Well another christmas has passed and I hope you all had a fantastically awesome day with much food intake and gift receivage ^_^ Not much has happened in my world... as Laser Force has entered the dead-zone in terms of customer visitage there has been very little shfits which has equated into very little money  This in turn has left me with very little options in terms of how to pass my time. The plus side of this reductionist phenomena is that I have reaquainted myself with the art of reading and the forgotten awesomeness of the star wars universe  Lol only today I watched episode 4: A New Hope and in the past 2 weeks I have read 4 star wars novels and thanks to Fatty at work much more reading is on the horizon ^_^ Taking time out from the distractions of a technology-infused society is undoubtedy a good thing- one that if I only practiced would aid my underdeveloped studying skills lol

 

This time next week and I will now have to start putting 06 down whenever i am writing the date...sorry for the random thought there but it does bring up the point of new years celebrations- of which I am currently undecided or committed too so guys let me know what you are all up to and if you can extend an invitation!

 

 

And so ends another glorious account of the epic saga that is my life lol

 

in keeping with the title heading i wish everyone a JOYEUX ANNEE NOUVELLE!!! (hint: i hinted at this celebratory occasion above )

 

 

May the force (laser and otherwise) be with you all

 

Lol well Evil Betty has had another name change...its A: Voldemort now-  Yes I did see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and yes I was very pleased with it (although a bit disappointed with details in the book which were notably absent) hence the codename change mwhaha I think Im going through a bit of an 'epitomy of evil' phase at the moment- although it is debatable whether Commander Ikari was ever 'good'  (granted he was bent on bringing destruction to humanity- but it was all in the name of love so he could be reunited with his dead wife- is that really such a bad thing? ^_^)

 

Anyway, today marks my first day off lasers in 5 days with my first sleep in in as many days... GLORIOUS  On my agenda for today is driving my dad home from his operation to remove a melanoma which I really hope goes smoothly and then heading over to Jared's for the staff Christmas party. Ive heard much about what goes on at these events and am full of anticipation for much fun and great frivolity LOL. Apparently we are then all heading over to Lasers for some drunken shadows games WOOT for missiling in ABSOLUTE DARKNESS!!!!

 

Thats all from me for now its hot and Im too lazy to put down anymore- besides I have a certain Return to Castle Wolfenstein game to get reaquainted with!

 

Until then... the Dark Lord grants all his loyal death eaters (aka the Alliance)  the satisfaction of disposing of countless noob hordes- to his enemies only the unforgivable curses of payback, reset and missile locks are promised ROFL! 

Wow what an AWESOME night!!!  Tonight we had the Alliance at FULL compliment for Space Marines (and I wasnt working for once lol) and wow how much fun did we have ^_^ We got split up with Scythe and Grave on one team and Evil Betty (myself lol), Hawkeye and Maverick on the other side but true to Alliance unity at the end of each mission shouts of  'Hazzah ALLIANCE!' filled the arena  Haha the hazzah victory warcry is fast becoming characteristic of the Alliance as is shouts of NOOBS and randomly quoting Kung Pow and Men in Black ^_^ example:

 

Alien: Im looking for a man..a DEAD man

Guy: and that means what to me

Alien: He had an animal with him..A PET CAT!!! he was a gift...he means the world to me and Id like to have him back

 

LOL!!!! Scythe always pulls it off so brilliantly :) This morning I was having a bit of a reflective state of mind (as you do lol) and it hit me how much my life has come to revolve around Lasers...but more then just as a workplace and a place of leisure..the people (staff and Alliance)...how I feel when Im there- in truth I wouldnt want to be anywhere else ^_^ Its nice to feel appreciated and be greeted with smiles rather than dismissive nods... to be complimented and made to feel like Im having a positve effect on others...to be surrounded by true friends...haha and the fact that I actually LOOK FORWARD to work because of how it makes me feel...Lasers OWNS!! Haha so now Ive provided justification for having so many entries related to lasers...so be warned for the future  Hmm...I really need to update the photos section to get some pics of the Alliance and dear staff in there ^_^

 

Haha oh I just have to share an OWNAGE experience that hawks, commander bond and I had tonight....

 

(Hawks and Evil Betty- scouts, Bond- commander are waiting at the bottom of the ramp leading up to the back tower)

 

Commander Bond: Shit I have a nuke, get ready gents!!

 

(Bond activates nuke, all three wait for said nuke to detonate)

 

CHARGE!!! Hawks, Betty and bond all run up the back ramp taking out the bulk of the opposing force as they reactivate

 

LOL!!! Dont underestimate the 1 HP of scouts!!!  Haha oh  another random recount of the night...Scythe, Mav and yours truly were training it home tonight and I dont know how it came up but one of the security guards in our carriage mentioned he was a gamer...and did that ever trigger a conversation!! Lets see in the span of 20 minutes we covered World of Warcraft, adult video WOW clips complete with naked female night elves lol, Command and Conquer, Atari consoles, Star Wars Battlefront 2, Lord of the Rings and Warhammer...and they were still locked in conversation when I got off at my station! ^_^ LOL nerds everywhere...we are taking over the world mwhahahaha

 

And on that wistful thinking note Ill call it a night...working from 9 am tomorrow with Scythe and Jared as manager lol and 3 groups of 50 in a row...so many NOOBS!!!

