Game collecting misadventures in 2021

Well, here we are again...

Previous Years

2018

2019

2020

2 Jan 2021

Bought myself some gift cards for both the Switch and Steam today. I think getting gift cards for myself on January 2nd is now officially a personal tradition. I haven't bought any games with them yet. Although, I will be using the money for the Steam account soon. Their winter sale ends on the 5th.

I wonder what these cards will end up buying...

I decided to get the card for the Switch Online service on a lark. There are some NES & SNES games on there that I don't already have, but do want to play. The service as it is right now is worth $20/year for all the things it does. However, I do wish there was more of the legendary Nintendo back catalog available. A little over 100 games split between the NES & SNES is small potatoes for Nintendo. It should be pretty easy for them to put Game Boy, Game Boy Color & Game Boy Advance titles on the service too. Those games were small enough to not cause too many bandwidth issues. More advanced consoles like the N64 & GameCube would, though. 

It's also nice to be able to access certain games that you can't play unless you have an Online membership, like Super Mario Bros. 35 and Tetris 99, both of which I downloaded this afternoon.

3 Jan 2021

The game I was expecting from Wal-mart on the 7th got shipped earlier than expected. It's New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, complete with all the DLC and add-ons that were made for the Wii U version.

This makes 18 titles for the Switch
on physical media.

How did the game get here 4 days ahead of schedule? Probably because one of the local Wal-Mart locations had it in stock. I checked Amazon for this title too. They had it for the exact same price, but wanted to ship it sometime between January 25th and January 27th. That was with Prime shipping too. Unacceptable.

4 Jan 2021

Went through my wishlist on Steam for the Winter sale that ends tomorrow. Got rid of a few things that I didn't really want and bought three games that I did: Dusk, Polybius & Wrath: Aeon of Ruin. I really do need to spend more time playing Steam games. I have so many of them now and they get routinely neglected. That is such a gaming sin.

20 Jan 2021

Went shopping at Wally World today for various supplies. Saw this new version of Monopoly that has a local theme. It's all about the largest suburb of my hometown, New Orleans. I look forward to playing it on a family game night.

Monopoly just got a lot more interesting...

I have not been able to find a link for this game on the manufacturer's website or anywhere else online. I don't know why. I was able to find the New Orleans version on Wal-Mart's website with relative ease.

6 Feb 2021

Bought 2 cheap digital games for the Switch that were on sale. Both combined cost me about 6 bucks at most. They are Chess Royal and It came from space and ate our brains.

24 Feb 2021

My old PC has finally had a critical HDD failure after 6 years. (All important data is on external HDDs and flash drives.) And since the machine was aging rapidly, I decided to upgrade to a new machine. The new machine has more USB ports (including 4 that are the new USB 3.0 standard), 32 GB DDR4 RAM & a Quad-Core CPU w/ 4.3 GHz clock speed for each core. The old machine was 16GB of DDR3 & a Quad-Core CPU w/ 3.7 GHz clock speed for each core. The new machine didn't come with any kind of optical drive since that's almost totally unnecessary these days with the cloud storage that I usually refuse to trust. It doesn't have a gaming graphics card, either. However, it will have both of those things within the next few weeks, courtesy of a few 'creative solutions' on my part. More on that later.

I've already loaded the programs that it needs for work/school and all of my Steam games. The Steam games took at least 6 or 7 hours spread over 2 days to re-install. The rest of my old games will be installed later after the new video card comes in a few weeks. Anyway, here's the new machine, a Dell Inspiron.

New PC for school, gaming and general use.

As for the old machine... It's still repairable. It was just a HDD crash due to becoming physically worn out. All it needs is a new HDD & a fresh install of an OS. I'll go with the same OS it had before since I have an install disc for it and that will be quite adequate for this old machine's new role. I am going to connect it to my TV & Stereo in my living room to create a makeshift media center PC. It'll have an external HDD (or some other kind of removable media) storing all of my digital music and video files and be controlled with a wireless keyboard and mouse.

Here's a photo of the old machine that I purchased in 2015 and have upgraded several times: an ASUS M32 Series.

I will make this machine great again...

Since the machine has HDMI output via its graphics card, hooking it up to the TV is all-too-easy. Same with the stereo. All I need is a cable with a 3.5mm audio jack on both sides to plug into the computer's sound port and the stereo's auxiliary port. I should have both of those cables laying around in the large amalgamation of electronic junk that takes up most of my utility room. Therefore, all I need to do is acquire/set up those 2 hard drives and get the wireless input devices. Then, after the files are loaded, I will have hundreds more movies and thousands more songs to play in my living room. Total parts investment for that project should be under $200 since I have so many of the parts already.

Or, I could turn this rig into a Bitcoin miner, once I've figured out how that works... Or an exclusive gaming rig since it's still quite capable in that area... More to come...

