Hey, It's Only A Game: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves

Oh. In an addendum to the 'Bulletstorm' texting post, I went into EB Games one night the week after his birthday to see if I could find the game. Not that he hadn't been delighted by his 'Rango' dvd (he was actually, I was pleased to note), but I still suffering from that thing I told you about before where I hate to disappoint them (over little things...no problem disappointing him over a laptop).

Inside the store I was confronted with an obscene array of 'on sale' games of every colour and persuasion. Want to crochet on your computer? There's probably a game for it. Unfortunately, there's much more likely to be a game which allows you to steal cars and mug old ladies, for points.

After sifting gingerly through the morass of 'Kill or B Killed 4' (I made that up, but it is probably a title) style bargains, I came upon 'Bulletstorm', reduced from $98.00 to $69.00. $98.00??????? Huh. Just as well it was on special.

With distaste, I picked it up between my first finger and thumb and carried it over to the checkout like something the cats had recently dismembered on the back porch. The young, male assisitant smiled at me quizzically,
"Do you want that?"
"Do I look like I want it?" I grimaced. "Apparently however, I am going to buy it."
The young man, bearing the pallid dermis and probably negative vitamin D rating of a seasoned game player, looked dubious.
"Do you know what it's about?" he queried."What age are you buying it for?"
"Well a) I assume its about shooting, with bullets, and b) for a 13 year old." I growled, my disapproval running from my pores and forming a large puddle about my feet. He looked thoughtful again.
"This is a pretty full on game you know," he informed me."It's mainly about killing people in the most spectacular way possible and also there's LOTs of swearing."
His off-sider sauntered across with a collection of boxed excreta for pricing and shelving.
"Which one are you talking about?" (yes, I guess it's hard to know...there's so much choice)
"Bulletstorm dude. Have you ever played it?" My assistant's face grew rosy and cheerful. "It's awesome! You spray this guy with bullets and it takes off the top of his skull and the brains like fly out in a spray and splatter across the screen!!!!!"
"AWESOME!!!!" his mate nodded and grinned.
And then he turned back to face me. "It's a pretty full-on game for a 13 year old."


I had been prepared for it to be about death and killing, most of Small Boy's games are >:-(
I hesitated.
His mate's face changed.
"Oh wait, I do know that one. It really IS full on for a kid." (what? and how old are you?)



I left the store a richer and somewhat bemused woman. I really had not expected the consumers and salespeople of the industry to talk me out of 'Bulletstorm'. It inspired a small, but brilliant, gleam of hope in my heart. And anyway, I now had major justification for failing to buy the thing for Small Boy!

This episode raised a whole lot of issues for me: firstly, shame that I was willing to buy the thing in the first place; secondly, relief that even seasoned gamers a) recognise when something is over the top and b) care about kids enough to dissuade a customer; minor fear at the feverish excitement in the young man's eye as he described the game to his friend; disbelief that people sit around using their brain power to create these things and finally, the ubiquitous discussion over the classification of games.






Here in Australia the most severe rating classification has been the M15+ label. Many games which did not fit into that category were basically not sold here and some that did were squeezed in under the lesser classification. Many of the games on the 'sale' table were there because, as the classification system changes, they will soon be rated R18+. Retailers are emptying their shelves of the MA15+ versions. This prompted me to wonder why. Are we too lazy in this day and age to stick a new classification label on a case? Are they too easily peeled off? Might this open retailers to prosecution for illegal sales of games to minors?

But then there's the bigger issue: has the lower classification ceiling kept a lot of unsavoury games out of Australia? (clearly not, thinking of 'Bulletstorm') Will the new legislation, meant to improve the standard of viewing available to our younger audiences, actually encourage the import (and thus availability) of even worse material? What do you think?



Oh and in an addendum to this addendum, to our absolute horror, the Small Boy's mother bought him the game this week, after also being advised against it by the shop assistant.
"She just said 'it's only a game'," Small Boy reported.

Snowy Holiday Part 1

I have so many things to tell you:

The big news this week is the upcoming Formal (Prom) and the BA's 16th birthday!!!!!!

SIXTEEN
*deep breaths*
I suppose that would account for why I am feeling so old!

Meanwhile:
We had a wonderful holiday in the Snowy Mountains, but there was too much driving and not enough stopping.