 

 

Goodnight dear comrades and faithful followers of Betty's blog ^_^

 

P.S. Ikari has gone on leave...Evil Betty is temporarily filling his vacancy :)

 

 

I was looking through the filing system in the study today and came across a few documents/photographs/letters that really got me thinking. All of you who are reading this probably already know that I am adopted yet it is not a fact that I have really dwelled upon- because I have been with my family now for over 10 years and I dont have any strong memories of my birth parents Ive pretty much taken for granted that I am a 'Randall'.

 

At times I am reminded of my history- like the other night at Billy's party when my friends were talking about what hospitals they were born in and how much they weighed...what it was like as a toddler...all these things which everyone had clear memories of...when I search my mind for my own past I come up with nothing but distorted pictures. Its not really frustrating or depressing as such...but its a strange feeling knowing that I dont have access to photos of my early childhood (if even such photos exist) and my birth will only be tangible to me in the form of a date on a birth certificate

 

Even just looking at my birth certificate at the names of my birth parents Ian McClaren (Irish ive been informed :P) and Suzanne Jaeschke I am curious about what they were like as parents when I was with them and how they are now. ive been referred to in letters from Family Services as 'having serious trauma' as a result of my early childhood and its been documented that I have clear memories of Ian (Im not going to use the terms mum and dad here as they dont seem appropriate to me) abusing Suzanne but right now I cant honestly remember a thing...visual or otherwise about any experiences whilst in their care.

 

Perhaps it is 'for the best' that I have been able to supress such memories (although this is purely an assumption because i of course have no understanding of what lies at the subconscious level) but I still wonder about the two people who brought me into this world...because whilst they may not have any bearing on my life now...the very fact that I owe my existence to them is an indication that they had a part to play in the development of who I am now. Sometimes I wonder how I would have turned out, how my life would be like now if things had been different and I wasn't placed in foster care- would I still be the same person (I think that would be a no because who I am- and there are many 'me's is a reflection/effect of those I associate with), with the same ambitions, the same character traits... would I even be living in Brisbane because I was born in Tasmania but through some twists of fate (?) ended up here where I met those who I consider to be my parents now...

 

So many unsolved question marks on my past...and although I dont exactly worry about them it is something which I feel I will need to pursue sometime in the future...sounds so cliche but I really want to come to terms with my past so I can more fully understand how and why I have become the person that I am today...I was just thinking the other day, if I was to ever write an autobiography (when I retire as a world renowned diplomat ) there would be quite a few chapters that I would have great difficulty writing as a chronological representation of my life's progression...but does that even matter that I dont know the 'full story'?

 

Sorry guys for the reflective, self-searching tone of this post- just felt the need to get all my thoughts down on paper...err text on a screen ^_^ Haha I just realised this is the first time I have shared these thoughts to such an open degree with other people...its strange seeing them physically expressed

 

And now to get ready for another glorious shift at Lasers..

 

 

.Having just arrived home barely 40 mins ago from a farewell party for Billy and his girlfriend, where at said party the Commander was treated to some home brand vodka courtesy of previously mentioned host, a disclaimer is issued regarding the grammatical 'correctedness' of this entry ^_^

 

Without a doubt, today represents a dark, dark day in the history of staff-workplace relations at Lasers...there were NO LESS then 10 birthday parties DOUBLE BOOKED throughout the day  For those unfamilar with Laser Force bureaucracy, we structure our bookings around 1 birthday party every 15 minutes...which is no small feat for staff working those days especially when said birthday parties can range anywhere between 5-25 people  On this PARTICULAR day (and nor is it an isolated case) 10 groups made bookings in advance and were mysteriously NOT recorded in the bookings sheet as is correct procedure- resulting in what can only be described as an APOCALYPTIC double booking pattern. Well-informed speculation abounds amongst the staff that the culprit of this EVIL mispractice is none other then 'Supreme Commander' Karen who is currently in the States for 3 weeks with our ever-benevolent boss Len (idea for future staff memo: in the future all bookings are to be recorded in the aptly-named BOOKINGS folder)

 

What only further intensified the shit storm was the noticable lack of staff- the outcome of such CHRONIC understaffing being only 5 staff throughout the whole day  however the truly mind boggling aspect of this series of misfortunate events (plug for the very engaging Jim Carey-starring-in-movie ^_^) was that unexpectedness of it all...first a group of 15 rocking up at 10 demanding their table that had been 'guaranteed' to them 2 weeks prior...seemingly triggering a flood of 'phantom' bookings causing both headaches to the organisational skills of the manager and to the mental endurance and renowned patience of the staff

 

