Monday, November 24, 2014

10 Random Thoughts for 24 Nov 2014


It's been nearly 2 weeks so, I think it's time to post something...

1.) About this feminist that's got a lot of bones to pick with female portrayal in games, Anita Sarkeesian...

I'll be honest. I think she reads into things too much. She's not giving gamers enough credit, either. Most of us are not fanboy losers that obsess over CoD and some perceived 'console war'.  That being said, I am quite disappointed with all those gamers who are targeting her and making death threats. Way to try and prove her case for her, assholes...

Threatening her for having an opinion is wrong and definitely NOT in keeping with the spirit of a Free Republic. Knock that shit off.

2.) I'm settling into my new job fairly well. There have been a few annoyances but, so far, it's nothing that can't be fixed. That being said, something needs to be addressed here. My father works for the same company in a different part of the country. He's in Indiana and I'm in California. He wants to stay there for a year and thinks that our employer will ask us to stay in our respective places that long. It won't happen for me. I was told that I'd be out here on the West Coast through 31 Dec 2014. I'm holding them to that because I don't want to be out here any longer than that date. And recently, the plans changed and all of us Independent Adjusters are going to 1 of 5 locations. My father's current location is one of them. I prefer to go to 1 of the 3 locations in the South. The cost of living is much more agreeable and there's no cold northern winters.

Besides, my license to be a Independent Comprehensive Adjuster will need to be renewed by the end of January. I'll have to do a minimum number of hours of continuing education too. I'll also have to deal with taxes and figure out a way to get the VA to straighten out their shit with regard to my case. (More on that in another post at some future date.)

I could do most (if not all) of that here in California but, it would be easier to do it at home. Also, the air quality and costs of living here in Bakersfield are NOT acceptable at all. Why is it that EVERY SINGLE PLACE that I go to in the world always ends up being inferior to Southeast Louisiana and Coastal Mississippi? And while were on the subject, why do I find myself NOT giving a shit about the world outside of Louisiana and Mississippi?

Besides, by January, assuming all goes according to plan, I'll have the cash to wipe out my debts. Once that happens, I'll be much more able to pursue my current life ambition: running a retro game store/arcade/bar & grill.

I'm drawing up the business plan as you read this blog. I already know I can get loans from numerous sources because I'm a veteran and have good credit. I've also got several hundred titles in storage right now that can serve as product for the store shelves on opening day. We'll have a good sampling of stuff from Atari 2600 to XBOX and everything in between. I can always find more from garage sales and flea markets too. The only things holding me back is investment capital. Finding retail space and the employees I'll need shouldn't be too much of a problem.  I know plenty of people who would be an asset to that business enterprise and a few good locations up for lease in NOLA right now.

Simply put, I want to be able to put down roots in the one place where I belong (New Orleans) and STAY there. If I have to work 6 or 7 days a week, I'll work 6 or 7 days a week. I just don't want it to be far from home in a job that doesn't really suit me. I had enough of that crap with the Army. I shouldn't have to take that garbage from civilian life too.

Don't get me wrong, though. My current job isn't bad. It just has really long hours and can often leave me feeling bored or confused by a truly atrocious software platform for handling the customer's insurance claims. Also, I will probably stick with the Insurance business for a while just to build up a nice cash reserve. The money is pretty good. It might prove helpful in getting my dream business off the ground.

3.) I am thinking of getting a Netflix subscription someday. I just used torrents before but, that wasn't always helpful in finding what I wanted. Besides, Netflix has  a LOT of classic Doctor Who serials. I know because I've watched many of them at my mother's house on her really bitchin' 70" 3D HDTV with a Bose surround sound system. That TV is awesome. :)

Even if I don't get it, I still have all my Blu-Ray movies here with me and a number of games. I'm good on entertainment. The only thing lacking is a significant amount of time. I'm working 60 hours a week.