4 Mar 2021

The very first item that I have ever ordered from eBay has finally arrived. It's an old Pinball title for the PC made back in 1993. And here I thought my days of buying MS-DOS games were long over... :P

Anyway, this was HIGHLY recommended by Clint from Lazy Game Reviews on YouTube... in one of his early videos from 4 Mar 2010. And it only took me 11 years to get around to buying it... Lolz.

HIGHLY recommended by
Lazy Game Reviews on YouTube

Also, my equally nerdy cousin was kind enough to buy me a new graphics card for the new desktop since I was short on cash. I will have paid him back by the time you read this post, if he even cares. He's a lot wealthier than me. I add to/edit these game collecting misadventure posts over the course of the whole year. Otherwise, I would not be able to keep track of all gaming-related additions to this collection. 

This ought to be VERY useful... :P

This card ought to be at least equal, if not superior, to what is in the old desktop. That means it will have no problem running Doom Eternal, which is the whole reason why I cared about getting a graphics card for a PC. Most of my gaming is on consoles and portables. My PC gaming, most of the time, is old titles from my youth in the 1990's. You don't need fancy graphics cards for the classic Doom & Quake titles. So yes, most of the time, I could be called a dirty console peasant. However, when it comes to Doom titles, I am most definitely a member of the PC Master Race. FPS games just work so much better with a keyboard and mouse. And since all the consoles these days have USB ports, I am really wondering why game developers don't include an option to use keyboards and mice with the console versions of these games. Would it really be all that complex and costly to do?

Anyway, I have started playing around with eBay more, now that the first item purchase/delivery has been a success. I bought one used GameCube game and put in bids on 3 others, including one that is still factory sealed. If I get them all, I will be out around $60 (including shipping) and have completely wiped out everything on my want list for that system. Let's hope that I succeed in this endeavor.

I'm also watching a number of auctions/listings for various old Atari 2600 and Jaguar titles/accessories. Not sure if or when I'll pull the trigger on any of them, but we'll see. I'm just happy that there's a way I may be able to get those titles without having to resort to emulation for all of them. Although, for those 2600 titles that cost more than $20, I probably still will. In fact, I probably have already with my Raspberry Pi emulation console. I really need to update that device...

14 Mar 2021

My misadventures with eBay continue, this time tracking down the few titles for the Nintendo GameCube that I still had on my want list. As of this writing, I have acquired all but one of them from eBay. I really should have got into using this site sooner.

So far, 2 of them have arrived. The other two should be here within the next 48 hours at most. However, the post office can be VERY inconsistent with delivery times on packages. That's why I prefer to use UPS wherever possible.

The 2 titles that have arrived are a copy of XGIII: Extreme G Racing that once belonged to a rental store and SSX On Tour. I got the one-time rental copy of XGIII because it was the best deal available. I am not going to re-sell this one, so it doesn't need to look pretty. I am going to put it in an actual GameCube case, though. I have several extra ones in storage for just these kinds of occasions.

I got that extreme sports title because of the Mario characters guest starring in its roster. That and snowboarding games can be a lot of fun. It's essentially another type of racing game to me, even if it is classified as a sports title. The price for both of them with shipping & taxes was $32.75. Pic below.

2 down, 2 more to go...

15 Mar 2021

The Post Office delivered a copy of Namco Museum for GameCube today. They're supposed to be delivering one more item today, but I doubt they will. The Postman does not come through the neighborhood twice in one day. The game works as it should, but the spine on the card insert of the case is slightly sun-faded. That's a common problem with these old games and one of the reasons why I was looking to get a 3rd copy of this title. The other 2 have fading on the spine as well. However, this latest one is better than the others. You can see it in the pics below. The one I got in the mail today is the Player's Choice version that I put at the top of the stack.

A collection so great that I now have
3 copies of it in my inventory. Lolz...

The copy from Ebay is on the top.
Good thing all of the discs are in good shape.

Anyway, I have 3 more GameCube titles on the way, including the one that probably won't arrive today as scheduled. All of them should be here no later than the 22nd. Yes, I know that I said there were only 2 left before. That was before I found a copy of Soul Calibur II for a decent price. Once they are all here, that will wipe out ALL of the titles I had on my want list for this particular console. Awesome. 

What's potentially not awesome is the fact that I'm running out of room on the shelf AGAIN. (I keep having that problem!!!) I took a picture of what my GameCube & Wii shelf currently looks like, just to illustrate this problem. However, I am sure that a solution will become readily apparent in the near future. It always does...

This configuration will be changing a lot after I start
 selling on Ebay in the near future. There are plenty
of GCN & Wii titles that need to be re-sold.

Also, I did put that copy of XGIII: Extreme G Racing in a genuine GameCube case. The clear DVD case it came to me in will be re-used for something else.

