Rooting for other

When asked about the World Series, I don't want either the Cleveland Indians or the Chicago Cubs along with their fans to celebrate a title so I was thinking about how I could not see that happen.

Terrorist attack

Positive: It could if completely successful destroy the Chicago minor league ballpark as well as kill ball players from both teams preventing future championships for the near future.

Negative: It would potentially prevent other sports from being played as well as cause many people to decide that Donald Trump would be the best president to make those responsible pay for their actions.

Pandemic/ civil unrest

Positive: This would only delay other sports for a short while and has actually prevented a Stanley Cup final from being played.

Negative: The Cubs are a youthful and talented team which like the Red Sox last decade could compete for titles for 5 more years so this scenario at best could only delay a Cubs title.

Nuclear war/asteroid strike

Positive: Would stop the World Series

Negative: Would stop all sports

Alien invasion:

Positive: As one of the few who believe Jesus, Mohammad, and other deities are alien beings, I could be rewarded for my faith by being made commander of a portion of the conquered planet especially if I helped them.

Negative: A species that conquers interstellar travel would not need my help nor put me in charge of anything and I would most likely be killed if not enslaved.

Infrastructure failure

Positive: An airplane crash, hotel fire, or stadium collapse would definitely stop the World Series from being played and harm the team so it would be years before they would be competitive again without disrupting other sports. This has happened to a college team and multiple professional athletes but never to a major professional team in North America. There always has to be a first.

In the Adventures of Doctor Floyd fanfic I wrote where Dr. Steve was offered a lot of money to stop Steve Bartman from interfering with a foul ball in 2003, Dr. Grant mentioned that the upper deck collapsed during a World Series game.

Negative: There would be a moment of silence for a while in other sports which would require me to pause the tv and fast forward past similar to what I do for all live showings of the national anthem.

Killing myself

Positive: My dying thought would be knowing I never saw the Cubs or Indians win a championship.

Negative: I would be dead, duh.

No doubt there are some who while reading this would suggest I choose the last option.

There's always next year

My current plan for weight loss pointed toward the 2017 World Amateur disc golf championship next summer in the Quad Cities area (IL/IA). I qualified to play in 2015 and 2016 in the 50+ age division (based on year of birth) but could not go due to vacation and recovery from an injury. I also realized that at my weight, the four days of play would be difficult for me.

Yesterday, I saw a post about the qualifying standards changing and discovered that they were increased in my division by a factor of 10 from 2015 in order to reduce the number of available players no doubt because of the large number that wanted to play this year but couldn't because they were unable to reserve their spot as it filled minutes after it was opened.

Looking at the current listing, I realized that just over 100 players are currently qualified while over 500 would be at the level I was expecting it to be raised. It makes sense for them to do it since an event like that should be for those worthy.

So what would I have to do to be able to play? There are two choices, get better or get older. In 2025 when I turn 60, the requirement would be significantly lower but who knows how my game would change as my arthritic body ages let alone it is valid to question would I be able to play at a tournament level at all in 9 years?

So getting better would be my only option. 2016 did mark new personal bests in a two round tournament and a single tournament round so I am getting better but I know it is not enough. In Aug, I stated the first 50 things I need to do to get better are all to lose one pound but I need more than just that.

What I need requires a full commitment. That first means getting my body to the point where I can physically play an entire Mar-Oct season. It also means playing (and paying to play) the events I did in the first half of 2015 and second half of 2016 as well as others I skipped due to "life". It also would require playing in A level two day events where I would need to get a hotel near Bowling Green, KY in May and Peoria, IL in Aug as opposed to the hotel rooms I would get in Bloomington, MN next March and one in the Chicago area sometime during summer 2017.

I did invest in a fitness center membership so I believe my choice has been made.

When I told people I had to cancel in 2015, I was told there is always next year which is the same thing that I heard in 2000 when working after a golf tournament led to me losing. During the time for the 2001 golf tournament, I had my right knee scoped and was not the same after. Next year is NOT guaranteed. Now is what needed to happen when I decided to not play in 2015 and I failed again in spite of my desire to not let it happen.