Here's a whistle stop of the 'highlights'...or at least...memorable occurrences:

Good Friday

Left late due to a wonderful night of carousing with my good friend Ms Drama Teacher and her Beau. We played something called 'Nitty Gritty', yes, amazingly I say 'we'!! Himself actually indulged me by playing along. It turned out to be extremely entertaining and, although the young couple 'whupped our a***es' in the winning stakes, we had a good laugh and many interesting conversations ensued. Perhaps we should play it weekly? I mean....conversation????!!!!

But anyway, we left late because of this rare socialising.

After a long day of driving, we were facing the prospect of sleeping the car. The first town we pulled into at sunset boasted 5 motels...not one of which had a vacancy. Fortunately we were in my old stamping grounds near my first teaching post and I was able to reassure Himself that the next town, Balranald was, in fact, big enough to have motels. We pulled in at about 7pm and were delighted to jag a -1 star motel: no room service, a bathroom which required significant manoeuvrings to close the door, and resident mice.

Significant stretches of South Australia, Victoria and new South wales are currently afflicted by a mouse plague. Interestingly, the 10 Plagues of Egypt did not include mice! Boy, the Lord sure missed out on an opportunity there. As we sat in our room watching TV a very well fed mouse scurried across the room, stopped by the wall to survey us and then disappeared into the wall cavity. Now, I am not particularly phased by a 'mouse'; it is the copious quantities of them that disturb me. Having lived through the hideous mouse plagues of Booligal back in 1990, my radar was on high alert as we switched off the light and tried for sleep. Himself, after a long day's drive was out like a light in no time. I, on the other hand lay awake for hours listening to the scurries and scuffles within the walls. On occasion the noises would change and I was sure the Mickeys had re-emerged through the gaps in skirting boards to rummage about in our luggage. I would sit bolt upright, turn the light on and get up to patter around looking for evidence of the little b******* , my mind full of plans for home made traps. Sadly the motel room was lacking in any of the essential materials for these traps so my night continued in broken fashion.

Onward the next day: a brief but wonderful stop in Hay to see my Dear Colleague and her family.
As I said to her, why are all our daughters towering over us? Was it something we fed them???????
Over morning coffee we calculated that it was 22 years since we had taught together in Booligal. I must have mentioned it before but this lady and I were so blessed. Out in the middle of nowhere I was assigned a second teacher and I could have got anybody; but in fact I got Dear Colleague and she was the best thing since sliced bread. Additionally, we had to share a house which could have been a disaster; but which of course was wonderful. Twenty two years later we looked at each other with dazed and bewildered eyes and wondered where the years had gone. Then we looked at the children and thought, "yeah...that's where they went."

Later that day I fell asleep at the wheel and Himself put us back onto the right side of the road and was then very reluctant to let me drive ever again.

That night we made it into Canberra as the BA flew in from Sydney. Himself's insistence on navigating with nothing more than his iphone, is the subject of another blog post all on its own; however the good news is that, despite being unable to contact her on mobile as we approached the airport and having no idea of where we were, the BA materialised, standing on a corner, looking more and more bemused as Himself went round and round and round the roundabout looking for an 'appropriate place' to pullover!





That night was spent in a nice motel and the Easter Bunny came.







We found a church the following morning


and left Himself cleaning the car (locusts...mice...etc) whilst we celebrated Easter.


It was a lovely service with sparklers, bells, flowers, an easter egg hunt and a sermon on
Les Miserables. We felt totally at home.


Onwards, toward Tumut and Himself decided we needed to take the high road through a place called Wee Jasper. He said his motivation was to find a nice picnic spot and to travel on a road he had not driven on before. You can imagine the conversation:
Me: How about we stop here for lunch?
Him: Naaah, I think there'll be a better spot around the corner.
Me: Here?
Him: Nah.
me: Here?
Hi: Nahhhhh.
Me: It's going to be 4pm before we eat at this rate!!!!
(Gourmet Picnic to keep everyone happy)


And then it was on to the purpose for the trip, my bridesmaid's 50th birthday.

That's her on the left.