17 Mar 2021

The mail man finally delivered that package that should have been here Monday, the 15th. However, all good things come to those who wait. That includes this game here. This copy of XGRA: Extreme-G Racing Association is the first factory-sealed GameCube game that I have purchased since (I think) 2005. However, it isn't going to stay sealed. I buy my games to play them, not have them sit on a shelf like some kind of trophy. Screw the NRFB crowd! It's price was $25.05, including tax & free shipping. That's about right for current market conditions. Pic below.

Only 2 more titles to go now before my want list for GameCube games is fulfilled.
Both are on the way and should be here soon.

18 Mar 2021

Another day, another delivery from the Postman. This time, it was that loose disc of Super Monkey Ball 2 that I managed to get. You wouldn't believe how much trouble I have had trying to bid on auctions of this game. Apparently, I'm not the only one who missed having this game in their collection. Anyway, it came with a GameCube case that was otherwise empty, save for one of those generic epilepsy warnings that come with all GCN games. I put the disc in one of those mini-disc cases that I bought at the end of last year for all my other loose GCN discs. Pic below.

 

I have been waiting for this game for a long time...

Now all that's needed to close the books on the GameCube portion of the want list is that copy of Soul Calibur II that is still on its way from a seller in Minnesota. So far, I am enjoying Ebay. I should have done this years ago. I look forward to all the money I am going to make from selling things on that platform. There will be a separate blog post for that, if I decide to discuss it at all. 

20 Mar 2021

That copy of Soul Calibur II finally arrived this morning, and it is flawless. I'm amazed I managed to get this game for only $30. Pic below.

Definitely one of the better fighting game franchises out there.

While playing this game today, I noticed that the Ivy character is wearing a LOT more clothes than usual. I wonder if that was Nintendo censoring the game or if Namco did it themselves. Either way, they didn't need to do that to protect kids from seeing a scantily-clad female game character. This is a Teen-rated game, remember? Surely there aren't any parents or game store employees that would sell a Teen-rated game to a child, right? 😜 [/Obvious Sarcasm] That being said, I will not be selling off the copy of Soul Calibur II that I have for the XBOX. There's a special guest character in all the console versions of this game. For GameCube, it's Link from The Legend of Zelda series. On the XBOX, it's the comic book character Spawn. Spawn is a pretty damned dominant player in that game too. I've had quite a lot of fun with that character and version of the game.

I know I said this was the last GameCube title that I had on my list. However, that's because I forgot one: the GameCube version of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. I rented that title once many years ago (either 2002 or 2003) and thought it was hilarious. I do have the PS2 version of the game, but I still prefer the GameCube version. Of the 4 consoles in the 6th generation, GameCube was my favorite. (The others were SEGA Dreamcast, Sony PS2 & the original Microsoft XBOX.) I can't believe I forgot to put that one on my list until today.

I'm not in a hurry to get that game though, even if Price Charting is telling me that it's less than $20 for a complete-in-box copy. (As of 20 Mar 2021.) I have bought enough from Ebay for now. I need to start selling things instead. I have an entire banker's file box full of stuff that needs to be sold. (Mostly DVD & Blu-Ray movies that I no longer need since I've upgraded those films to Blu-Ray box sets.) Everything is already priced. I just need to start listing things and make some sales.

28 Mar 2021

Picked up a copy of Horizon Chase Turbo on Steam today, because it was on sale for 66% off. That means I got a $20 game for $7.41, including tax. And since I've had this game on the Switch for a long while, I already know that it's going to be AWESOME to play on my PC. 🙂

This game should have been released in arcades.
It definitely takes me back to the great racing games of yore...

Also, I decided to get that one last GameCube title that I was looking for from Ebay tonight. I had a LOT more money in my accounts than I thought.

31 Mar 2021

Since the PlayStation Store for PS3 & PS Vita were supposedly going away in summer of 2021, I decided to use whatever I still had in store credit. I say 'supposedly' because that was Sony's original plan. However, the massive outcry from gamers changed their minds.

I downloaded Cohort Chess and the PS1 version of the 1990's Centipede remake. They both had Crossplay functionality with the PS3, so I put them on that console as well. Same with another PS Vita game that I bought years ago named Resogun. I knew it had Cross play with the PS4 but didn't know about the PS3 option. There's still 26 cents attached to my account with the PlayStation store. However, I don't own a PS4 or PS5, nor do I plan to acquire either of them. So, what happens to that penny and quarter is still a mystery.

9 Apr 2021

Just downloaded Pac-Man 99 to my Switch. Coincidentally, it's the 99th title that I have acquired for this platform. And since many of my Switch titles are Greatest Hits collections, the actual number of games that I have for the platform is 319. Amazing...

