Online personality tests are a bit suspect...

And by 'suspect', I mean often ridiculously inaccurate. We'll start with the famous (or infamous) political compass test...

This is my results from 2017...

2017

Here's the results from February 21st of this year, 2020. The results are slightly different and that will happen over time. However, I am suspicious of the results because they say I'm becoming more of a Centrist. I don't see how that's possible when everyday the Left gives me yet another reason to despise them. It's looking like finding new ways to piss me off has become a sport for those assholes...

21 Feb 2020

And here's the most recent results of the test from April 7th of 2020. These results look fairly close to 2017. Did my views really shift that much in about 6 weeks of time or was it something else? Maybe the test is flawed in some way? Or, maybe there were some questions that I just didn't know how I really felt about that day?

7 Apr 2020

Next up, the Myers-Briggs Personality Test...

If you've ever had a psychology class or been forced to attend some useless training seminar at a white-collar job, then you've probably seen some variation of this test. There's 16 different categories for Human personalities in this test. My results differed slightly when I took the test on 2 different sites on the same day: April 7th, 2020. You can access those tests here and here.

First, the one from 16personalities.com... Their version of the test provided names for the different personality types/categories/whatever. The results are essentially the same as what I always get with this test when I take it every few years for school, work, my own amusement, etc.

Architect of what?

And now, the other one from onlinepersonalitytests.org...

What? No pictures?

These results are not too much different from the usual INTJ or ISTJ that I frequently get with the MBTI. However, it is a first for me. I never had the P letter in any of these tests before. What's the difference between all of these? Not much.

INTJ means that I think everything can be improved. INTP means I love to solve problems. ISTJ means that I make it a point to do what needs to be done. All of those personality types are similar and reflective of an industrious Aspie. However, I do wonder why the results were different on these two different sites. Also, it looks like all three of those types could describe various aspects of my personality while still leaving a pretty incomplete picture.

Decent descriptions of the different MBTI types.

Next up, a Moral Foundations test that I heard about from a YouTuber... I find this one to be suspect just from reading the description, let alone the results. "Social scientists such as Ravi Iyer and Jonathan Haidt argue that there are substantial variations in human morality and that these differences influence not just a person's decision making and reasoning processes but also their political outlook."

There are no variations in Morality. Something is either moral or not. Yes, it is an objective concept. To say otherwise is to employ the school of thought called 'moral relativism', which can be easily used/abused to excuse all kinds of immoral behavior. Everything from making excuses for EVIL dictators to saying there's nothing wrong with a woman being promiscuous.

Anyway, here's the results...

Whut? Care is my highest score?

I don't know how care got to be the highest score with my long history of asocial (and often anti-social) behavior. However, I think the part that really makes me doubt these results is the Loyalty part. Since the 'social scientists' (or, as some would call them, Bullshit Artists) who created this test just had to make it political... Well, that makes me wonder how my results for loyalty got so high.

In politics, my only loyalty is to the Republic and the good things for which it stands: Liberty and Justice for all. That's the way it has to be if I want to stay intellectually honest and NOT end up trying to excuse bad behavior from elected officials that I supported. Also, have you noticed that my scores for almost all of these categories are higher than the other groups? Even with the two where I'm surpassed (Authority and Liberty), it's by a razor-thin margin.

Finally, we have this 'Big Five assessment' that I had to do for a class this semester... The test was done on January 22nd of 2020. I do not remember the website where it was taken, but this test is pretty common. It won't be hard to find one like this through your favorite search engine.

Big Five assessment - 22 Jan 2020

The only aspect of this one that I find strange is the Openness part. How did I score so high there? Historically, I'm not known for being all that open or sociable. I guess this 2nd trip through college and regular church attendance is having a positive affect on my socialization. Hopefully, this Kung Flu pandemic will end soon and we can all get back to business as usual. I do have a business degree to finish and a business of my own to start. I would like to get to those tasks as soon as possible.

- Lord Publius

The Covid-19 inspired problems (and opportunities) of the Movie Theater industry...

I came across a culture article on the website of The Atlantic today about movie theaters facing an 'existential crisis' because of Covid-19. Join the club, pal. I'm sure the Chi-coms (perhaps inadvertently) poisoning the world with the product of their filthy environment is hurting movie theaters pretty bad. It's hurting everyone. However, what really caught my eye in the article was this paragraph right here...

The messaging is clear: It makes no financial sense for movies that cost hundreds of millions to make to be released online only. But NATO’s announcement assumes that the theater industry can return to normal when the pandemic abates. For a sense of what the U.S. might face once the outbreak begins to slow, look to China: The country is only now beginning to reopen theaters after closing them in January. Even as new cases of the coronavirus have rapidly declined and the government has begun to ease social-distancing rules, citizens have so far been reluctant to go back to theaters. The 507 theaters open on Saturday (about 5 percent of the country’s cinemas) made only $4,355, according to Deadline. That’s just a few dollars per theater.

I don't want to see movie theaters go away for good. However, this could also be a golden opportunity for the industry. For years now, the quality of service has gone down while ticket and concession prices have gone through the roof. That's not exactly a recipe for success in any market or industry. However, all hope is not lost. When the pandemic ends, they can get business back by doing the 5 following things:

1.) Significantly cut their prices.

It shouldn't cost me nearly $20 for a ticket to a Matinee showing with my college student discount. That is ridiculous. With prices like that, you'd think they were charging me to see a sex tape featuring the latest leading Hollywood actress. And no, I do NOT want to see something that disgusting, folks. Believe it or not, I don't like hardcore pornography. The acting is never believable and the cinematography in those flicks are always shit.

Also, about those concession prices... Yeah... On what planet does it actually cost anywhere near $20 to buy a bag of popcorn, large soda and box of Milk Duds? And you wonder why people load up on snacks at Dollar Tree (which is open during this epidemic since they are considered an essential retailer) and sneak them in via a purse, large pockets of a jacket, hoodie, etc.

By the way, Dollar Tree just so happens to sell many different candies you can get from movie theater concession counters, including Milk Duds. So, yeah... I'm definitely going to be sneaking my candy in with me. If the theater is lucky, they MIGHT get me to spend $4.75 on a large soda that probably cost them less than a buck to bring to market. However, I wouldn't bet on it... That is the kind of highway robbery that loses business and gets angry customers calling the Better Business Bureau and/or Federal Trade Commission. Knock that shit off, movie theaters.

2.) Act like they give a shit about customers.

I don't remember the last time I had a *good* experience dealing with a movie theater employee. Do you? Also, I hate how you always get cattle-penned into these long, twisting lines when waiting to go see a highly-anticipated new release. That's another good reason why I've been to the movies only once in the last 2 years. And there were a few movies I would have liked to go see, too. However, since theaters are so expensive and have such poor service, I just waited for the home video and Netflix releases.

3.) Insist that Hollywood actually produce movies that people want to see.

The comic book movies do great business. That's why Hollywood insists on making so many of them. However, everything else they make suffers. Everything else they make also doesn't seem to get anywhere near as much advertising, either.

Simply put, not everyone is a comics fanboy that will gladly spend their money watching one super hero flick after another. I want something else. More Star Trek movies, slasher flicks and some GOOD action movies will get my butt into a movie theater seat. I might even pay extra to see the film in 3D, if it's good enough. I did it for the 2009 Star Trek film. I saw that film in theaters a whopping SIX times between 2009 and 2011, thanks to matinee and special midnight showings. That is how powerful a good movie can really be. It was so entertaining that I would go to the theaters to watch it even after seeing it multiple times and having it on home video already. Speaking of which...

4.) Replay some old favorites that I might not have on streaming services and/or home video.

After all, the last time I went to a movie was in October of 2019. What did I see? a 40th anniversary re-showing of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. I've seen the movie countless times and have several versions of it including...

• A 'Special Longer Version' on VHS
• Director's Edition on DVD 
• Original theatrical release on Blu-Ray in a collection with all the films featuring the Original Series crew. 
• The novelization 
• The 20th Anniversary re-release of the soundtrack on CD 
• The comic book.

However, I never got to see the first four Star Trek films in theaters. Getting a chance to see that movie (and its glorious special effects) on a big screen was wonderful. It actually made the film better!

It doesn't have to be just films that appeal to nerds like me, either. How about bringing back holiday comedies around Christmas time? I'd much rather see National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation on a big screen instead of the quickly forgotten schlock that Hollywood tends to put out for Christmas every year. At least Christmas Vacation is actually funny!

5.) Go to someone besides Hollywood for movies.

I personally would like to see more foreign and independent films, just for the sake of some variety. Did the Hollywood studio system create slasher flicks like Halloween and Friday the 13th? How about Kaiju movies? NO! It was independent filmmakers and the Japanese film industry that gave us Michael Myers, Pamela Voorhees, her son Jason and Godzilla.

Besides, Hollywood allowed themselves to get boring and predictable by abusing tropes about as badly as Harvey Weinstein abused numerous aspiring actresses. (Yes, I went there.)

Thanks to tropes like the hero's journey becoming so well known, I don't even need to see the latest epic comic book movie anymore. I already know how the story is going to pan out. HOLLYWOOD NEEDS TO BECOME CREATIVE AGAIN. The way to do that is to give them serious competition.

- Lord Publius

College, Covid-19 & entrepreneurial opportunities?

Thoughts/Feelings on the college shutting down, the Chi-Coms infecting the world, et al.

No thanks to the Chi-coms (perhaps unwittingly) poisoning the world with the Kung Flu (or Covid-19, if you don't like making jokes about diseases and disasters), everyone's life is currently upside down. I won't comment on what I think of that because there's not enough data to form any worthwhile opinions on the subject.

That being said, I wouldn't be surprised if this did end up being some kind of bio weapon that escaped from the lab and infected the public. Communist regimes have been known to be that irresponsible before. For example, Aralsk-7 AKA Vozrozhideniya Island or the Sverdlovsk anthrax leak in 1979.

As for me, I am not overly worried about my health. I have been through far too many disasters. That, and my last post in the Army was Fort Detrick, the base where the military once developed/continues to test numerous chemical and biological weapons. The air, water and soil on that base are so polluted, that it would easily become a Superfund site if not for the fact that it's a military installation. So, the info that the VA sent to me via text message may not be all that necessary.

I have been through a LOT of disasters...

Impact on New Orleans...

The local effects here in New Orleans (and Louisiana as a whole) have been 'economically devastating', to say the least. We have the second highest number of cases anywhere in America, second only to Seattle. As of this writing, there have been 240 cases of Covid-19 either confirmed or suspected and 5 deaths. All the deaths happened in Orleans Parish. Orleans also has the highest number of real/suspected cases with 176. Second to that is neighboring Jefferson Parish with 37. All 11 of the other affected parishes have 6 or less. You can keep track of the Covid-19 effects here in Louisiana with an interactive map from the local news outlet WWL-TV here.

Affected areas in Louisiana, as of 18 Mar 2020.

All restaurants have been closed, except for takeout orders and drive-thru windows. Grocery stores are changing their hours. Some are setting up specific times only for senior citizens, to reduce the risk of those people being infected by younger people who may have Covid-19 and not know. Younger people seem to be largely immune to the effects, but older people tend to get hit hard. All 5 deaths in Louisiana so far were between 53 and 84 years old, several with pre-existing health issues.

So far, I haven't had too much trouble getting groceries. I did have to make a 2nd trip to get a loaf of bread and my preferred brand of milk. Other than that, stocking up on food has been easy. However, I did take a few photos of the empty aisles at my local grocery store a few days ago...

Toilet Paper & Paper Towel aisle

Bread shelf in Bakery section

Bread shelf in Bakery section

I saw this in the bakery when I went to the grocery on March 14th.
With everything that's going on, I thought it was sardonically hilarious.

Bars, clubs, casinos, music venues and any other form of public entertainment are shut down. That means the economic hit from this epidemic is going to hit New Orleans harder than most other areas in the United States. Our economy depends on petroleum and tourism. With no one traveling or going out for fun at night, the town is now all but dead. I'm expecting the effects to be just as bad as Hurricane Katrina was for us, if not worse. This depresses me in ways I don't know how to explain with words. Thankfully though, we don't have lots of flooding, property destruction and dead bodies floating down the street like we did during/after that dreadful storm.

Impact on my schooling...

Like all the restaurants and entertainment venues, all schools have been effectively shut down. My school shut down classes after last week. All other colleges in the University of Louisiana system have also shut down classes on their campus. Fellow UNO students can get info from the school's website here and here. The rest of my semester will be done online. Most (if not all) K-12 schools are also closed for at least a month.

I don't care for online classes, but it's not the end of the world. I have done online classes at UNO before. I just prefer in-person classes because you get more out of them. I was also concerned about if and how the VA was going to handle my payments for the G.I. Bill living stipend. I've already recieved word from them via e-mail that nothing will change for this semester. However, if all the classes are online in the fall semester, the amount I'll get in the monthly living stipend will be significantly less. That's a pay cut that I just can't afford. I'll be writing a letter about this potential problem to my Senator, Congressman and President Trump just as soon as I can. With the current economic chaos going on, I don't know if I can find any kind of part-time job to supplement my income. (And I do need one.)

UPDATE 19 MAR 2020:

Just got an e-mail from the VA saying that Congress passed a bill authorizing them to continue G.I. Bill living stipend payments like normal during this crisis. (And any future crises that force a college to switch to online instruction.) It's been sent to POTUS and he'll be signing it ASAP.

This is quite a load off of my mind. I was wondering how that was going to be handled and was about to send a letter to my Congressman, Senator & President Trump on this very issue. TYVM Congress for doing your job well on this matter. I just wish it didn't take a global pandemic/national emergency to get you to fix a problem that we probably didn't even know existed before. :P

Entrepreneurial opportunities

Since any and all entertainment venues are shuttered because of this epidemic, my dream of opening an arcade/retro game store is not likely to happen anytime soon. Hopefully, this thing will blow over before I graduate from school and then (with luck) get loans to open up my business.

Considering that, I started thinking of other businesses I could open that would be much more resilient to these kind of disasters. And that is when it hit me: Disaster Prep.

A business that caters to people preparing for disasters would be extremely profitable in these times. Even during good times, it could still be successful marketing to Doomsday Preppers, Boogaloo Bois and people living in areas prone to disasters, especially New Orleans. We could do everything from putting together people's bug-out bags, hazmat suits, gas masks, medkits, MRE's (or something similar) and old-school 4x4 vehicles using carburetors & trailers. Why old-school 4x4 vehicles using carburetors? Because those vehicles are completely mechanical with their drive-train. This design makes those vehicles immune to the effects of an electromagnetic pulse or any kind of hacking/electronic attacks. They would be the only vehicles that are still running when/if there's a nuclear/radiological incident. I have 2 memes that explain what I mean...

That RamCharger would look good subdued in OD Green & Black trim...

As a former contractor, I can vouch for how useful trailers are...

So, essentially, my disaster prep business will be a combination of specialized used car lot and an Army surplus store. The more I think of this business idea, the more I like it... I still want to do the arcade, but this is not a bad fallback position.

Also, for those of you who do NOT know what a 'boogaloo' is, you can read more about it here.

- Lord Publius

Golden Rules for Master Trolls and Shitposters

1.) Always remain calm and be patient.

2.) Never use your real name or e-mail address on a troll account. Always have a bullshit account/screen name for trolling/shitposting online.

3.) NEVER troll your friends and loved ones. If you do, you won't have friends or loved ones for very long...

4.) Know your enemies and be relentless with your actions against them.

5.) Hit your enemies with Facts, not emotions.

6.) Keep it entertaining... for you and interested 3rd parties.

7.) Give your opponent(s) a lot of proverbial rope to hang themselves.

8.) Be original... Unless using some worn-out trope is part of the troll.

9.) Have fun.

10.) Always remember, trolling, shitposting and memes require an often dark sense of humor. Therefore, THE LEFT CAN'T MEME.

Public Schools are NOT what they used to be...

- Lord Publius

My game collecting adventures in 2019

At the end of last year, I tallied up my game collecting score and had some really impressive results. Now, I'm going to do the same thing for 2019. I have been keeping track of things all year, starting with a few small purchases on January 2nd all the way through New Year's Eve. Much of it was either digital titles for the Switch that were on sale or a few accessories, replacement parts and gaming-related home decor items. However, there were some really awesome acquisitions towards the end of the year.

2 January 2019

Starting small, just like last year.

Went to Wal-Mart today to pick up several items. Stopped by the electronics department to see if they lowered the prices on those Arcade1up cabinets that they started selling around Christmas time. They hadn't. I didn't really want to get one, I was checking on them. I had heard that a lot of places were reducing the price to get rid of them quick. Anyway, I picked up this wired controller for my Switch and a cable extension that works with several Nintendo systems. Those systems are the Wii, WiiU, NES Classic & Super NES Classic Editions. That extra 10 feet of cable will be a Godsend for all of those systems, especially the Classic Editions.

24 February 2019

Went to GameStop today, since it was within walking distance of the Verizon store. (I had to make a warranty claim on my phone.) Anyway, I got the eShop card I have been wanting and a few titles that have been on the want list for years. Pic below.

Not bad for about $41...

Also, I have acquired two digital titles, one on the Switch & one on Steam since the last entry in January. They include the following:

Redneck Rampage (Steam)
Robonauts (Switch Downloads)

Things are moving a little slow this year, but I am sure it will pick up in time. I haven't been able to get that friend of mine that hooked me up with a few estate sales on the phone as of late. I'm wondering if I should be worried about her...

8 April 2019

Picked up a few more things since the last entry in February. All the physical copies of games were loose discs/cards/et al. picked up cheap from the local GameStop.

Occasionally, you can find some interesting things in the bargain bins at the local GameStop...

PS3

Burnout Paradise

Nintendo DS

Trackmania DS

Nintendo Wii

Alien Syndrome
Cruis'n
Dream Pinball 3D

Nintendo Switch (Digital Downloads)

Arcade Archives: Donkey Kong 3
Atari Flashback Classics
Octahedron: Transfixed Edition

The Pinball game on the Wii was decent. The other two Wii titles were a disappointment. Good thing they were only 3 or 4 bucks each... I haven't formed any opinion on the lone DS game yet. The PS3 title is quite a blast, as one would expect from a Burnout title. All of the digital downloads on the Switch have been spectacular.

10 April 2019

Picked up 2 more digital games on the Switch. One was ultra cheap and the other is one of those 'Freemium' titles.

Pinball FX3
The Next Penelope

The Pinball title was obviously the 'Freemium' game. The company expects to make money from me paying to download tables as DLC. Who knows if that will actually happen or not...

5 May 2019

Bought a cheap racing game for my Switch from the Nintendo eShop a few days ago, called VSR: Void Space Racing on a lark. My interest in it is moderate, but I couldn't pass up a sale where the game was only 49 cents.

17 May 2019

More digital purchases from the eShop today, all of them games that you can't get on physical media at all, except for one. And that title was originally a homebrew for the SEGA Genesis.

Here's what I bought, all for about $30 since they were on sale...

Coffee Crisis (This is the Genesis homebrew.)
Dragon Pinball (This one has cool effects and a good Metal soundtrack. \m/ )
Stern Pinball Arcade: Limited Edition Add-On Pack 1 & 2
Xeodrifter

Lots of Pinball in this particular haul, but that's a good thing since I love Pinball so much. That's also where about $20 of the $30 was spent. Even in digital form, Pinball machines are still ridiculously expensive.

25 May 2019

Another weekend, another eShop sale. This time though, The total expenditure was no more than $13. Games acquired include the following:

Hyperide
Mercury Race
Tachyon Project

16 June 2019

Finally managed to get one of those 3rd party replacement spinner knobs for my Atari 12-in-1 cabinet from Arcade1up. Now, Tempest and Major Havoc play the way they are supposed to, rather than being crippled by that awful plastic knob. What was Arcade1up thinking when they put in that awful plastic knob at the factory?

These things are made in small numbers and sell out quick.
You'll also need a special interface circuit board for the  6-in-1 and 12-in-1 cabinets.

There are several different colors of knobs that you can buy separately for this spinner. I got the black knob so it would almost perfectly match my cabinet's control deck.

It may not look much different from the original, but it sure plays different... 

I put the silver knob that came with the spinner next to the black one that's installed, just to show the differences.
Both would look good, but I like the black one better.

19 July 2019

My game collecting through the summer has been pretty minimal. However, I have picked up a number of cheap titles. On June 29th, I bought the SEGA AGES re-release of Sonic The Hedgehog on the Nintendo Switch. It was cheap and I knew it would make a great time waster. After all, I've played that game on one platform or another for nearly 30 years now...

On July 17th, I picked up two used games from a Goodwill store that just happened to be next to an auto parts store where I acquired a lawnmower part. They were the first HALO game for the original XBOX (which was complete with manual and in great shape) and a PS3 title called The Darkness II Limited Edition. The HALO title will just end up being part of the inventory for the retro game store that I will open some day. Not sure about the PS3 game yet. However, it is just another 1st person shooter. How many dozens of those do I already own?

On July 18th, I got a package in the mail from Amazon with one of my Prime Day purchases, Namco Museum Arcade Pac for the Nintendo Switch. It contains both the Switch version of Namco Museum and Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus. I already had a digital copy of Namco Museum, but the Pac-Man game was on my list for a while. Being able to get a physical copy for the same price as the digital copy was an opportunity I was not going to pass up. Also, it's nice to have a physical copy of Namco Museum as well. Those classics MUST be preserved.

Not a bad haul for just under $30 combined.

On July 19th, I got 3 indie games on the Switch for less than half of a dollar, including taxes. How? Two of them were on sale at DEEP discounts. The other was free because I purchased one of the other games that were on a special list of other digital titles in the eShop. Anyway, here's the titles I'm talking about, with the prices paid in parentheses afterward...

Ding Dong XL (19¢)
Grid Mania (9¢)
Transcripted (Acquired for free because I previously purchased The Next Penelope.)

23 July 2019

Noticed that a few things were on sale and picked up 2 cheap games from my want list. Both of them cost me less than $10 combined.

Adrenaline Rush: Miami Drive
Immortal Redneck

All of these recent acquisitions for the Switch bring my number of titles for the system up to 46. The actual number of games is 232 because some of those titles are greatest hits collections. Atari Flashback Classics has 150 games alone. Still, this makes the Switch the (semi) portable with the most games in my collection.

26 July 2019

Just came across a YouTube video advertising the fact that the first 3 DOOM games are available today for Nintendo Switch, PS4 & XB1. I just purchased them all for $20+tax from the eShop on my Switch. The first 2 have finished downloading already by the time I started writing this entry.

DOOM 3 will take a while because it's a 8.8GB file. The Switch version of Doom 2016 was only 8.3GB. That's strange... However, this copy of Doom 3 does have both of the expansion packs that were made for the game. That may account for why a game originally released in 2004 on 3 or 4 CD-ROMs would have such a large file size. Maybe...

The Switch ports for Doom and Doom 2 are both 353MB and 350MB, respectively, which I find strange. Both of those games originally released on a set of no more than 5 1.44MB 3.5" floppy disks back in 1993 and 1994. Why are they so huge in size now? Does it really take up that much space for whatever emulator program is running the original game's code?

Collage of the cover art/posters for these 3 classic games...

Anyway, the Switch game count is at 49 titles and 235 actual games. Damn... This is probably the fastest that any software library for any system in my collection has ever grown. The actual number of games here is putting the Switch library up there with my collections for the Atari 2600 & PC. That is rather impressive to me.

26 September 2019

Recently picked up a few more digital titles for the Switch that were on sale and very cheap.

Riptide GP Renegade ($5.08, including tax)
SEGA AGES: OutRun (About $6, including tax)
Horizon Chase Turbo - Summer Vibes DLC ($1.99, no tax. Paid for with gold coins in the eShop.)

Total Switch library now consists of 51 titles and 237 actual games. The DLC for Horizon Chase Turbo doesn't count as a new game, just extra features/levels for that fantastic racing game.

Also recently went to Wal-Mart for a few things today and, as usual, cruised by the game section. They still have most of the same Arcade1up cabinets that they had when I last went there months ago, except the Mortal Kombat cabinet. No surprises there. However, I did get some more wall art for the game room, all Pac-Man related. They were on clearance for $3.50 each. The game room already has a LOT of wall art, including 2 related to Pac-Man. However, I can still use this stuff in the retro game store that I plan to open someday. It will go great with that piece of art that I have from the Zelda franchise.

Not a bad haul for less than $10 before taxes...

7 October 2019

Another month, another of the indie titles on my Nintendo Switch eShop want list going on sale for a DEEP discount. In this case, it was 90% off, reducing the price from $9.99 to only 99¢. This time, it's an Arcade-style First-Person Shooter using vector graphics called Vektor Wars. 
  

It's like a combination of Doom, an obscure Atari Jaguar game called I-War (which I own) and the 1982 movie Tron. I am happy that I bought this title. :) The game is also available on PC via Steam, MacOS, Linux and even the Nintendo WiiU, according to GameFaqs. I didn't realize the game was that old...

26 October 2019

I ordered a few things from Amazon recently, including the SEGA Genesis Mini. The price had reduced by one whole dollar down to $79, before taxes. (Lolz...) I figured I better get it now and avoid a Christmas rush. I don't know what some of these YouTube videos are complaining about because I am not seeing any graphical or audio glitches. My only complaint is that it's difficult to get everything back in the box.  I had the same problem with the Mini consoles based on the NES & SNES.

I'd also got some more HDMI cables that I needed and a few Christmas ornaments. One of them is of the arcade cabinet for Defender, complete with lights and sounds from the original game. It's pretty awesome. The other two are Star Trek-related. Pics below...