She was having a 'Sex and The City' cocktail party. More stress. I spent a great deal of time trying to watch the BA through the corner of my eye to see that she was not being fed illicit cocktails :-(
Apart from that it was a lovely evening. The next day we experienced autumn in Tumut and took in the Adelong Falls and Gold workings.
Can you see Himself reflected in the water?
These last three pictures are for my dad.
Standing on a rock I noticed this: and then turned 180 degrees to see this:
and then looked up and across to see the full picture.I think its a dyke isn't it dad?
(edited to add: Dad says 'yes' it is...and it bifurcates! Never say this blog is not educational)
Next day, up and over the mountains:







image credit: plague

It's A Family Moment

Small Boy: Dad, dad, will you play a game with us tonight?
Himself: (disgruntled)...I dunno...what game?
Small Boy: Auntie Middle Sis and the BA and I want to play 'Smart Ass'
Himself: hurrumph. Well, I don't know....what do you want me to play for??
Small Boy: Oh dad! Because it's a 'family moment'.

Gotta love that kid!


(Is this not the most precious picture evah????...specially cos she is letting him use her ipod touch to play games on!....I know...it's the 21stC version of sharing toys. Kind of hard to believe they are not actually genetically related when you see them here.)

So Middle Sis arrived last Saturday!!! Do I sound excited? Cos I am!



She flew in at 6.40am (theoretically...she was actually 30 min early so I missed the arriving through the 'gate' shot) and we had a lovely breakfast on the banks of the Torrens.


Then, after a quick lie down she went off to a 30 Year Reunion for her class at school! That girl is a seasoned traveller! Since then we have been catching up with old mates,

enjoying the spring weather:




and just 'being' together. Friday we have set aside for SHOPPING!!!

I have been inspired by the Spring weather and my Middle Sis's recent impressive weight loss to try and take some control over my rapidly aging figure. I have cut out potatoes, rice and bread and for the last two mornings we have been down to the local Wittunga Botanic Gardens for serious walking and exercise! Once school goes back I will be restricted by drop off and pick up times for the Baby Angel but I hope to get to the gym more frequently than I do in the holidays (the gym is closer to work). I must say all the exercise is having a favourable impact upon my mood which was pretty black on the weekend. Or perhaps it is the weather?

The weather seems to have made everyone more amenable. Even the Anti Pet.




Hissing and spitting were kept to a minimum.

When I was going to pick up Middle Sis from the airport, the BA sighed to me that she wondered what it would have been like to have a sister. Augh. That kind of comment rips your heart out. I have always felt disappointed that I did not have any other children and I was just thinking how wonderful it was to have sisters, when the BA made this comment. Of course she quickly followed it up by saying that she was glad she didn't have to share me with anyone but still, it is a bitter pill to swallow when I know how much joy siblings can bring.

Here's the other one!

Wish you were here too!!

Love you gals!

Brief Coo-ee In The Midst Of Reports

Gee I hate reports. What teacher doesn't I guess? But I really hate secondary reports that have a number attached; a number which is supposed to summarise ability, motivation, application and achievement and which,of course, really tells you not very much at all. Oh and I really hate Care Group reports (which we are obliged to produce every term) which detail whether a student is punctual, wears the uniform correctly and is positively involved in the life of the school. Four times a year?? I mean, how many ways can you say 'neat, punctual, does his best', especially when you only ever see them for 10 minutes in the morning at roll call!??

But I gotta suck it up so I 'll probably be pulling an all-nighter to finish everything by tomorrow morning. :-(

Meanwhile, La Jeune Fille is relaxing into our madhouse and seems to be enjoying herself.

She finally emerged from the bedroom on Sunday at around 2.30pm. As a result she was bright eyed and bushy tailed well into the night so we made her play cards (our favourite...Racing Demons) and then made her teach us a French card game (Batteile). Himself even played, which was predictably hilarious. It's amazing how multi-cultural laughter is!

On Sunday she was up by 10am and after a Gorge walk with Himself and the BA, they accompanied A Free Family to the football to see my beloved Roosters being thrashed by A Free Man's carelessly chosen Tigers. According to Himself La JF is quite a good kick and picked up handballing technique with ease.

Again she was up bright and early this morning to accompany the BA to school and catch up with the rest of the French students as they too came in for classes. This afternoon as I picked the two of them up they were shrieking with laughter and LJF was actually using English in sentences! So. Progress.

I'll see you on the other side of Report Mountain!!!!

It's All About the People Guys

I don't know about your school but at many independent schools here we have 'Houses' in true Hogwarts tradition, complete with House Cups and all that that entails.