W W W

When I go on my walks, I often go where and when I shouldn't not wanting to wait for lights or crossing streets at the crosswalk and even crossing train tracks to get to where I want to go.

One recent evening during halftime of a game, I paused the tv and left to get about 30 minutes of steps. That time, I left via the north exit of my building, walked around it and headed east near the train tracks passing the rail station. There was a short block to walk before it ended so I walked on the street as it was on a direct path from the parking lot I was in.

As I am walking down the street a slow moving vehicle pulled up, looked at me, then went on its way. I realized it was local police and had one thought. Ferguson.

Since I appeared as a non threatening, white man, no doubt the police officer did not bother me. I have to wonder what would have happened had I was not walking while white.

I then realized how other drivers and pedestrians look at me while I am walking and think how would have things been had I was not white and what would happen to me since all I carry on walks with my pedometer is my keys and cel phone.

Of course if they all knew what things have ran through my mind while on my walks no doubt most who have encountered me would have reacted much differently.

No Cubs. No.

With the Cardinals losing on the evening of Set 15th, the Chicago Cubs won their first division title in 8 years and over last weekend clinched the best record in the National League just like in 2008.

With the White Sox not involved in spite of their hot start, my playoff rooting interest would usually default to teams that finish with the best regular season record since I believe that six months of excellence should not be spoiled over an unnecessarily long playoff system which in under less than ideal playing conditions way too often produces an undeserving champion.

Since 2001, 15 teams have won the NL pennant. This is the position those 15 teams would have finished in the regular season had there been no playoffs:

1st: 3 times
2nd: 3 times
3rd: 4 times
4th: 3 times
5th: 2 times

This is about the teams' record and not seed. The NL champ 2015 Mets were the 3rd seed but had the 5th best record in the National League.

Unlike 2008, this year's Cubs look like a championship ball club. They have three starters that are among the top seven (now six) in the league, a flexible, well-balanced powerful lineup, a dominating closer, and one of the top managers in the game as opposed to one of the other NL playoff teams which has one of the worst.

Do they deserve to win a title? Yes. Do I want them to win? NO FUCKING WAY!

I know it is 13 years later but I am still upset that the Cubs lost their composure in 2003 and would still not want to meet the fan whose ignorance led to the collapse as well as changing NFL history that following Sunday. (A topic covered in a previous post)

I am also not wanting one specific person to ever enjoy the reality of a Cubs title. In 2007 and last year, that person's enjoyment would have been spoiled by me winning money betting on them but due to the odds, that bet this year was not worth making. I have carried out scenarios in my head where upon winning a title, I purposely say or do something to destroy the moment and forever associate that person's moment with tears of pain rather than ones of joy.

I have made plans to avoid being in that position even though admitted deliberate actions taken against me in 2005 before and after I had my right knee scoped (on the day of the AJ dropped third strike game) would make doing that justified.

The madman within

There are many places where being the madman can be beneficial if harnessed properly and I have always tried to create situations where I can unleash that aspect to make things better for me and occasionally others and some of my greatest accomplishments in competition happened with me being on the loose.

It does not always work. The same passion and drive that I harness to overcome whatever happens to me can harm others and myself as well. I am aware that many of my physical problems which eventually lead to doctor visits, physical therapy, and even surgery initially evolved with me pushing my body to the point where it starts to bend and then keep going until it breaks. For over 14 months, I have had to deal with elbow pain from doing that in disc golf. I am currently fighting my desire to play in a tournament on Sunday though I do not need the points to qualify next summer for the national amateur championship which I have been unable to play due to my injury this year and last.

My desire does not always create physical issues. It took a long time to realize that people at my company know that I am intellectually capable of doing a significantly more important job where I work but also that I am equally as capable of unleashing the madman in stressful situations and that I am a risk others are unwilling to take.

One of my ways of coping became food after someone in a situation at a con realized I had not eaten in 8 hours after I tossed a table. Of course treating stress with food created more of a need for food which helped worsen my weight issue. I am often scared to eat less worried about what I could do when hungry.