The sum result of this trial was not only an 11-hour day for me (without the mandatory breaks due to a constraining reality) with 3 hours of overtime..but a distinct surge in the feelings of hatred, loathing and revenge of the staff towards the overlords of Laser Force...for the ILLIONTH time I found myself wishing today that the powers that be actually witnessed the weekend situation for staff firsthand rather than drawing GROSSLY MISINFORMED assumptions from the final takings on Saturday and Sunday night- however optimism is something that is increasingly absent in the expectations of staff at Lasers

 

In hindsight the vodka tonight was well deserved- although decidedly belated ^_^

 

And now off to bed...to dream of un-Lasers related dreams...*crosses fingers* ^_^

 

P.S. I really must extend my infinite gratittude to Comrade Wraith for his TIRELESS efforts today with marshalling, assisting on stargate and generally providing a real morale boost- thanks mate you will receive your just rewards one day *eyes crate of v that is festively gift wrapped*

 

Greetings and salutations to you the reader of the ongoing account of the epic tale that is the Ikari's life ^_^

 

 

This afternoon was most enjoyable as I went with Comrades Scythe, Wraith and Andrea (yes shock horror the Alliance CAN fraternise with the opposite sex ) to see Doom at the Regent Cinemas (nice decor and SUPERBE customer service- unashamed plug!). The movie itself was engaging and whilst it is to be commended on the ample gore and action that it boasted, it is unsuccessful in motivating me to purchase and play said title of the game series- just cant beat BF1942 and CounterStrike!

 

After escorting Andrea to a dinner/awards/graduation thingy the Alliance (at least those who were present) made their way to Lasers for some gaming. This part of the night PWNED as we played Shadows, Tag (lol) and Deathmatch haha all games which were enjoyed and amused all MUCHLY  Then along came the 10 noobs...(herein referred to as the 'trogs'- short for troglodytes = cretins/vermin/scum on the bottom of a sneaker :P). This particular 'breed' of trogs found it highly amusing to rock up the centre intoxicated and hyped up with illusions of macho grandeur...an image that the Alliance enthusastically committed itself to dismantling (at the request of the staff on duty) ^_^ Unfortunately, whether it was the vile liquid that the noobs had consumed or sheer lack of brain cells (more then likely linked to the former), these trogs proceeded to make the game a living hell for those that were blessed to still be part of the human gene pool. Throughout the game not only did they use a vocabulary whose colourful language would have made Eminem proud...in their infinite ignorance they decided that, contrary to commonsense and health laws suggesting otherwise, smoking in the arena was a logical thing for one to do... and of course the coup de grace of the trog's behaviour was their persistent harassment and chasing of one Commander Ikari...

 

In possibly the only exercise of logic that entire night in the centre we decided to take leave of these ever-delightful trogs and disperse for the evening ^_^

 

Thus ends another chapter in the saga that is my life...stay tuned

Well Comrades the Commander is FINALLY on holidays  it would be a great injustice to the elation Im feeling by attempting to put a description into words so for those who I have the esteemed pleasure of seeing Ill let my smile and demeanour bear witness  D Day (Saturday) was tiring to say the least...I had to get up at 530 am in order to make it to uni by the required 15 mins before the start of my first exam- Great Issues of International Relations. As with most other political science exams we were required to construct 2 essay-length arguments in response to topical international issues- in this case the damaging effects of globalisation on an international order founded on state sovereignty- and the question of whether poor countries were responsible for the cause and cure of severe global poverty. Haha what continues to amuse me is that the second topic wasn't even my first choice- originally I was going to look at US unilateralism and world order I guess my pen when put to paper had other ideas ^_^

 

The second exam- at the MOST unfortunate hour of 5.45 pm was the one I had feared above all other exams...50 multiple choice questions on qualitative research theory, conceptual traditions and landmark case studies...it sounds more exciting then it really is  Well come the 10 mins perusal prior to the start of examination I was very very very pleasantly surprised as skimming through the green question booklet i was able to mark off the answers (disclaimer: what 'I' believed was correct) to over half of them! This meant that I and about half of the students in the course were finished within 15 mins...which Im sure would have been quite a sight for the rest of those doing exams in the exhibition hall haha every eye was on us as we made our triumphant exit

 

 

Upon finishing my last exam for the year and thus my last academic action for semester 2 2005 I then headed over to Lasers where the celebrations and festivites began!!! I must say that I am immensely proud of the Alliance once again as throughout the night Alliance comrades were actively supporting Lasers staff in marshalling, manning the stargates, briefing noobs, demoing the non-standard games and taking on (mwhahahah) 'disciplinary roles'. In exchange for its services all Alliance members were entitled to playing in  games as frequently as they liked during the night (no queues for us!) and a share in the staff booty of food ^_^ My dream of the Alliance serving as the private army of Laser Force is fast becoming a reality...first the centre- next the world!!!!

 

Haha that meglomaniac fantasising done Im going to end this entry with an encouragement to all to CONTACT ME so we can do something- Ive got 3 months off and I want to see and do as much as possible  Be it laserforcing, seeing a movie, clubbing or just catching up I can promise an entertaining time- I've got a list of people who can bear witness to that which extends for kms!!!

 

Until I receive your correspondence...a bientot