Am I "un-australian"? Olympic games care factor = 0

[Super T.I.B]

Still on the tools Super?

Nah...not enough money in it. 

Although i'm still part of the game.

[Dockstrada]

Well, an argument could be made for putting more money into education and making it a higher priority than it is. This country is getting dumber & dumber by the day.

And not just education that will just churn out doctors, lawyers, stockbrokers, etc etc. We need more tradesmen, engineers, people that build things. The reason that kids these days do not do the manual labour is because the money is not there and they would rather be a desk jockey. And manual labour is looked upon as low brow, not good enough for my kids.    Nothing against people on here that are desk jockeys but there is a huge shortage of trades people in this country and it's getting worse. 

And bring back the cane too, while we're at it. 

<end rant>

I Agree super Australia is in deep shit and its getting deeper, one thing I have done is to keep in touch with my first trade as a metal fabricator. As an employer I can see what coming and sees my self getting back on the tools and charging more than a doctor for my old dirty trade in time to come. Current costs for a metal fabricator on the shop floor is $50 plus per hour.

[DosVerde]

Sometimes I wish that I stuck with the Tech School I went to, but it was the mid '80's and business was king. I have had brief (very brief) thought sabout a mature age apprentiship, but I need to sustain my wage these days.

Which makes me think about the topic. After our sportpersons have retired from thier sport, stick them in an apprentiship to repay society 

[dragonworld.]

Sometimes I wish that I stuck with the Tech School I went to, but it was the mid '80's and business was king. I have had brief (very brief) thought sabout a mature age apprentiship, but I need to sustain my wage these days.

Which makes me think about the topic. After our sportpersons have retired from thier sport, stick them in an apprentiship to repay society 

I tried to get into the "mature" age apprenticeship scheme but it turned out to be more of a publicity stunt than anything concrete. There were so many obstacles and hoops to jump over and negotiate that it was fairly well unworkable!! Let alone the fact that you would have a hard time living on what you would make.
Made the Government LOOK like it was doing something, but it was a stunt!!

I'd wished my parents had sent me to a Tech school also as I'd have some trade quals to use now. I can do a lot of the metal and automotive trades but with no papers I'm rooted.  And the trade that I did eventually get (Injection molder die setter for plastics) is pretty well dead as the everything has gone off to China as is the norm nowadays.

[loony888]

I tried to get into the "mature" age apprenticeship scheme but it turned out to be more of a publicity stunt than anything concrete. There were so many obstacles and hoops to jump over and negotiate that it was fairly well unworkable!! Let alone the fact that you would have a hard time living on what you would make.
Made the Government LOOK like it was doing something, but it was a stunt!!

I'd wished my parents had sent me to a Tech school also as I'd have some trade quals to use now. I can do a lot of the metal and automotive trades but with no papers I'm rooted.  And the trade that I did eventually get (Injection molder die setter for plastics) is pretty well dead as the everything has gone off to China as is the norm nowadays.

as a 2nd year mature age apprentice (at 40!) i have to disagree with you. i was fortunate enough to have my long service leave behind me before i started and we have no kids, amen to that!! but i still earned more as a 1st year than i did in my previous job as a postie! i know, it was unskilled labour and shouldn't be hard to better that but i started on $15 an hour and wasn't able to earn any overtime for the first 6 months. mine is with a state govt. corporation and i, as well as all the employees get looked after very well, it's the best decision i've made work wise since giving up my previous trade as a roof tiler. you can wish in one hand and crap in the other, see which one gets full first, both my wife and i grew up poor and neither of us has family to fall back on for anything, the opportunities are there, you just have to make them work for you.


paul.