Pac-Man never gets old.

10 Apr 2021

Discovered that HALO: The Master Chief Collection was on sale for 50% off on Steam. Made that purchase after some deliberation. Ultimately, I think 6 great games in a legendary franchise for $21.83 including tax was a damned good deal.

Time to slay the Covenant...

17 Apr 2021

Got that last GameCube title that I was looking for, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, from Ebay on the 15th. It got here a day earlier than expected and worked as it should.

It came in that full-size jewel case with the purple tray.
I put it in that mini-disc case, just like my other loose GCN discs.

And here's what the GameCube & Wii shelf looks like today...

GCN & Wii shelf on 17 Apr 2021.

I am out of room on that shelf now. Good thing that I don't plan on any more GCN or Wii games in the foreseeable future. (Just watch, I said that and now we're gonna get more sometime this year...)

I am now wondering which system on my want list that I should target next. PS1 has only 7 titles. NES only has 5. The original Game Boy and Game Boy Advance only have 4 each. The original Game Boy would probably be cheaper since all but one of them are fairly obscure early releases that most people wouldn't remember now. The other one is a Kirby game. I might delete that Kirby title from the want list altogether. I recently did that with the 4 titles I was looking for on the SEGA Master System, which 'completes' that system too. 😜

Also, I could try to get that one Zelda game for the Game Boy Color that I have had on my list for ages, but I just might say screw Oracle of Ages and sell my copy of Oracle of Seasons instead. That game is mint condition and complete in box. It would generate a significant amount of revenue.

Also, I recently got another new high score of 90,000 on my Galaga machine from Aracde1Up. That still doesn't come close to my all-time high score for Galaga of over 114,000 on a machine in a Maryland movie theater circa 2013. However, it's still #1 here in this house. That is what matters. 🙂

22 Apr 2021

Got a loose cartridge for the NES today from Ebay, in the form of Tiger-Heli. This was the last game on my NES list that was either essential or just plain cheap. The others on the list were all too expensive for what they were and not a must-have for me. So, this game is now the last NES game that I am going out of my way to collect. First GameCube and now the NES have been removed from the want list. GameBoy will be next. Stay tuned. 

Tiger-Heli for NES

30 Apr 2021

Steam was having a sale and I picked up Sonic the Hedgehog 4, Episode 1 and Episode 2. Both costed me $5.44, including tax.

Both eBay and Amazon delivered today. From eBay, I got 2 old GameBoy games, F-1 Race and Quarth. Combined cost for both, including shipping/taxes was $21.81. These two games were the last on my want list for that system. That makes 3 that were completed via eBay purchases. The Amazon item was a replacement AC adapter for the Atari Jaguar. That costed me a little over $6, thanks to the cashback rewards on my credit card. One of the eBay sellers also included a business card with the copy of Quarth. I am wondering if I should do that for my own eBay store once it goes live. (Yes, I am going to start selling things on eBay. About time, heh?) Pic below.

Glad that I have so many extra plastic cases for these loose GameBoy games...

There were also several other systems that I just removed from the want list altogether, because they were non-essential to me: Microsoft Xbox One, SEGA Master System, SEGA Genesis 32X and Sony PlayStation 4. I don't have the 32X, XB1 or PS4, nor any desire to buy them strictly for the 2 or 3 games I wanted for those platforms. The costs associated with them all were also quite outrageous. SEGA CD might also share this fate for the same reasons, in addition to the fact that the platform is notorious for being unreliable. I've already emulated the 32X games that I wanted (and more) on my Raspberry Pi console. Same with the SEGA CD. There's no need to keep those systems on the list. I might also do the same with the Atari 2600 since the 9 carts on my list for that system are expensive or just not cheap. I've also emulated 8 of those 9 titles on my Raspberry Pi. I can (and once did) get the entire officially released library of 2600 titles in a ZIP folder from numerous websites. So, I can emulate any Atari 2600 game that I want at any time. Awesome. 

The 4 Master System titles on my want list got removed after I watched some long play videos of them and decided they weren't all that necessary to have. So, that means Master System is complete and the PS4 & XB1 are no longer up for consideration. I've also been using product reviews and long play videos to decide whether or not to keep certain games on my list for multiple systems. This has made my want list look pretty damned sparse these days... and that is good. 🙂

Anyway, I've already got a SEGA Genesis game on the way from Ebay right now and only 1 title to acquire on the SEGA Game Gear. Therefore, Game Gear is going to be the next system to get completed/finished/removed from the list. After that, it's likely to be the PS1, since there's only 4 inexpensive titles for that system on my list. Looks like 2021 is going to be one of the best years for game collecting that I've ever had. Glad to see that there's at least ONE thing going right these days.