4.) I'm probably going to need to build a new desktop PC sometime soon. My current one was made in 2008 and has had a number of upgrades since that time. It's also running Linux so, the software isn't going to overpower the hardware anytime soon like with a Windows machine. That being said, there will still be a need for a modern Windows machine because some programs and websites just require Windows or Internet Explorer. (And I feel sickened having to write that too.)

So, the next machine will still be running Linux but, I'll use CRU Data Ports for removable hard drives. That way, I can have my Linux and Windows installs without having to go through the trouble of setting up a dual/multi-boot scenario on the machine. That sort of set-up is a pain in the neck, especially if you want to try/upgrade/change to different operating systems in the future. Hopefully, I can keep the costs below $1,000...

5.) I'm probably going to need a new vehicle in about 2 years too. My current vehicle is beginning to show its age.Hopefully, I can keep the costs for that below $30,000. (Lolz...)

6.) It sucks that I will be missing a bunch of fall/winter holidays in NOLA for yet another year. I'll especially miss the House of Shock since this is the last year it will be open. So, once again, my Halloween is going to be limited to watching horror movies. Thanksgiving and Christmas are up in the air right now. Wasn't I supposed to get away from that kind of shit once I left the Army? I am supposed to be going to a co-worker's Thanksgiving celebration for all of us in the office. That should be interesting...

7.) I've also been following this news story about the actor Stephen Collins being accused of being a fucking child molester. As if Star Trek: The Motion Picture didn't have enough problems, now it just might have a damned Chester M. Olester in a leading guest role. Whisky Tango Foxtrot? Also, I sincerely hope he didn't try anything inappropriate with Jessica Biel when she was under age and co-starring on 7th Heaven with him. Then, me and JT are gonna have to hunt him down.

8.) I am still laughing at a certain dumbass that I used to know in the Army. He has no idea he's been trolled and that I don't actually hate fat chicks. However, making him think I did was a great way to trick him into revealing his true opinions of me. I had a feeling he was just a little snake-in-the-grass bastard and a sideline hater...

9.) Rioting and looting are not going to get a cop indicted or bring back the 18 year old that, for whatever reason, he shot to death. What's going on in Ferguson tonight is just plain retarded.

10.) I'm writing a lot of killer shit for this blog too, some of it *quite* controversial. There'll be 2 posts on why I hate the Democratic Party, a post explaining why criminalizing prostitution is retarded, and the usual music and video game-related stuff you've come to expect from me.

Oh, and a post about the Devil's Super HUGE Demon Boner. That is all.

- Lord Publius

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Obamacare's architect ADMITS that it was all a scam




Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber bragging about deceiving the American people, who he thinks are stupid.

As if I somehow needed yet another reason to never vote for a Democrat as long as I live... Cocksucker...

- Lord Publius

Monday, November 3, 2014

Why 'The One' doesn't actually exist...

There is no such thing as 'The One'.

By 'the One' I'm talking about this idea that there is one person on this Earth that was specifically made just for you. Anyone who took a statistics class should already know that's preposterous and impossible but, I suspect many of my readers didn't take that class. (Or, simply don't remember anything from it anymore...)

I won't use any math here. I want this to be readable. So, I'll use a more 'simple logic'-style approach.

The idea seems to have a religious component. Many of the folks who subscribe to this idea all think that God made that special someone specifically for them. That would mean that God would have to personally intervene in your life, which he doesn't seem to do. (And please, don't bring miracles into the discussion. That will be another post for another time.)

In order for this idea to be plausible (let alone work), He'd have to steer you to the person you were made for and there's no evidence to support that idea at all. Of course, the Faithful rarely ask for any kind of evidence. That's why I find organized religion to be a generally bad idea. And no, that doesn't mean that I think God is a fairy tale. God is simply very different from whatever we think He is...

One thing I am sure of though is that He's a busy man. Even if he can micro-manage things to the point where he's playing celestial matchmaker, he'd probably rather not. That's why every creature in existence obeys the various physical Laws of Nature that He created. That way, the Universe (from our perspective at least) is largely autonomous and operates on its own like a well-oiled machine without much divine intervention.