Taken on 26 Oct 2019

That all-metal 2018 ornament of the TOS Enterprise won't hang on
 any old branch of my fake Christmas tree,
but only a strong branch towards the bottom. It's rather heavy...

30 November 2019

The Nintendo eShop was having a sale and I had some store credit to use. So, I picked up 2 Konami classics collections that were both $10 each. I'll be getting more as soon as I get more points cards for the eShop. There's a number of games on sale right now that I have been meaning to collect.

Those titles are...

Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection
Contra Anniversary Collection

1 December 2019

Took advantage of the eShop sale again to pick up a few more titles. They are...

Broforce
Castlevania Anniversary Collection
SEGA AGES - Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar (AKA Thunder Force IV)
Slender: The Arrival
The VideoKid (Bought solely through gold coins in the eShop while on sale for $1.49.)

...And the items that I ordered from Wal-Mart for Black Friday will be arriving soon. Those are MUCH bigger items. That's also likely where my Christmas Shopping will end. (Well, until the inevitable post-Christmas clearance sales everywhere...)

18 December 2019

The Black Friday items arrived earlier than the expected December 3rd delivery date. However, I didn't do much with them at first because I was in the middle of college exams. Their assembly and use had to wait until I was done with the exams by December 10th. Those two items are the Galaga and Mortal Kombat cabinets from Arcade1Up, as shown in the pic below.

I need to get risers for these cabinets...

The Mortal Kombat cabinet is flawless. The Galaga machine is using the original PCB (v1.0.4) that the manufacturer sent out with these machines around Christmas time last year. That's significant because the original PCB had a version of Galaxian that occasionally froze up and had incorrect colors for enemy and player character ships. However, I have the new board (v1.0.6) already and will install it soon.

Both of these machines were on sale at Wal-Mart, with some DEEP discounts for Black Friday. Mortal Kombat was reduced from $300 to $220. Galaga's price was cut in half from $300 down to $150. I guess Wal-Mart got a few too many of these machines last year when the Galaga cabinet was originally a Wal-Mart exclusive. Either way, I was able to buy both of these online for a few cents short of $415, including taxes. Wal-Mart even delivered them for free. With prices that low, I could get 2 cabinets instead of the 1 that I planned to buy (Galaga) and still afford new tires for my car. Awesome! :) I hope there's a sale next year that offers a deep discount on the new Atari Star Wars cabinet that Arcade1Up released for Christmas 2019. $500 for just one of these cabinets is way too much for me to spend right now. It will probably be too much next year too.

I know in last year's game collecting report/blog post/whatever I said that I would review the Atari 12-in-1 cabinet that I got from Arcade1Up. I never did get around to that, for some reason. However, it will happen. In fact, I may combine a review for all 3 of these cabinets into one post. Or, I may separate them, just so I can have more material to post for this poor, neglected blog. Either way, this blog will be getting more attention in 2020. I'm done with all the unusually involving and/or difficult classes in college (i.e. Math & Foreign Languages) and should have more time.

25 December 2019

Another Christmas has come and gone. I knew I was going to get one Switch game this year, but was surprised with two: Captain Toad Treasure Tracker & Mortal Kombat 11.

Awful lot of yellow in this picture...

Those two games and the Lip Balm pictured were the only presents I got today. However, there may be more in the next few days when more of my relatives come into town. There's also bound to be a LOT of end-of-year sales at every brick-and-mortar retailer's stores and websites, along with Steam and the Nintendo eShop. My game collecting for 2019 is not quite over yet...

28 December 2019

Now that all of my younger siblings have made it into town for the holidays (the first time in years that this has happened), I now have gotten all the Christmas gifts I'm going to get. Some of it was random knickknacks and at least one hilarious gag gift. Some of it is actually game-related and is pictured below.

I'm wondering where I'm going to put that sign...

I think that Tiny Arcade cabinet of Ms. Pac-Man is supposed to be a key chain. However, it's a bit large for that purpose. It also plays the actual game. The controls are a little bit unresponsive, but we are talking about a really tiny handheld device here.

Also, you have to see the gag gift I got from my younger sister this year. It's a toilet brush where the bristles are President Trump's hair. I had a very good laugh at this one and, regardless of who you're voting for next year, so should all of you.

Make your shithole great again!!! 

29 December 2019

Bought 2 digital games on my Switch from the eShop while they were being deeply discounted for the annual end-of-year sales that all retail outlets have. I picked up #RaceDieRun and Ikaruga for a combined amount of less than 15 bucks.