[brimo]

Sorry to hear about your, experience Dragonworld, We've put on a few "mature age" apprentices, much better to work with, better work ethic and life experience and just generally more reliable.
My Bro just qualified as a LAME (helicopters) (at 50!) through a "mature age apprenticeship", that said, he did have a lot of mechanical experience already that helped him get the job. He did it hard on the crap wages to begin with but is now earning good $$.
I do agree with Paul though, if you want to get somewhere you've gotta start at the bottom and go from there it's up to you,  (a liitle bit of hardship can be character building) that's why I appreciate what I have, it's all come from my own hard graft, no helping hand cash wise from family only that most important thing that a parent can give to their kids, encouragement.
And how about those"sportspeople" who have got a free ride from the public purse, do they pay back to the country what they have earned through their selling of weetbix. I propose a HECS type scheme, but then I suppose there's always the argument that they do pay tax on those earnings.

[brimo]

Don't you love how discussions evolve on this forum, originally intended as a diatribe on the state of whats on the telly, it's become a wee bit more philosophical.

Anyhow, vive la evolution, or as elvis said "viva lost wages".

[Spider]

Brimo, I believe that the podium should be bigger - it should be able to fit the athletes 'support team' on there - parents, partner, coach - the people around that athlete sacrifice so much. All the really successful athletes I know have (had to be) been so self focused that I often feel for their partners!

[Betty]

Brimo, I believe that the podium should be bigger - it should be able to fit the athletes 'support team' on there - parents, partner, coach - the people around that athlete sacrifice so much. All the really successful athletes I know have (had to be) been so self focused that I often feel for their partners!

This thread is a classic on many levels.

The focus and sacrifice these elite athletes make is really no different to many 'career-focussed' people I have seen and I think their supporters/partners suffer even more and it could be over a much longer period. The rewards (or lack thereof) for the support team is interesting though - whether it be the coach, family or taxpayers - the only real beneficiary is the athlete, assuming they can actually reach a level to cash in.

The other week I had a discussion with a recently retired professional footballer who has become a youth coach. He said he was really enjoying his new role, but it was bloody hard work - the thing he missed most was the lifestyle of being a professional sportsman.

Another conversation that comes to mind was with a mate from Uni: At the end of our degree he was working a couple of jobs, ridiculous hours and earning pretty decent money in a bid to set himself up - but the tax sitaution was really getting him down. His view was that the harder he worked the more he was providing for dole bludgers so they could continue to sit on their arse (they were effectively getting a bigger piece of his pie the harder he worked). He thought that since he was 'sponsoring' whole families, he should be recognised for such .... and thought is should be like sponsoring a little kid in Africa - his sponsored family would have to write to him periodically thanking him for his support and updating him on the progress they were making on their journey of self improvement.

Perhaps we need some personal attention from the athletes we are sponsoring.

[Spider]

Perhaps we need some personal attention from the athletes we are sponsoring.

Jana did her share!

....

I had weeks like that - I'd get a bonus payment and $3k to 5k in tax then walk outside (in Fitzroy) and see the bludgers sitting there....I just wanted a "thanks mate!" from them, that's all....

then I got over myself!

[DosVerde]

.......I had weeks like that - I'd get a bonus payment and $3k to 5k in tax then walk outside (in Fitzroy) and see the bludgers sitting there....I just wanted a "thanks mate!" from them, that's all....

mmmmmm, I'd like a bonus payment like that.  But I know what you mean, it's like that story that was going around about a guy in WA who wanted the dole blugders to have to pass urine / drug tests before they get their hands on his taxes. Fair enough too.

Don't you love how discussions evolve on this forum, originally intended as a diatribe on the state of whats on the telly, it's become a wee bit more philosophical.

It's just like the conversation at a pub, my round? 

[Zee]

I'm into the whole Olympics thing this time around.


Womens volleyball, womens beach volleyball, Steph Rice, I'm sure there there was a hot pole vaulter or two int he mix as well...

Some of the close up footage during beach volleyball has been gold. Can anyone say.. cameltoe?

Z...

[Jukie]

yes i sure you guys have had fun looking at all the naked bits on the girls

[Super T.I.B]

I'm into the whole Olympics thing this time around.

 Can anyone say.. cameltoe?

Z...

Yeah, he likes the Michael Phelps male camel toe. 

[Jukie]

so Zeee is this what you like, were you wearing you chaps at the time