Some of the more well to do establishments put a lot of emphasis on Houses, being the pastoral care reference point for parental concerns. At others, they are simply a place of allegiance where the annual Sports day, Swimming Carnival and Choir Competition culminate in a House Cup Award ceremony and the position of House Official offers an opportunity for pupils to make a mark on the school (and yes, the latter was my old school).

At my current school, Houses are given lip service in that the 'Care Groups' (roll groups/home groups...you know the thing) are House based and we have an annual sports and swimming carnival but after that there seemed little focus on house spirit and the sense of belonging which has spawned the entire fraternity/sorority system in the US.

Now I'm not saying for a moment that I condone the ridiculous excesses of the frat/sorority system. You would never have seen ME on a pub crawl back in my Uni days...no SIRREE!!!
(shut up Bestie...that will be enough out of you) but I do admire the support networks built up by these groups and, after reading a recent post by A Free Man on bullying, I think they can supply that essential sense of belonging that we all need in a setting often far from family and home.

To some small degree, that is what I see the House system offering in a High schools.

When I arrived at my current school, I had left the powerful experience of being part of a house in another school. For some reason I decided to join the House with the same colour and, as I was later to discover, a similar sense of failure and disillusionment. Sheesh

After my first year at my current school it was evident that our House was in the Doldrums. Some of you may remember that at a warm, late afternoon, end of year staff House meeting last year, I fell asleep and awoke to find myself House Leader. This has been an interesting journey.

Firstly I petitioned the Principal to instigate the House Cup, which I am thrilled to report he duly did. At the moment we are in the process of deciding how to allocate points from a year full of activities in order to award the Cup; but the excitement has been a spate of inter-house basketball matches, quizzes and charity project competitions. The range of activities is, I feel, a reflection of the broader range of talents exhibited by pupils across the school. In other words, sport is not everything.

My battle this year has been against the apathy within the House. I have heard kids say,
"I wish I wasn't in this House. We're rubbish*."

What they are failing to understand is that Houses are only as good as the people who make them up.

With this in mind I have been trying to instigate house activities which are fun and a 'reward' without requiring a first place. For example, after the swimming carnival where we DIDN'T COME LAST, I organised an ice cream sundae lunchtime for the participants. Later when we WON the Inter House Quiz and all our teams got into the Grand Final in the basketball (we lost all of them but hey!) we held a popcorn and movie lunch.

Tomorrow we are holding the inaugural 'farewell' to Year 12 House BBQ.

You have no idea how many gripes this idea elicited from staff members.

"But we do our Year 12 farewells in Care groups. This isn't traditional! We won't have enough time/money/music to make it successful."
" You'll never get it all done in Long Care Group time. There will be kids from every House trying to muscle in...."
"Not everyone likes sausages you know."

Sheesh again.

My vision is that even if our House is not incredibly successful at athletics or swimming, at least we will have nice social events which will make kids feel pleased to be part of the House. We will celebrate the people who make up our House and we will enjoy the belonging.

That's my vision.

So send up some prayers to your respective deities or to the universe, if that's your thing, that the House BBQ tomorrow is successful. We need a fine, windless day, cheerful staff prepared to speak on the Yr 12s in their care group; student helpers who are competent and prepared to serve and finally, enough food!!!!!!

As many of you may know, I am a crap cook. Catering causes me to hyper-ventilate. What on earth inspired me to co ordinate a 'dry' BBQ!!!!!!!!!!

wish me very good luck, everybody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The spirit of the House is at stake.

PS: Update on Himself; still in the low 500s but poised for a big 'run' soon.


* paraphrased of course
cheerleader pin

Unbelievable!

861st position!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At this rate, a position in the top 100 is gettable!!!!!!!

He made some tough tactical decisions the other night (encouraged by moi) and had to 'suck it up' as he watched the others steam ahead. But now he is reaping the rewards! Many of the leaders are stranded in the Doldrums but he has skirted around and is in a reasonable wind stream on a perfect angle for the 'mark'.

As he puts it, he can 'see the sail numbers' on the boat in 11th position.....

He is one happy bunny.

Soon though they are going to hit the two converging pressure systems in the middle of the Atlantic and then the fun will begin. Up until now they have been reaching downwind but soon they will need to start working into the wind. It should be interesting.