That, and the odds would not be in your favor if there really was only one person for you. The world is a pretty big place and there are over 7 BILLION people here on Earth. How would you ever find 'the One' in that huge crowd? How would you know her when (and if) you meet her? If anyone can answer those questions, please do. And don't resort to that intellectually lazy fallback position and say 'God works in mysterious ways' or something similar. His ways only seem mysterious to you because Humans don't (and probably can't) understand him.

So, if 'the One' doesn't actually exist, then, what is really going on?

Science might have an answer. we've already discovered that most primate species are fairly promiscuous. You can also tell from your own love life that there are many people that will seem like 'the One' for a while. After all, most people will not marry their first love. Even if you did, there's no guarantee that marriage won't end in a divorce. The only real guarantee that you have in life is that it will eventually end. So, don't worry about chasing a fairy tale. Live life to the fullest and enjoy it while you can.

Based on my own observations, I suspect there are actually many different people you could be happy with and they are all over the place. Finding them can be a challenge but, many options out there offers better odds than just one single individual. This also may be why everyone has a 'type' of person they're attracted to and various types they don't fancy. Deep down, we know that 'the One' is Bullshit and we're trying to come up with multiple options.

And those types can change with time. As a teenager, I was madly in love with a blonde who had the sweetest disposition of anyone I had ever met, second only to, perhaps, my maternal grandmother. Nowadays though, I'm all about the Redheads and the occasional brunette. That preference can change again someday too. There's no way to tell when, why or how.

That is how it should be, too. Variety is the spice of life and we didn't get to be the dominate species on Earth by just having ONE romantic partner in life. If God really only wanted you to have one partner in life, he would have made it easy to find the one you were destined to mate with for life. Since He didn't seem to do that, I'm forced to conclude, based on all available evidence, that 'the One' is just another fairy tale Humans created. I'll admit, it is a very appealing fairy tale that plays us all for a sucker at least once in our lives (like it did to me with that blonde back in my adolescence, who is still one of my best friends) but, it still isn't real.

Also, call me crazy if you want, but I don't believe any life-long relationship of mine with a woman should have to depend on God and/or the Universe to specifically design us for each other. God shouldn't have to steer us towards one another, either. Give yourselves some credit, folks. As a species, we are capable of reason and free choice. You don't need an outside force to find the perfect mate for you. You can find and make your own by being the person that others want to have around and insisting that they do the same for you. Love may act on the brain like a drug but, it should not dominate your life like one. Above all else, Love is a partnership. Treat it like one and work together to keep it strong. Then, by the time you're both old and gray together, you'll realize that 'the One' was never something God or the Universe made for you. You made it for yourselves.

Lovingly yours,



Lord Publius

P.S. Is it weird that Pandora was playing so many damned love songs while I was writing this piece? It certainly feels that way...

Sunday, November 2, 2014

My list of Dream Cars

Not too long ago, I listed all the completely insane (yet AWESOME) things that Uncle Sam would have to do to get me to work for him again. Of course, that won't happen but, it still made for a hilarious post.

Anyway, one of the things Uncle Sam would have had to do to get me back was to give me a new or excellent condition used sports/luxury/muscle car for every day of the leap year. I didn't put that list there because it would be too long. However, it can be its own blog post. I can't promise that I'll have a full 366 cars to put here but, it should still have plenty of nice vehicles on it, nonetheless...

I'll split up the list by manufacturer and then put them all in chronological/alphabetical order...

DOMESTIC BRANDS

GM

Buick

- 1963-64 Buick Riviera
- 1965 Buick Riviera GS
- 1966-67 Buick Riviera GS
- 1970 Buick GSX painted Apollo White w/455 H.O. V8
- 1971-73 Buick Riviera GS
- 1982 Buick Riviera (I used to have one of these and miss it every day.)
- 1984-87 Buick Grand National
- 1987 Buick Grand National GNX