3 May 2021

I finally won an eBay auction and got a complete in box copy of Beavis and Butt-Head for the SEGA Genesis. So, 1 down and 9 more to go with that system. There's also a SEGA GameGear game on the way right now. That will be the last game that I look to buy for that system. Pic of the Genesis game featuring everyone's favorite cartoon dumbasses below.

Not the best game in the world, but still quite satisfying when you finish it and get the secret ending...

10 May 2021

Another week, another addition to the collection. This time, it was the last title on my want list for the GameGear: Star Trek: The Next Generation: Advanced Holodeck Tutorial. I'd still like to get the Game Gear PowerBack (an external battery pack) and a device called the Master Gear Converter, which plays Master System games on the Game Gear. However, they aren't essential. Pic below:

Rather nice of the seller to include the plastic case
that originally came with GameGear games. :)

7 Jul 2021

Took advantage of a Steam sale to get 4 great games, including digital copies of 2 legendary PC puzzle games for only 99 cents each. The titles in question are as follows:

Bejeweled 2

Bejeweled Twist

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved

Ion Fury

3 Aug 2021

Took advantage of a sale on the Nintendo eShop to get Dimension Drive and the Williams Pinball Vol. 3 DLC for PinballFX3. They both cost less than $7, thanks to the steep discounts. 🙂

The box cover for the physical release, I'm guessing...

I bought this solely for Theatre of Magic. I love that table.

25 Aug 2021

Recently purchased and installed some risers for the 2 Arcade1Up machines of mine that didn't have them. Now my game room is starting to look more like an arcade. 🙂

Awesome...

10 Oct 2021

Just got Metroid Dread delivered from Amazon earlier this afternoon. Playing it will have to wait because of homework, et al. but the reviews are fantastic.

STILL waiting on Metroid Prime 4, Nintendo. 😜

13 & 15 Nov 2021

On the 13th, I got the new Zelda themed Game & Watch from my local Best Buy. They had 15 of them in stock, along with a few of the Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch from last year. I consider myself lucky to have acquired one since Amazon & Target were both sold out. Wal-Mart wouldn't even list them on their website.

On the 15th, I visited a local pawn shop called Pawn Depot looking for various things. I didn't find all the things I wanted, but I did get some new media. The media included a DVD movie, the Beatles Anthology DVD Box Set (that was quite a good score), a vinyl record and two PS3 games: The Godfather II and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. Both of the PS3 games were $10 each. All the purchases were $46 combined. The store knocked off the sales tax as a Veterans discount for me. That was very nice of them. Pic below.

And the Christmas shopping has only just begun... 😈

27 Nov 2021

Just took advantage of the various Black Friday sales in the Nintendo eShop & Steam. Got 3 titles for the Switch and 5 for Steam. Grand Total for all of them was $49.03. All of it came out of the digital wallet/cash/gold points/whatever that I already had in those respective stores.

Switch Digital

Castlevania Advance Collection 

Halloween Forever 

Quake Remastered

Steam Downloads

Formula Retro Racing

Moose Life

Raiden V: Director's Cut

Retrowave

Retrowave Drive

The Switch items

The Steam items, complete with VERY 1980s neon background. I love Photoshop.

24 Dec 2021

Bought myself a few gift cards for the Nintendo eShop and Steam in the last few days. The Amazon card supposedly came from my niece and nephew. It really came from their father, my younger brother. Since my niece and nephew are 6 months and 2 years old respectively, I doubt they even understand the concept of gift cards or sending anything in the mail.

Haven't spent any of the money from any of these cards yet. Not sure what exactly I want to get. Lots of fine choices on my various wish lists. I'll deal with all of that after Christmas. I'm busy right now celebrating, cooking, eating and thoroughly enjoying my long winter vacation. After this recently finished Fall 2021 semester, I could really use a break.

I'm not expecting any games from other people this Christmas. We did a Secret Santa thing in the family this year. Mine got me a DVD box set with the complete series of Married with Children. That was a great choice on his part. All that being said though, I wasn't expecting a gift card from my niece and nephew...

What will all of these cards end up buying for me?

30 Dec 2021

Just picked up the following titles in the Nintendo eShop on my Switch for a grand total of $42.43. Gotta love holiday sales...

New Digital Games

Asteroids: Recharged (NOTE: This was the only title that wasn't on sale.)

Black Widow: Recharged

Centipede: Recharged

Zombies Ate My Neighbors & Ghoul Patrol

DLC

Pinball FX3 - Williams Pinball: Volume 1

Pinball FX3 - Williams Pinball: Volume 2

Besides these digital Switch titles, I also used the gift card my niece and nephew gave me for Christmas (along with cash rewards on my credit card and a gift receipt from a Coinstar machine) to pick up physical copies of 2 Switch games. However, they won't be arriving until sometime in January. Therefore, they go in the collecting misadventures blog post for 2022.

