as I often do, I fail to realize what I can't do until it is too late and something bad is made worse. Fortunately I know what exercises I did and still do most days for this so I am hoping to be better by next spring so I can try to continue the disc golf success I had in November.

I made sure when I went to the fitness center the following Monday and Thursday to concentrate on legs and abs and not even do anything with arms.

The following Friday at work, I had to do something on the internal server which took 15 minutes. I then noticed the time and realized since I was at the desk I use, it was a good time to take my break. When I got up from that, my legs were dead. Every step was painful but being Friday and knowing there was a company lunch, I forged through the next couple of hours which I have done many times. After sitting down to eat for 10 minutes during the lunch, my legs were even worse getting up which I needed to do so someone else could join the group and I sat alone with my legs up fortunately only having to get up once to answer the dock door. After it was over, I realized that I was no longer functional enough to continue and left early.

I wanted to take some pain killers and spend the next 18 hours on the recliner but life would not allow it. Though I had about 90 minutes to get my legs up and take a shower, from 3-6 PM had to walk a dog, pick up my daughter who needed to send four packages, and drive back to work to process them UPS since it was easier than filling out forms that were not in the slots at the post office since many ship things in December.

Then I had to drive to Plainfield for game night. It took over 1:15 to get there due to a car accident the other direction which caused a 4 mile gapers block.

My character in a slightly futuristic world was a former cop who had two identities, Bob James and Jim Roberts and I created a backstory where he was ratted out by two separate groups who discovered his dual life and joined the freelance security organization our fellow characters were in.

During the planning stages of our mission, I was really suffering and could not sit more than 15 minutes without needing to get up or risk getting to the point where I could not get up without risking falling. Once the combat part started, my instincts kicked in as they often do.

Even though this was the first real mission of the campaign, the mooks (henchman) were stronger than they were in other campaigns as they had become too easy and one of our players suffered multiple wounds before we all got on the chopper to leave the site.

The boss was able to open the chopper door and the mooks got a round of shots before we took off needed a 6 on a ten sided dice. Two of the three missed but the one who shot in my direction hit so the GM rolled for damage.

Their weapon called for 2d6 of damage (two six sided dice) and he rolled a 12. In the game we played, whenever a die is rolled to its maximum value, it is rerolled and the total is added. His next roll was a 6 and a 4, and the reroll of the 6 was a 5 for a total of 27.

My character's toughness was a 6 which it hit would leave my character shaken but not injured. Every 4 above that is a wound. Therefore at 10, 14, 18, 22, and 26, I suffered a wound. Four wounds leaves a character incapacitated and my character received 5. The game allows a character to spend a benny (token used to give second chances to soak (mitigate) damage and I needed an 11 on one of two six sided dice (allowing for adding on a 6) to mitigate two wounds to keep upright. Nope.

I then had to roll a 5 one of two six sided dice to avoid instant death and check for where I am permanently wounded. Nope.

On the way home, I figured out the odds of all that happening:

Hitting on the shot: 2.5-1
6-6 on first roll: 36-1
6-4 or 6-5 second roll: 9-1
5 or 6 on third roll: 3-1
Not getting 11 on one of two soak rolls:1.12-1
Not getting a 5 on one of two perm wound rolls: 9-4

Total odds of all that happening: 6,223-1