My instinct whenever I do something that hurts others is to try to help even if it is not required nor wanted thinking that I can solve the situation and make it better. Even when told to stop, I often can't and when it does not help, I then try even harder and when that does not work...

Physical damage to myself is easy for me to diagnose. Other things are not so easy for me to see unless told. I even fight my desire to try to help even after told to stop.

As with many things in my world, I have become stuck without a solution that would not upset whatever balance that exists within it.

FuMPFeST by the numbers

Though it was two weeks ago, I am finally getting around to this post since running a raffle has taken up much of my time.

Attendees: 180
Attendees who currently or once had a show on Dementia Radio: 18
Attendees who have walked from their residence to the Elk Grove Village Holiday Inn: 1
Attendees who were at an ALCON there in 2000 and or 2002: 20
Attendees who have had gastric surgery: 4
Times my car stalled in the 4.5 mile drive to FuMPFeST after a mechanic could not find an issue with it: 4
States people have travelled from to get to FuMPFeST: 17

Different musical acts with their own show: 14
Acts in the FuMP showcase: 5
Others who only joined artists on stage to sing: 12
Other music acts that were there: 7
Artists who performed under medical or physical duress: 2
People there who have or are part of a podcast: 6
Songs that I would have played during this year's "Mom, don't listen" show that were performed: 6

Artists who participated in Dumb Parody Ideas: 6
Fans who participated in Dumb Parody Ideas: 8
Events I missed part of due to getting food: 3
Different places I purchased food over 5 days: 12
Weight gained: 3lb

Different tag lines on bottles of FuMP moisture: 19
People who were given a bottle to reflect their act or personal situation: 9
CDs brought home: 5
Shirts brought home: 3
Singed pieces of cartoon art brought home: 1
Autographed giant inflatable penis brought home: 1

19 in a row

Yesterday finished an amazing weekend of comedy music less than 5 miles from my house known as FuMPFeST 2016. A post about those at the event is soon.

One unique thing about the event is that there are two fan based activities there. One is a video contest. I had an idea for a video this year but lost the nerve to do anything to try to make one.

Last year, someone else had even a better idea that would have involved my daughter and I but due to logistics, that never happened.

When I watched the entries, I was thinking about watching one I would have made and get the same nerves that make me purposely not listen to anything that was recorded of me.

The other one is called "Dumb parody ideas". This is an event where ANYONE there could do a parody in front of people. I have done many in my head over the years but last year lacked the courage to go on stage.

In the 14 months between the events, I analyzed and rehearsed what I would say for both parodies and simplified it so listeners would not get lost in the details.

When it was time for entries, I could not get myself off the chair as I watched others. It was entertaining to watch and I decided to justify me not going up there but to be honest, I put in too much time and effort in my head to have let it go to waste but I did.

On Saturday, Tim Cavanagh, who had a song on the first Dr. Demento Show I heard, had no singing voice due to a cold and asked someone to help sing 99 Dead Baboons on stage with him. I froze and watched someone else did and then talk about the amazing experience he had.

After hearing a song that made one of my excuses not to do my parody void, the con was soon over marking the 19th comedy music filled con in 16 years which I did not speak into the microphone on the main stage not in costume.

Since I do not want to keep the words in my head another 10-12 months, here is what I would have said:for the second parody:

After stating to a coworker that the song God Bless America is a prayer, it was suggested that I ignore the lyrics and focus on the music.

The next time I saw him, to the tune of God Bless America I sang a song from the point of view of serial killer John Wayne Gacy.

Though he was focused on my lyrics, I wanted more than a template to anger people whenever someone goes on a killing spree and thanks to a book about people like me which has a letter B is missing from the title, I came up with this:

Godless America, land that I want.
We'll stand beside her and guide her through the night with no light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans, white with foam.
Godless America. My hope, sweet hope.
Godless America. My hope, sweet hope.

I also imagined someone asking about the Gacy one

Teenagers in Des Plaines, all have to die.
So I'll lure them, to my clutches, strangle them, hide them under the floor.

I would then state that was all I need to prove a point and that phrases like "School kids in Sandy Hook" , "Aurora Batman fans" , or "Random folks near Cleveland" could easily fit in the first verse.