Also, I removed everything but 2 free-to-play titles from my Steam wishlist. Looks like the $88.43 that I have in my Steam wallet is likely to stay there for quite a while...

31 Dec 2021

Renewed my Nintendo Switch Online subscription with one of the NSO points cards available at retail and got another $20 for the eShop too.

One of my last retail purchases for 2021...

Downloaded the Williams Vol.5 pack for Pinball FX3 because it has one of my favorite tables: Tales of the Arabian Nights. The other two tables in the pack look interesting too. It was also on sale. It cost me $5.45, including tax.

Too bad I don't have the money and space in my home for a real pinball table...

Shaving Blog 5: A New Beginning...

Previous entries in this continuing series that I never would have expected to exist...

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

========

Yes, I am still getting the weird titles for these shaving blogs from various movie naming conventions/tropes. Parts 4 & 5 here correspond to the 4th and 5th entries in the Friday the 13th series. And like the 5th entry in the Friday the 13th series, this entry will be slightly different. I won't be putting any dates on here because I didn't bother to record them as part of any experiment. The best I could have done is tell you which day I bought the stuff online. That seems a bit pointless to me.

Anyway, this seemingly never-ending series keeps marching on. Why? Because I noticed that the Proraso shave soap in the green tub and my usual aftershave (SkinBracer) were both leaving my skin dried out. It's not because of the products themselves, it's the changing weather.

Now that we're getting into the (thankfully) brief and mild New Orleans winter, the climate is getting colder and drier than usual. That's causing my skin to dry out. Thankfully though, it's not as bad as when I lived up north during my Army days. My skin got so dry during those northern Yankee winters that I'd often end up with chapped lips and painful irritation. Having to shave everyday (per AR 670-1) and only having a cartridge razor didn't help matters. 

So, I asked a few friends if they knew of an aftershave that didn't have alcohol in it and might actually moisturize my skin. One of the NCOs from my last Army unit told me about an American company called Duke Cannon. I got some of their Aftershave balm from Amazon because 2 bottles for $20 was better than 1 for $15 on the manufacturer website. 

Anyway, here's the results:

PROs

- This aftershave balm leaves my skin feeling as soft and smooth as the proverbial baby's bottom.

- American-owned company.

- Made in USA.

- Portion of proceeds goes to helping U.S. Veterans, like myself.

(Possible) CON

The slight smell to it reminds me of Vick's Vapor Rub for some reason. That doesn't bother me, but I can easily see that bothering someone else. 

Either way, I consider this product to be a real winner. From now on, Duke Cannon is my aftershave of choice during the winter months. SkinBracer and Aqua Velva will be summer products.

Great stuff.👍

========

As for the red tub of Proraso... 

I have the green tub of Proraso and love it, but found out it was leaving my skin too dry after the weather started turning cold. 

So, I bought the red version of Proraso because the manufacturer says it helps to nourish skin. This is supposed to be achieved by the soap containing Shea Butter and Sandalwood Oil. That has proven to be 100% accurate. Combined with the Duke Cannon after shave balm, my skin is feeling softer than it has in many years. The smell of the red Proraso tub is pleasant, but not as strong as the green tub. Either way though, it still gets my face absolutely baby bottom smooth. I can confidently recommend this product to people looking for a fine quality shave soap.

Proraso is downright heavenly to use. 👍

So, does this mean that Proraso has taken Barbasol's place in my heart? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Believe it or not, the Proraso makes more of a mess to clean up than squirting some Barbasol into my shaving mug. However, I can say that it's nice to mix things up now and again.

Also, Proraso (I think) doesn't need to be stored at a certain temperature range like the cans of Barbasol foam. So, I could much more easily put one of these tubs in a bug-out bag or travel with them worry-free on airplanes, assuming that the TSA doesn't have a problem with shave soap being in a carry-on bag. I already know they'd insist on the safety razor being in the checked luggage because of the removable blades. That fact is one of only two reasons why I keep any cartridge razors around. Fortunately, I will not be traveling on any planes anytime soon.

========

Also, for those following this series, you may recall that I was reminded about wanting to get new shaving supplies/routines back in January by an ASMR video on YouTube. Well, the creator of that video recently revealed that she's battling a form of cancer that started in her leg. She's already had that tumor surgically removed and things look good so far. I hope it stays that way. Get well soon, Sofia.

- Lord Publius

Observations on dating in the form of a 4chan-style Green Text Story...

EDITOR'S NOTE: This was written after I had a few moments to think about this phenomenon earlier this afternoon. We will not go into why the subject crossed my mind because that is too long a story. 

