Lol, I accidentally upvoted your reply to @grammarnazi....Literally, lol uncontrollably, as I write this reply! (Continuing; now, I'm getting nervous...tears running!...lol...........lol!) Ouch, my stomach is starting to hurt as I continue to lol...Thank you!
After reading your long and painfully frustrating post I just want to say I'm reminded why I didn't pursue the 'have nothing better to do with my time' degree a few years ago, way back when. It takes a special DNA for the patience to write code. Still in all I find it intriguing!
Prayerfully, someone can come along and help you work through this. I actually scrolled through the whole post staring at the script as though I thought I'd catch on to what I was looking at. (smh, rm puddle-filled eyes).
Now, about the rock, paper, scissor thing, I struggle with the game. Paper covers rock...Scissors cut paper...What does rock do? Smash scissors?
Anyhoo...there's a solution to your dilemma; prayerfully sooner than later for your peace of mind.
Peace.