31 December 2019

I downloaded Super Kirby Clash from the Nintendo eShop on the Switch today, just because it was free and I do like Kirby. And that ends my game collecting for 2019. It has been quite an interesting year.

Recap of 2019

• 2 new Arcade machines...
• Upgrade/replacement parts for 2 of my 3 arcade machines...
• 1 Plug'N'Play in the form of the SEGA Genesis Mini
• At least 3 physical titles for the Switch...
• Some random loose discs for DS, Wii, XBOX and PS3...
• LOTS of digital titles from the Nintendo eShop... 
• A few more digital titles from Steam
• Lots of tchotchkes to add to the overall decor of the game room, including more wall signs than I can use, keychains, a Christmas ornament, etc.

Not a bad year at all. However, it does point towards a disturbing trend: more and more games being digital instead of on some kind of physical media. Most of this year's acquisitions were not even on some kind of physical media. However, at least those digital games were really cheap. I got some of them for literally a few pennies, if not absolutely free. That being said, when physical media is available, I usually go with that method. After all, you gotta have something to show off on the shelf.

Also, who would have thought that I'd find as many interesting items from Wal-Mart as I did this year? Everything from decor items to controllers to whole arcade cabinets. Amazing... I normally avoid that store like the plague because of the LONG lines at checkout... Not to mention the often low-class clientele...

Bring on 2020.

- Lord Publius

Using simple statistics to call politicians on their lies

I know that I have been hinting at an epic shitpost against Facebook for my next blog post. That one is still coming soon. However, I needed to delve into local politics for a good laugh.

There's this guy named John Fortunato that keeps running for Sheriff here in Jefferson Parish for at least the last 2 or 3 elections. He claims the incumbent is a scheming politician that got installed as Sheriff by his predecessor when that man left the job to avoid scrutiny from an FBI investigation. There may be some truth to those claims. Down here, politics tend to be as dirty as the rice. ;)

He also claims that Rape has gone up by 10.5% and murder has increased by 80%. However, he doesn't say which two time periods were being compared for those statistics. Instead, he made the mistake of providing a web address to a file in the local Sheriff's office archive with crime statistics for the parish.

Here's a screen capture of that file...

They cover the differences between June and July of 2019 and the totals to date for 2018 and 2019. There has been some increase in rape and murder. However, those numbers are actually 10.7% and 76.5% for each respective crime.

Sounds bad right? Well, the percentages are very misleading here. The actual numbers for rape and murder so far in 2019 are a respective 62 and 30. Also, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Jefferson Parish has an estimated population of 434,051 people as of 1 July 2018. That means only 1 in about 14,468 residents of this parish have been murdered and 1 in 7,001 have reported a rape. Those numbers are so low, I could literally leave my doors unlocked all day and night without having to worry. In fact, overall crime has actually gone down. The numbers are so low they probably aren't even statistically relevant, but any reduction is good.

As I suspected, Fortunato is talking a lot of shit in a rather cynical attempt to make the incumbent look bad. It didn't help him win in the last election. It won't help him this time, either. Even if everything else he says about Sheriff Joe Lopinto was true, it no longer matters. In my opinion, this little white lie of his makes Fortunato completely untrustworthy. Looks like I know who I'll vote for in the Sheriff's election...

- Publius

Sources:

Jefferson Parish Crime Statistics - Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office

https://www.jpso.com/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/539

Jefferson Parish Population - Census.gov

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/jeffersonparishlouisiana/PST045218

I'll be back soon...

TO: My readers (including at least one known hater)...
RE: Lord Publius
SUBJECT: The self-imposed radio silence over the last 3 months...



Dear readers/victims (You know who you are),

Wondering why I haven't posted anything in 3 months? Well, it's not because I had dirt on Hitlary Clinton and needed to go into hiding for my safety. Honest. ;)

The faces of EVIL...

If I had any kind of dirt on her, I wouldn't need to hide. I would hand it over to the appropriate authorities anonymously and enjoy the schadenfreude. I like working from behind the scenes.

Hold on to that hope, Brothers and Sisters!!!

Truth be told, I was just enjoying my summer vacation. However, that's over now. I'll be back VERY soon with a rather explosive new shitpost of a blog. It will be the most impressive piece I've done since the classic '17 reasons why I left the Army' post in 2014. Although, this time there will be a LOT less vitriol. However, I will give you a hint on what's coming up next...

Aw, snap...

Stay tuned.

Kindest regards,

Lord Publius