>Be Me.
>Be 2013.
>Decide to look at a few online dating sites.
>Military life does get pretty lonely sometimes...
>Look around on the sites.
>Talk to a few random people just to say that I did. Never went anywhere.
>Not feeling overly enthused about what I'm seeing there.
>Lots of women that I'm sure my mother told me to avoid.
>Lots of single mothers too. 
>I'm supposed to be attracted to this kind of mess?
>Stop using dating sites after a few months. 
>Life is kinda complicated since I'm slowly transitioning out of the Service anyway.
>Get out of Army in 2014. Struggle for next few years while desperately trying to get the VA to do their damned job and HELP ME like President Lincoln promised they would.
>Don't have time to worry about women since just trying to keep the bills paid is difficult enough.

>Life at this point, just plain sucks.

>Fast forward to 2017. VA is finally doing their job now that Trump has taken office... and authorized the VA to fire incompetent employees with an executive order on Day 1 of his administration. 

>What an interesting coincidence. 😜
>Take a look at what's going on with the singles in my area now that I'm finally stable in life.
>Things still don't look good on the dating front.

>Church isn't going to be a fertile hunting ground either since most of the congregation are all geriatric.
>I am going back to college on the G.I. Bill in 2018, though. Let's see how things work out there...

>Fast forward to 2021.
>Despite the Commie Cough, multiple Hurricanes and INSANE levels of political/social corruption, my life circumstances are both stable and steadily improving...
>Unfortunately though, the situation with the fairer sex is not.
>Finding a woman in college turned out to be a bust for lots of reasons, including my own cluelessness.
>Damned Asperger's...
>Even if I did find a few to date, it's doubtful that any of them would work out.
>3rd wave Feminism poisoned the minds of these young women, often times without them even being aware of how they were influenced. Not good.

>Speaking of 'influence', since when did young women think it was a good idea to emulate some 'Insta-famous' model with an OnlyFans account?
>Parents are doing a terrible job of teaching their children NOT to act like/tolerate THOTs.
>Well, assuming that these kids have parents in their lives at all...
>Genuinely start to wonder if I have ANY hope at all of finding a good Christian woman for a spouse.
>Several VERY Christian friends of mine suddenly getting divorced over the last few years certainly isn't making things look promising...

>Also see a LOT of fellas that I know get absolutely DESTROYED by their ex-wives in Divorce/Family court.
>They're often losing their homes, cars, money, businesses and, sometimes, even the right to see their own kids.
>While some of those guys didn't choose good wives to begin with, they still shouldn't be made to suffer that way.
>That phenomenon is why so many guys have just given up on the idea of marriage and family altogether.
>Now I feel depressed just thinking about that bravo sierra.
>However, I do feel *quite* relieved at NOT having to deal with those issues myself...

>Good thing my younger brother and his wife have kids. 
>It's likely going to be up to my nephew (and whatever brothers/male cousins he might have someday) to carry on the family name.
>Of course, I'm assuming that there will be a world that lasts long enough for my nephew to grow up and have a family of his own.
>This fallen world is getting worse and worse all the time. 
>The Rapture and Apocalypse just *feel* closer and closer almost every day.
>Only God knows for sure about that matter, but things definitely don't look good right now... 😢

>Kinda wondering if I should bother having kids now, even though I would still like to be married someday.
>Companionship is important and essential for a high quality of life.
>It would also be VERY nice to have someone to help out with chores around the house.
>How sad that women forgot how valuable of a service that could be... and how much men would love them for it too.
>We were, after all, made to be a complimentary pair and help each other.
>And no, I am not expecting the missus to be a housewife. Economic reality may not allow for that idea.
>When I said 'help out', I was being literal. I'll still do various chores.
>What on Earth can be done to fix this mess?
>Can it even be fixed?
>What can I do?

- Lord Publius

Shaving Blog 4: The Final Chapter?

Previous entries in this continuing series that I never would have expected to exist...

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

========

5 Oct 2021

Just tried Proraso shave soap in a bowl (the green tub) and DE blades from Feather for the first time. The internet shaving community as a whole kept recommending them as the absolute best products. The blades that I have used from Parker and Personna are both quite good (Personna is the better of the two) and, as we know, I love my Barbasol. Can Proraso take its place as my preferred shave product?

Well, not quite yet. I can't make a judgment call on the Proraso at this time. I need a few more shaves to see if my skin will respond to that product as well as my Barbasol. However, I can say that the Proraso did feel really cool on my face because of the Menthol. That was actually nice. It should feel great on those hot summer days.

Proraso shave cream with Eucalyptus & Menthol

The Feather blade though, was pretty good. It felt about the same as dragging a Personna DE blade across my face. However, I really felt the difference when putting on my after shave. SkinBracer has NEVER burned me quite that much. However, the burn might have been because of the Proraso. Therefore, I'll just stick to Barbasol like usual for the next shave to find out for sure.

Feather DE blades (100ct.)