Chevrolet

- 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air
- 1957 Chevrolet Corvette Fuelie
- 1961 Chevrolet Impala
- 1962 Chevrolet Corvette Fuelie
- 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray coupe
- 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle SS
- 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray (Convertible)
- 1965 Chevrolet Impala SS Convertible
- 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray w/ L88 option package
- 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396
- 1968 Chevrolet COPO Camaro
- 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Convertible
- 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 Coupe
- 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle
- 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray w/427 V8
- 1971 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
- 1971 Chevrolet El Camino SS
- 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454
- 1985 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
- 1988 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular cab with stepside bed and 350cid V8 (My father had one like this years ago.)
- 1991 Chevrolet Silverado SS454
- 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 like the 'Blue Devil' that survived the sinkhole at the Corvette Museum
- 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
- 2014 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
- 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z06

Oldsmobile

- 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88
- 1967 Oldsmobile 442
- 1971 Oldsmobile 442
- 1976 Oldsmobile Delta 88 painted light blue with a white vinyl top, light blue cloth bench seat interior and a 350 Rocket under the hood. (My grandmother had a car like this when I was young.)

Pontiac

- 1967 Pontiac Firebird 400
- 1967 Pontiac GTO
- 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge
- 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge
- 1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SD455
- 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am like the car in Smokey and the Bandit.
- 1980's era Pontiac Firebird Trans Am made to look like K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider, flashing red Cylon-style sensor bar and all.
- 2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am w/WS6 Ram-Air package painted black with black interior
- 2004-06 Pontiac GTO

FORD

Ford Division

- 1957 Ford Thunderbird
- 1964 Ford Galaxie 500
- 1964 Ford Thunderbird
- 1966 Ford Fairlane GT
- 1967 Ford Mustang GT
- 1968 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500
- 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1
- 2008-2009 Ford Mustang GT500KR
- 2010 Ford Shelby GT-500 Super Snake
- 2014 Ford Mustang GT
- 2015 Ford Mustang GT

Lincoln

- 1962 Lincoln Continental
- 1964 Lincoln Continental

Mercury

- 1968 Mercury Cougar
- 1969 Mercury Cyclone 428CJ
- 2003-2004 Mercury Marauder

MOPAR

Chrysler

- 1958 Chrysler 300D
- 1967 Imperial*
- 2015 Chrysler 300 SRT w/ the biggest HEMI that MOPAR will put in there.

* = MOPAR tried to market the Imperial as a seperate make from 1955-1983 but, most still associated it with the Chrysler division because Chrysler dealerships continued to sell them.

Dodge

- 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T
- 1971 Dodge Challenger
- 1992 Dodge Viper RT/10
- 1996 Dodge Viper GTS
- 2006 Dodge Viper SRT-10
- 2012 Dodge Viper GTS-R
- 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat

Plymouth

- 1958 Plymouth Fury made to look like the car from Stephen King's Christine.
- 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird
- 1970 Plymouth AAR Cuda
- 1971 Plymouth HEMI Cuda

SRT

- 2013 SRT Viper


IMPORTS & EXOTICS

Aston Martin

- 1965 Aston Martin DB5
- 2006 Aston Martin DBS painted Silver w/ black interior like 007's car in Casino Royale
- 2010 Aston Martin DBS
- 2011 Aston Martin One-77

Ferrari

- 1985 Ferrari 308 GTS
- 1984-85 Ferrari 288 GTO
- 1996 Ferrari Testarossa F512M
- 2007 Ferrari 430 Scuderia
- 2008-2009 Ferrari California

- 2012 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano

Lamborghini

- 2001 Lamborghini Diablo
- 2010 Lamborghini MurciƩlago
- 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4

Porsche

- 2009 Porsche Carrera GT
- 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder
- 2012 Porsche 911 GT2

==================================================================

I crunched the numbers and there's only a total of 106 cars on this list here so, there's not quite enough for every day of a leap year. However, I never said this list was complete or comprehensive. Also, not a single one of these cars is allowed to be painted yellow unless I can't find a 1970 Buick GSX in Apollo White. Except for that one Buick model, I just don't like the way the color Yellow looks on cars.

- Lord Publius