Himself believes that anyone in the first 2000 could still win the race. They've completed about one third of the race so far.

*oh my Lord. I've just realised how much longer this could go on for.......................................*

Ah well. There's worse things I guess :-D

859th at the end of this post......and gaining.

Poised on The Brink

Having re-cracked the top 1000, he's dropped back again to 1058 but is ready to attack big time :-)
He has another boat 'watching' him and following his every move. It's called 'Bare Knuckles' but he refers to him as 'Knucklehead'. They're having quite a duel! No idea who it is. It's a very cool program really! They are only 120 nautical miles behind the virtual leaders and only 60 miles behind the real leaders who are now stuck in a 'hole'.

It is quite engrossing.

Ocean Update 3

After peaking in the top 1000 on Saturday night, Himself has been battling with wind shifts, 'holes' and sleep. The problem with being an Australian in a Round the World race when everyone else is in the northern hemisphere is that as you sleep they out manouevre you! This morning a very grumpy Himself had dropped back to the 1300s. :-(

Saturday 19th January 2008

Had a lovely day yesterday. Slept in. A bit of blogging. A visit from a great old friend who, as yet, does not have a moniker. Now I know this friend does have an occasional peek into this site so I am going to leave it to him to come up with a name for himself. For today we shall call him 'Kindergarten Friend' cos that's how long I have known him!!!

Our fathers were both geologists and had met at social functions when my mother took me down for my first day at a local kindergarten (preschool....3-4 years old). Bear in mind that at this point in her 28 year old life my mother had been in Adelaide a mere 2 and a half years. She spied a familiar Geology Wife and they immediately renewed an acquaintance commenced perhaps at a cocktail party or dinner dance for University/Geology types. She discovered the family were living in very close proximity to us and that the other mother had a boy the same age as her own daughter.

The families became very close. Kindergarten Friend and I had a sibling style relationship from an early age. We rode bikes together. Built model aeroplanes. Shared some musical tastes (I still have the Chuck Berry tape he made me in the 70s) Later, his older sister and brother would babysit me and my siblings. When I was 19 Kindergarten Friend taught me to drive (Himself: Oh, so you are responsible!!!!).

Kindergarten Friend went on to become a highly successful industrial scientist and eventually Project Manager for a major car firm. After 20 years with the same company, and seeing how the general trends in the motor industry (and particularly THIS company) were going, he took redundancy just over a year ago and has been living it up ever since.

So, yesterday we ended up at the Sailing Club after the boys' club race (they came third over the line and first on handicap) having a quiet beer with the NS14 gang. The Sailing Club is one of the only ones left in the State...perhaps the country......which has a 'wet' bar ie you can come straight in after sailing, still in bathers and sailing gear and have a beer at the bar! Very civilised. During this after-race chat the subject of next year's National Championships came up.

In 2009, the Nationals will be held at our Club. Last week Himself went to a coordinator's meeting and came back to inform me that I was in charge of 'social things'. I thought he was joking but apparently not. It seems I will be organising the 'Welcome' and 'Presentation' Events!!
What do I know of these things??????????????? Well, yesterday afternoon I started to learn pretty darn quick :-)....

Anyway, after our relaxing sojourn in the wet bar, made even more charming by the presence of a bridal party who had been married on the beach and were having the reception upstairs in the restaurant, we adjourned home to play some games. I managed to get Himself involved in a game of Pictionary with KF and two other friends who called around after tea.

The classic moment of the night occurred as Himself was drawing what appeared to be a person with a whole lot of 'x's floating around him. We were completely blank but the couple across the table suddenly called out 'X-ray' and two things happened at once. Himself threw down his pen in disgust and all the lights went out.
"Oh!" I exclaimed, "A black-out!!!!"
"No," came the exasperated voice through the darkness next to me, "It's X-ray!!!!"

He doesn't miss a beat when he has a game to play.

The light did come back on again and we had a lovely night. Lots of laughs and fellowship and of course, Himself was happy as we won the game :-D

Something has occurred to me though with the reality of The Nationals organisation sinking in. My half formed dream of going to the UK for Xmas/January has evaporated. The sailors start arriving on Boxing Day and the series runs until the 3rd of January. That leaves barely 3 weeks of January before I have to be back for Staff Meetings. I don't think we'll be going this year.

:-(