7 Oct 2021

Shaved again today with the Feather blade and Barbasol's soothing aloe formula in the green can. This shave went much like any other with the Personna blades. I couldn't tell a difference, except that it seems to do the best work on the second pass when I'm going from side-to side. There was also a lot more audible feedback than the other DE blades I've tried so far. The shave sure was smooth, though. Virtually no nicks and the trouble spots were much easier to deal with this time. I guess I can now declare the Feather blades to be a winner.

That being said, the sleeve of 100 blades ('sleeve' is the term for a 100 count box with DE blades) that I bought cost me just under $34 on Amazon. A 100 count box of the Personna blades cost just under $15 on Amazon. So, Personna would still come out on top just because of the lower price. However, your mileage may vary. The blades that work for me may not work as well for you. Maybe for you Feather will actually be the sharpest blades on the market by far, like the internet swore to me.

Also went looking online to see if I could get some of the Pacific Rush, Sensitive Skin and Extra Moisturizing versions of Barbasol. None of the local retailers had the Extra Moisturizing or Pacific Rush versions. The only local store that had the Sensitive Skin version listed on their website was Family Dollar, charging $1.65 for a 10 oz. can. Not too bad. Their website didn't say if the local locations actually had it in stock, though.

So, I checked Wal-Mart's website to see if they had them available at all. Last time I checked, they only had the Original and Soothing Aloe versions in varying sizes. I happily discovered that they had the Soothing Aloe, Sensitive Skin and the Extra Moisturizing versions in the 10 oz. can for the usual $1.47 price that the Original formula costs in that size. I ordered a can of the Sensitive Skin and Extra Moisturizing versions via Wal-Mart+ and had them shipped to my house with free shipping, just because I don't want to go get them in person. The website said they should arrive by the 14th. They actually showed up the next day, being delivered by a Wal-Mart employee from the local store in his personal vehicle. Didn't expect that... 

Either way, I look forward to trying them out. 🙂 

9 Oct 2021

Just shaved with the Extra Moisturizing version of Barbasol. That's the version with the added Vitamin E. Overall, I like it a lot. It kept nicks and cuts to a minimum, had amazing audible feedback with the razor removing the whiskers and it smelled nice. The Original version has a soap-like smell which just smells like the personification of clean to me, which is a good. The Soothing Aloe version doesn't have any smell that I've noticed. I did notice that the Extra Moisturizing version didn't lather up quite as well as the Original and Soothing Aloe versions this first time, but it didn't need to, either. I had more than enough for the 3-pass method and going back over the trouble spots. There was also ZERO irritation in going over the trouble spots again too. Overall, I like this version. It is safe to say that we have another winner. I look forward to trying the Sensitive Skin version in a few days when I need to shave again. 😊

The 'Winner' schtick was bound to return sooner or later... 😜

1 Nov 2021

Okay, by this time I have tried the Sensitive Skin version and the Extra Moisturizing version again. This time, the Extra Moisturizing version lathered up far better than any shaving cream I have ever seen. I had enough product in the mug to do the 3-pass shave on my face at least twice! I felt bad about having to wash much of that shaving cream out of the mug and down the drain.

I've also had the skin burning sensation again, after using a new Feather blade for that first shave. The shaving cream used was one of the Barbasol flavors. So, it wasn't the Proraso that burned me. It was the new Feather blade shaving a little too close. Thankfully, I have found an easy way to prevent this burning sensation: pat down the shaved areas with a damp towel before applying the Aftershave. Therefore, Proraso is also a winner. I'll save that one for extra special occasions.

The Sensitive Skin version also has a fragrance to it like the Extra Moisturizing version, but different. The Sensitive Skin version's smell reminds me of a citrus fruit, probably because it includes papaya as an ingredient. The Extra Moisturizing version smells like some kind of freshly cut floral arrangement.

Good stuff that smells real nice.

They're both winners. However, I think I'll save the Sensitive Skin version for shaving body hair. That skin tends to be more sensitive than my face since the other parts of my body don't get shaved every few days like my face does. 

So, after all my rather informal experiments, my regimen/decision tree for choosing among these shaving products looks like this: 

Ordinary shave? Original version.

Skin feeling sunburnt (particularly in summer)? Soothing Aloe version.

Skin feeling dry (particularly in winter)? Extra Moisturizing version.

Shaving something other than your face? Sensitive Skin version.

Trouble spots on neck still refuse to become smooth even after multiple passes? Use the Barbasol 1919 cream in a tube.

Want to use something fancy just for a change? Use the Proraso.

As for the blades, I think I'll be switching back between the Personna and Feather blades. They both work about the same for me. I will say that the Feather blade provides EXCELLENT auditory feedback, though. I could probably use one of those to to create a shaving-themed ASMR video.

- Lord Publius