The totally off-topic thread

[OZDUCK]

WA is a very big place with a very low population density. It astounds me that anyone who might travel outside Perth or a few of the major centres would even consider any carrier other than Telstra if they wanted any sort of decent coverage. I remember when people would whinge that even Rottnest was hopeless with Optus (maybe it still is). You get what you pay for.

If you get on a hill W of Menzies around where you were, Telstra will work .

The economics hardly work for even Telstra out there, I'd reckon. The problem of universal service obligation that's avoided by the likes of Optus etc.

I stick with Telstra very largely because I spend so much time in the bush.

My brother-in-law is on a farm northeast of Merredin and he has a satellite phone for urgent situations as even Telstra coverage there is pretty patchy.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Europcar stuff was limited ... But informative.

Yes but while RentalCars and Europcar were deceptive, one has to wonder a little at story about the car being too small. The naively of the renters with (as they said) three people and two large bags. Why could they not just put one of the bags in the back seat?

Too many people rent very small cars and then travel with too much luggage. Three people and luggage traveling internationally normally won’t fit into an i20 or 30.

I well remember four English in Florida who arrived with two bags each and had hired a fiesta and were very annoyed their luggage wouldn’t fit.

 

[Quickstatus]

Early pension after 35 years service pretty much killed Greece. And to top it off you could continue working and pay very little tax.

Madness.

Or not work and still get paid

 

[Quickstatus]

Too many people rent very small cars and then travel with too much luggage. Three people and luggage traveling internationally normally won’t fit into an i20 or 30.

Problem is that hire car companies often have different size cars in the same class

 

[JohnK]

Unlike here where I am paying for 2 pensioner couples.

Only 2 couples? You're not working hard enough.

 

[Deleted member]

French train drivers retire at 52. All French workers receive 5 weeks annual leave so more than what Australians get. They should be fine to travel. Spain gets 22 working days plus 14 public holiday leave days.

And Aussie school teachers get 3 months plus PH’s
I should have listened to Mum and gone to teachers college.

 

[Pushka]

And Aussie school teachers get 3 months plus PH’s
I should have listened to Mum and gone to teachers college.

Well yes. Unique though.

 

[drron]

Best moment of the Games.

.

Glenn Dyer’s TV Ratings

 

[love_the_life]

And Aussie school teachers get 3 months plus PH’s
I should have listened to Mum and gone to teachers college.

Not quite. Most of the ‘holidays’ are classed as stand down time. You can be required to go in to work. As a middle manager I was needed at times. Also you go in to get things ready for the next term. Not to forget corrections and prep done at home in the evenings and over weekends. When I went to employment out of education I couldn’t believe the spare time. Think most educators would probably agree.
And not to forget when I first started work I earned more than MrLtL who was in the PS. When I left, after 30 years and several promotions along the way, he was on over double my pay.

 

[blackcat20]

And Aussie school teachers get 3 months plus PH’s
I should have listened to Mum and gone to teachers college.

Not quite. Most of the ‘holidays’ are classed as stand down time. You can be required to go in to work. As a middle manager I was needed at times. Also you go in to get things ready for the next term. Not to forget corrections and prep done at home in the evenings and over weekends. When I went to employment out of education I couldn’t believe the spare time. Think most educators woukd probably agree.
And not to forget when I first started work I earned more than MrLtL who was in the PS. When I left, after 30 years and several promotions along the way, he was on over double my pay.

Teachers are essentially salaried for the working weeks (so about 40 weeks) but it is spread out over 52. And they spend a lot of those "holidays" doing prep work for classes. Unless youve tried teaching, you have no idea.

 

[amaroo]

Europe is becoming a cot case. Full pension retirement at 50. 30 hour week. Macron is trying to turn it around but it’s getting difficult.

Don't have to look that far .... just take a look at the recent Melbourne Firies deal...

Firefighters who have been on the job for more than two years will be eligible for 99 days of personal and sick leave a year, on top of 65 days' annual leave.

By comparison, frontline Ambulance Victoria paramedics are entitled to up to 50 days of annual leave and Victoria Police officers get 45 days.

The agreement also included provisions for 10 days of community service leave and five days of union training, which alongside the state's 13 public holidays added up to 196 days.

The minister said it wasn't "a massive increase in leave entitlements".

 

[Cossie]

Not quite. Most of the ‘holidays’ are classed as stand down time. You can be required to go in to work. As a middle manager I was needed at times. Also you go in to get things ready for the next term. Not to forget corrections and prep done at home in the evenings and over weekends. When I went to employment out of education I couldn’t believe the spare time. Think most educators woukd probably agree.
And not to forget when I first started work I earned more than MrLtL who was in the PS. When I left, after 30 years and several promotions along the way, he was on over double my pay.

Teachers are essentially salaried for the working weeks (so about 40 weeks) but it is spread out over 52. And they spend a lot of those "holidays" doing prep work for classes. Unless youve tried teaching, you have no idea.

Well said LTL and BC20, never let the facts get in the way of a good story, tabloid sensationalism anyone?

 

[JohnK]

Too many people rent very small cars and then travel with too much luggage. Three people and luggage traveling internationally normally won’t fit into an i20 or 30.

I can get 2 suitcases, a smaller suitcase, 2 backpacks, a golf bag inside a golf travel bag and a stroller easily into a Toyota Yaris.

But I agree luggage space is limited in most cars if you have more than 2 adults.

 

[Pushka]

Well, I just wish our students were performing, on average, better internationally. And then there are SA students who are at the bottom of that pack. Tier 9 teachers earn around $100,000 and specialist teachers above that. So if that really means 40weeks equivalent pay then it isn’t a meagre salary.

 

[Cossie]

"Sarcasm hat on!"

$100,00 a year wouldn't be anywhere near enough for me to have to deal with some of the young people these days and that includes their parents.....

"Sarcasm hat off!"

 

[blackcat20]

Well, I just wish our students were performing, on average, better internationally. And then there are SA students who are at the bottom of that pack. Tier 9 teachers earn around $100,000 and specialist teachers above that. So if that really means 40weeks equivalent pay then it isn’t a meagre salary.

Back when I was teaching the top pay capped out around $100k; your younger teachers arent earning anywhere near that. Add in year to year contracts (and therefore no pay over christmas), lack of job security , behavioural issues with students, and dealing with parents. Who'd want to do it?

 

[Pushka]

Back when I was teaching the top pay capped out around $100k; your younger teachers arent earning anywhere near that. Add in year to year contracts (and therefore no pay over christmas), lack of job security , behavioural issues with students, and dealing with parents. Who'd want to do it?

I’d like to see the salary of Nurses improved. It’s currently around $65,000 for the annual salary. Not sure if that includes penalties. They face danger every single day. Sure they can salary sacrifice but that doesn’t make up the difference esp when higher paid people can likewise salary sacrifice.

 

[love_the_life]

Oh dear. It seems we have ‘lost’ 5 Cameroon athletes from the Games.

 

[cove]

Only five.....what about the others?

 

[mrs.dr.ron]

In the Brisbane Times today =

"Five Cameroon athletes competing in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games have gone missing from the athletes village."

It is not the first time Cameroonian athletes have gone missing.

In 2012, seven athletes from Cameroon were reported missing from the London Olympic Games.

In 2006, more than 40 athletes and officials who participated in the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne overstayed or sought asylum in Australia, including from the African countries of Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone